EMPTIES | Jan + Feb 2026

While I usually feature my monthly empties on Instagram Stories, I thought I would try a blog post just to get my writing juices flowing again! Instead of doing little reviews of each empty like the traditional Empties reviews of yore which took an incredibly long time to do, I will instead write a little blurb on what was notable - good and/or bad! 

 

Some items are press samples

Starting with skincare, I finished four full-sized products with the Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence being my 6th bottle so it will continue to be a skincare staple! The Vichy Mineral 89 Booster is kind of like a serum, but I treat it more like an essence as there aren't necessarily any active ingredients. but it does create a hydrated canvas for layering additional products. The East 29th Vitamin C Serum is one of my all-time favourite serums, so I already have two in my backup stash! 

HOBBIES | February Pixyls Projects

 

Purchased by me. Affiliate links.

I probably Pixyl more than I blog at this point mainly because it is a passive and meditative activity I can do when my brain is dead after work. I love Pixyling before bed with a cozy beauty or minimalist YouTube video from JenLuv or Simple Happy Zen. Every month, Pixyls has a little contest where everyone can submit, through the Discord channel, a photo or video of their completed Pixyls and win 250 Pix points.The points count towards various discount levels of 5% (500 points), 10% (1000 points), 15% (1500 points) or 20% (2000 points). I generally hold out for 2000 as it makes the most sense to me, but I also probably buy more than I should! This photo above was my February submission and as you can tell it was cat-themed!

BODY | Loopha Chalk Hand and Body Powder Wash

Purchased by me

Leave it up to Deciem to come up with some strange packaging to house a strange product! I was on my lunch break one day at the Deciem store (it's next door to my work) and saw one of Deciem's many brands that I had not seen before - Loopha! Loopha focuses on fragrance by "activating atmospheres by scenting areas of daily life and filling them with function".  

MAKEUP | L'Oreal Faux Brow with Before and After Video Application

Press sample. Affiliate links.

I have been feeling incredibly nostalgic the last few months which has led me to looking at products I loved back in the heyday of "beauty influencing" as well as going back to watching beauty videos from OG YouTubers like Tati, Lara Lee and Nikki La Rose. While I still cannot stand Lara's style of talking, I have not missed a single Tati video since she went back to her roots and away from the beauty drama of 2019. With my renewed interest in a classic beauty video, I was recommended Nikki's videos and while they can be very long and wordy, she seems genuine in her product recommendations so when she went on and on about how amazing the L'Oreal Faux Brow was, I put it on my list to try not realizing I had had it sitting in a box of PR since August 2025. I know, shame on me!

HAIR | Pantene Miracle Intense Rescue Shots Dry Hair Treatment

Purchased by me. Affiliate links.

With my hair being as coarse and dry as it has been since puberty hit, hair masks and treatments have always been an absolute MUST in my haircare routine and I have reviewed A LOT of them here! I haven't really thought about drugstore options since the Garnier Fructis 1 Minute Hair Masks, but do you know who told me to pick up these Pantene Miracle Intense Rescue Shots? My very own husband! He saw them at London Drugs and said to me "Those are probably good you should try them". When I asked why, he responded by saying "Well, Pantene always does good hair stuff, right?" Yes, yes the do.

NAILS | L'Occitane Shea Nail and Cuticle Oil (aka The Winter Saviour!)

 

Provided by Butterly. Affiliate links.

Just when I thought my nails couldn't get anymore destroyed than they already have been! We shall see if I can manage a set of nails this week as my nails cannot stop breaking, flexing (and then developing a partial crack) and generally feeling awful so instead of showcasing nails for the usual #CBBxManiMonday post, today we will be "nail adjacent" with a product that helps the nails look their best - cuticle oil!