ON MY DESK Health & Beauty March 2016

ON MY DESK Health & Beauty March 2016 takes a look at what I’m loving in the worlds of health and wellness for my family, and beauty makeup and skincare, in the month of March 2016…

Linden Leaves Intensive Repair Eye Cream with Organic White Tea and Melon 15ml $49.99 uses the age-defying properties of organic white tea in this powerful, botanical eye cream. The eye cream is enriched with certified organic white tea, and is high in antioxidants to help reduce the visible signs of ageing and contains melon extract, a naturally-rich source of skin-loving vitamins, to promote healthy cell renewal. And wait there’s more – Free gift with purchase- when you spend $50 at Linden Leaves in stores during March you receive this organic avocado oil Egg Soap as your free Easter gift.

Weleda make so many amazing natural skin health and well-being products and I have been using them the whole of my children’s lives, from the Weleda teething powder when they had teeth coming through, to bath products, through to topical creams for cuts and bruises now. I absolutely adore this Weleda Calendula Oil and have been using it on my children’s skin. See more info and where to buy at www.weleda.co.nz

I love these Red Seal children’s wellness health products! I’ve actually been using Floradix for years and I love lavender oil for sleep and soothing both children AND adults. Vitamin C is so great for the immune system too, and probiotics are vital after you’ve been having medication, to restore good gut health. See www.redseal.co.nz for where to buy.

I’m feeling quite Game of Thronesy, with the arrival of Dragon’s Blood, a serum with a celebrity following. It contains a tree sap extract called Dragon’s Blood as well as Hyaluronic acid to lift and firm skin and was developed in New Zealand. Skin Therapy controls their own manufacturing and can retail it for only $30 at Countdown. They also produce Essano skincare, Dominate hair, and Primal Earth men’s skincare ranges. Made in New Zealand and paraben-free.

These gorgeous new autumn winter nailpolish shades by Essie nails showcase the rich, deep shades of autumn fashion from deep blackened reds, teal blues, and bang on the metallic trend with this grown-up gold that’s shiny without being sparkly or glittery.

If you know about natural makeup, you’ll know how hard it is to make a red without animal products; well, Living Nature has made the first ever New Zealand-made, certified organic and 100% natural lipstick. It’s cruelty-free and gluten-free and comes in these two new reds: Pure Passion and Wild Fire. I asked Living Nature about how they created this natural red colour. Some completely natural cosmetics companies may use a mineral such as an iron oxide to get a red lipstick; apparently beets aren’t very stable to use and don’t achieve the same colour. Many brands which call themselves ‘natural’ still use synthetic lakes to achieve the red. Living Nature however is the only company in New Zealand (and there’s only two overseas that they know of) that has used an extract from the Melia Azadirachta and Coccinia Indica plants, to achieve this deep red. The extracts from the plants are buried beneath the ground in earthenware containers, and utilising natural heat sources, the extracts undergo a natural process whereby the resultant product is a red mineral calx (or oxide) finely coated with the bioavailable colourant from the herbal extract. Pretty amazing stuff! $33 each from selected pharmacies, health stores and their website www.livingnature.com 

Ecoya knocking it out of the park once again, with their beautiful new look packaging for their Botanicals by Ecoya range. A natural soy wax candle poured into a polished white vessel, with gold foiled detailing and finished with a white tin lid.  The Botanic Jar ($44.95) is presented in a vibrant carton and is available in all the Botanicals by ECOYA fragrances and has a burn time of 55 hours. The Botanicals range includes: ORIENTAL LILY & PATCHOULI, CORAL & NARCISSUS, BANKSIA & BERGAMOT, JACARANDA & PLUM, MIDNIGHT ORCHID, and AFRICAN VIOLET.

Pop the champagne- this is the silkiest primer I have EVER used. Elizabeth Arden Flawless Start Primer.

This Clinique gift with purchase of 8 minis is free with the purchase of two items. Gift with purchase time – often twice each year – is my fave time to stock up on faves or try new things and get the same value back again in gifts. 

Very cool concept from Joico- these spray-on, wash-out hair Tint Shots to cover your roots in between hair colours. They come in blonde, light brown, dark brown, and black, and are available at Joico salons.

What I’m wearing today: Oasis Beauty BB Cream, MAC Blonde Streak, Bobbi Brown Gel Sparkle Shadow, MAC Fashion City, Youngblood brush, and MAC Mastermatch Concealer.

Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner.

Megan Robinson

9th March 2016