August 28, 2014

My current skin care routine

August 28, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

It was all about my hair last week, now let's talk skin care. My skin was pretty lacklustre for a while -- dull complexion, dry, flaky and dehydrated. Essentially, my skin was screaming, "give me some TLC, woman!"

So I overhauled my skin care routine and chucked items that really weren't working.

Exfoliator

Dr. Lewinn's Facial Polishing Gel ($39.99 AUS) - a gentle exfoliator that scrubs away the dry bits without tearing the skin's barrier. It's lightly fragranced, I get a nod to pineapple on the nose, but do note my nose has a tendency to grab onto some whackadoo notions. This particular exfoliator's ingredients comes at your skin on several different fronts:

Jojoba beads to exfoliate and moisturise
Algae extract to tone and firm
Aloe vera to soothe and moisturise
Matricaria a.k.a. chamomile to calm and soothe
Rosemary to firm, stimulate and tone

After using Dr. Lewinn's Facial Polishing Gel my skin feels smooth, soft and ready for the rest of the items I have left to chat about with you lovely folks.

Cleanser

Prior to my visit with a local day spa a few weeks ago I was pretty down in the dumps about my skin care regimen. Things needed to be revamped and fast, because my skin was looking mighty sallow. Upon addressing my skin concerns with a super knowledgable facialist, she then suggested I try Aspect's Gentle Clean Facial Cleanser ($44 AUS). Every morning and evening I dispense two pumps into the palm of my hand, bring the gel to a lather with luke warm water and gently massage my face for around thirty seconds. If I'm removing my makeup I make sure to wash my face twice in order to really get rid of the day's grime and dirt. It's been a fruitful switch for me as my skin hasn't freaked out whatsoever and this cleanser leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean without ripping away necessary natural oils.

Serum

Yet another recommendation from an unwitting saviour, Aspect's Extreme B 17 ($119 AUS, ouchie!) when used in tandem with the Gentle Clean Facial Cleanser, has really helped to make my skin glow. Vitamin B works to maintain your skin's moisture levels and even heightens the metabolism of the skin cells. Oh, and it also fights skin yuckies such as eczema, dermatitis and rosacea. I use this baby every morning and night after washing my face.

Moisturiser

FAB or First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Lotion ($28 USD) was integrated into my current regimen in case my skin had a bad reaction to the cleanser and serum (it never did). Not only does the underlying goodness of this lotion hydrate, but it also waves laters to flaky skin. After a week of regular cleansing and moisturising, my skin was clear, soft and genuinely happy. With my skin's positive response to a few bits and bobs from Aspect, I've reduced the frequency of FAB's Ultra Repair Lotion and switched back to Ole Henriksen's Nurture Me (not pictured and it smells exactly like an orange creamsicle (icy pole)). That's not to say I won't use this little miracle to battle eczema whenever it decides to pop in and say hello.

Sunscreen

Supergoop's Skin Soothing Mineral Sunscreen with SPF 40 ($28 USD) is lightweight and allows me to catch a few rays minus the guilt. Plus, this stuff gets 4+ stars over on Sephora - so, if it's good enough for you, then it's good enough for me.

Eye Stuffs

Why stuffs? Heck, I don't know, but it's gotta be doing something right? Wrinkles have been creeping in near the corners of my eyes (don't think I haven't noticed you, cuz I have) from years of smiling; when you think about it, these sorts of wrinkles aren't the end of the world. You know, happiness and all, I wouldn't trade it for the world. To help spur these little buggers I use Jurlique's Herbal Recovery Advanced Eye Serum ($58 AUS / $48 USD). To be honest, I haven't noticed any massive improvements, but I'd like to think of this step as preventative skin care maintenance.

Well, that's about all I got. Here's to happier skin :)

*Jurlique kindly provided a PR sample – Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

July 27, 2014

Giving back to my skin with a serving of Milk & Co.'s Face Cleanser

July 27, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

To be honest winter can suck it right about now, because my skin is DOA -- my face has been so parched and flaky that makeup further magnifies this dire situation.

*waves white flag*

Blogging has its perks, you see this little tub of face cleanser landed on my doorstep last week; talk about kismet. Normally I'd be leery about introducing a relative unknown into my rather bland skin care regimen, but on this occasion I kicked my hesitance to the curb and lathered up.

The cleanser is lightweight, practically translucent and the scent is refreshing with its citrusy wave from geranium oil. While the scent works to heighten the senses, the cleanser works its spa-like magic. The feeling sandwiched between my hands and my face is plush, creamy, not overly sudsy and slightly magnetic. It's almost as if I can't pull my hands away from my face, because I don't want the thirty or so seconds of cleansing to end.

My skin is left properly clean (not the squeaky kind and that's ok), soft and ready for a helping of moisturiser.

It's been a solid week of repeated use and thankfully my skin hasn't decided to barf. Milk's Face Cleanser is gentle enough for the sensitive set, yet strong enough for those with normal to oily skin.

The only negative is the packaging as I find it a tad too bulky for my liking, but I'm willing to overlook this because it's what's on the inside that matters to me most.

About Milk & Co.

"Milk & Co. is a family company created by Olympic swimming champ Michael Klim, his wife Lindy Klim, and their three kids, Stella, Rocco and Frankie. Using their unique family and sporting experience, the Klim’s create products designed to make life more liveable. Full of the good stuff, they’re simple and effective, straight forward and good for everyone."

Michael and Lindy Klims' petite product range delivers a feel good vibe with its affordability, accessibility and simplicity.

Good stuff that works.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Milk & Co.'s Face Cleanser:

$16.95 AUS

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

10 out of 10 bags — My skin is finally happy.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

Lindy's Body Oil and Body Scrub will most certainly make their way into my basket next time I visit Priceline.

*PR sample provided – Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

June 30, 2014

You can take it home with you: The Masseuse

June 30, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Man, if I could get a weekly massage I'd be one happy camper, albeit a poor one. For those stress-y weeks when I'm not willing to part with my hard earned dollars I spa at home. Before showering I reach for my Cactus Brush and give my limbs a proper rub down (start at the heart and work the brush in a circular motion), the dense bristles gently agitate and exfoliate the skin -- it's almost an electric feeling.

Once you've finished dry brushing hop in the shower, wash up, rinse and dry off. Next, grab a body oil. I've been hooked on Elemis' Japanese Camelia Body Oil Blend for its ability to moisturise without leaving a greasy residue and the scent, it's barely detectable. When you're rubbing the body oil in, really try to massage the major muscle groups especially if you've been super active all week long. I realise this little treat isn't nearly as relaxing and enjoyable as the spa, but it feels good taking a little extra "me time" every now and then.

Elemis Body Oil Blend is also available in Cellutox Active (detoxifying), Frangipani Monoi (Hawaii in a bottle) and Musclease Active (great for frequent gym goers). Japanese Camelia Body Oil is recommended for mothers-to-be, as well as for the prevention of stretch marks.

If Elemis' Body Oil is too expensive for you or it's not to your liking, here are a few other notable suggestions:

Neutrogena's Body Oil - $
Aesop's Geranium Leaf Hydrating Body Treatment - $$
Osmia Organics Light Body Oil - $$$

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Elemis' Japanese Camelia Body Oil:

$62.00 AUS / $48.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

8 out of 10 bags — Expensive, but a little goes a long way. This bottle will last me a year, at least.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

Scott and I are both absolutely entranced by Elemis' Sharp Shower Body Wash. The peppermint wakes you up and prepares you to take on another day.

*PR sample provided – Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

June 24, 2014

The lazy gal's guide (life hack) to getting clean skin, fast.

June 24, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Forty winks, counting sheep, catching some z's -- these are the thoughts that race through my head as I ready myself for sleep. In the morning I'm willing to cut a couple of corners as much as the next gal for those few extra minutes of sleep and I'll certainly do the same before bed.

Think about all the things you do in the course of day..

Commute to work (drive, bike, walk, train, etc.)
Chat on the phone or text
Type
Frequent the bathroom
Hit the gym
Pick up the kids (for some of us)

Now, how many times did you or even a loved one touched your face after doing any or all of these activities? We always sanitise our hands, yet we only manage to wash/cleanse our face once a day.

Show of hands, have you hit the sheets without washing your face? I certainly have and I'm ashamed to admit this, but it's a habit (albeit a good one) I really only picked up a couple of years ago. Plus, who knows how badly I've harmed/damaged my skin from being so neglectful.

Now that I wear makeup almost every day, I make the time to remove my makeup off. Key word here is make, no matter how tipsy, tired or sick I am. I don't want my made up face smushin' with my pillow, guys we all know where it's been and it ain't pretty.

So, for those post-party evenings or even for the long, hard days at work or school reach for a makeup wipe. I've been using Neutrogena's Night Calming Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes (say that three times fast) when I can't be bothered hovering over the sink as the water reaches a luke warm state. The soft wipes get rid of the day's grit and grime all while calming the senses, I'm left feeling squeaky clean and zen.

Side note: makeup wipes shouldn't permanently replace a proper facial cleansing regimen, but they [wipes] sure are handy whenever you're having a Garfield moment.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Neutrogena's Night Calming Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes: