Clarins Cleansing Milk

The Clarins Cleansing Milk - R265.

Now this stuff is what makes me want more and more Clarins products. I bought this on a limb because I've been looking for a cleanser that doesn't dry out my skin and milks usually do the trick without making skin overly oily. This cleanser is specifically for combination or oily skin and you do get cleansing milks for dry and normal skin so its for everyone. I really can't describe how much I love this product, its so soft on the skin and it really cleans my skin of impurities while moisturising and removing excess makeup. As you can see this contains all natural products that are good for the skin and doesn't involve harsh chemicals that could irritate the skin. It contains Bio-ecolia which preserves the skins balance, vitamins A and E which improves your skins quality over time, Gentian which tones and heals your skin with its healing properties, Iris and Hawthorn which helps decongest your skin leaving it clean and lastly Hydrophilic acids which help cleanse the skin. All good and healthy ingredients that love your skin.

The product is very thick but almost watery and silky when applied to the skin. I literally use a pea sized amount as it spreads easy and you can feel how clean your skin feels and once your skin is dry, the skin doesn't pull or feel tight in anyway. I first remove my makeup with my trusty Bioderma (how I like love that stuff!) and a cotton pad and then wet my face and apply the cleansing milk to my skin and rub it in circular motions into my skin. It gradually thickens while washing your face and neck. Its so gentle that I can use my ring finger and gently remove excess eye makeup from the eye area and it doesn't burn my eyes or irritate them in any way. I then use a "harsher" face wash afterwards (if need be) as I feel that the cleansing milk isn't really a face wash but more of a light cleanser.

I can feel and see the difference in my skin after using the cleansing milk diligently. My skin feels softer and more moisturised and I don't have dry patches like I used to get and its controlled the oil production in my skin and keeps small breakouts at bay. I wouldn't say this helps get rid of pimples or blackheads as such but it does clean the skin properly which definitely helps to prevent pimples and blackheads. I wouldn't recommend this though if you have acne prone skin and want to focus on that instead, although this does help in the long run as it keeps skin clean. This is a great cleanser if you're looking for something light that helps dry and oily skin and works great to remove excess makeup and dirt from your skin.

xxx

Links below:

Clarins

Clarins Promotion

About two weeks ago Clarins had a promotion where you buy two products, one being a lotion and one a serum or toner and you get a free bag, Eau de Jardins and two free sample products of your choice. I'm a bad beauty blogger though. I didn't even know that Clarins was running a promotion, apparently there were adverts on TV and in magazines but I didn't even know about it until I went to the Clarins stall one Saturday (I wasn't planning on buying anything either) and the sales girl told me about it... well I couldn't say no to an offer like that, now could I and the sales girl really was good. So for literally 10 minutes or longer the sales girl and I stood there discussing the different products that Clarins had to offer, what was best for my skin and what I wanted out of the products and I ended up walking out with two Daily Energizer products, a free bag, perfume and two free samples... I was happy as can be, although my bank account wasn't.

Now I love this bag, its a great size and great for piling in a few things in on the go if you're going to the beach or a day out. The Eau de Jardins perfume is a winner! It smells so good and you can smell it all day. It's supposed to uplift, refresh and captivate and let me tell you, it does all of the aforementioned but I will do a single post about that later once I know exactly how to describe it - yes its that good. The two free samples that I got was the Hand and Nail Treatment Cream and the Beauty Flash Balm. I chose the hand and nail cream for my mom because shes a sucker for hand creams and I don't really like hand creams. They leave my hands greasy and I just don't like the feel of cream on my hands - cringe. My mom says it softens your hands from the first use and it really sinks in so there's no feeling of grease on your hands. I chose the Beauty Flash Balm as I've heard so many good things about it and before going out and buying a full version I wanted to try it first. So far so good but I've only used it twice and I haven't fully formed an opinion yet so I will do a seperate post about that soon. The two Daily Energizer products are great so far and again I will do a seperate post for these two.

xxx

NYX The Runway Collection Eyeshadow

I hope all South Africans enjoyed the extra public holiday yesterday and had a well deserved long weekend but unfortunately we have to get back to reality and start our four day week... Isn't it funny how quickly you form a habit of relaxing and sleeping in late, wasn't it so hard to get out of bed this morning and not be in a bad mood? I all but fell out the bed this morning and on went the heater and kettle while dragging my feet around the house to get ready. Hardest thing I've ever done today truely but anyways I digress...

The NYX Runway Collection eyeshadow in Caviar and Bubbles - R119.95 from Clicks. What a cute name! These colours are the perfect shades for a neutral or smokey eye and come with a nice sized mirror so you can do your makeup on the go and the sleek black packaging is so pretty I could stare at it all day. They range from shimmery colours to a few matte colours and I love that you can mix two colours together to get a really awesome colour and I must say I use every colour except the black - black looks way to harsh on my eyes and makes them look sunken in which is not a great look. I use these to create a very natural barely there look or a subtle smokey eye, I really love all the neutral colours on my eyes, I'm such a sucker for neutral eyeshadows. As you can see from my swatches the last photo shows the bottom row of colours and you can see the bottom row has very pigmented colours while the top row are very subtle with a mix of shimmery and matte but still pigmented enough for a subtle but buildable look. These eyeshadows are very soft and creamy, they spread very well and last throughout the day. They give a nice healthy pop of colour and the shimmery eyeshadows aren't full of glitter, they're more of a soft shine which is great as I really don't suit overly shimmery shades. Over all this is a great palette that offers a wide range of looks and have gone onto my repurchase list.

xxx

Links below:

NYX

May Favourites

So today I'm doing my May favourites, there's not too many products that really stood out to me last month but these are definitely the winners for May and every other month. It's a real mix of all products ranging from hair to skin to nails, I love it when that happens!

Anyways my favourites for May are:

Clarins Cleansing Milk

Catrice Cosmetics Infinite Matt Makeup in 010 Light Beige

A Beauty Blender dupe (see full review here)

Avon Speed Dry+ in Vamp It Up (see full review here)

Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick

Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula (mini size)

Tip Top Protein Base Coat

I've been using the Clarins Cleansing Milk for about two months now and I can really feel a difference in my skin. It hydrates my skin but not too much that it makes it oily and it removes excess makeup and cleans your skin. My skin hasn't felt so soft and hydrated in a long time and I'll be doing a full review once I'm completed satisfied.

The Catrice Infinite Matt Makeup is the perfect shade for me. I've also been using this for about two months and I'm completely sold. It's so easy to apply and its matte so it doesn't make my t-zone shiny but its also not that matte where you skin is flaky and visibly dry, it still provides hydration. I would say this is medium coverage and is definitely buildable and I find that it covers dark circles like never before while also brightening the eye area. It covers redness and blemishes (with a little help from concealer) but it still looks natural because it allows your freckles to show through it. I find I get the best look out of it when I use my Beauty Blender dupe which has also made it to my May Favourites without hesitation. It blends foundation out so well and almost gives it a sheer, dewy effect when the sponge is damp.

The Avon Speed Dry nail polish is my favourite colour and I love that it really does dry in 30 seconds, I just wish it would last longer.

The Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick is a no brainer. These lipsticks are so soft and hydrating to your lips and provide such a nice colour on your lips.

Advance Techniques conditioner is a conditioner that I don't think I'd be able to live without anytime soon. This make the ends of my hair so soft and shiny and manageable that I can't stop playing with my hair after I wash it. And paired with the shampoo these two are a killer team.

The Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula is one that surprised me. I really don't like the smell of a chocolate cream, nor do I like smelling like chocolate, for some reason I find the smell quite nauseating. Anyways like I said this surprised me. I thought I wouldn't like it just based on the smell but I reach for it all the time because of how soft it makes my skin during these cold days and I've gotten used to the smell now. My skin is visibly smoother and I'm definitely getting a bigger sized bottle though.

The Tip Top protein base coat is my favourite. It doesn't allow coloured nail polish to stain my nails and it makes nail polish last for longer. I've worn this on its own too and it has an incredible shine too while making your nails feel stronger. Repurchase again and again.

So those are my favourites for last month and I can't wait to see what this month brings for me!

xxx

Budget Beauty: Clicks Cosmetic Sponge Spin Top

So we've all heard about the famous Beauty Blender and the mixed reviews about it in the blogger world. Personally I don't think the real Beauty Blender is worth it. Its like over R100 for a sponge, I'm not sure how they can justify that price, I think its ridiculous. A lot of people say its worth every cent and a lot of people say its a waste because they've used it once but I can't comment on that since I don't own a Beauty Blender. Whatever the comments I've found a cheaper version of the Beauty Blender and it works!

I've always used my hands to blend in my foundation because fingers can blend foundation out a lot better and you can feel the contours of your face easier then I'd use a cheap (clean!) triangular sponge and dab it everywhere to suck up extra foundation that was just sitting on my skin. I use this Cosmetic Sponge Spin Top from Clicks (R24.90) in the same way that I would use the cheap sponge because I find that this doesn't really blend in foundation properly on its own (it's only down fall) so I still use my hands and fingertips to spread the foundation over my skin and then this little pink egg of a magician steps in. Honestly this sponge just rocks my socks right off. I first wet it and then squeeze it out in a towel so that its damp and it expands a little bigger then you bounce it on your skin with the bottom side of the egg and it blends out the foundation naturally and it gives your skin a fresher look to it (don't ask me how maybe because its damp but I've tested it against my normal sponge and the normal sponge just made the foundation look flat) and the pointed side of the egg is perfect for blending the concealer under your eyes and by your nose. Also just a tip don't "wipe" your foundation with this rather bounce it even when you're blending in concealer. When you wipe it across your face you're just wiping your foundation off and bouncing it takes the excess off while blending it in.

Honestly I am SO happy with this sponge! My foundation and concealer have never looked more natural and blended. I'm in love and have abondoned foundation and concealer brushes and all my cheap sponges. It's just my hands and this pink egg now forever together... haha!

Happy Friday!
xxx

Links below:

Clicks

Budget Beauty: Catrice Prime&Fine Smoothing Refiner



The Catrice Prime and Fine range consists of this primer, an illuminating base, a highlighter, an eye primer and a translucent loose powder. This range prepares your skin for makeup and reduces the size of your pores and fines any wrinkles or lines you have. I have the highlighter and this primer. I haven't got the illuminating base product as it looked quite shimmery and I didn't want to look like a disco ball but I might try it out soon.

Anyways this primer is very soft and "fluffy-like" and it feels light on the skin. When I first put it on I was sceptical as it felt very oily on my skin but as it settles it makes your skin feel soft and moisturised, the oily feeling goes away and thankfully it doesn't make my skin break out. This is great for foundation as the foundation just glides over my skin and stays put and doesn't fade or slide over my skin during the day. I don't have very visible pores so I can't really comment on that front but it does eliminate the site of fine lines like the ones under the eye area. My concealer that I use used to settle in the lines under my eyes after a while and this primer stops that from happening. My eyeshadow doesn't crease at all anymore and it doesn't stray from my eye area. I find my blush stays on for longer too and its easier to blend when I wear this primer. It creates a moisturised, smooth base for makeup and makes all makeup stay on for longer. Even with all the makeup on you can feel your skin is softer and smoother and you can visibly see a difference in your skin as it smoothes and fines everything out.

It comes in a small jar but you literally need a little bit for all areas so this product will last for a long time and at only R54.90 a pop I think its pretty worth it for such a great product.

xxx

Links below:

Catrice Cosmetics

Catrice Multi Colour Compact Powder

Catrice Cosmetics Multi Colour Compact Powder - R44.95

The Catrice Multi Colour Compact Powder is very unique as its a blend of compact powder, bronzer and blush all in one thats not overly pigmented. I use this on my cheeks when I don't want any proper blush or bronzer and it gives a lovely bronzey, pinky but natural colour to your cheeks. It looks natural because of the pale compact powder mixed in, this one is particularly for light skin. I have used this all over my face and it stops shine but it just doesn't look right when I put it all over my face. I'm not sure what it was that made it look odd but it really didn't look at all natural. I think its best suited for a little bit of dusting here and there on my skin and is great for some slight colour to my cheeks, it may look great for some people all over their face but its just not for me. It is a great product though and I always reach for it when I'm not in the mood for heavy blush or bronzer.

xxx

Links below:

Catrice Cosmetics

Orlane Vivifying Lotion

I got this Orlane Vivifying Lotion out of a Glossybox when Glossybox was still in South Africa so this is only sample size. The Orlane Vivifying Lotion preps your skin for other treatments for your skin. It's alcohol free and is suitable for all skin types and also maintains the skin's natural pH balance. I apply this one a cotton pad and gently wipe it across my skin, its also great at removing makeup although that's not what you use this product for but still you can use it to remove makeup as its not harsh. It really tones, smoothes and cleans the skin and it leaves your skin feeling refreshed and healthy. For the record I have combination/oily skin and this doesn't make my skin too oily at all, it actually moisturises it so lightly but thoroughly, even now in winter when my skin is more dry/combination it manages to keep any dry areas at bay. This is definitely an all round product meant for all skin types and for all seasons. Best Glossybox sample ever.

xxx

Links below:

Orlane Paris

Catrice Fresh Skin Make Up

Carice Fresh Skin Make Up - R49.90

I got the Catrice Fresh Skin Make Up at the end of February. This was the first thing I tried from Catrice Cosmetics and I think this and the blush I bought really made me want to worship Catrice. It's like a tinted moisturiser and I usually wear this when I don't want to wear a lot of make up. It gives a very light coverage and it moisturises the skin. I always worry about tinted moisturisers because they tend to make my skin look really oily and it makes me break out. I decided to get this because it said "oil free" on the packaging. This is all that I've wanted in a tinted moisturiser. It moisturises the skin while not being oily and it offers a light coverage that doesn't wear off for about 6 hours which I think is good for a tinted moisturiser. I got a colour that is a bit dark for me. I got mine in 030 Honey but the good news is it gives me a bronzed look that doesn't look funny and completely mismatched, thank goodness! I think it was a really good buy and if you look at how much stuff I got from Catrice end of last month you can tell I was swayed. Also Catrice has such lovely packaging, it makes you want to buy things just for the packaging. Seriously, if you have a Catrice stall in any shops near you go take a look please!

Happy Friday everyone and I hope you have a great weekend!

xxx

Budget Beauty: Make Me Blush

Woolworths Make Me Blush Lip and Cheek Tint - Cherry Cherry R49.95

I was watching TV and I saw that Woolworths was advertising a new make up range. I didn't think much of it until I saw this baby in Woolworths when I went winter clothes shopping. For a cream blush it is quite cheap as some cream blushes range from R100 and over. rsonally I don't like the little container it comes in. I think they should have made it black instead of white but thats just me being fussy. I think the white makes it look cheap - I like cheap products that look expensive ;) It was R49.95 so I can't really ask for much I guess. It doesn't look like theres much cream blush in here anyways which is disappointing because the colour is amazing but I will say that it will last a long time as you don't need to use a lot.

What I do is rub a bit on my finger - its a wonderful creamy, soft texture - and then dab it onto my cheeks - I don't put it on my apples of my cheeks as I find the colour is too bright and harsh for my apples. I then use my kabuki brush to blend it in little circular motions. The colour doesn't come out as red as what the product looks like, it blends in to a lovely rosey, flush of colour that looks completely natural. I find myself reaching for this nearly every morning as I like the way it looks dewy on my cheeks and not powdery like powder blushes can do.

As a lip tint it does work well but you have to add a lip balm before you use this as it doesn't blend very well on your lips on its own. It gives your lips a stained cherry colour thats not too bright or light. When I bought this I only saw two colours available and that was like a coral colour and this one that I have which is Cherry Cherry. I chose my Cherry Cherry one because I knew I wouldn't use the coral colour on my lips. I'm not too sure if there are more colours available and hopefully there are because I wouldn't mind laying my hands on a pinky coloured one!

With that being said I think this product is definitely worth it and a good make from Woolworths. As always Woolworths has impressed me again!

xxx

Budget Beauty: Feeling Beautiful



Freeman Feeling Beautiful Clay Mask - R39.95 from Dischem stores



As you can see by how used this is I've had this mask for quite a while - since last year to be exact - and I'm in love with it. I got it from one of the local Dischem stores. The Freeman Feeling Beautiful Clay Mask (you can see their range of products here) has avocado and oatmeal in it and this one is more suited for oily/combination skin as it draws out all the excess oil from your pores. Generally I have oily/combination skin but in winter my skin gets very dry so I wouldn't recommend you use this in winter as it does dry your skin out and leaves it feeling tight in winter. Trust me, I know from experience!

Basically what I do is I wash my face and pat my skin dry and I apply this mask all over, even on my neck. I let it dry completely and then thoroughly wash it off. You can feel it drying on your face because you start feeling like you can't move your mouth or crease your forehead so that's a sign when you need to wash it off. It's a very thick consistency so you don't need to worry about pouring a lot into your hand as it spreads very easily and as a bonus this mask lasts for a very long time.

Once you've washed it off you can feel your skin is softer and smoother. I wouldn't say that you can visibly notice a difference (well you can in a way because you don't have those shiny bits from excess oil but I mean pimple wise I don't see a difference.) but you can feel the difference in your skins texture which is nice as make up goes on so much smoother and more evenly. It does remove oil very well and you can feel your skin is oil free and matt for about two days - which for me in summer is a big yippee! If your skin is very oily, even in winter, I would suggest putting cream on afterwards because of how tight it makes your skin. I apply this mask once a week or once every two weeks depending on my skin.

Freeman has a wide range of products, which you can see in the link I put up, and I'd definitely try all their products out and repurchase this avocado and oatmeal mask again.

Have you tried any Freeman products?

What face masks would you recommend?

xxx

Bioderma Sensibo H2O

Bioderma Sensibo H2O - R152.50

I was so happy to hear that Bioderma was in South Africa and in a local chemist of mine. My sister got it first and then told me and I just thought I had to get me some of this stuff that I've heard so many people speaking of! Anyways this stuff is just the bomb. I got mine for sensitive skin because my skin has it moments where it wants be horrible.

Bioderma removes make up like a dream. I battle to remove my eye make up especially and this stuff just does it in two swipes - so impressed! - instead of me having to constantly rub my eyes vigorously to remove make up properly. You can feel the difference in your skin because it just feels so much cleaner and softer. Now that the southern hempishere is going into winter I'd have to put cream on afterwards but in summer I can tell this won't dry out my skin.

The great thing about Bioderma is it doesn't leave you feeling like you have to wash off your make up remover. Some make up removers feel like they "sitting" on your skin. Also another great thing is that it dries out your pimples and visibly makes your skin clearer - yay!

Personally I think this is a super great product and I'll definitely repurchase it again ad again.

xxx

Essence Pure Skin Compact Powder

Happy Easter for yesterday everyone :) I hope you have all had a fab long weekend. Today I'm gonna talk about one of my recent buy's - Essence Pure Skin Compact Powder.

This powder is the colour 02 Sand. It claims to fight spots although I just don't see that happening to be very honest. With that negative bit said I have to say that this is the best compact powder I've used. Ever. When I bought it, it looked like it would suit my skin colour but it's actually a little bit too light for me but my foundation and extra goodies help me work around that.

I use this over my foundation, well depending on what foundation I am using. I especially use this over my Catrice Ultimate Moisture tinted moisturiser to stop the shine on my T-zone and nose with my kabuki brush so that it buffs my foundation as well. It makes my foundation stay on longer and give me a slightly matte finish without being overboard matte. I wouldn't use this alone as it makes skin look a bit too pale and almost ashy but over foundation it's perfect.

It's very soft to the touch, it feels like silk to be honest. I'm really glad that I bought this compact powder and I will be using it daily for any shiny bits I get during the day. I highly recommend this for anyone who has combonation to oily skin.

xxx

Know Your Face & What It's Telling You

Today I thought I should do a post about what your skin is telling you when you have breakouts. I learnt this from my dermatologist years and years back and it really helped me understand so hopefully it'll help you too. So here it goes:




Picture of Myself Describing The Areas of the Face I'll Talk About

   

• Breakouts on your forehead mean that you are stressed and that you have not had enough sleep.There isn't much you can do about stress apart from trying to relax but you do have to make sure you have enough sleep at night. You may think makeup will cover bad skin up, and it will mostly, but makeup always looks better on a healthy face! Try eight hours of sleep (depending on your routine and what you do) and cut back on the coffee so that when night time comes you feel sleepy instead of on a caffeine buzz.

• Above your brow represents your immune system. You generally get pimples above your brow before, during or after you've had the flu. Try keep your immune sysytem healthy by eating lots of veggies (sorry if I sound like your mum but your mum was right when she tried to shove veggies down your throat when you were younger!) so that you get the correct vitamins you need for beautiful skin.

• Breakouts on your forehead means overindulgence. That whole slab of chocolate you had last night will show up here. I'm not going to tell anyone not to eat chocolate, sweets or fizzy drinks because then I'd have to practice what I preach and giving up chocolate and sweets will make me go insane. However I will say eat and drink "bad things" in moderation.

• Breakouts on your cheeks show how good your lung quality is. If you smoke it's best to stop because smoking for a girl just doesn't look right and the wrinkles you get because of smoking is not worth it. If people around you smoke very heavily try move away from them because it will still effect you in the long run.

• And the last one I'm sure we've ALL had because pimples on the sides of your chin represent your hormones. So depending on which ovary is ovulating during that time of the month (when you don't want to hold your boyfriend's hand) then one side of you chin will show that. There isn't anything you can do really to stop pimples from breaking out on your chin because its your hormones controlling it but don't freak out too much about these breakout's! They only come once a month (phew...)

I hope this post helped you understand your skin and what it's telling you. Pay attention to your skin and it will tell you what you need or don't need. Please remember that pimples are hereditary (yes, you can blame your parents for this one!) and it does not necessarily mean that you have an unhealthy diet. If you've cut down on chocolate completely, you don't smoke or you eat very healthily and you still suffer with breakouts and no amount of various face washes or masks help your skin, maybe go see a dermatologist. They will pick up on the problem and help you!

Also I have to add that you HAVE to have a skin care routine. A skin care routine is highly important (even though I didn't think so at one stage). You need to make sure all your makeup has been removed by using wipes or makeup remover, cleanse your face with a good face wash (you can see my face wash here), exfoliate if you need too and always, always, always apply a moisturiser! There's nothing worse than flaky skin when you put your makeup on!

Did this post help?

What's your skin care routine and do you stick with it?

xxx

Garnier Skin Naturals Oil Control Deep Clean Face Wash

Garnier Skin Naturals is a deep clean face wash for oily skin. I have combonation skin that tends to get shiny and oily sometimes. I only use this when I feel my skin needs some attention to that shiny T-zone I suffer from at times.

Garnier Skin Naturals

This face wash is actually really quite drying on the skin and definitely not recommended in winter. If you have really oily skin I would give this a go but apply a really moisturising face cream afterwards as your skin will feel tight. When you wash your skin with this it adds a tingling sensation to your skin and it feels great because it feels like its working. I find it makes my skin really soft and it feels clean. It stops pimples but if you suffer from blackheads it might not work too well.

I have noticed an improvement in my skin from using this face wash (even though it dries out my skin a little too much - I work around that with face cream because I think it is worth it!) I will change my face wash though during winter of course.

I recommend this if you suffer from oily skin because it really does work!

Hope this post helped!

xx