Wantable December 2013

I just received my new Wantable box in the mail. I love it, it’s worth the extra money spent to get it to Australia. I paid $35 plus $9 shipping, total of $45US. It worked out to be $49.97AU plus $1.49AU currency conversion fee so you know.

There is a Skiin Instant Skin Tightener & liner Filler sample and MiA BelleZZa Dark Brown brow pencil.

 

A Michael Marcus Shadow Primer which I found was fairly good quality.

 

 

Besame Cosmetics Classic Color in Cherry Red and Starlooks Single shadow in Beach Nut which is a Taupe. I just love the Besame Cherry red it is a beautiful classic colour that suits women with Darker Hair, what you would call a Dark Winter.  To purchase please go to the affiliate link Wantable.

Ilovethisbox December

Recently I have been getting a bit obssessed with these beauty sample boxes. Today I just recieved the Ilovethisbox. It is a selection of 4-5 luxury samples for $14.95 per month. The box was a nice surprise. There is a Simply Organic shampoo and conditioner.  Simply Organic Lipbalm. Small sample of Adorn mineral pigments for eyeshadow and face in a golden bronze. One charm from Magnolia. New Wonderstruck perfurm by Taylor Swift.

The charm is a nice touch for the Christmas season, I’m looking forward to pairing it with a silver chain, I think it’s sterling silver. You also get a $10 gift voucher at Magnolia.

Lipbalm is always good to have, this one a organic so I’m keen to try it. It contains all the general ingredients in lip balm like Olive oil, Coconut oil, Cocoa oil, Shea butter and Hemp oil which is meant to be quite healing. I’m looking forward to the next box. It’s fairly good value. I would prefer it if some of the samples were bigger sized like 5 to 10 ml, you would get a better idea on the product.

Guerlain Meteorites Couture Makeup Palette

I have been eyeing the Meteorites for a while now, and while the normal meteorites voyage compact sells for $170 in duty free, I picked up this Meteorites Couture Palette for around $80 US.  It’s a good entry point to try the Meteorites Voyage without spending so much, and even more in Australia. This Palette comes in a leather zip up case that includes two levels one for the pressed meteorites powder and one for the concealers and illuminators. It includes a flat rough goat hair brush to pick up the powder and distribute it evenly over the face.  The palette is quite bulky so it might be too big for the handbag, it would be alright for travel in the makeup bag. As the meteorites is known for it softly illuminates your features, it creates a natural glow, that doesn’t look to sparkly or fake, just a nice even tone complexion with a touch of pink. So on my own olive tone sink, it clears up the sallow yellow complexion, into an even olive complexion. This is meant to be a dusting and finishing power to be used over foundation and translucent powder for maximum results. Usually I don’t like to wear alot of foundation as it makes my skin break out, so I dust it over moisturiser and concealer with a touch of foundation. It also gives me a natural finish if I just dust it over moisturiser. The brush is only useful if you have nothing else to use, I like to use my Shu Uemura blush brush to apply the powder, this gives a nice airbrushed finish.

The concealers and correctors in the palette are fairly good. There is 2 concealers one light and one dark, the light one is meant to be for blemishes and the dark is for conturing on the sides of the nose and in the hollow of the chin. You can mix the concealers to get an exact shade for your skin to cover blemishes. There one pink and peachy highlighter for the cheeks and high points of the face, it has a nice sheen to it and works pretty well. There are probably going to be better highlighters on the market though, such as Benefit’s High Beam. There is a lavender colour corrector for dark circles and shadows under the eyes. It brings lightness into that area nicely. Generally these correctors probably aren’t the best on the market but the main thing in buying the product is for the Meteorites Voyage, which is full size. It would be convenient to take this with you while travelling so you have the illuminating finishing powder, some concealers, a highlighter and under eye colour corrector all in a nice small case. The palette is worth buying for the Meteorites Voyage alone.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a cure for all. It is part of the ginger family and is similar only the colouring is orange. It can be used for all sorts of skin issues. It can be used with honey as a tonic for cold and flu. I have been using it with some oil as a spot treatment for darker pigmentation and spots on the face. The only problem is it could take a few months to clear the spots and pigmentation. I have used an infused mixture of tumeric it on scars and old bruises and it seems to work quiet well. It is nice mixed with yogurt as a mask. Turmeric can also be mixed with oil, and honey for a deep cleansing and brightening mask, it’s possible that it may leave a bright yellow glow which should wash off in a few days.

Hazelnut oil

Hazelnut oil is a lovely smelling oil that can be used on the skin as a cleanser, astringent and moisturiser. Due to its pleasant smell it can be a great alternative to olive oil for the oil cleansing method. I know that olive oil has quiet a strong smell when used on the face and the smell lingers. Hazelnut oil is good for acne prone skin and made for oily and normal skin types that release oil. It is a good alternative for those who break out using jojoba oil. Adding a touch of tea tree oil or lavender oil can help with acne. Spot treatment of acne with hazelnut and tea tree will also help to heal the acne. As a moisturiser it can help to balance oil production to limit acne, it will also offer natural sun protection. As always the best oil is extra virgin cold pressed, and organic if possible. France produces some of the best quality Hazelnut oils, called Huile de Noisette over there. I have found it difficult to source good quality hazelnut oil in Australia.

Rosewater

Recently I have come across rosewater and it is a magical product, you can use it as a toner, cleanser, moisturiser. It is a good spritzer on a hot summer’s day. It is also good to set makeup. I have a small spray bottle that I pour distilled rosewater and a small touch of vodka into it. The vodka is to stablise the rosewater if you are living in a humid place. Vodka also have it’s own innate healing properties and has been used as such for centuries. I would make sure the vodka is no more that 2-5% of your mixture. I usually don’t like measuring things and just go with intuition.

Rosewater can be mixed with Glycerine to make a light cleanser for the morning or before makeup. It’s important to use a light water based cleanser in the morning so that you don’t strip your natural face oils that will protect the skin through the day, it will also help against acne. It’s up to you to decide the desired proportions for consistency. I would usually go 9 parts rosewater to 1 part glycerine. Glycerine is a natural preservative, add a touch of grapeseed extract and or vodka to make it last longer.  You can also add a few drops of the essential oil of choice as an added fragrance and preservative. This rosewater and glycerine mixture can also be used as a mixing medium to foil eye shadow.  Generally it is water and glycerine what is commonly sold in shops as mixing medium.

Rosewater can be spritzed onto the hair for added moisture.

Acai Berry

Acai berry is a wonderful supplement for the body. It suppresses appetite and nourishes to body so that we are less hungry. Most of what we eat today has been process to it’s last breath and thereby losing many nutrients along the way. Acai berry is from the Amazon rainforest. The berry itself is packed full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It is one of the most nutritional foods known to man. It has the ability to clean up free radicals in the body. It is nourishing  and will regress the aging process. Acai berry is usually sold in powder form and can be mix in with juice in the morning. The usual amount to take is 2-5 teaspoons. It’s a nice way to kick start the day.

Coconut Oil and it’s many uses.

I have been using coconut oil for everything lately. I feel that I must wax on about the wonders of this divine oil. The best coconut is extra virgin expeller pressed, organic if possible. It can be used to clean gums and whiten teeth. The method is called oil pulling; this is an ancient Ayurvedic technique. The method is to take a tablespoon of coconut oil and move it around the mouth, swishing and swirling it around. Allow this to go on for around 15 mins.  This will allow the enzymes of saliva to mix with the oil and draw out toxins from the mouth, teeth and gums. Then it’s important to spit out the oil as it is now toxic. The result is cleaner and whiter teeth, the gums are cleared. Continue to brush teeth afterwards.

Coconut oil can also be used as an eye makeup remover it deeply cleanses off all tough eye makeup whilst nourishing the lashes at the same time. The lashes are thicker and more conditioned the more you use coconut oil. I have noticed a couple of new lashes growing on top of the current ones. It’s important to avoid getting the oil inside the eyes as it can cause discomfort. Using coconut oil on the lids and around the eye will also help with wrinkles and crows feet around that area. It can double as an eye cream.

Another way to use coconut oil is as a deep cleanser and makeup remover for the face. Massage coconut oil in outward circular movements around the face, pay particular attention on and around the nose, when you massage the oil is it helps breaks up the clogged pored and removes blackheads. Cleanse and wash off with a microfiber cloth. Follow up with a natural toner. I like to use natural rose water. After that you can dab on a touch of coconut oil and use it as a moisturiser. If you have oily skin be careful to test it for breakouts. It should get rid of acne on most skin types.

Coconut oil mixed with essential oils such as lavender, germanium or a citrus can also be used as a natural deodorant.

Taken internally coconut oil can also help suppress appetite to allow one to lose weight. If you are just starting to go on this oil be careful to slowly introduce it to your body as it can cause your stomach to churn. O blood types should avoid using coconut oil for this purpose and take olive oil instead.

SHU UEMURA Portable Brush Set

This lovely brush set is sold through Cathay Pacific’s on flight shop. There is a goat hair face brush for powders. Pony and Squirrel cheek brush. Eye shadow brush in sable and a lip and eyeliner brush also sable. The face brush in white goat hair is very soft. I believe it is handpicked and assemble to a superior end product. The bristles are uncut. This is one of the softest goat hair brushes I have come across. The brush applies powders finely and flawlessly. It is also extremely gentle on the face. The cheek brush is made of pony and squirrel hair, squirrel is suppose to be the softest hair around. It is quite small compared to usual blush brushes, but it applies product quite finely so you would have to use a few more strokes and blend. The brush is very soft on the face. It’s also useful to apply highlighter powder on the high points to contour.

The eye shadow brush is made from sable and it is also very soft. The brush as expected of Shu Uemura is finely made. It applies and picks up product very well. The end product of shadow on the eyes is dense and soft. The final brush is the lip and eyeliner brush. As an eyeliner brush it’s a bit more difficult for someone with a heavy hand. The brush tip is thicker that some of the fine liner brush from say Bobbi Brown. The brushes come in an elegant zip up pouch that is great for travelling. The handles are nicely shaped and the barrel is finely done. These fine brushes are perfect for the airbrushed look when travelling.

I bought the brush set for around 45 AU dollars which included a preflight discount if you order online and get it delivered on flight. I have read reviews that Shu Uemura lasts a very long time if cared for properly, so it makes it’s worth the money.

Natural Elegance

I recently got back from a European trip and spent a small fortune on some lovely high end cosmetics. I am going to review some of them. At the moment I can’t put pictures up as I don’t have a decent camera. I’m going to focus on biodynamic and organic skin care products and also high end cosmetics.