Micellar Water Review - Bioderma, Garnier, Sukin

It's taken a few years, but so many brands are now bringing out their own affordable versions of micellar water - that holy-grail, no-rinse cleansing liquid that melts make-up off your face, whilst still somehow being super gentle.

I've been a long-time lover of Bioderma's crealine H20 (now called Sensibio H20, or the sebium version for my oily-faced friends), and have many, many bottles on stand-by, lest I run out. But, as much as I love Bioderma, it is kind of expensive so I have been trialling some of the cheaper options on offer.

Garnier - Micellar Cleaning Water
RRP = $12.99 for 400mL ($3.25 / 100)

Garnier were the first brand to release a 'drugstore' version of micellar water, and it is remarkably cheap, at just $3.25/100mL. I'm personally really not a fan of this product.
I did not find it effective at removing make-up (particularly mascara and eye make-up), and I would have to go over the same area with at least two soaked cotton pads to remove all my make-up.

This product also really burned my eyes, and dried out my skin. I did use up a whole bottle, and it did come in handy for wiping swatches off my arm.
Overall rating: 2/5

Bioderma - Crealine / Sensibio H20
RRP = $39.99 for 500mL

The original micellar water! Bioderma is super expensive in Australia, coming in at $8/100mL. Unfortunately for my wallet, it's also my most favoured of the three micellar waters I've trialled.

I've reviewed this before on the blog, here. In a nutshell, Bioderma is gentle, doesn't sting my eyes, it doesn't dry out my skin, it doesn't smell like anything, and it is effective at removing my make-up. 
Overall rating: 4/5
 

Sukin Micellar Cleansing Water
RRP = $9.99 for 250mL

Sukin are an environmentally-responsible and vegan friendly brand, and their offering in the micellar water world is gentle, smells really good and is reasonably priced at $4/100mL. It's infused with cucumber and chamomile, which helps to soothe your skin.

This is probably the runner up of the three for me. It does a pretty good job of removing make-up, and it doesn't sting my eyes. It has got a very distinct scent though, which is a bit strange for a "water", and is something that may not agree with a few people.
This micellar water doesn't leave my face feeling as clean as Bioderma does though - it's almost as if a very thin film is left on my skin, and it takes ages for my skin to dry and feel normal.
Overall rating: 3/5

Final thoughts
I think everyone would like the Bioderma offering, except for the price. The good thing is, when Priceline have their 40% off skincare, you can get the 500mL version for prices that are comparable to what you would pay in Paris.
If your skin isn't sensitive and you don't wear eye-makeup then the Garnier version could suit you really well. If you don't mind scents in your products, then you would probably really like the Sukin version.





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Great Australian Brands

Happy Australia Day!

Aussie Day has become a bit controversial in recent years - Apart from enjoying the mandated day off, and listening to Triple J's hottest 100, I don't actually celebrate the day. Supporting local brands and products is pretty important to me, so  I thought it would be a good opportunity to call out and mention those great Aussie beauty brands, and give some of my favourites a little love. So many Aussie brands have great stories behind them, starting from humble beginnings. They're also environmentally conscious, and many of them give back to the community! 

Australis - 

Australis have been around for 25 years, with all their products priced at under $20. Affordable, great quality and they are 100% cruelty free yay! Favourite products: Oh hai brow kit, fresh and flawless pressed powder, AC On Tour contouring kit

The Purist Company - 

With skincare brand A'kin, and haircare brand Al'chemy, the Purist Company are a 15 year old Australian company with natural products at the heart of their philosophy. They don't test on animals and are passionate about the environment, so practice a business based on sustainability. 

  

Face of Australia - 

Australian owned, Australian made and 100% cruelty free! Another brand with great quality products at affordable prices.

Sukin - 

One of my favourite skincare brands, Sukin are environmentally conscious (100% certified carbon neutral) and offer products that feature active botanicals and essential oils. They're also cruelty free, and are luxurious without being overly expensive. 

Lanolips - 

Lanolips began in a farm on Lucindale, South Australia. The lanolips lip balm range features lanolin, a product taken from freshly-shorn sheep's wool. Lanolips lip ointments are intensly moisturising, and give your lips a great shine. My favourite is the Peach flavour. 

Banana Boat - 

Banana Boat are one of Australia's most trusted brands in suncare. They have a huge range of sunscreens that work well, but probably my favourite thing about the brand is that they are committed to educating sun safety, through their 'Sun Safe Schools Program'.

Jurlique - 

Jurlique was founded in 1985, by a German couple ('the Kleins') who migrated to Australia. Their specialties were biochemistry and botany. They created a natural skincare line, that started out with Jurgen and Ulrike growing and manufacturing their own products on a farm in South Australia. All of their farming practices are strictly organic and biodynamic. 

Bloom - 

Bloom began in Melbourne in 1993. This multi-award-winning brand has an impressive range with over 350 products. The company uses high-quality botanical ingredients, and is a proud supporter of the Children's Hospital Foundation Australia.

Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment - 

Dr Lucas originally practiced medicine in London, but migrated to Melbourne, Australia in 1876. He came seeking out a warm climate...so maybe it's no surprise that he soon moved to Queensland. Dr Lucas studied botanical research, and came across the pawpaw tree; he described the pawpaw as 'the world's greatest healing agent'. Today, the business is still family owned, and everyone can share the healing effects of the pawpaw ointment; used by almost every Australian as a lip balm, it can also be used to treat small cuts, minor grazes and nappy rash! 

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What are your favourite Aussie brands and products?

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October Skincare Routine

It's been just over 6 months since my last skincare routine post. I've been using some new products lately, so thought I'd update you all on how that's going. At the moment my skin is looking better than it ever has, and there's definitely a few products that take responsibility for that.

For the most part this is a simple outline of my routine:
Morning: Wash, Pat Dry, Moisturiser, Sunscreen.
Night Time: First cleanse, eye make up removal, second cleanse, exfoliate, toner, treatment and serum

March Skincare

Skincare is one of those routines that is never really stagnant.
Here’s how I kept the skin on my face happy throughout March.

Make-Up Removal:

I’ve gone off using face wipes, tbh. I just feel like for the amount of effort I put in to scrubbing that bit of cloth across my face, they don’t remove that much make-up. So instead, I’ve been using Dermalogica’s Precleanse. I’ve talked a bit about this one here. Basically it’s an oil, you massage it into your face, then rinse off with warm water. Faster than a wipe, less damaging on your skin and it leaves your skin cleaner.
For eye make-up I use Loreal’s gentle eye make-up remover. I freaking love this stuff. One of my friends turned me onto it back in first year uni, and I’ve yet to find anything that measures up quite as much. Although that being said, I do love Bioderma’s H2O Micellar water for eye makeup removal too; it’s just difficult to access in my corner of the world.

Cleansing:

 

I do this step every night in the shower; I just feel the hot steam helps to open my pores up and allows for a deeper cleanse. I use Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel (discussed here) with the Clarisonic. I’ve talked about both before, and done an in-depth review on the Clarisonic here.
The only criticism I have of the SCG is the packaging; I find it hard to control the amount that comes through the slit on the top of the bottle. Also, every night product gets stuck there and then by the next night it solidifies. I just feel there could be an easier, more economical way of dispensing product than this.

Toning



I’ve talked before about how I use Sukin’s Hydrating Mist Toner; basically just as a refreshing spritz to calm my skin after my hot shower. I’ve recently added T.N. Dickonson’s Witch Hazel toner into my routine, after a recommendation from Jess at Neko Aesthetic. I have definitely found since adding this in that my skin is clearer, with fewer breakouts.I also use the Witch Blemish Stick as a spot treatment on active breakouts.

Face Masks



I love a good face mask, and use a couple for different reasons. These were my favourites in March:

- Sukin’s Purifying Facial Masque; I did a full review of this product here. This is absolutely HG for me. It’s a red clay mask, used to clear out blackheads and blocked pores. I am yet to find a product that works as well as this one.
- Apivita face masks: I have tried out quite a few of the masks from this brand, and there is yet to be one I haven’t loved. For a super moisturising mask, I’ve been loving the Express Beauty with Cereals, and for refreshing my eyes, I’ve been loving the Express Beauty with Gingko Biloba.

Moisturiser



Rose hip oil is the only moisturiser I have used for about a year now; I apply it right before I head off to sleep and wake up in the morning with beautiful, dewey skin!


What are your skincare HG items? Do you use oils on your face?

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What's in my travel makeup bag?

I mentioned in my last post that my Nan passed away. Thank you so much to everyone for your kind words and thoughts - it was a real comfort to know you guys were okay with me taking a break. It sounds silly but I was a little stressed about not writing up enough posts while I was stressing about everything else.

Anyway, the funeral was yesterday and it was beautiful.
The coffin was a plain, light wood and everyone got the chance to come up and write some thoughts on it in texta, and the great-grandkids (lots of little children and babies! So cute!) painted their hands and left handprints. It was such a great idea, and I think it was great for people to get their last chance to say goodbye. But I'll talk more about that later this week in my "Week in Pictures" post.

Before I left I wrote this up, and filmed this video, but then forgot to schedule / publish it. What a goose!

So, I present to you: What's in my travel makeup bag!?

I didn't bring much at all, because we weren't in Queensland for very long. I brought my Revlon makeup bag. I've showed this before, but basically it has three pouches,

 

In the first pouch (far right):

- Toothbrush

- Loreal red lippy in 312 - Ravishing Red.

- Dermalogica Pre-cleanse, for removing make-up at the end of the day. I got this in the September Lust Have It box and love it! 

- Neutrogena Ultra Sheer sunscreen

In the second pouch:

- The Body Shop brow kit in 01 - blonde. 

- Rimmel natural bronzer in Sun Glow. 

- Loreal Gentle eye make-up remover. This is a holy-grail product for me. I find it dissolves my eye make-up so easily and quickly, which is perfect after a long day. It's non greasy and leaves no residue after. 

- Face of Australia Face Base Primer. I've talked about this one before - it's a dupe for Napoleon Perdis' Autopilot primer (with the exact same ingredients...)

- Maybelline Mineral Powder foundation in classic ivory.

- Nars Deep Throat. 

and in the last pouch:

- Biore skin preservation cleanser. 

- Sukin Facial moisturiser (decanted into a small manicare pot for space-saving reasons)

- Symbicort and Nasonex (asthma medications)

- Sukin Rose Hip Oil. (Another aboslute holy grail product for me.)

- Revlon nailpolish in Fire Fox - matte suede finish. 

- cotton pads

- Urban Decay Naked palette. 

 

I also brought this smaller make-up bag that came with one of my Lust Have It boxes for storing other smaller items, and my Clarisonic (not pictured - but read about it here).

- Maybelline falsies volum' express flared mascara

-  Maybelline fit me concealer

- Body Shop clear lash and brow gel

- Asthma ventolin

- Urban Decay Primer potion. 

- Ecotools eye brush set

- Real Techniques starter set

- Ecotools angled eyeliner brush

- Real Technqieus stippling brush

- Real Techniques expert face brush

- Real Techniques contour brush

So that was everything I brought with me! If you want to hear me rambling on, check out the video below! 

How lightly do you pack?

What are your must-bring make-up items when travelling?

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Review: Sukin Purifying Facial Masque

I'm going to start off this review by telling you first about Sukin - probably my favourite skincare brand. 

Sukin are an Australian owned-and-made, ethical, vegan, carbon neutral company and their products are affordable. And! They actually work. 

So it's a pretty big claim, but I'm going to say this facial masque has changed my life. 

What They Say:

"A gentle treatment to help cleanse, tone and de-stress your skin.

A purifying base of gentle Kaolin clay combined with soothing aloe vera and antioxidant rich rosehip oil will leave skin feeling refreshed, nurtured and completely clean."

Ingredients:

Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylic/capric Triglycerides, Glycerin, Bentonite, Talc, Kaolin, Lecithin, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil (Rose Hip), Tocopherol(Vitamin E), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis(Jojoba) Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Extract, CI 77491, Citrus Paradisi Extract (Grapefruit Seed), Linalool,* Limonene.* 

How to Use it:

Apply to your dampened face, leave for 15 minutes and then wash it off!

My Experience:

'Terracotta' is the best word to describe the colour of this masque, and I'll admit I was kind of nervous the first time I used it because of how coloured it is; the above photo really does not capture it well. Rest assured though, this absolutely does not stain your skin. It's easy to get out of the jar and applies smoothly on my skin. I can easily apply a thin layer if I wanted, or a thicker one.  I would normally use this masque once a week, maybe twice if my skin is really congested, and afterwards I find that my skin is clean. The clay helps to draw out impurities, whilst the inclusion of aloe vera, shea butter and rosehip oil helps to nourish your skin. 

One thing that still amazes me every time I use this product is the way it dries on your skin - it literally dries to the touch and that is it. No pulling on your skin, and it doesn't crack when you smile. 

This past week my skin has been really congested, and the pores on my forehead, nose and chine were incredibly clogged. After this masque they have pretty much been non-existent since. Amazing, yeah? 

Citrus is listed in the ingredients, which is a phototoxic essential oil. This basically means it makes you more susceptible to UV rays, so keep that in mind when using this product. If you're like me though, and wear sunscreen on a daily basis you shouldn't have an issue. 

Have you ever used Sukin skincare products before? What's your favourite deep-cleansing mask?

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