little white truths

Hello and welcome to my second empties post for the month.

I just cleared out one empties post this morning and I'd like to knock out a second one early in the month, with the hope that I can perhaps do four empties posts in August. We'll see.

Let's get straight into it.

Nivea Rich Firming Body Lotion

I've tried quite a few body creams from Nivea and so far I like all of them, and although this one isn't my favourite, I still recommend it.

It hydrates and nourishes my dry skin well, and a little also goes a long way so I don't burn through it as fast as I do other body creams. 

Yes it leaves a slight tacky film so it won't be for everyone, but for my dry skin, it did the job. Indeed, the only reason why I wouldn't repurchase it is because I've used better products from Nivea so it's not my number one. Repurchase? No.

Love Beauty and Planet Murmuru Butter & Rose Oil Aroma Body Wash

Full review here. I wanted to like this product and it's had some great reviews, but unfortunately it doesn't work for me because it dries out my skin.

The first thing I noticed about it was just how much it foams. While it's a rich and creamy kind of foam that feels nice in texture, I wasn't surprised to discover that it strips my dry skin and dries it out further - nor was I surprised to see sodium laureth sulphate (SLES) on the ingredients list (this ingredient can irritate skin), which would explain why it's foaming so much and also drying me out. Plus it contains artificial fragrance so that's worth considering if you have sensitive skin. Purchase? No.

Andalou Naturals Quenching Coconut Water Firming Toner

Full review here. I absolutely love this product and I can't wait to buy another one. Indeed, I knew I would be giving it HG status almost from the first use, and I'm missing it already.

I apply this to a cotton pad and it does a beautiful job of removing that last layer of gunk from my face - and it does so without feeling astringent but instead rather gentle - plus it hydrates my dry skin to boot. I also love the coconut scent and it works nicely over makeup, although I had to decant it into another bottle because the spray on this one isn't fine enough. Just a lovely product, and it's not expensive either (especially on sale). Repurchase? Yes.

L'Occitane Shea Cleansing Oil

Full review here. This is a lovely cleansing oil and I'm enjoying it. As with all oils and balms, it's the first thing I whack on my face when I get out of bed, then I leave it there for twenty minutes or so while I get the kids organised before going back in and adding water etc later on.

I love it for the morning spot because it feels hydrating on my dry skin so it acts like a kind of mask. I also use it in the evening to remove makeup, and it works very well for that purpose and even shifts my eye makeup reasonably well.

Overall I think this is a great cleansing oil and I recommend it. While it's not my favourite of all time, it's still very good and it's not too expensive for the amount of product you get so I think it's worth trying. Lovely. Repurchase? Yes.

AmorePacific Time Response Skin Reserve Cream 

This is apparently infused with AmorePacific's patented green tea blend, and it's described as a rich face cream that locks in moisture to help prevent future signs of ageing. It should instantly improve skin's elasticity, tone and hydration levels, and it should firm and smooth the complexion for a more even, radiant tone. However the full-size costs $659 so it's not something I would buy.

While I did find it to be nicely rich (so it felt nice on my dry skin), I also felt that it wasn't absorbing properly and delivering nourishment or hydration where I need it most. This means it was better as a 'seal in' product for me (eg to use overnight, on top of more hydrating products) but it's far too expensive to just use for that. Purchase? No.

Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel

Cleanse, exfoliate and tone all in one with the cult-favourite power of Alpha Beta. This powerful yet gentle cleanser removes all traces of dirt, oil and impurities without stripping the skin. Alpha and beta hydroxy acids work to smooth and detox the skin, leaving it ultra-fresh and silky soft, while willowbark, farnesol and barosma betullina leaf extract gently wash away impurities and remove bacteria, keeping pores clean. Snow ear mushroom maintains skin’s delicate moisture barrier, ensuring optimum skin health.

I really, really enjoyed this product and I'm considering buying it. Not only did it cleanse well, but it also had a gentle resurfacing and brightening effect, so it's a good alternative to manual exfoliants because it does the same thing without being scratchy or potentially irritating. Honestly, this has gone straight onto the wishlist and I can't wait to buy it. Purchase? Yes.

Ethique Green & Navy In-Shower Containers

While these aren't really products you 'finish', I've had mine for a couple of months now and since I don't plan to review them separately, I wanted to make a brief comment on them in an empties post.

As you may know I've been slowly testing Ethique products this year, so these containers were a good idea because everything comes in bar/soap form and I was having storage issues.

While these are good for soap storage (they're containers with lids, and the bases have slats in them so the soaps can drain and air-dry), I've found that two of the soaps I've bought don't fit into them (they're too long) - and they should, because they're both from the same brand. Also, I managed to drop the lid of the green one and it chipped, and although I can still use it, that's annoying so I wanted to mention that I'm not sure how durable they are. Repurchase? Maybe.

To start with I was using this twice-daily by itself as my only eye product, but I found that within three days, my eye area had dried out and become more wrinkly. My skin also felt more uncomfortable and I looked older (especially when I tried applying eyeshadow), so I had to introduce an eye cream over the top to manage that issue. After that I moved it to the overnight spot to use to 'seal in' my other products, although it didn't really do that so honestly I was just using it to finish it. Repurchase? No.

Really, I could make the same comments for this product as I did with the serum. That is, to start with I was using it twice-daily by itself as my only eye product, but I found that within three days, my eye area had dried out and become more wrinkly. My skin also felt more uncomfortable and I looked older (especially when I tried applying eyeshadow), so I had to introduce an eye cream over the top to manage that issue.

Again, I eventually sent this cream to the overnight spot just to get through it, but it didn't add anything to my routine. Repurchase? No.

In sum

That's all from me. I'm glad I've managed to knock out another empties post early in the month, and I'm looking forward to having another two done by month's end.

The best items in this lot were the L'Occitane cleansing oil, the Andalou toner and the Dr Dennis Gross cleanser. Everything else I can take or leave.

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