little white truths

Hello and welcome to another empties post for the month!

Note that I only have six empties in this because they're my holiday empties so I wasn't able to finish the usual ten to twelve products that I include in these posts. That's also why the background is different: I took these shots before we left so I didn't need to bring the empties home in my luggage.

In no particular order...

Beauty Essentials Flamingo Mini Wet Wipes

I bought these to raise the value of a Mecca order to qualify for free shipping (I'm sure I'm not the only one who's done that: they only cost $3) and I brought them away with me to use in place of a makeup remover.

Using them reminded me of why I don't like wipes: I don't think they're that good for your skin and so many of them aren't very effective - including these ones. They weren't wet enough so I needed to add water before using them, and they also didn't remove makeup very well. Plus they were a little scratchy on the skin. Repurchase? No.

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels

If you read this blog, you'll know that I'm no friend to sheet masks - including eye masks. I just don't feel that they do anything for me, and I also don't like how expensive they are for single-use products and how much packaging they use for one application.

These were useless. They've had some good reviews but they did nothing for me, and if anything I found them to be rather uncomfortable to wear (they felt sticky and heavy, and my eyes didn't like the feel of them on) so I struggled to use them. I used two sets of these while we were away and I didn't enjoy having them on for a moment, plus my eyes looked exactly the same after use. Purchase? No.

Full review here. This was a GWP and I was interested to try it because I'd never tried anything from Ahava before. It was nice, but it wasn't nice enough to warrant the $40 AUD price-tag for the full-size.

I liked that it smelled fresh and that it spread and applied well, but unfortunately it wasn't hydrating enough for my dry skin. And although it was lightweight so it should suit those who prefer a lighter cream, it also left a tacky film on the skin that won't be for everyone so that's something to keep in mind. Purchase? No.

Asap Soothing Gel

I bought this because I tried a 5ml sample a while ago and really enjoyed that, but unfortunately this tube was nowhere near as good as I remember the sample was. I've reviewed it here.

It's a bright green gel that's better for those with normal to oily skin because it's not that hydrating, although I remember the sample being more hydrating than this was. This also left a tacky, sticky finish on the skin and it wasn't anywhere near as soothing and cooling as the sample was. Plus it balled up on the skin: annoying. Repurchase? No.

Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo in Peacemaker

Full review here. This was a really lovely product, but it didn't convince me to buy a high-end lip crayon. Reason being, I'm just not a crayon person and I also don't want to spend that much on something that contains less product than a standard lipstick.

The formula was gorgeous though. It was hydrating and it plumped up the lips beautifully, and while it didn't last super well, it did last longer than most creamy lip products so that's something. This particular colour was a really lovely peachy nude: my favourite kind of nude. Purchase? No.

Hair Nutrition Tamanu Oil Serum

This didn't work for me at all. For this reason I brought it away with us and sprayed it over everyone's hair before we went swimming, in the hope that it might have a protective element. I've no idea if it did. I've reviewed it here.

It's a standard leave-in conditioner that comes in a spray bottle. It should have nourished my hair and added some shine, but sadly it didn't. Indeed, all it did was weigh my hair down and reduce the time between washes, plus it gave my locks a sticky feel and a dull look. Not for me. Purchase? No.

In sum

That's all from me. 

I'm glad I was able to knock out a few products while we were away (including one of my Project Pan items) and I'm also looking forward to getting through a lot more empties next month: I have quite a few products now that are on their last legs so it will be nice to bring a breath of fresh air into my skincare routine especially.

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