While I’ve been posting about some of my Secrets to Perfect Skin, some of you have asked me to come up with product alternatives that are more suited to a tight budget but still do a great job.  This isn’t always an easy ask as there is just so much on the market that is ‘cheap’; but effective and inexpensive don’t always go hand in hand.  So I’ve been doing a bit of research, using myself as a guinea pig and have found a few simple solutions that are both affordable and give amazing results.

First up the skin care system.  While I’ve been using Sothy’s for a number of years now, it isn’t always an affordable option depending on what else I’ve been doing with my credit card that month. (Damn you Etsy!) One of the things I knew was that finding something that had quality ingredients for a smallish price was not going to be easy. So I took my list of nasty’s and no no’s shopping with me, and spent ages pouring over packaging to make sure that I could narrow the list before subjecting my skin to any distress.

The long and short of all this is a range that gets a tick in every box.  The Trilogy range is a New Zealand based company that uses all natural ingredients and actually has an easily accessible and understandable list of ingredients available on each product. Not hidden away, but even searchable in alphabetical order on their website which impressed me.  First up I had been using their handcream which gave me near miracle results. Smelt great, went in well and had a very soothing, therapeutic effect.  So after reading what was and wasn’t in their products, I decided to give it a trial run while I was on my last trip away.  They happened to have a good special at the time on their travel minis which meant that I could get the whole range that I needed at a fraction of the cost – perfect!

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The results I got from these products was fantastic.  I’ve been suffering from regular hormonal breakouts along my jaw line which no amount of regular facials was helping. I’d been steaming, cleansing, masking all the usual, but I couldn’t seem to improve it very much.  After a week of using the full system, (cleanser, toner, moisturiser) the bumpy bits were gone.  I should also tell you that while I was testing this skin care I was getting about 4 hours of sleep a night, partying to the wee hours and working all day; so it had a heck of a lot to cope with!

From the research I’ve done on their website, it also appears that none of their products contain parabens either, which is a bonus as I know a number of readers are severely allergic to these too.  The price for each full sized bottle is around the $38 mark, but they also have regular specials. I picked up the whole system at the Myer stock take sales just this last week.  I think my favorite product has to be the spritzing facial toner as it has the most divine scent and is so refreshing. It know it is only psychological, but somehow the spritzing action makes me feel cleaner.

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The next thing I wanted to address was the whole gentle exfoliation thing I’d been asked about.  Given that every-one’s skin is different and exfoliation is usually something recommended as a weekly activity only, it is hard to give specifically general advice (see what I mean?).  However,  removing all traces of makeup with a washcloth is one way of tackling the daily exfoliation challenge.  It isn’t about a scrub, but just about making sure there is no crap left on your skin and increasing the blood flow to the surface.  And yes, you can use a standard flannel washcloth but I wanted to find something a little bit different that would only be used by me and not end up becoming part of the morning ‘wheat-bix off face removal’ system. (Anyone with kids knows what I’m talking about here).  Here is the super cool and very cute tool I found for just such a task.

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This is a Jelly Cleansing Puff. Found at a Korean beauty store, I’m sure my Asian based readers will have seen these before, but they certainly aren’t common here in Australia. But they are fantastic!  The texture is actually like squishy, wet but firm jelly, and they can be washed and squeezed out as you go.  It is an almost sponge like texture, but has enough texture to help remove any remaining makeup and if you rub gently on the skin, helps to increase the blood flow without any rough edges or scrubbing. Maybe these are just another gimmick, but they are fun to use and so far after a week of using it, I have seen an improvement to the clarity of my skin.  Have any of you used these before? Do you know anything about them?

The other thing that is huge in Asia right now, but hasn’t made it to mainstream here in Australia, is BB Cream – Blemish Balm Cream.  Basically it is a tinted moisturiser with an SPF, but has much more coverage than any other tinted moisturiser I’ve found to date.  The reason I started using this is that during winter, my skin becomes even paler and I often find that my foundation is just too dark. Even the palest porcelain colours still just don’t work.  But this BB Cream from The Face Shop is EXACTLY the right shade for my skin and gives me amazing coverage!  I use it over my regular daily moisturiser like a foundation, then set it with a clear, loose translucent powder.  It is more dewy than the mineral foundation I’m used to, but can be powdered to a matt finish.   I can’t find this exact cream on their website, but it is in store and comes in at about $52 for the tube.  I’ve been using it solidly for about the last 3 months and haven’t finished it yet.

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Of course, every time I shop at The Face Shop I pick up a few other nick nacks to try out and this time I picked up their 3/4 lashes to try.  These have fast become my new everyday favorite lashes with a good length, spread and thickness.  They also have a decent width base to apply the glue to.  They are easy to clean and remove the glue from to use over and over again, in fact I’m still on the same pair after five weeks. Which at approximately $4 a pair makes these crackingly good value!

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So there you go my friends, affordable, effective alternatives for creating a simply beautiful face!

When it comes to presenting a face that looks first class, the secret is in the skin care. As you know from my previous posts on the topic, it is as much about what you put in as what you put on your skin. So when it comes to the old argument about where to spend your cash, good quality skin care wins out for me over makeup every time.  This is not to say that it needs to cost a fortune, but I do believe in buying the best you can afford and doing your research to make sure that you know what you are really getting in those fancy packages.

Here is what I am using at the moment…

The Neutrogena eye makeup remover is an absolute lifesaver!  With the amount of eyeliner I use put together with eyelash glue and all manner of colours, it can be a big job to get it all off.  I came across this one in a moment of desperation after many of the fancier brands had failed to handle the job.  It is a two part type of liquid that has to be shaken before application, but then removes EVERY trace of eye makeup within two gentle passes!

My other super skin care secret is a salon product range called Sothy’s. It is a french skin care line and has done the most amazing job of restoring my skin to great condition after I gave it a bit of a beating.  I used to get broken capillaries all across my cheeks and it wasn’t until my beautician put me onto the Sothy’s range especially for this that they healed and stopped occurring.  The Beauty Milk has a light texture and is fantastic for cleansing the whole face slowly, gently and retaining the moisture without ending up “squeaky clean”. (In case you’re wondering, squeaky clean is actually a very bad thing for your skin. If it squeaks it’s in pain!)

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I also use the Sothy’s “Morning Cleanser” which is fabulous for a deep clean and does the trick after a day of heavy makeup, like photo shoots and such. I spend the time to remove my eye makeup first, then massage this one in for about two minutes.  I also use a fresh, warm wash cloth it ensure that every remaining trace of makeup is removed.  It is a good idea to add something as simple as a flannel washcloth to your daily cleansing routine as it provides a super gentle exfoliation and helps to clean the areas that can be left out if you just splash with water (like the hairline).

I cleanse my skin morning and night and always follow up with a gentle toner. In this case I’m using the Sothy’s toner as I like to stick to the same brands for the best results.  This toner is specifically designed for skin with fragile capillaries, so it doesn’t make the issue worse. I’m also one of those people who bruise very easily, so I know I have to be careful with how I treat my skin.

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A few more from Sothy’s as I also use their day cream and Secrets eye cream. One of the tricks to keeping your eyes looking good that I am glad I learnt at a young age is NOT to use moisturiser around your eyes! The moisturiser increases the water content in the cells which stretches out the cell walls. So it is like inflating and deflating a balloon each day. Not a pretty picture.

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I talk a lot about wearing sunscreen on this blog, and many of you have asked which formula I use that is non greasy and goes very well under makeup to still keep it looking matt. This is the one – Sun Sense Daily Matt Formula by Ego.  It can be found in most chemists and I think Priceline also carry it.  It has a fantastic texture that is absorbed quite quickly and is perfect for face and neck.  It is a little more expensive than the regular kind, so I keep this one for my face and use a regular 30+ for the rest of my body.  And if you’re wondering, yes, I use these all year around not just in summer.

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I do regular at home facials at least once a week, and use a stronger exfoliate once a week to help renew the skin surface. There are a few different products I use for this type of regime but this Bubble Peeling by Shills I bought in Singapore simply because I loved the packaging.  I’m not going to recommend a particular exfoliating product because I find that this can be a difficult area for a lot of people, particularly if you have very sensitive skin. After a good clean and exfoliation, I also like to use a deep cleansing mask and the Vitality Mask from Sothy’s has lasted me for a good twelve months.

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The Palmer’s body oil is one of my all time favorite products that I use almost everyday. I believe it is designed as a bath oil, but I apply it all over my skin after a nice warm shower and let in soak in.  It has a somewhat chocolaty smell and makes you skin super silky.  It’s inexpensive, quickly and easy to put on (but don’t use too much!) and leaves you feeling far more strokable than before.

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Last but no means least is the Paw Paw ointment.  This stuff is fantastic for lip conditioning, but I only ever use it at night. I know a lot of people like to apply this all day or under their lipstick, but I find that as it has a low melting temperature, it cause lipstick to bleed!  So I stick to using it when I’m sleeping so my lips are all plump and kissable in the morning.  And the Vaseline? Well this stuff is handy to keep around for all manner of things but two in particular. Using a little Vaseline on your eyebrows helps to keep them in shape and nice and glossy.  The other trick I use this for is on my teeth to stop my lips sticking, but only if I’m doing a particularly long photo shoot or something of that nature.  You can’t always grab a drink on the catwalk, so it helps to know that you’re not going to have any lipstick malfunctions.

And that is all the basic skin care products I’m using at present in a nutshell.  If you have any specific questions about these please feel free to shoot them through, but remember I can only give you generic advice on which products I like and not the perfect thing for you.  The Internet hasn’t quite reached the touch and feel level just yet!

Today’s red lippie is an old favorite, but one that no-one seems to have heard of.  It’s by Boots No.7 and called Moulin Rouge.  That’s a pretty great promise right there in that name I think.  I found this one in a moment of panic when I realised I’d left the house without a single lipstick in my bag and had a meeting in a half hour.  So I raced into the chemist and picked this one out in a hurry as a stop gap.  Since then it has gone on to become a favorite both for colour, texture and wear.

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I’m wearing it here with a fantastic cheap lipliner in red “Savvy by DB” available at Priceline for about $5.

But there is a problem with this one though… I can’t find it anymore!!  So I don’t know how helpful this recommendation will be for you, but if any of you know of secret stashes of this one, or your local chemist still has it in stock, I suggest buying them out and sending me a spare if you can.  It has brilliant coverage and a velvety texture that stays that way all day.

In hindsight, this may not be the best recommendation given the scarcity of this lipstick’s availability, but if any of you have tried the new Boots No. 7 reds, I’d love to hear about them here.

Without fail I find myself answering questions about red lipstick every day. Whether that is emails about shades or formulas, or simply people stopping me to ask about brands. So to save myself developing RSI I’m going to show you each and every red lipstick I wear including the lip pencil, and why I like or dislike each one.

So to kick things off today’s lipstick is a brand new one that has only recently hit the shelves here and I had to trial to see if it lives up to the advertising hype.  I was watching television one evening when the lovely Linda Evangelista came on screen to tell us all about the new Loreal Age Perfect lipstick that contains some sort of miraculous formula that gives you the lips of an 18 year old again (allegedly).  The part that caught my eye about the spiel was that it is described as anti- feathering.  Now generally, feathering is not something I have much of a problem with as I use formulas that are matt and don’t apply lip gloss over the top.  I find that doing so “melts” the lipstick and increases its tendency to bleed.  However, whenever I’ve just been to the beauty salon for a lip tidy (aka cruel waxing to ensure no extraneous fluff), I find that my lipstick bleeds for the remainder of the week. grrr..

So to test this one’s promises out after such a procedure, I applied it the evening of said waxing and headed out to a party to put it through its paces.  I didn’t use the complimentary lip pencil, but instead I used the Raspberry colour pencil from Max Factor. (Yes, I always use pencil. Always.)

The packaging is a nice gold tone with a colour indicator band that makes it easy to find in a hurry. I would prefer a more high class looking gold package, but this one still passes muster beside my compact.

The colour I chose was the one that also features on their advertising posters, True Red.  And it is a very good true red, bright, not too blue and not too yellow; which means it should be quite versatile depending on your skin tone.

The formula was silky smooth and applied very well. I should mention that I don’t use a lip brush on myself, just straight from the tube, and contrary to popular opinion I don’t find that it makes any difference to the longevity of colour.

The finish is a tad more glossy than I prefer, but not so glossy it has that whole oil slick, hair sticking to your lips effect.  It didn’t dry out or crack, in fact it was more like a lip balm in feeling.

The transferance onto glasswear did happen, but not with any significant strength.  That is to say it didn’t look like I’d gashed my lip open on the glass when I drank!

The overall wear was excellent, and after an evening of talking, drinking and a good four hours of general party activity, I took the following photo.

This photo was taken under flash to show the colour and detail best. I haven’t adjusted or edited it in any way.

So overall, I’m giving the Loreal Age Perfect True Red the thumbs up and it makes the grade to be added into my regular collection of Reds.

Next time on The Best Red Lipstick….. My favorite sheer red.

* NOTE* These product reviews are not sponsored and I will not accept cash for favorable comment.  Yes, you can buy my opinion, you cannot however, buy my good opinion – that is earnt. *

Last Saturday was my Mum’s birthday. Being a big decophile, she hosted an evening of old style swank and spangles giving us all another reason to get glammed up.  I’m often asked just what should one wear to a 1920’s themed evening, with far too many people (in my opinion) taking the easy way out and going for a costume hire shop, flapper girl look.  The 1920’s was one of the most diverse and exciting times in fashion history as the old world of corsets and Gibson Girls faded into the modern world.  The best thing about that for party goers in 2010, is that it leaves loads of room for interpretation and finding something that really works for you.  For me, that look was more Silent Movie Star than Piano Hall Floozy.

My whole family tends to the more dramatic end of the scale when it comes to fashion; even my dad gets dragged into the act on occassion.  So before the party started we tried to keep a straight face as we messed around posing it up in front of the fire place.

I tweeted a quick picture on the way in and it seems that this look was a real hit.  It is rather a departure from my usual but I love the way it turned out.  The hair was one of those things that you plan out in your mind with no idea if it will ‘actually’ work, so I was pleased as punch that it turned out like this. It was a combination of finger waves, pin curls and a french roll to keep the length up at the back.  If I can recreate it well, I’ll make a tutorial on it for you.

I wanted the makeup to be dark and dramatic, very Clara Bow meets Anna May Wong. Something that said “silent movie – watch my eyes”, and to make that happen I went with the biggest, lushest lashes I could find.  The “Hepburn” lash from Gorgeous cosmetics. It all looks a bit serious, but I spent far more time laughing and eating chocolate chilli cupcakes than being all dark and mysterious that evening.