little white truths

Serge Lutens Eau de Parfum L'Eau Froide

The description for this says: a touch of the aquatic and the natural elements come together to create this cooling, refreshing fragrance.

I say: this has a harsh, linen scent and is more of a male fragrance. Makes me think of walking through the duty free perfume section when a bunch of guys have just sprayed themselves before a long flight. I didn't like it - it smelled weird on my skin.

Serve Lutens Eau de Parfum Nuit de Cellophane

The description says: dusky and intoxicating, this multi-faceted fragrance mixes the sweetness of jasmine, osmanthus, carnation, lily and honey with rich, warm almond and heady sandalwood and musk.

I say: too sweet and a bit nothing on me. There was almost something dessert-like about it, and not in a good way. My husband didn't like it on me either (he also thought it was weirdly sweet) and it didn't last long. I've seen a lot of people rave about this fragrance, however, making me wonder whether this brand just doesn't work on my skin.

 

By Terry Terrybly Densiliss Wrinkle Control Serum Foundation

This is one of those products that people rave about but that doesn't work on me at all. It's described as a multi-tasking serum-foundation hybrid that delivers anti-ageing benefits and a full coverage, matte finish.

What I found is that it sits in pores unbelievably, leaving me with those little pale dots all over my face that look so bad. On top of that, it doesn't sit properly and was totally streaky. Since this costs $152 a pop (yes, it's true!), you'd be wanting perfection. This didn't cut it - not by a long shot. I gave it away after two uses; hopefully it works much better on my friend's skin than it did mine!

By Terry Light Expert Foundation

This is the only By Terry foundation I've tried so far that I haven't disliked. Having said this, I still don't like it and, like all By Terry base products I've tried, it sits in pores and gives me that paint-splattered look.

If you're blessed with perfect skin, however, do give this a go. The product glides on like a dream and I like the consistency and dewy finish. It definitely also gives you a brighter/fresher face.

By Terry Cover Expert Perfecting Fluid Foundation

This is described as an iconic liquid foundation that delivers velvety, matte results and reveals a naturally unified, radiant complexion.

On me, this looks like paint and it doesn't sit well on my face. It's also streaky and, like the other By Terry bases, sits in pores.

I'm not having much luck with this brand, am I?!

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intense Exfoliating Treatment

Errmaahgawd, get your hands on a sample of this one if you can. It's bananas and does the job so unbelievably well - and I could tell that even from a 2ml sample. I want it. I don't even want to know how much it costs because I know it will depress me. Note the product smells exactly like fruit mince tarts and that smell is really overpowering, but the product is so great that I can live with it.

Kate Somerville CytoCell Dark Circle Corrective Eye Cream

This is meant to reduce the visible signs of ageing around the delicate eye area, and apparently instantly alleviates the appearance of puffiness, diminishes dark circles and dramatically reduces the appearance of fine lines.

Look, it's a good eye cream and it does have a temporary effect in terms of reducing fine lines and hydrating the area well. It's not a stand-out for me however (I can tell it's good, but I have other good eye creams on hand) - unlike the ExfoliKate product from this brand, which was so amazing that I'd be buying some if it didn't cost $98 (!).

This is apparently an advanced and innovative serum that uses a powerhouse blend of vitamins, nutrients, peptides and antioxidants to combat the signs of ageing. And OMG it retails for $200!

Look, it's a nice product and my skin likes it, but I have other serums on hand that cost less than half the amount this one does, and this isn't so good that it's unforgettable. It's pretty thick for a serum and I'm not sure how I feel about that - I prefer the thin ones that brighten your face on impact. This one seems to have a mattifying effect and I'm not sure how well my moisturiser is absorbed after it, which isn't what you want from a serum.

Glad I don't love it at that price!

Sunday Riley Good Genes Treatment

The description for this product says: this daily transforming face treatment and mask is formulated with high grade lactic acid, lemongrass and licorice to exfoliate and plump the look of fine lines, to reveal a brighter, smoother and more refined complexion. Long term use can help to restore the appearance of damaged and uneven skin tone, reduce the visible depth of lines and wrinkles and increase skin's firmness and elasticity.

Diptyque Créme Riche Body Butter

This is a lovely body cream but OMG it costs $116! Paying that much for face care is one thing, but for body care?! My golly. I really need to stop acquiring samples from Mecca - all that happens is I wind up with things I could never afford and would never buy haha.

Still, it's lovely to be able to trial something this fancy, and also to be able to say that this is nice enough, but not $116 nice enough. Stick to sampling this in-store I reckon ; )

Talika Brightening Cream Photo Beauty Therapy

This is apparently an advanced facial cream that works to brighten and deliver much-needed moisture to dry, dull skin. It certainly does that, and I really enjoyed this little sample. Aside from delivering on the brightening thing, it feels lovely on and absorbs well. My skin definitely likes it - not enough to pay $112 for it though ; )

Eve Lom Flawless Radiance Primer

This is a moisturising and age-defying primer that aims to target imperfections - and it's a really lovely product. It hydrates, brightens and smooths skin. This is a healthy 3ml sample, and the third one I've been lucky enough to use, so I'm getting a good feel for it by now and my love for it is growing!

As I've mentioned before on this blog, I don't have an HG primer and I haven't had the best luck with primers in terms of what they do for my skin (might as well just use a hydrating moisturiser) and prolonging makeup wear. This one might just be different, however. I wish it didn't cost $79 though. I might put it on my wishlist for when my year-long no buy is finally over in October.

Purederm Nose Pore Strips

These were from Memebox and I'm so glad I put them in this sachet lot so I'd use them - I really like them! Both Mex and I chucked these on our noses yesterday and were happy to see all the blackheads suctioned off on the little strips. It's been a while since I've come across an effective Memebox product, so I'm very happy that these live up to their blackhead-clearing claims!

Lonvitalite 24K Active Gold Eye Mask

As you may know, I'm rather over receiving sheet masks in subscription boxes and I wasn't that over-mooned by them to start with. At least this one was an eye mask rather than the standard face one. It was fine but really didn't do much other than make my skin look a little more plumped after use. I've only ever used one sheet mask that impressed me (that was a Wei version): all the others have been neither here nor there, including this one.

In sum

The Purederm nose strips, the Eve Lom primer and ExfoliKate are definitely the stand-outs here. The Nude Skincare serum might have been on the favourite list if I'd sampled enough of it. I'm very glad to have gone through another round of sachets - the above represent only half of what I have sitting around! I'll do another sachet post soon : )