Beauty Habits

There are many different habits in our society. I’ve heard of people brushing their teeth after dinner to stop themselves from eating any more food, as a diet tactic. Some people like to apply hand cream or lip gloss repeatedly. Some habits are good ones, like making sure you cleanse twice a day – Once in the morning and once in the evening. Always moisturising after having a shower or a bath is another good habit.

There are some bad habits too – Like picking pimples, scrubbing harshly on your skin, things like that.

Some of my good habits are that I apply lip balm often, meaning my lips are rarely dry, or chapped. I also make sure I cleanse at night-time, and moisturise afterwards. I have bad beauty habits too, like picking at my pimples, and not always applying hand cream (Even when they’re dry!) – Habits I’m trying to kick at the moment!

What are your good and bad beauty habits?

Products - How many do you use?

I use a cleanser, a scrub, moisturiser, then concealer, mascara, lip balm/lip gloss – Just on my face. And I use the cleanser and moisturiser twice a day! Body-wise, I normally use a body wash, and a body cream afterwards, and sunscreen on a sunny day (When I wearing clothes that show my arms/legs). Occasionally I also use foundation, lipstick, eye shadow and blush.

We use so many products on a daily basis, and that’s something I’ve tried to change in my life. I’m reducing the number of products I use, and trying to find the best products rather than just using any old thing. So for instance, I try to find face creams that do more than just one thing – I like them to have good ingredients that can help with anti-aging, and for them to have sun screen in there too. I also try to find a good cleanser that cleans off makeup as well as the everyday pollution we come into contact with all the time. Finding products that can be used on more than one body part (I.e a cream that can be used on face as well as body) really help cut down the number of products you use. But it’s hard, as we all like to look and feel good, and beauty products are apart of that! They’re not bad, but it’s not needed to use tons all the time.

How many products do you use on a daily basis?

Miessence Concealer

Make-up wise, I tend to use on daily basis just concealer to cover up imperfections such as blemishes, and dark circles under my eyes. So for me, a good concealer is vital. This concealer from Miessence, an Australian company that makes natural skincare and beauty products, is really good. I got in the fair shade, which is perfect for my skin tone.  It blends in easily, when I use (clean!) fingers, and really covers up any red spots I don’t want people looking at! It comes in a small compact-type of thing which lasts me quite awhile. This is one I’ll get again as I like how it feels on my skin, and it works well.

Sukin Organics Facial Scrub

I’m a fan of facial scrubs – My skin doesn’t feel clean without them. I swear I always look better after I use a scrub. This one, from Sukin Organics, is quite good. It’s very creamy, so it’s gentle to use, but still gets rid of dead skin, so it’s effective. It has a nice smell, which is good - I find some natural products don't have great scents at times. I like that it’s cheap, and easily found in any shopping centre. The only thing is it doesn’t last me very long at all. If it came in a bigger size, I’d probably like it more. But as cheap, and effective product, I would buy it again.

[Al'chemy] Lavender & Anthyllis, 24 Hour Intensive Moisture Leave-In Conditioner

I have been using this leave-in conditioner for some time now, and it is one of my must-haves. It makes my hair look shinier and much easier to manage, especially since my hair is curly and quite frizzy!  It also helps it to look less dry, and look generally smoother. I find that when I leave in at night times, in the morning my hair is easier to brush, and feels softer, so I use it more at nighttime rather than during the day. It's also useful to calm down frizzy hair, so occasionally if my hair is misbehaving, I'll put a little bit on during the day.

I think it’s worth getting especially if you have curly hair or dry hair that needs a lot of moisturising.

Nature’s Organics: Organic Care Exfoliating Shower Crème

Body washes are one of those things I tend to spend as little as possible on, since I go through them fairly quickly. I bought this one (In Chai Milk) awhile ago, and really liked it. The Chai Milk smell is really pretty, and I find that it’s quite moisturising. The exfoliating beads are not too rough or harsh on my skin, so it's doesn't feel rough to use. It’s inexpensive and comes in a 400 ml bottle, so it lasts awhile. Overall, I really like this one, and will probably get it again.

Budget Beauty Vs. Expensive Goods

There are some things I tend to spend more money on in my skincare regime, such as my moisturiser. I believe that since a moisturiser stays on all day (or night), it’s best to spend the money and get a good decent one. However, I spend as little as possible on things like cleansers, or lip balms. With cleansers, I don’t notice the difference between an expensive one and a cheap one, so I go for the cheapies. And with lip balms, well, I like to have different flavoured ones so I don’t like to spend twenty dollars on just the one lip balm, when I can get six cheap, but still good ones.

I also spend more on things like foundation and tinted moisturisers, as I find the more expensive ones last longer, and look better on your skin. But I scrimp on things like facial scrubs, and lip glosses as you can find really good ones for ten dollars or less. 

What products do you splurge on and what ones do you scrimp on?

Going Cruelty free

Going Cruelty free in your makeup or skincare can be challenging at first. I remember when I first started to phase out my regular brands in favour for cruelty free brands – It was hard. Sometimes I found that the new products I used were not as good as the older ones. But I kept looking, trying out new products all the time. To start phasing out your products, I’d suggest trying a range of different alternatives – It may take a few goes before you find an new cruelty free mascara or lip gloss you love.

The other thing I’d suggest is to do the phasing out bit slowly. You don’t have to chuck out all of your beauty products straight away. Keep using them until you’ve finished them up, and then find cruelty free alternatives.  One way to find alternatives is to search online for cruelty free cosmetics. There are many companies online that can ship right to your door. Many of the brands I review sell skincare ranges, as well as makeup ranges which can be a good starting point. In Australia, many health food stores and pricelines have good cruelty free brands and ranges.

All in all, have fun trying out different products!

Gaia Intensive Moisturiser

This is the first product I’ve tried from the Gaia range, which has men’s, women’s and baby range. I’ve been using this cream as a nightcream. It’s a light lotion feels not too heavy on my skin. Despite its light feeling, when I wake up the next day my skin feels really hydrated.  It has a gentle floral smell that is quite nice without being overpowering. I love how it's not too heavy unlike other nightcreams I've used in the past. A great lotion for those with dry skin.

Why Cruelty free?

As a teenager, I used to use whatever products that were recommended in magazines, or on TV. When I got older, I became aware of the cruelty involved in animal testing within make up and beauty companies. So a few years ago, I began to phase out many of my cosmetics which had been tested on animals, and introduced new cosmetics, from companies that don’t test on animals. Nowadays, the amount of companies that don’t use animal testing is growing all the time, and I find that there are suitable alternatives to nearly every product – from lip gloss, to foundation, to shaving cream. However, because I am a fan of beauty products, I love to try out new products and companies all the time! Sometimes it’s hard to find a good alternative to certain products, and so I hope to highlight different companies and products on this site, the ones that are doing the right thing, and to help people who want to use cruelty free products.

A'kin Rose de mai Anti-oxidant Day Creme

Apart from lip balms, I also adore face creams. I’m always on the look-out for a new cream. My skin is fairly normal, but I do tend to suffer from pimples.  This cream, while not designed to keep skin clear of pimples, does however make my skin look brighter, and fresh. I really like how it feels when I put it, and it doesn’t irritate my skin at all. As I have fairly normal skin, it’s not greatly important that my moisturiser is really rich, but this one is very hydrating without being too rich. So throughout the day, my skin still feels soft from putting it on that morning. Sometimes I’m tempted to try new creams, but normally I return to this one since it’s so good. A'kin is an Australian brand, and has several lines of products, including haircare, a line for men, and a line for babies.

Natio Extreme Volume Mascara

Natio is an Australian company that has a good range of products, which are inexpensive. I’ve used this mascara regularly, as at $14.50, it’s a good price. It coats the lashes nicely, without feeling gunky and makes my lashes look thicker, and fuller, thus making me look more awake – Good for early mornings! The mascara smells nice, and comes with a large brush and is easy to apply. It also comes in a stylish-looking tube, which as someone who does like stylish packaging; this is a big plus for me.

Yes To Cucumbers Natural Glow Facial Towelettes

I’m a bit lazy, so sometimes at night I’d rather take my makeup off with a face wipe than actually wash my face, especially if it's late. I’ve used a few different brands of facial cloths, trying to find one I like. These ones, from the Yes to Carrots brand, are quite good. They take makeup off easily, they don’t irritate my skin, and I don’t feel the need to wash my face afterwards. The cloths smell lovely, and feel refreshing on my skin. The packaging they come in is quite cute. It comes with a easy to open lid, which helps keep the cloths from drying out, and look stylish on your bathroom counter.

Badger Balm: Cocoa Butter Lip Balm

I am a lover of lip balms. I buy them all the time, and I can rarely open a drawer in my house without finding at least one lip balm in there. So I like to try out all different kinds of lip balms. This one, from Badger balm (In Creamy Cocoa), is very nice. It has a lovely subtle cocoa smell, and it’s thick without being heavy. I really like to use this in winter, I find it stops my lips from drying out, and is great for those days when the wind is fierce. It comes in a large tube, larger than the average lip balm, but this means it lasts quite a while. The tube has a cute picture of a badger on it, and the packaging is quite nice overall. It glides on smoothly, and feels creamy on my lips. It also lasts for a while, meaning I don’t have to constantly reapply.Overall, I really like this lip balm - It's great for dry lips, and smells lovely.

First Posting....

This is my first posting on this blog, where I'll be writing about cruelty free makeup, skin care and body care. I'll be posting reviews of products I try. I'm a beauty junkie in terms of skin care - I love lip balms, body creams and strangely, foaming cleansers. So I'll mainly post about skin care, but I'll try to review make up too, such as lip glosses, eye shadows ect. I'm going to try and post hopefully each day! ;)