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 :)

January Beauty Favourites

As the first month of 2015 bites the dust it is time to tell you about everything I loved in January.

I always make a trip to Lush after Christmas as they always reduce their limited edition Christmas products by 50%. This year I picked the Hot Toddy Shower Gel up and I love it! It has a cinnamon-y ginger scent that is really warm and quite strong. It lathers up nicely and leaves you feeling clean but not dry. I will definitely be buying the larger size of this shower gel next year, fingers crossed they release it again!

I have been wearing the Olay Complete UV Max Defence Lotion SPF 30 religiously, underneath my make up, for the past couple of months. A moisturiser with SPF is really important. It hasn't caused me to break out and it is a really decent moisturiser. Not the best but as it has the SPF that is fine with me. Also, it doesn't interfere with the wear of my makeup and doesn't leave any nasty residue. 

Marc Jacobs Dot has been my go to perfume of the month. I am useless at describing scents so I googled it and apparently it is floral and fruity. It isn't a super heavy or long lasting scent but nonetheless I love how this perfume smells. 

I have been using the Yes to Carrots Daily Cream Facial Cleanser for quite awhile now and I haven't had any pimples since beginning to use it. Not only has my skin been clear but it lathers up nicely and feels really gentle. It may not be the best for people with super dry skin though?

I hope you a fabulous February :)

Lips of the week #1

I always seem to have quite a few lip products in my handbag but at the moment the amount of lip products floating around in my handbag is growing by the day and getting kind of ridiculous. At the moment the count is sitting on 6!!! Yes you read that right, six different lip products...And I actually really like them all so I thought I would give you a peek at what I have been loving on my lips this week :)

Most of these lip products have been only recently discovered by me and I have really enjoyed exploring them and stepping out of my comfort zone.

Yes To Carrots Melon Lip Butter - My holy grail lip balm, Yes To Carrots Melon Lip Butter, has been a constant companion ever since I discovered it last year. This is my second tube and I'm still loving it. It keeps your lips moisturized (and doesn't dry them out after it wears off), lasts a long time and feels really lovely on the lips. I pretty much always wear this before applying lipstick and reapply throughout the day.

Nyx Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee - A milky pink gloss that smells delicious. Looks great alone for a natural pink lip. Not sticky and lasts well.

Revlon Peach Me Lipstick - I literally only started wearing this lipstick this week and I am already loving it and see it floating around the bottom of my handbag all summer. Despite loving the shade ( a nude with a twist of peach) I do find Revlon lipsticks a bit drying so lip balm is a must.

Covergirl lip perfection jumbo gloss balm in 235 - These jumbo gloss balms from Cover Girl are awesome. This colour is really pretty for summer and is a easy summer lip. I wore it earlier in the week when we had a half decent day of weather. For the last week of spring it's been cold, rainy, stormy and I've even had the heater on!

Revlon ColorBurst Gloss in Sunbaked - I dug this gloss out again this week since I hadn't worn it for awhile and remembered how much I love the formula of the colorburst glosses.

Maybelline lipstick in Warm Me Up - one of my all-time favourite lipsticks. It's a very "me" colour, the formula is great and feels very creamy and you can pretty much wear it in any situations which means it floats around the bottom of my handbag most of the time.

So those are the lip products I've worn this week :) I hope you are all having a great weekend. I'll be digging out my Christmas decorations and trying to get organised for Christmas.

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! 

May Favourites

Yep, I know I say this every month but WOW, I can't believe it is the end of May! It's scary how fast time is moving at the moment. I have exams in 20 days :( Anyway, I have been using quite a lot of different products this month. So, without further ado here are my favorites for May!

Some of these products have featured in my favorites post before but lets face, if they're here again they must deserve it...That being said, there is a new product in here too!

1. Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Foundation

I wear this foundation practically every day and I love it because it applies effortlessly, gives good coverage and it has good lasting power. 

2. Nivea Pure & Natural Hand Cream

This hand cream has to be one of the best I have ever tried and for $4.39 it has to be one of the best value hand creams out there. It sinks in quickly, moisturizes your hands for a long time (even after washing your hands) and doesn't leave any yucky residue behind. It is also free from parabens, colorants, silicones and mineral oils. I highly recommend this hand cream <3 

3. Rimmel London Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder

I recently decided to venture into the "powder" world and I'm absolutely enjoying using this product. It looks natural and applies easily which is great considering I've never used a powder product before so need all the help I can get with application! I feel like it makes my foundation stay on longer and keeps the shine away. 

4. Yes to Carrots, Melon Lip Butter

This is another organic product. It feels lovely and lightweight on the lips and lasts for quite awhile which is a must for me in the winter. 

Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a fantastic June.
Enjoy the weekend :)

Product vs. Product #1 - Lip balm sticks

Every thursday I am going to do a product vs. product post. A battle between two favourites and after reviewing them both extensively there will be winner.

For this post it is:

• Nivea Pure&Natural Lip care - Milk and Honey

                                       vs

• Yes to carrots - Melon Lip Butter

So essentially, for me, it is my old favourite (the nivea) versus a newie (the yes to carrot lip butter stick I just brought because I am trying to limit my exposure to chemicals and toxins). 

I have worn the Nivea lip care sticks for years and years and have re-purchased them frequently. So I guess you can say that I am true loyal customer :) I love them because they moisterise, they are clear, they have nice subtle scents that are not overpowering and they are cheap. I have reviewed them before so I'm not going to blabber on about them too much. 

My experience of wearing the Nivea:

• Applied quite a lot of product on my lips. Instantly felt protected and creamy. Product sits on top of the lips a little but also noticeable absorbs into the skin.
• There is no overpowering scent and it applies clear onto my lips. The lack of scent may be because the stick of product has been used for nearly a year and I use the product heaps so maybe I don't smell it anymore???
• After 55 minutes of wearing them (during which time I was working my computer and not eating/drinking) I could still feel the product on my lips and my lips felt smooth and moist. However most of the product had absorbed in. 
• After an hour I ate my lunch (buttered bread roll) and my lips no longer felt smooth and moist.

My experience of wearing Yes to Carots:

• Applied a moderate amount of product on my lips. 
• Has a very subtle shimmer to it.
• After a 2 hour long lecture my lip could still faintly feel the product on my lips.
• Unlike the Nivea this lip product does have a noticeable scent to it however after a while of wearing the product it does disappear so it shouldn't be an issue for most people. However as this is the first day I am wearing this product the scent may just be more noticeable to  me since it's a new stick of product and I haven't smelt it before.
• Packaging is very good. A sturdy plastic tube with a lid that clicks on tightly. 

Summary

• At the one hour mark the products are equal in their lasting power. However from my experiment yesterday where I wore both, I found that the Yes To lasts longer overall.
• The Nivea is more creamy and the Yes To is more of a jelly? I'm not sure if these are the right words but when I put the Yes To on it kind of reminds me vasoline? 
• Yes to was $5.99 at Priceline and The Nivea is $4.49 at Priceline so price-wise they are pretty much the same. However at Target they often have a 3 packet of nivea balms that is equal to buying 3 and getting one free. 
• Because Yes To is a new product for me I am unable to say if I would buy it again because even though I love it now maybe in a month I will have found a flaw. But, nonetheless, I am extremely happy with it and apart from the smell, I think it is equal, or perhaps, even better than the nivea! I may just have found myself a new favourite!