As we countdown to Christmas (its less than 2 weeks away…eeeeep!), I thought I would quickly take the chance to go over some of my skincare empties that I have had this past 6 weeks. Again, I have had the chance to be able to sample and try some fantastic products (many of these are sample sizes) and some have eventuated into repurchases and will be items I will post definitely repurchase again and again. So here goes my last empties post for 2016!
Snowfox Skincare Arctic Breeze Detox Cooling Mask
I spoke about Snowfox Skincare a little while ago in this blog post here and when I was in Hong Kong last month, I picked up a few of their items. The brand’s detox cooling sheet mask has been a fantastic addition to my skincare routine and I really do regret not buying more at the time. There are three things I really like about this sheet mask:
The first, the ingredients are quite natural and fairly minimal when it comes to synthetics, something that I have seen in only two other sheet masks (5YINA and Whamisa). If you are into fairly clean beauty products then the Snowfox Skincare sheet masks are definitely worth looking into. The second thing I really like about this sheet mask is that when applied, it feels really cooling on the skin. I think this would come down to the fact that this mask does contain peppermint oil in its formulation (which can also be a downside if you are allergic to peppermint essential oils or if you just don’t like the smell of mint). I can imagine that this mask would be amazing to use on a really hot day to not only cool the skin but also to calm and soothe it as well. The third thing I really liked about this mask is the actual final effect it gave on my skin. It’s quite a decent mask, making my skin look extremely hydrated, glowing and clearer.
Fo those curious, the ingredients are the following:
Water, Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Rosa Damascene Flower Water*, Glycerin**, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Mentha Piperita Water*, Aloe Leaf Juice Powder*, Polyglceryl-4 Caprate, Undaria Pinnatfida Extract, Sodium Anisate, Citric Acid, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil,* Peppermint Oil*
* Ingredeints from certified organic agriculture
** Organic origin
For a brand new skincare brand in which I have never heard anything about, this mask really did perform quite well and has really impressed me. The icy cool sensation on the skin is a really interesting but welcome feeling on the skin and the results I get from this mask are fantastic.
The Snowfox Skincare website is currently the only stockist I know that has these masks (this is such a new brand) and one sheet is currently AUD$9 and a set of 5 is AUD$38
Aurelia Skincare Miracle Cleanser
So it probably took me a while to get on board with the Aurelia Skincare range but I can now see why it has such a following. I received this in a Cult Beauty sample box a little while ago and have only started to use it recently in my travels. This cleanser was an absolute pleasure to use when I was away overseas and the flannel that came with the cleanser is probably one of the best I have ever used! What I really enjoyed about this cleanser is the fact that it left my skin feeling really soft, hydrated and most importantly nourished whenever I came about to use it. There was no feeling of stripped skin, I felt that this instead, worked miracles (thus rightfully being called the Miracle Cleanser) in keeping the skin feeling balanced yet clean. It moisturised and hydrated the skin where it needed some extra TLC but at the same time didn’t make the skin feel overtly oily. This stems from the fact this beautiful cleanser is full of oils such as cocoa butter, shea butter and coconut oil derivatives and it has a really beautiful light fluffy creamy texture that makes it so wonderful to massage into the skin. The ingredients listing for this cleanser is the following:
Aqua/Water (Purified Water), Dicapryly Carbonate (Coconut-Derived Cleanser & Emollient), Cetearyl Alcohol (Vegetable Based Thickener), Glycerin (Vegetable Glycerine), Cocoglycerides (Emollient From Coconut Oil), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Glyceryl Stearate (Natural Glycerides & Thickener), Cetearyl Glucoside (Corn Sugar Emulsifier), Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax (Berry Wax), Theobroma Cacoa (Cocoa Butter), Kigelia Africana Fruit Extract (Botanical Kigelia Africana ), Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract (Hibiscus Flower), Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract (Botanical Baobab),Lactose (Probiotic Bifidoculture Milk Extract), Lactis Proteinum/Milk Protein (Probiotic Protein), Bifida Ferment Lysate (Probiotic Culture), Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil (Botanical Ubuntu Mongongo Oil), Panthenol ( Pro-Vitamin B5), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil (Rosemary Essential Oil), Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil (Bergamot Essential Oil), Anthemis Nobilis Oil (Chamomile Essential Oil), Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil (Eucalyptus Essential Oil), Xanthan Gum (Natural Based Stabilizer), Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate (Naturally Derived Emulsifier), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative), Dehydroacetic Acid (Preservative), Citric Acid (Fruit Derived pH Regulator), Limonene*, Linalool* *Naturally occurring in essential oil
The Miracle Cleanser was relatively easy to wash off, but I would suggest to use the flannel that generally comes with the cleanser to remove any excess product on the skin. Due to the honeycomb weaving of the flannel, I also find that it works so well with the cleanser to gently exfoliate the skin to give the skin beautiful clean and glowing finish. I primarely used this as a second cleanser but it does work quite well to remove makeup as well. For me, it would seem like such a waste to use this as a make-up remover due to its price. Overall this is a really lovely cleanser that leaves the soft, smooth and nourished when washed off. I would definitely consider purchases this as a full size in the future but I have so many cleanser at this point in time to use!
The Aurelia Skincare Miracle Cleanser can be purchased from the Aurelia Probiotic Skincare website for GBP£38 for 120ml.
Precious Skin Elixirs Peridot Cleansing Balm
The lovely Marissa from Precious Skin Elixirs gave me a small sample of this beautiful cleansing balm and I fell in love with it immediately as the smell of this is just other worldly. If you are having a bad day, this is a wonderful way to lift and calm the mind as the scent is so dreamy and uplifting. The balm itself is a beautiful blue green colour due to the use of (my favourite) blue tansy essential oil in its formulation. Blue Tansy oil is a rare essential oil that is said to work quite well in calming the skin and soothing skin irritations. Whilst I personally cannot find a lot of scientific literature that proves the benefits of blue tansy, I can personally say that my skin absolutely loves this ingredient and I do find that when I use a product that contains this (May Lindstrom skin, I am looking at you), my skin, if irritated calms right down and heals at a remarkable rate. The ingredients listing of the Peridot Cleansing Balm is the following:
**Garcinia Indica (kokum seed butter), *Cannabis sativa (hemp seed) oil, *Citrullus Lanatus (watermelon seed) oil, *Calophyllum inophyllum (tamanu) oil, *Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba), *Tanacetum annuum (blue tansy), *Lavandula angustifolia (lavender), *Mentha spicata (spearmint).
*certified organic / **wildcrafted
The Peridot Cleansing Balm feels like absolute bliss on the skin, it warms up and glides beautifully over the complexion and has quite lovely consistency that makes it great to really massage in to the skin. The gorgeous smell that this has makes it so relaxing and uplifting, making this balm a wonderful addition to a pampering session or home spa. I find that this balm does not emulsify as easily as other cleansing balms, due to the fact it is quite full of luxurious oils and butters to nourish the skin, however, it does come off easily with a flannel. This balm is in no way for the person who is on the run but a perfect partner to those who will enjoy the skincare ritual. The Peridot Cleansing Balm leaves my skin incredibly hydrated and nourished and I love using this after a flight or on days where my skin feels a little dry as it helps to smooth and soothe the skin. I would definitely consider purchasing a full sized version of this in the near future!
The Peridot Cleansing Balm can be purchased from the Precious Skin Elixirs website for USD$120 for 100ml
Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes
If you are in the market for a new eye cream, then perhaps look into the Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes Serum as I was so happy with with how this felt underneath the eye area. I recently received this as a deluxe sized sample of this in a Cult Beauty goodie box and my initial first impressions of this have been positive. I found it to be quite hydrating and gentle eye serum/cream in the short amount of time I had with it. The serum definitely works quite well to depuff the area around my eyes and also worked wonders in keeping the eye area hydrated and looking brighter and more alive. In terms of diminishing dark circles and fine lines, I did not notice a huge difference due to the size of the sample. I do firmly believe to get a better idea of an eye cream to address problems such as these, you do need to use the product for much longer to see any visible results. However, the adequate hydration, brightening effect and depuffing does show some promising results in the areas of dark circles and fine lines. The ingredients list is the following:
Distilled Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Seaweed Extract, Oxido Reductases, Soy Peptide, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract, Jojoba oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Squalene, Pulverized Mica, Arnica Tincture, Vitamin K1 (Phytonadione), Laureth-7, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Polyacrylamide, Phenoethanol, Ethylglycerin, Oil of Grapefruit, Red Tea Extract.
As you can see, Isoparaffin is in the ingredients listing (mineral oil) and whilst I don’t love mineral oil as an ingredient (see why here), I do need to point out that it is one of the last ingredients in the listing. Whilst I do not love mineral oil as an ingredient, this eye serum does work quite well to give the eye area a little extra TLC but I myself would probably need to reconsider before I think of purchasing a full size of this. However, overall the Bright Eyes Serum did work quite well on my skin and I did enjoy it’s effects on my eye area.
The Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes Serum (15ml) is available at the Goldefaden website for USD$55, Cultbeauty for GBP£48 and from Mecca Cosmetica for AUD$80.
Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum
The Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum is probably one of my holy grails in terms of make-up and I reviewed this here not too long ago. I literally wear this everyday now and it is my foundation/tinted moisturiser of choice. I love the coverage that this gives – it evens out the skin tone nicely and the finish it gives is a really natural finish that is neither matte or super dewy. It just looks like you own skin, but better. Whilst I won’t recommend this for those who do like a heavier coverage, this is the perfect foundation/tinted moisturiser/BB cream for those who like to wear little make up but do want something to even out the skin tone and hide some imperfections in the skin. I won’t bore you with too many details but if you would like to find out more, please read my in depth review here.
I loved using this and repurchased. I don’t think I can go without it! The Perrcicone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum comes in a 30ml bottle and is available for AUD$89 at Mecca Cosmetica, USD$60 from Perricone MD and Sephora and GPB£45.00 from cultbeauty.com.
African Botanics Kalahari Bath Salts
This packet of bath salts were kindly gifted to me by the lovely mar_preisler sometime ago when I helped her with a purchase. I will be honest, I am not one to be into body care (I am actually really lazy) but I decided to use these salts one night for the ultimate pamper session. I was very pleasantly surprised with how well these salts worked to help to relax and rejuvenate the mind and body. Using these salts, helped provide a sense of calm to my body and the subtle yet complex scent was quite uplifting. I found that in conjunction with the warm water and a good book, my whole entire self was brought into a complete sense of relaxation and I felt I was not at home but taken to another place. These bath salts really helped me to just zone out and enjoy a few moments of silence whereby I didn’t have to worry so much about what was happening in my life. Bath salts, such as the Kalhari Bath Salts from African Botanics are supposed to be rich in minerals which help to replenish the skin. Added benefits of seaweed extract (fucus plant) is supposed to be highly beneficial for the skin as it boosts collagen synthesis and is also rich in antioxidants. Marine plants are also said to be highly effective in helping to detoxify the body. The ingredients listing for these salts are specified here:
Sodium Chloride (Kalahari Crystal Salt), Agathosma Betulina (Buchu)* Leaf Powder, Methyl Salicylate, Fucus Vesiculosis (Seaweed) Extract, Caffein, Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula)* Seed Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens (Cape Rose Geranium) Essential Oil, Juniperus Communis (Juniper Berry) Essential Oil, Eriocephalus Punctulatus (Cape Chamomile) Essential Oil, Eriocephalus Africanus (Cape Snowbush) Essential Oil, Chamomile Martricaria Extract, Cymbopogon Citratus (Lemongrass) Essential Oil.
*Certified Organic and Wild-Harvested Ingredients.
Whilst I probably would not buy these salts (or any bath salts) personally, I found that using these wonderful Kalahari Bath Salts from African Botanics a fantastic way to escape daily life and to bring a sense of complete relaxation to the home. The only reason why I wouldn’t buy bath salts in general is the fact I would rarely reach for them and they would be totally wasted on me! However, if you do enjoy pampering yourself and do love body care, then this would be an amazing product to add to your routine as it does bring a real sense of inner peace and relaxation.
The African Botanics Kalahari Detox Bath Salts come in a 500gm glass jar and can be purchased from African Botanics for USD$75.00 or GBP£70 from Cultbeauty
The Beauty Chef Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost*
I have been using this every day for almost a month now and I can say that I have really enjoyed drinking this skin supplement from the Beauty Chef everyday. It tastes quite delicious (like berries) and is really easy to drink in the morning before the day begins. When I first spoke about this product here, I mentioned that I had not seen a huge difference in the skin but most definitely have noticed a difference in digestion from the fermented ingredients in which all Beauty Chef products are made with (and are infamous for). It is honestly a bit harder for me to notice a difference in the skin on my face, but I have noticed that the skin on the rest of my body seems to have some improvement in overall health and does have a slight glow. My skin isn’t as dry anymore on my arms and legs (body care is not my forte) and that my scars from eczema and overall eczema seem to be much more under control.
I have to say that though, the biggest improvement I found that since using the Beauty Chef range, would most have to be my digestion and when I do eat certain foods or if it is that time of month, I am not longer hideously bloating. I also notice that I have so much more energy when I use these supplements and no longer feel slightly sluggish at the 3pm mark as work. I have really been impressed overall with how these skin supplements have worked for not only my skin, but my overall gut health and I have repurchased this Antioxidant Boost along with a few other items from the Beauty Chef range.
The Beauty Chef Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost can be purchase from The Beauty Chef website for AUD$39.95 for 500ml (which will last at least a month).
Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream
I have written a really indepth blog post on why I love this moisturiser here so I won’t bore you with too many details. However, I loved this moisturiser and it is such a shame that it is SO hard to get in Australia. The reason why I love this moisturiser so much is due to its lightweight feel on the skin (it is not tacky and sinks in so well) but also offers the skin amazing hydration and a beautiful glow. It is hands down one of my favourite moisturiser and I have repurchased this already and have a back up of Tidal.
Sunday Riley Tidal comes in a 50ml jar and is This is available from Sephora for USD $65.00 and cultbeauty.com for GBP £60.00.
Lilfox Miami Jungle Glow Honey Enzyme Cleanser
I received a sample of the Lilfox Miami Jungle Glow in one of my orders from the lovely Madame Fox herself and I have been pretty impressed with how this cleanser has performed. This cleanser features raw honey in its formulation with the added benefit of enzymes which help to cleanse deep within the skin for a more clear and radiant complexion. This cleanser also has finely grounded rosehip seeds in its formulation to give a really gentle mechanical exfoliation as well as clay to help further decongest the skin. However, the goodness from the Jungle Glow does not stop there as this honey cleanser features nourishing oils such as Maracuja Oil and Rosehip Seed Oil which help to keep the skin hydrated, soft, protected and healthy. The full ingredients listings is as follows:
Mel (Raw Rainforest Honey)**, P.incarnata (Maracuja) Oil, Amazonian White Clay, R.canina (Rosehip Seed) Oil* + Seeds, T.cacao (Raw Cacoa)*, Tocopherols (Vit.E/non-gmo), Essential Oil Blend Including: C.paradisi (Pink Grapefruit) Oil*, C.aurantium var. amara (Neroli + Petitgrain* + Bitter Orange*) Oil, V.planifolia (Vanilla) Co2 Extract), d-Limonene, Linaloo, Citral, Geraniol, Benzyl Alcochol, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Ugenol, Iso Eugenol***)
***Components Naturally Occurring in Essential Oils in Trace Amounts
*Organic
**Certified Naturally Grown + sourced direct from a loving beekeeper in Hawaii whose is dedicated to educating future beekeeper generations for the proper care and treatment of bee colonies.
I really enjoyed using the Lilfox Miami Jungle Glow Honey Enzyme Cleanser, as I felt that this did really give my skin a much deeper cleanse with gentle exfoliation to reveal a more clear and decongested complexion. I loved the smell and the feeling of this cleanser on the skin. The slightly stick consistency does take some time to get used to but it is well worth it for the beautiful way it leaves the skin feeling. I found the use of actual rosehip seeds in this cleanser quite lovely as it really helped to clear away any further dead skin cells or debris on the skin’s surface but it did so in such a gentle way. I would absolutely purchase the full sized cleanser of this as not only did it perform so well but also acts as a wonderful multi-tasker as it can also be used as a mask!
The Lilfox Miami Jungle Glow Honey Enzyme Cleanser can be purchased from Lilfox Miami in a 100ml jar fro USD$75.00
What are some of your empties this month? Have you used any of the above items? What were your thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below!
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