little white truths

Since we're coming up to the end of the month and my empties box is overflowing, I thought I'd sneak in an early post now so I can clear out my finished containers. 

It's been an excellent month of empties for me with plenty of long-standing, full-sized products finally removing themselves from circulation. What this has meant is that I've been able to open some things I'd been saving from my stores, since I've had a few spots open up on the bathroom shelves. Hooray to that : )

Let's have a quick look.

Project Pan empties

I won't go on about these too much here because I've done that via Project Pan, but suffice to say that I'm pleased to have finished all three products: they've been on my list for ages and I thought I'd never get through them!

I love Becca Moonstone (I've pictured the box here because I've filled the empty bottle with something else) and while I'd definitely buy it again, I'm keen to try Champagne Pop in the liquid first. So repurchase? Yes.

As for my Mememe Goddess Rocks and Be a Bombshell Eye Base, neither worked for me - the rocks were too shimmery to be used as a bronzer and the eye base didn't work well as a base - so I'm super glad I found other ways to use them. That's a no to repurchasing both.

Avon Nutra Effects Radiance Day Cream

Full review here. I grabbed this for free from beautyheaven's beautorium and fell in love with it straight away. It's just a great, no frills day cream that hydrates the skin, contains sunscreen and only costs $15. What's not to love?

My skin feels beautifully nourished after using the product, and it also looks brighter and more plumped. It might be a little on the heavy side for oily-skinned lasses but it works well for my dry skin. Purchase? Yes.

Alpha-H Vitamin E with Macadamia

This is one of the few Alpha-H products I've used that did nothing for me and I really didn't like it. It's not that it was terrible or gave me a bad reaction, it's just that it did nothing at all. Full review here.

It's meant to hydrate the skin and address concerns like pigmentation and scarring, but it didn't do any of those things for me over the six months I used it. And unfortunately I was dumb enough to buy a jumbo sized bottle! Hoh well, you can't win 'em all. Repurchase? No.

Antipodes Chia & Kiwi Seed Superfood Serum

Full review here. This came from Maslow & Co and I fell in love with it instantly. It's on the oily side but it's not heavy and it sinks beautifully into the skin and just feels like it's doing good things for your complexion.

I used it during the cooler months when I was pregnant, and it did a lot towards managing dryness and irritation, so my skin looked in much better condition after I started using it. Indeed, this product has put Antipodes on my radar and I'll definitely be trying more from the brand in future. Repurchase? Yes.

Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Cleanser

This cleanser came in a Mario Badescu kit and I really liked it, so much so that I rationed it so this travel-sized bottle has lasted for ages. Full review here.

It's quite astringent so it won't be for everyone and I didn't use it more than once a week (it might have stripped my dry skin too much if I had), but my face always felt much cleaner and less congested after I used it. It's a product I can see having a permanent place in my collection because it's cheap and I haven't used anything else that manages to cleanse this well without irritating my sensitive, dry skin. Repurchase? Yes.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Cleanser for Face and Eyes

I thought I'd reviewed this product already but looks like I haven't. Ooops! Should have reviewed this little bottle. Hoh well. I've already received two via sub boxes so I may yet have an opportunity to review it again.

Although I haven't reviewed it, I had made a comment on it in an old empties post -'it's too gentle for me and I ended up using it as a body wash' - and funnily enough, I did exactly the same thing this time! I just don't think this product does enough to call itself a cleanser, at least for me. Purchase? No.

Marula Foaming Cleansing Oil

Full review here. This came from Maslow & Co and it's one of those products I was expecting to love because I'm all for oil cleansers these days, but I just didn't love this and it didn't do much for me.

It's a light, medium-thick oil that smells of citrus and I don't mind the scent but I recommend keeping the product away from your mouth because it has a very bitter taste. It spreads ok when applied, but I find that I need to use more of this per application than I do other products because this tends to 'stick' to my face where other oils don't. Plus I don't think it's that effective when it comes to makeup removal. Purchase? No.

Pixi Glow Mist

Another product I was expecting to love but really didn't. Indeed, I gave this a disappointing products tag because I'd read so many rave reviews that my expectations were super high and they weren't met - not even a little. Full review here.

This was so oily that I couldn't wear it over makeup (even on my dry skin!) because it left me looking like a grease-ball, and it also had a tendency to 'dissolve' my makeup and lift it - I guess that's what happens when you mix like with like. I ended up using this on my body because I didn't want it anywhere near my face. Repurchase? No!

Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Toner

Full review here. This is my HG budget toner and I reckon I'll keep buying it again and again because it costs only a few dollars (on special) and does such a beautiful job of refreshing and toning the skin.

It's not irritating but it removes that last layer of gunk from my face very well, and on top of that, the smell is so good that I get a lift whenever I use it. Definitely a winning product for those sleep-deprived mornings! Repurchase? Yes.

In sum

Yay to more empties! The best products in this lot are the skincare items from Nivea, Avon, Mario Badescu and Antipodes, and I love my Becca liquid illuminators too.

Let me know if you've finished anything amazing this month : )

Speak soon x