Beautique box january

Sorry for the late post,  things have been a bit hectic.
On to my box

I recieved
2× clarins hydra quench sachet samples
1× reference of swedan argan oil 10ml
1× Vicks liftActiv Night cream 15ml
1× Yves Roche so purple purfume 30ml

Really love the Parfum in this box, it's sweet and sugary and a very happy fragrance which I think will now be a staple in my collection.

Ciao
Phoenix

Simply clean by skinceuticals

The first step in my evening routine is a foaming cleanser which I use with my clarisonic face brush for best results.
I personally prefer a foaming cleanser for evening use to get rid of the days muck, grime, build up which includes sunblock, make up, and environmental yukkies.

This foaming cleanser,  cleanses exfoliates and smoothes my skin in one simple daily step

Containing camomile for its anti inflammatory properties,  to calm and soothe,
Aloe to smooth and soften and a
Blend of 5 fruit acids to get rid of dead skin cells. It is ideal for normal, combination or oily skin types, with scars or any sort of discoloration.

I start by washing my hands with soap and water then wet ny face and my clarisonic  I then use half a pump into my palm and add a few drops of water to it and lather it uo between my hands before applying it to my face in gently circular motions for about a minute. I then use my wet clarisonic on low setting for another minute before rinsing well with cold water.
This cleanser leaves my skin feeling totally clean and taut but not stripped or dry at all, which is what most cleansers left me feeling in the past. It also leaves my skin feeling soft with a nice glow and a little pinkness because of the clarisonic. It has a very mild orange peel scent with disappears after about ten seconds.

I follow up with my toner and then my serums.

Sheer physical UV defense

The last step in my morning skincare routine is a great sunblock witg an SPF 50 that is perfect for my delicate skin and has UVA and UVB Protection 
SHEER PHYSICAL UV DEFENSE.

I will however be buying the universal tinted version soon, as this is the only product that needs replacing in the next week. I bought mine in September 2014 and I use it as well as my two daughters and my husband so 50ml has lasted us 5 months which is amazing.

This sunscreen contains Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide to provide superior sun protection which in turn stops sunburn and premature aging.
Shake the bottle well to distribute the active ingredients,  and you can hear like a little marbel in the bottle as well. It has a very runny texture and a tiny amount goes a long long way.
I apply it using my finger tips to my face and neck and then follow up with my make up routine. This product does not absorb per say, but rather spreads to form a thin layer that protects me against the sun for the entire day and is water proof for forty minutes.
It is paraben free and non comedogenic and is THE only sunblock that has not clogged my pores or lead to a massive acne out break. If you use too much though, it doesn't feel good on your face. And a little really goes a long way.

Containing plankton extract to provide heat protection
Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide to protect against UVA and UVB rays.

It does not leave a grey white or blue cast to the skin after applying,  and the tinted version gives my skin a healthy glow.  Even during the holidays when I apples another sunscreen to my body for days at the beach, my face did not tan or burn at all where my body has, so in future I will be using a skin ceuticals sunblock for my body as well.

*update.  Since writing this I have bought the universal tint to enhance natural skin tone. It spreads very easily and absorbs very quickly. I really like the way the universal tint looks I hope these three pics do justice to how nicely this sunblock looks in reality. 

This is it just spread around a bit

And this one it is spread out and totally absorbed in.

This sunscreen also provides a really nice base for my foundation.  I find that after applying it I wait a few minutes and then when I apply my foundation it glides on evenly, almost as if I had applied a really good primer. In fact my foundation actually goes on better then as if I had primer.

Pore minimizing moisturizer

The second last step in my morning routine,  my pore minimizing moisturizer with marine extracts.

It is a lightweight daily moisturizer that does not clog my pores or create an acne flare up.
In fact with continues usage it has actually decreased the size of my Pores and I just love it. After all the serums my face can tend towards being slightly sticky, but with a thin layer of this cream my face feels smooth and hydrated.
It suited for use on oily, normal and combination skin and is perfect for acne prone skin that is dehydrated like mine.

It contains Burnet, Ginger and cinnamon extracts which target enlarged pores within 20minutes.
It also contains vitamin E to promote tissue repair and healing and
Botanical extracts to purify and target large pores. It is perfectly non greasy and absorbs super quick which is important after all the serums that I apply before my moisturizer.

Skin Republic foot peel

It's the  perfect time to treat cracked dry feet. With the winter months coming up my skin tends to get dry all over and this month is the month I change all of my skin care products. 

I move from light lotions to rich creams and oils and my feet were in serious need of some TLC. 

So I decided to try out the Skin Republic foot peel. It comes from Korea and is in a sealed foil packet containing two booties that will fit a variety of feet sizes. I washed and dried my feet and then slipped them in the booties while sitting on the couch and catching up on some PVR.  

This was after wearing the booties for just over two hours. My poor toes look just like little raisens. I did have to get up and walk to the kitchen a few times and at the end of the two hours just before I removed them, they broke at the toe section, but I think if I did not walk around in them that they would not have broke.

At the end of the recommended time I removed the booties and washed my feet again and when I dried them I was surprised to find frosting on my heels where the dry skin was the worst. The claim is that in 7 days I will have smooth skin so I will take pics everyday cataloging  how long it takes to start peeling and more importantly how days it takes before my feet are smooth. This peel was totally pain free and after about an hour and a half my feet were pinkish and slightly tingly. Now that they are off, my feet are a bit more tingly and the area where it frosted is already peeling off when I scrape my nail across it.

After three days I thought hey this is so not worth it nothing is happening. 

Then I saw this 

My feet look absolutely horrible right now.  Peeling in patches all over. I soaked them and applied a moisture mask and they started peeling even more after.

Can't wait for the peeling to stop

DAY 7 

Finally seeing proper peeling today. The new skin is pretty and pink and very very soft  

it's very important to not pull at the skin at this stage, as the new skin might not be ready underneath and this is very hard for me, as I want so badly to peel it and see the new skin underneath, I'm fighting the urge though and it's going well. Next time I do this peel I will also be doing daily soaks to encourage the dead skin to loosen faster. Here is a pic of the skin peeling 

Last day of peeling and I now have totally smooth feet that are soft and silky to the touch.

I love how my feet feel. I will definitely be doing this peel again as the results are totally amazing.

Beautique box by rubybox december 2014

My beautique box for December hit a glitch so I only recieved it in the first week of January,  but let me tell you it was worth the wait.

I recieved the following

A dermalogica micro zone voucher worth R280

Stila brighten and correct concealor full size worth R175

Elizabeth Arden the original 8 hour cream full size worth R145
And two  by three sample sachets visible difference at R55 each

Crabtree & Evelyn lavender body lotion 50ml valued at R70

Nuxe huile prodigieuse dry oil 10ml valued at R55.

Total value of my box is R835--

Now that's value for my money for a box that is R349 including delivery to your door.

Sign up at www.rubybox.co.za today and get R50 off your first beautique box.

Retexturing activator

This serum follows my phyto corrective and is the last serum I use in my morning routine.

It is a daily chemical exfoliant that is gentle enough to use everyday and had 20% glycolic acid and also hyaluronic acid which plumps up the skin.
It is a very potent serum, but is not harsh to the skin, and is oil free so is suitable for use even in my acne prone skin.
Containing Kombuchka which is an extract from black tea and has anti oxident benefits as well as smoothing the skin.
This serum encourages cell turnover which leaves me with a bright and healthy complexion.

When I go for a chemical peel I stop using this product for three days before hand and a week after to ensure there is no damage to my skin.

This is the last serum in my morning routine and is followed by my light weight pore minimizing moisturizer.

Salomon shoes

This is not my normal sorta post but these shoes are just so amazing I have to tell you guys about them.

We went to get a pair for hubby and I had no intention of getting myself a pair,  but he asked me to just try a pair on so I could see why he wanted them, and they were so comfy we walked out of the shop with two sets.

Salomon speedcross 3.

It's actually a trail running shoe but makes such a comfortable walking shoe I can't see myself using any of my old takkies again.
It has a single hand fastening mechanism and in place of shoe lace it has a sort of bungee cord, which then tucks away into a pocket on the tongue, so it's absolutely neat.

It has an orthopaedic sole which cushions tge foot and extra support in the ankle area, I used this shoe on holiday and walked three times the distance I normally would without even noticing the distance.
The tongue is designed so that sticks and stones can't get into the shoe, and if you do get it wet it had superior draining functions.
It also has a bit of extra space in the toe area so my toes never got all squashed up even after and entire day walking around table mountain.
There is  a 9 mm drop in this shoe which is the difference in the shoes height between the toes and the heel. This facilitates for me proper foot placement when walking.

The underneath of this shoe is just as fantastic with arrows facing forwards on the toe area and backwards in the heel section for superior grip when climbing and descending hills.

This will officially be my new shopping shoe. And it looks really nice, black which goes with everything.  But it is available in an array of different colours including neons.

If any of you try it, let me know what you think,  salomon shoes are available from Due South and Cape Union Mart.

I am also putting a few picks of the beautifull places these shoes have taken me to

Phyto Corrective

This amazing plant derived serum plays a huge part in my daily skin regimen.  It's the only product other than my toner that gets used twice a day every day.

Designed to calm angry skin and get rid of redness. Esp important after sun exposure.
It is anti septic and anti inflammatory and anti bacterial properties which soothes and calms skin.
Love the cucumber and thyme extracts in this serum, the smell is absolutely delish.
This serum is a perfect hydrator for acne prone skin.
It absorbs pretty quickly and leaves skin feeling soft and with regular use has reduced my discolouration on my cheeks to the point that I want to use it on my scars and see if it makes a difference to them as well.

I love this product so much that it features in my morning and evening routine.

Ciao
Phoenix