Today's Friday Favourites blog inclusions are Coco and Bella based in Dubbo. These goodies are handcrafted by the lovely Rachel and she has a quaint mix of unique products that smell delicious.
The wooden carvings are crafted by her partner, Warwick, and together they produce the majority of the home goods and gifts they sell at their lovely store in the heart of Dubbo.
I ventured there when I was on a photoshoot for Canon. It's always nice to visit little boutiques that tell the owner's story. Rachel opened in October last year and makes her candles, soaps, lotions and bath bombs out the back of her shop. The smell hits you when you enter. It's certainly the perfect place to pick up that perfect gift.
Visit her website here: https://cocobellagifts.com/
As a blogger, I get to try a lot of skincare. I love natural ranges because they tend to fit well with other active ingredients. Wearing too many brands on your skin, especially with active ingredients in, can be conflicting. So using a brand with pure, mild ingredients like oil is perfect if you want an additional oomph of hydration. Olive oil won't react with ingredients in medical grade skincare, which is perfect.
I used the olive oil balm as a mask and also as a lip balm. I also burnt myself, and applied it as a thin layer to the burn to aid healing. Olive Oil Skin Co state that the balm is perfect for chapped, burnt or dry skin as it offers the ultimate soothing.
Olive Oil Skin Care Company have a range of products for face and body that are all made with olive oil. You will love!
You can check out their website here: https://www.oliveoilskincare.com.au/
Hydroskin
Hydroskin is an amazing brand that offers medical grade skincare. By medical grade, their products are filled with active ingredients. I got to try the Manuka Mask, which has hyaluronic acid and manuka honey. It also contains the trademarked, miniHA, which is an even more potent form of hyaluronic acid as it is more scientifically advanced. I love hyaluronic acid as my skin just slurps it up- it is the ultra hydrator; the Usain Bolt of the hydrating skincare world.
Manuka honey is healing and soothing and this mask is rated at UMF 20+, meaning you're getting a super active amount at a highly therapeutic level. Niacinamide is also included. This is vitamin B3 and is another anti-ager of epic proportions. I was told by the dermatologist who burnt off some precancerous cells to use products with B3 in as it's a great antioxidant that protects the skin from potential cell damage.
The mask smells like honey, which makes it tempting to eat- especially when applied to the lips. I actually applied it as a mask, then as an eye cream as my under eyes needed some additional hydration, and then as lip plumper. Poutier lips = sexier lips!!
As I have only used the mask once, and with great results, I will follow up with a full review in a few weeks to give the brand justice. That said, I am confident in the brand and their products; they're filled with potent active ingredients such as a very stable form of vitamin C and other cosmeceutical ingredients that your skin will just love.
Read more about this mask here: https://hydroskincare.com.au/blogs/skincare/manuka-honey-face-mask
Check out their website and product range here: https://hydroskincare.com.au