After a decade of champagne, parties, and general unhealthy living, ex-Parisian showgirl and model Sabrina Jacquier Parr was physically , mentally and spiritually exhausted. Embracing yoga and the holistic healthy lifestyle it promoted changed Sabrina’s idea of what she thought it was to be a ‘healthy beautiful’ person, which led to her founding Flora Organica:
Flora Organica has been a labor of love, sharing my knowledge on natural & organic beauty whilst supporting an emerging green beauty industry. I have searched the world for exciting cult & niche products not readily available in Australia from companies truly dedicated to our inner and outer beauty.
Check out her wonderful website here (I’m loving the Konjac sponge and Sans Ceauticals Baobab Regenerating Body Cream at the moment!) and keep reading to find out about Sabrina’s clean regime…
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I have to admit that, with sun, sand & Singapore Slings at the front of my mind, skincare was somewhere around number 143 on my list of priorities whilst I was away. Nevertheless, as someone with skin that likes to surprise me (dry! no, sensitive! wait… oily! and here’s a pimple!), I took a few products with me to keep my skin in check and, most importantly, protected from the sun’s rays.
The one product that I used every day was the Invisible Zinc Environmental Skin Protector 30+. As a zinc based sunscreen it physically blocks the sun’s rays (rather than filtering them through chemicals), and this kept my face perfectly protected. It goes on a little white at first but quickly disappears into skin. The only quasi-downside is that it does such a good job that my face is now a shade lighter than the rest of my body, but this is easily resolved with a bit of liquid bronzer mixed in with my foundation. On the few days when I dragged myself from the pool or beach to do strenuous things like eat out or go shopping, I combined my sun protection with coverage by using the Invisible Zinc UV Silk Shield Foundation. I was a bit scared about using a stick foundation but it blended really easily, had excellent coverage (it doubles as a concealer). and had a nice natural finish. It says it is water resistant, and seems to hold up quite well, but it became a little more obvious after swimming and needed to be ‘re-blended’ into skin.
As I was using a fairly heavy duty sunscreen it was important to cleanse skin thoroughly at the end of the day, so I took along Planet Eve Organics Cleansing Oil. This was perfect for travel, as although it’s quite a tall bottle, it’s incredibly lightweight, and easily removes sunscreen & makeup. I also took MV Organics Gentle Cream Cleanser - one of my favourite cleansers- for when I wanted a deeper & more refreshing clean.
At night I either used Pai Avocado & Jojoba Hydrating Day Cream, Tata Harper Replenishing Nutrient Complex, or a combination of both. The Pai day cream is fine to use at night as it doesn’t have SPF and is a good general purpose moisturiser. I used the Tata Harper serum when I wanted a little more hydration, and it was also great to apply on its own under makeup, as it kept skin looking fresh & glowy and didn’t melt off in the heat. The serum is fantastic for travel as it comes in a little tube with a rollerball applicator - so no risk of spillage!
I must have been feeling a bit indulgent when I threw in a sample pack of the Dr. Alkaitis Organic Cellular Repair Mask, as I tend to be very lazy with my skincare when I’m away from home. I’m glad I did though - I was averaging about 3 cocktails a night, so I popped this on once or twice when I felt my skin needed a bit of a pep up. It’s another excellent travel product, as it is a powder that you add water to. You could easily fill a teeny container with some and pop it into your makeup bag when travelling.
Moving on from the face, the rest of the so-called regime was fairly relaxed. I took a sample bottle of Bodhi Ylang Ylang Incensa Shower Gel with me, which is basically a sexy tropical holiday in a bottle. It’s a delicious smokey & spicy floral fragrance, and the scent lingers on skin. For hair I just used hotel shampoo & conditioner (as I was swimming each day I didn’t think there was much point in getting hair perfect), but I did take Evo Happy Campers Hard Working Moisturiser as a leave in treatment and all-round grooming product.
And that’s it! I need another holiday after writing all that… Would love to hear about any of your holiday or travel skincare tips!
What: Exfoliating mask that brightens & evens skintone.
For: All skin types, and can even be used on sensitive skin.
Review: This mask was recently awarded ‘Best in Beauty’ by Allure magazine - and it’s easy to see why. I’ve never used a mask quite like this: it has a strange jelly like consistency that applies like a cooling gel which tightens as it dries. And this is where I should warn you that you will look like an extra from The Real Housewives of [Insert your choice of major city], as you will get a little glimpse into what you would look like with a too-tight facelift. But for me that’s all part of the fun!
According to Tata Harper’s website, pomegranate enzymes elimatinate dull & blemished skin cells, pink French clay deeply cleanses the pores, tones & moisturises the skin, removes dead skin cells and cleanses dirt, and white willow extra gently exfoliates & relieves red skin and refreshes the look of the skin. My skin feels fresher & brighter after using the mask, and the texture is incredibly smooth and refined. I find that any blemishes appear to be ‘smoothed’ over after using the mask and it seems to speed up the healing process and reduce redness. Use it once or twice a week - I especially like to use it just before applying makeup as foundation practically glides on after using this.
And if you need any further convincing, just look at the gorgeous fresh-faced glow of Miss Harper herself. Seriously beautiful (and slightly unfair really):
Clean creds: 100% natural, non-toxic, synthetic chemical-free ingredients, paraben-free.
Verdict: A nice mask to add to your skincare routine. I think of this mask like a ‘reset’ button - when everything becomes too clogged up, too slow, too congested, I pop this on to instantly refresh & restore skin.
Buy it here or here
This product was sent to me as a PR sample.
Letting natural beauty shine through will never go out of style. The key to this look is to prep for gorgeous, glowing skin by applying a resurfacing mask (try Nude Miracle Mask or Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask - reviews of both coming soon!), then using a nourishing serum for maximum hydration (I recommend Franc Essential Serum). If wearing makeup stick to shades that are similar to your skin tone: pinky blushes, clear or peachy glosses, not too much bronzer (if any) and just a hint of mascara.
