BIODERMA PHOTODERM MAX 50+ SUN FLUIDE {REVIEW}

Living in Durban, South Africa as I do, it would be "skin suicide" to not use a sunscreen with a high SPF daily. Summer temperatures reach the high 20's to mid 30 degrees centigrade on a continual basis from Mid October through to the end of May, with the sun beating down for a good 8-10 hours a day, so what SPF (sun protection factor) should you opt for?

During the summer I use and always have done, nothing on my face less than an SPF 30+ and in most cases an SPF 50+. I have to admit that I have always used on both myself and my family a specialized sun cream for the face and a different cream or lotion for the rest of the body. I am not one to advocate using one of the mass manufactured sun protection everywhere from top to toe but, after saying this, it is better to use the same product rather than go unprotected and suffer uncomfortable burning and damage to the skin.

For many years I have used the RoC range of sun protection,but unfortunately it is no longer available in South Africa, so I was forced to find an alternative. Bioderma is a pharmacy range and a product line that has always just sat on the peripheries of my skin and sun care radar.

Well.. several weeks ago it made it onto my radar and I purchased my first ever Bioderma product..the Bioderma Photoderm MAX SPF 50+ Sun Fluide.

Bioderma hails from France and their commitment is to work in close partnership with dermatologists. Bioderma commits to developing for them products that respond to the needs and demands of their patients, treating every kind of skin, even the most sensitive. Bioderma is often a skincare range of choice with pharmacists and retailed through pharmacies in France and Europe. (Almost every pharmacy you enter in France will have a retail section of "pharmacy exclusive" skincare ranges, as the first point of call for anyone looking for serious advice and recommendation of products, will be a pharmacist. These pharmacists will be fully trained in the different houses and this knowledge combined with the expertise in pharmacy is a "win win" situation. Unfortunately this is not a system rarely adopted in South Africa)

I opted to try the Boiderma Photoderm MAX Fluide, but there is a cream, milk and a tinted option available and even a powder. 

   

The manufacturers claim that Photoderm MAX Fluid offers Maximum photoprotection for skin intolerant to all types of sunshine, very fair skin with freckles, and skin subjected to maximum sunshine (tropics, high mountains)

• The maximum anti-UVB efficacy and unmatched "extreme anti-UVA" performance ofPhotoderm MAX Fluid safely protect against sunburn, prevent sun intolerance reactions and combat premature cutaneous ageing.

• A major advance against risks of cell damage, its exclusive patented Cellular BIOprotection^® complex* provides optimum protection for the skin cells.

• The ultra-light texture of Photoderm MAX Fluid leaves the skin feeling extremely soft. Perfectly colourless when applied, Photoderm MAX Fluid spreads very easily, leaving no oily film or white marks.

• Non-comedogenic, Photoderm MAX Fluid is water-resistant and photostable.

• Photoderm MAX Fluid is fragrance-free and ensures excellent tolerance.

I found this product to be everything that the manufacturers claim especially regarding the easy spread ability and it definitely leaves no oily film, which is often the biggest complaint when it comes to using high SPF sun products.My hubby even enjoys using this product and as you know men hate to use products that leave any oily residue on the skin. 

I opted for the Fluide, as we have high humidity in Durban and I felt it would be too much to use the cream in conjunction with my daily anti Ageing moisturizer. However the cream would be an excellent choice in the case of very dry skins or for use in those cold conditions for example snow skiing.

The pricing for the mentioned products vary between R159 - R209 and my next acquisition may well be the tinted version. In fact I may just be tempted to investigate further into their skincare offerings also.

Bioderma is available from Dischem and Clicks

Visit their website to discover more about Bioderma

CHRISTMAS 2013 WITH CRABTREE AND EVELYN

There is no doubt when it comes to capturing the excitement and essence of an English Christmas, Crabtree & Evelyn succeed every year and it doesn't matter which country you reside in. Being a fan of all home fragrance, I thought I would show what Crabtree & Evelyn have to offer us for Christmas 2013. 

Here is some behind this years theme  "A Secret Garden" 

Inspired by the wonder of an undiscovered English winter garden, the Secret Garden Christmas collection epitomises the essence of Crabtree & Evelyn. Festive home fragrances feature warming, evocative scents reminiscent of winter fruits and spices, carefully selected and plucked fresh from the garden, accompanied by playful yet delectable treats to indulge in. From richly atmospheric candles to a wealth of stocking-filling surprises, perfect gifts for everyone wait to be unwrapped in the Secret Garden, all strikingly presented with rich, jewel-toned illustration.Discover the 2013 Gift Collection, the key to exploring a magical, natural world this festive season. Step inside the Still Room, forage through the fairy tale of the hidden flower beds and breathe in a bouquet of nostalgic Christmas aromas and tasty delights. Welcome to the Secret Garden.

Home Fragrance

To set the perfect festive mood, fill your home with sumptuous seasonal fragrance. Choose from a selection of candles, sprays and oils to accent each room with a unique Crabtree & Evelyn fragrance. Whether you opt for our signature Christmas scent, Noël®, or the new rich, hearty Gilded Chestnut™, let the Secret Garden collection seduce you in your own home. 
The porcelain Diffusers look beautiful and would certainly take pride of place in my home.

Noël^®

A perennial favourite, Noël is an irresistible blend of fresh balsams, persimmon and citrus fused with spicy star anise, clove and nutmeg.  This classic Crabtree & Evelyn home fragrance is warming and welcoming.

NEW Noël Porcelain Diffuser 
200ml

R1400

Noël  Poured Candle

Small R550

Large R1100

Noël Home Fragrance Spray 
100ml 
R800

NEW Home Fragrance Gilded Chestnut™

A delicious fragrance blend of roasted chestnut, spices, autumn berries and whipped butter, combined with musk and a sweet cream accord. Savour the notes of apple, pear and seasonal berries and indulge in Gilded Chestnut.

Gilded Chestnut Porcelain Diffuser 
200ml

R1400

Gilded Chestnut Small Poured Candle

Small R550

Large R1100

Gilded Chestnut Home Fragrance Oil 
10ml

R250

These Christmas inspired home fragrance "goodies" are available in store soon!

So if you are looking for special gifts for those special people in your life, then pop along to your 

nearest Crabtree & Evelyn outlet.

I will soon be bringing you a post on their "Christmas foodie" items...

yummy!

Crabtree & Evelyn

CLARINS SUMMER MAKE-UP COLLECTION

Clarins Limited Edition Summer Make-Up Collection is now available at selected

 Clarins outlets country wide and is well worth a closer look.

Inspired by pre-Columbian civilization that worshiped the sun. Gold, a rich cultural symbol, is the highlight of this summer make-up collection. Sprinkle it on the eyes, neck and lips. Jade, sapphire, ruby and tourmaline appear as crystalline gemstones and illuminate this elegant sun-kissed collection.

These are some of my "faves" from the collection:

Shimmer Body Oil

Sunlight in a bottle!

RRSP: R460, 100ml

Review on this product to follow

Splendours Summer Bronzing Compact

Warms the complexion with a natural glow and deepens a natural tan.

RRSP: R520, 20g

Splendours Colour Quartet & Liner Eye Palette

4 Eyeshadows which offer long wear make-up looks.

RRSP: R425, 5.6g

Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Gels 

These look like tasty little numbers. Apparently this ultra-shiny gloss has a delicious blackcurrant flavour and instantly promotes smooth, plump-looking lips

 and I can't wait to try.

RRSP: R210, 15ml

www.clarins.co.za

SCHWARTZKOPF COLOR MASK

If you are planning to colour your hair any time soon, then read on...

Schwarzkopf have been around since 1898 and I do have some sentimental attachment to this leading German hair care brand. I know I am a sentimental type and I cant help it! Many years ago I studied City & Guilds hairdressing in the UK and one of the first "big" hair companies that came to do a product training was Schwartzkopf.
It was a two day training on their ground breaking salon permanent conditioning colour range
called Igora Royal, which they still have today, obviously it's advanced somewhat since then. 

So after all these years I find myself telling you about their new Color Mask,
 which is the first permanent DIY hair colour in a jar!

This revolutionary new Color Mask is the first hair mask colourant with threefold, indulgent care for intense, lustrous shine and long-lasting colour.For triple the care Schwarzkopf Color Mask comprises a trio of nourishing goodness. The Colour Cream with strengthening Amino-Active-Protein reinforces the hair fibre; the Developer Cream with Combability-Booster significantly improves combability, resilience and tangible smoothness, and the Hair Mask enriched with a Vitamin-Oil-Complex provides extra care for a silky smooth hair feeling.Its Developer Cream comes in a convenient jar, similar to a hair mask and one simply adds the Colour Cream to the developer to mix the colour.The mask-like texture is quick and effortless to apply with even distribution on the entire head, even on those hard to reach areas.Without any dripping or drab disasters the formula becomes a creamy hair colour mask with proven performance. 92%* of women are convinced of the intense and beautiful colour results – even after four weeks.

COLOR MASK SCHWARZKOPF

So if you are one of the 6 in 10 women that colour their hair at home, then consider the all new Schwarzkopf Color Mask.It comes in 10 gorgeous shades and is exclusive to Clicks stores countrywide and retails at R129.99 per application.

                                      

GWEN STEFANI BY OPI

If you are a Gwen Stefani fan or just a fan of OPI products then read the below article from

 Popsugarbeauty

Are you ready for a Gwen Stefani nail polish collection? If you answered yes (and why wouldn't you?), then you'll be excited to hear the singer has just inked a deal with OPI! And as with just about everything Gwen does, you can expect a punk twist to the collaboration, which was, incidentally, inspired by the 2013 Met Gala theme, "Punk: Chaos to Couture."Launching in January, the limited-edition lineup will include the following Gwen-centric polishes: Hey Baby and I Sing in Color, both glossy crèmes; Love.Angel.Music.Baby. and 4 in the Morning, both semimatte satins; Push and Shove, a bold chrome that comes with a complimentary base coat; and In True Stefani Fashion, a sparkly glitter.There will also be a special boxed set featuring Over & Over A-Gwen, a bold red lacquer that pays homage to Gwen's signature red lip, and Swarovski Elements, a nail art kit consisting of nail glue, black crystals, and metallic studs in bar, circle, square, and diamond shapes."OPI wanted to create a collection as dramatic, diverse, and glamorous as its namesake," said OPI's artistic director, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann. "With crème and glitter hues, new satin matte texture, a mirrored chrome, and Swarovski Elements, Gwen Stefani by OPI presents the latest in pigments and finishes, while combining elements of haute couture and street fashion." 

The Swarovski Elements sound interesting!
I am not sure when it will be available in South Africa, but I will keep you informed! 

VINTAGE PERFUME ADVERTISEMENTS

I came across these vintage perfume ads from the 50's and 60's on Pinterest and I have to admit that I find it quite refreshing to see the simplicity of these magazine and newspaper advertisements. 

What do you think?

CLARINS SKIN ILLUSION NATURAL RADIANCE FOUNDATION SPF 10

This foundation range has been around for some time in South Africa and Clarins claims that Skin Illusion Natural Radiance Foundation creates an incredibly beautiful, radiant and even complexion with a translucent finish that also leaves the skin feeling moisturised and super-comfortable. Comprising of mineral and plant extracts chosen for their sheerness and affinity with the skin offers a "barely-there" finish. This sounds ideal for me and it also contains the added protection of an SPF 10, which is a great back up to my normal SPF that I wear daily.

I thought I would put the above claims to the test and I tried one of the 6 shades currently available (108 Sand) Initially I was surprised with the fragrance of this foundation, which is very evident and personally I loved it, however I was left wondering if it would be suitable for sensitive or allergy prone skins. The texture was creamy and glided onto my skin beautifully.Having a mature/dry skin I found the moisturising capacities of this foundation to be ideal when used over my normal moisturising day cream. My skin did, as they claim, feel super comfortable and an even tone was achieved. I was also impressed with light to medium coverage it offered, whilst giving that feeling of being "barely-there". The most noticeable aspect of the foundation on me, was the "illusion of natural radiance" I have used several of the Clarins radiance products in the past and they seem to have captured that ability to flatter the skin with their light reflecting ingredients and the Pink Opal Powder is my best friend in this foundation. As for that "stay ability" it performed no better than any other of the foundations I have used in the past. All things considered, I enjoyed using this foundation and I would recommend. 

These active ingredients are responsibly for creating this Natural Radiance.

• Pink Opal Powder : Gives unrivalled radiance.
• Pink Algae Extract : Moisturises, softens and stimulates cell renewal.
• Plant Micro-Patch : Perfect, continuous hydration.
• Light Optimising + Complex : Optimises complexion luminosity.

Current shades:

• 105 Nude
• 107 Beige
• 108 Sand
• 110 Honey
• 112 Amber
• 114 Cappuchino

New Shades:

• 112.5 Caramel
• 116.5 Coffee
• 117 Hazelnut
• 118 Sienna

What's great is that 4 NEW Ethnic Skin Illusion shades have been developed, to suit the South African market. This extensive selection of 10 shades should now cover most colours and tones of skin.

 Size: 30ml

                     Price:R375

The new shades will be on counter from the 16th of September 2013 at all Clarins outlets countrywide.

To read other Clarins Reviews then click on the Pink Links

Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream Review.

Clarins Home Fragrance Collection.

Clarins Instant Light Eye Perfecting

AQUAFROST AZZARO

I must say, both the name and the ingredients of this Limited Edition fragrance from AZZARO have grabbed my attention!

AQUAFROST sounds like it could be a fragrance that my hubby and I would both enjoy.

They claim to have captured three sensations in one single fragrance.

Sensation 1.

A bracing icy freshness thanks to frosty mint, green orangey kumquats and some sparkling citrus is thrown in for good measure.

Sensation 2.

A fruity sensation including frosted grape (a new ingredient to me) is accentuated with a marine freshness.

Sensation 3.

An elegant sensation of woody Vetiver and Cypress rounds off this woody,fruity, marine fragrance.

Aqua frost 75ml EDT Spray will retail for R595 and will be available from 23rd September 2013 

and I can't wait for my hubby to try....

Review to follow!

RAIN AT LAST

Rain at last! and I am not talking about the wet type, however this international brand does take its name for the precious resource... The first rain store in KZN  finally opened its doors on Tuesday morning to reveal a refreshing, natural and fragrant retail space, at the Gateway theatre of shopping. This is the ninth store in South Africa to open since 2005 and the rain roots have spread across the world to include a store in New York and Amsterdam.

As you enter through the tree facade you are greeted with all things natural and natural is what the founder and visionary behind this brand is all about..Bev Missing.

I was fortunate enough last week to chat with Bev for several hours and this women and her journey is truly amazing. The words, committed, passionate,caring and workaholic all came to mind as I was listening to rains birth and growth over the past 13 years. I personally have a great respect for those brands that have flourished from seeds that have been planted and nurtured by their creator, as these brands and products often have amazing and true stories. However, even more respect is given when the creator is still guiding, in this instance her "drops of rain" and ensuring that her ethos and vision is up held and is never diluted, as unfortunately happens to so many fledgling brands.I am happy to say that this brand has its roots firmly in African soil and is growing from "strength to strength".

I have reviewed several of the rain products over the past year and I love this brand.

To read some of my reviews click on the pink links at the bottom of this post.

Here is some info that you may not be aware of:

• At rain they mould,carve,weave,pour,cut,wrap,cover,fill,stitch,knit and bead almost everything in their product range by hand and with huge amounts of love and respect
• Rain is Fair Trade accredited
• Beauty without cruelty accredited
• SA Vegan Society accredited
• Not tested on animals.
• No child labour is used
• No parabans,petroleum jelly,mineral oils,petrochemicals and liquid parrafin is used
• Supports local small industries
• Offer high quality products made from the finest raw materials in a sustainable way
• Respects the fragile environment in every way possible.

The above table is one example of a true rain story.

Bev found this piece of driftwood on a local beach and seeing its beauty, decided to utilise

it in one of her stores and Gateway is now its new home. The heavy cumbersome piece

proved not only to be difficult to handle and manoeuvre, but it also has some stories of its own to tell.

Handmade Mango soaps look good enough to eat

An array of handmade soaps

The try before you buy corner

A focal point of all rain stores is the "Deli table" which houses fizz and steam balls,

soaps and soaks, as well as earth eggs and salts.

There is so much to see and experience in a rain store,so allow plenty of time to browse.

The franchisees Yusuf and Ryan are proudly on hand to advise and guide you around their 

inspirational store.

Rain Please Come

My Rain Day

Rain Biologie Body Butter Review

Rain Biologie Winter Therapy Bath Soak

Rain Biologie Mustard Ginger Bath Soak

Rain Bubbles

If you are unable to visit any of the stores around the country you can always order on line.

www.rainafrica.co.za

RAIN BIOLOGIE WINTER THERAPY BATH SOAK {REVIEW}

September can't come soon enough for me, not because I'm going overseas, its not even my birthday month, but it is the month that "rain" opens its first store in Kzn and I can't wait.

R95

I have written several reviews on various "rain" products over this past year and so far, I have not been in the slightest bit disappointed with any products from this natural African inspired beauty range.

My latest "try" was the Biologie Winter Therapy Bath Soak.
Forget any ideas about lying back and relaxing in a floral fragranced bubble bath,
but rather imagine soaking in a hot bath and inhaling the invigorating therapeutic essential oils of Tea Tree, Rosemary, Camphor and Wintergreen, which instantly offer relief to the symptoms of colds, flu, blocked nasal passages, aching limbs and sore muscles.

I have already put this product to the" family" test, as my hubby and one of my "Kiddiewinks"  have had colds over this past week. 

Don't skimp on the amount of powder you use in your bath otherwise you won't get the full effect of the head clearing, yet comforting aromas that fill your bathroom. 

Verdict

 A "must have" winter standby to help ease the families flu symptoms.

Sniff, sniff I actually feel like I may be coming down with a cold myself..I think I need some Winter Therapy and an early night!

If you would like to read more posts on Rain products

 click on the links below

Body Butter Review

Mustard & Ginger Bath Soak Review

Rain Bubbles

Rain Please Come

My Rainy Day

Or visit their website

LUSH AQUA MARINA FACIAL CLEANSER {REVIEW}

For those that follow my beauty ramblings on my blog regularly,you will know that both my teenage sons have had some great successes with several of the LUSH products.
The Mask of Magnaminty and Grease Lightening have been the biggest hits so far with my "Kiddiewinks" and thankfully they have continued to use.

I recently bought them the Aqua Marina facial cleanser, which contains a host of "do good" ingredients that are wrapped in Nori Seaweed which creates a large facial sushi. 

As you can see from the picture below it looks almost good enough to eat.

The sushi mix contains carrageen extract, vegetable glycerine, Irish moss gel, aloe vera gel, fine sea salt, sweet orange oil and patchouli oil, which is then mixed with calamine powder and kaolin which binds everything together.

This mineral rich cleanser is packed full of emollient ingredients to soften the skin and clay powders to deep clean and absorb grease. Only a small amount of this pink cleanser is required to clean the skin, just mix with water and cleanse as normal, rinse and follow with a toner. The boys have complained that its messy to use and judging by the state of the washbasin every morning, it appears so.

The texture is quite unusual, as is the smell, (predominantly of the calamine/kaolin & seaweed),which my boys weren't too partial to.....

However their skins did look calmer immediately after using, unlike some cleansers which can leave their faces red and looking slightly irritated . 
I have to say that this product is a little too fussy and messy for my lazy boys to use consistently every day and they have been quite vocal about this cleanser,so alas this particular Lush product didn't go down too well.....onwards we go!

100gr R105

LUSH