Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream

Hey all

As you'll know by now we love Antipodes so whenever we get the chance to review products we can't wait. The Manuka honey range is one of my favorites and it's lasting so long as the eye cream is a big pot (review Here and all Antipodes posts Here). Antipodes is the brand i turn to now for luxury quality cruelty free skincare.

Avocados are everywhere at the moment, there popular for diet, skincare and hair care. I love eating them but haven't specifically sought out skincare containing avacado oil so couldn't wait to try this out. As I'm loving my Manuka honey day cream I decided to try the Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream, I've been testing it for the last month or so now so I could really see the effects it has on my skin.(L got the Rejoice light facial day cream that I'm sure she'll share soon.)

Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin Brightening Light Day Cream and Eye Cream

Hey all

Our Antipodes love continues today. We were recently sent some new bits to try and we've been testing them now for the past month. With skincare like this we like to wait a while to review it as it can take a few weeks for skin to decide if it like it. You can find all our other Antipodes posts here.

As I'm sure you'll all be aware by now at the beginning of the year after getting my two fluffy bunnies I went cruelty free. It meant I had to totally change everything I'd normally buy and left me searching for new brands. Antipodes is now one I throughly recommend. This year we've been lucky enough to try out more of the range and we've loved everything so far.

Today we're sharing our thoughts on the Manuka Honey Skin Brightening Light Day Cream and the Eye Cream (L has previously purchased and loved the Aura Manuka Honey Mask, reviewed here)

The Manuka Honey Eye Cream and Day Cream are both vegetarian society approved products and bee friendly products. I love the brand ethics of Antipodes! Manuka Honey is amazing and something that is everywhere. I decided to do some research on different Manuka Honey after recieving these to see the benefits and the differences. Manuka honey have different UMF ratings (grading systems for the beneficial properties) which is usually reflected in the price. The range from 5+ anything less than 5 has undectable levels, 5-9 have low levels, 10-15 useful levels and 16+ superior high grade levels. The different levels have different benefits too. Both the antipodes products are 20+ so you get great grade Manuka Honey that's really going to benefit the skin.

Manuka honey is know to help fight ageing, promote hydration and help with skin blemishes due to it's antibacterial properties. I couldn't wait to try these products out!

Here's what Antipodes say about the Day Cream.

Manuka Honey Skin-Brightening Light Day Cream (60ml) features bee venom, Vinanza® grape and kiwi seed to restore a light and fresh visage. Bee venom and mamaku black fern provide a gentle lifting effect. World-famous manuka honey Active 20+ with natural antibacterial properties helps address any skin blemishes. Revolutionary Vinanza® antioxidants from grape seeds and kiwi work with peony flower for the ultimate skin-bright finish.

You get 60mls of product with this which is 10mls more than standard day creams. I've been so impressed with it. I've been using it at night as well. As my skin tends to be oily combination I tend to worry a bit about trying out a new cream but this is amazing. It absorbs into my skin easily leaving it feeling moisturised and plump. My makeup allows really well over this as well (it's never good when your foundation makes your moisturiser peel off your face!) As I've just come back from holiday my skin has been loving the extra help with hydration this has been giving it and it's not made me break out which is amazing. It doesn't have SPF in which may be a downside for some people but I've taken to using a separate facial SPF lately anyways as I'm crossing my fingers it'll help with ageing!!

Here's what Antipodes say about the Eye Cream

Manuka Honey Skin-Brightening Eye Cream (30ml) with Persian silk flower helps hydrate and freshen under-eye tissue. Manuka honey Active 20+ has world-renowned moisturising and anti-inflammatory prowess. This luxury formulation introduces Persian silk flower blended with revolutionary antioxidant Vinanza® grape seed and kiwi skin to brighten delicate skin.

Again this is larger than standard eye creams and actually double most as it's 30mls. When I opened it the size suprised me. You get so much product for your money. This feels amazing on the skin. It feels so refreshing under the eye and sinks in easily leaving the skin feeling hydrated. For me I don't find many products that brightening for the under eye area so I can't comment on those bits. It leaves the skin under my eyes feeling so soft though and has been great for the changes in weather my skin has been subjected to lately.

I've really loved both these products and after using them for about a month I'm really loving them!

Love M

xxx

Hey all!

As Mia said, we're huge fans of Antipodes. Not only because their products are beautiful and actually work but their ingredients and ethos of being cruelty free are something that we believe in.

I have really sensitive eyes so am always a bit nervous trying out new eye creams because I don't want them to become sore. This eye cream however has been amazing, so hydrating and as it's quite a thin consistency doesn't feel heavy at all. I've been using it the last few weeks without any reactions and the skin around my eyes has stayed really hydrated - I would definitely repurchase this especially as the size of the pot is so much bigger than others.

The day cream has also been a treat to use, I've been using some other oils recently in the day to keep my skin hydrated for longer and the combination of the two together has been great.

Just like M I have also been using this in the night as it is so light and my skin just drinks it straight up!

We would both definitely recommend both of these and they are a great addition to the Aura Manuka Honey mask which has been part of their range for a while.

Have you tried Antipodes before? What are your thoughts on ingredients like Manuka Honey?

L xxx

Top 10 Products I Miss

Hello!

Today's post is a bit of a nostalgic one, I've been doing really well at saving money and using up my stash. I honestly have been doing so well at not buying things I feel like I might be ill!
It's been such a long time that I haven't bought anything essential that I was looking back and thinking of all the products that I would buy if I could....here's my Top 10 products that I miss:

Aura Manuka Honey Mask

Love this, need to repurchase to save my skin!

Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser

Need to repurchase this too, this lovely cleanser not only makes my skin feel super clean but also it exfoliates my skin without any abrasiveness and leaves it feeling tip top.

Lush Ocean Salt Scrub

This is not only a facial scrub but also a body scrub, it smells DIVINE and to be honest just sniffing it is great but I felt like this wasn't rough on my skin at all. Not only that but the fact it is made up with completely natural ingredients just makes it that much better.

Viper Venom Wrinkle Fix

Me and M both love this serum - it sinks in super quick and doesn't leave a greasy residue. Not only this but I SWEAR my skin looked so much better after using this and my little wrinkles were much improved.

Origins Make A Difference Cream

Another favourite of mine, this rejuvenating treatment just seem to get rid of all spots, soothe dry skin and generally make my skin appear a lot healthier and happier. I try and buy Origins products in sets so that I can try out new things that they have brought out, I've only thought one of them was a bit hit and miss so it has always been worth it!

Benefit They're Real Mascara

This is quite possibly the best mascara, it manages to separate curl and volumise my seemingly poker straight lashes and although I begrudge paying out for it, it really is worth every penny! There's nothing like the brush to separate out every lash and give the full fan effect.

Macadamia Hair Repair Masque

For day to day, my hair is happy with Aussie 3 Minute Miracle - but this makes my hair feel like silk and it goes super shiny and manageable. It just makes life so much easier when your hair plays ball!

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

All of these seem to be skincare don't they?? Can we tell I maybe have an obsession....
I loved this oil, it was a dry kind of oil so absorbed right into my skin and didn't leave a greasy layer at all. I'd love to try the dry/combination skin version now that I'm a bit older and my skin needs more hydration than before.

Aesop Parsley Seed Serum

Sadly this was only a little bottle of serum that came in a Selfridge's Beauty Box a few years ago, I put off using it as I wasn't convinced but as soon as I began it was magical - I really want to save up and go for a spree in Selfridge's Beauty Hall again and this would be number one on the list!

Lush Solid Serum Full of Grace

A recent addition to my product experience. I picked it up in store and my hands felt amazing, I knew if my hands felt that good then my face would feel even more amazing! And I was right.
My skin feels like it's being fed every time I use it, it's a winner and it's made of lovely natural ingredients too, I have to confess I have actually picked one up since I wrote this post!

What's your favourite product that you miss? Do you like any of the products that I miss?

I should probably branch out from being so skincare obsessed....!

L xxx

You Beauty Box

Hey all!

We've both been buying lots of similar things recently so we're back in the swing of writing double posts, we hope you like them!
Today's double review is the You Beauty box. Each box is limited edition and you get a choice each month of two products. You also get some products added in for free, and all this comes for just £6.95 delivered to your door - amazing!

This month we both couldn't resist and signed up mostly because Sasha from Ramblings of a Beauty Bird basically told us to, she is such an enabler!

It was nothing to do with the fact you could get a full size Illamasqua lipstick in a beautiful matte blood red finish for less than half of the normal £18.50 price tag.



Not only that there was also a travel sized version of Dove's Advanced Hair Series Youthful Vitality Shampoo and Conditioner - perfect for L now she's travelling a lot with work.

And also a lovely snack of a Nakd bar. We're big fans of healthy snacks and these are gluten, wheat and dairy free containing only cold pressed fruits and nuts and are normally around 100 calories, they're also perfect to take around with you in your handbag when you need a boost on the go.

This box was dedicated to the Best of British and came with a card to detail each of the products inside. We both chose the same this month, the Illamasqua lipstick and also the Good Things Manuka Honey Face Mask which L has been lusting after for a while. 

We both think this is such good value for £6.95 even without the lipstick. The lipstick is a beautiful bold red that would suit most people and is totally worth the £18.50 price tag for the pigmentation and finish.



Here it is on. The shade that comes in the box is Sangers which is still available to buy. It's matte but glides on easily doesn't dry out the lips and literally lasts all day.

The other products in the box are really generous sample sizes which is great as you will get to use them more than once like you would get with a sachet. It definitely seemed too good to be true. It's a great alternative to more expensive boxes and you get to choose two products each month you want to receive and then get extra ones thrown in or you can cancel for that month.

Have you tried You Beauty box? Do you think £6.95 is a much better price for a beauty box?

Who doesn't like receiving presents in the post?!

L and M xxx

Good Things Manuka Honey Daily Moisturiser

Hi pals!

Skincare addict here with another review. I've been trying to keep my products to as natural as possible and recently with my skincare issues I've been reluctant to try anything that I haven't used before on account of reacting to anything and everything.

Good Things have always been pretty good in my opinion and their Manuka Honey cleanser (review here) was really nourishing on my skin whilst also cleansing it pretty well too. When running low on moisturiser (as low as I ever run on products...) I picked up the Manuka Honey Daily Moisturiser with Royal Jelly and Bee Venom.

Firstly, sunshine yellow packaging always makes me happy. I like yellow and it always reminds me of my kitchen when I was growing up which was a farmhouse style with sunshine yellow walls. It was lush and the colour takes me straight back to that - and the food memories that come with it.

It also fits the theme of honey and bees so it works well. As with all Good Things products this is free from SLS, mineral oils and parabens which is always a great thing as the less chemicals the better.

So the range claims to help keep skin clear and hydrated and also help against skin ageing. This is fully the category that I find myself in now; hormonal breakouts have very much reduced but the fear of the first few wrinkles are definitely here. Maybe my wrinkles are here too but I'm not about to go and check and ruin my mood! *time to slap on more hydration*

The moisturiser is lightweight and also contains echinacea to promote skin longevity. Although it doesn't advertise much about the sunscreen it does claim to be present though it doesn't say to what factor so I wouldn't rely on it.

I've been slapping this all over my face for the last few weeks as my morning moisturiser and my skin drinks it up. It absorbs easily, smells edible and doesn't leave a greasy layer on top which means I can apply make up without it sliding down my face.

I'm not sure if the bee venom really does anything noticeable but the manuka honey is lovely and I think it's one of the best things to be included in a skincare product.

I love it and now want the rest of the range.

This costs a whopping £7.99 and I firmly believe its worth every penny. Even better that it's at Boots and is usually in a deal let alone the fact you can get points for buying it.

I've got the matching scrub on my list next for £4.99 and the mask for £6.99. just cannot go wrong for those prices!

Have you tried anything from Good Things? Do you like Manuka Honey in your products?

L xxx

Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser

Hello!

I cannot believe it is the end of August already, this year is flying by. and where on earth is all of the summer weather? Is it now autumn already??

Today I have a review on a facial cleanser that I saw one day in Boots and had to snap up. As I'm sure I've mentioned a zillion times already I have recently become unemployed because I hated my job so much and was made to feel so uncomfortable that I left without another job to go to. This is quite scary really and takes some explaining in interviews but basically for blog purposes it means that I am super skint!

No longer can i afford my number one cleanser in the form of Origins Checks and Balances at a cost of £17 so I've been seeking out a cheaper version with all of the same qualities that I look for:

• Removes majority of make up (I have to use eye make up remover/micellar water anyway for my super sensitive eyes so as long as its 90% removed I'm happy)
• Leaves my skin feeling clean without feeling 'squeaky clean' and tight, and ideally with a bit of hydration too
• Smells good
• Lathers well without a load of chemical nasties

Impossible?? I thought it might be. Until this one!

Good Things is a brand I've previously blogged about (link here) and I loved the ethos of the brand and also the product I previously tried, which is sadly no longer available.
All products are free from SLS (foaming agent) parabens and mineral oils which to me is a pretty good start.

I chose the Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser as firstly I'm obsessed with manuka honey, it smells good, tastes good and has a ridicukous amount of amazing properties. I love Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey mask for this reason and was interested to see how a cleanser works out too.
My skin is also getting older, siiiiiiiigh, and tends to needs more hydration than my younger oil slick face days and so a creamy cleanser sounded like the right option.
Lastly the price of £4.99 (its currently on offer in Boots for £3.33!) was very appealing. 3 for the price of my normal cleanser?? Surely worth a try!

It also contains Royal Jelly and Beeswax which was interesting. Straight from the Boots website you can see the blurb here:

Cleansing is the key to great-looking skin and this creamy cleanser has it all.

Super-hydrating royal jelly, rich in amino acids, helps to condition and replenish skin while the antibacterial properties of manuka honey ensure skin is thoroughly clean and balanced.

Black raspberry extract and vitamin E, both full of antioxidants, helps give skin a radiant, youthful glow.

This sounds like the perfect compromise to me, this cleanser should still remove the grime and oil from the day with the help of the antibacterial properties of manuka honey but also hydrate it with the royal jelly and help it glow with antioxidants. Sounds like a miracle!

Alice Hart Davis certainly seems to know her stuff and I have really enjoyed using this cleanser the last few weeks. I've been using a dollop of it applied to damp skin and removing it with a muslin cloth.
This seems to remove almost all of my make up, though it does have a little trouble with some eye make up but this isn't an issue for me as I have to be careful with my eyes and use a separate remover anyway.

The smell reminds me of warmth, if that makes any sense whatsoever. It reminds me of warm baked goodies coming out of the oven and is quite a comforting smell which I put down to the manuka honey.

I really cannot fault this product for the job nor the price and luckily for us it's often on offer at Boots!

Also in the range is a face mask, face scrub and daily moisturiser; all of which I am sure will find their way into my handbag on my next shopping trip!

Have you tried Good Things before? Do you have a favourite product?

Have you tried any from the Manuka Honey range before?

Let me know!

L xxx

What I Couldn't Live Without

Hey!

I was thinking the other day about my rather large stash and how well I'm going through it. I've been doing good but could do better. Then it got me thinking about which products I really couldn't live without now that I've found them and as I've mentioned before, I'm a bit of a list lover. So basically, without any more babble, here's my list of the products I couldn't live without at the moment!

1) Coconut Oil

I love cooking with coconut oil but it is fast becoming a staple in my beauty regime too. Not only is it a great moisturiser for your skin, but its also useful as a cuticle oil, hair mask, for hands and feet and as a lip balm. I tend to smother it all over before bed as a treat but this can take some time to get the oil to warm up. Still worth it tho!

Antipodes Spree....Round 2

Morning chums!

I wrote about my Antipodes spree a few weeks ago in this post. I'm completely hooked and won't bang on about them as a brand too much but basically they're blooming good!

My second order from them involved another 2 raved about products and another freebie which I sent to the lovely Sasha from Ramblings from a Beauty Bird as she missed the deal.

I ordered the much raved about Aura Manuka Honey Mask and I'm a huge fan of Facial Exfoliators so snapped up Reincarnation too.

Reincarnation Pure Facial Exfoliator is an EXTREMELY gentle face scrub, the particles are so tiny that really its like rubbing a cleanser with the tinest amount of powder in. It's probably the most non-abrasive exfoliator I've ever used.

It contains avocado oil and jojoba oil to remove lifeless skin, Calendula oil to repair and carrot seed the revitalise the skins surface. Not only that but it also contains a range of essential oils to soothe the skin's surface, what a combo!

I've used this a few times over the last few weeks and can honestly say it is one of my favourites. I am a firm fan of Origin's Modern Friction and whilst the effects from both are the same, the Reincarnation exfoliator is definitely less abrasive so it all depends on what you yourself are looking for in what is essentially a facial scrub.
This retails at £20.99 and whilst this may be expensive for some the ingredients are of top quality and a little goes a very long way.

Not to mention that i love the packaging of these products, the tubes make it easy to dispense as little or as much as you want and ensures there is nothing left at the end as you can squeeze every little drop out of it!

The Aura Manuka Honey Mask has been raved about all over the bloggersphere and I knew I had to pick it up months ago but unfortunately buying a car had delayed my ability to purchase anything!

Now i know why it was raved about and how much i will always need to repurchase this!

Applied to clean and dry skin the mask not only utilises Manuka Honey (an ingredient from NZ that is famed around the world and which we always keep in our kitchen cupboards) to increase moisture it also has fragrances of vanilla pod and mandarin to balance your 'Aura'.

After my first use I was hooked. I was astonished how a hydrating mask could not only alleviate my dehydrated and drab looking skin but also reduce the size if not completely eliminate some pesky spots i had and reduce the redness. Unbelievable!

This mask retails at £21.99 and comes in the very same tubes, easy to squeeze out every last drop and I can assure I will be there squeezing until my next one arrives. I cannot ever be without it and I apologise to humanity for not buying it sooner, maybe you wouldn't have to put up with my 'pizza face' for so long eh?

Have you tried Antipodes before? Which product is your favourite? Are you a manuka honey fan?

My wishlist for Antipodes is growing at an alarming rate, but I'd love to get my hands on the Joyous Night Replenish Serum, the Kiwi Seed Eye Cream and their Immortal Moisturiser.

No doubt when I'm closer to being debt free I'll be snapping up everything I can get my mitts on!

L xxx

Review: Dr Organic Lip Balms

Hiiiiiii all!

Today I will be talking about my new favourite lip balms.

Back a few months ago when me and M attended the Bristol Blogger meet we were lucky enough to get some Dr Organic products in our goodie bags.
This was the start of a beautiful friendship!

I have been using the other products so much that when I saw these lip balms on offer in Holland and Barrett  I couldn't resist.

Dr Organic are a relatively new brand to my ears but I love their ethics; organic, natural and bioactive ingredients, no use of animal products or harsh chemicals, preservatives, mineral oils, or GM ingredients and they do not test on animals.

There were a few different types available but I chose the Manuka Honey and Vitamin E balms as they are both supposed to be super moisturising and that's exactly what I was looking for.

Both balms are paraben and SLS free with no artificial colours, fragrances or harsh preservatives.

They're also BioActive, moisturising, soothing and hydrating with both UVA and UVB SPF 15.

I very much like that they are all individually packaged and you know that nobody else has been dipping their fingers into it or spreading it over the back of their hands.

I also like that the packaging is colour coded, all the Vitamin E products are yellow and the Manuka Honey are in orange. There are plenty of other products available in their range including Aloe Vera, Pomegranate, Argan Oil, Lavender and Rose Otto.

After taking them out of the packaging the tubes are quite simple in design but really sturdy, something you need with lip balms knowing you're going to be throwing them into your bags.

So.....what did I think?

These balms are so hydrating they've worked perfectly. I've had trouble with my skin being dehydrated for the past year or so, and my lips have been cracking terribly.

Both these balms are really moisturising but not greasy at all. I like to be able to feel lip balm on my lips but not still be there a few hours later like Vaseline. These balms sink in quickly enough but also last long enough on your lips not to need reapplying all the time.

My lips haven't been cracked now in a good few weeks, largely down to these beauties!
They're so soft and have lasted me well, they're still both over half way and I use them multiple times per day.

When they are finished I will definitely be picking up some more!!
The Pomegranate and Rose range are both for anti-aging so I will be heading there, as well as the Coconut range as I'm partial to the smell of that!

I have really enjoyed using these products and can see me repurchasing regularly, as well as wanting to try out their other products too!

I've personally got my eye on their award winning Coconut Oil Moisture Melt and Pomegranate Eye Cream!

Have you tried Dr Organic products? Which is your favourite??

L xxx