iHerb Haul

(part 2 of 2)

FINALLY! 

I put up part one of this post (with all the make-up products) about two months ago and I didn't expect this second post to take so long. Unfortunately it just took me a long time to form a real opinion on some of the products. 

For a refresher, here's all the skincare goodies I bought.

Everything came packaged very securely. I had absolutely no issue with spills or leakages so I'm definitely comfortable buying liquid products from iHerb again. 

Anyway, now onto the good stuff!

Reviva Labs Rosewater Facial Spray, 80z. (236ml) (US$6.30)

I love this! It comes out in a fine mist and it has an inoffensive, soft rose scent. I enjoy how it really helps to add moisture and balance my skin's oil production. It's quite versatile and I like to use it as a lazy toner after cleansing or as a refresher after I exercise. 

You can also use it as a setting spray to get rid of any cakiness and help your make-up last longer. However, I personally prefer other setting prays so I rarely use this in that capacity. I find that while it does get rid of the powdery look, other sprays do a better job.

But don't get me wrong! I really like this and most likely will repurchase. I'm already more than halfway through!

NOW Foods Solutions European Clay Powder, 6oz (170g) (US$5.34) 

Firstly, I have to say that I am a huge fan of powder masks so that in itself gives this product an edge. These type of masks do require an extra step and can get messy but I've always found the benefits to be well worth it. I love how you don't run the risk of it drying out prematurely, you can portion it out (and take it travelling or share with friend) and you can customise it by adding other liquids when mixing it up (e.g. tea tree oil, vitamin e, jojoba oil). They're just super customisable. 

Apart from the powder form, I do really like the product itself. I enjoy how it warms when you mix it with water and I like how the dried clay doesn't flake but still washes off easily. I also find it very good at drawing out impurities and leaving my skin glowy and soft. 

Definitely something I recommend!

Desert Essence Organic Jojoba Oil, 4 fl.oz. (118ml) (US$11.42)

I love, love, love this! If you look at the photo above you can see I'm already 2/3 through and that's simply because it's just so versatile!

I use it to add hydration to my skin. Sometimes I mix it with rosehip oil and apply that before my night moisturiser. Other times I just add it directly into my moisturiser.  I also include this when mixing up the clay powder mask to make it more hydrating.

I also use it for cleansing purposes. It's great against stubborn waterproof mascara and eyeliner and it really nourishes your lashes at the same time. Jojoba oil is also great for deep cleaning my denser make-up brushes. A little goes a long way and the oil really breaks down the product that's settled all the way at the base of the bristles. 

Adore this to pieces. Must repurchase ASAP!!

Derma E Anti-Wrinkle Vitamin A Glycolic Toner, 6 fl.oz. (175ml) (US$12.75)

This toner is meant to remove impurities and help rebalance your skin. It claims to reduce the appearance of pores and leave your complexion bright and refreshed. But after several week of using this, I didn't notice a difference in regards to my pores or complexion. 

However, when I started adding the rosewater facial spray after this toner, I saw a significant improvement with my pores and blackheads on my nose. They became much less noticeable. Unfortunately, using the two products together for extended periods of time dries me out. I really wish I could get the same effect from using just one of the products on its own! 

To me, the product on its own just works like a good, simple toner. It gets rid of any residual make-up and doesn't sting since it's alcohol free. But in the end, I don't think I'll be repurchasing this. There are other basic, alcohol free toners that are much more accessible.

Sierra Bees Organic Pomegranate Beeswax Lip Balm, 0.15oz (4.25g) (US$0.50)

I didn't originally want to include this because a) it was a freebie and b) I still haven't actually opened it (I just have too many lip balms already in rotation!). 

But I wanted to share how sad I am that iHerb no longer lets you pick a free product to trial with every purchase. I was lucky enough to get this while it was still available free, but now it costs around 50cents. This is a great price for a balm but the fact that it was free before just makes it far less appealing.

Disappointment aside, I am very eager to try it. It's organic and contains ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, sunflower seen oil, vitamin e and pomegranate oil. It definitely sounds good so fingers crossed for when I finally try it!

xoxo
Hope you give some of these a go!!

Smoothly Does It!

Vaseline Body Cocoa Butter Smoothing Body Butter

Vaseline Cocoa Butter, 227g ($7.69)

This is an intensely moisturising body butter with ingredients like cocoa butter and shea butter. It truly works wonders on dry skin making it feel softer and smoother. It is also very nice to apply. Unlike so many other body butters that get it wrong, this has a wonderful consistency. It is rich and creamy without being too thick or leaving you feeling greasy.

I really enjoy using this product and find myself reaching for it year round. Normally, I only use body butters in winter (when colder temperatures and indoor heating wreaks havoc on my skin), but I actually use this heavily in summer too. Vaseline's website says this "smoothes away dullness for a healthy glow" and it really does! It evens out my skin tone and makes everything look smooth and glowy. It's perfect for summer legs.

Here I applied it on my hand and you can see what a difference it makes. It's definitely very illuminating upon application!

L-R: with Vaseline Cocoa Butter; without Vaseline Cocoa Butter

Here's a comparison with another body butter. Segment 1 on the left is Vaseline's Cocoa Butter and Segment 2 on the right is a Grace Cole body butter. Vaseline's Cocoa Butter clearly leaves the skin more glowy.

L-R: 1. Vaseline; 2. Grace Cole

Overall, this is a great product that does it's job and more. There are only two things you have to note: 
1) this is a body butter so it will take a while for it to sink into your skin 
2) the sweet, cocoa scent is very strong. 

Personally, my skin is never extremely dry so body butters are a bit excessive for me. I'm used to them taking forever to sink into my skin so the only issue I have with this is the scent. In the tub, the product smells sickeningly sweet and strangely rather alcoholic. It really reminds me of Vodka Mudshakes! Eventually, it does fade to a soft cocoa scent but that takes a while to occur and it never truly disappears unless you wash it off. Consequently, I always make sure to use a light hand and keep it strictly on my legs so the scent isn't so intense.

I definitely recommend this product if you're in the market for a body butter. It's great quality and value for your money. Just avoid if you're sensitive to scents.

xoxo
Lots of love,
Mel.

Mask Moments

Mario Badescu Whitening Mask

Recently, I was cleaning out my room and found this mask. From the packaging, you can see I've had this for a while. I just never got around to throwing it out and forgot about it. I thought I'd share my thoughts on it before finally parting ways. 

Mario Badescu Whitening Mask (2oz, 59ml) $28.95 @Kit Cosmetics

This is a kaolin mask that is meant to hydrate, brighten and fade old acne scars and sun spots. It contains ingredients like kojic acid, licorice and mulberry and no alpha hydroxy acids, so it's suitable for all skin types, including very sensitive ones. It comes in a 59ml jar and it's advised you use it for 10 minutes, 2-3 times a week. You will also need to wash it off very thoroughly because it leaves a waxy residue that's quite difficult to remove.

So what do I think about it? Well, this product does what it says. It doesn't erase acne scars or sun spots completely but it definitely brightens your skin tone and fades discolouration. Right after you wash this off, your face will look glowy but this isn't a quick fix. It's a gentle mask and it will take a few applications before you notice any lightening. My marks lightened to the point where foundation was enough to cover them and concealer became unnecessary.

I have two main gripes with the product - flaking and packaging. Once this dries on your face, it flakes like crazy. I'm not one to stay still while doing a mask so this stuff ended up everywhere. I stopped using it as often because I got sick of cleaning up flakes.

This leads me to my second problem - packaging. You have to use the product frequently or it will dry up. From the photo above, you can see I was only 2/3 through when it dried up. It definitely would have fared better and been more hygienic in a tube. You can still get some results from mixing the dried product with warm water but that's rather fussy.

Even though I never finished it, I do consider it a great mask. It works! It just wasn't for me. At the end of the day, while it made a noticeable difference on my skin, it wasn't significant enough for me to ignore the flaking and poor packaging. I wont be repurchasing but if you have problems with acne scars/sunspots or enjoy lying down with your masks, I definitely recommend this. You will see a difference!

Summary

Positives: 

• Immediately brightens skin
• Eventually fades acne scars/sunspots
• Non-drying 
• Easy to apply

Negatives: 

• Flakes
• Leaves waxy residue 
• Poor packaging - unhygienic and dries up quickly

xoxo
Hope your Sunday's nice and lazy!

Not A Fan Of...

Australis 3in1 Wipes

In the past, I've been through 4 or 5 of these packets without any problems. The wipes weren't very plush or very moist but they got most of my make-up off. Basically, you got what you paid for and I was okay with that. 

That was until I purchased the one above. What a massive let down! I bought it for $1.95, during a Priceline sale, but even at that price it's not a product I would repurchase or recommend. That's just how disappointing it was.

If you look carefully at the photo on the right, you can see that only the bottom left quadrant of the wipe is actually moistened. The rest is practically dry! 

I just couldn't use them! I ended up treating them like cotton pads and added drops of jojoba oil so I could remove my waterproof eye make-up.  When I was really desperate, I slathered Cetaphil moisturiser over my make-up before using the wipes to take everything off. 

Definitely NOT repurchasing. 

My favourite wipes are the ones from Neutrogena but unfortunately I go through these things far too quickly to justify the $6.69 price tag. Instead, I recommend the Swisspers Cucumber Facial Cleansing Wipes. They're super soft and moist! And the best thing about them? For the same $6.69 I can buy a triple value pack from Chemist Warehouse! 

xoxo
Have a beautiful day!