little white truths

At the moment I'm not super thrilled by using up samples because I have some new products open that I'm enjoying testing, but I wanted to sneak this lot through since I had a few sample pots from Mecca lying around and I don't like leaving those too long without being used. They probably wouldn't dry out and go crusty for a good while, but it's not worth finding out!

Lonvitalite Collagen Crystal Eye Mask

I've received too many sheet masks from Lonvitalite over the years to be interested in trying more, even the eye ones. I really wish sub boxes wouldn't include repeat products like this (and when I say repeat, I mean they've been repeated a number of times within one box, as well as across different boxes).

Anyhoo. If you read this blog you'll know that I don't love sheet masks anyway, and this one is no different. I find them annoying to use and get no better effect from them other than the effect I'd get if I put a wet towel over my face for twenty minutes - which is exactly what happened here. Just not for me I'm afraid.

Thalgo Hydra Marine 24hr Cream

I've never used anything from Thalgo before so I was more than happy to give this a go, but unfortunately it did nothing for my skin and I wound up using it as a body moisturiser after only two applications.

It's very light in texture and did nothing for my dry skin in terms of hydration, plus it left a slightly sticky after-feel that I didn't enjoy. This might be ok if you have normal or oily skin, but it didn't work for me.

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in Warm Nude

I suspected that this would be too thick for me, but I had to try it because it's such a cult product and it's raved about by many. 

I can see why people like it: the product offers good coverage and it stays in place, and the finish is quite natural although it pulls more matte on me, which isn't the finish I'm after. I plan to do a first impressions post on this sample (complete with swatches), but for now I'll just say that it's a good product but I found it had too much coverage for my tastes, plus it wasn't as hydrating as I would like.

Ren Vita Mineral Daily Supplement

I have a feeling I've tested this before but I couldn't remember if it was any good, so when I asked the Mecca assistant which Ren creams she suggested, I was happy to give this a go - particularly considering that it's not too expensive at $42 a pop.

I think it's fine as a moisturiser but it doesn't stand out for me, and I'm sure I could find something better. Compared to the Avon day cream I'm using at the moment, this doesn't hydrate my skin as well and it also costs more, so I'd buy that over this any day.

Ren V-Cense Revitalising Night Cream

Now this one I've definitely used before and it is nice, but I remember liking the matching day cream better, which for some reason was much richer and more hydrating than this product - even though you'd normally expect the night cream to be the heavier of the two.

I do think this is the best of the four creams in this bunch, however, and it's the one that's most suitable for my dry, dehydrated skin. I must remember to test the matching day cream again because that's the one I'd most likely buy of all the creams I've tried lately.

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel

Dermalogica can be a bit hit and miss in my experience, and while this cleansing gel wasn't a miss, it wasn't a hit either. I've used it twice before and my feelings on it were the same this time around.

It's a standard cleansing gel that foams nicely and does a reasonable job of removing makeup and grime, but you can find one of those for a song in the supermarket or chemist so I wouldn't pay extra for a cleanser like this unless it was really good. This one was fine, but it wasn't a stand-out for me so it's not one I would purchase.

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream in Light

I've been through a couple of tubes of this product in the past so I already knew I liked it, but unfortunately I received this sample in a shade that's too pale for me, so I was only able to use it as a mixer product to bring down the shade of another BB cream that's too dark for me at the moment.

It's a gorgeous product and one that offers a light coverage with the benefit of sun protection, and using it has reminded me that I need to pick up another tube in future so I can review it, because I haven't yet reviewed the product on this blog - oops! An oldie but a goodie.

Ole Henriksen Featherweight Moisturiser

This came from Sephora and I was glad to receive it because I've heard a lot about the brand and wanted to see how it fared. I think that it's an ok product, it's probably just better suited to someone with normal or oily skin: my dry skin needs something with more punch (are you sensing a theme here?!).

Still, it's a nice-enough product and it's made me interested enough in the brand to try something else from the range, so I'll definitely be looking out for more samples in future.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair 

This is a cult product, and for good reason. I've used it before and was more than happy to use this little sample because I do love the product and understand why it's so popular.

It feels beautiful on the skin and something about it makes me believe that it's delivering nourishment where it's needed most. My skin looks brighter and more radiant after using this, and if it wasn't so expensive, I'd have bought myself a full size by now.

In sum