An October Beauty Haul: Lush, Sephora and more

Well I guess this is what happens when you don’t go shopping for weeks. I finally went to the mall last week after my list of things I needed buy got a bit too long. I did get a bit caught up in Bath and Body Works, but otherwise it was a successful outing. Today, I wanted to share with you my latest purchases and the new releases currently in stores.

First up is Bath and Body Works, I originally went only to get new hand sanitizers but I let myself be tempted into a few more things. I first pickup 3 PocketBac Sanitizing Hand Gels in Crisp Morning Air, Winter Wonderland and Sunlight andApple Trees, I love how these smell amazing and don’t leave your hands feeling sticky. I told myself I would not buy anymore candles because I have quite a few already. However the new fall/winter scents were so nice that I decide to get two of the Mini Candles in Sweater Weather and Frosted Cranberry. These are tiny but a great way to experience new scents without investing in a large candle and I love how they now come with little lids just like the bigger ones. Frosted Cranberry has been a favorite of mine for years, the light fruity scent is lovely and different from typical holiday scents (it’s very fresh). Lastly I got a Nourishing Hand Cream in Crisp Morning, this scent is my favorite from Bath and Body Works, it is just so light and crisp, I wish they did a candle in this. To be honest, this is no my favorite hand cream because I don’t find it very nourishing, but it works as a quick fix and the smell is just divine. 

Next I hit up The Body Shop to get a bottle of my trusted Tea Tree Oil. I always have it to use as a spot treatment, it works brilliantly. Continuing with the skincare, I stopped by Sephora to get a new favorite of mine: the Caudalie Lip Conditioner. This is an amazing lip balm, I was not blown away at first but once you go through the waxier top layer, you get a super nourishing and moisturizing balm. It is in my top 3 Caudalie products and it is also surprisingly affordable. As I was about to pay I noticed Sephora had a cute little mini set of the lip conditioner and a mini hand cream that retailed for the same price as the lip balm alone. Who doesn’t love a great Sephora Bargain. 

Last but certainly not least, I stopped by Lush with no other attention than just having a look at the new releases (mostly the little golden Halloween pumpkin), but as always I couldn’t leave empty handed. For some reason, I was really craving something sweet smelling so I went for the Yuzu and Cocoa Bubbleroon to get loads of bubble and relax with the light and sweet scent of oranges and chocolate. The other thing I picked up was the Snow Angel Luxury Bubble Bath, this smells like marzipan and turns your water into a super moisturizing soak that doesn’t leave your skin feeling oily. They are both so lovely, I might have to go back for more!

So there you have it, my most recent purchases. There is actually also an amazing organic (and affordable) body lotion, but I forgot to take a picture of it. It’s in my bathroom because I’ve been using it every day. I promise you’ll hear about it soon. So, what new things did you get recently or what is on your must-buy list of the moment?

The Body Shop Tea Tree Range: Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion and Tea Tree Oil

Hello everyone, this week has been very busy which explains the lack of posts, but the upcoming weeks are going to be crazier so hopefully I can get back on track with my writing this weekend. So to get us started, I decided to talk about a must-try skincare line for anyone with combination/oily skin or suffering from breakouts: The Body Shop Tea Tree range.

Tea tree oil is a great natural antiseptic that works wonders in skincare. From personal experience, I found that it helps soothe the skin and heal any blemishes. On recurring spots the antiseptic properties come in handy, making it a great treatment. The Body Shop Offers an amazing range of tea tree oil based products (see them all here), but their lotion and oil are my favorites with a special mention going to the face wash (here).

The Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion is a lightweight lotion that provides light hydration while helping your skin get clearer. I love using it when it gets hot outside because it keeps your skin matte without leaving any residue or feeling powdery. It does make your skin clearer by healing exciting blemishes, but it does not dry out your skin. Depending on how my skin feels, I also like to use this as a spot treatment instead of apply it all over. If you have dry skin, I recommend doing this because I don’t think this will provide enough moisture on its own. The only downside is the size, it comes in a small tube so you don’t get a lot, but it is quite affordable.

The Tea Tree Oil is the most basic version of the ingredient you can get and this little bottle is something I am never without. I have never used a better spot treatment, one drop is all you need and it leaves no traces on your skin so you can use it under makeup. I apply it directly to any spots and it tones down redness, reduces their size and heals them faster without causing any irritation to the spot or surrounding skin. I cannot recommend this enough, the results are astounding and if that isn’t enough, it’s super affordable and the bottle while last you ages.

You can find The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion and Tea Tree Oil from any of their stores and on their website (Lotion, Oil). 

Recent Beauty Buys: May 2015

Hello everyone I hope you are all doing well. With summer almost here, I have been trying really hard to declutter my beauty bags and finish up products. Obviously the first ones to go were some of my favorites so over the past few weeks I have been replenishing my stash. Off with the old (goodbye face mask that’s 3 years old) and in with the new.

First of all we have the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner (full review here), I went without this for a while and boy did I miss it. This gentle toner exfoliates your skin to leave it brighter and more even toned. For me daily usage of this helps fade any little red marks left behind by pesky spots.

Continuing with the same goal of more even skin, I finally purchased a full size Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser. I used samples of this for over a year so I never had to actually buy. However, I was recently left sample-less and this was too good not to have again. It’s a light gel cleanser with exfoliating particles that leave me with fresh feeling skin in the morning. It’s truly a lovely product and it gives you smoother skin while still being gentle enough for daily use.

Next I needed to repurchase The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil, a tiny bottle of magic as far as I’m concerned. One drop of this applied to any spots helps tone down redness and makes them heal faster. Also unlike less natural spot treatments, this oil does not dry out the surrounding skin. It’s an amazing product that I’m never without and its small size makes it easy to take with you when travelling.

Lastly I have a new hair product that was picked up on a whim after seeing it on a few blogs: the John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves Sea Salt Spray. I’ve never had much luck with salt sprays, I think my hair is just too long and heavy for them. However this looked interesting and I think it might be nice to give some texture to my hair or simply make it look nicer after a day by the pool.

So there you have it, a quick look at my most recent beauty (re)purchases. I really like reading this type of posts because they show true favorites. Have you purchased anything new recently? Any must-have summer products I need to get my hands on? I would love to hear from you. 

Innisfree Bija Anti-Trouble Spot Patch: Spots Miracle Workers

We’ve all had the horrible experience of waking up one morning with a huge pimple that wasn’t there the night before. By some sort of evil magic it just decided to rear its ugly head to spite us when we done nothing wrong. No matter how diligent you are with your skincare a spot can still manage to appear for no reason.

When that happens I reach for my Innisfree Bija Anti-Trouble Spot Patch, they’re clear film-type patches that contain torreya seed oil, tea tree oil and salicylic to really attack those spots. They reduce redness as well as the size of the spot and they bring it to a head super quickly. You can then drain the gunk with less stress on the skin (even though we all know we shouldn’t pop pimples) and sometimes the spot might pop on its own. These patches work best on white heads, but they can really help sooth those angry red spots that just refuse to come to a head. Even though they are super-efficient, they never irritate my skin or dry it out. This is due to the hyaluronic acid it contains which keeps the skin moisturized without clogging you pores further.

I usually apply them at night after my evening skincare routine, but I also use them during the day if I’m staying at home. They are quite discrete because they are very thin and clear but I don’t typically wear them out (I’ve seen people do it though) because you can still tell there’s a little something on your face. I do like that a pack comes with different sizes, allowing for optimal coverage and giving you options depending your spot’s size, so you aren’t left with a big and more visible patch for a small spot.

I’ve been using these for years and I really couldn’t see myself without them. I’ve seen higher end brands starting to produces similar products, but to me the Innisfree ones are just perfect. They offer great and fast result and they are very affordable.

You can get the Innisfree Bija Anti-Trouble Spot Patch from the Innisfree global website for about 3~4$ for a pack of 12 patches.