Skincare Empties & Product Reviews

 Skincare Empties

In this post I will be showing you guys all the skincare products I have used up over the past few months. I will also give a short review of the products and which of them I would or wouldn't purchase again. My skin is normal/dry and prone to breakouts. I hope you find this post useful!

  

Lush Let The Good Times Roll Facial Cleanser

This is one of my favourites from Lush! It is a gentle exfoliating cleanser with maize, polenta and cinnamon. It also smells amazing, exactly like caramel popcorn!

I used this product 2-3 times a week and it always left my skin super smooth afterwards. It comes as sort of a thick paste so you mix it with a small amount of water in the palm of your hand and then massage it onto your face. I would definitely re-purchase this one!

$16.95 for 100gm 

Lush Dream Cream Hand & Body Lotion

Okay, so I realised I have loved pretty much everything I have tried from Lush and Dream Cream is one I really need to go out and buy a full size of it! 

The Dream Cream smells so nice and relaxing, perfect to slather on before bed time! It is a light weight cream so sinks in nice and fast. It has oat milk, chamomile, lavender, rose water, tea tree oil plus other goodies to help sooth your skin! 

$29.95 for 240gm

Sanctuary Spa Fresh Faced Purifying Wash 

Usually I lean more towards cream cleansers rather than foaming ones because I find that they can strip my skin and leave it feeling dry but I really like this one by Sanctuary Spa because it contains Vitamin E and Glycerin which helps cleanse your skin whithout drying it out! This face wash is part of their Deep Cleanse range and I find it is great to use at the end of the day for a deep cleanse and remove all the grime and makeup. It also has Witch Hazel and Chamomile to help with breakouts. This is another one I would purchase again!

RRP $20 for 140ml available at Priceline

Sanctuary Spa Warming Micro Brasion Polish

I really love the feeling of this polish because as you use it, it warms up on your skin and really feels like it's working into your pores to clean them. The polish has marine earth and kaolin to exfoliate and Jojoba oil and Wheatgerm to help hydrate your skin. The only thing I don't like about this product is that it stings a lot if you have open or healing blemishes, so I like to use it after they have healed to help fade scars which I found works quite well because it gently buffs away the scared layers of skin and helps even out your skin texture a bit. This product last for ages and works really well, so I would probably purchase again but after my skin heals up a bit more.

RRP $20 for 100ml from Priceline

Sanctuary Spa Pore Refining Toner 

Like the face wash, this toner is also part of Sanctuary Spa's Deep Cleanse range. I love how the spray comes out really fine and evenly so it feels nice and refreshing and not just getting squirted in the face like some other brands packaging I have tried. The pore refining toner has Witch Hazel which helps to fight blemishes and balance your skin's PH levels after washing your face. It has a light Rose scent but nothing over powering. As for it being pore refining I didn't notice any change as with the quality of my skin. So, in saying that I did like this toner but I will probably keep looking to find one that helps my skin a bit better.

RRP $20 for 150ml available from Priceline

A'kin Organic Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil

I picked up the A'kin rosehip oil a few months ago to try and really loved how it made my skin feel. I used it every night after cleansing and before moisturising. I tried using it morning and night for about a week but I found it made my skin start to breakout because it is quite a rich oil it's best used as sort of a treatment at night. It made my skin nice and glowy and healthy looking and after using it for a while I saw it slowly start to fade my scars. I find this oil to be stronger smelling and darker in colour than others that I have tried because it is extracted under a low heat as to not destroy any of the goodness in the oil and it also contains lots of beta-carotene which make it a darker colour.

I would definitely purchase again.

RRP $19.95 for 23 ml Available at Priceline

Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil

 I love using Tea Tree oil on my skin as a spot treatment for blemishes. I use a small amount on a cotton tip either mixed with a bit of coconut oil or water to dilute it a little bit and dab on any spots.

I like to use this as part of my night time skin care and apply it before my toner and moisturiser and give it a minute to soak I before applying anything else. Tea tree oil is very drying, so if it starts to get too much I use it every other night.

I will definitely continue to re purchase!

You can buy Tea Tree oil from Supermarkets and health food stores and prices start from $4.95 so it's super cheap!

Sukin Facial Moisturiser for Normal Skin

I love this Sukin moisturiser for right before makeup or mixing with foundations to thin them out as it

is very light and soaks in really quickly.

It contains lots of great ingredients like aloe vera, horsetail, nettle, rosehip, jojoba and avocado oil to soften and hydrate your skin plus it smells delicious! I would re purchase this moisturiser as it is a good all rounder.

RRP is $9.99 for 125 ml at Priceline.

Garnier Sensitive 2 in 1 Gentle Makeup Remover

I really like the Garnier Micellar water as a everyday makeup remover but for really stubborn long lasting and waterproof makeup I love having the Garnier Clean Sensitive 2 in 1 makeup remover in my cupboard as it gets pretty much everything off and doesn't irritate my eyes and skin at all.

 RRP $9.99 for 200ml at Priceline.

Thanks so much for reading!

I hope you found this post useful for next time you're shopping for skincare.

Let me know in the comments below what your favourite skincare products are!

Mary XO

Rimmel London New 'Brow This Way' Review, How To & Swatches

 

 

 

Hi guys,

 

Welcome back to Glossy Situations!

 

Today I am writing a review on the new collection from Rimmel London 'Brow This Way.'

Keep reading for swatches of the products, how I fill in my brows and a before and after photo.

 

 

Brow This Way- Brow styling kits. Left- Medium brown, Right- Dark brown.

 

BROW SCULPTING KIT
 

I have been trying out these new products for the last couple of weeks and I can say I am really liking them! There are two colours to choose from in the brow kits, Dark Brown and Medium Brown.

 

The consistency and pigmentation of the wax in the kits is great, not too slippery and not too dry. This makes it perfect to go from very naturally filled in brows to bold by building up the product. The kit also includes a double sided angled brush. One end is slightly stiffer (to apply the wax) and the other end is a bit softer to apply the powder. A small spoolie is also included so you can blend the product in better and brush the hairs upwards.

 

 

 

 

The first two swatches are the dark brown wax and powder, then the medium brown wax and powder.

 

 

BROW STYLING GEL

 

 

There are four different colours to choose from in the brow stying gel's. Dark Brown, Medium Brown, Blonde and clear.

As you can see from the swatches, the dark brown and the blonde are on the ashier side while the medium brown is a bit warmer.

These gels are perfect to wear on their own as they are very pigmented or over the wax and powder to make sure your brows stay in place. Keep in mind they do not have the strongest hold, but I find they still keep my brows neat without them feeling hard or crusty which I like.

Also because the gel's are so pigmented and a lot of product comes out on the brush I like to wipe a little bit off first or start in the middle of my brows to avoid getting to much product on the front of my brows.

 

 

 

 

L-R Dark brown, Medium brown and Blonde

 

 

HOW- TO / BEFORE & AFTER

 

Here are the steps I use when I fill in my brows with the Brow This Way kit and gel.

 

1. First of all I comb my brows upwards and outwards with the spoolie to get them into the shape that I want.

 

2. Using the angled brush I pick up some of the dark brown wax starting in top middle of my brow carefully drawing outwards toward the tail of my brow creating a soft outline on the top and bottom of my brow then filling in the middle, picking up more product as needed. I use whatever is left on the brush to very softly fill in the front of my brows to keep them looking more natural.

 

3. Next I use a little bit of the powder from the kit to go over the wax and set it in place.

 

 

4. Lastly, I use the dark brown styling gel to go over my brows and set them in place and I'm done!

 

 

Before

 

After

So that brings us to the end of this weeks post, I hope you enjoyed it and you found it useful! :)
Let me know in the comments if you have tried this collection yet or what your favourite brow products are, I would love to know!

Thanks for reading :)

Mary XO

 

Coffee & Chocolate Scrub Recipe

If you want to find out how to make a delicious face & body scrub literally good enough to eat then keep reading!

Benefits of using a coffee scrub:

There are many benefits from exfoliating your skin regularly. Here are the ingredients I use most times when I make my own coffee scrub and what the benefits of each ingredient are.

~Coffee~

 Coffee, as we all know, contains caffeine. It might not be so great for you on the inside, but on the outside the caffeine helps to tighten and firm the skin and works as an exfoliate to get rid of dead skin cells and stimulate blood flow which helps reduce cellulite and the appearance of stretch marks. Plus it makes your skin feel amazingly soft!

~Coconut Oil~

Coconut oil contains loads of vitamin E and lauric acid which help repair, moisturise and reduce scarring and stretch marks.  

~Cacao~

Cacao is amazing for you, both inside and out. It is the raw, unrefined, unsweetened version of Cocoa. It's full of antioxidants, protein, beta-carotene, zinc and magnesium which help improve cell turnover and adds a more youthful look to your skin.

~Brown Sugar~

Brown sugar acts as a gentle exfoliate and dissolves as you massage it in. Sugar contains glycolic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid which is an ingredient that helps keep skin healthy. 

Brown sugar is coloured with molasses which contains B vitamins also beneficial for your skin and makes your scrub smell even more delicious! 

~Recipe~

Finally, to make your own scrub you will need:

3 tbsp ground coffee

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp cacao powder

3-4 tbsp softened coconut oil 

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl then put it into a jar to store it. If the mixture is too wet or dry use some extra brown sugar or oil to get the consistency you like. This scrub is best used within two weeks.

How to use it:

This scrub does get pretty messy so it's best to use it in the shower.

 Apply all over, gently massaging in circular motions (being especially gentle when it comes to your face) and leave for 10-15 minutes (or as long as you have to just stand around in the shower haha) then wash off with warm water and you will have soft, glowing skin.

That's all for this post!

 Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it! 

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions or future blog post ideas. 

If you decide to make my Coffee & Chocolate scrub, tag me in a photo on Instagram @glossysituations :)

Mary XO