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Clarins, huh? I’ll admit to considering their counter far too stylish for my grubby mitts and therefore haven’t tried much (any) of their stuff. So given the opportunity to review one of their products (and wonder of wonders, actually having some input as to which one might be best for my skin), I went for the oily/combination skin treatment, and thus received a rather lovely 30ml dropper bottle of Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil on my doorstep.

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What I’ve found is key to the application is patting it into your face and not rubbing it – I’ve had bad experiences with products before because I’ve smoodged it into my face without thinking and the friction has caused inflammation 🙁

The jury was still out for me in terms of using oil to combat oily skin, so I was hoping this might be the product that would swing it around for me. Certainly there’s a whole internet full of positive experiences with this product, and MANY people who were adamant that this was a vital summertime treatment.

A lot of people also suggested that misting your face with rosewater or something similar before and after the oil helped it sink in, and I would happily agree with this idea. I spritzed my face with the Echolife Rosewater Mist and it made the oil spread further and sink in faster.

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So in the morning the scent was completely gone, I wasn’t shiny anymore and my skin was soft. Like, freakishly soft. The blackheads on my nose had shrunken and I had nowhere near the amount of pressure lines on my face that I usually have after peeling the CPAP machine off my face. And this was all the benefits of one night.

Having used for a little while, I don’t experience continual quality jumps like I did that first night, but it’s kept me on a similar level. I most notice it on my forehead, which is plagued by frown lines and has smoothed out a lot. Definitely going to continue to use this – as completely strange as putting oil onto my oily mug feels!

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil is $49 for 30ml, and available at Adore Beauty.

What do you think? Have you tried and loved any Clarins prods before? Got an oily mug too? Lets talk, comment below.

Review by Suzanne: has an incurable allergy to exercise and can only be cured with cake. And blogging.

Be well,

xoxo

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There’s a lotta love to be had for products that have more than one use, not only do you save money and time, but you also save on precious bathroom bench space, something which is worth an increasing amount these days!

Here are my three current favourites:

♥ Jane Iredale Antioxidant Spray

Packed full of antioxidants and smelling like delicious oranges/tangerines, this product has a lot more uses than just pepping up your face on a hot day.

♥ Sets mineral makeup, of which Jane Iredale produce some pretty awesome varieties.
♥ Use to wet brushes to use with eyeshadow and make liquid liner, genius!
♥ Spritz over hair to control static.

The great news is that you can do all of this while smelling like summery citrus fruits. RRP $39.

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♥ Essential Kit Multipurpose Wonder Balm

This stuff beats regular paw paw balm any.day! It’s certified organic, smells absolutely amazing – kinda like a chocolate orange, and 100% of the ingredients are from a natural origin. Plus NO animal testing or animal products and it’s made in Australia! SIGN ME UP 🙂 It even tastes yummy… should you accidentally (or not so accidentally) lick your lips.

Can be used for…

♥ Lip balm, smoothing eyebrows, giving your cheeks a highlighted glow, moisturising nails & cuticles, a thick body moisturiser, smoothing flyaways, soothes dry heels, protecting cuts, shaving… AND under wetsuits on long swims apparently!!!

It’s fast becoming a staple and comes with me everywhere. So much love! RRP $22.95.

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♥ Tisserand Ethically Harvested Lavender Oil

I’ve only just started to really get into essential oils and candles, but have always had a soft spot for lavender. Ah, quell-er of stresses, easer of sleeps! It’s always been good to me, and I’ve recently discovered that it has a lot more uses than I initially thought, lets have a look:

♥ A natural way to take the sting out of burns
♥ Super successful zit zapper – have been hitting this one up a lot lately, and it’s working!
♥ 6 drops on a damp flannel to help a headache
♥ Disinfectant for cuts & to help new skin grow
♥ And of course, a few drops on the pillow to de-stress & help you fall asleep 🙂

What are your favourite multi-tasking beauty & wellness products? Share with us below!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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This crushes edition is pretty product-centric because there are just so many amazing things that have flown into my world in the past few weeks, I’m super excited to share ’em with you, so lets get started 🙂

♥ Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser

I’ve been a longtime fan of the regular Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, and probably a little reluctant to venture away from what I know and love! The illuminating version takes it to the next level, while you can wear it on it’s own (it’s SPF 20), my favourite way to use this is mix a dollop with my regular, fairly matte foundation and watch the compliments roll in.

If you want a fresh faced glow, this is going to go a long way towards getting you there! Add plenty of sleep, green tea and exercise in and you’re set. It also comes in 4 shades, I use ‘Bare Radiance’, am a total ghosty-face and I LOVE it. RRP $78 from Adore Beauty.

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♥ Seven Wonders Argan Oil Spray

This stuff makes sleek, shiny hair almost too easy to achieve. Having tested out the rest of the range in a previous crushes post, I was a fan, but I was finding that having to rub the oil on your hands and apply to the hair was putting me off a bit. And then swoops in this guy, all spray-nozzle and thinner consistency.

Through a bit of trial and error, I’ve found the best way to get shiny, but not oily, hair is to spray one pump onto your brush and then run through slightly damp hair. This goes against the key beauty rule of NEVER BRUSH YOUR HAIR WHEN IT IS DAMP EVER EVER EVER, but really, I think we all secretly do. If you don’t, comment below and I will heap some praise on you!

This method has given me a lot more control over rogue flyaway hairs & will also make the bottle last a looooong time. Approx. $32.

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♥ Franc Essential Serum

I’m loving this crazy right now. As a girl who is obsessed with her rosehip oil almost exclusively, this serum took me by surprise. It actually does contain rosehip oil, as well as: macadamia, apricot kernel, avocado, carrot, centella, evening primrose, vitamin e, geranium, lavender, rose & sandalwood oils. Quite a few of which are organic. The vitamins that make my skin react so well to rosehip are in here, as well as a whole party full of other good stuff as you can see.

The smell is also far superior, kind of a musky-candy scent, and a little goes a loooooong way. I’m still testing this out but I can safely say that my skin really enjoys drinking it up at night, and I am thoroughly enjoying the way it looks in the morning. Winnah. RRP $72.

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♥ Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colour in Sweet Nectar

Before Sweet Nectar, I’d never worn a bright lip colour. Reds & multiple shades of pinky nudes yup, anything a bit out there – nup. I adore this, slicking it on gives me that little bit of extra confidence, even on a regular day at the office. It goes on super easily, and when worn with a glowy foundation (as above), some mascara and a little creme blush you’ll have the ultimate easy beauty look. It also contains an SPF of 12 which is handy!

While the RRP is $44, there are some awesome deals available on StrawberryNET with some of the other Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colours from $14.50!!! Worth a look if you’re after some high-quality, but cheap, lippies.

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♥ Detoxing Clay Bath

At the moment I’m reading a detox book (more about that in the next crushes edition) and have become interested in possibly doing a light detox of my own. Nothing too full on, just a lot of healthy eating, green smoothies, yoga, quinoa salads, tofu and veggies, and no junk. The last part is the trickiest! Even though I do eat healthy the majority of the time, I am quite keen on my indulgences too.

When I heard about the detoxing Mojave Green Clay Powder, I thought it would be a good way to ease into a detox. It felt great to have a clay bath, though I didn’t have any symptoms of detoxing such as a headache afterwards, I’m going to keep up with them once a week or so and more frequently when I start my real detox and see how I go! $19.90 for 450 grams.

That’s it for this week, hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions or suggestions about my crushes then feel free to leave a comment below!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo