Skin care Archives - myfoxycorner

Posts Tagged ‘Skin care’

01
Apr
2014

Moisture Boost with Antipodes

categories: Beauty, Beauty Favorites, Saving My Skin

Hi All,

So lately my skin has been better than ever. My face is even in tone with no pesky redness, hydrated and radiant. I honestly can’t remember the last time my skin was this good without medication.

The reason why? A cheeky little duo that was released in stores today by one of my new favourite brands, Antipodes. Their new Moisture Boost Mini’s contain a duo of two miniature sized products that work together to create moisturized and hydrated skin.

My skin has been loving the combination of these two natural products and I can see this becoming my staple skin care routine for sure.

So what are these two products?

1. Divine Face Oil with Avocado and Rosehip (10mL) – the first step in this mini skincare regime is applying this organic face oil over the face and neck area. This oil absorbs really well into my skin and immediately hydrates it.

2. Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream (15mL) – Step two is to apply this beautifully scented vanilla day cream which contains manuka honey for helping prevent blemishes and anti ageing antioxidants. When this is applied over the top of a thin layer of the face oil the combination leaves my face deeply moisturized and radiant for the entire day.

Although these two products work great at as a combination I love each of these products by themselves as well. I often use the face oil at night before bed because I love waking up to skin that looks healthy and nourished. The day cream is a perfect moisturizer for my skin in the morning as it hydrates without feeling heavy or greasy and my skin stays smooth and moisturized for the entire day.

I can’t think of anything negative about these two products and I am 100% sure I will be purchasing another mini duo to take travelling as well as the full size products to use as part of my daily skin care routine.

These mini duo packs are a great way to try out these products without committing to something new that might not be perfect for you.

At $19.90 the price is very reasonable and despite their size, go a long way. I have been using mine daily for almost a month now and am only about half way through. They are also limited edition so get in there and try them while you can!

You can buy these directly from the website or from stores like Farmers and selected pharmacies or health stores.

Disclaimer- I was kindly given these to try by Antipodes however I was under no obligations and all of the above opinions are 100% mine after enjoying them for the last few weeks. My skin is extremely difficult to please so when I find skin care that doesn’t make it worse and instead works exactly how it claims I couldn’t be happier to share my opinions

25
Nov
2013

Saving My Skin: An Introduction

categories: Saving My Skin

Hi All!

While I sit here drinking tea there are brownies baking in the oven so forgive me if I get a little distracted.

This is a post I keep meaning to do but was a little intimidated with tackling it. I have mentioned this previously but I have pretty awful skin and this post is a prelude/introduction to a small project of mine related to that. I know that having bad skin might seem pretty minimal (and in a lot of ways it definitely is) but this doesn’t mean I can’t try to deal with it or talk about it in an honest way. I’m not looking to complain specifically but more just provide a perspective that is mine and perhaps may be similar to some other people out there and that will help explain why I am starting this series of posts.

I get a lot of eczema and just generally dry, angry, resentful skin issues. I have had skin issues since before I can remember although there has always been periods where it was fine and then where it got bad. Now it just seems to be barely manageable (at a stretch) and has become part of how I define myself. I choose outfits based on how well they are going to cover my skin. I wear tights and scarves to hide redness which is fine in Winter but becomes a little challenging in the Summer. I can only wear makeup on the rare days where my skin feels mostly normal (it seems cruel that when my skin is at its worst it is too dry to try and attempt to hide with makeup, or my super-sensitive buddy just decides to react to the makeup and get even worse. Awesome). I shy away from any cameras because I hate the way my skin looks and seeing it just makes me angry. I sleep terribly and although it is not just my skin feeling sore and uncomfortable 24/7 can become frustrating.

The only thing that controls my skin is bursts of prednisone/hyrdrocortisone and other things that are great but not really beneficial or healthy for my skin/body in the long term. I should warn you that I have done zero research for this post because my goal isn’t to create a new Wikipedia page or act like I know what I am talking about, I just want to describe how it seems to me personally. I’m not a dermatologist and all I know is that my skin feels like it is slowly getting worse in the long term not better. It reacts to more things more easily and is just generally less controllable. Hydrocortisone creams and short bursts of prednisone are great (and usually necessary) when my skin flies out of control but they really just treat the symptom at the surface and don’t do anything in the long term at making my skin and overall health better, in fact it is more likely doing damage over time and overuse.

photo 1 (2)

One thing I have learnt is that we are responsible for our emotions so for me it was a decision to stop wallowing in these kinds of thoughts and try and actually deal with it. So after a slightly negative and rambly intro (sorry) here is my project for the foreseeable future.

The plan is to choose different trials/experiments and run them for two weeks whilst keeping a diary to monitor as best as I can how certain changes I make affect my skin as well as my general health. Types of trials include diet related ones like no dairy products as well as more lifestyle focused changes like going to the gym more often or focusing on improving my mental state. Obviously there are so many factors involved it can be close to impossible to know what factors are causing what outcomes but there is no harm trying. This is a way I can try and proactively find a better solution that medication and take some control of my skin. If two weeks of a certain change has an effect than a longer trial may help confirm the effects. I have just finished my first fortnight trial of going gluten free and will be posting about how I found it as well as some restaurant/cafe/meal tips that I found but I thought an introduction may be in order first. I also thought that in this series I could talk about some skin care options that have worked well for me (though they are few and far between).

I know a lot of people won’t be interested in this but I started a blog to focus on things that are important to me and trying to improve my skin is definitely something I think about a lot. If anyone reading has any tips for sensitive skin/eczema or something similar than please share. Likewise if you have any tips for changes to my lifestyle/diet that I should try let me know.

Hope you guys are having a great week See you soon with a going gluten free post!

29
Oct
2013

Tuesday’s Top Ten: Lush Lusts

categories: Makeup and Beauty, Tuesday's Top Ten, Uncategorized

Hi All, Happy Tuesday!

For this weeks Top Ten post I thought I would do a quick round up of the ten Lush products that I am currently lusting over (by which I mean each week I got into their store and investigate then leave wishing I could buy them all). I have recently gotten more interested in Lush and I think it is because my skin just doesn’t seem to react well to much any more and so natural products have become more appealing. I also love Lush as a brand that is cruelty free and vegan (and the ladies at the Queen

Street office are super nice too!). To be clear, not affiliated or sponsored anyway, as per usual. Just a little obsessed…

1. Dream Cream: Top of my list and a product I plan to buy ASAP is this soothing body lotion for sensitive skin. A best selling product and after being given a sample last week I now understand why. Filled with good stuff like chamomile and lavender this smells good but feels even better. Not cheap which is why I put it off but a little goes a long way so I think it is probably well worth it. $37.90 for 240g

2. Dreamwash: Another product that I have a sample of and have already enjoyed briefly is this shower soap that is, once again, soothing and suitable for dry, red skin. Full of all my favourite things like chamomile, calamine, lavender, aloe vera and essential oils I am a big fan. A little bit expensive for a shower wash, at $28.90 for 250g so not something I would straight away shell out for.

3. Rose Jam Shower Gel: Staying on the tune of shower products, this shower gel is a gorgeous new Christmas product, scented with rose and lemon. I originally was lusting after snow fairy but after comparing scents I much prefer this slightly more subtle rose scent and find snow fairy a little sickly. $22.50 for 100g, other sizes also available.

4. Santa’s Lip Scrub: I already love the lip scrubs and am currently using the Mint Julips one (which smells amazing) so naturally I was drawn to the limited edition Christmas lip scrub which tastes of cola. Although this is a relatively simple product, at $12.50 it isn’t too expensive and would make a great gift paired with the lip tint below…

5. Santa’s Baby Lip Tint: A red tinted lip balm that is perfect to use after a little scrub and provides a moisturizing red tint with the flavour of a cola. A great combo with the scrub above, and at $12.50 is a nice treat or gift.

6.Aqua Marina: This is another sample of a popular cleanser that I have yet to try. A pink mousse wrapped with seaweed it is definitely unusual but contains calamine and aloe vera to make it suitable for sensitive and irritated skin, soothing and cleansing. Excited to try this. $18.90 per 100g.

7. Sexy Peel Soap: I love Honey I washed the Kids but this strong citrus scent still outranks it as my favourite soap at Lush. I haven’t bought any but can’t wait to try it properly as the scents of lemon, grapefruit and lime are perfect for waking up to face the day. Yum. $7.49/100g

8. Angel’s Delight Soap: On the tangent of soaps, my favourite new soap is this sweet, colourful one. With cents of tangerines and gardenias the result is a sweet, floral and citrus scent. But mainly I just want it cause its pretty. $7.50/100g

9. Lemony Flutter: I don’t why I don’t own this product yet. This is a popular thick cream that is mainly used for softening cuticles but can be used basically anywhere dry. I love nail creams and seeing as this one is citrus scented (notice a pattern) I am a big fan of this one. At $19.90 for 50g it may seem experience but I know a little goes a long way (I always sample this when I pop into the stores).

10. Vanillary Solid Perfume: Ending with something quite different, I have been umming and ahhing over the Lush perfumes as I do tend to react a little to normal perfume and the idea of something organic and natural is very appealing. This little solid perfume is scented of, you guessed it, vanilla as well as jasmine. The end scent is a warm and grown up vanilla perfume, perfect for winter (but not so much for the season we are just entering). At $10.90 for 12g its not a huge commitment and so may be worth a try for those who like vanilla/burnt caramel scents, as I do.

Whew, I would happily go broke to own all ten of these (edd may not so much). What are the Lush products you lust over?

18
Apr
2013

April’s SampleBar Glam Pack

categories: Makeup and Beauty

Hi all!

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. Here in NZ the weather has lost its marbles (don’t be alarmed, this is a frequent occurrence) and has been literally moving from beautiful sunshine to thunder and downpours in 5 minutes. Wish I was exaggerating. This led to me running in and out every few minutes to try and decide how I should dry my washing. Yay.

Anyway, here is this month’s Sample Bar Glam Pack (obviously I failed to cancel my subscription again ._.). I was very happy to see this month taking on an Eco-Chic theme in their set of products focusing on eco-friendly, natural treats. Here’s what I got this month!

1. Evolu travel tower
This skin care travel kit tower is an awesome idea from a brand I’ve never heard of before. Includes creme cleanser, facial exfoliator, firming eye cream, anti ageing day cream, rehydrating facial masque and anti ageing overnight cream. The idea is that this compact little tower can be taken when away for a night or two and your skin care routine is covered! Refillable and reusable these have me very exciting!
The full size of this includes three of these travel towers for $65 (ouch) but a $20 discount e-coupon was included to ease the pain.

2. Anitpodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream
Antipodes is a brand I love but this tiny sachet is no where near enough to decide how I feel about a night cream. I would have been much happier with a proper little pot as we have had before. Having said that, this night cream sounds amazing with avocado and calendula oil, manuka honey and vinanza grape (what?) thrown in for good measure. Would have loved a proper sample of this.
A full size of this night cream is $62.50 so a little out of my price range.

3. Sorbet Shampoo Bar
This month we were given one solid shampoo bar made with 100% biodegradable ingredients and natural extracts. I am excited to try this out as I haven’t tried out a solid shampoo yet and I am curious as to how it works. It’s also excellent because its completely cruelty free which is always good to see. I don’t think the bar we got is the free size but this isn’t indicated on the packaging (annoyingly).
Full size bars are $22 (95g) and again we have a code to get a 15% discount which is nice.

4. Perfumie in Verbena Bamboo
Perhaps one of my favorite products in this month’s box is this little solid perfume stick which are convenient for shoving in one’s handbag and are full of natural ingredients. The fragrance I got (Verbena Bamboo) is really lovely, fresh and grassy (in a nice way..). I don’t think the scent lasts particularly long unfortunately but I haven’t used it much so might be wrong.
These are full size and cost $10.95

5. Pharo Microfibre Exfoliating Cloth
The other ‘full size’ product in this month’s box was this exfoliating cloth that is apparently reusable. A full size duo pack of these costs $11.95 which seems quite fair. Also, this product came with a $10 discount voucher for a sugaring treatment (I believe some form of hair removal…). Meh, I quite like this (but will never use the voucher, as usual).

Well that’s it for this week! I would have LOVED this box if the night cream was full size but as it is, it was kind of average, with no makeup products and some disappointing sizes. The theme of this I adored so I wish the box had lived up to all my (potentially unreasonable) expectations. Still, I am not dissapointed I forgot to cancel my subscription and have yet again been introduced to some interesting and eco-friendly brands. Oh and I almost forgot that Sample Bar included an Easter themed choc bunny that barely made it into this photo. Having to wait 5 minutes to consume chocolate is not one of my skills.

Let me know what you thought of this month’s box!

21
Mar
2013

Taking care of my skin with Trilogy

categories: Beauty

Hi All!

So I don’t normally do product reviews, in fact this may be my first. The reason for that is purely my limited knowledge of skincare and beauty that leaves me feeling ill equipped to ramble on about products. Since getting more interested in the beauty blogiverse I have become a little more aware of what I am putting on my face so when my friend had spares of these two products up for grabs I jumped at the chance to give them a go. I had never tried Trilogy before but had heard various good things about their skin care range. I avoided them purely because of price, my skin care all comes from the supermarket haha.

1. Certified Organic Rosehip Oil

I have incredibly dry skin so have been on the look out for oils like this to try. For my face I add two drops to my moisturizer at night (not during the day because it just gets too heavy for this heat) and for my hands which are my other big problem area in terms of eczema and dry skin I often put some drops into a hot water bath to soak my hands in for ten to twenty minutes. Also, while I was on our little Northland road trip I was extremely lazy with skin care routines and this was kind of my go-to moisturizer when I couldn’t be bothered digging through my bag for day and night creams.

So how did I find it? I love this product. It has made the skin on my face softer by morning and it feels less dry all through the day. The redness on my face has also reduced although this could be due to either product. I haven’t had any reactions to the oil and it blends into my skin without leaving an oily residue on top like some others I have tried. I like the fact this is certified organic, always makes me feel better putting organic products on my sensitive skin. Also, during the time when I used only this on my face, day and night, my skin looked better than ever! Needless to say I am rather impressed.

2. Hydrating Mist Toner

This product is what the name describes…a hyrdrating mist toner that you spray all over your face post cleanser and pre moisturizer. I am notoriously lazy when it comes to toner but since getting this have used it every day! I love how much easier it is to spray this and let dry before moisturizing (although if you prefer applying on a cotton pad that works too). I also spray this on when I am getting really hot and revolting. I haven’t had any negative reactions to the product and my skin is looking better than ever! The scent is Rose, lavender and geranium and its subtle yet fresh and floral which I love (the lavender isn’t too overpowering which can easily happen I find).

All in all I love both these products and when I run out I will definitely repurchase to keep my skin happy ~~but not my wallet/husband~~.

The prices for these two products in NZ aren’t cheap but I can’t get the exact price off the Farmer’s website. I’ll update this when I find out but until then you can check out the cheapest prices for Trilogy products online at PriceMe. You can buy Trilogy products in New Zealand at Farmers as well as at a lot of Pharmacies and some selected health stores.

Next up I would love to try their Gentle calming fluid for Sensitive skin as well as their Energizing facial lotion. Let me know what your experiences with Trilogy products has been

21
Feb
2013

SampleBar Glam Pack for February 2013!

categories: Beauty, Makeup and Beauty

Hi All!

So I received the February Sample Bar Glam Pack on the 19th (bit later than normal) and here are the things it contained! The theme of the box was valentine’s day (even though it arrived afterwards) to provide some tools for pampering and to turn a few heads.

1. Tooth Spa in Fresh Orange

So this first product is a full size organic, all natural tooth paste by a NZ company trying to provide an alternative to the more typical toothpastes full of fluoride and other chemicals (I personally have no idea whether chemicals in toothpaste are actually harmful in any significant way to our teeth). I think this is a really cool idea, especially for people who do try to cut down on the chemicals they are using. I haven’t used it long enough to test it at all in terms of how well it works but it smells lovely. The taste is a little odd, orangey but there’s a bit of an odd slightly salty taste in there too. It doesn’t foam which feels strange at first. Cool product concept but don’t think I would repurchase at $15 for 70g.

2. Heart shaped toe seperators

Pretty self explanatory, perfect for a pamper session. For some reason I haven’t already got any of these so quite happy to get some. These are $3.99 from samplebar.

3. Lash Card

Another full size product, with 10 lash cards (individual mascara shields for those pesky little smudge marks on upper eye lid when we apply our mascara). Again I think this is a really cool idea for a product but I generally don’t have a problem with mascara application, probably because my stupid eyelashes are so tiny. Regardless these will definitely be given a go.

4. Flirty Little Secret Firming cream with pheremones

So this is from a brand called Booty Parlor (never heard of them) and it’s a body lotion with some added shimmer and bronzer along with firming action and pheremones (seems a bit odd…?). This was a 5mL sample so hopefully enough to use on both my legs or something. Full size (135mL) this is $67.99 so luckily I don’t feel super desperate to repurchase.

5. ModelCo Shine Ultra Lip Gloss in StripTease

This is the other full size product and I LOVE this! I love when makeup products are included in the glam packs and this lip gloss is a great one. I haven’t tried ModelCo products before but this lip gloss makes me want to. It smells incredible (like sour fruit lollies) and has a beautiful nude shimmer. Doesn’t feel too sticky and I love the doe foot applicator (as well as the mirror on the side making application on the go super easy. Great product! To buy these on SampleBar they are $19.

6. Shiseido Skincare night moisture recharge enriched

This was a 10mL sample of the night cream and I have a feeling this will go a long way as the cream is super moisturizing! I love this feel of this, smooths into my skin without feeling greasy or heavy. Love skin care products so glad this was included in this month’s box. Unfortunately the full size is $85 so unlikely I will repurchase in my current state but maybe one day once I’m rich!

All in all, I was pretty pleased with this month’s box. The toothpaste would be great if the taste was little less odd and I don’t think the lash cards are that useful for me personally but the lip gloss and the night cream were great and there was nothing I really didn’t like. I was happy that there were 6 products in total and only two of these were little samples. At the moment I am trying to decide whether to continue my subscription or put $25 a month into a product I really want so I need to decide quick about next month but this box was one of my favorites since joining.

Click here to take a look at the Sample Bar website or Here to view my first post explaining what this subscription service is

13
Dec
2012

Looking after my skin! (Skin Care Routine)

categories: Beauty

Hi All! I have had these photos for a little while and I am finally putting up my skin care routine! I love reading other people’s posts on how they take care of their skin so it made sense to do my current one. My skin is super sensitive and very dry so I am pretty careful about what I use and tend to stick to what I know most of the time to avoid reactions. The other point I should make is that this is my skin care on a pretty tight budget, with products that I know I can afford to repurchase (not always the case however). If I had more to spend I would love to use better skin care products but at the moment it’s not really feasible and I am pretty satisfied with how all of these work.

First up here are what I use to take off my makeup. The Garnier Clean Sensitive Facial Wipes are my best friend most of the time as I am notoriously lazy when it comes to makeup removal but the Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover is what I use for stubborn eye makeup.

I like to do face masks at least once a week and these are the two ones I often use. The Goji Berry Facial Hydration Mask is one I buy in single packs for around $3.50 each (I should really just get a full size) however I often spread the pack over two treatments as I find there is more than enough gel product. I think this mask is great for dry skin as my face feels soft and hydrated for ages after I use it. I also was happy that I had no negative reactions to it which I have had to other face masks. The Meaningful Beauty Clay Mask is one I got ages ago from my Mum and only started using a wee while ago. This is less of a moisturizing mask but does a great job at clearing out my skin and giving it a very clean and clear look. I also find it helps with my redness which I get a lot of on my face. I feel like this product is pretty expensive so not sure if I will repurchase or just find a similar alternative.

For Cleansing I have a couple cleansers I like to use regularly but this one is always in my bathroom because it’s gentle on the skin and a creamy consistency that doesn’t leave my skin feeling dried out at all. A great gentle cleanser for the skin but not the best for removing heavy duty makeup which I tend to do with makeup wipes or remover beforehand. The price is around $10 at the supermarket so very affordable as well which is important on my current budget. Another one I love to use is the Nivea Essentials cream cleansing wash.

Following cleanser I apply toner over my face and neck area with a cotton pad and this one is a definite favorite. I love this range from Nivea but this is the only one I have been using long enough to really consider a core part of my skin routine. I love the fresh, cucumber scent and find it doesn’t irritate or dry out my skin very much. Again, I think this product is around $10 at the supermarket (on sale maybe) and so one that I can repurchase without freaking out.

Next step is the most important for my poor dry skin…Moisturize! These are my two main moisturizers. The Olay Moisturizing cream (for sensitive skin) is my favorite (also by chance the cheapest which is probably a good thing) as it is thick and very moisturizing however this also means it can be a little annoying on a hot day. During summer it tends to be relegated to night time moisturizer whilst the Daily Face Cream by First Aid Beauty is a little better for day as it’s thinner on the skin. Neither have a sun protection factor which is annoying but although not mentioned here I do wear sun protection most of the time. Both of these are good for sensitive skin (the whole range at F.A.B. is made with sensitive skin in mind which I LOVE) however I do get a little bit of an uncomfortable tingling sensation on my skin sometimes which doesn’t happen with the Olay. Anyway, both are moisturizers I would highly recommend for people with similar skin. Price wise the Olay is around $11 and the F.A.B. is quite a bit more, in the $25 range maybe?

Last up I have my two eye creams. I never used to bother with eye creams but a while a go I was given the Loreal Collagen Eye Filler and started to use it daily. I like this product because it has a slight brightness which really helps reduce my under eye circles and darkness. For me it is quite moisturizing but I wouldn’t know much about wrinkle disappearance just because I am terrible at keeping track of my eye wrinkles haha. The Dr Lewinn’s is the main expensive product on here (around $30 I think from the Supermarket) however I do think it is a very good eye cream in terms of moisturizing but less great at short term disappearance of under eye circles and what not. I also think it does a better job at helping reduce wrinkles as even I noticed a small difference when I started using it. Although it is more expensive than the L’oreal I think it is a better eye product however I do love them both for slightly different reasons.

So those are my key steps and products involved in keeping my rather iffy skin under control. I’d love to hear what any of you guys use on a day to day basis for skin care and any reccomendations you might have so please feel free to leave a comment or tweet me @liz_lock