little white truths

I received a few samples of this from Mecca over the past couple of years, and loved it so much that I knew I would have to buy it at some point.

Problem is, the full size costs a whopping $128 - argh! Thankfully you can purchase a little 15ml travel size, which isn't cheap either since it costs $30, but if you're only going to use it once a week and you only use a little each time, then the tube lasts a while. Mine's still going strong and it's been open since the beginning of the year.

This is one of those products that's raved about in the beauty community, and with good reason. 

It does a wonderful job of resurfacing and brightening the skin, and it does this with very little effort - particularly because you can get away with using it only once a week. So while it does cost a lot, you can ration your tube and make sure that you don't get through it too quickly.

• Kate Somerville's signature facial can now be performed at home to reveal a glowing and fresh complexion
• See dramatically smoother, brighter, healthier-looking skin after just one treatment
• Clarify and polish skin to reveal a glowing, fresh-from-the-clinic complexion
• Microbeads and fruit enzymes are intended to clean pores, while salicylic acid is formulated to balance hydration, without over-drying
• Scrubbing microbeads and the three powerful Ps - papaya, pineapple, and pumpkin enzymes - are designed to effectively clean pores
• RRP $128 AUD for 60ml; or $30 for 15ml

To use this, you massage it over wet skin for 30 seconds and then leave it for up to two minutes before washing it off. The directions say that it's best applied in the shower so the steam can activate the fruit extracts, and you can use it once or twice a week.

There's what the product looks like below:

Verdict

This stuff is sensational and I'd be giving it an HG tag if I didn't think it were over-priced. Don't get me wrong, I think it's worth a decent outlay of cash - but almost $130 is getting a bit ridiculous, in my opinion.

It's a green, gel-like product that contains very fine grains, and it smells exactly like fruit mince pies. It wasn't until I researched this post that I saw it contains microbeads; as you may know, these are bad for the environment and I'm not sure whether these are the bad kind or whether they do break down. If you're like me and environmental concerns are important to you, it's worth checking whether these are the bad or good kind - and I'll certainly be doing that before repurchasing this product.

As soon as I apply this and massage it in, I can tell that it's doing good things for my skin. It does tingle a little during the two minutes I leave it on, but it's not uncomfortable (at least for me) and this just makes me feel that it's working. I have seen some reviewers with super sensitive skin say that they can't tolerate this product, so it's worth testing it before committing to the purchase - and do be aware that there's another version of this exfoliant that's more gentle and designed for sensitive skin.

What I love about this product is that it resurfaces and brightens my skin beautifully, and my skin always feels smoother and more polished after use. I don't like harsh face scrubs these days, but this isn't too harsh for me and it doesn't feel scratchy, so I'm ok with using it and I don't feel it's doing more harm than good.

On the claims: yes it reveals a fresh and glowing complexion; yes it leaves skin smoother, brighter and healthier; and yes it feels like it cleans pores. I also think that it does something towards blemishes and congestion, and my skin always looks and feels clearer for the few days after use.

In sum, this is a fantastic product that totally lives up to the hype. I'm thrilled to have it in my collection, although I'd want to look into the microbead issue before buying it again.

Love.