Makeup Empties: Foundations, Cushions, Primers, Eyeshadows, Lips and Blush!

We did skincare in the last empties post, so today we're doing makeup - and sunscreen! Usually it takes me longer to use up makeup than skincare (probably because there are more makeup products than skincare products under rotation at any one point in time, and I vary my makeup routine more than my skincare routine). So this is sort of an achievement!

Alright, let's start!



Sunscreens! I've been using the Avene Very High Protection Spray SPF50+ Sunscreen for many years now, so this is not a surprise - you've seen it on my previous empties posts, multiple times. I've also been using other sunscreens, too. The Eucerin White Therapy Clinical Day Fluid SPF30 was also nice, and sort of a cross between a moisturizer and a sunscreen. I think that in warmer weather, you can also double this as a moisturizer, as it has a rather creamy texture. Also bearing a creamy texture is the Bioderma Photoderm Spot SPF50+ Cream, and I quite liked this - although it had a thicker texture, it does work blend out well under other makeup and when layered with other skincare.

I also finally emptied some of the Japanese sunscreens I've been having around. One of them is the Biore Skin Aqua Sarafit UV Mist SPF50+, which I quite liked as it was non-sticky and in a very convenient spray form. I would use this again - I do like that Biore sunscreens are cheap and work well (although most of them are better suited for day-to-day indoor use, rather than a hot day out at the beach). Also I used up not one, but two bottles of Hada Labo Air Aqua UV sunscreen, which are also a good choice for those wanting a lightweight daily proctection. There are actually two versions of the Air Aqua UV, a Fresh (for oily skin) version, and a Moist (for dry skin) version, but...I'm not sure which version I used, actually. This is also a good "daily indoor / non-sports-use" type of sunscreen.



Now for foundation and other base products! I actually used up a DiorSkin Forever and Ever Wear Primer, and...wow is that a Dior product on the blog? Yes it is, haha. I admit most of the very high end brands aren't a regular feature on the blog, just because they're so pricey. But I did have and use this, and I did find it really good! I paired it most often with my decidedly-not-as-high-end Etude House Real Powder BB Cushion, which I gave a good review for back in 2016 (yes, with the ye olde products). I liked this combination because it gave the skin a nice matte finish, good coverage, and held up well over the course of a day. I would definitely rebuy the Etude House cushion again - it's cheap, the shade match is good (not a 100% match but good enough to the point where it's not that noticeable), and it's a good product.

Also emptied is the Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control, which I also found to be a nice matte cushion with good lasting power, and also good coverage. I generally prefer matte cushions, rather than those with a dewy finish, just because my skin tends to be on the oilier side, and the weather here in Singapore is always hot and sweaty. So "dewy" often gets translated into "gross-and-oil-slick-y" over here. Lastly, I also actually used up a "proper" foundation, the Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Perfectly Nude Makeup, which I reviewed before and really liked, back in 2014(!!!!). Yes that product was ancient, but I just don't use my foundations as much as I do my cushions (which I do use up with regularity). Here's my useful tip for foundation application - all liquid or cream foundation goes on well if you use a cushion applicator puff to apply. I used to use fingers and brushes, but they've all gotten replaced by the humble BB cushion puff now.



And eyeshadows! There are various eyeshadows here, and they're all pretty old. I have used up my MAC Femme Fi eyeshadow, and if you don't recognize it, it's because it's the orange compact (so yes it is from the Neo Sci-Fi collection that launched...in 2008. Don't judge me, I just have too many eyeshadows, okay?). Despite the eyeshadow being quite aged, it still worked well and didn't spoil or anything! Much impressed with MAC here. There's also a Mememe Eyeshadow in Cafe, which is now discontinued, which is a pity since it was the nicest taupe shade around. You can see it swatched here, alongside a number of other taupes from my collection. It's swatched together in that post with the L'Oreal HIP Eyeshadow Duo in Electrified, which was quite the cult product back in the day when it was launched, and for very good reason too - it was such a gorgeously pigmented taupe. As you can see I only used the taupe shade I liked, and decided to call it a day when it was used up. I barely even touched the purple shade, haha.

Also other old old eyeshadows I've used up are some Wet n Wild eyeshadow (no idea what the shade name was, but it was a yellow vanilla shade), an Etude House eyeshadow (beige), a Milani eyeshadow (in a vanilla shade), and a Smashbox Eyeshadow Trio in...Centerstage I think? Anyway all these are all repackaged and/or discontinued now, so you don't need to know the product names. But suffice to say they were all variants of beige/vanilla shades.



This is the "miscellaneous" photo, consisting of highlighters, concealer, and eyeliner. The discontinued Prescriptives Anywear Makeup Stick was a (very tiny-sized) stick foundation, that I basically used as concealer instead (you can see it in some of my FOTDs). The Smashbox Softlights in Smashing Shimmer was a peach blush, with the most pretty subtle shimmer ever (in contrast to today's bling-bling highlight trends, subtle highlights were the rage when I bought this product eons ago). I also used up my Etude House Play 101 Stick in Shade 31, which I swatched in this instagram post from 2014:

Isn't that the prettiest taupe ever??? I used it as an eyeshadow. It was nice but it does eventually dry up (although at a slower rate than some other pencils), so I suggest you don't put this in a drawer and forget about it for a few months - it might harden when you remember it!

I also used up my Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Bourbon, which is a lovely brown. I really do love the Urban Decay eyeliners, they work very well on me.



Lastly, lip products! Out of all the makeup, I think lip products are one of the products I use up the fastest. I used up a Korres Lipstick in Natural Purple, which I think has been discontinued, sadly(!), as well as the Stila Lipglaze in Grape, which was a bright but wearable plummy pink. I also used up the Etude House Dead a Darling Neon Tint in Shade 3, which colour-wise is pretty much a dupe for another Etude House lip tint I really liked and have reviewed on the blog, the Etude House Color Pop Lip Tint in #08 Berry Pop. I guess it's a good thing brands sometimes recycle their colours - I would definitely buy this shade no matter the packaging, lol.

I also consider the Jordana Lipglaze in Watermelon Shine to be an empty, although it's not quite done, just because I'm not feeling the colour anymore, and this has been around for a loooong time. But at least I tried, right? I also used up a Maybeline Lipstick in Yummy Plummy, which I've also reviewed on the blog a long time ago. I also used up an old Urban Decay Lipstick in shade...5150 I think(?) which is also discontinued now. Not discontinued is the Kate Rouge EX Lipstick in RS-10, which was a lovely plummy rose shade (if you've seen my IG stories you might have seen this on there). As you can kind of guess, I love my plums and roses, haha.

So that's it for my massive empties post! And now I get to throw all these out and start all over again, and come back with another pile in a few months' time, in true beauty junkie fashion!