little white truths

Hello and welcome to my second empties post for June. It was meant to go up yesterday but I got tied up doing other things. Oh well. We're not too late so no dramas there.

Saturday 30 June was my birthday, and everyone got me makeup and skincare (hurrah!). Yes I asked for it, but it was exciting for me because I did skincare and makeup no buys for the first half of the year so it was lovely to have my stores fill up again.

Having said this, I now have more makeup and skincare than I need again (it doesn't take much ; )), so I'm going to spend the next two months focusing on the things I have open and making sure that these empties posts are as full as possible!

In no particular order...

Alpha-H Liquid Gold

Full review here. I've been through so many of these that it's almost not worth including them in empties because you've all seen it before. But I finished another one and opened my back-up almost straight away because my skin can't cope without it.

It's a chemical exfoliant that you apply like a toner and it resurfaces, brightens and clarifies my skin like nobody's business. My face always look younger and clearer when I'm using this, plus the breakouts along my chin almost stop completely, and I always miss it when it's gone. Repurchase? Already have.

Mecca Cosmetica All Set Makeup Perfecting Mist

This came as part of our Mecca birthday gifts last year and I really enjoyed it. Full review here. The only thing I don't like about it is how pricey it is when you consider the small amount of product you get, and that's the only reason why I wouldn't buy it.

It's lightweight and has a nice, refreshing scent that I enjoy. The mist itself is also very fine (just how it should be) and what I notice most about the product is just how refreshing and cooling it feels on the skin. Soothing. I would almost buy it for that reason alone: my dry skin loved it.

The product also helped stop makeup transfer throughout the day so it's one to consider if you're someone who touches their face a lot or has young kids (who tend to put their hands on your face frequently), as I do. Purchase? No, but only because it's expensive for the amount of product you get.

Skyn Iceland Pure Cloud Cream

This came as part of a set and it was only 10g in size so I didn't end up reviewing it because I didn't get a good-enough feel of the product when I used it.

What I do remember, though, is that it wasn't that good - so I'm surprised to see that it has 4.7 stars on Mecca's website, especially given that it's expensive for what it is. 

It was quite thick but it thinned out nicely when applied and although it was hydrating, it wasn't the most hydrating product I've put on my face and I've used budget face creams I prefer. Yes it was nice, but not $80 AUD nice. Repurchase? No.

Dermalogica Ultracalming Barrier Repair Moisturiser

This also came as part of a set and you may remember that the set I got was rather old and I think that the products had lost some of their efficacy (either that or they're just not that effective). This was also 10g in size so it was too small to review, although I don't have much to say about it anyway.

It was a thick, silicone-y product that acted more like a primer or barrier cream on the skin in that it didn't moisturise, nourish or do anything for me, but instead sat on top of the skin and had a slight blurring effect, given how silicone-heavy it was. 

I'm not sure what Dermalogica was going for with this product but it's definitely not for me. Repurchase? No.

Alpha-H Balancing Moisturiser and Gentle Exfoliant

I've been through a few travel-sized tubes and full-sizes of this and I love it just as much now as I did when I first tried it. It's a fantastic product that's super hydrating and makes my skin look much brighter and more awake. I've reviewed it here.

I prefer to use this in the morning because it brightens and gently exfoliates, leaving my skin looking fresh, younger and feeling smoother. It's rare for me to find skincare that I keep repurchasing because I'm always keen to try new products, but some things just work and become staples indefinitely. This is one of them. Repurchase? Yes.

Perricone MD Pre:Empt Series, Skin Perfecting Serum

Full review here. This serum was ok but considering the price, I was expecting more from it.

The main thing I noticed was that it always turned my face red after use. My skin didn't feel uncomfortable and I wasn't feeling that familiar tingling that indicates the presence of active ingredients, but my face obviously didn't like something it contained.

It also dried my skin out so my fine lines looked more pronounced, which of course isn't a good thing. I therefore had to use an oil over it (rather than a moisturiser) to combat the dryness, but my skin was drier than usual while I was using it so I'm glad to have finished it. Repurchase? No.

Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner

I liked this product and would definitely repurchase it, although I would wait until it's on sale again because it's more expensive than the standard face mists I buy and I do burn through them so I don't like to spend too much money on them. I've reviewed it here.

I love that it was hydrating enough to keep my dry skin comfortable and also that I could keep spraying it throughout the day without making myself look too shiny (an issue I've had with some hydrating face sprays). I also loved that the mist was fine enough and that it did a good job of removing that powdery look from my skin and making my face look more natural. Repurchase? Yes.

In sum

That's all from me. 

This wasn't a bad bunch of empties and my favourites in here were both Alpha-H products, the Trilogy mist and the Sukin cleanser. I did also like the Mecca mist, but as mentioned, it's far too expensive for me to consider buying the full-size (which doesn't contain much product).

Here's to hoping for three July empties posts, so I can start getting through some of my older products and have some space to open the new ones.

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