Product Review: Aveeno Positively Radiant Night Cream

Normally just a light cream is more than sufficient for combination my skin, and anything more is often too way too heavy for my skin. However, as we now well into autumn and sadly we have the heater is on every day in our house, my skin starts to get a little drier, and I need to call on a heavier cream. Here are my thoughts on the *Aveeno Positively Radiant Night Cream;

 

What They Say:
"Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream is a skincare solution that seeks to combat dull and tired skin overnight. The cream features total soy complex and vitamin B3, helping to promote radiant skin by boosting the five factors of radiance – tone, dullness, brown spots, texture and blotchiness. It is clinically proven to provide significant improvement in tone and overall skin appearance in just two weeks."


RRP: 19.99 (48g) – Available from Priceline and select pharmacies


What I Say:

I have previously tried some of the products from the Aveeno Active Naturals range, and I am in particularly loving Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, and I'm also liking the Positively Radiant Cleanser, and moisturiser, so I was also very excited to be trying the Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream.


The Aveeno Positively Radiant Night Cream comes in a very simple cream coloured plastic jar with a pale green screw lid – simple and effective, and not to mention making it easy use up every last bit of cream, although, as usual, due to hygiene reasons, I do prefer creams that come in pump bottles or tubes.

The actual moisturiser comes in a simple cream coloured bottle with a pale green pump. I really like that it comes with a pump, as it makes it easy to dispense just the amount of moisturiser you need, but it is also more hygienic than having to dip your fingers into a jar. I guess the only disadvantage can be that it can be difficult to completely empty the cream, and not to mention, it is impossible to how much cream is left in the bottle.

It contains Total Soy Complex boosted with tone-evening vitamin B3 to help the skin looking fresh and luminous, and claims to give the skin an extra boost on all ‘5 Factors of Radiance’ – tone, texture, dullness, blotchiness and brown spots.

The Moisturiser has the exact same scent as the tinted moisturiser and the day cream; a lovely, yet subtle floral scent, which I really like. Once the cream has been absorbed into the skin, this scent quickly fades, although a slight scent still lingers for a little while. 

The actual cream has a light consistency for a night cream, and it absorbs surprising quickly into the skin, leaving it feeling thoroughly moisturised without feeling greasy.

In spite of being so light, the cream is very concentrated, so at least on my combination skin, I only need to use a tiniest amount for my face and neck.

The Night Cream claims to brighten and even skin tone, but I must admit that I have not noticed any permanent difference to my skin tone or texture, or any reduction of brown spots and dullness of my skin in the several weeks that I’ve been using the cream. In saying that, my skin does feel thoroughly moisturised, and is consequently looking healthy. And it has not made my skin feel congested or made my skin breakout, which is amazing, as night cream are often too heavy for my combination skin making it break out within days.

And being 35 weeks pregnant, - a time when I like most other pregnant women are starting to noticing an increase in pigmentation due to the high level of hormones floating around my body - the cream is also fighting an up-hill battle in trying to reduce pigmentation from my face.

At $19.99, I find that it is quite good value for a night cream. It is suitable for all skin types, but I am not sure that seeing it worked well with my combination skin, that it would give sufficient moisture to dry skin types.

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

Have you tried any of the Aveeno Positively Radiant products? What is your favourite budget night cream?

And don't forget to enter my giveaways - you can win some amazing skincare packs from Neutrogena Neutrals and Aveeno, or what about a delicious chocolate book....details and links on the top right of this page...


 

Product Review: OPI Nail Lacquer, Liquid Sand, What wizardry is this?

A few months ago OPI launched the collection The Great and Powerful, a limited edition with colours designed to capture the magic and whimsy portrayed in the film. Here are my thoughts of the *OPI Nail Lacquer, Liquid Sand in colour 'What wizardry is this?';

What They Say:

"The Great and Powerful nail lacquers contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide™ Brush for the ultimate in application".RRP: $19.95 – Available from David Jones, Myer and selected beauty salons


What I Say:

I really love the OPI nail polishes, as you can always rely on the best quality and a continuous stream of amazing colours. And I really love, and give the polishes bonus points for being 3-free – that is, for not containing DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde.

The colour What Wizardry Is This? is described by OPI as Taupe with a textured matte sheen, however, I would rather describe it as a dark brown taupe or even olive green with gold shimmer. 

The nail polish features OPI’s technology for a textured and gritty surface due to the tiny sand granules, along with a matte finish with reflective sparkle.

The nail polish has a nice formula, although it is a little bit of a strange feeling applying such a grainy feeling polish. It comes with the usual good quality wide brush that makes it easy to cover the nail in just a few strokes, although again, due to the grainy formula it does take a few extra strokes, as well as I feel I am needing to apply thicker coats than I otherwise would with a 'normal' nail polish. I am wearing two coats for a solid coverage without streaks.

I decided to not use a top coat on top, as although it would no doubt extend the wear by a few days, I felt it was a shame to cover the matte sandy texture with a shiny topcoat.

The nail polish does take a little longer than normal OPI polishes but I don’t mind as it gives such a unique look.

As with all other OPI nail polishes, it doesn’t have a strong chemical smell either, which I’m sure is because it is free from DBP, Toluene, and Formaldehyde.

After about three days, the nail polish started to chip a little at the edges, but as always I have also not been treating them very kindly, washing my hands frequently due to my two dogs, and not to mention tapping away on the computer keyboard. And again three days wear is without wearing a top coat.

All in all, OPI nail polishes really are of such fantastic quality, and absolutely worth their price tag. And I really love this shade. It has a unique olive/brown colour, and although it has glitter particles, they are still very subtle, making it look very classy. And as for the Liquid Sand formula, I love that too, - although it does take a little while to get used to the gritty surface (which does feel a little like a nail file!), and I just can't stop touching it!

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


What do you think What wizardry is this? And what do you think of the Liquid Sand formula? Have you tried any?





 

Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden Essentials Salt Scrub

Nothing beats using a good body scrub. It not only gets rid of all the dead skin cells, making the skin softer and more glowing, it also helps prevent ingrown hairs, and is perfect for use before self-tanners. Here are my thoughts on the *Sanctuary Spa Essentials Salt Scrub;

What They Say:

"Sanctuary Spa Essentials Salt Scrub is enriched with sea salt that polishes the skin and leaves it feeling moisturised. The sea salt is sourced from the famous Dead Sea - the salt is blended with oils of jojoba, coconut and almond to make up the scrub. The oils soak into the skin to leave it fragranced, while the salt gently exfoliates dead cells to stimulate and promote cell renewal."

RRP: $19.99 (650g) – Available from Priceline

What I Say:

This is the first time I’ve ever tried any products from Sanctuary Spa so I was quite excited. And as I knew very little about the brand, I decided to look into it a little, and I discovered that the brand is from the UK, and realised that the brand has been around for over 35 years through a Spa in London’s Covent Garden, although the actual Sanctuary Spa Range wasn’t actually launched until 1998…. And I was in fact living in London in 1998 and did spend a fair bit of time in Covent Garden, so that is possibly why the brand did initially sound somewhat familiar to me.

I love the packaging of the Sanctuary Spa Essentials Salt Scrub. It comes in a simple but stylish looking clear preservative style plastic jar, which looks like it is made from glass. It has a flip lid with a metal hinge, and the opening is large enough for you to dip your hand into it and take out a scoop. And the design of the jar makes it easy to use up every last bit of scrub, so that is always a positive.

The actual scrub is creamy in colour and feels nice and gritty, and is a mixture of oils including sweet almond, wheat germ, evening primrose,  coconut, and jojoba, which combined help soften and soothe the skin, while moisturise and protecting it mimicking the action of sebum, which is the skins own lubricant. It also contains sea salt from the Dead Sea, which removes dead cells to improve cell turn over to leave the skin feeling smooth and soft and more radiant.

I do find that the salt settles at the bottom, so you need to mix it around a little with your hand before use.  The scrub is very concentrated so just a small handful of the scrub is more than enough to use on my whole body, and as you massage it over your body, you can instantly feel the scrub doing its magic. It is exfoliating, but without being too harsh on the skin. It just feels so amazing and luxurious while the gorgeous scent spreads through the shower and bathroom. It’s like creating a spa in your very own bathroom!

After rinsing, the skin feels so soft and smooth, and thoroughly hydrated. In fact, it actually feels a little oily, even after drying off with a towel, so it may be possible to skip using a body lotion afterwards, but for me that is simply a habit.

Using the scrub once or twice a week for a few weeks has left my skin feeling and looking so much softer and more glowing. Gone are the dry shins.

As it doesn’t feel harsh on the skin, and as it is so moisturising, I can only imagine that it would be suitable for all skin types, including those with sensitive and dry skin – although keep in mind that as this is a salt scrub, if you have any cuts or scratches on your skin, it will naturally sting a little.

Although the Salt Scrub does contain perfume, it still has a lovely and gently natural invigorating orangey scent, which is far from overpowering. And once out of the shower, and dried off, there is still a lovely subtle scent on my skin.

My only negative about this scrub is that it does leave a little bit of a mess in the shower with remaining salt at the bottom of the shower, and not to mention that the shower does feel a little slippery from the oil, so just a word of caution of being extra careful of not slipping in the shower when using it, and also making sure to carefully rinse the shower after use too so your partner doesn’t slip either!

At just $19.99 for a large tub of salt scrub, this makes fantastic value for such a high quality product.  I will thoroughly enjoy using the rest of the Salt Scrub, and I will definitely consider buying it again.

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

 

Have you ever heard of the Sanctuary Spa products? Do you ever use a salt body scrub? What is your favourite body scrub?

 

Product Review: Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Soufflé

I don’t normally have dry skin on my body, but every year as autumn approaches, suddenly I feel the need to use thicker and more moisturising body products. Here are my thoughts on the *Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Soufflé;

 

What They Say:

"Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Soufflé is specially formulated for dry skin that needs a little extra moisture. As with all Nivea body care products, this new light cream contains Nivea’s revolutionary Hydra IQ technology, which uniquely hydrates skin from within via stimulating the skin’s own moisture networks".

RRP: $9.92 (300ml) – Available from Supermarkets, Priceline, Myer, Target, Kmart, Big W and selected pharmacies.

What I Say:

As I may have mentioned before, I have grown up using Nivea, and love that you can always trust to get a good quality product for a reasonable price. Consequently, I was excited about trialling the new Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Soufflé.

The Body Soufflé contains among others shea butter to condition the skin and prevent moisture from escaping, leaving the skin soft and supple after every application.

The Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Soufflé comes in a blue plastic tub with a screw lid, and inside it has been sealed with a foil lid, which is great as then you know that the product hasn’t been opened prior to you purchasing it. And the tub has been filled so much that you couldn’t fit another drop in, which is always a nice thing. The tub makes it easy to use, as well as it make it possible to completely use every last bit of cream.

In spite of having the name Body Soufflé, I actually find that it has the consistency of a normal light cream. It is easy to apply to the body as it spreads easily, and it instantly absorbs into the skin, making it feel thoroughly hydrated and soft, and without leaving behind any greasy feeling or residue.

It has a lovely scent, which is a little different from the normal ‘Nivea scent’, but it is quite subtle, and does fade quickly after it has absorbed into the skin.

After using the Nivea Irresistibly Smooth Body Soufflé for a few weeks, I am happy to say that the areas where I previously had dry skin, such as especially on my shins, now are feeling soft and re-moisturised and looks healthy, a feeling that lasts throughout the day.

At just $9.95 this is an absolute bargain buy, and will without doubt consider buying another one to prevent dry skin during winter.

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

 

What do you use to prevent dry skin during winter? Have you ever used any of Nivea’s products? Which one(s) are your favourites?

Product Review: Revitanail Keratin Strengthening Serum

My nails are usually in a pretty good condition, but every so often something happens and they start to break and flake. Just out of the blue. Keeping them super short and wearing nail polish does help a little, but just doesn’t help the problem. Here are my thoughts on the *Revitanail Keratin Strengthening Serum;

 

What They Say:

"Revitanail Keratin Strengthening Serum is enriched with Keratin Peptide (ProSina) clinically proven to strengthen, protect and hydrate nails. It is water based formula allowing it act as a protective base coat under polish. DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free, the serum can be applied 2-3 times a day or as often as required onto polished or clean nails to leave them nourished, hydrated and protected against daily wear and tear".

RRP: $19.95 (30ml) – Available from Myer, David Jones, Priceline, Priceline pharmacies and leading pharmacies nationally.

What I Say:

When my nails play up I always rely on the Revitanail Nail Strengthener, which such a wonder product, working in no time. If you’ve missed my review, you can see it here.

Being 35 weeks pregnant, I think my nails have grown faster than they ever have. I’ve had to trim them twice a week to keep them under control!! And they’ve been thicker than ever too! But the last few weeks something seems to have happened, and they seem to suddenly have gone dry and are looking very ‘dull’ – they haven’t yet started to flake and break, but the dry feeling is usually the first step. Now of course I’m not sure if this sudden change in the condition of my nails is caused by my pregnancy, or maybe it is simply because the weather has suddenly turned and Melbourne is now well into autumn.

I have been using the Keratin Strengthening Serum 2 to 3 times per day as recommended for the past four or so weeks. And as soon as I’ve applied it to my either my polished or bare nails I feel the difference. They feel so moisturised, with obviously the effect feeling greater when used on bare nails. And I do like the fact that it can be used on both bare and polished nails, that makes it a so much more useful products, with most girls these days wearing nail polish every day. And I also like the fact that there is absolutely no greasy feeling (unlike what you get when you use nail oil!).

The Strengthening Serum comes in a square clear glass bottle with a pump, which makes it very easy to dispense just the amount needed, without any wastage. And the clear glass bottle makes it very easy to see exactly how much serum is left in the bottle.

The actual serum has the consistency of a light cream. It is extremely concentrated, so only the tiniest amount is necessary, and the bottle will therefore last forever! It has a gentle and pleasant scent, which does linger for a little while, also after the serum has absorbed into the nails, but as it so gentle and pleasant I don’t mind one bit.

So did the Keratin Strengthening Serum live up to its claims. Absolutely, no doubt about it. Within just a few applications I could feel the moisture come back to my nails as well as cuticles. And the feeling is permanent, so even after washing my hands, do the nails seem more moisturised, no doubt due to the Keratin Strengthening Serum containing both the keratin, but also other moisturising ingredients such as glycerin, almond oil, lanolin and shea butter.

After the four weeks of use, I’m so happy to say that my nails and my cuticles have returned to their healthy looking state, and they yet again feel stronger than ever. In fact I could already start to see and feel the difference after a few days of using it. So this truly is a wonder product, and at just $19.95 it is such a bargain too for a treatment product that can be used both on bare nails and on top of polished nails. If you are having problems with dry and flaking nails, I highly recommend you try it. You’ll love it! Congratulations Revitanail, you’ve done it again!!

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

 

Have you ever tried any of the nail care products from Revitanail? Do you ever have dry and flaking nails? And if you do, what do you use to treat them with?