Aquamoist Hyaluronic Cleansing Oil

Where I got it: I got this from Sass.com. I have purchased this previously and I loved it. This is my 3rd bottle! This is about NZD$14.50 on Sasa.com.

What I got: This is a 150ml pump bottle of cleansing oil be Aquamoist with hyaluronic acid. It works best with dry hands, but it also works with wet hands. The cleansing oil goes deep into skin and melts dirt and makeup in a flash, while hyaluronic acid retains the skin’s natural moisture level.

How I find it: I have been using cleansing oil for over as long as I can remember to effectively and easily remove makeup. I use about 2-3 pumps of this cleansing oil on my dry hands, rub it between my palms and massage the oil all over my face and my eyes. The oil is smooth, but not thick and feels silky on my skin. After about a minute of gentle massaging, I wet my hands to make the cleansing oil into a milky consistency, then I massage my wet hands all over my skin, working the makeup off. After working it off a little, I rinse it all off with luke warm water. Then I use my normal facial cleanser to wash off the remaining dirt and grime all over my face.

Overall: As this is already my third bottle, you can see that I really like it. It has a pump bottle, it is really affordable and it is highly effective and effortless. It removes all my long-wearing foundation (i.e. Estee Lauder Double Wear), liquid eyeliner, waterproof mascara (so far, all of my mascaras, except the Loreal Telescopic waterproof mascara – this stuff is tough!), blush, etc. It really does not leave my skin too dry and it also doesn’t make my skin feel greasy and oily. I have been using this for about 2 months and I am close to finishing it (I use it nearly every night).

Eye of Horus Liquid Eyeliner

Where I got it: I was given this as part of a goodie bag I got from an event by FlauntPR a while ago. Eye of Horus is available from their website, or from a list of stockists found here. The eyeliner retails for NZD$ 39.00

What I got: This is a Liquid Define liquid eyeliner from Eye of Horus. The felt tip liner gives complete control and does not have any dial to turn or buttons to push for the formula to dispense, it is purely for the formula to soak in the tip. One really interesting thing with this liquid liner is that you can use a tweezer to pull out the tip and reverse it when the tip frays or becomes blunt. This is also paraben free.

How I find it: Remove the black cap to reveal the felt tip liner, I first tried it on the back of my hand (as above picture) and the pigment looks great. After a few more tries on my hand, I used it on my eyes. To my surprise, the pigment was really bad! Then I asked for help from Eye of Horus on whether my liquid liner has dried up so fast? I then learned that I need to PRIME the tip:  Take off the cap and turn it upside down to make a ‘cup’, point the tip inside the cupped lid and bend against rim which will draw the liquid to the tip. After that, I had really good pigment and flow! The formula is really dark and really easy to control and draw close to the lash line. However, after a number of uses, the pigment starts to fade and it gets a little hard to draw a good fluid line – I presume the ink is used up already?

Overall: I LOVE liquid eyeliners because my oily eyelids and no eye liner pencil or gel liner would work on my eyes without smudging and running. This liquid liner is great, it dries really fast on my eyes and the tip is firm enough to draw a controlled line but soft enough not to tug on my skin. I don’t like touching up my makeup during the day, therefore I love how this liner stays on my eyes all day without me having to check up on it. Removal is easy with cleansing oil and/or a cleansing water (I am using Aquamoist cleansing oil and Bioderma H2O cleansing water at the moment) without the need for harsh rubbing and tugging. However, my Dolly wink liquid eyeliner is still number one because of the calligraphy tip and the pigment.

Bio oil

Where I got it: I got sent this for review (I am 3 months pregnant!), but this is available from Supermarket, Farmers, pharmacies, Kmart, etc for about $25.00 (200ml bottle).

What I got: This is a 200ml bottle of Bio oil (contains PurCellin Oil). Bio oil is well known for its effects on scars and stretch marks. It is also great for uneven skin tone, dehydrated skin and anti-aging as it is a great skin oil for rejuvenating the skin. Bio oil requires consistent use and patience if it is for the treatment of scars. For treatment of stretch marks, the instruction recommends to use from the second trimester. For existing stretch marks, it will need consistent use and patience because prevention is more effective over post-treatment.

How I find it: I started using this as soon as I found out I am pregnant (about 7 weeks) and I use it twice a day. I focus mainly on my tummy and my waist area, I also use this on my bust, thighs and buttocks. I was told by different people where they had stretch marks because they have missed some areas where they thought would not be affected. I am NOT going to let that happen to myself. Therefore I use this generously and not dare miss one application. Massaging with gentle circular motions, I also love to talk to my baby while I do it so I can connect with my child. 🙂

Overall: So far, my tummy is not growing that fast, but I can feel that the area where I applied the oil is really hydrated and moisturized. I have used about 1/3 of the bottle already, I assume that I will use up about 3x 200ml bottles until the birth of my baby. It will take a couple of months (after the baby is born) to see whether my persistence and patience has been paid off. I would also need to continue to use this after the birth to firm and moisturize the skin.

Disclaimer: I am not paid to do these reviews. All reviews are of my honest and personal opinions.

nvey eco gloss glow shine travel set

Where I got it: I was sent this for review. NVEY ECO products can be purchased from selected stockists in New Zealand (Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Wanganui and Wellington for $59.00. Their products are also available online from www.nveyeco.com.

What I got: This is NVEY ECO Gloss Glow Shine lipgloss and mascara travel set. The set contains a small volumizing mascara in black, and 2 hydrating lip glosses in Flirt and Amour Rose.

How I find it:

Volumizing mascara: This is a rather matte black mascara. The formula looks a little dry, and it took some effort to adhere to my lashes as my lashes are quite short and soft. The brush is a medium sized brush with that is average to handle. The mascara makes the lashes soft to the touch nad looking very natural, but it does rub off easily if you rub your eyes. After a few hours of wear, it does run a little down the bottom, but very minor and I do have combination/oily skin.

Hydrating Lip gloss: This handy little lip gloss is great to put in your handbag. This Amour Rose shade is a very natural pink with silver micro-shimmers. On my lips, the pink shade doesn’t show up much because my natural lip color is darker. However, the Flirt shade is quite pigmented and shows up very strong on my lips. The formula of these lip glosses are rather creamy and the pigment is quite good for Flirt, but sheer for Amour Rose. When applied, the lip gloss does not create a lip liner effect and fills my lips easily without the need for swiping the applicator over and over again. The lip gloss is not sticky and feels very comfortable on my lips. It wipes off easily with tissues, but does not stain my lips.

Above: Lip gloss in Amour Rose

Top:  Half lip with lip gloss, half without. Bottom: Full lips with lip gloss

Above: Lip gloss in Flirt

Top: Half lip with lip gloss, half without. Bottom: Full lips with lip gloss

Overall: The small sized lip glosses are fantastic for travelling and the quality is pretty good. It is not sticky nor does it feel too heavy on the lips. The mascara is not waterproof so I won’t be wearing this if I know I will be wearing it for over 5 hours without worrying looking like a panda afterwards. Overall, I prefer to lip glosses over the mascara.

Disclaimer: I am not paid to do these reviews. All reviews are of my honest and personal opinions.

Garnier Anti-aging BB cream in Light

Where I got it: I got this for free from a Facebook page! Woohoo! You can buy this from Farmers, supermarket and leading pharmacies.

What I got: This is a 50ml tube of Garnier Anti-aging BB cream in Light. This BB cream helps to fight wrinkles, firms the skin, evens and illuminates the skin, corrects blemishes and provides hydration. The Garnier BB creams come in different formulas: Normal, Anti-aging, Sensitive and oil-free. There is also a medium shade, but light shade fits me quite good.

How I find it: After cleansing the skin, I always have a habit of applying moisturiser, but for this anti-aging BB cream you really don’t need any moisturiser as it is quite a moisturising BB cream. I use a pea size amount of this BB cream all over my face, just like a moisturiser. I would focus more on the areas on my cheeks where I have some acne scarring, or I may need some concealing under my eyes. I would use a mattifying powder over this BB cream as the finish is too dewy for me.

Overall: After about 2 hours, my t-zone starts to show oil, so I would not recommend this to combination to oily skin. The formula is a bit heavy and sticky for my combination/oily skin as you can see from the swatch above, it gives a dewy finish. The shade is quite easy to wear for my yellow under-toned skin, as from previous experience with European formulated BB creams with limited shade options tends to be on the pink side which looks very strange on my skin. This medium coverage BB cream does quite good in minimizing the appearance of pores and evening of skin tones.  I cannot see the effects of anti-aging and minimizing of wrinkles yet.

Garnier The Brusher Gel Cleanser

Where I got it: I was shopping on strawberrynet.com for my Elie Saab fragrance and realized that they cannot do free shipping just for fragrance products without purchasing a skincare/make up product. So I searched for a nice and cheap product to put in my basket to get free shipping. Strawberrynet.com does a 10% surcharge for the total basket with a cap of NZD$11.00 for shipping and handling. So this cleanser was less than NZD$11.00! However, it is sold out already. 😦

What I got: This is Garnier The Brusher Gel Cleanser. I have not seen this in New Zealand or anywhere at all, so it was something new. This gel cleanser is oil free and is it is suitable for normal skin.

How I find it: At first, it looks interesting. The plastic bristles feels soft to the fingers touch. As per the instructions, I wet my face, twist the white part of the bottle top to open, invert the bottle and squeeze a small amount of gel cleanser onto the brush area (the opening is in the middle). Twist it close and run some water to the bristles. Massage the bristles directly onto my face.

Overall: I don’t like the brush at all! The bristles are soft, but they are not dense enough to do any substantial cleansing of the skin or more pores at all. Moreover, the cleanser is not able to foam up because it just runs through between the bristles and down the sink! I ended up squeezing the gel cleanser onto my palms and lather it up with my hands to wash my face. The cleanser formula is great and smells nice, but the brush is just a bad idea. After washing off, it does make my skin feel clean without being too drying.

Dermalogica MultiVitamin Power Firm

Where I got it: I got sent this as a Christmas gift! This is RRP$130 for 15ml.

What I got: This is the Dermalogica MultiVitamin Power Firm eye cream in the Age Smart range.

How I find it: This powerful firming complex helps combat lines around the delicate eye area. Help accelerate skin’s natural repair process with Vitamin A (Retinol) as antioxidant vitamins C and E improve elasticity while scavenging free radicals. Silicones shield vulnerable skin, acting as a protective barrier against further assault. Seaweed Extract helps firm and minimize the appearance of fine lines. Makes a great make-up prep prior to concealer application. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colours. The eye cream is a gel-like consistency and looks like a primer because of its matte outlook. The silicon texture is very gentle to the eye area and does not drag the delicate skin.

Overall: I love the texture, but I cannot use it because it has Retinol (Vitamin A) as one of the ingredients. As I am pregnant, Retinol is one of the ingredients that you should not use when you are pregnant as it is toxic to the baby. So I gave it to my sister. I hope she likes it!

Disclaimer: I am not paid to do these reviews. All reviews are of my honest and personal opinions.

Weleda Oat Replenishing Shampoo and Treatment

Where I got it: I got sent this for review. Weleda is available from leading pharmacies (Life Pharmacies).

What I got: This is Weleda’s Oat Replenishing Shampoo and treatment. Weleda has just recently launched their new haircare range which are free of parabens, preservatives and artificial ingredients.

How I find it:

Oat Replenishing Shampoo 190ml $19.90: Oat structures, restores and protects. With its delicate scent, organic jojoba oil and extract of organic oat and sage, this shampoo reduces breakage and split ends and improves suppleness. The mild surfactants in Weleda hair care products ensure excellent cleansing despite producing little foam and are tailored to the individual needs of the scalp and hair.  The shampoo comes out clear and it’s gentle foam is due to due to the use of natural plant-based surfactants. Less foam does not mean inferior washing properties. I use this shampoo once, rinse off and apply the treatment.

Oat Replenishing Treatment 150ml $19.90: With its delicate scent, rich organic shea butter and extract of organic Oat, this treatment smoothes the rough surface of the hair, intensively nourishes and hydrates. It increases the natural shine and suppleness. The treatment is like a body butter/body cream. The treatment melts into the hair and doesn’t make the hair feel greasy or too slippery. Washing off is easy after 5-10 minutes.

Overall: Both shampoo and treatment smells really nice – but I can’t say that it smells like oats. Holistic haircare is not easy to get used to, because it is somewhat different to what you normally use. For example, normal shampoo foams up easily, but this shampoo does not, normal conditioner/treatment makes your hair silky soft to the touch, but this treatment does not. It is not because it is not effective, but the natural properties of organic products do not use artificial chemicals and ingredients to make us feel or think that out hair is clean or our hair is silky soft. It does take time to see great results with organic/holistic products, so it all comes down to persistence and patience! Do give Weleda products a try, they are fantastic!

Disclaimer: I am not paid to do these reviews. All reviews are of my honest and personal opinions.

La’bonic Daily Defender SPF 15

Where I got it: I was sent this for review from La’bonic and you can purchase this on their website for NZD$45.00

What I got: This is 50g tube of La’bonic’s Organic Daily Defender moisturiser with SPF15. The moisturiser contains pure natural rose damascena oil which moisturizes, evens skin tone, reduces pigmentation from sun exposure and brightens the complexion.

La’bonic is a range of honest and healthy New Zealand Natural and Organic skincare made by trustworthy professionals.

How I find it:  The moisturiser is a little on the thicker side and it can take little effort to spread because of its sunscreen properties. It does need a little time to settle in on my skin so after I apply the moisturiser, I wait for a few minutes to apply any makeup.

Overall: The moisturiser is quite moisturising. A little goes a long way as shown on the picture above, that is enough for my entire face. The consistency is very comfortable on the skin as it doesn’t feel too oily or heavy on my combination/oily skin even in summer. The down-side of this moisturiser is it’s scent – because it does not contain any fragrance, the scent is rather chemical-like. However, the scent is not strong so it will fade very soon. I am sure a lot of people would prefer skincare with no fragrance, but I would prefer a light natural scent instead of this chemical/sunscreen smell.  Anyway, I am quite impressed with La’bonic’s skincare product so far! I do look forward to trying other skincare products from their range!

Disclaimer: I am not paid to do these reviews. All reviews are of my honest and personal opinions.

Savar Travel Balm set

Where I got this: I was sent this for review from savar, but you can purchase this from their website for NZD$44.00.

What I got: This is the Jet Set Travel Treat Balm from Savar. This contains 3x 15ml of Savar’s lovely balms – Jet Set First Aid Balm, Jet Set Magic Rescue Balm and Jet Set Temple Relief Balm. The individual balms come in a black tub are a convenient travel size that fits perfectly in the toiletry bag.

How I find it: 

Jet Set Magic Rescue Balm: An emergency ultra nourishing balm fabulous for dry patches anywhere including lips, face, hands, cuticles and heels. Formulated with NZ blackcurrant seed oil and NZ meadowfoam oil this multi-tasking rescue balm will hydrate, soothe, soften and protect your skin. I love using this as a lip balm and elbow balm. It is a little hard to melt on the fingertips so I need to swirl a good couple of times with a little pressure to get the balm onto my fingers. I also love using this balm to remove lipstick that tends to stain. I remove the lipstick with tissue, apply the balm all over my lips, then use the tissue to remove it again with gentle pressure. That will remove a good amount of the left over stain and keep my lips soft!

Jet Set First Aid Balm: A travellers essential formulated with NZ manuka and NZ calendula to help skin recover from irritations, itchy bites and minor rashes. Also works wonders on lips, spots and blemishes. I also use this on my lips and anywhere that I have minor irritations. Sometimes I have patches of dry, rough areas on my arm so I apply this a couple of times a day for about 2 days and it gets rid of it!

Jet Set Temple Relief Balm: A fabulous calming and cooling balm formulated with NZ meadowfoam oil and essential oils to help relieve the symptoms of stress and tension – also works exceptionally well in clearing the sinuses! This balm is great! I tend to get motion sickness when I travel – by car usually. I love using this on my temples and/or under my nose so it can give me instant relief. Same issue with the balm being a little hard, it is a little difficult to get a good bit of balm on my fingertips.

Overall: As you can see all the balms looks exactly the same, and their consistency is exactly the same. The scent is different and they have different benefits and effects. I really love the size and the sleek packaging of these balms. The versatility of these balms makes them very useful. I will be travelling overseas early next year so I will be bringing these 3 babies with me!

Disclaimer: I am not paid to do these reviews. All reviews are of my honest and personal opinions.