Review: Sorbet Skincare

Did someone say Sorbet?? No no no silly, not the yummy frozen dessert, the new beauty salon brand! This beauty salon has taken South Africa by storm in recent years and has now released their very own skin care line. So when I heard about this, I had to try out some products for myself! Here's what I got:

1. Pore Your Heart Out Facial Brush

Facial brushes have finally reached our shores! There are now a variety of facial brushes to choose from: the Clarisonic (launching at Stuttafords in January), Clinique, Olay, Foreo, Braun and D-Quip facial brush. However, I decided to test out the Sorbet facial brush as its not as expensive than the others and looked promising. Boy was I right!!! The brush comes with 3 heads - daily cleansing (white and grey bristles), exfoliating (white bristles) and a sensitive brush head (silicone bristles). My personal fave is the sensitive head as its not too abrasive on the skin and almost feels like I'm giving my face a massage! The brush comes with a USB charging cable and a stand/ storage pod for the unused brush heads. Another major plus side about this brush? It only retails for R250!! This definitely gets a thumbs up from me!

PS. Remember, don't over brush your face!!! It may cause more harm than good if you use the facial brush for too long. Keep the brush for approximately 10-15 seconds on each area of your face.

2. Salon Skin Daily Skin Polish

I decided to give this exfoliator a try because for some reason, it reminded me of the daily microfoliant from Dermalogica. This exfoliator contains salicylic acid, vitamin A, C and E, essential oils and rice powder to micro-exfoliate dead skin off and bring out that radiant and brighter skin! It is in powder form and needs to be dissolved with a bit of water to form a paste. I instantly noticed results with this product and have to say that it delivers true to word! The one important  note I had read on the box is that when using this product, it is imperative to apply sunscreen to your face as it makes your skin more sensitive to sun exposure. Either way ladies, you all should be using sunscreen every day regardless!!! This product retails for R220. Compared to the Dermalogica microfoliant that sells for R850, I'd say this is a beauty bargain!

3. Salon Skin 3-in-1 Cleansing Oil

My trusty Chamomile Cleansing Oil from The Body Shop had just finished and I was tempted into trying this one, even though I love the chamomile cleansing oil. I use cleansing oils to remove my makeup in the evenings, and not as my daily cleanser. Also, I always double cleanse at night - first with my cleansing oil to remove makeup, and then with my daily cleanser to remove any excess that didn't come off during the first cleanse. This cleansing oil was much thinner than TBS one and did remove my makeup. My skin did feel a little greasy after use, but it went away after my second cleanse. On the plus side though, it smells amazing! Just like the daily skin polish, it has a lovely lavender scent. 

4. Hydrating Face Masks

I have been using these sheet masks for some time now and LOVE them for my dry skin. It provides hydration like you wont believe! When it comes to my dry, dehydrated skin, this is the perfect pick-me-up that leaves my skin soft and moisturised. I use them at night and leave it on for about 18 minutes after which I remove the sheet mask and massage the left over serum into my skin and decolletage. For those of you who have oily skin or dont need to extra moisture, try out the other masks - they have one for every skin type!

Have any of you tried any of the Sorbet Skin Care products? 

Coffee Kisses,

N.

A few of my favourite things: November

November has come and gone so fast! This month was a stressful one indeed, with the completion of my final exams and finally getting started on my blog. Nonetheless, I did have a few favourites this month that have really been of great use to avoid the zombie look during exams!

1. Freeman Apricot Facial Creamy Scrub

I have been loving this scrub ever since I first tried it! It smells amazing, just like apricots and I find that most scrubs that contain apricot kernel oils work best at exfoliating the skin and giving you a radiant complexion. I use this scrub 2-3 times a week and notice immediate brightness after use. The plus side? It works well with all skin types!

2. Dior Hydra Life BB Cream

I'm not really one for foundations. If you have good enough skin that doesn't need a lot of coverage then why use one? So when BB creams began to take over the beauty world I was the first to hop on to the bandwagon! I love everything that BB creams stand for - radiance, moisture, flawless complexion, light and easy to blend. Ever since the release of BB creams, I have been trying and testing many in hopes of finding the perfect one. So far I have been using the Dior Hydra Life BB cream which looks to be the most promising. Whilst it being on the higher end of beauty brands and sightly more expensive than others, it works wonders on me and delivers to its claims.

3. MAC Matte Lipstick in No Faux Pas (Limited Edition)

With Summer here, the bright lipsticks have come out to play! I recently got this lipstick from the Mac Heirloom Mix collection. What I love about this particular lipstick is that it is matte, so it provides a long lasting wear. No matter how much you drink, eat or talk, it stays put! It is not drying on the lips and gives your makeup look a pop of colour - perfect for summer!

4. The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Doll (Limited Edition)

To be honest, I got sucked in to buying this because of the packaging. How cute is it!?? Not only is this cute though, it is an amazing stain. Once applied to the lips or cheeks, it leaves an immediate red stain that wont budge unless you use makeup remover. If you are using this as a cheek stain, I would suggest that you work fast because of its staining power. Its very light weight and I personally like this more than the Benetint from Benefit. I got this for free during the 3-for-2 special that is currently running, so you might want to hurry up and get yours now as it is limited edition!

5. The Body Shop Lip Scuff

Due to my new found love for matte lipsticks, it has been taking a toll and drying out my lips. So I have tried numerous lip scrubs but none work as well as this one does. It smells quite minty and as soon as you apply it, it smoothes away the flakey dry bits off your lip and moisturises at the same time. What more could one as for in a lip scrub!

6. NYX Love in Paris Eyeshadow Palette - Let them eat cake

This eyeshadow palette reminds me a lot of the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette with a mix of neutral and rose gold shades. I love these colours for summer and can be paired with a bright or nude lip! The palette has a variety of matte, satin and shimmer shades, making it very versatile.

7. Real Techniques Contour Brush

My most recent make up obsession is all about contouring! If done correctly and not too heavily, it can really give a face some definition. I found the contouring video by Pink Peonies very helpful and learnt a lot. Click here to watch the video. 

I have been loving this contour brush from the Core Collection kit along with my Smashbox Halo blush in Bronze. I got my RT brushes from London a few months ago. However, do not despair my dears! I have found an amazing brand that is currently retailing the Real Techniques Core Collection kit in South Africa for R250! Golden Rose Cosmetics is a make up brand that has become increasingly popular with make up academies and artists in the country. Their website is currently under construction but if you would like to purchase the brushes from them, kindly contact: 0835427352. 

8. L.A. Girl Gel Eyeliner

I am useless at applying eyeliner! Always end up looking like a panda or raccoon.. I was quite skeptical about trying gel liner at first and decided to try out an inexpensive one in case it was not the easiest application. But boy was I wrong! I find gel eyeliner so much more easier to apply than liquid liner. It goes on smooth and doesn't run down my eyelashes like some of the liquid ones. Even more amazing is that this affordable eyeliner is one of the best quality gel liners that doesn't dry up so fast. Make sure to get your hands on one of these bad boys that retails for R59, 99 at your nearest Dischem.

Coffee Kisses,
N. 

Review: Revlon Colourburst Lip Balm Stains

For a long time, I have been in search for a lip product that would stay put all day long and require no touch ups. Numerous products have been released that claim to have so and so many hours of wear, but there's the rare few that actually do hold true to its claims. The Revlon Colorburst Lip Balm Stains are definitely one of those from the rare gems!

(L - R) Sultry, Unapologetic, Whimsical and Elusive

I have 3 matte balms (Elusive, Unapologetic and Sultry) and 1 lacquer balm (Whimsical). The matte balms are highly pigmented, super creamy and non-drying. This is one of the reasons why I love them so much as most of the matte lip products in the market can be very drying and flakey on the lips. On the other hand, the lacquer balm is more glossy and less opaque than the matte balms. I find that they don't particularly stain the lips as well as the matte balms do. I love the whole chubby crayon concept that these colorburst balm stains have. It makes application so much more easier! The outer packaging is somewhat true to colour, but when applied on lips, it may look different. These balms all have the minty smell when applied at first, but go away after a while. I personally like the scent, but it may bother some people.

Whimsical can be described as a berry tone, with a slight purple tint to it. What I don't really like about this one though is that it does have chunky glitter that shows up distinctly on the lips. The matte balms are AMAZING! Elusive is a cooler toned pink that may not suit darker skin tones. On lighter skin however, it would be the perfect pinky nude or a MLBB (my lips but better) shade. The reason I got Sultry in the first place is because I thought it would be the perfect "Kylie Jenner lip colour" that is currently going viral around the world. Sultry is a very 90's shade but slightly more on the pink side. I love this colour for days when I don't want a bright or bold lip! The last colour has got to be the perfect summer lip colour - Unapologetic is a bright coral pink that will suit almost all skin tones. I did find this balm to be more patchy than the other two and did tend to stick to dry areas on my lips. I blotted the patchy areas with my fingers and found this to work well with making it look much more smoother. If you do have dry or cracked lips and still want to wear this gorgeous colour, a good lip scrub would help!   

Lip Swatches:

Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in Whimsical

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Elusive

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Unapologetic

Coffee Kiss Rating: 8 out of 10

These balms are currently on special at Clicks for Buy one get one free!! Get yours soon before the offer ends!

Kisses,
N.

Save your Skin! - A guide to your skincare routine

The essential element of great artwork is to start of on a clean and smooth canvas. The same concept can be expressed in terms of beauty - having healthy skin and using the right skincare is the first step. Some of us may find it overwhelming with the variety of skincare products on the shelves these days. However, what makes for great skincare is using the correct products that suit your skin type. Here's a few ways on how to identify your skin type:

• Normal skin - skin is not too oily nor too dry, almost no visible pores or sensitivity

• Combination skin - skin can be oily in some areas (mostly the T-zone) and dry in other areas of the face, prone to blackheads and pores are more visible

• Dry skin - skin has a tight feeling, pores are invisible, flakey or red patches appear, lines easily form on face and complexion is dull

• Oily skin - skin is acne prone, pores are enlarged and shiny complexion 

Now that you know your correct skin type, we can move on to the important part of skincare, that is the routine that should be followed. If products are applied in any random order, it may not actively work to improve your skin! This is why it is crucial to know these steps:

1. Cleansing

I cannot even begin to express how important it is to cleanse your face in the mornings AND nights! One of the first things I do is wash my face when I wake up each morning. This is because as you sleep, your skin regenerates and leaves a layer of dead skin on top. Furthermore...remember that your skin will perspire at night! So when you wake up with that amazing angelic glow, don't be too excited..it's just sweat that needs to be cleansed away. 

Another huge mistake ladies tend to make is not cleansing at night. Firstly, if your'e wearing makeup for the day, why would you want to sleep with all of that product on your face?? Even if its simply mascara and BB cream, it needs to come off before going to bed! Sleeping with makeup on is one of the worst things you can do for your skin. Also, during the day your skin is exposed to harsh environmental stressors. Cleansing will help to remove such impurities and keep your skin healthy. 

2. Toning

Is a toner really necessary? A definite yes!!! If you asked me this a few years ago I may have said no, as I believed it did absolutely nothing for my skin. Clearly I was using a useless toner as it can make a significant difference in your skincare routine! Toning actually helps to restore and repair the skin's surface after cleansing. The appropriate toner for your skin can do wonders! 

3. Eye Cream

An eye cream should be applied after toning and before applying serum and moisturizer. This is because the eye cream needs to get to the area under the eye and get absorbed. If you apply a serum or moisturizer first and then the eye cream, it will jut sit on top of the skin and wont be absorbed to do its functions. Keep an eye out for an upcoming post dedicated to eye creams.

4. Serums/ Facial Oils

A serum acts as a means of treating your specific skin condition whilst a moisturizer treats the skin type. On the other hand, facial oils (typically used at night) are used to assist the skin in regenerating as you sleep - Another reason why its so necessary to cleanse in the morning! Serums and facial oils work best before you apply your moisturiser because it will help with the absorption of the active ingredients in your moisturizer. When applying facial oils, its always best to apply a few drops in your hand, warm it up with your fingertips and gently pat it onto your face.

5. Moisturiser + SPF 

A moisturiser is just as important as a cleanser and toner. Regardless of how oily your skin may be, a moisturiser must always be used in order to hydrate the skin's layer and provides a layer of protection. The last step would be to apply an SPF for face. A common misconception is that if it is not sunny outside, you don't need to apply sunblock. ALWAYS wear a sunblock, even on those gloomy days! It poses many benefits, which your skin will be thankful for as you age. Thanks to skincare guru, Caroline Hirons, I learnt that using a separate moisturiser and sunblock works better than a single moisturiser that includes SPF. To find out why, click here.

On that note, there are many ways to improve your skin's condition besides skincare products. Eating healthy, drinking lots of water, exercise, taking supplements and even green tea may also lead to amazing skincare benefits! If you do have any skincare routine tips that I may have missed, feel free to leave a comment below. I look forward to learning more! 

N.