little white truths

Hello and welcome to my first empties post for the month.

It was only yesterday that I realised I haven't done an empties post this month, so I need to try and sneak in at least a couple before month's end. Should be achievable, but we'll see.

In no particular order...

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Divine Dark

Full review here. While I normally love Batiste dry shampoos, this particular version didn't grab me and I wouldn't buy another one.

Yes the product deals with normal human grease ok, but it doesn't do anything for detangling, adding shine or making my hair more manageable. The original versions do all those things, plus they work on product build-up too. This one doesn't. Repurchase? No.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturising Body Oil

Full review here. I love this stuff and it's been my HG body oil ever since I first tried it. It's beautifully rich and hydrating, and a little goes a long way so the bottle lasts a good while and it's also reasonably priced.

It has that trademark Palmer's cocoa butter scent and I really enjoy the fragrance, although you mightn't like it if you don't like products that smell. What I like doing most with this oil is applying it after I've exfoliated: my skin drinks it up something chronic. Highly recommended. Repurchase? Yes.

Too Faced Natural Matte Eyeshadow Collection

I finished this via Pan that Palette this year and I really enjoyed using it daily, but I'm glad it's gone because I have too much eyeshadow. Full review here. 

One of the things I love about this palette is the shade selection - yes it's neutral, but it's not just a whole lot of brown so it's more interesting than other neutral palettes - plus it's one of those foolproof palettes that's great for when I'm in a rush because I've never done a dud look with it. 

It's blendable, most of the shades are creamy and apply well, and it's a great stand-alone palette or one to pair with a shimmer or two for the lid. Repurchase? No, I have enough eyeshadow.

Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder in Translucent

This is one of those products that I worried might be over-hyped, but when it arrived and I tried it for the first time, I realised why it has such a huge following in the beauty community.

I don't know what witchery is in this, but it airbrushes the skin like nobody's business and my pores all but vanish with a stroke of my brush. Honestly, it's quite incredible. I've reviewed it here.

Yes it stinks, and even though I'd heard that plenty of times, I still couldn't believe how much fragrance they've put in this thing when I first opened it. My golly. Thankfully you can buy a fragrance-free version these days so I'll certainly opt for that next time. It's also not expensive and you get a tonne of product, so it'll last for ages. Repurchase? Already have.

Ethique Gingersnap Face Scrub

Full review here. This product is fine for the body but I don't like it on the face because I find it to be too harsh and abrasive, so if you're someone who avoids manual exfoliants for that reason, then I wouldn't buy this.

Unfortunately my bar didn't have any scent left (even though it was well within expiry), which can happen with Ethique products and it's an issue I have with the brand. It was also far too scratchy and rough for my face, so I only used it there twice and used the rest on my body - although admittedly it was almost too scratchy for my body too. Not for me. Repurchase? No.

Ethique Mochaccino Body Polish

Full review here. I really enjoy this product, and while these scrubs aren't cheap and don't last very long (I could say the same of all the Ethique products I've tried to date), they're still my favourite items from Ethique and I'm more likely to keep buying these than I am anything else I've tried from the brand to date.

The product smells of coffee, chocolate and coconut, and it's a scent I love because it's delicious. What I like about this is that the scrubby matter it contains is very fine so it doesn't feel scratchy or harsh on the skin, but there's enough of it that it's effective. It's certainly not the most concentrated or effective scrub I've used, but it still does the job so that's the main thing. Repurchase? Yes.

Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint SPF 15 in Warm Ivory

Full review here. Although this product is called a tint, it's really a foundation that offers at least a medium coverage unless you really sheer it out (which I normally do), and you can build it to medium-to-full coverage if you want to. What I love about this product is that it takes very little effort to blend (I use my fingers) and it looks natural enough on the skin. 

Another thing to note is that it stands up in extreme heat better than any other base product I've used, so it's a great one for the warmer months and it deserves huge points for that aspect alone. Indeed, I've retained a small amount from my tube to use on those 40 plus degree days over summer, because nothing else compares under tough conditions. Repurchase? Yes.

Kevyn Aucoin The Etherealist Skin Illuminating Foundation

Full review here. I have two HG foundations, and this is one of them. I prefer my Koh Gen Do Aqua for day-use because it has a little less coverage and is undetectable on my skin, but this one's better for night-use or big events because the coverage is better and it's also buildable, which the KGD isn't.

What I love about this product is that it's incredibly natural on the skin while still doing a beautiful job of evening out imperfections, and a little goes a long way so I only need one pump to get a solid medium coverage that looks like skin.

If you have dry skin and want something that looks heavenly and feels hydrating, grab a sample. Sure it's not cheap, but given that I don't need much per application, it lasts me a while. Love. Repurchase? Already have.

Glow Lab Facial Moisturiser

Full review here. While I think this product might be ok if you're younger than me and don't have dry skin, it isn't enough for me personally and my skin has felt super dry while I've been using it.

On me it ends up leaving a coating that has a dry, matte feel and a slightly radiant look. While that sounds ok in theory, in practice I think that's part of the reason why this product doesn't hydrate my skin. That is, not all of it is absorbing and delivering moisture where I need it. Instead it's leaving a film on the skin that isn't doing anything for me. Purchase? No.

Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes

Full review here. While this eye cream is fine, I've certainly used better so it's not one I would buy again. Yes it does brighten my eye area a bit but I'd say that's because it contains a healthy dose of glycerin, which alone adds radiance and also means that the product leaves a tacky coating on my skin that likely won't be for everyone. 

It's lightweight in texture while still having a rich-enough feel. Although my eyes have felt ok while I've been using this, they don't feel as comfortable as they do when I'm using a really hydrating product, so this eye cream isn't perfect for my dry skin. I personally need more nourishment. Repurchase? No.

In sum

That's all from me. I'm glad I've knocked out my first empties post for the month and I'm looking forward to doing at least one more by month's end.

The best items in this lot were the Kevyn Aucoin and Hourglass foundations, the Coty powder and the Palmer's body oil. Everything else I can live without.

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