little white truths

It's not quite the end of October, but we put our bins out last night and that always seems like a good time to photograph the empties and send them off to empties heaven.

It hasn't been a big month for me in terms of empties, and I suspect that trend will continue because I don't have so many products open as I once did - a good thing since I hated all that clutter in the bathroom!

Here's what I've finished:


Clarins Extra Firming Body Cream and Extra Firming Body Lotion

These tubes were both Mum's and I only used the ends of them, which is why I haven't written full reviews for them. She went to throw them out - saying she'd squeezed every last bit from them - so I grabbed them and cut them open, getting four full applications from each tube. This is why it's always a good idea to cut open tubes like this!

Anyhoo. I thought I'd like the body cream better than the lotion because I normally prefer heavier creams, but in this case I thought the lotion was the better product. It's much thicker and richer than a regular lotion and felt divine on the skin. I really enjoyed using it.

The cream was nice too, it was just a little thick for me and I found it quite hard to spread. Also, I felt the lotion was more hydrating - perhaps because it absorbed better than the cream did, due to its lighter texture. Purchase? Maybe for the lotion (not the cream), although I don't normally buy high-end body products because I can't afford them and would prefer to save my pennies for facial skincare.


Urban Skincare Co Daily Hand & Body Cleanser

Full review here. So this is interesting: I've been through two travel sizes of this product (and two travel sizes of the black version) and didn't like them because they didn't foam well or clean well.

BUT this tube fared much better - it foamed beautifully and felt velvety against the skin - and I considered updating my review to say that I liked the product more this time around, but decided that one out of three (or five, even) wasn't enough to change my initial review. Purchase? Probably not, although I'd like to test another tube to see if it's as good as this was.

Grown Alchemist Hand Wash in Sweet Orange, Cedarwood & Sage

Oh it's a sad day when I finish this product! Full review here. It was given to me as a present, and it's the best hand wash I've ever used. I wish it were cheaper : (

The citrus smell is refreshing, and the cedarwood and sage scents mean it's not too sweet and has a woody/herbal depth to it that I really like. The gel itself is smooth and velvety and feels wonderful on your hands, plus it cleans beautifully. It's my HG hand wash without question. Purchase? Yes, if I could find it on special.


Eslor Replenishing Scrub

I'm a huge fan of Eslor and this scrub was the first Eslor product I tested and then bought. Full review here. I've already been through another full size of this tub (plus a travel size and four sachets) and I have to say that this particular tub wasn't as good as the other ones - perhaps it was from a bad batch.

This scrub smells toasty and wonderful and leaves your skin looking fresh and feeling clean. For a long time it was my favourite face scrub, and my skin really loved it. The issue with this tub was that it wasn't as dense as the other batches I've tried (it had a more whipped texture that wasn't as rich) and it had less scrubby matter in it. I still liked it but I'm hoping it was a one-off and that Eslor hasn't changed the formula. Purchase? Maybe.

Estée Lauder Advanced Time Zone Age Reversing Line/Wrinkle Crème Broad Spectrum SPF15