Sunday, January 22, 2012

Go and get glowing

I have noticed over the past couple of weeks that, touch wood, my skin has been looking good.

Normally there is something bothering me - dehydration, random (and brutally unfair) adult-acne, dullness - I seem to go from one to the next.

But since bringing back an all mighty stash of cosmetics from the US (did you know that the same products are less than half price in the States than they are in Australia? It is sooooo not fair!) and changing my skin care routine up a bit, my skin is seriously starting to glow.

Me earlier today. (I am happier than I look here, I swear!)

This is hella exciting because I have been trying different product for years trying to find magic combination that will freeze time and make me look young forever. The stuff I am using now might not be magical, and I am not so deluded to think that it has shaved years off my face), but it is definitely getting me results. The kind of results that make me not so worried about wearing make up (well - a lot less make up, anyway).

And, because I am a lovely person, I am going to share them with you!

Super by Dr Nicolas Perricone Face and Eye Cleanser 
(www.getsuper.co.uk) 


Dr Perricone is like the king of antioxidants. He is all about using the anti-aging nutrients found in super foods (like the acai used in this cleanser) in his skin care range to deliver results. Well, that is all very well and good, but the cool things is this seems to work!

I bought this cleanser on a whim. I had run out of my last one and wanted something new and this looked interesting. There wasn't any real science to it - buying skin care products can be insanely confusing and frustrating and I think this use happened to be the one I was looking at when my stamina for shopping had run out.

It is a creamy cleanser, no foaming or anything, and it works best if you massage it in for a couple of minutes first. This also gives your skin time to absorb all the goodness (if you just slap it on and wash it off you may as well just use soap for all the good you will be doing). Wash it off and it leaves your face feeling clean but not stripped. And it gets rid of pretty much all traces of make-up too. Sweet!

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus
(www.clinique.com)


There have already been a lot of write-ups about this serum since it came out last year. And with good reason. It promises to reduce fine lines and sun damage. But not in some miracle, perfect skin overnight kind of way. In a real results kind of way.

It happens over time but you definitely do notice a change in the texture and tone of your skin with regular use. I use it once a day in the morning after cleansing and before my moisturiser. I started using it last year actually but love it so much that I stocked up while overseas. It is the best.


Philosophy Eye Hope Multitasking Eye Cream and Hope in a Jar with spf 25
(www.philosophy.com)


I have been using these two for a while too and stock up on them whenever I am in the States (you can buy them in Australia too - Mecca Cosmetica definitely sells them - but it is actually cheaper to get them online so long as you are buying a couple of items). They are beautiful, simple and effective products.

The eye cream is the perfect texture - so often they are either too greasy or sticky but this one just eases on and soaks straight in and leaves the skin around your eyes really nicely hydrated.  (I know a lot of people don't use eye cream because they think it is too much bother or a trick by the cosmetics industry but if you are nudging 30 (or over), you really do need to start take care of the finer skin around your eyes and normal moisturiser just doesn't cut it - you will regret it if you don't!)

Hope in a Jar is just lovely and keep your skin feeling fresh all day. And the spf is a necessity, particularly in Australia. If your moisturiser doesn't give you protection, make sure you are putting sunscreen on as part of your routine. Every day. Regardless of whether you think you will be spending time outside.

Hurraw! Lip Balm
(www.hurrawbalm.com)
OMG - I am obsessed with this stuff! I picked up three of them in different flavours (coconut, chai tea and almond) when I was at American Apparel buying some t-shirts - they were just on the counter and my lips were feeling rough from the cold winds so I threw them in as a bit of an afterthought. But I am so glad I did!

Not only are they super-smooth but they smell amazing. Not that kind of sickly, perfume-y smell that you sometimes get with lip balm - it is a natural, subtle makes-you-want-to-eat-it kind of smell. And because they smell and feel so good, I use them all the damn time so my lips are super-duper smooth 24/7.

Coconut is my favourite but the chai is amaze too. They come in so many different flavours. Their site lists a number of places where you can buy them in Australia (The Collector Store in Surry Hills apparently stocks them for example), but I am so in love with them that I will probably order them in bulk from their website if I can't find them when I run out. Seriously - they are that good.

Josie Maran Argan Colour Stick in Petal Pink
(www.josiemarancosmetics.com)
Well before Miranda Kerr started pedalling her organic cosmetics, Kora, US model/actress Josie Maran was already sharing her get-gorgeous secrets with her own line of eco-friendly, natural beauty products.

This pretty pink colour stick is the perfect tint to give your cheeks a fresh, flushed look without looking over-done. It is lightweight, blends in beautifully and is infused with argan oil which is high in vitamin E and essential acids - so it is not only adding colour to your cheeks, it is also nourishing and hydrating your skin too.

Bumble and Bumble Mending Shampoo, Conditioner and Masque
(www.bumbleandbumble.com)

Bumble and Bumble has a bit of a cult following and gets lots of raving reviews in fashion mags. I have always wanted to use it because it seems to have so many products designed especially for my hair type (read: bleached to buggery). But, again, it is stupidly expensive to buy here in Australia so I have never bothered to buy any. Until now!

The Bb Mending For the (Truly) Damaged range is perfect for my poor, mistreated crop. The shampoo is gentle and the conditioner and masque repair and restore without adding weight. I am not going to lie - they don't make my hair super-shiny and bouncy but I honestly don't think anything could do that. And honestly, if you want shiny, bouncy, you don't go for platinum. It is one of the sacrifices I have chosen to make.

This stuff does make my hair less fluffy though and I haven't noticed as much breakage since using it so it gets big thumbs up from me.




So that is what is floating my boat in the land of beauty products. And so long a this stuff seems to be working, maybe I can hold off Dr Injectable for a little bit longer.

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