LUSH | Angels On Bare Skin | Face & Body Cleanser

My skin does not discriminate when it comes to facial cleansers! I have a R30,00 cleanser from Sorbet and a R600,00 cleanser from Chanel, both make my skin look like a 13 year old teenager going through puberty. If you have at any point experience those big painful bumps when you use something new or that doesn't agree with your skin then you will know exactly how I feel. When I find something that I think works I will not try or touch another because I am just to scared of the reaction I could potentially have. 

Quite some time ago a friend of mine gifted me a little tub of the Lush Angels on Bare skin face and body cleanser. I put it in my drawer and forgot about it because for me (I'm guessing this was the same for her that's why she passed it on) it was just to intimidating. It had little pieces of what I can only describe as twigs in it and was so messy that I just didn't know how or where to use it. That was until a couple of months ago when my skin broke out everywhere even in my neck, I got so depressed that I stopped using everything I currently was using even my moisturizers and makeup to try and find the cause of the problem. It lasted about 3 or 4 months until I decided I had had enough and took a completely different approach. I started drinking fruit infused water to detox my system and started seeing results right away, I then started looking for a natural face wash that did not contain any harsh chemicals because I just wanted a different approach to solving the problem. After some research I came across the Angels on bare skin which people were absolutely obsessed with and decided that I needed it in my life, only to find out that I had already had it for the past few months (shame on me for not using something before I bought more haha). I haven't put it down since then. 

Some of the ingredients in Angels on Bare skin are ground almonds, lavender oil, rose absolute, chamomile blue oil and lavender flowers. The Rose oil acts as a toner while the lavender oil smooths out the surface of the skin. The scent is very natural to me like a wet forest smell, you pick up allot of the ground up flowers and fresh lavender but not in a "I want to bath myself it in" kind of way more like your in a all natural chemist kinda way. It is not totally unpleasant though or over whelming and once you add water you don't even smell it that much any more. All the ingredients are natural thus cutting down the shelf life of this product making it impossible to stock up on. A 100g tub sells for R145,00 and because you only use a pea or two size pinch at a time it lasts about 3 months. It does not remove makeup and I do use a makeup remover before I cleans my face with it. It does however mildly exfoliate the skin and help bring out the natural glow. It helped control the surface break outs I experienced and reduce the inflammation of the severe acne I had and softened the redness I would experience from them while controlling additional ones from forming. I found it best to use in the shower because it really does create quite a mess. You need to take a pinch in your hand with some water and create a paste, then use it like any other cleanser in circular motions on your skin and rinse off. 

Lush website: Angelic, medieval cleansing wash with rose and lavender. Angels on Bare Skin is the Lush version of an expensive medieval skincare recipe. Rare, precious essential oils were first brought to Europe by the crusaders who encountered Arabian medicine. The church immediately banned them because their ability to alter states of mind was considered the devils work! But the final result was Cosmetics 1, Church 0. Rose oil and Lavender oil were discovered to do wonderful things for the skin, too. Almost a thousand years later, you'd be hard pressed to find a better all round cleanser and exfoliator than Angels.

Some of you might be asking though how I know it is this that helped with my break outs but I know it did. I ran out about a week ago and started using of my old ones again and I immediately started breaking out. I went and repurchased this right away and now its calming down again. So yes I would highly recommend you give this cleanser a try it has become my holy grail!

It's Almost My Birthday | Wish List

I cant believe this year has gone by so fast and that its almost Christmas already!! Before that however is my birthday YAY ME. I thought I would share some of the items I have been wishing for, I think its the first year my list has been so short but I can say its been a good year so far makeup wise! What is on your list let me know down below.

Kat Von D | Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita

Have you ever bought a cult product and right off the bat you instinctively know that you are going to be that one in a million that is going to hate it. Before you have even had a chance to try it you have already crucified it in your head for spending so much on it but you must know what all the fuss is about and that FOMO is eating you up inside. Then you take it out the packaging and rather unimpressively try it so that you can put reason to your hating. And from the second it touches your lips you hear angels singing and you get it you really really get it. And now your sitting there wondering why you held out for so long and now it's to late to get a back up because they are all sold out again for the twentieth time and now you hate it even more for making you love it so much. No? Is that just me? Well then...

After doing some research I believe the one I currently have is the third formulation. If you are not aware of the whole drama around the Lolita formulations and how they are ever changing ill fill you in. Depending on when you purchased yours you might have either gotten the first batch which was the original and a lighter more chest nut version. The second batch which I believe was dubbed the bad batch which was a much darker dusty rose which quite honestly in my opinion looked like the most gorgeous colour ever and I wish mine was that shade. And then the current batch which is a little darker than the first but lighter than the second, more of a medium to dark dusty rose. Kat has announced though that they will be bringing back the original as Lolita two. 

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita $20,00 is described as a chestnut rose. It is a medium to dark dusty rose with medium to warm undertones and a flat matte finish. It has full opaque colour coverage and the intensity of the colour can easily be built up in layers. The application is very smooth and creamy and it sets to a flat matte and completely dry around two minutes after application. It has a really lightweight comfortable texture that doesn't settle into the lines once dry. It also doesn't crack when you smile or look and feel overly drying. I have only ever worn it for around 4 hours max and then I remove and reapply, I find it more comfortable than reapplying over the current/older layer and this way it stays comfortable through out and doesn't turn out to drying on the lips. The best application is also to add a thin layer of lip balm underneath so that it stays moisturized through out.

The everlasting liquid lipstick is a full coverage long wearing liquid lipstick with a smooth flat matte finish. I've only tried a hand full of liquid lipsticks and the Kat Von D formula is my favorite, it is the creamiest, applies the smoothest and is the most comfortable wear through out. I have only ever tried Lolita so I cannot speak for the other shades though. Their wearing time is said to be anywhere from 6 to 10 hours depending on what you have to eat or drink but like I said I prefer to cut it off at 3 to 4 hours so I have not really gotten to the point where it is overly drying on the lips. 

The formulation is really thin and creamy but not overly watery and the doe foot applicator makes it really easy and comfortable for precise application. I've heard allot of people complain about the packaging and that it looks cheap but I have to say that I love the detail and the feel of it and I don't quite get it. The only complaint that I have is that I would rather prefer the tube being shorter and fatter because the applicator is quite long (I understand this is to reach the product at the bottom of the tube) it sometimes makes it a bit uncomfortable to apply, I can only imagine that if it was shorter it would feel more comfortable in your hand making application easier. 

What version of Lolita did you pick up do you like me think the second batch is a pretty unique shade all on its own and that it should stay around let me know in the comments section below.

M.A.C | The Matte Lip Collection Summer 2015

A couple of weeks ago MAC released their The Matte Lip Collection for Summer 2015 (depending on what side of the hemisphere you are on you might have gotten it in Winter like us). There are 22 pieces in the collection but not all of them are new shades, in fact some of them are currently available as part of the permanent line and are being re-promoted. The shades being re-promoted are All fired up, Flat out Fabulous, Heroine, Kinda Sexy, Pink Pigeon, Please Me, Ruby Woo and Velvet Teddy. Having said that, the better part of the collection however does consist mostly of new shades. You might also recognise some familiar names like Stone and Whirl and that is because they have cousins in MAC's lip pencil line. If you are fans of either of those two shades don't worry because allot of these shades are going to be added to the permanent line.

• All Fired Up - bright fuchsia (Retro Matte) re-promote 
• Antique Velvet - intense brown (Matte) 
• Dangerous - Orangey re (Retro Matte)
• D for Danger - Brick Red (Matte) 
• Flat out Fabulous - Bright Plum (Retro Matte) re-promote
• Heroine - Bright purple (Matte) re-promote
• Instigator - Deep blackened plum (Matte) 
• Kinda Sexy - Neutral Pinky Rose (Matte) re-promote
• Matte Royal - Deep blue (Matte) 
• Men Love Mystery - Lavender violet (Matte) 
• Naturally Transformed - Muted Golden Beige (Matte) 
• Please Me - Muted rose tinted pink (Matte) re-promote
• Persistence - Peachy cinnamon (Matte) 
• Pink Pigeon - Bright cleanest pink (Matte) re-promote
• Ruby Woo - Vivid blue red (Retro Matte) re-promote
• Runway Hit - Light nude (Retro Matte)
• Steady Going - Light Pink (Retro Matte)
• Stone - Muted greyish taupe brown (Matte) 
• Studded Kiss - Dark Oxblood red (Matte)
• Tropic Tonic - Full power coral (Matte) 
• Velvet Teddy - Deep toned beige (Matte) re-promote
• Whirl - Dirty Rose (Matte) 

When the collection was launched I immediately like always gravitated towards the nude brownish shades and picked up Whirl, Stone and Persistence. I also have Velvet teddy but this I picked up some time ago (because it is a re-promote and is part of this collection I have added it in this post). If you are one of those people however that the whole 90's look just does not do it for you then don't worry because the range is quite versatile. It ranges from light and bright pinks to bright red, brown, deep plum and even a bright royal blue, so there is something for every one.

From left: Whirl, Persistence, Stone, Velvet Teddy

The entire collection comes in a matte finish (if that wasn't obvious by the name alone) meaning that it has a flat finish with very little to no shine at all. Having said that they don't all have the same finish and that is because more than half of the collection comes out in the matte finish while the other half has the retro matte finish. The retro matte finish are flatter and more drying on the lips than their regular matte counter parts. The collection is not technically a limited edition in the traditional sense because it does not come out in limited edition packaging and the shades are not limited edition either as it is either part of the permanent line or it is being add to it.

From left: Whirl, Persistence, Stone, Velvet Teddy

MAC Stone Lipstick (R210,00) described as a muted greyish taupe brown. It is a subdued medium to dark taupe brown with warm greyish undertones. It has a velvety cream consistency with full opaque colour coverage. It is smooth and creamy and applies effortlessly, it has a satin to matte finish and dries flat matte after around two hours of wear.

MAC Persistence (R210,00) described as a peachy cinnamon. It is a medium brown with very warm reddish orange undertones. It has a almost satin matte finish which dries to a solid flat matte after around two hours of wear. Colour coverage is completely opaque and application is the easiest out of the four with a very creamy velvety consistency. It is allot more red than Whirl and allot darker than Velvet Teddy.

MAC Whirl (R210,00) described as a dirty rose. It is some where between a medium to dark rosy brown with mauve undertones. It has a light smooth creamy texture with full colour coverage and applies evenly with out effort. It lasted a full 4 hours and wore off evenly (You can read my full review here).

MAC Velvet Teddy (R210,00) described as a deep-tone beige. It is a medium rosy beige with hints of brown, rosy pink and warm undertones. It has a smooth creamy texture with a very comfortable satin feel. It has full colour coverage with a flat matte finish that applied smoothly with out tugging. It lasted a good 2 to 3 hours on (You can read my full review here).

The Test Box | September Box Unboxing

I received the September Testbox a couple of days ago and wanted to share an unboxing with you all. This months box consists of two hair care products and one body product (something which is new to the test box) lets jump into it...

Scruff Coffee Scrub 180g R145,00, this body scrub is actually made in Cape Town. It is a natural exfoliator and cleanser designed to deeply hydrate and condition the skin with its powerful antioxidants. It is said to be safe to use on sensitive skin and suitable for use on both the face and body. It is made with real coffee and the smell is amazing, but some how reminds me of what is left over in your coffee machine after a couple of cups.

Directions for use: Apply directly to wet skin and leave for a few minutes to allow the skin to absorb, rinse and repeat one to three times a week.

Joico Smooth Cure Shampoo 300ml R220,00 and Joico Smooth Cure Conditioner 300ml R230,00 is for curly/frizzy/coarse hair. It is a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner designed to help reduce frizz leaving hair softer and more manageable. It helps create a smooth surface that helps prevent damage that is caused from styling and thermal mechanical tools as well as everyday environmental factors.  

I really want to try the Joice Smooth Cure Thermal Protecting Spray 150ml R180,00 if it smells anything like the shampoo and conditioner I want to drench my entire body in it.

You can pick up this months Testbox for R160,00 here

MAC Matte Lipstick in Whirl | Bringing The 90's Back

There are so many things about the 90's that I think we all wish we could forget! Fanny packs,  pump up Reebok's, butterfly clips (thanks for nothing Buffy), scrunchies, starter jackets, chain wallets, soul patches, crimped hair, over plucked eyebrows (I could keep going forever). Then there are some things we will never forget. Mark Wahlberg being Marky Mark, Disney Channel actually playing cartoons, playing Super Mario on a old school Nintendo, knowing exactly how to finishing singing "who you going to call", slip n slides, Britney Spears singing Baby one More Time and of course the macarena!! There are things however that have made a major come back and in a good way. Doc Martens, neon's, high wasted jeans, crop tops, leather biker jackets and then there is the most talked about craze the (air quotes) "Kylie Jenner Lip".

Pretty much the perfect pair! 👭 I can't bring myself to using them just yet 💁🏼 #macewhirl 💋 #macwhirllipstick 💄 #bblogger #bbloggers #beautyblogger #beautybloggers #makeupblogger #maclipstick #lipstick #makeup #makeupcollection #southafricanblogger #capetownblogger #onfleek #kyliejenner #mac

A photo posted by Alice Fick (@lipgloss_is_my_drug) on Aug 20, 2015 at 4:09am PDT

If Kim Kardashian is "the body" in the family and Kendall Jenner is "the legs" Kloe Kardashian is "the mouth" then Kylie Jenner is definitely "the lips" her (claimed to be) overdrawn lips and plumped up pout has received more attention than Kim's marriage to Kris and her sex tap with Ray J combined. Kylie has never actually come out and revealed what the actual colour is that she uses and I think the fact that she has announced the launch of her own lip kit might have something to do with it. Which is well played on her side because she has created quite a big hype and demand for it now. There has been speculation though as to what they are and two MAC lip liners have been named, both of which have sold out world wide and created quite a shortage. The one is said to be Spice which is a matte brown with red undertones and the other is Whirl which is also a matte with Mauve undertones.

MAC Matte Lipstick in Whirl R210 - MAC Matte Lip liner in Whirl R190

Although Whirl lip liner has been around for ages it has been such a cult product and so hard to get that I was actually beginning to think it didn't exist. Then a couple of weeks ago when MAC released their Matte lip collection with 12 new shades added, I think everyone was both shocked and excited that Whirl was part of the line up. After a bit of hunting I was lucky enough to track down both the liner and lipstick. Whirl is described as a dirty rose with a matte finish, it is a medium dark rosy brown with warm undertones and a very matte finish. I don't know if I am the only person but I do not find MAC's matte lipsticks to be drying at all (that is if you use a good moisturising lip balm regularly). I think it is one of the most comfortable formulas. Whirl is very light and creamy and applies very smoothly. It has full colour coverage and doesn't tug when applying.

Now to the question I think everyone is asking, is the lipstick an exact dupe for the lip liner? The answer is a definite YES. The lipstick is allot creamier and easier to apply but once applied you cannot tell the difference. What people need to know and understand though is whirl like most nude shades look different on everyone. On my skin tone it leaned allot more to the brown/red side and on me I feel looks like a darker version of velvet teddy. On my skin tone Twig on the other hand I feel looks allot closer to the Kylie Jenner colour but with regards to MAC getting the lip liner and lipstick to match there they were spot on!

Every MAC counter I called was sold out but the online store still has stock, if you aren't able to get it this time round it isn't the end of the world because I have heard that it is going to be made a permanent shade!

Have you gotten both products yet let me know how you feel about them in the comments section below.