little white truths

Hello and welcome to my first empties post for February. While admittedly a lot of these empties are from January, I didn't have enough time for a third empties post last month so I decided to postpone this one a week while I got my act together.

Note that my aim for both February and March will be to try to get three empties posts happening per month, for the simple reason that I have makeup and skincare inventories due at the end of March so I'd like to streamline my collection as much as possible before then. You never know, I might just make it.

In no particular order...

Alpha-H Liquid Gold

Full review here. I love this product and I've been using it for years. What I love about it is that it resurfaces my skin beautifully, leaving my face looking brighter, fresher and healthier.

It also helps with clarity so it clears pores and means I get less blemishes, plus it leaves me with smoother, more youthful-looking skin. On top of that, one of these bottles normally lasts me a year so it's good value and it's been an HG of mine for years for a reason. Repurchase? Already have.

The Ordinary 100% Cold-Pressed Moroccan Argan Oil

This is a nice facial oil, although it's quite heavy so it mightn't suit those with oily skin - but for my dry skin, it's perfect to use when I'm drier than usual or when I've just done a chemical peel because it gives my skin some nourishment and also coats and protects it. I've reviewed it here.

It spreads well enough but it doesn't go on as thinly as other oils because it's thick, so I need to use more of it each time than I do with other oils and that's something to keep in mind. Still, it's a good, basic oil that works - it nourishes, hydrates and protects my skin - and it's reasonably priced so I feel that it's good value for what you get and I would absolutely buy it again. Repurchase? Yes.

Australis Banana Powder

Full review here. This is a good product and I can see why so many people love it, and I do recommend it because it works - it's just that brightened under-eyes don't look good on me personally. They look weird and makeup-y on me, and I'd prefer to do what I've always done: that is, rely on Hourglass' Dim Light for under-eye brightening. That looks more natural and suits my face better.

The product is a pale yellow powder with a smooth, creamy and finely milled texture. It applies and blends well, and it absolutely works, it's just that I don't think it suits my face. The brightened under-eye look isn't for me, but if it works for you, this is definitely a good product to try because it's cheap and it does the job. Repurchase? No.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Supercharged Eye Complex

While I think this is an ok eye cream, it hasn't done anything amazing for me so I wouldn't buy it - especially considering how expensive it is. I've reviewed it here.

It's a gel/cream hybrid that's quite light in texture but it has a silicone-y feel and slip to it so I'm not surprised that it doesn't absorb properly into my skin. Indeed, my eyes always feel a little dry after use and I'm aware that they're not as hydrated as I would like throughout the day. They also feel a bit dry to the touch after I've used this, and I can feel the silicone on my skin after use. Purchase? No. 

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Oil Free SPF 20 in Sand

Full review here. This is a great tinted moisturiser and I would absolutely buy it again in a better shade-match. It's everything I'd hoped the original Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser would be, and it has a light to medium coverage so it covers just enough to do the job but still looks very natural on the skin.

I love the slightly radiant finish I get from this, and it wears reasonably well throughout the day - around six hours before it starts to fade - which is what I'd expect for a tinted moisturiser, and it does wear better if you set it with a powder (most things do). It doesn't sit in pores and it performs reasonably well in the heat too. Repurchase? Yes, in a different shade.

Blessed by Nature Antioxidant Night Restoring Cream

I think this product is fine, but I reckon it's best suited to those with normal to oily skin and/or skin that's younger than mine is (I'm 38). For my dry skin, this doesn't quite hit the mark and I need something with more punch. I've reviewed it here.

What I've found is that it does hydrate my dry skin a little bit, but not enough to keep it feeling comfortable until morning. Indeed, even as a day cream my skin still has that slightly tight, dry feeling if I use this - so while I do think it hydrates, it doesn't do so enough for my dry skin. Still, it's ok and it's cheap, so if you have normal to oily skin, it's worth trying. Purchase? No.

Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Setting Spray

Full review here. I can see why this is a cult product and I reckon it deserves all the rave reviews it gets. While I don't have a huge problem with my makeup lasting because my skin is dry and tends to cling to product anyway, I was still surprised by how well this stopped things from fading and it's something I'd recommend if you're after a setting spray that really keeps things in place.

I've noticed that it works wonders on my blush and eyeshadow in particular, and since those are the first two things to go - on my face at least - I'll definitely consider buying this in future. While it does give my makeup a freshly applied, dewy finish, what it doesn't do is hydrate my dry skin super well so I need to use a different, more hydrating spray over this one to keep my skin feeling comfortable. Otherwise it's great. Purchase? Yes.

A'kin Natural Deodorant 

This is a great natural deodorant and it's the first one I've found that works beautifully for me. Over the last year or so, I started to realise that normal deodorants just weren't working for me anymore. They were leaving me with seriously itchy skin - to the point that I was often in discomfort overnight - and my skin also started flaking off under my arms, which it had never done before. Eek.

Thankfully this product works for me and I love it: it stops me from getting stinky under the arms and I only need to apply it once every 24 hours. Plus it doesn't irritate my skin and it's not super expensive, so it's a winner in my books. I've reviewed it here. Purchase? Already have.

 

NYX Butter Glosses in Fortune Cookie and Creme Brulee

I've been through quite a few of these glosses now and I absolutely love them so you'll probably be seeing them show up in my empties posts forevermore. I've reviewed Fortune Cookie here and Creme Brulee here.

What I love about these is that they hydrate my lips better than most other lip products I've tried, and they also have a plumping effect so they smooth out the look of texture on my lips. On top of that they wear pretty well for glosses and they come in a variety of shades (so there should be something for everyone), plus they're cheap to boot. Love. Repurchase? Already have.

In sum

That's all from me. It's been a pretty good round of empties and my favourite items in here are the NYX glosses, the Alpha-H treatment, the Urban Decay setting spray and the A'kin deodorant.

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

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