Travelling is such an exciting time, but sometimes packing for it may not be. The one thing I find the most difficult is packing my cleansers and face creams. Mostly, the packaging is not ideal for travelling, and I have to spend time trying to pack the products in a smaller container suitable for travelling. This really ends up being time consuming and messy!
AU Natural have come up with these smart looking travel kits which are literally a smaller version of your normal products in your bundle. These can also be used as sample packs as well. The best thing for me when I took this on my vacation was that I didn’t have to touch my home products so these were packed well before and I never forgot anything! The portions are really reasonable, depending on how you use them, you can use them for more than two weeks.
My Remover, Brightening Lotion, Day Creme and Night Creme took absolutely minimal space in my make up bag. You could even take them on your hand carry as they would fit your 100ml requirements.
The best I did for my nails was put my trust in 99 Nails. Six months ago, I went to Courtney with short and weak nails and under the impression that gels manicure were the reason why my nails were breaking so often. But after about two sessions with 99 Nails I could see my nails were strengthening and gel manicure actually provided a protective layer over the nails, helping them to grow.
Nail Care
In order to help your nails grow, after care is required. Your nail technician should run through this with when you get your nails done. Courtney at 99 Nails is very onto it and even gives out After Care cards with all the information on after care. I was a nightmare with peeling the gel polish off myself, this removes the top layer of your nail as well which in turn makes them thinner and weaker. Gel polish needs to be removed properly by a nail technician. Once I took this on board it took about three sets of manicures to get my nails to grow longer and stronger.
You will find professional service at 99 Nails where Courtney understands about how to look after your nails, the dos and the don’t and is truely passionate about nails. This shows on her nails and how she provides her services. The minute you walk in, both Courtney and you will wash your hands and they will be sanitised. When this happens, you understand how important hygiene is for 99 Nails. Each process is done carefully and particularly to perfection.
Designs
99 Nails can come up with amazing nail art and designs for you or can be inspired by any picture that you take in. Over the course of six months I’ve had some really amazing designs, both of which either Courtney came up with or helped me to create with what I wanted in mind. Courtney is absolutely patient, I’ve even asked her to remove a whole set of nails after they were done and she re-did them because my satisfaction meant that much to her.
We tend to forget the importance of a proper facial routine for our beauty regime. Facials ensure the skin is deep cleansed providing a smooth surface for skin care products and make up. Some beauticians will recommend facials to be done every fortnight. Unfortunately time sometimes does not permit that. This is where I found Au Natural Rotorua White Mud, exfoliating masque with Active 16+ Manuka Honey really good as a home treatment. I have added this to my normal skin regime once a week in between my monthly facials and it has worked wonders on me! It works really well as spot treatment for acne as well.
I have used this mask quite religiously, especially when my acne was really bad. Anti helped to cool my skin down on the days when my acne was inflamed and even helped the appearance of the acne reduce.
The balance mask contains minerals from Rotorua white mud, which helps to detoxifies skin and helps the regeneration of new skin cells. Active 16+ Honey has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti ageing properties that help heal your skin. Active 16+ honey also a humectant that attracts water within the skin, which improves skins moisture and texture. The mask also contains pure bee venom which is another magical ingredient that fights the signs of ageing. The sunflower seed oil is a great source of Vitamin E and is super rich in antioxidants and nutrients, helping skin to reduce redness, inflammation, acne and skin irritation.
How to apply
Apply an even layer on your skin after cleansing ( I use a brush to help me!)
I am continuously looking for ways to make the appearance of my skin better and better. I definitely feel like you can never have “too much glow”. AU Natural’sSuper fruit Eye Serum and Anti Ageing Face Oil are the perfect addition to your morning and night routine to ensure you get that glow.
Eye Serum
A lot of us don’t really give eye serums an importance in our beauty regime and end up only focusing on other areas of our skin. One of the main causes of fine lines and wrinkles around the eye area is dehydration. A face moisturiser cannot be used as a substitute for an eye serum as it is too thick for the skin around the eye to absorb product, therefore a waste. Serums are a much high concentration but a thinner consistency so the soft skin around the eye can absorb this. Keeping the area around your eyes hydrated will mean your are fighting against fine lines, wrinkles and dark under eye spots.
AU Natural’sSuper Fruit Eye Serum contains active ingredients such as, New Zealand Avocado Oil ( rich in antioxidants, essential fatty acids, Vitamins A, D & E, potassium and lecithin, which are primary skin feeding nutrients), 9 berry extracts (such as acai, bilberry, strawberry, black mulberry and many other berries that provide health for the skin) and Ribrose ( a sugar that occurs in all living cells accelerating cell energy recovery and overall function- helping fight towards ageing). These products sink into the dermal layer helping to plump skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Anti Ageing Face Oil
Suffering from acne and an oily skin tone, the idea of a “face oil” always terrified me. I became under the false understanding that face oils clog pores and promote acne. Its actually on the contrary. A good face oil will help the hydration of your skin which in turn will stop your skin from producing excess oil to try and hydrate itself.
AU Natural’sAnti Ageing Face Oil contains Harakeke seed oil and Retinol which helps minimise the signs of ageing, plump skin, leaving back no oil residue and hydrating skin which then stops skin from producing extra sebum. Key ingredients in this product are New Zealand Harakeke seed oil which is pack with linoleum acid ( boosting skin’s barrier layer and helping to seal in natural moisture), the seeds are rich in Omega 3, Omega 6 and essential fatty acids that can regulate cell function. The second ingredient is Moringa Oil, which has antibacterial and moisturising properties which helps strengthen skin and help is protect again the environment and allergen substances. The final key ingredient is Lakesis, which is derived from resin produced in ancient trees in Greece, this increases the synthesis of to youth proteins and reactivates the detoxifying process of the skin. This product works in perfect harmony with the other AU Natural product range and can be used by the whole family, drops can even be used for removal of stretch marks.
Packing can be a real struggle when travelling. There is always a limit on what you can take and you have to start making some tough decisions on which products that will have to miss out. I feel like every product that I use as my daily routine is “important” to me. Two of these products are foundation and sunscreen. When I was packing for my travels to Asia I knew that I had be strategic in which foundation to carry. I couldn’t have something that was too heavy on the skin due to the humidity in the countries that I would be in. And I also needed to have really good sunscreen to help protect my skin when I was out in the harsh sun.
On the Go Mineral Powder from AU Natural answered both of my needs. It was a really good replacement for my liquid foundation that I used on a daily basis combined with a broad spectrum SPF 25. The small bottle with a retractable brush was the perfect travelling tool for my make up bag.
On the Go Mineral Powder uses natural sun-block ingredients and is oil free and non-comedogenic hence it does not clog pores. The mineral powder also helps to absorb excess oil from the skin reducing redness of the skin. With the product also being paragon dye and fragrance free, your skin continues to feel fresh throughout the day.
I have been using this product through out my trip and it’s worked wonders, especially with the climate changes, humidity and dust that I am travelling in. I have actually been keeping this product in my handbag and re-applying it during the day. Even with the re-application, I haven’t noticed any closed pores and haven’t had any breakouts due to use of powder with the harsh weather. The product can also used as a full coverage foundation or re-applied on top of normal liquid foundation for an extra layer of sun protection.
Changing your skin care range can be REALLY scary sometimes. Especially if you have sensitive and unpredictable skin. Luckily for me Bee Bio launched AU Natural which is a similar product range with equal values and a sustainable approach. The biggest thing for me was not to see a reaction in my skin when I swapped between the two products. AU Natural has worked its magic on me so well!
AU stands for “skinfood” where it focuses on skin health and not skin beauty, using active ingredients such as Manuka Honey and NZ Botanicals to restore and strengthen skin with a regular routine. AU stands for “integrity” where the products are formulated with quality and natural ingredients with high concentrated levels of scientifically proven ingredients, such as 16+ Manuka Honey, Been Venom and Kiwi fruit extract. AU stands for “Sustainability”, by being on the forefront of an industry leading movement to remove plastic pollution. AU is achieving this by its three strong mottos #RefillNotLandfill; simply refill your containers when they run out rather than buying a new container each time; the bottles are made from aluminium bottles and topped up using compostable refills. All AU packaging material is either reusable, compostable or recyclable. #ChangeToday; helping reduce the 480 billion single used bottles being wasted every year. #LeaveItBetter; AU products are formulated from pure, natural, nourishing ingredients ethically sourced mostly from NZ, which is always replenished.
CLEANSER
This gentle yet powerful cleanser removes make up and bacteria off your skin while the key ingredient, 16+ Manuka Honey, helps provide anti- bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Using this in the morning and evening at the beginning of your skincare routine will help provide a “clean” slate for the restoration of your skin.
Other key ingredients in this product are Pure Manuka Oil, Mandarin Oil, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Rosehip Oil and Shea Butter.
BRIGHTENING LOTION
Use this after cleansing to remove any traces of cleanser or surface debris. The toner spray removes bacteria and infection from deep below the surface of the skin reducing pore size and hydrating your skin. There are concentrated levels of 16+ Manuka Honey and Vitamin C which helps slow down the formation of pigmentation and lighten skin. The toning lotion helps tighten skin and reduce redness, ageing spots and freckling.
AM DAY SERUM
A combination of Active 16+ Manuka honey and powerful antioxidants that help lift, tighten and smooth skin. The high quality ingredients used helps plump skin while maintaining the skin’s moisture balance. A small amount goes a long way with this serum as the silky creme spreads easily.
PM NIGHT CREME
The deeply moisturizing treatment creme nourishes and and stimulates cell renewal overnight with the help Active 16+ Manuka Honey and bee venom. Bee venom supports skin cell regeneration and production of collagen and elastin, helping to lift, plump and tighten skin. Bee venom painlessly tricks the skin into thinking it has been stung which stimulates blood flow to the “affected” areas and in response producing more collagen and elastin.
HOW AU NATURAL WORKS
Order your free 14 day trial kit once you subscribe. Give the trial size a go and if you don’t wish to continue, simple cancel your subscription. If its a Yes, then wait for your starter pack to arrive. After this, receive all your refills automatically every eight weeks. Talk about convenience!! You will never have the panic of your products running out and not having enough time to buy the replacement. AU Natural has literally thought of EVERYTHING, from skin health to sustainability to consumer convenience.
One of the biggest points for me is the packaging for products, it is travel friendly with its little tin packs . The product has some very high quality and active ingredients that has done wonders for my skin in terms of removing my acne scars and making my skin feel smooth. It has been such hard work for me to get my skin to actually feel smooth and AU Natural has all the ingredients in it that has helped me to achieve this just in a month with regular use.
Use code “petite15” to get 15% off your subscription
Where does anti ageing and caring for your skin begin? Most of us invest in expensive creams, serums, gels and what not. But we forget about cleansing. Isn’t that where it all begins? Prepping our skin by getting rid of all the dirt, bacteria and oil that gets built up over the period of day or night time, is a basic but very important step. We need to ensure the products that we use for cleansing isn’t harsh or has too many chemicals as it will strip your skin of the “good” oil leaving it prone to inflammation, acne and dry skin.
I was fortunate enough to include three really amazing cleansing products from BeeBio into my daily and weekly skin prep regime.
The key ingredients in this cleanser are 16+ Manuka Honey, Avocado oil, jojoba oil, mandarin oil, rosehip oil, shea butter. This cleanser is also 100% vegetarian. All these ingredients work together to clean your skin and leave it feeling balanced and hydrated. 16+ Manuka Honey is medical grade which provides anti-bacterial benefits. From my last post on the “Ageless Skin- Starts Right Here” we know how Manuka Honey helps heal acne, repair skin ( in turn help with anti-ageing) and hydrates skin. Mandarin and rosehip oil both contain properties for skin healing while avocado and shea butter contain essential fatty acids and antioxidants to reduce inflammation.
How I use it
Double cleansing- this is to ensure I get right into the pore the second time as the first time you cleanse you are just removing the oil and dirt from the top layer of skin
After using this for a month I have noted the redness of my skin reduce significantly.
Mud Mask
I made sure I incorporated this mud mask into my skin cleansing routine once a week at least. The results were amazing to say the least! The mud mask left my skin feeling fresh, smooth and glowing after each use. The mask helps get rid of blackheads and heat rashes around the face.
This mask is rich in minerals from the volcanic Rotorua White Mineral Mud with Active 16+ Manuka Honey, Pure Bee Venom and sunflower seed. Health benefits of minerals from volcanic mud is purification of skin and exfoliating properties that help heal damaged skin. As you would have read on from my last post on Ageless Skin- Starts Right Here, bee venom helps with the healing and anti-ageing. Sunflower oil is rich in minerals and anti-oxidants which again, helps with skin-inflammation and with acne prone skin
Tip:
Use this mask as spot treatment for those stubborn acne that pops up. The acne will visibly disappear the next day.
Toner (or as I like to call it “The Golden Liquid”
Having added this Toner to my daily routine, I have seen so many benefits. My skin’s complexion is brighter and has got a glow to it. I have received so many compliments on how good my skin looks and I have to give most of the credit to this particular Toner.
Key ingredients in this bottle of gem are : Active 16+ Manuka Honey, helping restoration of skin, while a high concentrate of Vitamin C helps reduce the appearance of skin pigmentation.
How I use it
I apply the toner on my face and neck after cleansing every morning and every night before applying any other moisturiser.
I hope this post on skin cleansing routine has helped you think about the importance of using the correct products. Keep a look out on my blog for my next post on how to look after your skin whilst sleeping <3
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I feel like I am constantly in a battle with my skin. Acne has definitely been something that I have been struggling with since I have been really young.
So for years now I have been using all different types of skin care to try and help my skin. A while back I wrote a blog post on a the VLCC skin care brand ( click here for the blog post). It was definitely the best thing that I was using at that point in time. It had everything; sunscreen + herbal ingredients that were great for my sensitive skin.
But for a few years I have been hearing about “Bee Venom” and how good it is for your skin. It eliminates signs of ageing and reduces the appearance of scars. Bee venom does this by “tricking” your body into thinking that it has been stung by a bee therefore your body increases bloody flow to your skin in order to “repair” it. This helps your skin to get plumped up again and wrinkles and scars reducing in appearance. It is definitely something that I was very keen to start trying in my early 20’s as this was my time to start thinking of preventions for an ageing skin. (Yes ladies, if we wanna look like we are 20 when we are in our 50’s; we had got to start our “anti-ageing” skin care when we are 20).
I came across BeeBio when I was going through duty free to Melbourne. I looked at this mask for a good thirty minutes and weighed up if it was good enough for my skin or not. This particular product from BeeBio is called “Active 16+ Manuka Honey & Bee Venom Venomous Masque” and is actually a face mask that I use as a moisturiser. Out of all their products, this had the most natural and beneficial ingredients for healing skin.
The percentage of bee venom in this mask is a lot lower a product that is primarily bee venom. The important ingredient in this is the 16+ Manuka Honey, which is another great healing agent for acne and skin ageing. There are also a lot of antioxidants in this mask that help with the whole process. When I was going to Melbourne, my skin was inflamed with acne, within five days of using this, the redness reduced and the “bumpiness” of my acne reduced. Its been about two months now since I have been using the mask and my skin is SUPER smooth and absolutely no redness.
How to apply:
Apply your daily face sunscreen ( next blog on this soon)
Take a small amount of the BeeBio Face Masque and apply a thin layer all over your face.
Try and focus on the areas of concern and massage it in properly around there.
This can also be used as an actual mask (as suggested by the name). So apply a thicker layer on and leave it on for 20-30 minutes and rinse off.
If you have read my blog “A Shopper’s guide to three days in Sydney” then you would know how crazy I went shopping in Sydney. Well one of the many places that I went pretty crazy at was Sephora. To be honest, I am not a big collector of make up. But one step into Sephora and that could change for any girl.
Below I have posted a review of what I thought of the HUDA liquid mattes. These beauties have changed my perception of a “lipstick”.
From the top : Material Girl, Vixen, Famous, Trophy Wife, Cheerleader, Icon
Here is how I wear these shades:
Material Girl – Night Out. Goes perfectly with smokey eyes and darker clothes. Very similar to Rebel from Mac
Vixen – Night Out. Because of how bold this colour is I try and keep my eyes quite simple (winged eyes usually does the trick). Perfect combo with a black dress <3
Famous – Anytime you want to look fabulous! This is my favorite colour from the whole lot! It has the perfect amount of red, purple and boldness to it. It compliments any make up look.
Trophy Wife – Day Out. It does on more neutral with a purplish pink hue to it.
Cheerleader – Day Out. Could also do a night out with it. This has a red base to it.
Icon– Day Out. Very neutral. I wear this to work everyday.
I am a big fan of a matte finish, because that avoids my hair sticking to my lips. I have been using these without a miss since I got them. I think they are for sure a great investment into your make up kits <3
Photo credit and creative director : Petite Perspectives
Shoes are my own guilty pleasure. I own over a hundred pairs of shoes and am emotionally attached to every one of them. When Rubi Shoes approached me to feature their next and upcoming line of “Sock Boots” on my blog, I was quite excited. Having worn many of the Rubi Shoe brands in my teenage years, I knew how fun and stylish these pieces would be.
Having the perfect pair of shoes, for me, is the most important part of an outfit. It’s the essential finishing touch that pulls the whole look together. Sometimes, as long as your shoes are on point, you can even get away with some basic clothes.
I paired these beautiful Brighton sock boots with my favourite jumper dress from Asos
Styling these Arlie cut out ankle boots with some ripped jeans for a casual look
The balance mask contains minerals from Rotorua white mud, which helps to detoxifies skin and helps the regeneration of new skin cells. Active 16+ Honey has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti ageing properties that help heal your skin. Active 16+ honey also a humectant that attracts water within the skin, which improves skins moisture and texture. The mask also contains pure bee venom which is another magical ingredient that fights the signs of ageing. The sunflower seed oil is a great source of Vitamin E and is super rich in antioxidants and nutrients, helping skin to reduce redness, inflammation, acne and skin irritation.
