Alpha-H Essential Hydration Cream

Alpha-H is an Australian brand founded in 2000 on the Gold Coast. They are best known for their cult product Liquid Gold, a glycolic acid toner that is one of my favourite exfoliating toners to use, which sells 123 bottles every day in Australia! Alpha-H build their products around highly active ingredients to target skin conditions including acne, pigmentation, and premature ageing. I have tried a couple of sample size products from Alpha-H before and always enjoyed them, and now the lovely people at RY very kindly sent me some products to have a play with, including the Essential Hydration Cream.

The Essential Hydration Cream promises to rehydrate, soothe, and balance the skin and is suitable for all skin types, but especially dry, dehydrated, and sensitive skin.

It is a thick, white cream that still retains a gel-like feel so doesn't come across too heavy on the skin and spreads very easily. It is packaged in my favourite type of packaging where you push down on the top after taking off the lid and the perfect amount is dispensed into the well-like top of the tub. You can apply day or night, and I regularly do both. It is fantastic under makeup as it absorbs really quickly and doesn't leave your skin feeling tacky yet it is still sufficiently moisturised. I love that this cream is really gentle and free from any intense actives, so it is a great moisturiser to use after you've hit your skin with a heavy duty serum or mask. I particularly like to use this after any AHAs at night time as it is really soothing and cooling, and I can see this being particularly great in a routine following Alpha-H's Liquid Gold.

This has a really calming, fresh, aromatic scent that I have completely fallen in love with. It is also rated 10/10 on the boyfriend 'you smell good' scale, so definitely one to check out if you are a fan of products that have a beautiful scent. It is mostly peppermint but has a really lovely aromatic warmth to it. For that reason, I really like using this as a night cream because I find the scent really relaxing and it helps me to wind down for bed.

My skin is really sensitive and very prone to redness. Even just cleansing my face will leave my skin hot and pink for some time afterwards, but I love using this moisturiser to help calm it down. I find that it takes a lot of the heat out of my skin and helps to calm the redness down more quickly, so I think it would be great for anyone with sensitive skin. The moisturising factor is also fantastic and despite it being light and easily absorbed, my skin is happy with just this even if I don't apply a serum or oil underneath. It is definitely one of my favourite moisturisers that I have used recently - probably one of my favourite products I have used recently full stop!

The Essential Hydration Cream has a base of water and the second highest ingredient on the list is actually silicon, which my skin has been known to have issues with in the past. Fortunately no problems with this cream though! It also includes hydrating ingredients propylene glycol, glycerin, algae extract, jojoba oil, macadamia seed oil, evening primrose oil, glyceryl stearate, cetearyl alcohol, ethylhexyl palmitate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, isomerised linoleic acid, wheat germ oil, Solomon's Seal plant extract, and palmitic acid to help plump up the skin. It includes carbomer to give the product a gel feel, phenoxyethanol as a preservative, and potassium hydroxide to moderate the pH. Vitamin E is included in the form of tocopheryl acetate and tocopherol, vitamin B in the form of panthenol, and vitamin C in the form of ascorbyl palmitate. Comfrey extract is included to assist with soothing, aluminium/magnesium hydroxide to whiten the formula, ginseng root extract for its healing and anti-ageing properties, caprylyl glycol as a preservative, ylang ylang extract, peppermint extract, wolfsbane extract and cypress seed extract for fragrance, triolein to assist with absorption, barley extract (an antioxidant), palmitoyl tripeptide-5 to assist with skin firmness, propyl gallate as a preservative, citric acid to moderate the pH, and beta-sitosterol which acts like salicylic acid to resurface the skin.

Price: $51.95 [$1.04/mL]
Rate: scent, calming and soothing, efficacy, packaging
Hate: I don't love how silicone-heavy the formula is but, in saying that, it hasn't bothered my skin at all so far
Verdict: I would 100% repurchase this as it is so perfect for using after strong serums - that I am a big fan of - so I have used this up really quickly and I also adore the packaging

This product was received as a sample for review from ry.com.au. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Daily Skincare Routine I

My current daily skincare routine has been really pared back lately, for a couple of reasons. Firstly,
we have just moved from the city to the country in the past two months and for the vast majority of those two months, I have not been bothered to unpack all of my beauty bits and pieces. So I learnt to make do with what was I'd thrown in my toiletries bag before moving, which wasn't very much! Secondly, the hormonal acne on my jaw and chin has been absolutely horrendous so I have been trying to keep things simple with adding in a product here and there to see if it is successful in controlling it at all (spoiler: I actually have found something that has worked wonders, but that's part of my nightly routine and a story for another post).



First up (always) is an hydrating toner and my current baby is the 100% Pure Jasmine Green Tea
Tonique for normal to dry skin. This one is all natural and vegan and smells amazing. I love anything jasmine (probably one of my first purchases when I eventually own a house will be a jasmine vine...) and this has such a beautiful, refreshing scent. It is a pretty heavy mist so probably not a great one for misting over makeup to refresh it, which doesn't bother me because I use this purely as skincare and an extra hydrating layer. It is packaged in a beautiful white glass spray bottle and (touch wood) I haven't dropped it yet so I love the packaging. Heads up, this is currently on sale from Nourished Life and a really good price, so get on to it if it sounds good to you!



Next is eye cream. I am currently using the Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream from Antipodes. Look, I don't particularly love this one. It is hydrating, sure, but really doesn't do a lot for me in terms of plumping or smoothing the eye area. I was also mega disappointed when I first opened it to use it that it didn't smell like kiwi fruit! It is actually more of an herbal, woody scent and perfectly fine, just not what I was hoping for because how good would that smell! 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. Not my favourite eye cream in terms of what it does for my eye area and I am looking forward to moving on to something else soon.



Serum follows eye cream and, whilst I would usually be switching between a few depending on what my skin needs, I have been almost exclusively using Hydraluron from Indeed Labs because it was in my toiletries bag. This is an always repurchase for me because it is such a saviour for dry skin and also a great all rounder serum that suits my skin no matter what. No such thing as too much hydration, right? It's also great on sunburn, FYI. It's light, easy to use, doesn't affect any makeup, and plumps up skin beautifully. My only problem with it is the packaging. Because the serum is so runny, it runs straight out of the opening in the tube and you always end up with way more than you need everywhere! I can forgive the packaging woes though, because this is just so good and so simple. It is basically my go-to serum when I'm not really sure what my skin wants that day.



Moisturiser is the next layer and I have currently been using a new purchase, the Boost Balancing Moisturiser from Botáni. This is beautifully light and absorbs super quickly, so it has been awesome to use under makeup on work mornings because it sets really nicely so it won't disturb your following layer of foundation. It has a woodsy smell when first pumped out of the bottle but once applied, it actually smells quite sweet! It gives off strawberry jam vibes to me. I really enjoy using this and love how the scent develops. The packaging is also a big win - so quick, easy and hygienic. I can see myself repurchasing this as a work morning moisturiser and it is most definitely the winner of the two moisturisers I purchased in the Priceline 40% off skincare sale.

What does your current morning skincare routine look like - and have you used any of my current routine before?

Lush Gorgeous Facial Moisturiser

Lush is one of those brands that I want to try everything (and I want to try it now!) from because it all looks and smells amazing, yet I have tried very few of their products outside of those catering to the bath and shower. The Gorgeous Facial Moisturiser is my first foray into their skincare line and I definitely will not be stopping here!

Gorgeous promises to melt easily into the skin and give a soft, matte feel perfect for day time. It also claims to be able to adapt to suit every skin type made with six organic oils and butters.

Gorgeous is a really light, surprisingly non-greasy lotion, given all of the oils included in the formula. It is slightly thick (almost the texture of runny yoghurt) but I would not describe it as a cream. It spreads easily over the skin and absorbs quite quickly. You are not left with a heavy, 'I just applied a really nourishing moisturiser' feeling - instead you can start applying makeup straight over the top, which makes it perfect for me in the mornings before work. In the time that it takes to do my eye makeup, my skin has gone from tacky after application to matte and ready for makeup. It provides more than enough moisture for me throughout a 12 hour day out of the house and in office air conditioning, even in winter.

Gorgeous has a sweet, nutty scent and is packaged in the typical small black Lush tub. I do not love the packaging because unfortunately it is prone to leakage around the sides and I cannot help feeling that if I am going to pay this much for a moisturiser, I would like it to be packaged in something that looks and functions a little better. The scent is quite strong and it does linger for a little while after application, so if you are someone that is quite sensitive to heavy fragrances in cosmetics - even if natural - then you might want to avoid this one.

One of the really great things about this moisturiser is that I would have to agree with its claim of being able to adapt to suit any skin type. I have fussy skin that can go from dry and flaky one day to oily and breakout-prone the next. However, Gorgeous provides enough moisture on the days my skin is feeling dry and also does not leave me with an oil slick for a face by the end of the day. It is a moisturiser I can comfortably lean on day to day if I am not sure what mood my skin is is (yes, it has moods!).

The six organic oils and butters included in Gorgeous are organic extra virgin olive oil, organic cold pressed evening primrose oil, organic cold pressed avocado oil, extra virgin coconut oil, organic cold pressed wheatgerm oil, and organic cold pressed grape seed oil. It has a beautiful base of orange blossom honey water (lush!) as well as containing glycerin and fresh organic fruit juices lemon, orange and pineapple to help provide a mattifying effect. 

I was fortunate enough to be given this moisturiser to try after attending the Bloggers United first birthday event at the new Lush store on Murray Street in Perth back in June (shout out to the lovely and generous Lush ladies who let us invade their store!), but it is one that I would not hesitate to repurchase despite the steep price as it is such a solid, every day moisturiser that is so nourishing for my skin.

Price: $74.95 (Lush website) [$1.67/g]
Rate: mattifying effect, hydration, reliability, gentle, natural
Hate: expensive (up front but not so bad on per gram basis), packaging, like all Lush products it has no preservatives so expires relatively quickly
Verdict: would repurchase (but would probably decant into easier packaging to handle!)

nu'trir Hydrating Mineral Day Cream

I have been on the hunt for a new day cream for quite some time and this new one by natural Australian skincare brand Nu'trir caught my eye last time I was browsing Priceline, so I thought I would give it a go.

It is quite a gluggy texture with a flesh-toned colour that looks like it will be difficult to spread on the skin and would leave a noticeable colour to your skin. The complete opposite is true though, and this cream thins out beautifully when applied and leaves no visible tint. It might leave your skin the slightest bit more evened out in colour, but nothing really noticeable. Certainly this is not in the realms of a tinted moisturiser.

One thing that I do particularly enjoy about this day cream is that it has a slight mattifying effect. It sinks into the skin really quickly and does not leave a dewy, 'I just moisturised' look. However, it still leaves my skin comfortably hydrated throughout the day. I have found that it is one of the better moisturisers to use under makeup as it helps to delay the oily t-zone to late afternoon at least. I tend to have drier skin, especially on my cheeks and nose, but this provides enough moisture for me throughout the day. Thirstier skin may struggle.

The day cream has quite a heavy lime scent from the natural oils included in the formula. Some mornings, this is a joyous wake up call but other mornings it can be quite heavy and cloying as it takes a little while to fade. If you are sensitive to fragrance or essential oils, this is not the day cream for you. I enjoy switching it in and out of my routine depending on how I am feeling about the scent on that particular day (fussy, I know!).

Ingredients wise, this has olive oil extract, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as sunscreen agents, jojoba seed oil, vitamin B (panthenol), B3 (niacinamide), E (tocopherol), C (ascorbyl palmitate) and A (retinyl palmitate), green tea extract, aloe vera, eucalyptus, and lime oil amongst others. The prime reason I picked this up in the first place was because it is a moisturiser that contains no silicons!

The packaging of this product is quite stunning. Homewares, makeup, clothing, jewellery and everything else are going through a copper/rose gold phase at the moment, so if nothing else this pot will look gorgeous on your dressing table. It has a big chunky rose gold lid that makes the product feel very luxe. No spatula was included so this is one of those moisturisers that you have to dip your fingers into.

Price: $39.95 (nu'trir website) [$0.80/mL]

Rate: ingredients, packaging, mattifying effect, efficacy, Australian made and owned

Hate: scent

Verdict: I am just not a huge fan of the scent so this would not be a repurchase for me, despite that it is a really lovely moisturiser that helps my makeup to last longer

Latest Buys

Since I started my full time job out of university, I have had a bit of extra cash to spend on my greatest vice - skincare. I reasoned that, seeing as I did not spend the money on the recent Priceline skincare bag, I would spend my money on things that I actually did need. "Need". Two of my recent hauls are featured here.




























The first came about because of a David Jones GWP on Clarins. I did not need much more convincing than that to go and pick up the Everlasting Foundation that I had heard great things about and also a new moisturiser that I definitely did need. The other bits were just a bonus! Clarins is one of my favourite skincare brands and their products are just beautiful. They all smell divine and look so classy standing around on my dressing table.

The second big spend came about when I noticed a post from Amy from Bottled Beauty advertising her blog sale. I was there in a flash! She had so many lovely skincare bits for below half the retail price so I could not help myself. I picked up two pieces from Antipodes and the Go-To Skincare Face Hero serum. I have been dying to try out some of the Go-To Skincare range so this was a perfect way to start.

I have so much new skincare to try out and I cannot wait to get stuck into it all! Let me know if you would like to see any particular reviews on the products featured here and I will put it on the top of my list.

Have a great weekend all!

Antipodes Anti-Ageing Minis

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. These are the first two products that I have tried from Antipodes and it is such a great introduction to the brand. I picked up this super cute little set in the Priceline 40% off skincare sale (it only ended up costing $12, bargain!). It includes the Joyous Protein-Rich Night Replenish Serum and the Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream.

The Joyous Protein-Rich Night Replenish Serum promises to repair dry and damaged skin and freshen the complexion. The Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream promises to prevent the signs of ageing along with soothing and mositurising the skin. It also promises to neutralise free radical damage.

The night cream smells AB-SO-LUTE-LY incredible, all herbal and fresh and slightly pear-sweet (turns out this is a combination of ylang ylang, jasmine and sandalwood, hah). I love applying this at night as it is so calming to the senses. The Joyous serum is so silky and delicious and smells clean with a slight tang of blackcurrant.

After cleansing and layering up on toner, I pat 2-3 drops of the Joyous serum all over my face, neck and décolletage, followed by a pea-sized amount of the night cream. The night cream is ultra-rich but easily spreads all over your skin. In the morning, I wake up with hydrated, smooth and plump skin that is (dare I say it?) soft to the touch. The night cream can feel a little greasy when you first put it on as it does not immediately sink in to the skin. For someone like me with dry skin, I relish the heavy feeling but for anyone with more of a combination skin type, this might be a bit much!

Over the five weeks that I have been using this pair nightly, I find my skin to be much smoother and clearer in general and, if anything, breakouts have been reduced and are healing quicker. I also haven't had any issues with dry, flaky skin, except the typical patch on the tip of my nose. Does anyone else have that problem?

Both products feature some wicked, skin-loving ingredients. The Joyous serum includes blackcurrant oil, goji berry extract, raspberry seed oil, hibiscus flower extract, Reishi mushroom extract, natural berry fragrance, essential oil components...and that's it! How's that for minimal ingredients? The Avocado Pear night cream has a shea butter base and includes vegetable-derived squalene (for hydration), avocado oil, manuka honey, macadamia nut oil, calendula oil, coconut oil, grapeseed extract, and vitamin E amongst others.

I am really keen to try out more from the Antipodes brand, what an amazing skincare range! I also might have noticed that they have a small makeup range when browsing their website...uh oh.

Price: $19.95 (Adore Beauty website - this particular set doesn't seem to be available from Priceline any more, but the full sizes are) [$1.00/mL] (the minis are a cheaper way to buy the serum, but you are better buying the night cream full size on a per mL basis)
Rate: scent, luxurious, ingredients, calming, improvement in skin appearance
Hate: relatively expensive for full-size purchase
Verdict: would definitely repurchase both (hopefully in full size)

Skincare

I like to subscribe to the Caroline Hirons method of skincare. Admittedly, it makes my skincare routine a helluva lot longer than it was a year or two ago, but the results for my skin make it 100% worth it. I thought I would take some time to explain my morning and evening skincare routines, which are more or less based on Caroline's, so that my reviews make a lot more sense in what I am actually looking for in a product.

Typical morning line-up

Morning:

1. Cleanser! I like to use a creamy, milky cleanser in the mornings that is light but will still get rid of any built-up sweat and gunk from overnight.
2. Hydrating toner to start the hydration process for my skin.
3. Eye cream. I apply this before serum so that it actually absorbs into the eye area.
4. Serum. I don't like to use an oil-based serum in the morning if I am going to be wearing makeup during the day as I find it doesn't sit as well on my skin. If I am staying home and not wearing makeup...bring on the oil! My skin can use all the extra hydration it can get.
5. Moisturiser. Because my skin is almost always dehydrated, I like to use a thick, creamy (not quite night cream level) moisturiser that will last the whole day.
6. SPF. Every day. It's Australia, you just cannot get away with not using an SPF.

Typical evening routine

Evening:

1. Double cleanse. My New Year's resolution is to try to do this as soon as I get home from work instead of letting my makeup sit on my skin until I'm ready to go to bed. More time for my skincare to do its work! My double cleansing method involves an oil-based makeup remover to get rid of eye makeup and the top layer of foundation and then a cream or oil-based (non-foaming) cleanser to massage the rest of the makeup and grime off my skin. Remove with a warm flannel.
2. Exfoliating acid toner. I use a mild exfoliating toner on a cotton pad swiped all over my face to keep my skin fresh rather than a traditional, manual scrubby exfoliator. Once in the evening is enough - using it in the morning as well can cause problems in my skin. I find chemical/acid exfoliating works much better for my skin, but if I'm out of my acid toner I will use a manual exfoliator two to three times a week.
3. Hydrating toner, as for the morning routine.
4. Eye cream.
5. Serum. Here I will layer a few treatments if my skin needs it. Water-based serums first and oil-based serums last.
6. Night cream. A nourishing layer of night cream or facial oil depending on how my skin is going. And, done!

Chemical vs. manual exfoliation products

There you go. Yes, it's a good few layers of skincare morning and night but the change in my skin since I've adopted a good routine is incredible. It's all worth it - even the boy has seen a lot of improvement in his skin after adding a few extra steps to his skincare routine as well ;) Again, all credit to Caroline Hirons for the basis of these routines and skincare tips. She's a genius and has definitely revolutionised the way I take care of my skin.

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