The June/ July period is often a very exciting one for me, not only because it's Winter (and the colder months in Queensland are much more preferable to me than the warmer months), but because my uni holidays are around this time which means I can devote more time to blogging AND trying out new beauty products for somewhat drier skin. Over the last month I have been loving lots of things, including my favourite perfume, Miss Dior Cherie, which I repurchased a while ago, some makeup, and of course, skincare. Enjoy!
As a lot of you know, I am still on roaccutane (this is the second treatment process for me... read more about it here), so my skin is really, really dry at the moment. My forehead, around my nose and my chin get really dry especially, resulting in a bit of peeling and flaking, depending on how high my daily dosage of the medication is. At the moment, I am taking 20mg, twice a week which has significantly reduced these side effects, but makes the overall "getting better" stage slower. My dermatologist has made quite a few suggestions on what moisturizers and facial washes are okay for me to use, but with the dryness around my forehead annoying me a bit, I've been open to try a new face cream (so long as it's natural and gentle on my skin).
A lovely woman I have been following since 2012 has just realized her own skincare line; a bunch of handmade, beautiful products suitable for a range of skincare types. Tabitha Emma has always been a major inspiration to me, as I used to gaze admirably at the beautiful graphic design work she did for some of my favourite blogs. In the last year, she's been juggling two little ones, as well as putting together her lovely skincare range called "Nourish and Nurture". At the moment it consists of a variety of face creams and lipbalms, but hopefully in the near future, there will be more goodies to treat your faces to! I would also like to mention that 50c from every purchase goes towards SEND HOPE, NOT FLOWERS. This charity helps save the lives of mothers (in childbirth) in developing countries.
I was really keen to try out the "Red Dust" lip balm and "The Glow" face cream, so I popped them in my cart and eagerly awaited their arrival. They came in the form of brown paper packages tied up with string (ahh) from Orange in New South Wales, along with a little info card and ideas on how you can recycle the little glass jars they come in.
So, without further adieu, here is my review on these goodies from Nourish and Nurture:
I am a very skeptical face-creamer. However, when I read the ingredients list on the website for this little pot, I couldn't resist giving it a go. This formula is very thick, which was surprising to me at first, but once I warmed it up in my hand, it melted a little, creating a perfect consistency for spreading across cheeks, neck and chin. At first, due to the thickness of it, I didn't think I would be able to use this as a day-cream and decided to stick with it only before bed. Every morning, I woke up and my skin felt really lovely and hydrated. It also worked especially well as an under-eye cream, which made it a neat 2-in-1 package. I ran out of my primer a few weeks ago though AND my day cream on the same day, so I decided to give this a go as a base for my makeup and it worked incredibly well! I've yet to actually purchase another primer and have instead been just using this and I couldn't be happier with how it makes my makeup look, and last.
Overall, I love this product. It doesn't last me as long as I would like... but I think that's because I apply it very generously, using it twice a day in hefty amounts. It didn't necessarily clear up my skin, or improve my pimple situation (I didn't expect it to, because I am on medication for that), but it was very kind to my problem areas and soothed redness and inflammation.
- Handmade
- Vegan
- All-natural
- Very hydrating
- Smells beautiful
- Also worked for me as a primer and under-eye cream
- Though it is beautiful to look at, I've never been a big fan of jar packaging, and always prefer a pump for hygiene reasons.
- Depending on how much cream you need, it may not last you too long. I've had mine for a month, and have just run out of it.
I have a slight obsession with lip balms. I have tried SO MANY different formulas, flavours and brands... and I really liked this one! Once again, drawn to it because of the "all-natural" part and because I love macadamias. This lip balm is definitely what I would like to call a "kissing friendly" lip balm. It doesn't really have a particular taste, it makes your lips look soft and shiny, and it feels really good. Once again, the formula wasn't what I expected. It's actually quite hard set into the jar, and you have to work it a little to warm it up. Once you've applied it, it feels a little like having coconut oil on your lips, only thicker and a lot more hydrating. I love, love, LOVE the smell of this stuff. It's got a fresh, citrus-y vibe to it and is very comfortable to wear. Before this, Blistex was my go-to, but I really don't like lip balms that have a heavy smell or taste to them, so I ditched that one and am now very happy with my natural, kissing-friendly** replacement.
Overall, this is a great lip balm! I love wearing it, I love telling (...forcing...) my housemates to wear it, "HERE, try this amazing lip balm!!" and it's natural, vegan, handmade, and smells nice. Oh! And kissing-friendly, for all of you lip-lockers.
PROS
- As before: handmade, vegan, all-natural
- Love the smell
- Comfortable
- Doesn't taste weird
- You get a lot of it. That little jar will probably last me about 6 months.
CONS
- A little bulky if you need lipbalm during the day and it lives in your handbag. It's do-able (to take around), but it's not a light-weight thingamajig.
- The lasting power... not so great, you would probably have to reapply it regularly. It's not a heavy-duty "This will protect my lips from windburn if I go hiking up a tall mountain" lip balm. It's more of a simple balm for everyday use.
- No SPF! Dang it. Ah well, you can't have everything in life. To be honest, adding SPF would probably ruin the lovely smell, texture and lack of taste this product has, so it might be a good thing.
**Now, I am currently single, however, if I WAS to be kissing a particular boy, I would want to be wearing this stuff, and he would probably want to be wearing it too.
NOW! On to zee makeup. Phew! This is longer than I thought it would be. I've got some great products to talk about, starting with:
NARS SHEER GLOW foundation, $67: I am in shade "Mont Blanc". This is my new favourite, go-to foundation. I have been using this since April, and I still have quite a fair bit of product left! Everything about it makes me happy with my face, EVEN when I have pimples. The consistency isn't too thick, nor is it too liquid-y and it glides on super slick and smooth. The colour match is also perfect. I actually cannot fault this foundation and will probably continue repurchasing until I am dead... whoever is in charge of preparing my body for burial, please make sure I am wearing this stuff. It's great, and the lasting power will see me through. Mr Nars is also a legend because he actually recommends applying this foundation with your fingers too, which is great, because my hands are my favourite makeup-application tools.
Only con; the fact that you have to purchase a pump separately for a whole $4 or $5. Annoying, but hey, it's still a pump.
FULL N SOFT mascara, approx $10-$15: This is a favourite within my family of girls. We've all used it at some point, or are using it. I love this mascara because it does everything for me: volume, definition and lasting power (yet it still easily comes off in the shower at night). A few people at work have asked me if I have been wearing false eyelashes, which was flattering for two reasons; "Wow, do my lashes really look that amazing!!?" and "Wow, I am flattered you think I could even apply false lashes, thanks!!". Great mascara. Big tick from Avenue Maria.
NAPOLEON PERDIS blush in "Blushing About": This was a gift to me so I don't know the price, and I don't think it's available anymore, but here's a similar one. This blush is really beautiful on my skin because it blends seamlessly with my foundation, almost melting into the skin. The colour is also very flattering. It's a lovely peach-y shade with a subtle warm undertone. There also isn't too much shimmer which is great, because I want my highlighter to stand on its own two feet, thank you very much.
ESSENCE lipsticks in "On the Runway" and "Barely There!", $4.50: Okay, these lipsticks cost less than a cup of coffee and they are my absolute favourite go-to lipsticks for every event. "Barely There!" is my favourite lipstick and this is my fourth repurchase. It's the perfect nude for my skintone, it's pretty comfortable to wear, provided I wear a lip balm prior to application. The finish is matte, but not too matte. "On the Runway" is a very flattering red lipstick, that is very comfortable to wear. The finish isn't matte, but it's not too shiny either. It's very necessary to wear a lipliner with this one though, as it does tend to smudge. Lovely products though; so cheap and great for my fair skin!
Thank you for reading! I hope you are all having a great week so far. Any questions can be left in the comment section below or you can email me directly at avenuemblog@gmail.com.
1 comment:
Colors of them are beautiful,just thanks for your sharing.
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