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My Favourite Facial Cleanser

Like many women out there I’ve been “blessed” with extremely sensitive skin. Redness, irritation, allergies and spots – you name it I’ll be walking around with it! This has meant a lot of things for me, most of which are tiny inconveniences throughout my daily life. I avoid the Sun like a vampire because I get dryness and sunburn incredibly quickly. I can’t wear most perfumes or make up products because I’ll start breaking out in red splotches and itching, though I’ve found many mineral alternatives that have eased this especially annoying inconvenience.

What’s worse is that I get quite oily skin easily, meaning a lot of moisturisers just don’t cut it to provide moisture without leading to massive bouts of breakouts all over my skin and a generally all over icky feeling of having your skin smothered. What I need is a cleanser that doesn’t include powerful chemicals that will make my face into a red clown’s mask in a matter of seconds, but will still remove the oils from my face so I don’t end up with blackheads and annoying breakouts.

I looked at heaps of stuff like mineral cleansers and homeopathic cleansing methods but a lot of the time it was too harsh or just didn’t really do much to relieve a day’s worth of oil, sweat and grime. When I was back at home somebody suggested SK-II Facial Treatment Gentle Cleanser. It was a little pricey for my student likings but I was willing to give anything a go at that time and it had received some glowing reviews online. When I tried it I immediately understood what all the people had been talking about… My skin felt really smooth afterwards and clean but not tight and dry like some of the more overpowering cleanser that make my skin red and raw. For my sensitive and slightly oily skin type I noticed I stopped getting as many pimples as I used to (though still a few occasionally) and the pleasant subtle scent of the product was a great bonus as well. It’s also great as a makeup remover, taking off layers of foundation and lipstick without a trace and doesn’t sting the eyes of nose at all.

 

Even with the price I’ve made an effort to stick by this SK-II product, but I haven’t tried anything else from their range because of the prices but I had a browse through their website (http://www.sk-ii.com.au) the other day and saw some products that l definitely needed to try on my skin. Who knows, maybe all their products are perfect for my skin type. 

 

A Charm Bracelet For My First Paycheck!

I got my first pay check on Wednesday and with a bit of indecision I decided I’d treat myself with a charm bracelet! I’m immensely happy to finally see the ‘fruits of my labour’ I decided it was time to go out and buy myself a little something to celebrate. Since it is my first real Aussie shopping trip (groceries don’t count!) I wanted to make it something that would last my whole life and something that could remind me of all the great experiences I’ve had and am going to have through the next few years. The first thought was jewellery, like an opal necklace (did you know 97% of the world’s opal is mined in Australia???), but I really couldn’t afford anything too expensive and wanted to save something away, perhaps for a car or holiday one day around the country.
I was lost for ideas when I saw an ad on a bill board for Pandora Jewellery. It’s really popular here, especially in the Northern Beaches area where a lot of the girls I work with are from. It’s the perfect gift for a special occasion or to collect mementos: the company’s motto is all about expressing individual personality and celebrating special moments. What women usually do is buy a bracelet with one or two charms on it, then add to it as the years go by. A couple of the girls at my workplace had had cute 21^st charms on their bracelets for a couple of years. Also, the bracelet and charms are relatively inexpensive compared to some of the gold and opal necklaces I had a quick look at in some shops, and are a casual enough style to be worn with any outfit, casual or formal.


I was convinced right away and did a quick Google around, finding the company’s website which had this really cool preview tool that lets you mix together any kind of bracelet and charm combination from their range of jewelleries. I had heaps of fun playing around with the tool, even though it doesn’t quite compare with seeing the real product in real life. The charms and bracelets in the collection are all really high quality and some of them have really small and intricate details which I loved. Some of the Murano glass designs were a definite must-buy in the future.

I finally settled on a dark brown charm bracelet with a wooden bead charm (matching my new hair haha) and a silver kangaroo charm with adorable baby joey in its pouch to celebrate my arrival and successful first few weeks in this beautiful country! I’m even planning the next charms to go on my bracelet I’m so excited…Maybe an opal charm or a country’s landmark for any travelling I might do in the future. Can’t wait!
Till Next Time,
Deborah

A New Hair Colour For A New City

I’ve only been in Sydney for a month or so and I still feel like a bit of a stranger. Between house shopping and a new workplace I haven’t had time to explore the city which is huge compared to my humble hometown. I thought to myself “maybe I should change something about myself to celebrate being in this new city and a starting a new part of my life”. I got really excited but then I realised that I didn’t really have the money for a full on makeover with new clothes, makeup and accessories – I haven’t even gotten my first pay check yet! But I remembered when I was in high school my friends and I would change our hair colour every second week just for fun!

I wanted to relive those crazy times so I decided I’ll change my hair colour! Also I thought that I might try my hand at home hair colouring as I’ve never done it myself and don’t have the money for a full salon experience. My time here was meant to be all about new experiences after all!

I asked some of the other girls at my office if had tried home hair colouring and if they would recommend anything to me. One of the girls said that Clairol home hair colouring treatments were worked pretty well for her and as a bonus was easy on the wallet! I picked one up at the local supermarket and went my new adventure. I thought it was best to be safe as I’ve never done this before so I chose a permanent hair colour formula and only went a few shades darker (I’m naturally a light mousy brown/dark blondish at the roots).
Thanks to some tips I got from my workmates the process was pretty easy… I left bits of hair uncoloured and tried to apply it evenly, but a little stronger in some places over others so I wouldn’t end up with boring one-dimensional hair. Of course, if you’re going for a more intense colour change then even appliance is key!!! Other than that the only lessons I have for prospecting home hair colour adventurers are to use old towels and clothes and read the instructions carefully.  The colour came out pretty close to the box’s display and I was fairly happy, but I’ll have to wait a few weeks until I can say anything about the lasting power of Clairol nice n easy formula.

So, overall a good results and do feel a lot better about being in a foreign country!! I might also look around for a cheap digital camera as I’ve still got an old-fashioned flip phone and it’s be great to have some pictures of this beautiful city on my blog as well.
Till next time,
Deborah