New In // Skincare

Before I get into the post, Merry Christmas everyone! I hope y'all have a joyous Christmas break filled with fun, family and FOOD. I also hope you guys are having a better Christmas Eve than me...I'm working all day today unfortunately (hella unexcited as I type this up the night before). Working retail during Christmastime is the WORST. I'm kinda sad I didn't do any festive posts this year, I usually do a NOTD post or something but I just haven't had time, nor have I really felt that festive! Oh wells, everyone and their dog has gift guides and holiday tutorials up anyways! Today's post is just a roundup of some new skincare I've been trying lately. Sort of a haul but with mini reviews!

In The Spotlight // Antipodes

On the scene of green beauty brands, Antipodes is well at the forefront. They're a brand I constantly want to try more from and from trying a few of their products over the past couple of years, I definitely have some favourites! More recently though, I was sent a few of their hero products, as well as a new serum. My skincare routine for the past month or so has been Antipodes-heavy, but I have to say, my skin is looking pretty good! Keep reading for a round-up of mini reviews on the Antipodes products I have.

In the Spotlight // La Roche-Posay

La Roche-Posay is definitely up there with some of my favourite skincare brands. Since they've been easily accessible in Priceline for a while, I've slowly been accumulating many of their products and thought now was a good time to write up a brand spotlight on them! As a French skincare brand, they not only target sensitive skins, but also have many ranges suited for different skin types such as acne-prone, dry, those who suffer from redness and eczema, and more. A few of the products pictured I haven't yet tried, but threw them into the photo for effect, of course ;)

So Let Me Restart

Dermalogica has always seemed to be a brand I've admired from afar and while I knew about the Clear Start line, I never checked it out. It was mainly because I thought it would be quite expensive, but they actually aren't! The range is aimed at teens and young adults to help with skin concerns such as acne. When offered the opportunity to try a couple of products from the line, having acne-prone skin myself, I couldn't say no!

Top: Matte Moisturiser, Bottom: Overnight Treatment

L-R: Matte Moisturiser, Overnight Treatment

Both products are packaged in lightweight, plastic tubes and fliptop lids which I find quite practical and convenient. Each product has different coloured branding, yet maintains the same clean, minimalistic design which I think is quite cute and effective.

Dermalogica Clear Start Oil Clearing Matte Moisturiser* (60mL, $27.50)

I was both wary and excited to try out this product. When it comes to a 'matte' moisturiser, either it isn't really matte, or it's not moisturising enough. This was no exception and leans more to the former. It doesn't really give off a 'matte' finish (though I do use an oily serum beforehand) however it doesn't dry out the skin at all, or leave it looking/feeling tight/uncomfortable. I do find it quite hydrating, for a day cream that is, and I think it would suit normal - oily skintypes, dryer ones may need something a tad more powerful, but then again it isn't aimed at those skintypes. I find it sits really well beneath makeup and doesn't make my skin feel any oilier or greasier throughout the day. I wouldn't say it's amazing at controlling oil but it works pretty well for my skintype. It has a thin texture that absorbs quite quickly and feels very lightweight. The SPF15 is a nice inclusion but I don't think it's sufficient for outside wear and tear.

Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Overnight Treatment* (60mL, $23.50)

I think of this treatment product as a serum, similar to La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, which y'all know is an holy grail of mine. I've been using this every night for the past few weeks and must say, it works very similarly. I apply it after serum and before moisturiser. It has a lightweight, gel-like texture that feels like nothing on the skin really. It contains many acne-fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid and tea tree. It's very hard to discern the effects of a product like this. My skin has been pretty well behaved for the past few months and I do attribute some of that to the Effaclar Duo. My skin didn't really change much when I started using the Overnight Treatment, and remained rather clear, any breakouts healed quite quickly and they were mainly hormonal or stress related. I have to say I'm pretty happy with this product but I can't choose between it and the La Roche-Posay!

So overall, my experience with the Clear Start range has been a good one. The Matte Moisturiser is nothing extremely remarkable but it works very well as a day cream and underneath makeup. The Overnight Treatment is the type of product that is a staple in my collection and something that I find really helps keep breakouts at bay! Check the Dermalogica website for your nearest stockists!

(PS. My title is a song lyric, if ya know the song, ILY bae.)

*Products sent for consideration.

Citrusy Serum

My endeavours for an even skin tone have been well documented on this here blog. My skin scars very easily, and in combination with acne-prone skin - it ain't great. I have a lot of residual redness, dark marks and it general a very un-flawless face. I am always on the hunt for brightening/scar-lightening products, so when I came across the NAT Vitamin C Serum*, I snapped it up!

The 30mL of product is packaged up in a rather compact bottle with a practial pump, however I think I'd prefer a dropper due to its consistency. The bottle is rather lightweight and sleek looking!

Labelled as a serum, I'd more so describe it as a facial oil, however the texture is quite unique to me. It is very thin, as you can see it's running all over my hand! Being very thin, you don't need a lot (I still typically use one pump) and this sinks in very well. I was a bit reluctant to use this in the morning underneath makeup as facial oils tend to leave me looking greasy, however it fared extremely well, and is now my go-to morning time serum. It doesn't leave me greasy, or make my skin produce excess oil throughout the day. It leaves my skin feeling super hydrated, soft and glowing. I also use this in the evening sometimes, underneath other oils and moisturisers and my skin doesn't feel weighed down at all, but rather it provides an extreme punch of moisture!

The serum is described as being a "unique, natural formulation...a must-have for lightening pigmentation and cell regeneration". It contains some amazing ingredients like vitamin C (of course), milk thistle, sea-buckthorn oil, rosehip oil, vitamin e and more. As you can tell, it is indeed a very oil centric formula. A lot of these ingredients are known to help out with evening out the skintone, and I must say, I've noticed results. Over using it consistently for the month or so, I feel like my skin has been much more hydrated, smooth looking as well as that dark marks/scars have started to shrink slightly and fade. These things do take time, and do keep in mind that I'm using a lot of other products to help me fight this battle (wow I'm so dramatic), but I genuinely love this serum and how it feels on my skin! It also supposedly helps with anti-ageing which I can see to be true, considering it's so hydrating and radiance-promoting.

It does have a slight citrusy scent which I personally love! I believe it's derived from ingredients like orange oil, mandarin peel oil, bergamot oil and bitter orange twig oil.

The only kicker is that it retails for AUD$75 which is quite expensive. Imma let you guys in on a little secret though...the ECO C Serum has the exact same ingredients, however the ECO has a slightly lesser concentration of vitamin C, and only retails for $18. The two brands (ECO and NAT) are both from the Natalie Group but with different target audiences (I'd assume), but they have a lot of crossover products. I totally recommend checking out the ECO version, which is much cheaper (though it contains half the amount of product), and is probably the one I'll be repurchasing in the future.

*Product sent for consideration.

Bright at Night

Hey guys! Today I have a skincare review on a product I have been loving since I first started using it! It is the Garnier Dark Spot Treatment Night which is an intensive renewal serum. Keep reading for the full spiel! 

It is packaged in a small plastic tube with a thin nozzle that dispenses the product. At first I thought it would be a leaky mess like their oily/combo BB cream, but actually the product only comes out when the tube is squeezed, and quite firmly at that. I like the packaging, it is functional and practical.

This serum is designed to help fade and diminish dark spots in the form of sun spots, age spots and acne marks. It also claims to smooth and even skintone as well as improve brightness. To do this, it contains 4% Glycolic acid and Vitamin Cg. The Glycolic acid exfoliates overnight and 'regenerates' the skin to refine and smooth its texture. I'm not sure what Vitamin Cg is, but I'm assuming it's some sort of derivative of Vitamin C. It's known for its anti-oxidant and brightening properties. 

I've been using this for over a month and can say that I have noticed a difference in my skin. Within the first few nights of using the serum, I noticed an immediate difference. My acne scars were slightly lighter and the redness was reduced. It sort of surged in the beginning (in terms of fading dark spots, etc) and has since plateaued I guess. Because, since then the changes in my skin have been more gradual. Also I definitely notice that it has helped smooth my skin, the texture feels softer and more refined. After a month of use, my dark spots have actually faded quite considerably, there is little redness around old marks and they sort of look like they've shrunk (?). Their visibility has definitely decreased, and I've needed less concealer, which is always a good indication! Overall my skin appears more even and brighter! I actually have hope that, over time, this product will help fade dark spots totally. Keep in mind that I've also been using other products that help in this area.

The texture of the product itself is like a gel. It is clear and actually has a light, pleasant, citrus-y scent. I find it quite viscous and a little sticky - slightly hard to spread over the skin, but nothing major. It doesn't feel uncomfortable on the skin at all but the texture is interesting. I think it's a bit similar to the Peter Thomas Roth Camu-Camu Serum which claims similar benefits. I use a bit more than pictured below, after toner and before moisturiser.

Overall, I am thoroughly enjoying using this product and the effects of the fading of my acne scars are better than most products I've tried so far. I'll keep you updated, probably in an empties post or something, as to whether I will repurchase, but so far it's looking very promising! It retails for AUD$18.99 for 30mL of product.

Have you tried this product, do you want to? What are your thoughts?