little white truths

Hello and welcome to my third empties post for February!

Mind you, my last February empties post should actually have been written in January, it's just that I forgot about the photos I'd taken - so really we've only had two empties posts this month. 

Still, I've got makeup and skincare inventories coming up at the end of March, so any empties are a good thing!

Let's have a look.

La Roche-Posay Uvidea XL BB Cream in Medium SPF 50+

Full review here. I normally like La Roche-Posay products but this one was terrible and I'm glad I've finished it. Mind you, it's had some great reviews so it could just be that it doesn't agree with my skin.

My issue was that it was cakey and clung to dry patches, plus it sat in pores so I just couldn't get it to look good. It also oxidised something chronic on me and the only way to get through it was to mix one-third of it with two-thirds of something else. Repurchase? No.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Tinted Comfort Cream SPF 50+

I was never meant to own this product - my husband accidentally bought it for me instead of the original Anthelios sunscreen - and I wasn't surprised to discover that it's not the right product for me. I've reviewed it here.

It was fine in theory but I've never really understood tints (to me there's either tinted moisturiser or sunscreen, and these hybrids don't perform any useful function in my books), and all this did was dye my skin too dark without offering any coverage. It's not a bad product, it's just that I didn't have any use for it. Repurchase? No.

Evolve African Orange Aromatic Body Lotion

Full review here. This came from Maslow & Co and I really didn't like it. Sure it smelled nice, but it was a bugger to rub in and it constantly left me covered in white streaks.

On top of this, it left a tacky residue and it didn't absorb properly so it didn't hydrate my dry skin at all. Foo. Avoid. Purchase? No.

Sephora Collection Express Cleansing Wipes

I'm not a big makeup wipe user and I didn't like these ones. They were smaller than average and they also weren't wet enough so I had to douse them in makeup remover before I used them.

Plus they didn't do the job well so although they removed easy makeup, they didn't stand a chance against normal eye makeup, let alone the waterproof stuff. Blurgh. Repurchase? No.

Models Prefer Lip Lacquer in Hot Sand

Full review here. This came as a GWP and while it wasn't something I would have bought for myself, I was happy enough to get through it.

It's one of those products that calls itself a lacquer but it's really a gloss, and while it looked ok on the lips, it was very drying so I needed to pair it with something more hydrating. It also stunk of rotten fruit so I wasn't a huge fan of it for that reason alone. Purchase? No.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Sheer & Shine Lipstick in 700 Better & Brighter

I've learned not to buy Rimmel lipsticks and this one didn't convince me otherwise. Yes I liked the nude colour but it was very drying to wear and it also emphasised texture. I've reviewed it here.

Also, these Rimmel Moisture Renew lipsticks (both these and the originals) tend to melt and disintegrate with frequent use, so they're not structurally sound and the formula encourages a lot of waste. Not for me. Repurchase? No.

Burt's Bees Lipstick in Blush Basin

Full review here. This was a much better formula than the Rimmel but I also found it to be drying over time.

The colour was a nice mauve pink and it was the kind of shade that's perfect for everyday wear and should suit a lot of people. One thing I don't like about these lipsticks though is that the packaging is unusually long - so they don't look nice sitting on your lipstick stand because they stick out like sore thumbs. Sure, that won't matter to everyone - but it definitely will to some. Purchase? No.

Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream

This was a nice night cream and I was happy to use it, although I'm not sure it's worth the $135 AUD price tag!

It was rich and hydrating so my dry skin really loved it, but I also found myself needing to apply a lot each time because it's quite thick, so I'm not sure that the full size would last very long. Purchase? No.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion+

Full review here. This moisturiser was ok but I didn't love it and I wouldn't buy it. Yes it was lightweight and yes it hydrated reasonably well so it sat nicely under makeup, but it didn't hydrate as well as claimed.

Also, while it's not an expensive product, I think you can do better than this and I personally would recommend something from Antipodes over this cream. I know that a lot of people swear by Clinique, but I'm yet to be impressed by most of its skincare. Purchase? No.