little white truths

It's been a huge month of empties for me: this is my fourth empties post of the month, including the two I wrote while we were away, and I even had to hold over some products for April so this post wouldn't be too long!

Granted, I had so many empties when we were in Bali because I took travel-sized products with me (many of which were half-empty already), but I've also managed to get through a bunch of full-sized items while we've been at home. I've no idea why I've finished so much stuff in the same month, but it's a good thing because the stores of back-up products in my cupboard are so low now that I can validly buy a bunch of replacements. Woot woot!

I'm sure you all know by now just how much I love Alpha-H products, and these two are no exception. Indeed, they're both HG creams of mine and I knew from the first few uses that I couldn't be without them.

The sunscreen is one of those wonderful facial sunscreens that doesn't clog pores, isn't greasy, works beautifully under makeup and offers a huge dose of sun protection. I've reviewed it here.

The rejuvenating cream is so good that I've already bought the full size: it brightens and resurfaces the skin in amazing ways and I've noticed that my skin isn't looking as good after I finished this travel-sized version (I haven't opened the back-up yet - I must!). I've reviewed it here.

So that's a big yes in terms of repurchasing these, although the sunscreen is on the expensive side and since Mecca's To Save Face 50+ is cheaper and very similar, I'm more likely to buy that.

I've reviewed this here. It was decent as a facial tanner and I'm pleased to say that the product doesn't contain any nasties, plus Ivadore is an Australian brand and I do like supporting homegrown companies.

While it worked as a facial tanner - no streaks, the smell wasn't overpowering, it didn't clog pores, irritate or break me out - it wasn't wonderful as a stand-alone facial moisturiser so I'm not sure I would buy it. The market's flooded with great products these days so I'm more likely to buy a self-tanner that's wonderfully hydrating and nourishing too. This was a little moisturising, just not enough for my dry skin. Purchase? Probably not.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold with Glycolic Acid

I've talked about this product so many times that you may well be sick of hearing me bang on about it by now! I've reviewed it here.

So I don't bore you, I'll be brief: this is an HG product of mine and I can see myself using it forever. It resurfaces and brightens my skin like nothing else, and no other product I've used has achieved such great results in such a short space of time. Love. Repurchase? Already have.

Full review here. I received this ages ago from Memebox and I wasn't using it enough, so when I ran out of day cream a few months ago, I decided to use this as a replacement. It's a dupe for MAC's Strobe Cream, although Strobe Cream is the far superior product. This one's ok, but unlike Strobe Cream it's not very hydrating so I'm glad to see the back of it. Purchase? No.

Tonymoly Gold Black Sugar Mask

This is another Memebox product and I quite liked it to start with, but I've recently moved away from using scratchy products like this on my face so it wasn't getting used. I've reviewed it here.

It's deliciously sweet and sugary, and it's kind of like putting brown sticky toffee on your face (but in a good way!). Since I wasn't using it on my face  anymore, I wound up using it on my body and it worked well for that. Not one I'd buy but one I was able to use. Purchase? No.

Reed Orange & Poppy Seed Body Scrub

Full review here. This is a great body scrub that smells divine and I liked it so much that I used an LHI discount code to pick up a few more to include in Christmas presents.

It smells exactly like orange and poppyseed cake, and it does a great job of exfoliating the body - great for summer. Plus a little goes a long way so the packet lasted a while. Repurchase? Yes, already have.

Organix (OGX) Argan Oil of Morocco Renewing Conditioner

I've reviewed this product (and the matching shampoo) here. I love the other OGX products I've used, but these blue versions didn't work for my hair: they're not hydrating enough so they left my dry hair under-nourished and in need of TLC. They weren't terrible but I'd recommend the brown versions over these. Purchase? No.

What I love about this product is that it's refreshing, does a good job of removing the last bits of grime from my face, and I feel like it tones and firms well too. My skin just looks brighter and cleaner after using this, and it's one I'm missing now that it's gone. Repurchase? Maybe.

Toni&Guy Cleanse Dry Shampoo

I really hated this product. I've reviewed it here. It's probably the worst dry shampoo I've ever used, which surprises me because Toni&Guy is a decent brand and I was expecting more. Thank god I bought it at half-price!

It's not good at making your hair feel clean and I need to use a tonne of it to get the job done.  Also, it leaves my hair looking dull, powdery and coated, and the product really weighs it down and makes it dry and hard to brush. Just not for me. Repurchase? No.

In sum

Hooray for more empties! The best products in this bunch are the Suki toner, all three Alpha-H products and the Reed body scrub.

Let me know if you've finished anything great this month : )