Curly Fry's Shopping Therapy! Skincare Haul

As much as I love buying makeup (which my husband always says I have too much of, but what does he know?), over time I've found it pretty important to invest in skincare equally as much as buying good quality cosmetics. I also find that in today's day and age, there is a huge awareness of natural skincare which is better for you in the long-term, not to mention vegan cosmetics and brands which don't condone animal cruelty or testing.

I also have spoken to friends and family before about the concept of 'halal' makeup and skincare - that is products which don't use alcohol or ingredients which aren't halal, which aligns very closely to vegan products. Whereas about a decade or so ago, this was mainly about our dad's (very strong!) alcohol-free perfumes and ouds, these days young women (and men!) look for this in so much more - in their daily skin routines, in their makeup and even in things like hair extensions and false eyelashes. This has become more important to me in two ways - firstly, for religious reason, where I want to do the very best for my skin without going against my principals, and secondly for age reasons, as I get older I want to give my skin a fighting chance to look healthy for its age!

I recently managed to pick up a few products which focus on natural ingredients, and which also look to give clear skin, and gently repair and hydrate the skin without using harsh chemicals.

1. Moa Daily Cleansing Ritual - I loved this concept when I saw this product and what it is for. I've only used this a couple of times but I'm loving it - rub the balm into an oil all over your face, then wet the accompanying cloth to cleanse your face and remove makeup, while getting the benefits of the bamboo balm.

2. Dr Lewinn's Hydrating Cream - This is an Australian brand I'd heard of before but never used. I've read good things about the cream and have been looking for a new face cream for a while now, so this one was one to try for me. Now that I'm in my late twenties (and nearly in my thirties!) I've been looking for good hydrating products which also have a kick of anti-aging. Can't say I've noticed much yet with this so far, so I'll reserve judgement but I do like the hydrating side of it.

3. Renunail Triple Strength - another product by Dr Lewinn's, this is apparently a bit of cult product in the nail world. I'm not a huge nail-varnish expert because I don't wear it much, but I do agree with a bit of nail-strengthening, and this is help protect nails as well as help them grow. Plus I really like the colour!

4. Rio Rosa Mosqueta Cream Cleanser - this is great for sensitive skin and combination skin. Again I've only used this a couple of times so far but I'm liking that it doesn't try out my skin and uses a range of butters and oils - plus it smells yummy!

5. Janjira Thai Lime & Ginger Shower gel - I was given this product and thought the smell was great, not to mention the variety of natural ingredients such as Avocado oil which help plump the skin and provides vitamin for it.

I wanted to write more than the above, but had to keep the reviews shorter because I've only had these a few days! I have high hopes though, and it's made me look into more niche brands which focus on not just natural skincare but 'halal' ingredients too, which I think is important.

Have you tried any of these?