La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Balm
On my never-ending hunt on finding the best-working skincare products for sensitive & acne prone skin, I have found the most underrated product yet, with outstanding results! Keep reading to find out how the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Balm worked for me.
I had been watching and reading about the French woman’s skincare secrets, longing to have something that resembled anything close to that flawless skin, and kept coming across the same product every time; the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Balm.
This cream was also highly recommended by makeup artists as a cream that works well under foundations. So I took a quick look at the ingredients list on this product and there found no causes for irritation or breakouts, I was sold!
I use this cream every morning and night, including under my makeup. The cream absorbs nicely into the skin and leaves you feeling hydrated and ‘protected’. It is also great for sensitive skin and doesn't break you out in more acne.
I’ve been trialing this product over my acne scars and active acne spots (not brand new spots, but either after they’ve been popped or have started to dry up) for one month now and it works well in healing the ‘affected-area’. It manages to heal acne scars to prevent further pigmentation from occurring and is great at amending flaky skin-texture as well.
Note, I don't think this product is an acne spot treatment per se, but does contain antibacterial ingredients that may prevent from further breakouts occurring.
If you read back to my last skincare article, my skin was doing REALLY well! But it had become stagnate (at that very stage), even though I still use most of the same products today, my skin most-likely became to used to those products and probably needed something different to give my skin that extra “kick” it needed to get back on track.
Picture: Last skin update, August 2015.
My skin to-date is doing so much better and I have to say I’m really impressed with how much this cream has healed my scars and skin-texture. I’m now able to wear a light-coverage foundation and feel so much more confident in my skin when I decide to go out bare-faced.
I’m still searching for a product to further help whiten my scar-pigmentation but so far I’m really pleased with the results of the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Balm. If you have any recommendations for scar whiteness products, please let me know in the comment section below!
You can purchase the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Balm at most pharmacies. If you’re in Australia, I suggest purchasing it from Chemistwarehouse, as its always cheaper there!
So many brands have brought out their own line of liquid ‘matte’ lipsticks. Although there is not one type of liquid lipstick criterion, they can come in many formulations; matte, satin, matte-gloss and so on.
The other day I came across some liquid lip products by W7 and so I decided to pick up three colours to test out...
The colours I chose to review are (from left to right) ‘Caked’, ‘Well Heeled’ and ‘Big Phil’.
They’re of a mousse-like texture, packed with pigment and have a faint vanilla scent.
On the back of the tube, the product states that it is a ‘Lip Gloss’ (with a matte finish).
On application the lip product is smooth, easy to use and comfortable on the lips. The product does dry down after 1 hour. After 2 hrs the product completely dries down and is almost transfer-proof.
The product does stain the lips and wears off really nicely throughout the day. They’re also a great option for those with chapped lips who still want to wear lipstick.
These W7 Mega Matte Lips are very reminiscent of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams - a dupe in my opinion!
‘Caked’ - Everyday Nude Colour
‘Well Heeled’ - Bright Orangey Red
‘Big Phil’ - Fuchsia Pink
These are perfect to wear when you have chapped lips, as they completely disguise the lip’s texture whilst still creating a lovely cushion-like pout.
The ‘W7 Mega Matte Lips’ come in a variety of bright and nude shades. You get 7ml of product in each tube, they retail for $4.99 AUD and can be easily found at Chemist Warehouse stores (in Australia).
Hope you enjoyed this review - let me know what your thoughts are about the current liquid lipstick trend in the comment section below!
For the longest time I was on the hunt for the “perfect” primer for my oily t-zone. I’ve tested so many over the past few years that I’ve finally found what works for me. So here are my thought’s on how the Esteē Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer holds up...
Priced at $50 AUD, it’s not your idea money-saving primer. Honestly, 99.9% of beauty brands in Australia are ridiculously over priced and it’s something that I feel like we have just come to blatantly accept- but let’s not get into that right now shall we...
This primer doesn't break my overly sensitive skin out and contains a small amount of SPF (nothing that is too concerning for flashback).
Its squeeze tube bottle is ideal for preventing any type of bacterial contamination, it’s easy to dispense product and lightweight (so it is very travel-friendly).
The primer is of light silky texture, as it is water based it doesn't leave a sticky residue and quickly melts into the skin.
The primer is complete undetectable once massaged into the skin and it leaves the surface incredibly smooth and airbrushed.
The primer fills in any pore, smoothes out texture as well and gives an overall luminous/natural look to the skin (it doesn't make my skin look dull like other matte primers).
My skin is kept matte for up to 4 hours before having to touch-up with powder where needed. The level of oil control is really impressive; although I am shine-free for 4 hours, afterwards I am left with this really natural healthy look to my skin. After 4 hours the mattifying power of the primer slowly releases the skins natural oils, so your not left looking like a complete grease ball.
Overall, I tend to alternate between the Esteē Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer and my other trusty drugstore primer, the Australis CYA LATER PORES which I have previously reviewed.
If you’re willing to splurge on this product, definitely give it a go.
Let me know what your favourite mattifying primer is in the comment section below!
I’m a self confessed lip-product addict. The one thing I cannot get enough of are lip products; lip liners, lipsticks, liquid lipsticks, lip balms and so on.
So to continue off from my previous Ulta3 Eyeshadow Palette Review post, I’m here to bring you my thoughts on the Ulta3 ‘Tribal Talk’ Longwear Lip Range...
The Ulta3 ‘Tribal Talk’ longwear lip range is made up of lip liners and lip creams. They claim to be:
bold
vibrant
matte
long wearing (”lasts for hours”)
revolutionary (formula)
super creamy
non drying
First off, Ulta3 has created various bundles to suit all budgets and needs. You can purchase the lip cream with the matching lip liner in a “duo pack”, you can purchase the entire ‘Tribal Talk’ longwear lip liner range, purchase the entire ‘Tribal Talk’ longwear lip cream range or purchase the ‘Tribal Talk’ longwear lip liners individually.
So how do these lip liners and lip creams compare to other brands on the market?
These lip liners are very creamy and smooth. They have great colour pay-off and are really comfortable to wear alone or under a lipstick. I picked up the shades ‘Wild Fire’ (a bright almost-orange red) and ‘Free Spirit’ (a soft doll pink).
They also come with a sharper on the lid of the lip liner, which is really innovative and handy!
The lip liners are easy to apply, easy to use and overall are a great start to creating that perfect pout.
For $4.95 they are affordable and great quality for what you get.
I would say these lip liners are up there with my all-time favourite $2 lip liners by Essence.
Now moving onto the Ulta3 ‘Tribal Talk’ Longwear Lip Creams... like all cosmetic brands there are ‘hits and misses’. This one is a ‘miss’.
At first glance these lip creams look promising; they smell incredible, they have a lot of colour pay-off, are well presented in a sleek packaging and retail for $12.90 RRP (with the lip liner as they are not sold alone).
Unfortunately, one of them arrived looking completely “off”; the product inside the tube was separating and I hadn't even used it yet. I tried fixing it by placing the lip product in a hot cup of water to see if the product would melt back together and there was no luck. To add, when applying the lip cream in ‘Wild Fire’ it applied patchy and transferred when I ate and drank.
Overall, the lip creams were just not cutting it for me. The NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams on the other hand are much more reliable and consistent.
However, I would definitely recommend the ‘Tribal Talk’ longwear lip liners, as these did not dissapoint.
You can purchase these products online at Ulta3.com.au (they offer FREE SHIPPING on orders of $40) or in selected pharmacy stores (like SOUL PATTINSON & BLOOMS).
I hope this review was helpful, happy makeup shopping!
During a 40% off sale I picked up some makeup products that I’ve been meaning to try from Ulta3 and so I will be breaking this post up into three blog posts (so stay tuned for my other reviews).
Ulta3 is an Australian beauty brand that offers affordable beauty products priced between $2-$15...
The All About Eyes Eyeshadow Palette in ‘Roses’ is a rose-toned eyeshadow palette offers 10 shades: 3 matte and 7 shimmery. All smooth to the touch, they offer light to medium pigmentation that can create a variety of soft eye looks.
Easy and compact, this eyeshadow palette can be taken with you anywhere. Perfect for an everyday wear (for work or uni) and can be easily taken into a night time look.
Some of the shadows look different from the palette as opposed to when they are swatched. In the palette they look a lot more brown and golden, where as on the skin they definitely look more rosy. Which is great, because that’s what it claims to be (a rose-toned eyeshadow palette).
The matte light beige eyeshadow is perfect for all over the lid and the darkest brown shade (looks almost black in the palette) is perfect for creating a subtle and soft winged liner which I’ve been preferring on a day-to-day basis.
The down side to this product is that the shimmery eyeshadows have a ton of fall out and there is no decent matte transition shade. Apart from that, $8 for 10 eyeshadows is a good deal (but I wouldn't pay full price for it).
Here is the eye look I came up with...
This is definitely my kind of every-day eye look!
This eyeshadow palette is normally retailed at $13.95 AUD but was purchased on SALE for $8.37 AUD on Ulta3′s website.
Ulta3 also offer FREE SHIPPING on orders of $40.
Stay tuned for a review on some Ulta3 Lip products!
The town of Bellas Artes also known as Barrio Lastarria, translated into Fine Arts in English is about a 10-15min walk (depending on your pace) from the city centre of Sanitago, Chile...
This town is know for its numerous cafes, art galleries and of course its European architecture. The streets are colourful yet calm as many buildings have been restored to maintain its quirky vibe, and the suburb remains a popular tourist destination (in high season) but you can find yourself feeling as though you are in a totally different country due to its European architecture.
The one thing that stands out from this town, as a foodie, is the number of ice cream bars located on every street competing against one another with their incredibly mouth watering displays. The hard part is what to choose.
Pictured: Ice creams at Emporio La Rosa, Barrio Lastarria
For those wanting to escape the city centres’ bustling nature, I highly recommend spending an afternoon having coffee or ice-cream (or both) and checking out some of the many art galleries or street artists at Barrio de Bellas Artes (Lastarria).
Next stop, el Barrio de ‘Bella Vista’, literally just a few short blocks away and where the night comes to life... See you in my next blog post!
Acne, it can be frustrating, painful, disheartening but most of all it can be an absolute downer...
Over the years I have struggled with acne, not just your average pimple but full blown cystic acne (you know the kind that looks like it’s going to take over the world?)...
Anyhow, recently I came across one of Dulce Candy’s videos and she mentioned a new skincare product, African Black Soap. This intrigued me immediately, so I started to do some digging (aka research) on this peculiar soap.
After about a million tabs on my screen I could not find one single evidence of this product not working for someone. After all the raving reviews I decided I’d do some more digging on legitimate sellers of this ‘African Black Soap’.
I had come across many Amazon and Ebay sellers selling fake and or inferior versions of this soap. Nonetheless, I managed to find a legit seller of this product and in a few weeks the product was at my door step.
...Behold! An Acne fighting product that actually works and is good to your skin!
The ‘Raw Shea Butter Black Soap’ (from Ghana) is made from:
Cocoa Pod Ashes
Plantain Skin Ashes
Unrefined Shea Butter
Palm Oil
Did I mention that it’s massive?! Approximately 450grams of product (1Lb) retailing at about $21 AUD. Well worth the money.
The soap hardly has any scent, which is fantastic for those with sensitive skin. Simply unwrap the soap, place it on a chopping board and slice the product at about a 1.5 to 2cm thickness. One slice will last you about two weeks if used twice daily (morning & night).
Note: this product dries out your skin... to the max!
To nourish the skin, it is recommend to apply a hydrating moisturiser after washing the face with this African Black Soap. As I am super sensitive to almost anything I put on my face I also had a hard time finding out what I could use for my moisturiser.
And behold again! A moisturiser that doesn't break me out!
The Rosehip Plus - ‘Pure & Natural Rosehip Oil Organic Cold Pressed’ was given to me at the Glamour Affair blogger event in Sydney this past June. After much research I decided that this was going to be my every day moisturiser to replenish my skin from the drying out process that the African Black Soap would do.
This oil smells a lot like black tea leaves to me, which I adore (because I am a tea lover) and the ingredients are all safe for those with ultra sensitive skin; the ‘Tocopherol’ is the most natural form of Vitamin E there is. I use this oil twice a day after cleansing my skin with the African Black Soap and it has done such a great job as healing my scars and minimising the redness on my skin.
Just take a look at the results below!
As you can see from the before and after photos the combination of the African Black Soap and the Rosehip Plus Rosehip Oil has done a fantastic job for my skin. My pores have gotten smaller and less visible and it has even cleared up a lot of my black heads on my nose.
I will definitely continue to use this regime as the results speak for themselves!
My skin took about 4 weeks until I started to notice improvements in the texture of my skin...and from time to time I use my ‘Clearasil ULTRA Rapid Action Pimple Cream’ for those pimples that are hiding underneath the surface of the skin; this gives the pimple a little boost to either come out fully or disappear (but I use it on very rare occasions).
I hope you found this post helpful and if you are wanting to try out my new skincare regimen I say take the plunge, because you’ll never know how well it may work until you try it.
For some time now I’ve heard and seen so much about the beauty brand Boe Professional but didn’t know much about the brand or it’s range of products, only that their products are super affordable; starting at $2! ...
But when I was at the Sydney Glamour Affair event, Boe Professional came in to do a demonstration and showcased some of their products and it intrigued me even more to try them out.
*The following products were sent for consideration...
Overview: BB Cream + Concealer & HD Powder
The Pro Finish BB Cream and Concealer is a two-in-one product, practical for on the go touch ups and great for a natural makeup look. This product comes in three shades: fair, medium and medium-deep.
The Pro Finish High Definition Finishing Powder is a translucent light-weight powder with a matte finish, perfect for setting liquids, creams and concealers, and claims to “reduce the appearance of uneven skin tone”.
Pro Finish BB Cream + Concealer
The first thing I realised when I swatched this product was its colour range; it is limited and when applied (shade: ‘Medium’) I noticed the BB cream’s colour match was a tad off; it’s a bit too pink for me, as I have a very olive/yellow skin undertone.
However, the BB cream has a dewy finish and sets really nicely, it has a light to light-medium coverage and covered up the majority of my skin’s discolouration.
As for the concealer, I really liked the consistency of it, and from the swatch above you can see that the concealer has a peach undertone which is ideal for covering up those dark circles under the eyes. However the concealer has light coverage and works better for those who want a natural makeup look (see photo below).
Pro Finish High Definition Finishing Powder
The Pro Finish High Definition Finishing Power was the main product that caught my attention at the Glamour Affair event in Sydney... this High Definition Finishing Powder is translucent and super light-weight, it’s perfect for setting creams and concealers, and great for cooking/baking your makeup.
This powder does contain Talc; some people are allergic to Talc, but on me and my sensitive skin Talc does not affect me or irritate my skin. I had no allergic reaction and every other ingredient in this powder is good for sensitive skin.
Immediately taken after applying the HD Powder
After I applied the translucent powder to my entire face (I used a damp beauty blender to apply the powder), about an hour later my face looked better than when I first applied it! It’s claims of “reducing uneven skin tone” was in fact correct! (See photo below) .
The powder leaves such a soft, almost velvety feeling on the skin that you just want to keep touching your face. I feel like this powder will make any liquid or cream foundation look 10 times better! It did leave me matte on the outer perimeters of my face, but my T-zone (mostly my nose) did not stay matte for more than 1 hour. Other than that it’s an amazing powder for the price!
Colour Pro Nail Enamel
Boe Professional also do nail polishes! This I did not know! First thing you see is their claim of “BIG, BEST APPLICATION BRUSH EVER!”
I don’t know about you guys but I’m not one to change my nail colour on a weekly biases and anything to speed up that process is a plus in my book... but thick brushes are like a gift from the Gods! Haha... Honestly all nail polish brands need to change their brushes to thicker ones because it’s so easy and effortless, it makes it a breeze to paint ones nails.
These nail polishes applied really easily and have an intense colour opacity; none of this sheer type of nail polish that requires layers and layers of product. One application and you’re good to go!
Colour Pro Lip Range
Boe’s lip range is becoming quite extensive, and I don't blame them, these happen to be the most popular of all products in their line, especially on Instagram!
I was so excited to try these out and let me tell you, I’m super impressed! Colour intensity is on point and application is super easy, no mess or fuss and their matte lipstick range is so comfortable to wear; it doesn't even seem like a matte lipstick but it when it dries matte it actually stays comfy on the lips!
Left to right: Lip Cream in ‘Aura’, Diamond Finish in ‘Venus’, Matte Lipstick in ‘Bombshell’ & ‘Vixen’.
Overall Boe Professional’s beauty range is definitely worth a look into, I'm glad I’ve tried them and side note, the product I’ve been using religiously has been the HD Finishing Powder!
I hope you found this post helpful and give Boe Professional a try next time you are at your local Aussie Big W store.
To those keen to finding out the latest inexpensive dupes for expensive beauty products I have a juicy one for you today! A dupe for the famous Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara!
So what is the dupe for the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara you say? It’s none other than Almay’s Get Up & Grow Mascara!
Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara retails for $29 AUD ($23 USD)
Almay Get Up & Grow Mascara retails for $11- $20 AUD ($6.50-$8.50 USD)
Depending where you shop you can find this Almay mascara cheaper in different stores... currently in Australia, Priceline is removing all Almay products from it’s shelves to make way for a “new and exciting” brand to take its place. So some Priceline stores (not all) are offering Almay products at a discounted price or for a “buy-one-get-one-free” offer.
As you can see from the photo above, the wands on both mascaras are very similar with the slight difference that the Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara wand’s bristles are more disheveled (or as I like to say “cray cray”) and longer. This allows for great product disbursement and less layering is needed to get full luscious lashes.
The Almay Get Up & Grow Mascara is more of a lash-separating mascara and will NOT clump whatsoever! You can layer and layer this product to your heart’s content and get the same effect as the Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara.
Can you guess which mascara was used on which eye?
Answer: The left eyelashes are wearing Too Faced Better than Sex mascara & the right side is wearing Almay’s Get Up & Grow Mascara (in the original black formula, not waterproof formula).
HOWEVER... you will have to layer the Almay Get Up & Grow Mascara at least 3 times before you get the same effect of one layer of the Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara.
So I guess it’s personal preference; would you rather pay less and get the same end result? Or be done with one layer of mascara, pay extra and save time when doing your makeup?
One awesome trick I have found is combining the two mascaras. Starting with the Almay Get Up & Grow Mascara to separate my lashes and then go in with Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara to give my lashes that extra OOMPH!
Well that’s it from me, I hope you liked this post and as always happy shopping!
Glamour Affair, a social networking event for beauty bloggers/vloggers, brands and PR’s created by Erin (3B’s Blog) and Melissa (Melissa Bubbles).
Glamour Affair, Sydney was the second event to be hosted this year (2015) after such an overwhelming response from their first ever event back in January of 2015.
The event commenced with a Bioderma ambassador, celebrity makeup artist Shella Martin.
Shella worked her magic on two models, showcasing how skincare was an essential part to every makeup application and demonstrated highlighting tricks on the body for that perfect glow.
We also had Boe Professional and guest speaker Jordy Cannon (from Jordy’s Beauty Spot) explaining to us some of Boe Professional’s products and how they differ from the Boe Beauty range.
Enbacci showcasing their products
More beauty goodies to be won on the day
Bloggers and Vloggers networking
LUSH demonstration
Then a presentation from LUSH was up and the two representatives were so warm and friendly, showing us just how to get the most out o LUSH products.
All of our senses were buzzing with the gorgeous scents from the bath bombs and it was definitely a treat to be able to take home some of those lovely smelling products.
Getting ready for a group photo
Looking pretty with Temporary Princess, haha!
Overall, with the perfect weather we had on the day, Glamour Affair Sydney was a complete success! I’d like to thank Glamour Affair for having me and it’s sponsors for gifting us a generous amount of products!
Major Sponsors for Glamour Affair, Sydney:
Skindinavia
Bioderma
Boe Beauty
Rosehip Plus
MOMMA
Hope you enjoyed this post, and keep an eye out for a complete haul video from the Glamour Affair gift bag, up soon on my Youtube Channel.
So the other weekend I attended an exhibition showcasing various local artists at the Soto Smith & Spunky Bruiser store at 68 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst in Sydney.
The store originally displays handmade recycled clothing but for one night was transformed into an exhibition space filled with vibrant pop up art and local talents.
Artists exhibited on night:
Zeke's Lunchbox
Terhor
Art by Abbey
floBot.3000
Soto Smith & Spunky Bruiser
Great vibes all round and a great show...
Below are some of my favourite shots of the night. ENJOY!
DJ Patto
All photos were taken by me
Art by Zeke's Lunchbox
To see video footage of the night click here!
Be sure to check out the store next time you’re around Oxford St, Sydney.
I feel like Gerard Cosmetics is constantly coming out with new colour and I just can’t seem to keep up!
Two relatively new releases to their lipstick range have been all over Instagram and I just needed to have these gorgeous colours in my collection...
God these photograph beautifully!
The new lipstick colours to Gerard Cosmetics are “Kimchi Doll” and “Underground”.
“Kimchi Doll” was a collaboration with none other than the loveable Sophia Chang on Youtube, also known as “Fashionista804″. I absolutely love this girl and I’m all for supporting fellow beauty enthusiasts! So this lipstick is very pigmented and is a peachy nude, but this lip colour will look dramatically different on different skin tones.
Tips for using Kimchi Doll:
For light to medium skin tones, use a darker lipliner underneath (depending on your skin tone you will need to either go a lot darker with your lip liner or just one shade darker) and or to line the outer rim of the lips after applying the lip colour
For a softer look pat the lip colour on to the lips with your finger
Perfect worn alone for those with very pale to light skin tones
For an amp up effect, layer a clear gloss over top or Gerard Cosmetics’s “Shimmer of Hope” lipgloss.
“Underground” is a grey taupe lip colour, but nothing like the KIKO’s lipstick in ‘524 Taupe’, which is definitely more of an actual grey whereas Underground has a more rosy-brown undertone to it.
This lipstick will also look dramatically different on everyone, however I love wearing this at its full opacity potential, paired with Maybelline’s lip liner in “45 Plum” which is a match made in heaven!
Without flash
With flash
I hope you found this helpful and let me know if which Gerard Cosmetics lipstick is your absolute favourite?
Vivid is an fun-packed light installation event. Majority of the works are free to view, touch and interact with, and runs from the 22nd May till the 8th of June.
There are a bunch of activities that run throughout the event, ranging from live light shows, to live music performances and live speakers.
I recommend snuggling up with some warm and comfortable winter gear as the nights can get quite chilly.
That’s it from me, now enjoy some of my favourite shots of VIVID SYDNEY 2015 taken by yours truly (photos were taken on Saturday 23rd of May, 2015).
Video footage of the night will be up on my Youtube Channel soon! So keep an eye out for that!
*All photos are my own.
For more info on events and light show locations go to: http://www.vividsydney.com
TOCCA, a luxurious brand with an affordable touch (see what I did there? Wink wink, Haha)… the brand itself reigns from New York City and collates from beauty products to home fragrances to clothing items and even fabric washes.
“TOCCA”, Italian for “touch”...
The packaging instantly draws you in; its gorgeous yet delicate design is grounded with the weight of the perfume bottle. The packaging alone makes you feel exclusive to the scent, and the scent itself is one that gracefully entwines with your own body’s aroma.
Without realising I chose to go with the scent ‘Simone’ a fragrance inspired by Sydney’s Bondi Beach… this scent melted with my own body’s aroma so well that I couldn’t get it off my mind. I spent the longest time deciding if I should invest the money and purchase this Eau De Parfum… in the end, I caved in.
Most high-end perfumes nowadays retail for $130+ for a 50ml bottle. TOCCA’s 50ml range retail for $92.
I am absolutely in love with this fragrance, it’s combination of tropical Frangipani flowers, Watermelon, Ylang Ylang (flowers of a tropical tree native to the Philippines) and Blonde Woods is so perfect that it isn’t overpowering (to where you start to get a headache) and gracefully lasts throughout the day into the night.
If you’re anything like me where you are extremely picky at choosing perfumes and are not into the super sweet scented ones either, then I highly recommend you try out some of the TOCCA fragrances for yourself as there are nine to choose from!
Spray some of the scents to various parts of your body and go on about your day and see which one of the scents best suits to your body’s natural aroma and appeals to you the most.
TOCCA’s perfume range can be found at Mecca Maxima and Mecca Cosmetica stores.
I hope you found this review helpful, as always, Happy Shopping!
Toby and Rosie Natural Skincare is an Australian company that creates organic skincare products from facials cleaners, to lip balms to soaps and bath salts and prides themselves on creating products free of parabens, sulphates, phthalates, alcohol, fragrance oils or anything else artificial.
I was gifted a few of these products from my brother and wanted to try them all out before giving you guys my honest opinions. So let's begin!
Rainforest Mist Body Scrub | $25
This scrub literally smells like some tropical island, hence its name "Rainforest Mist" body scrub... I like to use this about 2-3 days a week to exfoliate my face and body, and it leaves your face feeling super refreshed and ultra clean.
This scrub is not too abrasive for the face and doesn't leave the skin feeling dry after use (unlike other chemical drugstore branded scrubs).
It doesn't remove my blackheads but it does remove the dry patches on my face and leaves my face feeling really smooth and looks significantly nicer when I apply foundation afterwards (in other words, it preps my skin perfectly for makeup application). Also it doesn't irritate my sensitive and acne prone skin but instead calms it; reducing the redness from my acne significantly, so that's an extra plus!
Pink Salt Facial Scrub | $15
(This facial scrub is REALLY salty if you happen to taste it when you're using it, Haha)
I was really excited to try out this facial scrub out as it claims to be "an effective makeup remover".
I feel that I use less of this product to remove my makeup than I do with the QV Gentle Face Cleanser... this stuff really works and with it's 'charcoal' ingredients I feel like it removes every little bit of dirt on my face. A little does go a long way and you can get a really good lather going.
However it is a little bit drying (not as drying as the QV Gentle Face Cleanser) but not to the point where your skin hurts from all the natural oils being stripped away. Nonetheless, my face feels soft and rejuvenated in the morning.
Overall, a great product, works very well!
Yoghurt, Cucumber & Mint Soap/Bar | $8
Toby and Rosie have so many soaps and bars that I just want to try them all!
This one in particular is ideal for oily skin!
I like to use this on a daily basis as it's very gentle to my skin and (I feel like I've said this a lot but it's true) leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed.
This hasn't broken me out as it's main ingredients 'yoghurt' is naturally calming to any skin irritations or problems (i.e. active acne or eczema rashes).
There are quite a lot of soaps to choose from, one to cater to almost every skin type. So be sure to try out one that fits your skin type!
Cocoa & Lavender Body Butter | $25
This body butter definitely intrigued me... when something claims to "heal stretch marks and reduce inflammation"... I'm ALL OVER that!
As some of you know I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and when something claims to be anti-inflammatory well you bet I'll give it a go.
I definitely feel as though this does a little something something to reduce my inflammation... but the real joy of this product is how incredibly moisturising it is.
I seriously feel like applying this body butter all the time; just packing on layers and layers of it (kind of creepy, haha). But it's seriously worth getting. If there's anything I would fully recommend from the Toby and Rosie Natural Skincare line it's their Body Butters... and you get a s*** load of product too.
This tub will last you for a while; 225 grams worth of beautifully moisturised skin, with natural ingredients, for $25? That's pretty awesome!
Rose and Clay Bath Tea | $6 (Discontinued)
So this one is currently being discontinued as the creators are currently working on new products.
But this bath tea claims to exfoliate the skin, as it contains epsom salts, bicarb soda, Himalayan pink salt, ascorbic powder, kaolin and pink clay, calendula petals and rose geranium and lavender essential oils.
You basically run this (as it is) under your bath water or leave it in the bath tub and it will release all the beautiful natural ingredients for a soothing wash.
I definitely recommend checking out Toby and Rosie Natural Skincare products; if you're feeling overwhlemed with options I'd suggest picking up either a body butter and or a body scrub!
Toby and Rosie are avaiable for purchase online at: www.tobyandrosie.com.au or at Bondi Markets every Sunday.
So my dear friend just arrived back from the UK and she was kind enough to pick up a couple of products I really wanted to try from KIKO Cosmetics for the longest time, and now I can!
Water Eyeshadow in 203 & Luscious Cream Creamy Lipstick in 524
I've been itching to get my hands on a really nice grey-coloured lipstick and when I saw how beautiful this lip colour looked on Lustrelux on Youtube I just knew I needed it! (Not obsessed at all, haha)
This lipstick is very creamy and I did not expect it to be THAT bloody creamy, haha. But nonetheless, I think what makes this lipstick so pretty is the slight purple-ish undertone it has. It's just gorgeous and I can't to experiment some eye makeup looks with it!
The second product is an eyeshadow very reminiscent of the highly pigmented NARS 'Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows'. Both products can be used wet or dry and both are very pigmented, with one difference, the price point.
The NARS eyeshadows are $29 USD each! Whereas the KIKO dupe retails for $8.90 GBP (approx. $13.74 USD).
Below is a look at the two products swatched. As you can see pigmentation is impressive!
I highly recommend checking out some of the products from KIKO Cosmetics; they have a huge range of makeup products and for the quality you're getting you can't really complain.
I don't know about you guys but I haven't really heard much about Tony Moly beauty products...
The other day a friend of mine was telling me about this store at her local mall and so we decided to pay a visit. The only thing I really knew about the brand was that it was Korean and that they had a lot of skincare products.
Browsing through the store I came across a few facial cleansing tools and decided to pick up the 'Pore Cleaning Brush' because at first touch I was shocked, literally shocked at how soft this brush was!
Amazingly it was also on sale for $14.40!
This brush is so damn adorable I just want to carry it in my pocket all the time!
Anyways, I've seen a wooden version of this product online, but the Tony Moly store where I bought this brush were only stocking the pink plastic version.
After testing out this product I can safely say that I works... for me.
It's so soft that it doesn't irritate my face whatsoever, and because my skin is acne prone when I use this brush it doesn't aggravate my existing breakouts nor does it hurt when I use it over my acne spots.
Washing the brush is easy; it doesn't stain (as I have used it when removing a full face of makeup), however it does take about a day and a half to two days for the bristles to completely dry (even in a hung position).
Overall I really enjoy this brush and will be adding it to my daily skincare routine.
Let me know if you've tried this product and how it worked for you. I'd love to read your experience with it.
Thanks for stopping by and as always, happy shopping!
