A game changing mascara, brilliant perfumes, hair heroes and guilt-free beauty buys, these are my top 10 products for October…
1. Lipidol After Shower Oil (R79,95, Clicks). Shower oils are all the rage at the moment. Lipidol has just released a range of body oils for face and body (there’s even an SPF oil). The idea is that, since the skin’s natural barrier consists of oils and fats, we should be replenishing it with oils instead of creams, which are often water based. This body oil contains some good moisturizers, antioxidants like Oryzanol and Vitamin E, and soothing Bisabolol. Apply it straight after showering to wet or dry skin. One thing I don’t like is the clear packaging, since light damages anti-oxidants. So make sure you store this away from light or decant it into a dark bottle.
2. Maybelline Dream Pure BB For Oily Skin with SPF 15 (R99,95). From someone who has combination skin, I wouldn’t say this is the best foundation to combat oil, but I still really like it. It gives better coverage than most other BB creams I’ve used, and looks incredibly natural. So what if you need to dab a bit of powder throughout the day? As a bonus, this also contains 2% Salicylic Acid, the current super hero for taking care of breakouts and blackheads, and SPF 15 to help protect against UV damage.
3. Jimmy Choo Flash London Club Eau de Parfum (R695 for 60ml). I absolutely adore this fragrance! Jimmy Choo Creative Director once again teamed up with perfumer Christine Nagel to put a spin on the original FLASH fragrance. This perfume is incredibly sensual with deep, floral and sweet wood notes. On the first impression you’ll catch hints of citrus and lychee followed by tuberose, with white woods and musk at the base.
4. Juice Beauty Green Apple Hand & Body Mousse Cleanser (R300 for 288ml, Wellness Warehouse & naturescolours.com ). I love this as a hand wash. The formulation contains a blend of fruit juices, and fruit acids that break down dirt, as well as anti-oxidants like Vitamin E to nourish your skin. As a bonus, many of the ingredients are certified organic. I had my doubts at first, but this wash cleanses effectively without the need for any traditional soap ingredients.
5. Kérastase Keratine Thermique Glaçage Thermo-Seal Smoothing taming milk (R340 for 150ml, select salons and everythinghair.co.za). This heat protect product helps prevent damage caused by blow-drying and straightening, and upon that it also smooths the outer layers of the hair fiber, and it contains caring actives to strengthen, moisturize and tame hair. I struggle with frizzy hair quite a bit and could definitely see a difference when using this product. My hair was significantly softer, shinier and more manageable. I applied about a R1 coin size to wet hair and combed through before blow drying and between blow-dry and heat styling.
6. My Burberry Eau de Parfum (R980 for 50ml, select department stores). A fragrance inspired by an English garden after the rain. I really can’t get enough of this warm, sweet scent. The strongest note is definitely rose, surrounded by bergamot and sweetpea, giving you a honey-like combination. It’s a really wonderful fragrance for spring/summer, particularly if you like floral perfumes.
7. Lancôme Grandiôse Mascara (R399, select department stores). Trust Lancôme to change the game when it comes to mascara. I’m not normally convinced by fancy mascara wands and complicated brushes, but this one is really clever. It’s the first mascara with a swan-neck wand. The curved stem has been designed to accommodate the curves around your eye, and makes it much easier to apply mascara, even in those tricky inner corners. The mascara has a deep black pigment, so you get results from the first coat, and the brush distributes the product precisely so that you get fuller, longer lashes without clumps.
8. Nivea Men Sensitive Shaving Gel 0% Alcohol (R59,99 for 200ml, nivea.co.za). This is husband’s choice of the month. He struggles with sensitive skin and has been using this shaving gel for a while now, with good results. The shaving gel has been formulated without any alcohol, making it gentler on sensitive skin. It also contains moisturizing glycerin and soothing chamomile. It does still contain fragrance, which is a shame, but at least there is very little in the formulation.
9. Africa Organics Kalahari Melon Body Lotion (R39, africaorganics.co.za). This body lotion contains 100% natural ingredients, including organic ingredients like Aloe, Coconut Oil and Sunflower Seed Oil, certified by EcoCert. It also carries the stamp of approval from Beauty without Cruelty, the organization that combats animal testing. I thought it absorbed easily and moisturized effectively. It did leave a bit of a sticky feeling directly after application, but that faded quickly.
10. Revlon Brow Fantasy pencil and gel in Brunette (R120, revlon.co.za LIMITED EDITION). Defined brows are my secret weapon. When I fill and comb my brows, I can easily get away with only foundation and mascara. Scouts honour. This new launch from Revlon is really great. It has a pencil on the one end and a tinted brow gel on the other. I’ve tried the brunette pencil, which delivered a light chocolate brown colour. The pencil was quite hard, but that also means you have more control. Before applying the gel, make sure there are no blobs of colour on the wand. The gel will also help to set your brows. It is limited edition and launched in August already, so head to the shops asap before it sells out.
What have you been using this month? Share it with me on Facebook and Twitter.
Pictures: Liezel Malherbe/ 9Lives
The post October Beauty Obsessions appeared first on 9Lives.