Friday Review: Biotherm Aquasource Christmas gift pack

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Technorati Tags: Christmas gift guide,gift guide,biotherm,normal skin,combination skin
 

When you think Biotherm, you think of water. The history of this French luxury skin care brand began in the 1900’s, when a French biologist discovered thermal plankton (vitreoscilla filiformis) in mineral thermal spring water, which turned out to have potent skin health benefits. The ‘therm’ in Biotherm comes from ‘thermal’, and the ‘Bio’ comes from biology. In short, Biotherm’s image and products have a strong connection with water, and the micro-organisms living within it, because ‘water is the origin of life’.



This Christmas, Biotherm has collaborated with Swedish illustrator Ingela Peterson Arrhenius to create their charming limited edition Christmas Gift Packs. Because of Biotherm’s intimate connection with water, it will be donating a minimum of 250,000 Euro this holiday season to the charity, Mission Blue for the protection of the Ross Sea in Antarctica.

 

Biotherm’s Christmas gift packs are so awesome because it’s your complete cleansing routine. I’ve been given the Biotherm Aquasource pack to try! It contains:

• Biotherm Biosource Hydra-mineral Cleanser Toning Mousse
• Biotherm Biosource Instant Hydrating Toning Lotion; and
• Biotherm Aquasource Deep Hydrating Replenishing Gel

I really love the Aquasource pack, and I’ve reviewed each product briefly for you guys!



I’m super picky when it comes to facial cleansers because a lot of them just don’t cleanse that well, leave residue and end up breaking me out.



While Biosource Hydra-mineral Cleanser doesn’t lather up to the thick foam you would expect in a foaming cleanser, it is very effective. It’s always a good indication when my oily patches are left feeling very matte after cleansing.  Biotherm Biosource Instant Hydrating Toning Lotion is exactly as the name suggests, a hydrating lotion, to replenish skin moisture after the cleansing step. This lotion is so refreshing, and is also effective in removing remaining impurities on the skin. Both Biosource Hydra-Mineral Cleanser and Instant Hydrating Toning Lotion have that lovely clean linen smell.



Biotherm Aquasource Deep Hydrating Replenishing Gel for Normal of Combination Skin is the star of the show. This is Biotherm’s next generation Aquasource formulation and promises to deliver intense and long-lasting hydration for plump and radiant looking skin.



The gel itself is absolutely divine. It seems thick out of the tub, but it’s actually so light and instantly melts into your skin as you blend it. Immediately after you apply the gel skin feels so smooth and, yes, plump! Intense hydration? Tick. And because its so light weight, this is a great moisturiser to switch to for the dry Australian summer.

And I have to say something about the smell! Does anyone remember the Seinfeld episode where Kramer tries to sell the idea of a perfume that makes you smell like you’ve just been to the beach? Well that’s the only way I can describe the beautiful scent of Biotherm Aquasource Gel! It has that unmistakable clean and fresh ocean smell you wish you could take away from a day at the beach (not the salty fisher smell you actually get!). I wish they would make a perfume out of this!

There is a huge selection of Christmas Gift Packs for every skin and both him and her! For more information, head over to the Biotherm website: http://www.biotherm.com.au/

Click here to download a voucher to take in store and receive a free sample.   

5 Summer skin care tips and Comvita skin care giveaway!

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Summer is almost here, and it’s more important than ever to take care of our skin. Here are some suggestions for the dry (and long) Australian summer! 

1. Switch your makeup

Just like our winter wardrobe, it’s time to put away the winter makeup and switch to something more heat resistant. Sweating can cause excessive shine and makeup to wear off faster. Mineral-based powder foundation is great for preventing shine and wears longer in hot weather. If you prefer liquid foundation, choose one that is water based, rather than oil based. Waterproof mascara is also a must.

2. Sun protection

As we venture out from the warmth of our centrally heated houses into the summer sun, it’s more important than ever to protect skin from damage from harmful UV rays. Sun damage accelerates skin aging, and once the damage is sustained it’s difficult to reverse. Sunscreen is not just for a day at the beach, but should be worn everyday, as even short periods of exposure to UV rays now and again can lead to long term damage. One of the most convenient ways to build sun protection into your daily routine is by combining it with your morning moisturising routine. Use a moisturiser with a high SPF rating under makeup, like Comvitica Daily Moisturiser (SPF15), which contains Rosehip, Macadamia, Sumflower and Soybean oils to help slow signs of aging. Another great benefit of using a good moisturiser with SPF everyday is that sunscreen builds up in the outer layer of the skin, which, overtime, causes skin to be less likely to burn.

3. Facial mists

Facial mists are so amazing for summer. Used instead of powder to set makeup, a facial mist creates that youthful summer dewy (and not oily) skin look. Not only that, but increased sweating during the warmer seasons cause skin to lose vital minerals that keep the skin healthy, so a facial mist with skin health ingredients is a great way to replenish the skin throughout the day, like Comvita Hydrating Toning Mist. Comvita Hydrating Toning Mist contains Manuka honey and Kowhai plant extract to replenish skin nutrition and sooth and calm the skin.

4. Lip care

Lips are as just as vulnerable to Australia’s dry summer as skin, yet we always forget to properly care for them. During summer, lips are exposed to UV rays and over-drying, resulting in flakiness and cracking – not a good look. The reason lips always seem to dry out is because they do not contain glads that secret oils to naturally keep them hydrated. Everyone knows that lip balms are a great way to protect the lips and help keep them hydrated, but it’s not enough on its own. It’s a good idea to also use a lip treatment regularly, to deeply hydrate and to help prevent and correct wrinkles and lines. Comvita Lip Treatment with Manuka honey is not only wonderfully hydrating, but also helps to slow signs of aging.

5. Inside out protection

In addition to protecting your skin from sun damage and aging from the outside, it’s important to load up on anti-oxidants to counter damage from within. Olive leaf extract contains potent antioxidants which protect cell DNA. Dilute a teaspoon of Comvita Olive Leaf Extract with juice or straight up two or three times a day with food.

 

Comvita is giving away a Summer Essentials Health & Beauty Pack, valued at $160! The pack contains

• Manuka Honey 10 UMF ($26.67)
• Olive leaf Extra ($35.23)
• Whitening Toothpaste ($6.36)
• Hydrating Toning Mist (22.75)
• Nourishing Lip Treatment ($12.35)
• Daily Moisturiser with SPF ($35.75)
• Daily Spa Body Wash (18.85)

All products in contain natural ingredients to nourish the skin as nature intended, with a Hydrating Toning Mist, Moisturiser with SPF, Lip Treatment and Spa Body Wash.

Manuka Honey and Olive Leaf Extract work from the inside out and provide an immunity boost to promote healing, and a natural antioxidant hit to protect cells from damage.

Enter here!

 

You can also purchase this pack at an incredible special price of $99 here.

What are you summer skin care secrets?

Friday Review: Jurlique Daily Exfoliating Cream

Pin It Now! About this time two years ago, I was completely enchanted by the whole 100% natural beauty product movement. The idea of Jurlique Daily Exfoliating Cream, made with oats and almonds really captured my imagination.

SK-II Skin Signature Moisturiser Review: A moisturiser that really makes a difference

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SK-II is one of the only topical products that have actually made any noticeable difference to my skin.

You always hear that the earlier you start using anti-aging products the better. Personally I’m a topical product sceptic. I’m dubious that topical products can really make a difference to your body’s cells. Surely diet must have the greatest impact. But then again, I couldn’t ignore the great reviews I’m hearing about SK-II’s Skin Signature Cream.
SK-II makes the following bold promise:

Clinically proven to help you look up to 4 years younger in just one month, this anti-aging moisturiser helps strength Skin Power to give your skin total beauty through a balance of firmness, smoothness and radiance.

The ‘secret’ of SK-II is that now broken record of a story about the discovery that women who worked at a Japanese sake brewery had very soft and youthful hands. After much research, scientists were able to isolate the chemical responsible for this effect, Pitera.
So we know that this product is suppose to make your skin:

• Firmer
• Smoother, and
• More radiant.

A pie in the face you’ll love: Krave Moisture Soufflé Night Cream

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I’m not sure why there’s an obsession with food when it comes to skin care products. There are so many products these days that are about one step away from being actually edible (and temptingly so), and I’m totally on the bandwagon!

Krave Minerale Cosmeceuticals is a Philippine home grown brand offering a range of high quality wearable organic cosmetics made with natural ingredients that are good for your skin and totally affordable. It’s products are also manufactured in the USA.

Krave Moisture Soufflé Night Cream is an incredibly rich milkshake of natural ingredients that boost skin health:

• Green Tea: containing potent antioxidants called catechins, which help fight damage caused by free radicals. Helps soothes and revives dull & lifeless skin.
• Apricot: eliminates skin blemishes & treats damaged skin. It is useful for maintaining skin clarity, suppleness, and elasticity.
• Papaya: exfoliates the skin revealing a healthier, whiter & glowing skin. Rich in antioxidants such as vitamin A.
• Banana: composed of tissue-building elements, protein, vitamins including vitamin C, minerals & anti oxidant properties.
• Aloe Vera: makes the skin smooth and glowey, hydrating the skin and excellent for treating sunburns.
• Silk: deeply stimulate the muscle tissue, retain the skin's natural moisture, preventing dryness, while absorbing excess sebum. For the acne prone, silk even contains anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

One more thing that absolutely needs to be mentioned is that Krave Moisture Soufflé Night Cream s-m-e-l-l-s AMAZING.

At first glance, Krave Moisture Soufflé Night Cream has the look of body butter.

But the texture is more like a cream. Then scent is a cross between crème caramel, vanilla yoghurt and lemon zest.

The cream is quickly absorbed, and despite the incredible richness, is surprisingly not oily at all. The skin is left feeling supremely hydrated. However, while Krave Moisture Soufflé Night Cream promises to be beneficial for pimple prone skin, the level of hydration is really more suited to dry skin types. I have oily skin, but I still insist on using this everyday just because of the amazing smell!

I highly recommend Krave Moisture Soufflé Night Cream for people who need that extra bit of hydration overnight. However, this night cream is absolutely worth getting even just to smell it!

• Fabulously rich and luxurious to care for dry skin
• Packed full of natural products
• Smells amazing
• Very affordable, at Php 320 ($7AUD)!

• More suited to dry skin rather than oily skin

Krave Minerale Cosmeceuticals was very kind to provide me with a range of products to review, and so far, I love each one of them. Don’t forget to check out my reviews of Krave Blush Crush and Krave Moisturising Lip Shimmer!

Also, there are only a three days left to enter my current giveaway!

My night time beauty routine–how I care for my split personality skin

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I often have people asking me what skin care products I use, and what my skin care regiment looks like, I guess because people think I have good skin, judging from the photos on my blog. Now, as I will discuss in a bit more detail below, I don’t have what would be considered to be exceptionally good skin, but I do take skin care, particularly night time skin care, very seriously, as this is indispensable for me in keeping my skin in a manageable condition.

My motto has always been that ‘you should never skimp on skin care’, and if there is something great for your skin that money can buy (and you can afford it), you should get it! That said, I’ve also found that it’s not always the most expensive or hyped products that will work for my skin. So you may be surprised to find that most of my most favourite products are somewhat obscure.

My Skin Profile

Before I begin, I just want to talk briefly about my skin profile. I have split personality skin that is oily one day then dry the next. While the oily side of my skin is prone to breakouts, the dry side of my skin causes unsightly flaking. The challenge for me is striking a balance between oil control and hydration. And of course, I have struggled at length with white and black heads. I also suffer from hyperpigmentation caused by childhood chicken pox and adult pimple scarring, and general hereditary discolouration . I have tried various products in an attempt to ‘brighten’, ‘whiten’, and ‘correct’, but so far I remain sceptical that any topical product can really make any difference to hyperpigmentation. Therefore, while it’s a part of my skin profile, I don’t use any product at the moment to address this problem.

The Heroes

May I introduce to you, the heroes of my full night time skin routine. Ok this does look like a lot, but this is the routine I’ll most likely follow on weekends, when I have more time and I do skip a few products on weeknights. My routine starts from makeup removal, to cleansing, and then treatment.

Step 1: Makeup removal

This is an extremely important step for pimple prone skin and enlarged pores. Most makeup is comedogenic (clogs pores), and will exacerbate these problems if not removed properly before sleep.

For quite some time now, my weapon of choice for removing the most stubborn makeup has been Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil. I’ve been using the Whitening Recovery EX version on the off chance that it would lighten my hyperpigmentation, but have not seen much improvement in that department.

However, ever since I got eyelash extensions last month, I’ve had to switch to a non-oil remover, as oil based removers can dissolve the glue that they use for eyelash extensions. Unfortunately all makeup removers will tend to eat away at that glue, so I still have to be really careful around the eyes in any case.

The makeup remover I use now is Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. Yes, I do use this all over my face, and it works a treat. It’s not as strong on hard to remove water proof mascara as Shu Uemura Cleansing oil, so when all my eyelash extensions have fallen out, I’ll likely switch back.

Step 2: Cleansing

For oily and pimple prone skin, cleansing is the single most beneficial thing you can do for your skin to keep those blemishes at bay and ‘train’ your skin. Unfortunately, in my experience, most drugstore or even high end cleansers, even those ones formulated specifically for pimple prone skin, do not cleanse well enough or in a way that really helps the problem. Surprisingly, the cleanser I use to help control oil and pimples is one that makes no promise that it would do so at all – Ponds Black Clean Charcoal cleanser (Taiwanese version called ‘Pure White’, because I guess…no one in Taiwan wants to use a cleanser called ‘Black Clean’).

The reason I came to use this cleanser was because I found that it’s very similar to cult Japanese foaming facial soap, Cha no Shizuku, which I love. These are both cleansers that produce extremely fine foam and in large volumes. Recently in Japan, the idea of ‘cleansing with foam’ has become very popular, and it’s one fad that I will attest to being completely legitimate. When I first tried Cha no Shizuku, I noticed a dramatic decrease in breakouts, and the results have continued when I started using Ponds Black Clean. Ponds Black Clean also has claims that the charcoal infused into the cleanser helps to lift oil from the skin and soak up impurities.

I’ve only been able to locate this product on ebay. 

Next in the cleansing step is all about pores. I use Zino Bubble Mask for deep cleansing and Skin Food Acorn Jelly Mask as an astringent to reduce pore size. However, when I am busy, I skip these products.

Zino Bubble Mask has been talked about a lot in Asia recently, for being a highly effective deep pore cleaner. It’s really quite an ingenious product. It applies as a gel, but once exposed to the air, it immediately begins to foam, and it’s this foaming action that’s thought to lift dirt form pores.

While Skin Food Acorn Jelly Mask might also fit into the Treatment step, I class it more as a cleansing product, as it helps to further lift oil from skin and, being an astringent, works with Zino Bubble Mask to close up the pores after a deep cleanse. I reviewed this product here.

Both these products are available on www.sasa.com.

If you have oily skin, the one thing you can’t skip is a lotion or toner. The terms ‘lotion’ and ‘toner’ have become so ambiguous these days. Some are to balance PH after cleansing (which I think is hokum because these days cleanser don’t affect skin PH), some are to hydrate the skin, and some exfoliate the skin. I’m currently using Chanel Precision Fresh Mattifying Toner. This is by far the most expensive item in my skin care routine, at $50 for the bottle. This Toner does exactly that, ‘mattifies’ oily shiny skin. It’s hard to say if one product is making all the difference, but I’ve noticed a great improvement in oiliness since using this product.

Step 3: Treatment

As I mentioned above, as well as oiliness and blemishes, I strangely also suffer from dry skin. So I need to keep my skin hydrated at all times. If I have time, I always try to fit in a sheet mask after cleansing. Asian sheet masks are great because they are cheap enough to buy a bunch and use everyday, and they come in so many fun flavours. I’m currently loving My Scheming Aloe Vera + Vitamin E Mask. As you know, Aloe Vera and Vitamin E are both known to promote healing and sooth inflammation, so this is a perfect mask for blemish prone skin, like mine. This mask is only $1.53AUD at www.pinksakura.com.au!

The final step is a good moisturiser. I think there’s a general belief out there that if you have oily skin, you can’t use any oil based moisturisers. Let me just say that from personal experience, I think this is completely wrong. Not only have I not noticed any increased oiliness or blemishes when using oil based moisturisers, but I will no longer use oil free moisturisers as they just do nothing in terms of providing any sufficient level of hydration to my skin.

While I only started using Lanocreme Vitamin E Cream because my mum has a friend who sells them and she gets them at a discount, no matter how many moisturisers I’ve used, I always go back to this one. Lanolin is the oil that is extracted from sheep’s wool, and is said to be very beneficial to skin. Lanolin cream is one of those ‘Australian made’ products that you can only find at souvenir shops and duty free! Despite being oil based, this moisturizer is non greasy, does not cause my skin to become oily, and offers the perfect amount of moisture. It also smells amazing.

Don’t forget to enter my Beauty’s in the bag Giveaway! So many prizes to be won!!

What’s in your skin care routine?

It’s Skin mini bebe hand cream

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I’ve got the weirdest skin which is oily and sweaty one moment, then dry to the point of cracking another! That’s why I always have hand cream and lip balm on me at all times, because dry hands feel absolutely horrible! If it’s something I’m pulling out of my bag on a regular basis, or displaying on my desk at work, I want the packaging to be super cute, and totally represents my personality. That’s why I am totally in love with It’s Skin Mini Bebe Hand Cream, courtesy of www.pinksakura.com.au!

This is the first product I’ve tried from It’s Skin, and I haven’t heard too much about the brand, so I decided to do a little research. Established in 2006, Korean cosmetics brand It’s Skin focuses on innovative skin care with formulas developed by Dermatologists from Seoul University. While most of It’s Skin’s products are what could be categorized as premium skin care, they also have super cute line, which includes the adorable Mini Bebe Hand Cream, Mini Tint Gloss and the Babyface Petit Blusher, which I am dying to get my hands on! And by the way www.pinksakura.com.au is one of the only online stores I know of that stocks this range!

It’s Skin Mini Bebe Hand Cream is absolutely adorable. It comes in three colours, and the pink, Cherry Blossom, is my favourite. The size is just perfect for throwing in your makeup bag, and I love the flat lid for standing it up the right way up.

Unfortunately the product description is all in Korean, and so I can’t offer you guys any info about the ingredients or benefits this offers.

I really appreciate that a lot of Korean beauty products include a foil cover over the nozzle, to fully guarantee hygiene !

For a hand cream, the scent is so important. I’ve chucked a hand cream in a drawer because the smell was so unappealing! Don’t you hate those overly fake synthetic smells that remind you of scented erasers?

I’m a huge fan of cherry blossom scents, especially after being gifted The Body Shop’s Japanese Cherry Blossom body butter last year. It’s Skin Mini Bebe Hand Cream’s version of the cherry blossom scent is powdery and berry sweet! Now that I’m wearing wool gloves in winter, I love that the scent transfers onto my gloves and I can smell it all the time!

The formula itself is extremely hydrating, quickly absorbed without being too oily, and a little also goes a long way. 

I love pulling this cuteness out of my makeup bag, like a fox!

Speaking of cute, www.pinksakura.com.au  also sent me a little teaser for their huge ‘Kawaii Items’ range! Check them out!

This apple tree design postit’s comes on a card backing to slide into your diary or wallet!

Since floral print is trending right now and I luurv cats, I’m loving this cute ‘Choo Choo cat’ postits book!

I fell in love with so many cute things from www.pinksakura.com.au! Check out these adorable ‘Choo choo eco stickys’!

But…can anyone tell me, what in the world a ‘choo choo cat’ is?!

These cute stationary items are only $2.00 to $2.50 from www.pinksakura.com.au!

Pink Sakura is a new Australian based Asian cosmetics retailer on the scene, specialising in GEO Medical contact lenses – stock including the popular Bambi Princess Mimi series – yay – and Asian cosmetics, with mostly Korean brands like Etude House, Tony Moly and Holika Holika! They also sell nail art supplies and Kawaii Items! I’m super excited about their range of Fimo nail art slices, which are priced at only $1 each for 40 pieces!