little white truths

Hello and welcome to my third empties post for November.

It's definitely been a good month for empties and I've gotten through close to forty products - indeed, I have enough items for a fourth empties post, it's just that I don't have time to take more photos over the weekend so we'll be sticking with three. Perhaps I'll crack four in December. I hope so!

Here's what I've finished this time around...

Soak Detox Hand & Body Wash

Full review here. This product was fine and what I liked about it was that it wasn't as astringent as many shower gels are and it had a relatively low pH (between a five and six), which is pretty unusual for shower gels in my experience so that's a plus.

However I didn't find it enjoyable to use. It did have a soft, refreshing scent, but it wasn't one of those lovely transporting kinds of scents that I like to have in my body products (yes, I'm one of those people who doesn't want fragrance in my facial skincare but loves it in my body care). I do have a couple more of these tubes to get through, and I'm looking forward to doing that so I can move on to something more fun. Purchase? No.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum Complexion Correcting

This came in a set (a Sephora 500 point perk) and I absolutely loved it. Unfortunately it was only 10ml in size so I couldn't review it, but I could tell as soon as I used it that it was exactly the kind of serum I like.

It had a brightening and resurfacing effect, and my face looked smoother and fresher while I was using it. I also think that it made my skin look a little younger, and it was hydrating enough for my dry skin too. This is definitely on my list of potential purchases, although it's expensive ($102 AUD for 30ml) so I would only ever buy it on special. Purchase? Maybe.

In sum

That's all from me. This wasn't a bad bunch of empties and my favourite items in here were the Caudalie serum, the Koh Gen Do foundation and also the BareMinerals cream. Everything else I can take or leave.

Do let me know in the comments whether you've finished anything amazing this month: I'd love to hear.

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

As you can see above, I've finished my Mecca Cosmetica Lip De Luscious SPF 25 in Peach Shimmer (reviewed here).

While I did like this product, I was ready to see it go and thereby remove another lip product from my collection.

Here's how it looked when I introduced it three weeks ago:

And here's how it's looking now:

  

As you can see, it's definitely empty! I was able to pan this quickly by not only using it every day, but also using it as my overnight lip gloss (and I did need to reapply it a couple of times overnight).

I find glosses the easiest to pan because I have dry lips and I drink a lot of water, tea and coffee, so there's constant transfer throughout the day and I'm always reapplying them.

Do note that this is the only other product I expected to pan by the end of November, meaning I'm ready now to wind up PP 2018 - so it will just be a matter of using my products for a few more days while I get myself ready to write my finale post. Looking forward!

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

As you may know, these NYX Butter Glosses are my HGs and I've slowly been working my way through the entire collection. 

Every time Priceline has a big sale, I grab myself some of these and I'm aiming to find my favourite shades from the bunch so that eventually I'll just buy those and have a few different shades on rotation.

Next up is this nude in Fortune Cookie, and while I do like the formula, this shade settles into lip lines (same as Apple Strudel did, reviewed here), so I wouldn't buy it again.

NYX claims/product details:

• Buttery soft and silky smooth 
• This scrumptious gloss tastes as sweet as a sugar cookie - and makes your lips look downright luscious
• Swipe it on alone or over your favourite lipstick for a creamy, sheer-to-medium coverage that melts onto your lips and is never sticky 
• Leaves your lips soft, supple and kissable
• RRP $9.95 AUD for 8ml, but do shop around

I think it's worth mentioning again that I do own Fenty's fabled Gloss Bomb (reviewed here) and while that's a lovely product and I can see why so many people love it, I still prefer the formula of these NYX glosses. 

Reason being, they're more hydrating on my dry lips so I can wear them alone, and they tend to last better on the lips too. Plus they're a lot cheaper and you can also often buy them on sale. I honestly don't think you can beat them.

There's the applicator:

Light and heavy swatches, indirect sunlight:

Direct sunlight:

My bare lips for reference:

Wearing the product, indirect sunlight:

And again for good measure:

Verdict

I love this gloss and I've given the formula an HG tag. While this isn't the highest-performing shade in the range, I still love it and I'm happy to use it.

It's a standard gloss that comes in a plastic tube with a doe-foot applicator. It has a sweet, sugary scent that's not overpowering so it's a good, balanced kind of scent for a product like this.

The gloss feels very comfortable to wear and it's hydrating enough for my dry lips that I can rely on it for hydration throughout the day. For this reason it's been a good product to pair with other, less hydrating products because I can layer this underneath or over the top to keep my lips feeling comfortable.

The formula isn't sticky but it does have a tackiness to it that helps it stay on your lips. Sure, it's not a super long-lasting product (I wouldn't expect it to be), but it does stay put longer than other glosses so that's a plus.

What I like about this formula is that you can apply a very fine layer (eg, over a lipstick or liner) and just add a bit of shine, or you can add more and get a medium coverage and just wear the gloss by itself. Not all glosses are opaque enough to give good colour, but all the shades I've tried so far of these ones are. Tick.

Fortune Cookie is a pale peach nude and it's the kind of shade that makes your lips look fuller (you'll see that in the photos above). While it's slightly too pale for me to wear on its own, I like to wear something darker underneath it and then throw this over the top so my lips look smoother and larger.

My only issue with this particular shade is that it has a tendency to settle into lip lines (you'll see that in the photos above). While it does have a plumping effect so it smooths out my lines, if you look closely, you can see that it's pooled into texture. Sure it's not awful and probably nobody but me would notice, but that's something to be aware of.

Not only this, but I haven't been able to get an even coating from this and you'll also note the line of product between my lips in the photos above. Again, it's not awful and I can use my fingers to redistribute the product (you could of course also use a brush), but that's something to be aware of too.

Overall I love this formula and I recommend it: it's the nicest gloss formula I've found so far - whether budget or high-end. Indeed, there's a reason why I always buy a few of these whenever Priceline has a sale. You can't beat a great gloss that you can grab for a fiver on special, that's for sure.

Love.

It's been an odd week because my husband's mum is coming out from Mexico to stay in Australia for a few months, and she'll be with us for some of the time so we've had to do a big clean-out of the house and garden (she arrives today).

Yes those things needed to be done anyway, but there's been a timeline on them so Mex and I have done a lot of extra work over the last fortnight and our bodies are paying for it. Hoh well. At least most of it's done now.

Anyhoo! As always I'm drowning in review posts and photos, and I want to get myself to the point where I don't have quite so many items in the queue. This will take a while, though, because I've just photographed another round of larger samples and also sachets, meaning that the bathroom cabinet is overloaded with little items and I need to test them all in the next month or so.

I digress. This body scrub. I'm a sucker for a good coffee scrub and this is a good one. Indeed, I'd be happy to try more from this brand because they have other scents, so I'm looking forward to doing that down the track.

Body Blendz claims/product details:

• Treat yourself to a tropical getaway thanks to a blend of ground Arabica coffee beans and coconut oil
• Your skin will be scented with a sweet coco bliss
• With carefully chosen ingredients, this doesn’t just scrub away dry skin but penetrates deep into the layers, leaving your skin moisturised and smooth
• The Arabica coffee ingredient will help eliminate pesky little impurities such as cellulite, stretchmarks and skin blemishes, leaving your skin fresh and young-looking
• Use two to three times a week
• RRP $14.99 AUD for 200g, but do shop around (I bought mine for around ten bucks at Chemist Warehouse)

The product comes in the standard foil pouch that usually houses scrubs like this one. I don't mind this kind of packaging but it can be messy so I would like to see someone start trying to do something different.

There it is below:

Verdict

This is a nice product and I'm enjoying using it. While I don't love it as much as I love my HG Mr Bean Coffee Scrub (reviewed here), it's still good and to be honest there's probably not much difference between them - it's just that the Mr Bean product is softer so it adheres better to the skin than this one does. Otherwise they pretty much do the same thing.

Dry scrubs have been all the rage for years now and I've lost count of how many I've tried. Most of them are interchangeable because they scrub well but tend to be quite messy and a hassle to use. I can say the same of this one, although it's certainly not the worst I've tried and it does adhere to skin better than some.

Mind you, you'll still lose a bit in the shower as it falls off your skin - no matter how careful you are - so that's something to keep in mind if the messiness of dry scrubs bothers you.

The product smells like coffee and coconut, and it's a scent I enjoy. Indeed, I like using coffee scrubs for the scent alone. Note there are visible sugar grains in this formula, which is really the only difference between this one and other coffee scrubs I've used.

I use this twice a week and my skin always feels polished and refreshed after use. I'm someone who enjoys a rougher scrub for my body (my face is another story) and this one fits the bill nicely. Note, though, that if you prefer gentle scrubs, then this mightn't be for you.

I'm not going to bother commenting on whether this meets its claims of targeting things like cellulite and stretchmarks because those things are largely hereditary and there's not much you can do about them. But I do feel that this helps stimulate blood flow and my skin always looks happier after use, so that's something.

All in all, this is a nice product and I'm enjoying it. While it mightn't be the best coffee scrub I've used, it's still good and it's readily available at the chemist for a reasonable price so that's always a plus. Worth mentioning is that I prefer it over some of the other coffee scrubs I've used lately (eg I didn't like the Byron Body one so much, reviewed here, because it was too waxy), and I would buy it again.

Decent.

Hello and welcome to another Project Pan mini update for 2018!

We're heading into the last week or two of my challenge now, and I'm hoping to knock out one more product after this one - and once I've finished that product, I'll be closing things down for the year.

Reason being, I need a break! I would like to free up around a month to play with whatever makeup I want to, so that's what I've decided to do for this year.

As you can see, I've finished The Ordinary's Alpha Lipoic Acid 5% (reviewed here). You'll note my product marker above: I didn't have heaps left, and I was able to get through it by using it every second day (I think it became less potent towards the end so I could use it more often).

I absolutely loved this product and I'm sad to see it go, but I was also ready to move on to something else so I don't mind that it's gone.

What I loved about this was that it resurfaced and brightened my skin, and not only that, it faded my age spots a little too. Huzzah!

As you can see above, it's definitely empty. I would absolutely repurchase this product, but only after I've managed to get through some more stuff.

That's all from me for now. Do let me know in the comments how your own panning projects are going: I'd love to hear.

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

I was sent these haircare items to review months ago and I'm getting towards the end of the conditioner now, so best I review them before they're gone for good.

Long story short, they're ok but they're not the best haircare products I've found for my dry hair - plus the conditioner never washes out properly - so I wouldn't buy them myself. More on that below.

Garnier claims/product details:

• Formulated for coloured and treated hair types
• The exclusive paraben-free range is enriched with a shot of fortifying fruit actives that supplies hair with the optimum injection of nourishment for hair health, shine, resistance and protection
• Inspired by nature and activated by science, the new Fructis formulas also include vitamins B3 and B6 to deliver healthier, stronger hair
• RRP: $6.49 AUD for 250ml or $13.95 AUD for 700ml (each)

Verdict

These products are fine but they haven't done anything amazing for my hair so I personally wouldn't buy them. Having said this, they've had great reviews (see eg beautyheaven's website) so they obviously work well for some.

The shampoo smells lovely and fruity, and it washes my hair well. I always do a double wash when I use this, although I double-cleanse with all shampoos so that's normal for me. I like that it cleans my hair without stripping it, and that it also does a good job of removing any build-up from my hair (eg leave-in conditioner) so my hair always feels cleaner and lighter after I've used it.

The conditioner smells fruity too although there's a chemical scent underneath that, which overtakes the fruit. I need to apply quite a bit of this because I have long hair, but again, I'm used to needing a truckload of conditioner because my hair is dry so that's standard for me.

I usually leave the conditioner in for a few minutes under a shower cap and I find that I can brush my hair through with my fingers before I wash the product out, and it has a detangling effect then - it just doesn't have one later.

What I find with these products combined is that my hair always feels heavy and coated after use, and it looks dull to boot. It's as though I can never wash all of the conditioner out - and I think that, of the two products, it's the conditioner I have issues with and not so much the shampoo.

Indeed, I washed my hair again last night and what I found was that, despite how much time I spent washing the conditioner out, I've woken up with hair which has that product-overloaded, thick feeling, and my hair is knotty and frizzy to boot. Yes it feels a bit stronger, but it doesn't look or feel good (it's not shiny or manageable) and it's also harder to brush.

Overall I think these products are ok and while I would recommend the shampoo, I don't recommend the conditioner and I personally would never buy one product without its matching pair, so it's safe to say that these aren't for me and I'll be happy to finish them and move on to something else.

Not my favourites.

Hello and welcome to my next empties post for November.

Note that I'm planning to have a third empties post ready to go this month, so stay tuned for that if you're interested. Indeed, I'll also be aiming to have a third empties post in December (I normally only manage two), with the idea being to kick-off 2019 with less stuff in my collection. Fingers crossed!

In no particular order...

Trilogy Rosapene Radiance Serum

Full review here. I didn't like this product at all, and I was really pleased to finish it. Note also that I wouldn't call this a serum. It was more of a thin cream or lotion in texture, and it just didn't want to absorb. Annoying. 

Plus it completely coated my skin so that my moisturiser couldn't penetrate through it, and it always left my skin feeling incredibly dry after use (as though it had sucked all the life from my skin). So it wasn't hydrating or nourishing either, and it also left a very sticky, tacky coating on my face - without doing anything beneficial for my skin. Foo. Repurchase? No.

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Signature Serum

This product was sent to me for review and I really enjoyed it, although it didn't blow my socks off enough that I would consider buying it. I've reviewed it here.

It was a lightweight serum that pumped out like a cloudy gel in texture but then spread almost like water on the skin, so I didn't need much per application. While my dry skin really enjoyed the product, I didn't see any changes in my face that I've seen with my favourite serums. That is, my fine lines and wrinkles looked the same, and I didn't notice any changes to things like age spots etc. It was a little firming and brightening, though, so it did do something for me. Purchase? No.

Doucce Eyeshadows

Unfortunately I don't have shade names for these because we weren't given any, but these products came from my Doucce Freematic System Eyeshadow Quad in Cool Brown (reviewed here).

All four shades were part of my Pan that Palette challenge this year, and these are the two I've finished (although I accidentally threw one of the empties away, so I've used one of the two remaining full ones as a prop here - sorry!).

While I didn't like the shimmers in the quad, the two mattes I really enjoyed and these are the two shades I've finished. So I would recommend the mattes but avoid the shimmers. Purchase? No, I have enough eyeshadow and Doucce is too expensive to entice me.

Trilogy Age-Proof Replenishing Night Cream

Full review here. This was a nice cream, and while I was happy to use it, it didn't strike me in any special way so I wouldn't buy it again. 

It had an odd, plastic-like scent, and it applied and absorbed well. I worked out pretty quickly that it wasn't doing much for me as a dedicated night cream so I shifted it to the overnight spot, as the last step to seal-in my other products.

It worked well for that because it left a protective coating on my face and also helped keep my dry skin feeling comfortable until morning, and it was fine as a basic, everyday cream - although I prefer Antipodes' night cream so I would go for that over this one any day. Repurchase? No.

Trilogy Makeup Be Gone Cleansing Balm

I didn't love this cleansing balm as much as many others seem to, although there are certainly those who have the same issues with it that I do. I've reviewed it here.

It was harder in texture than most cleansing balms I've used and it didn't melt very easily on the skin, so I needed to spend too much time warming it up with my fingers - and even then it didn't spread as easily as other balms.

It also wasn't as hydrating as other balms I've used so I couldn't wear it as a hydrating mask before cleansing (as I normally would with a product like this), and while it did work reasonably well for makeup removal, it wasn't the most effective cleansing balm I've tried. On top of that, it was bloody hard to remove - even with warm water and a cleansing cloth. Foo. Repurchase? No.

Laura Mercer Foundation Primer, Protect SPF 30

Full review here. This was a nice primer and I enjoyed using it, although I'm not sure that you'd ever get the benefit of its sun protection if you apply as little as you would with a standard primer - so that's something to keep in mind.

What I liked about it was that it was very lightweight so it didn't feel like a greasy sunscreen. It also dried down to a tacky finish so it was a great base for makeup, and it had a dewy finish that I enjoyed because it wasn't too oily.

Mind you, while it did help create a smooth canvas for makeup application, it didn't do anything for longevity and I'm not sure that it added anything in particular to the end-result of my makeup, so I wouldn't buy it again. Repurchase? No.

CLE Cosmetics Essence Moonlighter Cushion in Copper Rose

This was a nice product but it didn't convince me that liquid or cream highlighters are something I want to use on my face, for the simple reason that powders are faster and easier - and I'm always going to go for the easy route. I've reviewed it here.

It was a liquid highlighter that came in a standard cushion compact. It spread and applied well, and I liked how it looked on the skin: it had that wet look that's more transparent than opaque (and therefore more natural-looking) and it also didn't emphasise texture on the face. 

Nevertheless it didn't grab me and the whole cushion delivery system didn't work for spot-highlighting on the face (not directed enough) so I applied it with my fingers, and there was no point to the cushion aspect in my case. Purchase? No.

In sum

That's all from me! The best items in this lot were the Jurlique serum, the Freezeframe whitening treatment and the QV moisturiser. Everything else I can take or leave.

Do let me know in the comments if you've finished anything amazing recently: I'd love to hear.

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

Hello and welcome to another Project Pan mini update for the year.

We're on the countdown now and I'm not sure how many more products I'll finish between now and my PP 2018 finale post (which I think will be on or around 10 December), but it's always nice to remove a few more items well before the next monthly update.

As you can see above, I've finished my Caudalie mask and also my Batiste dry shampoo. I didn't like either of these products much so it's good to see them go.

Above is my Caudalie Instant Detox Mask (reviewed here). This was only a 15ml sample, but a little went a long way so I was able to use it twice or even three times a week for over a month.

It wasn't an awful product but it didn't do anything positive for me, although it did seriously dry my skin out and leave my face feeling parched after use.

Not for me. Hooray, another mask bites the dust.

This is my Batiste Dry Shampoo in Beautiful Brunette (reviewed here). It was ok but I prefer Batiste's normal dry shampoo a lot more than I do this formula.

Yes it worked reasonably well and gave me one more day before my hair needed a wash, but it was nowhere near as effective as the Batiste products I normally buy. I'm glad it's gone so I can move on to something that works a lot better for me.

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

The other reason I'm doing this is because I've been doing skincare inventories for a while now, and although I'd managed to get my numbers right down during 2018, I've somehow managed to go a little nuts again.

Sure, a lot of what's in the cupboard is from the two Priceline skincare GWP gift bags I acquired this year, but that still represents stuff that needs to be used so I want to stop the flow of new products and really cut through the amount of skincare I own.

And with last time, I have some rules. Here they are:

• I'm doing my skincare no buy for six months, until the beginning of June 2019. June's my birthday month so I'll let myself buy a few things then, before potentially reinstating the no buy for the rest of the year.
• I'm allowed to buy anything essential I run out of during that time (eg I can see myself running out of facial sunscreen), but nothing else. As with last time, I'll report each month and let you know if I've had to make any essential purchases for the month.
• Gift cards don't count, and if I need to spend a couple of extra dollars to buy something I need/want with a gift card or Priceline voucher (we get those quarterly in Australia), that's ok. Better to spend a few extra bucks to buy something I need/want, as opposed to buying something just because it's the same price as the gift card or voucher!
• This only relates to facial skincare, so body care, hand care and foot care doesn't count: I don't have a lot of those things (same goes with haircare), so it's only the facial skincare spending that needs to be reigned in.

*All images courtesy of unsplash.com

Hello and welcome to another no buy!

As you may know, I did a makeup no buy for the first six months of 2018, then lifted it for one month before reinstating it for three months and then opening it up again for a few months so I could restock some things and also make a few festive purchases.

Well, I've decided to do another one for 2019. I'd planned to start it on 1 December, but since I'm not going to buy anything over the next three days and I'm also too tired to write anything more detailed this morning (my daughter screamed her head off last night), I thought I may as well kick it off now.

Why am I doing another one of these? For the simple reason that I have enough stuff and I want to keep hacking away at the things I do have so nothing goes to waste.

Also, I didn't find my makeup no buy this year to be too hard, so I'm not worried about doing another one because I know I can do it without too much stress.

I guess the other reason is that I've done pretty well at getting my numbers down for my makeup inventory, and I don't want to let that slide now: I want to keep reducing things until I've got my collection to a point where I don't feel the need to pan anymore unless I want to. Although to be honest, I'll probably always be a panner because I enjoy it - but I would rather pan because I want to and not because I have to.

• I'm doing my makeup no buy for six months, until the beginning of June 2019. 
• I'm allowed to buy anything essential I run out of during that time (eg I can see myself running out of brow pencil), but nothing else. As with last time, I'll report each month and let you know if I've had to make any essential purchases for the month.
• Gift cards don't count, and if I need to spend a couple of extra dollars to buy something I need/want with a gift card or Priceline voucher (we get those quarterly in Australia), that's ok. Better to spend a few extra bucks to buy something I need/want, as opposed to buying something just because it's the same price as the gift card or voucher!
• Tools and storage (eg, makeup brushes or an acrylic lipstick holder) don't count: I don't have many brushes so I may buy a few here and there if there's a decent sale on; and I don't own a proper lipstick holder so I do plan to buy one eventually.

I received this product a while ago in a Priceline goodies bag, and I recently included it in one of my larger samples posts to encourage myself to use it.

I was interested to try it because I've found myself becoming more sensitive to normal deodorants in my old age, so I've been open to trying natural ones - it's just that my past experience of natural deodorants has been that they generally don't work.

This one does. Huzzah! I had a $5 discount token so I bought the full-size today, and it may well be the only deodorant I buy myself from now on.

A'kin claims/product details:

• Natural deodorant that's free from triclosan, aluminium* and zinc*, with natural odour control technology (*formulated without aluminium salts or zinc phenosulfonate)
• Providing odour-neutralising care, this product contains a delicate blend of geranium, cedarwood and patchouli oil (selected for their deodorising properties), leaving your skin feeling clean, refreshed and comfortable
• To use: after cleansing, spray directly onto underarm area
• RRP $9.95 AUD for 150ml, but do shop around

I've been using this palette for two weeks now, so it's time I wound up this round of Project Dent and focused on something else.

Indeed, I already introduced my ABH Modern Renaissance palette yesterday because I'm keen to compare that formula to this one - so best I use them back-to-back and see how I go. Looking forward.

I love this palette and I'm so glad I own it. The shades are great and they all blend and apply well. Perhaps the only thing I don't love about it is that I always need a cool, mid-toned matte shadow to run through the crease and pull back the warmth of these colours, but I can live with that because I enjoy it so much.

If you're interested, I've reviewed this palette here.

And my Project Dent intro post for this palette is here if you'd like to see that.

Now for progress shots.

Here's how the left side of my palette looked two weeks ago:

Below I've enhanced the above two shots for clarity.

Two weeks ago:

Today:

Now for the right side of the palette, noting that the middle shade is repeated. 

Two weeks ago:

Below I've enhanced the above two shots for clarity.

Two weeks ago:

Today:

As you can see, I've made visible progress on all seven shades, which is pretty good because I hadn't used it before this round of Project Dent.

While I've probably used the paler, left-hand side of the palette the most, you can still see that I've stuck a brush into those last three shades and I'm happy that I've been able to make this palette look a little more loved over the denting period.

My most-used shades are probably the two paler mattes (so the pale and medium browns), although I do have some dips showing in the two paler shimmers as well.

Overall it's been a good round of Project Dent and I'm glad that I've managed to review this palette over the denting period - that's meant that I've now reviewed all five of my Marc Jacobs septets, which was one of my aims for this year.

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