Sukin Purifying Body Scrub Review

Sukin Purifying Body Scrub
Claims: "Gently polishes and refines skin texture leaving clean, radiant skin."
RRP: AUD12.95 for 200mL
Packaging: 5/5

Review: Ever since I read a Courier Mail article about parabens, I've been a bit more cautious about the products I buy and use. No, I haven't thrown out every single product that I own that contains parabens. I am slowing phasing it out of my life. Although I must admit that there will be some products that I will not give up. Still, I believe that cutting down is better than doing nothing at all. This is all just precaution; the FDA still approves products with parabens because there hasn't been sufficient evidence of its link to breast cancer.

One of the paraben-free products that I've started using is the Sukin Purifying Body Scrub. I'm not a big fan of fragrance in products because they tend to irritate my nose and it has never been a huge selling factor for me. However! This product has a very pleasant chamomile scent. No parfum has been added to this product so the scent is natural, which a big plus for me and my nose.

I have a thing against micro-beads due to my traumatic experience with a Neutrogena face scrub. I was relieved to discover that these little granules of wonder are non-abrasive! Well, obviously they are abrasive enough to exfoliate the dead skin cells off my body but it's not to the point where I feel like I am running sandpaper all over my skin!

After washing the scrub off, I found my skin feels soft and smooth, like a baby's bottom! I am very pleased with this product and I use it once a week or whenever my skin feels a bit lacklustre. I definitely can foresee its continued presence in my shower caddy.

You can find this brand (and product) at most pharmacies. Alternatively you can purchase the product from Sukin's website.

Do you use body scrubs? What is your current favourite?

Bioderma Crealine H20 Review

Bioderma Sensibio H20

Claims: "very gentle, fragrance-free micellar solution that cleanses impurities and removes make-up without affecting the skin’s natural balance"

RRP: AUD$29.95
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Review: This product has another name, "Crealine H20". I just want to mention that in case there is any confusion. 

I've been wanting to try this makeup remover for a very long time; ever since Lisa Eldridge recommended it in one of her videos. I finally bought a bottle when I ran out of my L'Oreal Gentle Eye Make-up Remover Waterproof. Let me tell you this, it's amazing! I wish it had hit our shores sooner! It takes waterproof/long-wearing makeup off easily and does not leave any residue behind. So you definitely won't need to rub your eyes raw. 

The only tip that I feel I need to share with you is that when you pressed your soaked cotton pad to your eyelid, don't do it too hard. Why? I've pressed so hard that I squeezed some of the solution out and it ran into my eyes. It stung a little and my eye was irritated and uncomfortable for nearly an hour or so. In my opinion this is more effective at removing makeup than the L'Oreal one. And the great thing is, it's safe for sensitive skin. It really leaves your skin feeling clean.

What makeup remover do you use? Have you tried this product before?

One Lipstick, Three Different Ways

I successfully went through the month of June without buying any beauty products because I was on a spending ban. Came 1st of July, I went and bought myself a cream eyeshadow. Guess how much I paid for it? $44. Now, I've put myself back on the ban. And such bad timing too! There are so many lipsticks/lipglosses/stains/lacquers that have been just released and I can't get my hands on them!

So if you're on a spending ban just like me. Here are 3 ways you can use/apply your lippy... as though you got a whole new separate one! 

Sheer Lips/Tinted Lip Balm
1. Apply bit of lipstick to the centre of your lips.
2. Pick up lots of clear lip balm with your lip brush.
3. Start applying your lip balm over the lipstick, mixing it in and spreading it.
4. Keep working and spreading until you reached the corners of your lip.

Matte Lips
1. Apply one coat of lipstick onto your lips
2. Dip a fluffy eyeshadow brush into translucent powder
3. Pat the powder all over your lips.

New Lipstick!
Can you tell how I achieved this?
I mixed two colours! 

1. Apply one colour to your lips. I did it just on the centre.
2. Run the bullet of the second lipstick over the back of your hand to transfer product onto it.
3. Pick up the product with a lip brush and paint it on your lips 
4. Keep mixing and spreading the colours until you reach the corners of your lips.


Three different lip looks with just one (well maybe two) lipsticks! I used Rimmel London's Lasting Finish by Kate in the colour 20 for all 3 looks. In case you're wondering, the second lippy was MAC's Plink!

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Please feel free to share any lippy tips you have. I'd love to read them!

Michael Todd True Organics Review

Michael Todd True Organics Normal/Combination Skin Discovery Kit

Claims: "Achieve an organically radiant glow for your normal to combination skin."; "Rejuvenate and restore your skin while improving skin texture and tone and stimulating cell turnover." 

RRP: USD36*
Packaging: 4.5 out of 5

I've been trying these products for two months now. Here are my thoughts. I've written a mini review on each individual product instead of a whole regimen overall. Hope you find this helpful! 

 *I think Michael Todd has bumped up their prices. I recall paying only USD19 (excluding shipping) at the time I bought this set. 

Honey and Oat Gentle Deep Pore Cleanser 
Claims: "Gently removes dirt, oil, makeup, and impurities without residue or irritation"
Review: This cleanser smells similar to honey but it's "not fragrant". It might be because of the oats. I don't mind it but at the same time, I don't love it. This product is very gentle yet thorough. I noticed that my pores were significantly cleaner after I started using it. How do I know this? My blackheads faded/disappeared. This does not mean that they are permanently removed. They will reappear and this cleanser will remove them as long as you use it consistently.

The packaging of this product is not perfect. They did not seal it so the cleanser was leaking in the plastic bag when I received the kit. You have to screw it really tight if you want to throw it into your makeup bag and travel with it. The product also starts oozing out if you stand the bottle upside down.


Blue Green Algae Antibacterial Toner
Claims: "Highly moisturising; anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial; aids in treatment and prevention of acne."
Review: This is the first toner I've properly trialled. It is not harsh or dehydrating, although I would not go as far as to say that it is "highly moisturising". I really like that it is antibacterial. I noticed that my pimples became less red and aggressive. They also were more susceptible to my acne treatment product, so I was able to get rid of them more quickly. This however did not prevent any future pimples. They kept popping up as usual but they were definitely less prominent and less painful. Lastly, I absolutely love the scent of this product. It reminds me of oregano except sweeter? Sorry, I'm bad at describing scents.


Citrus Cream Moisturiser with DMAE and Hyaluronic acid 
Claims: "Firms, lifts and moisturises." 
Review: Okay, I can't really vouch for its claims of firming and lifting the skin. I can however, say that it is very moisturising. It has kept my skin soft and supple. It absorbs into my skin quite quickly, by the time my face touches my pillow, there's no sticky residue! I have noticed a couple of freckles on my face recently. My face has become sensitive to the sun and I believe that this product (or the Vitamin C it contains) may have been the culprit.

Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub
Claims: "Removes dead skin, impurities and toxins"
Review: I know that Tanya Burr loves this scrub and said that she saw it made a difference to her skin. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing. It's an effective scrub but I feel that my Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant does the same, if not better. I do like the fact that despite being a "microbead scrub", it does not feel abrasive against my skin at all. I definitely would not bag this as a bad product. It works but I just did not see any huge difference to my skin. How do I know this? I've stopped using it for a couple of weeks now and sure enough, no difference observed.

Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Facial Mask 
Claims: "Moisturises and nourishes"
Review: If I had to pick a "least favourite" product out of the lot, this would be it. First off, I am not the biggest fan of pumpkin and the scent is a little bit unpleasant for me. Don't get me wrong, I sometimes enjoy pumpkin soup and roasted pumpkin. But this one had a different kind of pumpkin smell... Anyway! Enough about pumpkins! Fleur from FleurDeForce loves this product and calls it "food for the face". I can't concede that I feel the same way. It's a very ordinary facial mask. Your skin just feels extra clean after washing it off, just like every other facial mask. And the benefits stop there. My skin does not feel moisturised afterwards. I still feel like I need to apply moisturiser because there's a slight feeling of tightness, as though moisture has been stripped off.  This product also increases the skins sensitivity towards the sun, which I am not super keen on.


Overall: I think these products have made my skin look a bit better than usual. But don't expect to get a radiant glow just from using these. All that has to be achieved through positive lifestyle changes. Ultimately, they are good products. I love the fact that they are organic (or mostly for certain products). Which of these products would I ever repurchase? I think it'll have to be the cleanser and the toner. But I think that they aren't my holy grail skin care products yet. I am going to continue with my search.


What do you think of these products? Do you think it's another phase/hype?

Bump It Up! A Tutorial

If you've read my review on the Scunci Hi Styles, you'd probably remember that I promised a tutorial. Here it is! Hope you find it helpful.

What you will need

•  Scunci Hi Styles
• A couple of bobby pins 
• A tail comb 
• A bottle of hairspray 

Step 1  Work out where you want to place the Hi Styles. I chose around half to three quarters way in, at the top of my head. I started teasing the hair in front of that (they are going to cover/conceal the Hi Styles).

 Step 2. I had separated the portion of hair into two sections. Here I am teasing my front section.

Teased hair!

Step 3. Hold your portion of teased hair up vertically. Place the Hi Styles on top of your head, directly behind the teased hair.

Step 4. Pull the teased hair over the Hi Style to conceal it. Make sure you don't pull too tight or the teeth will show through. With one hand holding your hand in place, grab a bobby pin with your other hand and secure it. Use another bobby pin, inserting it from the opposite direction to criss-cross the two pins. 

It will look something like this at the back.

Step 5. Hairspray the bump and then gently run your hand over it to smooth down any flyaways.

And there you have it. This is how I cheat volume into my hair.

What do you think? Are you interested in more hair tutorials?

Looking Naturally Pretty with Rimmel: Review & Swatches

I recently tested out three Rimmel London products. Read on for review, swatches and a how-to on achieving a "naturally pretty" look!

Rimmel London 9-in1 BB Cream SPF 25
Claims: It primes skin, moisturises, minimises the appearance of pores, helps protect against environmental damage, conceals, covers, smoothes, mattifies and brightens.
RRP: AUD$12.95
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Review: I truly am impressed with this BB cream. At first, I thought its claims of being able to 9 things was just a marketing gimmick but I quickly discovered that I was wrong. Its texture is very much similar to most primers and it has a matte finish. Most BB creams are light coverage. This one can be built to medium. I find its coverage so good that I don't apply any foundation or concealer over it.

This product makes my face look flawless. The only thing that doesn't completely work for me is that it's pink-based. I need a yellow-based version. Other than that, I'm very happy with this BB cream. It has simplified my makeup application process by a lot. It's the epitome of a multitasking product!

I know it doesn't appear very pink in this photo but when I apply it onto my face, the contrast is quite stark. I think this is a really good shade for many Caucasian women.

Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder
Claims: Goes on smooth to even out skintone. Offers a natural, matte finish.
RRP: AUD$12.95
Packaging: 4.5 out of 5
Review: Tanya Burr raves about this powder a lot. I've noticed that this is also a favourite amongst other Youtubers. I was really keen to test out this product and I'm happy to report that it is worth the hype. Well, first off, it's really affordable for a "hyped product". Secondly, it does what it says! My skin does not look like it has been powdered with this product. It helps keep foundation/BB cream on, making them last longer. My housemate tested this product out as well. She has oilier skin than I do. She also used a foundation that's poor at keeping oils at bay to test this product out. She was very impressed. This powder was able to keep oils from surfacing and made her foundation last longer.

I really like using this powder with the BB cream (above) because it is more yellow-toned, matching it to the rest of my body. The only reason I gave the packaging a 4.5 is the screw plastic cap. When I am in the hurry in the morning and my hands are covered in BB cream residue. It's a bit difficult to grab hold of the cap and unscrew. It would have been nice if they made it a flip top. But I think if they did, the price would have been compromised.

I hope you can see the swatch!

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner
Claims: Glides on easily and precisely for a flawless, defined line. Its soft and creamy formula also boasts rich pigments to make sure that colour is sleek and stays put.
RRP: AUD$9.95
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Review: In my opinion, this is the most luxe-looking "drugstore" eyeliner that I've ever come across so far. It's creamy and glides on smoothly as promised. It's not soft to the point where it breaks apart upon applying pressure. The Nude shade is the perfect waterline colour. I've tried white and pale pink eyeliners and they look fake on my waterline. This eyeliner subtly opens up my eyes but makes a huge difference to my entire appearance.

The one thing that it has not managed to achieve was to stay put on my waterline for more than an hour or two. It's okay though. It's understandable. Eyeliners fade very fast on my waterline. The only thing that has remotely stayed was a waterproof gel liner. I think I am so happy with the colour that it has compensated for the fact that it has poor lasting power on my waterline. I can't wait to get my hands on other colours and it try them on my lids.

Now, on to the mini tutorial! This is for those who are time poor in the morning.

1. Apply the BB cream all over your face and some down your neck with your hands.
2. Using a brush, apply the Stay Matte Powder onto your T-zone and pat some onto your cheeks last so that the powder is least concentrated there.
3. Curl your lashes.
4. Apply mascara if you have the time (I tend to be slow with this step).
5. Draw the Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Nude onto your waterline.
6. Apply some lip balm.

Done! You're out the door within 5 minutes looking naturally pretty!

Have you used any of these products? What do you think of it/them?