Welcome Our Favourite Products, a monthly feature of the products keeping our skin glowing, mood lifted and health high. It's a combination of the new things we've tried over the previous month and historic repeat purchases that we think you might love too. And as part of our editorial policy, every product we write about is vegan, cruelty-free and 100% natural and where possible organic. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of incorporating clean beauty and wellness products into your daily routine — or even finding them, we hope you find the following helpful. And as a reminder, a constant favourite of mine — clean filtered water. Drink it frequently, daily. Here's what I'm loving this month:
GLOW LAB Pink Clay Body Bar
Growing up we always used bar soap. We never had anything else, soap was and today still is generally inexpensive. I went back to hard soap seven or so years prior after moving in with my boyfriend who thought anything else was pointless—and since have had many hard soaps, though more recently have been buying GLOW LAB on repeat. I’ve written before about the Brightening Exfoliator, purchased another tube last week. The soaps are also a win.
GLOW LAB sells a variety of soaps all within the vicinity of $5. I’ll usually pick up either Shea Butter or Pink Clay from the grocery store. I think this misconception still prevails that everything ethical or clean translates to expensive but this is not the case. All GLOW LAB soaps — their products are vegan, cruelty-free and Made in New Zealand. You can recycle the box and the palm oil used for the bars is sustainably sourced. These bars lather up and don’t disintegrate.
More recently GLOW LAB partnered with local manufacturers Havana Coffee Works and Wellington Chocolate Factory to create two exfoliating bars — Roasted Coffee and Shea and Coconut and Cacao. And so given the absolute easiest way to create less waste is to consume less and create less, utilising coffee grounds and cacao husk is redefining what we consider waste. Or at least, creating less of it.
Hylamide Photography Foundation
After reading the reviews for the Hylamide Photography Foundation, which are very mixed, I decided to try it anyway. Because for one, at this point I am wanting to enhance healthier looking skin — if I have acne I am not going to cover it up and second, I am quite pale so considered a transparent formula was probably about right for me.
Formulated with fractionated silica complex and prismatic hue correctors, perhaps eye-roll inducing, it worked for me. Prior to our level 3 lockdown, I had never received so many compliments on my skin in my life in what was only a month. For me, it helped correct some minor pigmentation and scarring, unwanted tones.
I always wash with an oil cleanser, tone and then apply my sulfur cream and vitamin C powder and serum combination. Then I put on whatever serum my skin is craving, rotating between Go-To Face Hero and Herbivore Emerald. Last is the Photography Foundation and sunscreen. Always. I live in New Zealand.
I think that for anyone taking a less is more approach to life, to their skin regimen should try it. There are three shades, transparent, golden tan and dark tan and while purchasing foundation requires a certain level of intent, this sits at USD17 or approximately NZD26 if transparent is too transparent for you — then layer. You could build the Transparent shade up to medium to full coverage layering with a liquid foundation or foundation—concealer balm. And like all Hylamide products are vegan and cruelty-free.
Curionoir 4ml Pocket Parfum—Pablo
Tiffany Jeans of Curionoir creates story-soaked perfumes and candles, her storefront, located on Ponsonby Road is how you’d imagine such a place — with heavy velvet drapes, maple wood and brass lined walls. And dark. For the full experience, I recommend stopping in, whenever that is possible next. I love to wear Pablo after dark — intense it adds to the smoky, heady scents I’m usually burning. With notes of Lemon, Frankincense, Freesia, Mimosa, Cuban Tobacco Leaves, Coriander, Vanilla Absolute, Tonka Beans, expect to find yourself taking the time to smell your skin. Slightly smoky and intoxicating.
The 4mI I like to leave around and apply sporadically throughout the day, I have a few and rotate as part of my daily maintenance schedule. Tobacco Night is for light hours. Wearing Curionoir feels like having your own personal mix of oils, the interpretation of scent, mixing with your own. Curionoir parfums are dense and long-lasting compared to spray counterparts. Dab on your wrists, inner elbows and behind your earlobes, it wears close to the skin and at the end of the day, I can still smell it.
NIOD Mastic Musk
I've really come to appreciate my face for what it is. I recently went to an aesthetician who said that I could be doing needling and peels to decrease scarring and while that’s good to know, I came to realise that it kind of is not necessary. I am not all that convinced that I need my skin to be flawless. I’ve had — and healed cystic acne. I bought this mask instead. I like to optimise. This post details all the masks NIOD has to offer. I opted for Mastic Musk, I don’t need my face to be entirely poreless, but as I mentioned, I’m all for optimising.
Mastic Musk is a transparent masque that absorbs into your skin and yes, after using my skin looks and feels 100 per cent cleaner, hydrated, pores refined. Formulated using a highly-densified sap from Greek mastic trees, this gum binds to congestion skin — not to oil or water to remove impurities without drying. The sap is a powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, ideal for those with acneic and problematic skin. Masking I find is more about carving out time for ritual, I believe that these few minutes spent purely on self-love, perhaps more so now with other external restrictions are a non-negotiable — an essential to being whole and being well. Your skin will thank you!
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