Plant Essentials, Townsville

As some of you may know if you follow my Youtube channel, I am currently in Australia. I wanted to experience some local skincare (natural skincare, of course) while I was here, so I popped into Plant Essentials on Flinders Street to check out their stock.

It turns out they have their own line of natural skincare made with a lot of natural ingredients and based in aromatherapy. The shop smells amazing! Their products are made locally and are free from:
-Petrochemicals
-Synthetic Preservatives
-Colours
-Fragrances
-Animal Testing

Plant Essentials: Walnut & Fennel Eye Cream and Hemp Cream

I picked up their Walnut and Fennel Eye Cream and Hemp Cream.

The eye cream comes in what seems like a huge amount for an eye cream. It's 25ml of product and comes with a pump for about $17 AUS. The consistency is incredibly light, almost to the point of being comparable to a cleansing milk. The fennel scent predominates, but the overall smell is light and not overpowering! It absorbs well into the skin and does not leave the area feeling greasy or oily in any way, so this is perfect for a daytime eye cream.

I asked the lady in the shop to advise me on the best moisturising product to tackle eczema and she pointed me in the direction of the Hemp Cream. It's 125ml with an open-close pump for about $18 AUS. Cocoa and I have both been using this product non-stop since buying it, and may have to go back for another!

I have used it on heat rash, which cleared up overnight; Cocoa uses it on his sunburn and eczema for extra hydration. It smells like Club Lemon: a strong zesty, citrus scent which pulls towards lime. It does have lime essential oil in it, so I'm wary of applying it during the day in case of photosensitisation, but I do love it at night.

Again, it has a lovely light consistency that melts into the skin. The scent is stronger in this product and I would keep it away from the face for this reason.

Altogether Plant Essentials is a lovely shop with friendly, helpful staff! I would recommend it if you are in the Townsville area!

The Skincare Tag

I just read Naturalla Beauty's version of this tag and it looked like a fun and interesting post to do! Technically she didn't specifically tag me, but she welcomed anyone to do a post... So here I go. I am used to doing tags on YouTube, but I'm going to embrace them on my blog as well. :)

Describe your skincare routine in 5 words:
Cleanse– I love to keep my skin clean and free of excess makeup. Although I am guilty of flopping into bed with a full face on occasionally, I am usually thrilled to take my makeup off at the end of the day.

Spritz–This step is crucial to helping my moisturiser be absorbed by my skin. I use rose water or George's Alway Aloe.

Hydrate–As a dry-skinned girl, I need to keep my skin plump and soft with moisture. I use mainly oils such as avocado, argan and jojoba.

Protect–Especially in the summer months, I use SPF to protect my skin. Zinc Oxide is my preferred SPF and I'm currently using Andalou tinted BB cream and Davita Solar Protect.

Pamper–A girl's gotta give herself some pamper time! I love to don a mask while I'm in the bath, usually home-made. There are some excellent recipes online for whatever your skin is currently dealing with!

Andalou Naturals BB Cream and Devita Solar Protective Moisturiser

What's your skin type?
I have dry skin for the most part.

What's your favourite skincare product?
I absolutely adore rose water. I love most things that I can spritz on my face, but rose water tops that list. It smells amazing, rehydrates parched skin, preps my face for serums or moisturisers, helps prevent breakouts.. did I mention that it smells amazing? It's like a mini aromatherapy session; I'm a sucker for anything that smells lovely. The best thing about rose water is that it is suitable for all skin types, from dry to acne prone! I recommend one without alcohol and that is made with essential oil as opposed to synthetic fragrance for the best benefits.

Rose Water

Top blemish zapper?
I've recently been suffering from some hormonal acne, so I've been experimenting with some natural acne remedies. So far, I've been loving using an acidic wash such as lemon or apple cider vinegar (both diluted with water at least 50/50). I swipe a cotton round over the affected area and leave on for 5-10 minutes, then rinse off.

I also love using tea tree oil (at night) on stubborn blemishes to reduce bacteria and keep it clean.

Face wipes: yay or nay?
Absolutely NAY! I haven't met a face wipe that hasn't completely irritated my skin, especially around the eye area. It actually makes me cringe to see anyone using a face wipe on their face. I would use them to clean my hands in an emergency, that's about it.

Toner: yay or nay?
I say yay. My skin is not in particular need of 'toning' but I do use either rose water or George's Always Aloe spray to mist my face before moisturiser.

High-end skincare or high-end makeup?
Skincare. I'm not a fan of high-end prices, but I am a fan of high-end quality. If the product works for my skin, I will usually sacrifice paying more for it. For example, I'll usually fork out more to get an organic version of a product. High-end does not necessarily mean high-quality, so I look for products that work for me rather than the most expensive.

What's the most unnusual skin care product you've tried?
I once had a charcoal mask by The Sanctuary that heated up once it was on my face! It was such an odd sensation, but I loved it. I think it's quite a common thing for clay masks to heat up, but that's the only one that I've tried.

You're in a pharmacy and can only pick one item up–what is it?
Coconut Oil. If they stock coconut oil, that would be my first pick. I use it all over my body as a moisturiser, after shave balm, hair treatment, lip balm, face moisturiser and sometimes as a makeup remover.

Organic Coconut Oil

Tell us your top skincare tips?
Eat more fruit.
Drink more water.
Get more sleep.

Water and Oranges

These three things are so important. People sometimes neglect these areas and think they can 'fix' their skin with lotions and potions. It's so much more effective to get radiant skin from the inside!

Silk Naturals Lippiepalooza Swatches!

A note on the formulations: the bright lipsticks are incredibly pigmented and wonderfully hydrating, however they definitely leave a stain. Great if you want the colour to last after the lipstick wears off, not so great if you want to remove the colour! For this reason I was unable to get an accurate swatch of the Amplifying Lip Glaze in Blushberry, which is quite sheer and wears like a gloss. It's the third colour down in this arm swatch taken from my Instagram (@TeenyTemptress).

Top-Bottom: Lois, Jane, Blushberry, Zap, Wham, Zing, Vroom

Lois

This first shade is called Lois, and comes off as a light, neutral pink on my lips. A great everyday, tame colour.

Jane

Next, we have Jane; still a wearable pink, but more on the fuchsia side and with some mica shimmer apparent with heavy application. If worn sheer over a lip balm, the shimmer doesn't show noticeably on the lips.

Vroom

Vroom is a pink-based red. It is matte with a velvet texture, none of these lipsticks are drying but they do STAIN!

Wham

Wham has the same texture and colour intensity as Vroom, but is a true fuchsia pink. I love this colour, it screams 'Barbie' to me!

Zap

Zap is a bright orange which tends somewhat towards red. I find it an excellent replacement for my Revlon lipstick in Kiss Me Coral.

Zing

I saved my favourite for last. This is Zing. It is one of the most perfect, true reds I have ever worn on my lips and it is absolutely beautiful. This will be living on my lips year round, it's a classic!!

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The All Natural Face (TANF) Swatches and Review

These are the 2 cream blushes I picked up, and I couldn't be without them! I love the formula and the colour, these are lovely to work with. Dusky Rose is definitely my favourite, it works really well on the lips, too! I've swatched both colours quite heavily here, but they don't need much to get a good amount of colour. Dusky Rose is matte, Touch of Pink has shimmer.

I took a guess at my foundation shade and went for Porcelain Kissed by Honey. I think this is too pale/yellow to use as an all-over foundation, but I love it for concealing redness and blemishes. The formula will CLING TO DRY PATCHES so make sure to exfoliate and moisturise well before applying.

I ordered the sample kit of ALL the vegan glows/veils. As you can see, most are more suitable as blush colours! Wedding Day Glow barely shows up on the skin, it is a light, pink-toned powder which blends away to nothing on my skin. Would be lovely as a subtle setting powder! The rest work great as powder blushes, and I have used some layered over the cream blushes, too.

Here is their gel eyeliner (more of a liquid in my opinion) and as you can see, this brown is very dark. I use it interchangeably with my ELF black gel pot liner when I'm feeling lazy and don't want to dirty an eyeliner brush. There are some hairs which have started to splay on TANF eyeliner, but it's still quite easy to work with.

I love using eye primer, whether it's for real or imagined benefits! This primer really mattifies the eye and sets quickly; it doesn't remain tacky or sticky. It provides minimal coverage, but really smooths the texture of the eyelid. I usually apply a sheer skin-toned colour over the top of this primer before applying my shadow.

This is the lipgloss that has rekindled my love of lipgloss. It is incredibly sheer and not sticky at all, two things that I really appreciate! I reapply this as if it were lipbalm and love wearing it alone or over lipsticks!

If you missed it, here is my first impressions video where I am wearing some of the products mentioned above!

Hope you're all having a wonderful day, Alanna xx

Pai Skincare Goodies!

I love this skincare brand. In general, I want my skincare to be as minimal as possible. I  like to use oils to cleanse and moisturise, and rose water to tone and hydrate my skin. Whenever I do foray into the world of "store-bought" skincare, I want my products to be as clean as possible; the less fillers, irritants and preservatives, the better.

Pai lives up to my standards. They are Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, UK Soil Association certified organic, and all products I've tried from them have been 100% vegan!

I recently made a haul with them after seeing AModelRecommends talk about their excellent (imo) sample kit which is on sale for €6. I also had a coupon from their newsletter for a free cleanser with any moisturiser!

I received:

1 Macadamia and Rose BioRejuvenate Skin Cream (€31)

1 Pai Sample Pack (€6)

2 Muslin cotton face cloths (free with sample kit and moisturiser)

1 Camellia and Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser (free with moisturiser)

Altogether, I paid €37 for this skincare haul, which is an insane bargain!

I bought the Macadamia and Rose moisturiser for my boyfriend's mom's birthday. There was also a 5ml sample of this cream included in the sample kit. So far, this is my favourite moisturiser I have tried from them. I have incredibly dry skin and this cream is thick, hydrating and creamy without being slimy or greasy. It feels wonderful on the skin: rich and luxurious.. I will have to pick up a full size for myself!

You get 30ml/1 fl oz of product, and I love the packaging! It's a glass bottle with pump action (you twist the pump on and off to 'lock' it). The glass would be cumbersome for travelling, but looks very elegant in your bathroom cabinet or on your bedside table.

Ingredients: aqua, prunus armeniaca kernel oil* (apricot kernel oil), macadamia ternifolia seed oil* (macadamia oil), carthamus tinctorius seed oil* (thistle oil), cetearyl alcohol (coconut-derived emulsifier), butyrospermum parkii butter* (shea butter), glycerin* (vegetable glycerine), borago officinalis seed oil* (borage oil), prunus domestica seed oil* (plum kernel oil), cetearyl glucoside (corn-derived emulsifier), mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin e), sodium levulinate (corn extract), rosa damascena oil* (rose oil), pelargonium graveolens oil* (rose geranium oil), citrus paradisi peel oil* (grapefruit oil), glyceryl stearate citrate (from sustainable palm oil), sodium lauroyl lactylate (from coconut oil), lactic acid (from sugar beet), sodium anisate (basil extract)

The Camellia and Rose cleanser I wanted to try for myself, as I have been using solely oils to remove makeup and cleanse my face for the last few months. I was definitely attracted to the fact that this is a hydrating cleanser; it doesn't foam up at all. It reminded me somewhat of the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, and I use it much the same way with the Pai face cloths that I got. It is very creamy and smells faintly lemon-y, like Earl Grey tea. I use this either in the mornings, or for my second cleanse at night after using an oil to remove my makeup. I find it very gentle and lovely to use, it doesn't give your skin that "squeaky clean" feeling or leave your skin feeling tight, which I love! It contains 50ml/1.7 fl oz of product – not bad for a freebie! (full size: 100ml for €29.50)

Ingredients: aqua, camellia sinensis seed oil*, ricinus communis (castor) seed oil*, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil*, cetearyl alcohol, vegetable glycerine*, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter* , cetearyl glucoside, rosa damascena (rose otto) oil*, pelargonium graveolens (geranium) oil*, lavandula officinalis (lavender) flower oil*, litsea cubeba fruit oil* - may chang oil, mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin e), sodium lauroyl lactylate, sodium anisate, sodium levulinate, lactic acid, glyceryl stearate citrate

Speaking of freebies, check these bad boys out! I absolutely love facial cloths, especially to help remove my cleansing oil thoroughly. These ones from Pai are organic, unbleached muslin (100% cotton). They give a gentle exfoliation to the skin, and can easily be tossed in the wash with the rest of your clothes! They have a wonderful texture, slightly loose-woven and a bit rough: perfect for getting rid of the dreaded dead skin cells!

The sample kit is a lovely way to explore the different products that Pai has to offer. I got 4 moisturisers, one exfoliant and a sample of my Camellia and Rose cleanser.

Avocado and Jojoba Cream: I have tried this product before and found it did not pack enough hydration for my super dry skin. However, my boyfriend has oily skin and loves this!

Ingredients: aqua, simmondsia chinensis seed oil* (jojoba oil), persea gratissima oil* (avocado oil), carthamus tinctorius seed oil* (thistle oil), cetearyl alcohol (coconut-derived emulsifier), glycerin* (vegetable glycerine), borago officinalis seed oil* (borage oil), butyrospermum parkii butter* (shea butter), cetearyl glucoside (corn-derived emulsifier), mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin e), helianthus annuus seed oil* (sunflower oil), pelargonium graveolens oil* (geranium oil), litsea cubeba fruit oil* (may chang oil), jasminum officinale flower extract* (jasmine oil), sodium levulinate (corn extract), sodium anisate (basil extract), glyceryl stearate citrate (from sustainable palm oil), sodium lauroyl lactylate (from coconut oil), lactic acid (derived from sugar beet)

Chamomile and Rosehip Cream: I love the smell of this cream, you can really smell the chamomile and it is incredibly soothing. I love this as a lighter day moisturiser.

Ingredients: aqua, prunus armeniaca kernel oil* (apricot kernel oil), simmondsia chinensis seed oil* (jojoba oil), carthamus tinctorius seed oil* (thistle oil), cetearyl alcohol (coconut-derived emulsifier), glycerin* (from vegetable source), rosa canina seed extract* (CO2 rosehip seed extract), butyrospermum parkii butter* (shea butter), cetearyl glucoside (corn-derived emulsifier), leptospermum scoparium leaf oil (manuka oil), sodium levulinate (corn extract), mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin e), chamomilla recutita extract* (CO2 chamomile extract), lavandula officinalis flower oil* (lavender oil), sodium anisate (basil extract), pelargonium graveolens oil* (rose geranium oil), lactic acid (derived from sugar beet), glyceryl stearate citrate (from sustainable palm oil), sodium lauroyl lactylate (from coconut oil)

Macadamia and Rose Cream: This is my perfect moisturiser, especially for night time. It is quite a heavy duty moisturiser, I would recommend for extremely dry or dehydrated skin.

Ingredients: aqua, prunus armeniaca kernel oil* (apricot kernel oil), macadamia ternifolia seed oil* (macadamia oil), carthamus tinctorius seed oil* (thistle oil), cetearyl alcohol (coconut-derived emulsifier), butyrospermum parkii butter* (shea butter), glycerin* (vegetable glycerine), borago officinalis seed oil* (borage oil), prunus domestica seed oil* (plum kernel oil), cetearyl glucoside (corn-derived emulsifier), mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin e), sodium levulinate (corn extract), rosa damascena oil* (rose oil), pelargonium graveolens oil* (rose geranium oil), citrus paradisi peel oil* (grapefruit oil), glyceryl stearate citrate (from sustainable palm oil), sodium lauroyl lactylate (from coconut oil), lactic acid (from sugar beet), sodium anisate (basil extract)

Geranium and Thistle Cream: This one is for combo skin, and has a lovely light consistency. I enjoy using it as a light hand cream, as it doesn't leave any residue and sinks beautifully into the skin.

Ingredients: aqua, carthamus tinctorius seed oil* (thistle oil), simmondsia chinensis seed oil* (jojoba oil), cetearyl alcohol (coconut-derived emulsifier), glycerin* (vegetable glycerine), borago officinalis seed oil* (borage oil), cetearyl glucoside (corn-derived emulsifier), mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin e), lavandula officinalis flower oil* (lavender oil), leptospermum scoparium leaf oil (manuka oil), pelargonium graveolens oil* (geranium oil), cymbopogon martini oil* (palmarosa oil), sodium levulinate (corn extract), sodium anisate (basil extract), glyceryl stearate citrate (from sustainable palm oil), sodium lauroyl lactylate (from coconut oil), lactic acid (derived from sugar beet)

Kukui and Jojoba Bead Exfoliator: This was an interesting experience for me. I found the jojoba beads impossible to wash off my face! They just wanted to stick there, no matter how much I rinsed or used the muslin cloth. If anyone has suggestions for getting rid of the jojoba beads, let me know! Other than that, the exfoliation felt gentle, yet effective.

Ingredients: helianthus annuus seed oil*, glycerin*,prunus amygdalus dulcis oil* , aleurites moluccana seed oil*, prunus armeniaca kernel oil*, carthamus tinctorius seed oil*, persea gratissima oil*, hydrogenated castor oil (and) hydrogenated jojoba oil, sucrose laurate, citrus aurantium dulcis fruit water*, boswellia carterii oil*, litsea cubeba fruit oil*, mixed tocopherols

Camellia and Rose cleanser: see above.

I have to say that my favourite thing about all of these products is the smell. Yum!

Minimalist Me

A few weeks ago, I made some bunting. As I hung up the colourful flags in my living room, I felt like the room was instantly uplifted. I hadn't realised how starved for colour I was.. This simple decoration brought simple joy to my heart. From that moment I vowed to keep my home a happy and uplifted place.

Every time I look at that bunting I am inspired to de-clutter the room, to tidy up my belongings, even to wash the dishes! I realised that in order for me to feel content and happy in my home, I need to keep it clean and clutter-free. Too much 'stuff' makes me feel overwhelmed and unmotivated.

A clean room gives me a clear head!

So, I have embarked on a journey of minimalism. I have a desire to live with less 'stuff', less clutter, less mess. Here's my first de-clutter vlog (I started in the bathroom – the smallest room in the house).

So, here I go, on the road to becoming a minimalist. I like how it feels. If you would like to read some interesting opinions on this way of life, I enjoyed this article by Graham Hill and this post by Ellie's Wonder.

Spirit Lounge Sample Haul

I stumbled upon this website and was drawn in by the sample offer they have going on: 9 samples for €20 (including shipping). They have a range of cool brands on here, so I figured I would give some of them a try! They have plenty of natural and organic skincare, haircare and makeup goodies to choose from!

The samples come in a little gift bag, cool for repurposing or giving away to friends. I would also like to mention that they use only paper envelopes, no bubble wrap here!! It's nice to see a company that cares about environmental impact.