[review] : “pick me up” products

It feels like the mid-year slump is hitting us early this year (or is it just me?) which makes every weekday seem a bit more blah than usual. The darker mornings are not helping either.  When it comes to hating life because of a bad day, I am the champion! Not even the finest of chocolate or the frothiest, strongest cup of Nespresso can fix it. Recently, I’ve been on a bit of a mission to try and rectify some bad habits: eating toast in bed (crumbs!), deciding 10.30pm is a good time to have an important conversation with Dan even if he is already half asleep, hating doing the dishes (the gunk in the plug freaks my brain) and the biggest one – getting out of my “bad weekday” rut quickly and effectively. So far, I have not been very successful, BUT I have had a little breakthrough when it comes to a quick pick me up. There are certain products that I can rely on to change my mood, lift me up and make me feel like “Yes! I can face another day!”

Freeman Revealing Peel-Off Pomegranate Mask – I’m pretty sure you have seen many bloggers raving about these budget friendly masks. This one in particular is amazing for a really good wake up call for your skin. This thick, gel mask has a special antioxidant blend of pomegranate, goji berries, mangosteen, noni, acai, mango, cranberry and blueberry. Whats so great about this antioxidant thing you ask? Well let me fill you in: In our environments, there are these horrible buggers called free radicals. There isn’t much we can do about them, they occur naturally and more so in a polluted environment. Now, free radicals are missing a very specific part of their cell make up and so what they do is prey on healthy cells like our skin cells, and steal that specific part they are missing. I’m sure you can imagine, this is very damaging and so our skin needs a defense force. Enter the antioxidant! These super troopers fight off free radicals to help maintain the health of our skin. See how important it is to get antioxidants into your skincare regime? Anyway, what I really love about this mask is how amazing my skin looks after using it. When I remove it, its like I literally peel off a layer of dull, tired skin to reveal fresh, plumped up, glowing skin. Ready to face another day!

Essence Hello Autumn Colour Adapting Powder Blush – While I was cruising the Dischem aisles last week, I saw this on the shelf and it really intrigued me, I have never been a blush girl but there’s a first time for everything and so into the basket it went. This blush is a pale pink shimmer in the palette that changes to a darker, cool pink tone in accordance to your skins pH levels. Now, the first time I used this product I didn’t quite think it though and applied it with a very heavy hand. Big mistake – I looked like I had tomatoes for cheeks! The next time I used it, I applied it very sparingly and I have to say, I really like it! I think this is going to be a winter staple for me as my skin tends to look a bit bleh and dull during the colder months, this will give me a nice pop of colour in a subtle way.

Dermalogica Multi Active Toner – want to wake your skin up quick sticks? Spritz on some of this amazing toner from Dermalogica! Besides refreshing the skin, it also locks in moisture thanks to its moisture binding ingredients: lavender, balm mint and arnica. Now that winter is approaching, this toner has taken its seasonal seat on my bathroom shelf. But in the summer, I really enjoy keeping it in the fridge for that extra cool refreshment on a hot day. You can use this in the traditional way: before applying your moisturiser, but its perfectly suited to spritz over your make up during the day when you (and your skin) need a dose of adrenaline to wake up.

LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub – if you haven’t snapped this up, you are seriously missing out! I know for a fact that this is going to be a favourite in the upcoming months to perk up my dull, scruffy winter lips. The exfoliating bits are made from caster sugar and are the saints that get rid of unsightly dry skin. This yummy lip scrub also contains organic jojoba oil which helps to moisturise and soften your lips. I’m literally addicted to this and use it oh, you know, 5 times a day! For sane people, pop some scrub on whenever you feel the need.

Morgan Taylor in Magicians Assistant – is there anything better than having freshly painted nails? I think not. I love this colour from Morgan Taylor because of its subtle shimmer but even better, it still looks relatively neutral and so can go from day to night with ease and goes with pretty much every colour of the rainbow.

Elemis Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules – this award winning facial oil is ideal for a tired or fatigued skin. Ding ding ding – winter winner product! Rose absolute is combined with oil from the Tanzanian “Miracle Tree” in the pink capsules which are for the morning.  In the green evening capsules is lavender to help soothe the skin. I love products that smell beautiful, they make my skincare regime seem more luxurious and less like a chore. If you’re the same, you will fall in love with these mini miracles. Their aroma is incredible and lingers on the skin, so even though the real work they’re doing is skin deep, your mind cant help but relax a little bit, and that’s always a good thing right?

Essence Lipstick in All You Need Is Red – in my mind, there’s nothing that red lipstick cant do. Its like combining Spiderman, the Batmobile and Taylor Swifts legs: all powerful! I love this one from Essence. First off, its affordable which is always a win. Secondly, it lasts more than two minutes on my lips. I don’t know if its because I talk too much (probably) or because I have stupid non-stick lips (also probable) but not many lipsticks stay put. But my lips seem to love Essence and I ain’t complaining. If you’re having a particularly bad day, rocking red lips is a great way to fake confidence and pretend you don’t have a care in the world.

LUSH Mmm Melting Marshmallow Moment – I’m sure by now you’ve realised that I’m a LUSH-a-holic. Can we all just take a moment to thank the LUSH gods for finally answering our prayers and deciding to open a LUSH store here in Jozi? It’s all the way on the other end of JHB from where I live but I am more than happy to make the trip! Anyway, back to this specific product. I bought my second one recently because I loved the first one so much. After soaking away my stress in the pink froth that this ball of happiness creates, my skin is so much softer thanks to the cocoa butter. It also smells like a dream, marigold and marshmallow herb, pure joy.

Now I’m not saying that these products will take away your troubles but they definitely help me escape the real world for a little while, and sometimes that’s actually all one needs to keep plodding on. Well that and a glass of wine hehehe!

Have a lovely Thursday everyone, it’s almost the weekend!