Sulwhasoo Essentrue Deep Nourishing Body Cream [Review]

Sulwhasoo remains one of my favourite ever brands, and the fact that their products make up the majority of my daily routine is proof enough of how much I approve of their quality. So far, I have yet to find something that has failed to meet expectations, and I've even converted my mother to their Timetreasure range.

I purchased this body cream around half a year ago from Jolse and only started using it within the last few months when the weather took a nose dive. Winter generally equals drier skin, which is when I switch to the more moisturising products in my stash.

Secret Key Snail 97 Soothing Gel [Review]

This is one of the few products I've managed to use up recently; it's not that I haven't been trying hard enough, I simply have too many products stashed away, and I suppose constantly adding to the mountain doesn't help matters!

My KORA skincare products

Recently I made a "5 out 1 in" rule for my beauty products, where for every 5 items I use up or throw out I'm allowed to buy 1 new product (it started off as 3 out 1 in but that wasn't getting through my stash fast enough). It's absolutely necessary as I have far too much stuff :P and here's one of the contributing reasons.

KORA Organics is an Australian line of organic skincare by one of the Victoria's Secret supermodels, Miranda Kerr. Miranda wanted to create a range of organic products with ingredients she loves and uses, so after 3 years of development KORA was born. The products contain "antioxidant rich noni juice, essential fatty acids, various herbal extracts, essential oils and vitamins A, C, and E" and are designed to "nourish, replenish and re-hydrate the skin."

Of course, all products are free from parabens, sulfates, synthetic colors & fragrances etc. There are also different products targeted at different skin types.

KORA's web store is in Australian Dollars, and international shipping costs AU $30. My order arrived in the UK very quickly via DHL complete with customs charges, though at least DHL's extra handling fees were far more reasonable than some other courier companies.

Anyway, this is what I picked up - I really like the turquoise packaging too!

From left to right
A sample size of Smoothing Day & Night Cream
Tinted Day Care Cream
Soothing Day & Night Cream
Balancing Rose Mist
Foaming Cleanser
Daily Hand Cream Treatment
Organic Rich Body Lotion

I've since used these products for more than a couple of months and therefore feel I can accurately review whether or not they have worked on me.

Foaming Cleanser

125ml (oily/combination skin)

My skin can sometimes get a little oily in the tzone area, though it's not so bad right now. This soap free cleanser smells wonderful but doesn't lather up too well whether I use fingers or my Clarisonic. It's not great at removing makeup but when used after Fancl Cleansing Oil it leaves my skin squeaky clean and comfortable.

A good cleanser overall but in my opinion it's nothing particularly special, and not worth its AU $44.95 price tag. I prefer boscia Clear Complexion Cleanser, which does a better job of calming my skin when I get the odd breakout.

I also don't like its pump as one full pump dispenses too much product, and you only need about 1/3 of the amount.

Balancing Rose Mist

100ml for all skin types

Currently one of my staple products! It contains organic rose, jasmine, noni and hibiscus to provide the skin with antioxidant protection and supports the skin's collagen production.

Its smell is a little similar to MAC Fix+ Rose, but in comparison MAC's mist smells a little synthetic/plastic. The MAC mist smell fades away very quickly (a good thing) but this KORA mist leaves behind a lovely rose jasmine scent that's not at all overpowering. It feels very soothing on my skin, and I like to spritz my face with it after cleansing (and before moisturizer) to feed my skin some extra nutrients, and sometimes during the day for a quick perk me up.

Soothing Day & Night Cream

60ml (sensitive/normal skin)

Like the other KORA products, I adore the natural fresh smell of this moisturizer. The texture is light & easy to spread but very hydrating. Used after the Balancing Rose Mist it leaves my skin soft, dewy, and nourished. Since I've been using this cream, the occasional dry patches I used to get on my cheeks have more or less disappeared, and it also made my skin tone look a little more even :D

As the name implies you can use this moisturizer either during the day or at night. It absorbs quickly and is not at all sticky unlike some moisturizers, so I don't have to wait for too long before applying sun cream or makeup. I most probably will repurchase this unless I find something better.

Tinted Day Care Cream

"Suitable for all skin types, effective light coverage & replaces the need for foundation."

While it may be suitable for all skin types, it is not suitable for all skin tones and definitely cannot replace the need for foundation if it is a complete mismatch. This is way too dark on me even if applied sparingly that I look unnaturally orange, and it also gives my skin a slight dull grey cast. It's also not waterproof and the color rinses away easily with water.

Actual product

Rubbed into my arm

The Tinted Day Care Cream contains UVA protection, but if I wanted to wear it I would need to mix about 90% moisturizer with 10% of this cream, which defeats the point because when used in such tiny amounts, I'm not convinced there will be any UVA protection at all.

On its own it is too sheer to be used as foundation, too dark as a standalone moisturizer for me and somewhat pointless to mix with a moisturizer - unnecessary effort when I'm just going to slap on sun block after. But since I have it, I may as well mix it with moisturizer to use it up...

If you find this to be a decent match for your skin you may like it, but it gets a thumbs down from me.

Daily Hand Cream Treatment

When I was little I was bit of a nail biter and, to make up for the years of bad hand treatment, I now try to use hand cream daily. However as I use the keyboard and my iPad a lot, it's important that hand creams cannot be too oily because I can't stand leaving a trail of oily marks.

This hand cream is rich, but it absorbs very quickly and I only need to use a pea sized amount for both hands to keep them soft. Like the rest of the KORA range the smell is divine ♥ and I'm always sniffing my hands after using the hand cream.

Definitely repurchase worthy but this big tube will last ages, so it won't be for a while!

Organic Rich Body Lotion

Unlike some body moisturizers I own, this is very rich, non sticky and absorbs very quickly. 200ml isn't a big size for a body cream but its rich consistency means I only need to spread out a small blob, otherwise it leaves streaky cream marks indicating it's not fully absorbed. Again the smell is gorgeous and this keeps my skin soft, smooth and lightly scented.

The only downside is it doesn't contain any SPF, therefore it doesn't quite top Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 20 Antioxidant Body Moisturizer which offers both UVA and UVB protection. It's more nourishing than Juice Beauty though, and better for drier areas.

Overall I really like most of the KORA products, they use great quality ingredients, look after my skin and smell great! Prices are reasonable but when importing from the UK you need to take into account the AU $30 shipping charge + 20% tax on top, which make the products a little more expensive.

Omorovicza Gold Shimmer Oil review

Omorovicza is a natural luxury brand originated in Budapest. The company uses Mineral Cosmetology, a system they developed to deliver minerals, in their products. This apparently allows the natural minerals to be easily absorbed and at deeper levels by the skin, and boosts skin's collagen & elastin production, locks in moisture and defends against free radicals. Omorovicza claims that over time, the skin will feel firmer, more supple and younger looking.

Omorovicza products are free from:

• Parabens
• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
• Petrochemicals
• Silicones
• Sodium Laureth Sulfates
• Synthetic colors
• Synthetic fragrances

Sounds great, right? While I'm not looking for any anti aging products (yet), I do want smoother & softer skin and in my opinion there's nothing wrong with some early wrinkle prevention :P

The Gold Shimmer Oil is a body oil with shimmering gold particles that usually settle at the bottom. It comes in a 100ml heavy bottle (I'm not entirely sure but I don't think it's glass) and needs a good shake before application to mix the gold particles with the oil.

Shake shake shake...

I would much prefer a pump dispenser, as the oil is quite runny and you can easily pour out too much. Accidentally knock over the bottle and it's the end :P

You only need to use a tiny amount of oil, so 100ml will last ages. It smells gorgeous and softens my skin. The shimmer is very pretty too!

Compared with the Tarte Dry Oil Shimmer Spray I purchased last year, the Gold Shimmer Oil is lighter in texture and doesn't take as long to sink in. The Tarte oil leaves a glossy sheen, whereas Omorovicza's leaves behind freshly moisturized skin with subtle particles (would look very pretty applied to hair as well) that you can see in the light. The particles don't rub off easily on clothes and I can still see hints of them after a few hours.

The Gold Shimmer Oil retails at £52 for 100ml, which is a bit more than Tarte but I feel that its better quality justifies the higher price. I would buy this again, though I won't need to for a long time.

Here's the list of ingredients

Product review - Tarte Celebutante Moisturizing Dry Oil Shimmer Spray

I've been hauling quite a few products from Tarte Cosmetics, a brand that uses only high performance natural ingredients with recyclable packaging and none of their products are tested on animals.

In my most recent order I picked up 2 bottles of Celebutante Moisturizing Dry Oil Spray, which is exactly what it says, a shimmery colored liquid in a glass spray bottle. It contains apricot & avocado oils (rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, D & E) to moisturize & sooth the skin, as well as vitamin E to protect the skin against free radical damage.

It's free from parabens, petrochemicals, preservatives, dyes, talcs and other artificial nasty stuff.

Despite looking somewhat pigmented in the bottle, it comes out a sheer champagne color and once massaged in, gives my skin a pretty shimmery glow without looking too fake or over the top, so it's great if you're pale/pasty but don't want or can't get a tan.

Once massaged into my skin

It's rather moisturizing too and keeps my skin feeling soft, which is always a nice bonus. I like to use it on my arms & legs on top of my regular moisturizer.
The smell is sweet like coconuts and very summery. Although I'm one of those people who does not like coconuts, I don't mind their smell too much so I can take this. The scent isn't too overpowering and doesn't last throughout the day, and I don't put on any perfume before the scent wears off in case they clash horribly.

Beauty Staple - Naturally Victoria's Secret Acai Berry & Magnolia Fragrant Moisture Mist

When the postie woke me up this morning I just knew I was expecting a parcel from Victoria's Secret; I had a few things on backorder and it was about time one arrived!

Today's surprise was a moisture mist by Naturally Victoria's Secret.

The Naturally VS is a fairly new range released earlier this year. All products are free of parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum and crammed full of nature's good for you ingredients.

Scents available are:
Acai Berry & Magnolia to protect and brighten
Blackberry & Tonka Bean to revitalize and renew
Grapefruit, Lime & Mint to purify and invigorate
Honeysuckle & White Patchouli to relax and soothe
Vanilla & Sandalwood to nourish and comfort

This Acai Berry & Magnolia Fragrant Moisture Mist comes in a 300ml bottle and retails for $18, but there are often 3 for 2 offers on the VS website. I also purchased Illuminating Body Scrub (review to follow later) and Illuminating Body Wash (not yet arrived) from the same scent range as part of the offer.
The main ingredients are: acai berry to protect the skin, magnolia for its brightening properties, vitamins C & E and best of all it is alcohol free so does not dry out my skin when sprayed on directly.

I really love the smell; I had no idea what acai berries and/or magnolia smelt like before but I guess this is it! It's a sweet, calming scent that's not overpowering at all and can be used everyday. This is especially great for when I've been outside on a hot day such as today, as it cools, soothes and softens my skin with a few sprays.

It didn't leave a sticky/greasy residue or irritated my skin, and was absorbed super fast while providing a light veil of moisture - perfect for when I don't want to slap on body lotion.

Although I haven't noticed any differences as far as brightening goes, this is something I'll certainly be using time and time again - I love it so much I've added it to my beauty staples pile ^^

I'm also keen to try out the Grapefruit, Lime & Mint mist too!

Here are the ingredients