Mandy in Oz

Welcome back to my review series!  Today, I'm going to give my initial thoughts on the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% from The Ordinary. To start with, I'd like to talk about the purpose of this particular offering from The Ordinary and why you might like to try this kind of product.  This formula is aimed specifically at those with blemish prone and oily skin (that's me!), it's claims are that it reduces the appearance of blemishes and congestion. The zinc content is also purported to reduce visible sebum activity, which should result in a less oily appearance, for all of the oily girls and guys out there.  Sounds awesome, right?  Well...yes and no.  If you'd like to know why, please read on. I'd like to note, as with previous reviews, that I have an acne prone, oily but also maturing complexion. I also have somewhat sensitive skin, though which ingredients will 'set me off' can be a little unpredictable.  With that in mind, here's my first i

Well, I've definitely been a little slow getting to my next review in the Deciem series.  Apologies, life sometimes gets in the way of my best intentions, with it's merry-go-round of sick kiddies and various appointments.  Ah, family life! So, without further ado, lets get into my next review;  this time we're talking about the Matrixyl 10% + HA, from The Ordinary. First up, a quick rundown of what this product is, and what it targets.  This is a peptide and HA formulation; it contains two kinds of Matrixyl (a peptide formulation developed by a company called Sederma) in a Hyaluronic Acid base. As with all products from Deciem, this one is cruelty free;  I believe it's also vegan.  The products purpose is to target wrinkles, so for someone with ageing skin (aka me), this certainly seems a worthwhile product to try. Now, for my first impressions of this particular serum.  I must confess that when I was planning out my initial haul, this particular product wasn&#

Welcome to part two of my First Impressions series!  Today I'm going to talk about one of the first products that I purchased from The Ordinary, the Lactic Acid 10% +HA 2%. I'd like to quickly run through the purpose of this product and talk about methods of use and precautions, before I give my thoughts on it.  So, this one is all about exfoliation!  It's an AHA, though Glycolic acid is somewhat more common than Lactic acid for exfoliation, at least in Australia.  The great thing about Lactic, as opposed to Glycolic, is that it tends to be a bit gentler, with less irritation caused.  So, for those that cannot tolerate Glycolic acid but would like to use chemical exfoliation, this may be the product for you!  This product also contains 2% HA, which is a humectant, drawing moisture to your skin. As a side note, you should *always* take extra care with your SPF if you're using an AHA treatment, as it can increase sensitivity to the sun.  It's also best to onl

So, as promised, here is numero uno in a series of first impressions of products from The Ordinary.  I've chosen to start with this particular product, as from what I've seen in other reviews, it's one of those items that has had some incredibly varied opinions. I must admit, I can completely understand why!  I've definitely had to rework my skincare routines somewhat, to make the most of this product. Read on, to find out why, and how. I'd like to start with the purpose of this particular kind of skincare product.  There are many Vitamin C products available, and as an ingredient it packs quite a punch.  Vitamin C has been proven to provide substantial anti-ageing and brightening effects when applied topically....sounds great, right? The difficulty has always been producing an effective and stable product, as Vitamin C oxidises with exposure to oxygen, and the higher the concentration, the less stable it is.   The Ordinary have overcome that difficulty

So....lets talk about The Ordinary.   I first heard about this brand last year from the fabulous Wayne Goss, via his Youtube channel.  He was really quite enthusiastic about it, which struck me as kind of cool, so I set out to gather more information before deciding if I would try some of these products out. As it turns out, this wasn't difficult - there's been a huge amount of buzz all over the internet about the brand, and it's not hard to see why.  The products are completely transparent in what they're for, are full of proven active ingredients and the price point is spectacularly low.  I'm on quite a tight budget, so the price point is kind of a big deal to me ;) I started small, picking up the Matrixyl 10% + HA and the Lactic 10% + HA 2%.  I found these in-store at Myer and paid the princely sum of $33 odd for both.  I had my fingers crossed that these would work well for me and they certainly haven't disappointed. Since dipping my toes in with t

that may be an impressively large understatement ;) Despite my best intentions, it has literally been years since I blogged. To be fair, I have been active on Instagram, however, I do really enjoy the blog format. There's so much more room to be wordy and cumbersome :P I haven't quite decided where I'm going to go with this, I've always tended to fly by the seat of my pants a little, and just write about whatever I'm finding particularly fun or intriguing at any given time. Currently, I'm into all things beauty, especially skincare (moderately obsessed with K beauty); fitness (self confessed gym junkie!); making art (I'm all about drawing currently, but I can feel painting calling my name) and making yarn (I grow and spin my own cotton). I also love baking, op shopping and hanging out with my little family. So, let's just go with eclectic, huh? So I guess that's me, reintroducing myself..Hi :) How are you?

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