SKINCARE ADDITIONS

Just a little show and tell session today, featuring the latest skincare products I have purchased. 

First up we have the Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins. I've had my eye on this one for a while, rubbing it all over my hand every time I ventured into Mecca (which is quite a lot). I'd resisted the purchase for ages because I was using up a Lancome cream I had received as part of my Elle Australia subscription (it was the Visionnaire Polishing Cream. It retails at $125, so suffice to say, I was happy to use up this product before I moved onto another!)

I'm keen to see how this Origins one stacks up. I like the texture, being between lightweight and heavy, which I think should work well with my combination skin. Plus, I've read plenty of rave reviews for this cream AND I love other Origins products, so I'm expecting good things to come.

Next is the Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Cleansing Oil. I had been tossing up between this one and the NUDE Perfect Cleansing Oil, as a new addition to my cleansing routine. It came down to Aesop simply because of millilitres to dollar ratio (the Aesop giving me double the product for the same price. Yes, I am quite stingy at times). In the form of an oil, which emulsifies when in contact with water, this product offers a nice combination of oily and milky cleansing action. I have been using this as my first cleanse, and following it with my usual balm cleanser. So far, so good. 

Finally I have a new-to-me product, which admittedly was a bit of a whim-purchase. After seeing Alix of icovetthee feature this Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner in her recent Morning Skincare Routine video, I just really liked the sound of it. I have an exfoliating toner, which I use every other day, but didn't have a gentler, everyday version in my collection. I'm hoping that this will become part of my own morning routine, after cleansing but before any serums/moisturisers/sunscreen/makeup. I don't know much about it, but have been wanting to try something from Kiehl's, so we will see how it goes.  

And just lastly, let's not forget the loveliness of samples. I DO like it when purchases come with samples, as that way I don't feel bad asking for them, and I get to try out other products in the range (which I may or may not have had my eye on already). Really, as it is quite likely that I will proceed to purchase a product featured in a sample, it makes perfect sense for all (more pricey) companies to give them out. 

ON MY FACE

Whilst I'm not too sure I'm ready to inflict the blogging world with an image of my mug (part grimace, part smirk, whole lot of awkwardness in all the photos I've tried to take!), I am keen to share the products I've used 

Today is going to be a thrilling one. Grocery shopping in the morning, some uni readings after that, and then work in the afternoon and evening. I warned you it was thrilling!

Basically I need something with a bit of longevity, as I don't really want to reapply anything before I go to work (and certainly not during!). For this, I selected the new Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream, as unlike my other more liquidly, slippy foundations, this has a dryer, more mattifying feel to it. And with shiny (oily) skin like mine, matte is sometimes good. 

A touch of reflective concealer under the eyes is provided by Mabelline Dream Lumi Touch. This is a recent acquisition, purchased in a hope to replace a lost Clinique version, at a much reduced price. 

A little glow from Topshop Glow to the high points, and finishing off the base with a light sweep of pressed powder, to keep everything in place. 

The eyes were kept simple with a sweep of both the lightest and middle shades from the Topshop palette, along with a coat of Full 'N Soft mascara (my preference for everyday, in waterproof too, as it keeps the curl and prevents panda eyes). 

On the cheeks is this blush by Physician's Formula. I have to admit that I am not a fan of the packaging (love hearts?!) but it DOES give a lovely glowy, pinky sweep of colour to the cheeks, which I like a lot. 

And finally, some lip balm and a bit of pinky colour, provided by this Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter.

TOPSHOP SLAP

There are currently only four Topshop stores in all of Australia, but luckily I live within 5km of one of them! If I am being perfectly honest, I really don't buy that much clothing from Topshop, but I do always find myself browsing and almost buying, so that counts, right?

So apart from a breton style top from the maternity section (the perfect amount of baggy-ness) and some fabulous dungarees (oh yes, you heard right), the majority of my purchases have been from the make-up stand.

The most recent of these is a Gloss Ink lip product in the colour Sloe Gin. Good name, great colour, impressive staining power! This is my kind of lip product, as I always find myself rubbing and smudging in my lipstick, to achieve the perfect 'lived-in' look. Because of the staining abilities of this product, it achieves the desired 'rough and ready' look I am usually going for, whilst giving a really bold colour payoff too. This shade is certainly going to be a staple for autumn and winter, as whilst it is deep, it has a vibrancy to it which really pops.

This trio of eyeshadows ("Orion") was a bit of a rash purchase. I think I was most drawn to the middle  metalicy taupey bronzey shade (any suggestions on what this shade actually is?!). So when I finally had a proper play with all three shades later on, I was happy to see that I liked them all. Admittedly, it has to be said that these do tend to look a little different on compared to in the pan, but I really think that comes down to their shimmer content. But I think that is why I like them. I tend to use them more as a wash of colour, either on their own, for a light and glimmery day look, or as a final shimmery layer over a more pigmented base.

The final in this feature is the lovely highlighter Glow. This colour 'Polished' is such a lovely combination of silver pink and gold, that it really is suitable for a multitude of looks. If you look carefully in the above picture, my thumb is slightly more glowy than the rest of my hand, which just highlights how lovely and subtle this product really is. You can tone it down even more, as I did with my makeup today, by mixing it with a little of your foundation, and applying it to the high points (top of cheeks, bridge of nose, cupid's bow). 

So all in all, three rather nice products! I highly recommend you go swatch, play and maybe even buy for yourself!

BLOGLOVIN'

AESOP IS THE SHIT

And by "the shit" I obviously mean "fabulous".

I thought I'd start my new baby blog off with a product review. Because I am a poor uni student (who is also saving for a Europe trip this coming June...so maybe not so poor?), I figured that the best place to start was with tried and tested, close to my heart, products. 

I started off my Aesop collection with the Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum, as I was after some liquidy goodness, which wasn't an out-right oil. Yep, I just don't do oil serums. I love an oil based product to get my make-up off and to cleanse my face, but as I tend to wipe most of it off with a muslin cloth, I don't experience that oil-sitting-on-top-of-you-skin feeling. I know Rosehip oil is fabulous for your skin, but I personally prefer a less oily serum. 

But back to Aesop... After popping into my local store and grabbing some samples of various serums and oils, this one came up trumps. It is light and it soaks into my skin well. Initially there can be a bit of stickiness, but I don't see that as an issue, as I am usually layering a face-cream on top of it, so I feel like the moisturiser has something to stick to.  

This product is apparently designed for sensitive skin (which I definitely have). My skin tends to turn red at anything, so whilst I do turn a bit pink on application of this, all quickly settles down, without inflammation or long term redness. 

Overall, I find this to be a very good daily serum. It is chock-full of anti-oxidants (more so than my tea and biscuit filled diet) and I use it most nights, after cleansing and before moisturising (I use Hydraluron in the mornings). At $69 (AUD) per bottle (100ml), it isn't cheap, but then again, it isn't the most expensive thing out there. Besides, I've had this bottle for months, and after daily use I still haven't reached half way. 

As for the Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque, well, that is fabulous too. I hadn't used a good clay masque is ages, so when my kindly friends gave this to my for my birthday in January, I was well pleased. As you can see, it has been loved. 

The instructions say to use twice-weekly, but lately I've been a little slap-happy with this beauty. Either applied all over the face or just in the areas which have been experiencing little break outs and bumps (chin and forehead), this masque dries nicely, without really setting hard, so I tend to leave it for around 15-20 minutes (usually spending that time watching beauty videos on the 'Tube). Once washed away, my skin feels nice and deeply cleaned, but without feeling tight or moisture-less. 

The price for the masque is $39. I really don't think Aesop prices are too bad. Sure, you pay for the LOVELY packaging, but considering it is made in Australia (sadly very little is anymore) and is full of natural good ingredients, it is worth it. Plus, Aesop are great with the samples, so I always feel like I come away with more stuff to try (but with no pressure to buy). Win-win!

Both products are definitely staples in my skin care routine, and I feel that they will be so for years to come.