2016 Skincare Favourites

Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face Superscreen SPF50

I adore Mecca Cosmetica's To Save Face Superscreens. They come in both SPF50+ and SPF30+. For some reason there is a difference in how they feel and their formulas. I typically stray towards the SPF50 because it offers a higher level of protection. It doesn't have that yucky sunscreen scent, it absorbs into the skin super quickly and makes applying make-up easier, it sort of acts like a primer too. Bonus! You can read my full review by clicking here. Compared to the SPF50 version the SPF30 version feels more creamy.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

Last February I visited Las Vegas and I had to pay a visit to Sephora. Which is where I purchased two sugar lip treatments from Fresh. AND OH MY GOD it is seriously the only lip balm I have worn all year. In 2015 I would easily have tried out at least a dozen lip balms. This though is my holy grail of lip balms. Unlike other lip balms it doesn't dry out lips out in the long-term. It has a luxurious plump feeling on the lips, lasts forever on the lips and has a delicious scent. The tinted version is also really nice.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturiser

When it comes moisturiser, my list of requirements is rather long:
- Leaves  no yucky residue behind.
- Doesn't interfere with how my make-up applies.
- Doesn't interfere with how my make-up lasts.
- Doesn't make me feel oily at the end of the day.
- Absorbs into my skin instantly.
- Leaves my skin feeling moisturised but not overly moisturised (does that make any sense?)

I find that the Ultra Facial Moisturiser from Kiehl's satisfies everything I look for in a moisturiser. I'm on my second tub of it and I'll probably re-purchase a third. It's a great basic moisturiser.

Clinique Clarifying Lotion

I overhauled my skincare routine in 2016 and for the first time in a long time I have been using more than just a cleaner and moisturiser. I introduced the Clarifying Lotion from Clinique into my routine and noticed a definite improvement in my skin. Some people say bad things about Clinique and that this is a drying product. I'm not sure where I sit on all that but overall I really think it has improved my skin.

Clique Liquid Facial Soap

Continuing on with the Clinique theme...I splurged on this cleanser and really enjoy it. It doesn't dry your skin out but it still gives that clean feeling. Used in combination with the Clinqiue Clarifying Lotion and the Ultra Facial Moisturiser, I noticed a drastic reduction in pimples and break outs! Yippee.

Summer Skincare Routine 2015

I think I have perfected my summer skincare routine. My skin was like a temperamental toddler in the beginning of summer, it probably also didn't help that we have had an unusually wacky summer. January was abnormally cold, usually it is abnormally hot...But finally I have a handful of products that I would like to praise. Thanks goes to the following products for keeping my skin well behaved and pimple free for the past couple of months:

Olay Complete Defence Daily UV Moisturising Lotion SPF 30+

If I am going to take a step out the front door I wear this moisturiser underneath my make-up. With SPF 30 it is great for the Australian summer. It sinks in nicely, doesn't leave any residue and doesn't interfere with my make-up. It is very lightweight and feels moisturising however I do feel like I need another moisturiser in my arsenal because this sometimes doesn't hydrate my dry skin enough. I definitely love this product though and will definitely repurchase it.

 Garnier Moisture Match Start Afresh Light Softening Cream 

This is the latest addition to my skincare routine and the product that I feel has really completed it. Before using this moisturiser my skin was misbehaving. Despite usually having oily / combination skin I felt like my skin was dry. It was tired and generally just not feeling or looking great. After using this moisturiser daily for 2-3 weeks my skin feels more hydrated. It sinks in quickly and I don't think it has been leaving any residue on my skin or interfering with my make-up, but it has been quite hot so it is difficult to tell when it feels like your make-up is literally going to melt off from the heat! So far I have been super impressed with this moisturiser and for a mere $10 it is definitely worth giving it a try. There is a number of different moisturisers in this range, depending on what your skin concern is, so there should be something for everybody. I'll post a full review of this product once I have worn it for a little longer.

Yes to Carrots Daily Cream Facial Cleanser

If you have been reading my blog for awhile you will already know this...but I LOVE the 'Yes to' skincare range. I have tried several of their cleansers and the latest one is the 'daily cream facial cleanser'. This is a gentle cream cleanser that has been working great for me lately. I sound like a broken record, but again, I haven't had any breakouts while using this product and it has done a great job at controlling my skin. If you have very dry skin I'm not sure if this will be the best cleanser in the world for you but otherwise it's pretty good! 

Nivea Pure & Natural Olive and Lemon Lip Balm

This lip balm was launched ages ago in America and in the past month itfinally arrived on our shores here in Australia. I was super excited when I saw it and brought it immediately. I have had dry, chapped and generally flaky lips for ages. However since using this balm I have felt like my lips have been a lot smoother, less dry and less flaky. Yay! Is it only me or do you feel like a lot of lip balms either do nothing or dry your lips out? The scent of this lip balm is quite unusual and it doesn't disappear immediately after application which is good. I've been a long time fan of Nivea and I actually think this is my favourite Nivea lip balm. 

So these are the skincare products I have been loving lately. What products have you been loving this summer? 

Thanks for reading, 

cheers :)

Natural Instinct Cream Cleanser Review

I'm reviewing the Natural Instinct Cream Cleanser today. This product was kindly sent to me for review but, as always, this review is 100% honest. If I don't like a product I don't bother  using it. However, I have been really enjoying using the Natural Instinct Cream Cleanser and have been using it for over month now.

 It is a very gentle cleanser that feels really creamy and lathers up nicely. It has a very subtle scent - a little bit 'earthy' - which I can only smell if I have the product on my hand and I directly sniff my hand. As we are in the middle of winter my skin can feel quite dry but this cleanser hasn't dried out my skin at all, my face feels clean but not tight after using it. I haven't experienced any breaking out whilst using this product and my skin has been in great condition. 

There is nothing I can complain about in regards to the packaging. It is very sensible - a squeeze tube with a hinged lid. I absolutely hate products that have lids that unscrew because I always end up dropping them, so I love that this has a lid with a hinge. The simple things in life, hey?

I really value products that are free from nasty chemicals and always read the ingredient lists of products before purchasing. Natural Instinct is amazing chemical-wise as their products are free from sulphates, petrochemicals, parabens, PEGs, artificial fragrances, artificial colours, preservatives, animal derivatives, PABA, DTA, mineral oils AND over 400 ingredients that are potentially harmful to us and our environment.

Natural Instinct's Cream Cleanser is a lovely gentle cleanser that easily cleans your face without drying it out, is free from a very long list of nasty chemicals and is a bargain at  $10.29 for a 125ml tube. But at the moment Priceline has 25% off so this comes down to $7.71. I'm definitely going to be buying myself another tube of this next time I'm at the shops!!!

Thanks for reading and have a great day :)

Wednesday Inspiration: Natural Cleansers

Hi guys, I just wanted to fill you in on one of a couple of things that are / will be happening around the blog in the upcoming weeks. This blog is one of my "hobbies" and therefore I am always wanting to make it better. So I thought I would introduce a couple of new things.

 One of those "new things" will be a new collection of posts, posted on a Wednesday, ergo the name "Wednesday Inspiration".To make the week go a little quicker and to help us get to the weekend quicker every "hump" day I will post an "inspiratio" post. A little bit of a daydream can be inspiring and learning about new products on the shelves, hearing about great bargains and looking at beautifully swatched products will hopefully make Wednesdays more pleasant.

So I'm going to kick off the first ever "Wednesday Inspiration" with a bunch of natural cleansers. For over six years I have been using the same cleanser and I think it would be safe to say it is my "holy grail" cleanser but it contains parabens :( Why is there always a but? So I have made the decision that once the bottle is all used up I will stop re-purchasing it (which will be any week now). In preparation I have been researching cleansers.

Here is a collection of different cleansers that have friendly ingredient's lists.

From the far left (top): Korres White Tea Cleanser / Neutrogena Naturals Facial Wash / Yes To Carrots Nourishing Daily Cream Facial Cleanser / Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream / Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash.
Bottom Row: Sukin Cream Cleanser  St Ives Green Tea Scrub

I made that collage thing thanks to polyvore.com. I had never used Polyvore before but found it really fun and easy.

I love hearing from you guys so please feel free to leave a comment below. If you have used any of these cleansers please let me know what you thought. At the moment I'm thinking about trying out the Sukin Cream Cleanser and maybe the Korres or Origins.

Thanks for reading,
cheers

YES TO Carrots Nourishing Exfoliating Cleanser Review

There are a lot of skincare products that people absolutely rave about and then there are products that seem to be forgotten or ignored. I think this is one of those less talked about products and I've here to change that! I have been using the Yes To Carrots Nourishing Exfoliating Cleanser for a couple of months now and have really enjoyed using it. It's a good combination between a gentle cleanser and an exfoliating cleanser. Some exfoliating cleansers feel like you are rubbing sandpaper across your face - not this one!

The packaging of this cleanser is a practical squeezy tube with a flip-top lid. I like flip-top lids because you don't lose them or drop them in the shower. It has a creamy, lightweight cleanser that contains a small amount of ground bamboo that provides a gentle exfoliating sensation - it's not very dense though so still feel very gentle. It helps to control my dry patches during the winter months and doesn't break me out. At the same time it doesn't leave my skin feeling dry and  The product is paraben free, petroleum free, SLS free and contains 95% organic products. It retails for $14.95 at Priceline.

Who will love this cleanser?

• Somebody who wants a very gentle exfoliater. 
• Wants a cleanser that is paraben free, petroleum free and SLS free. 
• Wants a cruelty free product. 

Who might not love this cleanser?

• You might be disappointed if you like a very dense exfoliating cleanser that is quite rough. 

Overall I give this cleanser a 7.5/10. It's a basic cleanser that gets the job done and despite having exfoliating properties it doesn't feel like sandpaper. It's 95% natural and doesn't contain some of the nasty chemicals found in many other cleansers.

Thanks for reading and have a great night! 

Empties - October

I have 45 followers!!!! I was super excited when I logged on today and saw that I had some new followers. I love blogging but what makes it really special is having such great followers. So thank you :)

The frequent blog reader that  I am, I often come across "empties" posts which I always find interesting because the best way to tell if a product is good or not is
a) does a blogger use it all?
b) do they re-purchase it?
So I have just emptied two of my absolute favourite products and thought I would share.

First up, we have the Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel, I think I have been using this for around 6 or more years and have re-purchased it every time my bottle goes empty without even thinking about changing product. I started using this when my face was the typical teenager face - pimples, oily and breakouts all the time and now (thank god I'm not a teenager anymore) my face is less oily and I rarely have break outs. It is a gel cleanser meaning it's not foaming or frothy and leaves your face feeling super clean but not tight and dry like other cleansers do. It can be used twice a day and removes dirt, make-up and oil from your face as well preventing blackheads and pimples.

The second empty is Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve which is the best hand cream I have ever had and definitely want to repurchase it. For the 75ml tube it costs $22.00 and for 150ml it costs $34.00. Unlike most hand creams this hand cream really does moisturise super-dry skin and acts as a "glove" so that your hands are protected from dryness all day. I use this a couple of times a week (or daily if my skin is really dry) even when my skin isn't dry because it keeps my hands feeling great and is also great for my cuticles.  

Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for reading!