As discussed, I’ve been halfheartedly into beauty products for forever, seriously into beauty products for a little over a year. My scientist and overachiever hearts compete to explore everything. Once I decided to give up lipstick in lieu of tinted lip balm, I sashayed down to Ulta and immediately bought eight to try out. Obtain the variables! Establish a protocol! Test and rank to find the-ultimate-right-answer! And if they’re on sale? Why it’s a bargain to boot!

This is who I am. But, this practice is neither economical nor sustainable. There must be a better way!

Enter the world of empties. We all know the dopamine hits of consumption. A little treat at Target or buying something online and waiting to receive it. But did you know the sweet hit of possession can be replaced with the sweet sense of completion? It’s why we make to-do lists. And just like the best part of a to-do list is finishing it off, so to is the act of emptying a product.

Here I provide you a half year of empties. I started saving with the New Year and as best as I know, these represent all the magic potions I tried out.

For me, a novice, saving empties helped me understand how egregiously over-consumptive the makeup industry is. At first, I didn’t know, but a 3 month auto-order protocol seemed suspicious. And why do these places continue to release new versions and color schemes? I’m getting to the point where I understand I could use one blush for an entire year. While I haven’t been culled completely -I’m looking at you, you dastardly tarte annual sale, I’ve succeeded in restricting myself. Stopping to think “Do I really need a new eyeshadow?” before diving in.

I’m not going to go into details for everything, no one wants to be there that long, but I will feature my favorites as we go.

Makeup

This is it. This is all the makeup I used in half a year. Do you see a blush here? An eyeshadow palette? A foundation? One lip tint! That’s the show for that category. I don’t wear makeup every day, more like 3-4 during the work week, but even so, I was astounded at how little I completed by the end.

Anyway, we feature Clinque Quickliner, Trestique Shadow Crayon, and Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Tint, all I would consider staples and will definitely purchase again, especially Trestique which features recyclable containers.

Perfume

I decided that when I became a lady of a certain age, I needed a signature scent. I bought about 5 trial multipacks from Sephora to find what I wanted. While I did find a couple of faves, the great irony, of course, is that the next year I replaced them with my actual signature scent I found from a Vogue article. I am not going to tell you what that is because I’m still a little embarrassed by the price point (guess you’ll just have to wait for it to become an empty!) Now I’m making my way through the rest of these trial bottles until I’m down to the essentials.

Of the above, all are fine in their own right but the only one I’d go for again would be the Yves Saint Laurent Libre, a combination of lavender, orange blossom and musk that feels floral without being too fruity.

Skin Care

Here begin my big hitters for skin care. When I first set out to establish my skincare routine, Biossance products were among the first I went to and they’ve never gone away. While I make sure to put the staple ingredients in rotation (retinol, Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid), my analysis comes down to one thing -does this product make my skin feel good? If yes, it can stay in the rotation as needed. If not, it’s out. I don’t care about the reviews or the promises to remove wrinkles. Tactile sense wins outright.

For the featured, I’ll double down on my recommendation for any of the Biossance products. Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery was a delight, and belief Aqua Bomb moisturizer is probably the best I’ve encountered. I’ve heard they recently changed their formula, so proceed with caution if you purchase! I’m still singing in my backstock for now!

Ah the necessary evils.I rotate the Estee Lauder and Biossance eye creams back and forth because I love them too much to give up either (even if the hyaluronic acid in the Estee Lauder makes my eyes water). Sunscreen is a must have, and while I liked the Glossier, overall the formula was a little greasy and I prefer mineral protection where I can. I’ve since switched to Supergoop Sheer Screen which I prefer.

Body Care

Many of my friends are Lush aficionados, but I’d never tried their skincare until I received this Enzymatic Exfoliator in a beauty box. 10/10 will go again!

And finally, because I am of thin skinned European descent, hand creme has become a must. All of the above help me to feel smooth and silky instead of a dry skinned crocodile, even if my Provence Mimosa flower has been discontinued. Fortunately I was able to snag the remaining stock from an importer so I’ll get to love it a little longer.

Are these products extending my youth and beauty? I surely have no idea. But they certainly make my skin feel better, and I’m happy with that. That’s a wrap until December when we see what I come up with next!