Lockdown Skincare Secrets: Product Empties Review #6

This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.

A Time Capsule of a Minimal Routine

I will admit that when I originally drafted this post back in 2020, I wasn’t planning on writing it just yet. I usually prefer to have a wider variety of items and makeup empties. However, because we were firmly in isolation, until who knows when, I hadn’t been wearing makeup for a while. That led to a very skincare heavy round up that I wanted to document before I forgot my final thoughts.

Let’s revisit this product empties review to see which products truly deserved their spot in my collection.

ColourPop | By The Bushel Lip Balm

Discontinued

The Original Verdict: I have raved endlessly about this lip balm on my blog, and I’m not about to stop now. The packaging has had a little revamp since I bought this one, but it’s still in that nostalgic 90s/00s style tube. The squeeze tube aspect makes it incredibly easy to apply and travel with. By The Bushel is a gorgeous sheer pink balm that looks exactly like a high-shine gloss once applied. It is slightly sticky, but incredibly hydrating. It’s like a balm and a gloss in one, and I love it.

Repurchase? I was already halfway through another tube when writing this. This has sadly been discontinued, and I’m so sad about it! I truly loved this formula.

Laura Mercier | Translucent Setting Powder

The Original Verdict: I have gone through a major love-hate relationship with this powder. When I first started using it, I made the mistake of setting my entire face with it, and it left me with hideous flashback in photos. Which obviously isn’t ideal. However, once I switched to only using it to set my under-eye concealer, I had absolutely no issues at all. It never dries out my skin and sets base makeup beautifully.

Repurchase? I never made the effort to repurchase this, as the flashback haunts my dreams.

The Body Shop | Vitamin E Night Cream

The Original Verdict: This night cream completely saved my skin during the winter. When it’s cold out, I need something intensely hydrating to stop my skin from becoming flaky and dry, and this did exactly that. Despite being incredibly rich, this night cream dries down quickly and never leaves a greasy residue on the skin. If you struggle with dry skin, I highly recommend anything from their Vitamin E line.

Repurchase? I love the Vitamin E range from the body shop, and it’s still my go to now.

Garnier | Rose Soothing Toner

The Original Verdict: I will admit that I can’t really remember anything ground breaking about this toner, so it clearly wasn’t life changing. This toner is designed to soothe the skin, so it was a welcomed, gentle addition for my dry skin during the colder months. However, it does have a very strong, distinct rose scent, which I can’t say I loved. There’s not really much else to say. It’s not a bad toner by any means, I just wasn’t totally blown away by it.

Repurchase? No. I love Garnier, but this just didn’t do it for me.

The Body Shop | Rich Plum Body Scrub

Discontinued Scent

The Original Verdict: I was a little unsure on whether or not to include this in my product empties review since the Rich Plum scent is a Christmas exclusive. The brand keeps the exact same scrub formula available in their permanent line. My absolute favourite thing about this scrub is that it is sugar based, which means it feels gritty and like it’s actually working to exfoliate the skin. Cream based body scrubs just don’t do it for me.

Repurchase? I will definitely repurchase this specific sugar formula.

Soap and Glory | The Way She Smoothes Body Lotion

Discontinued

The Original Verdict: First of all, this smells incredible. It’s part of the Call of Fruity range, which features gorgeous notes of tropical coconut, mango, papaya, and passionfruit. It is the absolute perfect summer scent because it really lingers. My entire bedroom smells like this for hours after I use it. The moisturiser lasts an extremely long time too, as the tub gives you a massive amount of product. The only downside is that it takes a little bit of time to fully absorb into the skin, so it’s definitely best not to use it when you are in a rush to get dressed.

The 2026 Retro Review: I am so gutted to add this to the list, but Soap & Glory has sadly discontinued this. It is a massive shame because the Call of Fruity scent profile was unmatched for summer. It really was the ultimate, thick high-street lotion for making you smell like a holiday.

The Final Verdict

There we have it. That was my official lockdown Empties #6! I was secretly hoping for a few more makeup inclusions, but getting through six full sized products during a time when my routine was totally stripped back isn’t bad at all. It’s incredibly satisfying to see empty tubs heading to the recycling bin!

Let’s chat in the comments!

Have you managed to use up any skincare or body care gems lately? Do you prefer cream scrubs or sugar scrubs?

Stay safe, and thank you for reading!