Merry Christmas!

Christmas has come around again. I've been a bit slack with posting recently sorry, but I'm intending to put some more posts up here before the New Year. Merry Christmas!

Christmas gift packs

It’s less than a week till Christmas, and I still haven’t written any posts about Christmas. How very un-festive of me! If you’re stuck for gift ideas, there’s a few nice gift packs out from some great NZ brands. Living Nature has five Natural Christmas Gift Packs, each $39.95, each in a Living Nature Fabric Tote Bag. They are:

Christmas Skin Essentials for Oily Skin - 50ml Purifying Cleanser, 50ml Hydrating Toning Gel, 50ml Balancing Day Lotion, 2ml Firming Flax Serum, 2ml Balancing Night Gel
Christmas Skin Essentials for Normal Skin - 50ml Vitalising Cleanser, 50ml Hydrating Toning Gel, 50ml Nourishing Day Cream, 2ml Firming Flax Serum, 2ml Nourishing Night Cream
Christmas Skin Essentials for Dry Skin - 50ml Vitalising Cleanser, 50ml Extra Hydrating Toning Gel, 50ml Rich Day Cream, 2ml Firming Flax Serum, 2ml Nourishing Night Cream
Christmas Skin Essentials for Men - 50ml Gentle Cleansing Shaving Gel, 50ml Soothing Plant Moisturiser, 50ml Soothing After Shave Gel
Christmas Body Essentials - 50ml Nourishing Body Wash, 50ml Nourishing Hand and Body Cream, 50ml Balancing Shampoo, 50ml Balancing Conditioner

Trilogy has Body Treats, $34.99, containing Botanical Body Wash 200ml and Nourishing Body Lotion 200ml. Or try Evolu Sun Set, $49.99, containing Day Cream SPF15, Protective Hand Cream SPF15, Lip Treatment SPF15, Body Lotion and an Inflatable Towelling Beach Pillow.

Five products for $10 and under

Some cool products which won’t leave you skint.

Ecostore Conditioner, $9.95 for 220ml – Available in Normal, Fine and Fragile, Dry and Damaged, and Anti-Dandruff

Viola Organics Liquid Soap, $6.50 for 250ml - Available in Lavender, Summer Fresh, and Unscented Mild/Baby

Alba Botanica Terra Tints with SPF 8, $8.99 for 4.2g – Available in six shades

Primal Earth Shave Gel, $8.49 for 175ml – Available in Menthol Cool, Aloe Hydrate, and Extra Sensitive

Blue Earth soap block large $9 – Available in 18 different scents (including Lemongrass, Orange & Lime Swirl, and Rhapsody of Roses), and also a shampoo bar – see http://www.blueearth.co.nz/ for details

Giovanni Colorflage

Giovanni has a new range of shampoos and conditioners for colour-treated hair, Colorflage. Available in:

Boldly Black
Beautifully Blonde
Brazenly Brunette
Remarkably Red
Perfectly Platinum

Each colour has a Daily Color Defense Shampoo, and Daily Color Defense Conditioner, each $24.99 for 250ml. Available at Farmers, although for some reason the Remarkably Red colour isn't there.

Favourite product of spring

Spring has come to an end. It’s been pretty cold for most of spring in Wellington, but it was a lot warmer when I went over to Queensland, Australia. I spent six days in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, and I bought a lot of beauty products, including Saya Coconut & Shea Body Butter, AUD$26.95 for 200g. Saya products are handmade in Noosa, and can be bought at various places in the Sunshine Coast including the amazing Eumundi markets. They can also be purchased online at http://www.sayaskin.com/ The body butter is thick, rich, nourishing, and smells amazing. My favourite product of the season.

SPF 15 moisturiser from Antipodes

New from New Zealand brand Antipodes is Immortal Performance Plus SPF15, $49.90 for 50ml. It contains raspberry oil, hyaluronic acid, and vinanza grape and kiwi extracts.

Priti Nail Products

I’ve mentioned Ikigai before - it’s an Australian online natural beauty boutique. Ikigai have recently added Priti products to their store. Priti is a brand which specialises in nail products which are free from potentially harmful chemicals such as toluene, formaldehyde, and DBP. The Priti products available on the Ikigai website are:

Non-Toxic Soy Polish Remover 56ml $16.95
Non-Toxic Cuticle Remover 12.6ml $17.95
Almond Cuticle Oil 12.6ml $17.95
Non-Toxic Speed Dry Topcoat 12.6ml $17.95
Non-Toxic 2-in-1 Base & Top Coat 12.6ml $17.95
Non-Toxic Nail Polish in 29 shades 12.6ml $17.95
Bean Nail Brush in Flax Pouch $9

The people at Ikigai offered to send me one of the Priti products to try, so I chose the nail polish in Peekaboo Rose (pictured above) Review follows:

Packaging: A clear bottle with a silver flower on the front and a silver lid.
Price: AUD$17.95
Size: 12.6ml
Suitable for: Anyone, including pregnant women
Available at: Ikigai
Pros: Pretty colour, free of harmful chemicals, good value for money.
Cons: None I can think of.

The verdict: Peekaboo Rose is a lovely luminous pink shade that’s subtle enough for the office. It’s a great colour for spring. Very nice! I took a picture of my hand when I was wearing it (shown below), but it doesn’t really do the colour justice - it's a bit brighter than it looks in this picture. Check out the Priti products at http://www.ikigai.com.au/hands-feet-polis/ .

For every budget: Moisturising shampoos

For dry hair, a moisturising shampoo is essential.

Low-cost: Ecostore Shampoo for dry/damaged hair 220ml $10.95, 1L $35.95 , and 5L $175








Mid-range: Living Nature Nourishing Shampoo 200ml $27.50





High-end: Aveda Dry Remedy Moisturizing Shampoo 200ml $63, and 473ml $113

Karen Murrell range

A new brand has popped up at Farmers recently – Karen Murrell. I’m not sure if this is the same Karen Murrell who founded the Skinfood brand (there is an Auckland address on the bottom of the product boxes, so it’s therefore a New Zealand brand, and could well be the same Karen), but the products look pretty good. They are:

Nature’s Essense Body Scrub 200ml $45
Pure Honesty Cleansing Gel 100ml $34
Absolute Luxury Moisturiser 50ml $45
True Miracle Moisture Balm 50ml $39
Aqua River Face Cream for Men 50ml $36
Moisture Stick Lip Balm $24.99
Lipstick in four shades $24.99

All the products are 99.5% natural, and have EcoCert certification and environmentally friendly packaging. Nice!

Stuff that smells like mandarin

Mandarin smells yummy and fresh. Try these products to smell like a mandarin!

Evolu Refreshing Face and Body Mist 100ml $25 – to vitalise and hydrate skin






Global Soap Lip Smoothie in Carrot and Mandarin 10ml $5 – contains olive and castor oil to moisturise






Akin Mandarin Shampoo 225ml $14.50 and 500ml $27.50 – for all hair types

Juice Beauty is here!

Finally, Juice Beauty has reached New Zealand. A large amount of the range is available at Life Pharmacy stores. Brace yourself for this long list:

Antioxidant Serum 50ml $79.00
Apple Age Defying Solutions kit $89.00
Blemish Be Gone 8ml $29.00
Blemish Clearing Serum 50ml $59.00
Cleansing Gel 150ml $39.00
Cleansing Milk 150ml $39.00
Exfoliating Cleanser 100ml $39.00
Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer 50ml $89.00Green Apple Antioxidant Serum 30ml $79.00
Green Apple Cleansing Gel 100ml $45
Green Apple Extra Firming Body Moisturizer 300ml $59.00
Green Apple Hydration Mask 50ml $65.00
Green Apple Moisturiser SPF15 50ml $79.00
Green Apple Mousse Body Cleanser 280ml $55.00
Green Apple Nutrient Eye Cream 15ml $69.00
Green Apple Peel Full Strength 50ml $75.00
Green Apple Peel Sensitive 50ml $75.00
Green Apple Repair Mask 30ml $65.00
Green Apple Repair Moisturiser 50ml $79.00
Hydrating Mist 150ml $39.00
Lip Plumper 15ml $29.00
Nutrient Moisturiser 50ml $69.00
Oil-Free Moisturiser 50ml $55.00
Organics To Go Clear Skin kit $79.00
Organics To Go Kit $69.00
Smoothing Eye Concentrate 15ml $59.00
Soothing Serum 50ml $69.00

Nice! I have the Juice Beauty Tinted Lip Moisturizers (got them in Australia), which are great. These are not available over here, but I am keen to try some of the products listed above, like the Lip Plumper.

Article on cosmetic ingredients in Consumer magazine

The latest issue of NZ’s Consumer magazine has an interesting article about cosmetic ingredients. Apparently, since July 24 this year, it’s required that all cosmetics sold in New Zealand have the ingredients listed (if they’re not already listed on the back of the product bottle/jar/box/whatever, there needs to be a list of the ingredients in the nearby area). The reason for this is that people with allergies to certain cosmetic ingredients can know what exactly is in everything. Anyway, the Consumer went to several stores where cosmetics were being sold with no ingredients listed. There is also the story of a woman who had an allergic reaction to dianzoydinyl urea, a cosmetic preservative.

Anyway, the consumer discovered that some stores were still selling cosmetics which did not have the ingredients listed. They also found a hair dye at a $2 shop, which contained m-phenylenediamine, which has been banned from being used in hair dyes from some time. It is therefore illegal to sell this product.

New Living Nature Hand Cream

Living Nature has a new product, Nourishing Hand Cream, $21.95 for 100ml, containing Manuka honey, larch tree extract, and Manuka oil.

Five hair gels

Style your hair with a natural hair gel.

Aesop Wild Lime Hair Polish 200ml $19.90 – Not technically a gel, but it’s described as ‘gel-like’, so close enough.

Giovanni L.A. Style Hair Gel 200ml $27.99 – A strong hold gel.

John Masters Organics Sweet Orange & Silk Protein Styling Gel 236ml AUD$32.50 – This can be ordered from http://www.ikigai.com.au/.

MOP Foam Forming Gel with Light Hold 200ml $37 – A gel in foam form.

Aveda Brilliant™ Retexturing Gel 25ml $19 and 150ml $56 - with certified organic aloe, calendula and camomile.

Dr Hauschka Natural Pastels range

New from Dr Hauschka is the limited edition Natural Pastels makeup range. The products are:

Kajal Eyeliner Duo in Berry – Black and Green – Anthracite $39
Solo Eyeshadow in Rose, Grey, Light Blue, and Soft Green $39
Rouge Powder Duo $57
Lipstick Slimline in Berry and Soft Rose $47

Looks very pretty, I particularly like the look of the Berry lipstick, it’s a nice bright pink which is still quite sheer. The whole range is perfect for Spring!

For every budget – Lip colours

Colour your lips, whatever amount you choose to spend.

Low-cost: Alba Botanica Terra Tints Tinted Lip Balm with SPF $8.99 – available in six shades




Mid-range: Living Nature Lipstick $38 – available in ten shades










High-end: Aveda Uruku Lip Pigment $44 – available in six shades

Antipodes Hand Wash and Body Wash

New Zealand brand Antipodes have two new products, which continue their theme of spiritual names (other products have names such as Reincarnation, Hallelujah, Resurrect, and Aura). The new products are Namaste Hand Wash, $38.90 for 500ml, and Nirvana Body Wash (pictured), $42.90 for 500ml. Namaste contains kiwi seed oil, lime rind, and black pepper, and Nirvana contains wild blackcurrant, spearmint leaf and cardamom. They both have pictures of native New Zealand birds on the bottle (a Fantail on Namaste, and a Tui on Nirvana).

Stuff that smells like lime

I like the smell of lime, it smells refreshing and juicy. Check out these lime-scented products.

Antipodes Hallelujah Lime & Patchouli Cleanser 200ml $42 - a gorgeous cream cleanser.

Blue Earth Lime Lip Balm $11 - contains shea butter, cocoa butter, and vitamin E to moisturise.

Alba Coconut and Lime Shave Cream 225g $13.50 - moisturising for a smooth shave.

Mascara added to Almay Pure Blends range

About six months ago I mentioned the Almay Pure Blends range. New to this range is the Volumizing Mascara. It is available in Black, Black Brown, and Brown. I’m not sure of the price, but the mascara (along with the rest of the Pure Blends range) can be purchased at Farmers stores.

Favourite product of winter

I’m a bit late in posting this (winter ended nearly a month ago), but the best beauty product I tried in winter is Trilogy Botanical Moisture Masque for dry hair. It’s wonderfully moisturising, and it has a gorgeous coconut scent. It contains nourishing ingredients such as marshmallow extract, coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil, and it costs $29.95 for 95ml.

On holiday

I have been a bit slack about updating my blog recently, sorry. I'm on holiday in the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia at the moment, and I'll try to get back into posting more regularly when I return.

Green your summer with Ideal Bite

I know that summer in the Northern Hemisphere is almost over now, but we're still awaiting it here in the Southern Hemisphere, so check out Ideal Bite's tips for a green summer. Ideal Bite is a cool website which gives ideas for green living. Check out their content regarding summer by following this link: http://tinyurl.com/idealbite-fun-summer-ideas.

Five products for $5 and under

Yeah, you read that right! Cool products for small change.

Phyto Shield Botanical Toothpaste, $5 for 100g – Available in Herbal, Lemon Myrtle, and Propolis.

Jeymar Lavender and Tea Tree Shampoo Bar, $2.90 for medium and $4.90 for large – A nourishing solid shampoo.

Kereru Lip Salve, $4.50 for 6.4g – Available in Calendula, Teatree & Lemon, Geranium – clear, Natural Rose – pink, and Clear Strawberry.

Clear as Mud Face Mud, $4 for one 10ml sachet – Purify your skin with this bentonite clay mask.

Ecostore Boxed Soap, $2.49 for 80g – Available in Coconut, Lemongrass, Manuka Honey & Kelp, and Vanilla.

Lip balm from Antipodes

I forgot to mention in my post of many new products, but New Zealand brand Antipodes has added a lip balm to their range of products, $14.50 for 4.5g. It contains some nice moisturising ingredients such as jojoba oil, shea butter, olive oil, and cocoa butter, and most of the ingredients are certified organic by Asurequality.

I bought it last night; it’s nice and moisturising, and it smells divine!

For every budget: Clay masks

Clay masks are great for oily, combination and acne-prone skin.

Low-cost: Natio Spa with Organics Detoxifying Clay Face and Body Mask 210ml $23

Mid-range: Living Nature Deep Cleansing Mask 50ml (10 5ml sachets) $42

High-end: Ren Multi-Mineral Detox Facial Mask 50ml $74

Methven Homespa range

Methven is New Zealand’s largest supplier and leading designer of faucets, showerheads and hot water valves. They now have a range of body care products, the Homespa range. The products are:

Shower Infusion 37ml $19.95
Body Bar 125g $16
Hand & Body Wash 250ml $24.95
Hand & Body Creme 250ml $29.95
Candle 255g $49.95

They are available in four different scents:

Bliss – infused with jasmine and ylang ylang
Focus – infused with rosemary and lemon
Uplift – infused with grapefruit and pomegranate
Fresh – infused with green tea and peppermint

I have a bit of a thing for citrus scents, so I particularly like the smell of the Uplift products. The shower infusions are designed to be used with the Methven Shower Infusion Pod. The pod can be purchased in a starter pack along with the Bliss and Focus Shower Infusions - $169 for Fixed Rose and $149 for Slide Shower.

The products are free from parabens, sodium laurel and laureth sulphates, synthetic colours, are not tested on animals, and are made in New Zealand. They contain New Zealand botanical ingredients such as Harakeke, Kowhai, and Kawakawa. The candles are made from beeswax and soy and are free from paraffin and lead. Nice!

Stuff that smells like orange

I really like citrus scents, particularly orange, which smells sweet and refreshing.

Akin Sandalwood and Sweet Orange Invigorating Body Scrub 200ml $24.50

Blue Earth Carrot & Orange Cake Soap, $5.50 for med and $9 for large

Organic Surge Orange Blossom Hand Lotion 250ml $20