Healthy skin all year around!

Summer is here (in New Zealand) and that means the beach, the sun and the sand! I've started hitting the waters early this month and got me a mean as tan :) I am a bit naughty though because I haven't been putting on SPF on my skin (which is a BIG NO-NO!). So today, I vowed that every time I go out under the sun I will now start using SPF lotions. But this isn't only about SPF lotions, it's about taking care of your skin in general.

I am one of those girls who cannot live without body lotions. I have tried a variety of lotions and I know which one is right for me. But before I break it all down to you, let me review these body lotions I have tried in the past. Oh, and may I add, when I buy body lotions, I buy BIG ones (750 ml) because I use it everyday all over my body after showering, or after sun bathing (to prevent my skin from peeling) and it does wonders to my skin.

I like my body lotion to smell nice or yummy and also something that absorbs into my skin quickly which means less time spent slathering the lotion all over my body (it can be quite tiring you know).

Here is my top 5:

5. Freeman Body Lotion in Shea Butter and Lemongrass

Okay, so this product didn't really impress me much except that it smells really nice like a tropical fruit or something like that. The texture of the lotion was too thin and when I applied it on my skin, it felt like water. It didn't absorb much as the lotion was still visible after several slatherifications and so I gave up and just left it there to dry by itself. The color is pure white with an almost runny texture - not good for a moisturizer. This is good for normal skin but I do not recommend this if your skin is dry to very dry as this will not do the trick.

All in all, it gave my skin a fresh pleasant smell all day long but without the moisturization it needed.

4. Skin Milk Body Lotion

I discovered this at the start of the year when I was on the hunt for a new lotion and voila! It was on sale for only $8 so I bought two big momma ones which made me happy of course and both of them lasted me for 2 months :) What I like about this product is that it smells like a baby powder. It smells nice and subtle, not too overpowering. The texture was in the mid-range, it wasn't runny or too thick. But when I apply it on my skin, it doesn't absorb well (and like I said before, I want a lotion that absorbs pretty quick without having to keep massaging it on my skin). Also, the moisture doesn't last the whole day so instead of only applying it in the morning, you have to do it at night too because of its lack of staying power. I did enjoy it eventhough it wasn't the perfect one for me. The packaging was what caught my attention, as shown in the picture, it is shaped like an old milk bottle.. how cute! 

All in all, it was average. Nothing too great -  just a normal lotion.

3. St Ives Body Lotion in Vanilla

I bought this solely because of its softening properties, oh and of course, the smell! It smells so yummy that every time I use it it relaxes me........ hmmmmmmmm I can still remember the feeling hahaha! Anyway back to the topic, this is nearly perfect except that when I apply it all over my body after showering and then I get dressed, the lotion kinda sticks to my clothes and that's not very nice. It doesn't stain the clothes but it kinda dampens it a bit and the smell sticks as well. I didn't like that. But on the bright side, it did leave my skin feeling nice and smooth all day. I didn't feel the need to apply it twice a day as its staying power is lasting.
All in all, I would definitely buy this again and I 'll have to wait for the lotion to absorb before I get dressed to avoid the lotion from dampening my clothes.

2. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula

I am obsessed with this lotion! It smells sooooo yummy just like the scent of chocolate ohmygosh it's heavenly. Okay, before I get a bit carried away, first things first! Let's talk about the actual lotion itself, it comes in a creamy yellow color and the texture is soft and just pretty much right, i.e. not too liquidy or too creamy. It is amazing! When I apply it, the smell just stays on for hours and hours and everyone will definitely notice that chocolatey scent :) And oh la la! The lotion quickly absorbs into the skin making it so easy to apply and frees you a lot of time to do something else. What I don't like about this product is that it is a bit too expensive for its size. I bought mine for $8.50 and that's only in a 250mL bottle. So if you're the type of person who don't mind spending that amount of money for a small bottle then this is for you!

1. Vaseline Cocoa Butter Body Lotion

I have finally found the perfect one for me!!! Vaseline has yet again won my heart with this amazing body lotion that's affordable, quick absorbing, moisturizing, smells nice and is available in this gigantic bottle 750mL! The scent is not too overpowering and the color is also yellowy cream just like the Palmer's one. It absorbs quickly and lasts the whole day - which means you don't need to apply it again at night. Perfect! I always bring this along with me wherever I go to keep my skin feeling nice and soft :) Try it for yourself, I highly recommend it.

The many uses of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly

I started using Vaseline petroleum jelly after having my eyelash extensions removed as it really damaged my eyelashes due to the fact that they were there for six months and they were weighing my natural lashes down therefore stopping their growth. So I researched yet again and found a solution! Vaseline petroleum jelly :) It is so helpful that after 2weeks of applying it to my eyelashes every night, my lashes grew longer than ever and they were stronger and shinier too! I looooooved it :D 

Vaseline does not make eyelashes grow thicker or longer, but it helps strengthen and condition it making the lashes last longer and live their maximum "life span" instead of falling out prematurely. There you go boys and girls, the secret to healthy eyelashes. 

These are the steps I experimented with when I was still using Vaseline on my eyelashes:

1. Dip your finger into the jar and get a little bit of the jelly
2. Close your eye and then apply it using your finger on your eyelashes while your eye is closed. This technique will make sure that all the lashes are coated including the bottom lashes too.
3. Done.

Easy right? It's no rocket science and it does work.

Other uses of Vaseline Jelly:

• Makeup remover (eye makeup)
• Moisturizer (although I don't recommend you use it on your face)
• Perfect for chapped lips
• Use it on unruly eyebrows to tame and shape it
• Combine it with melted chocolate and use it as a flavored lip balm
• Put a coat of vaseline on cracked heels every night and then wear socks - this will help soften and moisturize the skin and help it heal
• Applying vaseline to your teeth prevents lipstick from sticking to them
• Use with lipstick to create cream blusher for your cheeks
• Removes makeup stains from clothing
• Put vaseline on your lips and leave on for a few minutes then use a toothbrush to exfoliate leaving your lips nice and smooth
• Mix with sea salt to make a body/face scrub

..and so much more!

Homemade Beauty Part 1 - OLIVE OIL

Hello hello! And welcome to my ever so interesting blog :) Finally I am here in front of my laptop BLOGGING! Wow it's been so long and I really didn't know where to start, but obviously I know now because I have made up my mind and I will be talking about natural beauty tricks that I've been doing in the past couple of weeks.

First of all, let me tell you about the revelation I had that made me start using natural products this summer: I have been researching (due to boredom) about beauty products and how they are made. This made me shit my pants (not literally, but my brain probably did) and I was so shocked that even though they say it's "natural this, and natural that, and paraben free, or fragrance free" they still have chemicals in them. I mean duh, you don't open your cleanser and see a fruit in there do you? Or open it and you see something like an unprocessed vanilla pod or what have you. Anyway, my point is, no matter how hard people try to advertise and label their products as "organic" or "chemical free" you can go to the back of the bottle and read the ingredients yourself!

So here is what I discovered, well you probably have heard of this before. I am just justifying the fact that they actually DO WORK!

OLIVE OIL

Let's face it, olive oil has been used in the olden olden days, back where the dinosaurs roam the earth (oh hell, the dinosaurs probably even used it to keep their leathery skin nice and shiny.. who knows?) or more precisely, back where early civilization existed. Women from these times used olive oil for various beauty purposes: may it be for their hair, their face or their body, olive oil gives moisturization like no other. It is the only oil that doesn't clog pores and best of all, it is readily absorbed by the skin and it does not have any harmful side effects like the products in the market. Olive oil is loaded with nutrition and antioxidants such as vit A and E which makes it oh so nutritious especially for your skin.

Okay so some beauty bloggers would say it is better to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I disagree. Olive oil is olive oil and whether you use EVOO or plain olive oil, it will have the same effect. Now, let's get started:

FACE:
I have oily skin and I have tried numerous moisturizers that would not add to the oiliness already present and boom more breakouts and bumps! I tried olive oil as it is natural and there are no harmful chemicals that can irritate my already sensitive skin. The theory behind this idea is that oil absorbs oil (well we all know that water does not mix with oil, they basically repel each other) so as I have said before, olive oil does not block pores (non-comedogenic)  which I really love and also it dissolves the oil in your skin that's trapped in your pores for a clearer more radiant skin. Olive oil also helps clear acne marks due to its regenrating properties which helps skin cells replace dead ones for a better complexion.

1. If you are doing this first thing in the morning, I recommend that you put two drops each of the oil on both sides of your face and just gently massage it all over using upward circular strokes - this will help the blood circulation in your face running giving you a rosy fresh glow. 
2. Rinse your face with glycerin soap, I recommend Neutrogena (the transparent soap) and pat dry.
3. Apply your normal whatever it is that you put on your face and so on.
4. If you are doing this at night before bed time which I highly recommend that you do, cleanse your face first with this soap, pat dry, and then apply the oil as per number 1.
5. At this stage, your face will feel a bit grainy while you massage it as the oil is deeply cleansing your skin from dirt, oil, makeup residue and other things that were on your face (hahaha!).
6. Leave the oil on your face for about 30 minutes and if you're really keen, you can use a face towel, dip it in hot water, rinse it abit so that it wouldn't be too hot and then rest it on your face till it has cooled down. This will open up the pores and help loosen it even more to reach the deepest of the deep LOL
7. Rinse with lukewarm water, pat dry and you are ready for bed!

And that's it ladies and gentlemen :)

L'Oreal Elvive Shampoo and Conditioner

I've been really busy this year with my studies and with that thing they call life and as a result, at the start of the year I have been neglecting my hair of the care it needs such as deep conditioning and heat protection when I'm styling it using my GHD or whatever. I noticed my hair become very dull, dry and lifeless which were all warning signs that I have to do something before it gets even worse. So I searched and searched in the pharmacy for what seemed like ages and found................... L'Oreal Elvive Shampoo and Conditioner!

Finding the right shampoo for your hair is very important if you want to have luscious shiny locks. What I love about L'Oreal Elvive is that not only do they create shampoos and conditioners that actually works, but they also smell super nice :) The smell stays in your hair until you need to wash it again (promise!).

These are my favorite L'Oreal Elvive Shampoo and Conditioner:

Elvive Anti-Breakage

I came across this product when my hair was breaking easily probably due to styling and all that crazy rituals I do with my hair. The shampoo claims to "Help repair brittle, damaged hair and split ends by replenishing the hair's natural cement." 

Now, I for one agree that ever since I started using the shampoo and conditioner, my hair has been noticeably shinier and healthier than ever. As I have recently lightened my hair (ombre hair), I know I will need to take extra good care of it due to the bleaching process. So far, I am satisfied with the result :)








Elvive Re-Nutrition

This product I love also, but not as much as the previous one. This gets the second prize for revitalizing my damaged hair from root to tip! I am a sucker for awesome smelling hair products and this one I must say is like the milk and honey of all the nice smelling shampoos and conditioners ever made (no exaggerations intended..haha).

This shampoo and conditioner contains "Royal Jelly + 10 regenerating nutrients". What's Royal Jelly you may ask? According to the internet, "Royal Jelly is considered by many a potent anti-oxidant. Produced in the beehive for the nourishment of the queen bee, it is a complex substance that cannot be recreated by man. When examining its properties and considering the source of its documented benefits, many conclude that it is its high amino acid content that make it such a special rejuvenating substance."

Enough said.


Hair tip:

When washing your hair, always use cold to luke warm water - never hot, as this can damage the cuticles of your hair making it look dull and dry.

Rating: 5 out of 5

"I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie World....!"

I'm just gonna say it. This world has gone from natural to plastic! We are living in a materialistic world full of "Barbies". Yes, real life, talking and walking pieces of fake asses with fake hair, nails, lips, nose and boobs. If you don't agree, then that is not my problem.

I remember my first plastic doll....hmm such a long time ago but this memory stuck in my mind and made itself comfortable to stay for good lol. It was the Christmas of '98, I was 7 years old and I knew what I was going to get! Finally my very own Barbie! As I unwrapped my gift, starry eyed, I admired and dribbled all over the box with the plastic thing in it. "Wow.... she is sooo pretty! I wish I'd look like her when I grow up" was my initial thought at that moment. Nothing has changed in the world we're living in today. Grown women (and this time I will emphasize the word "GROWN") around the world STILL want to look like Barbie and strive hard to emulate this plastic shit.

Is this what the world has gone to? People constantly going under the knife, changing and reinventing themselves because they are simply not satisfied with their looks? Deforming their faces, thinking, "Hey I'll look even hotter if I get another nose job for the 5th time!" Or "Ugh my DD boobs aren't big enough because I can still see my toes when I bend over." You get the drift.

                                           oh hell, even Barbie's not happy with her plasticky good looks..


I have nothing, I mean NOTHING against minor plastic surgery that can improve the way a person feels about him/herself. If it is necessary, then freakin go for it, but if it's starting to become an addiction and it is starting to transform your once perfectly normal appearance into something totally unrecognizable or even worse..like Barbie (LOL!), then please, for the love of chocolate, STOP!

Beauty should not be measured by the amount of makeup a woman has on her face or the amount of plastic surgery done to "improve" the way she looks, but rather the natural beauty she exhibits without looking like she's been rolled around orange mud and has been viciously attacked by a permanent marker around the eyes. I love seeing women just looking fabulous with less makeup on.  It gives me hope that there are still sane and thinking females (although as rare as they might be) roaming around the face of the earth feeling good about themselves without the need to look like Barbie.

We are all created differently, and I am sure that there is a reason for that. We ALL have flaws (not just you!)  which makes us human, we all have our own little insecurities that we can learn to love, and we are all just us which makes every single person unique in their own way. So forget about Barbie, we're not a bunch of 7 year old kids anymore!

To Inject or not to Inject? The Biggest Question of the 21st Century..

Okay so as we all know, that in this day and age, the general population of Hollywood has been injecting their faces like manic drug users with this thing called, Botox. What  is botox you may ask? Well according to the ever so informative website, Wikipedia, "Botulinum toxin is a protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and is known to be extremely neurotoxic." Okay so in that sentence you might have noticed the words, "toxin" and "neurotoxic", which means that botox is harmful and poisonous to the nerves and nerve cells of your body and face. This process can destroy the nerve cells which can lead to numbness of the part of the body being injected. So, I still don't get why people would inject this botox poison into their face and lips just to look well, ridiculous really. 

So I did a bit of research (although I didn't need to look too far and wide) and I found a couple of actresses sporting the famous "frozen look" caused by botox:

Nicole Kidman

Kylie Minogue 

                                    

The Famous Cat Lady

I don't know about you guys, but their facial expressions don't look human-like-normal at all. Botox can lead to serious nerve damages and bad side effects. But for all I know, it'll be nasty. The Cat Lady sure looks happy. Or maybe not? I really can't tell, can you?

Botox is a personal choice, but if I were you, I wouldn't even think about it. And to those who have started injecting poison to who knows where, stop before you get hooked!

Review - Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion with Vit. E

One word: Yummy!

Palmers Cocoa Butter with Vitamin E is the yummiest body moisturizer I have ever used. I apply it all over my body twice a day and it leaves my skin smooth and moisturized for the whole day. But what I really love about this product is its smell.. The aroma is just addictive! Its like applying chocolate all over your body without the chocolate brown color lol! It comes in a pump bottle or in just a normal twist cap. I prefer the pump bottle because you just press it down et voila - the lotion magically appears! 

I highly recommend this product especially if you're a chocolate lover :)  The sweet chocolate/vanilla smell will wake up you up and give you that nice soothing feeling. Refreshing.

Rating: 4.5/5

Lipstick Hunt!

So.. I just got home from the shops and tried on this new lipstick I bought with my last money of the week.... and tah-dah! It sucks. Grrrrrr! I'm so annoyed right now. I blame the shop for not having any testers available for the customers. Poor. Well that was my initial reaction anyways. I must admit I was careless for buying it without testing it first.

This is the lipstick I bought in a yuck color that doesn't even suit me. Haha it made my lips look a bluish-purply color. Eww so unflattering. It probably would suit someone with a fairer complexion, rather than mine, which is a warm brown tone.

Maybelline NY #405 Yummy Plummy

Yeah, I don't know why I'm blogging about this, but it just shows that you should not buy  makeup that you are not 100% sure about - or don't even know the actual color of. Lesson learned for today :)

So here I am, still in search of the perfect lipstick color..who knew it could be this complicated?

Stay tuned for more updates!

Review - e.l.f. Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF15 in Watermelon

Okay, so where do I start? Well, the e.l.f. Super Glossy Lip Shine in Watermelon is definitely the definition of what this lip gloss is all about. I have been searching and searching for the perfect colored lip gloss that would look great on me..and now here it is! Its the first time I've used an e.l.f. makeup product, and I am totally impressed.

The e.l.f. lip gloss, which I bought for only $4 NZD is the cheapest yet most long wearing lip gloss I've ever had (and mind you, I've had HEAPS of them).

Here are some of the PROs and CONs of this product:

PROs:

• it gives a beautiful nice pink color that would give you an instant pick me up look.
• the lasting effect of this lip gloss on your lips is amazing! I've had mine on for about 5hours after all that eating and drinking without any retouching.
• the color is not too harsh for everyday wear. it looks natural, except for the shine of course lol.
• the size of the lip gloss is totally enough to last you for months.
• the smell is yummy..mmmm..watermelon!
• ..and it is so affordable, I am thinking of stocking up and buying 10more of these just in case they stop selling them, which I wish they wudn't. haha.
• SPF15!
• i just LOVE this gloss :)

CONs:

• its a little bit sticky compared to the other lip glosses I've had. but you'll get over it.
• the writing on the lip gloss package fades away..not a biggie since it's only $4 lol.

Here's my lips with the e.l.f. super Glossy Lip Shine on:

the photo doesn't really do justice on the color of the gloss haha. I had to put the camera extra close to my lips so that it'd show the closest color possible to the actual color.

Everyday Makeup ❤

In my point of view as you guys probably already know from reading my previous entries, that I for one, is against heavy makeup as they can cause a lot of dilemma for you and your skin. What are they you may ask? Well first of all, it is not a good look! It's unnatural/fake, and kinda looks "drag queen-ish." It can also cause your skin to breakout which can leave you nasty pimple marks. Those are good enough reasons why girls (and boys) should not wear heavy makeup.
When it comes to your daily beauty routine, I suggest to keep it light and natural when  putting makeup on your face. The saying "less is more" definitely applies to this matter.

Here are some tips and tricks for a refreshingly natural looking face everyday you step out of your door:

• face- do not choose a foundation/tinted moisturizer which has a shade darker or lighter than your normal complexion - this can give the clown face effect, or the orange face look, which are both ugly and unflattering :|
• when it comes to your eyes, keep it simple - use a bronzer on your eyelids to give that natural look plus the shimmer that will make your eyes pop. Ideally, use a golden shade or silver. But remember! Do not use the highly glittered ones - keep it subtle.
• also, if you're not the type who likes to put eye-makeup on (which is me), go for the eyelash curler as it can instantly enhance your eyes. Another good trick is to lightly heat the eyelash curler using a hairdryer  in a low heat setting before curling your eyelashes - this technique can increase the "holdage" of your eyelashes' curl.
• for your lips, keep it...SIMPLE. haha that is my favorite word today. use a shade of color that does not look harsh, which means no bright colored lipsticks! lol. I recommend the nivea lipbalm range - they offer the best lipbalms around as the product moisturizes your lips and adds a bit of color just enough for everyday use.
• cheeks - use whatever blush on you want. i love blushers and they are my favorite type of makeup. blushers can brighten up your face (literally if you put too much on..not a good idea). I use the L'Oreal Bare Naturale Gentle Mineral Blusher. This product is really good as I can put as much as I want and the color of my skin still looks natural and glowing. also, its mineral powder which is a total plus! apply the blusher on the apple of your cheeks (if you don;t know where they are, they are the round area on your cheeks when you smile with your teeth out. haha.), and not under your cheekbones as this technique can make you look older and gaunt-ish. 

..and you're all prep and ready to go!

Review - Nivea Tinted Moisturiser.

The Nivea Visage Tinted Moisturiser (TM). Well what can I say? I've been using this product for 4years now and there is a reason why I'm still using it today. Religiously. I give this TM a rating of 4 out 5.

PROS.

• has a lightweight feeling. it's not as heavy as the normal foundation.
• i have oily skin, but this TM gives me a shine-free face.
• has SPF protection.
• very affordable at only $7.00 NZD.
• it is non-comedogenic - meaning, it does not block pores.
• has a nice smell, non-offensive.
• and it adapts to your natural skin color.

CONS.

• you have to put 2 layers if you want a good coverage.
• it stains your clothes. i advice that after using this product, rinse your hands with water before handling any object (or clothing).
• it only comes in one shade of color.