Because I'm Happy

Bourjois seems to have some of the best base products, everyone seems to love their primers, foundations, concealers and powders! I for one have only tried their Healthy Mix Serum Foundation which initially I too loved, however slowly realised it did not work for my skin type. Cue in the Happy Light Foundation, which has now become a firm fave and still gives me a similar natural, dewy-ish finish without any of that oily business!

Packaging-wise, like Bourjois's other liquid foundations, it comes with a handy-dandy pump - which also happens to be peachy-pink, my fave. The standard 30mL comes in a slim glass bottle. Seems pretty sturdy, just make sure not to drop it!

A note on the shades, there aren't many. I have the shade 52 Light Beige which is actually a pretty awesome match. It doesn't oxidise at all - if it does it's not noticeable. Basically, I'm the second lightest shade which is unheard of. I'm definitely not pale, and am firmly a medium-yellow skintone, so you get the idea of how horrendous the shade range is. It seems to have planted itself in the medium range, the four shades (available in Australia) don't extend to either of the extremes which is very unfortunate for pale or deep skinned ladies! Bourjois really needs to get their shade-game together!

As for the foundation itself, I really love it. It has a lightweight, vaguely gel-like consistency which blends really well into the skin. I tend to apply it with a buffing brush but fingers work too, as well as a sponge. It really buffs into the skin, leaving a very skin-like finish. It does claim a "luminous complexion" which I'd interpret to be glowy/dewy. It doesn't exactly give that finish but it does give a naturally flawless type look. It's not too dewy, nor too matte - very much a satin finish which just looks natural.  I've found that satin finishes tend to be my favourite, because throughout the day as a little of my natural oils start coming through, it gets to that dewy stage that I really like. Foundations with an initial dewy finish can tend to look oily throughout the day. It doesn't make any bold claims for lasting power, but I find lasting power is really pretty good! I do set with a powder just to make sure, but it sticks around for the whole day - longest I've worn it is probably 10 hours and by the end of the day, my skin is dewy - possibly a wee bit shiny in the nose area, but looks good with no touch-up on my oily/combo skin. My one qualm is that toward the end of the day, it can sort of highlight any uneven texture on the skin. Not sure how to explain it, it doesn't cling to dryness or look obviously foundation-y, but it does look a little less flawless after a while, which is to be expected to some degree. It also claims 8 hour hydration. I don't have dry skin so I can't really comment on that, but it didn't dry out my skin at all, or accentuate dryness, nor did it cause me to be really oily.

Like most foundations I tend to gravitate towards, it has a light to medium coverage, which is buildable to some degree. I probably wouldn't layer it up to much (2-3 layers max) because it can tend to get a little more obvious. I'm good with one layer and concealer - mostly because I'm lazy :P I should also note that it is lightly fragranced, like most Bourjois foundations, so sensitive skins be aware.

All in all, a really lovely foundation! It ticks all my boxes; natural, satin finish, good lasting power and light-medium coverage. Definitely one to check out if you have a shade match. I really think that this would suit most skin types! Maybe not extremely oily or if you prefer a matte finish. It retails for AUD$29 at Priceline.

PS: I'm heading down to Melbourne-town on Wednesday for about a week to visit my sister! Posts will still be going up as normal though hehe. I'm planning on doing some serious shopping, mainly for accessories/shoes/makeup for my Formal. Any local Melbournians have shopping recs or in general notable things to do down there?

Skin Renewal

Recently I was offered the opportunity to try some products from ECO, an all natural brand committed to delivering salon quality products at affordable prices. They offer skincare, haircare and body products. From what I've seen, a rather small selection of their products are available at Target, but are also available to purchase online, so definitely check them out! I opted for the Natural Skincare Hamper of the Renew range so I could get a good idea of ECO's products! It was packaged beautifully BTW, definitely would make a lovely gift! It also includes a 15mL Rosehip oil which I haven't tried yet, but contains your standard 100% organic Rosa Canina oil. Because it's a plastic pump bottle, I reckon it would be great for travelling.

L-R: Cleanser, Toner, Moisturiser

Although the Renew range is labeled as anti-ageing, it doesn't contain any crazy ingredients but rather really aims to help hydrate, soothe and nourish the skin. All three products have the same packaging; slim bottles with a practical pump dispenser.

Renew Cleansing Lotion*

As the name suggests, this is very much a creamy cleanser with a rather thin lotion texture. It feels quite nice on the skin, like any typical cream cleanser. It contains really lovely ingredients like Calendula to help even skintone, Sweet Almond oil to nourish and Vitamins B5 and E to minimise fine lines and wrinkles. I've been using this as my morning time cleanser and I find it works well to refresh my skin, cleansing well without leaving my skin feeling dry or stripped! I have also used it in the evening though to remove makeup by double cleansing and using a washcloth to remove and I found it decently effective. It did remove non waterproof mascara, albeit not excellently. I much prefer thicker/balmier/oilier cleansers for using in the evening, but this is lovely for the morning. It has the slightest scent but nothing offensive or irritating to my skin.

Renew Treatment Toner*

The texture of this toner baffles me. It's unlike your typical watery/liquid, but more so a very thin liquidy gel? It's so hard to explain and quite odd, hopefully you can tell from the above photo! I still apply it using a cotton pad and sort of dot it over the skin and blend in but I feel like you could also apply it with fingers? It feels so weird applying toner with fingers though! Regardless, I think it's a really lovely 'toner'. It absorbs very quickly into the skin, and leaves it feeling soft and slightly hydrated. It contains Cucumber and Rosehip extracts to hydrate and soothe, and Vitamin E to provide powerful antioxidant protection.

Renew Moisture Cream*

This is the one product I'm really not a fan of, mainly because I just don't find it very hydrating, or hydrating enough, even for my combo/oily skin. I can't imagine it being enough for dry/mature skins! It's more of a lotion consistency that is actually very lightweight. As you rub it in, it feels really nice and like it's offering a lot of moisture. But then, it absorbs into the skin very quickly, almost like it's evaporated and leaves my skin feeling rather dry. I definitely noticed a difference in comparison to my other moisturisers. Even when I used this with a facial oil, when I went to bed that night, I could feel that my skin wasn't hydrated enough for my liking. When I use this in the mornings, my skin also tends to feel dry throughout the day under my makeup. Maybe this will be more effective in the warmer months when my skin isn't craving as much moisture but we'll see. Overall I definitely think there are better moisturisers out there.

The hamper retails for $49 and you can buy the products separately though it's a better deal in the pack. If you are interested in purchasing the pack, you can enter the code SW20 for 20% off the hamper! The code is valid till the 31st of October. Overall I do quite enjoy the ECO products, and I think this is a great way to try out their products. For being all natural and fairly affordable, they're definitely a brand to check out.

*Products sent for consideration.

Buffering...Buffering...

My search for the perfect spot treatment continues, I actually haven't tried that many, and I definitely haven't been blown away by any particular one. My main skin concern pertaining to acne is hormonal and stress related breakouts which generally come in the form of under the skin, cystic breakouts. Every other spot treatment I've tried had little effect on them, so I thought I should bring out the big guns and try out one that is targeted toward them - the Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion.

The Buffering Lotion has been raved about from the reviews I've read, certainly touted as being the best for cystic acne. It comes packaged in a small bottle that actually contains a considerable amount of product - 29mL. The consistency is not a lotion at all, but liquid with white sediment that settles at the bottom. Before use, the product should be shaken well to combine the two, creating a cloudy white liquid. The packaging isn't the best, the spout is unpredictable in how much product it releases. I generally take one drop at a time with my finger and apply to the affected area. It's a bit incovenient as a runny liquid, but manageable. The liquid is clear on application so fine to use under makeup.

What intrigued me most was that it doesn't contain your conventional acne-fighting ingredients like Witch Hazel or Benzoyl Peroxide. It supposedly contains Salicylic acid though I don't see it in the ingredients (possibly under another name that I'm just not familiar with?). The main other ingredient is Sulfur (let's hope no one mistakes me for a demon...Spn fans will get me ;) ), which I'm not familiar with in terms of treating acne. The Buffering Lotion boasts "quickly minimising large clusters of acne, preventing future eruptions and reducing inflammation and redness". I must say I had pretty high hopes for this product, but like others before it, it doesn't offer immediate results. The product doesn't make the spot disappear overnight, or even after two or three nights, especially if it's a big bugger. I find that it helps accelerate the spot's healing process, by helping bringing the spot down, reducing redness or bringing it to a head. Depending on the size of the cystic pimple, it can take anywhere from two nights to a week. The second ingredient is alcohol, and I do find it slightly drying on the spot but it doesn't burn or purposefully dry out the spot. It also doesn't make much difference in terms of scarring. Although it's not marketed for whiteheads, I do find it semi effective on those spots. It's recommended usage is every other night, though I've been using it every morning and night and haven't experienced any reaction or irritation.

While it hasn't blown me away, it's definitely the best performing spot treatment for cystic acne that I've tried. Perhaps there isn't a product out there that will bring down pesky zits within a few days, but I'll certainly still be on the lookout. This product retails for AUD$22 (yay for recent price reductions!) at Kit Cosmetics or Mecca Cosmetica. It is a bit pricey, but I have a feeling this bottle will be lasting me a decent while.

Honey Hydrate

Oh yes, the famed Nuxe Reve de Miel, often touted as "the best lip balm ever", has been gracing my lips for the past few weeks and I'm here to report my thoughts. Do keep reading, because it's not the average rave review...

Packaged in a weighty, frosted glass jar, it definitely has a luxurious feel to it, and it should considering it costs $20 a pop! It does contain 15g of product, and it's a balm I've reserved for the bedside table.

I wouldn't actually call it a 'balm', but more so a very thick paste. Because it doesn't really have an oily, balmy consistency, it has a semi-matte finish, that in thin layers, sits really well beneath lipsticks - especially those of the matte variety. It has a very pleasant scent and one that I quite enjoy. It smells like honey and lemons! Onto the claims, "this concentrated formula helps nourish, repair, soothe and protect lips" with ingredients like honey, shea butter and other oils. It's even been tested in conditions of the extreme Canadian cold, so it must be pretty hardcore right? Well, it is very thick, and doesn't absorb immediately into the lips, to the point where you can still feel it the morning after. I wouldn't say that the hydrating elements are instantaneous but I do think this is a very nourishing lip balm, that produces soft and hydrated lips. 

HOWEVER, (yes there is a big however) I have one gripe with it, one very unusual gripe. Every morning after using this the night before, without fail, my lips will have some sort of sticky/thick layer sitting on top. It becomes very apparent especially after I wet my face to wash it. It's so thick that it needs to be scrubbed off and when it is, it balls up in  a weird, almost dead-skin-mixed-with-lip-balm consistency. TMI? Whatevs, but it's the truth peeps, without fail. It's not that my lips are chapped, but almost like the balm has penetrated so deeply into the skin that my lips...shed their skin? Either that or the lip balm has almost set over the lips in a weirdly thick film, which is probably the more logical reasoning. Idek people, IDEK. I've literally never heard anyone talk about this odd sensation so I was completely caught off guard. It's actually a very annoying phenomena.

So as you may know, there has been a shiteload of hype about this lip balm and I've actually never come across anyone who didn't love it. Well I have now, and that someone is me. Don't get me wrong, I like it, and I think it's effective but really nothing groundbreaking. My lips feel the same? They're pretty much in the same condition as with every other lip balm, so for the hype and the high cost, I'm just not feeling the love. SO, there it is, Nuxe Reve de Miel left me a little lot underwhelmed.

I'm sure you guys love this product, have you ever had the same weird experience with it as me? 

Monthly Favourites // August 2014

Well, well, well...here we are at the end of August. This month has been HECTIC to say the least. I've had a shiteload of assessment this term, and still many more exams to come...but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! There are less than 50 days left of school this year and that scares me...but anyways, onto the favourites! They are quite skincare heavy as I've pretty much been using the exact same makeup products as mentioned in like every other favourites. Keep reading till the end though because I have a few 'lifestyle' favourites such as music and the like.

Origins Clear Improvement facial mask

An old favourite and one that I use every single week, though it has been particularly great this month because as I said I've been SO busy this month, and soooo stressed so that means lots of breakouts! Yay ! I've been slathering this guy on and really coating the problem areas to help them GTFO.

The Jojoba Company 100% Natural Australian Jojoba*

I recently received this oil and have been using it for the past few weeks in place of my regular rosehip oil. I believe this is mostly targeted towards hydration, and anti-aging, scarring - the usual, but I've been really liking it. There isn't much difference between this and other facial oils in my opinion, but regardless I find it incredibly moisturising and sinks into the skin well. I really like the packaging too! It's like a conical shaped bottle with a pump.

People for Plants Kakadu Plum, Calendula, Chamomile Eye Cream*

I've been wanting to try PFP for ages so when fronted with the opportunity to try this eye cream, I immediately said yes! Due to the mass amount of study I've been doing, I've been incredibly sleep deprived. I've been riding on maximum 7 hours of sleep a day meaning I'm constantly tired. But surprisingly I don't have puffy bags under my eyes, or dark circles like I've been punched in the face, which I usually would! I think that's all credit to this eye cream, which is lightweight but still really moisturising.

Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion

I have a full review of this coming up (it's already written, just a matter of publishing) but like I said - breakout city, and the cystic/under the skin kind so I've been slathering this on every morning and night and it's been helping soothe and reduce the pimples. This is by no means a miracle worker, it still takes 3 or more days for the pimple to go but it's the most effective spot treatment I've found for cystic pimples. It works decently on whiteheads too.

L'oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil

I talked about this guy in my last post, so I won't ramble on. I've been using it every time I wash my hair and it's just been so nourishing and has left my hair feeling preeee soft!

Vanessa Megan Peruvian Flower Hand Cream*

I've been absolutely in LOVE with this hand cream ever since I got it a couple of weeks ago. The morning after my first use, my hands were so soft, even my friend noticed a difference! It has some really amazing, nourishing ingredients (that are all natural btw) but the scent is also sooo beautiful. It contains essential oils that supposedly banish anxiety, promote sleep and reduce stress. Now, I've still been very stressed and anxious but it's been so lovely to use before bed and inhale the scent. I haven't necessarily been falling asleep quicker, but I almost feel like I've been sleeping better through the night? Regardless, a very beautiful, luxurious hand cream.

NYX Terracotta Powder Blush

Like I said, I've been using all the same makeup products but I have been particularly enjoying this blush. It's a stunning bronzey, almost coppery-rose gold shade that is like a bronzer, highlighter and blush in one. I think it's very warm and autumnal, but will also be amazing in the warmer seasons.

Troye Sivan TRXYE

Yaaaaaay, Troye's EP came out a couple of weeks ago, and boy oh boy, it is good. I'm such a huge fan of his Youtube channel (he is hilay) and it's so awesome that he's gotten so much success with his music, so quickly! Woo! Besides Happy Little Pill, Touch has been ma JAM, but seriously all songs are amaze.

Banks

More music I've been listening to on repeat this month are some songs from Banks! Her album Goddess is coming out next week, but she's already released a few tracks from it which you should definitely check out. I just really adore her style of music, and her vocals are CAPTIVATING.

Estee and Aslan's Nordic Vlogs!

I have been looooving watching Estee and Aslan's road trip, which is sadly now over (creys)! What will I do with my life. But gosh darn, I love those two so much - it's borderline creepy. And Scandinavia looks amazing, it's really making me want to go there and EAT all that amazing food! I had a blast watching their vlogs everyday, a bit of procrastination break between studying!

Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy

GOTG also came out this month, and me being the major Marvel fan that I am, made sure to see it in Cinemas. It was amazing to say the least, SO funny! I think the plot was pretty good, but not the best, but I must say the costumes/special effects and soundtrack were so good. Groot is my bae <3

Wow, that was a very rambly post. Let me know what you've been loving this month!

*Products sent for consideration