First Impressions: Nars Pro-Prime Primer

If you know me at all, you know I am seriously in love with Nars. I've bought a lot of products from them in the past few months and this is the latest to join the family/my makeup bag. I thought I'd do a little "first impressions" now that I've been using it a week.

As always with Nars, this primer has a very nice but delicate fresh smell - sort of citrussy. It's very liquidy but a little really does go a long way, I thought a 30ml bottle wouldn't go very far but the amount you need to use is so small I think this little tube will go a long way.

I apply mainly to my t-zone as this is where my pores are most obvious and where my makeup tends to wear off most easily. I apply a blob about...eeek can I say 1/2 a pea size? If that, and it covers the whole area. I let it really dry properly and make sure I'm not too heavy handed, otherwise it'll have the opposite effect and make your makeup slide around.

I noticed a huge improvement on the longevity of my makeup around my nose especially - it looked smoother and lasted much longer too. Really impressed with that. I've found my forehead is still often a bit shiny/loses it's coverage by the end of the day even with this primer. However I expect when I've got my beloved Nars Sheer Glow foundation back (hurry up Gobi!) that may well change as the tinted moisturiser I use is just that, a moisturiser.

Unfortunately for me the price dropped on this product literally less than a week after I purchased but even so it's 100% worth it so far. I've not had any adverse reaction and my skin is fairly sensitive and it cleans off easily at night too.

As usual, Nars lives up to its reputation again, though this isn't my all time favourite Nars product it's definitely worth the investment. We'll put it to the true test come summer...!

Claire x

The Weekend Post: Painted Paws

Well, as promised I've had a slightly more interesting and beauty related weekend this weekend. It's Sunday now and I'm sitting with a green tea editing photos and listening to Ed Sheeran with my claws tap-tapping away on the keyboard.

Essentially I finally got around to getting my nails Shellac'd (how does one Shellac? Shellac'd?) anyway - I went to my favourite, yes Newmarket again.

I visited The Nail Studio on Osborne Street and had my nails done by Lianne - who was lovely by the way. I wanted to get the pointy shape for a change seeing as I highly doubt I'd be able to shape them properly myself I thought I'd go for it yesterday. Then as I'm indecisive about colour and get bored easily I went for a classic white nail - with a little shimmer on top at Liannes recommendation which I must admit looks bloody lovely. Highly recommend these guys - the paint on my right hand bubbled a little bit when it was first applied but Lianne fixed it for me taking extra time and didn't seem bothered/didn't rush me at all.

The pictures don't do the shimmer justice really but in short I love them. The only downside is texting and typing are really quite awkward because of the points eeep. I'd say it's a worthwhile pay off though. 

Nails aside, it was pay week this week and I was in Newmarket so...you know...I did a spot of shopping. 

Can you tell I'm preparing for summer? I love this new hat - if you're in New Zealand it's free shipping if you're urban - and they ship internationally too if you're from overseas. I bought it from Pagan Marie - I always love to support Kiwi businesses if I can and the service from this site is amazing. I'm strictly speaking a "rural" address, I ordered Thursday at around 10 and received it first thing Friday morning. 

My other purchases included some Body Shop bits for my car - hand cream for my dry little mits and hand sanitiser because I hate that "grubby" feel they can get when you've been shopping or at the gym. Having dermatitis means this isn't fantastic for my skin...but that justifies the hemp hand cream right? (And I had a 10 dollar voucher so this only cost me about 12 bucks). 

I've added another lipstick to my MAC family - Brave this time. It's a lovely purpley cool toned lipstick in satin finish (my favourite) so isn't too drying and the colour payoff is great. It's my take on the Kylie Jenner lip combined with Subculture lip pencil it's perfect. 

Last thing was Eau Roma Water from Lush - I was running low and I can't live without this stuff for getting my makeup/cleanser off. 

The weather yesterday in Auckland was awful so I think I actually ended up spending less because I didn't want to hang around the shops too long. Mixed blessing? 

Now it's Sunday it's that usual laundry/gardening and now I'm drafting up some more posts for this week - tappa tappa tappa. 

Claire x

P.s. I think I've nearly got the layout of my blog how I like it...

Monthly favourites: August

Woo hoo, the end of the first month of running this blog. Time to update my favourites - there may not be a post like this every month but this month there have been plenty of new things I've been loving and using/wearing/listening to all the time. I genuinely look forward to the end of a month/start of a new one purely for favourites videos/blog posts.

Also - I feel I need to mention the new theme. It's still being edited/I'll fiddle more in the weekend when I have time but I'm liking it a lot so far! I wanted something a bit more personal so I purchased one off Etsy.

Right - on with the favourites. 

• Frank body scrub - this one is a no brainer, especially if you've been on my blog any other time this month. Vegan, cruelty free, perfectly scrubby. Frank smells amazing, gives you glowing skin and is gentle enough to use on your face. If you're interested in more info I have another post about it here. Frank is definitely going to be a regular part of my body/skin care routine. 
• NARS Radiant Tinted Moisturiser - SPF is becoming more of a priority for me, especially now I've found a few products with SPF that my skin actually agrees with. This moisturiser kills two birds with one stone - good coverage and sun protection. For a low maintenance look in the summer this will be my go to..even more so than it is now.  
• NARS creamy concealer - this plus the radiant tinted moisturiser...well, if I ever have a relationship as good as these two do I'll be a happy camper. Amazing coverage, especially under the eyes Feels weightless and non-sticky. Can't go wrong with this one. 
• Harraw! lip balm - I use Hurraw dawn till dusk, it keeps your lips in tip top condition with a range of flavours/scents. I especially love the Moon Balm and the SPF version. 
• Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence. I love Lana anyway but her latest CD is especially amazing. I listened to it twice all the way through whilst driving home late at night and can safely say there are several new favourites on this CD. My top picks are Cruel World, Sad Girl and Brooklyn Baby. 
• Chrysolite Opal earrings from ChicCrystalBijoux . These stunning little earrings are made by a very talented jeweler in Sydney. I found her shop on Etsy and had been meaning to buy these for a while. They're a beautiful colour, perfect fit and add a little bit of sparkle without being over the top. I've got my eye on a few other pieces by her already. I took a closer picture too as the one above doesn't do them justice.

Love seeing what other people put in their favourites too - I often end up trying new products based on other people's recommendations from them. That's all for this month - there's a few new things I have my eye on/am currently trying out so we'll see how they fare come the end of September! 

Claire x

Manual cleansers - which is better?

I thought another skincare post was in order - this time it's about "manual" cleansers. I.e. brushes/fibres that clean your skin as opposed to using a cleanser. I have two of these both of which I've been using for several months - one is the Clarisonic Mia 2, the other is the Jane Iredale Cleansing Mitt. I'll give you a breakdown of both and let you know which I find to be better. 

Clarisonic Mia 2 - 

The Clarisonic is one of those things that is definitely an investment item - it's not really something you'd buy lightly with the hopes it'll help your skin. Coming in at £120 from Feelunique it's not an inexpensive item. I got it at 10% off as I selected Clarisonic as my "brand for life" discount brand.

With the Clarisonic you get a little instruction manual, a charger, one brush head and the Clarisonic itself. Naturally I chose the pink shade for myself. The Mia 2 has two speed settings - I tend to just use it on the "normal" setting as opposed to the sensitive one.

Although it says you can get more makeup off with the Clarisonic over a regular cleanser I would be inclined to disagree - I used this as an additional step to my routine and although it did help remove extra makeup I wouldn't use it solely for makeup removaland I still needed to use a cream cleanser with it. The brush head often comes away a bit foundation coloured but if you use it consistently everyday this becomes less noticeable.

That brings me to my next point - it says that it's safe for everyday use, twice a day. I did this for three - four weeks and while initially I did "purge" a little and have more breakouts my skin did clear up significantly. However, over time I started breaking out again when using twice a day even when using it on the gentler setting.

I started only doing it every second night instead and found my skin bounced back. Personally I think this device is too harsh to use everyday. In essence it's exfoliating your skin and too much of a good thing...well, you get the idea. On top of this the brush needs to be replaced every 3 months, which is an additional cost you need to consider when purchasing.

The verdict: Yes, I like my Clarisonic, but would I recommend purchasing it? Probably not. Having found other scrubs like Frank that I prefer/get better results from I don't think the Mia 2 is worth the price tag.


Jane Iredale Cleansing Mitt - 

My mum bought this mitt for me as a surprise about a year ago now. I've had problems with my skin since I was about 18 - before that I barely ever got spots now I have hormonal breakouts on my chin almost all the time. This mitt is designed to help remove extra makeup, much like the Clarisonic, but instead of scrubbing as such it uses tiny fibres (it's a microcloth) to pick up anything left on your skin.

It's very gentle to use, I can and do use it everyday (usually just in the evening) and it doesn't need any cleanser to use it. It's a pretty simple principle, put your hand in the mitt and wipe your face as you would with a conventional facecloth.

To wash it you only need to use a gentle soap. Rub it over the mitt, work it into the fibres and rinse it clean. Let it air dry (that's what the little loop on the end is for) and it's perfect everytime. As you can see they do last the test of time - I've had mine a year and it doesn't need changing/replacing and still cleans as well as it did the day I first got it. It was about $30NZD but you can but it here with free shipping for £17.

The verdict: The mitt is long lasting, reliable, gentle and much more affordable. I'd recommend this over the Clarisonic anyday. Again, it should only be used as an additional step in your regular cleansing routine (I use mine in the shower after I've removed all my makeup) but it will remove dead skin, makeup and excess oil really well without damaging your skin.

Cleansing is so important and I think having the right tools/products really do help. Also, just because it's the "miracle" device that costs a lot doesn't always mean it'll be better.

Hope this has helped some of you!

Claire x

The Weekend Post

Weekends just seem to fly by this year - though this weekend seems to have brought on the start of spring. Amazingly I managed to wear my new Monki shorts on Sunday.

I clean forgot to take my camera to my boyfriend's place on Saturday but all we really did was play GTA 5 and watch the All Blacks at night.

Sunday is always my "productive" day so much like every other Sunday I did my boring adult things like laundry, vacuuming and cleaning.

Once that was over it was time to do my more relaxing bits i.e. watch youtube videos, read blogs and gardening.

 "Action shots" of my chai tea making process - if you live in New Zealand, England or Australia I highly recommend T2 chai tea. (If you are in England to my knowledge the only store is in Shoreditch) I like to add extra cinnamon (which is in the little green tin). Once I'd made this I settled in to watch some vlogs and get ideas for new posts.

After that, I had to enjoy the sun. We haven't had a day in New Zealand that's been both warm AND sunny in some time. Also my seeds from last weekend are now growing into plants so were in dire need of moving to a larger pot.

 My kale are coming along nicely and the flowers are only just starting to peek through the soil but fingers crossed once spring is properly here I'll have some plants to put in the ground.

Seeing as it is such a sunny day naturally I needed to break in my new shorts as mentioned. Shocking at taking photos of myself so I had to rope mum into it.

 Tinted moisturiser with SPF (Nars Radiant Tinted moisturiser as always *ahem*) and Gimme Brow make for my "no makeup" makeup look. Tied back hair and my standard jewellery - Michael Kors watch, Meadowlark earrings and Pandora rings. Merino jersey is from Country Road and my high waisted shorts were from ASOS.

Shorts - Monki Tailored Shorts
Earrings - Meadowlark Facet Studs

I've also finally broken out the more "summery" nail colours. The photos above didn't really do the colour justice but the colour is Hot and Spicy by OPI.

Fingers crossed I may have a more exciting post for next weekend - it is pay week next week after all!

Claire x

The Night In

Every now and then (usually once a week...) I like to have a "night in" where I make myself feel all nice and fresh and put some extra effort into my skin and hair.

I thought I'd share some of my favourite products/methods that I use when I actually do this.

For a start, I take all my makeup off, using my usual cleansing products from my evening skincare routine. Following this, I warm up my skin with a face cloth to open my pores and remove any remaining cleanser left. Then I apply a face mask - I've really been liking the Trilogy Mineral Radiance facemask, I got a sample of it with a purchase from Healthpost and it's lasted really well. It's hydrating, cleansing but not too harsh. It's suitable regardless of what your skin is up to really. If you want to see more have a look at the description Trilogy has here. If you know me at all you know I love Trilogy (the packing alone is beautiful - something much nicer about the texture and weight of glass rather than plastic).

I leave this on for at least ten minutes - this mask takes a long time to dry which gives you more time to relax, watch youtube videos or read a magazine like I like to do.

Following this, I jump into the shower. I usually leave my face mask on for a bit after this - I like the steam to warm my skin up again before I rinse the mask and always think heat benefits any mask you're using. While Trilogy works its magic I wash my hair - I alternate between a purple shampoo to maintain my sun lightened hair over winter and this lovely SLS free one from Kevin Murphy. It smells like jasmine flowers, cleanses your hair rather than stripping it and is very gentle on your scalp (and hands if you get dermatitis like me).

I rinse off my mask and shampoo then go in for a hydrating conditioner - I use this product every time I condition but once a week I like to leave it on for extra time. I've been using the L'Oreal Absolut Repair for some time now and although I'm not really a big fan of L'Oreal I must say this is something they really got right. It makes your hair very shiny and tangle free. I slather a finger-tip full on my hair from ear-length down focusing mainly on the ends as they're most prone to damage.

Next, I turn the water down to pretty much a dribble and bring Frank to the party. I've made a few posts mentioning Frank already you can read the most recent here. I scrub my legs, bum and back to combat cellulite and dermatitis. I try and stay out of the water while Frank and my conditioner work to get the best possible results. In winter this can be a little cold but I think the end effect is worth it even if you only leave it for a minute or two.

Once I'm too cold to bear it anymore I turn the water back up and rinse off my conditioner and Frank. This is the perfect time to shave legs as Frank leaves a nice residue on your skin that means you don't need any soap or shaving lotion.

After I finally turn the shower off I pat my skin dry and apply a body lotion on my legs, although Frank is pretty hydrating my skin can get quite dry in certain places so I like to use Karma Kream from Lush as a top up. The orange smell of this lotion along with the coffee and orange of Frank is a lovely combination.

Next, my face gets slathered with several drops of rosehip and my night cream. Once that's settled I put some Sebamed on any pesky spots that have popped up, this gel works wonders at getting rid of redness and also seems to prevent spots from scarring so much too.

Best time to do this is when you've got freshly washed sheets - nothing like having freshly washed hair, smooth legs and clean sheets at the end of a long week.

Claire x

Just in...

...Hurraw! lip balm.

Another miracle product I've discovered this month (August weather may be awful but I'm having good luck with new discoveries!) is Hurraw! lip balm.

I've been an avid fan of Burt's Bees since I was about 17 but I think I'm starting to convert. Hurraw is vegan,  packaged in post-consumer recycled plastic, cruelty free, organic AND there's an SPF option. I bought two from Oh Natural as they ship within in New Zealand (very good service by the way). Initially I just bought the mint and the night time variety.

I must say I'm particularly a fan of the "Moon Balm" it's the more moisturising of the two and smells lovely (can't go wrong with vanilla!). I've already purchased another - the SPF version which is made with zinc oxide i.e. the natural version of sunscreen which is a physical barrier rather than a chemical one. I've even managed to get my dad to use it - which is quite something.

Highly recommend these balms, as their shape is oval they fit in your pocket perfectly, don't melt and are really long lasting on the lips. Will definitely be re-purchasing.

Claire x