I love it when the seasons change. Not only because the weather spices life up a bit and you get to pull out a whole new wardrobe with fresher colour combinations, but also because brands usually release new products that are better suited or more appealing to the upcoming season. Whatever their product launch marketing plans is or targeted towards, you are sure to see a whole lot of new products from many and most brands around the time when the seasons shift. ☔⛅⛄⛈
During my last shopping outing, my main key words were condition, moisturize & brighten. I looked at every new item that claimed to do any of those 3 to my hair, skin and nails. My goal for the dryer months ahead is to create and maintain a richly cared for supple skin with nourished hair that looks shiny, strong and well conditioned. I also want to try and cling to the summer by maintaining a bright and rosy complexion throughout the dull and dryer months ahead.
And I think I may just have gotten a whole bunch of products guaranteed to help me reach may goals.
Batiste Dry Shampoo - Available at Clicks & Dis-Chem (around R59.95 - R74.95 for the 200ml can, depending on where you buy it of what promotion is running. Clicks currently has selected 200ml varients on promotion for R59.95)
There is no surer why to combat and control how dry your hair get's than NOT washing it every day. The less you actually wash your hair, the less you strip it from it's natural oils and the closer you are to maintaining nourished hair.
I don't know if it's just me, but the day I wash my hair almost always turns out to be a bad hair day. It's always the day after the wash or better yet, the day after that, where my hair starts to perform. By using dry shampoo (even on freshly washed hair) it helps soak up the worst of the oils when your hairs starts to look greasy (but without stripping it completely), so you end up with 3 day old hair that not only smells fresher and looks freshly washed, but better yet with more texture added to the hair. Dry shampoo makes my hair more manageable and tends to give me a whole lot of body (which I love!)
The selling point for me was that it's a hair repair formula. The shine aspect was a bonus. I wanted a shampoo and conditioner that would slowly help repair any weakness in my hair strands... and the fact that this one also keeps hair from going dull = a brilliant buy.I also grabbed the spray Express Repair Conditioner (R79.95 for 200ml) for days where I don't have time to wait for the conditioner to work through before rinsing.
The sequined bottles are one of the most divine branding idea's I've seen in a long time. The sparkle definitely helped this product jump out at me and get noticed on the store shelves.
I have used this formula a couple of times already since purchase and honestly, I love the Shampoo and the leave in Express Repair Conditioner when you use them as a combination, however, I find when I use the Shampoo and regular Conditioner combination - It's almost as if I can't really feel that I've used conditioner on my hair. I noticed the very first time I used it that the conditioner is a little watered down compared to others in the same brand or simply other even cheaper conditioners. The formula is just not as thick or richly moisturizing as you would expect conditioners to be. I like that there's no weight added to the hair, but I'd rather switch that out and have a more softer hair result instead. I've found that I need to double up on the conditioning by still spritzing some of the Express Repair Conditioner on my tips afterwards... which is not all that much trouble, but I wish the conditioner didn't just come across as a filler item within the brand and actually gave me more nourishment when using it without the Express Repair. But I can't complain to much. This is not suppose to be a Moisturizing Conditioner but rather a repair formula. Overall, I really do like them.
... I believe it's snack time now...
Pringles Crisps in the Hot & Spicy flavor is my latest snack addiction. I just can't stop. I even crave them at random moments in the day. It's a sort of BBQ flavor that's mildly hot but with no lingering burn in the mouth. I'm obsessed with them! As someone who's always been a Pringles buyer, this new addition has made it all the more difficult for them to improve on their products.You can get Pringles at just about any store that sells crisps and should retail at around R19.99 per tub. It's spicy with a surprizing bite to it and definitely keeps up with the superior quality of Pringles chips.
Olay Essentials Fluid for Normal to Dry Skin - Available at Clicks (R99.95 for 100ml)
This item is a constant repurchase. It's perfect for me. With SPF 15 and a formula that does not clog my pores, this rich day cream is a staple in my life. Since I have very sensitive skin and any new product could destroy the condition of my skin, I love to stick with oldies but goodies.
As for how it performs under foundation... Amazingly perfect. Because this moisturizer is so rich, it does take a little longer to draw into the skin completely so a good 5 minutes are required before you move onto your primer or foundation. But I can't recommend this item enough if you are wanting something that gives you everything you need for supple, hydrated skin. This formulation is non-greasy and simply just performs as expected. A bottle lasts me about 8 weeks and I use it every single day. Even when I'm not going to be putting foundation on. #love
Woolworths Mini Hand Creams - Available at Woolworths Stores (R18.95 each for 25ml)
At Christmas, my younger sister got me some of these mini hand creams from Woolies and since then, I've been crazy about them. These travel size mini's are perfect for any handbag or clutch. The creamy and caring formula is consistent with the quality you receive from Woolies and they are just about the perfect kind of stocking or gift fillers. Their scents range from fun & vibrant to low-key & luxurious... there is a perfect match for everyone. I see them as mini SOS hand & nail creams. When you're on the move and find yourself in need of some hand nourishing... these are just the thing. They even fit snuggly into the pockets of your jeans. #triedandtested :))
Oh So Heavenly Moisture Burst Exfoliating Body Scrub - Available at Clicks (R27.95)
The perfect food for your skin. This scrub is more of a body butter / cream instead of a soapy scrub and contain mini beads that help exfoliate the skin as you use it. The smell... is just about the best thing about it. It smells like cotton fresh scent and that's one of my favorite comfort smells ever. It's not as rough as a sugar scrub so it's great for a more regular use which is definitely two steps closer to keeping my skin soft and cared for.A huge surprise for me, this little tub is for sure going into my winter night time routine. It's like a rich body cream that helps remove dead skin while nourishing the newly reveled skin. Amazing.
LA Girl HD Pro Coverage Long Wear Foundation - Available from Dis-Chem (R175.00 each)
I got them in two shades - Fair & Natural. Fair will be perfect for me when we hit the middle of winter, but until then, I've been adding a tiny amount of Natural & Fair together to make my perfect shade. The shade in-between these two (which is Porcelain) has just a little to much of a pink undertone for me and would just not suite me even though that shade for all intense and purposes is the probable shade I would normally gravitate towards. I found these foundation shades a little un-standardized. Rather generic in shade selections. The best way to find your match is to actually go to the Dis-Chem store, try samples on your hands and then walk around a bit. They do oxidize quite a bit and either grow darker the longer you wear it or if you are really unfortunate to have selected the wrong shade, can get pinker as you wear it, so to prevent a dud purchase, rather give the swatch a few minutes to set down on your skin before you just grab the shade you think you would be at first glance.
Ultimately this is one of the best purchases I've made this month so far. The combo I've chosen work flawlessly together and matches me to perfection. I'm wearing it in the photographs of this post and to my eye and personal critique, I feel my foundation looks great on my skin and on photographs. I sat in semi-direct sunlight in these pictures and did not use a flash.It defiantly is long wearing. Impressively so. It is a generously illuminating foundation, but for the first half of the day, I didn't need to add setting powder to mattify it at all. I did however, about 7 hours laters, when we were leaving to visit friends, have to go over my cheeks and forehead area with a bit of powder just to reduce the shine. But it was an unusual and uncommon wear length for me. Majority of the time, if we are going out for the evening, I'll wash off the makeup I've worn during the day and reapply everything, but it's great to discover that even during the most uncommon of events such as wearing a foundation for more than 6 hours at a time, it still looks seriously flawless after hours of wear.
So far, this is one of my favorite foundations to reach for. I'm really, really loving it.
In keeping with the LA Girl Brand, I grabbed myself one of the LA Girl Strobelite Strobing Powers in 80 WATT. (Available at Dis-Chem for R149)
There are so many variations of this products it's almost intimidating when you are trying to decide which to get, but I found this particular shade - 80 WATT - was exactly what I prefer when it comes to a highlight or strobing powder. This item is just what I need to glow all winter long. In many cases of trying out an affordable highlight, the minute you put it on the skin, you can't stop seeing it and not in a good way. It's so easy for a highlight to quite literally highlight all the texture or pores on your skin... however, I did not noticeably see any negative add-ons on my skin when I tried this out. Again, I'm wearing it in the photographs within this post and to me it's the perfect amount of highlight and glow without looking slick and greasy or blinding. Another great purchase in my opinion and I found the perfect shade that I can wear both during the day and intensify with a heavier hand for a night out.
Glade Vanilla & Magnolia Air Freshener (Available at pretty much any store that sells air fresheners.)
Not a beauty item, although is does smell delightfully beautiful, this is more of a lifestyle item and since my blog is about Beauty & Lifestyle, I felt it would be fitting to include this. The Magnolia and Vanilla fragrance (although I love it and find it so homey comforting) is not what continues to make me love this particular aerosol air freshener. The mechanics of the spray bottle is what made me stop and take another look at the can. A light touch is all that is required when you are freshening up your home. I have an obsession with making my home smell comforting and inviting with a fresh baked goods or cinnamon smell and this particular scent does just that and makes you believe there's a fresh breeze flowing in straight from your magical garden.
Nivea Cocoa Butter Body Moisturizer for Dry Skin - Available at Clicks (R48.95 for 400ml)
One of the few cocoa butter products I can actually tolerate. I do love the smell of cocoa butter, but sometimes the scent can be so imitation, it's nauseating. In this product though, it's perfection. It smells like a day at the beach. It's a lightweight but intensely nourishing body lotion that will help even the most driest of skins.
Palmer Cocoa Butter Rapid Moisture Spray Lotion - Available at Clicks (R110 for 200g)
Now this was an "I'm interested" purchase... however, it ended up being one of those imitation cocoa scents I mentioned above. I just can't handle this smell. But if you look past that, or maybe it's one you like, it's a great product as a whole. It really does keep your skin moisturized. Palmer's are renowned for their rich and creamy products that work so it's no surprise really. I just can not handle the scent at all.
Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Soothe Spray Lotion - Available at Clicks (R89.95 for 190ml)
A great competitor for the Palmers spray lotion at a decently lesser price level and with a divine scent to boot. I got one in both the Aloe and the Deep Restore variant. I avidly avoided the cocoa butter variant on for fear of disappointment. These are amazing! I even ended up going back and one getting for my mom to try out as well. These spray lotions are brilliant at getting your moisture on without needing to do any intestine bending :))
The Aloe is my favorite of the two I've purchased. It's clean and refreshingly scented. Just be careful if you use it in an area that is tiled. Although the spray is pretty direct, there is definitely a bit of residue that lands on the floor.
Beauty Treats Collagen Facial Mask Sheet Mask - Available at Dis-Chem (R29.95 each)
Every Thursday evening is sheet mask night. It's become a bit of a ritual. Every week I'll select a sheet mask marketed towards what ever issue I feel my complexion is facing. This week a collagen boost seemed like the perfect choice. A first time for me using the Beauty Treats brand of sheet masks, I didn't know what to expect. I only hoped that it would not be moldy when I opened it... but that's something I always hope for when purchasing any 'wet' and sealed product. What I loved about this particular brands mask was that it was pumped full of formula so the mask was insanely wet. I really did appreciate that little factor about it. I had no breakout or side effects after use at all. A great sheet mask for the quality and price. What I can say was only mildly annoying was that it's a bigger than usual mask. (Bigger than for example the Sorbet ones... which is the brand I tend to go with when buying sheet masks), but anyway, the mask kept slipping and I often had to lift it because it was moving down towards my neck. I don't know if that's a size issue or if it's because the product was slicked with so much formula is was far to slippery to hold, but it can get a bit rough after the 4th time of having to pull it back up.
And that's that for some of the new products I've recently purchased. Overall I'm happy with where my money went and I'm not really suffering from any buyers remorse or absolute regret for any purchases. I will admit, I did get a few more items that I've not gotten around to trying or testing so there are newer products that I've not mentioned within this post, but I want to keep them for a more detail review and/or full swatches. Have you found anything new in stores that you think I would love and should give a try? Let me know. Have a fabulously pretty weekend everyone! X