little white truths

It's coming to the end of the month again, which means it's time for empties and favourites posts, plus an update for Project Pan.

I've decided to roll with the empties post first, and if I'm lucky I might get a second post in today because we're dropping my daughter off for her second-ever half-day of childcare this morning. Woot woot! My little girl all grown up...

Well. She's one on Tuesday. But you know what I mean ; )

I've reviewed this here. It's one of the few Memebox products I received that I loved, so I'm sad to see the back of it but also glad because it's been open for ages and it was time to try something new.

It's one of the best clay masks I've used. The texture is wonderful and the after-effect noticeable: my skin looked brighter and more plumped after use, and felt smoother too. Purchase? Yes, but I'd like to try other things first.

Villainess Ginger Snapped Whipped! Body Cream

I didn't mind this but I was expecting to love it, given my love of the other Villainess products I've tried. I've reviewed it here.

It wasn't as rich as I was expecting it to be, and while I loved the scent, I would only use it at night because I didn't want to smell like ginger snapped biscuits during the day. I also finished it so quickly because I needed to use heaps per application (it just wasn't hydrating enough for my dry skin), so it wasn't worth the outlay for me. Repurchase? No.

I've reviewed this here. This was another Memebox product, and while I'm always up for a decent facial sunscreen with high sun protection, this was one of those products that left a 'ghosting' effect on my face so I couldn't wear it over makeup during the day.

It did do the job well however and it was a good base for makeup, and while it didn't absorb well on its own, it did if I really worked it into the skin. It also didn't break me out, which is a plus when it comes to facial sunscreens. Purchase? No.

Natures Organics Australian Pure Sensitive Eye Makeup Remover

This was a terrible product that didn't remove makeup well at all. Full review here. I bought it half price from the supermarket for the grand total of $2.50, but it didn't end up being a bargain because it didn't work for me and it took ages to get through the damn thing. It's called an eye makeup remover and it doesn't remove eye makeup. 'Nuff said. Repurchase? No.

Coastal Scents Revealed Palette Sampler

I've reviewed this here. It's obviously not quite finished, but I'd almost finished the matte brown and silvery shimmer shades and the whole thing was starting to look a little crusty, so I felt it was time to move on to something else. 

It's been a great product to cart around in my handbag because it's so tiny and I could get a decent eye-look from it. That matte brown also made a reasonable contour shade, so I got a lot of use from the palette as a whole. The quality was reasonable and if these shades are a good representation of the full-sized Revealed Palette, then it's one I'd recommend testing because they're good shadows for the price. Purchase? Maybe. I have too much eyeshadow as it is though.

Urban Skincare Co Infuse Body Balm

You've probably seen a couple of empties of this product before, and there'll be more in future because we scored a few of them when we stayed in a hotel last year. Full review here.

It smells good - rich and gingery - and is super hydrating and nourishing without leaving a greasy residue. It also absorbs and spreads well, so a little goes a long way and this 35ml sample didn't vanish in a few uses, as some body creams tend to do. It's definitely one I would use again. Purchase? Yes.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse

This is an HG product of mine and I absolutely love everything about it - the smell, the texture and how it makes my skin feel. I've reviewed it here.

It's a dry oil that's multipurpose so you can use it on your face, body, hands and hair. Who doesn't love a product that you can chuck in a bag at short notice and know you're covered? A little goes a long way with this, although my skin does drink it up when it's dry (as it is now in all this heat) so I went through this little travel-sized version all too quickly. Repurchase? Yes.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold with Glycolic Acid

This product showed up in my 2015 favourites and if you read this blog, you're probably sick of hearing me go on about it! Full review here.

It's one of the few products that makes a real difference to my skin and I always notice when I stop and start using it. With this product my skin is clearer, brighter and healthier. Repurchase? Already have.

Aspar Sweet Orange Lip Balm

I haven't reviewed this because it was a sample and I didn't end up using it much on my lips, so I didn't feel I'd used it enough to give it a full review. Once I tested it and didn't love it on my lips (it was quite slippery and I have better balms on hand), it got sent to the foot balm section because it's not coloured and it left my tootsies super hydrated. Purchase? No.

Paula's Choice Resist Vitamin C Spot Treatment

Full review here. This sample came from Marie Claire's The Parcel, and I had high hopes for it because Paula's Choice is known for its skincare. Unfortunately this really stung my skin in certain parts, so I couldn't use it in all the spots I wanted to. The benefit of this was that the sample lasted for ages, so I was able to review it because I could note its results over time. I saw none. Foo! Purchase? No.

In sum

Huzzah to finishing more products! The best items in this bunch are the Alpha-H, Nuxe, Secret Nature and Urban Skincare products. I would buy all of those, if I ever get through the stuff I already have ; )

What have you finished this month? I'd love to hear : )

Even though I vowed never to buy another brand of facial wipe after discovering my HG Essenzza Fuss Free Naturals (reviewed here), when I saw these at half price in the supermarket last month I thought I may as well give them a go: who can resist a good bargain?!

Plus I'd heard great things about Garnier's Micellar Water, so I thought these wipes might be good too. Happily they are quite good and I recommend them, although I would still choose my Essenzzas over these any day.

• Extra gentle wipes that contain thin silk fibres in a thick, soft wipe
• Soaked with micellar water and specially formulated for makeup removal on sensitive skin
• Like a magnet, the cleansing agents capture impurities and lift away dirt from the skin
• No need to rub to efficiently remove makeup
• In a single step, your makeup is removed and your skin feels refreshed and soothed
• To use: gently cleanse your face with a single wipe, including your eyelids and neck, in the morning and evening; no need to rinse; re-seal the adhesive panel to help prevent the wipes from drying out
• RRP $6.99 for 25 wipes, but do shop around

Verdict

These wipes are good and I recommend them. They're not fantastic, but they're better than many other wipes I've used.

The first thing I noticed about them was that the texture of each wipe is different from any other wipe I've tried: these are quite thick, soft and silky, and they feel great against the skin. They don't have that awesome textured side as the Essenzza versions do (so they don't exfoliate and cleanse as well), but they stand out for their texture and I enjoy using them for that reason alone.

They have a faint, fresh scent that shouldn't offend anyone, and there's plenty of moisture in each wipe so they earn points on that front. Having said this, I often wet my wipe with water once I've used both sides, just to get the most out of it and avoid taking out a second one.

When it comes to actually cleansing the face of makeup, that's where these wipes fall down for me. They do a good job of 'easy' makeup like tinted moisturiser and powders (although you may need more than one wipe to get your skin really clean), but they don't remove all my eyeliner and mascara - waterproof or otherwise. Few wipes do, in my experience, so they don't lose a huge amount of points for that but it's worth mentioning.

On the product claims: yes these are gentle and they don't irritate my sensitive skin; yes they do contain a good amount of moisture and have a silky texture; yes they do remove most makeup and grime but you may need more than one wipe to get the job done properly, and they don't remove stubborn eye makeup.

All in all, these wipes are good and I recommend them. I prefer my Essenzzas so I wouldn't buy them again, but I'm glad I've given them a go.