Posts tagged ‘skin care’

June 9, 2013

Product Review: Clarisonic Mia Skin Cleansing System

By now I’m sure we’ve all heard of the Clarisonic. It seems to be mentioned time and time again in interviews with models and celebrities talking about what skin care products they use. Yes, even Liv Tyler uses the Clarisonic. So what the hell does the Clarisonic brush do? “The Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System works by using their patented sonic frequency technology to gently massage pores and removing impurities—leaving your skin six times cleaner than if you had washed it by hand!” I don’t know about you guys, but to me that sounds pretty promising. Before I started using this I put the call out on twitter to ask my fellow beauty lovers (aka the girls I can trust for honest beauty advice) how they use their Clarisonic. The responses were varied and I realised that it would take a trial-and-error approach to see how I could make this little machine work best for me. The winning formula for the Clarisonic Mia + my skin = use once every 2-3 days, apply whichever cleansing product I am using directly to my face (rather than the brush head), cut out all other exfoliating products from my skin care routine. I found that when I started using the Clarisonic I was overdoing it, and although my skin didn’t go through a “purge” period, which I’ve heard can happen (though not from any of the girls I asked on twitter); it did seem to get hypersensitive when I was using the brush too often and in conjunction with my regular exfoliation products. Now that I’ve figured out how best to use it, my skin is LOVING it, and my face feels cleaner and smoother than ever. The Clarisonic Mia is waterproof (great if you’re lazy super busy like me and want to multi-task in the shower) and is rechargeable, so you don’t need to worry about having to replace the battery. You will however need to replace the brush head once every 3 months or so and there is a type for every skin condition (I use the sensitive option) which makes this product suitable for all skin types. The Clarisonic Mia Skin Care System is available for purchase for $139 AUD from Ry.com.au and comes with a 1 year manufacturers warranty (note: this product was sent for consideration for review).
June 8, 2013

Current Skin Care Routine

I’m really happy with my skin care routine at the moment, so I thought it would be a good time to share the details of the products I’m currently using.

Nivea Fragrance Free Cleansing Wipes: I use one of these wipes every night to remove my makeup before properly cleaning my face. I was using Cetaphil for this purpose for the longest time, but I’ve switched back to these for now.

Clarisonic Mia: I was sent this by the lovely folk at Ry to try out and I am absolutely in l-o-v-e with this little contraption. I’ll be posting a full review of it soon so stay tuned.

Paula’s Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser: I have to give a massive shout out to Beatideas for putting me on to the Paula’s Choice range of products, because this stuff has done wonders for my skin already. I love this cleanser, it’s very gentle on my skin, leaves me with no redness, and somehow managed to help keep all hormonal spots at bay this month. Success.

Paula’s Choice Hydralight Healthy Skin Refreshing Toner: I’m never really sure what toners do (I mean, I think know what they’re technically supposed to do for the skin) so I usually judge them on how they leave my skin feeling, and this one leaves my face feeling soft and refreshed and hydrated.

Paula’s Choice Hydralight Moisture Infusing Lotion: This is the perfect daytime moisturiser for me, it’s lightweight and doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy or oily. The only thing I don’t like about it is the smell, which is like a mix between cucumber and a dead body.

Kosmea Organic Rose Hip Oil: Ah, my old faithful. This remains one of my all-time favourite skin care products. I use it 2-3 times a week as a nighttime serum underneath whichever moisturiser I’m using at the time. I know this isn’t for everyone but it always leaves my skin soft and glowy the next day and I love it.

Origins Ginzing Eye Cream: I love this eye cream. It’s nice and thick but sinks into my skin really quickly so I can use it both at night and in the mornings without having to worry about it sitting on my skin for too long. I’m not a huge fan of the open pot packaging. I feel like I might be becoming a bit of a Howard Hughes when it comes to bacteria and germs in general.

Honorable mentions: I’ve been incorporating a few other products into my routine, but am not 100% sure of them yet which is why I haven’t mentioned them in detail. They are: Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner, Paula’s Choice Moisture Boose Hydrating Treatment Cream and Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid.

Note: You can see the details of my previous skin care routine here

May 2, 2013

Product Review: Origins Zero Oil Moisturiser

As per usual, my skin kicked up a fuss at the recent turn of the season. To try and combat this (quite clearly inspired by Jen), I went on a little spree at Kit Cosmetics in the hope of shaking up my skin care routine. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s necessary for me to use an oil-free moisturizer as part of my morning skin routine because honestly, the less oil I add to my already-greasy mug the better. I was surprised at how small this tube is. So surprised that I asked the sales assistant if it came in a bigger tube, much to her disdain. Sorry I have a gigantic face. This does pretty much exactly what you want from an oil-free moisturizer; lightly hydrates the skin without leaving a greasy residue. The smell isn’t my favourite – slightly herbal, but with a minty scent on top of that – but it fades pretty quickly so it’s not a deal breaker for me. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but the packaging of Origins products make me so happy. I love having them on display in my bathroom alongside the 5 billion strands of hair I shed every day. I like this moisturiser so much and have used it so often that I’ve nearly run out and have already ordered a replacement. The Origins Zero Oil Moisturizer retails for $39 AUD and can be purchased from Kit Cosmetics.
April 13, 2013

Product Review: Kate Somerville Oil Free Moisturizer

A little while ago I posted a mini haul of Kate Somerville products that I purchased after reading that Lauren Conrad was a fan of the brand. Out of everything that I bought, the oil-free moisturizer is by far my favourite out of the products I purchased. First of all, the packaging is super attractive and supremely functional. The jar is airtight (always a positive when it comes to skin care), so in order to dispense the product you press down on the inner lid to push the moisturizer up through an invisible hole in the top. I’m not doing a great job of describing it, but it’s very easy to use. Secondly the moisturizer itself is very gentle and didn’t irritate my sensitive skin in any way. The oil-free factor is of great benefit to oily-skinned gals like myself and I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that oil-free moisturizer is a necessity for my skin. The Kate Somerville Oi-Free Moisturiser retails for $75 AUD and is available for purchase from Mecca Cosmetica. Go ahead and buy it if you’re in a TREAT YO’SELF state of mind.
March 20, 2013

Lip Week Day 2 – Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream & Unscented

I use a lot of lip balm. I have one that I use before going to bed at night, one that I use before applying my makeup in the morning, one on my desk at work to use throughout the day and one floating around in my handbag somewhere for when I’m out and about. The Nivea Lip Butters fit nicely into all of these scenarios, although I do prefer to use the unscented version before applying my makeup in the morning. Both are thick and buttery soft and leave my lips feeling nicely moisturised. The unscented version is genuinely unscented (I have been fooled by this before), and the caramel cream smells AMAZING. Sweet but not in a sickening way. The only issue I have with these is the packaging. For the most part I love the little tins, they’re attractive and feel nice to the touch but they’re kind of hard to open because they’re so thin. Once you work out a technique for opening them (or perhaps you’re not all hamfisted oafs like me) they’re easy enough to work with. The Nivea Lip Butters retail for $5.19 AUD each (currently 25% off at Priceline by the way) and are available for purchase at pharmacies throughout Australia. (note: this product was sent for consideration for review)
March 5, 2013

February Favourites

Covergirl + Olay Pressed Powder in Light – I’ve started using pressed powder in place of loose powder to lightly dust over my liquid foundation to set it in the morning. I also use it to touch up my t-zone during the day if I start getting a little bit too shiny while I’m at work. The colour of this powder is perfect for my skin tone but the only down side is that it seems to contain a bit of shimmer, which when dusted over my entire face during a hot Australian summer can result in some weird blotchy/sweaty/shimmery combinations.

Bloom Lip Tint in Stain – I love this lipstick. The colour is lovely (described as a melon sheen on the Bloom website) it smells amazing and is sheer enough to show some colour on my lips without feeling too overwhelming for daytime wear.

Kate Somerville Oil Free Moisturiser – I’m so glad I picked this up on a whim. It’s one of the best facial moisturizers I’ve ever used.

NYX HD Studio Grinding Blush in Georgia Peach – I bought this ages ago but embarrassingly only used it for the first time last month. It’s a gorgeous blush, long lasting and a beautiful pinky-peach shade. I’ll be posting a full review soon.

Burt’s Bees Milk & Honey Body Lotion – I finished up my beloved LUSH Sympathy For The Skin and have been using this in its place. I love it and I can see it becoming a regular feature in my beauty cupboard.

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