Good Enough to Eat

So, that title may be a little deceiving, BUT, a motto of natural skincare brand Vanessa Megan is, "you should never put anything on your skin you wouldn't eat!". The brand's products must have pretty great ingredients right? Right. I have to review a couple of her products; the Rosehip Revitalizing Face Oil* and Peruvian Flower Hand Cream*. 

Peruvian Flower Hand Cream

A little about the brand first, it's pretty great. They are Australian, natural and organic, cruelty free, their packaging is 100% recyclable, and much more. You can read more about them here, but they really are an awesome brand, with their products totally reflecting that. The packaging is simplistic, yet beautiful. The boxes are super informative, not only listing a description of the products and ingredients but also the benefits of key ingredients. Both bottles have handy pumps to easily dispense product, however I do wish the oil came with a dropper, the pump can sometimes squirt product out willy nilly. 

Rosehip Revitalizing Face Oil* (30mL, $29.95)

The first thing that HIT me with this product was the scent. It has a very strong, and I ain't gonna lie, overwhelming scent. It's a rosehip oil blend containing other ingredients of rosemary, lemongrass and vetiver. The scent is undeniably lemongrass, which I'm not really a fan of to begin with. The scent is so strong it almost feels like it's tingling the skin? It's actually not, though it smells like it's tingling...am I even making sense right now? Thankfully once the oil is applied and blended into the skin, the scent dissipates - I don't know if I could handle it otherwise!

The oil itself is quite thick in texture (sorry I forgot to photograph it!) and I usually use one pump mixed with moisturiser. It doesn't leave my skin feeling or looking greasy, but rather very glowy and feeling very hydrated. Not that I really care if I look like a grease-ball though - I only use it at night when I'm moping around the house. Much like a lot of other face oils, it's very hydrating. The ingredients supposedly help with anti-ageing, evening skin tone, skin firmness, minimising pore size and more. I can't testify to many of these claims, though overall I've been really happy with my skin lately! My acne scars are slowly but surely fading and it hasn't been very spotty lately either.

Peruvian Flower Hand & Body Cream* (50mL, $29.95)

This has already made it's way into a monthly favourites post, so y'all know it's good stuff. The texture is almost whipped, though still super creamy. I find one pump of the stuff is just enough to moisturise the hands adequately. It's the right amount to not have super slick hands, therefore sinking and absorbing into the skin quite quickly, leaving them feeling quite nourished. The texture isn't too rich or greasy to begin with, so it doesn't leave much, if any residue on the hands! I've been using it every night, and while I don't have particularly dry hands to begin with, this has definitely left my hands feeling super soft, noticeable even after my first night of use! It should do, considering it contains lovely, hydrating ingredients like shea butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, aloe vera and vitamin E.

Perhaps the most notable thing about this hand cream though, is its scent. It contains various essential oils that overall, give it quite a unique scent, one that I can't quite pin down. I can definitely detect hints of lavender and a slight citrusy tang. It may not appeal to everyone, however I have grown to really like it. It's not too overpowering, though is very spa like and sophisticated. The essential oils used also have added benefits. Mandarin essential oil is known to banish depression and anxiety, lavender essential oil balances the central nervous system and vanilla oleoresin is calming and known to reduce stress, promote sleep and an uplifting mood. Sounds glorious hey? I'm not sure I can attest to those precisely, but inhaling the scent before bed is definitely calming, and I think I may have even been sleeping better!

Overall, using both of these products has been a pleasure really! They're just so dang lovely. Though I don't see much difference between face oils, the Vanessa Megan one is a good 'un, and the hand cream is just beautiful, even if just for the scent!

*Products sent for consideration. 

Home Grown Hands

I've often been told I have soft hands, which is an unexpected but much appreciated compliment, and one that I can attribute to using hand cream every night. I did however, go a while without using hand cream, mostly due to laziness and stress but have recently dug out a brand new one to get back into the habit. I have been thoroughly enjoying the Grown Alchemist Persian Rose & Argan Extract Intensive Hand Cream which has returned my hands to their baby-smooth glory.

This is actually supposed to be my mum's from my sister but shhh she has plenty of hand cream... Before this hand cream, I'd never really given Grown Alchemist much of a look, but after having a look at their website, I really love the aesthetic of the brand. They are certified organic, cruelty free and are 'healthy skincare', free of lots of nasties, with recyclable packaging. The packaging is simple and minimalistic and I love the almost laboratory-like feel of it. I like aluminium tubes as they feel quite chic, but also allow every drop of product to be used. The one downer is that the moulded packaging can sometimes cause the product to keep coming out after you've squeezed the tube.

The hand cream itself is described as being 'a rich intensive hydrating hand cream that is instantly absorbed, reviving the driest skin without leaving a greasy feel'. It contains many amazing ingredients like omegas 3, 6 and 7 as well as vitamin e and oils to help the skin's hydration levels and elasticity. The cream's texture is light yet still rather rich feeling, so that it rubs in and absorbs quickly while still feeling quite luxurious and nourishing. It really doesn't leave a greasy residue at all but leaves the skin feeling immediately soft and nourished, and giving it a 'glow'. Odd but true, it makes my hands look super healthy! I've been using it every night and even throughout the day when I'm just chilling about and my hands haven't been dry at all in the cold Winter weather. I'm not entirely sure however that it is 'intensive' as it's name suggests, it is very moisturising but not intense. Then again, I don't have extremely dry hands so I can't attest to it's degree of effectiveness. 

The scent of Persian Rose & Argan Extract sounds exotic, and it's definitely different to typical hand cream scents. I have a horrible sense of scent to begin with, so this is something I really can't describe! It's quite natural and herbal-ish, and unexpectedly, not very floral. I wasn't overly keen on it in the beginning, and while it has grown on me, it's not my favourite.

So overall, I'm really enjoying this hand cream! I think it'd be suitable for both the bedside table or the handbag. 65mL of product retails for AUD$27.95.

Getting Handsy

Hi guys! Recently I was given the opportunity to test out a selection of products from the brand Natural Instinct. Natural Instinct is an Australian brand with products completely free of any ingredients like sulphates, petrochemicals, parabens, PEGs and so much more as well as any mineral oils! With the exclusion of all these nasties, they use all natural ingredients that are really great for the skin! Also they are very reasonably priced. I really love the brand's ethos and recommend reading up more on the brand here. Today I'll be reviewing the Hand & Nail cream* but I also received the facial line, so those reviews will be coming soon also!

The packaging on the Natural Instinct's products is very clean and simple, with an 'organic' vibe and colour scheme to it. Each product is colour coded as to what line they are in. It is packaged in an easy, plastic squeeze tube.

The Hand & Nail Cream* like all of the Natural Instinct products, is filled with amazing natural ingredients. Some notable ones in the cream are Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, pro-Vitamin B5, Jojoba and Rosehip oils. If you have any curiosity towards any of the ingredients, what benefits they have, etc, you can read up about them here. I really love that Natural Instinct has provided that glossary for their consumers! The Hand & Nail Cream* is lightly scented, and the scent itself is not overpowering at all, and doesn't linger too much once the cream is absorbed. I can mainly detect a hint of lavender as I'm not too sure what the other ingredients smell like! It is very natural, non-offensive, gender-neutral and overall a lovely scent! 

Like I said, the brand doesn't use any nasty ingredients, they are vegan, not tested on animals, among other really great things! The cream itself is very lightweight and easily absorbed and spread over the hands. It doesn't leave too much of a residue - nothing greasy, heavy, thick or uncomfortable - but you are left with a bit of slip to the hands. This does absorb reasonably quickly and the hands are left soft and nourished. It isn't the most intense hand cream, but it offers good moisturisation throughout the day. My hands and nails aren't in the worst of condition, so I can't comment on any drastic healing properties. 

Overall, I think this is a really lovely hand cream! I love the light scent and it moisturises my hands well. You can buy Natural Instinct products from Priceline, Terry White Chemists and other select pharmacies and health stores. The Hand & Nail Cream retails for AUD$9.95 for 125mL of product.

*Product provided for reviewing purposes