Naruko Tea Tree Purifying Clay Mask & Cleanser

Naruko Oil Out Tea Tree Purifying Clay Mask & Cleanser in 1

Not so long ago I reviewed and raved about the Aesop Parsley Seed masque being my favourite clay mask ever. Well, it was, until I discovered this 3 in 1 mask, cleanser, and exfoliator from Naruko. Sorry Aesop, but you've already been replaced. What can I say?  The Tea Tree Purifying Clay Mask is a three in one product, you can use it as a mask, a cleanser, an exfoliator and is designed for those with oily/combination, problematic, blackhead-ridden skin (yay, that's me!). 

You can use this as an everyday cleanser (where you can leave it for a few minutes before washing off), but I only used this as a mask twice a week. I layer a heap of this stuff onto my face, concentrating most of the product around my t-zone where most of my blackheads are, then leave it to dry for 20 to 30 minutes. Because it's quite thick, it can take some time to rinse off, but the little granules speed up the process by helping break-up the clay. The grains double as an exfoliant as well, but don't feel harsh on this skin (unless you're rough, of course). Then comes my favourite part, the cooling sensation, which leaves your skin feeling cool and fresh.

The results are staggering each and every time I use this mask. There is a huge difference in the blackheads around my nose, cheeks, and foreheads. This mask visibly diminishes the appearance of pores and blackheads, and with frequent use, helps keep the acne and those occasional clusters of breakouts at bay. The scent is strong, but heavenly: a mix of tea tree and mint, a huge welcome after a hard day at work.

I like this mask so much I've already ordered my second tube through Sasa.com for $10.50 AUD. Cheap-as-chips compared to the hefty price tag of my former-beloved Aesop mask.  They also have a peeling gel, and an anti-acne SPF50+++ sunscreen I would love to try. While the tea tree range is almost exclusive for those with oily, combination skin, Naruko also offer repairing, moisturising and whitening ranges, all at incredibly affordable prices.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water Review

New Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, for all skin types

When my Bioderma cleansing water ran out I was pretty devastated. The large, 500ml bottle lasted me over a year, and although I constantly wondered why I spent so much on a cleansing water,  near the end it had become apparent how much I relied on it to remove my makeup.  I talked myself out of purchasing another at Priceline, and I'm glad I did, because then I wouldn't have noticed Garnier's new micellar water for a quarter of the price.

After testing it out for a few weeks now, I can't tell the difference between the two. It's unscented, non-irritating and can be used on your eyes and lips as well as your face. Even the bottles look somewhat identical. The only difference is the six month shelf life. I thought that was a bit short, and I may struggle to use it up in that time, but if you're one who uses a cleansing water everyday than it should be fine.

This cleansing water is great value for money, 400mls for only $8. Bioderma is currently retailing at around $30 on Australian shelves, and that's only for the 250ml bottle! If you're unwilling to spend the big bucks on some of the French cleansing waters, then I think this would be the perfect option. It's also great to see some new Garnier products coming in. I noticed they have a whole new range or cleansing milks and foam cleansers at my local Priceline. It's good to see we're finally catching up with the rest of the world!

Bioderma Sebium Gel Moussant Review

Bioderma Sebium Gel Moussant / Purifying & Foaming Cleansing Gel for Combination/Oily Skin

In an attempt to control my oily skin this season I ventured out into the world of cleansers once more. Some cheap, some western, some expensive and some Asian. Recently I've been trying out Bioderma's Sebium Gel cleanser. Bioderma is a French  drugstore brand, infamous in the beauty blogging sphere, and has recently become available in Priceline stores here in Australia (for those who don't know yet!).

This cleanser is a light gel like formula that foams up gently when mixed together with a bit of water. What I like about this cleanser is that it doesn't feel like it strips the skin. It doesn't feel squeaky clean afterwards as I initially expected but feels clean, refreshed and softened. The scent is quite pleasant as well, it's definitely not natural, but light enough that I can stand. Despite all the good comments, there are a few questionable ingredients in this cleanser. For someone who is acne prone there are quite a few irritants in it: Sodium laureth sulfate (an emulsifier) and sodium hydroxide (PH adjuster), and a few other ingredients like sodium methylparaben and glyceryl cocoate  which are considered unsafe to use according to Cosdna.com. I will admit, I only looked up the ingredients list after I tried it. If anything, it reinforced the fact that this is a pretty average cleanser. It makes my skin feel great afterwards, but it doesn't fight off or treat acne. The lack of results, the ingredients on top of a hefty $20 price tag, makes this a disappointment in my books. 

Is there anyone else whose been disappointed by a Bioderma product? If not, which products would you recommend? 

| 20 Days of Liz Earle | Collective Skincare Review

A few months ago my Liz Earle skincare package finally arrived, and I immediately began to use the products and document my experience with them each day for 20 days. I had heard and read so many great reviews about their products so I did have high expectations, but for now, here’s a breakdown of my thoughts on each product:

Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

A very gentle and moisturising cream cleanser with rosemary, chamomile, cocoa butter and essential eucalyptus oil, that you’re supposed to wipe away with some warm water and a muslin cloth that's provided. It’s a gentle cleanser up to the point until you use the cloths, which are great, but for someone with oily, acne prone skin sometimes too much rubbing or exfoliating will just irritate spots even more.

Instant Boost Skin Tonic

This toner claims to revitalise, soothe and tone the skin for instant radiance. It definitely removes any excess makeup or dirt that is left behind, but as far as the rest goes, I couldn't tell. But in a way I don’t really care because it smells amazing (and also looks good on the bathroom counter). It’s definitely a nice toner, it’s soothing, and it doesn't strip or dry out the skin. The packaging is really nifty as well, you twist the top and it elevates a little pump hole so it’s easy to dispense onto a cotton pad or your hands.

Skin Repair Light Moisturiser

Ah, yes the moisturiser, which is supposed to be 'light, gentle and balancing' enough for combination to oily skin. For me it wasn't light or balancing at all. My face quickly became very oily and I soon started to break out; but as soon as I omitted this product and replaced it with my old moisturiser my skin went back to its former state, which was a lot better than what it had become unfortunately. Luckily I bought a sample size!

Gentle Face Exfoliator

This is probably my favourite out of the four. I don’t like exfoliators with beads that are too harsh on the skin, but I also don’t like cream or gel exfoliators because it feels like they’re not doing enough. This one is the perfect balance between the two for me. It’s a creamy mixture of eucalyptus and cocoa butter but it also contains some very fine jojoba beads that aren't too harsh and buff away dead skin cells leaving behind smooth and bright skin.

Ordering From Liz Earle.com

Although buying off ebay was very tempting, I ended up ordering from LizEarle.com in the end. It was probably the most expensive shipping I had ever paid.Seriously, $25 for standard shipping to Australia? I know its Australia but for $25 you expect express next day delivery. Not only was it more expensive it was also slower, and took four weeks to arrive.

The Verdict

I’m not going to lie; it was a very frustrating 20 days for me. By day 5 my skin felt and looked absolutely crap. I told myself it was just my skin getting used to the new products, but two weeks later my skin was still dull, tired and congested. Soooo much congestion. There were headless lumps all over my cheeks and forehead, something I wanted to get rid of not produce more of! Gah!

By the end of it all I ended up dropping the moisturiser completely, and only started using the cleanser once a day in the evening. I still use the muslin cloths, but only for removing face masks. I probably won’t ever go back for the moisturiser or cleanser, but the toner and the exfoliator on the other hand, I would repurchase until the end of time if I could. I just wish shipping wasn't so expensive...(hello, ebay!).

Anyone else tried Liz Earle products? What do you like about them?

Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Cleansing Oil Review

I always thought using an oil based cleanser was a somewhat ridiculous idea, especially for someone like me with oily skin, but dirt and makeup is naturally drawn to oils, and it was this cleanser that made me seriously rethink the way I wash my face.

Shu Uemura’s purifying cleansing oil (the pink bottle) is a lightweight cleanser catered to combination and oily skin types, it minimises pores by eliminating excess sebum and visibly smooths and refines the skins surface. It contains cherry blossom extracts and claims to help exfoliate the skin as well as speed up the cell renewal process.

The oil itself has a lovely, soft floral scent that reminds me a lot of YSL’s Touché Éclat foundation (smells exactly like it actually) and feels very luxurious to massage into the skin. It melts away make up, leaving nothing behind, and is even gentle enough to use on your eyes. I just don’t recommend having your eyes open when you do this haha. The closest thing to this cleanser I've used was Lush's Ultra Bland, but it was quite a thick paste, and was nowhere as near easy to remove like this oil. The oil breaks up and dissolves quickly when it comes in contact with water, leaving behind silky smooth skin. 

I love this cleanser because I wear fairly heavy foundation regularly, and need something more than just a foam cleanser to remove my makeup. My skin feels so good afterwards, clean, moisturised, and most importantly, un-stripped. It is an expensive product, the small and large bottles are priced at around $33 and $74 respectively at Sasa, and that’s at least 35% off the regular retail price in Australia (gulp). Okay, so it’s basically liquid gold, but a little does go a long way. I've had my bottle for five months now and it's only just past the halfway mark. Let's hope I can make it last another five!

| Products of The Month | March '13

My first favourites post in ages! I should really start doing this every month now, it's great to go through your products and see what you have and haven't been using. 

Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Cleansing Oil

This product is great for removing makeup, and it doesn’t clog pores or strip the skin either. Review to come! 

 

Botani Boost Balancing Moisturiser

An organic, anti-bacterial, balancing moisturiser that also fights against blemishes? I’m sold. And now that it's Autumn, and my skin is less oily, this moisturiser helps to balance my skin, protecting it from becoming too dry but not making it too oily either.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Oil

I’ve heard many great things about this oil, so when my Trilogy Rosehip oil ran dry I decided to give Kiehl’s a go. So far I am loving the results, and will definitely be posting a full review on this soon.

Portmans Polish in 'Opulent Peacock'

A nail varnish that I’ve only been using for a week but am absolutely in love with. I just love the colour. Click heading to check out the swatches!

Lush Ultra Bland Cleanser Review

I can't say I had a real fondness for Lush,  in fact, I have only ever been in the store once before and that experience only lasted about ten seconds. It was the smell, it just invades your senses (as well as the horde of customers); but when one of my favourite skincare gurus raved about this on one of her YouTube videos I decided I would give this one a go.

 

The texture of this cleanser is incredibly thick, and feels like your lathering oil onto your face, but as the Lush lady demonstrated in store with a swatch of lipstick (at least I think that's what it was) is that oil digs deep into the pores, and the right oils lift dirt and cleanse without clogging them. While she was explaining this to me I checked the ingredients on the back: Almond oil, beeswax, honey, olive oil… and I just remember thinking how in the world this was going to fair on my oily, acne prone skin. So yeah, I did freak out a little, but my skin had been looking quite grotty and dull recently and I was desperate to find something a little more solid that wouldn't strip my skin. 

I was pleasantly surprised by how much this cleanser improved my skin overnight. The next morning it looked brighter, cleaner, and felt incredibly soft and moisturised. On top of that, existing acne was greatly reduced.  So I will admit, I have a new found respect for Lush and cannot wait to get back in there and buy up some of their toners and moisturisers. 

I'm going to be so broke this Christmas.