little white truths

Hello and welcome to my next sachet post for the year. I'm hoping to get one more in before year's end and also do another post with larger samples before Christmas, although we don't have a huge amount of time left so I'll see how that goes.

I started using these samples a good few weeks ago and I finished my last one this morning, meaning it's time to let you know what I thought of them before I forget about them completely.

Let's have a look.

Nuface Prep n Glow Cleansing Cloths

I was interested to try these because they've had some great reviews, but unfortunately I didn't like them. While the fluid they contained felt really nice on the skin and had a brightening effect, there wasn't enough of it so I had to wet them.

I also found them to be incredibly abrasive (especially the textured side), and if I didn't add water to soften them, they were even worse. Still, at least they were huge cloths so I was able to cut them and get two uses from each one. They're not for me, but I can see why people like them.

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in Alaska

Full review of Groenland and St Moritz here. I meant to do a swatch post of Alaska so you could see the colour, but I completely forgot. Hoh well. Maybe next time.

As you may know I love this tinted moisturiser - I've used and loved a few tubes before - and I absolutely recommend it. It has decent coverage for a tinted moisturiser but it still looks natural on the skin, and it offers a dewy finish that's not too glowy so it's flattering. It's one of the few products from Nars that I've used and loved, although Nars isn't cruelty free anymore so that's something to keep in mind.

Oribe Repair & Restore Gold Lust Shampoo & Conditioner

I've just seen that the shampoo retails for $69 AUD for 250ml and the conditioner retails for $72 AUD for 200ml, and my golly I would love to buy them but I can't justify that kind of price-tag. Far too expensive for haircare, no matter how good it is.

The shampoo washed my hair beautifully without stripping it and I thought there wasn't enough conditioner in the sachet to coat my long hair, but there was and it worked miracles. My hair was left shiny and hydrated after use, and my knots brushed out very easily. It also felt thicker and healthier, and most of my frizz was gone - all in just one use. I would love to buy these but I can't bring myself to do so. Boo.

Coach New York EDP

This is a sweet, musky fragrance so it's not my style because I don't like anything too sweet and I don't like musk at all (it gives me a headache).

Thankfully it does settle a little so the musk retracts and after a while I can mostly smell raspberry, rose, pear and pink pepper. It's not an awful fragrance but it's not my style. The lasting power is ok but I would expect longer for an EDP and I do need to reapply it after a few hours.

Original Skin Matte Moisturiser with Willowherb

This has been designed for oily, shine-prone complexions and it's described as a refreshing water-cream moisturiser that hydrates, boosts radiance and refines texture all while ensuring the skin stays matte.

Given that I have dry skin, it's not surprising that this didn't grab me. It was fine and it felt reasonably hydrating, but I do need something with more punch and I definitely don't want anything that makes my skin look matte (although admittedly this didn't make my skin look very matte). Still, it applied and spread well and it felt nice on my face, so I was happy enough to use it.

Tatcha The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder in Classic, Deep and Gentle

Tatcha is one of those brands that I'm suspicious of because it's very expensive and I feel like it may have been over-hyped. Still, I was pleased to receive three of the four rice exfoliants it has and I've been testing them in turn over the last couple of weeks.

I can't see that much difference between them, to be honest, although I think that the gentle one was more finely milled and it didn't do as much for my dry skin (even though it's been designed for dry skin) and I felt that the other two worked better, especially the classic one - which is slightly coarser in texture.

They're powders that you add some water to and then run over your face, and they're meant to exfoliate the skin. Yes they do exfoliate and polish gently, but they cost almost $100 AUD each and the similar products I've tried from Alpha-H and Dermalogica do a hell of a lot more for me and also cost less, so I would stick with those.

In sum

This wasn't a bad round of samples and I really enjoyed the Oribe haircare in particular, although alas it was too expensive for me to even consider buying.

Otherwise everything else I can take or leave, but I'm glad that I've kicked out another round of samples and I'm looking forward to using one more lot before year's end so I can start 2019 with less in my samples tray.

That's all from me. Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x