A month ago, the good people at Pai Skincare sent me a bottle of their Pai Geranium & Thistle Combination Skin Cream to trial. Pai is based in the UK, and is an organic skin care range for people with sensitive and allergy-prone skin.

Description:

Geranium and thistle work in perfect unison in this light organic moisturiser to clear and re-balance congested or combination skin. It absorbs quickly leaving a beautiful matt finish, and is perfect for applying under make-up. This is the moisturiser of choice for professional make-up artists on film and fashion shoots! Packed full of Essential Fatty Acids and a host of natural-active skin soothers, this moisturiser rebalances the skin and evens out skin tone. Pai’s moisturiser for combination and oily skin is non-comedogenic – it is free from chemicals and pore blocking ingredients, such as beeswax. 

I tend to use this cream at night. It is not as heavy or rich as I imagined it to be. The cream felt just right on my combination skin, and it didn’t make my oily nose any greasier. It has a subtle herbal scent which actually smells quite pleasant. It’s something I’d imagine having slapped on during an organic facial, a calming, soothing scent. Plus points there.

Unfortunately, I also had to deduct a point for the moisturiser as it broke me out after several applications, especially around the nose. To be perfectly honest, most natural, organic moisturisers tend to break me out for some odd reason, and this one couldn’t escape either. Could it be that after years of slapping chemicals on face; parabens, etc, that I cannot have anything natural on my skin anymore?! Sounds ridiculous, right? But that’s how it is for me, so I couldn’t really blame the moisturiser. I guess I need my chemicals for my skin to behave 😛

In any case, once I stopped using this on my T-zone, and just applied it on my cheeks, the zits stopped sprouting. My normal-skin cheeks remained pimple-free and nicely hydrated and supple during the night.

Would I recommend this to you? If you enjoy using natural, organic products, and do not easily break out from them like I do, then yes, I think this is a good moisturiser and it is reasonably priced. I like that it comes in a glass bottle with a pump, which is more hygienic than a jar.

Pai Geranium & Thistle Combination Skin Cream retails at US$38 for 30ml and is available online at the Pai Skincare website.

What I like about it: Natural, organic moisturiser, keeps skin nicely hydrated, comes with a pump.

What I do not like about it: Broke me out, not easily available.

Here’s a little something I learned after almost 6 years of blogging (4 years as a beauty blogger), which I would like to share with you. As much as you can, try not to take it so seriously. Always remember why you started blogging about beauty in the first place – to share your love for makeup, skincare, fashion, etc with the world. As such, please expect to have good AND bad comments on your articles. Rejoice in the positive comments you get, be encouraged by them.

When there are negative comments (I don’t mean the nasty ones, just the ones that do not agree with your opinions. The nasty ones, just hit the Delete button. Easy peasy), do accept them graciously and move on. Starting a verbal war, or having others egging you on and you reciprocate, it’s not classy. Step in and moderate your blog when things get ugly. Let’s just agree to disagree.

We’re all adults here. Why fight over a lipstick, eh? 🙂

PS: Stef is doing a great series of posts about dealing with negative comments, which I really think you should check out.

So, guess who’s coming to Melbourne? New York PR and author, Kelly Cutrone! She’s the owner of one of the most powerful PR firms in the US (People’s Revolution), starred in MTV’s hit series, ‘The Hills”, “The City”, and her own reality TV show, “Kell on Earth”. In short, she’s one hell of a woman.

Credit: Official Illamasqua Blog

She’ll be doing a book signing of her memoir, “If You Have To Cry, Go Outside, and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You” tomorrow at MYER, Melbourne CBD, to raise money and awareness for Illamasqua’s charity, S.O.P.H.I.E, which launched last week in Australia.

In 2007, young British Goth, Sophie Lancaster and her boyfriend, Rob Maltby, were savagely beaten by a gang of youths, simply because they chose to dress differently. Tragically Sophie later died in hospital and Robert has been left with permanent injuries. Following Sophie’s death, her mother, Sylvia Lancaster, along with friends and family set up The S.O.P.H.I.E. Lancaster Foundation. The foundation has one key aim, to ‘Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred and Intolerance, Everywhere.’ Since 2007, they have campaigned tirelessly in the UK to change attitudes within society and to promote tolerance, understanding and respect for all subcultures. This is done through a combination of working closely with the government, the Foundation’s own education scheme in schools, and via its link with cult beauty brand, Illamasqua. The Foundation now intends to bring it’s work to Australia, for the benefit of Australians.

On the 23 March, by buying two pieces of Illamasqua makeup (check out their Toxic Nature Collection. It’s bloody amazing), you will be given a copy of Kelly’s book (while stocks last) which she will then sign. All proceeds to the value of the book (RRP AU$27.99) will be given to the Sophie Lancaster foundation.

The official book signing will take place between 5.30-7pm. I’ll be there earlier; if you are too, do look out for someone with red streaks in her hair and looking a tad nervous around such a powerful lady 😛

This is an wonderful initiative by Cutrone and Illamasqua, and I really hope to see you there!