little white truths

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