little white truths

I've been stuffing around a bit this morning and padding out some of my draft posts with a few comments, but I haven't felt like dedicating myself to writing any of them - then I remembered that it was high time I got this post up because I've used everything and I don't want to forget what I thought of each product!

I mentioned earlier in the week that my husband and I went away last weekend for a few days, and I took these products with me to cut down on toiletries. I was also hoping for miracles when it came to the masks because my skin is so dry at the moment (call that pregnancy and colder weather: not a great mix), and unfortunately no miracles arrived - which doesn't surprise me because sheet masks and I have never been friends, but more on that below.

Sephora Rose Therapy Mask

This mask is designed to leave your skin smooth and firm, and is also meant to reduce the appearance of blemishes.

I always feel a bit bad reviewing sheet masks because I just don't like them and never have. Only one has ever impressed me (a sheet mask from Wei that's no longer available from Mecca), and normally they all do the same thing - little more than slapping a wet towel on your face for ten minutes - and I just can't find much to distinguish them. This one's fine and contains enough moisture, but that's really all I can say about it!

Lonvitalite C2 Collagen Firming & Moisturising Mask, and C4 Coconut Milk Hydrating & Nourishing Mask

I used these while we were away because my skin was so dry, flaky and uncomfortable that I was searching for something extra to help with the dryness. Unfortunately these did bugger all and I couldn't distinguish between the two in terms of effect, although I did like the smell of the coconut one because I love coconut as a scent.

Otherwise these are no better or worse than any other sheet mask I've tried. There's nothing more to say! Do let me know if you're a sheet mask fan and why you like them, because I just can't work out why they do nothing for me.

Malin+Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser

This is a gel cleanser that's designed to gently remove oil, impurities and dirt from the skin without stripping natural oils.

I liked the smell of the product but it just didn't float my boat. It didn't seem to clean that well and I needed to double cleanse with it and then go in with an Alpha-H product to finish the job. Not what you want from a $48 cleanser! This one's a pass for me.

Kate Somerville Age Arrest Anti Wrinkle Cream

This one's apparently proven to effectively reduce the appearance of wrinkles, increase skin firmness and elasticity, improve the appearance of skin discolouration and significantly hydrate.

Even with this little sachet, I can confirm that it does plump up the skin and help with firmness and elasticity (at least temporarily), and it does do a great job of hydrating my dry skin. But do I think you need to spend $135 on a cream that does all these things? No I do not. 

Josie Maran Argan Oil Daily Moisturiser SPF 15

Now there's a bit of confusion here because my sachet said SPF 47 and the bottle on the Mecca website says SPF 15, so I'm not sure what's going on there but perhaps the sachet is a reformulated version of this moisturiser that's yet to come out.

In any event, I LOVED this. The full size (60ml) is $48 and that's a price I'm willing to pay for a good-sized moisturiser with a decent dose of sunscreen that delivers heaps of hydration to my dry skin. It might be too much for some because it is quite a greasy product that takes some work to rub in, but it's worth it for me because I need the nourishment and this cream really delivers on that front.

It's on the wishlist, but I'll wait for the version that contains more sunscreen (assuming that's soon to be released).

I've been on the lookout for a replacement microdermabrasion product ever since I finished my L'Oreal one (sadly discontinued) and this was the only one available at Mecca, so I grabbed a sample and hoped I didn't love it, given the $118 price tag. 

Unfortunately I do love it and it does exactly what I want it to do - it polishes away dead surface skin without being too harsh and scratchy, and it leaves my skin feeling beautifully smooth and looking less lined.

Now I don't think you should need to pay over $100 for something like this (my L'Oreal one was $40 and came with a matching treatment cream) - however, microdermabrasion products are harder to find than you might think, and at least this one is a whopping 60ml in size so it's twice as large as most other products on the market. It's on the wishlist. And my birthday is coming up soon... 

Hourglass Ambient Light Correcting Primer in Luminous Light

This is meant to be an illuminating primer that achieves the ultimate lit-from-within glow. Now I'm a complete Hourglass junkie so I'm always keen to check out the brand's new releases and I couldn't wait to test this one, but I'm on the fence about it - a good thing, because it ain't cheap and I don't think I can justify dropping $65 on a primer.

While it does do a remarkable job of correcting my complexion and I like the effect it gives, I'm not loving the texture or how the product applies. It's very thin and streaky and takes some work to rub in, plus it sits in pores so I wind up with little white dots all over my face - meaning I can't wear this product alone and would always have to put a base over it. This one's a pass for me and I'll stick to my beloved Ambient Lighting Powders : )

This is described as a revolutionary argan oil powered foundation that supports a flawless looking complexion and healthy skin. I thought my dry skin would love it, but I have to say, I really really didn't like this and don't even want to finish off my sample!

I'll likely do a first impressions post (same goes for the Hourglass product above) so you can see the colour and why I don't like the formula. It's super streaky and looks like a mask on me, plus it sits in pores and settles into lines throughout the day. I actually had to wash this off when I first used it because I was going out and couldn't handle how my skin looked. I may need to play with it some more but I don't think this is the product for me.

In sum

This wasn't a great bunch of samples and the stand-outs for me were the Dr Brandt and Josie Maran products. Everything else didn't quite hit the mark.

Do let me know if you've tried anything great recently: I'm after a good facial moisturiser in particular, and one that doesn't break the bank.