Natural Wonders : La Clinica For Skin & Body

 www.laclinica.com

For a while now I have been trying to find a line of NATURAL products which are effective on my skin and feel like they are doing something good rather than just sitting on the surface and smelling nice. Most natural products available in health stores and department stores although containing plenty of great natural oils they also have a high alcohol content and are more marketed as being natural rather than actually containing natural ingredients.

I was sent a a few products from La Clinica, an Australian Organic skin care range, on first inspection I didn't think I would like them then I read through the ingredients.......they had little to NO ALCOHOL in them and seemed to be all good on paper at least. 

La Clinica Anti-Aging Rose Water Facial Mist $23.00

Firstly I tested out the Anti-Aging Rose Water Facial Mist, after I had cleansed my face ready for bed I swiped a cotton pad soaked in the Anti-Aging Rose Water Mist all over my face and it felt lovely and smelled like a Turkish delight. It says it contains Stem Cell Complex-3 which is meant to regenerate skin at a derma level (HUH?!?), look I don't know what that means at all but it felt really cooling and with the amount of other super ingredients in it like Chamomile Flower water, Pinus Pinaster Bark extract, Argania Spinosa Sprout Cell Extract and the list goes to more things that I have no idea what they are....but they are all organic. And trust me its very important that you only use organic Pinus Pinaster Bark. This product is a great alternative to the other facial mists on the market, most of which contain high levels of alcohol and are very drying. I have been using it is as a toner I found it locked in moisture before I went to sleep and I woke up with my skin feeling super soft.

La Clinica Anti-Aging Rose Hip Oil $21.00

Next I applied La Clinica's Anti-Aging 100% Pure Organic Rose Hip Oil all over my face and gave myself a version of a lymphatic face massage, I have been trying to master some at home day spa techniques which are only going mildly ok. Usually Rose Hip Oils are too astringent and strong for my face and I start to feel really hot and suffocating, but this was really light and calming on the skin. I checked my other Rose Hip Oils (I have tried out MANY because of Miranda Kerr's confession that it gives her that glowy supermodel skin) and it they all have other added ingredients which might be what my skin doesn't agree with. In the morning my skin was very soft and I think in certain angles and lights I may have had a very slight supermodel glow too.

La Clinica Rebalancing Vitamin A Day Cream $37.00

The Rebalancing Day Vitamin A Cream was the last product I tried, this has a heavy health food shop smell which some people might not like but it reminds me of my mum so I don't mind it. The cream is quite thick which I was surprised about because it is a day cream, it soaked in quickly and left my face feeling quite matte and dewy rather than slippery or shiny a perfect makeup base. I love this it keeps my skin hydrated all day and doesn't let oily patches through, the only down side is that it does not contain SPF. I would defiantly buy this moisturizer again, I am actually obsessed with it and have been trying to make anyone who is over at my house before 9am (I have a lot of early visitors) to try it out. 

La Clinica is available from selected salons and also online www.laclinica.com

Don't Believe The Hype : #1

Everything on this blog is my personal opinion - apart from if its a specified spiel from a giant cosmetic company claiming that they can make your lips bigger, get rid of you wrinkles and make you 10 times more beautiful by tomorrow.

Its not serious and I usually don't buy things that I really dislike because I am a 'savvy 20 something that knows how to use the power of the Internet for good not evil'.  My friends and family do it love when I get it wrong because I always give away things that haven't made the cut.

1. Loreal Telescopic Mascara $26.80

This was raved about by one of my favorite YouTube girls Vivianna Does Make up, she was banging on about how she put it on whilst on the tube (British). So I bought it. Its crap, well its not crap, she loves it. Its the brush that's not a brush its a comb and the product is really wet formula which just makes my usually naturally curled lashes point out straight and clump. If you can make this work for you, 10 points and please let me know how you do it.

2. Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stains $16.00

When the lip stain trend was in full force last year I was sucked into that like a tornado, I was one of the cows in Twister - not Helen Hunt. But I survived with the debris of 15 lip stains cluttering up my makeup draws. Firstly the Revlon Lip Stain has a lip balm on the end - mine snapped off within the first use so I have no idea what it was like. It didn't pack the punch of my other Covergirl lipstains which the stain lasts almost all day and definitely have got more colour pay off and they are also $6.00 cheaper. And one more thing I hate that tacky twilight-esque font on the packaging.

3. Shu Uemura Foundations - $64 Face Architect Foundation  (but in general it's all of them)

I really want to like them because its one of my favorite Japanese beauty brands. The problem is that they do not have my colour, white girl is not in the spectrum of shades. Its such a shame because they have this really cool aerosol can of foundation that's really high tech and I am desperate to have it. Please don't let this put you off the brand it is fantastic and if they have your shade then lucky you! Especially the eye shadows they are a dream and the limited edition collaborations are beautiful especially the Tsumori Chitsato sets  from about 2 years ago.

4. Maybelline Great Lash Curved Mascara $8.99

The curved brush really stabs my eyeballs when applying it and the fall out is really bad it had given me dark circles by 10am. This cult product made me look like I was in a cult.

5. Nars Lip Gloss $39.00

I'm not really a lip gloss girl to begin with, your hair gets stuck in it. The Nars lip gloss is so sticky that its hard to even apply its like putting cold honey on your lips. The colours are really good and they have a new plumping formulation which i will try out to see if there is any improvement to the formula.

6. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks $48.00

These are really shimmery, duh its called a freakin' Shimmer Brick! But its the type of shimmer and opacity which should only be going on in eye shadows. It is so shimmery it casts a white glow to your face from the lightest colours and highlights YOUR PORES!!!! I had a really bad time with this in both colours - yep I bought 2 colours - SUCKER!

7. Kiehl's Penthol Protein Moisturizing Face Cream $22.50 

This is a good moistirizer, just not for my face, its since been de-potted and put in travel size containers for legs on holidays. It gets all in my eyebrows and hair line coating them in white cream making me look like Santa Clause and it's impossible to put a foundation on top of it because it peels off like pilling on a cheap synthetic jumper. 

8. Burts Bees Sensetive Eye Cream ($29.95 N/A)

I did not purchase this -  it came free with a magazine. But I had to include it because the story of my single time using the product is very funny. I packed this eye cream in my toiletries bag when going on the first sexy weekend away with a lover, I thought you know its a small sample size and 'natural' kind off not wanting to pack my massive night cream. After coming back from a night swim and a long shower I moisturized as normal before bed, the eye cream was on the bedside table and I applied it in the dark before going to sleep. Morning came and I awoke to my lovers shocked face on top of mine saying that he could 'call a doctor if i needed', the eye cream had turned into a white flaky crust all over my eyes! It came off with a little warm water and my skin wasn't irritated at all but the shocked reaction caused me to bin the eye cream straight away.

So in total I have wasted $225.30 on these products. It is actually a lot more than this but these are the products that I can remember using and not agreeing with. 

What products have you regretted buying? Or what products have you been talked into buying by a very persuasive beauty counter sales assistant like a sucker?

Personal Skincare #1

(Sorry about my straight outta that shower Margret Thatcher 'do)

My face has never been a mystic pizza full of pimples, nor have I ever had any problems with hyper-pigmentation. It's relatively normal to oily only on my nose and chin most of the time excpet around the time of the month I am 'Surfing my crimson wave' as Cher Horwitz puts it. When I was 25 my skin started to change, so in the past 2 years since my concerns changed and as the teenage pimples stopped and my pores spread and became larger, which is a real pain when applying make up.

As a teenager I would scrub the hell out of my skin stripping it with Clean and Clear foaming cleanser, and I don't even think I used moisturizer till I was in my 20's super oil-phobic that it would give me pimples.

The below is not going to be my definative routine of my late 20's like all the magazine have those 'What to use in your 20's' articles blah blah blah, I doubt it will remain the same for the next month even. I'm a total slut when it comes to products, easily swayed by reading beauty blogs and watching raving YouTubes about some new found holy water of a serum, but I will continue to buy products with the same ingredients in them.

1. Cetaphil -  Normal to Oily Cleanser $15.40

Liv Tyler said she uses this once in an interview -  she is beautiful  - Therefore I think I will magically turn into Liv Tyler using this. Obviously I wont, but it does take off a full face of heavy make up with a bit of warm water and a gentle rub. It doesnt have any real benefits you arent going to glow after using it, but you will be completely clean of any make up.

2. Clarisonic Mia $134.90 (Will do a full post on the Clarissa-on-it!) & Dove cucumber cleanser $6.00

So this is the most extreme part of my routine and one which most people think I'm crazy for using -  Meh people have always said I'm 'crazy in a good way' which is really insulting and I actually hate - so my skincare is crazy also who cares! This is my second cleanse it brushes at a super sonic rate. After 2 months (it will take you 2 months for your skin to adjust to it properly) my pores have become smaller and more isolated to my T-zone, the tone has evened out completely, and my blemishes heal really quickly. Even though the peeps at Clarisonic say it isn't an exfoliate - it totally is. I usually use this only once a day either morning or night, which ever I have time. If you are desperate to find out about the Clarisonic I suggest watching these YouTubes:

Tanya Burr's 'Pixi2woo' Clarisonic Mia Review

Goss Makeup Artist's Clarisonic Experience

Stuff I Bought's Clarisonic Tips

3. Physicians Formula moisturizer - firming anti wrinkle SPF 15 $29.00

WOOOOP WOOOOOPPPP Priceline thank you for getting this line of moisturizers from Physicians Formula. I tried this stuff last year in Hawaii, it is my favorite daytime moisturizer of all time. Lets talk all weird science for a minute about the ingredients: 2.7% Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA's or Glycolic Acid) - this is what will make your skin J-LO glow, it is a resurfacer which breaks down the top 2 layers of skin which are dead and flaking- leaving glowing fresh skin. Ever had an amazing Glycolic Peel facial and your skin has been really red? They just use an ultra concentrated Alpha Hydroxy to take off dead skin. If you use moisturizer containing Alpha Hydroxy you MUST use an SPF, that fresh skin needs to be protected. When I get a zit the red sore part is usually not my main concern its the flaky dead skin around it which makes it hideous, this moisturizer softens and dissolves it. There are lots of different brands with similar ingredients, this is my personal favorite. It also smells really good, not natural at all kind of like new toy smell when you were little. 

4. Korres Wild Rose 24 Hour moisturizer - SPF 6 $35.00

The benefits of Rose products for your skin have been well documented in history Cleopatra bathed in Rose water, the Greeks made medicines from it because of its antibacterial qualities. I've read lots of reviews on this moisturizer, first I tried it under my make up - which was a big mistake it made my skin so oily and by midday I had patchy foundation and was just a hot mess. So switching it to a night cream was ideal, its very healing and hydrating. Waking up in the morning after putting this on at night it feels like you have given your skin a big drink of water. If I am feeling particularly like a sultana or have had 3 too many glasses of wine then I will use Rose Hip oil under my eyes, cheek bones and temples. 

Honerable mentions:

Sudocream $4.70

Zinc gets rid of pimples : FACT! Alot of acne specific products have Zinc as a main ingredient, but it is really drying so unless you are actually 15 with an acne problem you wouldnt want to use it all over your face. This is for nappy rash but its got 15.25% Zinc Oxide in it, just pop it on a stubborn spot and it will be on the mend by morning.

Bioderma $35.00

This gets off even the sluttiest of smokey eye make up,  if I've had fake eyelashes applied this is great to take them off too. Just soak a cotton round with it and hold it on your eye and gently wiggle them off.

Lucas Paw Paw Ointment  $4.40

Another product that has been in my life in some capacity for forever, my Mum used to lather it on my bum for nappy rash. It was put on mozzie bites, scabby knees and now I just it on my lips, elbows, cuticles, heels and any dry patch. I am truly emotionally attached to this product and would be lost without it. 

Skin Care for Mega Dudes

Men always seem very complacent about skin care, if nothings broke well why fix it. Where as women are willing to try anything and everything to preserve their skin. The above are a few products which will make a difference to your dudes skin, he will see results and not just shrug and accept pimple any longer.

The reason for researching men's products came from my friend Mike - He rides a bike and likes Frank Lloyd Wright! On the weekend he showed me he had been using sunscreen because I had previously told him it was absolutely essential in a rant which probably went on for at least 17mins. Before this I thought that when I spoke about anything beauty related most guys just heard 'Blah blah and more blah' and were probably thinking 'when is this girl going to shut up about creams and lipstick'.  So here are a few products I pushed his way and why:

1. The Art of Shaving Moisturizer - Calendula & Orange for Sensitive Skin

Boys like bikes - FACT, and that cold air being blasted on your face day and night cannot be a good thing. This product protects against harsh elements wind/dryness and the cold. It also dries matte! Which is genius because the one complaint I got was that moisturizers make your skin all greasy like hot chips - This wont! 

2. Jack Black - Dry Down Friction Free

Ok so this is embarrassing, but I am going to go there because there are ALOT of boys I know that ride bikes. There must be some friction in the pants? Right??? So this might help, its like the fanciest talcum powder you will ever get. That's all I'm saying on this product. 

3. Witch Hazel Wipes

These are lifesavers, if I had to pack a universal emergency kit for a nuclear war - these would be on top. They are the most effective anti bacterial wipes for any ones skin babe or babette. 

4. Jack Black - Sun Guard

This shit is water resistant! Yeh! So guys I think will just apply one round of skincare a day in the morning, whereas women schelp around kilos of products to reapply during the day. Apparently this stuff will retain SPF defence after 80mins of really sweaty activity, and maybe all day if you're not being a total sweat monster.

5. Kiehl's - Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash

Kiehl's is a good skin care brand for guys, like say for instance you maybe stayed at a dude-babes house after your first sexy slumber party and you just so happened to be snoop-dogging through his bathroom cupboard (I have NEVER done this) and you found some Kiehl's products you'd be like 'Oh ok this guys got his shit together'.

6. The Art of Shaving Facial Scrub - Peppermint and Essential Oils

Look I cannot imagine what it would be like to have to shave your face - WEIRD! But I can imagine that you would get some stubborn little hairs and that would just be annoying, exfoliating with this scrub would be a great idea. Peppermint is fantastic for blemishes and irritations like ingrown hairs - it can also be left on as a mask on any problem areas.

7. Clarins - Men Skin Difference

A shave zone product! Yep this one is actually for the ladies, lather your boyfriend's face in this. Too many times have we all been victim to the horrid post make-out burning sore pashed out face. This will softens hair and slows down regrowth! BOOM! If your boyfriend is like 'No way babe - I'm a man and I wont use that creamy stuff' just attack him when he is passed out drunk with this product because its most effective when left on as a night cream to penetrate the entire hair length and root. (I just wrote penetrate and root in a sentence and was not even remotely talking about sex!)