Friday 11 December 2015

The Trip to Australia was Complete with the Help of RMS Beauty Facial Wipes

After 3 flights, 18 hours of flying, one overnight stay in Indonesia, travelling by plane, ferry, tube and taxi, I have finally arrived in Australia. Phew. If there's one thing that's kept me going throughout, it's RMS Beauty Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes. Facial wipes often get stuck with a bit of a bad rep, and rightly so; they have a limited expiration date, they offer a superficial cleanse and they often leave my skin uncomfortably dry. But not this little number. The RMS Beauty Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes contain nothing but wholly certified organic coconut oil, nothing but goodness. 

As the little sister to the RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream (reviewed here), these wipes are a convenient way to deliver similar results. Coconut oil is unmatched when it comes to removing make-up, and saturating compostable rayon fibre in this delicious oil means you can quite literally remove your make-up with the flick of the wrist.

While I wore make-up on the long-haul flight (12 hours), I found the Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes to be my ultimate companion. As there isn't the space in my hand-luggage or the on-board toilets for my full cleansing routine, I packed a few of these very travel-friendly wipes. There are 20 in total, and they are individually wrapped. At first, I had a big problem with this. My reflex screamed wastage, wastage! but actually they are housed inside a recyclable cardboard box, within which are 20 foil sleeves. If you read up on RMS' manifesto, they only ever use biodegradable, recyclable or reusable packaging (http://www.rmsbeauty.com/pages/about-us). 

The individual wrappers can be a real bonus when it comes to transportation and helping to extend their expiration. Furthermore, you will need to heat the packet up slightly before opening. Helping to activate and melt the coconut oil so it has a much easier time of removing make-up. 

As we know, oil likes to leave its mark. There will be an oily residue on the skin once applied, meaning, you'll want to wet a cleansing cloth to help remove it. Alternatively, you could use non-oil facial wipe (I was using Pacifica Purify Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes £4.99 / 30 WIPES) after using the Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes. This does slightly reduce the travel friendliness of it all, but the advantages are far beyond real measure.
The following flight was still a biggie (5.5 hours), I didn't wear any make-up for this flight, but I still used the Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes because coconut oil has more than one place. Sitting in a metal tube that's elevated 35,000ft above ground, breathing nothing but recycled air and being assaulted by air conditioning did only bad things to my skin. I left the residue of the oil (it's very subtle and lightweight) on my skin, to keep me moisturised and projected throughout. My skin revelled in it.

While I am already a member of the I-like-facial-wipes camp, the RMS Beauty Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes are unlike any wipe I've used before. They're just so friendly. Effective, moisturising, gentle and compact, these wipes really are hand luggage's best friend. 

RMS Beauty Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipes can be purchased from Naturisimo for £13.50 / 20 WIPES. You can also try a RMS Beauty Ultimate Make-Up Remover Wipe Sample for £0.75 / 1 WIPE

Thursday 3 December 2015

Alba Botanicals Natural Hawaiian Facial Scrub; The Pore Purifying Pineapple and Papaya Perfecter!

The Alba Botanicals Natural Hawaiian Facial Scrub is an interesting little number, being both your physical and enzyme exfoliator in one tube, this fruit-packed scrub offers both a mild-buffing and surface decongestion in one. The magical mix of papaya and pineapple enzymes, plus the ever scrumptious jojoba esters makes for a super gentle way to clear and smooth the skin.
By some possibly intentional or unintentional engineering, the Alba Botanicals Natural Hawaiian Facial Scrub manages to maintain perpetually cool. This was particularly welcome during the summer period, as it kickstarted my skin with an instant refresh. The jojoba esters are especially spongy, offering a super gentle exfoliation with a similar sensation to finally being able to scratch an itch that's been tickling forever. That is by no way to suggest that this scrub is harsh, when it is in fact very mild, due to the cushioning jojoba beads.

Being labelled as hypro-allergenic, this enzymatic exfoliator is made with sensitivity in mind. My sensitive skin does not take any issue with the pineapple and papaya enzymes, and I find that they very aid in clarifying my dull, congested skin. I usually gently buff my skin for 1-minute to allow the jojoba beads to remove any surface debris, then leave the product on my skin for around 3-5 minutes to allow the enzyme exfoliation to take place. 

It's worth mentioning that this product does leave an oddly wax-like film on my skin, so I always have to remove it with a cleansing cloth. The fruity and citrusy fragrance is just tops, the scent is fresh and it certainly makes skin feel fresh after use.

The Alba Botanicals Natural Hawaiian Facial Scrub is a wonder-worker when it comes to clearing pores and decongesting skin. The cushion-like jojoba esters are gentle yet purifying, and the pineapple and papaya enzymes are reviving and clarifying. This makes for a perfect in-the-shower scrub, but remember to keep a muslin to hand. 

As usual, when it comes to physical exfoliators, I'd like to remind everyone about Ban the Microbead to help reduce our consumption of plastics and the truly gross environmental impact that has. Make the switch to natural by seeing the full list of approved products for your region here: http://www.beatthemicrobead.org/en/product-lists.

Alba Botanicals Natural Hawaiian Facial Scrub can be purchased from Beauty Naturals for £7.30 / 118ML.