March Favourites

Oh March, i'm so glad you are nearly over. On Sunday my family and I are off for a week of sun-filled fun in Lanzarote, the Canary Islands. I can't tell you how much i'm looking forward to this trip. I have been working a lot since January and feel a touch exhausted. I know some would scoff at my mention of work and I realise working freelance is nothing like working a full time job, but it's the first time i've worked in the 5 years since having my daughters, so let me have my moment!

Aesop Fabulous Face Oil - it was love at first smell with me and this face oil. I was given samples of this at my consultation with Caroline Hirons and just couldn't get enough of it. This is one of the very few brands which is cheaper to buy in Australia, so I had my husband mule it home on his recent work trip (as penance for getting to eat gnocchi with my family while I was stuck in London). If you are looking for a really lovely, hydrating face oil to wear under your moisturiser then give this one a try. 

Bourjois Nail Polish Remover Pot - this is certainly not a new product, in fact here in the UK it seems to have cult status. I have been hitting the nail polish hard lately and this pot makes taking it off so simple. Just put your finger in (there is an internal sponge wall inside the pot), twist a few times and the polish is gone. There are lots of copies of this being launched, but this is the original.

The Body Shop Face Massager - a full review of this can be found here, but in brief it is a nifty and very affordable little tool that you roll over your skin after applying your serums and moisturiser. Since using it my skin has been behaving quite nicely. £6.00 and it comes Caroline Hirons approved. 

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey - this is a repurchase from me. I had this years ago and always loved the simple hint of colour it gave. It is Clinique's suit anyone shade. I'm always fairly low key on lip products and prefer those I can quickly swipe on as I race out the door so this is perfect.

By Terry, Terrybly Densiliss foundation - more details on this here. I shelved this late last year as I wasn't taking too much makeup on my trip home to Sydney, and have only recently put it back in rotation. The colour match is perfect for me and it give a good amount of coverage without being too full-on for day time wear. As for the anti-ageing benefits it contains ... I haven't been using it consistently enough to see any difference so the jury is still out on that.

The Body Shop Facial Massager Review

I recently picked up this dinky little tool from The Body Shop and was hoping it could improve some of the hormonal breakouts I suffer from around my chin area. It is a little rubber wheel with nodules on it with a wooden handle and it costs the bargain price of £6.00 (here). What is there to lose at that price?

The instructions tell you to use the tool morning and evening after applying your serums and moisturiser. It is supposed to help your face products to absorb fully and I was hoping it would help to break down and shift the red lumps I am often graced with. 

I must say my first impressions were good. It feels quite nice on your skin, it is easy to use and I was happy rolling it over my problems areas for a few minutes twice a day. Now I don't know if I have just been going through a 'good patch' with my skin, but since i've been using this I really have had quite well behaved skin. I had one red lump come up, but it only stayed for a day or so and then went away, whereas previously I have had them stay on my skin for months.

I don't have the largest forehead and couldn't really get the wheel to actually roll over this area, but on my chin, jawline and neck I was happily rolling away. If you do suffer from skin problems like I have mentioned, for £6 this is worth a try. I'm thinking of investing in another one to keep at my desk for those times of procrastination.  

Click here to read Caroline Hiron's review of this and to see a funny 'how to use' video she has uploaded. I must admit I have watched it several times to make sure I was getting the action right. And sadly, once again i'm afraid this is not available in Australia- annoying!

Facial Mists - Function or Frivolity?

I've gone a little crazy spritzing myself lately. In the Sydney heat, on the plane flying home, you name it, i've been surrounded in a cloud of mist. I started wondering whether these floral waters actually do anything? 

They claim have a myriad of uses: as a gentle toner, as a refreshing pick me up, to fix your makeup, to refresh your makeup, to hydrate, to calm and soothe. But are anything of these things achieved? 

My latest addition to this ever growing collection is the Queen of Hungary Mist by Omorovicza. This is a product that came out of my Liberty Beauty Bag (which I blogged about here), so it is a nice small bottle which made it excellent to take on the plane. It contains rose and neroli and it smells amazing. It was the perfect mid-air pick-me-up and I will miss it when it is gone. At £46 for the full sized product, it is not cheap and i'm not sure it does enough to warrant a re-purchase at that price. 

A more budget friendly product is the Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray. This is great for hydrating and refreshing as it contains active aloe, but it lacks the beautiful fragrance of the Omorovicza one. Priced at £20.00 / $45.00 it is a good basic hydrating product. My tip is to store it in the fridge if you live in a warm climate. When spritzed as a midday refresh it is divine!

If you want to go for a seriously budget friendly option, the Body Shop's Vitamin E Face Mist is a good basic mist with a rose scent for £8.00 / $23.95. 

For those who prefer to keep things organic, Balm Balm make the lovely Rose Floral Water which I sometimes use in place of a toner if my skin feels dry. It is 100% organic and should be stored out of direct sunlight. It has a short lifespan of only 6 months once opened so you need to keep spritzing on a regular basis! £11.00

I think if you like the sensation of a refreshing face mist then they are worth having. They do calm, sooth and hydrate. I personally don't find them beneficial in terms of fixing my makeup as I suffer from an oily t-zone so I prefer to keep my makeup in place with a setting powder. If you embarking on any long-haul flying I would thoroughly recommend taking one on board with you.

Products that didn't wow me - volume 2

Ole Henrickson African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser

This product was a total packaging fail for me. While the cleanser inside the bottle was lovely - self-foaming, felt nice on the skin, did the job perfectly well - the pump dispenser gave up on me while there was still a decent amount of the product left inside. As it is supposed to self-foam when you pump it out, I couldn't even remove the top and tip the remainder out. Very annoying!! 

See how much was still in the bottle?

Nanoblur by Indeed Labs

I wrote a lengthy review of the products from Indeed Labs which you can read here. Basically, while I love all their other offerings, the Nanoblur and I just didn't gel. The texture is strange and it does not sit well under or over makeup. Thankfully my love for Hydraluron makes up for my disappointment in this product. 

The Body Shop Coconut Shimmer Body Butter

I am an avid user of Body Shop Body Butters - I love them and use them up very quickly once the central heating turns on. This one however is destined to remain gathering dust in my bathroom cabinet. It is just way too shimmery for me. I put it on before I went out one night and I looked silly. I just think i'm a bit old to be all shimmery all over. I also find this one a bit too fragrant to use before bed which is when I always apply my body moisturiser. Now the Shea Butter one is a totally different ball game .....

Kiko Pearly Eye Base Primer

I was holding out high hopes for this one having read many rave reviews on Kiko. The price was amazing and it looked and felt nice when I tried it on my hand, but once I put it on my eye lids I jut couldn't get it to stop creasing. I just don't think it is a good sign when even the primer creases ... it doesn't hold out much hope for making your eye shadow stay crease free does it? 

Sadly it is a thumbs down on these products for me. What do you guys think? Are there any mentioned above that you find good?