little white truths

Last month was such a huge month of empties so I'm not surprised that this month is shaping up to be a much smaller one. Indeed, half the empties in this lot were finished in March, it's just that I had so many products that I needed to hold some over for April!

Only a few items in the above bunch are ones I might buy again, so it's not the best lot in that sense but I always love doing these posts so I can see how many things I've finished - reminding me that I have some holes in my collection that need filling with new stuff : )

Vaseline Essential Moisture

This was my husband's, which is why I haven't reviewed it - although I have used this many times before so it's not a cream I'm unfamiliar with.

In sum, I've never liked this product much. I've always found the smell off-putting (body cream should smell much nicer than this!) and the cream itself takes a lot of rubbing if you want it to absorb. Which I'd say most cream-users do ; ) If you want a budget cream, look elsewhere. Palmer's is a good place to start. Purchase? No.

Radox Feel Uplifted Shower Gel with Pink Grapefruit & Basil

Full review here. I did like this product although I'd had more than enough of the scent by the end so I decanted the last little bit into the almost-empty hand wash container in the kitchen (cheating!). 

It cost me all of two dollars and it cleaned and foamed well, and it's lasted ages so it would have been good-value even at full price. It's quite a particular scent though so I'm glad I can move on to something else. Repurchase? Yes, but I would try another scent next time.

Asap Daily Facial Cleanser

I haven't had the best luck with Asap skincare in the past, and after using up this sample, I can safely say that I don't like this product either. It just doesn't seem to clean that well and my skin doesn't feel refreshed after use. It's meant to remove makeup (including eye makeup) but it definitely doesn't do that: I'd go as far as to say that it doesn't do anything at all. Just not for me. Purchase? No.

Urban Skincare Co Infuse Body Balm

You've probably seen a bundle of empties of this product before because we scored a few of them when we stayed in a hotel last year. Full review here.

It smells good - rich and gingery - and is super hydrating and nourishing without leaving a greasy residue. It also absorbs and spreads well, so a little goes a long way and this 35ml sample didn't vanish in a few uses, as some body creams tend to do. It's definitely one I would use again. Purchase? Yes.

I don't normally include baby products in these posts unless they're really good, and this one is - so much so that I want to buy some for myself! It's a beautifully rich cream that absorbs and spreads well, so this container lasted a year. It also smells divine: it's a scent I can't place, but I'm missing it already. Purchase? Absolutely.

Ren Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion

Full review here. This product has a lot of hype online, but I really didn't like it - so much so that I've given it a 'disappointing products' tag so you may see it in my year-end post on products that didn't work for me this year.

It's not hydrating at all on my dry skin - I often had to use something else over it to stop my skin feeling tight - and it just didn't want to absorb, so it left me with white streaks everywhere that I couldn't do much with. Thank god I didn't pay for it! Purchase? No.

GlamGlow Powermud Dual Cleanse Treatment

Full review here. I wound up with two of these 15ml travel sizes and I saved this one for ages to see if I felt the same about it the second time around.

Turns out I did: I absolutely love the experience of using this, but I'm not convinced that it has any benefit for my skin. I know that sounds weird - 'I love this but it doesn't work' (!) - but there's something about this product that makes me want to use it all the time, and I always miss it when it's gone. Not because it works wonders, but because it feels beautiful to use. Purchase? Maybe, but I'd buy the smaller version because it ain't cheap.

Estée Lauder New Dimension Shape + Fill Expert Serum 

This is apparently an award-winning serum that uses breakthrough shaping technology combined with pro-collagen complex, and is meant to smooth and plump the skin with proven results in two weeks.

I didn't notice any major results with this, but I did like it and my skin looked brighter and firmer after using it. I'm not sure it's worth the huge pricetag because I've tried better serums, but it's one I was happy to play with for a while. Decent, but not a winner. Purchase? No.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold Smoothing & Perfecting Mask

This is one of the few Alpha-H products I've used that I don't like, which is annoying because the damn thing has shown up in just about every Alpha-H kit that I've bought or received. Annoying! I've reviewed it here.

It makes my skin feel drier and look duller after use, which is exactly the opposite of what it's meant to do. It's won awards and so many people love it, but it just doesn't agree with me. And unfortunately I have yet another bloody tube to get through - argh! Purchase? No.

Suki Nourishing Day Cream

Full review here. This is one of those products that I liked to start with and then grew to love over time. The more I used it and the more I compared it to other products, the better I realised it was.

It's indeed nourishing but it also has a brightening and resurfacing effect, and my skin always looks and feels better when I'm using it. I just wish that Suki were easier to come by in Australia at reasonable prices: if it were, I'd be buying half the range.

In sum

This is a reasonable bunch of empties and my favourites are the Suki cream and the body creams from La Clinica and Urban Skincare Co. Special points also go to the GlamGlow mask for being something I love to use, even if it's not the most effective product on the market.

Have you finished anything amazing this month? I'd love to hear : )