BEST BUDGET BEAUTY BUYS - OCTOBER 2014

It has been a little while since I’ve done one of my Best Budget Beauty Buys posts, and I actually planned to do this feature monthly, and well now we already half way into the next month.... ups! Anyway, slight late, I thought it was about time to share some amazing products that I came across last month, that won’t send you broke...

anatomicals the seven deadly skins melon body scrub*

Love anatomicals. Their bright packaging and quirky texts on the bottles is such a refreshing change, and of course, then there’s the amazing scents.

And this melon body scrub doesn’t fail to impress either. It simply smells so fresh and divine. The scrub gently scrubs away any dead skin cells, leaving your skin soft, smooth and glowing, and leaving your bathroom smelling like a fruit orchard meanwhile. And as anatomicals puts it “If you're dissatisfied we'll eat our 100 hats. Sorry for our gluttony.”

RRP: $8.99 (200ml) – Available from Target and Priceline



Herbal Essences Naked Shampoo & Conditioner*

In a time where silicones, parabens and dyes are a big no-no, this shampoo and conditioner from Herbal Essences is a great choice. The shampoo contains white tea and mint extracts and leaves your hair clean without drying it out, and with a naturally silky shine, while the conditioner a stimulating herbal and mint infusion for hydrated and nourished, smooth hair that is light and not weighted down. The products are great for everyday use as they simply leaves your hair feeling and looking shiny and healthy, and with a gorgeous fresh fruity scent.
RRP: $6.99 each (300ml) – Available from Supermarkets and Priceline



Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy Damage and Colour Repair*

When my hair and scalp need some extra TLC, a good pick is this Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy Damage & Colour Repair Treatment Mask from Clear. It contains a rich blend of vitamins and nutrients that work to nourish the scalp and hair, leaving it look healthy and shiny and without being weighted down or feeling greasy.

And the best thing is that it is super quick to use, working in just three minutes. It comes in a cute lavender coloured tub and has a nice floral scent – and if using this every couple of days will give me glossy and healthy locks like some Miranda Kerr, than I’m all for it.

RRP: $9.99 - Available from Priceline, Supermarkets and select pharmacies



TRESemme Platinum Strength Leave-In Treatment*

This leave-in treatment claims to “visibly repairs up to 2 years of damage in just 5 uses”, and while am not so sure I can see that in my hair, the treatment instantly helps make my hair softer and more manageable. It leaves a protective layer on each hair, locking in moisture and protecting it from future damage, and consequently my otherwise dry ends look and feel so much healthier. And all without making it feel greasy or weighed down. It has a gentle floral scent that quickly fades once it has absorbed into the hair, and it comes in a convenient pump bottle.
RRP: $10.99 (125ml) – Available from Supermarkets, Priceline and select Pharmacies



essano Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser*

Even though I have combination skin prone to breakouts, it is important to use a gentle cleanser this Rosehip by essano Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser is perfect, easily removing all my makeup, although I do need an eye makeup remover to help with the waterproof mascara. I love that it is free from all chemical nasties including parabens, sulphates, phthalates, colours or petrochemicals, and it is also soap free to cleanse the face without drying out the skin or causing any irritations. It also contains active natural botanicals and certified organic rosehip oil that helps replenish the skin’s moisture barrier, repair the skin and help promote firmness.
RRP: $19.99 (140ml) – Available from Priceline and selected Woolworths


Quick Fix Facials Mask Exfoliating Scrub*

This is not just a exfoliating scrub, it is a multi-tasking mask, designed to both exfoliate the skin to help remove dead skin cells, while it also contains clay designed to draw out excess oil and impurities from the skin as well as it also contains pomegranate, goji berry, vitamin E and pink rose clay to renew and revive the skin.

You simply put a thin layer onto your skin, and leave for about 10 minutes to dry and absorb all the excess sebum, and then I like to dampen my hands gently massage and exfoliate my face, before rinsing it off with lukewarm water. The mask is quite concentrated and the exfoliating beads are a little coarse, so this is not a mask to use on a daily basis, but for a weekly deep treatment it works a treat.

RRP: $8.95 (100ml) – Available from Woolworths



Dove Invisible Dry Anti-Perspirant Deodorant*

Don’t you just hate it when your deodorant leaves white marks on your clothes. It looks so horrible too, when you pull a top over your head and end up with the white marks on the outside of the top. The good news is that the new Dove Invisible Dry Anti White Marks Roll-on really keeps its promise and doesn’t leave these dreaded white marks. And add to that, it is free from alcohol and contains a quarter moisturising cream, so it keeps your underarms soft and hydrated, all while offering you anti-perspirant protection all day. And it has a gentle scent that won’t clash with your perfume either.

RRP: $5.47 (100g) – Available from Supermarkets, Priceline, variety stores and pharmacies



People for Plants Eye Cream*

When I am in a hurry, I admit to skipping using certain products, but one thing I never ever forget, it an eye cream. I simply couldn’t live without it. My eyes are very sensitive, and easily water, so I love that this eye cream from People for Plants is fragrance-free eye, and I love too that it is made in Australia using no parabens, sulphates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, silicones or phthalates – but rather it has been made using 91.4% certified organic ingredients. It contains Kakadu plum, calendula, and chamomile to brighten and revitalise the eye area, while hyaluronic acid locks in moisture and aloe vera hydrates the eye area. It comes in a small tube with a nozzle, making it easy to use without contamination, and it thick and creamy, although it absorbs quickly into the skin without leaving it feeling greasy. And while I don’t think it has done much to the bags under my eyes, I love that it is so gentle and has a cooling effect, and that it works so perfectly under makeup too.

RRP: $19.95 (15ml) – Available from Priceline, David Jones and Select Pharmacies



Olay Fresh Effects Va-Va-Vivid Powered Contour Cleansing System*

I have to admit to owning a couple of the more expensive electrical cleansing brushes, but when I am going away, they are just to big and bulky, and that’s where I love this the Fresh Effects Va-Va-Vivid Powered Contour Cleansing System from Olay. Long term it naturally doesn’t offer the same results, or longevity for that matter, but for the low price, it is worth it, also if you don’t want to or cannot afford to splurge on an expensive brush.

The soft plastic bristles vibrate to help deep cleanse your skin, getting rid of any dirt, excess oil and sebum and makeup that’s clogging up your pores. Used with either the included Olay Shine, ShineGo Away Cleanser, it quickly leaves your skin feeling clean deep down every single pore, leaving it soft, glowing and healthy looking.
RRP: $16.99 – Available from Priceline and select pharmacies*Product was kindly provided for consideration, and has reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

So there you go, a selection of great budget beauty buys that will cost you less than $20!

Tried any of these? Keen to? What’s your go to budget buys?

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Product Review: Best Bargain Beauty Buys

Every day when I empty the mailbox there seems to be more bills. And big bills. All the big ones always hit us in August. Water bills, Gas bills, Electricity, home and contents, and well, the remainder of the bills from giving birth to our little boy 8 weeks ago keep coming too… aaarrrgh, just one day without bills in the mailbox would be nice. So when things are a bit tight, and you still need your beauty fix that’s when budget beauty products are handy… Here’s a selection that I’ve put under the test recently;

*Palmolive Neutrals Extra Volume Shampoo & Conditioner

(RRP: Shampoo (400ml), conditioner (375ml), $4.99 each)

 

This shampoo and conditioner from Palmolive promises to give extra volume to the hair. I have quite long and thick hair, and a lot of it too, so it takes a lot to give it extra volume, and I have to say that I also did not notice any difference in volume after using the products several times. The shampoo is very concentrated and froths up easily and even though I only wash my hair every second day, one wash is more than sufficient to make my hair feel clean. The conditioner absorbs quickly into the hair and is easy to rinse out without leaving behind a greasy residue, and without weighing the hair down. Afterwards my hair is easy to comb and is left my hair soft, shiny and healthy looking. The shampoo and conditioner both contain mango extract (one of my favourite fruits!), but unfortunately they don’t actually smell of mangoes as such, but rather they have a nice fruity floral scent, which lasts throughout the day in my hair. Fantastic budget buys for those with fine.

 

*TRESemme Ultimate Hold Platinum Shine Lacquer (RRP: $7.99, 360g) - Available from Priceline, pharmacies and supermarkets.

One of the few hair styling products that I use is hair spray. With my long hair, not that I have a hairstyle that needs to be kept in place, but because I have a lot of those annoying shorter flyaway hairs around my face, and using a quick mist of hairspray helps keep them under control, especially when I have my hair up in a pony or a bun (which I have mostly at the moment as my 7-week old son has discovered how fun it is to pull mummy’s hair!).

The TRESemme Ultimate Hold Platinum Shine Lacquer sprays in a super fine mist over the hair, and dries quickly and invisibly, controlling frizz and flyaways without clumping the hairs together. It comes in a huge can that will last you forever.

 

*The Pro Select Wet Comb (RRP: $3.95) - Available from i-glamour.com

 

Honestly, I have never liked brushing my hair with a comb. I know all the professionals say to comb wet hair to avoid damage, but I find that it just takes too long with my long thick hair. And not to mention, I feel that I pull out so many hairs while doing it. So I’ve relied on my trusted paddle brush, which I’ve found much gentler on my locks. Until now. The Pro Select Wet Comb claims to be the ‘Best Detangling Comb Ever’ and it can be used in both wet and dry hair. And I have to say that I am impressed. With an 8-week old baby I am very overdue for a haircut, and consequently my ends are getting a little dry, which usually results in more tangles and knots in the hair. But the Wet Comb has a ‘wave tooth design’ so it just glides though the hair, without the need to pull, and it’s done so much faster too. Brilliant! It comes in a range of cool colours, and the best thing is that its only $3.95. How cool is that!

 

*Models Prefer Runway Shine Lipgloss in Fall Collection (RRP: $7.99) - Available from Priceline.

 

This lipgloss in the colour Fall Collection is a lovely pinky peach tone, which looks nice and subtle on the lips, giving them a nice shine. It is perfect to wear on its own, but as the colour allows for the colour of your lips shine though, it is perfect to use both on its own, but also on top of a lipstick for extra shine.

The lipgloss is nice and creamy and feels comfortable to wear without being sticky. It has a reasonable wear of a few hours before it needs to be reapplied. It has a foot doe applicator, and a subtle scent of vanilla, and at just $7.99 its an absolute bargain!

 

*Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser (RRP: $12.99, 200ml) - Available from Priceline, pharmacies and supermarkets.
 

While I don’t have particularly sensitive skin, during winter my skin gets a lot drier. It simply doesn’t like the constant change between being inside with the heater going, and the cold chilly winds – and that’s when using a gentle cleanser that won’t strip the skin for further moisture comes in handy. The Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser comes in an easy to use white pump bottle. It is a cream cleanser that is both soap free and also fragrance free, and hence has next to no scent.

yet it is so effective at removing makeup (although it does struggle with waterproof eye makeup, but then again, most wash cleansers do!), and afterwards my skin is left so soft that it feels like I’ve just been using a moisture mask. During summer when my skin is oilier, I am not sure if this will be sufficiently deep cleansing of my pores, but in winter this is perfect. All year round this cleanser would be great for those with sensitive, dry or ageing skin.

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

 

So there you go, effective, but cheap beauty products.

Have you tried any of these products? Which products do you turn to when money is tight?

 

Product Review: TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo

It really hasn’t been that long since I discovered dry shampoo. To me, nothing beats freshly washed hair. But then I had a shoulder surgery, and knew that it would be difficult to wash my long hair, let along comb it, so I bought a dry shampoo, and haven’t looked back since. I no longer wash my hair every day, and it is so much nicer and healthier as a result. And since then, I have tried a few different brands of dry shampoo, here are my thoughts on *TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo for Oily/Straight to Normal Hair;

What They Say:

Zap oil and odour in between washes with this new dry shampoo. The unique formula gives hair a clean look and feel with gorgeous volume, even when you don’t wash.

RRP: $11.49 (161g) – Available from Priceline, Select Pharmacies, and supermarkets.

What I Say:

I have really taken to the dry shampoos, as when using them, I only have to wash hair every second day, saving me some much needed time in the mornings or when I am in a hurry.

The TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo claims to:

• Formula with mineral clay soaks up excess oil and impurities to leave hair looking refreshed.
• Volumises normal to oily hair that becomes limp in between shampoos, giving hair added body and bounce.
• Perfect for colour-treated hair, it reduces the need to wash as frequently, which helps prevent colour from fading.
• Contains Citrus Extracts to neutralise odour and enhance clean feeling

The TRESemme dry shampoo has a nice refreshing scent from the included citrus, which I really like as it is one of my favourite scents, and it leaves the hair smelling fresh through out the day, and definitely living up to the claim of neutralising odours. It comes in a nice looking black spray can, with a lime green lid.

 

This dry shampoo from TRESemme is different from other dry shampoos that I have tried, as it is a wet-to-dry formula, however, it is still very easy to use. After shaking the can vigorously before , it applies in a very fine mist, making it easy to control how much product you get, as well as direct it towards to roots to remove oil on the rest of the hair to add volume as well. It is then recommended to leave the product in the hair for 1-2 minutes to allow it to dry as well as allow it to remove oil, after which you brush through the hair to remove excess, and then style as usual.

In spite of being wet, it dries into a powdery form fairly quickly but I still find when brushing it through my hair with a brush or my hands afterwards is very easy.

My advice is to use only a little bit, and add more if needed in in the scalp area, as if you use too much, it clumps up in the hair. And as so little is needed, this can dry shampoo will also last longer than other dry shampoos because not as much is needed to disguise oily roots.

Afterwards my hair looks less greasy, and has more volume at the roots than normal, but sadly, as with all other dry shampoos, I also find that it makes my hair look a little matte and dull. So I also find that the name ‘Fresh Start’ is a little misleading – as although my hair doesn’t look as greasy after using it, because of the matte and dull look, it will never look as fresh as when just washing your hair. And the results are lasting, as in the end of the day, my hair still looks nice and full of volume, and the grease still hasn’t returned to the roots of my hair.

When scrunching up my long hair while the dry shampoo is still wet, it almost works in the same way as a salt spray, giving my hair beachy waves.

All in all, I would call this more a styling product than just a dry shampoo because it is so different in it's formulation, and I actually also find that it works better as a styling and volume product than as a dry shampoo. And interestingly, TRESemme has also it listed under styling products, and not shampoo on their website, which to me indicates that they also feel that it is more a styling product. Regardless, it just means that the name ‘dry shampoo’ is a little misleading. But it is a great product to have at hand, especially if you like me, are always looking to add volume to your hair.

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

 

Have you tried the Fresh Start Dry Shampoo from TRESemme? Do you use dry shampoo? Which one is your favourite?