Showing posts with label balance me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label balance me. Show all posts

Wednesday, 25 November 2015

Alice & White BOTANIKA Eco-Chic Subsciption Box November 2015

Winter is coming. 21st of December to be precise. For that very reason, Alice & White have decided to prepare us and our sensitive skins for the darker, colder, harsher months ahead. As the second instalment of what I anticipate to be an outstanding monthly delivery of green and eco-luxe skincare, the November BOTANIKA Box has delivered a wonderful collection of Winter month saviours.

Balance Me Collagen Boost Restore & Replenish Cream Cleanser

The Balance Me Collagen Boost Restore & Replenish Cream Cleanser is a very addictive and very creamy, cream cleanser. The white cloud-like cleanser is wonderfully soft and gentle, providing a perfect alternative for when skin is feeling a little delicate.

Helping to nourish and replenish the skin, this cleanser offers the most delicate cleanse, leaving skin feeling hydrated and protected. Oddly smells like playdough, this isn't the first time I've encountered a kooky scented Balance Me product. A totally gentle and effective cleanser, one that feels just luscious on skin.

Balance Me Collagen Boost Restore & Replenish Cream Cleanser can be purchased from Alice & White for 249 SEK / 125ML.

Bodhi & Birch Neroli Lucé Revitalising Face Oil

Said to be catered for oily and blemish-prone skins, the Bodhi & Birch Neroli Lucé Revitalising Face Oil is a very rich facial oil, that is every bit nourishing. Absolutely packed with vitamin-fuelled ingredients, my skin really does feel fresh and revitalised after use.

While lightweight, I did find this oil to be a little on the greasy side of things. It struggled to absorb and left a thin film on the skin. It's blood-orange in colour, which helps to illuminate my dull and pale skin. While the absorption qualities are minimal at best, the oil feels really lovely and nourishing, something I will continue to use.

Bodhi & Birch Neroli Lucé Revitalising Face Oil  can be purchased from Alice & White for 429 SEK / 15ML.

Ekologist Krämdeo Grapefrukt Deodorant Balm

Oddly, this wasn't listed on the Alice & White store, which is a real shame because I will definitely be buying the Ekologist Krämdeo Grapefrukt. It's an all-natural, all-organic deodorant balm. It's far creamier than any other balm I've used making it a dream to apply and it sinks straight in.

I received the grapefruit scented balm, which smells utterly scrumptious. It's a very fresh, complimentary fragrance which lasts all day long. I'm still smelling clean and fruity by the end of the day. 

I found Ekologist Krämdeo Grapefrukt available on their webiste for 139 KR / 60ML. 

True All You Need Is Me

As an all-purpose balm, the possible uses are endless with True All You Need Is Me. This highly luxurious translucent cream balm is superbly rich and protective. The tiniest of portions will go a very long way as this silky balm melts into a warm oil on skin.

It has a fantastic shine, making it perfect for application on lips. I also dabbed a little on my psoriasis and found it to skin straight in. As a very nourishing, very hydrating eco-luxe balm, this is definitely something I'll be investing in.

True All You Need Is Me is available from Alice & White for 249 SEK / 50ML. 

Odacité Ca+R Wild Carrot Facial Serum Concentrate Vital Glow

Odacité are very, very expensive. Let's not shy away from it. The sample I received of the Odacité Ca+R Wild Carrot Facial Serum Concentrate Vital Glow is available from Cult Beauty for £45.00 for 5ML. Yes. FIVE ML.

These are very rich and supper concentrated facial oils and the Ca+R Wild Carrot Facial Serum Concentrate Vital Glow is specifically for anti-ageing, restoring and nourishing the face. Something to be added alongside a moisturiser, or standalone as part of a one-month treatment (if you can stretch 5ML that far).

Odacité Ca+R Wild Carrot Facial Serum Concentrate Vital Glow is available from Alice & White for 499 SEK / 5ML. 

Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream

I am just the wrong skin type for the Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream. Ideally catered for drier skin, this ultra-hydrating moisturiser is just too powerful for the likes of my oily skin. It also contains shea butter as the second highest ingredient, known to block pores and causes blemishes, for me this ingredient just leaves me very, very greasy.

But, not all is lost! Fragranced with the ever-delicious vanilla, I just can't get enough of the scent. I use this instead on my neck and décolletage, finding the rich formula very soothing and nourishing and it's just close enough to my nose that I can continue to smell it through the day.

 Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream is available from Alice & White for 375 SEK / 60ML.

 You can subscribe to the Alice & White BOTANIKA Box here from 199 SEK a month, plus 100 SEK international shipping (that's a total of around £22.86).

You can see the contents of the first Alice & White BOTANIKA Box (October) in my review here.
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Sunday, 13 September 2015

#MissionEmpties Week 03: Over the Hump

Week after week, I find myself increasingly satisfied with the sheer volume of products I am able to eliminate from my collection. While the countless emptied bottles, tubes and jars all speak for themselves, I can't give myself total credit. These featured products were already partially empty when I begun #MissionEmpties, ranging anywhere between 1 days use, to 4 weeks remaining, the majority of which, falling into the lower end of that scale. Because, let's be honest, nobody gets through 3 toners in a month.
This week has been an interesting rollercoaster of finding dreamy products I have fallen in love with, countered by a myriad of products I've found dull, useless, or just outright hated. Yes, this week has been tough. Let's go from best to worst, shall we?
I just could not love this cleanser more (full review here). While it creates a small lather, it is in no way stripping, instead, it's really quite moisturising. Its ability to unclog pores is unmatched. I have the clearest, cleanest skin imaginable after use. This product has become an absolute staple for me, degunking pores in the most comfortable fashion. Essential.
Through encouraging cellular function, this oil hugely improves skin condition, creating a healthier and plumper complexion (full review here). My skin looks fuller and nourished, given the optimum level of hydration. While a slightly heavier oil, it's perfect for use as a night-time moisturiser. Effective, repurchase.
This delicately light oil helps to improve skin's condition while regulating oil production (full review here). Skin is expertly hydrated, while revitalised through the rejuvenating properties of frankincense. My skin appears much healthier, offering a brighter complexion, the perfect substitue for a day-time moisturiser. Effective, repurchase. 
PureChimp Super Body Cream £12.95 / 120ML
I'm a big advocate for PureChimp, their simple natural formulas are, in essence, super foods for the skin. Their PureChimp Super Body Cream is a buttery little number, with an almost bubbly, whipped texture, which, once applied, melts into a rather thick oil. While it is fairly greasy, it is in no way sticky. Follow that up with a wonderfully banana-y scent, and you've got yourself the perfect creamy mix to keep skin supple and moisturised. Effective, repurchase. 
As someone who is always on their feet and always participating in sports or exercise, my feet are often left neglected, when really, they need the utmost care. I suffer with dry feet, blisters, cracking, you name it, I continue to put my feet through it. Beeswax has been the perfect solution for helping to moisturise and heal my poor bruised tootsies. The beeswax helps to create a thick protective barrier that moisturises and cures any damage. My feet are now super supple and soft. It's wax after all, so it's a little tough to spread, but it's wonderfully moisturising, perfect for evening use. Effective, repurchase.
My hair has always been dry and frizzy, and I've found one of the best ways to counter that is to cleanse my hair with moisturising shampoos without any over-stripping sulphates. The LUSH Curly Wurly Coconut Shampoo is very nourishing and caring, helping to leave my hair and scalp wonderfully hydrated, without making it heavy, greasy or lank. It contains desiccated coconut, which becomes tangled in hair, even after rinsing, as it's tricky to remove. I find it in my bathtub, on my floors, in my bed, stuck in my hair. It's very, very messy. Effective, don't repurchase.
While oily, my skin often does become dehydrated or in need of some TLC. For those times, I'll pick up and intensive moisturiser to help sooth and rehydrate my skin. The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream is very cooling to touch, helping to instantly sooth and calm. It is a very loose, spreadable liquid that quickly absorbs, offering an instant boost of hydration. The smell is just divine, very natural and pretty. Effective, don't repurchase. 
During my initial pledge, my other half said he would help me get through my products. This is the one and only product he used... and you guessed it, his comments on it are dry at best. "Yes it smells good and yes it does good.": in response to my questioning. But, well, that's not useful to anybody, so I used this body wash myself (even though I'm an self-proclaimed soap lover). Geranium is one of my all time favourite scents, and combined with grapefruit creates the ultimate complimentary blend. The wash is wonderfully moisturising and effectively cleans. If I were a body wash user, you can bet I'd repurchase this. But sadly, I'm not. Not Suitable.
As a face mask with a consistency similar to a treacle syrup, it manages to be both moisturising and exfoliating, turning skin into a much smoother and balanced canvas. This mask continues to stay wet, not drying on skin, meaning skin continues to feel hydrated and cherished. My skin feels very supple and soft after use, as, upon removal, the sugar granules create a nice gritty method of exfoliation. My complexion is balanced, meaning any redness or inflammation is significantly reduced. However, the smell somehow manages to be both sickly sweet and powerfully chemical, not nearly as delicious as it initally sounds. Effective, don't repurchase.
This product is the face scrub equivalent to the Skin Food Black Sugar Mask Wash Off (as seen above). Once again, it uses sugar to exfoliate, leaving behind much smoother skin. As sugar very readily dissolves in water, the scrub begins fairly gritty and once the granules begin to dissolve, becomes quite soft and gentle. It's bound inside a thick, sugary syrup which has a very fake an synthetic scent. Effective, don't repurchase.
I'll admit, I was a little dubious about this product, as I assumed it was going to be astringent. Instead, I found it to be really quite gentle. But this is where my praise ends. This tonic is utterly useless. It does nothing in the way of balancing, calming, toning or refreshing skin. While my skin does feel comfortable after use, the lack of any other redeeming properties make it really quite pointless. Ineffective.
This has to be one of the most pointless and ineffective products I have used of late. Supposedly, this product melts away blackheads after you message the soft-scoop balm into skin for around 3-5 minutes. It does nothing of the sort. The soft balm, melts into a very thin milk-like texture and disappears. There is no sensation while massaging and no visible after effects. It clogs pores horrendously; I can see the product trapped in my skin, so have to cleanse and exfoliate immediately after. Ineffective.
LUSH Tea Tree Water £4.25 / 100G
Since becoming enamoured with toning mists and sprays over the past few months, I figured this was a blanket truth for me, but after using LUSH Tea Tree Water, I quickly learned how wrong I was. This is not something you want to spray directly onto your face, ever. As it's a toning water, it's far thicker and heavier than your typical mist. It fires out of the bottle with such vigour, and leaves a very, very wet mess behind. It doesn't absorb, so bring out the welcome mat for the cotton pads. Spray directly onto your face, or apply via the cotton pad. Either way, keep this thing away from your eyes as it stings without mercy. As a tea tree toner, the fragrance is subtle and its antibacterial properties seem absent. Its only real redeeming quality is that it is very refreshing. Skin feels extremely fresh and clean after use, and nothing more. Ineffective.
I'll be honest, I found this utterly useless. Sadly, we just didn't click. This eye cream is of an extremely light consistency that manages to spread too far, too much. You have to be extremely sparing with your portion size, as the cream seems to slip and slide around skin, getting everywhere without ever actually absorbing. You are going to have to dedicate some real time to get this product to blend in. Besides the hassle, that's also the part where this cream doesn't work. My eye area is not brighter, or revived, nor am I hydrated. In fact, my eyes are often left feeling tight and exposed. Whatever you do, do not get this product in your eyes. It stings horribly and will leave irritation for at least 30 minutes afterwards. I don't need to tell you, Avoid.
As my cleansing routine is dominated by oils, I struggle just justify ever needing a dedicated make-up remover. When I consider that this is just specific for eyes and lips and requires a cotton pad to apply, it just seems too wasteful. When we also consider that this product is to be used specifically on the eyes, the very least we can expect is that it doesn't actually sting the eyes on contact, right? Well, enter The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-Up Remover the most irritating product I have ever used. My eyes sting, weep and itch after use. To top that off, it just isn't effective, or nearly as efficient as an oil. While it does remove make-up, it takes such a huge amount of product to do a proper job. Avoid.
Andrea Garland Rose and Ginseng Revitalising Toner £12.50 / 100ML
This. Oh, my goodness. With only three organic ingredients, I would imagine you'd be very hard pressed to go wrong. Sadly, this is the most pointless, useless and ineffectual product I have ever used. Taking a small amount onto a cotton pad, and wiping it along skin, the initial scent is unpleasant, but not unbearable. After several moments the scent seems to sour and, quite honestly, smells like urine. It's powerful and unmasked. The grotesque scent sits with me all day. There are no toning, balancing or purifying effect here, only horrific smells. Avoid.
On that note, yes, I'm looking forward to returning to my usually routine. It has been tough, biting my tongue and getting through some of these products. I hate the thought of being wasteful, which I why I need to become far more savvy and responsible with my buying.

Of the 16 products listed here, 11 are from my original pledge, making the current standings at 17 left to empty.

To catch up on my initial pledge and rules about the self-directed #MissionEmpties Challenge, read the #MissionEmpties MASTER POST.
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Tuesday, 8 September 2015

Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash: The Ultimate Cleanser for De-Gunking Pores

There are two words, which, without fail, always make my skin crawl. 'Face Wash'. There, did you feel it, too? 'Wash' often implies sulphates, surfactants, chemicals and all manner of harsh foaming agents designed to strip my skin of all its natural oily goodness.  But, with a 98.7% natural formula, Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash manages to create a gentle and moisturising lather which effectively clears skin without over-stripping. 
In order to create that lather, the Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash contains decyl glucoside and lauryl glucoside (both natural sugar-based co-surfactants), which are both derived from coconut and fruit sugars, used for their foaming and conditioning properties. The way this cleanser foams is unlike any other, as it is bound inside the lovely moisturising gum, which aids in the retention of skin's moisture.

When I say foam or froth here, I'm not talking about bubbles and suds, I'm talking about a gentle creamy lather that leaves a gum-based residue. The cleanser has a sticky gelatinous quality to it (a parallelism to which, I'm not going to draw out loud), but when it is activated on skin it becomes soft and slick, like a nice thick mousse. The gummy consistency leaves skin supple, instead of the usual tight and stripped sensation given from other foaming cleansers.

Now, this is where Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash really comes into its element. This cleanser is absolutely bloody brilliant at de-gunking pores. My pores literally transition from grey and clogged before use, to clear and empty after use. Any build-up or grime that is trapped in my pores is instantaneously and gently whisked away effortlessly, leaving me with the ultimate clear complexion. This is the most effective face wash I have ever used, bar none.

When it comes to removal, the cleanser is partially water resistant, meaning water appears to just slip off. So, this is another job for our friend, the trusty flannel. I have used this product around eyes, but they were closed tightly. It is recommended on the tube to keep eyes firmly shut when using. Those are explicit instructions. You've been warned.

The scent of this product is fairly chemical. It has a somewhat acidic, burnt fragrance to it that is fairly unpleasant. Not unpleasant enough to stop me from using it, but it's definitely something to be aware of. However, when you weigh up a few fleeting moments of a disagreeable scent, versus utterly unclogged skin, there's only one clear winner here.

As you might have guessed, this is definitely something I want in my routine. It's clearing, moisturising, cleansing and the most effective product I've found for unclogging pores. Essential.

The Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash can be purchased from Balance Me at £11.00 / 50ML. Alternatively, a value size is available at £16.00 / 125ML here, and a sample size at £3.50 / 15ML here.
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