I guess it’s no secret I buy a lot of beauty products (and try a lot of food!). Frequently I use an awesome product, or consume something amazing and I think to myself “I must blog about this so other people know about it…” So, starting now, I thought at the start of each month I’ll do a quick and dirty round up of my favourite Beauty Foodie things for the previous month. Here we go… 🙂
Health Basics Shower Gel: These are Kiwi made with lots of goodies: Soap free, paraben free, hypo-allergenic fragrances and if you are a neat freak, you’ll like that these can hang upside down in the shower and they have a drip free nozzle (I’m definitely getting old appreciating things like this!). I liked how this product cleansed yet is gentle on the skin. The great price point also gets the thumbs up. All up, a great family shower gel. NZ$5 from all supermarkets.
Sunsilk Straight Perfection Shine Spray: I’m a bit of a hair snob and usually only buy salon products… But I spotted this in my Mum’s bathroom, gave my hair a sneaky all-over spray and… Holy heck – WANT! Ultra gloss (non greasy) finish, my hair looks awesome. This is a gloss finish serum spray that has little sparkly bits in it (‘light mineral bursts for added brilliance’ according to Sunsilk). I like a simple spray all over my hair after straightening. I like the smell it leaves, which is super-sweet raspberries, but if you don’t like highly fragrances products, you might want to give this a miss. (Note, Unfortunately this product has left me wondering what other hair gems are awaiting me on the shelves at New World…). NZ$9 (from memory) available from all supermarkets.
Garnier BB cream for Oily/Combo skin: Actually, I’ve decided this product deserves it’s own blog post as, quite frankly, it’s gold. . I used this BB cream almost every day in October, as I was sick with a revolting sinus infection all month. A little bit of this product let me fake a healthy glow, leaving me looking almost normal. NZ$17 from all supermarkets, pharmacies, Kmart, The Warehouse (although it’s regularly on sale so try and wait – you’ll save up to $5).
MAC’s Expensive Pink Eyeshadow: This unique subtle shimmery pink/gold/coral eyeshadow from Mac (kind of salmon coloured) was an impulse purchase earlier this year. When I first tried it I was seriously unimpressed and haven’t used it until a few weeks back when I gave it a second chance and paired it up with a matt dark brown eyeshadow: Gorgeous and I reckon this is a ‘must have’ eyeshadow for brown eyes! The combo of Expensive Pink patted all over the eyelid with a matt dark brown eyeshadow in the outer half of your eyes (blended out really well) is really easy and pretty. This has become my new ‘go to look’ when I’m in a rush for work, or inspiration isn’t striking me. Lastly, guess what?: So long as you use a very light hand, this little beauty doubles up as a gorgeous peach blush! Whoop whoop, I do love a versatile product. NZ$25 from Strawberry Net (or NZ$38 from a MAC store)
Moreish Day Cream Light (for oily skin): I raved about this product in my blog post which you can read here so I won’t bang on about this again here… But after 6 weeks of daily use my oily skin is loving it. My skin is clearer, my makeup lasts longer, there is less shine to my face. Big ups and thanks to the Moreish team for sending me this to review! NZ$26. Available at selected pharmacies.
Colgate Optic Toothpaste: This is a higher-end whitening toothpaste available from the supermarket shelf. Colgate reckon you’ll get teeth”up to four” shades lighter after four weeks (of course, there’s a disclaimer on the tube!). My teeth are definitely whiter and, as a toothpaste, this delivers on all the stuff you’d expect it to do, including tasting great and leaving breath nice and fresh. I’m almost certain that it will do my gums the world of good too. Your gums need as much care as your teeth, as if you don’t, you could be in need of a dentist who specializes in periodontics to give you the relevant treatment. Who knew that toothpaste could have such an impact on your oral hygiene? I’m just glad that I’ve come across one that’s as good as this. I much prefer this product over the other supermarket purchased whitening toothpastes I’ve used. Which reminds me, one of my friends just got her invisible braces removed and has found that this toothpaste has helped her whiten her teeth too. I have been thinking about getting Invisalign for a while now and her teeth do look much straighter, so perhaps I’ll have to give invisible braces a try as well. NZ $11 for a 160g tube (or NZ$9 for the 100g tube).
Nars bronzer/blush Duo – Orgasm and Laguna: It seems most beauty bloggers and makeup artists rave about the blush ‘Orgasm’. Finally caved into the hype to see what all the fuss was about and I got one off Trade Me at a bargain price. I went for value for money and got a duo that included the also raved about NARS bronzer Laguna. As for the orgasm (immature tut tut…): Yes, now I can see what all the fuss is about! Orgasm is a stunning peachy pink pressed powder with a golden shimmer that suits just about everybody, as I discovered in several of the makeovers I did last month. The subtle glow it leaves is absolutely stunning and I was seriously impressed with it’s lasting power: It’s still on after 9 hours wear, unheard of! Sorry Jordana blushes, you’ve been booted out of my number 1 spot (but I still love you for your price tag!) As for the Laguna bronzer, it’s OK, but I personally prefer my Bobbi Brown and Benefit bronzers. NZ$58 retail, or NZ$48 through ASOS with FREE international shipping. Strawberry Net occasionally has the blush for NZ$40 (with FREE international shipping), so it’s worth keeping an eye out!
Harney & Sons Pomegrante Oolong Tea: I adore this Pomegrante tea from Harney & Sons which my hairdresser (Hair@88 in Havelock North) introduced me to. It’s delicately flavoured but definitely a luxury tea with a NZ$21 price tag for a tin of 20 bags (same item is US$8 – weep!!!). That said, the tin says that one bag will do two brews, which would make it more affordable, if I didn’t I prefer my tea strong, so I go through a bag a cup! If you are looking for a lovely Christmas present for a tea fan (or yourself!), this is a real goodie. Click here to find a NZ stockist near you.
Dukkah: On the foodie side of things, I made a double batch of Dukkah in October, supposedly as part of my ‘DIY Christmas Present’ preparation’… But there’s actually not much left as we’ve been ploughing through it and I need to make some more. Opps. Dukkah is such a versatile ingredient and it’s delicious sprinkled on poached eggs, over salads, on avocado on toast. I enjoy it with chicken (Tip: Rub it all over chicken breasts before you pan fry/BBQ them). Hot Hubby’s new favourite snack is peanut butter on Vogel’s toast with dukkah sprinkled on top, it’s surprisingly delicious, try it! On that note, have you tried my Quinoa Salad with Dukkah, Tomatoes and Feta recipe? Amazing. I’ll share my Dukkah recipe with you in a blog post soon 🙂
That’s it for October’s Favourite Things. What products and yummy things are you enjoying? I’d love to hear!
Lou x
