little white truths

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to my first decluttering post of 2017. While 2016 was a good decluttering year for me, I hope to make 2017 even better and I'm looking forward to working out which items from my collection are ready to be used up and moved out.

First up is this sample post: you'll see above that yet again I've somehow managed to acquire a bundle of deluxe-sized samples of various products, most of which are too small for full reviews and all of which are too large for one of my 'sachet city' posts.

So what I thought I'd do is kick off 2017 with a quick look at what smaller items I'll be focusing on in January, and when I've used them all I'll check back in with mini reviews of each.

Let's have a look.

La Mer samples

A couple of Mecca staff kindly took pity on me when I was in my third trimester and floating around Mecca looking sorry for myself, so I've happily wound up with five little samples to try (two of which contain the same product).

In this lot I have:

While I would never spend as much on skincare as these products cost (we're talking an average of $500 AUD per item), it's still nice to have the opportunity to try them and I can't wait to see how they fare.

Zelens Transformer Instant Renewal Mask

This product came from Maslow & Co and I can't wait to try it because I've had good luck with Zelens products in the past and I've heard good things about this one. It should encourage skin renewal with immediately visible results: skin appears softer, firmer and smoother with a noticeably youthful glow. Powered with a potent complex of high-performance ingredients, this advanced multi-action mask also hydrates, energises, replenishes and revives the skin.

That all sounds good to me. I have far too many masks on the go at the moment so I'm looking forward to trying this one and then moving it out of my collection.

Asap Soothing Gel

This should reduce inflammation and soothe damaged skin. The anti-inflammatory properties of aloe vera promote healing, calm the skin and reduce the appearance of redness. This gel is a water-based gel formulation that hydrates without adding oil, making it an ideal moisturiser particularly for oily skin.

I'm not big on gels because I have dry skin and usually need something heavier, but this is a good product to crack open now that it's summer: a gel might feel nice in all this heat.

Alpha-H Instant Facial with Cypress and Barley

I've used this before and it's one of the few Alpha-H products I've tried that I don't like. I've reviewed it here. I received it in a sub box and I'm keen to move it out of my collection quickly, since it's a smaller product and I know that it shouldn't take too long to finish.

It's described as a fast-acting, oil-free facial that delivers the clarity and radiance of microdermabrasion and salon-inspired peels without the abrasion and stress. It should soothe and repair the skin, even out skintone and resurface the complexion. From memory it did all of those things but not very well and I much prefer Alpha-H's Liquid Gold, which you use in the same way. We'll see if I like it any better this time around.

Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads

These are radiance-boosting pads that are soaked in exfoliating glycolic acid (2.8%) to restore texture and resurface the skin, while witch hazel helps to tone. The moisturising formula with hyaluronic acid and blue daisy helps reveal brighter, smoother-looking skin.

These have been doing the rounds in the beauty community and I've been wanting to try them, so I was happy to see them show up in a recent sub box. Hopefully five pads is enough to really get a feel for the product and how it works over time. We'll see.

Beenigma Face Cream 

This cream apparently uses bee venom to 'trick' the skin into thinking it has been stung, thus producing the skin-smoothing collagen needed for youthful skin. Clever, if a little scary when you think about it ; ). The product also contains Manuka honey, which is good for clearing the complexion.

I received this in a recent Maslow & Co box and I'm super excited to try it because I've heard Tati (beauty youtuber) rave about it to no end. Fingers crossed I like it as much as she does!

In sum

That's it! These are the products I'll slowly be introducing into my routine throughout January, and I can't wait to report back on each one. Fingers crossed there's something to love in here, but hopefully none of the La Mer products, which are well outside my price range.

Happy New Year to all, and speak soon x