little white truths

I've been meaning to review this cleanser for a while, but I got stuck doing other posts first.

Oh well. We're here today and I've been looking forward to reviewing this thing because I really like it. Indeed, I like it so much that it's made me want to try more from this brand - which you can happily find in the pharmacy and it's not an expensive line so that's even better.

Let's have a look.

Andalou claims/product details:

• Fruit stem cell complex, vitamin c and manuka honey, rich in enzymes and antioxidants, gently diffuse into a velvety lather of creamy emollients to sweep away impurities and dull, dry surface cells for uplifted tone, smooth texture and a luminous complexion
• Helps brighten your skin 
• Provides a deep clean
• Helps stimulate circulation for improved skin clarity, tone and texture
• Rich in vitamin c to help improve surface pigmentation, uneven tone and dark spots 
• Contains vitamin e from sunflower oil to hydrate and nourish the skin
• For normal/combination skin
• Made in the USA with a minimum of 70% certified organic ingredients
• Certified GMO free, certified cruelty free, certified gluten free
• FSC certified and recyclable packing used
• To use: apply twice daily to damp skin, gently massage and rinse clean
• RRP $19.95 AUD for 178ml, but do shop around

The product comes in a plastic bottle that's complete with a pump. I like it because it's easy to use and the pump dispenses a good amount of cleanser: not too much and not too little.

Note that there's a broad range of Andalou products available at Priceline and I would like to get my hands on some next year to see how I go with them. If I like them as much as I like this cleanser, then I might have struck budget skincare gold.

Verdict

This is a lovely cleanser and I'm really enjoying using it, so much so that I'll likely buy it again once it's finished - which I wouldn't often do because I like trying new things so I don't make many repeat purchases when it comes to facial skincare in particular.

It's a creamy gel product with an orange scent. There's something a little sticky about the texture but I don't mind that because it washes off well enough.

From the moment I first used it, I could tell that I really liked it - and that opinion hasn't changed over the few months I've been using it. Indeed, it's currently my favourite cleanser of the ones I have open and I've been testing quite a few cleansers over the past three months so that tells you something.

What I like about this is that it's gentle enough for everyday use but it's still effective so I can rely on it to clean my skin well. Yes this will remove makeup but I prefer to use it as my second cleanse so it can get in there and work on my skin: I would rather use plain old makeup remover to deal with my makeup.

What it does is brighten my skin while cleansing it and my face always looks more awake after use. It also feels softer, smoother and more balanced.

Note that I've tested the pH and it comes in at somewhere between a six and a seven. While I would prefer it to be a little lower, at least we can't call it alkaline and I definitely don't feel that it's drying out or stripping my skin.

On the claims: yes this washes away impurities and dull, dry surface cells; yes it helps brighten my complexion; yes it helps smooth texture; and no I don't think it's done anything for my age spots. Also note that this is designed for normal/combination skin, and although I have dry skin, this works for me too.

Overall I think this is an excellent cleanser and I really like it. Indeed, I've given it an HG tag because it's one of the best budget cleansers I've tried and I would absolutely grab this during one of Priceline's next big sales - you'll only be spending $10 on it, so it won't break the bank and it's absolutely worth trying.

Fantastic.

I've owned this highlighter for almost a year now, but I was going to declutter it so it's only been over the last month that I've finally started testing it.

What I realised during that time is that although I prefer powder highlighters for the face because I find those easier and faster to apply, I do like liquids for the body (larger/wider application area) and this is one of the nicest and most natural highlighters I've used on my body so I'll keep it.

CLE Cosmetics claims/product details:

• Infused with ingredients such as squalane and moisturising essence
• Adds luminous and iridescent radiance to the skin
• Moisturising and calming formula
• Long-lasting 
• Buildable glow
• Available in three shades: Apricot Tinge, Copper Rose and Glinting Buff
• RRP $30 USD for 12g

Direct sunlight:

Natural light:

Verdict

I think this is a nice product but it hasn't convinced 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. 

It's a liquid highlighter that comes in a standard cushion compact. As mentioned above, I only used the cushion once before opting to use my fingers because that's easier and it's also my preference, although you could certainly use a brush too.

The product spreads and applies well, and it does dry down so it will stay where you've put it, although I usually prefer setting it to help with longevity.

I also like how it looks on the skin: it has that wet look that's more transparent than opaque (and therefore more natural-looking) and it also doesn't emphasise texture on the face.

Worth noting is that while in natural light it looks as though it offers more of a sheen, when I step into sunlight or artificial light, I can see some very finely milled glitter in this - so it's not completely shimmer-free but it's incredibly hard to see whatever glitter is in there so I wouldn't worry about that if you have a preference for natural highlights.

In other news this does last well on the skin and I enjoy how it looks on the collarbones and shoulders: it's at one with the skin, and because it doesn't look dry, in some lights it looks as though that's my actual skin, rather than something I've added on top.

Overall I think this is a nice highlighter and I do recommend it, although it's an expensive product and you would want to love liquid/cushion highlighters in order to buy it.

Nice but not a keeper.