Skin

i have a bit of an obsession with beauty products. not make-up – i just use concealer, mascara, this stuff and maybe some lipstick  if i’m feeling fancy. make-up actually just intimidates me, and mostly i’m too lazy to figure out what to do (even though watching tutorials is totally mesmerizing). but stuff that cleans the skin, stuff that makes you smell nice and that you’d like to think give you a glow-ey & dewy complexion are like crack to me. beauty crack!

face washes and anything that involves lots of foam and water tend to dry my skin out and just irritate it, really. so these days i have really been getting into oils, serums & cleansing balms and anything that is full of natural ingredients.  if you’re interested in what oil cleansing is then read this (hilarious) blog post about it by Merl Kinzie. this one by Alex Raye is also very informative. i made myself some DIY cleansing oil and it works wonderfully, but still i can’t resist the temptation of trying new products. i’m also blaming the chicks at All Dolled Up, which is a great beauty blog if you’re a South African looking for beauty product tips.

so, here are some things that i have used, would like to use or have heard are great. maybe you’ve tried some – or have some tips for me? please hit me up with some beauty blogs that you love to read, too!

Aesop

i must admit that i have become a little bit obsessed with Aesop ever since Loading Bay in Cape Town started stocking their products. i LOVE Breathless, it is probably my favourite product ever. while not a cleansing oil, you can use it all over your body and also in the bath. similarly, ginger flight therapy is just a treat more than anything – it’s a roll-on oil that i used it on the plane on the way to and from NYC last year and then also every day in lieu of perfume, now that smell will always remind me of our honeymoon. Remove is a great basic oil make-up remover.

Kiehl’s

i know that this is an obvious one for the list, and i actually ended up buying their Midnight Recovery Concentrate solely because i’d  heard it mentioned on blogs and by people i follow on twitter. i am yet to see the miracles it apparently works, but i do love the smell. it’s really expensive, so will have to see if it’s a buy again item.

Lush

i haven’t actually tried Ultrabland, but every time i go into Lush i am tempted to buy it (and not just because the salespeople are SO helpful and chirpy). when all the rest of the stuff in my bathroom runs out i will certainly give it a try, mostly because i like the idea of a product being “bland”. it’s bland, and it works. well, it’s made with honey, essential oils and beeswax so i doubt it’s actually bland at all. you can buy locally at the South African online store as well.

Herbivore Botanicals

if i lived in the states i would have ordered plenty of their products by now, just going on their lovely packaging. i like the sound of their  Nourish Facial Serum which contains all organic vegan ingredients including rosehip, argan, jojoba oil & carrot seed. a lovely cheaper alternative to Kiehl’s i think.

Pollen & Wax

also selling on etsy, Pollen & Wax makes some rad natural & organic beauty products. the luxe Calliope Serum is filled with antibacterial essentials, astringent oils and restorative lipids and their Peridot cleansing oil is a nice alternative for those who don’t feel like DIY’ing their own. lots of other tempting serums & things in this shop.

REN

this cleansing balm smells amazing and it really works amazingly well. i actually prefer this to the home-made oil cleanser that i made, a balm is just firmer and almost easier to smoosh around on your face. PRICEY though. will see how long it lasts.

Joa

i have only read about Goe Oil, what people like to call a “miracle balm”. similar to Elizabeth Arden’s famous 8 hour cream (which i DON’T like at all) you can use it to soothe anything and everything – plus it’s all natural. it really does sound amazing; containing  rosehip, jojoba butter, jojoba oil, avocado butter, beeswax, shea butter, rosemary extract, vitamin E, chamomile oil etc etc etc.

Lulu & Marula

this is a local brand that i am eager to try, everything is handcrafted in small batches by founder Jesslyn Schlamm. a great option for South Africans looking to get into cleansing balms and the like without spending hundreds of bucks on imported stuff. they have cleansing balms and treatment oils and other cool things at their online shop.

Rodin

if there’s one product on this list that i want most of all, it’s Olio Lusso by Linda Rodin. there’s a cool interview with her here. Oilio Lusso is all kinds of expensive, so will have to see about this one. you can also buy it at Need Supply Co.

The Body Shop

i haven’t tried their Camomile Cleansing Oil yet, but i have heard it’s good – basic – and also a very affordable option.

French Girl

another etsy shop with lovely affordable oils & things that are 100% vegan & organic and doesn’t contain any shit like parabens and sulfates etc. they also carry other treat-yo-self kinda things like solid perfume and products for men.