dehydrated skin? HYDRALURON to the rescue!

Now I'm not some sort of qualified beautician/ skin specialist however I don't think it takes a genius to figure out that our skin can change depending on the season. So as a result of the change in season, it's somewhat necessary to change up our skincare routine in order to cater for these additional needs (doesn't need to be dramatic however). Lots of people with oily/combination skin are of the view it is impossible for them to have dehydrated skin. I also can't emphasise this misconception enough - people with oily/combination skin can also have dehydrated skin too.

Anyway, back to the point. I myself have combination skin and seldom get breakouts. For most of my teenage - adult life I didn't try/use that many serums despite being aware of their added benefits for the skin (oops). Having said that, I have found that as I'm getting older my skin is becoming less oily around the t-zone area and more on the drier side once the cooler and colder seasons come around. So what did I do? I turned to Caroline Hiron's blog of course! I would say she's my go-to lady/ skin hero when I have a skin situation going on or if I'm itching to try new products. I'd be much more inclined to try new products that she recommends rather than simply going out on a whim on my own as I am a self-confessed sucker when it comes to marketing strategies and packaging. 

So after some reading and conducting some online research, I came across HYDRALURON by Indeed Laboratories which claims to increase the skin hydration from below the surface with an ultra-high-quality hyaluronic acid that holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Getting your hands on this serum isn't always easy due to limited stock and in Australia Hydraluron is available in Priceline/ My Chemist/ Chemist Warehouse. The serum is currently $34.99 AUD for 1.0 fl oz/ 30 ml. The serum also states that the result is a more youthful, supple appearance that looks healthy and elastic. I'll be completely honest, I was TOTALLY SOLD! Who doesn't want to have supple and healthy looking skin way into their 20-30-40-50's + ?! 

For those international viewers of this blog who are looking to get a hold of Hydraluron - the product is available at the following places:
UK/ Europe - Boots/ Romella/ Apotek;
Canada - Shoppers Drug Mart;
United States of America - Walgreens/ Duane Reade;
Malaysia - MUSE by Watsons;
Thailand - Boots Thailand; and
South Africa - Clicks.

It's an odourless, clear gel like serum that quickly absorbs into the skin. I like to rub about a generous pea sized amount into my palms and then spread it all over my face and down my neck. Then I like to finish off by doing some patting motions on the face. I find it absorbs much faster this way. After a minute or so after application, there is absolutely no sticky reside from the serum which is fantastic as I hate any skin care product that leaves a sticky/tacky residual feeling on the skin. Hyaluronic acid enables our skin to retain as much moisture as possible, and this formulation has it in a very pure form. My skin always feels instantly refreshed and hydrated after application. I love it and I'm already going on my 3rd tube! 

NOTE: this serum isn't meant to replace your usual moisteriser/ lotion/ cream. It's meant to be an additional product to your usual routine. Applying this serum alone isn't sufficient to prep your skin for makeup application nor is it sufficient to protect your skin from the natural elements. 

(Above: The Hydraluron serum comes in a gel-like formula in an easy-to-squeeze hygienic tube. The packaging is super simple which is a huge bonus as it is easy to pack and travel friendly)

(Above: After rubbing and patting the serum into the skin, the serum dries completely and there is no sticky/tacky residue left on the skin = amazing).

In the Autumn and Winter months I cannot live without my Hydraluron serum. It's an absolute life saver. I apply it to clean skin the morning after cleansing but before I properly moisterise/apply SPF to my skin. I do the same at night however the only difference is I apply a much richer night cream. 

I love this product - it definitely gives my skin that extra boost of hydration during the cooler/colder months. It is extremely lightweight and even when you do layer it under your day/ night moisteriser it doesn't feel heavy at all. As mentioned above, I do have combination skin however I have had no adverse reaction to using this product. I can't recommend this serum enough!  So for those of you who like me, occasionally need that extra boost of hydration or who simply just want to try out a new serum, this one is definitely worth checking out. I think it is extremely value for money as in my opinion, the serum lives up to the hype and delivers what it promises to do. I'm aware there are loads of other serums out there on the market but I haven't felt the need to try other ones since this one works so well for me. Hydraluron definitely gets a 10/10 and I will continue to repurchase this product. In fact, I already have 2 back up serums - haha no surprise there! Oh and before I forget...remember to keep hydrated so drink plenty of water!

Love, Twin #1

the reason why I don't own lots of cream blusher

You guys probably already this know by now. I love my lipsticks. I have lots and want to collect even more (crazy, I know!). But surprisingly, I don't have that many cream blushes. I mean, sure, I have the staple pinks, peaches, corals, but in no way do I have as many blushes as I do lipsticks. Heck, I just went and checked my makeup collection and realised that I actually only own three cream blushes (!!!) - the rest are in powder form (probably because after I apply foundation and concealer, I get super keen to seal it all in with a thin layer of face powder).

I'm much more of a lipstick person than a blush person, so I prefer to spend mah money on lipsticks seeing as (1) I'm obsessed with lipsticks (duh!); and (2) lipsticks can double up as cream blusher for me as the lipstick formulation leaves a nice long lasting "stain" on the cheek. In my opinion, it wears for much longer compared to other cream blushes plus it isn't prone to moving around/ looking patchy within a few hours after initial application. 

I tend to use my lipsticks as my cream blushers on occasions when:

1.  I don't have any blush on hand and need some colour on dem chubby cheeks (I pretty much carry a lipstick in my handbag at all times and I'm fairly pale so I can kinda look washed out at times); or

2.  I don't have a blush colour that suits the lip colour I'm wearing (In my opinion, it's good to keep the lip and blush within the same colour family or else one of the two will look slightly off. For instance, I will never wear a pink blush whilst wearing a red orange lipstick - WRONG on so many levels!); or

3.  When I'm going for a very natural/ glowy/ dewy makeup look slash I'm doing a no makeup makeup look. In these instances I only want a sheer splash of colour and nothing too heavy. Since the majority of my blush products are in powder form and they can sometimes look "full on" if you get what I mean.

4.  The lipstick colours don't sit well on my lips - meaning they are colours that look gorgeous in the bullet but once applied to my lips, they just don't look right even when I have applied a lip balm before applying the lipstick shade (this is often the result of the formula -   too milky/creamy looking = creases into all the lip lines - which isn't really my thing if ya know what I mean).

How I apply my lipsticks as blusher? - EASY!

1. Either take the lipstick bullet and apply directly onto my cheeks by dabbing small dots into a centralised area (this allows you to get excellent colour pay off); or

2. Apply the lipstick shade to my fingers first and from there apply the lipstick onto my cheeks. Pat - pat - pat until the lipstick formula is well blended. I find the intensity of the lipstick shade can be lost when doing this. However, this method does prevent the "over blushed" look. Instead it provides an ever so lightly flush of colour which is perfect when you're not going for statement cheeks (so I guess that can be a good thing too). This method may be those who can be a bit heavy handed; or

3. Apply and blend the lipstick formula onto the cheeks with a brush - preferably a buffing brush for ease. 

From personal experience, I find the warmth of your fingers will enable the lipstick to blend more seamlessly than what you could do with a brush. I also note that since these are my personal lippies and I rarely ever use my lipsticks on anyone else I have no qualms about applying the lipstick from the bullet right onto my skin. 

Also, for those lipsticks with a bit of a sheen/gloss to them - I wouldn't apply them as cream blusher as the chances of your hair getting caught up in the sticky formula on your cheeks is very, very likely.

I will be doing an updated skin routine post soon so be sure to watch this space! Have a splendid day wherever you are. Hugs and kisses from my house to yours!

Love, Twin #1 x