little white truths

Welcome to my second sachet post for the year. It's taken me a while to get though these ten sachets because I took some away with me and got plenty of uses from them - despite their small sizes - and I also didn't want to use them all at once because I'm busily testing out some full-sized skincare and I didn't want anything to get in the way of that.

For this reason I may hold off on doing any more sachet posts for at least a month because I would rather focus on the products I have open and leave my sachets for another day. I find sachets useful when you need a breath of fresh air and want to try something new without buying anything, so I'd like to save the samples I have left for that kind of situation.

Anyhoo. Let's have a quick look:

Nars Light Optimising Primer

I've been through a few sachets of this but it was way back in 2014 so I was pleased to try it again. It aims to enhance and extend the vibrancy of makeup, and should minimise signs of fatigue and leave the skin looking luminous and radiant. 

I liked this product last time around and indeed I liked it again. It's reminiscent of MAC's Strobe Cream but it isn't as rich and heavy as that, so if you like the finish of Strobe Cream but find it too much for your skin, this might be one to test. It feels beautifully hydrating without being heavy and a little goes a long way so even these 1ml samples lasted me four uses each. I probably wouldn't buy it because I prefer Becca's version, but this is nice and I'd happily use it again.

Hourglass Hyaluronic Skin Tint SPF 15 in Ivory

I tested a couple of sachets of this product last month (in the shade Nude) and I decided to go ahead and use these ones in Ivory straight after so I could do a first impressions and swatch post on them (that's coming).

The product is a reformulated version of the old classic and in the past I remember feeling that it had too much coverage for my personal tastes so I didn't love it. While I still feel that's true of this reformulated version, I found that this one sheered out with less effort so I could get a light coverage very easily but build up to a medium if I wanted to.

It has a mousse-like texture that isn't my favourite, but the result on the skin is very natural. I decided to use these as my foundation for the wedding we attended in Sydney (I mixed them with Becca Topaz to darken them so they'd work for my colouring), and I was pleased to discover that the product didn't melt off or separate in the 43 degree heat. A little also goes a long way and the product doesn't sit in pores, so this may well be my next foundation purchase - provided I can find a shade match.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment

Full review here. This is a really fantastic product and I've been through countless sachets and a travel-sized tube already, so it's almost not worth including in sachet posts because you've probably heard me rave about it before. But if I didn't include it, I'd forget to use it!

This is one of those exfoliants that's not for the fainthearted or sensitive skin, although my skin can be sensitive and I haven't had any issues with it so it's worth trying at least even if you're prone to sensitivity (and there's also a gentle version if this one is too much). It's one of my favourite exfoliants and it leaves my skin beautifully polished and renewed, and I always look forward to using it because I know my skin will feel smoother for days after use. I can only use it once a week max, however, otherwise it's too much for me.

Dermalogica Ultrarich Body Cream

I've used this before and I'm just as annoyed this time around that the sample only contains a measly 2ml of product. That's a ridiculously small amount for a body cream and I could only apply it to my arms - not enough for a proper trial, so the small sachet size doesn't make sense to me.

What I can say, however, is that this wasn't very rich so the name doesn't feel 'right' to me, and although it was ok for my dry skin, I've seen that the full size costs a whopping $70 AUD so I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole - far too expensive for a body cream, in my opinion! And one that's ho-hum to boot.

Neogen Bio Peel Gauze in Wine and Lemon

These came from Maslow & Co and they're both a chemical and mechanical peel, which in basic terms means they work at a deep-into-the-pores level as well as on the surface level of your dermis. Red wine is apparently great for ageing or dull skin, while lemon effectively brightens dull or pigmented skin.

I enjoyed these more than I thought I would (I'm suspicious of anything that looks like a sheet mask, which is what I first thought these were ; )) and I've even gone to look them up because I wouldn't mind using them again. 

They're little pads that you run over your face - there's a rough side and a smooth one - and they do feel like they resurface and brighten the face so I enjoyed using them and I'll keep them in mind. You can buy a pack of 30 for $37 AUD, and considering I would probably only use them once or twice a week, a pack might last me six months. Next time Maslow & Co has a sale, I may well grab some.

Besone Pink Clay Mask

Where would a sachet post be without at least a sheet mask or two? The problem with being subscribed to three sub boxes is that I keep winding up with bloody sheet masks, and if you read this blog, you'll know that I generally don't think much of them and believe they do little more than throwing a wet towel on my face would do.

This one, at least, was different. It's a mud clay mask that you leave on for up to 50 minutes (yikes!) so it took me ages to use it because that's a super long time but I wanted to use it properly. What it does is dry down so it becomes a little tight but not too uncomfortable, and when you take it off, it feels like it takes a layer of skin with it - but in a good way. 

I half expected to see blackheads come off (erk) like they do on nose strips, and while that didn't happen, I still felt that it made my skin feel smoother and look brighter. I didn't like it enough to fork out $7 AUD for a single mask, however. My golly.

Skin Republic Brightening Vitamin C Face Mask 

This is one of those meh masks that did nothing for me other than waste ten minutes of my life. I was hoping that it would least be hydrating enough that I could save one application of either my serum or moisturiser, but alas that wasn't the case and if anything it's made my skin feel drier than before.

I'm probably the worst person to review sheet masks because I just don't get them, but I can say that this had plenty of fluid (which I applied to my body so it didn't go to waste) and it wasn't any better or worse than the countless other masks like this that I've tried.

In sum

This wasn't a bad lot of sachets and I've managed to find two things in here that I may well purchase in future - the Neogen and Hourglass products. I know that many people don't like sachets but I do find them useful as a starting point and I've discovered a lot of favourite products through these posts.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x