October Empties Review

Out with the old! Took me a while to get around to photographing them, but here are October’s empties. For reference, my skin type is normal-dry and my concerns are primarily around skin brightening and anti-aging.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Melting Balm

This is fine as a cleansing balm, but honestly I think I’m spoiled by the Banila balm. For those that don’t like fragrance and want something inexpensive, though, this is a good option. Plus it’s available at most drugstores. I found the lack of a spatula frustrating, so I wound up reusing my one from the Banila balm, and that worked well. Otherwise the waxy texture iis hard to dig into. Won’t be repurchasing.
Rating: 3/10
Cost: $10 UDS per 2 ounces

Biossance Squalane + Antioxidant Cleansing Oil

This oil cleanser is a popular first cleanse for a lot of folks, but not for me. Honestly the reason it’s just now empty is it just sat and sat and sat and I didn’t use it because it gave me forehead bumps. I just couldn’t get it to emulsify to save my life. Then I decided “screw it” and started using it as a bath oil, which actually worked pretty well! Definitely a bougie option, though, if that’s what you’re using it for. Won’t be repurchasing.
Rating: 1/10
Cost: $30 USD per 200 mL, shown here in travel size

Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence

This essence is my first-ever first essence and is a new holy grail. I love it as the first couple steps of my seven skins — I swear it makes my skin more plush. Hoping that continued use will help prevent aging and reduce some old PIE, too. Have already repurchased. My literal only beef with this is that the outer frosted coating on the bottle seems to come off with time. Alternately perhaps I’m just a dirty kid who gets too much skincare everywhere.
Rating: 10/10
Cost: prices vary between $20-$55 USD per 150mL

Peach & Lily Super Reboot Resurfacing Mask

This mask was such a delightful find. I’ve written about it before as a gentle alternative to the popular peel from The Ordinary. It lasted me a surprisingly long time, despite its small size — a little bit goes a long way. I would definitely repurchase but haven’t yet, as I have some other exfoliants I’m working through, and I want to try the Versed peel next.
Rating: 10/10
Cost: $43 USD/80 mL for full size or $19 USD/20 mL for travel size, shown here

Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask

Despite its name, this is NOT a mask in the way you might think of it — it is a sleeping mask, which means it’s intended as one of the last steps in your PM skincare. was the first sleeping mask that I’ve used and I definitely enjoyed it. It has a BIZARRE texture — quite bouncy like when you touch it, and reforms to have a smooth texture on the top of the tub again when you let it sit for a while. It was honestly hard to tell where the bottom was because of this. I would repurchase but I think that there are other, cheaper, more interesting sleeping masks.
Rating: 8/10
Cost: $27 USD per 90 mL for full size or $9 for 15mL for travel size, shown here

Trilipiderm Protective Day Creme – Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Officially the only US sunscreen I’ll use on my face, this is a bougie sunscreen but I LOVE IT. I blame my esthetician, she recommended them. It’s great for days when I don’t feel like doing an AM routine — I just cleanse and apply this and I’m good! The oil combinations are quite lovely in it, and I actually feel like it helped improve my skin tone. Have already repurchased.
Rating: 9/10, just due to cost
Cost: $40 USD per 50 mL

Have you tried any of these? What were YOUR October empties?