THE LATEST FROM BONDI SANDS

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Today we're talking about one of my most underrated affordable skincare brands: Bondi Sands. Ok, I know their sunscreens get a lot of love from the internet but their Everyday Skincare line is also brilliant and I rarely hear it get discussed! So, today we're reviewing some of this year's new additions to the collection...

The first product I have to discuss is their new option for a 'first cleanse', the Melt Me Cleansing Balm* | £11.99. This is a balm cleanser in a tube that's formulated with nourishing plant oils such as sunflower seed, sea buckthorn (also rich in antioxidants), Vitamin E (an oil-soluble antioxidant) and ceramides (an essential part of the lipid barrier which keeps our skin strong and healthy). I know it's a cleanser so these ingredients aren't really sitting on your skin but oil-based ingredients help to lift and break down makeup and sunscreen plus they feel really nourishing on the skin. If you have dry, sensitive skin, this could also be a gentle morning cleanse option. For removing makeup, it does emulsify with water (I personally like to also use a cloth), but my skin does feel quite silky afterwards; although it's not an unpleasant 'excess', others might prefer their skin to feel completely free of added nourishment after removing a balm.   

Next, let's talk about the Light 'N' Dreamy Lightweight Gel Moisturiser* | £8.99. Look, gel moisturisers don't tend to be my first choice, purely because I have drier skin so unless it's summer, a gel formula probably isn't going to be enough. However, I really enjoyed the original day and night creams from the Bondi Sands range, so I went into this with some hope! And it's surprisingly good; it's still a summer play for me, but critically: it didn't evaporate into nothingness and it left my skin feeling hydrated, whilst only being a really light layer on my skin. It's formulated with glycerin, a really great humectant to draw moisture into the skin and leave it feeling hydrated (it's bolstered by hyaluronic acid, which is also a humectant) and it's formulated with skin-softening emollients and hydrating, soothing plant juices - watermelon and aloe. It's not an absolute favourite for me from the brand but it's decent and I'm sure the oily-skinned amongst you will enjoy it more than I did.

Moving onto a chemical exfoliant, we have the Glow Dust Refining Gentle Exfoliating Powder* | £9.99. This is a powder exfoliant; if you're not familiar with this type of product, you simply mix in in with a little water to activate and it becomes a paste which you apply to clean, dry skin and leave for a few minutes. You then rinse and continue on with the rest of your routine, for a gentle, short-contact exfoliation. This is formulated with papaya and pineapple enzymes to gently eat away at dead skin cells that are dulling your glow. Plus there's salicylic acid in here, which is a pore-penetrating BHA. This chemical exfoliant is amazing for clearing out spot-causing debris and taking down that surface redness when you're breaking out. The kaolin clay will help absorb surface oils and the rice powder base can provide some gentle manual exfoliation. It's not a transformative peel-like exfoliant, but it's nice for a gentle exfoliation that's unlikely to irritate the skin; my face is immediately smoother and more radiant after use. Ideal for when you want a quick fix. 

I'm not usually a big face mask person, but what I do like to do in the winter is apply a creamy, moisturising mask before getting in the shower to reduce transepidermal water loss and the Face Glaze Ultra Hydrating Cream Mask* | £10.99 | works a treat. This a creamy water-lotion mask formulated with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, Vitamin E, aloe, ceramides, nourishing shea butter, replenishing fatty alcohol, sea buckthorn oil and cholesterol (which is another component of the lipid barrier). Ok, a moisturising face mask isn't an essential, but if you're getting in the bath or shower and want something to leave your skin feeling happy, soft and hydrated (as opposed to red and stripped from the hot steam): this is great. 

Finally, we have my top pick of the bunch; the other products I've discussed today are nice to have, but I think the Plump It Up Hydrating Peptide Serum* | £8.99 | is the one thing I'd say to go out and buy, if you can! This is a kind of milky-emulsion serum that's formulated with topical collagen, copper peptide and Matrixyl. These are really amazing ingredients for a product under £10! Topical collagen isn't believed to actually top up your skin's own collagen stores, because the molecule is too large to penetrate the skin barrier, but it can really hydrate and condition the skin. Peptides like Matrixyl, however, are understood to plump and hydrate the skin, but also to boost up your skin's own collagen production (which decreases as the years go on). Copper peptides additionally have skin healing qualities and help promote repair. There's also glycerin for hydration and grape seed oil, which acts as an emollient for gorgeously soft skin. This is is a great all-rounder, providing lasting, real hydration to my skin and making it look plumper and feel healthier. I'm using this pretty much every single day at the moment and it's a total steal.

Have you tried Bondi Sands Everyday Skin?

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Read more posts from this series here!