Beauty Products I've Used Up

L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara, Illume Coconut Milk Mango Hand Creme, Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream, RE:CIPE Rose Petal Cleansing Oil, Blithe Patting Splash Mask, Lady & Skin Royal Gold Concentrated Serum

I really need to be better about talking about my empties on a more regular basis since it's a good way to record some quick thoughts on products I've used both for myself and for your reference. These products were all purchased by me and I will only be including products that I personally bought in these posts. You might notice that four out of the six are Korean beauty products. AB does make up a good percentage of my beauty routine. This will probably not be changing especially since there is more of a convergence of K-beauty with natural beauty these days.

L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara  $9.99
I pretty much only buy drugstore mascaras and only when they're on sale because who wants to pay full price. L'Oreal is one of my favorite drugstore brands for mascara because they have a good varied range that usually works well. This is a very serviceable lengthening mascara. It lengthens and separates lashes without clumping or smudging. I really like the buildable formula and the definition it provides. While I wouldn't say it's shocking, you can get very dramatic length from this mascara. It's only passable for volume though which is fine because my lashes don't need as much help in that department.
Repurchase: Maybe

Illume Coconut Milk Mango Hand Creme $22.50
I picked up this hand cream on sale for $5 at Anthropologie because I was drawn to the lovely packaging as well as the scent which is a tropical infusion of mango, coconut milk, and palm leaf. The consistency of this cream is really more like a lotion. While it absorbed well and kept my hands soft, I didn't enjoy using it because the tube would dispense way too much product half the time which was really annoying.
Repurchase: No

Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream $23
This cream is apparently a cult favorite in Korea and that definitely got my attention. Not only is the packaging a nod to the Joseon era, the Hanbang (Korean herbal medicine) formulation uses ingredients like orchid, honey, ginseng, purified water, dried radish greens, and flaxseed oil. The bouncy gel-like texture of this cream makes it fun to use. It is a little sticky upon application and forms a a nice barrier of moisture on my face. I wanted to like this cream more but I don't feel like it provided any other real benefits besides hydration and I would really like to get away from creams in jars.
Repurchase: No

RE:CIPE Rose Petal Cleansing Oil  $16
I wanted to try this cleansing oil because I happen to like rose infused products. This product contains real rose petals, rose oil, macadamia seed oil, jojoba seed oil, olive oil and is free of mineral oil, alcohol, artificial coloring, and parabens. It has a runnier texture than other cleansing oils and works as a gentle and effective first cleanser to remove makeup without stripping the skin. I mean it works but it kinda MOR for me. I didn't love or hate it. If you like rose scented products, you will probably enjoy this.
Repurchase: No

Blithe Patting Splash Mask  $45
I previously wrote a full introduction and review of this product so I'm not really going to go in depth here. Basically a splash mask is a concentrated liquid mask which condenses a 20 minute mask routine into a 15 - 30 second action as it gets patted onto the face after cleansing to tone and brighten skin. I also finished up the Green Tea version of this product which is not pictured. As I said in my review, I look at this as kind of a supplemental product and while it's effective, I think it might better serve someone who doesn't want to commit to a full on skincare routine which I already have.
Repurchase: No

Lady & Skin Royal Gold Concentrated Serum  $75
I bought this during a 30% off Peach & Lily sale and it was the combination of luxurious and 5-free natural ingredients like gold, royal jelly, caviar, jasmine, lavender and peppermint that appealed to me along with the moisturizing, brightening and anti-aging claims. The gold bottle this serum is housed in is a lightweight plastic bottle with a dropper.  The serum is clear and lightweight in appearance and it contains actual 24K gold flecks that absorb upon application and instantly brighten up skin while and working to correct skin tone over time. I wasn't sure what to expect with this serum but my skin looked and felt really good when I was using it. I'm really excited by all the clean beauty brand and products coming out of Korea.
Repurchase: Yes!!!

Have you tried any of these? What were your results?



Disclosure: This post features products purchased by me and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to the Policies page of this blog.

26 comments

Doctor Anne said...

I do use drugstore mascara more often than not, but I prefer more volumizing formulas. Sadly that often goes along with mascaras clumping, so I cant say I have found the one at the drugstore quite yet.

Linda, Libra, Loca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking

Lyosha Varezhkina said...

very nice! Thanks for sharing the products you liked so much!

Lyosha
Inside and Outside Blog

Lilli said...

Ive only used the mascara and I like it as well, L'Oreal makes good mascara indeed, there is a new one out, check it out. The serum inspires me so much, the bottle is very cute too. Have a good day Rowena! xo

Anonymous said...

The serum really does sound like rebuy material!

Paola Lauretano said...

I would like to try the concentrated serum!
Kisses, Paola.
Expressyourself

Jackie Harrison said...

I use L'oreal Telescopic and love it cannot be without especially for my lower lashes great information of each products thanks for sharing.

Beauty Editer said...

That gold concentrated serum sounds good to the skin!

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Emmylou said...

Thanks for the honest reviews as always, Rowena. Have read about the Beauty of Joseon cream and was so close to purchasing it, but am glad I passed on it for now. And yay for that Lady and Skin! I really want to try ordering from Peach and Lily soon (as Sokoglam is the only Asian beauty site I've ordered from), and this serum sounds like a great addition to the cart! :D I really do love KBeauty products. So innovative and always ahead of the game, you know?

Lena L said...

I'm not actively trying to get myself familiarized with all those K-beauty stuff simply because it would be too tempting (and there are so many nowadays), but often I think your recs are spreadsheet worthy. Thanks for sharing your honest opinions on many products!

Ivana Split said...

The last mascara I bought was a complete disaster. I'm not sure what brand it is, I bought in DM (that's a German drugstore chain). So, I might try that L'oreal one. It must be better than this one I've been using and the price seems reasonable. It makes sense not to spend much on mascara, especially because- as you warned us in one of your posts- they should be used for a maximum of only 3 months.

That mango hand cream sounds lovely, too bad about the bad packaging...it's a drag when too much of the product comes out. Dynasty cream also sounds good, but since it doesn't to much for the skin apart from hydration, I can see why you don't plan to repurchase it. Make up and skin care is a competitive field. Personally, I also usually don't repurchase products that were just o.k, only those that really stand out. I think most of us are like that.

Shireen L. Platt said...

I am looking for a splash mask to try and the one I have in mind is Boscia Splash Mask because the price is pretty reasonable. Do you have any other that is in the reasonable price range to recommend?

Shireen | Reflection of Sanity

Lenya said...

I tried the mascara but didn't liked it very much. Happy midweek, Rowena.
xox
Lenya
New update: Wednesday Wool

Pilar said...

I love using drugstore Mascaras. I haven't tried any mascaras from L'Oréal yet since I usually go for Maybelline lol. I really need to try other brands of mascara!

Gingi said...

That rose petal cleansing oil sounds heavenly! Great post! <3 - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com

Oh to Be a Muse said...

I am constantly using up my lotions and creams. I really like that serum you mentioned, especially since you said you would repurchase it.

www.ohtobeamuse.com

Kasztanowy Domek said...

Very interesting products! Kisses:)

xxBasia

Corinne said...

I must look out for that mascara. I'm totally a drug store type of girl, too. SALES YES.

Corinne x
www.skinnedcartree.com

Beauty Unearthly said...

Interesting beauty products. We keep in touch. xx

Rebeca Muñoz López said...

I have not tried any but I would like to try the Loreal eyelash mask because I can get that brand in my city and because I have already used products of that brand obtaining good results, I would also like to continue to inquire about Korean cosmetics, so this review Has been interesting to me.

www.urbanikamoda.blogspot.com

Midnight Cowgirl said...

The serum sounds amazing! I'm so intrigued by the 24K gold flecks :)

Coco said...

I'm especially attracted by the Royal Gold serum! Sorry you were disappointed by the Rose cleansing oil! Baci, Valeria - Coco et La vie en rose FASHION & BEAUTY

Gabrielle said...

Ah, mascaras disappear so quickly, right?! I feel as though I'm forever repurchasing my favourite, haha. I'm intrigued by the Royal Gold serum; it looks beautiful in appearance and I'm so pleased to hear how it instantly brightened your skin! :)

Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice x

FASHION TALES said...

I have very long and thick lashes (which is annoying at times) so I only really use mascara to tame them as opposed to using for volume, etc. The hand creme is packaged so lovely but what a pity that it dispensed far too much product, I could see myself making a mess of things whilst on the go! :) Thanks for sharing, Rowena.

Blackswan said...

That's some lovely picks! I've not tried any of them tho. Have an awesome week, dear! xoxo

A Very Sweet Blog said...

L'Oreal mascaras are good. I hardly buy mascaras anymore because I get so many freebie samples when I place makeup/skincare orders. That serum sounds dreamy Rowena. Definitely a treat for the skin. Sorry the other items didn't work, but glad you tried them and shared your thoughts with us.
http://www.averysweetblog.com/

Jane said...

So so informative!! Thanks!