From Day to Night with Antipodes

Hello there lovelies

So this post was meant to go up yesterday but somebody may have forgot to hit the publish button which is why you’re getting it a day late.

Do you find that when you discover a skincare brand that you love you want to own the entire collection- well that’s me and how I feel about Antipodes. Ever since I first started using the amazing eye cream I knew I was on to a winner with the brand and have since purchased the Aura Manuka Honey Mask and Joyful Hand and Body Cream both of which I absolutely love. A few weeks ago I decided to take the plunge and make the (all be it expensive) purchase of the day and night cream in the hope that they would live up to the high expectations I had placed on them.

Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream. This has a lovely light fragrance that smells like the Aura Manuka Honey Mask. It leaves my skin feeling deeply moisturised and like its natural ingredients are really benefiting my skin. Containing avocado oil for its antioxidant properties, manuka honey which has antibacterial properties and Vinanza Grape to keep skin healthy and energised its packed full of beneficial ingredients for your skin. It provides a lovely base for makeup without causing it move throughout the day. I don’t feel this cream would be suitable for those with oily skin but of you have normal to dry skin I think it could work well, I certainly enjoy using it.

Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream. In a nutshell I don’t like it, this makes me cry on the inside due to the fact that it's pretty expensive. I’m so disappointed that I don’t like it but I’m not disappointed in the product itself. The thing I don’t like about it is the smell. It’s fragranced with sandalwood, ylang ylang and patchouli all fragrances that I really don’t like. I find it smells really heavy and I wasn’t expecting it to be so strongly fragranced. I thought it would have a nice light fragrance being called avocado pear, which is more like the types of scents I like, I don’t like heavy herbal opulent scents, I like light floral fruity scents and this is definitely not in that category. It’s my own fault and I probably should have read the ingredients before buying- lesson learned. All is not lost though as the scent is right up my mum’s street and she’s chuffed that she’s going to be inheriting it. That’s all down to my personal preference. As for the product itself it’s most definitely nourishing, I don’t think it would suit oily skin as it’s extremely rich but if you suffer with dry skin I think it could work wonders. After applying it at night when I wake up in the morning I can still feel it on my skin, it leaves it feeling really moisturised and like its been well fed overnight. If this was fragrance free I’m sure I would love it, I just can’t get over the smell enough to continue using it. It’s purely my personal preference with regards to the smell, I would recommend trying a sample if you can before buying as it’s so expensive. I may be disappointed but my mum is one happy bunny.

So do you have any recommendations for a good night cream as I’m now on the hunt for a new one (insert wailing emoji)

Until next time 

Face (mask) Off

Hello there lovelies

When I asked the beauty blogging community for recommendations for a good face mask there were two clear winners. I’d wanted to try these for ages and after numerous recommendations I decided to go for it. I really couldn’t choose between them so just got both (obvious choice) to try and see which I liked best. I felt my skin needed that little extra as it was looking a little dull following winter and needed a little pick me up, I’m not sure if it was dehydrated, dry or just plain dull but it just wasn’t as peachy as I wanted it to be. With a little bit of help from these masks my skin is looking much better in preparation for the (hopefully) better weather and lighter makeup bases.

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask. Firstly the smell of this is so good, I thought it was going to have some kind of honey scent which isn’t my favourite but no it smells of light vanilla, not the horrible sweet artificial vanilla though. It’s got a lovely velvety soft texture and feels great when you’re applying it to your face. Leave it on for 15 minutes and just enjoy the light aroma while your skin absorbs it’s manuka honey goodness then wash off with a clean flannel. It leaves skin feeling silky smooth and looking clearer, brighter and smelling fabulous.

Origins Drink-Up Intensive Overnight Mask. Again this smells absolutely gorgeous unless you don’t like the smell of apricots then it would smell hideous. I think it smells like apricot yogurt (which is my favourite therefore I have to resist eating it) really fresh and sweet but not too sweet or zingy, just light and fruity fresh. The idea of an overnight mask baffled me, I wondered what I did once it was applied; do I wash it off in the morning? Why is it called a mask if you don’t wash it off? Is it going to go all over my pillow? And I did think that as it doesn’t need washing off then surely it’s just a night cream. You’re meant to tissue off the excess then leave it to absorb, I don’t do this as the thought of applying cream to my face then putting a tissue near it makes me cringe, thinking about the tissue being stuck to my face and tissue fluff being stuck all over it, yuk no thankyou. Instead I apply a thin layer about an hour before I go to bed so it’s well absorbed therefore a messy pillow is avoided, I put on a less thicker layer than I would for a normal face mask but a thicker layer than if I was just using a regular night cream. I had high expectations for this one as it has all night to work it’s magic on my skin. My skin feels nice in the morning after using this but it doesn’t blow me away, it does feel soft and hydrated but I think I could get just as good results from the 10 minute version of this beauty treat. I don’t find this mask as silky smooth in texture as Antipodes but it does have a nice light creamy feel when applied to the face, it doesn’t feel heavy or greasy at all which I was worried about due to it being an overnight use product.

For me the Antipodes mask just pips the Origins one to the post (only just though) and it’s only because I personally prefer the texture and the results were more noticeable for me. I think that once I’ve used up the Origins one I’ll replace it with the 10 minute version as I feel I’ll get more use out of it.

What face masks do you enjoy using?

Until next time

Eye(s) Cream Dream

Hello there lovelies

Today’s offerings are my two favourite eye creams. I never really used eye creams until towards the end of 2012 when I got a No7 one and really liked it. Prior to this I questioned the point of eye creams and how they differed from a regular moisturiser but I enjoyed using it so have continued to use eye creams since then. I then made the discovery of this dream duo and have been hooked ever since. These are the second of these little pots of joy I have bought and they have become firm favourites and must have items in my skincare routine.

Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. To call this thick would be an understatement, it's so thick and creamy but doesn’t feel heavy under the eyes, it feels so nourishing and like it's really benefiting my skin overnight, I prefer to use this at night as it’s thicker and I find it more nourishing. Although it’s incredibly thick it doesn’t feel greasy in the slightest and absorbs really quickly. I haven’t used this in the morning so can’t comment on whether it affects makeup, but I imagine that it would be a good base for the heavy-duty concealers. As it's so thick a little goes a long way so although it’s pricey it really does last.

Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream. This is such a lovely cream and although its quite rich it feels so light, and I mean light, but it doesn’t feel watery or wishy washy like its not doing anything. This is a beautiful cream that really hydrates the delicate eye area and doesn’t affect makeup application. It’s completely fragrance free and just a really nice cream to use. It’s quickly absorbed with no oily residue left on the skin, it just gives eyes that little extra in the morning, it gives eyes a lovely hydrated base for concealer to be applied and prevents it drying throughout the day.

These two are both definitely luxury items and the price is not for the faint hearted but I think they’re worth it as eyes can be the first area to display the signs of aging and fatigue. I really don’t think I could pick a favourite from the two as they are both equally amazing and for me to replace either of them with another eye cream it would have to really impress me. I can't recommend these products high enough, if you're looking for a light hydrating cream then go for Antipodes, if you're after a richer nourishing cream then go for Kiehl's. I have sensitive eyes and both these creams are suitable for me as they are both fragrance free.

  

What’s your opinion of eye creams? Can you recommend any cheaper alternatives?

Until next time

POTW 9 Full of Joy

Hello there lovelies

This weeks POTW is the Joyful Hand and Body Cream from Antipodes. I got this as a free gift from Only Naturals, who I can’t fault for customer service, it came free because I ordered 2 Antipodes products, which was a bit of a result as it was on my wishlist so I got to cross that off too. Sadly that deal has now ended (sad sigh) but I’m so glad I got this. The clue is in the name- Joyful, sums it up nicely. The smell is gorgeous with blackcurrant and hibiscus flower it instantly transports you to a tropical island, I can’t help but keep smelling my arm when I have this on I’m just in love with smell. It’s totally non greasy and the smell really lasts, I don’t really wear perfume but when I’ve got this on everyone asks me what I’m wearing. I was worried it wouldn’t last long but I’ve used it quite a few times and have hardly made a dent. I love the packaging some people aren’t keen on the whole metal squeezy tube thing but personally I love it, granted it could get punctured by keys if it was in your bag but that’s not an issue for me as this doesn’t leave the house, I have a travel size hand cream for my bag. I just love the Antipodes range and this product doesn’t disappoint, this is a pricey product but so worth it especially as it's not just a hand cream, it could be reserved for special occasions if you didn’t want to use it daily, it’s always nice to have those special products and this is certainly one of those. I’m not quite that sentimental, I use the products I love rather than keeping them as they’re there to be used. I hate products sitting there unused. If your feeling extra generous it would make a beautiful gift for someone special and one they would really enjoy. I don’t think anyone could dislike this product the smells divine, the texture is amazing and the packaging is so pretty. If I’m honest I want every item from the Antipodes range, it’s not very often that I get so excited about a skincare range but ever since first using their eye cream I’ve been hooked. If you haven’t tried Antipodes I highly recommend them. And to all the mummies out there- HAPPY MOTHERS DAY.

Have you ever tried any Antipodes products? What did you think?

Until next time