Lip care

Hey everyone,

Just a simple post today on a relatively neglected part of the beauty regime. Poorly cared for lips can reveal age and bad habits. Like your skin they are quick to show the effects of dehydration, sun damage, age and smoking. Its no wonder every year millions of dollars are spent by women (and men) seeking a young full lip with fillers. My suggestion would be to prevent the need for toxic chemical implants by providing your lips with some easy TLC.

Left: NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm
Right: Fresh. Sugar Lip Polish

Like your skin the two major aspects of lip care are exfoliation and moisturisation.

Lips are made of stratified squamous epithelium, which is really just an anatomical term for cells that are made to shed. Assisting the shedding process can encourage a healthy glow. My favourite exfoliator for lips is the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish. As you can tell below it is a sugary/grainy consistency, however unlike facial exfoliants it has an oily base which provides hydration. Over exfoliation can lead to blistering and irritation. I suggest gently rubbing the polish over lips in a circular motion before bed no more than 2-3 times a week.

This Fresh product is not surprisingly pricey. A cost saving alternative is the Lush Sweet Lips Sugar Scrub (bubblegum flavour is my personal favourite) which has slightly thicker grains but works just as efficiently. An even more affordable option is a home made scrub.


Home made lip scrub:
Brown sugar - one tablespoon
Olive oil - few drops

In a tiny bowl add small amounts of olive oil incrementally to a tablespoon of sugar until desired consistency is met.

I have tried this in the past and love the result but for me it is easier having a storeable product to keep in my bathroom cabinet.

Left: NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm. Right: Fresh. Sugar Lip Polish

Hand's down, my favourite lip moisturiser is the Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm. Not exaggerating, this stuff has been touched by angels. I am not sure about the science behind this, but somehow it is the most nourishing balm I've ever tried. I put it on at night and its consistency is that of a thick balm/wax. It smells a little bit of honey but certainly not overwhelmingly so. Waking up the next morning I have intensely plumped hydrated lips. It is great for wearing under lipsticks because its texture on the lips is not greasy and completely natural. Again it is a pricey product, the alternative I highly recommend is Nivea Lip Butter Unscented.

Lips after using the Fresh. Sugar Lip Polish and NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm

Some other tips I have for healthy lips:

• Minimise licking lips as this can precipitate chapping.
• Matte lipsticks and lip stains can be extremely drying; using a balm underneath can prevent cracks forming with long-wear.
• Drinking water hydrates lips from the inside out.
• Using a lip product with SPF in the sun prevents chaffed and burnt lips.

Let me know if you've tried these or similar products.
Wishing you all soft kissable lips!

xx
Beauty Doc

Hawaii Paradise on Earth

Hey everyone,

I went to Hawaii earlier this year for a much needed vacation and fell in love with the place. It is breathtakingly beautiful and has so much to offer. I thought, instead of trying describe in words how special Oahu is, I would just show you. Here goes:

Welcome to Waikiki Beach

Had to be done, it's a beauty-blog after all

Honolulu Zoo

Semi-obsessed with Monkey's

Always looking to the sky

Pink Flamingos

Where lost was filmed

Iphone the third-person-narrative type

It's real 

Locals doing what they do

Cousin Donovan and the Aloha Circle Island Tours Ohana

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani - Hula every night

Honolulu looking all Gatsbyish

Life through the window of a trolley

Honolulu city. Spot Bruno Mars' High School

Watermelon juice at Hard Rock Cafe

Talented street-artist Varian

Island sunset

Bliss

Mandatory airport shot. Till next time

Tell me where your favourite holiday destination is, I am constantly looking for inspiration!

xo
Beauty Doc

Thoughts on Skin Care

Hey everyone,

I thought I would return to the blog-world with a post about something I am truly passionate about, Skincare!

Your skin is a reflection of your age, health, ethnicity, style and even your life choices (smoking/sun/alcohol). It is arguably the first thing that one notices about you, not to mention it is the largest organ in the body.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser, Kiehls Creamy Eye Treatment, Bioderma Solution Micellaire, Kiehl's Creme D'elegance Repairateur, Kiehl's Creme De Corps

Five gem's I have learnt over my lifetime are as follows:

1. KISS (Keep It Simple Silly)

I know, I know, the fascination with new and exciting products is never ending (I'm talking to you Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm, Kate Sommerville Exfolikate and Clarsonic). But from my anecdotal experience, nothing beats as simple a routine as cleansing and moisturising.

Fancy toners, serums and peels are only there to compliment your base. My base consists of the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser followed by Creme D'Elegance Repairateu. This moisturiser is very similar to the Origins A Perfect World (see blog post). Basically I alternate the two to ensure my skin does not become immune to their effects. Additionally, an eye cream is just as important to incorporate into routine. See my blog post for some of my favourites.

Exfoliation is useful, but it seems nowadays it is being overdone. People are using acids, rough brush heads, microdermabrasian, and they're doing it way too regularly. While exfoliating once to twice a week is a good way to stimulate the epidermal cell turn over; doing it any more frequently or roughly is going to cause what some call "purging." This is where skin turns into a hot mess with nasty breakouts after a facial/new product/exfoliation and people justify it by saying that it is "removing all the impurities". However purging is as urban a legend as Joshua Jackson with blonde hair (a reference for kids from the 90s). This topic is worth its own blog post so I wont get into the debate here.

2. Sweat pants, hair tied, chilling with no makeup on, that's when your the prettiest

Drake is a gentleman that knows a thing or two about skin care. Giving your skin time to breathe is so key to keeping it clear. Wearing foundation every day is bound to clog pores and cause zits. But understandably going from the Transvestite/Kim K look to an All Naturale/Miranda Kerr overnight can be scary. It can be difficult to wake up and leave the house face-naked, so I suggest transitioning to a makeup free persona in small steps. For example instead of using a high coverage foundation, try a BB cream or tinted moisturiser. I promise your confidence will sky rocket and you will begin to appreciate your true beauty which may include freckles, a beauty mark, flushed cheeks and everything else that makes us individual. I choose to only wear foundation on special occasions. At work concealer is plenty.
Makeup removal (if you are going to wear it) is so important. I use Bioderma which is perfect for dry sensitive skin. I cannot recommend this stuff enough. It has massive hype in the beauty world so thats all I'm going to say.

3. Smoking/Diet/Alcohol/Exercise/Sleep

Smokers lines, from DermNet

These are the four most notorious offences known to mess up your skin. Smoking is something that you shouldn't be doing anyway for your general health. But to add to the list of reasons not to do it, smokers lines and loss of Elastin leading to premature ageing are some of the pleasures smokers can look forward to. If you don't believe me check out Derm Net - I can spend hours at a time on this website, dermatology is fascinating.

Alcohol has short and long term consequences. In the short term it exacerbates breakouts and redness. In the long term, you can end up with what is called "Rhinophyma" Google image that you guys!

Sleep can be more personal. Some people look great despite less than 6 hours shut eye a night but others (me) look like zombies. I try and prioritise my sleep over everything else no matter how hectic life gets. Diet again is also very personal. Foods that have been known to cause acne include processed foods, sugar, oils/fats, dairy and so on. Now obviously you cannot live a normal life never eating any of those components (unless your a starving celebrity) so its necessary to figure out what works for you.

4. You wouldn't buy fruit and veges from a butcher

Why buy skincare from a company that isn't dedicated to the cause. Your skin should be invested in. I have noticed that buying skincare from brands that specialise in skin care gives me better results. That doesn't mean it has to be a high end brand. Nivea and Aveeno are my two favourite drug-store options. Aveno infact is one of the brands that dermatologists here in NZ recommend, especially for sensitive skin. Buying skin care products from a makeup brand is sometimes okay; but you will want to ask yourself, are they are putting as much resource (financial, research and otherwise) into their skin care products as they are into their makeup?

5. No matter what, always use sunscreen

Want to do something that your future self will hug you for....wear sunscreen daily, regardless of the weather conditions. While your 30-60 year old friends will be subjecting themselves to human pincushioning with botox, you will be safe and smug with true natural wrinkle-free beauty.

Also don't forget the skin on the rest of your body. My favourite body moisturiser is Kiehl's Creme De Corps. While it is expensive, I figure, if you can afford it, why not. A less expensive alternative is the body shop body-butters, just as delicious!


The inspiration for this blog-post came from the most stunning woman in the world, my Nana. She has beautiful skin and anywhere she goes, she is complimented on it. I asked her what her secret was and she told me that she has only worn makeup once in her whole life (her wedding day) and to this day basic cleansing and moisturising are what have kept her looking so fresh. I am so blessed to have her and her genes. Love always.


xo
Beauty Doc

PS: I promise this post was not sponsored by Kiehl's, although I would have loved that!

Shout out to Nars!

Hi Everyone,

I could apologise for my lack of updates but lets be honest, sometimes real life trumps blogging life. I do in fact work to fund my lifestyle aka purchasing unnecessary amounts of beauty products. So on that note, I thought I would dedicate this post to possibly my new favourite make-up brand, NARS.

I have only bought two products from Nars so far, but trust me, there are plenty of items sitting inside the shopping cart in my head waiting to proceed to checkout. Onto the products:

Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner and Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

1. Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte

This is one unique product. It is a nude gel-type twist up eye liner that stays on your waterline for hours on end with out bleeding and yet manages to glide on effortlessly. Its something I use to reduce redness on my waterline and give the eyes an overall brighter-wider effect (much needed after late nights). The reason I say it's unique, is its beige colour; which I haven't seen a lot of other eyeliners duplicate. It certainly looks a lot more natural than using the alternative that is white eyeliner. I am looking forward to trying out the vast range of colours in the collection. To be fair, it is pricey for an eyeliner, but well worth it in my opinion.

Above: Nars Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte. Below: Nars Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita.
(Middle: huge green vein)

2. Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita

Again this is a completely unique product. It is a thick lip pencil which has a matte finish yet manages to glide on ultra smoothly and keeps your lips moisturised for hours. The colour "Dolce Vita" is absolutely stunning. It is a warm rosy red-pink-brown. The reason I describe it like this is because it looks completely different on individual lips. On mine personally it shows up as a pinky-nude colour. On the sales assistant who was also wearing it, it looked like a deeper brick red. I am so fascinated by lip products that can transform this way. For me this is the most appropriate lip colour for everyday use at work. It looks good with any colour blush (from pink to orange) and any degree of eye makeup. I will be repurchasing this for the rest of my life I'm sure. I hate to repeat my self, but once more although it's pricey, its well worth the investment.

Note: some people complain about it being difficult to sharpen because of its thick size, but I just use my old-school AVON sharpener and it does the job. Alternatively Nars sell adequately sized sharpeners.

I have officially begun my love-affair with Nars products and the honeymoon has just begun! Stay tuned for likely a number of future Nars product reviews!

xo
Beauty Doc

Basic hair care

Hey everyone,

This post is on haircare, which to be honest is not something I am particularly well-informed in.  Not going to lie, I have very low maintenance aka boring hair. Its long, wavy, layered and naturally black. I don't colour or perm it. I don't even have bangs. So take this into consideration as you read on.

My basic routine is shampoo and condition (usually some inexpensive supermarket brand, no favourites), apply a heat protectant/conditioner, let air dry or blow dry if i feel like it, tie in pony tail next morning for work. I will straighten or curl it on occasion.

What I can be sure of is that the texture and ends of my hair appear to have improved with the use of these two products (not necessarily in conjunction with one another):

1. Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique:
This is essentially a leave in conditioner and heat protectant in one. It says that it is for "dry to very dry hair" which, although my hair is not, it still works. My hairstylist recommended me this product about 3 months ago when i went for my usual trim and she was right, it is impressive. I use this after every wash of my hair prior to blow drying (and if I know I will be curling or straightening my hair).  Before using it you need to ensure you shake it up well because it has a mixture of a cream and serum inside it that need to be mixed for the best efficacy. It doesn't have an overpowering smell at all, just smells...clean.  Overall it has definitely reduced the number of split ends hiding in my hair and I notice when I do heat-style after using it, my hair is much softer and silkier than if I didn't use it.

2. Moroccan Oil:
This is one super over-hyped product. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but for what it is and does, I'm sure, there are a number of less expensive alternatives. It states it provides "instant shine and long term conditioning without leaving residue." It certainly provides shine (and like any oil you only need to use a tiny amount). But I'm not so sure about the long term conditioning claim. This is my second bottle of Moroccan oil (I'm clearly a sucker) and I cant say my hair is any healthier or stronger because of it. I guess the reason I keep using it is as a product to disguise to split ends. Moroccan Argan oil (the legit substance) has been used for years by women in the Middle East/Asia as a conditioner however this product contains a larger proportion of synthetic ingredients (dimethicone, cyclomethicone etc). So its "conditioning" potential is probably better described as "glossing" potential. In its defence, despite being an oil it does absorb very quickly into the ends of hair.

The above picture is my hair about 3-4 months after my last trim, no split ends!! PS: how cute is the rabbit necklace by Karen Walker (reminds me of my late pet bunny, RIP Shadow)

Other tips for healthy hair include the common-sense-wisdom i.e. what your mother always told you:
- Drink plenty of water
- Eat a balanced diet that includes healthy fats
- Regular trims keep split ends away (even when trying to grow out hair)
- Try not to wash your hair everyday as it can dry it out
- Keep colouring/perming to a minimum
- Use a heat protectant when styling

Leave me any suggestions you have for hair products that have worked out for you, I'm looking forward to trying out new things! Also on that note I'm considering balayage highlights in the near future. Anyone had any experience with this on dark hair?

xo
Beauty Doc

Quest for the perfect eye cream

Hey Everyone,

For the longest time I have had a tumultuous relationship with eye-creams. I thought I'd share my experience with these products and let you know the ones that have worked out the best for me.

L-->R Nivea Aqua Sensation Anti-Shadow Eye Cream, Tebe Gentle Eye Cream, Origins Eye Doctor, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Concentrate, Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado.

My first ever eye cream at age 16 was the the Nivea Aqua Sensation Anti-Shadow. It was perfect for my main concern at the time which was dark shadow's under my eyes. It worked well to improve these and I continued to use it until my university years when I found it was discontinued in NZ. I was devastated (maybe an exaggeration) but this meant I had to find an alternative. I tried the Clinique All About Eyes which worked okay for a month until I began to get severe eye lid eczema and this seemed to only worsen it (so much for an "allergy tested" brand). After that I used the very gentle Tebe Eye Cream which didn't do much more than provide my under eye area with some moisture. After that it was the Origins Eye Doctor. This like the Clinique worked okay until once again i developed under eye eczema. This finally led me to my two favourite eye creams to date, both by Kiehl's

Here's what I think of the Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado (CETWA):

This is a superb moisturising eye cream. It comes out of the tub like any other cream (except it's avocado green);  it then emulsifies into a silky gel that in combination with warmth from the skin glides on incredibly smooth. It keeps my under eye's moisturised well overnight and throughout the day. It can be greasy if you over-apply and you only need a tiny amount. It does prevent dark circles and puffiness but it will not get rid of them. The best part about this eye cream is it wont migrate into your eye and cause irritation.



 Here's what I think of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Concentrate (MREC):

After using the Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado I was well impressed. About 4 months ago I started doing a Surgical Rotation which meant I was constantly sleep deprived and as a result had horrendous puffiness and dark circles under my eyes. So in my hunt for a de-puffing and anti-circle eye cream I came across reviews for the Midnight Recovery Eye. Having used the serum in this brand, (see this post: beautydoctor25.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/kiehls-midnight-recovery-concentrate.html) I had high expectations. They were all met. This is a very smooth soft cream that somehow manages to reduce puffiness and dark circles almost overnight. Like the serum, you wake up looking like you've had a restful sleep, even if you haven't! It does have a slight scent of lavender but hardly noticed once its blended into the skin.
On a side note I was reading Cosmopolitan Magazine the other day and found that this concentrate won the 2012 Cosmopolitan Beauty Award for Best Eye Cream. So clearly I'm not the only one in love.

I alternate use of the two Kiehl's eye cream at the moment. If I know I wont be getting a decent sleep, MREC comes in handy. If I'm having a sleep-in the next morning I got with the CETWA. I cant recommend Kiehl's products enough (and I promise I'm not paid to say this either)!

Fine lines are not yet a concern for me so I cannot comment on these cream's as anti-wrinkle agents; but I do think that starting use of an Eye Cream at a young age works in preventing wrinkles years later. As we know prevention is far better than cure.

Let me know what your favourite eye creams are!

xo
Beauty Doc

The Cinnamon Room in Parnell

Hey Everyone,

This is entirely a non-beauty related post. I just had to address the fact that I have found the most amazing Indian Cuisine in all of New Zealand. The Cinnamon Room only recently opened but I already anticipate the hype that there will be for this place.

Stand out dish was the entree the "Bullets" as pictured below. They are a unique and delicious deep fried vegetable finger food served with a spicy vinaigrette that I have never seen at any other Indian restaurant. What I love is the authenticity this place has, having eaten Indian food in India, I can safely say this food is LEGIT!

The location, service, presentation and quality of food is, in my view unsurpassed by any other Indian food restaurant in Auckland. Highly recommended. 

Check it out at www.thecinnamonroom.co.nz

xo

Beauty Doc