Skincare On The Go

My toiletries and makeup bag/s when I travel most definitely take up at least a quarter of my suitcase weight. For reals. A slight problem when travelling on smaller airlines and they have strict limits cos this gal apparently likes to bring the kitchen sink. 

It seems this trip in particular, I maybe brought more than I needed. More so for makeup- skincare I think I have used everything at least once but I probably could've contained things slightly better. Note to self- buy smaller products and restrict yourself even more. 

One thing I do always do is only bring one main cleanser- at home I alternate morning and evening because I like to use something less harsh in the mornings as I'm only washing off the products from the night before. For the last two trips I've chosen- The Body Shop's Seaweed Cleanser. Amazing for taking off any remaining makeup that's left after my cleansing oil and leaves my skin feeling nice and fresh. I've brought this on the past two trips now as my do it all cleanser but I have a feeling that using it both morning and night does dry my skin out a tad.

Step one in the evening routine comes from The Body Shop's Camomile Oil Cleanser; it removes the majority of my makeup and I feel gives my skin a good clean. One problem I have with this is that it leaks ev-er-ywhere. Last time I transferred it to a smaller bottle and that didn't work so this time I brought it in the original packaging, in a snap lock sandwich bag, locked the pump lid and still it manages to escape. So just be aware if you plan to travel with this one. 

A staple at home and on the go has to be Lush's Tea Tree Water, a spray toner that I have spoken about many a time before so won't bore you again. 

I have two newer additions to the evening regime, the first being Antipdoes Kiwi Seed Eye Cream. As with a lot eye creams, you can't tell if it's doing it's job at this stage, it's more of a preventative measure. Although I do think I have noticed a reduction in the colour of my under eye circles. 

The second product being Sunday Riley's Artemis Facial Oil. This was a purchase made semi out of desperation but boy am I glad I did. If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my palava with trying to find Sunday Riley's Good Genes after I ran out; it was sold out nationally in Mecca stores. FML was my immediate reaction. So I went home, did some research, found it would cost me my organs to buy one from overseas so researched alternatives and came across old mate, Artemis. This is slightly pricier than GG which I already had a little gasp at but as I said, desperado situation. This is lasting me a lot better than GG did as an oil will always go further than a cream product. A couple of drops in the evening does me well and I have noticed an improvement in my skin. Think I'll do a full post on this so I'll spare you the details for now. 

Origins Super Spot Remover in collaboration with Mario Badescu's Buffering Lotion- again both products I've sung the praises of entire so I won't go into detail. Probably didn't need to bring Mario as well though. 

Flying, transporting, travelling and the elements aren't always kind to your skin, especially your lips so to combat that I brought a deluxe sample of By Terry's Baume de Rose. A cult favourite and I get why. Not usually a fan of Rose scented products but this isn't too strong so I'm not bothered. Does a lovely job and that's all I really have to say I think. 

Moisturisation station- evenings started with Kiehl's Oil Free Ultra Facial Cream, which I finished off the remains in just over a week and I liked it but not sure I'd say I loved it. I think I preferred the original cream formula. So we've moved onto the cult classic, Embryolisse which I purchased in Paris. It feels very nourishing and hasn't got any strong fragrance as it's suitable for sensitive skins. 

Morning routine starts with a cleanse and then I move to two old pals from La Roche Posay- Effaclar Duo and then moisturise with Effaclar Matte. Pretty sure I've written about both of these before; I've repurchased both god only knows how many times and love what both do for my skin. 

Sneaky extras included Aesop's Parsley Seed Masque, a pre-holiday I feel I need you in my life purchase and boy am I glad I did. I used this 1-3 times a week on the trip and I think it definitely did wonders. Another one I'll go into more depth on in an individual post.

Last but not least, Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. This for me is actually an oboard essential so stays in my handbag as it's great to use as a moisturiser mid-flight or after cleansing at the airport if you're so inclined. Works wonders for tired and dry skin as an overnight mask as intended as well. 

Apologies for the seriously long post! I hope it didn't bore you too much if you made it to the end and feel free to comment with your travel skincare essentials. 

GlamGlow Powermud Mask

I've raved about the GlamGlow SuperMud Mask before and now comes their more recent addition to the face mask range- PowerMud. A mud to oil formula, this mask was something very different to anything I'd tried before and was very intriguing. I saw Nicole Guerriero mention this in one of her videos months ago and had been waiting for it to reach our shelves since. One fateful evening visit to MeccaCosmetica after work and it had arrived! It was on their 'New In' shelves and not long after, it was in my bathroom cabinet. I did want to wait to finish a few other masks I had on rotation because at the price point that this mask is, I didn't want it sitting unloved and unused in my cabinet.

PowerMud as I mentioned, is a mud to oil formula so because of its' description I didn't expect it would dry fully on my face but it does; I applied a thing layer all over my face and within 5-10 minutes it was almost fully dry. With a very pleasant pear scent, I left it to work its magic for 15-20 minutes then instead of removing it with a  face washer or cloth, you use warm water and circular motions to wash the mask off. When you do this you feel the mask turn to an oily feel which I think is meant to further penetrate the skin.

PowerMud is described as a dual cleanse treatment as it's meant to deep clean your skin from weekly buildup of makeup, dirt, pollution etc  that gets trapped in your pores. It's designed for all skin types and both men and women. For this reason I like to use this mask on Sunday evenings as my weekly prep to cleanse my skin from the week before and prepare it for the week ahead. I do generally apply at least one mask mid-week as well and I tend to go for something more clarifying.

In terms of comparison with the SuperMud mask, they are quite different; SuperMud is more of a traditional clay mask in my opinion, the way you can see it working on your pores and problem areas makes it more obvious that it's penetrating your skin. Whereas with PowerMud, I think the results are more subtle and long-term. It's meant to cleanse from weekly build up and my skin definitely feels soft and smooth afterwards but I'm not sure it does as much for treating any active breakouts and spots that I might have at the time.

Both are different and work on different issues, I don't prefer one or the other I would recommend either SuperMud or PowerMud depending on your skin concerns. Both are available from MeccaCosmetica and MeccaMaxima in Australia.

The Empties #2 | Skincare

This surprisingly is the larger portion of this empties series. As I said in my Empties #1 post which covered haircare and beauty, I have been stashing these products for well over a month and as well as this I have been making a conscious effort to finish those last few drops of products that I've pushed to the back of the drawers and using up samples and things like that. So here we have the skincare selection, some of these products I loved and have repurchased already, some were ok and some are necessities of life.

Like the last post, I'll do my best not to ramble and give you ridiculously long rambles and make things as succinct as I can!

Lush Fresh Face Masks in Catastrophe Cosmetic & The Sacred Truth: I've paired the two together because both worked well but Sacred Truth was actually for my Mum and it is catered more to mature skin if I'm not wrong. Catastrophe Cosmetic on the other hand worked absolute wonders for my pores and I saw a visible difference immediately after using this mask. Can't rave enough- love!

Lush Tea Tree Water: A toner I use in my evening routine, aimed at oily/combination spot-prone skin. There is debate over whether toner is actually necessary but I like it, I use one morning and evening and find this one is especially great after I've applied a face mask to just spritz over the skin, make everything feel super fresh and close up those pores again! This has already been repurchased and I see it being a staple in the bathroom cabinet for a while.

Indeed Laboratories Pepta-Bright: A serum that targets pigmentation and skin clarity and I did feel that this made a visible difference to the appearance of my skin. I applied it both morning and evening and once I got over the smell, I really liked it. It restores luminosity, targets dark spots, pigmentation, aids with hydration and just generally evens out skin tone. I have a few other similar products in my stash to get through but I would repurchase this in the future.

The Body Shop Seaweed Cleanser: The Seaweed range is one that I'm familiar with and have used years ago. It targets oily, blemish prone skin so it's right up my alley. After making my way through a fair amount of cleansers that I found just ok, I returned to the Body Shop's Seaweed range and thought I'd try the cleanser for my evening routine. Boy, am I glad I did. It's now my go-to, it removes the remainder of my makeup (after a cleansing water) like a dream, doesn't leave my skin feeling tight and uncomfortable and I think has helped with the recent improvement to it's overall appearance.

The Body Shop Nutriganics Drops of Youth Serum:  A sample I was given at their Summer beauty launch and a product that my mum actually purchased the full size of, I thought I'd give this sample a whirl in between my usual evening serums/oils. I applied this onto freshly cleansed skin and it sank it nicely and left my skin feeling hydrated. Only used it for 2-3 evenings until the sachet was caput but I did like how it felt. Might 'borrow' this from my mum from time to time..

GlamGlow SuperMud Face Mask: A purchase for when you're #feelingspendy, the SuperMud mask is unlike any other mask I've used before. This has well and truly done the rounds in the beautysphere so I'm sure you've seen how it works. Claimed to be used by Hollywood starlets, this mask draws out impurities in front of your eyes. You can see it focusing on blackheads, pesky spots and the like as it dries darker in those areas. When you rinse it off you can see an immediate difference and it always left my skin feeling smooth and clean. I've moved onto the newer PowerMud at the moment but I'm certain I will repurchase this in the future!

Garnier Micellar Water: Bioderma's more affordable and previously more readily available sister. Could I call her a twin? I think I could. I don't find enough difference between the two to always warrant paying double or triple the price for Bioderma. This does a great job of removing my face and eye makeup but I do always double cleanse with a liquid cleanser to ensure every single trace of makeup is gone.

Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve: As someone who is a little OCD about washing their hands, things can occasionally get a little dry. I am generally a big fan of the L'Occitane hand creams and have always loved those but a peruse through the David Jones beauty hall lead me to Kiehl's. I felt that I needed something even stronger for the evenings and this well and truly hit the mark. It is quite thick so I wouldn't recommend it for during the day as a lot of people can find that uncomfortable but for before bed, this is a dream! Fixed up my hands within a few days.

Origins Super Spot Remover: If you're victim to a pesky spot or two then you need this in your life. I have gone through a large number of these over the years and I love it. It dries up spots quickly without drying out the surrounding skin too much. This bottle may look small but that goes along with the fact that you don't need a lot at all, just the tiniest amount applied with a clean finger overnight or even during the day if you fancy and you'll notice a big difference within hours.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion: May as well stay on topic while we're talking spotty pals. A serious cult product, the Drying Lotion is amazing for those more stubborn spots like whiteheads or cystic pimples. You know the ones that just seem to want to camp out on your face for the next trillion years.. yeah those. Apply this with a clean cotton tip, leave on overnight and you may not see immediate results but over time (even just a couple of days) trust me, you will.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair: A sample that somehow made its way into my drawers but I have tried this a couple of times now. It gets raving reviews from beauty bloggers, vloggers and professionals and I do always like it when I use it. Underneath moisturiser, it feels like it's doing a good job of keeping my skin hydrated, improving texture and appearance. Only thing that's held me back from buying full size is the price and I've already had similar type products in my stash like the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate.

Skinstitut Laser Aid: Not sure if this is TMI for some people but yep, I get laser hair removal. I haven't mentioned it on the blog before, not for any reason I guess there just hasn't been an appropriate post. I go to Laser Clinics Australia and have been for I think 18+months now. I can honestly recommend it and there is definitely a huge difference. I'm not at the point where I feel I can stop going completely but I do go quite irregularly now and more just when I feel the need to. If you're interested I would say wait until they have a sale on (which is a lot of the time) and buy a few sessions in one go. Feel free to ask any questions but I'm definitely no expert!

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat: This brand seriously made the rounds on YouTube I would say maybe 2-3 years ago and lucky for me and I happened to be travelling to France around then. I stocked up on the cult products that people had been raving about and haven't looked back since. Effaclar Mat is a more recent addition to the stash but this is probably one of the first moisturisers I've felt actually mattified my skin and kept oils at bay. I only use this during the day and generally only in the warmer months as I like to use something a bit more hydrating in winter and also don't mind as much sheen. This is fantastic and affordable- win win!

NUDE Skincare ProGenius Treatment Oil: A sample from MeccaCosmetica either with an online purchase or Beautyloop box, this sat in my backups/new products drawer for a while but when I ran out of my beloved Kiehl's Midnight Recovery, I reached for this. A pretty decent sized sample first off and I did feel like it did a good job for my skin. Didn't irritate, left my skin feeling nourished and was a good temporary addition to my evening routine. Definitely would consider purchasing in the future.

Blurred Lines

Pores. The bane of most womens' existence unless you've been blessed by the angels with perfect skin that is. However, to aid those of us who need a little blurring assistance, beauty companies have launched an abundance of 'blurring' primers to fill pores, blur imperfections and prep your skin for a flawless base. This is a big task for one little product and some have been able to fill the task for my skin and others have given it a good go but have just underperformed.

I've tried a mix of affordable and high end primers that claim to blur imperfections and any fine lines. Here are my brief thoughts on those that I have tried, keeping in mind I do have combination skin and I am quite conscious of the pores next to and on my nose. Ain't nobody got time for foundation sinking into those crevasses on your face and looking like a hot mess!

Ps. Yes I also cringed at the title of this post but I just had to do it. #sorrynotsorry 

The Good:

Hourglass. I swear if I paid myself every time I wrote about this little gem I'd be a squilionaire. However, to avoid boring anyone that's read any of my previous posts I won't repeat myself. It's fabby fab fab. Go to Mecca or your equivalent (Sephora, Space NK etc) and get a tester or just try it on your hand and introduce yourself. Get acquainted quickly because the love affair will be intense. FYI this is bottle number two if you were thinking this looks a little too fresh.

Benefit Porefessional- Again a product I feel needs little introduction but I like to use this in conjunction with my Hourglass Veil as that does more for general smoothing then Porefessional swoops in and fills in any pores and creates the base I wish I had. Does great things for maintaining oil as well but I prefer to just use this on my nose and the areas beside it.

Body Shop Instablur- I bought this one on a bit of a whim; I was perusing the site for new body products and Instablur was being advertised on the home page at the time- obviously as it was newly released. I hadn't heard much about it at all so I did a quick google and read maybe one or two reviews and thought I'd try it out, why not?! At the time I bought it, it was $28.95 which is still half the price of Porefessional but now they've lowered their prices, it's only $21.95- a steal! This product does wonders for mattifying, pore filling and general smoothing of my base. I also find it works perfectly with Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet whereas that + Hourglass Veil is not such a good time. Once again I recommend heading into a Body Shop store and trying this out on your hand, it will look instantly better! Plus they advertise this as an Instagram filter for your face. You don't have to tell me twice! Now that the product has been out a few more months and they've done PR for it, I've seen a lot more positive reviews from beauty bloggers worldwide if you want to know more.

The not as Good:

L'Oreal Magic Blur-  I actually squealed a little when I saw this finally hit the shelves in Priceline. Bloggers in the US had been raving about this product for months and months before we even saw a glimpse of the range. However, it must be different. For starters our packaging is very different and from what I can tell from videos and photos, so is the consistency and texture. I found this was ok in terms of smoothing pores but did absolutely nothing for controlling oil, maybe even made this look a little worse..

Innoxa Skin Perfecting Pore Vanishing Cream- Why you got such a long name for?? I made this purchase on hearing it was a great drugstore alternative to Porefessional which I already owned so more wanted to do a comparison. From memory this is like a third of the price of Porefessional so would be a great more affordable option. It is slightly thinner than Porefessional, still skin toned and does an ok job of filling in pores but like the L'Oreal, I feel it did more bad than good for controlling oil in my T-Zone.

I'm not saying either of those products are horrendous, they're just not as good and therefore don't get reached for as much. Which are your favourite 'blurring primers'? Have you tried any of these?

The Luxury Face Mask

GlamGlow is a high-end face mask brand that gets quite a bit of hype on social media and YouTube but at quite a high price point, I was a little hesitant to take the plunge but then I had a yolo/feeling spendy moment and thought really, if this can improve my skin then it is worth the pennies! I bought  Super Mud months ago from MeccaCosmetica but it was one of those things that I didn't want to use  because it's an expensive product. Anyone else have that logic?! It's ridiculous I know, and it's why things can sometimes go to waste in my collection. (I'm working on it I swear!) Another reason I hadn't opened it yet was because I had so many masks already open and on the go so I didn't really want to add the collection hence I waited to finish a few of them.

not the most appealing looking product

GlamGlow's time to shine finally came last week and boy, did it shine! I came home from a long day at work and was feeling a mask so I double cleansed and removed all my makeup and opened the little pot of muddy goodness. For $70+ the size of the pot looks ridiculously small but they say you'll get 17 uses for full-face or over 100 uses as a spot treatment. From this I took the less is more approach and just put a thin layer all over my face; as I've seen in reviews and on YouTube it dries to a light grey on the majority of your face and in the spots that it's targeting more deeply it stays a darker colour. Hard to explain but if you've used it you'll probably understand or even if you've seen photos. I think it recommends to leave the mask on for 15-20 mins and I probably was closer to the 20-25 minute mark by the end, I just got a bit distracted. As it is a clay mask it dries quite stiff so don't put this on before you want to eat or have some serious discussions or laugh or really make any facial expression 'cos it won't be happening. I used a face washer (flannel) and warm water to remove it which was super easy and I could honestly see a big improvement in the redness of my breakouts and skin in general and once dried it felt super smooth. It calmed my skin but also brought some icky bits to the surface so improved overall clarity.

A couple of minutes after application

The next night (or night after) I used it as a spot treatment on my more deep/blind spots which I probably left on for 10-15mins and they definitely felt reduced afterwards. Since putting a photo up on Instagram I've been told that the Super Mud is no longer sold in Australia due to some ingredient that it contains.. slightly worrying but I guess it must just be Australian regulation because it's still readily available overseas and online if you're interested. If anyone knows more on that please feel free to inform me! Now that I'm convinced of it's magic I'm very eager to try more from GlamGlow especially Thirsty Mud and their newest addition, Power Mud- a dual cleanse treatment that turns to oil and is apparently great for heavy makeup users like myself who for the most part wears foundation on the daily. GlamGlow if you're listening (or MeccaCosmetica for that matter) please bring more of your range to Australia!

Review | L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil

You may have seen me mention L'Occitane on here before or definitely on my instagram. They just get it right when it comes to bodycare in my book. I'm especially a big fan of their hand moisturisers which I always have in my handbag because they come in the perfect size, absorb quickly, are available in beautiful scents and leave my hands feeling nice and nourished. The brand originated in Provence, South of France which is where my Grandma lives so I always love using their products because it makes me think of her, the beautiful fields of lavender and sunflowers and the picturesque countryside.

For Christmas last year I was generously given a large gift set of L'Occitane's Amande range, none of which I had tried before. Someone please tell me where I have been and why I haven't tried anything from it before?! It came with one of the hand moisturisers that I mentioned before which went straight to the handbag, finished it too quickly and I even managed to convert a moisturiser-hater to these because they don't leave your hands feeling greasy or icky but rather fresh and fab smelling. Another goody that came in the gift set was the shower oil which I've definitely seen on the beautysphere- be it Instagram, YouTube or blogs, I'm positive I've seen this quite a bit. Thing is that it is a bit pricey so I don't think I would've really be inclined to spend that much myself on a body wash but now that I've been exposed, nothing else will ever do. Spoiler alert: this stuff is the bomb.com. I use it together with  my Body Shop exfoliating body polisher  which is a nylon towel that can be washed so it's great for daily use. Two pumps of the oil onto the towel, it'll lather up a little and you will hear the angels sing. It not only smells absolutely divine but it leaves your skin feeling like nothing I've ever used in the shower. Admittedly this is my first shower oil but I've used similar products and a few in-shower moisturisers but no, they do not hold a candle to this lil beauty. Your skin feels nourished and hydrated and no surprise, it smells fab; I don't find the scent lingers too long throughout the day on my skin but could just be me or maybe I just can't smell it on myself. 

What they say: A customer favourite. Transforms into a lavish, softening foam--original and unique in texture--that leaves a satin-like softness all over the body. Rich in almond oil and nourishing lipids. Cleanses gently to impart a delectable perfume. Keep handy in bath or shower as an extra-pampering alternative to Shea Butter Soap and our fragrance soaps.

What I say: As I said, I don't see myself using anything else for a good while because this just is an amazing product. They say you can also use it as a shaving base so I'll give that a go as well. The fact that this gives my skin added moisture than a standard body wash and cuts down on steps for me in the morning, I am more than keen for. Also as an award winner, you can't go wrong! 

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil is priced from $36

Review | Nuxe Dry Oil

Nuxe is a French pharmacy brand that I discovered a few years ago, probably around the same time as La Roche Posay. The brand is very Eco-friendly and base their products in natural origin cosmetology which gets my immediate thumbs up. In the past I've used their eye cream, skincare and I'm currently using one of their facial moisturisers but this post is more focused on their Dry Oil (Huile Prodigeuse) a multitasking product that comes with and without shimmer- I have with. It is said to be used to nourish, repair and soften your face, body and hair in one single step. Winner of many beauty awards and recipient of much Internet rave and review I had to give it a go. I bought this bottle from Escentual during one of their 1/3 off French pharmacy brand sales but I did spot it in Priceline the other day as more of their stores are stocking Nuxe and other French pharmacy brands.

It has a fresh sort of floral scent which is quite strong if you're not a big fan of scented products. I like to use this on my arms and legs and it leaves my skin moisturised and only slightly shimmery which is nice especially for the evenings. I have been brave enough to use this in my hair but when it was almost due for a wash and I'm glad I did because I didn't really understand how an oil of this consistency wouldn't make your hair look greasy even through the ends. In saying that I absolutely love it for my body, it is a dry oil so it absorbs into nothing and feels matte if that makes any sense whatsoever.. 

It's something different than I've ever used before in terms of it being a dry oil and I always love a good multitasking product!

The shimmer is very subtle so there's no danger of hitting the sunshine and suddenly looking like a disco ball! It just leaves your skin looking healthy, hydrated and lightly fragranced. 

Winter Skin Saviours

With winter creeping up on us there are a few products that I like to have on hand to avoid things getting dry and all sorts of unappealing. Dry skin and chapped lips are probably one of the most dreaded things about Winter for me so with the help of these few bits I plan on avoiding it as much as I can! It's all about the prep and maintenance in my books so here's what I keep on hand for the chillier months.

Moisturise and repeat! The key in Winter for body, face and hair so for this I turn to Aesop's Body Balm for a fabulous all over moisturiser that smells amazing, absorbs quickly and moisturises deeply. A bedside table essential is L'Occitane's Dry Skin Hand Cream which I find a bit too thick for during the day but perfect for overnight. If things are looking quite dehydrated, try putting some cotton gloves on once you've moisturised to let it sink in even deeper and work twice as hard while you sleep. For super dry patches on my face or body I turn to Vitamin E cream, a fantastic natural option and a multitasking product which I use for dry patches around my nose when I'm sick, on my elbows and just anywhere that needs a surge of moisture. 

A newish duo to the routine is a match made in heaven from Kiehl's- their Midnight Recovery Concentrate and Ultra Facial Cream. If you follow me on Instagram you would've already read my praise for these two but together they have made such a difference to my skin in recent weeks. As a gal with combination skin I've always been a bit weary of using heavy moisturisers especially for the daytime but my skin has just been calling for it but even though this is quite a thick and intense moisturiser I've been wearing it during the day under foundation and it hasn't mixed badly with my makeup at all. Long term I don't think ill use this day and night but it was just what the doctor ordered in the past few weeks and I will continue to use it together with the Midnight Concentrate in my evening routine. 

Last but not least, how could I discuss my skin saviours and not mention Lush Lip Scrubs! Whatever season this stuff is the bomb.com and I really don't know what I did before I used this. I've gone through one pot in no time and I now keep it on my bathroom shelf to remind myself to use it more regularly. Perfect prep for a bold lip and just smoothing out your lips in general really. 

I'm now feeling skincare prepared for the chilly months ahead and hopefully things won't go scaly and icky. (Mmm what a lovely visual!) 

A Few March Favourites

Can't believe we're in April already, this year seems to be speeding by which is both worrying and exciting because the end of the year has more exciting things for me to look forward to! Thought I'd share with you a few of my favourites that I've been enjoying not only throughout March but this year to date as I haven't done a 'favourites' post as such yet. I do often post my thoughts and mini reviews on my instagram (@beautylocale) if you prefer more tidbits and brief reviews/thoughts on products I've been using.

To prevent this post from being thousands of words long, I'll just give a short-ish review and try to make my thoughts succinct. Yeah good luck Millie, aka Queen of Rambling..

Alrighty first up I'll talk about the newest addition to L'Oreal's base range- Nude Magique which is a recent launch for us Aussies but I'm pretty sure was launched maybe even last year for the Northern Hemisphere. This is definitely receiving mixed reviews from what I've seen but I'm really enjoying it so far. I find it hard to get a foundation that I love, doesn't break me out/irritate my skin, is a good match and lastly doesn't make my skin extra oily. This is described as a liquid to powder formula which I've definitely found. It is a very watery consistency but when applied does turn to a more powdery finish but not cakey-powdery. I have shade #120 Pure Ivory which is the lightest shade in the range and a pretty good match for me. (For reference I'm a MAC NC 15-20). This has pretty good lasting power, doesn't break up too badly throughout the day and *touch wood* hasn't reacted with my skin.

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. *Insert heart-eyed emoji* Honestly I wish I could make that face in real life because everything would be communicated so much more easily. I was excited that they brought out a trio palette so I could get a taster for these powders as individually I think they run for around $62 and the palette came in at just over $100 from memory.. Absolutely love Dim Light for giving my skin that diffused look and evens out texture beautifully. Incandescent Light is a beautiful highlight shade for more evening type looks on the high points of the face without shining like a disco ball. Again from Hourglass is their most recent release- the Ambient Lighting Blush which I have in Dim Infusion, a beautiful coral with lighter tones marbled through it. No exaggeration I think I've worn this 99% of the days since I purchased it and I was not disappointed. Again there's a lot of mixed reviews on these I think mostly because of the huge hype that was created and so therefore I guess people have high hopes but I for one, am in love and want more. Oh dear.

Mario Basdescu Drying Lotion; I have heard so much about this product on YouTube and the like but since I found my holy grail Origins Spot Remover, I didn't think I needed it. I was wrong. I find this is really good for spots that I can feel lurking under the surface waiting to pounce whereas the Origins one I like more for spots that have already surfaced that need drying out. I like to apply the Drying Lotion to any spots or whiteheads that need aren't necessarily visible but I can feel and know will eventually come out. Anyway gross talk over, the stuff is good and very effective.

My Inglot Freedom Palette that I put together at the Bondi Junction store in Sydney at the end of last year. I wanted something that if necessary, I could throw in my bag and would have everything I need to do my makeup on the go. More and more I was finding myself having to do my makeup on the train, well at least my mascara if i had to run out the door. Now I have learnt to better manage my time but I still reach for this palette almost every day for an easy 'everyday' eye for work. The colours are all neutral, so right up my alley and I find they complement my eyes nicely. The quality is definitely comparable to that of MAC and Urban Decay and these run for around $10 each plus the palette but still well under the price point of MAC in Australia.

This past month I've really been loving lipgloss for everyday, especially at work I do a lot of talking so I find lipglosses to be a bit more hydrating and comfortable for a long day. No surprise, like every other beauty junkie I've been in love with the NYX Butter Glosses. I have a few shades, love them all and everything about them. In the past I've really not been into lipgloss much (Check out my lipstick tag, I wrote more on this) mostly because of the tacky feel and that overly glossy look it's just not for me but these have absolutely changed my mind. They feel really nice on the lips, very smooth not gritty and not tacky my lips definitely don't get stuck together when I'm wearing these. Continuing on the lipgloss chat, during Priceline's 40% off sale I picked up one of the new Maybelline ColourSensational High Shine gloss in 110- Mirrored Mauve. At first I wasn't sure about the smell but it's grown on me and now I'm just trying to figure out what it actually reminds me of.. definitely something sweet I'm thinking a soft drink or lolly but every time I wear it I'm still trying to pinpoint what it is!

I've also been really conscious of my hair looking a bit dry in recent months so I bought the L'Oreal EverCreme Deep Nourishing Masque to go with my shampoo and conditioner because I knew I loved those already and this is no different. I use this at least once a week depending on how many times I wash my hair and just leave it on for a few minutes after shampooing, rinse it out and that's it. It doesn't take 10-15 minutes like a lot of others do which is one of the reasons I love it so much. I can honestly tell a big difference in my hair, it's less frizzy and feels a lot softer.

Last of all is a perfume I've been loving which is YSL's Manifesto. I bought this for my mum last year when I was in Europe because she'd asked me to but there was no tester when I bought it so I just went on her word. Obviously I didn't open it before I gave it to her so had no idea what it smelt like but then everyday she wore it I was like I need that it smells sooo good! So, I put it on my Christmas wishlist and I was lucky enough to be given it. I just got a 30mL size becauseI had wanted to keep it in my handbag but the bottle is quite heavy and I didn't want to forget about it. I'm almost halfway through already, which considering how many perfumes I have on rotation at the moment is pretty impressive and a sure sign that I love it. It's top notes are bergamot and green notes with base notes of sambac jasmine, sensual woods and vanilla. That is probably quite useless sorry.. I just took it from the YSL website. If you're in a department store I advise you to go and give it a sniff!

A few little extras I'll throw in are some albums I've had on repeat on my ipod, in my car and on my laptop so I think I like them a little bit.. Beyonce's self titled album is amazing, I'm definitely not the first one to say it so I won't ramble on about it. Also, Pharrell's new album GIRL which I bought the other week off iTunes and I really like the whole album. It's quite different from the single 'Happy' which is the only song that's been released. There's cameos from Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys and I've just really been enjoying it.

There are so many more but I won't keep rambling for now, I'll just reserve my thoughts for later down the track..

Regular posts on Instagram- @beautylocale

Korres | Sage & Salicylic Acid Cleansing Gel

From a young age, my parents always drilled into me the importance of protecting and caring for your skin especially from the sun (not that I always took note) but also a good skincare routine when I entered the glorious teenage years and was immediately hit with problematic skin. I think my Mum had similar issues and problem areas when she was my age so she always emphasised the importance of taking good care of your skin and having a routine. Alas, even as a youngin I was cleansing morning and night, moisturising and dabbing tea tree oil on those pesky spots. Now that I fund my own beauty habit, I've dabbled in a range of skincare and definitely see the importance of using the right products for your skin type and also spending a bit extra to get more worthwhile and when possible, natural products. Don't get me wrong, a cheap bottle of tea tree oil will forever remain in my bathroom cupboard and supermarket buys like Cetaphil, QV and Simple products are more than sufficient for many people. When possible though, I try to buy more natural products and avoid the usual- parabens, sulfates and mineral oils as well as fragrances that can just further irritate your skin. 

This post isn't meant to be all about my skincare routine but rather a review on my most recent cleanser purchase- the Korres Sage & Salicylic Acid Regulating Gel ($25.50) although I got mine on offer for under $20. I was scrolling through the Beauty pages of ASOS and saw this, gave it a quick Google for any reviews, which seemed to be fairly positive so I thought why not give it a try? I quite like Korres products, I bought a few lip products when I was in Greece completely unaware it's in fact a Greek brand.. (duh) and more to the point I like that it has a long list of no nasties. My last cleanser was the Avene Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser which I bought because it was soapless which I have been told can just strip your natural oils. I had no issues with it, I quite liked it but was happy to try something new. Prior to this was the tried and true Cetaphil Oily Skin cleanser but I found it left my skin feeling a bit tight after washing. However it did a good job and removed 99% of my makeup. 

Ok, enough rambling back to Korres- when I first used it I wet my face, rubbed it all over, stopped and literally said out loud "Oh no, I don't like that"in terms of the smell but it grew on me quite quickly and now I really like it. I use this for both morning and night, although at night I remove a good deal of my make up first using Bioderma then double cleanse with this. I use either the Simple toner or Lush Tea Tree Water  and very little remnants of make up remains. It doesn't leave my skin feeling tight or dry, I just feel fresh and clean. You only need a pea size amount and it gently lathers into more than enough for your face and neck. I haven't yet fully determined if it has reduced the oiliness of my skin in general but maybe with further use. For reference, my skin is combination/oily.

What they say- ' Regulating cleansing gel for oily skin prone to imperfections. Deep, purifying cleansing that removes traces of dirt, residue and oil without leaving skin feeling dry or tight. Ideal for everyday use on face and body. 90.1% Natural content.

What I say- 'Agreed. I Definitely recommend'.

Instagram- @beautylocale