One: Shea Moisture African Black Soap Clarifying Mud Mask**
I received a sachet of this mask when I attended Shea Moisture's Perth launch event and I've gone ahead and bought the full-sized tub after devouring the sample because it is one of the very few masks that I've tried that you can very visibly see a difference the next day. It's a great mask if you've got congested skin. I'm not acne prone by any means and I really only get breakouts during that time of the month so I'm not sure how far this would go on truly troubled skin but it has been amazing on mine. Any pimples are diminished and my blackheads are visibly improved, leaving my skin feeling smooth and clean and looking fresh and glowy. I have dry sensitive skin and admittedly, this does sting a little at first, but it's nothing unbearable. The fact that it doesn't dry hard and therefor suck the moisture from my skin more than makes up for it. Because it doesn't dry, it also is easier to wash off, which is always a plus.
Two: Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara
This isn't a new product in the slightest, but it is new to me. I can't believe that I've been sleeping on this mascara! It's beautiful! I usually opt for waterproof mascara (although I do believe there is a waterproof version out there) but this is a damn good formula. It lengthens my lashes so much without any clumping at all. It just gives me natural-looking thickness and separation whilst elongating and curling in the most beautiful way. I haven't found it to flake or smudge on me and my lashes definitely feel more soft than they do "crunchy" when I wear it, which I haven't seen in other formulas too often.
This is a crazy highlighter! It is full of metallic pigments so it gives off a beautifully reflective glow. It looks super gold in the pan, which made me a little nervous at first, but it looks gorgeous on the skin, even on my light complexion. It actually starts off looking quite natural but can easily be built up to a blinding highlight. The formula is creamy and blends in beautifully - such a high quality drugstore product. It also looks gorgeous on the inner corners of the eyes or as an eyeshadow topper!
I love a chemical exfoliant but with such dry skin, it's difficult to find a formula that isn't too harsh for me. These pads don't irritate the sensitivity of my skin and they contain hyaluronic acid which helps to add some moisture back in to the skin. They do still leave me feeling a little dry, but it is nothing compared to what other brands have done to me. As long as I slather a good moisturiser on afterwards, I'm good to go. These gently resurface and tone my skin leaving my face looking brighter and smoother. I don't use these every night, maybe 1-2 times a week, but even with sparing use, my texture and pigmentation has vastly improved over time.
This took a little trial and error to get the amounts right but once I got it figured out, I fell in love. It is marketed as a "hair dressing", which I guess more or less means a leave in treatment? I have quite fine hair and this works to combat static and flyaways whilst leaving it feeling soft and healthy. I find that applying a small amount (I just rub a smidge between my hands) to wet hair before blow drying is the best way to go. It can be put directly on to dry hair too, but I find that it is very easy to go overboard and have your hair look greasy and feel weighed down this way. The smell of this stuff is beautiful and I can smell it on my hair all day. A sort of sweet vanilla scent.
What products or brands have you been loving lately?
Is there anything here that you'd like to try?
Products marked ** were gifted to me, free of charge. However all comments and opinions expressed are 100% my own. I would never promote anything to my readers that I do not 100% believe in.
This post also contains affiliate links. I will always disclose such information with a single asterisk (*) for full disclosure to my readers. Feel free to find and purchase these products elsewhere if you don't get down like that. :)
