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: Clearasil Daily Clear Superfruits

I got sent these products and to be honest, I initally thought, "Clearasil, god I haven't used their products since I was a teenager and first getting acne, what can these do for me?" and was hesitant to try them out, but since I've been using them, my opinion has definitely changed.

What Clearasil has to say about the Superfruits range:

"Clearasil Daily Clear Superfruits is a brand new kind-to-skin range which contains effective skin-clearing ingredients, plus Vitamin B3 and Superfruits known for their antioxidant properties – with raspberry and cranberry extracts." 

We all know by now how much I love my antioxidants. This is my review for 2 of their "general" face products, the Superfruits Refreshing Scrub and Wash. By general, I mean, not specifically targeted towards acne prone skin. These are also the newest products from Clearasil's line. 
I started using the Superfruits Refreshing scrub and wash in my skincare regime on the 1st of June.

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First Impressions: 
The smell is incredible! The scent is raspberry and cranberry according to Clearasil, and I definitely agree with the raspberry. It is super fruity and the scent is just delicious. It is definitely the first thing you notice. Neither leave your skin feeling tight and feel nice to apply. 

After a month: (daily use)

Superfruits Refreshing Wash:

Every time I use this I am just so delighted with the smell. I'm always more inclined and want to use a product that smells delicious. It leaves my skin feeling cleansed and not overly so. I dislike cleansers that make your skin feel "too clean". By too clean, I mean tight and "squeaky clean". I only got one whitehead pimple the whole time I was using this, and oddly it was after my time of the month (which I get one cystic during) so that was interesting. Maybe a positive sign to the product working and removing the toxins from my skin, which is why you should always use a product for a good 21-28 days before trying something new and jumping ship. That way you get a true result if the product is working or doing nothing. Also a little goes a long way with this cleanser, after a month of both myself and my partner using it everyday (twice a day for myself), there's a little under half bottle left, so definitely good value for money. Overall I really liked it and enjoyed using it. 

*My partner usually uses what I have around and I asked him what he thought about it and he prefers this wash vs the others that I've recently used (Glamourflage Olive cleanser and The Body Shop Seaweed cleanser). He says that the Superfruits wash really works for him and would definitely keep using it. He also really likes the scent too. 

Superfruits Refreshing Scrub:

The scrub also smells delicious and has those little plastic beads in it vs a grainy scrub. I found after about 2 weeks in, that the scrub is too harsh to be using everyday, as the label says, and as I was doing. I think if you do have acne prone skin and use it everyday, you could be making your situation worse and really increasing the oil produced by your skin, so I would go easy on how often you use it. I would suggest every 2-3 days. One thing that "bugged" me (but could easily be avoided), is that water gathers in the cap of the scrub which stays there and doesn't naturally drain (you have to turn the cap as if you were to remove it to get the water out. However, I use and keep mine in the shower which is why it happened, as I said, easily avoidable and easy to remedy but found a little eh. I would recommend this for those who already have clear skin who like a more gentle 2-3per week scrub. 

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Would I re-purchase?

Yes to the wash, no to the scrub. 

I prefer The Body Shop Vitamin C microdermabrasion scrub, but I don't dislike the Superfruits scrub. I just think the Microdermabrasion scrub works better for my skin and what I want out of a scrub. 

I absolutely LOVE the face wash, but I'm torn, as I really love The Body Shop Seaweed cleanser (my all time fave!) and the Glamourflage Olive cleanser too (the 2 I've been using of recent). I want to add it in, but I don't know where haha. #firstworldproblems. It has the full approval of my partner (see above) so I'll repurchase it for him for sure (and just steal it hahaha). #problemsolved

I can't get enough of the scent of both products, so if you love fruity scented goodness, these are definitely worth grabbing!! 

Day:

Clearasil Superfruits Refreshing wash

Mario Badescu Vitamin C serum

Olay SPF30 Moisturiser

Kate Somerville Cytocell eye cream

Night:

Clearasil Superfruits Refreshing wash

Clearasil Superfruits Refreshing Scrub (every second night)

Mario Badescu Seaweed night cream

Kate Somerville Cytocell eye cream

Glamourflage Luscious Lucy face cream for neck and décolletage

Available: Most supermarkets and Priceline

RRP: from $10.99

Please note: I stop using all previous cleansers and scrubs for the purpose of a full, proper review, and used both for a full month before posting. Products were sent to me for review and I chose these 2 from the Clearasil range as I thought these would suit me best. As always, thoughts are 100% my own and honest. Pictures taken from the Clearasil website. 

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

Review: Maskd Green mask

Maskd is a new Australian brand created by a beauty therapist, Carli Lansdown, using natural ingredients. The Maskd motto is simple: "refresh, revive and relight your face today". 

I tried this mask over 3 days (once a day), as suggested by the website Maskd.com.au (for an intense skin revival course). I also asked my partner to try it out one night with me as he likes to occasionally dabble in my lotions and potions. So you'll also hear/ see his thoughts on it as a "once a week/ one time/ occasional user", which could be handy for those who like to use masks only on occasion, or forget about them (which is me half the time). 

The mask is said to:

Smooth lines and wrinkles

Soothes damaged skin and reduces scars

Permits fresh, and glowing skin

Allows natural oil flow

Moistens dry skin

Reduces blemishes

Improve application of makeup

My skin is combination, normal cheeks and oily t-zone. I only get hormonal acne, which is just starting to rear its ugly head (it's almost that time ugh!). I also have quite a congested nose with large pores. No blackheads or any other congestion on my face. 

Use 1: (first night)
I applied a thin layer all over. I didn't have any tingling or stinging sensations at all, but felt slightly hot in one small area on my left cheek and forehead, which started about 5 minutes in and stopped about 8 minutes in. To me, it smelt like plastic, quite a strong scent of it. It was initially concerning to me that a "natural" face mask would smell so heavily of plastic, but it did soon wear off and left a more natural and organic scent (like walking past an Endota Spa) . My partner thought it smelt natural. 
After 15 minutes I washed it off with the washcloth provided. It left my skin feeling very fresh, radiant and only slightly tight. 
My nose looked immediately less congested and the pores slightly smaller, but they did oil up again quite quickly. 
Afterwards I applied my Mario Badescu Seaweed night cream to moisture (as directed to do by the website and as I usually do after a mask anyway).

I definitely prefer this mask over the one we currently use (Sukin Purifying mask) and can't wait to use it again tomorrow night.

My Partner: (Oily skin with occasional acne. Suffers from blackheads and large pores)
He felt a stinging sensation straight away but he said it subsided within 3 minutes of wear. Not strong but definitely quite noticeable.
Afterwards he said his skin felt smooth and liked the way that it felt. 
He liked it and would use it again. He does prefer more "mud" style masks though as he says they give more of a "burning sensation", which he apparently likes.

Use 2: (third night, I was tired and missed a night)
Weirdly, I found this application was more hot and tingly than the first time, even though it says that with each use, those feelings reside more and more. 
A pimple I had on my chin cleared up much quicker than usual (2 days vs about 7), so I am putting that down to the mask pure and simple, as my hormonal acne doesn't budge very quickly. However, I have noticed that I've had some small white heads come up on my forehead that weren't there before I started the masks, but, that could just be the mask doing it's job by drawing the crap out of my skin, so I'm not particularly surprised. 
After the use, I definitely noticed that my nose pores were definitely smaller and again, cleaned out nicely. 
Again, my face felt fresh, radiant and smooth. 
At this point, I haven't noticed any kind of improvement as to applying my makeup or it lasting longer. So that's neither here nor there for me as I don't feel like my makeup could last any longer if I tried. 

Use 3: (forth night)
This time I found more of a stinging effect on my face (both cheeks), rather than just a tingling sensation. This lasted for nearly the whole time I had the mask on. Although this was the only application that I did wash my face twice before applying it (as the instructions say to do). 
The pores on my nose are definitely looking much better, and through prolonged use I can only imagine how good they'd look. 
Again, I found my skin, fresh, radiant and definitely much smoother, although less tighter than day 1 after use. 
Not seeing any difference in regards to fine lines and wrinkles, but I do believe you'd have to be using this stuff for a while yet.  


I really liked this mask, and the way it made my skin feel after each use. I loved how it actually made me feel like it was doing something for my nose pores as the only thing that even comes close to helping them are the Biore nose strips. I can see this being a big winner for those with acne. Obviously I don't have much but it did wonders for the *cough* one pimple I had. 
I find you'd have to have long term use to see any real difference in fine lines and wrinkles, as with any skincare. 
The only thing I didn't like about it was the very plasticky smell when you first apply it. 

I would definitely recommend Maskd. As I previously stated, and still hold true to, I like this much better than my current mask, and am struggling to think of a previously used mask that I like better than the Maskd one (possibly MAC Volcanic Ash Mask, but I honestly think it's too close to call). I will be buying a full size tube as I know this is going to be a saviour for my "monthly" skin. 


Where to buy: Maskd.com.au or ebay.com.au/usr/maskd1 for international shipping!
RRP: $49.95 (50ml)



Product was provided for me for the purposes of this review. Thought and opinions are 100% my own and genuine.