ARTICLE: Make-up, skincare and other miscellaneous products I use

A friend recently asked me what brands of make-up, skincare and other miscellaneous products I use. I, who claims to know nothing, found this rather amusing - so I thought I'd do a post about it. I'm no expert and have no idea if these products benefit my skin, hair or teeth or not.

Note.

• This post is not sponsored. I am merely sharing the products I choose to use.
• Opinions are my own. If something works for me, doesn't mean it will for others.
• Prices are in $AU RRP, unless otherwise stated. Don't be a sucker, wait for a sale.
• These photos were taken with my phone - so I know they're not great ... sorry!

I'd never used skincare before, except maybe a couple of samples or rejects my mum gave to me as a teenager - so my skincare regime started later in life when I decided to fork out a lot of money on trying Go-To Skincare. A friend of mine swore by Lips. Curious, I decided to try it too and then added more products to reach the free postage mark - and my collection grew from there. 

Even now, I'm lazy when it comes to skincare - so I look for products that are easy and uncomplicated. I also don't use the products as recommended, as I find I don't need to. I feel as long as I'm using the products less than recommended (as more is bad!) then I think I'm okay. I often feel I'm not getting my money's worth - but this is what works for me. 

I use Properly Clean and Very Useful Face Cream almost every day. I have two bottles of Properly Clean so I keep one in the shower (use it at the end of the day) and keep the other on the sink, where I'll sometimes use in the mornings or if I get home very late. But again, lazy, so not always. I find it removes make-up well, but the thicker my make-up the more product I need to use to remove it; and even then, if I use the Exfoliating Swipeys afterwards, small traces of foundation comes off. However, Properly Clean is my favourite product because it does remove my make-up, a full bottle lasts almost a full year, leaves my skin feeling soft, is multi-purpose and easy to use. 

I have a love/hate relationship with the Exfoliating Swipeys because when I swipe nothing comes off and I feel cheated. I think this just means my pores don't often get clogged with dirt, but for this reason, I barely use them. I use one every couple of weeks at most or when I feel like my skin really needs it. The jar of 50 swipeys lasted a year for me using them sparingly. 

Face Hero similarly, I use sparingly. Also having the most expensive cost to product ratio, it needs replacing the fastest. I thought I wasn't going to replace it once it ran out but I have. Sometimes I use it. Sometimes I don't. I guess like Transformazing, I don't personally think they're as good as they claim to be or, most likely, I just don't understand what the products are meant to do for me either. Maybe I'd notice a difference if I used it everyday or stopped using it all together - but either way, I still use it and continue to buy it so take that as you will ...

I alternate between Zincredible and Very Useful Face Cream. Zincredible is the product I've had for the least amount of time and I only use it in the mornings as a primer before I go outside if in the sun. Otherwise, I'll use the Very Useful Face Cream. I also use it religiously every night before bed. The large jar (in the limited edition tub - far left) I've had for just over a year and it's about half empty - so although expensive, it's lasted a long time. 

I keep Super Handy beside my bed and put it on before I sleep, and sometimes Lips as well. Lips, meh. Can take it or leave it. It's probably my least favourite product as I don't think it helps my lips at all - but I continue to use it because I have three tubes of it from different sets.

To summarize - I'd say my knowledge about skincare is using products I have no clue about but by using them, it makes me feel I'm at least doing something good for my skin.

I would thoroughly recommend Properly Clean though!

Very Useful Face Cream - Full $72

Very Useful Face Cream - Mini $41

Properly Clean $31

Face Hero $45

Exfoliating Swipeys $46

Zincredible $45

Super Handy $21

Lips $15

Transformazing (not pictured) $9

Both the gingham bag and minis were part of gift sets no longer available online. 

I always notice people's cracked heels. It's common. And although I can't say that my feet have always been crack-free; I am so paranoid nowadays and do whatever I can to make sure this doesn't happen to me! I would drown myself in Avon's Foot Works range. Truly, I would, but alas the company no longer exists so I'll need to find an replacement product when my last two tubes of this runs out. I lather my feet up before bed, put on socks and by the morning my feet are smooth. I subsequently use Sasy n Savy's Foot Reviver in the shower - sometimes, not often (as Avon works fine on its own). It has a rough texture - like an exfoliater - and use in the shower. 

Both products are no longer available. 

When I lived in the Netherlands, I stupidly bought medium-bristled toothbrushes and wore down my gums - so now, I'm forced to spend a ridiculous amount on Sensodyne toothpaste for the rest of my life. I don't have a specific favourite type I use - but will always choose something with whitening. This mouthwash I have never been able to find it stores so I buy in bulk online. The cool mint kind is too strong for me. It's an expensive essential unfortunately.

Daily Care + Whitening Toothpaste $9

Daily Care Toothbrush $5

Gentle Mouthwash $9

I use the Wrinkle Zero Night Renewal Booster Cream by Mirenesse for five days every two months. I haven't noticed a difference but then again I don't really have wrinkles. So why do I use it? You ask. Well, it was given to me so now I just do. No other reason why. But the tube is getting low and I won't be replacing it.

Wrinkle Zero Night Renewal Booster Cream by Mirenesse $49

Just like skincare, I know nothing about make-up. I just powder my face and do nothing else, resulting in me looking one colour and very unnatural. I like that it takes me five seconds to put on my face for the day and I'm good to go! But until I become more make-up savvy, I will continue to look like a ghost. And I'm okay with this ...

I use the Fresh and Flawless Pressed Powder in Natural daily, for the most part I do this so not to get sunburnt. I don't think it has any SPF properties, but I layer it on so thickly that, with an SPF primer, my face generally goes unscathed (I should note: I avoid going out in the sun at all costs). I have combination skin so I keep one in my bag for touch ups and will reapply if I get caught unawares. 

For nights out I prefer greater coverage. I tend to stick to liquid or cream foundations as a base and then use a setting powder or the Fresh and Flawless Pressed Powder for touch ups if needed. The Foundation Stick is good because I can build up coverage and it's easy to apply. It's not so good for oily skin or patches, as I find my nose will often lose product quite quickly sometimes.

One of these days I'm going to figure out how to use concealer and/or highlight and/or blush and/or contour because my face could use some extra colour lol. I'm also that girl who has so many different foundations because everything is either too light or too dark for my face. I realise there's many more colour choices now, but I have yet to find the perfect shade for me. The search continues ... but the Foundation Stick is a near enough match for now.

Fresh and Flawless Pressed Powder in 'Natural' by Australis $13.95

Foundation Stick in 'Look 2' by Napoleon Perdis $69

I also keep products for WAY too long! I still have (okay, use) a foundation that I've had for at least ten years. It's too dark for me but it still works. Lord knows what terrible things it's doing to my skin! You know that, keep mascara for three months rule?! Nope, not me. Years and years and years ...

I don't wear lipstick often but when I do, I generally favour a red lip. My favourite red lipstick was a Napoleon Perdis one that melted in the sun years ago. I used it for a long time afterwards by painting it on my lips with a thin brush. Why I ended up throwing it away, I just don't know - but I will forever regret that decision. I've almost refused to buy lipstick every since. 

The Colour Crush Lipstick I got when I had my make-up done at The Body Shop. The Mattetastic Lipstick was given to me by a security guard at a gig that my brother-in-law was playing at. They were packing up the stage and someone had left it, so he gave it to me. I made sure to clean it but it looks unused. The Long Lasting Liquid Lip Color one was given to me at a Lipsense party. And the Extra Creamy Round Lipstick was given to me by my Mum. 

The Colour Crush Lipstick is okay. Nor am I a big fan of applying colour from tube to lip. I prefer using a brush and it's difficult to do when you have to build up the colour like you have to with this one. I don't wear this lipstick very often for that reason, but it does stay on well. The Mattetastic Lipstick I don't like it as much as my previous NP one, but it's generally the red lip I go to. I can apply with a brush and the colour is pretty good but not as long lasting. The Long Lasting Liquid Lip Color, meh. I find it to be a bit temperamental. Like sometimes it goes on well and stays on, and other times it's horribly uneven (but I suppose this is due to me not applying it properly). I do find I have to apply the gloss very often, otherwise my lips get unpleasantly sticky quickly. And being a matte gloss, I find it quite drying. 

The Extra Creamy Round Lipstick is by far my favourite lipstick! If I'm not wearing a red lip, this is the only other lipstick I wear. It goes on well, stays on and feels nice on my lips. I cannot rave about it enough! I love it. Highly recommended. It's perfection!

Colour Crush Lipstick in '101 Red Siren' by The Body Shop $21

Mattetastic Lipstick in 'Veronica' by Napoleon Perdis $38 

Long Lasting Liquid Lip Color in 'Blu-Red' by Lipsense $25US

Moisturizing Gloss in 'Matte' by Lipsense $20US

Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in 'Thalia' by NYX $4US

Partly why I tend to keep my mascara for so long is because I choose to buy ridiculously expensive mascara. I know there are other more expensive brands out there, but for me it's a lot to spend on a tube. However, Mirenesse is my brand of choice because I don't need make-up remover to take it off (it's removed with water). I've gone through many tubes and it's the one I always return to. The purple tube was part of a gift pack I got years ago - I use it on nights out as it adds natural-looking length, which I prefer to my bottom lashes.

In doing my research for this article, I'm 99.9% sure I've been using an eye liner pencil as an eyebrow pencil ... but I digress. As you can probably tell by the two nubs above, I've been using these products for quite some time. I've tried more expensive brands - hand me downs - and I always go back to both of these. I don't remember ever replacing them. I remember buying them because they were cheap, and I've just continued to use them for the past ten years. They both work perfectly for me - and I'm unsure what I will do once they run out.

Super Long 24hr Mascara in 'Black' by Mirenesse $35

Manual Eye Liner Pencil by lol Cosmetics $2 

Eyeliner by DB Cosmetics $2

 

Recently - very recently, as in today - I switched shampoo brands. I'd been using Organic Care for as long as I can remember, but seeing as I'm growing my hair for charity I have been thinking about buying a more specialised shampoo and conditioner for long hair. After doing extensive research, I opted for the Natural Balance set by Sukin. 

Although it's not specifically for longer hair, I choose this brand because (like Organic Care) it's Australian made, vegan and not tested on animals, but also as it's good for combination hair. My hair gets oily at the crown and can be dry at the ends, and all the reviews I read said that this will help balance that out. I used it today and straight away I noticed a huge difference. My hair feels softer, fuller and more conditioned, and looks shiny and healthy - which it hasn't in a long time. 

That's not to say Organic Care was bad (despite what reviews I've read - I liked it for the most part). I'd recently been mixing different brand combinations so it's difficult to know who's to blame. This is however the most expensive shampoo and conditioner I've ever used/bought. Because of how much product I now have to use, I'm a little worried about cost - but we'll see if it is worth it or not in the long run. Sometimes I feel you have to spend a little more for better quality - and that's something I'm willing to pay for if it's justified (I mean, see how much I spend on skincare?! Crazy!). So far, so good. I honestly cannot express what a vast improvement one wash has made. 

In terms of body wash, I'm not too fussy when it comes to brands. I look for cheap, supermarket varieties which sound nice-smelling. This David Jones cocoa butter body wash I can no longer find online. I suspect my Mum got it in a gift and gave it to me. I found it sealed in the cardboard one day and decided to use it. I tend to prefer fruity varieties, but this'll do for the moment. I need a loofah in my life - I can't do bar soap. Just no. no. no.

Natural Balance Shampoo by Sukin $14.95

Natural Balance Conditioner by Sukin $14.95

Here are some other extras I use/have previously used that aren't pictured:

• Mad Potion by Katy Perry $69
• Vanilla Eau De Toilette by The Body Shop $20
• Sensitive Hair Removal Cream by Nair $11.99
• Hot Rocks by purminerals $23.50US
• Skin Elixir Serum by Napoleon Perdis $59
• Prep + Prime Natural Radiance by Mac $67
• Go Fresh by Dove $4

Products I'd HIGHLY recommend!

• Properly Clean by Go-To Skincare $31 (now sold at Sephora)
• Any Sensodyne toothpaste if you have sensitive teeth
• Natural Balance Shampoo by Sukin $14.95
• Natural Balance Conditioner by Sukin $14.95
• Prep + Prime Natural Radiance by Mac $67
• Original 24hr Mascara in 'Black' by Mirenesse $35
• Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in 'Thalia' by NYX $4US
• Any Foot Works products by Avon ... if you can find it (still available in the US)

If anyone has any foundations, concealer, highlights, blushes, contour palates or body washes, please send them my way - I need all the help I can get!