Product Review: Travel-friendly skincare packs from GAIA

As I write this I am having a relaxing time in a holiday house on the Mornington Peninsula just a few minutes from the beach. And after having just moved out of our house, with all the stress it brings to pack up a whole house, with a baby on arm, it is nice to sit back and chill, as there simply isn’t a lot to do around here, and with limited access to internet, I thought that I’d take the opportunity to get a few blog posts written up to keep for a rainy day… which is just around the corner, as end of next week we will be moving into the house where we will be staying while our new house is being built.

With all the stress of packing up a house, one thing that was nice, was not having to pack a plethora of different products to maintain the beauty routine, but simply rely on a skincare pack which includes all the products necessary. Here are my thoughts on the *GAIA Skincare Trio and GAIA Made for Men Overnight Pack;

What They Say:

"Keep the GAIA Skincare Trio pack products in your gym or 'carry on' bag & take them where ever you go. This kit comes in a re-usable zip lock "wet pack" & makes a great gift for women of all ages. The bottles can be refilled so you don't have to keep buying smaller sizes to take out with you."

"Take your favourite GAIA Made for Men products in small sizes when you travel and when they are finished simply re-fill from your regular sized tubes."

RRP: GAIA Made for Men Overnight Pack (4x50ml) $17.95, GAIA Skincare Trio (3x50ml)

– Available from Priceline, select Chemists and Health Stores, and GAIA Skin Naturals Online
 

What I Say:

I have previously reviewed products from GAIA, and I in particularly love the Belly Butter and Belly Oil that I used while I was pregnant, and now the GAIA Natural Baby products that I continue to use on my little boy. I simply love that the products have been made without any of the ingredients known to irritate the skin or suspected of being harmful, so consequently the products do not contain any sulphates, petrochemicals, lanolin, paraben preservatives, propylene glycol, phthalates or artificial fragrances. 

As GAIA puts it “It’s not just the pure, naturel, organic ingredients we put in, it’s what we leave out that makes the difference…!”

And I also love that GAIA is an Australian owned company, and that the products Australian made, without being tested on animals. Gotta love that!

Let me start off with the GAIA Made for Men Overnight Pack. I’m lucky that my hubby cares about his looks, and happy to use moisturiser, facial scrubs etc. – and he has (luckily for me) realised that using products designed specifically for men, are not only more effective for his skin type, they obviously also smell masculine.

 

 

Not sure why this pack is called an Overnight Pack, - it contains four products, but each of the products contains 50ml of product, so there is sufficient product for several weeks!

 

The kit contains a Face & Body Wash, Face Crème, Shave Gel and a Face & Body scrub – so basically all your hubby needs. And it comes in a handy clear travel bag too.

All the products are very concentrated, and my hubby really likes that the products have a nice refreshing yet masculine scent no doubt due to the included orange, cedarwood and sandalwood.

The female Skincare Trio contains as the name suggests three products, a Pink Grapefruit & Jasmine Foaming Cleanser, a Rose Otto & Lavender Refreshing Toner, and a Lavender & Frankincense Facial Moisturiser.

I have combination skin, and these products are perfect for it. The Foaming Cleanser contains among others chamomile, green tea and gotu kola and it cleanses deep down my pores getting rid of excess sebum and grime, without stripping my skin of essential moisture. The Toner containing calendula, green tea and rose floral water helps tighten the pores and prepare the skin for moisturiser. And I love that it doesn’t contain alcohol to fry out the skin, and comes in a pump bottle so it can also be used as a facial spritzer during the day to freshen up the skin. Finally, the Facial moisturiser, which has been formulated with ginseng, jojoba oil and evening primrose thoroughly moisturises my skin without making it feel greasy or break out. The only thing I could have wished for is for the moisturiser to also contain SPF, but then on the other hand it would mean it wouldn’t be suitable as a night cream.

Like the pack for men, the products in the female pack contain 50ml of product, so there is sufficient product for several weeks!

Overall these are lovely travel packs from GAIA that include the key products needed for a trip away, and I love how efficient these products are while not containing any chemical nasties.so if you are planning a getaway, or you simply want to trial the GAIA products, I highly recommend these skincare kits.

* Products were kindly provided for consideration, and have been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

 

Have you ever tried any of the products from GAIA? Do you use natural skincare products? Is your hubby into skincare? Does he use his own products or does he pinch yours?

Product Review: L'Oréal Paris Hydra Energetic Quenching Gel – by Guest Blogger

As I mentioned last week, my hubby, Mr. Beauty & Lifestyle Hunter (Mr. BLH) has always cared about his skin and appearances, so he is always a little jealous when I get new products to trial, so he was happy when I asked him if he wanted to trial some new male skin care products, even with the one requirement that he had to write the review himself. Although he does blog, he is not exactly usually writing beauty reviews, but about cars (check out his blog here). Anyway, here are Mr. BLH’s thoughts on the *L'Oréal Paris Hydra Energetic Quenching Gel;

What They Say:

"L’Oréal Paris Men Expert Hydra Energetic Quenching Gel is a refreshing gel that’s lightweight and invisible on the skin. Air-Gel Technology and mineral-rich sea water with oil-neutralising active ingredients offer 24-hour hydration that is anti-oil, anti-sweat and anti-shine. The blue gel offers an instant ice burst effect on the skin so it feels fresher and more awake."

 

RRP: $15.85 (50ml) – Available from Priceline, Pharmacies, Department Stores and Variety Stores.

What Mr. BLH Says:

I am starting to feel I should call myself the Guinea Pig, I guess it is better than being a crash test dummy!
My wife has asked me to try another moisturiser for her and this time it is one I am quite used to. I have used the Men Expert Vita Lift for quite a while, I like it and it has always worked. I have always preferred a cream over a gel, maybe it is my age but I have always felt a cream covers better and rubs in well and leaves no gloss look to my face when done. It also highlights anti ageing which I have to say I am now on the wrong side of 40.

So it was with some curiosity that I tried the Hydra Energetic Quenching Gel (no shine). I like the packaging and that once you get the gel pumping through it flows well and again I know from experience there is no wastage at the end as the design of the bottle draws every ounce out.

First impressions were I liked the smell, it is not over powering but does have a slight masculine hint to it, I wear an aftershave daily so I do not want clashing smells.

 

The feel of the gel is refreshing, it does feel nice on the skin especially after shaving, I also found it covers well and does absorb into the skin easily. I found that I had no dryness to my skin at all and it did hang in for a day’s work, leaving my skin shine-free, even with the temperatures increasing now we’re heading towards summer.

Overall I would not hesitate to use this again, it may even replace my cream in the cupboard, especially now summer is almost here, and it is nice to start off the day feeling refreshed.

* Product was kindly provided for consideration, and has been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

 

So there you have it, another beauty review from Mr. BLH! How did he go? Would you like to see more reviews for male skincare? Does your hubby use skincare products… or maybe he pinches yours?

 

Product Review: L’Oreal Paris Men Expert Vita Lift Instant Booster – by Guest Blogger

My hubby is always jealous every time I get a new product to try. He is a true metro-male, happy to care for his skin and use skincare products to look after it. So when I was asked if Mr. Beauty & Lifestyle Hunter (Mr. BLH) would trial some skincare products, and I asked him about it – with the one requirement that HE would write up the review himself, he happily accepted. He has been a little worried that his review hasn’t quite been up scratch, he doesn’t exactly usually blog about beauty products, but rather about his love for cars (you can check out his blog here), but anyway, here are Mr. BLH’s thoughts on the *L’Oréal Paris Men Expert Vita Lift Instant Booster;

What They Say:

"L’Oréal Paris Men Expert Vita Lift Instant Booster is an anti-ageing gel that leaves the skin re-firmed and fortified. The ultra-rapid instant lifting effect tightens skin, while smoothing fine lines. With a fresh, light texture the cream penetrates deep, with no greasy effect. The five potent ingredients that provide these anti-ageing results include an Instant Lifting Hybridur™ for immediate tensing, a botanical extract to fortify the skin’s elastic network, LHA to stimulate cellular regeneration, ADS to help fortify skin’s natural resistance and HEPES to improve skin quality. Use morning and evening for younger, tighter and firmer looking skin."

RRP: $19.45 (50ml) – Available from Pharmacies, Department stores, and variety stores and Priceline

What Mr. BLH Says:

My wife has given me a new moisturiser to try, the deal was however I had to write a few words for her on my feelings towards the product. I am not a young guy but do not want to look too old, seeing we now have a four month old I would hate people to say you must be a happy grandfather, I think that would kill me. I have been a regular user of face moisturisers for some time, mainly due to dry skin after shaving with a blade.

I have also been a long time user of L’Oreal products but at times have used others. The new one I was given to try is the L’Oreal Men Expert Vita Lift Intense Booster. First impressions were I liked the bottle itself, I travel a bit for work so the shape and size fits well into my shaving bag, I also like the idea that it can easily be locked so again I won’t find my bag full of moisturiser that I cannot use. A function I really liked was the controlled amount per push of the plunger, I found it just to be the right amount to do each side of my face, one plunger each. Others I have used seem to have a very large amount that comes out with each push and if you are heavy handed on one side of your face with rubbing it in, then you need to go back for more to get full coverage.

 

 

The actual moisturiser I found to cover well and I have not had to go back for a second go to cover any dryness. I also liked that it is a gel and had a soothing coolness when applied, it helped freshen my face and certainly does not leave a greasy look to the skin. Overall I am impressed with it and would certainly buy this to use again.

* Product was kindly provided for consideration, and has been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

 

So there you have it, Mr. BLH’s first beauty review. How did he go? Would you like to see more reviews for male skincare? Does your hubby use skincare products?