little white truths

Hello and welcome to my first empties post for August. Yes I'm late with this but August was a super busy month so we'll just have to live with it and move on!

Note that I have a second empties post to write for August, which I'm hoping to get to tomorrow.

So without further ado... 

Byron Body Coffee Scrub

Full review here. I bought this on special at the chemist and while it's not the best one of these coffee scrubs that I've tried, I still do like it and I wouldn't say no to another one.

It's a standard coffee scrub and you're either going to be a fan of these or you won't be: they're messy and something of a hassle to use, but gosh they work and who can say no to that coffee smell? I certainly can't. This one didn't really distinguish itself from the others except it's probably a little waxier and not as soft as some so it's not my favourite. It does the job though. Repurchase? Maybe.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Facial Wipes

I'm not a facial wipes person and I haven't been for years, but these were sent to me for testing so I gave them a go anyway. I've reviewed them here.

My main issues with these were that they're not wet enough, they contain artificial fragrance and they're also a bit rougher than most wipes I've used. Once I added water to them, though, they did a reasonable job and I was able to use them to remove most of my makeup, minus my eye products. I personally wouldn't recommend them but I also think you can do a lot worse than these. Repurchase? No.

Inika Certified Organic Pure Primer with Hyaluronic Acid

I really enjoy this primer and I'm missing it although I'm glad I've finished it because it was the oldest primer in my collection. I've reviewed it here.

I've used a lot of primers in my time and I've now been through three of these, and years later I still think it's underrated. I'm not sure why more people don't talk about it - perhaps they just don't know about it - but it's easily one of the best primers I've used.

It's beautifully hydrating without being too heavy so it should suit normal to dry skin, and it has a slightly tacky finish so it hangs on to makeup very well. Honestly, I can't rave about it enough. Definitely one to try. Repurchase? Yes.

Natio Tinted Moisturiser SPF 20 in Neutral

Full review here. I really wanted to like this product and I do like Natio as a brand overall, but unfortunately this just didn't work for me. It didn't have enough coverage and it was also too pink for my yellow-based skin.

Thankfully I was able to get through it by mixing some with my facial sunscreen every day in order to make that last longer, and it worked fine for that purpose because it didn't mess with the formula too much. 

I had hoped to use it as a foundation mixer but it was too pink for that, although it might work for others because it did have a reasonable amount of colour: that is, it tinted the skin, rather than offering coverage. Repurchase? No.

Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant

This is one of the better products I've used from Dermalogica and I really enjoyed it. I've reviewed it here.

It's a good exfoliant and it's also one of the few Dermalogica products I've used that works for me. I know a lot of people swear by Dermalogica but it generally doesn't agree with my skin for some reason, but I liked this and I'm glad that I have a full size in back-up.

It's a grey-coloured powder that you mix with water and then apply to your face, and it does a beautiful job of exfoliating and resurfacing the skin without feeling too harsh. It also has a brightening effect so my skin not only feels smoother after using this, but it looks healthier and happier too. Definitely recommended. Repurchase? Yes.

Nivea Express Hydration Body Lotion

Full review here. I've tried quite a few body creams from Nivea and so far I like all of them, and although this one isn't my favourite, I still recommend it.

It hydrates and nourishes my dry skin well, and a little also goes a long way so I don't burn through it as fast as I do other body creams. 

Yes it leaves a slight tacky film so it won't be for everyone, but for my dry skin, it did the job. Indeed, the only reason why I wouldn't repurchase it is because I've used better products from Nivea so it's not my number one. Repurchase? No.

Rituals, The Ritual of Sakura Shower Foam

If you read this blog, this particular item will come as no surprise: it's easily my favourite bath & body product of all time, and one of my favourite products period. I've reviewed it here.

It smells divine and the foam it creates is so rich and luxurious that you'd be forgiven for thinking you're using a high-end product - but in fact at $15 AUD a pop, these foams are inexpensive and you can often find them on sale if you're prepared to wait. 

I won't bang-on too much about this product here because you're probably sick of hearing about it, but suffice to say that I can't imagine ever being without one of these in my shower. So, so good. Repurchase? Yes.

Pelactiv Essential Clarifying Toner

Full review here. This product was ok but I didn't love it and I wouldn't buy it again - especially because I can find budget toners that work better than this one so I wouldn't spend the money on it.

It cost me around $20 and I burned through it because it wasn't super effective, so that's reason enough for me not to repurchase it (it lasted me less than six weeks). It was very gentle but that's because it essentially felt like water on my skin and it didn't remove the last layer of grime from my face, nor did it leave my skin feeling toned or refreshed. Don't bother. Repurchase? No.

Alpha-H Daily Essential Vitamin Mist

I really enjoyed this product but I wouldn't repurchase it except as a treat because it cost $50 AUD and the only reason I was prepared to pay that much for it was because it came with a free full-sized facial sunscreen as an introductory offer.

Still, it's a gorgeous product (I've reviewed it here): it's incredibly nourishing, hydrating and soothing on my dry skin, and it does add some soft radiance that suits my complexion. Having said this, I don't like applying it more than once a day (twice max), because the more I apply, the shinier my face looks and that's when my open pores are most visible.

I can see myself buying this as a treat product next year (perhaps for my birthday), and by then, the online retailers should have reduced the price enough that I'll be happy to buy it with a discount code. Repurchase? Yes.

In sum

The best items in this lot were the Alpha-H mist, the Rituals shower foam, the Inika primer and also the Dermalogica Superfoliant. 

It's been a pretty good round of empties overall, and I'm looking forward to repurchasing some of the above products next year.

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