Posts

Which order should you apply your skincare?

Which order should you apply your skincare?

With the ever-growing number of lotions and potions on the market from cleansers to toners, serums to oils, day to night creams and more, it’s no wonder there is confusion around which products are really necessary for our skin, let alone which order you should apply your skincare!

Here’s the thing, we all have unique skin needs, dependant on our skin type and concern, so it’s important to create our own skincare ‘cocktail’ based on these specific needs! But if we use the wrong products (not everyone for example can tolerate AHA’s), pair two products together that are formulated with ingredients that don’t ‘gel’, or do not wear our skincare in the correct order, we just won’t see the results we are hoping for, or worse could wind up with blotchy, irritated skin instead. Eek.

So to save time, stress and money! We have detailed below the exact order you should apply your skincare so you can get the most out of it! Along with what products and ingredients to use for your skin type and concern too!

Cleanser

Toner

Serum

Eye Cream

Treatment (eg. Spot)

Moisturiser

Sunscreen (day) Face Oil (night)

Step 1: CLEANSER

Cleansing daily is essential for skin health and the first step to layering skincare like a pro for optimum results. And despite conflicting views cleansing twice daily is imperative.

Firstly, you need to cleanse at night to remove the days dirt, makeup and impurities. Then again in the morning to remove any excess oil and dead cells that are likely to have accumulated on your skin overnight. Without cleansing, your skin will be more prone to breakouts, dehydration, and premature aging. And remember you need a clean, oil and grime free face for all your skincare ingredients to properly absorb into your skin!

At night opt for a cleansing oil that literally dissolves makeup (including waterproof!) without stripping your skin then follow with a gentle, creamy cleaner (which you should use in the morning too). For more information on cleansing and how it will improve your skin tenfold click here.

Try;

ELES Transformation Cleansing Oil – ideal for all skin types it will literally melt away makeup and impurities while maintaining a balanced, hydrated and smoothed complexion.

ELES Transformation Cleansing Oil

Phytomer Perfect Visage Gentle Cleansing Milk – If you love milky cleansers this is your one! Formulated for all skin types even those with super sensitive skin, it gently removes makeup and residue without disturbing the skin’s protective barrier.

Phytomer Perfect Visage Gentle Cleansing Milk

Phytomer Oligopur Purifying Cleansing Gel – the perfect option for oily skin types this lightly foaming, velvety soft gel cleanser effectively eliminates impurities and excess sebum thoroughly cleansing and purifying the skin.

Beauty Collective - Phytomer - Oligopur Purifying Cleansing Gel 150ml

Pevonia CleanRefresh Foaming Oil Cleanser – my everyday go to, this lightly foaming luxurious cleanser is suitable for all skin types, but especially recommended for dry skin! It’s lipid rich, alcohol-free and soap-free and feels a-mazing on the skin. Skin is actually clean, hydrated, softer and smoother after every use!

Beauty Collective - Pevonia - CleanRefresh™ Foaming Oil Cleanser

 

Step 2: TONER (or lotion)

Ah, the step that everyone skips, but a vital step in optimising the effect of your skincare! Essentially toners help to remove any excess dirt and traces of oil, balance the pH of your skin and prime your skin for ingredients that follow to be better absorbed!

Try;

Phytomer Rosee Visage Toning Cleansing Lotion – Perfect for all skin types this little gem ensures any left over signs of residual makeup or oil is completely removed.

Beauty Collective - Phytomer - Rosee Visage Toning Cleansing Lotion

Phytomer Oligomarine Flawless Skin Tonic – perfect toner for oily, blemish-prone skin. 

Pevonia Hydrating TonerFormulated with Hyaluronic Acid, Licorice, and Vitamin E, it works to hydrate, revive and fully refresh the skin. Great for anyone with worried about ageing, dehydration or devitalised skin.

Medicalia Gentle Toner – wonderful for those prone to rosacea and sensitive skin.

 

Step 3: SERUMS

You might be wondering if you really need a serum in your skincare routine, but I’m here to tell you why you definitely do!

Serums are the heavy lifters when it comes to your skincare routine, they are essentially shots of extremely concentrated nutrients, hydrators and antioxidants that will really amp  up your skin’s health as soon as you apply it. Serums actually tend to perform above and beyond many regular skincare products because they are formulated with a higher concentration of targeted active ingredients and have the ability to penetrate deeper into the dermis. So if you want your skin to live its best life don’t skip on the serum! To learn more about why you need a serum and the best anti-ageing serums for every skin type, click here.

Try;

Phytomer Hydrasea Ultra-Moisturising Polarized Water Serum  – the ultimate thirst quencher for dehydrated and devitalised skin.

Phytomer - Hydrasea Ultra-Moisturizing Polarized Water Serum 30ml

Vie Collection Vita C Concentrated Solution – the best for serious skin brightening. Vitamin C promotes a healthy, radiant glow.

Beauty Collective Vie Collection - Vita C Concentrated Solution

Phytomer Acnipur Blemish Solution Fluid – to diminish the appearance of blemishes and prevent future breakouts.

Acnipur Blemish Solution Fluid

Pevonia Soothing Propolis Concentrate – For seriously sensitive skin that needs calming, soothing and strengthening.

Pevonia - Soothing Propolis Concentrate

 

Step 4: EYE CARE

Unfortunately, the delicate skin around our eyes is one of the first areas to show signs of ageing, so this is not a step in your skincare routine that you should ever skip! In fact it’s essential we our eye area the same level of TLC as the rest of our face!

This step needs to come before your moisturiser because thinner products can’t penetrate thicker products and eye care products tend to be lighter and thinner than moisturisers to compensate for the fragile eye area.

Try;

Phytomer Pionniere XMF Reset Eye Fluid – anti-ageing wonder cream, perfect for night-time.

9 Phytomer Reset Eye Fluid

Vie Collection Chrono Eyes Puffiness – Dark Circles Wrinkle Cream – the best to combat eye ageing, dark circles and under eye puffiness.

Vie Collection - Vie Collection - Wrinkle Dimension Hyaluronic Acid Concentrate 15ml

Pevonia “C” Evolutive Eye Gel – formulated with anti-ageing dynamo Vitamin C and skin saviours’ hyaluronic acid and Ginkgo biloba, this gel is perfect is cooling and soothing congested and puffy peepers.

Step 5: MOISTURISER

A moisturiser not only infuses your skin with hydration but also helps trap in all of the products underneath it to make the ingredients even more effective.

In the morning opt for a lighter, gentle moisturiser that will nourish and hydrate skin but not feel heavy or greasy (after all who wants that!) Just make sure you let your moisturiser of choice sink in before applying makeup as you don’t want your makeup to slide off within an hour of application!

Try;

Phytomer Nutritionnelle Dry Skin Rescue Cream – this is a salvation for even the driest skin, bringing comfort, hydration and protection.

Phytomer - Nutritionelle Dry Skin Rescue Cream

Phytomer Oligopur Hydra Matifying Control Cream – ideal for oily, combination or acne-prone skin, this mattifying cream restores clear and perfectly moisturised skin.

Phytomer - Oligopur Hydra-Matifying Control Cream

Pevonia RS2 Care Cream – perfectly soothing, calming and nourishing, this global best-selling cream for sensitive, rosacea and reactive skin types will render skin visibly calmed, soothed, and completely decongested.

Beauty Collective - Pevonia RS2 Care Cream

At night skin goes into repair and regeneration mode so your moisturiser should be packed with skin ingredients to benefit your skincare concerns like hyaluronic acid, lipids, proteins and retinol.

Try;

Phytomer Night Recharge Youth Enhancing Cream – hydrating, nurturing and restorative, this anti-ageing night cream for all skin types is outstanding!

Phytomer - Night Recharge Youth Enhancing Cream

Pevonia Micro-Retinol Essential Moisturiser – while you should introduce retinol slowly, if you are worried about ageing, this is the ingredient your skin needs. This moisturiser will deeply hydrate, smooth, brighten and firm ageing skin. It’s idea for those with advanced signs of aging and sun damage exhibited by wrinkles, loose and sagging skin and uneven skin tone or dark spots. Really, it’s great for anyone who really want smoother, firmer skin and are not sensitive or acne-prone.

BeautyCollective - Pevonia - Micro-Retinol Moisturiser

 

Step 6: SUNSCREEN/FACE OIL

By day go nowhere without applying your sunscreen, it’s literally your barrier of protection against free-radical damage, the no.1 cause of premature skin ageing!

Try;

Medicalia Sunscreen SPF 40 with Blue Light Shield – perfect for all skin types, it’s light-textured, non-greasy, tinted and ‘ocean/reef safe’ and it delivers powerful sun and blue light protection whilst also combating skin-aging free radicals from UV and infrared radiation!

At night you should always use a face oil – the very last step to your skincare routine. This is because the oil takes a while to penetrate and treat the skin, so applying it at night gives it time to do its job. Plus you wouldn’t want a face full of oil in the morning just when you want to apply your makeup!

Try;

Phytomer Rosee Soin Radiance Replenishing Oil – perfect for all skin types this face oil literally does as the bottle says. Enjoy softer, radiant and revitalised skin.

Phytomer Rosee Soin

Pevonia Vitaminic Concentrate – Fast-absorbing, this soothing, silky anti-oxidant oil radically combats premature ageing, dehydration, and excessive dryness by locking in hydration and delivering moisture that stays! So you’ll wake up to smooth, supple, and seriously glowy skin every morning.

Beauty Collective - Pevonia Vitaminic Concentrate

 

While these 6 steps include the basics for your daily skincare routine, you must not forget your exfoliator and face mask, to essentials steps to incorporate into your routine once or twice weekly as well!

To find out more about the benefits of exfoliation and the best exfoliant for your skin click here. And for when and why you should use a face mask click here.

Beauty Collective - top 5 beauty buys five stars

The top 5 beauty buys we are raving about right now

It’s that time again! Time to tell you which products we, at Beauty Collective HQ, are loving right now! From the latest launches in skincare and makeup to the old favourites we’ve fallen for all over again, here are the team’s current top 5;

 

Pevonia Age Correction Collagen Christmas Gift Set

Jam packed with all my favourites, I can’t get enough of this limited-edition gift set which includes Pevonia’s global best-selling Age Correction Marine Collagen Cream (which has been my go-to all year round for 10 years now!) a Hydrating Cleanser, a Hydrating Toner and super hydrator Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Serum (and quite frankly no matter what your skin type Hyaluronic should be a go-to). So if you are worried about dehydration, and premature ageing this pack is perfect! I love it so much I’ve actually bought 3 of them for family members and with a 30% saving on this collection of Pevonia’s global best sellers what more could you ask for?

Jo Boyden, PR & Marketing Manager

Beauty Collective - Pevonia - Age Correction Collagen Gift Set

ELES Sheet Masks

I’ve been doing a lot of travelling for work lately and these masks have become my go-to products (I also love to use them when I’m chilling at home watching Netflix!) Comprising of three different masks – anti-ageing, hydrating and soothing – they are quick and easy to apply and drenched in active ingredients for optimal results. My skin is definitely the better for them! I like to apply after I have cleansed and exfoliated my skin with the Pevonia Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser – another simple and effective product to clean and remove dead cells quickly so my sheet masks work better.

Kellie Deveney, International Educator and Business Development Manager

ELES - Youth Recovery Sheet Mask

 

Pevonia De-Stress Escape Facial Gift Pack

This is the ultimate Christmas gift set, suitable for all skin types and such a special selection of products. I’m obsessed with the combination of cleanser and skin oil luxuriously massaged over the face and neck with the Jade facial roller. It feels like a little bit of day spa at home.

Taryn Gray, Brand Co-ordinator

Phytomer Oligo 6 Concentrate

I’m really loving the new Oligo 6 Concentrate from Phytomer.  At the end of a busy day this super-light oil sinks into my skin and you can see the demineralizing and replenishing benefits each morning. Overall, my skin feels softer, calmer and much firmer.  I also love the subtle fresh aroma which is so soothing.

Liane Scior, Director of Education & Marketing

Phytomer - Oligo 6

ELES Brow Balm

The ELES Brow Balm is my new love! I have thin, sparse brows and the new ELES Brow Balm fills and defines my brows well. It doesn’t fade even when I spend the day outside on weekends which is really great! It’s creamy so it’s easy to apply but gives that semi matte finish which makes it look more natural. This is totally a must have this summer!

Elaine Palapag, Social Media Co-ordinator

 

Phytomer Cyfolia Organic Radiance Cleansing Cream

I’m usually a foaming gel cleanser person but I fell in love with this silky-smooth cleanser that not only cleans my skin but leaves it soft, plump and radiant too!  Oh and it also smells divine with spiced pink peppercorn and cedar wood.

May Scior, Operations Assistant

Beauty Collective - Cyfolia Radiance Cleansing Cream

Beauty Collective - multi-masking - woman applying mask on her face

When to use a facial mask and the best one for your skin

From clay masks to charcoal, sheet masks, to exfoliating masks, what used to be a facial indulgence has now become part of our everyday beauty routine and for very good reason, but when exactly should you be using a face mask though? Morning or night? Daily or weekly? We asked the experts for the lowdown on this vital skincare step. From why and when you should be using a face mask to the best ones for your skin, we have all the info you need to know.

 

What is a facial mask?

A face mask isn’t just an indulgent treat, it is key to tackling a multitude of skin concerns such as dehydration, acne, dryness, ageing and more! Face masks are specifically designed to be used intermittently to give your skin an instant boost but that’s not all! They offer a multitude of other benefits too.

 

What are the main benefits of using a face mask?

They are deep cleansing

Applying face masks offer many physical and therapeutic benefits, but first and foremost masks provide cleansing on a deep, deep level, benefiting the skin in multiple ways. Don’t get me wrong daily cleansing is an imperative part of your skincare routine, but applying a mask once or twice a week will take that process to a whole other level by removing any remaining makeup, excess oil, dead skin cells and other impurities that have sat on your skin’s surface, as well as beneath the upper layers of the epidermis.

They provide immediate results

While with most face masks you’ll need to leave it on for a little while, the results are instant and go way beyond the impact of your daily skincare routine! The right face mask can help hydrate skin, remove excess oils, improve the appearance of pores and more and after every application your skin will immerge tightened, toned, softer, smoother, and let’s not forget positively glowing!

They are pampering and therapeutic

Applying a face mask is a great excuse for a little ‘me time’. It will not only address your skins needs but also make you feel fabulous in little to no time! This is because a face mask can lift your spirit by stimulating your senses and allow you a moment (or few moments should I say!) of indulgent comfort. Ahhhhh.

They help all your other skincare products to better penetrate the skin for optimum results

Many of us will be religious when it comes to our daily skincare ritual but if you really want all your products to absorb into your skin both quickly and deeply than a face mask is a necessity. By using a mask regularly, it will assist in enabling all the amazing ingredients from your skincare to penetrate deep into your skin essentially making your products work harder and more effectively than ever before.

They are the perfect product for everyone to use no matter how sensitive or reactive your skin might be

This is because there is a mask for every skin type and concern. From dryness to inflammation, redness to acne, whatever your skin type there is the ideal mask to give your skin that instant boost it needs.

What are the different types of facial masks?

There is no one size fits all face mask, in fact there are six different types and are dependent on your skin type and concern.

Cream Masks

These are best for dry, dehydrated and ageing skin. They are formulated with nourishing ingredients to add much needed moisture and nutrients back into the skin. Skin appears plumper, brighter and younger looking after every use.

Gel Masks

The best choice for oily skin types, gel masks are lightweight. They minimise oil production and tighten the appearance of pores.

Clay Masks

These are great for those suffering from blemish or acne prone skin as they provide skin with a through deep cleanse effectively removing debris from clogged pores.

Warming Masks

These contain active ingredients that make the skin feel warm. Because they increase blood flow in the skin, skin may feel a tingling sensation and appear a little flushed after. They are best for skin that needs invigorating.

Exfoliating Masks

These are formulated with AHA’s and BHA’s to help remove dead skin cell build up. They can come in the form of a chemical peel or be made with fine particles such as jojoba granules. They help enhance the skin’s natural turnover process and render dull skin beautifully bright.

Sheet Masks

Sheet masks are different to every other type of mask in that they don’t come in a pot or tub but instead in a packet for single use. The ‘sheet’ is face-shaded (as in it features holes for your eyes, mouth and nose so it can completely cover your entire face) and is usually made of fiber, cotton, cellulose, or coconut pulp. Sheet masks are soaked in a liquid cocktail of hydrating, brightening or anti-ageing ingredients and work instantly on the skin boosting hydration and glow.

 

How often and when should you use a face mask?

We recommend adding a face mask to your skincare routine once or twice a week, morning or night, it just needs to come after your usual routine of cleansing and toning first as face masks are most beneficial when applied to clean skin free of impurities and excess oil. This way your skin is better equipped to absorb all the goodness of a face mask.

 

How should you apply a face mask?

This will alter slightly depending on the face mask you are using but generally speaking you should apply it evenly (no need to slather it on) all over your entire face. Don’t forget your neck and décolleté too! Like your face, these delicate areas also take on visible signs of ageing, often much earlier than the face because of their over exposure to the sun and environmental stress (let’s face it we don’t give our neck and décolleté nearly as much love as our faces, often a forgotten part of our skincare routine we don’t always apply sunscreen either!

 

How long should you leave a face mask on?

The general rule of thumb for the majority of face masks is 15 minutes. Sheet masks can be left on for up to 30 minutes, while certain gel masks can be left on as an overnight treatment to deeply hydrate your skin while you sleep.

 

How do you remove a face mask?

To remove your face mask use lukewarm water and either your fingers or a damp flannel or face cloth. Just be sure it’s clean and soft so it doesn’t irritate your skin.

 

What is the best face mask for your skin?

Prone to pesky pimples or all out acne?

A detoxifying charcoal mask will be your best bet! Pevonia’s Pure Skin Charcoal Mask is the perfect antidote for congested, dull skin. It neutralises pollutants, draws out impurities and leaves skin glowing with pure freshness!

Beauty Collective - Pevonia - Pure Skin Charcoal Mask

Suffering from sensitive skin?

You will love soothing masks like Phytomer’s Accept Comfort Mask. It not only calms red, irritated skin but it strengthens it too! Healing is faster and it leaves your skin feeling beautifully hydrated and comfortable for days.

Skin is seriously parched

a super hydrating mask is for you! It’ll feel incredible as it brings the look of your complexion back to life, renewing, plumping, and smoothing your skin. Try Pevonia’s Ageless Skin Collagen Mask, it combats dehydration in just 10 minutes. The rich texture is a soothing balm as your skin literally drinks in the moisture leaving it both dewy and hydrated.

Beauty Collective - Pevonia Ageless Skin Collagen Mask

Concerned about ageing?

An anti-ageing sheet mask like ELES Professional Strength Youth Recovery Sheet Mask should be your go-to. Infused with the best potent anti-ageing and antioxidant ingredients including collagen, hyaluronic and Niacinamide, this mask will help soften fine lines, refresh the skin and boost radiance almost instantaneously. Just one application will provide intense results like a complete facial treatment!

ELES - Youth Recovery Sheet Mask

You have a dull and devitalised complexion

To brighten a dull complexion, you’ll want a glow mask like Vie Collection’s Photo C Bright Radiance Mask which delivers radiant skin by morning! It is power packed with vitamin c, exfoliating papain, marine minerals and more and we promise after the very first application an incredibly radiant and brightened skin appearance will be revealed! If you want to look like you’ve had a looong, relaxing holiday? This is for you!

Photo C

You have oily skin and enlarged pores

You’ll want to use a mattifying mask pronto! Phytomer’s Oligopur Flawless skin mask reduces inflammation from breakouts and refines the pores for a mattified even, clear complexion!

And don’t forget! If you want to address more than one skin issue you can use multiple masks, applying them to the different areas of your face.

best eyeshadow tips for ageing eyes

The best eyeshadow tips for ageing eyes

If you’re worried about ageing eyes you might well have stopped wearing eyeshadow in fear it will only exacerbate your fine lines and wrinkles. The thing is eyeshadow and all eye makeup for that matter serves a very important purpose no matter what your age! It can add depth and dimension to your eyes making them appear larger, it can complement your eye colour or simply draw attention to the eyes! And most importantly it will bring back life to your ageing eye area! Genius! So instead of forgoing eyeshadow, you just need to alter how, and which type you use! To get the lowdown, we talked to the experts at BC! Keep scrolling as we countdown 10 of the best eyeshadow tips for mature women.

 

  1. Start with a good eye cream

It’s likely you’re doing this already, but if not, you’ll want (and need) the delicate skin around your eyes to be properly nourished! And we are talking both the eyelid and the undereye area! For a great eye cream for ageing eyes try Pevonia’s Age Correction Eye Contour. It’s formulated with Marine Collagen, Marine Elastin and Green Team which not only provide eyes with powerful anti-ageing benefits, it smooths, first and deeply nourishing the fragile eye zone too.

  1. Use a primer

As our skin ages, under-eye wrinkles and crows feet become more apparent – they are a fact of life for us all! A good primer however will help reduce their appearance while increasing the longevity of your eyeshadow! It’ll also prep your eyelids preventing eye makeup from creasing, feathering, smudging or smearing!

ELES Pore Perfecting Face Primer

 

  1. Apply a good under-eye concealer

This will make eyes appear bigger and brighter in prep for your eyeshadow. Concealer isn’t just for brightening up your under eyes though. Prepping the eye with a concealer that’s about two shades lighter than your actual shade will make your eyeshadow more pigmented and in turn pop a lot more.

You’ll need to use one with has a hydrating formula as this will add additional nourishment to the eye area as well as prevent the concealer from settling into fine lines and wrinkles.

Try ELES Cosmetics Dual Action Concealer.

ELES Dual Action Concealer

  1. Use a waterproof or long-lasting gel eyeliner

You don’t want to get to lunch time and find yourself with panda eyes! No sireee. By using a waterproof or long-lasting gel eyeliner, it’ll stay in place all day plus give eyes much needed depth and definition. Try ELES Cosmetics Superwear Gel Liner.

Beauty Collective - ELES Cosmetics - Superwear Gel Liner

  1. Line your eyes with a waterline liner

Eyes tend to look duller and tired with age. A waterline liner will open up your eyes instantly creating the illusion of bigger, brighter, more youthful looking eyes.

Simply apply your normal eyeliner to your top lash line then apply your waterline liner to the inner rim of your lower lash line. (We recommend ELES Cosmetics Waterline Liner). By doing so it’ll immediately open up your eyes as well as make the whites of your eyes look whiter. It works a treat I can vouch for that!

ELES Waterliner

  1. Opt for matte eyeshadow and go mineral

Eye shadow comes in many different colours and textures but for ageing eyes matte eyeshadows are the way to go.  Those with mature eyes might find matte eyeshadow more longwearing and less likely to fade on their skin. Your best bet is to stock up on mineral matte eyeshadows that are pigmented without emphasizing fine lines but also packed with antioxidant vitamins A, C & E to pamper lids with crease-proof perfection. Try ELES Cosmetics Mineral Matte Shadows. Better still try the ELES Build your own Shadow Palette, you get to select which ever 3 shades of mineral shadow shades you want! A trio of colours on your eyes is always better than one, they will make your eyes stand out more and can also increase their size and let’s face it bigger eyes are more youthful!

Build your own Shadow Palette

  1. Choose lighter eyeshadow shades

Opt for a lighter, natural eyeshadow shades rather than dark, smoky shades on your eyelids and around the eyes. Using neutral colours like shades of light browns, light pinks, beiges, or greys are best. Also add a light colour eyeshadow shade to the inner corner, lower lash line in outer corner, and the inner lid.

  1. Apply eye shadow correctly

Don’t take your base eyeshadow shade and simply plonk it on the centre of your lid. Using a small eyeshadow brush, start from the outer corner of the eyes and work inwards, so that the colour gets gradually lighter. This will help give your eyes a bigger, wide-eyed look.

  1. Finish with mascara

No matter your age, mascara will always be a go-to product. A good mascara (we are talking smudge-proof, waterproof, and long-lasting) adds volume and strengthens brittle lashes to keep them looking full and luscious. Fuller-looking lashes can also help to give a more youthful appearance to the eye area. However, it’s best not to wear mascara on the lower lashes as this can make your eyes look droopy as well as draw attention to dark circles and under eye wrinkles.

Beauty Collective - ELES - Lush Mascara

  1. Use a setting spray or powder

Finally, to prevent eyeshadow fallout (after all we want it to stay in place all day or night long!) use a setting spray or if setting sprays aren’t your thing, opt for a setting powder instead! Both work to lock your makeup in place. Try Pevonia Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Mist.

Beauty Collective - Pevonia - Hyaluronic Acid HydraMist™