Review: Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Night Treatment

Hello all, in a recent effort to combat getting less sleep I was on the look out for something to give my skin a bit of a boost and was originally eying the Vitamin E serum at the body shop but after a bit of discussion about my skin type with the sales assistant I decided to pick up the seaweed clarifying night treatment instead which is designed for combination/oily skin. I was quite excited about trying it as it smells and feels brilliant.

The product is a very lightweight liquid gel and you only need a small amount to cover your entire face and neck, once applied  you can either rub it in or pat it down (which I found works better). It has a slight cooling effect and you face feels very clean and fresh after application.

It comes in a clear pump which lets you easily control hoe much you use and also the clear strip on the side easily lets you know how much you have left, i'm honestly surprised how much I have gone through so quickly despite using a very small amount. It smells slightly salty, but mostly fresh and a bit like cucumber.

I enjoy applying this product as it makes my face feel so fresh and calm but as for results I have seen no difference, the product is supposed to help mattify your skin and control oil production which as far as I can tell it doesn't do. My face would still get quite shiny after a few hours of makeup, no more or less then before I started using it and it really had no other effects that would make me want to repurchase it. I'm quite disappointed as I really was expecting more from this product. Once I finish it up I think I will try Enzymion from Lush as it seems quite promising in the oil control department.

Any recommendations? What's your favorite night treatment/moisturizer?

Review: Illamasqua Hydra Veil

Illamasqua Hydra Veil was a product that i have kept my eye on since pictures first appeared when Illamasqua released their Paranormal collection, it was something that was immediately intriguing; it wasn't makeup, it was jelly, it was weird, and it sounded pretty amazing.

Illamasqua describes the product as "Create a radiant finish with Hydra Veil's instantly rehydrating, gel formula. Providing the optimal base for your make-up, apply before foundation with an Illamasqua Brush."

It's $40 in Australia, and honestly that is way more then i would usually spend on a product like this, and the price was terribly of putting for me, until i actually got to try it when i had my makeup done at their counter (see previous post) and it sort of just captured my heart.

 

As the pictures show it's got a very thick jelly like consistency and is made to replace your moisturiser and/or primer. You use it instead of whatever you would usually put on before makeup and it's good for all skin types according to the literature. i have oily/combination skin and it works awesome for me and i imagine it would do even more amazing things for a dry skinned girl.

It works kind of like you see here, you take a tiny amount, the size you see on the little spoon (with that usage it should last around 9 months, which is why i was okay with $40) and rub it into your face and it feels like dipping your face it a pool of water, it is indeed that refreshing.  It settles into all the creases on your face and re hydrates everything, as you can see it very quickly takes shape again no matter how much you mess it up. Which is how it acts on the skin too.

So here is why i like it so much and will have trouble going back to a regular primer:

x will last a very long time because you use only the tiniest amount

x feels incredibly hydrating

x doesn't have any strong scent but it does smell "nice" on your skin

x because the yellow lid seals the product it's great for travel

x stops creasing and caking

x can be used as a eye primer

x since it's a gel it will not spill

For best use i recommend using this on bare skin, not on top of moisturizer o a primer just skin to skin and make sure you use it with a water based foundation as this product is mostly water anyway and might not get along too well with a silicon or wax based foundation.

Review: MooGoo Full Cream Moisturiser

Over the past few weeks I've absolutely fallen in love with this product after seeing it at Terry White Chemist and then doing some on line research and seeing how people enjoyed it and how gentle it was. Since suffering from Acne in my teenage years and being quite rough in trying to deal with it I have since learned to focus my efforts on "slower" but much more gentle products. My main step to keeping my skin clear and and smooth is my HG cleanser that i have reviewed before and cannot recommend highly enough is Lush's Fresh Farmacy. Since then i have tried various moisturizers and since FF worked so nicely for me i have kept my search in the realm of natural and "healthy" moisturizers. 

For a long time i used a variety of moisturizers from Nivea and then Sukin but non of them really wowed me, they were fine and worked reasonably well, they didn't cause break outs or anything. I didn't repurchase them because i found the Nivea was quite liquid and didn't absorb quickly while the Sukin worked well but i hated the smell of it. 

I love that all MooGoo (website here)  products are completely transparent and do not use any excessive or "filler" ingredients, if you go to their website and look up any product there is a full description of each ingredient and why it is included in the product.

The reason i love this so much is because it's incredibly soft but not too liquid, it's a slightly thicker cream that begins to approach a almost mousse like consistency, it's quite like and reminds me of  whipped products. Despite being to slight and fluffy it is absorbs very fast with no greasy side effects. Doesn't even need blotting. I use this in the morning as a base for my makeup and in the evening before i go to bed.

It has a faint sort of  warm milk and honey scent that i like, however my boyfriend thinks it smells slightly like play-doh so if your sensitive to scents see if you can smell it first. It makes my skin very soft and supple, it absorbs fast and it doesn't leave any residue. What's more is because it was designed for sensitive skin it does a wonderful job and calming down any redness on your skin, and a small amount goes a long way. 

It can be used anywhere, not just your face and as both myself and my boyfriend discovered it does a wonderful job on calming down razor rash on (his) face or (my) legs and got rid of any pain in the area and as i mentioned earlier reduced the redness.

Another fantastic use is to put a tiny amount on the skin near your brows after plucking/waxing/threading as it does a fantastic effort in calming everything down and stopping in grown hair, i have even used a small amount on my cuticles when they sometimes get a bit angry and painful and it cleared it right up as well as making them nicely hydrated and healthy looking. I've found my HG moisturizer and recommend giving this awesome moisturizer a go! 

What's your favorite moisturizer?

May-hem Haul

So shortly after i posted my wish list earlier this month i decided to try pick up one of the items that was on there, this was before my boyfriend surprised me with my oh-so-loved MAC Star Violet. Initially i was only going to pick up one item but because I'm a terrible human being with no self control i picked up another; as the photo above shows i got the Revlon Photready Cream Blush in Pinched and i ordered Illamasqua's Cream Blush in Rude. Can't help it, cream blushers have been on my mind lately and i thought a comparison of them might make an interesting post. So below is the list of stuff i got;

1. Garnier Oil Free BB Cream (previously reviewed) on sale at Priceline for $6.99. At such an amazing price I couldn't let this pass me up. This is my go to foundation/bb cream and although i keep trying others i know this is where my heart is. I'm not sure if i would quite say HG product but very much in the ballpark.

2. Limited Edition LYNX deodorant for women in Anarchy. I actually really like this, i hope they decide to keep it or bring out some more ladies products because i would totally switch to using this. It smells nice, maybe a tiny bit flower-y? I think this was around $5 at Priceline

3. Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in Pinched. (review coming soon) Such a nice peachy color, it's not super strong but i didn't want it to be. Build-able and super soft. Also makes a great base for powder blush. I was originally wanting to get the coral but somehow i had missed that this color even existed. $13 at Chemist Warehouse.

4. Clairol Foaming Hair Dye in #2 Black. I like the foam hair dyes, i always make a mess but i kind of miss my pink hair every time i do it. Worked really well and i will totally repurchase this as it was really easy to use and didn't take longer then 25 minutes. $7 at Chemist Warehouse

5. Dove facial cleanser in Citrus. My first time trying this, the consistency is very slippery and similar to other Dove cleansers but this one smells very nice, a fresh and not overwhelming citrus scent. It foams like crazy though, it's actually a bit insane how much this foams.

6. Face of Australia Budge Proof. I reviewed this the other day, the purple is a really nice shade and had the same awesome formula as the black, the color is slightly less pigmented but it makes a nice change from black.

(This pircture is the wrong color, i stole it from the Myer website)

7. I caved and bought the Illamasqua Cream Blush in Rude, it hasn't arrived yet but i couldn't it as part of the haul as it was all purchased on the same day. Hopefully it will arrive soon (coming from Sydney). I can't wait for it to arrive! $28 at Myer online

8. I got am email that same day from Strawberry Net with massive sales and wanted to try this, it's the Korres lightweight ginger and vitamin foundation in LF2. Seems quite nice and i like korres, plus i was willing to go on a limb for $12.95 but stopped myself getting anything else. This also has not arrived yet and the picture is cutesy of korres.com. Let you know how it goes.

So that's my May haul, it was nice to blow of a little steam and get a pile of stuff. i'm usually way to poor for hauls, but it IS a lot of fun. Hope you are all having a great day.

Review: Essence 24h Hand Protection Balm (Winter Edition)

So I'm back :) Happily, though it took longer to sort out Internet then i liked as it turns out new apartment can't get cable Internet so it's mobile Internet for now. My video games don't care for that as much and I'm still trying to figure out how to get a wireless signal on my iPad and such but all in good time.

Today i;m looking at the Essence Winter drinks edition hand "protection balm" or as the rest of the world calls it a "hand cream". There are 3 of these; Apple Cinnamon Punch, Caramel Hot Chocolate and Gingerbread Chai Latte and they are all quite decent and at a price point of $1.95 it's hard not to be okay with it. Each one is 75ml so a decent amount.

I actually bought all three but decided to give one away to mum, but i might go pick it up as it really did smell quite delicious. My favorite by far is the Apple Cinnamon as it smells like an Apple pie to me and the smell isn't overly strong so it's not like i can smell it all the time, but it stays around for a few hours so i do get a nice wiff of it whenever my hands go near my face.

The Caramel Hot Chocolate is one which takes a little while to get going,  when i first put it on it really doesn't smell like anything but really warms up over a few minutes and does smell quite nice, very warm and comforting which is nice with all the rain the past few days.

The Gingerbread Chai Latte is wonderful too but i suspect it's not everyones cup of tea as the gingerbread is quite strong but so is the Chai, so it might be a bit too strong on your nose. I really like these though and i'm very happy Essence brought a little of their skin care to our shores.

As for how they work? Well i have never been huge on hand creams the only one i ever used before was a generic store brand one and only because it was scented like creme brule, but the two top ingredients are water, coconut oil and shea butter so it certainly does a fine job of keeping your hands soft and hydrated but i can't really say about the 24h protection.

I mean, i suppose it's stressful as i put it on 24 hours ago and i still have hands so in that respect i guess it works, but i suspect that's not what they really meant. They smell gorgeous and they make your skin soft, and if you hate it, well it didn't even cost you $2 so just toss it or give it to a friend.

Nice to be back and looking forward to more posts as soon as i figure out how to take better photos here ;)


P.s. If you want to stay updated on what's going on then check out my facebook page, if my internet is funky i can always post there to update things since it's free to acess on my phone.

Review: Nivea Pure & Natural Regenerating Night Cream

Hey all, hope you had a good easter break. Today coming to you from the new (to Australia) pure and natural range from Nivea is their regenerating night cream. Now I've never used a night cream so i don't have a huge range of judgment here; at this point I'm not sure what does or does not constitute a "good" or "bad" night creme. Instead i will just tell you about my experience with it and let you decide if you want to try it or not.

So for me, and my unexperienced skin i wanted a night creme that was preferably eco friendly, if something is going to be sitting on my face all night i don't want to risk irritation or discomfort, secondly i wanted it to be relatively fast absorbing; i don't want creme all over my bed covers/boyfriend, and lastly i wanted my face to feel "better" when i woke up after using it.

So this product did satisfy all those conditions and so i quite like it, it's super soft and smells very inoffensive, it's mostly the familiar nivea scent just way toned down/ I never even notice it after it's on. I do wish the product had a little more...glide to it, i feel like i have to use a good amount just to get it to cover my face and neck and the jar isn't huge. 

I only use this maybe twice a week or so because it does feel a bit heavy and although my skin feels great it also feel a little...extra oily, but perhaps my skin is just used to lighter moisturizers since as a teen i had pretty acne prone skin. (which has thankfully cleared up now for the most part).

Overall i do like it, but i'm just not sure if i need it yet. It feels nice but it also feels like a lot of work and the heaviness is a bit hard to not notice it; i think i generally prefer my rose-hip oil but i will retry this in the future.

Review: Facial Refiner Deep Cleansing Scrub

 So over the past two months, twice a week or so i have been using the Pelactiv Facial Refiner Deep Cleansing Scrub, it;s quite different from any facial scrubs i have tried in the past benefits, usually of the large visible grit variety. This one clearly sits on the micro abrasion side of scrubs, or there abouts.

The product uses lactic acid with the and milk extract and contains desert fuschia extract, turkey bush extract, tea tree, soya bean oil, jojoba oil and vitamin E.

Honestly i can't argue with the results, it makes your skin super smooth and clean, and doesn't give you that raw feeling that you get from a lot of harder scrubs. It's a fantastic product in terms of results, sadly i don't really care for the smell or texture.

The product is quite liquid and chalky, you can feel small grit in it but it does feel and smell quite chalky. To me it smells very strongly of chemicals which i hate, and is probably the reason I've only used it one or twice a week because despite the fantastic results it's just not very inviting. It's not one of those products that feels great to use because it smells and feels nice, this one is completely results oriented.

If a product is not great to use but has wicked results, is it worth it?

Review: Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes

I considered weather or not to post this review since i don't generally like to say bad things and i know for a fact this product works for some people, but not for me. In the end, as you can see i figure a bad review is just as useful (if not more so) then a good one.

I got these about three months ago and for most of that time they were my go to make up removing wipes, because for the same reason we all use them; easy, fast, no fuss. Honestly for the first three weeks or so i really liked this product and had no issues with it until i started getting lower and lower in the container, this was when i began to notice that my skin on my cheeks and forehead would start to feel tingly and the lower i got in the container the more it started to hurt.

I should state; i do not have sensitive skin. For the most part my skin will take whatever is thrown at it and either shrug it off or bounce back pretty fast, i can count the number of times my skin has been irritated by a cosmetic/skincare product on one hand (it's three by the way).

Considering these are supposed to be hypoallergenic i feel this is a big problem for the product, before posting this i also looked at some other reviews and it seems I'm not the only one to find this so. However some people seem to swear by these so i can only assume some manner of skin type is immune to the sting.

On the upside it does  a decent job removing most make up but has trouble with eye makeup, it smells nicely of cucumbers though the smell is a little more artificial of similarly scented products.

The best part is probably the little container lid sitting on top of the regular wipes, it means your wipes don't dry out as fast, the sticky plastic doesn't get all gummed up and it's much easier to handle and use. 

I'm not familiar with the other versions of this, i've head that Yes to Blueberries is above average but based on this experience I'm not eager to try it. At the moment i;m very happy with my Dove foam make up removing cleanser.

Have you tried these?

Most Reached for August

These items will probably not be a surprise to anyone who has kept even a passing watch on this blog this month, as 4/6 of these got a review this month. I like that actually, i feel like I'm on top of things. So following are the items i reached for most this month;

Korres Mango Lip Butter: Reviewed Here This gives me ultra soft lips and i this, more then anything else has convinced me that lip balms actually serve a purpose. I would buy these again, in fact i have the wild rose version on it;s way to me now (Thank you free shipping strawberry net). There hasn't been a day since i got this that i have not used it at least once a day, usually more.

Haus of Gloi Bubbling Scrub in Satyr: Reviewed Here Love the smell but i especially love the consistency,  this is the perfect amount of exfoliation for me without leaving behind any graininess (yay bubbles). The scent is great and very friendly, the product seems to last a good deal longer then i expected and i am happy to try more of these, as well as other Haus of Gloi products.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain: Reviewed Here I love this due to the long lasting color, especially the stain which means it's no big deal if i forget to reapply my lipstick. I use this everyday sometimes on it;s own or under a different color and then i have a nice fading effect during the day. I don't love the dryness this causes to my lips which might explain lip balms showing up in my repertoire.

Emotional Brilliance Sophisticated Eyeshadow: Reviewed Here The easiest most long lasting eyeshadow i own, the application is a breeze and cuts down morning makeup by a good deal of time. It lasts hours upon hours, probably up to 18 hour with little to no wear and it's a beautiful color to boot.

Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil: Since i started dying my hair with the bright pink my scalp seems to have gone very very dry and this is the best way that i have found to deal with that; even just a small amount mixed into my conditioner or directly on the head works wonders and the next day i have no issue with itching or anything ekse that dry scalp can cause. I worried that it might be a bit harsh and too strong but i have had no ill effects and i would totally recommend it if you have similar issues.

Lastly my now almost empty A'kin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil, this was used literally everyday (well evening technically) and being new to the world of beauty products i have started experimenting with different moisturizers to see what works for me and im totoally sold on this; it applies smoothly and seems to have real results when it comes to my skin feeling hydrated and healthy the next morning. I'm not 100% on the smell so i will look at some different varieties when this one finished any day now.

Review: Satyr Bubbling Scrub by Haus of Gloi

Back to our regular scheduled blogging (that's a lie, i don't have a schedule, i post when the mood strikes me). Today we have one of the products i mentioned i wanted to get my paws on a month ago here.

Since i tried to limit myself to one i decided to go for Satyr over Honey Tree as i figured on the off chance that i hate it my boyfriend could finish it as he has a thing for Blood Orange scents.

The scent of Satyr is described on the website as "Absolutely fiendish creature! And quite frolicsome: Italian blood orange drizzled with blackened vanilla." and this is fairly accurate however the vanilla is much stronger then i thought it would be; it's a very warm buttery kind of vanilla then blends well with the fruity but not too strong over tones of the scent. Love it!

So let's take a look at the journey;

It arrived on Monday (about 2.5 weeks since i ordered it), and the wrapping and handwritten note were quite cute and were rustic and olden day-ish. I quite approve, the two samples i got were Vice (the black tube) and Mango Sticky Rice (the white). All this was accompanied by a very nice handwritten note which is always a nice touch.

This was my first time ordering skincare stuffs on line and I'm very pleased with the way in which Haus of Gloi handled everything so i definitely recommend them if you want to try something other then the store brand stuffs.

This post will be picture heavy as when i was trying to find out about these there wasn't too much to go on, mostly just bottle shots and very little to give you any idea of what the texture might be like. 

When you first open it the container has a red safety seal on it which i think is pretty damn awesome for a small-ish on line company that could very easily not have bothered with this. When you first take the seal of the smell is quite lovely but a little muted, and doesn't come out very strong till you did your mitts into it and then it just invades the whole house.

As you can see in this picture the texture is quite fluffy and has a sort of silky milk softness to it which i assume is all the moisturizing goodness of the scrub. The sugar granules aren't too big or too soft, about the size of what you find in your coffee in the morning but the foaming and leather aspect of the bubbling scrub mean it's not very rough but still does a very nice exfoliation.

This is how much i have gone through in 4 washes, (3 for me and 1 for the boyfriend) and a little really goes a long way, once again because it's a bubbling scrub not just a regular old boring scrub the product is easy to move around on your skin and after a bit of rubbing in you can move on to another bit and then it just fades away with no residue.

This is way more product then you need but i wanted to show the texture and how easy it is to use, the smell  does stick around for a few hours but it's not in your face but a nice muted version, it doesn't leave any film and for my skin is very moisturizing and not too rough. I highly recommend giving these a shot.

As for the two samples here are some quick thoughts;

VICE :  "Steam billows rolling off a vessel of fresh made Turkish coffee, marshmallow goo tainted by graham cracker crumbs, toasted hazelnuts and blanketed in black chocolate." This smells very much like a carmel coffee scent with very yummy overtones that make your mouth water just smelling it, would not mind a scrub or something of this at all.

MANGO STICKY RICE: "Sweet mango, coconut infused rice and toasted sesame." I'm not quite as fond of this, as i can't really see myself wearing a "rice" scent even though it is on the sweet side and the coconut clearly helps balance it out but the "rice" smell is a bit strong for me, i prefer desert or fruity kind of scents.

I consider this to be a timely review as on August 19 (how did they know it's my birthday?) they will be releasing their Fall collection full of warm buttery scents and Halloween themed stuff, return of whipped soaps that i really want to try, seasonal lip balms and all sorts of really tasty..uhm good for your skin stuff.

You can find out more at their blog here or their facebook page.

DISCLAIMER: Please don't eat Hous of Gloi products :)

All in all great product, awesome delivery times and very friendly customer service. 

Have you tried any of the Hous of Gloi stuff?

Beauty Castle Must Have

I would not say this about any other product i use at this point in time, and this is the only product i have re- bought over and over and over again. I like to try new foundations, i like to try new powders or concealers. But as a facial cleanser i would never change and dread that it might one day be discontinued. What is this magical item you ask?

Fresh Farmacy from Lush.

This is without a doubt my number one product of all time and i could not give it higher praise. I'm not even sure my vocabulary is strong enough to do so now. So for a moment let's see Lush's description of this product:

"Cleansing chamomile and calamine bar for troublesome skin. Fresh Farmacy is the soothing, cleansing bar to reach for whenever you see a spot rearing its ugly head. It makes a tiny bit of froth to clean your face gently, and because it’s made with masses of calamine and chamomile, it’s one of the most calming cleansers known to humankind. We add rose, tea tree and lavender essential oils for their powerful, skin-calming properties. It doesn't only deal with spots; it soothes and eases other skin troubles, too."

I have to say that's pretty on the ball. It doesn't feel like your regular gel cleanser, its almost more like a solid clay mask, it goes on more like a milky watery layer, and i like to let it sit for a few minutes before washing it off while rubbing it into my skin.

I would say that it might be a little too drying for someone who already has dry skin, but acne prone/oily or even regular skin will love this product. It does cause your skin to dry immediately after but it isn't a painful kind of dry, it's more like a very clean lack of oil kind of dry, and i find your skin quickly jumps back but you can always use a moisturizer if it bothers you.

I originally tried this product as it supposed to be good for troubled skin, since using this i would no longer describe my skin like this. In fact i know i can use other cleansers freely without my skin reverting back so it seems to help your skin and doesn't necessarily require you keep using it afterwards, but i find the very clean feeling afterwards means i always go back to it.

The best way to use it that i find is to purchase a chunk that your happy with, i usually get about $13 - $15 worth and that last for about a month being used by me and my boyfriend every night. (Very gentle so it seems to have no problems being used every night).

This is the size of the bar i get and the bit on the left is about the size i use in the shower.

So when i get it home i cut of a  chunk about  two fingers worth and put the rest away in a metal tin i have to save for later. If it's in the water stream it melts much quicker so i suggest wetting your face and the bar and then applying it outside of the water stream and putting it away. Rub it into your face after about 30sec-1min wash it off. It's super easy and it seems to work best on the face but if you have acne prone skin on your chest or back it would work very well there as well.

I should mention that, as you can see on the picture is has little bits throughout it, so it can work as a very light exfoliator but honestly you barely notice those when using it. Maybe it would be a bigger issue if you have super sensitive skin but i think the Chamomile would probably even things out.

You can ask Lush for a dollar amount so if your unsure just go in and ask for $5 worth and see if you like it. It's usually part of a big pink flower shaped block, the smell isn't very strong and doesn't linger but it is a very soft slightly sweet herbal scent.

It's part of their all year stock and i cannot recommend it highly enough.