Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Slap, Slather, Spritz

There comes a point when a makeup junkie realises that buying more cosmetics is not a good idea, but they still need something to take away the itch. Enter skin care. Lately, I've been dabbling a bit more in an area that has traditionally not excited me very much. But spending money on lotions, mists and serums in the hope of improving the condition of my skin just seemed like the logical next step after spending (way too much) money on generally polluting my face with whatever makeup I slap onto it every day.


Yes to Carrots Daily Facial Moisturiser with SPF 15 This is somewhat of a bizarre moisturiser, in that it is initially very hard to work into the skin. Once applied, you really need to keep rubbing it in to eliminate any traces of the cream itself and have it completely absorb into the skin. It dries pretty quickly however, and leaves the skin softer and with a moisturised barrier. I like that it is mostly natural and the SPF 15 is a welcome feature, albeit the bare minimum I'm comfortable with in my day cream.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream This is a pretty thick cream that I'd describe as being a little on the greasy side, which I personally don't mind in a night cream. It has a fairly strong flowery scent which might be off-putting to some. I don't think it's anything special, but I also don't have any specific complaints about it. At any rate, it's better than the Nivea Daily Essentials Rich Regenerating Night Cream I bought earlier in the year. I picked this up on sale in the US for $10. I wouldn't buy it at the Australian price of $27.95.

Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil I purchased the 15ml travel size in Sephora for $15 and began using it immediately on my holiday. I had this routine that I religiously stuck to where I used two drops of it mixed in with a good dollop of Nivea Soft that I'd then slather over my face. I'd do this day and night. I wasn't really scrutinising the condition of my skin throughout my vacation, but I can say in the three weeks that I used it, my skin wasn't dry at all. I also didn't break out. I'm not sure if that can be attributed to the argan oil, or a combination of totally unrelated factors, but at least I didn't experience any negative effects. I've yet to use this directly on my skin, or on my hair or body, mostly because I'm trying to ration it like a precious commodity. I accidentally dipped the dropper into a bit of cream and then put it back into the bottle, which led to a momentary upset in thinking I'd forever contaminated the purity of the argan oil.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir Another Sephora purchase. I bought the 30ml one for just under $20 mainly out of curiosity. It has a somewhat funky smell. Not sweet or flowery, more of an earthy, pungent, essential oils kind of smell. Citrus and peppermint. While refreshing, I don't really know if it does anything. It's really more of a novelty to have, especially with the pleasing weightiness of the frosted bottle and the shiny, tight cap. I keep forgetting to spray this before applying my moisturiser as the instructions state. I'm not convinced it could work as a makeup setting spray as it contains a whole bunch of oils (in fact, the oil literally sits at the top of the liquid and you have to shake the bottle before using it). It seems more for adding a touch of dewiness to your skin or for a "pick me up" during the day, mainly because of the scent. For that purpose, I think I prefer my Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist (it's a lot cheaper as well, with the 100ml being $31, as opposed to $US48 for the Caudalie before tax).

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè I bought this at the Spa & Beauty Expo from the Scotty's Makeup stand for $28 (down from the retail price of $35), which is a ridiculous price to pay for what is essentially a basic moisturiser that's been overly hyped. If you're in Paris and stop by a pharmacy, it's worthwhile to pick this up as it's $12 or something. Otherwise, I'm sure you could find cheaper alternatives. I don't enjoy using the Lait-Crème Concentrè as a moisturiser, as I find it quite greasy and rich, in the sense that it doesn't fully absorb into the skin. I really love this as a primer though. I place my normal moisturiser, let that sink in for a few minutes, then place a layer of Lait-Crème Concentrè over it. I find that you need to use a decent amount, definitely more than pea-size, otherwise it doesn't spread easily. But for whatever reason, it not only smooths out any dry patches and helps foundation to apply better, I also find it makes it last longer too. I prefer it to the other primer that I occasionally use, Face of Australia Face Base.

29 comments:

  1. want to try the body shop cream! xx

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  2. Thanks for the Caudalie Beauty Elixir review! I've been wanting to try it but wasn't willing to splurge, good to know there's something better. I loved the Embryolisse as a primer, too!

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  3. I want to try the Josie Maran argan oil so bad. Heard so much good things about it. Sephora is having its friends and family sale soon. Thinking of getting it oh and a whole lot more :)

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  4. Thanks for the review of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir. I was thinking of checking it out but I am not sure if I will bother now :)
    x

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  5. All of these are out of my range or out of my budget and I'm kind of gald that it is that way, otherwise I'd purchase any of these just to try them out and I'm really making an effort trying not to buy anything I don't need, especially skincare. But makeup... well I tell myself "It's for the anime looks. I don't have that colour, what can I do?" and so on so on LOL

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  6. I have the body shop vitamin e night cream and it sure is pretty thick. Since I have combination skin it's a bit too greasy for me. I'd loge to try the Argan oil. Seems intriguing to me! :)

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  7. I love argan oil. I use it by itself (4 drops) every night in place of my night time moisturizer and my skin looks to much better now. Less oily and less breakouts. :D

    ~ Yun

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  8. I love TBS Vitamin E moisturisers, don't think I've ever tried their night cream before but I used to use their day cream for years! x

    http://wewereraisedbywolves.blogspot.co.uk/

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  9. The Caudalie Beauty Elixir looks like an interesting product...

    Xoxo

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  10. I've been focusing more on skincare right now too! I think it might be a winter thing as my dry skin tends to get worse in the winter. Of course, it's summer where you are, right? But glad for the reviews! Now I know to avoid Caudalie Beauty Elixir because i already have the Avene Mineral Water and that works just fine.
    S xx

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  11. I want to try Yes to Carrots, it looks good :) x

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  12. About last week I was standing in front of caudalie display at my local pharmacy and wanted to try the beauty elixir!! But i wasnt sure if it was really necessary.. do you recommend it?
    I used to use the body shop vit E night cream when I was in hi school , and was quite devoted to it, until I fell in love with clarins. lol
    have you tried clarins skin care? they are amazeballs!!

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    1. No, I haven't - but I do want to! I know how much you recommend it :)

      The Beauty Elixir is okay, I haven't really been using it in any regular way to comment on whether it makes any difference to my skin. I like it more for the novelty of it, it has a quite unique and refreshing scent that is not sweet at all. I don't think it's necessary but it's fun to have.

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  13. Thanks for the fab reviews yet again! I want to try the body shop cream!

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  14. Wow nice reviews! The Yes to Carrots moisturiser sounds good. It's a shame that none of the products were amazing though. Loving your blog too, glad I came across it, definite follow :)

    http://reveriebelle.blogspot.com.au

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  15. I want to try the yes to carrots as it's pretty natural and I think no one can go wrong when choosing natural stuff! Great review ^_~

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  16. all i have to say is that i totally understand you. if you want another recommendation, i highly recommend Ole Henriksen- you can pick up at sephora. so far i love every product and i absolutely love josie maran!! great reviews on all the products, now i really need to try caudalie- its just soo pricy you know??!! what a pocket burner i swear!!! xoxo.

    http://jennyjiin.blogspot.com/

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  17. You don't sound easily impressed when it comes to skincare! I really hope the ANR works out for you like it has for me- I'd hate for you to be disappointed with it. The Caudalie Beauty Elixir is something I've been wanting to try for months! I guess if you don't use it as a toner there wouldn't be much in way of skincare benefits... I thought the Jurlique Rosewater mist sounded interesting, especially after your Favourites post, but nothing in particular calls out to me. I had no idea the Embryolisse was so expensive! Way overpriced for what is it, surely. I'm still lost when it comes to argan oil and the like- I'm blissfully ignorant of the whole lot. :) I really like skincare though- more than nails and eyeshadow- anything to help the condition of my skin along- the Clarisonic and the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight mask are particularly tempting. :)

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  18. Haven't heard of that being used as a primer, that is intriguing! I meant to pick up a tube at IMATS but forgot and left without it. I love the Jurlique Rosewater balancing mist, it smells divine and is so relaxing. Think I need to pop that into my own stocking this Christmas ;P

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  19. What a lovely post! I have been on an avid hunt for a 'beauty elixir' (what a name! how could you say no?) so I think it's great that you think the Jurlique version is still your preferred elixir for pulchritude haha. I think i may have to acquire some this weekend ...

    Thank you for such a wonderful post!

    <3 Mandy xx
    http://frocksandotherfrivolities.blogspot.com

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  20. After makeup, I started taking better care of my skin, eg. investing in skincare!
    I quite like the brands Biore, Neutrogena and Clean and Clear :)

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  21. I am totally the same at the moment, stuff the make-up, give me the skincare!!!
    xoxo

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  22. Nice blog!! Thanks for checking mine out :) following you!

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  23. Great post! I definitely am much more of a skincare junkie! Especially when it comes to the cooler seasons. I still haven't checked out Argan Oil but will have to soon after I run out of my Moroccan Oil!

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  24. I really want to try that "Say Yes to Carrots" brand I have heard such great things and your review is no different. :) Moroccan Oil is a god send to my hair!
    LaceyLoves

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  25. it's really hard to find the perfect skin care products, wonder if there's such thing. but looks like you got some really amazing products :) SK-II is such a wonderful brand but really expensive though. although, it's good to invest on amazing quality skin care products :) it's so nice that you take good care of your skin, and it looks flawless! :)

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  26. You should try giving your face a spritz of thermal water (or even the Beauty Elixir!) before applying that Yes To moisturiser, it helps it glide better on the skin and absorbs a lot better too! Thanks for the reviews. xx

    ferdies-place.blogspot.com

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  27. I want to get my hand on josie maran!!! heard so many good thing about it!

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