January Used Ups

So we've made it through 1st month of 2015. I guess it's not the easiest month, unless you're in midst of summer at the southern hemisphere. 

 Used ups:

 

• IS Clinical is a brand that is quite well-known. I was glad to use the Instant Smoothing Gel in the midst of flare-ups. It's incredibly neutral and well-moisturizing and my skin tolerated it well. It has some positive ingredients like copper tripeptide & others but it also has some dimeticones (see here). Repurchase it big? Maybe.
• Kimberly Sawyer Restore anti-ageing cream was too much essential oils for my skin.
•  Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydrating Serum also felt like a neutral bliss on my skin. I think I'll get the travel size.
• I rarely finish a lipglos but Jill Stuart Lipgloss in 12 Sensual Veil ticked all the retro-girly boxes. Also, it's milky peach enough to wear it on its on and a fab glossifier over lipsticks.
• Nexxus Kerafixx is a wonderful treat to dryer, damaged hairs. Funnily, I've started to notice my hair is not that dry or damaged lately so I can venture on lighter treatments.
• Makeupalley had a fab rating for Dennis Gross Ferulic Acid + Retinol brightening solution and it has been a wonderful duo-product to brighten skin. I finished it before the grande flare-up and it has been a wonderful treatment for a couple of months.
• I'm not exfoliating anymore but I'm still liking Cane + Austin Retexturizing treatments (review here). These are the travel-size, single packed version that are a bliss while travelling.

• Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant mascara made it into my Best of '14 list. I've cleaned the brush to use with the organic W3LL People Expressionist Mascara. Honestly, the organics cannot hold my curl but I had to make the switch for my Clean & Calm routine.
• Ren Glycoactic Masque is another favourite exfoliator. However, if your skin is overreactive, step away from all exfoliators.
• Dr. Organic Royal Jelly Shampoo is way too overfraganced imo. I used it to clean my brushes and wash my gentle clothes like cashmere.

• [almost invisible label] Coastal Scents Essential Oil in Peppermint is a good quality oil that I mix with a base like advocado oil for scalp treatments. 
• Lea Journo has been brilliant into packing its conditioners in sachets: travelfriendly, and a good smoothing conditioner that only needs a tiny bit for a good effect.
• I've discussed the blissful neutrality of Avène Cicalfate in my last post. It's a repurchase.
• [almost invisible label, part II] I've ordered Leahlani Aloe Day cream together with the hyped Mermaid mask. It's supposed to  "to gently balance hormonal skin flare ups" but it did not helped my flare-up skin. I was not a fan of the baby-powerish fragance either.
• So one thing that does help is my Tatcha Indigo treatment. I've already reordered.

January Clean & Calm

My apologies for the lack of updates. My skin gotten in some kind of January strike which made me question every calming solution I had in my skin-robe. Right now I am still struggling for a bit of skin-peace but I found myself going for a cleaner regime.

I'm trying out this pure water from AS.AP in the calming distilation of lavender, and my skin seems to tolerate it. I have to use it a couple of days to see a positive effect but I'm already glad with the neutral (not making things worse) effect.

However, I'm not completely convinced by everything organic 'miracle' and sometimes the addition of essential oils are not the best match. So I'm still reaching for some calming solutions from French Pharmacies:

 Homeoplasmine is actually a whole bunch of vaseline with a hint of calendula & some other ingredients. Like anything homeopathic the key in into quantity and not quality of the healing aspect (calendula). Avène Cicalfate is another cleam suited for post-operation (dermatologic) skin and it is as innoffensive as anything.

So this explains my lack of posts for the time being. I have not been feeling the makeup-vibe for a while (except concealing) because I felt like eliminating everything that could give me a reaction. But I miss the fun of makeup so I hope to be actively blogging about it soon :-)

Best of '14: Face, Body & Hair

In 2014 I have gone mostly organic on everything that skincare & hair.

The main reason is because my sensitive skin responses better on purer ingredients. It can be A equals B but B does not always equal A. Or, just because it says it's (mostly) organic it will not automatically rule out sensitivity issues (see here @ Caroline Hirons). I did not experience major breakouts/rash but some products do get more hype than they deserve.

Nevertheless, My best of 2014:

FACE:

Facial Mist:

Sanoflore Veritable Eau Florale in Camomille

 Chamomille has been my herb of choice as a toner: it calms down my skin and smells wonderful in that dried flower way. I've tried some more expensive facial mists (see here) but sometimes a really sensitive skin needs a bit of simplicity.

Cleanser:

Suki Exfoliating Cleanser

It's not my daily cleanser but a favourite of mine for smelling so zesty and giving skin a mild, organic way of exfoliation.

Serum:

Caudalie Polyphenol C15 Anti Wrinkle Defense Serum

This potion with a newer antioxidant has been a wonderful serum with a good antiageing result. Moreover, my skin tolerates it well. This is my 3rd bottle.

Daycream & nightcream:

No real winners nor losers.

Speciality:

Odacité Pure Elements

These blends really target the problem by location (eg: congested pores at tzone & dry skin @ cheeks). I've always been a fan of essential oil/base oil mixtures and Odacité does them well. The only thing is that they are darn expensive, so you could mix up your own too. Sidenote! I've had a aromatherapeutic course so I have some clue, but if you are unsure about mixing: start with 1 drop of the essential oil on 30 drops of base oil. Overusing an essential oil can have a opposite/negative effect, that's why I really recommend Odacite for convenience and having really good organic oils.

Sensitivity/dry spots/Psoriasis/Exzema

Tatcha Indigo Soothing Renewal Treatment

This is one of the few effective products when I break out in dry spots. It's totally expensive but people who break out on the face know what it is like when you just want to hide behind your hair. So yeh...

Lipbalm:

AS.AP Lip Balm 06

Soothing for wintery or crack-y lips. Also gorgeous as a primer for normal lips.

Mask:

I'm gonna jump upon the [instagram] bandwagon and declare I like Leahlani Mermaid Mask. I don't feel the need to post myself clad in green mud while duckfacing & wearing thick mascara/falsies etc. I hope that's ok.  Ps: I'm still a great fan of my Rhassoul mudmasks (here) too.

BODY/HAIR

Bodylotion:

Avène Xeracalm AD bodylotion

This cream has been an excellent cream in un-itching my body. It diminishes the local dryness/patchiness too. I'd also give Tatcha Indigo bodycream a really high vote, but it is expensive and still has a mild citrus-scent that might not be every-sensitive skin's taste.

Hair:

Less is More Neem Scalp Relieve Shampoo & Lavender Smoothing balm

The shampoo diminishes itchiness on the scalp and cleanses beautifully.

The Lavendel Smoothing balm really smoothes stubborn ends and smells like true lavender.

&

Acure Morrocan Argan Oil + Morrocan Stem Cell condioner

A price-friendly organic conditioner that smoothes down wonderfully.

FaceTools:

Yung Yu Roller in Jade facial

I gotten this roller as a freebie with a large Cultbeauty purchase. I've become a fan of facial massages and the Jade is known as a cleansing stone in Chinese medicine. 

 &

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Facialift

This medieval tool of [...] feels more vigorous when used (video here), like those facial massagist people can do when they want to stimulate the connective tissue. Quite effective as my slightly slacking jowl (I'm a slacker, not a real wrinkler) is a tighter baby the morning after. I have the same tool for body but I should use it more.

I'm quite happy to have found a couple of winners that are organic, or at least quite natural. I feel organic skincare gotten a long way and the choices are sometimes overwhelming. I still like to read reviews beforehand, or read up on the ingredients before I try as 'organic' has become some kind of lucrative magicword these days.

April's Empties

This month has been a normal empties month:

• Pai daycream in Macademia & Rose has not been finished yet, but it reached the expiry date. I quite like the neutral texture but I opened it too late 

•  De Mamiel Spring oil is nice, but I'm not too fond of it's lemony, home-cleansing scent. I added some neroli & geranium to perk it up: that worked 

•  Nourish Revital-eye made it to my Best of 2013 List. I've emptied my 2nd tube & keep on loving its effect on my eyes.

• Avene eau Thermale had been on my wishlist for a while. I got the samplesize and like it, but I cannot really distinguish between this one and La Roche Posay: I just like both types.
•  Ren Evercalm cleanser is lovely, but these days I'm more partial to either cleansing oils or micellar waters. But it's nice to try
• Kris dAmour makes some lovely oils. The soothing faceoil, is everything it promises, delightfully soo
• Estelle & Child lifting Eyecream was a bit of a miss for me. It gave me an irritation: the saleswoman told me it was because the eyec  re am contained too many actives but I don, t have yhis promblem with either Pai Echium nor Nourish Revital-Eyes. It's just not working for me.

Both of my pot eyeliners dried out.  

I really liked RMS Unpowder which explained why I finished in 4 months

• Nexxus Emergencee changed into Polymedic: the formula is still similarly brilliant and givesmhair a good dose of protein.
• Trilogy Refresh and Shine is an excellent, organic conditioner with light but effective detangling properties
• Less is MORE Lindengloss shampoo smells amazing and cleanses light but effectively. I want themfull size now!
• Ila Nourish body lotion is light and has that hwrbal scent. Lovely, but the full size would be a tad too pricy for me
• Last but not least has been Timothy Dunn Mille Fleurs candle: so good that it should become a perfume.