Softly Sometimes

A few months ago, I received the best surprise from Liz—a paper bag full of Antipodes! Antipodes is a premium natural skin care brand pioneering “scientific organic beauty.” Created in Aotearoa New Zealand, Antipodes sources its raw ingredients sustainably from the area’s unique native flora.

Antipodes is one of the brands I’ve always been keen on trying (the Aura Manuka Honey Mask has been on my to-try list for a long time), but just never got around to since it’s a brand that had to be ordered online. Antipodes is locally available at Wellness Connect New Zealand, which has a store located at SM North EDSA Annex, Ground Floor.

I was able to try out four products, and I’m going to write a brief review for each and tell you which ones I ended up liking.

Antipodes Ananda Anti-Oxidant Rich Gentle Toner* (Php 1425, 100ml) — I’m suspicious about rose anything in my skin care; I don’t think my skin reacts all that well to it. This was a refreshing addition to my routine, though I find that I don’t reach for it that much. It’s made from the 15,000-year-old Waiwera artesian water, with Bulgarian rose oil, Mamaku black fern, and raspberry seed oil, the concoction aimed at de-stressing your skin from “environmental aggressors.” Unlike most toners, this is something you’re encouraged to spray throughout the day to give your skin a boost.

Antipodes Moisture Boost Minis* (Php 550) — This is actually a great deal if you want to kind of try out the line and see if it’ll work out for you. The Moisture Boost Minis has a 10ml bottle of the Divine Face Oil: Organic Avocado Oil & Rosehip and 15ml of the Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream. The Divine Face Oil features nutrient-rich avocado oil that helps reduce the appearance of age spots and scars. It’s a great face oil, but keep in mind to not overapply lest you look like an oil slick.

The Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream is a “light but intensive hydrating cream,” which is perfect for dry-skinned me to use everyday in the tropics. The Day Cream, which is probably my favorite among the four, has avocado oil, Manuka honey Active 20+ (a rating of superior antibacterial potency), and Vinanza Grape, which is a “revolutionary antioxidant” made from sauvignon blanc grapes and is shown to improve skin elasticity. It also smells very good, so I love putting it on in the morning. My skin feels great, I smell great, and I don’t look like a greaseball.

Antipodes Worship Superfruit Antioxidant Serum* (Php 1600, 30ml) — I know a lot of people think serums are bogus, but if I don’t feel like using a heavy moisturizer, I usually opt for a serum, topping it off with a very light moisturizer and it works like a charm. Aside from the day cream, this is my other favorite of the bunch! As a water-based serum, the consistency is a little weird (see above photo) and runny, and when it’s drying on your skin, it feels a bit sticky, but otherwise, it’s a pretty perfect addition to my routine. It’s very heavy on antioxidants like Vinanza Grape, coffee berry, açaí berry, among other ingredients. I just absolutely love this one, which is funny because I didn’t think I would care much for it. It’s a skin de-stressor and fights against early aging and free radical damage.

I think you can see how much I love this range. I’ve been having a few stress breakouts (gah, adult acne!) but Antipodes has definitely helped to soothe my mad skin. Once I run out of some of my other staples, I’m going to give some of the other products a try. I’m still thinking about the Aura Manuka Honey Mask, but I think I’ve got my eye on some of the cleansers, too.

Antipodes is available online via Wellness Connect New Zealand. They also have a store at SM North EDSA Annex, Ground Floor.

* Items marked with an asterisk are PR Samples.

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