Focus On : Peppermint

Thought it was about time I did the next installment of my "Focus On" series - this time I went for mint. Peppermint is such a refreshing scent and has a bunch of benefits both for the skin and for your insides if you use it in your diet.

Mint is great for pepping you up - using a shower gel or soap with mint in it in the morning is a lovely way to get yourself going without a coffee the size of a small keg first thing. An old favourite of mine is Dirty shower gel from Lush - it's bright blue, super fresh and leaves you feeling squeaky clean. Lovely post-workout if you're a morning gym bunny too (or just a "slow-riser" like myself...)

Mint is also great for problematic skin, it soothes redness and spots and is mildly antiseptic due to the menthol content. A favourite mask of mine is Mask of Magnaminty, I prefer the self-preserving version as it's a little more gentle on sensitive skin. It's very refreshing and leaves a lovely cooling feeling on your skin even when you wash it off with hot water.

I've always found minty products to be great for brightening dull skin as well - again I feel like it might have to do with the menthol encouraging blood flow but a particularly wonderful product for this that incorporates mint is of course Peppermint Frank (I'll stop raving about this product one day but today is not that day). Wonderfully invigorating and cooling, like Dirty shower gel it's great post-work out to soothe muscles and makes you feel super clean (bit like that post-tooth brush clean feeling except on your whole body). I love to follow up post-workout with Fair Trade Foot Lotion too - this combination is soothing and restorative for tired muscles and feet.

Because mint encourages circulation and blood-flow it can act as a lip-plumper when used in lip products. A lovely one for this is Burt's Bees beeswax lip balm. Scrubbed smooth lips with a generous layer of balm is a must for me - great during makeup application too to get the best lipstick application and wear possible.

As for your insides, mint is great for digestion - there's a reason "After 8 mints" are a thing. I personally prefer my post-dinner mint in tea form. Steeped for a few minutes it's a nice way to wind down for the evening and if you suffer from travel sickness a great way to alleviate some of those problems too. If tea is a pain there's always good old Extra Spearmint gum (sugar free of course...) - I chewed my way through a lot during the windy parts of a recent South Island road trip.

Claire x

Favourite Bloggers

After reading Zoe's post here on blog love I decided it was about damn time to post about my absolute favourites - they all have top notch writing, photography and a real presence on social media.

ZoeLondon - The lovely woman that inspired this post in the first place. Her style is entirely different from mine but I love how she presents herself both physically and in her online presence. She's a very real and genuine writer and posts on such a variety of topics (and so frequently) there's always something new to read from her. She has such an energetic and wonderful presence on her blog and social media. Incidentally she also just celebrated her blogs 5th birthday - an inspiration in itself when I struggle at times to keep posting (can you tell...?).

Gh0stparties - Kate is another Kiwi with a blog and photography skills I can only dream of. Her photography is always impeccable and she has such a fantastic sense of humour I frequently find myself laughing at her little aside comments on her blog posts and on instagram/twitter. Not to mention she also has a seriously cute and photogenic cat who frequents her blog and instagram.

HelloOctober - Suzie is the person who really kick started me into finally making a go of blogging again. She's so down to earth, puts huge amounts of effort into her work and it really shows. I've been following her blog/youtube channel for a few years now (eeek how time flies) and have always enjoyed both.

BeautyCrush I think Sam was the first youtuber I ever started watched - a great number of years ago now. Her blog and channel are so beautifully presented, her photos are gorgeous and she's got such a down to earth personality. I adore her style and have makeup envy when she does her winged eye-liner - how does she get it perfect every time?!

Who are your favourite bloggers/youtubers?

Claire x

Summer Saviours

Now that the warmer months are coming to a close in New Zealand (wahh) I thought I'd do a round-up of my favourite products that have really saved my skin and hair this summer. You can buy just about all of these worldwide/online so if anything really catches your eye you'll be able to get your hands on it no matter where you are.

Hello Hair; Island Escape Edition. This mask is gorgeous - I've tried quite a wide variety and I think this is my favourite. It's quite heavy but very nourishing. I find one treatment makes my hair look outstanding for quite a while, even with more frequent washing in summer heat and exposure to sun and water. I like to pack it on, leave it for a few hours then wash it out with a toning purple shampoo (more info on my full hair-care can be found here). This means my hair is hydrated, bright and brassy-tone free.

Mecca Cosmetica SPF 30 Moisturiser. I've been looking for a good SPF for years - one that's more than 15 (New Zealand sun is pretty brutal) and still feels light on the skin. Mecca is one of my favourite places to shop and it's yet to fail me - this one is light, smoothing and is a great base for makeup.

Ray Bans Aviators. 100% UV protective (can you tell I'm all about the sun protection this summer...) and green being my favourite colour I adore these. They're a bit hefty on the wallet but well worth the investment.

Frank Body Balm. The body scrub is a part of my every day skincare routine anyway but over summer when I was getting eczema from the heat this little tube saved me a lot of scratching. It's a very thick and oily cream but works a dream for dry and sensitive skin. Aside from that of course it smells heavenly too. Only warning is it will stick to your sheets a bit if you apply it before bed like I did...!

After several months of shorts and t-shirt weather I think I'm finally ready for cooler nights and jeans (and autumnal makeup hooray!)

Claire x

Weekend Post: Read, Eat, Listen, Do #4

READ. #GIRLBOSS. I'd has this book in my mind for a while and finally picked it up when I had a week off work - it's a very comfortable book to read in the sense it takes no time at all to get into it, I take it to work and read a chapter a lunch-break. #GIRLBOSS is actually a very empowering read and is incredibly relateable particularly if you're of the generation Y and are trying to stumble your way through your twenties (which I am heading into rather rapidly...23 in two months eeek). Sophia is the founder of Nasty Gal - an online clothing store that's grown to crazy proportions in just a few weeks and she challenges a lot of ideas that feel pretty set in stone and expected of our generation. It's a very inspiring read all round and makes me really want to get my ass into gear.

EAT. I haven't been eating any one thing in particular a hell of a lot but I have been going out a lot more frequently - this weekend I went to Tyler Street Garage for dinner on Valentines day. It turns into a club later at night and is situated right on the waterfront - if you're in Auckland it's a very popular destination for twenty-somethings. The food was really good and the atmosphere is great too (then again might just have been all the happy couples that seemed to fill the city that night...)

LISTEN. Muse has recently made a re-appearance on my "Recently Played" playlist - I forgot how much I loved them until recently and have been playing a lot of their songs on repeat. In particular I love Plug in Baby, Starlight, Neutron Star Collision, Hoodoo, Nights of Cydonia and Time is Running Out.

DO. My nails - oh god my nails. They haven't looked so bird-of-prey in a long time (since I got shellac months ago). I bought them online when they were on sale to try them out - I've been dubious of acrylic nails as I've heard horror stories of what they can do to your nails. However - these ones from NailHur claimed to be OK to re-use and weren't damaging to your nails. Suffice to say I am in love - I've already ordered three more sets. They come in different shapes and sizes and designs. I'll definitely be doing a full review of these at some stage in the near future.

Claire x

Monthly Favourites: January

Well, January whizzed past faster than I thought possible. 2015 has been a wonderfully busy year so far - despite challenges at work that have been wearing me out a bit (eek). I have a few new favourites this month - some were instant loves and only purchased recently while the hair care I've been using a while now. Anyway

Right lets start with the makeup bits I think, first off I have two new NARS additions to my makeup family. I bought the Nars Persia eyeshadow - it looks terrifying in the pan but compliments blue eyes amazingly and can be applied quite subtly or be built up for quite a striking and intense look. It's very blendable and highly pigmented - again, I've yet to be let down by anything from Nars.

The next stunner was the Nars Longwear Eyeliner in Via Appia. A gorgeous bronzey brown I used the old "this will look great on blue eyes" excuse and it works beautifully with the eyeshadow. The colour payoff is great and as the name suggests, it really does last a long time. As a chronic eye-rubber (is that a thing?) I love products that don't budge. I know I can safely put this one on in the morning and it'll still be there come 5 o'clock at the end of the working day.

The last makeup piece was another eyeshadow - I'd actually intended on getting All That Glitters but sadly it was sold out - instead I got Naked Lunch (by MAC) which is very similar. It's a beautiful pearly/slightly glittery finish with a champagne colour. I think this one will be lovely for the cooler months paired with a berry lip (come on Autumn I'm ready for you now).

It wouldn't be a monthly favourites post of mine if I didn't have a Lush product in there - I mentioned D'Fluff in a Dream Team post here. It's a new release from Lush, I never thought I'd be one to buy shaving soap but here I am smelling of strawberries with the smoothest legs. It's very gentle and mild on the skin, smells positively edible (as I've come to expect from Lush) and I never have any issues with razor rash when I use it. Next time I'll be getting the large tub...

Finally I have a couple of hair products - I'm not usually so big into hair seeing as mine is so stubbornly straight and un-styleable however these two are a dream for my new short hair. The first of which is Jungle Solid Conditioner - also by Lush. It's a lighter conditioner than the super intensive one I was using before and of course is also cruelty free. The smell is heavenly - living in the country I love earthy kind of smells and this one is gorgeous. It smells like the tropical rainforest of your dreams, it's too hard to describe so just have a whiff next time you're in Lush yourself. As my hair is shorter I try not to weigh it down - although this one is largely cocoa butter it's not heavy and gives shorter/healthier hair just the right amount of moisture and shine.

Given the recent months of sitting outside and abusing my hair with more frequent washing I've felt more of a need to get back into hydrating masks. I recently bought the Hello Hair Hydrating Mask and being the coconut fan I am I bought the Island Escape edition. It smells like orange and coconut and is quite a thick oil - it's totally natural which is great for sensitive scalps and really does give a lot of shine to your hair. I found I was less prone to tangles after using this too. It is pretty tough to wash out completely so I use my purple shampoo and leave it on my hair for a minute or two. This gets rid of all the oil, tones my hair and leaves it shiny but also squeaky clean. For the price it is I'll definitely be re-purchasing - of all the masks I've tried this is my top favourite.

Last one of this month is my new Vans - I've wanted to get the burgundy ones for ages and have been wearing them non-stop. They're the sort of shoes I can get away with wearing pretty much everywhere (so I do...).

Phew, feel like this was a bit late this month but I got there in the end!

Claire x

Summer Skincare Routine

It feels like it's been a while since I did a skin-care routine post, while some products I think will always stay the same (my much loved Ultrabland ain't going anywhere) there are a few new bits I've been loving big time and have noticed a huge difference in my skin because of them. This is going to be more of a masterpost of everything I put on my face each day rather than a morning/evening one as I've done before. So I've split it into cleansing bits and then moisturisers and serums and the like instead. 

CLEANSERS.

Phew, I didn't realise how many products I use just to wash/buff my face. 9 to 5 is my morning cleanser - ideal for those of us who are low maintenance and ahem, a bit lazy. No toner needed - I just use a dollop about the size of my thumb nail and massage all over my face. I remove with a hot face cloth after - I find if there's any make-up has been pushed out of your pores over night (ick) this removes it beautifully and leaves your skin nicely primed for moisturiser.

In the evening things get a little complicated though because I'm a skincare junkie it really doesn't bother me. I start by removing my makeup with my most loved Lush product (big words knowwhatI'msayin') Ultrabland. This gorgeous waxy balm breaks everything down in no time and is fantastic for any skin type - no matter what season it is, how my skin is behaving (or not...) this little black tub of goodness sorts it. You can remove this one in the same way as 9 to 5 with a hot flannel but personally I don't like getting my facecloth all clogged so I use a toner and cotton pads. Typically I use Eau Roma Water but lately I felt like a change so am currently using Breath of Fresh Air to spritz all over before wiping cleanser, makeup and toner off in a few swipes.

I'm a big fan of double cleansing - I noticed a big improvement in my skin when I started doing it myself. Recently Lush released a range of new products including a soapy cleanser called Movis (that unassuming little brown square). It's a squishy cube of heaven - it leaves your skin squeaky clean but not stripped. I was dubious at first as foaming cleansers and I don't typically get n but this one is a different story altogether. It's mild and very gentle, smells a bit like bread (hah!) and has several oils in it to counter dryness. I'd still recommend this one only for normal to oily faces though - it might be a bit much for drier skins.

Finally, one of my top finds in 2014 was coconut Frank - I use this everyday without fail. You'd think a coffee scrub would be too harsh for the delicate skin on your face but the coconut formula is so hydrating and gentle I pat it all over and let it work its magic while I wash my hair/whatever. I leave the shower fresh faced, clean and hydrated. Serums seem to absorb better and are more effective after using Frank on my face as well.

MOISTURISERS/SERUMS/BALMS.

Typically I need a lot of moisture put back into my skin as although it can get oily it's actually a bit dehydrated. I drink 1.5 litres a day or more but none of it seems to end up in my skin?! Anyway - the creams I use are typically oil free and have hyaluronic acid which helps your skin absorb more moisture without getting oily.

The first one I apply is my Trilogy Very Gentle Moisturising Cream post-cleanse with 9 to 5. It settles my skin and creates a nice base without making me feel sticky or oily. I usually have a break between applying the two but after this I use the Mecca Cosmetica SPF30 daily moisturiser - it's a physical barrier rather than a chemical one which means my skin doesn't react. It's beautifully light (which is why I need to use it in conjunction with another...) and is fantastic for priming your face for foundation (or in my case usually a tinted moisturiser). Aside from that the SPF30 is by New Zealand/Australian standards which means it's very broad spectrum - I'll definitely be getting the bigger tube when the wee one runs out.

In the evening I pull out the big skin-care guns. After I get out of my shower and pat my face dry I put on 3 - 5 drops of Trilogy Rosehip Oil, either the classic of Antioxidant+ version are fantastic. Despite being an oil it doesn't clog pores and actually feels incredibly light. At times I use this alone without another cream after, it helps reduce redness and scarring so is great for healing blemished areas.

I feel like I've finally found my dream eye cream in the Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil eye cream. It gives so much life back to that area - something I hadn't found with any other creams or serums I'd used for my eye area before. It's light, very hydrating and showed results pretty quickly. Best of all the tub is very generous so I think this one will last me a long while.

Finally, you can't forget your lips - I can't stand that chapped feel (eurgh) so I apply a balm like the Hurraw! Moon Balm. These little tubes last a long time and for only $6 they're very affordable. When it comes to lip products especially I feel chemical free is best wherever possible and these are vegan and 100% natural.

I tend to like to stick to a few brands I really love with my skincare - I feel like it's a bit more cohesive that way and doesn't confuse the chemistry of my skin.

Any other products from these brands I should try?

Claire x

Weekend Post: Read, Eat, Listen, Do #3

READ. I think I may have mentioned this year I'm trying to read a wider variety of books - I usually stick to the same kind all the time. I picked three that sounded good from Book Depository and clicked add to cart. This is the first of the three - I had a look through a few by this author and apparently this is the one that made Haruki Murakami a well known name worldwide. It's definitely pretty enthralling - it took me a few chapters to get into but I finished it in four days once I'd started. For me I struggled a little in the sense that the cultural background and setting for this is incredibly different to what I'm used to but it also added something new that kept me coming back. It's one of those books I almost find difficult to explain without really giving too much away but it has some really poignant bits that really stuck with me and I think would be relatable to most people in their twenties.

EAT. Stone fruit. Ahh summer, the time I can eat copious amounts of cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines and plums. Need I say more?

LISTEN. I'm always listening to Lana at the moment (what's new) but I've added a few "older" bits. I'm one of those people who listens compulsively to things until I'm sick of them. Track currently on repeat is Bittersweet by Blu Cantrell and Sean Paul. It's actually quite good to be listening to while writing - which is exactly what this weekend will be filled with as I'm super behind with my drafting...thankfully the New Zealand weather is beautiful, I have a week off and my camera is primed and ready for a photo taking frenzy.

DO. I've been having a lot of makeup free days lately. The summer means my skin gets more sun and air than usual and I don't have that ghastly pallor I get in the winter that makes me look like I've died overnight and re-animated myself in the morning. This combined with a few new skin-care additions has meant my face has really cleared up - aside from the unavoidable hormonal breakouts everything is looking and feeling a lot more healthy. This combined with freshly tinted brows and lashes means I can go out quite comfortably with nothing at all on my face.

Right, time to crack on with some more photos - updated skin care and hair care coming soon.

Claire x