nivea

Compare The Pair (CTP): Facial exfoliators

Phew it has been a scorching hot day in Adelaide – it almost hit 40 degrees C today! 😦 I was very lucky to be inside an air conditioned office for most of the day so my thoughts go out to those who had to work outside today.

It’s been a while since my last CTP post! So, just as a lil reminder, in these reviews I will not give a “beautiful rating”, but will tally the points that I assign to each product to come up with a “winner!” of sorts. 🙂

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For some time I’ve been looking for a decent low cost exfoliating lotion for my face. I’ve heard of DIY options for this type of product but have had so/so results when I’ve tried those. Currently I’ve been trying Nivea‘s Daily Essentials Gentle Exfoliation Scrub, and also Freeman’s Feeling Beautiful Facial Gel Scrub in raspberry. To provide some context, I only exfoliate my face once a week as per my beauty therapist’s recommendations. My skin type is combination to oily (my beauty therapist classes it as oily but I’m not 100% sure on that due to the dryness I can experience as I’m getting older!).  Here are my thoughts….

Price range: the Nivea product usually retails for around $9 AUD, depending on where you buy it, whilst the Freeman product was $2.99  +1 to Freeman

Where can I get it? both products are available at Priceline, Chemist Warehouse, and similar, but I have not seen the Freeman scrub at supermarkets. +1 to Nivea.

So that you can read more about what each product claims to do and its ingredients, I also took pix of the back… as you can see you get more scrub for your money with Freeman! +1 to Freeman.

The Nivea product has a mild and pleasant scent, whilst the raspberry of the Freeman product is nice but quite strong. It did not irritate my skin (my skin can be sensitive at times!) but I did find the raspberry fragrance overpowering. +1 to Nivea.

The critical factor – how did my skin feel after using it? After the Nivea product, it felt clean but also quite dry and tight. After the Freeman product, it felt clean and not too bad, but then a few minutes later the dryness crept in. Hmm nil points here – no soup for you exfoliator gels!

Total scores – 2 to Nivea… 2 to Freeman

~*~ It’s a tie! ~*~

I’m not going to buy either of these again. For now I plan to use them up as exfoliating gels for my body; however I’m a bit slack with body exfoliation (maybe once a month?!)!

Can anyone recommend a good facial exfoliator gel??? I’m all ears! 🙂

PS. If you’re enjoying the blog be sure to like my Facebook page, or follow me on Twitter, WordPress or Bloglovin so that you never miss a post! Thank you to all of you for your support I appreciate it immensely! xo

Empties! (December)

Heeeeyyyyy!!! 🙂 Hope you all enjoyed your New Year’s Eve and are pumped for a kick ass 2012! 🙂 I spent my NYE at a friend’s pool party, with a live band which was fun! It was very hot in Adelaide – high 30+ degrees C (and today’s even worse – 41+ degrees C!), so being at a pool party or beach party was wise! 😉 (With plenty of sunscreen etc etc of course!)

I’ve worked out my resolutions – these include exercising at least 3x a week (including weights! Historically I’ve done cardio only), to eat less processed foods, to start singing lessons (yeah! I think it will be fun! ;-)), to work to develop new and maintain current friendships, and to continue to blog regularly. What are your resolutions? 🙂

Ooh not long till entries close for my GIVEAWAY COMPETITION!!!! It is easy to enter, just click here! 🙂
(Entries close midnight 4th January 2012 Adelaide time – GMT +09:30. So hop to it!)

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Unfortunately I was a bit too efficient in getting rid of my empty stuff for December – due to the renovations = mess everywhere (!) – I’ve tried to ensure that anything I don’t need is in the bin or given away (if in give away condition!). So my product pix today are from the web. 😉

This month I only used up 2 things, as follows:

image: http://www.epharmacy.com.au

Imperial Leather Luxurious Mango Butter & Frangipani Bodywash

Price range: I picked up 2 shower gels from this range for $5 AUD, which is good value I think!

Where can I get it? Most supermarkets and chemists.

This product is awesome. Smells yummy, lathers well, and lasts a long time! I find that formula is quite moisturising. I would certainly buy this again, but next time I think I’ll pick up a scent from the range which is made in Australia (I noticed that my  boyfriend’s Lime fragranced one was made here but the mango one was made in Indonesia or Thailand, from memory).

Beautiful rating: quality 5/5, value 5/5

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image: bobbinsbeautybox.blogspot.com

NIVEA Visage Refreshing Facial Wash Gel

Price range: depending on where you buy it, ranging between $8 to a bit over $10 AUD.

Where can I get it? Most supermarkets, as well as chemists. I have found it to typically be cheapest at my local Coles supermarket.

I have been using this product for years and years and years! I think I have kept repurchasing it for so long as 1) I like gel cleansers that require water to wash off (as my face seems cleaner that way), 2) it has minimal fragrance so doesn’t irritate my skin. Unfortunately I am noticing that as I get older, despite my skin being combination – slightly oily, it tends to increasingly leave my skin feeling a bit tight and dry.

As such I might have to start looking at new cleansers – any suggestions?!

However I would recommend this product for those with oily skin or young (<25 yrs) combination to oily skin as it really cleans well without irritating.

I notice that the packaging says it’s for “normal and combination skin”… Hmm as I’ve suggested above, I wouldn’t recommend it for “normal” skin – I think it would be likely to dry the skin out too much!

Beautiful rating: quality 4/5, value 5/5

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Whee! Whilst I’m typing I’m listening to (and half watching!) a Black Eyed Peas concert on my TV (downloaded ;)). I really like them I find their music very catchy and good to wake up and/or exercise to! What types of music do you like? Any BEP fans out there? 🙂

Empties! (November)

Evening all! 🙂

Wow I can’t believe how close Christmas is… I’m hoping to write my Christmas cards for work colleagues and family tonight but I’m not sure if I will get through them all in one go! :-0

If you haven’t yet, do enter my CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY COMPETITION!!!! It is easy to enter, just click here! 🙂 It is open to Australian and international readers and visitors!
(Entries close midnight 4th January 2012 Adelaide time – GMT +09:30.)

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An interesting way of reviewing products which I have noticed is to focus on “empties”, that is, to review products that you have used up recently. I thought it was quite clever so I am going to do it too! 🙂 So here are my empties for last month:

My thoughts on these products, from L –> R:

Bathox Dry Skin Shower Gel & Bath Foam

Price range: <$10 AUD

Where can I get it? Most supermarkets!

I use this when having baths, rather than as a shower gel, but it is certainly suited to both. It smells lovely and is a gentle formula, which doesn’t irritate my skin! It also creates a nice foam/lots of bubbles in the bath.

*They also do a cherry blossom scented one which is also lovely!

Beautiful rating: quality 5/5, value 5/5

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Garnier Fructis Style Elastic Power Fix Hairspray

Price range: <$10 AUD

Where can I get it? Most supermarkets, as well as chemists.

I have been using this product since the start of this year and am now on my 3rd (or so!) can. It smells nice and does its job, holding my hair in place well. It is also easy to brush out and your hair still retains natural movement (so is not like wearing a helmet LOL!).

However, if you want to keep a punk, emo, or similar hairstyle in place which defies gravity, this will not give you enough hold (despite its claims of being “mega strong”).

It contains bamboo extract but the packaging does not clearly explain what is so special about that!

Beautiful rating: quality 4/5, value 5/5

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NIVEA Invisible for Black & White Deoderant

Price range: <$10 AUD (haha everything so far in this review has a similar cost! ;))

Where can I get it? Most supermarkets, as well as chemists.

Nice scent, does what it is supposed to do (though there is no way it would really last “48 hours” as it claims; when I get home from work and get changed to exercise or attend Zumba I need to reapply!), and lasts a reasonable time. Most importantly, to date (I have been buying this one for approx. 6 months, prior to that I was using Rexona’s version of the same product which I found had changed formula and was not as effective for me :(), I have not had any white marks on black or darker coloured clothing nor yellow marks on white and/or light coloured clothing.

Beautiful rating: quality 4/5, value 4/5

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Nutrogena Oil Free Moisture: Sensitive Skin

Price range: approx. $15 AUD

Where can I get it? Most supermarkets, as well as chemists.

I bought this when looking for a light night cream. Unfortunately, despite me having combination skin, it did not provide quite enough hydration for me and I had to apply a lot for my skin to feel moisturised. (The back of the bottle indicates only “1 pump” is needed for your entire face and neck; for me it was approximately 3!!!!)

I think this would be best for those with oily skin.

Beautiful rating: quality 3/5, value 3/5 (based on my skin type)

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Hope that you all have a great week ahead; don’t forget to enter my giveaway competition!!! 😉

COMPARE THE PAIR: SPF DAY CREAMS

Evening all! 🙂 Having a quiet night tonight as I’ve gotta get up early tomorrow for a make up course I’m attending. (I’m looking forward to it as I’ve never gone to this type of course before; when it comes to makeup application everything I’ve learnt is from experience, youtube, magazines and blogs! ;))

Sometimes I’ll try out a couple of products that have the same intended function. As such I thought it might be more useful to readers if I review both of the products in the same post, which would make it easier for people to decide, which if any of the products would suit them best! Hence “compare the pair”! In these reviews I will not give a “beautiful rating”, but will tally the points that I assign to each product. 🙂 (Hope this makes sense!)

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I like to use a day cream with SPF every morning, no matter if it is sunny or raining outside, due to the strong Aussie sun. I’d been using Nivea Visage’s Q10 Anti Wrinkle Day Cream (Light) for a while but by chance, tried Olay’s Complete Defence: Daily UV Moisturising Lotion (Sensitive) when it was on sale, and continue to use the Olay product now. Here are my thoughts….

Price range: the Nivea product usually retails between $16 and close to $20 AUD, depending on where you buy it, whilst the Olay is around $15 (but was even cheaper when I bought it! +1 to Olay

Where can I get it? both products are available at Priceline, Chemist Warehouse, and similar, but you cannot get the “light” version of the Nivea product at supermarkets. +1 to Olay

The “light” version of the Nivea cream is designed for those with combination to oily skin, as the standard formulation is quite a heavy cream probably best for dry and/or mature skin. It has a nice consistency and is easily absorbed, but tends to leave my skin a bit shiny. It has a fairly neutral smell and has an SPF of 15. I would tend to recommend this one, despite the “light” category, to young women with dry skin rather than to women with oily skin.

The Olay product is SPF 30, also has a nice consistency and absorbs quickly, and was nowhere near as shiny as the Nivea. It does not have any particular fragrance, as I picked up the one for sensitive skin (which my skin can be at times!)

+1 to Olay for those with combination to oily skin; + 1 to Nivea if you have dry skin… and a bonus +1 to Olay for having a better SPF rating.

In terms of packaging the Nivea product is a jar which means you can get every last bit of the product out to use. The Olay is in a fancy pump pack (which even has a twist lock so you can take it travelling without any problems :)) which is nice but would make it harder to get the last few drops out. +1 to Nivea

If we look at how much product you get for your money, however, there’s 75mL in the Olay product whilst there is only 50mL in the Nivea equivalent. +1 to Olay

Total scores – 5 for Olay and 2 to Nivea…

~*~ The winner is Olay Complete Defence! 🙂 ~*~

Unsurprisingly. after having tried the Olay product I plan to keep buying it rather than the Nivea one in the future!

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PS. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! to those in North America. It is not celebrated in Australia so I don’t quite understand the “black Friday” stuff that’s being mentioned at the moment?!

PPS. Sorry to those on my email subscription list who received a draft version of my Nutrimetics post in their inbox earlier this week, rather than the final version. (I’d accidentally hit “publish” rather than “save draft” – embarrassing! *blush*)

PPPS. If you’re enjoying the blog be sure to like my facebook page or follow me on twitter for updates! 🙂