Review: Glamourflage HOLA Seaweed Moisturising Toner

I'll be honest, I'm quite new to toners. I've been wanting to get one for a little while now as at 32, my skin is changing (hello old age!). My skin is doing the usual 30's thing of losing collagen, elastin and all that good stuff that we need to be addressing, like yesterday. I've been pretty okay with using skincare for a few years now and skincare is not the chore that it once was to apply. Hell, I even get quite excited when it's time to wash the day away and get into the bathroom. And there is DEFINITELY no more going to sleep with makeup on (okay, except when I might *occasionally* get too drunk, then everything gets disregarded, let's be honest here, we're all guilty of it at one time or another).

Luckily for me and timing would have it, I got sent this bad boy to try out and as we all know how much I love seaweed (if you don't, that's okay, you must be new here, WELCOME!), I jumped at the chance!

What initially struck me was the texture. It's like a liquid gel hybrid, thicker than a liquid but not as thick as a gel (hopefully you'll see what I mean with the pics below). I've never seen a toner with a gel like texture before (although, I'm very new, therefore short-sighted when it comes to toners. Is gel textures in toners a thing?)

Second thing I noticed? The scent. THIS SMELLS AMAZING! It has a fresh, clean, subtle marine scent. I personally LOVE anything that is marine or sea scented. It reminds me of something but I can't quite put my finger on it. I'm thinking maybe a Clinique skincare product, ahh! Not sure! 


So after using this for a good month and a half here's what I've noticed with my skin. My nose pores are CLEAN. I've got large pores on my nose and they also look like they're filled with "gunk". Not black heads by any means but just generally "gunky" (you know what i mean surely?). Because they're less gunky looking, they also look slightly smaller. Ok, I'm not talking "wow they've really closed my pores right up!", but to me it's noticeable and my nose is much more clarified. I'm also not getting as many pimples during my hormonal breakouts. 

My skin is combination (oily t-zone, normal cheeks), so I feel like I'm not visibly seeing any results in my skin being any more hydrated or moisturised. It definitely feels refreshing and does make my skin feel clean and soft after using it. Also, I think it's important to note, not that "squeaky clean" feeling, which *I think* is actually stripping and over-drying your face, so I guess it must be hydrating it to some point. 

I think you'd probably see better results if you had dry skin vs oily, given the nature of being "hydrating". 

Overall, yes I quite like this product and it does make my nose look spectacular, but I would recommend this to those who have dry skin. I think this is really good value for money, as you can see in the pic below. That's how much product I've used in almost 2 months with daily use (I skipped maybe 4 applications where I skipped my whole regime due to tiredness/ can't-be-bothered-ness).

Usage after 2 months.

Back of the box.

RRP: $26AUD (150ml) 
Available: Glamourflage (free shipping over $50)


This product was sent to me for consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: Kelapa Organics SPF15 Moisturiser

The Kelapa Organics SPF15 Moisturiser is the newest product in their skincare line. It fits in nicely amongst their line of basic necessities of good and essential skincare.

All Kelapa Organic Skincare is:

~ Not tested on animals

~ Vegan

~ Organic

~ Australian made and owned

This is what Kelapa Organics have to say about the SPF15 Face Moisturiser:

Kelapa’s SPF15 Face Moisturiser is a light yet protective lotion that’s ideal for everyday use. It’s non greasy, quickly absorbing and perfect on its own or under make up. This Natural SPF Face Moisturiser Contains Certified Organic Coconut Oil for its exceptional moisturising and protective qualities.

All Kelapa products are organic, natural and contain "the holy grail", Coconut Oil. They also do not contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, synthetic fragrances, parabens, artificial colours or preservatives.

It's 75ml and is encased in a white plastic bottle with a matte paper wrapping. It's very simple but looks clean and fresh. It comes in a pump bottle which is great for hygiene and being able to disperse as much as you need.

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First Impressions:
The Kelapa SPF15 moisturiser was quite thick, but easy to apply and rub in. I did find that it clung to the dry patches on my face, but were rubbed in with a little more effort. It smells like coconut and is pleasant, and there is also an underlying smell that's really nice. I'm not sure what it is, maybe vanilla as I do know some of their other products are vanilla scented, but it went away so quickly I couldn't put my finger on it.


After a month:
I've been using this every day and feel like it does a good job at moisturising, the biggest thing, and most important for myself, is the fact that as an SPF product, The Kelapa moisturiser is thick. Most moisturisers (with and without an SPF) are very thin, which you need a good teaspoon of sunscreen (SPF) for the face to ensure you are properly protected. I imagine a thinner moisturiser wouldn't provide as much coverage as you're using less product to begin with. I used a pump and a half each application. It did cling to the area around my smile lines by my mouth, but absorbed with more rubbing in.

This didn't break me out at all and made my skin feel well moisturised. It didn't interfere or affect my makeup products at all. Not with primer, foundation, illuminiser or any other products I might use as a base. It doesn't affect longevity in my makeup or make me look oily so I have to re-powder (I don't think I ever re-powder tbh). If i didn't use any makeup on my face (weekends), I could still feel the moisture on my face so it doesn't completely sink in, which I actually prefer. It makes me feels as though my skin is consistently being moisturised (I could be wrong about that haha). I guess thats also a sign that my skin isn't dry and it doesn't suck it all up. Importantly, it doesn't make my skin look oily at this point either.

I did find the more you rub it in, the stickier it does get and I definitely had to wash my hands before applying anything else to my skin afterwards. The only thing that would make this even better, is making this an SPF30.

I also haven't discovered what that "hidden" scent is yet either...
I would love to know what it smells like, but this is a great thing for those who don't particularly like scented skincare. It smells pleasant, then evaporates quickly.


Would I repurchase?:
Yes. I'm really enjoying it. I do prefer the consistency of the Olay SPF15 moisturiser (my holy grail) whilst applying and rubbing in, but I feel like this is a great natural alternative, which is what I'm starting to get more into.

I also imagine that being a coconut oil product, eventually this could be helpful in keeping those wrinkles away like oils can do (olive oil anyone?). I do also wish that it was more easily accessible and not just available via the website.

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Day:
The Body Shop Seaweed cleanser
Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum
Kelapa Organics SPF15 Face Moisturiser
Kate Somerville Cytocell eye cream

Night: 
The Body Shop Seaweed cleanser
Mario Badescu Seaweed night cream
Glamourflage Luscious Lucy face cream for neck and décolletage 
Kate Somerville Cytocell eye cream
Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta extra strength peels (every monday)


Available: kelapa.com.au
RRP: $29.95


As with all skincare reviews, product has been tested for at least 30 days before reviewing. All opinions are genuine and this product was sent to me for consideration. 

Winter Skin Saviours

We all know that winter is horrible to our skin. With heaters, air conditioners and the cold air, our skin gets dehydrated very quickly and what happens to our skin when it dries out? The "cracks" start to appear. By cracks, this could be anything from flaky skin, to those pesky fine lines showing up more and more frequently. So we must hydrate! Today I'm going to show you some of my fave products to get back that beautiful skin.

In winter, you may need a richer moisturiser to really penetrate the skin vs something a bit lighter in summer. HOWEVER, YOU ALSO STILL NEED A SUNSCREEN. Those rays are gonna get ya, trust me. Is it night 24/7 during winter? No, therefore the sun is still out, even if it's raining 24/7.
TOP TIP: Your hands and décolletage are the first places to start showing signs of ageing so slather on that sunscreen on those 2 places.
Sunscreen: Anything SPF30+ is best.
Try:
Eco Tan Natural Coconut Sunscreen
Available: Shelivescrueltyfree.com and most health food shops
RRP: $39.95 

The Cancer Council
Available: Priceline
RRP: from $6.99

Moisturiser:
The Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask
Available: The Body Shop
RRP: $44.95

Eye creams are a must in winter to help combat those fine lines.
Kate Somerville Cytocell: this is a beautiful eye cream that is not super thick but feels like it's doing its job. I've been using this lately and really enjoying it.
Available: Mecca Cosmetica, Maxima and mecca.com.au
RRP: $98

Origins Plantscription anti-anging eye treatment: I really enjoy this eye cream too, and I also enjoy the smell. To me it smells natural but not everyone will like it.
Available: Mecca Maxima and mecca.com.au
RRP: $58

Flaky skin, and lips are also prevalent in winter, so a lip scrub and balm is a must!
Lush lip scrub: I'm still working on my Santa lips from xmas, but the bubblegum is also delicious!
Available: Lush stores and online
RRP: $9.95

Sara Happ lip scrub: try the vanilla bean or creme brûlée, YUM!
Available: beautybay.com
RRP: $31 (free shipping)

The Body Shop lip balm: this comes in an assortment of flavours, my faves being Honey, Watermelon and Shea.
Available: The Body Shop and bodyshop.com.au
RRP: $6.95

Sukin Nourishing lip balm
Available: Priceline
RRP: $7.99

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia and Caramel Creme
Available: Priceline
RRP: $5.70

The body also needs attention, so a moisturising body scrub is always a good choice:
Frank Body scrub: because this is loaded with sweet almond and orange oils (it smells like jaffas!), this is the perfect choice for hot showers, and leaves your skin feeling super smooth and super hydrated, because really, who wants to rub moisturiser all over themselves after a hot shower, in the cold.
Available: frankbody.com
RRP: $14.95 (free shipping within Australia, from $6.45 Rest of the World).

Something to soothe the winter blues:
Tea: I'm a massive fan of flavoured teas. It's a delicious, warm way to warm up. My faves would be Governors Estate Peach tea, Qi Green tea, Matcha Maiden Matcha, T2 Toasty Nougat, Toasty Warm, Turkish Apple, and Apple Crumble.
GE Peach: Coles supermarkets
Qi Green: Woolworths supermarkets
Matcha Maiden: matchamaiden.com
T2: online and T2 stores