Now that winter is in full swing and my skin has taken a good battering from the wind, rain and central heating, it has been a good time to assess which of my vast array of skin scrubs and cleansers are really working. When I want to use a nice, gentle cleanser I like the Monu one, which smells of calming lavender and is easy to carry around. This was supposed to be for my kit but I can't seem to leave it alone! The Antipodes Juliet cleanser has a gel consistency and smells really fruity. With manuka honey and kiwifruit amongst it's ingredients, it gives the skin a nice antioxidant boost and helps to brighten my complexion when it's tired and dull looking. There is also something really appealing about washing my face with what feels like grape juice. My most recent discovery is the Clinique redness solutions one which my gran ( an avid Clinique user and fan of the whole redness solutions range) recommended. The cream is silky feeling and gently swipes off makeup while helping to reduce any redness and inflammation. This is lasting me quite a while and will definitely be a long-term purchase- you only have to read the reviews on websites such as Boots to see what a mighty cleanser this stuff is! The Jason Apriot Scrubble is good if you're into your natural skincare and after something more abrasive to exfoliate any dry skin. Word of advice though, I tried using this with both a Clarisonic and Foreo cleanser and it didn't work too well, I recommend massaging it in with your hands and wiping off with a flannel. It's also nigh on impossible to remove with cotton pads; you will get through half a dozen and still find flecks of apricot kernals on your face, so yes, use a flannel! Finally in my face wash hall of fame is another Antipodes product, the Grace gentle cleanser. What can I say about this that I probably haven't said already, I just love the stuff, my friend loves the stuff and my mum loves the stuff. I reckon it's suitable for all skin types, it's just the most gentle, soothing, buttery cleanser ever. It isn't too perfumed and gently cleanses without stripping your face of natural oils. It's 100% natural and is packed with nutrient rich ingredients such as avocado oil which feel really nourishing. I love the process of massaging this into my face and leaving it on for a few minutes as a little face mask!
I have spent the past week trialling a nice selection of vegan makeup products from Pacifica, who have just released a whole new range of products to their existing one. There are a few stunning products which have become firm favourites, and as with any large range, some not so stand out ones too. The CC cream is a nice little fluid that is gentle and does a pretty good job of brightening my complexion. It didn't actually colour correct as such, but the coconut water infused ingredients and SPF17 certainly ensured that my skin didn't go any redder. The eyebrow gel has probably got the least reaction out of the lot because I'm not really excited by eyebrow gel, ha. It doesn't feel as if there is much gel in there so I won't be rushing to add this to my kit. How many people actually have eyebrow gel for everyday use anyway?! The concealers are where the range really shines, especially the under eye brightening one...magnifique! They are thick and creamy but blend out really nicely to give a fresh and very dewy luminosity, which I actually really like although if it looks to much you can tone it down with powder. The blue under my (very tired!) eyes are eradicated and I look noticeably more awake.
As for the glosses, they are all pretty good and have a nice amount of longevity. I have never been a gloss girl but if they are your thing then you'll probably like the variety of colours and non-stickiness. The eyeshadows come in palettes and little duos (a duo is seen below). Now I have a palette which I love but the colour pay off for the little duos isn't that great which is a real shame as the shades are lovely. You could wet it for a bit more intensity but I still found it needed reapplying after a few hours. In this same vein, I was a little disappointed with the golden lotus highlighting powder, which is a barely there gold. This is definitely something for those who have a fear of going overboard with sparkly, golden makeup for fear of looking like a disco ball- there is definitely no risk of that! Maybe it's the formula but it just felt a bit useless and rubbed off really quickly. Adding another welcomed surprise into the mix though are the impressive coconut multiples, which I have been using for a while but wanted to include. I really love how buildable these three colours are- they are so flattering on all skin tones. Also because they are vegan and natural you can safely use them all over and they look fab. They actually remind me of colour lip balms because they have the same look and feel, but the colour is obviously more buildable!
The first day of October saw a sudden and noticeable change in how early the evenings are closing in. This is my favourite month of the year so I'm relishing every day of it! The golden leaves staining the pavements with little leafy stencils, the watery sun bathing everything in the most beautiful glow, fresh mornings, sharp evenings, hot coffees....there isn't one thing that isn't glorious about it. Naturally the day to day items I cart around with me have been updated and the light tinted moisturiser I'd grown fond of is now a thing of the past.
As you can see I have tried to be more practical in what I pack. The headphones are by Marshall and are a MUST as I can't think properly without music and there is no way I will make it to the gym if I don't at least have a motivation playlist at hand! An umbrella because, well, London (interesting colour and print, nobody in my household has a clue where it came from!). The Verto black pebble is a portable phone charger which is amazing- probably the most useful gift I have ever received and one of those things I didn't know I'd use so much until I got it! This one is great as it comes with a range of plugs for Iphone, Samsung etc, and if you charge it for an hour or two it has enough power in for three charges!
In terms of makeup I have gone back to my fail safe Inika foundation in cream as it's a little heavier than a tinted moisturiser and doesn't show up the dry patches some of us get with the change in weather. I'm not sure if you read the post I did during spring about this foundation but honestly it is the best foundation for transitional weather. Shame they only have three shades at the moment though! Lipstick wise I have been drawn to this Kiko matte lipstick in shade 2. It's a really muted, elegant pink which stays put right through the day. My current favourite eyeshadows are the Moonshadow colour infused pens which are also by Kiko and they are absolutely lush. There are four shades: a sparkly gold, plum, turquoise and mocha colour and they are the lazy persons answer to taking you from drab to fab in moments. Nothing shows you have made an effort like a sensual matte lipstick with a little gold on the inside of your eyes and perhaps glimmering turquoise blended in there too ;) I'm going to do an in-depth post about my Kiko haul over the weekend and give you proper colour swatches. The eyeliner is Eyeko which I have a constant love hate relationship with. The nib is perfect but why oh why do they dry up so fast?! The nail varnish is Max Effect by Max Factor, it's the bronze shade and has a gorgeous shine. I feel like this is the grown up version of a glitter nail as the colour is metallic and a little playful, but still looks presentable. There is something really autumnal about a bronze metallic nail so I think I'll be wearing this a lot over the next month or two!
Of course being a lip balm hoarder there is one on me at all times! This is just pure Nutiva coconut oil. I have about five of these babies and am forever pulling them out of my pockets when I'm doing the washing!
The hand sanitizer is one I discovered in Wholefoods some months ago and I now have one for my kit and another for personal use. It's a brand called Bentley Organic and it's just a really gentle foam that effectively kills bacteria without drying your hands out. It's also alcohol free which is pretty ace, I've never seen alcohol free sanitizer before! And I sounded a little too excited there...
My sunglasses are by Pepe Jeans and are a godsend. Just when I put them away, we had an icy morning and then blistering sun during the afternoon where I honestly couldn't see where I was walking, so back out these came! I have really grown used to putting on a pair of sunnies when I'm tired, recovering from a heavy night, sad, antisocial, watery eyed from having a cold or simply wanting to people watch strategically, it was a low moment realising that they'll spend months in storage soon! Poking out from the corner of the shot is Late Fragments, Everything I want to tell you about this magnificent life, by an author called Kate Gross who was terminally ill when she penned this touching and incredibly personal book to her young children. I am almost halfway through and when I'm not writing down quotes from it in my little notebook, I'm mentally pep talking myself to not let emotions get to me. If there is ever a moment where you forget to be mindful, this book is a pull back to reality and all that really matters. I'm going to do a book review once I have finished, although I'm currently deliberately reading it little by little. That's my sensible and relatively light bag at the moment, I'm quite proud of my organisation skills these days!
Shower gels are not a product I usually get too excited about, but this little bottle is absolutely divine and my whole household enjoys using it because of how therapeutic it is. With spearmint leaf, cardamon and hibiscus flower it doesn't leave your skin feeling stripped or dry like most showers gels do. My friend who introduced me to this says she doesn't even feel the need to moisturise afterwards. Scent wise it is like sniffing a fresh sprig of mint. I have been sitting here with the bottle like some sort of shower gel connoisseur trying to work out what it reminds me of and it hit me-mojito! A little pricier than your average shower gel but if you want something that will make you feel so relaxed and as fresh as mountain dew then this well worth it. Also for any clued up men reading this, it's unisex so I'm talking to you too. You can buy it from Wholefoods and online for about a tenner I believe.
Last month I was given the opportunity to test out the Foreo face cleanser which was great as I had already been using the Clarisonic Mia night and day for a few months so being the two big names in face cleansing systems at the moment, I could really compare the two and see whether either are worth their pretty ample price tag!
Clarisonic Mia 2 £99-£125
I'm not really sure what the difference between the regular Clarisonic, the Mia and the Mia 2 are (or if there is any real difference aside from cost!) but I did a review on this back in June after I had been trialling it for about a week, so for general product information and my thoughts after my first few uses, read here. To sum the product up in short, the Clarisonic consists of a rotating brush which gently exfoliates and dislodges the dirt from pores. I did a lot of research into the product before splurging out and was impressed with the reviews. Many said that their spots had cleared up and that it made their skincare more effective, having smoother, more exfoliated skin as a base. I noticed after the first use that my face felt squeaky clean and with continued use over the following week, I had no dry patches so my makeup sat better throughout the day. That said, I think I was expecting a miracle product to sort out a certain type of acne I have been battling this year, and the novelty of the Clarisonic did wear off as I compared the price with the minor change in my skin!
Foreo £99-£145
Much in the same way that Clarisonic uses an extremely gentle approach to exfoliating that you can barely feel, the Foreo which is made of silicone has a pulsing movement that vibrates, rather than a brush which spins. The website boasts some pretty impressive claims, such as 'anti-ageing' technology, and while I'm not entirely convinced how much this is true it's certainly an excellent face cleanser which made my skin smoother than the Clarisonic and my spots noticeably smaller. My colleague Rebecca at Biteable Beauty has been using it for some weeks too and is so impressed with it- her complexion has a new found smoothness and glow to it that I noticed after a week!
Thoughts?
Both have been excellent in exfoliating and getting rid of those pesky dry bits of skin which prevent makeup from sitting as smoothly as it could do. I like the timer on the Clarisonic which makes sure you allocate enough time to each section of the face. I also enjoy the control I have when I hold it and direct it around my face. From a practical point the Foreo feels slightly awkward, or is that just me? I'm never sure whether to make use of both sides of the device or how to hold it when I'm cleaning my nose!
Despite the awkward handling situation, the Foreo has impressed me more for the following reasons. a) I have noticed more of a difference in my skin tone. Having a friend who's had the same experience shows it wasn't just a fluke. b) The Clarisonic brush needs replacing every three months and the brushes cost £25 which is an additional £100 for each year of use, and the difference it made just isn't worth it, in my view.
c) The Foreo is lighter, slightly smaller and has a better battery life, making it easier to travel with
d) It has different speed settings, (yes i'm still talking about a face cleanser, stay with me here!) so you can experiment with gel, cream and oil cleansers on different speeds until you find one which works best for you.
I think fellow Instagrammers know exactly what I mean. The invasion of strategically placed fruit bowls which are topped with every colour of the rainbow. They look like exotic works of art, almost too good to ruin by stirring together all of the carefully arranged fruits and seeds!
So why the craze? Well firstly they are a really quick and fool proof way of putting together a nutritious and tasty meal. Whether it's for breakfast, a snack, dessert or to support your work out, you can play around with the ingredients and make it as guilty or guilt-free and as light or substantial as you wish. I have seen people uploading photos of their bowls which contain kale, avocado, almonds, puffed rice, kiwi, frozen fruits and all sorts of other ingredients I haven't heard of and wouldn't know where to buy (what is sprouted buckwheat and where do you buy cranberry powder?!). For less complicated bowls a granola or yoghurt base makes it more of a breakfast dish but a fruit or milk based smoothie is also a great base. Then it's just a case of topping it with anything you fancy and playing around with different variations. I made one on Friday which was a almond milk, banana, honey and blueberry smoothie topped with figs, peach and chia seeds...delicious! In addition to being tasty, these bowls are easy to prepare in advance and transport around. Below is a photo of Friday's bowl, I need to hone my presentation skills a bit more though, ha!
A fairly recent discovery and impressive skincare brand on the blog today. Monu use a range of essential oils in their products which not only target specific skin concerns, but feel really therapeutic and luxurious to use. My favourite is the Soothing Hawaii face oil which contains sandlewood and lavender.
Sometimes I use this as an overnight serum and wake with really plump, hydrated skin but it's also good patted on sparingly five minutes before putting makeup on. There is something about the heavy glass jar which makes it feel more costly than it's £26 price tag! I'm also really liking the rosewater toner and lip balm which are both incredibly gentle and smell just wonderful. The lip balm contains vitamin A, wheat germ oil and beeswax and has a silk like texture. I like to put quite a generous dollop on and let it sink into my lips, although it's definitely something I do in the comfort of my own home rather than at work, ha.
The recovery balm is a good back up product for anyone who is prone to inflammed skin such a rosacea. I whip this out at the first signs of getting a heat rash as it helps calm that insufferable itching. It's also light enough to layer with other products and works particularly well with the Monu skin perfecter. The perfecter makes a good little primer as it subtly creates a sort of film over any pores and inperfections. Being paraben free and pretty natural I prefer to use this on good skin days when I want something light and subtle to give my makeup more staying power. I think this would be good for more mature skin also as it gives skin a nice satin like texture without sinking into fine lines. You can see more of the brand here
