little white truths

Hello and welcome to my third empties post for September.

I'm pleased to say that it's been a fantastic month for empties and I've managed to clear a good bunch of stuff from my stores. This of course means that I'm in the process of opening a bunch of new products to replace them, which is always a nice situation to be in.

Let's have a look.

Sukin Super Greens Facial Exfoliant

Full review here. I think this is a nice exfoliant and it's worth testing because it's not super expensive.

It has a sweet, green, cranberry scent and it comes in cream form. The grains are very fine but there's enough of them (and they're not too round) so they offer a gentle exfoliation that's still effective. I found the product enjoyable to use and it left my face feeling soft and smooth afterwards, plus it made my skin look a little brighter. Purchase? Yes.

Natio Tinted Moisturiser SPF 20 in Honey

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 also didn't have enough warmth to it so I couldn't add my whitening drops to it (which add some coverage) and try wearing it as a base. I've reviewed it here.

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, plus it gave my skin a slight bronze glow beneath my foundation. Repurchase? No.

Urban Decay Anti-Ageing Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Full review here. I panned this recently and I'm glad to be through it because it wasn't working that well for me.

While it went on ok, I found that it wasn't great for longevity and most of my eyeshadows tended to crease over it. Still, I used it all up so it can't have been that bad, and it did help a little with intensity at least. Time to try something else. Repurchase? No.

Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Creme in M19 Cool

This concealer was ok but I found that it creased under my eyes so it was better for using on the face. This particular shade was also very orange and very warm on me (even though it's called 'cool') and I found that it made me look like I'd had an allergic reaction around my eye area when used as a concealer.

This is why I mostly used it as a kind of corrector beneath my normal concealer and it worked pretty well for that (see my review here) although I certainly wouldn't buy it for that reason alone. I was able to pan it via Project Pan and I'm glad that I've finished it because I don't need it. Repurchase? No.

 

Sukin Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner

Full review here. These two didn't work for me and they also don't work for my kids, so I can say that they don't suit my dry, wavy and frizzy hair, and they also don't suit my kids' normal hair.

I found that the shampoo didn't wash properly so I needed to do three washes with it (and even then my hair didn't feel clean enough), or if my hair was really dirty, then I needed to use another shampoo first. The conditioner tended to weigh my hair down, make it look dull and also reduce the time between washes, so again, it just didn't suit me. Repurchase? No.

Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lipcolour in 740 Coral

Full review here. You may remember that I tried the shade Vineyard in this range and liked it in theory, but in practice it ran up and down vertical lip lines not long after use so it looked pretty bad, pretty quickly.

Thankfully this shade doesn't do that so let's hope that Vineyard was just a dud. This one in Coral is lovely. It's hydrating enough that I don't need to wear a balm underneath it, and it feels lightweight and comfortable to wear. I also like that these aren't super opaque so they look more natural, and I like the gentle shine of the finish. Worth trying, but you don't get much product so I would only buy one on special. Repurchase? Maybe.

Thursday Plantation Macadamia Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm

These kinds of tube lip balms generally don't work for me, as indeed this one didn't. It slipped into my mouth so I was always tasting it, and it was greasy so I didn't like how it felt on my lips. I've reviewed it here.

What I could use this for, however, was as a multipurpose balm (even if it's not labelled as such) so it was great for softening dry winter skin on my feet, knees and elbows. I also used it occasionally on my cuticles and it was good for softening the blisters on my hands from chilblains too. Purchase? No. 

Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion

Full review here. This product was ok but I burned through mine because it's quite thick so I needed to use a lot per application, and it's expensive to start with so that makes it even worse value.

Also note that it's heavy on the artificial fragrance and I personally found the scent to be too much, and the smell does linger so it won't be for everyone. Still, it was quite thick and heavy so it suited my dry skin during the cooler months and I did like how nourishing and moisturising it was. Purchase? No.

Skinstitut Glycolic Cleanser 12%

This cleanser was ok but I added it to my Project Pan list to get through it because it wasn't doing much for me and it was my least-favourite of the cleansers I had open so I'm glad I've finished it. I've reviewed it here.

What I found with this cleanser is that the glycolic acid it contains wasn't doing enough for me, so I had to use it as a kind of mask/cleanser hybrid twice a day in order to get any effect from it - and even then the effect wasn't great. Still, it wasn't a bad product and I didn't hate using it. Repurchase? No.

In sum

Overall this wasn't a great round of empties and the only product in here that I would recommend is the Sukin exfoliant. Everything else I wouldn't use again.

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