Top 10 Best Beauty Products We Tried in April

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The year may be young, but the list of kick-ass new beauty products out there is already long! Just when you thought you’d seen it all when it comes to exciting beauty launches, 2018 keeps pulling another rabbit out of the hat with yet more exciting beauty newbies heading your way. I tried a lot of beauty products in April but these 10 newcomers were indeed my favourite of them all. Here are my picks for the top 10 new beauty products to try in April and beyond.

1. Elizabeth Arden Plump Up Lip Liner

In December I gushed about the new Elizabeth Arden Plush Up Lip Gelato Lipstick range and now it’s time to tell you all about the sister product to those gorgeous lippies, the Elizabeth Arden Plump Up Lip Liner. This beautiful range of liners has a smooth, creamy, lightweight formula that helps to shapes and defines lips like a boss. I love it because it not only helps to plump and perfect the look of your lips but it also helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines around the mouth! What’s more, the product also has a silicone tip on one end to allow for seamless blending and filling in. The liner comes in a range of shades including called Kiss Me Coral (my personal favourite), Vintage Pink, Fuschia Burst, Fire Red and Raisin.

The Elizabeth Arden Plump Up Lip Liner is available from Edgars and Red Square at R230.

2. Deep Heat Period Pain Patch

Period pain is the absolute worst! I always find that applying heat, like a hot water bottle, to my abdomen area helps to alleviate the pain but lugging a hot water bottle around with you all day isn’t exactly practical. The nifty new Deep Heat Period Pain Patch solves that problem by offering women a convenient, discreet way to treat period pain on-the-go. The patch does wonders to soothe and relieve muscular pain from menstrual cramps and the best part is you don’t have to keep changing it throughout the day as it’s super long-lasting and stays ‘hot’ for hours. Odourless and ultra-thin, the patch can be applied directly to the skin underneath your clothing.

The Deep Heat Period Pain Patch is available from selected retailers including Clicks at R19.95.

3. Franck Provost Paris 10 in 1 Keratine Miracle Treatment

If you’re looking for an affordable treatment to get you by in between salon visits then this 10-In-1 Repair & Strength treatment for damaged and brittle hair is indeed a winner. The luxurious leave-in treatment helps to strengthen hair which has been weakened by chemical processes and long-term use will leave your hair looking shiny and feeling healthy. The product works by coating the hair fibres with a powerful blend of keratin and creatine for an instantly healthy shine while the jojoba oil in the product also prevents hair from becoming greasy too quickly.

The Franck Provost Paris 10 in 1 Keratine Miracle Treatment is available from selected retailers including Clicks at R 169.95

4. Wet n Wild Au Naturel Eyeshadow Palette

If you’re looking for a pretty good dupe for the Urban Decay Naked Palettes then these affordable new palettes from Wet n Wild are going to blow your mind. I tried the ‘Nude Awakening’ Au Naturel Eyeshadow Palette’ which is a pretty good dupe for the Naked 3 palette. The palette contains ten neutral shades (half matte and half shimmer) and while there is some fallout with these shadows it’s mostly because they’re so super soft and buttery. The colours in this palette are beyond pretty and I was really impressed with the quality of the pigment in the shadows. These colours will last hours on your skin and are an affordable way to take your everyday look from good to unstoppable! The range includes three different palettes but the ‘Nude Awakening’ is by far my favourite just because the colour selection is so varied.

The Wet n Wild Au Naturel Palettes are available from selected retailers including Clicks at R129.95.

5. Eau Thermale Avène Thermal Spring Water

Ladies with sensitive skin will love this multi-use product! The affordable mist works wonders for so many skin ailments it’s almost impossible to believe it’s priced just over R150! The product truly is exceptional and helps to soothe irritated, hypersensitive, and allergic skin with a few sprays of the fine mist. The unique formula is low in mineral content and does not dry out the skin, in fact, it’s quite nourishing and refreshing. The great news is that you can use it on everything from sunburn and razor burn to facial redness, itching, eczema and even nappy rash! It’s also the perfect travel partner to give your skin the hydration it needs before and after a long-haul flight. You only need one or two sprays on the skin for the product to work its magic so the 150ml spray bottle lasts ages. I can’t recommend this product enough, buy it, use it, watch it change your life!

The Eau Thermale Avène Thermal Spring Water is available from selected retailers including Clicks at R160 for 150ml.

6. Australian Gold Spray Gel Sunscreen with Instant Bronzer

Once you try this product you’ll have the same thought that I did; “Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?” A sunscreen and a bronzer in one? Yes please! This spray gel sunscreen will not only protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun but it will also give you a beautiful instant bronze tan after applying – it’s genius I know! I tried the SPF 30 version and was uber impressed – the product has a silky gel consistency, which smoothes onto skin without feeling heavy or sticky and the added bronzer gives you a stunning streak-free glow that will make people believe you’ve just come back from a beach holiday. Another bonus of this heaven-sent bronzer is that it is water resistant for up to 80 minutes, giving you plenty of coverage as you frolick in the waves. It also has an incredible coconut-and-vanilla scent, so you can leave your perfume at home when you hit the beach.

The Australian Gold Spray Gel Sunscreen is available from selected retailers including Clicks at R229.95.

7. Dr. Hauschka Hydrating Hand Cream

This divine hand cream is made from 100 percent natural ingredients and is also free from parabens and synthetic fragrances and preservatives. But besides all the tree hugger stuff it’s also a super impressive hand cream. The ultra-hydrating hand cream nourishes dry skin like nobody’s business and even works to soothe and protect cold, harsh or dry weather conditions. I love this product because it is fast-absorbing and incredibly nourishing without leaving a greasy residue. If you struggle with callused patches on your hands this is the stuff for you – frequent use of this wonder cream will sort out any rough skin in no time at all!

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Dr. Hauschka Hydrating Hand Cream is available from selected retailers including Wellness Warehouse at R335.

8. Gatineau AquaMemory Eye Contour Roll-On

If you’re starting to see fine lines and dark bags around your eyes, chances are the effects of dehydration and fatigue are starting to set in. This little powerhouse is a hydration and anti-puffiness wonder! Specifically formulated to hydrate and smooth the delicate skin of the eye contour, this ultra-fresh fluid makes use of Osmaporine technology and hyaluronic acid to reduce puffiness and inflammation around the eyes while also packing a hydration punch. The product features a ‘cold contact’ massaging roll-on ball on one end which helps to further heighten the draining effect of the product formula and help reduce the appearance of puffiness. I love using this product when I wake up in the morning as it leaves the skin around eyes looking luminous and feeling fresh.

The Gatineau Aquamemory Eye Contour Roll-On is available from select Woolworths, Truworths & Edgars stores at R515 (15ml).

9. Dermalogica Age Smart SkinPerfect Primer

There are loads of primers on the market at the moment but Dermalogica’s Age Smart Skinperfect Primer is in a league of its own. In addition to being a kickass primer, the product also has skincare benefits. Ingredients like White Tea, Peptides, Sodium Hyaluronate, and Soy Protein all help to smooth out the skin, improve skin firmness, and help reduce the appearance of fine lines. To help protect against one of the most common causes of ageing in the skin (sun damage), the product also has SPF30 in the form of Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. On the primer front, the SkinPerfect primer helps to temporarily fill in lines and absorb excess oil to keep your skin looking radiant and shine-free throughout the day. It leaves a lovely dewy finish on the skin, which I adore, and the silica in the product helps to keep your makeup put. This primer also has a very light tint to it so I often wear it on its own without foundation on those days when I don’t feel like wearing too much makeup on my skin.

The Dermalogica Age Smart Skinperfect Primer is available from selected salons and spas as well as Dermalogica stores at R879 for 22ml.

10. Not Your Mother’s Volume Boost Tapioca & Rice Dry Shampoo

This rather fabulous dry shampoo forms part of the Not Your Mother’s Naturals collection, offering a wide range of plant-derived, environmentally friendly hair care products to die for. I love this volume-boosting dry shampoo because it brings dull, lifeless hair back to life when you don’t have time to wash it. The product contains an energising blend of linseed, chia blend, and French plum seed oil to leave hair feeling soft and fresh without falling instantly flat. The spray does an amazing job of removing excess oils as well as building texture and body at the roots. While the product doesn’t have a fragrance, it does also absorb, rather than just mask, any unwanted odours from the hair, leaving it smelling as fresh as it looks.

The Not Your Mother’s Volume Boost Tapioca & Rice Dry Shampoo is available from selected retailers including Clicks at R189.95.