Garnier Miracle Sleeping Cream

Those are some big claims to backup there, aren't they? I have an uneven relationship with Garnier. For example, the BB Cream I loved initially but it lost its gloss quickly but the Ultralift 2 in 1 Serum I loved. As I love trying new products, this patchy experience was not enough to put me off.

The 50mL of product comes in a lightweight but very attractive pearlescent blue container. Obviously, the container is rather a lot bigger than it need be. On opening, you're greeted with a white interior and a pale peachy coloured cream. The scent is really strong - if you are not big on strongly scented products, you can stop reading now. I like to think I'm reasonably tolerant of scent but this was too much for me. The scent is rather over the top rose and confectionery - it makes you think of very sweet things.

The cream is really very thick. Do you know - it reminded me of panna cotta or a set custard - something dessert like! A very firm fruit flavoured yoghurt. Despite this very weird texture, it comes out easily and you only need a tiny bit - so plus points there. It smooths over the skin easily and it also absorbed easily. So until this point, if it weren't for the scent I'd be considering it a bit of a winner.

However ... I used it for a couple of days (and it was the only change in the beauty routine) and I came out in a couple of spots. I'm not normally spotty so I stopped using it and my skin eventually calmed down. At this point, I was prepared to give the cream the benefit of the doubt so I let my skin return to normal and allowed any potential hormonal interference get out of the way and tried again.

Exactly the same thing. I'm writing this nursing a spot on my chin, two on my temple and one by my nose. This is definitely not normal for me and given two instances, I'm going to have to chalk it up to the cream.

This is disappointing because I don't normally find new products affect me in this way and this product is super cheap (RRP $20, but you can find it a lot cheaper) but feels luxurious and seems to a pretty good job (minus that scent, obviously). While using it my skin certainly felt soft and hydrated but I'm not prepared to tolerate spots for that!

Available from Chemist Warehouse (& perhaps elsewhere).  RRP $20.

Garnier.

Source: prize.

L'Oreal Base Magique

A week or so ago I had a make up class with the lovely Laura of Ego Brows and Beauty. I'm pretty rubbish/minimal with make up so (despite owning a small ton of product) I asked her to focus on eye make up.

The great thing about spending an hour with a make up artist is all the suggestions and product recommendations and suggestions. One thing that Laura suggested was that, as I am currently using a compact foundation I revisit some of the primers I've found difficult to use with liquid foundation.

The first one out the drawer was a tiny sample of Base Magique. Like most of these products its main ingredient is a silicone: cyclohexasiloxane (followed by a couple of variations on dimethicone). This is what gives it its very soft feel and means not only does it have some emollient qualities, it also fills in fine wrinkles and plumps up your skin.

While I'm not a fan of how these products feel, I never have a problem with how they look on my skin. The problem hits when I apply makeup.

Unfortunately, in this case the solid foundation (applied with a sponge) was not happy. The primer came away from my skin - if you looked hard enough it almost looked like I was peeling! And I still ended up with the slight spottiness of pores being emphasised.

I'm glad I only had a sample and had not spent $30 on this. The remainder I gave to a friend!

Would I buy this? No. Not for me.

L'Oreal.

Widely available. $30.

Max Factor Ageless Elixir

Oh I love this foundation! I picked up the Max Factor Ageless Elixir ages ago in some big discount offer at Priceline. I chose it because I'd been impressed with a combined moisturiser/serum product and I can find that foundation catches in any dehydrated patches on skin so I figured the serum aspect would help with that. The fact that it's also SPF 15 is just a plus.

The coverage is light to medium and I like that it's really easy to build up without looking like you've caked it on. The foundation has a lovely, subtle rose scent and my only criticism of the pump pack is that it's hard to tell how much you've used. I love the black lid (no dirty foundation smudges visible!).

I have found that, as usual on my skin, this doesn't work so well on top of dimethicone/silicone rich moisturisers but if I use a good standard moisturiser (and allow it to soak in) then this works a treat. 

Because I favour such a light foundation, this has lasted me for absolutely ages, making it also excellent value for money.

I have reasonably fair skin and bought it in 45 warm almond which has been perfect.  I did spend some time choosing the colour before purchase (it only comes in 5 shades) and I've subsequently bought another Max Factor foundation in the same colour which is also a good match - so it seems the shades are consistent.

I'm quite disappointed I bought a different Max Factor foundation (always have to try something new!) because this is unequivocally a product I would both recommend and use again.

This is widely available and RRP is $32.95 but you will most find it discounted somewhere along the way!

Elucent Whitening Moisturisers

Gah! For some reason, I thought I had a post all scheduled and ready to go for last Friday (Friday, kids, is when Aus Best Beauty Buys will be bringing you my latest thoughts this year, providing I don't get muddled again!) but it turns out I didn't ...

Which is a shame because I have a truckload of products waiting to be written up.

But here we go with these two moisturisers - day and night - part of the 'whitening' range from Elucent.  I received these sample sizes as part of a little package of samples from a beauty website.  I have definitely used an Elucent product before but I'm stuffed if I can remember what it was.  I remember I liked it though.

The Whitening range is supposed to brighten your skin and reduce uneven skin tone.  As someone who has a little bit of pigmentation (hey, I grew up in Australia ... these things can't be helped!) I'm always keen to try out products like this.  I used the day and night creams in sync for a good couple of weeks and definitely noticed lovely, smooth, well hydrated skin during that time.  Did the creams reduce pigmentation and uneven skin tone? I can't say because I didn't take before and after shots but because they worked at their core business of moisturising my skin looked good.

The day cream
The day cream is SPF 30 - yay! A moisturiser with something approaching serious sun protection.  The cream is quite light and goes on easily and is absorbed quickly.  It does have a little bit of a white cast to it but that disappears when the cream is absorbed.  The cream does have the slight feel of sun cream to it but it hydrates and provides a pretty good base for foundation too.

The sunblock side of this cream definitely does its job - I wore this on a ferry crossing when I stood on deck for almost the full 45 minutes and didn't get sunburnt.

The night cream
The night cream is a completely different texture to the day cream.  It's thicker and feels richer but it is quickly absorbed and I didn't wake up feeling like I had a greasy face.

These creams aren't cheap and they're not widely available. But you can pick them up at Chemist Warehouse.

Dr LeWinn's Day Cream Moisturiser

 

Goodness - I dislike this product! I feel bad saying that because I know it is a cult product, one that (supposedly) was originally formulated for patients after surgery but ... BLEAH!

I received a small trial pot (so that was one blessing, as this baby is not cheap) and I was looking forward to trying it because I actually quite like the Dr Lewinn's night cream.  But so much disappointment ensued.

Firstly, it smells awful.  This seems to be a resounding comment around the web and while fragrance free is commendable "scent of ever so slightly old play dough" is really not what you expect in a $70 cream ...

Once you get over the smell the cream is quite thick which means that you don't need much (seriously, this tiny wee pot is lasting me ages) and even though the cream is thick it is absorbed quickly and doesn't leave a greasy slick.

But does it perform? For me, no.

Now I tried this out under some pretty hard conditions.  I started using it straight off a long haul flight to the northern hemisphere where my skin had to battle not only dehydration but cold weather.  And this moisturiser failed miserably.  I really struggled with my make up as small dry patches flared up on my cheeks and over the course of a couple of weeks I never really felt as though my skin was recovering.

Ironically, it was the plane journey back home where I slathered my face with Clarins Hydra Quench that gave my skin some relief.

The Dr Lewinn's Day Cream Moisturiser's main ingredient (after good old water) is dimethicone, which might explain why I didn't get on with it.  This is basically a silicone and does a great job of smoothing out your skin (many of those 'five second blur' type creams have a dimethicone base).  After dimethicone is apricot kernel oil and I wonder if that it what contributes to the disconcerting smell. It looks like apricot kernel oil does have some skin benefits and it can be great for prematurely aged, dry or irritated skin.  If that sounds like you, it might be worth seeking out just the oil for a quick massage over a clean face before bed.

Another downer on this product for me is that it offers no SPF protection.  That, combined with expense, smell and under performance make it a no-go for me.

Palmers Daily Calming Facial Lotion

Somewhere along the way I received a little sample sachet of this Palmer's Daily Calming Facial Lotion.  I've never really associated Palmers with (face) skin care - I've always thought of it more as a body care company so I was a bit hesitant about trying this.

When I first opened it I was surprised by how thick it was - 'lotion' suggests to me something that is quite runny whereas I'd describe the texture of this as quite cream like.  It felt quite heavy and I was concerned that it might be a bit rich.

But it isn't oily at all and while it feels thick my skin drank it up quickly and there was no oily residue or anything like that.

And for a couple of days I was really ho-hum about it.  It seemed to be doing an OK job of moisturising my skin (just off a long haul flight - your skin really knows about dehydration at that point!) but I really didn't dig the texture of it on my fingers as I applied it and it has no sun protection built in.  Also, being 'fragrance free' (for sensitive skin) it has that kind of 'fragrance free' smell ... I'm sure someone out there will know what I mean!

But then I put some foundation on ... and wow - for me, at least, it worked as a really good base for foundation.  It was rich enough to smooth out the dry patches so foundation didn't catch, the foundation went on easily, and looked really even (something I have real trouble with if a moisturiser has too much dimethicone in it!).

All of a sudden I went from ho-hum to really impressed!

I've done a bit of research - the main ingredient (after water) is ethylhexyl palmitate which is often used in cosmetics as an organic substitute to silicone.  The use of this, rather than a silicone definitely explains why my foundation went on evenly.  Unfortunately, ethylhexyl palmitate is derived from palm oil so ... I've tweeted Palmers to find out if the product is sustainable (not everyone cares about these things, but I do to the extent that I can ...).  I'll report back when I get an answer!

I can't figure out how widely or readily available this is ... it is listed on the Priceline website (which shows it as 'out of stock') but I can't find it on (the difficult to use!) Palmer's site but other sites do list it as in stock.  Make of that what you will.

Performance wise, this product, after an uncertain start gets a thumbs up from me!

Palmer's Australia.

Innoxa Skin Clear Clarifying Night Complex

 

 I bought this through OzSale and as it's no longer listed on the Innoxa website I guess it was run-out end-of-line discontinued stock.  However, it meant I picked it up for $8 rather than the $35 Innoxa night creams are normally.

The Skin Clear range is for oily/combination skin which is pretty much perfect for me - I have the typical oily t-zone and dehydrated (rather than necessarily dry) cheeks.  I also used this product over winter, which is a great litmus test for me with a moisturiser, as over winter is when my skin really struggles.  By which I mean it becomes so dehydrated that it starts to flake and then wearing foundation becomes a real challenge.

I loved this night cream.  It was very light and very easily absorbed, both of which can be a bit tricky to find in a night cream.  Initially I was concerned that it wasn't going to do the job because it was so light - but I've come out the other side of winter with remarkably smooth skin (maybe my day cream needs some credit too, but you know what I mean).

It was very lightly fragranced, I didn't need a lot of it (the 50mL jar lasted the whole of winter) and it did not cause any breakouts.

Things get better because this product is Australian made (I love being able to champion a locally produced product) and it's paraben free, dermatologically approved AND not tested on animals.

The only thing that's not to love about this is that you can't get hold of it!  However, my really positive experience with this does mean that I'll have no qualms about trying out other Innoxa products in future.  The Skin Clear range at the moment only carries a cleanser and anti blemish shine control lotion but other ranges, such as Anti Ageing and Sensitive, have a much fuller set of products.
Innoxa products are widely available.

Innoxa.

Source: online purchase.

Face of Australia Glossy Lip Crayon

I'm more into skin care than actual cosmetics but lips are one thing I do pay some attention to.  I have my favourite ever lip liner (I chose wisely once and managed to pick a colour which seems to go with everything) and I have a pretty broad (but in many cases old) collection of lipsticks and lip glosses.

But last week beauty blogger Sarah What posted the most GORGEOUS coloured lip crayon (Face of Australia Glossy Lip in Berry Brulee) on her instagram feed.  At the time I 'liked' it but didn't think any more of it.

Then a day or so later, I thought about it again and remembered that the brand, Face of Australia, wasn't particularly pricey and it was probably worth investigating further.

After a bit of scrolling back through instagram, I found the product and a bit of a google suggested it should be available easily for the bargain price of $8.  The first Priceline I walked into didn't have it (well, if they did I couldn't find it) but I eventually made my way into a BigW where I found it straight away.

I was tempted by a couple of other colours at the same time but prudence won out (it always does): I thought I should see how one performed before investing in many!!!

The colour is great and it builds up easily.  The crayon glides on making it super easy to use.  I haven't used lip liner with it and it doesn't bleed/feather.  It also lasts surprisingly well: even after a couple of cups of tea and something to eat there was still some colour.  And the colour fades nicely - rather than looking like a colour which has worn off it just becomes paler and more subtle.

The one downer for this product is the smell.  It's very pronounced and is a little girl sickly sweet confected berry fruit kind of smell.  Fortunately, it does drop off (or I grow accustomed to it!) quite quickly. If I weren't in love with the colour and performance of this product, I'd find the perfume enough to put me off.

But put off I'm not.  I love this and I might even treat myself to the

Widely available. RRP ~ $8.

Face of Australia.

Source: purchase.

Sanctuary Foaming Shower Mousse

While this product isn't available in Australia, I've decided to review it because it is part of the current Sanctuary range.  I received this as a present a while ago and the packaging has changed but it is still in the pump-to-mousse format and (as far as I can tell) the same product.

Firstly, I have to say that I was really impressed that the pump lasted as long as the product did.  So often, moving parts in beauty related products fail long before the product is finished which means you either waste some product or you spend time battling packaging trying to use up whatever it is.  This is not just with the products aimed at women - my partner has had some impressive battles with various shaving foams.

This mousse also lasted really well.  A single pump doesn't dispense too much and I got excellent mileage from this.  I'm an intermittent (couple of times a week) mousse/gel/wash user (er, not because I only shower a couple of times a week - normally I use soap and I am in a hurry!) so most products in this category last but occasionally fragrances fade or, worse, go off.  I'm pleased to report that this didn't happen with this.

The fragrance is very citrussy - think mandarin rather than anything else.  The foam is soft and silky and is definitely not drying on the skin at all.  I used this on a loofah pad and got excellent coverage from 3-4 small pumps.

In winter you won't get away without using a moisturiser after your shower, but in warmer weather (or, I guess, depending on your skin) I can imagine that this mousse would be sufficiently moisturising to be a one-stop shop.

In the UK this is available for just £6 so I would definitely recommend giving it a go.  It's both refreshing and moisturising and, if it makes it to Australia, it will be perfect for summer in particular.

Not available in Australia.  Available in the UK from Boots (at least), £6.

Sanctuary Spa.

Source: gift.

Biore Blemish Clearing Scrub

Bioré has a reasonably complicated array of cleansers available.  I'm a big fan of the Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser - months on now, my skin hasn't dried out and I'm using such a tiny amount it feels like the never ending cleanser.

I won a full size of the new Blemish Clearing Scrub.  Now, I'm not normally a fan of combination scrub/cleansers.  Firstly, I'm not convinced I need to exfoliate like that every day and secondly, I often find them drying.  However, my other half does use this type of thing so I figured even if it wasn't quite right for me, I'd be able to find it a happy home.

Unlike the Balancing Cleanser this scrub has a very strong scent which is dominated by mandarin.  Also, the main ingredient after water is not glycerin, but laureth-4 carboxylic acid.  This is used in acne treatments and is a surfactant, so it basically helps the product foam.  Having done this tiny bit of research, it's not surprise to me that I found this product dried out my skin.  Also, I really disliked its strong scent.

Handed over to my other half, he's decided it's not as good as his usual product and, like me, he finds it 'too orange-y'.

So overall, this product is a miss, rather than a hit.

Widely available.  RRP ~ $11.

Bioré.

Source: prize.

Skinvitals Eye Brighten Cloth Eye Treatment Mask

Part of my personal beauty routine, such as it is, is a weekly(ish) home facial.  This usually just incorporates exfoliation plus a mask.  I do use separate moisturising and clarifying masks and the moisturising mask I currently use is suitable for use around the eyes.

However, I was tottering around Priceline the other day and caught sight of a single use mask that promised to deal with dark circles and that would brighten and invigorate the eye area.  Skinvitals produces a range of cloth masks and Eye Brighten just happened to be at my eye levels.  A single packet was about $5 (less the 40% Priceline was having off skincare) but from the website it looks like these also come in packs of three for $10.50.

Although the packet extols the fact the mask contains Vitamin C and licorice the ingredient after water is sodium hyaluronate.  If you were just reading the back of the packet, this might sound vaguely scary but a bit of googling shows that it is absolutely the opposite.  In one form (hyaluronic acid) it occurs naturally in the body, including in the eye's own vitreous humour.  This form is quite large (on a molecular level) and doesn't penetrate the skin well but it is often used in injectable fillers (mmmm, doesn't that sound nice?).  Sodium hyaluronate, however, has many of the same positive properties but is smaller and more readily absorbed by the skin, taking its moisturising properties with it and providing a bit of plumping at the same time.  Unsurprisingly, this makes it popular in skin care and, as it occurs in the body, it is very low risk in the allergen stakes.

The mask is easy to use:  cleanse your face, open the packet, pop the cloths under your eyes and sit back and relax for 15 minutes or so.  The cloths are very cooling and I loved the feel of this on my skin.  Because there's not a lot of preparation involved, this is definitely a very quick pick me up.  When you're ready, remove the cloths and any excess serum can be wiped away with a tissue or cotton pad, or patted into your skin.  I didn't find that there was really any excess.

So you can judge for yourself whether or not a one off application had any brightening effects, here are before and after photos (sorry they aren't at quite the same angle - I think the pre-angle is more flattering ...).  I have a toddler, so if anyone is going to have dark circles and puffy eyes, it's me!

Personally, I wasn't convinced that as a one off this had any incredible immediate effects but I do think that expecting that is unrealistic.  I can see myself definitely buying this again and I'll definitely be trying out the remainder of the SkinVitals range.

Available from Priceline.  Other stockists on the Skinvitals site.  Around $5.

Skinvitals.

Source: purchase.

L'Oreal Revitalift Total Repair 10 Night Cream

What a mouthful!  You can understand why, when I toddled into Priceline a few months ago to buy this (on special, of course) I was completely confused by what was on offer and what wasn't.  In the L'Oreal range, Revitalift and Revitalift 10 are two different things.  I'm still not clear on what the difference is - but this is what I ended up with ...

This night cream claims to fight 10 signs of ageing while you sleep.  A big plus for me is that its main ingredient (after water) is glycerin - something that my skin seems to love.  After that, an ingredient I haven't passed comment on yet: dimethicone.  This is really widely found in cosmetics (and related products) and is basically a silicone.  It makes creams very smooth and also helps fill in/smooth over any fine lines.  It can also act as a protective barrier (so make sure your skin is clean before slathering it on as it will help trap gunk too!).

Personally, I've found that products containing dimethicone have a nice feel when I'm applying them to my skin.  They spread easily and tend not to feel oily.

I absolutely loved this cream.  It was easy to apply, non greasy and I didn't need too much of it.  It made my skin feel plumped up and hydrated just before bed and in the morning I still felt the same way.

For much of the time I was using this, it was in combination with the Garnier Ultralift during the day, and those two in tandem is a combination I'd be happy to return to.  My skin felt great.

I was not such a fan of the little pump container.  It worked absolutely fine but there's no way to know if you've run out of cream or the pump mechanism is simply failing because there's not enough left.  However, even though it is a cheap plastic container, it does look reasonably luxe in your bathroom.

I would definitely buy this again.  I know I'm a bit younger than the L'Oreal Revitalift target age range but I figure that pre-emptive skincare is not a bad thing.

Widely available.  RRP is around $36 but you'll be able to find it cheaper.

L'Oreal.

Source:  purchase.

Pond's Age Miracle Dual Action Eye Cream

This cream, from the relatively recently relaunched Ponds, offers 'dual action' with separate creams for eye lid and under the eye.

Initially I was very sceptical about this, especially as the two creams are very different in appearance and texture.  And while the jar is quite funky (and also quite luxe for a relatively cheap product) I could see myself running out of one cream a lot sooner than the other.

This didn't happen - I have run out of the eye lid cream and still have a little of the under eye cream left, but it's only a tiny disparity.

As for the creams themselves - I actually quite liked the pale pink eye lid cream.  It was very smooth and light, went on easily and had a nice matt, powdery feel to it.

However, the under eye cream (and let's face it, that's where most of us are worried about wrinkles!) didn't do it for me at all.  I found the cream far too heavy and often, especially in slightly cooler weather, I felt like I was dragging it across the delicate eye area.  It also had a tendency to sit in the eye crease if I accidentally used too much.

In terms of performance, I'd rate this product as maintenance rather than anything else.  I didn't notice any improvement in terms of appearance but also I haven't come out of the experience looking worse.

The main ingredient in both creams (before water even!) is cyclopentasiloxane, a silicone that appears to most commonly be used in conditioners.  But it is used in make up and, like all the silicones, has emollient properties and can fill in fine lines temporarily but seems to be there more for feel (which makes it even stranger than that the under cream felt so heavy, but there you go) and its ability to deliver other ingredients to the skin.  The lower lid cream does contain glycerin (which appears to be my skin's favourite!) but it's well down the list of ingredients.

I picked this up from Priceline with the benefit of both some SisterClub vouchers and a special SisterClub discount so it set me back all of about $15, however it is normally more expensive.

Would I buy this again?  No.

Available from Priceline.  RRP $29.99

Ponds.

Source: purchase.

Garnier UltraLift 2 in 1 Serum (Day)

This a prize that landed in my letter box.  After being underwhelmed by the Garnier BB Cream, I didn't come to this moisturiser (in the increasingly popular "+ serum" format) with high expectations.

I could not have been more wrong.  This is a fabulous day cream.  My only criticism is that it doesn't have any sun protection in it.  That, seriously, is it.  My only complaint.

The cream is very prettily presented: two spirals of cream and serum so that as you pump you get the perfect blend.  It is very lightly scented (a plus in my mind) and the cream itself is super light and quickly absorbed.  I would guess that if you had very dry, dehydrated skin this might not do the trick - but, even if you are like me (my skin is routinely dehydrated) this is great.  You don't need to use very much (though at under $20 you could afford to!) and it softens and plumpens (is that a word?!) skin.

Initially I was using this both morning and night and I did find it wasn't quite powerful enough, with a few dry patches appearing.  But swapping to a proper night cream (and, I understand, that Garnier produces a night cream version of this) solved that problem.

Its main ingredient (after water) is glycerin - something my skin always responds well to.  Next up is pentylene glycol which, interestingly, has antimicrobial properties.  I wonder if this translates well into the cream not causing breakouts in those prone to them ...

I loved this.  Something I will definitely consider buying when I am next in the market for a moisturiser.  Top marks, Garnier!

Widely available.  RRP is about $20.

Garnier.

Source: prize.

Clairol Nice'n Easy

 This is a product which is readily available and very often reduced in price. I'll confess that I was seduced by not only the mark down but also a pretty comprehensive range of colours.
 
For the record, I chose 114C (Light Chestnut Brown) which doesn't appear on the Clairol website so maybe it's been discontinued.

As with all hair dyes, you need to do an allergy test 48 hours in advance. And here is the first con: you need to mix the colour and developer and use this for your patch test. I find this a massive pain as I can't just do the patch test on the spur of the moment. I have to be organised enough to find something to mix them together in and by that stage I have found something else to do.

You apply the dye to dry hair (a definite plus) and ideally you will have done a strand test to work out the perfect development time ... or you leave for 20-25 minutes.

As with all permanent colours, Nice'n Easy promises 100% grey coverage but I was a little disappointed.  Despite the much vaunted (by the ads) multi-tonal colouring, the greys turned out (as they so often do) a deepish pink which faded very quickly.

I liked that the conditioner treatment was resealable but, as far as I'm concerned, the faff with the allergy test and the less than awesome grey coverage far outweigh that.  In a hair colour, I think the most important thing is even, persistent coverage and on this count, Nice'n Easy did not deliver.

Widely available.  RRP about $12.99 though often on special

Clairol.

Source: purchase.

Sanctum Moisure Concentrate

A while back I read a piece in the Guardian about how, when buying moisturisers (or skin care in general) it's a good idea to have a quick read of the ingredients list.  If it's dominated by water (sorry, aqua) and mineral oil then you're really paying for glorified baby oil.  If it's dominated by the so called 'active' ingredients, then you're getting a bit more bang for your buck.

This Sanctum Moisture Concentrate (which I received as part of a prize) ticks the second box with the plenty of things like aloe, vitamin A, cocoa seed butter and jojoba oil.  It's also Australian made and owned, not tested on animals, vegan friendly and 87% organic.

So before you even use this, you feel good.

How does it stack up as product?  I really liked it.  It has a very herbal, savoury smell that is dominated by rosemary.  I liked this as it reminded me of expensive facials where they use very concentrated products!

I used the product morning and night (always a plus, in my mind) and found it a good base for foundation.  It did a good job of hydrating my skin although it wasn't always quite up to the winter weather.  At the same time, it didn't cause any breakouts but it is quite emollient so if you have oily skin (rather than combination) or you're prone to breakouts you might want to try one of Sanctum's other moisturisers.

This is another product I would definitely buy.  It's only $20 for a 75g tube and it lasted me for quite a while.  It seems like it might be a bit tricky to get hold of.  Here is South Australia it is supposedly available at Foods for Life in Gawler Place but the FfL website doesn't list it.  You can, however, buy it through the Sanctum website.  Sanctum offers loads of different products, including ones for men and babies, so if you are interested in organic and sustainable skin care you should have a look.

Available:  check the store locator on the Sanctum website or buy online. $19.95

Sanctum Australia.

Source:  prize.

Clinique Even Better Foundation

So, my tiny make up bag, complete with my foundation, has been stuck at work for a week and a half.  Long story.  And while I can (mostly) live without things like mascara and make up brushes (and it's been raining so much even going out make up is pared right down!), a lack of foundation causes problems.  Especially as I am increasingly falling out of love with my BB cream.

As I did actually have to go out somewhere other than the shops I had a ferret through my bags of samples and pulled out one for Clinique's Even Better foundation.  The sample was in shade Neutral (05) which was an OK but not great match for my skin.

However, I really liked this foundation and I'd definitely consider buying it.  Coverage is a bit more than I'm used to (Clinique describes it as 'moderate to full' and that's spot on) but it wasn't cakey at all and I found that it lasted quite well and faded gracefully (it didn't settle into wrinkles and creases).

Being me, I also love the fact that it has a proper SPF.

At $50 from a Clinique counter it is ~ $20 more expensive than the foundation I'm currently using (which I also like, but less coverage) but when I'm next in the market for a foundation I hope Clinique has a gift with purchase on as I'll be heading along to get a good colour match.

Available at a Clinique counter. $50.

Clinique.

Source: sample.

Olay Regenerist

I've got plenty of moisturiser samples hanging around at the moment which is lovely fun.  Many of them are small sachets with just one or two uses in them and, particularly with a moisturiser, I don't think that that's enough to write a fair review.

However, a small pot of Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream found its way onto the bathroom bench.

In short, I really liked this product.  Pleasant, but not over powering scent, and I am sure that over the period I used it my skin felt smoother and plumper, with fine lines smoothed out too.

I don't actually have anything negative to say about it:  I would definitely buy this product in future.

Widely available for ~ $40.

Olay.

Source:  sample.

Nivea Young Be Beautiful Tinted Moisturiser

Hot on the heels of the Garnier BB Cream, that I wasn't such a fan of, comes this:  a tinted moisturiser.  I've typically steered away from tinted moisturisers - I think I went through a phase of using nothing but when I was MUCH younger and have never really got back into it.

The Nivea Young Be Beautiful! Tinted Moisturiser is, as the name suggests, designed for young skin.  It should, in theory, moisturise, protect (it has a UVA/UVB filter, but no SPF rating) and even out your skin tone.

As with the BB cream, I didn't find this product nearly emollient enough but I also think I'm not the target market.  But when I used a moisturiser underneath, I found that this gave much better coverage than the BB cream.  Although I had the 'natural' colour, it came out of the tube a really scary dark brown but I found it blended in with my skin tone well.  It had a nice matt finish and I certainly didn't appear to be caked in makeup (or hhttp://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7093719917028615861#editor/target=post;postID=4605148760414607691ave a tide line!).

I'm struggling to find a retail price for this product, but I doubt it's exorbitant. 

If you're skin's not dry or dehydrated and you're after a foundation like product to have on standby, I would recommend giving this a go.  Given the lack of SPF I would make sure to use a sunblock too, particularly if you're going to be outside.

Not sure about availability.  The ever reliable Priceline doesn't appear to stock it.

Nivea.

Source:  sample.

Garnier BB Cream

Garnier BB Cream

 I know I'm the last person on the planet to review this stuff!  As soon as it came on the market, I was keen to get my hands on it, but even then it took me ages.  Which is ridiculous because it is so cheap (RRP is about $14 and it is very often on sale so you shouldn't have to pay more than $10).

The idea behind a BB cream is that it does everything:  moisturiser, foundation, sunblock, etc etc all in one magical tube.  As I have a toddler, something like this is very appealing because while I can always find the time for either sunblock or moisturiser a lot of the rest of the routine falls away, particularly if it's early in the morning and we're off to Kindergym.

The first thing I noticed on the box was that Garnier does specify an appropriate age range for the product (up to about 40-45) which I thought was very useful so no one has inappropriate expectations.

The product feels quite thick as you squeeze it out of the tube but it actually is very fine and light on the skin.  Coverage is extremely light but the first few times I used it I absolutely loved it. My skin felt and looked smooth and it did a great job of evening out skin tone without being obvious.  It had the right balance of matt and shine to it to look really natural too.

However, it clearly wasn't providing enough moisturiser power for my skin because after probably a week or so I found that my skin was really dry and little rough patches were appearing.  The BB cream was catching in the rough patches and looking ... less than good.

So of course then I had to go back to using a moisturiser underneath the BB cream and that kind of spoils the point.

If you have skin that has no tendency to dryness then this might well work for you.  However, while it does contain sunblock it is only SPF 15 so if you're spending time outside (or it's the middle of summer) you'd be wise to go an additional layer of sunblock.

And coverage is really light.  I know lots of people for whom it just wouldn't be enough and even I don't consider the coverage good enough for a night out.

It also only comes in two shades (I bought 'light' and found it blended to my skin tone absolutely fine) which I suspect might be a problem for some people with tricky to match complexions.  It also comes in sensitive and oil free formulas.

Overall, I liked this well enough and have continued to use it (although sporadically), but it's not made me fall in love with it.

Widely available.  RRP ~ $14

Garnier.

Source: purchased.