What’s all this about stem cells for my skin?

The latest buzz-phrase in skincare seems to be “stem cells”. Here’s the nitty gritty on what they are and how they’re relevant to skin… What are stem cells? Your body is made up of lots of different cells with different functions – some types of cells include red blood cells, nerve cells and muscle cells. But as you might know, …

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Tried and Tested (Face): Benefit Fakeup and Bioderma Sebium H2O reviews

I’ve been road testing a bunch of products during the last few weeks – here’s how two of them fared: Benefit Fakeup ($35 for 3.5 g) This concealer is launching in Australia tomorrow, and I was lucky enough to test-drive it early. Fakeup has a clever hydrating ring (containing appleseed extract and lots of castor oil) around a pigmented concealing …

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Review: Olieve & Olie natural Australian skincare

For the past few weeks I’ve been trying out a bunch of Olieve & Olie products. Olieve & Olie are a boutique Australian brand who make gorgeous handmade skincare products based on real olive oil. 95% of their products’ ingredients are locally sourced from regional Victoria, and they’ve incorporated many sustainable practices into their production. My first reaction to these …

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What are microbeads and why should I be concerned about them?

Plastic is unavoidable in modern society, and unfortunately the vast majority of the plastic products we use will long outlive us. While we can (and should) recycle a lot of our plastic waste, microplastics (including microbeads) are a form of plastic that is difficult to dispose of thoughtfully.   (Photo credit: Kenny Louie)   What is microplastic? Simply put, microplastic …

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Neutrogena Naturals review and giveaway

As many readers know, I’m not a fan of brands which expect consumers to pay a premium simply because they’re natural, with the implication that “natural” things are somehow safer, or less “unnatural”, because they “don’t contain chemicals” (see one of my earliest posts on this marketing claptrap here). A lot of “natural” brands rely upon consumer ignorance and spread …

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What is micellar water and how does it work?

bioderma-crealine-micellar-water

15/9/2015: I’ve updated this post with better drawings and a better explanation of how micellar water works. Micellar water is taking off in a big way, with a bottle of Bioderma’s Sensibio H2O Micellar Water (formerly Crealine) sold every 6 seconds worldwide, and celebrity endorsements from Kylie Minogue and Gemma Ward. But what is micellar water and how does it …

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Project Pan Empties #11-20

If you’re wondering – yes, my Project Pan, where I attempt to use up lots of products and clear out space for new stuff (see my original post here), is still going strong. I got through No Buy February with only one lapse (I really needed falsies), which amazed me, and what was even more amazing was the lack of …

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Lancôme Super Serums – Génifique and Visionnaire

As you probably know, I’m obsessed with skincare and making my skin feel like a baby’s bottom (that is not meant to be creepy). While Lancôme is pretty much a skincare household name, I’d never tried their products, since I thought they were for mature skin, but I was proven wrong when I was given Génifique and Visionnaire, Lancôme’s “Super …

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