My 5 Fav Beauty Products for November

I’ve never had a stable beauty routine, I change it up on a regular basis and for two reasons… I have ‘uncooperative’ skin, and because I’m a brand nut and I’m easily sucked in by beautiful brand design and packaging. I figured because I’m always on the look out for products that catch my eye {and do what they say they’re going to do} I’d start to share my favs on a regular basis. These are my 5 Best Beauty Products for November…

I should point out that I have sensitive combination skin; at times extremely dry but I also suffer breakouts. At 29 it’s often upsetting and embarrassing to still have fickle skin. But hey, you get what you’re given and you learn to live with it… and good products help 😉

La Roche-Posay • Micellar Cleansing Water for Face, Eyes & Lips
Soap-free. Alcohol-free. Colorant-free. Paraben-free. 
This gentle non-drying cleanser & makeup remover is easily the lightest cleanser I’ve ever used – it is literally just like water but removes all traces of makeup including mascara, and bright lipsticks. It uses thermal spring water and ‘Micellar technology’ which works like tiny magnets to attract and capture make-up and impurities on the skin while respecting its pH balance. No need to rinse off… the girl loves a one stop shop.

MR SMITH • Balancing Shampoo & Conditioner
Made in Australia. SLS, Paraben & Silicone Free.
This bottle sold me in one second flat. But, it’s also a really amazing Aussie product. Infused with shea butter, avocado and jasmine oil it has really subtle natural fragrance. And in fact when you read the list of ingredients you’ll see that it also contains mandarin peel oil, lime oil & patchouli oil. It’s really no wonder that it’s doing wonders for my hair.

Antipodes • Manuka Honey Face Mask
Made in NZ. Features Manuka Honey Active 20+, Pohutukawa Bloom & Vanilla Pod.
We have all heard the benefits of Manuka honey, and if you haven’t – hop to it. With potent antibacterial properties this mask is especially suited to blemish prone skin… perfect! If you have skin like me then you’ll associate with steering clear of masks for fear of exacerbating an already fragile facial situation. But this is beautiful – it goes on as a thick cream, leave for 15mins & rinse off. Leaves skin feeling soft, moisturised & fresh.

Antipodes • Apostle Skin-Brightening Serum
100% natural ingredients with 74% from organic cultivation. Dermatologically Approved.
Lucky it has a nice bottle because the serum itself does not look like most… in fact it’s a muddy brown colour and if it wasn’t for the long, long, list of goodies within the ingredients you might think again lol. But the fact is it’s a water-based serum intent on helping correct dull, blemished an uneven skin, even claiming to reduce the effects of over production of melanin causing pigmentation. I’ve just started using this alongside the Manuka Mask so time will tell if it helps my pesky sun spots which have started to creep in over the last 2 years. In the mean time, it is packed with goodness {and you know it is – because it’s brown, right?} and leaves my skin feeling ever so slightly tight, toned and prepped for moisturiser + makeup.

Nude by Nature • Liquid Mineral Concealer
Enriched with Vitamin E, Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter. Free from: Talc, Silicon, Phthalates, Sulphates, PEGS, Siloxanes, Triclosans, Phenoxyethanol or Parabens. Also fragrance-free.
After my BFF put me onto mineral makeup about 8 years ago, I haven’t looked back. It’s been a god send for my skin. But, I’ve struggled to get the same level of coverage from mineral products and I don’t like to wear a lot of makeup. Enter, this little baby. This tiny tube has become a saviour… I have redness, I have sun spots, I have breakouts, and hand-on-heart this product gives awesome cover. I use it every day and it’s gorgeous dewy-ness also helps combat the dry-look finish I get from mineral powders. Highly recommend.