Camper road tests another Fathers Day gift: Pevonia Skin Fitness for HIM Kit

As I mentioned in my last Fathers Day post, Camper (this is the nickname The Crazy Kid has given my Dad as he can't quite say Grandpa yet!) is off to Hawaii next week to compete in an ocean swim. As he will be away for Fathers Day I thought that it would be most fitting if the next Fathers Day gift he road tests for us is a travel pack of skincare products. Camper won't be back from Hawaii until after Fathers Day so I thought that I would describe the pack that I am sending him away with before hand and we can hear the review upon his return.

The Pevonia Skin Fitness for HIM Kit is a sophisticated travel-ready gift collection comes that presented in a sleek skincare pouch - exactly what Camper needs! The pack contains three products:

• Aqua-Gel Foaming Cleanser 50ml
• Easy-Glide Shaving Emulsion 50ml
• Age-Defying Myoxy Caviar Balm 15ml

According to Pevonia, The Skin Fitness for HIM Kit is designed specifically for men, to address the distinct differences in their skin, the three-step range is effective in desensitising in the skin, soothing irritability, preventing folliculitis, smoothing wrinkles and rehydrating the skin!

The range contains a whole bevy of beautiful, natural ingredients to really nurture the skin including Lemon Verbena, Lavender, Patchouli, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit E), Ginkgo Biloba, Caviar, Marine Collagen, and Marine Elastin. Pevonia list the benefits of the kit as:

• Rejuvenating, anti-aging Ok, at 61 Camper might have missed the anti-ageing boat but hopefully the kit will halt the ageing process so once he is 90 people comment that he doesn't look a day older than 61!
• Smoothes wrinkles I'm sorry Camper, but you can definitely do with this...
• Firms the skin...and this!
• Non-greasy balm This is important as I know that if the balm left Camper's face feeling greasy then he wouldn't use it.
• Natural foaming cleanser Nice and easy for someone not used to cleansing.
• Promotes healthy skin Something we all need in our skincare
• Ideal post-sports/fitness Perfect for Camper as he swims around 7km in either chlorine pools or the ocean nearly every day of the week, plus plays and umpires baseball  on the weekends
• Counteracts sensitivity and irritability Daily shaving can really wreck havoc on the skin so it will be in constant need of soothing and calming 
• Prevents folliculitis I don't think that it matters what age a man is, if he is still shaving then he is still likely to get infected hair follicles from time to time so this is a must in a men's skincare product

This really is the perfect kit to send Camper over to Hawaii with as it is oing to meet both his shaving needs and nurture his skin from all he swimming that he will be doing. The only other items I need to get him are a good sunscreen and some shampoo and then all his travel beauty needs will be met. I really hope that he will enjoy using his Fathers Day gift!

The Pevonia Skin Fitness for HIM Kit is $AU105 and can be purchased online.

Are you getting you Dad any beauty products for Fathers Day? Should Camper be taking anything else with him to Hawaii. Since I have supplied Camper with all of his beauty products for his trip do you think that I should send him to Sephora with a shopping list of stuff for me??!!

Gelicious Hybrid Gel Nail Colour swatch: Afterglow

This morning I posted a pic on my Facebook Page on how my Watermelon Gelato Gelicious manicure was looking after a week. At this stage it was still completely chip free; however, I did end up getting my first chip later in the day (whilst opening a Coke). I have to admit that part of me was secretly glad I got a chip as I have been dying to try out one of my other colours plus my nails had become talons so I really wanted to cut them. We also have a family photo shoot planned for tomorrow so I thought that I should probably have a slightly more subtle colour on my nails. So I decided to use Afterglow, a super sparkly silver, as my next Gelicious manicure.

I applied the polish too thickly when I did my Watermelon Gelato manicure, and this can accelerate lifting and chipping of the polish. So this time I made sure to apply each layer very thinly. I actually used three really thin coats rather than the two thicker ones I did with the Watermelon Gelato. This meant that it didn't have that Shellac/Acrylic look to it so I applied a second coat of the top coat and this thickened it up nicely.

What are you thinking of the Gelicious colours so far? I have to say that I am pretty much sold. I did a much better job of applying it this time so it will be interesting to see if it lasts the two weeks...though I really want to test Yacht Race so it might get removed next Friday anyway!!

All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. This product was provided for consideration.

Dermalogica has Fathers Day all wrapped up!

If you are reading this blog, chances are that you are a beauty lover and, if you are anything like me, you are probably always looking for ways to smuggle beauty products into your man's life. Fathers Day might just be the perfect occasion to do just this!

Dermalogica are one of the leaders in skincare and they have a men's line specifically designed around their need to shave - making that process so much easier, and protecting the skin from the daily assault that shaving is.

To determine whether these products will be suitable as Fathers Day gifts, I have recruited two out of the three men in whom I normally buy Fathers Day gifts for - my husband (Brett) and my dad (Camper - this is what The Crazy Kid calls him as he can't quite say Grandpa!). Only my Father in law has managed to escape being a beauty guinea pig, but that's just because he is currently sunning it up somewhere in Thailand (so he might have to receive a beauty gift instead!).

Brett is 31 and has a freakishly fast growing beard. He is also fairly set in his ways and always uses the same products so I plan to knock him out of his comfort zone! He will be trialling the Clean Bar and the Pre-Shave Guard.

Dermalogica Clean Bar

Dermalogica Pre-shave Guard

Camper is 61 and is of the generation of men who were not exposed to beauty products so did little more to their skin than shave it and perhaps splash a little after shave on. I wasn't sure how he would react when I told him that he would be trialling products for me (that's right, I didn't ask him, I told him!) but I got a phone call from him today asking whether his products had arrived (I only told him about it yesterday!) so I think he might be secretly excited!

Camper is an avid swimmer who notches up around 7km a day (in fact he is off to Hawaii in two weeks to compete in an ocean swim!) so his skin is really put through its paces. He will be trialling the Daily Defense Block and the Daily Clean Scrub.

Dermalogica Daily Defense Block

Dermalogic Daily Clean Scrub

Brett and Camper should have their reviews in by the end of next week, I just wanted to introduce you to Dermalogica's men's range before then in case you are super organised with your Fathers Day shopping.

In addition to the products mentioned above, Dermalogica also have in their men's range Close Shave Oil, Invigorating Shave Gel, Post-Shave Balm, Soothing Shave Cream and the Shave System Kit. If you really want to introduce the special man in your life to the world of skincare then the Shave System Kit might just be the way to go as this kit contains everything he will need - Daily Clean Scrub (45ml), Pre-Shave Guard (25ml), Soothing Shave Cream (75ml), Post-Shave Balm (10ml), Daily Defense Block SPF15 (25ml), Invigorating Shave Gel (sample) and a Shave Brochure.

Have you ever given your special man beauty products for Fathers Day? How did he reacted - was he excited as something new to play with, or did he throw a tantrum because he was really hoping for socks and hankies or did he politely accept it but it has since been sitting in the back of the bathroom cabinet collecting dust?


All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post.

Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation

I recently wrote about my Foundation Dream Team of Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation + Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear but that post was becoming a little too epic so I reviewed the Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear in more detail (here) and will now review the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation in more detail.

I have really struggled to find a foundation that looks natural on my skin. I hate having an obvious makeup look. I have tried quite a few different brands in my quest yet I had never given Revlon a thought. No particular reason why, it is just not a brand I tend to turn towards - or should I say was. I have now discovered my ideal foundation so it makes me want to explore this brand more.

What they say: Finally, truly decadent makeup offers ultimate performance. The mousse-like texture feels like silk on your skin. And, the time release formula balances skin for a flawless look. All day flexible wear without flaking, caking or feeling heavy.

What I say: I trialled the ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation in 220 nude. I am NW20 at MAC and found that this was a good match. It might be a tad light in summer but at the moment it is an excellent match for my skin tone. I wore this foundation over the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear primer and set it with my Guerlain Meteorites Pearls.

The foundation comes in a jar yet looks like it is going to be runny; however, it isn't. The texture is really quite lovely. It is very light and whipped creme really is the best way to describe it.

I found the foundation so easy to apply. I used my fingers to apply it and it blended effortlessly. It spread like a dream and there was no obvious foundation line on my forehead or chin. Once it had been blended in, it was almost undetectable - it just left my skin looking fresh and nearly flawless.

The foundation is incredibly light feeling. Once applied it does not feel like I am wearing any foundation at all. Their description of it feeling like silk on your skin was very apt as my skin really did feel silky soft after application.

Although it is light feeling, it is also incredibly long lasting. They claim that it lasts 24 hours. I wasn't going to stay up that long to test it, nor was I going to sleep in it. I ended up wearing it for about 8 hours and in that time I did a fair amount of walking (about 5km) and it still didn't budge. It didn't slide off, nor did it look shiny or greasy. At the end of the day it still looked freshly applied. As it is long wearing, it did mean that it was somewhat hard to remove. I had to double cleanse with an oil cleanser and a normal cleanser to make sure that it had been completely removed.

The skin concerns I have at the moment are some quite noticeable pigmentation on my forehead, thanks to pregnancy, and some redness on and around my nose. I found that the foundation completely evened out the redness. It did not completely cover the pigmentation; however, I highly doubt other people would notice it - I just know to look there.



This combination of Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation + Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear left my skin looking naturally flawless and luminous without the makeup being cakey or even particularly noticeable on my skin. It is exactly what I have been searching for all these years!

I highly recommend this foundation to anyone who wants light feeling foundation that offers good coverage and is long lasting. The claims made by Revlon, the time release formula balances skin for a flawless look. All day flexible wear without flaking, caking or feeling heavy, are absolutely true - this is exactly what the foundation did.

This is my perfect foundation, my Holy Grail foundation. What is yours?

All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. The Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation was provided as part of BeautyHeaven's trial team.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear

 I recently wrote about my Foundation Dream Team of Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation + Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear but that post was becoming a little too epic so I am going to review the Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear in more detail in a post of it's own.

  



What they say: Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear is a high performance Hyaluronic Acid rich treatment which attracts and binds precious moisture to the skin; helping to swell surface cells and plump out fine lines and wrinkles, giving the skin a fresh youthful appearance. More than just a serum, Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear is an instant hydrator and skin illuminator. Microencapsulated bronzing spheres burst on application releasing a blend of mineral pigments and natural light reflecting particles leaving the skin with a radiant healthy glow.

Suitable for all skin types Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear is particularly beneficial for dehydrated ,prematurely ageing, mature, uneven complexion and lacklustre skins.

What I say: Whilst trialling this serum/primer I used both on its own (as a serum) and under foundation (as a primer). In both cases I noticed a nearly instant plumping of my skin. The fine crepey lines I have been getting (due to not drinking enough, not getting enough sleep and not taking proper care of my skin - all thanks to Kiki!), either vanished completely or were greatly diminished. Actually, the only ones that remained were the expression lines around my eyes and mouth - so true wrinkles. It is the hyaluronic acid which is responsible for the plumping effect. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant - a substance that attracts and binds water. This is great for plumping out fine lines that are due to dehydration.

My skin after applying the Liquid Gold
 Perfecting Daywear  

It left my skin feeling tight, but not in a bad way. You can see from the pic above that it also left my skin looking quite radiant. This is due to two factors. The serum contains microencapsulated bronzing spheres that burst as you apply the serum releasing mineral pigments. You can see the spheres within the serum in the two photos below. The serum also contains Matrixyl 6 which helps to optically diffuse the appearance of wrinkles and surface imperfections - basically it reflects light away from imperfections providing the illusion of perfect skin. It also leaves the skin looking subtly bronzed. I did find that it left me looking a tad shiny if I used it own its own so prefered to use it as a primer under foundation.

As a primer, it made application of foundation effortless. The foundation just glided over my skin. It really was a great canvas for makeup application. I am not sure whether it increased the wearing time of my foundation as the foundation I used with it (Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation) is meant to last 24 hours - so is long lasting anyway - but it definitely did make it very easy to apply.

One pump of the Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear

The microencapsulated bronzing spheres are evident in
the Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear as it is spread out

Once the Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear is
 rubbed in it leaves a subtle bronzing effect

The Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear is both a treatment product and a makeup item. In addition to the hyaluronic acid it also contains glycolic acid and licorice which work to resurface, brighten and refine pore size. I haven't been using the serum for long enough to comment on whether my pore size has reduced (haven't noticed any improvement so far but I have only used it a handful of times). However, the instant hydrating effect thanks to the hyaluronic acid is definitely evident as is the brightening effect from the Matrixyl 6 and the microencapsulated bronzing spheres.

When I use the Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear in combination with my Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation my skin honestly doesn't look far off perfect. I am stoked with the results of these two products, hence why I have named them my Foundation Dream Team!

Want to win a bottle of the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear? I have three different Alpha-H prize packs up for grabs, including the Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear, but get in quick as this giveaway closes on Sunday August 19th. You can enter this giveaway here.

The Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear retails for $AU89.95 and can be purchased here.

Have you discovered your Foundation Dream Team yet?

All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. A sample of this product was provided for consideration.

My foundation dream team: Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation + Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear

After perhaps a decade and a half of searching I think that I might just have found my foundation dream team: Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation used on top of Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear so I am here to review both of these wonderful products. I have previously written about my frustrations at not being about to find an 'invisible' foundation (here if you missed it) and I think that I have finally found products that are close to invisible on my skin. Hooray!! I will start with some pics of how the products look on my skin before getting into more detailed reviews.

Edit: This ended up being the worlds longest blog post - it rivalled my PhD thesis in length! As I didn't want to scare you away from reading about these great products I have decided to break this up into three different posts so that I can review each product in the depth that I like.

The first photo is of my skin without makeup. It is not too bad, some pigmentation issues on my forehead and a slight pigmentation moustache as well as redness on and around my nose. All I have on my skin is Avon's ANEW Aqua Youth Moisturising Day Lotion SPF15. Just as a little aside, I am finding the Avon Aqua Youth to be a brilliant moisturiser to wear under makeup. It has a really light gel/cream texture that absorbs nearly instantly into my skin leaving it fresh, hydrated and not at all greasy. It is the perfect lightness for wearing under makeup.

After applying my moisturiser and allowing it to full absorb (about the time it takes me to brush my teeth), I then applied two pumps of the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear, as instructed, to my entire face. The Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear is designed to be used like a primer and once applied it hydrates the skin as well as filling in wrinkles and giving it a luminous glow. You can see in the picture below, that my skin now has a slight bronzed tint to it and it is also looking quite luminous. (If you would like more detail on the ingredients in the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear and how they work then check out this post).

I then gave the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear about 2 minutes to fully absorb and dry before applying the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation. The absolute best thing about the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation is that you can easily apply it with your fingers. My skills in makeup application are limited and makeup brushes scare me so I loved that I could use my fingers to apply it. The only issue with this is that the foundation comes in a jar and I have quite long nails, at the moment, thanks to my Gelicious manicure so the foundation got caught under my nails.

The foundation applies like a dream. It smooths in effortlessly and doesn't leave any noticeable foundation lines. It is completely weightless when - you literally cannot feel it. It felt as if I had only put moisturiser on. I trialled Nude 220 and it is perfect for my winter skin though may be a tad pale for my summer skin - though I could just set it with a bronzer to bring it to the right tone. My MAC colour is NW20.

I didn't bother applying any concealer and you can see that it has practically covered my pigmentation and it has totally taken the redness out of my nose. So it has really decent coverage considering the lightness of it.

It claims to last 24 hours; however, I didn't take it for that long a test drive. I would have worn it for about 8 hours and in that 8 hours I walked around 5km to pick The Crazy Kid up from daycare, so I worked up a slight sweat, and it still looked fresh at the end of the day so it is definitely long lasting.

This combination of Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation + Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear left my skin looking naturally flawless and luminous without the makeup being cakey or even particularly noticeable on my skin. It is exactly what I have been searching for all these years!

For your info, I set the foundation with my Guerlain Meteorites Pearls and am wearing Arbonne Lip Polish in Posh Chic on my lips.

Want to win some Alpha-H goodies? There are three different Alpha-H prize packs up for grabs, including the Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear, but get in quick as this giveaway closes on Sunday August 19th. You can enter this giveaway here.

All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. Both of these products were provided for consideration (the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation was provided as part of BeautyHeaven's trial team).



Winners of my HUGE Olympic giveaway announced!!!

Boohoo. The Olympics are over for another long four years. Unfortunately, thanks to The Crazy Kid, I ended up watching a lot less of the Olympics (and a lot more of Chuggington) than I would have liked. Though I did enjoy being able to flick the TV on at any time of the day and have some new sport to watch!

To ease the pain of the Olympics being over, it's time to announce the winners of my huge guessing game giveaway. You can see from the list of guesses that we were all a tad over patriotic with our guesses! Australia ended up winning a total of 35 medals: 7 gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze. As no one guessed this low, the three lowest guesses are the winners:

Name	Order of Entry	Total	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Meedee	6	38	11	14	13
MLE	25	38	16	9	13
Carlie	27	40	13	9	18

Gold Medal Prize: The Jojoba Company Starter Pack

Winner: Meedee

Silver Medal Prize: A selection of gorgeous nail polishes

Winner: MLE

Bronze Medal Prize: Napoleon Perdis Bronze Patrol

Winner: Carlie

I then entered the remaining names into random.org to pick the winner of my mystery prize. This lucky person is:

Winner: Vanessa Carey

Congratulations Meedee, MLE, Carlie and Vanessa Carey! I will email you guys shortly to get your contact details.

If you weren't one of the lucky winners, don't worry as my other HUGE Olympic giveaway is still running. There are three different Alpha-H prize packs up for grabs but get in quick as this giveaway closes on Sunday August 19th. You can enter this giveaway here.

Thanks for participating. It was a lot of fun! Out of interest, what do people prefer. Random drawn comps, guessing games like this one or best answer competitions? I have a few more up my sleeve so it would be good to know what people like to enter most.