Current Cruelty Free Favourites

If you're a regular reader of TheRobynChristina then you may know that I recently made the decision to go cruelty free.  This means that I've had an excuse to try out some new products recently and thought I would share some of my new finds.  Yippee!

Original Source shower gels

I've loved these shower gels for ages and since discovering that they are vegan and don't test on animals I'm just working my way through the collection. The Pineapple and coconut one is definitely in the running to be my number one as it the perfect holiday smell but I know my boyfriend loves the mint one! They're really affordable and are really easy to find in the shops. 

Palmers Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze body lotion

I've used bits and bobs from Palmers before but since discovering that they're a cruelty free brand I've been trying a few more of there products. One that I have really been enjoying is the natural bronze body lotion which is basically a gradual tan. The scent is the classic cocoa butter which my boyfriend is definitely not a fan of, I quite like it and it stops the nasty fake tan smell so I'm happy. It leaves my skin feeling super soft and gives a nice natural tan than builds up quickly over a few days. This is definitely up there with my favourite gradual tans. 

OGX shampoo and conditioner 

I'd seen this range around before and had never really looked in to it but after running out of shampoo one day and having to quickly stock up I found these and turned out they're cruelty free so that was me sold! They have a lot of different versions and I have only tried a couple so far but I really liked the macadamia oil one a lot. I've been trying to get my hair in really good condition lately and felt that these really helped nourish it. 

Dermalogica skin perfect primer 

You may or may not know that I am a beauty therapist and I have recently been doing some training with dermalogica. Training usually involves trying out lots of products and I always end up wanting to buy everything. Some times if you're very lucky you get given some samples to try and I ended up with a few of these beauties and I'm a little bit in love. This is a tinted primer that creates the perfect base for you're makeup. If I want a lighter look I sometimes just wear this with a little bit of concealer. It has anti-ageing properties and spf 30 so is just an all round gem. I will definitely be getting a full size when my minis have ran out 

.Sleek Matte Me liquid lipstick in birthday suit

I've recently been looking for a cruelty free version of some of my favourite nude lipsticks. Luckily for me Sleek is a great brand that also happens to be cruelty free and whilst browsing there shelves I found this little beauty. Birthday suit is a gorgeous dark nude and dries completely matte. It doesn't budge once it's on. Like most liquid lipsticks it does tend to get a bit dry but popping a little bit of lip balm on top helps with that. 

Being cruelty free is still new to me and I am definitely still learning. Please let me know any recommendations you have on any other products you think I should try. I will be keeping you posted on any other great finds very soon. 

What I should have packed - Part one

When I was planning my big trip what to pack was quite a difficult decision. I had done some research but as it turns out it definitely wasn't enough as there are so many things that I wish I had brought with me. I think I assumed Australia was a constantly warm and laid back beach party....it isn't! I am a few months in to big city life in Melbourne and there are some things packed away in my English home that I really wish I'd thought to bring with me. In fact so many that I have decided to divide this post in two. These are all the beauty bits I wish I had brought......ps yes I'm hoping that my mum reads this and decides to send some of them over!
1. A tried and tested cleanser:  Hey Robyn, remember when you gave away all of your spare products and decided to buy and pack a brand new cleanser that you'd never even tried...not your best idea was it? Me and the Bliss fabulous foaming face wash didn't get on..to be honest I don't know what made me think we would. It irritated my skin and didn't remove my makeup well leaving me looking like a red, pimply mess. Unfortunately by the time I realised this I wasn't in the position to buy a another cleanser until I accidentally (genuine accident) left this one in the showers whilst camping. I would have been much better bringing my Elemis balancing lime blossom cleanser which I knew I loved, I would however have been devastated if I'd left that in the showers.   
2. The Urban Decay naked palette.  Why I decided to leave this at home I'll never know, broadcasting the fact that I left it at home means that it's only a matter of time until my sister decided to "borrow" it. I even remember leaving this out after packing all my other makeup away and then still deciding to leave it at home. I used it every single day and somehow thought that I wouldn't use it whilst I was travelling. It's not ever big and would have been easy to take away with me. I am a fool and that's all there is to it!
3. Make up brushes. I fetched about 4, 2 face and 2 eyes. Face wise I'm happy but 2 wasn't enough eye brushes. I actually managed to leave some of the ones I used the most. This was probably because I only brought 2 cream shadow posts with me,  another mistake. 
4. Perfume. I fetched one half used sample sized perfume....it lasted about a week. I know a lot of perfumes can be bulky but I had a set of benefit minis which would have been really easy to take with me. I used them all the time at home and they would have been perfect for bringing away but no...again, fool!
5. Hair appliances. I didn't bring any of these. To be far they're big so it made sense not to bring any. Plus, I had a vision of returning with amazing, long and healthy hair...this wasn't happening, I was just a frizz bomb. I have since bought a hair dryer and a tiny pair of straighteners, I picked them both up for really cheap and now I can actually style my hair before nights out rather than going for the unintentional wet pony tail look. I would quite like some curlers but that will only happen if they're super cheap...Target has been home to every other cheap yet brilliant purchase so far so I'm hoping. 
So there we go. I realise I'm being a little bit dramatic and I am obviously managing just fine without my hair curlers but sometimes you just miss your home comforts. As I mentioned at the start, there will be a second part to this post which will be all about clothes I wish I'd brought....it's likely to be just as dramatic. 

The 9-5 cleanser

So when I left England I was all set with my Bliss cleanser....we didn't get on but that's a post for another day. Since then I had been using a cleanser from Soap and Glory which I do like but it has now come to an end and I thought the best idea was to get something that I know I love! I popped in to Lush to pick up my usual Ultra bland cleansing balm but then I spotted this. Now, I love Ultra bland a lot and this tends to have me being a little heavy handed and getting through it really quickly. When I spotted 9 to 5 I thought I would be getting more bang for my buck! 
I've only used this a handful of times so far but I really like it. It's designed to be quick and it really is. It's also very simple in terms of ingredients which is perfect. I want a cleanser to remove all the gunk off my face while leaving it feeling healthy and soft, them it gets washed down the sink, a lot of fancier cleansers can sometimes be a little it unnecessary. It has floral essential oils and and almond oil base which means it smells very fresh and leaves my skin hydrated, that's all I need. 
So there we go, a potential new favourite that will hopefully last me a long time. Lush to the rescue once again!

Sephora sleeping masks

If you're a regular reader of TheRobynChristina you will know that I love a face mask. Whatever problem I have with my skin there is usually a face mask to match and they give an instant boost to your skin. They can, however,  be a little bit time consuming so when I find one that you can slap on your face and go to sleep I am all over it! 
The Melbourne Sephora store opened a few days before I moved here, clearly fate. I have been in several times but as a traveller I am on a budget so most of the time I just look...I don't know why I put myself through it. While most of the products are out of my budget for now I have found the Sephora own brand is much more affordable and that is where I found the sleeping masks. There are around 5 types of masks that cater to different skins so you can literally pick and chose what you need each day. 
The masks are $5 which is a total bargain and although there is only enough product for one night, there is another to cover your whole face, neck and decollete so you definitely get your moneys worth. They're very easy to use as once you've slavered it on you just get your head down and then rinse it off in the morning to reveal beautiful, bright skin. Basically, I love them. 

Lush fresh face masks

If you follow me instagram you may have seen that my lovely boyfriend surprised me with a Christmas stocking full of all my favourite treats, he's a good'un. Inside the stocking were some Lush treats, I was thrilled especially as I know that the Lush stores normally give him a bit of a head ache. As amazing as they smell it can be a little bit over whelming. 
One of the products he'd chosen was the Catastrophe Cosmetic fresh face mask. They don't last too long as they're fresh so I didn't waste any time in getting it on my face and see what I thought. It claims to cleanse and soothe the skin which, after a Christmas spent having a few too many on the beach, is exactly what my skin needed. 
It looks a big grim in the tub but once applied it turns blue as it contains blueberries. You just leave it on the skin for around 10 minutes and then remove with a warm cloth. My skin felt very soft and smooth after, I want to use the rest up soon too and see if helps reduce the redness around my nose and cheeks. 
I'm sure Steven hadn't meant to get me hooked on another Lush product but I think that may be exactly what he's done.  

Sheet masks make you look CREEPY

I'd never tried sheet masks before so when I spotted a whole shelf full in a little shop in Sydney I was very excited to try them.  I picked up two that aimed to hydrate the skin, after a lot of travelling, air conditioned rooms and *cough alcohol my skin has been feeling very thirsty so I'm desperate to find a way to lock a bit of moisture back into it. They come in a pack with a plastic sheet on one side which you peel off, the other side feels like cotton and is soaked in the product, you then place this side on your face and immediately look like a serial killer! I mean look at my face!
In spite of how you look during, they feel incredible. They're so soothing I know it would be the perfect treat after a day in the sun. My skin has been feeling a lot better after using it too. It'w worth looking like a creep for 20 minutes.

The deep cleansing face mask that makes you look weird

So on my search for new and strange skin care whilst journeying around the globe I found this freaky looking thing. This is from Real Joy Korea but as I am an idiot I threw the packet away and have lost the name. I'm sorry! It's a deep cleansing peel off mask which is quite thick to apply but once it's on it sets and can feel a little bit tight. I left mine on way too long and my oh my was it difficult to take off! It was so stuck to my face I nearly gave my brows a wax. I eventually gave up and applied some water which made it much easier to take off.  My skin afterwards felt very clean and around my nose felt very smooth and fresh so I knew it had really got to work on my pores. Steven even commented that my skin looked good after!  I'm still keeping an eye out for some different products to try. There seems to be a lot of snail based products and I can't help thinking that some snails have been dying for face masks so I'll be avoiding those ones. I'm sure there's lots of snail free products to try too so keep checking back to see what I think.

Jet lag fighting eye masks

  So today is my first post coming at you from the Southern hemisphere. I am planning on filling you all in on my adventures very soon but first wanted to tell you how I attempted to save my tired and jet lagged eyes.    I was excited to find some Asian skin care goodies and I have been more than pleased with what I've found so far. These strange and golden things are the Real joy Korea gold collagen eye masks. My boyfriend told me I looked like a power ranger with them on! I've tried eye masks before and they always feel amazing even if they don't seem like they're doing much. These ones were kind of similar. They are on a gel like pad soaked in the fluid so they feel cool and refreshing on the eye, after being on a plane for close to 15 hours that was very nice indeed.    I didn't notice a massive difference to my dark circles or lines but I'm sure after regular use you would. They were two in the set so I gave the other pair to Steven, he liked them too. They only cost about £2 which is a total bargain, other eye masks I've used have normally been quite expensive and have been of similar quality.   I'll definitely try and fond some more of these to take on my travels for a post flight pick me up! I've really enjoyed scouring the shelves looking for some different products to try out and I've found a few good ones so far. Make sure to check back to see what I find! I'll be posting more travel related things soon too, just slightly more pictures to go through before then!

My travel make up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn't seem like 5 minutes since I announced my travelling plans and now suddenly it's a few days until I fly. It's an exciting and terrifying feeling! After packing up the majority of my makeup collection yesterday (sobs) I thought I would share with you a few of the things that will be accompanying me down under. I was sat on the train back from London whilst making the tough decision of what to take, my friend I was with was studying for her final accounting exams and pointed out that it really wasn't that hard......mine was more of a Sophie's choice scenario....sort of.   I've tried to chose multi-purpose products so I didn't take too much and I think I'm happy with what I've chosen....ask me in 6 months when I'm pining over the totally impractical Mac heroine.

Skin care:

 

-Bliss fabulous foaming face wash. This is a 2 in 1 cleanser and exfoliator (multi-purpose!) This smells like bubblegum and it means I don't have to take a separate exfoliator.

-Soap and Glory sunshield spf 50. This is kind to skin as it is intended for the face so doesn't clog my skin up.

-Simple rich moisturiser. I've been using this a lot recently and really like it. It's a real no frills moisturiser that gets the job done. Simple!

 

Body:

 

-Loccitane almond shower oil. I love this product and it's great for showering as well as shaving and hydrating the skin.

 

 

Face:

 

-Bare minerals original in golden medium (way too dark but I'm predicting a tan) This is so buildable and versatile that I thought it would be perfect for taking away.

 

-Bourjois maxi delight bronzer....because, bronzer.

 

 

Eyes:

 

-Maybelline colour tattoos in pink gold and on and on bronze. These are really easy to work with and don't budge once they're on.

 

-Maybelline the falsies, waterproof. It's simply my favourite mascara.

 

 

Lips:

 

-Maybelline baby lips. These have an spf which is essential.

 

-Maybelline colour drama in Light it up, you have to have a red lipstick.

 

-Revlon lip butter in Creme brule, a lovely gold nude that's so easy to wear and great with a tan.

 

-Mac coral bliss. This is also easy to wear and nice and summery....yes I am heading to summer!! Whoop!

      I'm using a Cath Kidston case for my products. I've tried to find it online but could only find this one. I absolutely love it as it can fit so much in and had 3 seprate compartments. 2 of the sections can be taken out and used separately too, they're see through so can be used for flights which is perfect.   I hope you enjoyed today's post, things will be changing slightly around here soon but I will try and be as consistant as I can, keep posted.

100th post giveaway!!! (Closed)

So this is the 100th post on my little blog and to celebrate I thought I would do my first ever giveaway! I've been exited about this for ages so I'm really happy to be able to tell you all about it.   Regular readers of The Robyn Christina will know I love a bit of Elemis. They have just launched their Christmas gift sets for 2015, perhaps a tad premature but exciting all the same! I thought this would be the perfect prize for my giveaway so I had a little browse through all the lovely sets and decided upon the Radiant moment set for normal/combination skin. I felt that this would be suitable for most people and I absolutely love the products inside the set.  

Products

-White brightening even tone cleanser: This cleanser is new to Elemis. It's a very light, foamy texture that really helps to brighten the skin and is also great for any pigmentation problems.

-Herbal lavander repair mask: This mask is great for deep cleansing the skin as well as healing and soothing breakouts. It's great for a once a week pamper sesh.

-Hydra balance day cream: This is a nourishing and soothing, light weight day cream. Again, it's new to Elemis but already a firm favourite.

-Hydra nourish night cream: This is another new release and is brilliant for hydrating the skin over night. It works all through the night so you wake up with beautifully fresh skin.

   

How to enter

-You must be a follower. If your not sure how to do this it's very easy. All you need is a google account which is totally free. Click on the 'Join this site' button and then follow the steps.

-Leave a comment on this post saying anything at all....ideally something nice.

-You must be a UK resident. (Sorry, I'll do international giveaways soon)

-If you are under 18 please get permission off your parents so they don't think I'm a weirdo for sending you a parcel if you win.

-Just one entry per person.

The competition will run from today until the 12th October. I will chose the winner at random and announce who wins on 16th October. Get entering everyone, I'm very excited!!

Masks

Whenever I really want to treat my skin I always reach for a mask. There's masks for all kinds of problems and I find it's the best way to quickly fix the problem. I wanted to share a few favourites with you.  

  The Bliss Tripple oxygen mask is what I always reach for if my skin is feeling a bit dull. It applies as a gel and then foams up on the skin, as it bursts it gives the skin a boost of oxygen that helps to rejuvenate the skin. It really tingles as it bursts too! It works in a bout 5 minutes as once the foams burst on the skin it's done its job and you can just rinse off any excess. My skin always feels great after this.  

  The Elemis exotic cream moisturising mask is what I always reach for if my skin is feeling particularly thirsty. I find the best way to use this is applying it before bed on top of my normal night cream. If my skin is really dehydrated it just drinks it up and I just rinse off what ever's left in the morning. It's amazing for getting rid of any pesky dehydration lines that have started to creep up on me.  

The Body Shop warming mineral mask is my favourite for deep cleansing if my skins feeling a little bit....grubby? It's very very thick which can be a little bit of a pain to apply but once it's on it heats up and feels amazing. It's great for helping to clear up any congestion or break outs in my skin.   So there we have it. I hope you enjoyed this post and a few pictures of my looking ridiculous! Let me know if you've tried any of these masks or any others that you love!

Sorbet for your face?

 

Hello!!   Me and my mum were having a little browse around the Body Shop about a month ago. I had a discount code so thought I'd see if there was anything I wanted to try. When I saw this I was instantly excited. I had never heard of a facial sorbet before but thought it sounded delicious. I bloody love sorbet!   What it's supposed to be used for isn't very clear. It's described as an aqua boost....what does that mean? I've been using it as an extra thirst quenching layer under my moisteriser and I've been really enjoying how my skins been feeling. I think sorbet is the perfect description for this product. I've personally never tried putting sorbet on my face but I imagine this is exactly what it feels like. Very cool and refreshing and leaves the skin feeling tingly for ages after. I think this will feel great on the skin after a day in the sun, assuming those few warmer days we've had recently weren't our lot!
This is my second pot of this and I love it! As I've mentioned before, the Body Shop often have promotions and codes for money off, you nearly always get a bargain and their products are great.

A little Paris haul

  Hello!! I know I've done a few Paris posts now, I hope your not getting bored but I'm enjoying re-living my holiday through writing them. I thought I'd share what I bought while I was away with you. It wasn't really a shopping holiday but I did manage to fit in a few pharmacy's as I'd heard they were great for finding skin care gems and they definitely didn't disappoint.My boyfriend found it really strange how excited I was getting every time we seen one but they were always filled with shelves and shelves of amazing brands that were much more affordable than at home. Hope you enjoy!  

Mac Ruby Woo: I actually picked this up at the airport on the way out, can't resist a bit of duty free. It's a colour I've been meaning to get for ages, I can't wait to test it out on a few Christmas nights out.

La-Roche Posay Serozinc: I've heard so much about this stuff that I knew I had to get some when I was away. This has been raved about from loads of bloggers and as it's not part of La-Roche Posay's UK line I went back and picked up a second bottle.

Caudalie beauty elixir: I know you can get this in the UK but as I've never seen it in my city and it seamed to be a little bit cheaper in Paris I thought it was a good time to try it out. Again this has had a lot of hype behind it and from what I've used so far I can see why.

Loccitane almond shower oil: I've had this before and absolutely loved it so when I seen that it was a lot cheaper in France I had to get some. A little goes a long way with this and as I was lucky enough to get another bottle for my birthday when I got back, I am well stocked for the forcible future.

That's it for everything Paris realted now. Things may start getting a bit festive over here so keep checking back!

Evening skin care routine:Autumn/winter edit.

Hello!!

Today's post is my evening skin care routine for the cooler months. Hopefully you caught my morning skin care routine but if not you can click here. Hopefully some of you will find this one helpful.

 

-First thing I use is the Body Shop waterproof eye make-up remover. I use a tiny amount of  this with damp cotton pads and it gets all my eye make-up off with just one go. It's incredibly gentle on the eyes and doesn't leave any oiliness like a lot of eye make-up removers do.

-Next thing I use is the Elemis balancing lime-blossom cleanser. I've mentioned this in a blog post before which you can read here. My bottles looking a little bit sad now and I will definitely be getting another bottle soon because I think it's brilliant.

-I then follow this up with the Elemis balancing lavender toner. The Elemis toners all come in spray bottles which feels really refreshing on the skin. I just spritz a couple of pumps and it feels really cooling and soothing on my skin. The lavender scent is lovely and relaxing before bed too.

-Next I use the Simple soothing eye balm which I mentioned in my morning skin care routine, I find this works just as well in the evening and helps to sooth my tired eyes before bed.

-I then use a night cream. I'm currently using the Olay double action sensitive night cream. I always like to smother my face in night cream before bed so I've worked my way through this pretty quickly but really like the texture of this one and find it very hydrating. I've only recently re-discovered Olay but have been enjoying there products a lot recently.

-About once a week I like to use a mask over night to really lock the moister into my skin. I've currently been using the Decelor hydra floral masque and absolutely love it. (Being the idiot that I am have taken a picture of the wrong product but to my defence the bottles look very similar!) This mask goes on as a really smooth cream and then completely sinks into the skin and disappears. I leave it on over night and rinse off whats left in the morning. It makes your skin feel amazing and I always feel like my skins glowing after I've used it.

Hope you enjoyed today's post. Keep checking back for new updates as I've started to upload a bit more regularly.

Robyn xx

Morning skin care routine:Autumn/Winter edit.

 

 

Hello!!

 

Today I'm going to run you through my current morning skin care routine. I'm really happy with my skin at the moment and although I've definitely cleaned up my eating habits recently I would mostly put it down to the products I'm using. I would say my skin is combination to oily but is definitely starting to feel a bit dehydrated recently due to the cooler weather so I've started to use a few things to lock in a bit of moisture. Hopefully some of you find this helpful!

 

-I always start with the Elemis tri-enzyme resurfacing facial wash. This really helps to smooth my skin and leaves it feeling squeaky clean and incredibly soft. I used to suffer with broken capillaries and redness in my cheeks and the resurfacing technology in this seems to have really helped to reduce the appearance of these.

 

-Next I use the Elemis gentle rose exfoliator. I don't use this every single day although it's designed to be gentle enough to do so if you feel you need to. I only use it about twice a week and feel that this is enough for me. I love the rose scent of this and the texture is so silky and gentle. As well as buffing off any old skin it also helps to hydrate the new skin underneath and my skin always feels better for using it.

 

-Next I use the Decleor aromessence neroli. Decleor have a range of these for every skin type and the neroli is designed to hydrate the skin. You need the smallest amount of this so you hardly feel like there's anything there but I can definitely feel that it's working. (PS, excuse my obvious blue tacking in the picture, dammit!)

 

-I then like to follow with an eye cream. At the moment I'm using the Simple soothing eye balm. My eyes are one area that I noticed being particularly dry and I will hold my hands up and admit that I had been slacking with eye creams. I'm sure this one isn't doing anything overly amazing for lines and wrinkles but it definitely helps to sooth and hydrate the eye area which I'm happy with for now.

 

-Finally I moisturise. I'm currently using the Olay essentials complete care for oily/combination skin. At first, I wasn't sure what I thought of this product but after using it for a while I find it really helps to soften and brighten my skin and think this will become a regular purchase for me.

 

Hope you all enjoyed today's post and hopefully some of you found it helpful if you have similar skin to me. Keep posted for my night time skin routine coming soon!!

 

Robyn xx

Wish list

Hello!!

Some months the money just doesn't seem to last as well as others, and typically those months I want to buy every single thing I see. #firstworldproblems I thought I would put together a little list of a few things that I'm really pining for in the hopes that I'll get it out of my system and won't bankrupt myself as soon as I'm payed.

 

Aaah Pro-collagen marine cream, it's truly the stuff of skin care legend and all I can think about is how beautiful this would look on my bathroom shelf. I've mentioned this beauty before but they currently have a 100ml version out for breast cancer which is double the size of the usual one. At £99 a pot this is by no means cheap but it is for a good cause so we'll see how spendy I'm feeling come pay day.

 

These cute, little shorts are from Zara and are a total bargain at £12.99. I haven't got any holidays planned for this year yet but the weather in England is currently really good so I would still get the wear out of them. I love the whole outfit in this picture to be honest and wouldn't mind having the legs to match, a girl can dream.

 

 

 I've always loved a good kimono. I think they make any look fancier and it's always my go to look if I'm rushing out and don't know what to put on. Now long ones are all the rage I need one in my life and this one from Topshop looks right up my street. It has a beautiful pattern but I think the colours are subtle enough that it could still be worn with most things. I think I need this in my life.

 

 

This is another that may seem a little extravagant and to be honest it is but I've been thinking about getting canon for a while spotted the canon EOS 1100D digital SLR while on amazon the other day and they have a really good offer on at the moment. It would definitely still be a splurge but I have some amazon vouchers saved up and I keep telling myself it would be an investment! I still want to do a little but more research about this one to see if it's right for me but keep an eye out for beautiful pictures coming from this direction in the very near future.

Well that's everything. We'll see what happens on pay day but I'm sure once it actually comes around I'll have changed my mind about most things. Hope you all enjoyed today's post. I have a few ideas at the ready so keep an eye out on here in the near future and I'll be back soon.

Robyn xx