How To: Prepare for a Summer-y Escape

am i the only person who has committed to a long and miserable melbourne winter? well, no...but it certainly feels like that! every time i log onto my facebook, my news feed is flooded with photo albums (of my sun-kissed, cocktail sipping and smiling friends) from europe and check-in's from amazing locations (the eiffel tower, las ramblas barcelona, the late show with david letterman, the pyramids, la international, etc, etc).

although i, myself, am not so lucky, seeing such adventures unfold has got me thinking...what would i pack if i was lucky enough to jet set off into the european sunset?

i have fairly normal (but slightly dehydrated) skin, which in summer tans easily, but being the end of july, hasn't seen the sun's (warm but damaging) uv rays for some time now! so, if i was heading to the sunny side of the world, extra protection would be required to keep my skin young, hydrated and pigmentation free. my trusty waterproof mascara from summer is also (almost certainly) dried up...it's had it's day.

so to help any lovely readers who are (or are soon to be) packing their bags and escaping the winter chill, below are the makeup, skin care and body care items i'm certain are necessary to your beauty survival, and an option for each product that i recommend:

the suitcase carrying cosmetics queen

 

face:

(for morning) hydrating cleanser, Ella Bache creme douce demaquillant, 210ml rrp: $67.00

(for morning) brightening eye roll-on, Ella Bache fruit d'eclat serum regard, 15ml rrp: $75.00

(for morning) day time tinted moisturiser, Mecca Cosmetica in a good light spf 30+ tinted facial sunscreen, 125g rrp: $50.00

(day/night wear) hydrating concealer, Mac select moisturecover 5ml, $34.00

(day/night wear) bronzer, Nars bronzing powder in casino, rrp: $55.00

(day/night wear) creme tint cheeks + lips, Becca lip & cheek creme in rosebud 3g, rrp $46.00

(day/night wear) illuminator, Becca skimmering skin perfector in opal 50ml, rrp: $66.00 (added bonus of spf 20)

(for morning) lip balm with spf, Mecca Cosmetica lip de-luscious spf 25 hydrating lip protectant 12g, rrp: $28.00

(day/night wear) waterproof eye liner, Estee Lauder double wear zero-smudge liquid eyeliner in black, rrp: $40.00

(day/night wear) waterproof mascara, Chanel inimitable waterproof in noir, rrp: $52.00

(for evening) makeup remover, Nars makeup removing water, rrp: $45.00

(for evening) gentle cleanser, Be in Awe vimala gentle cleanser, 150ml rrp: $39.90

(for evening) hydrating toner, Chanel lotion confort, 200ml rrp: $58.00

(for evening) hydrating serum, Chanel hydra beauty serum, 30ml rrp: $124.00

(for evening) hydrating moisturiser, Chanel hydra beauty creme, 50gm rrp: $109.00

(for evening) eye cream, Ella Bache creme speciale yeux, 30ml rrp: $76.00

spot treatment, Be in Awe amala clearing serum, 50ml rrp: $79.00

body:

hydrating cleanser, Ella Bache ultra rich body cleanser, 200ml rrp: $39.00

(for morning) moisturiser with spf, Palmers olive butter formula spf 15, 250ml rrp: $9.95

(for evening) hydrating moisturiser, Ella Bache refreshing earth body lotion, 200ml rrp: $43.00

body exfoliator, The Body Shop coconut body scrub, 200ml rrp: $27.95

after sun, Clinique after sun rescue with aloe, 150ml rrp: $39.00

the backpacking budget babe 

face:

(day/night) make-up remover, Garnier skin naturals clean sensitive 2 in 1 waterproof make-up remover, 200ml rrp: $9.95

(day/night) cleansing + toning towelettes, Garnier clean detox refreshing cleansing wipes, 25 wipes rrp: $8.95

(for morning) tinted moisturiser, Hissyfit saving face moisturising tinted sunscreen spf 30+, 30g rrp: $55.00

(for morning) lip balm with spf, Carmex Lip Balm click sticks with spf 15, 4.25g rrp: $4.99

(day/night wear) waterproof colour for cheeks + lips, Becca beach tint in watermelon 7ml, rrp $42.00

(day/night wear) waterproof mascara, Maybelline New York volum' express turbo boost waterproof mascara, rrp: $19.25

(for evening) repairing night cream, L'Oreal Paris youth code rejuvenating anti-wrinkle night cream, 50ml rrp: $35.95

body:

hydrating + exfoliating body wash, Dove exfoliating nourishing body wash, 200ml rrp: $4.20

(for morning) moisturising sunscreen, Nivea Sun moisturising sunscreen lotion spf 30+, 200ml rrp: $16.95

(for evening) hydrating lotion, Garnier body intensive 7 days mango oil ultra softening lotion, 400ml rrp: $6.95

now of course, whether you're suitcase carrier or a back pack gal, you would also have a shampoo and conditioner relevant to your hair type, and a sun protection serum suitable for your strands also. my favourite haircare brand is Redken 5th Avenue NYC (all soft shampoo 300ml rrp: $27.00, all soft conditioner 250ml rrp: $27.00, color extend sun shimmering defence 150ml rrp: $28.00), these ones are worth their weight in gold:

and do not forget (!!!) a waterproof deodorant (best on the market (in my experience) is Rexona clinical protection deodorant, 45ml rrp: $15.95).

well that was completely exhausting, but i'm pretty confident i've covered all bases there!! if any of you are off on a holiday soon (or are already on your holiday), i am extreeeeeeemly envious of you and hope that it is amazing.

B xoxo

have you been overseas lately? do you travel like a suitcase-carrying-cosmetics-queen or a backpacking-budget-babe? which product was your skin saviour? what products have i forgotten to pack?

Product Review: Dr Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel

Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel 10 day supply rrp: $49.00

have you heard of Dr Dennis Gross Skincare? i hadn't. not until i visited my favourite sales assistant at Mecca Cosmetica in south yarra. on a recent visit to the store (a shamefully common occurrence), the lovely and ever helpful (let's call her) K was working. excellent, i'm in good hands! after doing a quick browse and doing my usual use-my-hand-as-a-lipstick-colour-swatch, i mentioned to K that i was in the market for a new exfoliator (since i was finding my Ella Bache savon creme a little bit rough on my newly sensitised skin), and she struggled to get the words "Dr Dennis Gross" out quick enough! seeing her excitement of introducing me to a new product, i knew it was going to be good!

as we made our way over the to the Dr Dennis Gross Skincare display, the words "new york", "dermatologist" and "alpha hydroxy acids (ahas)" were mentioned along with "amazing", "must have" and "favourite product". on arrival to the bright (predominantly) white and orange product wall display, she picked up two little containers, pictured below:

K continued to explain that these little beauties contain a two-step exfoliation system, with a blend of alpha and beta hydroxy acids, designed to be safe to use on a daily basis. with continued use, the product can improve the appearance of skin tone, texture, firmness and clarity, and  on top of all that, helps to balance and moisturise! "and how do they work?" i ask. so K explains that in a nut shell, the first step ("alpha beta refining") is the exfoliation acid, and the second ("enriched neutralising system") neutralises said acid.

wow! i definitely need these in my life!

i reminded her about my recent sensitivity issues (to briefly fill you in, i've never ever had sensitive skin in my entire life, until the last month or so where i've broken out in an unsightly red and itchy rash over the lower half of my face and upper neck, after using a new product (and the same reaction from the next product i tried following that), which lasted about three days but took over a week to disappear completely...good times), so she said that although she was absolutely sure that i'd love the product as much as she, it would be best for me to try before i buy, so sent me off with three days worth of samples. perfect!

as i'd had the lovely allergic-reaction-rash the week before, the affected area (although the redness and itching had subsided) was quite rough/scratchy and every dry, so basically, in desperate need of help! i started my routine as usual, by thoroughly cleansing (currently using the Avene extremely gentle cleanser for sensitive and irritated skin) and then removing all traces of the product with warm water and a soft cloth (i swear by The Body Shop luxury face chamois, as its super gentle and feels amazing on the skin). next up, its time for the wonder product! drum roll...

as per the instructions on the back of each individual pack (of two), i applied the product soaked towelette from "step 1" to my forehead and swirled it over my face (excluding the delicate eye area), down to (and inclusive of) my neck, in circular motions, until the wipe felt dry. then waited two minutes. K had warned me that at this point, my skin might tingle or feel warm (this is due to the hydroxy acids), however my skin felt fine with no unusual or uncomfortable sensations experienced. once the two minutes was up, i opened up "step 2" (which looks identical to step 1) and repeated the action from the first step.

i was instantly impressed with the results. the previously rough and dry skin was much more smooth, and the overall appearance of my complexion was brighter and clear. another observation that surprised me was that my skin didn't feel tight, which for me is the usual result of exfoliation, pre serum/moisturiser application. one thing to note is that the instructions warn not to use products containing alcohol on your skin straight after, so i applied my Estee Lauder advanced nightwear repair (as i've been told it is alcohol free).

although the Dr Dennis Gross Skincare alpha beta daily face peel can be used daily (as the product's name implies), i don't have oily skin so i generally only exfoliate twice a week, so i continued to use the last two samples K gave me, three days apart. after the three uses (over nine days) i found my skin looking luminous, clear and smoother than ever.

i am actually in love with this product.

so of course, back to K at Mecca Cosmetica i went, to purchase make my purchase. i bought the (travel size) 10 day supply, which i'm hoping will last me a month (as i'm planning on continuing my three day intervals). the size that i bought comes in sachets (like the samples were), neatly housed in a box rather than in the containers (which hold 30 (rrp: $110.00) or 60 (rrp: $179.00) applications).

i'm a very happy little vegemite, who has now used five sachets, and am not looking back!

this product would also we perfect for someone who is travelling, as the two-step system is compact and would neatly fit into any backpack or suitcase. another fun fact is that the Dr Dennis Gross Skincare alpha beta daily face peel is a vegan product, as is free from: cruelty (animal testing), paraben and phthlate.

if you'd like to know more about this product, follow this link http://www.alphabetaskincare.com/home.htm

out of 5: 5

reason in a nut shell: a must have! i was going to take a point off for the price (a bit expensive) but i really feel as though it is money very well spent and is worth every penny!

where to buy: Mecca Cosmetica

number of uses (promised on packaging): 10 applications

product tagline: #1 selling at-home peel

ingredients (for those who care to know): step one: glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, salicylic acid, genistein, chamomilla recutita, green tea extract step two: retinol, green tea extract, phosphilipids, sodium bicarbonate, vitamin a, vitamin c, vitamin e, genistein, yarrow extract, ubiquinone, resvertatrol.

B xoxo

have you tried this product or any others by Dr Dennis Gross Skincare? if so, would love to hear your thoughts!