Sachet city: May 2017

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Hello all and welcome to another round of sachet city! I've done things a little differently this time around: while normally these posts only contain sachets and really small samples, this time I've thrown in a few minis because I want to get through them.

What I've also belatedly done is realised I should have included the below product in this post:


So it's not in the opening shot, but you'll see my comments on it below. I decided to include it because it came with my recent Beautyheaven Beautorium haul (post coming soon) and they ask for reviews of products within a specified timeframe, so I thought I'd better do it now or I'll forget.

Anyhoo! Let's see what I've been testing.


Rune Platinum Face Masks & Hadabisei Kracie Moisturising Facial Mask (Extra Rich) 

These both came from our Maslow & Co Japanese edit (unboxed here) and I've decided to comment on them together because they did the same thing and I have no specific comments for either.

They're both 'standard' sheet masks and although I didn't hate them, they didn't do much for me either. Sheet masks rarely do. You pop them on and leave them for twenty minutes like any old sheet mask, and after use my skin temporarily felt and looked more plump and hydrated, but that was it. There was also far too much 'essence' in both so I got a full use of body 'cream' from them. That is all.

I'm so over sheet masks, I can't tell you.


RAFRA Complete In Gel Cream 

This cream promises to offer the benefits of a multi-step regime in just one product, removing the need for a lotion, emulsion, serum, face cream, oil, eye cream and mask. It also claims to treat multiple skin concerns including pigmentation, enlarged pores, fine lines, dullness and dryness.

I like the idea of a 'do all' product in theory, but in practice I like my multi-step routine - plus this cream didn't do enough for my dry skin so it's not one I would buy. Yes it smelled nice (like orange peel) and yes it felt nice on the skin, but it was too light for me and my face always felt dry after use, unless I put a good serum or oil down first. Not for me.

Nars Pore & Shine Control Primer 

This came in one of our Mecca Beauty Loop boxes (unboxed here). It's apparently a 'must have' for shine-prone complexions: it's meant to be lightweight and mattifying, while also targeting open pores.

In some ways this reminds me of the Hourglass Veil primer (it's white and the texture is similar, plus it aims to do similar things), but I much prefer the Hourglass version. This one felt powdery on me and it also balled up if I used a hair too much. Yes it reduced shine (not what I want for my dry skin!), but I don't think it did a great job of diminishing the look of pores. 

Also, my face shrivelled like an old prune when I added foundation over this, so I only used it once before sending it to the declutter pile - which is saying a lot because I would normally just finish a sample this small (it's 2ml). But I couldn't bear to. Maybe it's good for really oily skin.

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter 

This is described as a super hydrating product, and anything that has 'oil' and 'butter' in the title gets me pretty excited because my skin needs all the grease it can get.

I liked it. It's a nice rich cream that isn't too heavy and it spreads and absorbs well, plus it feels quite velvety so I enjoyed the texture. It has a light, inoffensive shea butter scent and it hydrates beautifully, so it's indeed good for dry skin. The full 50ml size is $58 so it's not super cheap, but it's not the most expensive face cream I've seen either.


Estee Lauder Bronzed Goddess Eau Fraiche Skinscent

This came in a subscription box and I was quite interested to try it because I've heard a few youtubers rave about the original version. Unfortunately it's just not for me: it's quite a potent scent and it doesn't smell good on me at all.

Apparently it's a new take on the old classic and the notes include bergamot, tiare flower, vanilla, amber and coconut, plus sandalwood, pulpy orange and lemon. While that does sound like a perfume I would like because I tend to enjoy citrus scents with a hint of sweetness and also some depth, I've hated using this: it just doesn't work on me. It also doesn't last well and after a couple of hours I can only smell coconut and vanilla with the faintest hint of something woody underneath. Maybe I would have liked the original one better.

Byredo Super Cedar EDP

This is described as a unisex woody fragrance, with notes of rose petals and cedarwood. To be honest I don't smell rose petals at all, but I do smell the cedar and gosh it's strong.

I normally like masculine fragrances and I've been known to buy them for myself before, but this one is so masculine that I wouldn't even call it unisex. It's not a bad scent, but it just smells like wood to me so it's not particularly complex or interesting, nor does it smell nice to my nose - or perhaps it just smells bad on me. Fortunately I've found it less offensive and pungent than the Estee Lauder one so I haven't hated using it, and it's been good to wear overnight because it is quite a sleepy scent and there's something relaxing about it.


Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

I received samples of this in two colours: Santa Fe (Medium 2) and Barcelona (Medium 4). I wasn't expecting to like it because it's full coverage and I'm not about that life, but it does claim to have a radiant, weightless finish, and I am about that so I kept an open mind.

This is actually the best Nars foundation I've tried to date (not including my HG Nars tinted moisturiser). The other two Nars bases I've tried (the fabled Sheer Glow and Velvet Matte Skin Tint) have been awful on me. They've looked like masks and have also pooled in pores, so I wouldn't go near them again. This one still looks like a mask on me, but that's partly because the coverage is too high for my tastes - although I did sheer it out to a medium coverage and it still gave me mask-face. Still, it's better than I expected so that's something.

I have a first impressions and swatch post coming up for this product soon, so stay tuned for that.


Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum

These are described as pure, potent, intensive single dose capsules. They aim to deliver the restorative power of ceramides and essential lipids to help strengthen the skin's barrier against the visible signs of time.

I expected to love them because I've seen them advertised and they look all fancy and special sitting there in their single dose capsules, plus when I used the first one I discovered that it contains an oil that feels rich and hydrating (so I'd call it more of an oil than a serum). But unfortunately the product does nothing for me when applied, except add a layer of grease to my face. So it looks and feels like it would be hydrating, but it's definitely not - or at least not for me. I feel so dry after I use one of these that I've needed to put them on over a hydrating serum, rather than using them as my first layer. Erk. What a letdown. 

In sum

That's all from me! I hope you enjoyed this little post, and do let me know if you've sampled anything amazing recently.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x


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