little white truths

I had hoped to sneak in three empties posts this month but I'm not too sure how that's going to go, given the amount of rubbish we have on in the next few weeks. 

It must be something about this time of year: suddenly our calendars start filling up and no longer can we languish around on weekends (not that there's ever any languishing happening with two toddlers and a Golden Retriever, but you know).

Anyhoo! I'm glad I managed to get these empties photographed. It's a start. So without further ado, let's have a look at what I would and wouldn't repurchase in this lot.

Antipodes Divine Face Oil, Avocado & Rosehip Oil

Full review here. This is a nice facial oil and I do like it - it's just not the best facial oil I've ever used in this price range (or below it).

It has a jasmine/orange scent that's a little strong for me and I tired of it pretty quickly. The oil spreads and applies well, but I did need to use quite a bit each time so it wasn't the best-value oil I've tried on a price-per-use basis.

I used this for a few months and felt that it helped keep my dry skin hydrated over winter and also helped stave off any dry, red patches that I usually get in the cooler months. It didn't perform back-flips but it did help keep my dry skin feeling comfortable, so that's a plus. Repurchase? No.

Antipodes H2O Intensive Skin Plumping Serum

I didn't hate this but I didn't love it either. It just didn't do much for me and I've used other Antipodes products that I prefer so I personally wouldn't go for this one. I've reviewed it here.

While it spreads and absorbs well, that's about the only thing I liked about it. My biggest issue was that it wasn't hydrating in the slightest, so my skin always felt parched after use. It didn't plump my skin either, so I'm not sure what the product name is getting at. In the end it wasn't a wasted product because it was a good 'carrier' for some active ingredients that I started using, but that's about it. Purchase? No.

Blistex Pearl Soft & Silky Balm

Full review here. This was ok but it was a little too waxy for my personal tastes, which meant that it wasn't as hydrating as I needed it to be for my dry lips. I also wasn't a fan of the chunky packaging: I would much rather something that doesn't take up so much real estate in my handbag and fits more easily into my pocket.

This also slid around on my lips so I didn't like it for day-use, meaning the only use I had for it was as my bedside table balm - but I wasn't waking up with nourished lips when I used it so eventually I sent it to the foot balm section, just to get through it. Purchase? No.

Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara

I didn't love this mascara so I ended up turfing it after using it for over two months: life's too short for bad mascaras and I'd had enough. I've reviewed it here.

I had a few issues with this: it clumped, it didn't lengthen well, it didn't lift and hold my lashes, and I also managed to get mascara goo on my eye area whenever I used it. Plus I needed an eyelash comb to help with the clumping and I can't be bothered with that extra step. Repurchase? No.

O&M Know Knott Conditioning Detangler

Full review here. I remember buying this because it was in the clearance section and I needed to bring an order up a notch to get free shipping, and turns out it's one of the nicest haircare products I've used so it became a favourite very quickly.

You spray it on your hair and it does an amazing job of detangling - a good thing for my long, wavy, frizzy hair - so it was an absolutely pleasure to use and I really enjoyed it. It smelled nice, too. Thankfully, we received a travel-size of this product from Maslow & Co so I won't be without it for long. Repurchase? Yes.

Gariner BodySummer Sun-kissed Look Nourishing Lotion

I haven't had a lot of luck with Garnier as a brand, but this product is lovely and it's probably the nicest self-tanning cream I've used. It's also one of the cheapest I've used. Full review here.

Not only does this offer a natural, believable gradual tan, but it's just a good body cream. After use my dry skin felt soft and nourished, and a little went a long way so the product lasted a while. Even if this weren't a self-tanner, I would buy it as a body cream because my dry skin loved it. Repurchase? Yes.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15

Full review here. This is a cult product for good reason: I absolutely love it. It's smoothing, it glides on beautifully and feels like silk on the skin, and a little goes a long way so I would never buy the full size because I'd never finish it.

Yes it's expensive but it's one of the nicest primers I've found and one of the few that I feel makes a real difference to how my foundation looks. I love it. Purchase? Yes.

Glamglow Glowstarted Mega Illuminating Moisturiser in Nude Glow

I hated this. It goes on nicely and feels cooling and hydrating when applied, but within a minute, it dries down to this weird powdery finish and it makes my dry skin feel really tight.

Plus it adds a coating and it balled up a couple of times when I applied my sunscreen over the top, so it's not something I would personally recommend. It does add some good glow - but not a tint on my light-medium/medium skintone - and it's super expensive for what it is. In my opinion, you're better off going for an illuminating primer or liquid highlighter. Purchase? No.

Asap Daily Face Cleanser

I really enjoyed this. It's fluid and silky, plus it's nourishing so it feels like it contains some oil. My skin absolutely loved it. It removed gunk and impurities, and it was gentle while still being effective. It wasn't drying either.

I definitely recommend it, but it's not one I would buy because I'm currently using a similar product from Alpha-H and I prefer that one (just!), but they're very close in terms of how they feel and what they do, and they're both great products. Purchase? No.

Sephora Gel Mask Hydrating & Quenching

Full review here. This didn't do much for me, and I was disappointed about that because it's had such great reviews online.

It's meant to be hydrating and quenching (I mean, look at the title) but all it did for me was leave my skin looking a little brighter - barely enough to be useful, though - and it otherwise dried my skin out. How annoying! Perhaps it's not a good mask for dry, dehydrated skin and it works better if your skin is normal or oily and just needs something with a little moisture. Blurgh. Repurchase? No.

QV Hand Cream SPF 15

While I loved that this contained sunscreen (not enough hand creams do), it wasn't the right product for me because it didn't moisturise my dry hands as much as I needed it to. I've reviewed it here.

The other thing I didn't like about it was that it didn't completely absorb so it left a coating on my skin that I wasn't a fan of, and it was one of those products that I needed to apply often because it wasn't hydrating enough - but it built on itself so it left my hands with a growing film throughout the day. Purchase? No.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold Rose

Full review here. This is a limited edition version of the old classic and while I did really enjoy it, I still prefer the original Liquid Gold. Mind you, I think that puts me in the minority because everyone seems to favour this one.

You use it like a toner on alternate evenings and it brightens, plumps and resurfaces the skin - I just think that the original does those things slightly better. This version feels more hydrating though and perhaps a little more gentle, so this might be a good one to try if you can't tolerate the original. Repurchase? Maybe.

This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray

This is meant to help promote a good night's sleep but it did absolutely nothing for me so I can't recommend it. I've reviewed it here.

I've seen a lot of people say they believe in this product, so perhaps it does do something for those who normally sleep ok but are going through a bad patch. However I wouldn't recommend it if you have a serious sleeping problem like I do. Repurchase? No.

In sum

That's all from me! I hope you enjoyed this little post and found some ideas for new products to try.

The best items in this lot were the Alpha-H treatment, the Hourglass primer and the O&M hair product. Overall it wasn't a bad bunch of empties though, and there are other items in this lot that I'd repurchase.

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