little white truths

Not long ago Beautyheaven's Beautorium was open again, and I used my points in exchange for a Burt's Bees hand cream that I've used before and really enjoyed.

As usual we also wound up with a few sample freebies to try, and not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I was a bit disappointed with mine because I've received some of them from Beautyheaven before and I've also already tried all but one of them - the lone one being a shampoo without its matching conditioner (you know how I hate receiving 'floating' haircare like that).

Anyhoo! Let's have a look.

Full review here. I've been a big fan of this hand cream for a long time - purely because it's so rich that it's the perfect overnight hand cream and my hands always feel softer and more hydrated when I'm using this. It has a strong fake almond scent that I could do without, but I live with it because the product works so well for me.

Also, my last tub lasted something like 18 months of daily use - and at the end I used it as a body cream to get through it so I could try something else - meaning it's excellent value.

I'd thought of using my points for this product before but always ended up going for something new that I hadn't tried yet, but this time I decided to grab it because I need a hand cream for the overnight spot and I know this one works.

Goodness Every Morning Moisturiser and Every Day Cream Cleanser

I've used both of these products recently so I was a little disappointed to see them again - not because I don't like them (I do), just because I was hoping for something new to try.

I tried these as part of a kit and reviewed each item plus the set as a whole (see here). The cream cleanser I liked for morning use because it was gentle and also helped keep my skin feeling hydrated. It wasn't great at makeup removal but I didn't use it for that so it didn't bother me.

The moisturiser was a great, lightweight day cream that kept my skin feeling nourished without weighing it down or interfering with my makeup. It's one of those decent, reasonably priced moisturisers that should work for a variety of skin types and is a great choice if you want something basic to seal in your more expensive, active products.

I would be more than happy to use both of these again but since I have so many skincare items in stock as it is, I may end up adding them to someone's Christmas present this year: they make a good pair. 

Goldwell Kerasilk Repower Volume Shampoo

This is apparently a gentle, lightweight cleansing shampoo formulated with keratin and elastin. It should offer the ideal foundation for body and fullness with colour protection.

This is the only item in my haul that I haven't tried yet, and unfortunately it's a floater that doesn't have a matching conditioner. Foo. I'll use it but I won't be able to really test how it works without a conditioner to go with it: I personally think you need both in order to test haircare properly.

NS-8 Leg Care Cream

Full review here. I received this as a freebie in my last Beautyheaven Beautorium haul so it's a little annoying to see it again - especially because I didn't like it!

It's meant to be a heavy duty cream for dry legs and feet, but I didn't find it that hydrating and it was also a bit greasy and took some work to rub in. Plus it had a strong mint scent and it contains peppermint oil and menthol, both of which irritate my facial skin (thankfully not my body skin, but I still avoid anything that contains them).

I'll be sending this to a better home too.

In sum

That's all from me! 

Do let me know in the comments if you grabbed anything exciting from the Beautorium recently - I'd love to hear.

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