dani the girl xo

Thursday, 24 July 2014

The Greasy Girl's Guide to Oils

Oils, oils, oils! It seems like oils are all the rage in the beauty world right now. They seem to have a lengthy list of wondrous properties from taming frizzy hair to banishing stretch marks. I am one of those people cursed with both oily skin and greasy hair. If left alone, I would probably become the world’s best oil producing resource and solve all the world’s energy problems. For a very long time, I was terrified that using oils would leave me looking like the offspring of Severus Snape. However, after reading many a beauty blog, I managed to curb my fears and start to explore what the world of oils could do for me. I’ve got a little round-up of some of my favourite oils to share with you!

FACE

1. Tarte Maracuja Oil ($10.00 USD for mini kit) – I picked this up when I was in New York in March (you can read my full Sephora haul here) as part of a Tarte Night Skincare Discovery Kit which also included a mini C-Brighter Eye Treatment. I have been using this at night a few times a week and applying after toning. You only need about 3 drops so I’m hoping this teeny bottle lasts me a while. It absorbs pretty readily into the skin but has a weird smell, I was expecting something like rosehip oil but to me it smells like plain old cooking oil! The smell isn’t that noticeable once it’s been applied to the skin and I’ve found that the next day, my skin looks fresh and plump. I’m very happy with this little sample oil, it’s just such a shame that it’s about $95 for the full size! However, you can get the Discovery Set from Tarazz for $12.65.

2. The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil ($34.95 for 28ml) – I love the Body Shop’s Vitamin E range, the Face Mist is a must have for flying. I went in to the Body Shop to pick up some more Seaweed Cleanser and spied this new(ish) release. It smells heavenly, much nicer than the cooking oil Maracuja Oil! Like all face oils, a few drops is more than sufficient for your whole face and neck and it’s very fast absorbing and lightweight. It claims to “replenish & recharge moisture” overnight and in the morning, my skin does feel soft and refreshed. I think the Body Shop has done a very good thing by creating this Serum!

HAIR

3. Redken Diamond Oil ($24.50 for 100ml from ry.com.au) – Absolutely ages ago, I won a Redken haircare pack from Her Fashion Box. This Diamond Oil was part of the pack and I’ve barely made a dint in it, even though I’ve used it a fair bit. I do love the packaging on this, it looks like cut glass and the little dropper dispenser is very cool too. I only ever use the tiniest amount of this on my hair because it is quite heavy. I made the mistake of being far too liberal the first time I tried it and the “Severus Snape” look made an appearance. I think that it might just be too heavy for my fine, prone-to-being-greasy-anyway hair but if you have very thick or frizzy hair, it would be perfect. Smells delish too, puts me in mind of exotic spices and faraway places.

4. Garnier Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum ($7.99 for 100ml) – It shows how long I have been using this that they have gone and changed the packaging! This is one of the first hair oils I tried and it’s become a regular in my haircare routine. Although my hair is fine and can be quite oily, the end get pretty dry and I find that this really helps lock in moisture and prevent the flyaways that are the bane of fine-haired girls across the world. It contains both Argan and apricot oil and has that distinctive, fruity Garnier scent that I adore. It’s very lightweight too so you can use more than a few drops without fear of looking like you’ve been swimming in the deep fryer.

5. L’oreal Professional Mythic Oil ($37.95 for 125ml*) – This was included in a Her Fashion Box and I have been using it as part of my work/field travel kit. Because I’m away so much, I usually have a separate set of toiletries for work so I don’t have to worry about packing and unpacking all the time. This is a great size for travel and the double cap makes it pretty spill proof. Like the Garnier oil, it’s very lightweight and made with a blend of avocado and grape seed oil, both of which are excellent for hair. The smell reminds me of salon professional haircare products and I like the way it lingers on my hair.

*I have the 45ml version which is a much better size for travel.

BODY

6. Bio-Oil ($24.99 for 125ml) – If you haven’t yet heard of Bio-Oil, you must have been living under a rock! The boyfriend put me onto it after I put on then lost a fair amount of weight and ended up with some shocking stretch marks to show for it. Bio-Oil contains PurCellin Oil which essentially acts as a carrier for efficient delivery of the active ingredients (Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Calendula Oil, Lavender Oil, Rosemary Oil, and Chamomile Oil). You massage into affected areas twice daily for a few months to help fade scars and stretch marks. It does take a little while to absorb properly but it’s quite lightweight. I’ve heard this is fabulous to use through pregnancy too to prevent stretch marks or lessen their effect (though I can't personally vouch for it!). I still have a lot of stretch mark scars but they are now more faded and silvery rather than angry red and obvious. I also sometimes add a few drops of this to a bath because it makes my skin feel super soft and hydrated.

I hope that I’ve given some of you some useful tips to navigate the world of oils. My skin and hair have certainly thanked me for being brave enough to try some oils out. What are your top recommendations for oils?

Stay beautiful!

Dani xx

Monday, 21 July 2014

It's Video Time!

dani the girl xo 17:28 0

I have just arrived back in Brisbane after a fantastic weekend in Melbourne catching up with a whole bunch of beauty bloggers, attending the Sparkling Soiree and of course, shopping! I also managed to squeeze in time to film a couple of videos with Mel aka Melissa Bubbles and Kat from Kitsch Snitch.

Mel and I filmed the Ultimate Beauty Challenge which was hilarious!

Kat and I delved deep into our handbags to see what we had ferreted away in there!

You can also check out both Mel and Kat's YouTube channels to see the other videos I filmed with them. Don't forget to subscribe to KaBOOM! Cosmetics, Melissa Bubbles and Kitsch Snitch on YouTube!

Stay beautiful!

Dani xx

Sunday, 20 July 2014

Clarisonic Cashmere Cleanse Facial Brush Head

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A little while back I reviewed the amazing Clarisonic Mia (you can read the full review here). I fell head-over-heels in love with the Clarisonic, it’s become a staple in my skincare routine. I have been using the sensitive brush head since I purchased the Clarisonic but I was in Mecca Maxima recently and the lovely Lily steered me towards the new Cashmere Cleanse Brush Heads and I knew I had to have one!

The Brand - Clarisonic

If you want the full Clarisonic story, you can head over to read my post on the Clarisonic Mia. Essentially, science and skincare made a baby and named it Clarisonic! One very important detail that I want to stress is make sure you purchase from a legitimate seller, there are a lot of uber dodgy Clairisonic fakes around and they are more often than not, low quality crap! I can recommend both the Clarisonic online shop and Mecca Maxima (excellent customer service) for any Clarisonic purchases you might need.

The Product – Cashmere Cleanse Facial Brush Head ($38.00)

The Cashmere Cleanse Brush Head retails for $38.00, which is a fair bit more expensive than the regular or sensitive ones which go for $29.00 a pop. But seriously, this feels like your face is being butterfly kissed by baby angels. I felt extremely creepy in the Mecca shop standing there caressing this brush! The brush bristles are about twice as long on the Cashmere brush as the regular or sensitive brushes. The brush design is also slightly different with no inner circle of black bristles.

The Cashmere head on the left vs. the Sensitive head on the right

Using the products

I mentioned in my Clarisonic review that I don’t like the Clarisonic brand cleanser as I find it too thick and creamy, I prefer a lighter, foaming cleanser. My current favourite is the Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash. With the sensitive brush head, I would apply a little dollop of cleanser directly to the brush head but because the Cashmere brush bristles are so long, I found it much easier to apply the cleanser either to my hand and then foam up the brush or directly to my face. Then it’s exactly the same as using a normal brush head, I try to follow the recommended Clarisonic cleansing pattern (which you can read about here). There is also a smaller brush head for hard to reach places like around the nose but I honestly don’t think it’s necessary as the Cashmere is more than able to reach with the extra-long bristles.

I really liked using the Cashmere Brush Head, it was a very luxurious cleanse! I have to say though, that I think I might prefer the deep clean and exfoliated feeling from the Sensitive Brush Head. However, if you have sensitive skin or use the Clarisonic frequently, this head is a great alternative as it is super gentle

Overall Score

The Good

Luxuriously soft

Ideal for sensitive skin or frequent use

Leaves skin feeling soft and gently cleansed

The Bad

More expensive than the regular brush heads

Doesn’t give the same deep clean feeling of the other brush heads

KaBOOM! Cosmetics gives the Clarisonic Cashmere Cleanse Facial Brush Head:

I think the Cashmere Brush Head is an excellent addition to the Clarisonic family. It’s definitely more gentle on the skin than the sensitive head and I cannot stress enough how amazing it feels on the skin (angel kisses, people!). I’d love to hear from any Clarisonic aficionados who have tried this brush.

Stay beautiful!

Dani xx

Thursday, 17 July 2014

NYX Butter Gloss

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I have been nursing a slight obsession with NYX since I found out my local Target (which happens to be just across the road from work) stocks a lot of their products. It’s gotten to the stage where I often just “pop in” to see what’s available, often resulting in me leaving with a slightly emptier bank account. On one of these lunch time expeditions, I picked up one of the glorious Butter Glosses. The shelves were looking fairly dismal, with only a few items left on the shelf so I was very pleased with myself to nab the very last one in the shade Peach Cobbler

The Brand – NYX (pronounced “niks”)

NYX is a great brand, born in sunny Los Angeles and thankfully, now available in Australia! They have a fabulous range of products and frequently release limited editions. They are also really affordable and a lot of their products are very good dupes for higher end (and more expensive) items, such as their Studio Perfect Primers (you can read my review of the Photo-Loving Primer here). I haven’t tried any of their foundation as yet but all of their colour products (blushes especially) have been wins for me so far.

The Product – Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler ($9.95)

The Butter Gloss comes in a grand total of 27 shades and won the Oprah Magazine 2013 Spring Makeup Awards in the Best New Lipsticks category. It is described as a “red-orange” which I think is quite accurate, it’s not quite as peachy as the name suggests. It’s a buttery lip gloss that can either be worn alone (it has a quite a nice colour payoff) or over lipstick. It does have a doe foot applicator (they can be very hit and miss) but this one seems ok, I didn’t have any issues using it. I think the packaging is quite cute too, it’s plastic but the colours are very bright and match the gloss inside.

Using the product

Very easy to apply, as I said before, I had no problems with the doe foot applicator. Although NYX say the formula is “never sticky”, I found it to be just a little bit sticky BUT not to the stage where I would stop wearing it. I have never worn it over lipstick, it’s such a pretty colour that I like to show it off on its own. As for longevity, it’s not the longest wearing gloss by any means. I found I had to reapply a few times during the day but I am yet to find a lip gloss last all day!

Overall Score

The Good

Very pretty colour

Easy to apply

Cheap as chips

The Bad

Slightly too sticky for me

Doesn’t last very well

KaBOOM! Cosmetics gives NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler:

I think that for the price, this is a really great lip product. It’s definitely not perfect but it’s a really nice colour and I don’t think you will find better in the same price range (feel free to correct me here!). Are you a fan of the NYX range?

Stay beautiful!

Dani xx