Showing posts with label Oils. Show all posts

Nighttime Skincare Routine

So my nighttime routine used to be exactly the same as my morning routine but a few months ago, I changed it. Now it's not as long as it used to be, except when I start masking and sheet masking. Then it takes really long.

Nighttime routine

1. Makeup remover 
For my makeup removal routine, you can read this post. However, since I only wear makeup on weekends, I don't have to do this every day.

2. Cleanser 
I use the Givenchy cleanser at night and every two or three nights, I'll use the Givenchy exfoliater which has 5% glycolic acid in it.

3. Toner 
I then tone my skin with Pixi Glow Tonic. I don't have to say much about that. You probably already know how much I love it. If not, read my review here.

4. Facial Oil 
Then I rub the famous 'curry oil' into my skin. For my full review on the Farsali Volcanic Elixir, go here.


5. Moisturiser 
Next, I use the Aveeno Eczema Cream which I gushed about in my morning skin care routine.

5. Eye Cream

Under my eyes, I use the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Cream. I can't say that it miraculously fixes all my under eye problems but it is pretty hydrating.

This skincare routine works wonders for me. I wake up with plump, hydrated skin. Also, if I follow this routine, my foundation applies flawlessly the next morning.


Remember, what works for me may not necessarily work for you. Visit a skincare therapist or a dermatologist for serious skin concerns. I found this skincare routine to agree with me through trial and error. I'm pretty sure that I'll change it up again sometime in the future.
Beauty, Dry skin, Makeup,
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Morning Skincare Routine

I used to have great skin at a stage. It wasn't oily or dry. I didn't have to worry about sensitivity and I didn't have to spend a fortune on skincare. Apart from the odd pimple or two and the occasional blackheads, there wasn't much I had to do about my skin.

And then, after years of laser, something went wrong. One of the ladies used a current that was way too high for my face, and it completely destroyed my skin. Initially, I broke out into these huge, completely ugly hives. Then my face started to scab, a lot. Then my skin started peeling and I had terrible dry patches. To make matters worse, the intense dryness caused premature wrinkles. I was only twenty one! I wasn't supposed to have wrinkles. My dry, sensitive skin became a nightmare to work with. I could barely use any product on my skin and EVERYTHING burned. The salon offered me various skincare treatments for free but none of them helped. So I started to experiment with various different facial products and eventually, my skin became better. Initially, any product that I tried to fix my skin with, just burned. Suddenly, my skin had turned super sensitive.

It was a total nightmare. I actually cried over it.

After I got over the initial anger, I started to look for ways to improve my skin. Over the years, with my sister's advice and through experimenting, I found skincare that actually works wonders for me.

Last year, people would go on about how flawless and glowy my makeup free skin looked. I was ecstatic! 

And then I went on vacation and I got such terrible sunburn (even though I always used sun screen), that my skin was an absolute disaster. 

So although I had started a ten step skincare routine last year, that skincare all of a sudden just wasn't working. The sun burn was so bad that the texture on my skin refused to disappear. After my sister suggested glycolic acid, my skin has improved. A lot. Also, my dry skin has almost completely disappeared.

Skin type: Dry
Skin problems: Dryness, flakiness, occasional pimple

Morning routine

1. Cleanser 
I don't always wash my face with a cleanser in the morning. However, I do use the Eucerin DermatoCLEAN cleansing milk and then I wipe it off with a muslin cloth. When I do decide to cleanse my face, I use the Givenchy facial wash.


2. Mineral water 
I'll spray some Vichy mineral water all over my face so that my skin has a little bit of natural moisture.

3. Rose water 
I use rose water as a toner in the mornings. After soaking a cotton pad in rose water, I swipe it all over my face and neck (you'd be surprised at how effective rose water is! It attracts the dirt that you didn't think you had).

4. Toner 2 
I use the Givenchy Tone it Tender toner next. However, I simply squeeze out some on my fingers and then I pat it all over my face (instead of using a cotton pad since the formula is thicker than the average toner).



5. Essence Water - I use The Body Shop Oils of Life Essence Lotion. Essences are known to be in between a toner and a serum and another prep step for moisturizing. This one is infused with oil and water. After a good shake, I pour 2 or 3 drops in my hands and then pat it all over my face.

6. Facial oil - I use The Body Shop Oils of Life Facial Oil. Since my skin had been so insanely dry, my love affair with facial oils began. I dab about 2 drops on my face and my skin soaks it right up without feeling too greasy.


7. Serum - I use the Givenchy High Moisturising Sap-Serum and gently pat it into my skin. This serum is quite thin and almost has a greasy feel before it soaks right into the skin.


8. Under eye cream. To be honest, I don't use an eye cream during the day. BUT, I do use coconut oil for my under eye since I have yet to find a daytime eye cream that I swear by.

9. Beauty lotion - I use the Givenchy Instant Beauty lotion which promises to make you look amazing. Side note: it doesn't work as a miracle lotion but it does work as a moisturiser.

9. Moisturiser 1 - Since my skin was so incredibly dry and itchy after the sunburn, I used Aveeno Eczema Cream and it worked wonders! After winter settled in, I noticed that my skin was super dry so I used this moisturiser again and it worked perfectly! This is the one moisturiser that I swear by, especially for very dry skin.

10. Moisturiser 2 -  To be even more extra than I already am, I slather the Givenchy Rich Luminescence Moisturising Cream for dry skin all over my face to ensure that dryness will not creep up on me.

11. Sun screen - I do not have to stress how important sun screen is. Everyone and their mother's should be using it religiously. I use the Bioderma sun screen with SPF 50.

12. Hydrating mist - After all of the above, I spritz on the Pixi Glow Mist all over my face for a naturally glowy look.

So that's my ten step skincare routine that I do every morning. It doesn't take as long as it sounds because I'm so used to it. And because I'm using so many products, I use a little of each product and they tend to last me ages. I know, it sounds very extra and it probably is. 

Now before you start wondering how on earth I purchase all these products without going bankrupt, the answer is simple: SALES! I only buy the above products (with the exception of some of them) on sale. Throughout the year, I won't spend a lot on skincare but when there are sales, I'll stock up.

Please note that just because it works on me, it may not work on you. Also you do not have to buy all the expensive products that I bought. There are cheaper, drugstore alternatives that provide the same benefits. Sometimes you'll only know what works for you through trial and error.
Beauty, Dry skin, Makeup,
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Farsali

Are the Farsali oils worth the hype?


Over the past few years, Farsali has been featured in almost every second makeup video. From their stunning 24k gold speckled oil to their pretty pink drops, they're pretty much everywhere.

No wonder people all over the world are intrigued by these products, they're pretty much the first of its kind.

Farsali is a husband and wife duo that has created some pretty boujie skincare and makeup products. Their products are known to be revolutionary and pretty damn interesting.

Besides, Farah from Farsali is from my birth place so of course I'm going to be supporting her all the way. Except, her products are way too expensive. I do not want to sell a kidney just to look bomb all the time. #SorryNotSorry

Anyway, I ended up purchasing all three of her elixirs. I love it when oils and drops are called elixirs, they just sound so fancy. 

*Stands in front of the mirror and pretends to have a Youtube channel* 
"Hey guys! Welcome back to my channel. Today I'll be reviewing these Farsali Elixirs."

Excuse me while I continue to pretend that I have a Youtube channel and that I'm an amazing Youtuber.

Okay, okay, okay. Let me get back to this post before I start rambling about my short attention span.

Where was I? The elixirs... There are three elixirs that are available in the brand:

  • The ultra cool Farsali Rose Gold Elixir - A radiating moisturiser with 24k golden flakes
  • The fancy Farsali Unicorn Essence - A pretty pink antioxidant serum and primer
  • The precious Farsali Volcanic Elixir - A hydrating moisturiser
So let’s break this down for you.

Farsali Rose Gold Elixir

Apart from just being a really pretty oil and allowing you to feel super luxurious by applying ACTUAL gold on your face, this product is a great multitasker.

It has a citrus scent and it works great with or without makeup. It's a lightweight moisturiser which includes anti aging properties for all skin types. The gold flecks allegedly absorb into the skin, leaving you with radiating, glowy skin. The base of the oil is rosehip seed oil which claim to "regenerate tissue and reduce the appearance of fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and stretch marks."

You can use this oil as a daily moisturiser or apply it onto your skin before going in with foundation to make yourself glow. It can also be used to revive cream products that have dried out.

I like to use it before I go in with foundation and as a quick fix hydrater (especially during winter). I also love slathering it under my eyes for that extra bit of hydration before applying concealer. When my foundation looks dry, I add a few drops to my beauty blender/brush and dab it onto my face.

Verdict? I absolutely love this oil. It moisturises my skin and soaks in pretty well without making me look like gross and sweaty.

I literally noticed the massive difference in my foundation when I used this oil. It prevented my foundation from having those gross dry patches and overall, gave me a dewy look. Even if I want to look all matte, I'll still use this oil and then matify my face with a setting powder.

Stars: ★★★★★
Price: $54.00 or R950.00 (30ml) from third party resllers 

Farsali Unicorn Essence

I'm sure by now you've seen those videos of the beauty gurus dropping pink liquid drops all over their faces. If you haven't, where have you been?

The product has a slight shimmer to it and can be used as a oil free, daily serum. It claims to protect the skin from radical damage and preps the skin for moisturiser or makeup. It has a cotton candy scent which is really fun.

The essence contains "four superfruit extracts, rich in antioxidants; known for their anti-aging & free radical fighting properties: acai berry, goji berry, elderberry & blueberry."

Although the above sounds fabulous, there have been many people out there who have complained about the compilation of ingredients. Apparently there are way too many dyes in the product and already, that just doesn't look great.

Verdict? My skin soaks this up immediately. The oil is quite thin and lightweight and does not leave your face looking like a grease ball. I've used this under my eyes but I can't say that I've noticed less creasing under my eyes (as the product claims) - Maybe I need to test this theory out again.

However, I can't really say that this is life changing. I liked the fact that my makeup applied smoothly over this serum but other than that, I haven't been completely blown away.

It's a nice oil to have and to use. I might even purchase it again because I'm just that extra.

Stars: ★★★
Price: $54.00 or R950.00 (30ml) from third party resllers 

Farsali Volcanic Elixir

This oil literally only has one ingredient. Yes, ONE INGREDIENT! It's "Calophyllum Inophyllum (Tamanu) Oil". Basically, (because let's get real, you probably didn't even try to pronounce that - and neither have I) it's an extract from the nut kernels of the Tamanu fruit (Tbh, I don't even know what the Tamanu fruit is). Many people wonder why bother getting the Farsali oil when there are other brands that keep this oil. Well apparently, this is great quality. I can't attest to this though. I need to test out a cheaper brand with the same oil before making such proclamations.

The oil alleges to regenerate new skin and can be used to combat acne scars, dry, flaky skin and stretch marks.

The oil claims to have an earthy scent and it has a thick, greenish brown consistency.

Verdict? I love how sleek the packaging for this oil looks. I've been using it for well over a month now and I can confidently say that my marks have lightened (I've also been using the Pixi Glow Tonic so this could have also contributed).

When I read that it has an earth scent, I expected it to smell like soil or earth or grass or something like that. What I didn't expect was the pungent smell of curry. Freaking CURRY! Many people claimed that the scent goes away after a while but honestly, it seems to last forever. My husband complains about the scent every night because it really really stinks. I absolutely hate the curry like scent.

So because of the nasty smell, I never ever wear it during the day. There is no ways that I will risk going out smelling like an Indian spice shop. No thank you. (I'm brown so the last thing I need is to smell like curry).

However, it's still a great oil and I will continue to use it because it works great on my skin.

Stars: ★★★★ (I'm torn here. I love the oil, I hate the smell. If I based the rating on the scent, I'd give it half a star but if I solely base it on the oil, it get's five stars)
Price: $39.00 or R650.00 (30ml) from third party resllers 

Final verdict?  think Farsali is a great brand and personally, I love her products. The one thing I hate about their products is the exorbitant price tags. Why does beauty have to be so expensive though?
Beauty, Farsali, Makeup,
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