little white truths

It's been an excellent month of empties so far - we're only a week into October and I've finished off a bundle of full-sized items. Woot woot!

The good news is that many of these things have been in my collection for ages, so finishing them has meant that I've been able to open some fun new things during October already, and over the next few weeks I'll be able to open more. Happy : )

Let's have a quick look at each item in turn.

Lux Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash

Full review here. This is one of the best budget body washes I've used in ages, and it became a favourite as soon as I started using it. It smells divine, lathers beautifully and feels creamy and luxe on the skin. Plus the little exfoliating particles actually do something, but they're still gentle enough that you can use this every day without irritating your skin. Love. Repurchase? Yes.

Banana Boat Soothing Aloe Mist After Sun Spray

If you haven't seen me talk about this one yet in favourites etc, check out my full review here. It's not designed as a 'makeup' product but it's the best setting spray I've found this year and it only costs a few dollars if you can grab it on special. 

It hydrates, plumps and soothes the skin, plus it leaves a dewy finish that isn't too much and takes the 'edge' off your powders so your makeup looks merged and flawless. It reminds me in so many ways of MAC Fix+, only it's significantly cheaper and the bottle is huge. Repurchase? Already have.

Palmer's Coconut Oil Body Lotion

Do note that this product isn't brown (it's white), it just looks that way in the above photo because I added some shimmery bronzer to it to make a nice glowy body lotion. I've reviewed it here.

It's a nice body lotion that's cheap and does the job well, plus it smells divine and my dry skin loves it. My husband uses this one and I can see why: it's nourishing without being too heavy, and a little goes a long way so the bottle lasts for ages. Repurchase? Yes.

Unani Il-luminate Micellar Water

Full review here. This came in a Lust Have It box and it quickly became a favourite: it's the best micellar water I've used to date and I'm sad it's gone because I don't think it's an easy one to buy in Australia.

The texture is a little thicker than water (almost like a water/gel hybrid) and it feels soothing and gorgeous on the skin. Plus it removes makeup well and you don't need much product so the bottle lasted me ages. Sad to finish it and I'll keep an eye out for it in future. Purchase? Yes.

Shanghai Suzy Lipstick in Miss Cassandra Peony

Full review here. I've talked about this enough via Project Pan so I'll be brief: these lipsticks are fantastic budget options and they're made by a Melbourne brand to boot. This one was in the nourish formula and I enjoyed using it and mixing it with other shades. Repurchase? Yes, in other colours for something different.

Jane Iredale Facial Primer & Brightener

I didn't think much of this primer and it's so ridiculously expensive (this was a decent-sized GWP) that I wouldn't go near it with a barge pole. Full review here. It was a good base for makeup but it didn't generally meet its claims and, even if it did, I personally wouldn't spend $78 on a primer. Purchase? No.

Elizabeth Arden Pro Triple Action Protector

Full review here. This was an odd product that didn't really do anything for my skin, and it would want to at $99 a pop. 

While it felt nice to apply, it was super greasy and it didn't offer any coverage to speak of (it's a tinted product) so I'm not sure what it's trying to achieve - it's like it's having an identity crisis, and it doesn't perform any of its stated functions very well. I didn't hate it but I wouldn't buy it. Purchase? No.

Nina Ricci Ricci Ricci EDP

This was a nice fragrance that reminded me very much of Miss Dior. It's composed of rhubarb, bergamot, moonflower, Indian tuberose, centifolia rose, patchouli and sandalwood.

My parents bought this for me duty free and I was surprised by how much I liked it because buying scents for others is hard. But I happily used the bottle up and it worked well for both day and night because it was a little bit sexy without being too heavy. The longevity wasn't great though. Purchase? No.

Mullein & Sparrow Lemongrass Mint Body Oil

Full review here. This came from Maslow & Co and it's a beautiful body oil that smells amazing. I loved using it but this 30ml size is the largest bottle available and I personally don't think that's big enough for a body oil - particularly one that's on the expensive side.

Nevertheless, it felt like a luxe product and the bottle is gorgeous, so I would consider picking up a few Mullein & Sparrow products as Christmas presents because they feel special and would work well for women who are hard to buy for (the ones who have everything beauty-related already). Purchase? Not for myself.

In sum

Yay to starting off the month with a good bunch of empties! I'm hoping to see plenty more this month because some items on my Project Pan list are starting to look like they'll go soon. Fingers crossed.

Do let me know what you've finished this month and whether you have any recommendations : )