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My relationship with skincare has truly evolved over the years. I went from being someone who washed their face daily with the St Ives Apricot Scrub (my poor face!) and avoided moisturising for fear of becoming “too” oily, to being someone who is much more in tune with when my complexion is feeling dehydrated, or needs more of a “light” touch.

And after much trial and error, I’ve stumbled across the brands that seem to work harmoniously with my combination/oily yet dehydrated skin. I tend to switch up the roster of products based on the season, opting for heavier, richer moisturisers in the winter and lighter lotions in the summer. So, thought I’d share the sextet of products – three for day, and three for night – that are my most loved, most used.

The “day” edit

Sulwhasoo Essential Comfort Balancing Emulsion

A lightweight, breathable cream which provides immediate comfort and hydration to the skin on application. The perfect summer moisturiser, but I also like to reach for this in winter for “day”, as it creates a beautiful canvas for layering makeup over. This contains extracts from mountain peonies and Yai Jiu Hua which smooth skin texture, along with mango seed butter for supple, hydrated skin.

For me, I love the fact that this doesn’t feel dense, instead applying with a soft milky quality which nourishes the skin. Bonus points for the fact that this doesn’t seem to disrupt or cause irritation to my eczema-prone skin.

The Secret Base Cream

Very similar in texture and feel to the Sulwhasoo Emulsion, but this feels slightly less substantial or viscous to the touch. My go-to summer moisturiser, and admittedly one I’ve been neglecting a little as I want something that feels a bit more meaty during winter when my skin needs extra care. Though given it’s been mid-twenties for the past week or so, this one is about to come into its own. One of the things I love most about this, aside from just how lightweight the texture is for summer – is that it’s fragrance free. As side note, fragrance can be a cause of irritation for sensitive skin.

The formulation is non-comedogenic, and it features Vitamin E (to protect from free-radicals and combat premature aging), Camellia Oil (to sooth and protect skin), and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 (to plump and hydrate).

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre

I was first introduced to Embryolisse a few years back, and have gone on to work my way through many many tubes of this cult French pharmacy classic. I like that it works as a bit of a catch-all; cleanser, primer, moisturiser, hydrating mask. And the soft, soapy scent has a comforting and nostalgic quality – like revisiting an old friend.

Right now, this is the moisturiser I tend to reach for most frequently in the morning, as I like that there’s a richness to the formulation, and I can layer up for a more intensely hydrated effect (it sinks into the skin very quickly!). Basically, it always leaves my skin looking plump and fresh. Key ingredients include Shea Butter (intensely nourishing), Beeswax (rich in Vitamin A and shields skin from environmental damage), and Soy Protein (to stimulate collagen).

The “night” edit

Raaie Cocoon Ceramide Cream

I have a trio of products that I am using from Raaie, but I think of the three, the Cocoon Ceramide Cream takes the cake. This is one of my juiciest, thickest, most nourishing moisturisers for night – if my skin is feeling impossibly dry, 10 times out of 10 I’ll be using this. Texturally it’s thickly whipped and luxurious so a little can go a long way though I’m usually one to slather on a decent amount in my own version of “slugging”.

New Zealand is home to such incredible native flora and fauna that are bioactively-rich; meaning, that their unique properties mean they’re often more efficacious than the same ingredients extracted overseas. It’s one of the reasons why you’ll see another cult NZ beauty brand feature on this list; my skin can’t get enough of NZ botanicals (which just makes sense!).

The formulation features seven different ceramides, plant-derived growth factors to repair skin, marine algae to brighten, Mamaku Black Fern to lift and tighten, Manuka 850+ to promote collagen production, to name a few.

Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask

Technically not a moisturiser, but one of those masks I have on high rotation that I use in place of once a week. And if I’m being honest, I’ve been using it with lesser frequency as I’m almost all out and can’t bear to not have a tub of this in my vanity (clearly time to buy a top up!).

The actual texture is unusual. Kind of sticky. Thick. Goes on heavy but sinks in within five minutes, and leaves my face feeling baby smooth – not a lick of residue in sight.

Key ingredient is Black Tea Ferment and Extract, which offers antioxidant protection and supports the skin’s natural elasticity. Great for extremely dehydrated skin, and I’ve not found this to cause any breakouts (not for my oily/combo skin, at least!).

Emma Lewisham Supernatural Face Creme Riche

Final moisturiser for night that I just can’t quit, is the Supernatural Face Creme Riche from Emma Lewisham. I reviewed it in detail here, but for the CliffsNotes edition; the powdery rose scent feels at once both familiar but luxurious. I don’t typically tend to spring for too many moisturisers that are heavily fragranced, but like the Embryolisse, it’s become something of a comfort to me.

We have all those beautiful NZ botanicals front and centre stage. The key ingredient – a plant derivation of Human Tripeptide-1 – signals to our repair system to increase collagen synthesis. The velvety smooth texture of the moisturiser penetrates the skin efficiently, and I feel like my fine lines are softer, less prominent, when I have this on active rotation. Perhaps the most important factor for me, is getting that thick, ultra-nourishing quality from a moisturiser that isn’t too rich or fatty, and this delivers again, and again.

I’ve been hunting high and low for a new base which doesn’t irritate my skin, and after months of going (mostly) bare faced, I decided to take the plunge and splurge on the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser. With such sensitive skin, I’m always hesitant when it comes to trying new face creams or foundations – which is a huge part of why I was so late to the beauty game – so it’s always a relief to come across something new which I can actually use on a daily basis.

I picked this up in the shade Light 3/Groenland and it’s a perfect match for my fair winter skin. It’s light coverage, and blends into the skin really well; but best of all, is that it really adds a glow that gives your face that ‘lit from within’ look. The product itself has a very light, mousse-y consistency to it that just seems to absorb into the skin rather than sit on top of it, like I find the Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser tends to do (although that is also much higher coverage).

I’ve been applying this one of three ways; with a flat top kabuki brush, with a beauty blender, or with my fingers, all with considerably similar results. Applying it with a beauty blender provides the sheerest level of coverage as the moisture from the sponge soaks up a little bit of the product, but I prefer the dewier finish it has over the other two application methods.

While I’m still cringing at the lost product in the swatch – oh the things we do for beauty… – there’s no denying that this has fast become one of my holy grail beauty products, I’ve seldom gone a day since without slapping a bit of this tinted moisturiser on my face. For a girl with oily/combination skin, I’ve always naturally gravitated towards face products that promise to matey my skin rather than bring the glow, like this so aptly does with its dewy finish. A product that lives up to both the hype, and its cult beauty status.

About 11 months ago, I’d had some vague plan to write a post on the five products you need for your hair right now, but I get the feeling I would have been just a little bit off the mark. And, I’m glad I waited to write this post, because the number is now looking a little closer to, well, three (did the photo above tip you off? Just a little…?).

It isn’t often that a beauty product takes me back to my youth; and I mean really takes me back to my youth, and not in that lipsmacker-smells-so-good-you-could-almost-eat-it kind of way. No, I mean in that lazy summer afternoon watching the waves roll down the beach, with a scoop of chips, some battered fish, and a thirst-quenching ginger beer kind of way.

For the last six weeks or so, I’ve been using a few products from the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger range, and to say I’m impressed is an understatement, by far. Since I was in my early teens, I’ve relied pretty heavily on a rather battered pair of GHD hair straighteners, and some rich serum to tame any flyaways (and believe me, there’s always a l-o-t). But since putting these haircare products into heavy rotation, I’ve found myself reaching for those styling products less and less, to the point that I can get away without any heat styling to my hair, and not have any unwanted volume near my roots.

So, about the products. They’re free from sulphates, which means that your hair isn’t being stripped of any essential natural oils which keep your hair looking healthy and moisturised; meaning it’s already a win in my book (that, plus did I mention they smell like ginger beer??!!).

My favourite product of the three is the ‘Moisturising Lather Shampoo‘; a little of this stuff goes a long way, and it lathers up unlike anything else I’ve ever used before. The ‘Keratin Cream Rinse‘ on the other hand has a formulation which feels more like milk in your palm than any other conditioner I’ve tried – which is generally on the thick and moussey side of the scale. I’m not exactly sold on the formula of this, and I get the feeling that this has more to do with my general experience with hair care than anything else, but it’s worth noting that when putting this through your hair, it’s hard to know whether you’ve managed to condition from root to tip or not.

For a long time, I struggled to find an intensive conditioning treatment which works as well as my HG from Bumble and Bumble, but the ‘Keratin Intensive Treatment‘ manages to hold a candle to it, perhaps coming in at a very close second. This is so incredibly nourishing and seems to have added that extra bit of moisture and shine to my hair that it really needed – well, that and the additional magic that a fresh cut can have.

From the girl who used to shudder at the thought of spending more than she had to on shampoo and conditioner, I’ve come a long way in the last fourteen months. And, it’s safe to say that I’ll be keeping Paul Mitchell’s Awapuhi range in heavy rotation – it’s one of the few products I’ve used recently (along with OGX) that has really gone above and beyond my expectations.

I’ve been trying out a couple of other bits from the Paul Mitchell range, that I’m hoping to share my thoughts on in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, I would love to hear your thoughts. Have you tried PM before? How did you find it?

Rimmel Brow Styling Gel & Brow This Way Sculpting Kit*

This past year has seen me become a complete beauty convert. From the girl who thought that dusting bronzer all over her face, to the girl now, who seldom fails to leave the house with a little bit of colour in her cheeks and full-looking brows.

My holy grail, never-want-to-be-without-it brow product has been the Anastasia Brow Wiz, which is arguably one of the quickest, fail-proof brow products out there, but lately, another brow product has been after my heart.

That product, is the recently launched ‘Brow this Way’ sculpting kit from Rimmel. It’s a bit of change given I’ve been exclusively using a brow pencil up until now, but I’ve really been enjoying rocking the bold(ish)-looking brow that I get from applying some of the dark ashy coloured wax from this little brow duo.

I’ve picked this up in the shade medium brown, which is an ideal match for me. The wax is an ashy dark brown that blends in very naturally with my brows. The formula itself sets down almost immediately, and a little goes a long way. I’m by no means a brow-pro, but this is such a simple product to apply; it’s not quite as fool-proof as the Brow Wiz, but it’s pretty darn close. I use the thicker side of the small brush which comes with the compact to apply the wax and fill out my brows just a little. I then use the miniature spooly to brush through my brows and distribute the product a little more evenly.

The other half of the duo has a very warm-toned powder which is apparently to be used to set down the wax, but honestly, I’ve barely touched this. The shade is far too warm-toned for my brows (although it could possibly double as a shadow), and I haven’t really found it necessary to use over the wax, as this sets down on its own.

In terms of wear time, this doesn’t budge or smudge and even after a long day at work, I’ll go home and my brows will still be intact.

The top two images are me rocking my natural brows; the bottom left is with one natural and one filled in; and the bottom right is my brow game strong

The Brow Styling Gel on the other hand, I’m not quite so sold on although I’ve been trying to persevere with it. The formula of the three shades I’ve tried (clear, medium brown and dark brown) is quite wet, and doesn’t seem to do much to keep my brows in place – not that they’re unruly to begin with though! Of the options available, I prefer the coloured brow gels as they are great at subtly enhancing your natural brows for those days where you want a more natural look. While I do have complaints about the very wet formula, once applied, the product is incredibly lightweight and is feels like add a subtle touch of colour.

It has a small mascara style wand, making it quite easy to use although you do need to act with a bit of precision when brushing the product through the tail of your brows (think of it a little like ‘drawing within the lines’). I find that the wand tends to retain a lot of the gel when drawing it from the tube so I’ve been wiping this off lightly just to get a more even application.

While my brows are very dark brown (or almost black), I’ve found that the medium brown shade works best for me; the dark brown can look a little bit heavy and when applied whereas the medium brown has a much softer look to it.

The wear time on the gel is excellent; the tint lingers all day, and as the product is quite wet, it has the benefit of drying down to a natural – far from crunchy – finish.

Both products have been helping to keep my brow game strong, as I’ve been quietly rationing what’s left of my Anastasia Brow Wiz (and forgetting to reorder it on the reg…), and I’ve been liking the flexibility between a softer, natural-looking brow, and one that’s just a little bit bold. I’m still not completely ready to toss out the Brow Wiz and commit to Rimmel’s latest offering entirely, but it’s definitely earned a place in my beauty rotation and I have been reaching for it a lot lately.

Have you picked this up and if so, I’d love to know what you thought in the comments below!

I received such an overwhelmingly positive response to my combined favourites last month, that I thought I’d continue sharing my beauty and fashion favourites each month, moving forward.

Perhaps one of the more exciting favourites of the month – for me at least – has been a new base that I’ve been using; the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser. I have this in the shade Light 3/Groenland, which is a pretty good match for me for the winter. It’s a very light coverage, but evens out my skin tone and adds a light dewiness to my face.

I’ve really been getting into a bold lip this month, I think it seems to go hand in hand with the more porcelain look my face gets during the colder months. I’ve tried so many different formulas, and one of my favourite and more affordable options has been from Wet n Wild’s Fergie range, in the shades Saranghina and Old School Glam. These are a semi-matte finish, very creamy and not overly drying at all, and have such an incredible lasting power that even a big lunch and copious drinks won’t wear it down.

My blush collection has been slowly expanding, and if there’s one thing I tend to look out for, it’s a matte and shimmer-free finish. My current favourite that I’ve been reaching for everyday has been the Aerin Multicolor for Lips and Cheeks in Natural 01; it’s a cream blush/lipstick formula which works brilliantly for both purposes. It’s such an effortless shade and adds a flesh toned warmth to the cheeks. It’s incredibly pigmented so a little goes a long way!

My last beauty favourite has been the By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Frozen Quartz, a stunning lustre lilac with silver flecks throughout. This is such a buttery creamy formula which is so easy to work with on the lids and blend out. I never notice any fall out below the eyes, although it’s worth noting the shimmer in this shade can be pretty full on. I’m so tempted to try this in a few other shades as the product seems to have gotten nothing but praise!

As for my fashion favourites, I’ve been loving my silver chain necklace from Kingsway Design. It’s so simple and minimal, making it the perfect chain to adorn my neckline when wearing a lower cut singlet or t-shirt. I’ve also finally taken the time to switch out my purse to something equally as colourful as the last; it’s the filigree leather embossed purse from Karen Walker, this time in an evergreen and rose gold combination. These are incredibly hard wearing and don’t seem to stain easily, and I love the fact that they have a little clip inside for your keys!

The last two favourites for this month have been worn over and over again; the kitty flats from Charlotte Olympia (which have just come back – like new – from the cobbler) and the pleated midi skirts from ASOS. I tend to wear these on a weekly, if not daily, basis, and they’ve both served me well over the past month.

Over the last couple of months, chances are, if I’m wearing blush, it’s been one of these five beauties, which have got me covered across everything from a natural flush to a peachy glow across my cheeks.

I tend to shy away from anything with even a hint of glitter when it comes to blush (NARS Deep Throat is Admittedly, my standard go-to quite often ends up being the blush from Aerin, as it’s so easy to throw on when you’re on the go. But, with summer literally round the corner, I’ve been enjoying wearing a swipe of something with a bit of pop, and nothing screams golden glow and summer sunsets at the beach like a subtle hint of neon.

So in no particular order, these are the blushes I am loving… right now.

Aerin Multicolor for lips and cheeks; cream products are often touted as being more difficult to work with than powder, but that definitely hasn’t been my experience with this blush from Aerin. Plus, I love the fact hat it doubles as a lipstick making it the perfect compact for on the go. I have this in the shade 01 Natural, which is a medium brown toned dusky nude shade that comes off as very natural in appearance once on the cheeks.

Milani Rose Powder Blush; I’ll admit it, I bought this one purely for the packaging – the rose pressed into the product looked too pretty to pass up. I have this in a couple of different shades, but my favourite is by far 01 Romantic Rose; a true dusty rose. This comes off slightly pinker on the cheeks than the Aerin blush I mentioned above.

Clinique Cheek Pop; I’d heard a lot about these blushes after they launched, so I took the plunge with a Nordstrom order a few months back and grabbed this in the shade 12 Pink Pop. As a very bright and almost neon-hued pink, this certainly isn’t a shade I would normally reach for. The product comes off quite sheer upon application, so it adds more of a subtle flush to the cheeks rather than an obnoxiously neon strip (there’s definitely a thing as too much blush.

NARS Powder Blush; going into your local Mecca (kind of like Australia and New Zealand’s answer to Sephora) is always going to be dangerous, but even more so when you’re getting your make up done there. During my last make up application, the MUA applied this blush in Gina to my cheeks and I was absolutely smitten. It’s a bright sherbet orange and just screams summer in a pan.

Milani Baked Blush; after hearing Kathleen Lights wax lyrical about how good this blush was, I snapped it up in the shade Luminoso, which true to her word, adds a gorgeous J-Lo glow to the cheeks. I’m looking forward to reaching for this a lot more once I’ve gotten a little bit of a tan.

What blushes are you going to be reaching for this summer?

Tartelette ‘in bloom’ eyeshadow palette

I know… I’m a little late to the party. I’ve been keeping this palette to myself for the last few months, but I really wanted to make sure that it was worth its salt before I shared with you just how good this is. I was dead set keen on nabbing their latest offering, the ‘in bloom’ palette (or Amazonian Clay 2), as along with a decent array of mattes, it included three shimmer shades, something which felt a little lacking from Tarte’s original Amazonian Clay Palette.

In the palette, you get 12 shades; 9 mattes and three shimmers:

• Charmer (off white)
• Jetsetter (warm taupe)
• Rocker (shimmering taupe)
• Smokeshow (black brown)
• Flower Child (peachy nude)
• Smarty Pants (tan)
• Firecracker (bronze copper)
• Activist (dark brown)
• Funny Girl (champagne)
• Sweetheart (peach)
• Rebel (chestnut brown)
• Leader (aubergine)

Just like the original, the pigmentation is excellent, overall. Funny Girl is probably the only shade of the lot which takes some work to get a decent colour payoff, however I think it works best layered over deeper shadows to add a little bit of sparkle. The shadows do kick up a little bit of powder, however they blend out beautifully, and the formulas themselves are incredibly smooth. The wear time on them is also excellent; my eyelids are on the oilier side, but with a primer I find that these shadows last all day on me and then some.

For me, this has become one of those palettes that I reach for frequently, as the shadows range from cool to warm, and it’s incredibly versatile – you can make it work for day and for night (and the HUGE mirror makes it very travel friendly). What really surprised me about this palette wasn’t how good it was, but the scent. It’s a little bit of a cross between Too Faced’s Chocolate Bar Palette and a fresh marshmallow plucked straight from the bag, and makes the whole palette seem that much sweeter (as long as you have a sweet tooth like me, that is!).

My favourites in the palette are hands down Flower Child, Smarty Pants and Sweetheart, plus I love a little bit of Leader packed onto the lash line and smoked out for a little bit of depth.

Personally, this definitely sits within my top three favourite palettes; it’s fairly neutral, high quality, and has a large enough variety of shades to keep me coming back to it on a daily basis. Have you added this palette to your collection yet?