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2014: The Year of Oils

I have always been quite fond of beauty oils, but they have never really formed a big part of my beauty regimen. Last year changed that. 2014 saw amazing skin and hair oil launches and I also had the opportunity to try products that have been around for a while. I have fallen in love with so many oils that it is quite difficult to choose a clear favourite in each category so I decided to give you a round up of products that I highly recommend you give a try.

Essential-Oils

 

FACE

In the past I have been weary of facial oils as I was always worried that they would cause more oiliness and congestion, but I quickly learnt that it is not the case. Facial oils work wonders for my skin especially during the winter months as my skin can become very dull and even flaky. Change of season is particularly harsh on my skin and oils have proved to be lifesavers. Winners include Lipidol Overnight Face Oil, L’Oreal’s Age Perfect Extraordinary Oil and Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (and yes… this oil is as good as they say). An oil that deserves a very special mention is Naturals Beauty’s Sweet Orange Wrinkle Banisher. This oil takes top spot on days that my skin is very sensitive. It is amazing and I will be making sure that I have enough of this beaut in my stash when winter comes a knockin’. This is most definitely one of my best beauty buys of 2014.

I also tried a couple oil cleansers and two really stood out: Dermalogica’s PreCleanse and Lipidol’s Cleansing Face Oil. You will note in my review of the Lipidol Cleansing Face Oil that I liked it as a pre-cleanser, but I don’t use it just for removing make-up anymore. It has proven to be a perfect morning cleanser and it works beautifully as a second cleanse. It has been a godsend on sensitive skin days and this product will be repurchased again and again.

BODY

My skin is very dry and body oils work the best to combat scaly, dull skin. Favourites of 2014 include Lipidol’s After Shower Oil and the REN Moroccan Rose Otto Ultra-Moisture Body Oil. I have recently discovered Nivea’s Firming Body Oil and I adore it! It is light, absorbs very well and does not aggravate my eczema-prone skin. It is true love, people. Well worth a go. Yet another Lipidol product that deserves 5 stars is the Lipidol Sunscreen Oil. It feels like the After Shower Oil but with an added SPF… need I say more? One of my best beauty discoveries of all time is the TanOrganic Self Tanning Oil. I am allergic to the chemicals in self-tanning products, but this organic self-tanner gives my a gorgeous tan with no negative reaction. Read my full review HERE.

HAIR

I don’t think a day has gone by that I have not used a hair oil since discovering what a major difference it has made to the condition, look and feel of my dry, chemically treated hair. To treat my hair I love to use Africa Organics Hair Treatment Oil (I love their hair care products) or good old organic coconut oil. To treat and style, INOAR Extreme Premium Oil and Moroccanoil can’t be beat. My full Moroccanoil review is on it’s way. I now understand why the brand has such a cult following. Great budget-friendly options include Dark and Lovely Amla Legend Oil and OGX Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco (available at Foschini).

xoxo

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Bargain Beauty – Hair care

Who doesn’t like a bargain? And with Christmas around the corner, every cent counts.

Here is a round up of a couple of hair care products that I have been enjoying lately, and I’ve enjoyed them even more because of their price tags.

budget hair

Creightons Argan Smooth Deep Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner

This is a great bargain buy! Both the shampoo and conditioner contain Argan Oil, smell lovely and retail for only R50 each. The range is for all hair types, which worried me a bit as my hair is dry, but both products worked like a charm: the shampoo cleaned without stripping and the conditioner left my hair feeling soft and smooth. Really worth a try. I was actually saving the tubes for an empties post… beauty lovers know that an ’empty’ means it’s a winner. Creightons is available at Pick ‘n Pay.

Dark and Lovely Amla Legend Oil

I’ve heard so many ladies talking about Amla oil and couldn’t resist popping it in my basket when I was doing my monthly cosmetics shopping at Clicks. I think it was only R50! The Amla Legend Oil of 7 Wonders is one of the top contenders for budget buy of the year. It is a lovely sweet smelling hair oil that smoothes, softens and adds brilliant shine. It works great as a treatment and a drop works wonders to smooth dry and frizzy ends. If you have very dry or coarse hair, you will not be disappointed with this oil. It is a very heavy oil, so those with very fine or oily hair may want to steer clear though.

Pantene Anti-Frizz Smooth Cream

This frizz fighter is designed for normal to thick hair but works perfectly with my super fine curls. It smoothes my hair and help to keep the frizzies at bay without weighing my hair down. Two thumbs up. R57

Pantene Deep Moisture Soufflé

This luxurious gem is only disguised (and priced) as a budget beauty. Look:

DSC_0139
Air whipped loveliness packed with 4 moisturisers

This leave-in conditioner will transform even the driest hair into silky soft locks. No stickiness, no greasiness, just beautifully soft hair that smells divine. A little goes a long way… please note that the huge dollop in the pic was just to show you how gorgeous it looks. And I promise, it feels just as good as it looks. R67.

xoxo