Antipodes Archives | My Women Stuff

Love using gel cleansers? Here are a couple of non-drying gel cleansers that won’t strip your skin

June 27, 2018 Paris B 6 Comments

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with gel cleansers. On the one hand, I love them. I love the gel texture, and how it feels so light on the skin. I hate how it dries me out.

While gel cleansers do not necessarily mean foaming cleansers, they do generally tend to foam up, and it is the ingredients used in creating such foam, that makes our skin dry out. If possible, I’d say to avoid foaming cleansers altogether. But that would be over-generalizing, because it can be helpful for oily skin types. Truthfully also, it does feel quite nice to wash your face with light airy foam.

I now tend to use only cream or milk cleaners, which feel more gentle and less stripping on my drier skin. But it hasn’t stopped me testing out the odd gel cleanser.

Sometimes, I am happy to find one that not only feels gentle on the skin, but does not strip the skin more than normal, and I’m happy to share it with you! If you know of more, please do share, because it is helpful to know of gel cleansers that do not strip your skin and dry you out!

My Skincare Routine September 2017 : Use it up or lose it! Products I have emptied

October 9, 2017 Paris B 34 Comments

I shared my skincare routine last in August 2017, and said I’d make it a more regular segment here on the blog, if only for my personal reference, to remind myself of what works (and what doesn’t). What you may notice is that while the products will switch around and change from time to time, the structure of my routine remains pretty much the same, which is what makes it a “routine”.

In August, I was all about calming down my skin that was feeling sensitive. By September, my skin was calm and zen, and I was ready to play around again. But I set myself a goal.

I had a bunch of skincare that were either on their last legs, or almost expired, and I gave myself a challenge of either using them up, or tossing them out.

Happily, I ended up using up and emptying quite a few items, which made me very happy. I know it is odd to be happy about emptying a skincare product (I should be sad, as it means I have to purchase something to fit its missing hole in my routine) but I have other similar products waiting in line to take its place, and I was excited to have a go at them! 😀 #beautyjunkieproblems

So, here’s my skincare routine in September 2017 including what I’d finished, and I’ll tell you if I’ll repurchase them 🙂 Feel free to share your thoughts, or even your routine with me! I’m a nosy parker 😀

From New Zealand comes Antipodes Moisture Boost Natural Lipstick – So healthy you can almost eat it

April 17, 2017 Paris B 12 Comments

When asked what my favourite skincare brands are, I often list Antipodes amongst the Top 3. I am unashamedly partial towards them, primarily because so many of their products work very well for me. But I’ve had a go at some of their makeup, in particular the Aroha natural lipstick, and like many mineral or natural makeup brands, there’s something about it that falls a little short.

So, I was a little surprised when the good folk at Antipodes contacted me out of the blue one day, and asked if I might be interested to have a go at the new Antipodes Moisture Boost Natural Lipstick. I believe this replaces their previous formula, because I can’t find the previous version anymore on their site.

Would I like to try it? Would I? Is the sky blue? Is Hobbiton in New Zealand?

It’s lipstick! I’m ALWAYS up to trying a new lipstick! 😀

Antipodes calls these their “Healthy Lipsticks” – a range of 12 shades ranging from neutrals to reds, made with natural and organic ingredients, and with strong, pigmented colour. They are called Moisture Boost Natural Lipsticks, because they are infused with oils (evening primrose oil, argan oil and avocado oil) that keep your lips soft and conditioned, even while you sport brilliant colour.

Well, I like my moisture and creamy lipsticks. Not one for the matte lips am I, so I took these for a spin, with rather high hopes.

In the Antipodes Manuka Honey Light Day Cream it was not the honey but the bee venom that caught my attention

February 27, 2017 Paris B 6 Comments

Not long ago, I came across a new product from one of my favourite brands, Antipodes. It is a fairly new brand in the market and new to me, but thus far, most of the products I’ve used have been a positive experience. However, they aren’t moved to churn out new products so often, so a brand new product in their range made me take notice.

It was the Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin-Brightening Light Day Cream, which is quite a mouthful, so I’ll just refer to it as the Manuka Honey Light Day Cream. What interested me, aside from the Manuka Honey (their Aura manuka honey mask is a gem!) is the inclusion of bee venom alongside their signature ingredient of Vinanza grape and kiwi fruit. The last is fitting, since it hails from New Zealand.

But bee venom! I knew bee venom, as a skincare ingredient, was a thing for a while, after snail slime. But I’d never tried anything with bee venom. Not because I’m squeamish about it, but simply because I just never got around to it. Apparently, bee venom is supposed to give skin a mild stimulating effect, to give a tightening and firming feeling to the skin. Personally, I can’t say I’m sold on the ingredient, although the cream itself is quite nice.

The fun and previews happen on Instagram @parisbmws