Breakfast and Interview with Rebecca Gibney

Last month, I had the pleasure of catching up with Rebecca Gibney over a bloggers breakfast event at the beautiful surrounds of the Botanical in South Yarra.

The gorgeous Rebecca Gibney

Now I’ve been a long time fan of Ms Gibney during her acting days at Halifax f.p and even more so with her as Julie Rafter in Packed to the Rafters. So you can imagine my excitement when I got to meet her in the flesh and not only that but, enjoy a meal together as well as part of an Olay Regenerist bloggers event. It was truly a star struck moment.

In person, Rebecca is as beautiful as she is on set. Not only that, she is unbelievably affable, warm and friendly - it felt like we were speaking with a girlfriend on the morning, sharing stories about kids, chatting about our favourite makeup products and giving each other skin care tips over a delicious spread of croissants, fruits, smoked salmon and eggs Benedict.

Chatting away during breakfast

During the event, Rebecca spoke of her long time love of Olay products (especially the new cleansing system facial brush reviewed here) and why it was a natural fit for her to be their ambassador since she has been using their moisturisers since her early 20s. If it is good enough for Rebecca Gibney, it’s good enough for me as I’ve just embarked on the 4 week challenge with the new Olay Regenerist Moisturising cream and will be giving a review one the 4 weeks is up.

Having had such a great time at the breakfast event, I took the opportunity to ask her a few questions via correspondence afterwards to learn more about her secret to beautiful skin and what her upcoming media projects and here is what she has to say:

TIL: Now that you’re finished with Packed to the Rafter, what’s your next project?
Rebecca: I’m currently developing a couple of shows but hopefully I will be shooting one in the next few months to be on air early next year. And of course I’m loving being the Olay Regenerist Ambassador. It’s fantastic to be able to talk about a product that you are passionate about and it’s a brand I have used on and off for over thirty years.

I’m currently working on some projects with Channel 7 which I can’t reveal right now and I’ve also just shot a factual show in New Zealand which will be on in 2014. I’ve also been developing some projects with my husband for our company R&R Productions.

Being a beauty blogger, I’m interested in finding out about your beauty rituals. Can you tell us what your morning and night time skincare routines are? 
Rebecca:
In the morning:

1. I start off with my favourite new product the Olay Regenerist Advanced Cleansing System – it’s seriously amazing. I’m obsessed. It’s like a daily mini facial.
2. After that I apply the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Serum
3. For SPF protection throughout the day I use the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream SPF 30
4. I don’t like to wear a lot of make up in the day so I keep it light – a sheer foundation, a touch of mascara and a subtle lip.

At night:

1. Cleanse with Olay Regenerist Advanced Cleansing System- did I mention I’m obsessed? 
2. Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Serum 
3. Finishing the day off with my Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream. 
4. Sometimes an Olay Regenerist Face Mask if my skin is in need of a bit of extra care

TIL:Do you carry a makeup bag with you whenever you’re out? Can you share with us what’s in your bag? 
Rebecca: 

• Eyelash curlers
• Light translucent press powder from Chantecaille
• A light nude lipstick from Chantecaille
• A hand cream from L’Occitane
• Olay Regenerist Superstructure SPF 30+ Cream
• Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

TIL: What’s the most your favourite makeup product and skincare product and why? 
Rebecca: I would have to say the Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream SPF30. I wear it daily and can’t stress enough the importance of an SPF product (especially on a desert island). That and a good lip balm!

TIL: Do you have any advice or tips do you have on how to achieve/maintain youthful and radiance skin for older skin? (my mum is hanging out for your words as she said you look so young in our photo together during the Olay breakfast event). 
Rebecca: Doing it joyfully. DO it with optimism and you will always look better with a smile on your face. I’m a big believer that beauty comes from within. If you look after yourself on the inside then the outside should fall into place. I try and take care of myself with a fairly healthy diet  (although I still like a glass of wine and dark chocolate) Moderation is the key. Moderate exercise as well – I’m no gym junkie. And a genuine smile. I’m a very optimistic person. Things will always get better - even your skin if you look after it! -  Great skincare also helps.

Of course, I couldn't have breakfast without having a photo taken with my idol on the day and I would like to thank Rebecca for taking the time to respond to my question. My brief interaction with her has just further cemented my idolisation of her and yes, I'm still gushing and semi-star struck a month later. 

Complete Cleanse with Olay Regenerist Advanced Cleansing System

I recently have the opportunity to try to newly released Olay Regenerist Advance cleansing system and will share with you my experience today. If you’ve been hankering for a Clarisonic but can’t justify the high price for it, then this might is the right product for you to try and see if brush cleansing system is right for your skin.

Olay Regenerist Advanced Cleansing System

Whilst it’s name is a mouthful, the product is essentially a waterproof handheld device with a rotating soft brush head used to cleanse your skin.

It's battery operated, taking two AA sized batteries which adds some sturdy weight to the light plastic casing of the cleansing brush.

For first use, you place the batteries into the detachable base and then  clips it back up into the body of the unit and the click in the brush head. On the body, there are two buttons: the larger on top toggles to power the unit on and off and the smaller bottom one controls its speed - low or high.

I usually use it on the high setting that produces gentle circular rotation at up to 350 revolutions per minute but is gentle enough that I don’t feel it it's overly exfoliating my skin.

In terms of cleansing, I always remove makeup first before using the brush as I find the idea for makeup remnants rotating across my face not doing much in terms of achieving a good cleanse.
I wet the brush head, apply cleanser to skin and then turn on the device and slowly move the brush across the face for about a minute.

Performance wise, it provides a deeper cleanse than manual cleansing by being able to dislodge dirt and oil out of pores better due to the fast rotating brush bristles that help to gently exfoliate (as opposed to using a cleansing cloth that can drag roughly across skin). Using it with the included Olay Regenerist Skin Renewal cleanser which has silica micro polishing beads to buff skin, I thought it might be too harsh but surprisingly  it left my face was soft, supple and clean afterwards without any hint of rawness at all. My skin texture has improved over the past two weeks with a even skintone that is smoother and more refined.

I find the brush also great for reaching crevices around the nose and like to use it without a cleanser over the dry lips to help scrub off  any chapped skin.

I’ve used the unit for two weeks not and the batteries show no sign of running out of juice yet so cannot give you an indication of how long a set of batteries will last but it doesn’t hurt to have a spare set handy in case you run out mid way through a cleanse.

How does it compare with Clarisonic?

Lookwise, they are different in design and weight wise, being battery operated and smaller, the Olay Advanced Cleansing System is slighter lighter than the Clarisonic Mia.

From a usage point of view, I find that Clarisonic vibrations are very strong across the Mia and Plus/Pro versions and I can’t use the devices on daily basis before it makes my skin too sensitive.
The Olay Advanced Cleansing System is a lot more gentle on my skin compared to the Clarisonic (especially the Pro version) and I actually prefer it for daily cleansing as it doesn’t aggravate my skin as much.

With the Olay Advanced Cleansing system, once daily use (at night) has so far not been a problem as it isn’t as highly powered.  Don’t get me wrong, I still think the Clarisonic is great (my previous reviews on them are here), but I can’t use it daily without it being too much for my skin. For less than a quarter of the price, I think the Olay device is far better value and delivers equally effective pore cleansing results at a more gentle pace.

Olay Advanced Cleansing System available at Priceline, Chemist Warehouse and selected pharmacies RRP A$32.49. Two-pack replacement brush heads are available for A$9.99

This featured product was provided for editorial consideration.

5 Eye Creams You Need to Know About

Our eyes may be the windows to our soul but they are also is the first area to show the early signs of aging and fatigue with dark circles, puffiness, fine lines, and wrinkles.

While nothing beats a sound 10 hour sleep and sun protection to help prevent these problems, there are some great products on out there to help you keep your peepers looking fresh and rectify the tell-tales signs of tiredness and premature aging.

1. Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair 15ml 
Winter dries out my oily combo skin and I'm currently experiencing a bout of dry patches across my face and the skin under the eye area is rather dehydrated.

Enter this little gem from Dermalogica, an ultra rich gel but not heavy or greasy on skin, it instantly hydrates skin to eliminate fine lines and crepiness and keeps the skin moisturised throughout the day.

Contains a cocktail of antioxidant-rich ingredients like cucumber extract, arnica and wild yam extract, vitamin A, B5, C, E to fight free radicals as well as help repair prematurely aging skin. It also primes skin to help makeup sit on skin better rather than sink into the fine lines.

This is a FITE product so its sale will help fund a female entrepreneur in a developing country. To find out more, visit www.joinFITE.org

RRP A$71 at selected salons and at the FacialCompany.

2. Olay Regenerist Anti-aging Roller 6ml*

Click the end of this anti-aging pen to dispense the product out and then massage it into the under eye skin area with 3 precision massaging rollers. You will be greeted with instant coolness against your skin from the metal rollers whilst the massaging action improves blood circulation around the eye area and allows the caffeine and vitamin E infused serum to be delivered deeper into the skin to reduces eye puffiness. Before you know it, you'll be de-puffed and looking wide awake. 

It also has dimethicone to fill in lines and smooth over wrinkles to give a more youthful under eye area appearance.

RRP A$49.99 at supermarkets, Priceline and most pharmacies.

3. Kiehl's Ultimate White Darkness Diminishing Activated Eye Treatment 15ml* 
Now that you've sorted out the hydration and puffiness, attack the dark circles with this potent eye cream that will gradually fade darkness with vitamin C, plum fruit extract and glucoside. You will have to be persistent with this cream as it won't give you results overnight but you will get that brigthened translucent under-eye skin in 3 weeks time. It also gives very excellent hydration to dry, tired eyes.

RRP A$62 at Kiehl's counters or Kiehl's Online.

4. Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-aging Eye Serum 15ml
The holy grail of all eye creams. That is all.
Oh alright, I'll elaborate. I love this eye serum because when I wake up in mornings after using it the night before, I have next to no sign of puffiness in sight. My dark circles are lighter, the skin in my under eye area is firmer, hydrated and fine lines are barely visible - all thanks to the 0.5% idebenone formula that my skin is such a fan of. If I didn't have a mortgage, I'd be hauling this by the truckload to use forever.

RRP A$165 at Elizabeth Arden counters

5. Peter Thomas Roth Power K Eye Rescue 15g
Given my very bad dark circles, I'm always trying to find quick fixes for them and this was one of those purchase I wish I hadn't made.  Lured by the promise of vitamin K (at 5% concentration which this clearly isn't, it's proven to fade dark circles and help treat bruises) and flanked with a stellar line up ingredients such as vitamin c, green tea, kojic acid, arnica and CQ10, this rich gel was too hard to resist.

I admit I enjoy bursting the CQ10 micro-capsule when rubbing the gel into my under eye skin and although it is a good eye gel in all other aspects, it just didn't do the one thing I wanted it for - reduce dark circles.
For the price, I want to see results pronto but  after 1 whole week of use, my skin just didn't respond. I didn't see improvements in darkness nor was it any better at reducing puffiness than the Olay eye serum so yes I'll be holding a grudge against Mr. Thomas Roth for this particular eye treatment.

Personally, I would choose the others eye serums before forking out such an exorbitant amount that didn't deliver more than its budget-friendly counterparts.

RRP A$125 at Kit Cosmetics counters or Mecca Cosmetica.


Out of the five, you all know which is my favourite but a close second is the Dermalogica Intensive Rich repair for it super hydrating properties whilst the Kiehl's Darkness Diminishing Activated eye treatment is slowly winning me over as I start to see results of lighter dark circles.

Do you use eye creams on a daily basis? What are your favourite eye creams?

Products marked * were provided for consideration. All other products were purchased by me. 

My Morning Skincare Routine

Having used so many beauty products over the past few years, I'm known be very fickle and don't really have a very set skincare routine. Add to that, my routine invariably have to change whenever I have to test a new product as I have to stop what I'm using and try the new product for a period of time for complete a review for it.

Despite all the chopping and changing in products, the basic elements of my daytime skincare routine is always the same: cleanse, serum, treatment, moisturise and sun protection. I don't use a toner as my hydration comes from the serums and treatments and don't believe toners should be used to remove cleansing residue if the cleanser was a good enough product in the first place.

Today I thought I'd share with you what I'm currently using in my day routine, some of which are products I've used on a long term basis and others are products I'm currently putting on trial.

For reference, I have oily/combination skin in my T-zones and cheeks but am also prone to very dry skin despite producing alot of oil. My skin consultant once said I have a masked dry skin condition as most people think I'm straight up oily skin but if I wash my face, most people would immediately say I have dehydrated skin (and I totally blame the office air conditioner for making the situation worse).

Click to enlarge to see details

1. Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel 500ml RRP A$87 - gentle yet effective enough to wash off dirt,  grime an and even makeup. I use this exclusively when I had a peel performed as it's non irritating and soothing on the most sensitive skin with the calming lavendar essential oils. one of my HG cleansers.  I use this with and without the clarisonic facial cleansing brush.

2. Kiehl's darkness diminishing activated eye treatment 15ml RRP A$62* - I'm currently putting this eye cream to the test to see how much it helps with my dark circles from poor circulation and lack of sleep. So far I've noticed reduced puffiness and brighter eyes from the light reflecting particles in the formula. I've yet to see much in terms of darkness reduction after 3 weeks use.

3. Shu Uemura Whitefficient Whitening Essence 150ml RRP A$115* &  4. Lancome Blanc Expert Whitening Activating Spot Eraser 30ml RRP A$118* - I alternate between these two whitening treatments on most days or use one in the morning and the other at night. The main reason for using whitening products is to brighten up my complexion and prevent the sallowness from creeping in. I'm also trying my hardest to fade some pigmentation I have around the eye area.

I find Shu Uemura's Whitefficent essence spreads better on the skin but can leave a sheen so is better suited for dryer skin or the winter months and It works well as a primer. It contains algae extract, prune extract and Ellagic acid which help to block melanin production and brighten the skin.

Lancome's Blanc Expert is water-based and is instantly absorbed into skin without any tacky or greasy feeling. It contains a proprietary Melanolyser technology to break down the melanin in skin and fade the dark spot.

Both products give a luminous radiance to skin . There is very some lightening on my pigmentation spots with 4 weeks use of it but it is more efficient with fading blemish marks and those disappear in 1-2 weeks on my skin.

5. Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Serum 50ml RRP A$49.99^- is my go-to daily serum that effectively plumps and hydrates my skin, while working to softens and fills in fine lines. Best of all it is affordable enough that I don't need to take out a second mortgage to keep using this on a daily basis.

6. Priori Cellular Recovery Serum 50ml RRP A$220 ^- When I feel my skin's particularly dry or irritated and needs a boost of radiance I would use this instead of the Olay Mirco-sculpting serum. Being water based, it is lightweight and instantly absorbed into skin, leaving it nourished, super hydrated and never ever greasy. It contains enzymes and liposomes prevent and repair cellular damage to help with the anti-aging process and firms the skin. This was one of the products used when I recently had my fraxel laser and it was soothing and calming to use. I have to say for the price, I expect to see more results but sadly I don't. I still really enjoy the product though I'd love it more if the price tag wasn't so hefty (thank goodness I received this from a competition prize!).

7. Neutrogena healthy defence daily moisturiser with Helioplex SPF 30+  for combination/oily skin 40ml RRP A$16.49 ^- a good moisturiser sunscreen that is affordable and suitable for oily and combination skin and doesn't have the white cast issues that other sunscreen products have. It's not too rich and rubs easily into skin although it's not as oil controlling as it could be. It works well during the cooler months on my skin and given I already treat my face with other serums and treatment products, this basic moisturiser sunscreen meets all my needs and gives me basic hydration and stable high sun protection. It's the last skincare product I put onto my face before I slap on my makeup.

8. Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid  RRP A$15.95 - my favourite lip balm/treatment product - I've tried the other lanolips and although nice, they didn't make much of an impression as this 70% pure lanolin balm. It helps to sooth and smooth my dry chapped lips, keeping them moist and soft and makes lipstick application more even and smooth. I love the tangy taste and scent of the lemon essential oil and it acts as a natural exfoliant to keep flaky lips at bay too. This is a limited edition product and it's still available in the Myer and DJ stores I visit in Melbourne but I'm going to be stocking this right up - just in case you know.

My star products that I would never swap out (or would quickly come back to) is my Dermalogica cleanser, Lancome Blanc Expert Spot Eraser,  Lanolips Lemonaid lip aid and Olay Regenerist Micro-sculpting Serum. They are my HG skincare products.

Next up, my night time skincare routine...

Products marked * were sent for consideration. 
Products marked ^ were competition prizes or gifts from generous friends. All other products were purchased by yours truly.

Olay Men Solutions Skincare

Men’s Skincare is becoming more prominent and given the number of times men have been caught "borrowing" their wives/girlfriends/sisters skincare products, it seems a natural evolution that they get a skincare range of their own that actually targets their specific needs.

One such range recently released by is the Olay Men Solutions Collection

Designed to fight three types of male skin issues roughness, oiliness, and dullness with their toner and moisturisers and help men look more confident by providing fuss free one-stop solution to address their skin concerns

Olay Men Solutions collection comes in 2 ranges:
Multi Solution Range - Suitable for Dry to Normal Skin

• Smooth Cream Foaming Cleanser – RRP A$12.99
• Revitalising Cream – RRP A$19.99
• Refreshing Toner – RRP A$19.99
• Eye Gel – RRP A$19.99

Refreshing Energy Range - Suitable for Normal to Oily Skin

• Gel Foaming Cleanser – RRP A$12.99
• Gel Moisturiser – RRP A$19.99

Uniquely formulated and features star ingredients Niacinamide, Vitamin Pro B5, Vitamin B3 and Vitamin C and multiple botanical and mineral essences for men’s skin including Ginseng, Green tea, Witch Hazel & Cucumber. Niacinamide helps to increase hydration, improve skin texture, minimize pores and reduce sebum production. Vitamin’s E & C are great oxidants to help skin to resist damage from free radicals, and Vitamin Pro B5 is a proven skin smoother that helps to strengthen skin’s moisture barrier.


Big DD, the patriarch of the family and a non-believer of skincare (I had to insist he give these a go) put some of these products to the test and here are his verdict.

Eye Gel

Not used to putting products around my eye and it felt slightly sticky, it doesn’t smell (has only a light fragrance) and is otherwise a nice gel. The skin around my eyes felt softer after use and maybe it helped with the dark circles but it didn't help much for my puffiness. 

Smooth Cream Foaming Cleanser

A very nice product – I like the smell of it and leaves my face soft, not too oily but not too dry either and I feel refreshed afterwards. 

Revitalising Cream

Smells good like the cleanser, moisturises, quite watery (translation: it's light and fluidy in texture) and not sticky which I like. Keeps my skin soft and smooth. 

Post Shave Toner

This is like splashing perfumed water on my face after shaving. It is cooling and soothes my skin irritations. It doesn’t sting on areas where I cut myself and makes me feel very refreshed. 

Big DD has high expectations and he gives this range an overall thumbs up with his favourite product being the cream cleanser and the post shave toner. He did mention that he wanted to see more anti-aging results from his skincare range (bear in mind he is hitting the big 6-0 this year).

Next time you visit the skincare care aisle of the supermarket or the chemist and you want your guy to look after his skin (or move him away from borrowing your products), why not suggest this range to him? It’s affordable and will keep his skin looking as smooth as a baby’s bum.

Olay Men Solutions is now available in supermarkets, Priceline and selected pharmacies.

These products were sent for consideration.