little white truths

It's the first day of February today but I do have another bunch of empties that I finished during January so I wanted to quickly get this post up today.

Indeed, I have a third bunch of empties that I haven't edited the photos for yet, but I'll hang on to that one for now because I have too many other posts to get done sooner rather than later. The empties can wait. 

In no particular order...

EmerginC Pomegranate Toner

Full review here. This is a good product and I recommend it. After about two weeks of using this, the break-outs along my chin cleared up - and while my HG Alpha-H Liquid Gold deals with break-outs faster, at least we can say that this eventually does too. 

What I love about this is that it feels like it's clearing the gunk from my face, and the makeup pad always comes away dirty when I use it. After use my skin is left looking brighter and feeling smoother, and I also think it clears the path for my skincare to absorb better, because it has a resurfacing effect so it's removing the dead skin. Repurchase? Yes.

Cure Natural Aqua Gel

This product works. I could tell that from the first time I used it. That is, it's actually removing dead skin from my face so it's my skin that's balling up and not the product itself - unlike similar products I've tried before this one, which didn't work. Full review here.

When I use this, it feels like the dead skin is lifting off my face, and my skin also feels very smooth, soft and refined after use. It's just a great product and I recommend it. It does what it says it will do: it removes dead skin very gently without the use of harsh chemicals or exfoliating grains, and it's a great one to try if you have sensitive skin. Plus you get a lot of product in the bottle and you can find it for less than $30 AUD if you shop around. Repurchase? Yes.

Korres Pomegranate Toning Lotion

Full review here. This product is ok but it's not great and I personally wouldn't recommend it. What I notice is that it doesn't feel like it's doing much when I use it. Indeed, it feels like plain old water on the skin and I need to apply a reasonable amount in order to get that last layer of grime from my face, which of course meant that I got through the bottle quickly.

It also doesn't cut through grime well and although some dirt comes off on the pad, it's not as effective as other toners I've used (including much cheaper ones) so I wouldn't go back to it. Plus my skin doesn't feel toned or refined after use, and while I agree that the product isn't drying, I don't think it's hydrating either. For me, it just feels like plain old water on the skin. Repurchase? No.

Olay Total Effects Foaming Cleanser

I don't recommend this cleanser and I'm not the first person to have said that it strips the skin (whether you're oily or dry), so I would steer clear of it and I ended up getting through it by using it as a body wash. Full review here.

It foams up very well and the foam it creates is quite lovely - soft, creamy and velvety - but despite how nice it feels on the face, my skin has that stripped, squeaky clean feel after I've used this and I can tell that it's not doing good things for my face. Plus it dries out my skin. Boo. Purchase? No.

Dr Lewinn's Private Formula Vitamin Infused Micellar Cleansing Wipes 25pk

I included these in one of my 'fun new things' posts in December last year, and I do need to update that post with mini reviews but I'm not quite there yet because I have a mascara to review before I do so.

As you may know, I'm not a huge fan of makeup wipes these days and I never buy them (these came in a Priceline GWP bag). What I found was that they weren't wet enough so I always had to wet them before I used them, and while they were ok at removing makeup, they weren't the best I've used and I don't like the feel of makeup wipes on my skin anyway. They feel like they're a bit harsh for me or something. Purchase? No.

Soap & Glory Hand Food, Hydrating Hand Cream

This is an excellent hand cream and it's probably the first Soap & Glory product I've tried that I would buy again. While it mightn't be my HG because I've used other hand creams I prefer, this is the cheapest so it blows the others out of the park. I've reviewed it here.

What I like about this is that it's hydrating enough to keep my dry hands comfortable (even in winter), but it's not so heavy that it weighs them down or leaves them feeling slippery - so I don't need to wipe my hands down before I keep using my computer. It's also worth mentioning that I have young kids (so I'm always washing my hands after changing nappies etc) and naturally dry skin, so if this hand cream is enough for me, then it should be enough for most people. Repurchase? Yes.

La Roche-Posay Toleraine Sensitive

Full review here. This is a lightweight moisturiser that's more like a lotion or a cream/gel hybrid in texture. It applies and spreads well so you don't need much each time, although whenever I apply this, I'm left with quite a tacky finish on my face and my skin still feels rather dry beneath the product, so I'm not sure that all of it is absorbing and delivering moisture where I need it most.

Still, it's been an ok product for summer when my skin isn't as dry as usual, and I like that it's very gentle and fragrance free, so it should suit those with sensitive skin who need something soothing and lightweight for all year round. Nevertheless it's one of the few La Roche-Posay products that I don't love so I wouldn't buy it. Purchase? No.

Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Serum

I love this stuff. It made my skin look so much better that other people even noticed the difference. That's saying something! I've reviewed it here.

It's a fluid serum that offers some pretty amazing results. Not only does it spread and absorb well, but it also has a brightening effect so it boosts radiance. On top of that, it plumps fine lines and wrinkles so it makes my skin look smoother, and it has an effect on how firm and toned my face feels as well. 

This is one of the few serums that I've given an HG tag. Must buy another one! Repurchase? Yes.

Soak Hair Revive Shampoo & Conditioner

These were hotel samples, although you can buy them online and I've also seen this brand show up in subscription boxes, so initially I'd planned to review them but I decided not to because I didn't use them enough to do so (they didn't work well enough for me to continue using them).

The shampoo wasn't great and I needed to do three washes with it in order to clean my hair, and when I used it on the kids, I had the same issue: it wasn't concentrated enough and I needed to use heaps each time.

As for the conditioner, this too wasn't concentrated enough so I needed to use a lot per application (both on my own hair and also on my kids' hair), and unfortunately it wasn't hydrating enough for my dry hair so I was left with knotty, dull locks after use. It didn't do much for my kids' hair either and I found their hair harder to brush while we were using these.

Not for me. Purchase? No.

In sum

That's all from me. I'm glad to have another empties post done and I'm looking forward to seeing how many items I can finish in February.

The best items in this lot were the Lancome serum, the EmerginC toner, the Cure exfoliant and the Soap & Glory hand cream. Everything else I can take or leave.

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