IndieAna- In Search of the HolyGrail

I have never written a blog post dedicated to my skincare routine. I thought it was time that I did, but not just about what I'm using. I wanted to begin keeping track of what products are doing for my skin by including pictures, so that I can really see if they are of benefit. Unfortunately, this means pictures of myself sans make- up, so be WARNED, eek!! I should add that my skin is combination. I still get breakouts, but at 38, my skin is needing more hydration, especially on the areas outside my T-zone. That looks like a lot of products for a skincare routine, but I'll break it down for you.  AM:  One Hand Washes the Other Magic Soap. This soap is fabulous for acne prone skin. It cleans my skin beautifully, without stripping it. I also love the invigorating scent. I use this with the Clarisonic Mia, for a nice deep cleanse. Silk Naturals 2 % BHA Toner. I normally purchase the AHA toner, but I somehow accidentally ordered this one. I'll go back to AHA, only be

It may sound crazy, but I love that feeling I get when I finish a product, especially when it's one that I am not in love with.  This was the case with Mirenesse Eyeliner Duet in Ebony-Jade.  When I first began using this eyeliner, I must admit, that I really wasn't a fan. I really love this brand, but I just found this eyeliner to drag a little on my lids. Now, I need to take into consideration that I had started using this liner after using a liquid liner. Once I had been using the liner for sometime, I discovered that it was great for lining my lower lashline. I like a crisp line on my upper lashline, but prefer a more smudged look along the bottom.  I love Mirenesse packaging, not only lovely to look at, they are also practical. This one was no exception. I liked that the liner is double ended, the shade Ebony (black) one end and Jade (dark green) the other.  I loved the retractable design, no sharpening, yay! A point of difference with this liner, that I have

Being in need of one of my skincare staples, AHA toner from Silk Naturals, is always a perfect excuse to add more of their fabulous mineral make up to my collection. At the moment, I'm loving the look of neutral eyes and bright lips. This order represents my current love, including neutral eye shadows with bright lipsticks and gloss. Let me show you :) Faerie - Golden pearl with a subtle green shift. This eye shadow has a Prism finish, these are 100% pure pigments that have colour shift when applied over a sticky base. Cornucopia- Bronze neutral, GWP that needs to be a regular shadow, I love it! Namaste- Neutral shimmer (not currently available) Exposed - A light tan matte that is a dupe of Urban Decay's Walk of Shame from the Naked Basics palette. Latent - Light taupe matte. Dupe of Urban Decays Naked 2 from the Naked Basics palette. Cameo - Nude pink with slight shimmer. Sepia - Taupe with a hint of red.

I've tried many brands of Rosehip Oil, and until I was gifted with SHE Rosehip Oil, I didn't even know that this company sold my favourite facial oil. If you have combination to oily skin, don't be discouraged by the word oil. I have combination skin and this oil is wonderful for my skin. What does this oil do, you may ask? It helps to heal blemishes, reduce scarring and is great to help nourish and hydrate the skin, which in turn helps with fine lines and wrinkles. If these qualities are not enough, this anti ageing oil contains Vitamin E, Rose and Rose Geranium, which together work to restore skins balance, making it perfect for all skin types .  I prefer to use an organic oil, and the SHE brand offers both organic and cold pressed, meaning no chemical nasties and it has not been heat effected, therefore the oil has not lost any effectiveness. The oil comes in a dark coloured bottle, which protects the product. The bottle has a spray top, and only one pump is need

I wanted to try colour blocking for my nails. I'd seen the trend many times, but hadn't tried it for myself. I decided to choose Mod style colours, as I thought these would be perfect for stand-out nails.  Because I wanted to incorporate striping, I began with a white base over Orly Bonder, using Models Inc polish in White. With this polish 2 coats gives an opaque finish. Once the layers had dried completely (patience is a must, eek!) I could begin with the next step, the nail striping. I haphazardly placed the tape on my nails to separate each nail into 3 parts. For each section I chose to use Ulta3 in Mojito, a bright pastel green, Maybelline Color Show polishes in Coral Crush and Iced Queen, a mauve colour.  I picked up the Maybelline Color Show polishes from Chemist Warehouse when they were on sale. Most of the colours had already sold out, but I was lucky enough to find these gorgeous polishes.  I am yet to try these polishes on their own, but so far love the creme f

After falling in love with Maybelline Color Tattoos, I decided to find out what indie brands had to offer in way of cream shadows. I began with a search on Etsy and come across Performance Colors . I was surprised at just how large the range is. Products for eyes lips and face. Apart from mascara, everything you need for a full face of make up is available. What really attracted me to this etsy store was that these products were so similar to what's available in stores, with the benefit of not containing any nasties. The service was fantastic. I am so used to slow international shipping, that to be honest I didn't notice that the order had taken longer than normal to process. Not only did I get an explanation, but also received some freebies in my order! Anyway, I'll get to the products :) Perfection- Pale pink. Velvet Talker- Purple Spanks- Copper Sweet Dreams- Silvery grey Cornflower- Baby blue Oil Slick- Charcoal with blue/gree