Empties! Skincare Items I've Used Up Sept-Jan

These are the skincare items that I've used up in the last 3 months or so. I had wanted to post a review on the Estee Lauder items but never got around to it, so these mini-reviews will have to suffice.

The Estee Lauder Nutritious line of products are infused with pomegranate and are supposed to give radiance to your skin. I believe the Nutritious products were first marketed towards Asian skincare concerns, as these are supposed to brighten skin by combating dullness. I don't know about that, but the products did a good job of providing just enough moisture so that my oilier skin was happy but not shiny. I'm on bottle two of the Advanced Night Repair serum deluxe sample and will wait on a review until I've finished the third one, as that equals a full sized bottle.  The Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam was a definite improvement over the last Estee Lauder foaming cleanser I used, which was both stripping and overly fragranced.  I've got another one and will use it up as well.  Overall though, I find Estee Lauder skincare products to be overpriced and would go towards Korean skincare products instead. But I won't turn my nose up at them when it comes to GWP's, which is how I got these.

I like having a variety of toners on hand and I liked all three of these. If you are looking for a good natural ingredient skincare line, Andalou Naturals is worth checking out. I do remember reading some early reviews of the nooni toners that said they smelled way too strong, but I don't smell anything offensive or overpowering with the Sprout Smoothing Toner. Maybe they toned it down after the negative reviews.

I won the Aurora De Juliis Retinol Night Creme in a giveaway several years back. I couldn't really tell much of a difference when I initially used it and then I let it languish for way too long. So, I finally used up the remainder just to move it out of my collection. I liked the bareMinerals Skin Longevity Vital Power Infusion Serum sample I received in the holiday advent calendar and got about 2 weeks worth of use from the deluxe sample. I just received another sample and will use that one up as well.

The Manuka Secrets Serum is definitely a favorite and I'm still disappointed that this line is no longer carried at Ulta.  I was fortunate that the company offered to send me another serum after they read my review, where I had noted that the pump was not working correctly. So, I've got another one on hand, which makes me happy.

I enjoyed using the CosRX Galactomyces Alcohol-Free Toner, but I'm sure it really did anything significant for my skin. I think I just like spray toners and this one is gentle and refreshing. I've read other reviews where people said they didn't really notice much of a difference until after they quite using it and their skin was not quite as radiant looking as when they were using it, so there is that to consider. I probably won't seek this one out again but then again, at the right price...........

The SKII Night Cream did not knock my socks off, but it was nice to try a line that is raved about yet out of my price range at $260 for a full sized jar. For some reason I remember not liking the Pink Peony Overnight Water Pack by the Estee edit, but I can't remember why. I do have a larger sample in the wings, so maybe it will come back to me or I realize I did like it after all.  I did like the Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Moisturizer sample enough that I dug out a deluxe sample sized jar to use up. Beyond that, none of the other foils or the eye mask left much of an impression on me.