Winter skin comforts from Pai

My skin really does not like the winter. The coldness coupled with the increase of central heating has a very drying effect on my already dry skin, redness that I am prone to goes up a notch and my skin often feels chapped. Unfortunately I cannot lather on rich, heavy products as they result in breakouts.
Two products that I have found really helpful are the Pai Camellia & Rose gentle hydrating cleanser (£25) and Bergamot Orange Organic Lip Balm (£7).
I have mentioned both these before in 2009, so wanted to give them a re-mention as their packaging has since changed and the formulas feel different.
The cleanser sits in-between a cream and lotion consistency, though it does not feel cloying or heavy. It spreads nicely over the skin and leaves skin soft yet without a residue. Its extremely efficient at removing makeup (I get none left on a pad when I do a toner sweep) and I also find its really good at removing mascara (without stinging the eyes). It causes me no irritation/breakouts, this along with my Elemental Herbology are my favourite cleansers for these colder months, really soothing on parched and sore skin.

The lip balm comes in a screw top container and has a very pleasant citrus scent.
Initially hard, yet on application it seems to almost melt into the skin, it does have quite a bit of slip.
It elevates the dryness and makes the lips feel soft and comfortable. It also does not break me out around the lip line (which I am very prone to with lip balms). A handy little item to have in your handbag.


I bought these from paiskincare.com

The Highlighter battle: Becca V Rouge Bunny Rouge

I think out of all the colours for highlighters, white can often be the most problematic. Whites are prone to looking chalky, too stark/harsh and unnatural. This can also be accompanied by an overly shimmery/frosty finish.
I decided to compare the much rated Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl against my favourite liquid highlighter formula, Rouge Bunny Rouge Highlighting Liquid Seas of Illumination in shade Sea of Clouds ( a shade I'd not tried before).
As soon as I swatched these for the photos I thought the Becca would be the one to win out. Hopefully you can see below that the Becca (on the left) looks like it has a sheen, whereas the RBR is noticeably more shimmered.
Blended out a bit
Once on my face and it was a different story. The Becca does indeed give a sheen to the skin, instead of shimmer. However I find it somewhat overpowering and felt it made my skin look too slick/shiny.
The RBR by contrast imparts a slightly shimmered pearly glow and gives a touch of brightness to the skin and is definitely my favourite of the two.
Both products blend in really well and have very good wear, in terms of texture the RBR has a much lighter consistency compared to the Becca. I have not experienced breakouts from either.

The RBR sample I ordered from Zuneta, they have a fantastic sample service on their site (including foundation), this is a great way to see if the product/shade is right for you before committing to a full size . The Becca was a sample from the lovely Jane from modestybrown

Chanel Prelude Quad

I really tried hard not to give in to this, I've had a lot of the Chanel quads before and I think the formula is sub par for the price (we get the baked version here in the UK). The shadows are dry and powdery and pigmentation is often a problem, and yet I caved on Prelude after a few months of resistance....
I love natural shadows and as I find the majority lean warm, this cool toned palette was just too hard to pass up in the end.
Prelude (£37) contains a grey/taupe with micro glitter (it looks grey in the pan but applies with a taupe edge), shimmery ivory/cream highlighter, a deep smoky brown with micro glitter and an embarrassingly un-pigmented putty grey with micro glitter (all the micro glitter in the shades is very subtle on application)
Apart from the left bottom colour the pigmentation is actually good in this quad and on the whole the colours apply as they look in the pan. With a base I do still get a bit of colour fade and they do have that familiar dry/powdery texture. However, I do really like these shades and think they work extremely well together to create a soft, subtle slightly smoky look.
That's not to say that I wish Chanel would just dispense with this baked formula and instead give us the same as the US.

I bought this from John Lewis

INIKA Mineral Foundation

Inika is a line of pure mineral make up. Half of the line is certified organic, all the products are vegan. Mineral ranges as a whole don't tend to appeal to me as they have caused my skin problems in the past. However, the formula's seem better now and some brands are omitting certain ingredients I found irritating such as Bismuth Oxychloride.
I bought the lightest shade Grace (£25.55), it does darken slightly on application but is just light enough for me, though probably best suited to a MAC shade 15. My mother has the next shade up called Strength and this is a good match for her, she would be a MAC shade 20/25. I thought I'd show them both together, you can see that both lean warm in tone.



It causes my skin no breaks outs nor irritation.The coverage is extremely good, you can really go full with this if you choose to.
It doesn't make me look oily/shiny but does impart a bit of radiance to the skin. I find it wears well through the day.
One thing I would say is that I do have to buff it in well over my pores (I do find this a common problem with mineral foundations though) so it is worth getting the right brush for this.
The only real drawback I have found with this is application on skin that is rather dry. I have had this for a while now but have noticed as my skin gets dryer with this colder weather, it has started looking a bit cakey/dry on me. So for the colder winter months I'll switch back to a liquid foundation.
Overall I'm very pleased and I will certainly re-buy this.

Ingredients:


I bought this from beingcontent.com

Cochine Agarwood & Amber Reed Diffuser & White Jasmine and Gardenia Votive Candle

I've had many a reed diffuser through the years and all have left me somewhat disappointed. My issue is that I find the scent payoff very poor unless I am right up close to the product. I've used brands such as L'Occtaine, The White Company and Rituals, but still hadn't found one that I was completely happy with.

Though I had been eyeing up the reed diffuser from Cochine, the price point put me off and I did have the fear that it would be just like the many other reed diffusers out there.
Zuneta had and still have an offer on that if you spend £40 or more on Cochine you get a free White Jasmine and Gardenia Votive Candle worth £20, I took this as my impetus to make the order, vowing this would be my last attempt at reed diffusers.
Cochine currently do four scents for all their products: Vietnamese Rose & Delentii; Water Hyacinth & Lime Blossom; Agarwood & Amber, and White Jasmine & Gardenia. The essential oils are harvested from Vietnamese plants and trees and the scents are meant to be reflective of Saigon’s culture

I bought the Agarwood & Amber scent (£49). It contains Agarwood, White Amber, Tuberose and Patchouli and is warming with a bit of spice to it.
The Diffuser comes in an elegant box with tassel, making it a nice looking present.
Within a few hours I knew this was the one, this scents the home with ease, even my husband is extremely impressed with this. The scent is not overpowering but is noticeably there, its really nice to come in and be greeted with the comforting scent.

The candle by contrast is much milder. White Jasmine and Gardenia is a pretty light fresh floral feminine scent. I'm very picky with candles but I like this as it doesn't give off black smoke and the smell, whilst subtle, is very pleasant.
Its also made from botanical palm oil wax from a renewable resource and the cotton wick is lead-free.

I've been impressed with Cochine thus far, its a stylish looking range, luxurious and elegant but most importantly the products live up to their price tag.

I bought the diffuser from zuneta.com the candle was the gift with purchase.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Caress of Mink and Embrace of Cashmere Loose Glitter Pigment

'Caress of Mink' and 'Embrace of Cashmere' are the newest additions to the loose glitter pigment line up (£24 each). If you are a regular reader you will know I am a huge fan of this formula as I don't get fall out, the colour lasts well and the shade line up is captivating. The product is just so versatile whether you are using it dry, wet, to line or mixed in with other products, I really do get a lot of wear out of these little treasure tubes.

These two new shades are the focus of the beautiful 'Beyond the Looking Glass' look.
RBR used one of the liquid highlighters with the pigments to get this exquisite look so that is something I'll be trying soon.

Embrace of Cashmere is a shimmery antique gold, Caress of Mink is a shimmery medium taupe brown.
Below I have used a light dusting of both shades dry.

Here are all my Loose Glitter Pigments together L-R: Wishing for Wings, Eaten all the Cherries, Sleeping Under a Mandarin Tree, Embrace of Cashmere, Spun From Sunny Seawater and Caress of Mink.
Swatches (same order as above):

These two new pigments are infinitely wearable and pair so well together, RBR delight as always.

I bought these from Zuneta.com

Guerlain The Lip Liner: Bois De Santal

At the time of the release of the Rouge Automatique lipsticks, Guerlain also brought out their newly reformulated lipliners. The lipliners are meant to provide rich colour, precise application, and a smooth finish. The formula is also meant to help soften and smooth the lips.
Bois De Santal #44 (£18) is a true rose with no shimmer. The pigmentation is rich and vibrant (as were the other shades I swatched). Its a very long lasting formula and the inclusion of an inbuilt sharpener at the end of the pencil is something I really appreciate.
I've had this for a while as I was trying to see if I could make this work but its not happening.
Immediately on application I noticed the dryness, it does not feel comfortable. I do not get a smooth looking colour, it seems to suck up any moisture and creates endless little lines on my lips which I find ageing.
If I apply a heavy layer of balm then this is wearable, however with the inclusion of the balm the rich colour is quietened, which given as the colour/pigment was the main attribute of this product its not the desired result.
I have seen a lot of great reviews for these lip liners so am surprised I didn't get on with it, especially as I don't have particularly dry lips.
If I was shopping with you I'd be moving you swiftly away from the lip liner display.

Ingredients:

I bought this from Debenhams