Beauty Blitz | Quick reviews

*NEW SERIES*
Because I am constantly sharing different elements of fashion, beauty, travel and my life with you, I don't always get the time to do a full review on everything that I'd like to tell you about. Beauty reviews can take weeks while comparing results and I get quite a lot of product sent my way. I don't review everything - only what I love and what I think you'll love. So what I am going to put together each couple of weeks is a quick "blitz post" summarising some of the amazing products I am enjoying and want to share with you quicker. Some are new launches, and others, while not new to the market, are new to me. Lets get this going, shall we?

Hand Chemistry Dry Hands and Heels Hydration Complex: R300 at Clicks

Its thick but not oily, leaves a light tingle and really works like a charm. I am suffering with horribly dry hands this winter, never mind the forlorn looking feet. I have taken to slathering this on with socks at night and between this and my Schol electronic foot file, I'm keeping the lizard skin at bay. Instead of the traditional focus on peeling/removing tough skin, this brand aims to hydrate and rebalance - and I think it is doing a great job. Would definitely repurchase if the price point wasn't so high. (Product c/o brand PR)

Slim Sonic toothbrush: R299 at www.slimsonic.co.za

Loving this little gadget for travel. Perfect for carry on and the gorgeous case keeps it clean and dry and its also tiny enough to fit in my handbag or cosmetics purse. I wasn't initially sold on the whole "sonic, 22 000 brush strokes per minute" thing, but after using it, I get the hype. My teeth are cleaner than ever, which is great seeing as I'm currently on a 4-cups--of-coffee-a-day phase. Its certainly preserving the last whitening session. I adore the range of colours and prints available - who says the morning ritual needs to be boring?(Product c/o brand PR)

 Darling Jane Sweet Vanilla Scrub: R35 at www.darlingjane.com

Come Christmas time, all my girls are getting a tub of this stuff in their stocking. At R35, it is a steal for a massive tub of sugary sweet lip scrub that will last weeks. I've tried a few other products like the coffee scrub and the peppermint scrub, and both are wonderful too. This is new local brand, so show them some love. I will definitely be buying again. (Product bought at discount offered by brand)

Rapid Lash Eyelash and Eyebrow Renewal Serum: R850 at www.rapidlash.co.za

I am probably the only person on earth who hadn't tried this stuff yet. A bunch of the girls have tried it with roaring success. Lash extensions being the tedious eyeball caterpillars that they are, I am finding I prefer this idea. My lashes are getting ticker by the week and once they've got where I want them to be, I'll be trying out the new Eyelash Lift at Wembley Square. Can't wait to show off the results. (Product c/o brand PR)

Maybelline Blushed Nudes eyeshadow palette: $9,99 at various USA drugstores. No word yet on when or if it will be available in SA.

This was on my American Beauty wishlist that I write about here  and I am a very happy little beauty girl that I managed to snap one up. The pigment is great and all of the colours are perfect for my green eyes and paler colouring. The palette consists of 12 shades, cleverly broken down into quads, trios and duos of shades that play well together and it very handy when putting together a look. While not a 100% dupe for the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette, its pretty close at around a fifth of the price.
Holding thumbs and crossing the other fingers and toes that this comes to South Africa soon because I think you'll all love it. (Product bought myself)

Sorbet Salon Skin Daily Skin Polish Powder: R220 at Clicks & Sorbet Salons

I love this product very much. At a smidgeon of the price of the Dermalogica version, it suits my pocket. I've used it with plain water for an intense exfoliation, but prefer it with my cream face wash for something more gentle. (Product bought myself)

The Body Shop Tea Tree Cool & Creamy Wash: R70 at Clicks and The Body Shop

I previously wrote about this products here and even though my skin is clearing up nicely, I am still using this daily to keep the nasties at bay. Love the tingle. I've also been mixing a bot of the Sorbet Skin Polish Powder with it and enjoying a creamy exfoliation once a week. (Product bought myself)

Drugstore Beauty

Expensive doesn't always mean good, and cheap doesn't always mean bad. There are some phenomenal drugstore beauty products that have become cult favourites and feature in almost every beauty blogger and editors top shelf. I love trawling the aisles at Clicks for something new while stocking up on my favourites.

Speaking of our favourite budget beauty store, we all have had a Clicks card since varsity, am I right? And we have all collected our quarterly vouchers in our wallets until they are so crumbled they barely manage to scan when you finally use them on a roll of wrapping paper and a TV Bar.

Well they’ve finally joined us in the age of technology and your vouchers are now loaded onto your card and you can see your balance of points at the bottom of each till slip. Since the switch I have been really impressed with how well the staff know the new system. Every time they have offered to tell me my balance and asked if I’d like to pay a portion of my total with my points. Its that easy.

So seeing as we never go into Clicks for just that one item we came in for, I’ve put together some of my favorite drugstore beauty buys, all of which can be found at good ‘ol Clicks.

The Body Shop smudge brush - perfect for blending, smudging and getting a perfect finish.

Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micelle Solution - if you don't already have this in your artillery for makeup removal there is something wrong with you.

Essence finds that I am loving - their concealer kit, brow kit and this beautiful highlighter. I keep these in my handbag or at my desk for touch-ups before heading out for post-office drinks.

Dirty Works Miracle Cream - a budget night cream that I have been very impressed with. 

Brand new on our shelves, Eu Thermale Avéne thermal spring water - spritz on before you apply your makeup and throughout the day to keep your skin happy and glowing.

Labello Fruity shine in watermelon - yum!

Pantene's Moisture Renewal range - which I love for my bleached locks. Pantene launched their Pro-v technology across their ranges, which neutralises the effects of the water we use to wash and rinse our hair. High salt, mineral and chemical contents in our tap water can actually dry out your hair, so this helps make sure you get the best results from your product. 

Enjoy spending those club card vouchers. See you at Clicks for yet another beauty spree!

Ciaté

My favourite nail polish brand of all time, Ciaté has landed in SA and its available in Clicks! I've been waiting to share this news for ages, since they told us all about it at their Christmas launch back in July. That is a long time for me to keep a secret. Normally I last 4 seconds, never mind 4 months!
In my humble opinion, Ciaté  (pronounced 'see-ah-tay' in case you weren't sure) has the best range of colours, and also the best quality. Its never gloopy and I've never needed more than two coats for a perfect mani. I love the shape of the bottle with the chic little black bow detail. They make for a very pretty addition to your dressing table.

For me, these would make the perfect stocking fillers for any girl. I certainly have them on my wish list. Individual colours start at R149,95, the gift sets range from R249,95 to R299,95 and the gorgeous little beach house and doll house gift sets are R399,95.

How gorgeous are these gift sets?

September's favourites

I have been wanting to get around to a post like this for ages. One of the most wonderful perks of being a blogger is that I quite often get asked to try out new products and I have so much to tell you about. This does mean that my bathroom cabinet and vanity area look a bit like a disheveled beauty salon at times - but I'm certainly not complaining. Adding to this, and much to my poor husband's dismay, I am a total beauty junkie. So I also buy a fair amount myself too. This has got to the point where Dave takes me by the hand in Clicks and leads me to the aisles we need to get to, completely circumventing the beauty section. Mean isn't it?

Here are the products that I loved in September.

Naked 3 Palette: I bought this while travelling, and I haven't looked back. I am a big fan of Naked 1, and when 2 was launched I wasn't too excited about the shades. But when I saw the pretty, pink nudes that lined the tray in the Naked 3 palette, I was sold. I think having palettes 1 and 3 makes for a pretty solid eyeshadow collection. As always, they are the perfect travel companion too. In SA, you can trust good 'ol Rubybox to hook you up.

Sorbet BB Cream: This stuff is only R100 at Sorbet salons or Clicks. I know it launches ages ago, and I obviously wasn't paying enough attention because it was recommended to me by a friend whose skin always looks so flawless. So thanks for sharing your secret Liv, because this is a really great product. The coverage is medium and leaves a subtle glow on the skin. It has become a daily favourite and is in serious contention with my Bourjois 123 Perfect CC cream as the best budget buy for your makeup bag.

Shwarzkopf Color Freeze Shampoo and Hair Mask: I attended a relaunch of the Schwarzkopf range a while ago at GHD Style Bar. I've been using their products for years on my heavily bleached hair and it works like a bomb. Their fantastic stylists recommended trying these two products to better preserve my blonde and to keep it from becoming dried out and natty. These will become repeat purchases without a doubt. It isn't easy keeping fake-blonde hair soft and shiny and this does exactly that. I also love how long salon products last. You really only need to use so little. Especially the hair mask. I just dip my pinky finger in the tub and that is enough for me. You'll find these either at GHD Style Bar, or have them delivered to your door with RetailBox.

Soap & Glory Heel Genius: I went a little batshit crazy in Boots while we were in Thailand back in August. They kept luring me in with 3-for-2 specials, and gift sets and various other specials which i dutifully took advantage of. So I now have almost every product in their range. But with my recent increase in running training leading up to the Gun Run this past weekend, their foot mask/cream was a lifesaver. If you're travelling, pop one of these into your shopping cart. The cream is light, and smells nice and fresh. You apply before bed, slip on some socks and wake up with very pretty tootsies. Love.

Ciaté Nail Laquer in Candy Floss: This is the perfect pink. I love it. I live in it and I can't wait for summer to arrive so I can start wearing it on my toesies. Bet you didn't know you could get this brand in SA - so everyone say a big fat thank you to the kids at Clicks. They're bring them in and I couldn't be more excited.

New in the Hair Aisle

I think I've mentioned this before, but does anyone ever leave Clicks with only what they initially walked in to buy?
I never, ever do. I have a list, and then within 10 minutes, I've filled half a basket and not even glanced at my shopping list yet.
The beauty and hair aisles get me every time. Clicks has a few new fancy-pants suits in their marketing and logistics team, and you can tell by all of the new brands and fabulous products that are hitting our shores daily and being stocked at your good 'ol neighbourhood Clicks. Just wait until the Christmas range descends on us....then you'll be seeing a beauty feeding frenzy, and I'll be leading the pack.

To start off, I have some hair goodies to show you. The first is a hair curler that is taking names and gaining a serious cult following.  It is called the Babyliss Curl Secret. I must admit, that due to my hair being short and comprising of only about 3 hairs, I am not the target market. So in the name of research, I sat through a few demos on some willing participants. It really is idiot-proof. Seriously. If you're struggling with curling your hair using a straightener, then listen up. In fact, watch these amazing demos from fellow blogger babes, Luzanne from Pink Peonies and Anja from Glitz and Grammar. They have mermaid hair and show you how it's done beautifully.

Next up is the new range from Schwarzkopf. I have been a fan of this brand for years, and always have both their salon and retail range in my shower. This new range is called MILLION GLOSS and after using it for a few days, it really did make my hair look shinier.  They talk about a concentrated gloss elixir, which sounds wonderful. But, like I said above, I don't have much to work with. My crowning glory is fine and thin, so products that promise shine, also generally promise a ton of grease too. So I am quite chuffed to report the non-greasiness of this product. Thin-haired girls, use without fear. It is definitely worth adding to your haircare artillery for when your hair is looking rather dull.

Both products are available at Clicks currently.

New from Sorbet

This is just a quick little beauty post - I've been meaning to tell you about this for weeks now. Silly little holiday went and got in the way...

Sorbet has a new nail polish remover. Whoopee I hear you say? Well, eye roll all you like, but if you're still using nail polish remover with a twist-off cap and spilling it all over your dressing table, I don't feel sorry for you. Especially if you eye-rolled.

Sorbet has a pump-action one girls! Pump action removers are the new way of doing at-home manicures. You've seen them in the salons for ages. I don't know about you, but I often asked my manicurist where I could get myself some.

So for all of R40, you can pick up one at your nearest Sorbet or Clicks store. They smell pretty great, and are full of nail-nourishing ingredients. So basically you never need to buy another nail polish remover ever again. This is the one.

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New in at Clicks

I know we all suffer from the same problem when it comes to Clicks. You have a list when you walk in, but then you meander over to the make-up section, and then the haircare section, and then there are new bath and pamper goodies on the shelves….and then its R1000 later.
"I'm just running into Clicks for some essentials" is that same as that age old lie, "I'm just going out for one quick drink". It has the same after effects too - you're in your bathroom wondering how on earth you got to that point, and then you check your wallet and want to cry.

So, to help you blow off that pointless list, here are some new things from our favorite drugstore for you to try out next time you're popping in for some "essentials"

Lee Stafford shampoos, conditioners and treatments. I am obsessed. I was sent a few items from the blonde shampoo range and the Argan oil range. Love how much better my colour looks thanks to these. I have managed to last almost 3 months without highlights so keeping my locks from looking brassy is no easy task - and therefore I will happily vouch for the blonde shampoo range.
From the Argan oil range I was given the Miracle Heat Defense spray and the Miracle Shine Spray - and I am really enjoying both, particularly the shine spray. It adds shine to dry locks without weighing my hair down. Because my hair is short I have to be extra careful not to spray too near the roots as it can end up looking greasy - but for you mermaid haired ladies, go nuts, you'll love it.

Hand Chemistry promises to fight the 8 signs of hand aging and to deliver results in 11 days, with continued improvement over 2 months. I don't really have an issue in the hand department so I can't tell you if it really does combat the signs of hand aging. What I can tell you is that is smells heavenly, absorbs quickly and my hands feel like a baby's. I keep it on my bedside table and use it daily. At R300 its a total spoil, and more than most would spend on a hand cream, but I think it would make an amazing gift. Too late for Mother's Day, but for her birthday perhaps? Will I repurchase once mine runs out? Probably yes. I've been forever ruined by how luxurious this one is and don't know if another hand cream will come close.

Next up is an interesting product. They are basically elixirs which remind me of a high school friend's mother, who was forever getting us to swallow this bright pink stuff. She swore we wouldn't get sick and would have lots of energy. And while it did nothing for me, my friend who took it daily was never, ever ill, and was more energy than I could handle on most days - so maybe his mom was right.

These two liquid supplements are retailing at R300 each. The first is called The Beauty Molecule and contains a potent molecule called Resveratol, found in grape skins and Japanese knotweed. The benefits are the slowing of the aging process - so the idea is to take this daily and prevent aging from the inside out.

The second is called The  Hyaluronic Molecule. Hyaluronic acid is known for it's ability to hold 100 times it's weight in water and is hence a very interesting development in anti-aging. It lubricates and cushions the joints and provides a plumper and better support structure for your skin. So by taking this daily, you're encouraging your bod to hydrate from the inside out. And we all know that hydrated skin means less wrinkles, and even less break-outs.

Thats it for now ladies. Until next time, enjoy your next drugstore haul!

xx
Leigh

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