Priceline 40% off Skincare, Suncare & Tanning Haul

Hey Lovelies

A quick impromptu post today regarding my Priceline haul from yesterday. Priceline currently have 40% off Skincare, Suncare and Tanning items which ends today! It is online and instore however so if you don't have a chance to go in person get online. I am trying to be restrained with my purchases at the moment so I was good and only purchased three items, two back ups and one new item that was recommended by some lovely ladies. 

Botani Rescue Acne Cream

This was a recommendation from some ladies on an instagram beauty facebook group and I was told that this is great for acne. I sadly am still suffering from spots that turn into horrible scars. This is a natural treatment so I am hoping that it wont break me out! I am excited to try out this product and I will give you my thoughts on it once I have properly tested it. This retails for $26.99 AU for 30g but was on sale for $16.19 AU. 

Olay Age Defying Series Daily Renewal Cream

I am just about to finish my first tub of this cream and so I jumped at the chance of purchasing this again whilst on sale. I really like this cream, it contains sacilyic acid which is great for my acne prone skin. It is also oil free and non-comedogenic so I find that it does not break me out which is rare for my skin. This retails for $19.99 AU for 50g which does last a couple months for me, but was on sale for $11.99 AU. 

Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner

I really really love this toner, this is my third bottle as I have just opened up my second bottle so this sale came at a perfect time to grab another one. This is a huge 250ml bottle so it does last a long time but I use it day and night religiously so it is necessary to have a back up but I have always managed to find it on sale. This retails for an inexpensive $14.99 AU but was on sale for $8.99 AU. 

Did you pick up anything in the sale?

Love Liz xx

Priceline Haul with 2014 Skincare Goodybag

Hey Lovelies

I have done a bit of damage to my wallet lately and one decent dent was my (not so recent) Priceline purchases. Priceline do a range of goody bags at certain times of the year, usually one cosmetic, hair are and skincare. The last goody bag was the cosmetic bag which I skipped as there wasn't a whole lot I wanted in it. The skincare bag came up though and considering I was running low on skincare I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to replenish my stash. The deal required you to spend $65 on selected skincare in order to receive the free gift, I purchased mine online and ended up spending $100 to get free postage.

Skincare

SUKIN Cream Cleanser

I picked this cleanser up as a first cleanser for the nights that I double cleanse. I am not a huge oil fan so a cream cleanser seemed appealing and this one from SUKIN is sulphate and paraben free as well as suitable for all skin types. I purchased this for $7.99 for 125ml.

SUKIN Antioxidant Eye Serum

Lately my eye area has been really dry and concealer has not been going on well which is horrible because I have been in desperate need of concealer. I often forget to apply eye cream but my current eye cream has SPF in it which makes it more day than night. This 30ml serum cost $15.99. 

Sanctuary 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask

My current clay mask has all but run out so I picked up this thermal detox mask as a replacement. I have some high hopes for this mask as I have seen heaps of people on Instagram using it. I also like the fact that it is a warming mask, I have tried at home cooling masks but nothing that heats up! This mask cost $15.99 for 100ml.

Montagne Jeunesse Strawberry Soufflé Moisturising & Purifying Mask

If you have not used this brand's face masks before then you are missing out. The little single use packs were popular among sleepovers back in the day. I couldn't help but add one of these masks to my cart. This 80ml mask cost $7.19.

Palmer's Eventone Fade Cream

This was something extra to add to my purchase in order to spend the $65 on skincare.  I mainly picked this up as I saw it contained Alpha Hydroxy which is somewhat effective at reducing pigmentation. Unfortunately my skin gets hyper pigmentation from the majority of spots I get so I am hoping that with continued use this cream will lighten the pigmentation. This 75g tub cost $13.59.

Haircare

Schwarzkopf Essence Ultimate Omega Repair Intensive Mask

I have just used up my Loreal hair mask which I was not all that impressed with so I decided to pick up another one which was on sale. This masks suits my current hair condition, damaged/depleted hair. This cost $11.99 for 200ml. 

Schwarzkopf Nectra Colour 

My hair is still partly ombre from my bleached ends not adhering to hair dye so I have picked up this hair dye in order to get my hair to be all one colour again! This was new and I am always intrigued by new hair dye, I have tried a lot of differnent ones. I picked up Chocolate Brown for $12.79.

Makeup 

Essence Longlasting Lipstick

I picked this up mainly just because it was cheap and I wanted to make up the $100 for free shipping. I grabbed this in shade 07 Natural Beauty which is a lovely muted pink shade. Absolutely gorgeous and only retails for $4.10.

Essence Quattro Eyeshadow

I have talked about this previously here, so I wont go on about it. Mainly I just needed a back up as I have already hit pan on my other one! This retails for $5.35 and is shade 05 To Die For. 

Chapstick Day and Night 

Purchased a back up as I absolutely adore the Night Repair Lip Treatment in this kit. Was on sale for $6.39.


Skincare Goody Bag


I tried to get everything in one photo and it was a bit impossible. Also this came with a silver tote bag with a zip which I forgot to photograph as I am in the process of moving and it has things in it! Sorry

For reference this was everything that would not fit in one normal photo!

Love Liz xx

First Impressions: Skin Doctors Cosmeceuticals T Zone Oil Control Cleanser

Hey Guys

Today I wanted to share with you my thoughts on a new cleanser I have been using for the past two weeks. I know that it takes a while for our skin to adjust to new products which is why this is only a first impressions post, despite having used the product for two weeks. I have never used any products before from Skin Doctors Cosmecuticals but I purchased this cleanser during Priceline's 40% off skincare sale at the end of last year. The website does not have an 'about Skin Doctors' section on it so unfortunately I cant tell you much about the brand as I don't know very much about it. 

The range I was interested in trying is the T Zone range, which is aimed at those of us with oily skin. I picked up the cleanser which is described as:

A paraben-free cleansing and balancing gel specifically formulated for skin prone to oiliness in the T-Zone. This cleansing gel contains the active ingredients EVERMAT and ACNACIDOL to deeply purify pores and cleanse and balance oily and combination skin.

First of all I have never heard of EVERMAT or ACNACIDOL  but I don't know much about skincare ingredients. I picked this up mainly because I wanted to try a new gel cleanser after using the Avene Soapless Gel Cleanser for a long time with multiple repurchases. This is a slightly foaming gel but it does not leave my skin feeling stripped of moisture, which is what I was half expecting coming from a product that aims to stop oil production. I have not really noticed a huge difference in the amount of oil on my face, unfortunately by mid day my face is still bound to be oily, particularly on makeup free days. Forgetting that it is aimed to stop oily skin, I do quite like this cleanser. It does not smell offensive and I enjoy the slightly lathering quality of it. The packaging is hopeless however, it is almost impossible to open the lid and then once you have the product spills out because it is in a soft tube. 

I am hoping to see some better effects after longer continued use but I will continue using this until I finish it, but probably wont be repurchasing it. This retails for $29.95 for 150ml on the Skin Doctors Cosmecuticals website.

Love Liz xx

The Minis #01

As I previously mentioned, I am trying to use up the products that I already own rather than filling up my large stash of products. This includes using up the many samples I have accumulated thanks to online shopping and beauty box subscriptions. I wanted to do some mini reviews on the products I am 'sampling' at the moment, so here we go.

Avène Cleanance Emulsion Lotion

I couldn't actually find anything else about this online on the Avène website, until I just googled the product and found out it is called the Cleanance Anti-Shine Regulating Lotion, this is quite annoying as it seems a little misleading about the product. But besides that I have been loving this sample and would definitely consider purchasing the full size which is 40ml for $24.99 AU compared to the 5ml in the sample. This is designed to be oil regulating, anti shine, oil free and non-comedogenic which is only good things for my skin. 

Loreal Paris Base Magique Transforming Smoothing Primer

This primer retails for $29.95 for 15ml here in Australia, I have heard mixed reviews about this product so I appreciated a sample of 5ml that I received in one of my beauty boxes. This actually feels quite nice on my skin and not the strange silicone feeling I was expecting. This does a fairly decent job of keeping my makeup in place all day, I do have to put on some powder after a few hours. To be honest though I would rather spend the extra few dollars and buy myself the Clarins primer as I have a lot of faith in that brand. 

Benefit They're Real Mascara

I have mentioned in my latest weekly loves post about this mascara, this is a 3g sample size that I have two of, fortunate for me as the full size retails for $38 AU in Myer. I really love this mascara as it gives me big babydoll eyelashes without flaking or clumping. I think I would rather spend the money on something else and instead try and find a dupe for it, anyone have any ideas?

Love Liz xx

Weekly Loves #04

Another week has just flown right by, this time next week my holidays will be officially over and I will be back to Uni on the Monday. I plan on scheduling posts and writing them in my spare time or whilst procrastinating, I am only part time this semester so I should be able to continue my resolution of posting at least twice a week! Back to the things I have been loving this week though..

Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Polish

I have managed to have this nail polish on my nails for practically the whole week, they really only started chipping at work on Friday and I think I applied it last Sunday or Monday, which has to almost be a record for me. I am the worst when it comes to nail polish, I usually chip them straight away or definitely by the next day even with a base coat and top coat. I have quite a few of these nail polishes by Covergirl and they all seem to be similar quality, shiny and chip free for a long time. I picked this one up during a Kmart sale for only $2 AU but they are relatively inexpensive at $6.95 AU compared to other similar quality brands. I have been meaning to feature this polish and two other Covergirl ones I got in the sale on my blog, but I have been waiting for the display nail sticks rather than shoddily painting my own short stubby nails. I really love this nail polish colour, it is shade 225 Perfect Penny, which is a shimmery copper/bronze colour and looks quite luxurious, not tacky at all. It is opaque almost in 1 coat but I use 2 just to be on the safe side.

Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil

This is only a new addition to my skincare collection, but so far I have been loving using this. I wake up with clearer skin and softer, with less dry or flaky patches. I only use this once a night or once every other night and that seems to be working well for me. I look forward to seeing how this works with my skin after a longer period of use. This retails for $19.95 AU and you can currently purchases a limited edition bottle in Priceline, which supports the McGrath Foundation.

Maybelline New York Masterliner

I bought this a fair while ago but never opened it, I have been struggling finding a lasting eyeliner and opened up this recently to test it out. I have been loving it ever since, this cream pencil lasts a lot longer than my regular pencil and it seems to go on straighter than my pencil even though the nub is thicker. Maybe thick is the key? It is a little bit too thick for a cat eye/flick however so I still have to use a normal pencil, rather than this mechanical cream pencil for that. This retails for $12.50 AU but you can usually grab it on a Maybelline wide sale in stores. 

Benefit They're Real Mascara

I have two samples of this Benefit mascara, from beauty boxes, and this comes in a 3g size as a deluxe sample. The full size retails for $38 AU which is a shame as it is listed as only $23 US on the Benefit website, I understand the price differences due to the market but a whole $15 difference is a lot to swallow. Such a shame as well as I think this is a fantastic mascara, and it has a huge cult following that would agree with me. This coats my lashes well with one swipe and creates what I like to call, babydoll looking lashes. Those big long lashes that make your eyes look huge by thickening the lashes, making them longer and separating them. This mascara does not budge and manages to last me all day without flaking or rubbing off. 

Love Liz xx

Latest Addition to My Skincare Routine

So yesterday I purchased the Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil (Limited Edition McGrath) to help out my skin. I love facial oils (I usually use the Clarins Lotus Oil which is lovely and has helped balance out my skin) and after hearing Kate rave about the Trilogy Rosehip Oil here, and also in one of her budget skincare videos, I knew I had to try it out.

I went into Priceline and I was originally after the Trilogy Rosehip Oil but the only size they had was the large one and as my skin can be sensitive to new products I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something that could potentially worsen my skin condition. I looked around for a smaller bottle of rosehip oil and found this one by Sukin, it is a limited edition bottle that supports the McGrath Foundation which:

Raises money to place McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities right across Australia, as well as increasing breast awareness in young Australian women. 

The packaging on the Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil states that:

Sukin is donating AUD$20,000 from the sale of specifically marked Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil to the McGrath Foundation. You can join Sukin in supporting this iconic Australian charity by purchasing specifically marked Rose Hip Oil products from pharmacies and heath food stores throughout Australia. 

While my intention wasn't to buy a product supporting the McGrath Foundation it is nice to know that I am purchasing a product made by a company that supports such charities.

So far I have only used this a few times but I have been loving the effects, my skin feels more moisturised and less congested after use. It smells a little strange but it sinks in the skin quickly and by that time the smell has disappeared. I am hoping that it will live up to its claims of soothing skin conditions, but so far this product seems great. It comes with an inbuilt dropper to dispense the 2-3 drops you need per use, this should last a fairly long time. I purchased this at Priceline for $19.95 AU.

Have you tried Rose Hip Oil before?

Love Liz xx

My Current Skincare Saviours

Hey Everyone

I wanted to share with you today the current products that I am using in my skincare routine. I am absolutely terrible when it comes to skincare and I can barely ever stick to just one routine, I am always changing and switching my products. I have tried to stick to a fairly routine as of late to sort out my skin issues and so far so good. I had hormonal flare ups as per usual but my skin looks like it is calming down. I do not want you to think that I am recommending these products for you, I just wanted to share what I am using as everyone skin is different and some things that may work for me will not always work for someone else.

I have been mainly trying to cleanse, tone, moisture and then at night switch out my moisturiser for a treatment. I do often use a mask once or twice a week if I can remember (I have been terrible lately), and on occasion I will use a face brush to cleanse if I have not exfoliated lately. I have a lot of products that have a large hype regarding them, like Alpha H Liquid Gold, Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil and La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo but I have not found these to be as amazing as I had expected. Something has been breaking out my skin and in order to find out what I plan on using my old system and then slowly adding in new products to see if they are helpful or hurtful to my skin.

Cleanser

Avène Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser

I mentioned this a while ago in a post when I purchased this for 40% off the RRP at a Priceline sale. This is my second bottle of this cleanser and I love it, I did purchase a foaming cleanser from La Roche-Posay, until I realised that foaming cleansers are terrible for oily skin as they strip the skin completely and make it dehydrated (Thank you Caroline). This cleanser does foam up quite well but does not leave my face feeling dry or tight, just clean. It is also great to use with a facial brush as it foams up just enough. This is aimed at oily and acne prone skin so I find it works better at keeping skin clean and clear over a cleanser aimed at normal skin types. This retails for $27.99 AU for 200ml.

Toner

Mario Badescu Skincare Special Cucumber Lotion

This toner by Mario Badescu is aimed at acne prone skin and claims the benefits are:

Refreshing, disinfecting and deep cleaning astringent that is effective in drying up existing acne blemishes while preventing new eruptions. Sulfur and soothing Cucumber based, acne fighting formula that is non-drying and non-irritating. 

Overall I think this is a good toner, it does sting a fair bit if you have any open blemishes but otherwise it does not seem to be irritating or drying. I have been using this for a few months now and I am barely a quarter through the bottle, it wasn't cheap at $24.30 AU on BeautyBay but I think this will last me quite as well so it is worth it.

Moisturiser 

Nivea Mattifying Gel Cream

This is my second tube of this moisturiser, its not a favourite of mine so I am not sure why I keep going back to it. I need to do more research for moisturisers that will not make oily skin any oilier. I think this does keep my oily skin in check but it is just not all that fantastic, I am looking for something more! That is very vague of me, this is a decent moisturiser for the price, I just want something that feels like it is doing more for my skin. But this does not break me out so in the meantime that is all I am looking for. This retails for $9.99 AU and can be found in most stores that sell skincare, typically on sale as well (it is $7 at Priceline now!)

Treatment

Benzac AC Water Based Acne Gel 5%

This is a spot treatment gel that contains 5% benzoyl peroxide. This is a fairly intensive acne treatment, I was recommended to use this by a dermatologist when I was in High School. My skin did clear up after using these products and some antibiotics. My skin has since declined but I decided that I should try using these products again, I was hesitant at first as they are very strong, but after trying almost everything else I was left with little choice. You have to be careful when using this as it stains everything, sheets, pillows, towels and anything else your face will touch so be very careful!!! I am hoping not to be using this for too long but its nice to have to go back to if my skin ever gets uncontrollable again. This retails for $15.99 AU at most chemists.

What does your skincare routine consist of?

Love Liz xx