little white truths

I've had a lot of travel-sized empties piling up so I thought I should do a second empties post for the month, and there may well be a third one before the new year.

Of course, if I only included full-sized products in my empties posts then I wouldn't have so much stuff to include(!), but I do like seeing what I've finished and looking at what I've loved and what I haven't, since it reminds me of what I want to put on my wishlist.

This is for coloured and highlighted hair, and I haven't reviewed it because I haven't tried the matching shampoo and I prefer to test shampoo/conditioner combos together.

I'd never heard of this brand but I poached this product from my parents' house because no one was using it and it was a little past its use-by date (I don't worry so much about that when it comes to haircare, but I do with things like sunscreen). In short, it was a great conditioner and I wish I'd been able to try it with the shampoo. If I hadn't recently found my HG hair products (from OGX), then I'd be looking out for these. Purchase? No.

Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner

Full review here. I was really disappointed in this product and I'm so glad I've finished it. For some reason I associate Neutrogena with natural, gentle products but this toner was anything but that. It's loaded with alcohol and really strips the skin in a bad way. 

I couldn't use this daily because it would have irritated my skin too much, which is why it's taken me so long to get through it. I wouldn't touch this product again with the proverbial bargepole and I don't recommend it at all, particularly if you have sensitive skin. Purchase? No.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse

This is an HG product of mine and I absolutely love everything about it - the smell, the texture and how it makes my skin feel. I've reviewed it here.

It's a dry oil that's multipurpose so you can use it on your face, body, hands and hair. Who doesn't love a product that you can chuck in a bag at short notice and know you're covered? A little goes a long way with this, although my skin does drink it up when it's dry (as it is now in all this heat) so I went through this little travel-sized version all too quickly. Repurchase? Yes.

Mecca Cosmetica Lip Gloss

I've talked about this one a lot through Project Pan so I won't say much about it here, other than that it's an ok lip gloss but it doesn't last well on the lips so I got pretty bored of it by the end. I've reviewed it here. Purchase? No.

Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser

Full review here. If you read this blog, you'll know that this was the product that made me fall in love with Suki as a brand: I love it to death and can't recommend it enough.

It smells so lemony divine and feels wonderful against the skin. Plus it exfoliates and cleanses gently, leaving my skin clean and glowing but never stripped. Amazing. Repurchase? Yes, a thousand times.

Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub

I received this ages ago from Violet Box and the 'best before' date on the back was December 2013 (yikes!). It was still going strong until recently, however, when the scent started to fade a little - which is why I rushed through it and started using in on my hands and feet as well as on my lips.

It's a great little scrub that buffs the lips nicely, smells delicious and lasts forever (obviously ; ) ). Full review here. Purchase? Yes, but I would like to test other lip scrubs first.

Mario Badescu Collagen Moisturizer SPF 15

Full review here. This is an ok daily moisturiser but I don't love it because it's a little on the greasy side - fine for dry winter skin but not so fine when it's hot and you're already sweaty enough.

I received it in a Mario Badescu kit and I wouldn't buy it again because I think there are better daily moisturisers on the market, but it wasn't terrible so I wouldn't knock it back if it came my way again. Repurchase? No.

Veda Body Lotion in Lemongrass and Ginger

I haven't reviewed this yet because I can't find anything about it online, and it mightn't be widely available for purchase - we poached a bunch of them from a hotel we were staying in earlier in the year and I think you can only buy the product from the Queensland spa that makes it. 

It's a beautiful lotion that smells divine and is a lot more hydrating than standard lotions, which generally aren't heavy enough for me. Purchase? Yes, if I could find it!

Full review here. This showed up in one of our Marie Claire beauty boxes, and I loved it so much that it's gone straight to the wishlist. 

You apply it before your serum and moisturiser, and it's meant to add something extra and help your skincare work to the best of its ability. I reckon it does do those things and really adds something to my skincare routine, which I can't say about a lot of products. Purchase? Yes.

Aveda Color Conserve Daily Protect

This product has been in my handbag for about a year so I recently took it out because it wasn't getting used enough. Full review here.

It has a super strong ginger scent that lingers so it mightn't be for everyone, but if you can handle the scent then it's worth testing because it's one of the few products that helps tame my dry, frizzy hair without weighing it down. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd be buying the full size. Purchase? Yes, if I could get it on special.

In sum

There are some great products in this bunch. I especially love the items from Elizabeth Arden, Suki, Nuxe, Lush, Veda and Aveda. Gosh, that's over half of them! Unusual for an empties post - I normally have three maximum that really stand out.

A good month for empties: hopefully I'll have some more by year's end.