Ok, so we are just a tad bit late on a monthly favourites post, but I’ve written it and I loved the products throughout the month so I am going to share it anyway – thats cool with you right?! We’ve got some makeup as well as some skincare favourites so let’s get into this.
Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask
The mask of the moment has to be the Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask. I have written a more in-depth review here along with some other Glow Recipe faves. Being August which is the tail end of winter here in Australia the cold weather and ducking in and out of heating has taken a toll on my skins hydration levels. This mask has truly made a significant difference to my face. I’m obsessed with the texture and how it can be so incredibly nourishing, yet not at all heavy on the skin.
In my old age (!) I have become less and less interested in wash off masks, actually that’s kind of a lie, I have become less inclined to invest the time in them unless the results are truly phenomenal – Enter sleeping masks. The lazy girls hack for masking without the extra time investment. I mean, we’re all busy right? Sometimes at the end of the day I just want to do my skincare and flop on the lounge without having to break it up into sections and get up and down, back and forth to the bathroom.
The mask is a creamy dream. I wake up and my skin is plumper, clearer and overall just happier. I see in the US there’s a retinol version… I wonder how long that will take to come to Australia?
Oh and also the Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask is also pretty bloody fabulous follow up to my 5th pick for the month below.
Glow Recipe is available in Australia at Mecca.
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation
It was late in August I rediscovered the Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation from my makeup stash and I’m so incredibly pleased that I did. This foundation melts in the skin and looks fresh and natural with a good amount of dewiness – which is amazing because I am totally opposed to a matte look. Somehow KGD stays in place beautifully all day while still giving loads of illumination. Literally healthy looking skin in a tube. The coverage is sheer to light but gives the skin such an even tone without being heavily pigmented. I’ve loved it worn on its own but if I want to amp up a bit of extra coverage I have that found mixing it with a higher coverage foundation to work fabulously. The Mecca Max Selfie Skin has been my go-to mix-in when I have wanted to do this.
The shade range lacks widespread inclusion and trying to actually find the bloody thing online and in stock is a mission- but if you do… snatch it up. It’s a light coverage dewy dream.
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation can be found in Australia HERE.
Chantecaille Aqua Blush
In a word…. obsessed. I don’t even know exactly how I’d describe the Chantecaille Aqua Blush formula. It’s a genuinely unique experience. These little domes of blush are somewhere between a gel and a cream- they feel cooling on contact with the skin in the same way a gel imparts that little blast of cold and yet they tap out effortlessly with a finger (or brush if you are so inclined). The two shades I have are Gladiola and Marigold with Gladiola being the more baby pink of the two and Marigold being a bit more pigmented and brighter. They go on quite sheerly when first swiped but are able to be built up nicely.
I can see this duo being in permanent rotation come summer. They brighten and give life to my cheeks but feel weightless and are a cinch to use.
Aqua Blush from Chantecaille is sold at Mecca for Australians.
Khus + Khus Rasa Restorative Potion
The word potion seems to impart the notion that the product is a liquidy fluid texture right?! Well, you’d be wrong to assume that here. What it is, is exactly the opposite – a rich and decadent body butter that will envelop and cocoon your entire body soothing dry skin and injecting much needed hydration as well as a beautiful radiance to your limbs. Rasa Restorative Potion is primarily formulated with hemp seed butter with the thoughts that it may help eleviate aches and pains… I can’t lay claim to experience that with certainty, but what I can tell you is any troubles I may have had before massaging this lusciously buttery goodness into my body have long disappeared from my thought by the time I have finished. I literally float to bed afterwards.
In my opinion this isn’t going to be your regular morning body moisturiser – you’ll want to save this one for cold nights, when your body needs to feel its most nourished and cared for. It also take a moment or two longer to fully massage the butter in – it’s an experience type of body product, you need some time to take it all in. Don’t get me wrong it is not greasy after given the time to absorb, it actually does sink into the skin quite well after a little bit but there’s still a hint of it on your skin. So for me – I save for evening use rather than daytime. The scent is delicate and slightly herbal but barely there. Enough to enjoy the light scent while applying but you’ll also know that your sheets are not going to smell like perfumed body cream when you wake up.
Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream
Over the past year or two I have tried a number of retinol products and I do have quite a few that I would whole-heartedly recommend. Drunk Elephant A-Passioni being one of them. Please don’t buy this if you are brand new to the retinol game – you should probably start elsewhere as this baby packs a decent punch. I’d go as far as saying that I believe it is the strongest retinol that I’ve tried. As someone who has used different forms of retinol for years, I will still not use this every night. It’s too strong for me to use that often and personally I prefer to with alternate acids to avoid going in with too much all at once. Over the past month or so I have been using A-Passioni 2-3 nights per week and this is the perfect balance for me. It has a decent whack of niacinamide in it which I totally appreciate. Niacinamide is one of my baes. Redness? Niacinmide calms it. Irritation? Yep, calms that down too. Dark spots/blemishes? Can help with that too! I am always excited to see this star ingredient in basically any formula.
What I’ve noticed during the times when I use A-Passioni exclusively as my retinol is the calmness (provided I don’t overdo it). I have used other retinols that turn my skin red/pink on application and make my skin feel hot and irritated. I don’t get that here. Quite strangely I feel the opposite, when applied – and I carry on with a moisturiser after it’s touch dry, so like 30 sec to a minute) my face always has an aura of calmness and less flushing. Plus the ongoing effects are just as impressive. Less texture – more smoothness, less fine lines and more glow. Can’t argue with results like that.
You can find my full brand review of Drunk Elephant products here.
So that’s it. I’m signing off now, headed to my every month fave – the couch to chill out before heading to bed. Let me know if there’s something here you are interested in or have tried. I’d love to get your thoughts too!
