Kosmea Daily Skincare

I love being introduced to new brands, one of the best things about being a blogger is the introduction to brands you might never have heard of, thought of using or have put off using.  Kosmea is an Australian skincare brand which has recently become available in the UK and when I was offered the opportunity to put some of their products to the test I jumped at the chance.  Why? well I liked their ethos for a start which is "skincare as nature intended" which for me intrigued me enough to want to find out more. 

The products are based around the certified healing properties of organic Rosehip Oil which is packed full of essential fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants making it ideal for ideal for dry, scarred, sensitive and sun-damaged skin.  Kosmea products also contain no SLS, mineral oils, petrochemicals and artificial colours or fragrances.

The two products I was sent to try was the replenishing moisturising cream and radiance 24/7 youth boost.

Replenishing Moisture Cream 50ml - £28.95

Described as being "Like a multi-vitamin pill for the skin and the perfect base for make-up" it is suitable for all skin types and contains: Rosehip Oil, Carrot Oil, Shea Butter, Vitamin E, Rose Flower Water, Jojoba Seed Oil, horsetail, nettle and Green Tea just to name a few!

When I first went to use this cream I was surprised to find that it wasn't that perfect white colour I had been so used to using with other moisturising creams, instead it has a slightly yellow tone to it.  The formula is fairly thick in texture and you need just the smallest amount to cover your entire face and neck.  When using this cream you are advised to apply after cleansing and then massage it into your face and neck.

Once applied to the skin, the first thing you notice is the lovely scent.  The kind of scent you find in a spa during a facial, that lovely clean essential oil scent that is really relaxing and leaves you safe in the knowledge the ingredients are doing something nice to your skin, which, in this case they are. The Organic rose hip oil helps to nurture your skin because it hosts skin-protecting antioxidants and essential fatty acids. The carrot oil provides a natural source of Vitamin A which then helps to improve elasticity. Horsetail and nettle extract, for me the two most intriguing ingredients are said to aid in the rebuilding of collagen, helping to plump out those fine lines and wrinkles. Green tea extract, which is an antioxidant protects against the signs of ageing.

So this cream is definitely hydrating.  With all this change in the weather, one minute it is warm, then very warm then raining, my skin becomes a bit of a nightmare and needs a bit of TLC and this cream has been absolutely amazing at keeping my face hydrated.  I am lucky that I am yet to find those fine lines or wrinkles, but what it has done is ease the puffiness under my eyes due to lack of sleep and it has left my skin looking much healthier, much more plumper and my complexion that bit brighter, meaning as one of my colleagues says "OOh you are positively glowing today, what make-up or cream are you slapping on"!

Radiance 24/7 Youth Boost - 20ml £29.95

Described as being a product which "Boost your skins radiance 24/7 with this powerhouse combination of antioxidant rich berry oils". it arrives in this little 20ml glass bottle and excitingly has a pipette to help with distribution. It uses the active ingredients of rose hip oil, seabuckthorn oil, apricot oil, pomegranate oil and camelia oil.

As someone with combination skin which leads towards the oily side, I was always afraid of using facial oils, I assumed quite wrongly that I would be left with an even shinier looking face, when in actual fact, every oil I have tried has done the exact opposite.

Firstly the oil is a bright orange colour, almost the colour of carrots and it has quite a fruity scent to it.  Naturally because this is an oil, its consistency is obviously very runny, but once it is on the skin, it does absorb very well into the skin, and it doesn't leave any oily residue behind.  I have found that just three drops of the oil is plenty to ensure my face has been covered.  So using the pipette, I drop the oil into the palm of my hands, rub them together and apply to my face, as with any cream, massaging the oil into the skin.  

When it comes to using this oil, the instructions advise you to apply 2-3 drops to clean, damp skin morning and night, I have been using this two or three times a week in an evening after I have double cleansed rather than in a morning and once it is on the skin, there is a definitely softness and when I wake up the following morning, my skin is so soft and smooth, I almost don't feel the need to add a moisturiser to my face (but of course I do).

I have become a huge fan of these two products, whenever I feel my skin is in need of a boost and some TLC, these products are the ones I would go too without question. 

Have you tried any products from Kosmea? 

My Favourite Products of 2013 - Part 3

So far I have brought to you my favourite hair and body and lip products for 2013 and today you get to read about my favourite face products.

Face

I found this one of the easiest categories to put together from all of the ones that I am sharing with you in this little series of posts.

DermaCo Revitalising Toner - I was introduced to DermaCo back in August and reviewed the product I am featuring today which you can see HERE.  This is my second bottle of the Toner which shows how much I really like.  It looks really good alonside my other products which sit on my bedside table and when I use it, it leaves me skin feeling soft, smooth and incredibly clean and there is no horrible chemical scent which used to put me off wanting to use Toners.

HealGel Face and Eye - Two products that would always feature in my favourites because they are just that.  I reviewed the Eye product which you can find HERE and the Face version is coming up on my blog shortly. From the packaging which is superb to the effects this product claims and lives up to, it is brilliant.

Balance Me Radiance Face Oil - One of my favourite brands to date, Balance Me introduced me to the world that is facial oil, a product that I never thought I would be able to using having combination/oily skin.  This was the first facial oil I used and I reviewed it HERE and I still love how it makes my skin feel.

La-Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water - a product I bought on the recommendation of other bloggers and one that I have enjoyed using, particularly when we had that hot blast of weather in the summer. I reviewed it HERE and love how it refreshed my skin whilst cooling me down during those hot few weeks.

Simple Kind to Skin Illuminating Radiance Cream - I am a huge huge fan of Simple products because you get exactly what you pay for and they do what they claim to do.  I love this Skin Illuminating Radiance Cream which I reviewed HERE and I love how it made my skin feel once I had applied it and it certainly adds a little something.

Origins High Potency Night A Mins Mineral Enriched Renewal Cream - Which is a bit of a mouthful to say but worth saying.  I got this cream in my goody bag after attending my very first blogger event with Company magazine and I had been looking for a good night cream and having been given this decided to try it out.  A review of it is coming soon but what I can say about it is that the cream itself is a really lovely texture which sinks into your skin as soon as it is applied and in the morning when I wake up, my skin feels lovely and moisturised, so it is especially good when my skin is needing a little TLC.

There you have my favourite skin care products of 2013, seven of them in total and each one of them has been a product I have gone back to time and time again.  

Would or have any of these products feature in your favourite products list?

Unusually balanced - that's me!!

Unlike most people, I am quite new to the Balance Me range, until this particular product I was yet to actually try something from the range, despite seeing them everywhere.

Radiance Face oil tells you that it will "enhance skins natural lustre" and that it is 100% natural.  I also like that on the back of the box, as shown below you can read the following - "smooth away the years with our highly emollient, 100% natural face oil.  Skin lacking in lustre is enhanced with a rich, replenishing blend of naturally active and smoothing ingredients. Don't be afraid to use this if your skin is prone to congestion as oil on oil is extremely balancing, hydrating and comfortable to wear".

That little blurb on its own answered the question for me as to whether or not having combination skin; leading more to the oily side would work well with this oil.  Never in my life have I used a product like this on my skin, more through fear of expecting to turn into a bottle of vegetable oil and making my skin super shiny, however until you try it I guess you just never know.

Inside the box I was surprised to find how lovely the glass bottle looked, the oil itself is almost orange and reminded me a little bit of some extra virgin olive oil that I have in my cupboard.  This 30ml bottle comes complete with a little pipette that you use to dispense the oil onto your hands. The reason you drop it onto your hands is because your body's natural temperature helps to warm up the oil as the 'directions' show on the side of the box, which again you can see in the picture below. 

I like how clear the directions of use are and that it explains fully how to use this oil to get the full benefits such as massaging in circular motions and words such as toxins, circulation and boost cell renewal all catch the eye and attention as you read.

When you first apply this to your face, I was surprised, infact I was so surprised at how non-greasy it felt.  I had been expecting to find a mini oil slick on the palms of my hands but quite the opposite, as soon as you apply to your face it has absorbed itself in double quick time leaving nothing behind except glowing skin that was silky smooth to the touch. My skin hasn't broken out in any spots, it doesn't irritate my skin nor make it itchy, all of which has slightly surprised me, again having never used oil on combination skin I was waiting for something to go wrong - it didn't.  Usually around the time of my monthly visit I sometimes get one or two spots around my chin which annoy me because I'm not used to having them, using this product they didn't even make an appearance, again another thumbs up from me.

All of the ingredients within this oil are natural and you have no less than 8 base oils which includes:

• Amazonian Buriti Nut, Cameilla and Rosehip Oil all of which work to reduce redness and address uneven skin tones and minimise the visible signs of scarring. 
• Add to that Yarrow, Benzoin and Roman Camomile which work together to create a highly moisturising effect.  
• You will also find Sweet Almond Oil which smells divine and again helps to keep your skin feeling soft, smooth and moisturised and finally there is grape seed oil, again an ingredient that works with the other 7 and again has moisturising properties for the skin.

When I use this oil, I tend to use it first thing in the morning after getting out of the shower and before I go to bed having removed all my make-up and the days dirt and grime and before I add any extra moisturiser even though some days I feel as though my skin is not in need of anything else.  The smell is perhaps the one thing I'm not too keen on, I had hoped the sweet almond oil would be the dominant fragrance within this product but what you get is something quite herb like, and it isn't off-putting in any way and wouldn't stop me from using it.

This product retails at £30 for a 30ml bottle from the Balance Me website which isn't cheap but when you are only using 3 - 4 drops per day, it is certainly going to last quite a while.  I have no hesitations when it comes to recommending this facial oil, I love how it makes my skin feel, I love the pipette application because it is so different to the products I would usually use and makes applying it a little lore fun. A great face oil that does leave your skin feeling soft and smooth to the touch whilst leaving your skin glowing.  For me this would be a definite re-purchase.

Which balance me products do you use?

Have you tried any face oils?