little white truths

We received three of these little vials of serum from Odacité Skincare in our recent boxes from Maslow & Co (unboxed here).

You'll note when you see the vials pictured below that they are very small and I wouldn't normally review products that are this small, but apparently the full-sizes are only 5ml anyway and I've been using each of these for about a month now - so they do last a good while and I know the products well enough to give you my thoughts.

Each of these serums is apparently a super-concentrated dose of actives and you only need a couple of drops each time. You add them to your regular skincare to boost efficacy/target specific issues, so you can cherry-pick what you want to address.

While I like the idea of these in theory, in practice it's just another step that's been added to my already lengthy skincare routine - and I personally don't think that any of them has done enough for me to want to include them on a longer-term basis. 

Let's have a look at each one in turn. 

Po+R Hydration

I'm not putting these in any particular order (just the order I happened to photograph them in), but turns out this first one is actually my favourite.

Of the three, I feel that it's done a little more for my skin than whacking on any old oil would have done, so I agree that it's more hydrating than most and it's also the one I've noticed using the most because my skin reacts to it best (probably because it is hydrating and my skin is dry).

Odacité claims/product details:

• Po+R is the ultimate moisturising and nourishing serum you've been looking for
• Made with a perfect combination of oils: pomegranate, vitamin e, rose and geranium 
• Helps achieve optimum skin hydration while balancing sebum production to control shine
• A super-concentrated dose of actives: all you need is a couple of drops to transform the health of your skin in record time
• To use: in the palm of your hand, supercharge your daily dose of cream by mixing in 2-3 drops of Po+R, or apply alone for a more intensive treatment
• RRP $60 AUD for 5ml (it's currently on sale on Maslow's website for $48)

Gt+L Radiance Effect

This is the other serum that I've been mixing in with my morning serum, so I've been alternating this and the Hydration serum (or alternatively focusing on one to see what it's doing for my skin), and while I do prefer the other one, this one's fine.

Not good, not bad, just fine.

And interestingly, of the three I have from this brand, it's the only one that hasn't been sold out on Maslow & Co's website (presumably people took advantage of the 20 per cent off sale), so that tells you something.

Odacité claims/product details:

• This fast-acting serum targets the restoration of radiance and skin luminescence
• An active source of plant collagen, camellia seed oil is extracted from the antioxidant-rich seeds of green tea; this precious oil is known to be the ancestral beauty secret behind the geishas’ skin radiance
• The astringent and toning properties of lemongrass tighten and refine sluggish, lacklustre skin 
• Lemongrass is known, in aromatherapy, for its ability to both calm and revitalise, relieve tension, invigorate and inspire
• This serum is a super-concentrated dose of actives; all you need is a couple of drops to transform the health of your skin in record time
• To use: in the palm of your hand, supercharge your daily dose of cream by mixing in 2-3 drops of Gt+L or apply alone for a more intensive treatment
• RRP $45 AUD for 5ml

Verdict: Gt+L Radiance Effect

This is different from the Hydration serum in a few ways.

First, it's paler in colour and it also smells strongly of lemongrass. I personally prefer the scent of lemongrass over the strong floral scent of the other one, so I've enjoyed putting this on my face for the scent alone. 

Second, it's heavier and thicker than the Hydration serum and it leaves an oily residue on my skin. I personally don't mind this because I have dry skin so I need all the grease I can get, but it's worth mentioning because if you have oily skin, you mightn't like this as much. Sure it's not super heavy, but I'm definitely aware of it on my face.

Third, I'm not sure what this is actually doing for my skin. I haven't noticed anything happening in terms of added radiance and I honestly think it does the same thing that any old face oil would do. So while yes I enjoy it for the scent, I don't think it's done much for me other than add some nourishment - but it certainly hasn't done as much as the Hydration serum.

Overall I think this product is ok but I honestly haven't really 'noticed' using it, which tells you that it's neither good nor bad. The most noticeable thing about it for me is definitely the nice scent.

Not worth the money, in my opinion.  

Ba+S Eye Contour

I was excited to try this because it's not often that I put an oil on my eye area. Yes in theory that's a good idea because I have dry skin, but I often don't like what that does to my concealer (greasy oils can play havoc with concealers and make them move around during the day), plus I'm using a decent eye cream at the moment so I don't really need the added oomph.

Still, I've been using this consistently for a month now and I'm pleased to report that it hasn't mucked around with my makeup, although I don't think that it's added much either and it's not one I would buy.

Odacité claims/product details: 

   

Verdict: Ba+S Eye Contour

Of the three serums, this one has the deepest colour (it's also lemon yellow) and it also has the softest scent: I smell lavender. Yes the scent is there but it's not as strong as the other two so that may be a positive for some.

It's also heavier and thicker (like the Radiance Effect) and I think it's the heaviest and thickest of the three - which makes sense, given it's for the eye area - and it does leave behind a slightly greasy residue that doesn't bother my dry skin but it may bother some.

I apply mine in the morning by either adding it to my eye cream or putting down a thin layer first. Mostly I put down a thin layer first because then my eye cream takes away the slippery finish (putting a barrier between this and my makeup), but I have tried it both ways and haven't noticed any difference in terms of effect.

Look, I do like this and it does hydrate my dry eyes nicely - but as with the other two products, I'm not convinced that it does enough to make me want to drop sixty bucks on 5ml of product, and even if it weren't so expensive for the amount you get, I still don't want to add in an extra step to my skincare routine unless I have to, and this doesn't do enough for me to feel that I 'have' to.

Overall I think it's a nice product and yes it's hydrating, but so is any old oil and this doesn't stand out to me so I wouldn't buy it.

Nice, but not nice enough to warrant the price-tag.

In sum 

My comments for all three of these products are largely the same but I did want to include small reviews of each in case anyone was interested in any particular product.

Basically I've enjoyed trying them but none of them has blown my socks off and the only one that I feel did something extra for me was the Po+R Hydration: if that wasn't priced so highly for such a small amount of product, then it may well have made it to my list of potential purchases. But even though a little goes a long way with these and they last a long time, I don't want to be spending my money on something that size unless it's the serum to end all serums, and none of these is.

Otherwise the only thing left to say is that I think these little sample vials are bloody annoying to use. They're so small that they're fiddly, and the little plastic caps fit the glass tubes very snugly so they're hard to pull out and then push back in. And since my motor skills aren't what they usually are because I'm permanently tired these days (it's called having two toddlers ; )), using these things has been a daily battle that I haven't looked forward to. Thankfully the full-sizes come in dropper bottles, but I'd love to see these samples done differently.

Anyhoo! That's all from me. Let me know what you think of these if you've tried them.

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