Unique, Artisian & Holistic: Miskin Organics

Sometimes you stumble across an indie skincare label and everything about it feels right. This recently happened to me with the lovely line of Miskin Organics, an Australian made organic skincare line with a holistic approach. The minimal apothecary bottles, pretty photography and inspiring quotes on their website show the love for detail that goes into the products. Everything is very chic and minimalistic. But before I keep rambling on I better tell you about the actual products and my experience with them:

The Smooth Cleanser is a real winner, I have already mentioned and recommended it here. Suitable for all skin types it melts onto the skin and emulsifies into a milk on contact with water. It removed all makeup with ease and leaves my skin very soft and hydrated. I am a fan of cleansing balms and love the ritual of using a cloth or my Magic Mitt by Jane Iredale, it feels so good at the end of a long day.

I also tried the Detox Face Mask, which was a very intensely purifying treatment, I recommend this to everyone struggling with breakouts or congested skin. You have to mix it with water into a paste first, which is not the most convenient ready to use application, but I found it was well worth it. It's a really amazing natural alternative for problematic skin.

Do you have a sweet tooth? Then you can't go past the lip balm with chocolate and honey. Safe and edible and ultra moisturizing.

Last but not least to my absolute favourite in the line: The Silk Body Oil it doubles as an all natural fragrance with it's beautiful exotic scent of the Monoi de Tahiti oil. To me it smells of Summer and holiday and it makes me very happy. Beside that I personally LOVE the smell, it was one of the best textures in body oil that I have tried, it absorbed beautifully leaving the skin silky smooth with a lovely sheen. I used it as perfume, body moisturizer and hair treatment and will certainly get myself the larger bottle next time. I am currently on the hunt for all natural perfumes and this is so far my favourite.

Of course Miskin Organics does not test on animals and all products are filled with only the highest quality ingredients.

How to get the Look - Luminous Beauty for White Magazine

Photo by Scarlet & Sage, Hair&Makeup by Liv Lundelius

I just received the latest issue of White Magazine and as usual it's packed with beautiful inspiration, and honest articles on love, relationships and marriage. For this issue I was asked to create a series of bridal beauty looks and hair trends for brides. Here on the blog I share with you a little How-to on how I actually achieved these looks, together with the products used and recommended products.

Luminous Blushing Bride This look focuses on soft, radiant blush balanced with a subtle eye and lip.The only colour I used here is a radiant soft pink on the lips and cheeks. Skin: Apply Inika Truly Organic Liquid Foundation with a soft kabuki brush. It's a great product but a very limited colour range. It won't mask the skin or lovely freckles while still evening out the skin. Use a high coverage concealer only to cover redness or blemishes for an invisible flawless finish. I applied Inika Light Reflect on top of the cheekbones, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow. Use ILIA translucent powder only through the t-zone to keep excess shine at bay at the very end. Eyes: Start with evening out the eyelid with a hint of a tinted eye-primer or foundation. Apply a dab of Inika Creme Eyeshadow in Pink Cloud to highlight in the inner corners and apply a Jane Iredale Peach Sherbet Eyeshadow. Draw a thin line with Jane Iredale Jelly Gel Eyeliner in Brown along the upper lash line. Enhance your eyelashes by curling them and coating them with Longest Lash Mascara. Apply the mascara right on the roots of the lashes to give that framing effect and a luscious thick lash line. Brows: Fill in eyebrows softly with Jane Iredale Bitty Brow Kit and hold in place with Pure Brow Fix gel. Cheeks: ILIA Multistick in "All Of Me" to the apple of the cheek and warm into the skin using fingers Lips: Ilia Karma Chameleon Lip Crayon adds the perfect pop of colour leaving the lips looking moisturized.

Wild Braids Prep the hair with a heat protecting texturizing product and blow dry your hair to get a great shine and voloume. I used Yarok Feed Your Roots Mousse and my H2D Hair dryer. Part your hair in the center and just behind the ear. Start braiding one large section from the front and secure the ends with an elastic. Wrap the section across your forehead where you wish to place it and secure with Bobbi Bins. Repeat on the other side and place just above your first braid. Braid the last 2 sections and pin in place so the head is evenly covered. Now start messing the braids up! Gently pull sections in the braids to create more texture and an uneven modern look. Spray with hair spray to enhance shine and hold style in place. A great natural spray is Yarok Feed Your Hold Spray

All looks are created with 100% luxurious, toxin free and/or organic beauty products that create professional results, while being good for you. I feel these looks are so versatile that they easily go beyond bridal and could of course be worn by anyone. I hope you enjoyed and I stay tuned for the next looks!

Create a Beauty Ritual

photo taken inside my bathroom cabinet by Liv

Do you have a beauty ritual? Do you look forward to your daily skincare routine? Do you absolutely love how your products smell and feel on your skin? If you do you are much more likely to keep up and you get to relax and have fun in the process. I believe that the pleasure of using products and to create a little self-care ritual around your routine is actually very beneficial to your skin and most importantly to the way you feel. I am so grateful I have recently connected with a fellow skincare lover and expert, the lovely Misty who is the inspiring woman behind the skincare line BLOOM. We send long long emails back and and forth chatting away about skin & health, I feel we connected in such a great way that I just made a new friend on the other side of the world. Created by a holistic nutritionist with a deep understanding of whole body health, this line truly felt different to all other natural skincare lines I have ever used. You can tell that it's not just another skincare line but rather one carefully researched and crafted with a holistic approach. Can you tell, that I am a bit of a fan? Within one week of using the products exclusively morning and night and having so much fun with the ritual in the meantime, my skin has transformed. The few blemishes I had healed quickly without leaving scarring or redness, my skin is smooth and even toned and very well hydrated. It glows, so that I even completely skipped wearing any foundation for a few days. I received my products after one really long and exhausting day a few weeks ago and I fell in love immediately, from the moment I received the products which came in the prettiest colourful wrapping.

I am of course a little picky when it comes to skincare, as I receive so many samples and constantly get to work with new and different products in my job, and I have to say: These products are different to anything I had ever tried before.

I took the skin type test on the website as all three steps in this skincare routine are uniquely created for a specific skin type. The test decided that I would fit best into the Combination Skin Type. I think the combination skin choice was spot on, as my skin is taking really well to the new routine. The smell of my Nourish Serum is very relaxing and grounding and I can feel all the muscles in my face relax immediately. Step 1: GLOW and POLISH Glow is a wonderful botanical oil blend, that you can use as eye-makeup remover. Within the beauty ritual you then mix it with Polish to create a wonderful deeply purifying facial cleanser. Polish is a powdery consistency, it buffes away impurities but isn't not harsh like other scrubs. It also contains natural lactic acid to brighten and soften, from organic whole milk powder. You can use turn your cleanse into a weekly face mask by leaving it on for 10 minutes before rinsing. And it feels incredibly nice! Step 2: HYDRATE and NOURISH Spritz your face liberally with HYDRATE and you will want to use it all day long! It's a lovely hydrating spritz packed with essential nutrients that will allow your next step to really lock in that extra moisture. Then you follow with a few drops of Nourish. I really love massaging the Nourish serum into my skin and personally love the smell so much that I inhale a few times to get the most out of the aromatherapy effects. If you are feeling dry, apply NOURISH directly to your skin after using POLISH. Step 3: RESTORE Apply a small amount of RESTORE to the area around the eyes and elsewhere on the face, as needed. The area between the eye brows and the "laugh lines" next to the mouth are especially nice. It's a very concentrated potent little balm that my skin loves.

All products are 100% Natural, Crueltyfree, All BLOOM formulas are vegetarian or vegan, gluten free and preservative + toxin free and only contain with the freshest, safest, most luxurious ingredients for your skin type. The line does not use any fillers (including water) and as such a little goes a very long way.

I am hooked on my luxurious beauty ritual! Please check out the BLOOM website which now offers a generous $20.00 shipping flat rate to Australia.

How to hydrate and replenish sensitive dry Winter Skin

Different Season - Different Skin CareAs the seasons change our skin has develops different needs as well and most of us have to adjust our skin care. My own skin has become dry in areas as the temperatures dropped recently and I also had some redness and sensitivity. I have just received an email from one of my lovely clients asking me about a good skin care routine, product tips and facial recommendations for her dry/sensitive and dehydrated skin that also shows redness on the cheeks. She works in an air conditioned office and prefers natural skincare. In the lead up to her wedding day she wants her skin to be best. Don't we all? I got a little carried away with my response, spending about one hour to write recommendations and tips for her, so I thought I might as well share this with all of you, as we can all do with a little TLC for our Winter skins.

The Gentle Cleanse If you are still using a foaming cleanser now is the time to ditch it, it most likely will strip the skin of it's moisture and natural oils that it needs to stay healthy and hydrated. Go for a super gentle cream-, balm-, or milk cleanser and use it to double cleanse. You can use these with your Clearisonic as well. The Calming Cream Cleanser by Z'kin is excellent for sensitive Skin. La Mav Hydra Calm Cleansing Crème formulated with Bio-Flavonoids, Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter to moisturize and cleanse the skin which will reveal a clear, bright, smooth feeling skin. I also love the SMOOTH Cleanser from Miskinorganics and another current favourite is Bloom Glow&Polish a unique cleansing paste that you freshly mix prior to application all these are replenishing the skin while removing makeup and cleansing away impurities.

The Key: Moisturize! Find a nourishing moisturizer that protects the skin from further moisture loss. Use 2x a day or use a different day and night cream if you prefer. If my skin is red, reactive and very sensitive it's in need for instant calming action my go to products are Zk'in Relief Moisturizer and Triology Very Gentle Calming Serum, the names say it all! For dry skin I recommend a very rich balmy moisturizer at night, and even apply it as mask in a thick layer when watching a movie or reading at home. Air conditioning and dry air from heaters is really bad for already dry skin, so please make sure you apply a lovely rich moisturizer and/or foundation as barrier to protect the skin. Trilogy Rosapene™ Night Cream works a treat as replenishing mask. Loaded with Antioxidants in a unique oil blend, manuka honey and Goji this will restore your skin quickly. You can also try incooperate pure organic Oils like Rosehip oil into your routine: Try nutrient rich oils like Rosehip. The trick to using oils effectively is to mix them with water. They absorb so much better this way. Mix equal parts oil and water in your hands, and rub together vigorously before massaging the mixture onto your face. I like to spritz my face with a hydtrating spray before applying oils. Use alone, or layered under your usual moisturizer. Everyone is talking about Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, believe the hype! It's pure skincare at it's best.

Hydration: The Spritz! Hydrating sprays can be very beneficial to have handy on your desk, together with some handcream & lipbalm, especially if you are working in an air conditioned office. Jane Iredale makes my favourite ones, certified organic filled with lovely armomatherapy oils they are the ultimate luxury and the bottles are super pretty too.

Keep Young! To target and prevent fine lines it's a good idea to have a powerful anti ageing eyecream as part of your regime. My favourites are; Tata Harper Restorative Eye Cream, Z'kin Line Smoothing Serum, La Mav Bio A7 Firming Eye Lotion

Shake it off! Keep exfoliating. You can find my guide on exfoliation here. Incoporate healthy fats in your diet like avocado and flaxseed oil, coconut oil and nuts and of course make sure you drink enough water. If you are feeling less thirsty in the colder season try herbal teas and spicy chais (without black tea) which will warm you up, increase circulation and help you to stay hydrated. I hope this helps! Feel free to post any questions or your personal tips and experience in the comments below. :)

Happy Earth Day! The best fragrance free mineral primers

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Isn't this planet truly amazing? I love watching nature & animal documentaries to unwind or simply go for a walk by the beach or in the bush. I always find this very humbling, and grounding. As if they remind me that I am just a tiny little being in this huge universe. And sometimes that is very important to remember. I wish to see a lot more of this wonderful planet and really hope that we will preserve nature for generations to come. Living in Sydney, I feel I am surrounded by so much wildlife, the ocean and amazing exotic landscapes everywhere. Sometimes I just need to step outside and take it all in. In real life.

I think all women with half a brain know that today beauty products don't have to cost the earth to be effective. And if you don't believe me, do your own research :) I personally feel they will long term always give the better results. I aspire to be a green makeup artist using only the best luxury and natural products. I am always out discover the latest and best beauty products from around the world and share my experiences with you. Please note that the below primers all DO contain silcone and are therefore not entirely clean or 100% natural.

I want to sing the praises of some great primers in the natural/green/organic category. All of these are free of synthetic fragrance, crueltyfree, vegan, and paraben free as well as packed with essential nutrients and the most luxurious botanical ingredients. I hope you enjoy and give these goodies a go!

Youngblood Mineral Primer The overall best makeup primer I have ever used. This one is suitable for all skin types. It's does everything I could ever ask for. Minimizes the appearance of pores, smooths fine lines, controls that oily t-zone while still being nourishing and really helps any foundation to stay in place for longer! Pro tip: It works as magical makeup eraser when you apply one drop to a cotton bud: You can correct eyeliner shapes or error without disturbing the makeup! Magic! It's also filled with vitamins and natural goodness, and leaves out synthetic fragrances and nasty ingredients. Win win! Jane Iredale Smooth Affair A luxurious makeup base, great for dehydrated or dry or mature skins. It gives that extra glow and smells divine. I use it underneath my Glow Time BB Creme, whenever I feel I need a little extra moisture. Perfect for Glow during Summer!

Hourglass No28 Primer Serum This one is quite different to any other primer I have used. It is extremely rich and oily. So please don't try to use this in tropical summer weather or on very oily skin. This can still be a good product for oily skins, but I guess you are better of with a mattifying product. It is perfect for extremely and I repeat extremely dry skin, as well for harsh Winter months, when the skin can't keep up it's natural oil production. It's also great for dry mature skin as it's made from a cocktail of potent anti ageing ingredients and therefore really deserves the last name Serum. My pro tip: You can also use it on cheeks and brows for an glossy, dewy look as seen on current fashion weeks.

Hourglass Veil Primer: Quite the opposite of the above, this primer is perfect for humid hot days and/or oily skin. It makes any foundation that is used on top of this water resistant. Perfect for teary brides! As it has a milky white appearance, it can make very tanned or dark skins appear ashy. This can be counter acted with the correct makeup, but if you are after a bronzed look or have naturally dark skin, you might want to try out a sample before you purchase. While it completely absorbs really nicely and is super lightweight it only works for fair to medium skin tones. Which is clearly a bummer. I still find it a remarkable product, even if my very own skin get's to dark in Summer to use this. It's also perfect for anyone with redness that wants to even out their skin tone.

While Hourglass products are free of synthetic fragrances, cruelty free and free of many nasty ingredients, they do not claim to be a 100% natural, green or organic brand, please see ingredients for yourself and decide if these products are for you.