Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream

Antipodes is a New Zealand brand focused on natural and organic skincare with scientific backing, to provide a product based in nature with great results. I have tried several products from Antipodes before and have really enjoyed them, in particular the Anti-Ageing Minis (made even better if you can nab them on sale!). I love that they are a natural skincare brand that feels really luxurious and does provide great results on my skin. The Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream is my current day and night eye cream and has lasted me a helluva long time.

The Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream promises to help moisturise and soften fine lines as well as soothing and cooling the eye area.

Eye creams are one skincare item that I religiously apply both morning and night. Despite that they
are sometimes a thicker cream that might not sit so well under makeup - something that I wish I did not have to wear every day, but, working in an office environment demands it - the area around my eyes always seems to lap it up. The Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream is a great eye cream for the day time, as it is a light lotion texture, so will be perfect for those who do not have quite such a thirsty eye area and it absorbs really well. This tiny little jar is lasting me forever and I have probably been using this for at least a year now, so it is definitely value for money.

I was really hoping this one would smell like fruity kiwi. Does anyone else pick up a skincare item purely based on how they hope it will smell? It is actually more of an herbal, woody scent and perfectly fine, just not what I was hoping for because how good would a kiwi fruit cream smell!

In terms of efficacy, this is great at keeping the eye area hydrated and smooth. I am 25 this year so I do not have too many fine lines to worry about just yet but of course, being obsessed with skincare as I am, I do notice the few that are beginning to appear. I do not find this eye cream to quite as good as one of my favourites Adavanced Night Repair Eye from Estee Lauder in diminishing fines lines however it certainly plays its role in hydrating the area to prevent more appearing, as it promises to do. I have also found this to be a bit of a lifesaver recently, as my eyelids really dried out in a bad reaction to a concealer and this helped to bring them back on track to being smooth and flake free.

This eye cream has a water base and includes some really beautiful ingredients comprising avocado oil, glycerin, cetearyl alcohol (derived from coconut), cetearyl glycosides (derived from wheat straw), glyceryl stearate (an emulsifier which, in combination with the previous two ingredients, prevents the water and oil in the formula from separating), Vitamin E in the form of tocopherol acetate, carrot seed oil, kiwifruit seed oil (obviously), borage oil, gluconolactone (a polyhydroxy acid (PHA), basically a milder acid than an AHA that is better for sensitive skin), sodium benzoate (a salt preservative derived from fruit), and finally grapefruit seed extract (the Antipodes core brand ingredient Vinanza grape seed extract).

Price: $52.99 (Priceline website) [$1.77/mL]
Rate: easily absorbed, vegetarian, hydration benefits
Hate: packaging (I still rate the Kosmea eye cream packaging as one of the best around!)
Verdict: not a repurchase for me at this stage as I have found other eye creams that work better for me, but I would highly recommend if you are after a simple, light eye cream

What is your favourite eye cream that I should try?

ModelCo Replenishing Rose Mist Facial Mist

Prior to purchasing this hydrating toner from ModelCo, I had never tried any products from the brand. I am not a fan of fake tan and this is primarily what I associated with ModelCo, however they actually have quite a broad range of skincare spanning from exfoliating scrubs and cleansers to serums and SPF for face and body that launched back in 2014. Being a major fan of toners, of course this is the first product that I decided to try from the range.

The Replenishing Rose Mist promises to tone, replenish and refresh the skin to eliminate shine, excess oil and minimise the appearance of pores. It is vegan and cruelty-free.

The key role for a toner like this in my skincare routine is to add moisture back to my skin after cleansing, especially, and acid toning. I am not too fussed on the idea of minimising my pores or reducing oil production and more concerned with adding another layer of hydration to prevent dry skin. I definitely don't use a toner like this in the hopes of removing any leftover makeup after cleansing - that's what the double cleanse is for! This is a relatively heavy mist and I think it does the job well of eliminating the tight skin feeling after cleansing and exfoliating. It is not the kind of fine 'setting spray' toner that I would use over the top of makeup, as it is much too heavy and wet (for want of a better word!).

I use three sprays of this to cover forehead and each cheek. Because it is not a fine mist, three sprays leaves your face feeling pretty soaked but I pat it in and it absorbs relatively quickly. Damp skin also seems to absorb the succeeding skincare layers better so I don't mind this too much. My one real issue is that inevitably some of the mist ends up on your lips and ugh, does it taste awful! I have taken to applying a lip balm before spraying this on and sucking my lips in to try to avoid any overspray. I have never experienced such an awful taste with a mist - I mean, it's not made for drinking obviously, but yuck!

In contrast to the taste, this has a lovely rose scent that is actually quite refreshing for rose. It is not a heavy 'grandmother' rose but light and not overpowering or lingering. I have to admit, the tan coloured packaging is not my favourite. I would almost decant it into a nice glass spray bottle to look better on my dressing table (but I know I am just being fussy!).

The base of this mist is water with lots of hydrating ingredients added for good measure, including polysorbate (an emulsifier for hydration), glycerin (an humectant, again for hydration), rose damascena (scent and soothing), plus açai and pomegranate extracts (antioxidant properties). Dehydroacetic acid and benzyl alcohol act as preservatives, and that is the sum total of ingredients. A nice, simple toner to refresh and rehydrate the skin.

Price: $20.00 (ModelCo website) [$0.16/mL]
Rate: hydrating, scent
Hate: packaging, heaviness of mist, taste
Verdict: would not repurchase, simply because I can't stand the taste when there is overspray on to my lips and there are other toners that do the same job without tasting awful (Kosmea Hydrating Rosewater Mist being a fantastic example in the same price range and 100% Pure Jasmine Green Tea Tonique a great one currently part of my daily routine)

Dr Lewinn's Refining Toner

One of my favourite skincare items is any sort of acidic or exfoliating toner. Traditional exfoliating scrubs are way too harsh on my sensitive skin so I love to use something that is more gentle on the skin, but still achieves the same clarifying and brightening effects. One of the exfoliating toners that I have recently had on rotation is the Refining Toner by Dr LeWinn's.

This is a very light, alcohol fee toner with witch hazel and citric acid (lemon extract). It is very gentle and will not cause any sort of sting when applied due to the acids beings relatively mild. I soak a cotton pad with the clear liquid and apply all over my face, neck and décolletage after cleansing on nights when my skin is in a good condition and does not need something more heavy duty to clear up breakouts and brighten my skin.

This is great for if you are just starting to add an exfoliating toner to your routine and you are a little bit nervous about some of the more heavily acidic versions. It will aid in keeping your skin clear from breakouts or clear any active ones faster and is a much gentler way of exfoliating than harsh scrubs that can scratch and irritate the skin. The hydrating ingredients included will ensure that this does not dry your skin out either.

Ingredients include aloe leaf juice, witch hazel extract, cucumber extract, lemon extract, Vitamin B in the form of panthenol, and allantoin (a by-product of uric acid that is an anti-irritant and skin protectant). It is fragrance free, so will not sting your nostrils either! Primarily natural, with some great cleansing and hydrating ingredients, this is a simple toner that has helped to keep my skin refreshed and clear.

Price: $29.99 (Priceline website) [$0.15/mL]
Rate: Ingredients, packaging, gentle, natural ingredients, hydrating
Hate: Not as effective as other exfoliating toners
Verdict: This is a great, gentle version of an exfoliating toner, however I prefer toners with a bit more kick!

Footcare

I will admit that whilst taking care of the skin on my face is something that I take great joy and pride in - my night time skincare routine is so relaxing and part of my unwinding process after a big day - taking care of the skin on my feet is something that I tend to neglect. As a result, my poor tootsies are usually very dry and you'll often see the backs of my heels and little toes sporting the telltale blisters from working in an office and wearing high heels.

I thought I'd share some of the products that I have been using lately to keep my feet happy. My recent foot care routine has involved using the Scholl Velvet Smooth Essential Moisture Cream. This is a light, gel-like lotion to provide some easy and much needed TLC to your feet. It has a slight blue tint and smells quite fresh, not the usual overpowering peppermint smell of foot creams. It smooths over the skin on your feet easily (note: without the use of silicons, hallelujah!)




























I was a little worried the first time I used it, as I thought that it take a while to absorb and would end up all over my sheets after application just before bed. So I smoothed way too much over my feet, put on some socks, and went to sleep with sticky feeling feet. The next night, I thought I would put its 60 second absorbency claims to the test and tried it without socks. This time I used a more reasonable amount and found that in actual fact, it absorbed quite quickly! Scholl - 1, Bonnie - 0.


The Essential Moisture Cream is a great everyday foot lotion. I have found that my feet are not suffering from the dreaded winter dryness so much when I remember to put this on before bed. I would love to try a thicker cream for night time though, as I just do not have the time to put this on as part of my morning routine and it is a cream aimed at twice daily use because of its lightness. I feel that it doesn't provide quite enough moisture for my feet, so I would prefer something richer.

I have also really enjoyed using the Scholl Party Feet Gel Inserts to reduce soreness from wearing high heels. I find that these help to make wearing heels all day something that is more bearable and actually an enjoyable experience! They are a gel pad with a suede top, which I quite like as there is not that gooey feel that you get when using purely gel pads. They help to stop aching in the balls of your feet and I also find that they help to make your heels fit more snugly as they give your feet a little boost up, so there is less rubbing from your shoes in the first place.

Of course, once you have taken care of the dry skin and blister issues, there is nothing better than a nice pedicure to make those feet feel complete! One of my absolute favourite polishes to wear on my toes is Skyfall from the OPI James Bond collection. It is classy and sophisticated - something a little bit more than your typical red, more of a blood red bordering on burgundy. It is definitely my most reached for pedicure shade.

Price: Essential Moisture Cream $14.99 (Priceline), Gel Inserts $15.69 (Priceline)
Rate: absorbency, scent, efficacy, no silicons, affordable
Hate: cream could be more moisturising
Verdict: if you're looking for some simple and easy ways for foot care, look no further! Would definitely repurchase the gel inserts for all my future high heels too!

Scholl have kindly provided me with some of their products for consideration. I have reviewed the products in my own honest opinion.

Burt's Bees Sensitive Night Cream

I have always loved Burt's Bees products, especially their lip balms, and the gorgeous retro-style packaging. Their products always have a homely feel. Whenever I'm running low on Burt's Bees, I will jump on one of their Grab Bag promotions, which include a big range of products at a discounted price. They actually have two of these running on their Australian site at the moment which you can check out here.

I received their Sensitive Night Cream in a Grab Bag I purchased in winter and have been using it ever since. It's not a very thick cream, fragrance free and absorbs into the skin really quickly. One thing that I did love about this night cream was that it never caused any redness in my skin straight after application, which tends to be a common occurrence with other products.

My skin tends to be really dry and can be flakey with the changes between seasons. I prefer to use a much thicker night cream to keep my skin nourished and avoid any dryness, so whilst this night cream is really gentle and nourishing, it isn't the best suited to my skin type. I would definitely recommend it to anyone with oily skin or for someone looking for a lighter option over summer.

A downside to this night cream is the packaging. Given the runny texture of the cream (more of a lotion), I would have liked to see it in pump packaging. So much more hygienic and you always distribute the exact right amount. Although, the glass jar does look very classy sitting on my dressing table.

In terms of ingredients, this night cream has a really lovely base of natural ingredients including sunflower seed oil, cotton flower extract, aloe vera, and shea butter. It doesn't contain SLS, mineral oil or synthetic fragrance (winning!) but it does have small amounts of phenoxyethanol (a synthetic preservative) that can be toxic in high concentrations, though I'm not worried about the amount in this, just something to be aware of.

Price: $29.95 (Burt's Bees website) [$0.60/g]
Rate: fragrance free, gentle, natural ingredients
Hate: thin texture, glass jar packaging
Verdict: would not repurchase, as it does not suit my skin type

Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner

I really enjoy Sukin products - they're simple, inexpensive, and I adore their signature lavender/citrus fragrance! Today I am writing about their Hydrating Mist Toner.

After discovering the benefits and joys of using a toner day and night (thanks, Caroline Hirons!), I can't go without a hydrating toner and an exfoliating toner in my skincare routine. The Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner is the hydrating toner in my current routine, which I spray on after cleansing my skin and swiping it with an exfoliating toner.

It helps to bring hydration back into my skin and is also great in the morning as a bit of a wake up call. I also like to use it on really hot days to refresh my skin and makeup. I love the delicate rose and chamomile scent, it is heaven to spritz all over! I also find that it helps my serum and moisturiser to spread all over when my skin is damp and absorbs more quickly.

The pump packaging is so handy - I really dislike hydrating toners that are packaged in bottles without a pump, I feel like I'm wasting so much product on the cotton pad rather than my skin. This one disperses a nice even mist and I use about three sprays over my face and neck, both morning and night.

It is alcohol and paraben free, with a perfect little list of ingredients (what I like to see) including rosewater and German chamomile extract. It does contain a small amount of synthetic preservative in the form of phenoxyethanol.

The Hydrating Mist Toner also recently won the Best Toner in the Beauty Heaven 'Best in Beauty' Awards 2014. Congrats Sukin!

At only $9.95 for a 125mL bottle, I'd definitely recommend everyone give this toner a try, especially in preparation for the boiling hot summer ahead of us in Australia!

Price: $9.95 (Sukin website, Priceline) [$0.08/mL]
Rate: fragrance, small ingredient list, hydrating, cheap, pump packaging
Hate: nothing!
Verdict: would repurchase!