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!














































