August Empties Reviews

This month is a bit all over the place in terms of empties. I blame the change in life routine leading to changes in skin routine — waking up two hours earlier every day, lacking access to creature comforts like my bathtub or even reliably consistently hot water, and just being in a hotter, more humid environment. I’ve been slathering on toners but many of my usual creams have felt like too much. Products listed in the order emptied.

👄 Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is a cult classic — likely because it was one of the first lip balms in the US market to not feel occlusive. Advertised as a lip sleeping mask, this is really an any-time sort of lip balm that doesn’t feel waxy, sticky or heavy. Indeed, I would argue that it actually doesn’t excel as a night time product, at least on its own. This melts into the lips pretty readily, so if you, like me, are a mouth breather, your lips will be dry when you wake up. (Their marketing refers to having something still on the lips to wipe off in the morning. Cute, Laneige.) It doesn’t break me out around the mouth area, which can be a struggle, but it definitely seems over-hyped.
Price: $20 USD / 20g; shown in a sample size
Opened: December
Rating: 7/10

💚 Good Molecules Gentle Retinol Cream

The Good Molecules Gentle Retinol Cream is a great starter retinol, especially for those US-based folks with tight budgets and dry skin. It includes .1% retinol, as well as .3% bakuchiol (below the studied 1%), in a creamy base with grapeseed and sunflower seed oils that may be able to double as a moisturizer for some folks. A pea-sized amount of this spreads easily over face, neck and chest, and I found that after acclimating to it I could use this formula on exfoliation nights without issue.
Price: $8 USD / 30 mL
Opened: April
Rating: 9/10

🌰 Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid

I lucked into getting the Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid for free through YesStyle when I did another Isntree purchase (pro tip — check their Free Gifts & Samples because occasionally the deals are very worth it). Since 2% salicylic acid isn’t legal in the Korean market, this is very specifically Isntree’s response to the cult-classic Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. I opened this when the skin around my mouth was struggling again due to hormones, but my skin isn’t so acne prone to need to use it that way for long. I will say that it didn’t dry out my skin, like other salicylic acid products can, and it also didn’t feel oily, which is a common complaint with the Paula’s Choice product. Where I really enjoyed using it was “downgrading” it to my scalp — I’ve got a persistent itchy spot on the back of my head that responds well to hydration and exfoliation, and my scalp generally appreciated the clarification this brought, such that I think I’ll be looking for more salicylic acid for that purpose.
Price: $20 USD / 100 mL
Opened: May
Rating: 9/10

🧈 Topicals Like Butter Hydrating Mask

Wow did I fly through the Topicals Like Butter Hydrating Mask. It can be used as an overnight or a wash-off mask, and I always use it as the latter In Colorado I had been using it as a follow-up to an exfoliating mask, but in Oklahoma I switched to using it about 15 minutes before I knew I was going to hop in the shower — in the absence of a bathtub, a more elaborate shower has been my go-to. While this is a moisturizing mask, it is not as moisturizing as other wash-off masks I’ve tried, and the price is pretty steep. As an overnight mask it might be a bit more reasonable, but I still feel like there are more cost-effective options with similar formulations, especially in k-beauty.
Price: $34 USD / 50 mL
Opened: July
Rating: 7/10

🥛 Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment

At long last I have tried Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment. This is many folks’ first lactic acid, and it is appropriately gentle — while Sunday Riley doesn’t disclose the percentage, I found it immediately usable daily, like I do many lactic acids. Lactic acid is an AHA that doubles as a hydrator, and this formula includes a variety of other hydrating extracts. It smoothes over the skin easily, and while there is a smell to it, it is more of lemongrass (one of the added extracts) than the characteristic lactic acid funkiness. That said, in the current skincare market it’s hard to fathom paying more than $50 for 30 mL of lactic acid, let alone over $80.
Price: $85 USD / 30 mL, shown in the 8 mL size that comes in the Power Couples kit
Opened: this month
Rating: 6/10

🍶 SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

Ah, the coveted SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. I discovered the benefits that galactomyces ferment gives my skin — smaller pores, even skin tone — over two years ago now, so I had to try THE first essence that all other first essences are ostensibly dupes of. Thankfully Costco carried it last autumn, making it remotely justifiable, price-wise. This has the same watery texture as other first essences, but smells distinctly more like sake — which, given that galactomyces ferment is a byproduct, isn’t surprising. I was a bit worried that I would love it and be stuck buying it for the rest of my life, but I’m surprised to say that while it’s excellent, I felt that Missha and Mizon performed as well, or better.
Price: $200 USD / 325 mL via Costco; standard size is $185 / 160 mL
Opened: January
Rating: 9/10

🟢 Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster

I got my husband the Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster over a year ago, which yes, means that it’s arguably expired, but hey, he finished it! A little does go a long way with these 30 mLs, thanks to its smooth texture, though he clearly wasn’t super consistent with it. He was over the last month, though, and when he used it regularly his beard flakiness decreased, as did his persistent, rosacea-like redness. Despite also having salicylic acid (a key differentiator between this product and other 10% formulations), it’s gentle enough for daily use. There’s a reason this is a cult classic.
Price: $36 USD / 30 mL
Opened: July ’21
Rating: 10/10

🌚 Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop

I bought the Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop because of the EGF peptides. While peptides, as a broad category, are often believed to help with collagen synthesis, it is very specifically the epidermal growth factor peptides that do that work, and they’re hard to find. While I can’t think that, say, my nasolabial folds have reduced at all, I also don’t think that a few months truly long enough to be able to see those results — I would definitely consider continuing to use this to see if there were long-lasting results, though given how sh-Oligopeptide-1 tends to get tucked into k-beauty formulations, I probably won’t bother. I did use this AM and PM, always with a few steps between it and any strong acid (aka vitamin C or an exfoliant) to avoid denaturing the peptides.
Price: $30 USD / 20 mL
Opened: June
Rating: 9/10

7️⃣ Hanskin Seven Layer Ceramide Serum

If you want the ceramide serum equivalent of Pokemon’s Gotta Catch ‘Em All, look no further than the Hanskin Seven Layer Ceramide Serum. This emulsion texture has seven ceramides (ergo the name), plus a ceramide precursor, panthenol, cholesterol, beta glucan, urea and panthenol, basically making it a one-stop shop for skin barrier support. The texture can feel a bit tacky at first, but it dries down easily. And the price! Ceramides are expensive to formulate with, but the price per mL is great on this. I’ve got a lot of ceramide serums I love and while this one might not be the most elegant, I’ll probably rebuy it.
Price: $28 USD / 50 mL
Opened: June
Rating: 10/10