Tag: Skincare

ECO PERSONAL CARE BY NATY

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Being squeaky clean, should always be on the top of your list. A shower a day keeps the stinkyness at bay!

With that in mind, my husband and I have recently been trying to make a joint effort at being eco-friendlier. We have since introduced these eco-friendly ways into our daily hygiene, being conscious of the products that we use.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that our daughter has been using the most divine eco-friendly range from Naty (Eco by Naty). Naty are a Swedish company, dedicated to being waste free and have designed a beautiful extensive baby range from nappies, nappy bags, all sorts of baby toiletries to eco-friendly clothes!

Naty always leaves Harpers bum as happy as can be, so with that in mind, my husband and I gave the Naty Adult range a try. Parents have to have some spoils too, right?

We have the Naty shampoo, shower gel and body lotion.

A lovely family photo!

The first thing that I noticed is that all of these products are packaged in waste friendly bottles, with beautiful branding that’s simple, yet elegant. Who wants to look at unattractive bottles anyway? Respect for the eyeballs really goes a long way!

husband and I both really liked the shower gel, its smooth, fresh, and a little goes a long way. To me, the shower gel has a beautifully light rosey scent. Its super subtle, but its definitely there. Robbie said that he thought it smelt foresty, but this is also the same person who thinks that strawberries smell like apples.

Robbie loved the shampoo. He found it to lather really easily and left his hair as soft as Harpers bottom. I found that the shampoo worked quite well. I have EXTREMELY damaged hair from years of highlighting. I often buy salon quality shampoo ranges specifically for blonde/damaged hair which are extra conditioning and give my hair some serious TLC. As far as my damaged hair goes, my hair was left feeling dry, but I can only guess that it’s because there are no bad chemicals, parabens, or mineral oils. However, when brushing my hair wet, it was totally fine where my hair has grown out, but when I brought my hairbrush down to my highlighted hair, it didn’t brush through very easily. This tells me that if I had an entire head of natural colour free hair, that this shampoo would’ve been superb, especially being friendly to our planet and waste free. Robbie and I both loved the scent – very similar to the shower gel, just a little stronger, in a yummy way!

I absolutely LOVED the body lotion. It smells like a bottle full of sweets! How delicious! One of the mumma bloggers Gill from ChatsWithGill, that I regularly interact with and follow was recommending this lotion to her audience, and now that I have tried it, I TOTALLY understand why! The lotion formula is smooth and again, a teeny bit goes a long way. The bottle also has a pump lid, making it easy to apply and scoosh out. I’d absolutely recommend this!

All in all, the Naty Adult range is really an amazing one to try, simply for its eco-friendly, chemical free, oil free, pollution free ethos. So many things FREE!

It’s also a priority of Naty’s to be cruelty free, which is a major bonus in my books as I really am making a slow move in that direction. I truly love everything that this company stands for after using both their baby range and adult range of body care/hygiene products.

Until next time,

Mycaila – Jade

xxx

ANTI AGING WITH HEY GORGEOUS SKINCARE: WHEN IS THE RIGHT AGE TO START USING ANTI AGING PRODUCTS?

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Have I already reached THAT stage of my life? The one where the word “wrinkle” is now a part of my vocabulary?

It’s every girls’ dream to not have those little squiggles come up to say “hiiiii” on our faces. Those little lines we call wrinkles are totally unwelcome in many of our books, but unfortunately, after years of hibernation, they surface. And when they do, I’m sure many of us have experienced the same thing – an outbreak of mass panic hysteria!

Yes, to many, wrinkles are a big deal! In the land of youth, comes a time where crow’s feet and frown lines retreat from vacation, and have a permanent stay on our lovely little facial canvases.

My thoughts? Why not try and make those little buggas venture out our lives and save them for a rainy day.

I got in touch with the lovely Hey Gorgeous founder, Phoebe,  and asked:

When is the right age to start using anti-aging products for the eyes? 

Now, I’m asking this because when I asked my dermatologist about this, he didn’t really answer my question which left me feeling a little confused, but also silly for asking this at a “young age”. I mean, wrinkles are for old people, right? WRONG!

Hey Gorgeous answered:

“If I knew then what I know now, I definitely would’ve started my anti-ageing regime earlier. Prevention being better than cure is certainly true when it comes to skin care. After the age of 20, one percent less collagen is produced in the dermis each year. Collagen and elastin fibers become thicker, looser resulting in inelastic and brittle skin and eventually wrinkles and sagging. In our 20’s the skins exfoliation process decreases by 28% (this ageing malarkey is so not for sissies). And all of this is not helped by environmental factors. So, when you are in your 20’s it’s a good time so start a preventive routine”.

Hey Gorgeous suggests:

“An eye cream is an excellent start. (The skin is very thin and delicate and is usually the first place to show signs of ageing). Adding Vitamin C typically is also recommended. Vitamin C plays a vital role in the synthesis of collagen production and for the regeneration of fresh strong healthy skin cells. The recommended products to introduce into your beauty routine are: Revitalizing eye cream. Vitamin C Serum and Moisturizer”.

Well, there you have it ladies, right from the experts at Hey Gorgeous! It seems early 20’s it is! Being 24, I would definitely have started my wrinkle prevention stage at 20. For now, though, I have been stuck into my routine of my anti-aging products which I have been using for the last year.

I am currently using the Vitamin C Age Defying Serum. This product has been my holy grail of all things anti-wrinkle. I use this at night before bed, to give it a really good chance to soak into my skin and fight off those wrinkles bravely, all night. This serum is highly concentrated and helps boost collagen, and I love that it has a very subtle scent and no funky ingredients that I can’t pronounce, as you find with many serums these days.

The other part of my anti-aging routine is the Hey Gorgeous Happily Ever After Anti-Ageing Moisturiser– sounds dreamy. I apply this in the mornings. I LOVE that this moisturiser is oil free and doesn’t leave my skin over moisturized and greasy! My favourite scent in this is the grapeseed, and the fact that a SMALL dollop goes a very long way!

I’m so happy to have found this range, having struggled with acne for most of my life. I love that all these products are made with natural ingredients and no chemicals. The fact that you need to use these products within 12 weeks speaks for itself.

P.S I’ve noticed a reduction in the wrinkles that were starting to form around my eyes! My skin feels fresh, smells fabulous and is happy, most importantly.

Although Hey Gorgeous is a proudly South African company, they have since launched in the UK, which makes my heart and skin SUPER happy. Click here to view all the different cruelty free goodies that they have to offer.

Until next time,

Mycaila-Jade

xxx

BEAUTY THERAPY INSTITUTE PREGNANCY SPOILS

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Last week, I was invited to the Beauty Therapy Institute in Woodstock for some pregnancy spoils and to celebrate the academy’s 21st birthday! You can only imagine the excitement of such adventures when an inflated beach ball seems to be your standard daily look for the last  8 months! A time to relax and be pampered could not have sounded better at the time! My pamper package included a back, neck and shoulder pregnancy massage, and a deluxe paraffin dip for both manicure and pedicure treatments.

BTI (Beauty Therapy Institute) is an actual college situated in the up and coming area of Woodstock, Cape Town. This college is in the Upper East Side building (fancy shmancy) and collaborates with Sorbet – one of the biggest beauty and wellness salons in South Africa. The BTI college actually trades under the name of Sorbet Cape Town – FYI! My favourite part is that the college has a beautiful mountain view from the practical training room where all of their delectable treatments take place – and everyone is SO FRIENDLY!

The first treatment that we started off with was the Back, Neck and Shoulder Massage – I mean, could this have been any more of a magical moment? Obviously when you are pregnant, lying on your not so deflateable tummy is totally off limits, so off to the side we rolled, lying on my left part of my body, and being covered by a blanket (because towels just don’t quite cover the proximity of a pregnant person’s circumference!).

BTI’S own massage cream! It smells like heaven!

Nicole, who gave me the most amazing massage was a total pampering goddess! I absolutely love deep tissue massages, but because there happened to be a growing human in my tummy, we had to lay off a bit of the pressure. Medium pressing was perfect and the relaxation mode was set. I totally had to remind myself that I had a student massaging me, even though it felt otherwise. My massage lasted just over an hour, and I completely almost fell asleep! I guess that is what happens when you’re pregnant and very relaxed! I loved hearing all of Nicole’s stories about her kids, and it was great to have something in common to chat about, which made me feel so comfortable – winning!

Once my massage came to an end, I had a Deluxe manicure with a paraffin dip and pedicure at the same time! Talk about multitasking! Paige gave me a super divine pedicure. She completely transformed my swollen piggy feet and made my hooves look way more presentable!

BTI’s very own foot scrub. It’s the perfect grainy exfoliant!

She used the BTI foot scrub, to remove dead skin cells and polish my trotters. The foot scrub smelt amazing – like fresh bubbles! I could also choose from an array of Sorbet nail colours for both my hands and feet. I went for a neutral selection of “Blush” for my feet and “Melting Moment” for my hands.

On the left we have Blush and on the right we have Melting Moment by Sorbet

While Paige looked worked her magic on my feet, Chelsea gave me a manicure and paraffin dip treatment which I had never had before. Basically, your paws get dipped into hot paraffin wax which creates a waxy coating. Your hands are then put into their own individual plastic coverings and then put into little mittens for a few minutes. Paraffin dips have so many benefits that I actually had no idea about. They increase blood flow, relaxes muscles and helps with joint stiffness AND can also be used to help treat arthritis!

After a few minutes, the dip was peeled off and Chelsea gave me a little hand massage using the BTI Massage Cream, which smells AMAZING – like candy! Once that was finished, she painted my nails with my chosen colour.

Blush by Sorbet

All in all, I had such a lovely time, spending the morning with these ladies. I absolutely love how friendly the students are and I have no doubt that they will make wonderful beauty and wellness therapists.

If you would like to find out more about the Beauty Therapy Institute, click here or view their Facebook page for more info. They have the highest standard of education in the health, beauty and skincare industry and are currently running a fantastic deal of 10% off all massage and holistic courses.

Until next time,

Mycaila – Jade

XXX

MY FAVOURITE 2-IN-1 LUSH CLEANSER AND MASK

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It’s time to mask all things facial related! Yes, that means getting down to the bottom of those gnarly pores, blackheads, whiteheads and blemishes the natural way!

If you’re like me, you enjoy all things skin related. Facial masks are a regular, and of course, every day cleansing is a MUST! A happy face means a more confident you, and a confident Betty, means all the more reason to have those boys poreing (pun intended) their hearts out to you!

All natural, fresh ingredients!

I have been a regular user of normal store bought face washes, toners, moisturisers and everything in between, but since being pregnant, and after the extensive research that I have been doing about all the different chemicals that make up majority of these products, I have decided to opt for a more natural route of face bathing!

I have always had naughty skin, so much so, that at one point my spots were so uncontrollable that I had to resort to Accutane. If you know how bad Accutane is for the human body, then I hope that paints a clear enough picture of what my actual face was looking like at the time.

Since being pregnant, my skin has become more sensitive to harsh chemicals, which may be a good thing, since I have now switched over to using more of a natural range of products which I am totally enjoying. I can also totally pronounce all of the ingredients too, which is an added bonus!

The self preserving type is the best type!

Today, I am going to share my 2 favourite 2-in-1 all natural mask and cleanser with you. All organic. All natural. And all fabulous!

Up first, we have the Mask of Magnaminty . This tub brings more to the table than expected. It’s pretty much a 2 in one jar of awesomness! This peppermint mask can be used as a face or body mask and comes in two different sizes – a big tub and a baby tub.

The Mask of Magnaminty

This concoction is self-preserving, which means that it doesn’t need any synthetic preservatives (generally the ingredients that you can’t pronounce) to keep them fresh.

The freshness of peppermint oil and kaolin clay promote a feeling of tingliness and freshness. This mask is also great for redness of the skin (which I have) with its soothing vanilla properties. You can also enjoy a 15-minute moisture burst from the honey in the mask too. The consistency is spot on (excuse the pun) and thick which makes applying the mask to dry skin oh so easy.

Minty fresh!

My other current favourite from the LUSHious range of products is Angels On Bare Skin. This tub of goodness is frightfully heavenly. I will say that at first, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the smell, but after a few sniffs and wafts, I began to LOVE it! This might also be due to an over sensitive pregnancy snout. This product is a little different as it is not a mask, but rather a cleanser, both for the body and face – BINGO!

Angels on Bare Skin!

The consistency is crumbly with plenty of ground almonds, lavender and camomile oil. The lavender is super refreshing against unhappy skin and is an absolute skin savior with its disinfectant properties that help banish bacteria from the pores. How pore-fect!

To use this, simply scoop a few crumbles onto your hand and mix with a dash of water to make a paste. Massage this onto the face or body and rinse to have a smoothly cleansed face!

All of the crumbly goodness!

P.S I totally got my boyfriend to try the Magnaminty mask with me, and he secretly loved it. So come on girls, get your bubbly out and have a pamper night with your man!

Until next time,

Mycaila – Jade

xxx

LUSH 2017 EASTER RANGE

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I hope you all put a Spring in your step this Easter with my Lush Easter Beauty Haul over Instagram. YES, these Lush treats should’ve had you bouncing about, so ears to hoping you had a superbly hoppy Easter. Today I will be going through my thoughts on these beauty bombs, so prepare yourself for a few funny yolks along the way, and make sure you look out for next years 2018 Easter range.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to attend the LUSH bloggers event at my local LUSH store, which was a complete honour! Right up until the last moment where I couldn’t make it because PREGNANCY got in the way. You know, some days are superb and others not so much. As you can imagine, I totally wanted to risk it, but you never know what to expect when there’s a little chick waiting to hatch. I had to unfortunately give the event a skip, but I still managed to get my hands on the new fun Easter range from LUSH.

First up, we have a BUNCH OF CARROTS BUBBLE BAR. These are SO CUTESY for some magic in the bathtub! What’s even better is that these carrots are reusable and can last for 30 baths in total between the collection – that’s 10 baths per carrot and a whole lot of bubbles. These are also fun for kids to use. Simply hold a carrot under the running tap, watch the bubbles pop and the water change colour! These also aren’t your average vitamic C carrots, just by the way. These bubble bars are rich with lemon, bergamot, and buchu oils to fill your tub with citrusy bubbles and scents.

Bunch of carrots bubble bar

Next, we have the GOLDEN EGG BATH BOMB. With explosions (literally) of glitter and cocoa butter, you’re guaranteed to come out looking all sparkly and feeling moisturised. This bomb melts in the bath and turns the water bright yellow – almost as if you’ve cracked an egg! This is a slow melting bath bomb and spins about dissolving in the water like a baked potato!

Golden egg bath bomb

This next one is one of my favourites. It involves a bunny, and a squeaky clean face. Yip, it’s time to meet FLOPSY! This is a face cleanser or if we want to get technical, Flopsy is actually a face wash cleanser. How does it work, you may be wondering? Well that’s an easy one! Flopsy lives in a tub. Everytime you want to use your little jelly, all you need to do unsquish him out the tub, stroke over your face, or rub between your paws to get it frothy and create a lather. This is also the best smelling bunny in Town. Bergamot oils and zesty lemon will leave you feeling jolly with this jelly!

Flopsy

If you’re looking for a bigger bomb, then the CHICK ‘N MIX is perfect for you. This little (or rather large, actually) bomb is basically is 2 bombs in one – winning! Chick n mix is a fun mixture of half yellow and half blue with a little orange egg. They can be used together or for 2 separate baths, to make your bomb go further. This bomb is the perfect excuse to get chicky with it, with bergamot oils, tonke absolute and a few surprises in the bath.

Chick ‘n Mix

My final bomb of the day is the “Which came first” egg. Plop this bomb into the bath to see whether the chicken or the egg surfaces first. It’s petty egg-straordinary if you ask me and smells just like Spring. If you’re looking for relaxation, then look no further. Scents of refreshing lemon and grapefruit oils are sure to make the water super soft and creamy.

Which came first?

I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter and that your Sunday was at the very least, a good hare day.

Until next time,

Mycaila-Jade

xxx

GARNIER PURE ACTIVE DAILY CLEANSING GEL & PORE REDUCING TONER

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Have you found yourself wondering around the land of Spotsville recently, where fresh faced plots are out of reach, where blemishes bloom as bright as daylight and erupting facial mountains are an actual thing? Nevermind that, but Aunt Acne and Bert the Blemish seem to be making an appearance on the regular too, just to let you know that they’re thinking about you. Nothing quite like those uninvited guests! And not to tread on a sore spot or anything, but it sounds as though you might be needing some help with navigating your way out of this zituation.

Well, it’s a good thing I’m happy to provide directions!!!

First things first, let us take a turn into the land of Garnier and say hello to my little friend who goes by the name of PureActive. Pure Active is actually a skincare range and is an absolute gem in disguise. A minty fresh gem to be exact! After all, this is exactly the type of scent you’re left with after using these products.

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This Garnier Pure Active range has really proven itself. Firstly, how fresh faced is this packaging? It is definitely a bottle that I am happy to have frolicking about in my bathroom and on display!

This range specialises in helping oily to combination skin which is prone to imperfections (You know, those uninvited guests).

At the moment, I start and end my day by using the Pure Active Daily Cleansing Gel Wash and Daily Pore Reducing Toner. They’re my new best friends. Can you tell?

The Cleansing gel wash is an absolute pleasure to wake up to with its minty fresh scent. You really can feel it digging deep into those pores and is also fantastically simple to use.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but all one needs to do is simply splash some water onto the face, pump a dollop of gel wash into those hands and simply begin massaging gently in a circular motion until you feel your face has had an efficient bath. And yes, I know this is exciting, but don’t forget to close your eyes!

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Want to know my favourite part? The fresh tingles that you are left with after using this gel wash. It is simply UHHHHMAAZZZING!!!

One thing I must add is that when cleansing, it always helps to wet your face with warm water to open up those pores, and rinse with cold water to close them again so that no dirt and grime sneaks their way in.

Next, we have the toner. Well, not just any toner, but PORE REDUCING toner. Fancy that!

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This is also once again super easy to use after cleansing. All you have to do is apply with a cotton pad and concentrate on that T-zone area (forehead, nose and chin).

Why the T-zone you may ask? Well, this is naturally the oiliest part of the face. And yes, I know, that’s practically your entire face, but hey, at least Garnier is making it easier to deal with such situations by combining Salicylic Acid and Purifying Zinc to the equation.

What’s that?  Thought you’d never ask! Basically, Salicylic Acid is known for its anti bacterial properties and Purifying Zinc for regulating oil. With that being said, you can expect to have a non-existent oily build up, but remember to use a superbly good moisturiser.

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Be sure to find any of these products at Dischem stores for R64.95 each! Sounds like a bargain to me!

Well my friends, it seems as though the grass really is greener on the other side. A minty fresh kind of green!After all we wouldn’t want Aunt Acne and Bert the Blemish to over stay their welcome, now would we?

Until next time,

Mycaila-Jade

XXX

BUTTER-UP, BUTTERCUP!!!

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If, for some peculiar reason, you have ever wanted to be a walking Turkish Delight advert, frolicking your way down the streets of the city this Summer, then I have JUST the solution for you.

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Prepare to smell like the sweetest Petal in Town with the ever so delicious scents of the African Alchemy Body Butter. Hints of Cocao butter, Coconut oil, Cold pressed Almond oil, Rose geranium and Sandalwood essential oils come out to play releasing an overall scent of Summer sweetness and absolute deliciousness – almost good enough to eat!! All together, one can expect to smell like the Dandiest of Delilahs, radiating fragrances of Calming Cocoa, Turkish Delight and subtle hints of our favourite Anonymous Almonds make an appearance too.

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If you are a Natural Netty and are in awe of organic products, then I’m ecstatic to tell you that this Body Butter is not only that, but is also raw AND cold pressed!! Such Pure Indulgence if you ask me!!

When initially dipping ones paws into this tub of bliss, feelings of soft bubbliness with a light airy texture can be felt on the fingertips when going in for a scoop. A small bit goes a long way and is seemingly fit enough to spread across a mile. I bet you’ve never come across a body butter as fit as this one! As with any other form of butter, spreading is a relatively smooth process when involving such acts over our ever so precious bodily limbs.

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Buttercup looking radiant!!! Adopt a tub for R120 at your local Paardevlei Farmers Market in Somerst West on Saturdays from 9am-2pm!!!

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Moisturisation Station is a somewhat friendly stop as it does just that, and does not over extend its skills in such departments. Absorption is super well mannered and happens relatively quickly. Luckily for you, being a visual replica of an oil slick is not in the cards when using our Tantalising Turkish friend, as one is left with a gorgeous revitalising glow. How lovely and perfect for highlighting that summer kissed skin!

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A tub retails for R120 and can be found at our local Paardevlei Farmers Market in Somerset West on Saturdays from 9am-2pm. Not only will you be in for a treat but you’ll also smell exactly like one, how sweet!!

Time to Butter-up, Buttercup!!!

Mycaila-Jade

xxx

A PURIFYING BIODERMA SEBIUM FACE BATH

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Hello all you Fabulous Flopsy’s!!!

How many of you have struggled to find the perfect face wash?

I thought I would share my success in finding the best and MOST glorious one of them all. This discovery has been long overdue and there’s nothing quite like having a happy face bath.

My spiffy find is none other than Bioderma Sebium Purifying cleansing foaming gel. Having struggled with very naughty skin over the years, my dermatologist recommended this bottle of joy a few months back and I must say, it has become my holiest of holy grails in terms of skincare products.

200ml Bioderma Sebium Purifying cleansing gel posing for pictures!

200ml Bioderma Sebium Purifying cleansing gel posing for pictures!

First things first, there is NOTHING more inconvenient than unintentionally baptising yourself as a result of a non friendly squeezy bottle! Not only does it mess everywhere, but products are precious and we don’t like to waste, of course! For this exact reason, I am happy to say that Bioderma sports itself in an easy to use pump bottle which just makes life so much better and spillage free. Bonus!

The formula of this product is of a water based nature and does not suck the life and moisture out of one’s face. Very important and VERY considerate, if you ask me! This face wash is a purifying cleansing foaming gel and even sports a bit of funk, being it a light blue coloured liquid. There is also a very subtle scent of a minty cleanliness hidden within the fabulosity of this gem and is of course an ANIMAL FRIENDLY product!

What’s even better is that I sometimes use this as a makeup remover too (how sneaky am I). This face wash definitely does not fall short of getting rid of a face full of make-up, but also leaves you feeling super refreshed. Another point which I MUST share with you is that the build up of general facial oil during the day seems to be on the calmer side of life too, since using this product, so consider that issue semi – extinct! One pump in the mornings and evenings will leave you with the jolliest skin and the happiest of happy faces.

One 200ml bottle of Bioderma retails for R195 which lasts me about 3 months, using it twice a day. You’ll find this purifying cleansing gel wash hiding in Clicks and Dischem or at your local dermatologist.

Although this is a higher end face wash range, it is honestly worth every penny and should definitely be added to your family of skincare products. Disappointment is not even part of ones vocabulary when this product is a part of a happy face bath!

Mycaila-Jade

Xxx