The Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream

8/10 overall rating

Helps reduce appearance of fine lines, puffiness and dark circles
All skin types

Firstly, let me apologise for the long post, but I assure you this is going to be worth it if your under-eye area is a concern.

Over the past three years, my sleeping patterns have been fairly irregular, and late nights have left me with stubborn puffiness beneath both eyes. For this reason, I have tried a number of eye treatments - creams, gels and lotions - ranging from $10 to $30. I will give a brief description of each.

The first I tried was Garnier UltraLift Anti-wrinkle Roll-on. The only benefit of this product is the cooling effect created by the stainless steel roller ball, which soothes the under-eye area. No lasting reduction in puffiness. The next I tried was Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum, which is the next best that I've tried after The Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream. The serum is creamy and hydrating, and has a subtle yellow tint and shimmer, which helps to brighten the under-eye area. The largest downfall for this product is the price. I bought it on sale for around $22, but when it's not on sale, it can be around $28 to $32. It comes in a tiny (15mL) pump bottle. Buyers take note: when you run out of product, unscrew the pump lid! There will be plenty still in the bottle. I would have repurchased this product, however the steep price lead me to try other brands. Next I tried Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel for sensitive skin. I had high hopes for this product, because of cucumber's infamous association with eye care. The gel is clear and cooling, with a subtle cucumber scent. It is suitable if you're only looking for moisture, however I saw no difference in puffiness. Soon after, I tried Natio Eye Contouring Treatment Gel (for puffiness and dark circles), and again had high hopes, as I have been a fan of Natio's daily moisturiser in the past. Unfortunately, this turned out to be the worst product that I have tried for my eyes. Not only did it not improve puffiness, but it stung my sensitive under-eye area. I was so surprised, because Natio prides itself on using only natural, plant-based products. Next I tried L'oreal Men Expert Vita Lift for Eyes. 'Men's' facial products tend to be identical to women's, only packaged and scented for men, but usually without the hefty price tag! So I gave this one a try. No effect, just slightly cooling (contains a metal roller ball) and hydrating. The final product that I tried before heading to The Body Shop, was QV Revitalising Eye Cream. To be honest, the only reason that I bought this was because I felt pressured by a pharmacy assistant, after asking her whether she could recommend any successful or popular eye treatments. She had no idea and just read product descriptions to me straight from the packaging. Of the products she showed me, I chose QV because it was the cheapest. QV is known for making natural, no-nonsense products for sensitive skin. I found this product to be very hydrating and easy on the under-eye area, but again, not very effective for puffiness.

It was then that I visited The Body Shop. I usually avoid TBS, because I know I will end up spending way too much money on products that are generally ineffective anyway, but this time I had a voucher. I asked the shop attendant to show me their eye products. After deciding that I had combination type skin, she showed me the Elderflower Cooling Eye Gel. She smeared a small amount on my hand. It felt hydrating, but I had had too many bad experiences with eye gel to trust it. Next she offered Aloe Eye Defence, which I remembered using a number of years ago, unsuccessfully. I then clarified the fact that I was looking for help with puffiness, and she showed me the Vitamin E Eye Cream. Again, she smeared a small amount on my hand, and after a few seconds, I began to feel a cooling sensation, that was almost like a subtle tingle (in a good way!). This gave me an inkling that perhaps this product would actually work. The shop attendant noted that it is one of their most popular skin treatments.

This product, plus a combination of sleep regulation and increased water consumption has finally reduced my under-eye puffiness! Hooray! Whilst I do believe that this product is effective and well worth a try if puffiness is something that you struggle with, I cannot stress enough how important regular sleeping patterns and adequate water consumption is. I use this product every morning and night, and I can't wait to see how my under-eye area is looking in a few weeks' time with continued use! Will keep you posted! 

Maybelline Cover Stick Concealer

 10/10 overall rating 

Waterproof

This is probably my favourite cosmetic product of all time. I have been using it for about a year, and I will not stop buying it until Maybelline stops making it - which hopefully will never happen! This product first caught my eye when I was in my local Kmart, looking for a new foundation. For so long I had been trying new foundations each time I ran out, because I just could not find one that I loved. I saw Maybelline Cover Stick, and it appealed to me all because of one line on the packaging: 'Austalia's #1 Concealer'. Okay, so I'm a bit of a sucker for marketing ploys, but thank goodness I am because I found an excellent product that day! I purchased the Cover Stick in 'Light/Ivory', for around $10 (it varies depending on where you buy it, but it's usually around $10).

My supply for this year so far.
Need to buy more!

At first I used the product just as a concealer for blemishes, but I quickly developed a love for it and began using it like a foundation. So, my foundation routine for the past year has been to apply Maybelline Cover Stick Concealer to my entire face, and then seal with loose powder foundation. I used to use my fingers to apply the concealer, but for the past few months I have been using a brush, as I found that it creates a more flawless look.

Of course, I highly recommend this product. I am looking forward to trying the 'Yellow' shade for dark circles some time. I will keep you updated. 

Natio Little Treasure Nail Colour

Natio Little Treasure Nail Colour in 'Crimson'
(Looks lighter than it actually is with a few coats)

Recently, whilst applying my 'Excite' nail colour by Natio after months of using Revlon nail colours, I realised just how great Natio nail colours are. They are the perfect consistency and the brushes just seem to guide the colour so well. So, I decided that I should check out the rest of their nail colour range next time I was shopping. So, I did! I went to Myer, as they have the largest Natio range that I know of. I had been thinking that I needed a really dark red colour for winter. I picked up 'Crimson' and also a 2-in-1 clear base and top coat, both from the Little Treasure range for only $5.95 each - plus Myer had a '2nd item half price' deal, so it worked out to only around $8.90 for the two.

I am enjoying my Natio colours and highly recommend them, particularly if you're like me and you have trouble applying nail colour neatly - it seems to be easier with Natio. Both 'Excite' and 'Crimson' have a shimmer effect, and I noticed that even the top and base coat has a light shimmer, it's really nice!

My Sweetopia, South Bank

My choc hazelnut cupcake

As I mentioned in my previous post, last weekend I got to try out My Sweetopia in South Bank.We walked into the cute little shop at around 2.30pm on a Sunday afternoon, half an hour before closing time. Even then, there was an impressive range of cupcakes to choose from; white chocolate, cappuccino, turkish delight, choc mint, passionfruit, chocolate mud, berry and many more - but of course, I couldn't go past choc hazelnut. Cupcakes ranged from around $4-5 and were all so beautifully decorated. 

It turned out that I had made two great choices that day; iced vanilla white tea from Tlicious and a choc hazelnut cupcake from My Sweetopia. The cupcake was so moist and chocolatey, the choc hazelnut frosting so rich and creamy. I could have eaten many many more but luckily I had only bought one! I am dying to go back to My Sweetopia and try some of the other delicious-looking flavours!

Tlicious, South Bank

Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting two cafes for the first time - Tlicious and My Sweetopia - with a lovely group of girls from church.

It was only recently that I discovered a love for flavoured green teas, so I was super excited when we arrived at Tlicious and browsed the huge range of options. It was a hot day, so it was great to know that the entire range could be ordered as iced tea. I ordered iced vanilla white tea ('Vanilla Pearls') with one sugar for $4.

Within 5 to 10 minutes all of our orders were ready (about 8 drinks). I took a few sips, fell in love, complemented the owners of the store, and then purchased a packet of the same tea to take home ($3.50). It was so delicious and perfect for a hot day, although I could easily drink it everyday!

I highly recommend Tlicious, I will be back (very soon hopefully).

Gelatissimo

I recently blogged about Re Del Gelato, and mentioned that Gelatissimo is still my favourite place for gelato. So here's a review of Gelatissimo.

Everyone has GOT to try this place at least once (I guarantee you will be back!). Unfortunately (but fortunately for my waistline), I have only had the pleasure of visiting Gelatissimo twice. The first time I ordered white chocolate gelato topped with melted Nutella (an extra 50c), and it was so delicious, that when I returned, I ordered the same combination with the addition of choc-chip gelato. Yummmmmm. It's just so good, you have to try it.

That's really all I have to say about Gelatissimo: Yum. They have a huge range of flavours and I'm sure every single one would be delicious. I can't wait to go back and try some different flavours! They are a company of chain outlets, so find the nearest one to you and get going!

Re Del Gelato, New Farm

After a great meal at Majo's Casual Italian dining last weekend, my brother, my partner and I crossed the road for dessert at Re Del Gelato. I had read about both venues on urbanspoon.com. One reviewer even wrote that it was the best gelato in Brisbane. My response to that is soon to come...

I ordered a $5 cup of strawberry gelato/sorbet and mars bar gelato. Both were nice - the mars bar wasn't as chocolatey as I would have liked, but the strawberry tasted like real, fresh strawberries. My partner also ordered a $5 cup, but he opted for panna cotta and butterscotch/honey comb flavours. He enjoyed his, although I didn't think the panna cotta had enough flavour, it just tasted like vanilla. My brother ordered one scoop of boysenberry gelato/sorbet in a waffle cone, which he really enjoyed. I had a taste and thought it was a little too tangy for me, but that's fairly common for boysenberry I guess.

So, was it the best gelato in Brisbane? No, I don't think so. I really love Gelatissimo which is in the Brisbane CBD (corner of Queen and Albert Street) and also I've heard that there is one at Chermside. To be honest, I would recommend Gelatissimo before Re Del Gelato, but if you're in the New Farm area, certainly give it a try.