Saturday 30 April 2011

April Empties


Norsca Soft Vanilla Silk deodorant - This one isn't an empty, it's a toss. I love the scent but every time I use this it really irritates my pits and I end up with a very red, sore rash. 

Natio Spa Pep-Up body cleanser - I like the smell of this, it's very fresh and zingy, great to use as a wake me up in the morning. Hubby loves it too.

Biotherm Skin Vivo - This felt lovely on my skin but the sample wasn't big enough for me to say if I'd purchase it.

Soap and Glory Flake Away body scrub - I love this stuff, I'll definitely be repurchasing. Read my full review here.

Clarins HydraQuench Lotion - I love this moisturiser. It's great for summer, it keeps my skin hydrated and keeps oiliness at bay, even in really hot, humid weather. This is a summer must have for me.

Mirenesse Matt Liquid Silk foundation - This is a really nice foundation. It was matt without being drying. I'll certainly consider purchasing this for summer.

Gemma brow pencil - This was a great, cheap eyebrow pencil. I'm so upset that I can't buy it anymore, because I've had a terrible time trying to find a replacement. Who knew it'd be so difficult to find a good eyebrow pencil.

Friday 29 April 2011

Auscreen Coconut Spray Sunscreen



The first thing you need to know about Auscreen Coconut Spray is that it smells amazing. As you may have guessed, it has a lovely coconut scent. Also, it's in a spray bottle which is a wonderful idea.

I usually have trouble with sunscreens, I'm allergic to most of them so I tend to stick to the same ones. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I'm not allergic to this sunscreen. That's a wonderful thing as it's a dream to use thanks to the lovely scent. In addition to that, it is not at all sticky or greasy. That is one of the main issues I have with sunscreen, I hate the way they are greasy. I find that even if they feel good when I first apply them, by the end of the day I'm feeling sticky and oily. Fortunately I don't have that problem with this little beauty. I apply it and if it wasn't for the scent I'd forget I was wearing it.

The scent is a lovely true coconut scent that lasts most of the day on me and it's strong enough that I don't need to wear any perfume. In addition to that it is 2 hours water resistant and has an SPF of 30+.

Would I buy this? Yes, it's a brilliant sunscreen.

Active ingredients: octyl methoxycinnamate, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid.
Contains phenoxyethanol, hydroxybenzoates.

This product was sent to me for consideration

Thursday 28 April 2011

Crazy Rumors Mothers Day Special

Mama said there'd be deals like this!


Spend just $40 and receive a 4 pack lip balm gift set of choice, absolutely FREE!

Follow these 3 easy steps:

1 - add $40 to your shopping cart

2 - then add your FREE 4 pack gift set worth $13.49 (parlor, bold, juice...etc)

3 - enter
code MOM at checkout. tah - da! you're all set!

Show mama just how smart you are! Don't pass this deal up - we bet she'd be proud!


(sale end ends Monday - 5/2/11 @ 11: 59 PM EST)

Happy Shopping & Happy Mother's Day!
Edie, Brian & Baby Sophie

www.crazyrumors.com

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Lipstick Tag

I saw this post on Dee's blog and thought I'd copy it.

1. When you were a child, did you use your mother's lipsticks?
Yes. My mum used to sell Nutrimetics (or Constan as it was called back then) so she had lots of little sample lipsticks that I used to play with.



2. How old were you when you bought your first lipstick?

I think I was around 13. It was a blue lipstick that changed to a bright pink when applied and it smelled like bubblegum. It had hearts all over the packaging and I thought it was the best thing ever. Before that I used to wear the Maybelline roller ball glosses. I wish they still made them. 

3. Pink or red lipstick?

Both. Although I wear pink lipstick more, I love red lipstick too.

4. The most expensive lipstick you have ever bought?

$50 for a Chanel lipstick and a YSL lipstick. Prices here are crazy.

5. And the cheapest?

I don't remember. It'd be one from Priceline, probably a Maybelline lipstick which would have cost around $15.

6. What's the most bizarre thing you have ever done with a lipstick?

Is this a trick question? I haven't done anything bizarre with a lipstick, other than put it on my lips. What else could you do with lipstick?

7. If you had to recommend a lipstick, which brand would you recommend and why?
Chantecaille Lip Chic. It's the nicest lipstick I've ever used, it has great colour payoff and feels like a lip balm.

Monday 25 April 2011

Love & Toast Star Anise Lip Balm


Today I'm getting back to my true love and doing a lip balm review. As lip balm and skin care are about the only things I'm using regularly at the moment there will be lots of lip balm reviews coming up over the next few weeks/months/however long it takes to get into a routine with bub. Today I'm talking about a gorgeous brand called Love & Toast.

Isn't the packaging gorgeous. This is what the box looks like and when you open it first you see a love heart shape and then you see a toast shape, so cute!

The jar is so cute, once I've finished the lip balm I'm going to keep the jar to use for something or just to look at because it's pretty.

I wasn't sure what to expect of this balm. I like liquorice but wasn't sure if I'd like an anissed flavoured balm, however it's gorgeous and I'll be trying other liquorice flavoured balms in the future. The flavour is light and not at all overpowering and the flavour is lovely and sweet. I imagine that even people who aren't particular fans of aniseed would like this balm, it's a really lovely, unique flavour.

This is a clear balm that goes on with a slight shine. It has a medium, creamy texture which makes it easy to apply. I don't like balms that are too hard or too soft and this is in between, the perfect texture.  

Would I buy this? Yes, it's a great balm with a beautiful flavour. 

You can purchase Love & Toast lip balms from my favourite store, Addicted 2 Lip Balm, for $17.90 (AUD).

Ingredients: organic extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, organic jojoba oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, delicious Love & Toast flavour, organic hemp seed oil, aloe vera oil, vitamin e, stevia.

This product was sent to me for consideration. 

Sunday 24 April 2011

Palmer's Rejuvenating Facial Serum


All of my friends who have had children have warned me that after you have a baby your skin goes crazy. Since bub arrived the skin on my body has got really dry and horrible, so I've been waiting for my facial skin to go feral, but it hasn't happened. In fact my skin has been just as good as it was whilst I was pregnant. It has been soft, smooth, clear and pimple free. 

I was trying to figure out why I was so lucky, when I realised that my great skin is due to me using Palmer's Rejuvenating Facial Serum. I started using it before bub arrived and it has kept my skin in great condition.

Whilst I haven't noticed any huge changes in the condition of my skin, I still have the healthy, glowing skin that I had whilst I was pregnant. I imagine if I'd started using this when I wasn't pregnant I would have noticed huge changes in my skin. Anything that can keep my skin looking as amazing as it did when I was pregnant is a miracle product! I keep getting told that motherhood agrees with me and that I'm glowing. Little do they know that I'm tired and sleep deprived.

Palmer's says: This serum helps smooth the appearance of lines and wrinkles by encouraging skin's natural repairing process with retinol and vitamin c, helping to reduce the look of discolouration, dullness and fine lines. Natural extracts provide a luxurious feel and leave skin looking radiant. 

Would I buy this? Yes, it's a lovely, effective serum at a reasonable price. Anything that can give me glowing, pregnant skin is something I'll buy! 

Ingredients: sodium hyaluronate, hydroxyethylcellulose, peg-12 dimethicone, dmdm hydantoin, aloe barbedensis leaf juice powder, benzophenone-4, oenothera biennis root extract, hydrolyzed milk protein, theobroma cacao seed butter, citric acid, butyrospermum parkii butter, tocopheryl acetate, tetinol, steareth-20, chrysin, n-hydroxysuccinimide, palmitoyl oligpeptide, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, benzyl benzoate, d-limonene, linalool, citronellol, fragrance, yellow 5, red 4. 

This product was sent to me for consideration.

Thursday 21 April 2011

Changes

Since having a bub my life has changed dramatically. It's something that I'd never really given a lot of thought to. I knew I'd stop working and I'd be a full time mum, but I didn't think much further about what that involved. 

At first it felt rather strange, like I had no purpose. I know my job is to look after our baby and I love looking after him, but it felt strange. I've worked full time for 21 years. I enjoyed working but I've never been really attached to working. I can happily not work, I don't need to work to feel fulfilled or like I have a purpose. But not working felt very strange. My days felt long and aimless. I'm getting more used to it now, slowly getting a bit of a routine and adjusting to being at home all the time. Now my days seem to go very quickly, they don't feel long and aimless at all. 

I imagine once I get into a proper routine, which I'll be able to do better once bub is sleeping more and I'm not so sleep deprived I'll wonder how I ever had the time to work. I still feel like my days are full of nothing. I get to the end of the day and if I'm lucky I've done a few loads of washing. More often than not I'm folding the washing at 9pm as I haven't managed to get to it during the day. I'm doing very little housework, all I do at the moment is look after bub and that's the way it should be.

We aren't sure if I'll be going back to work. Hubby doesn't want me to and I don't like the idea of someone else looking after our little man. I'd like to be able to work from home, that'd be my ideal. I don't mind the idea of working and taking some of the financial burden off hubby, but we both hate the idea of a stranger looking after our son. Both of our mothers have said that they'll babysit so that I can work, however as they both live an hour away, logistically it would be very difficult. Plus as great as they are, I don't like the idea of either mum looking after our bub on a long term basis, especially hubby's mum. She'd make our child neurotic and that's the last thing I want for him. Thankfully we don't have to worry about me working for a while yet, I'm being paid up until the end of November, so we are very fortunate.  

I've started going to mother's group and it's been great. It is nice to meet other mums with babies around the same age as our bub. I'm lucky that I have quite a few friends with babies, but it's also nice to be around first time mothers who are going through the same sort of things as I am.

Body wise I'm doing quite well with weight loss, considering that I'm not making any effort to lose weight. In the first three weeks I lost fifteen kg's. Nearly four of those kilos were bub and I'd say that the rest were fluid. My stomach is getting smaller every day which has really surprised me. I thought my stomach would be all floppy and gross, but it's not. 

I'm planning on starting an exercise routine when I can be bothered. I've been going walking around three times per week, more to get me and bub out of the house than for exercise. The way I see it, it took me ten months to put on the weight and if it takes me ten months to take off the weight that's okay. I have ten kilo's to lose to be at my pre pregnancy weight but each week a little bit more weight drops off. A few of us in my mothers group are going to start walking together to get some exercise and social time, I'm looking forward to that. I've missed walking but it's just been too hot for me to bother lately. Bring on winter! 

Hubby's family are having a very hard time adjusting to bub. They have a lot of expectations that we weren't aware of before bub arrived and they really have no idea about the realities of having a newborn. At the moment hubby and his brother aren't talking. They had a huge fight because the brother (BIL) got annoyed about not being able to hold bub. He'd previously complained to hubby about being at our house for an hour before he got to hold bub. He seems to think that as soon as he arrives bub should be handed to him, regardless of whether he's feeding or sleeping. They sorted that one out, but this new fight is because BIL says that he's now visited five times and hasn't got to hold the baby. I'm not sure if he has visited five times, but he is right that he hasn't been able to hold the baby his last few visits.


The last time he visited and held bub, I'd just got bub to sleep and handed him over to BIL for a cuddle. BIL proceeded to tickle, poke and prod him until he woke up and started crying. I considered that a lesson learned and now no-one gets to hold bub when he's asleep. Since that visit, all BILs visits have been at night time. He comes over unannounced, usually at or after 8pm which is when we're trying to settle bub, and he expects that he'll get to hold him. That's just not realistic and it's not going to happen. Also, the last time he came over he was stoned. I'm not having stoned people around my child. Hubby told him that he can't come over if he's stoned and he got really annoyed about it, but  that's his problem.


BIL has asked hubby to take bub over to his house so that they can have some male bonding time. I don't know why he can't have bonding time at our house, probably because he thinks it's me keeping bub away from him, but it's as much hubby keeping bub away as it is me. Hubby and I have discussed this and agreed that it's not going to happen. When he's older I'll be okay with it, but whilst he's so young I'm not comfortable with him being away from me.


It makes me angry that BIL has these expectations. This is our child. It's not his child, he has no claim to our child and no right to have expectations and to make demands of us. He also has no right to yell at and upset hubby because he hasn't got to hold our baby. Not once has he asked if he can hold the baby and if he told us when he was coming over we could let him know when bub was awake so that he would be able to hold him. 


If he was a good brother to hubby he'd stop thinking about himself and what he wants and start asking how hubby is doing and if he needs any help, instead of making life more difficult by starting fights and being passive/aggressive. I'm very tempted to ring him and tell him that but I know it will only make things worse so I'm keeping my mouth shut for the time being.

Thursday 14 April 2011

The Body Shop's Kick Climate Change Campaign

Until Sunday, The Body Shop are running a campaign to encourage people to reduce their carbon footprint.

The person who comes up with the most effective way to reduce their carbon footprint will win; their life offset for a year and year's supply of the Rainforest Hair Care and  Earth Lovers Shower Gel ranges.

All you have to do is sign up with your pledge in store, or make your pledge online here.


Taking meaningful action against climate change is easier than you might think! Consider these tips:
  1. Turn off all your appliances at the wall.
  2. Walk or cycle instead of using your car.
  3. Use low energy light bulbs.
  4. Know your shoe size? How about your carbon footprint? Take the first step to managing your contribution to climate change by measuring and offsetting your footprint here.

Monday 11 April 2011

MOR is coming to Target!

From the 18th of April a lovely range of Dolce by MOR products will be available in Target. 

There are three different scents available;
Sorbet, which is a lovely blend of lemon, lime, coconut and vanilla.
Pomegranate, a violet, jasmine, pomegranate, sweet raspberry and black current coulis blend and
Honey, a blend of may bell infused honey, amber, cotton candy and vanilla.

All of the three scent ranges have five different products, a 150g soap cake for $10, 350ml hand and body lotion for $15, 350ml hand and body wash for $15, 80ml hand cream for $10 and 170g fragrant candle for $15.

As you would expect from MOR, the packaging is divine.

I was sent the Sorbet range to test and have to say it's divine. I'll definitely be buying MORe (hehehe) of these products when mine run out.

Saturday 9 April 2011

Aveda Walk for Water

AVEDA 2011 EARTH MONTH

PERTH 6KM ‘WALK FOR WATER’ – Sunday 17th April 2011


Aveda Earth Month 2011 seeks to raise funds and awareness for global clean water and Queensland disaster relief


On Sunday 17th April, Aveda will host their global WALK FOR WATER as part Aveda’s 2011 Earth Month campaign, through a series of 6km walks in participating cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth) to raise awareness, funds, and excitement of the need to protect clean water.

During the month of April, the campaign will connect its network in more than 30 countries around the globe seeking to raise US$4 million for awareness and protection of clean water—a basic human right that nearly 900 million peopleglobally are left fighting for daily.

Now in its 12th year, Aveda created Earth Month in April 1999 to raise awareness and funds for critically important environmental issues around the world, and has since raised more than US$18 million for organisations that directly affect environmental change, and US$12 million for water-related causes alone over the past four years.

In 2011, Aveda Australia has extended the fundraising initiatives to include support for the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal and those affected by the recent natural disasters in Queensland.

JOIN IN THE WALK FOR WATER:
For more information or to get involved in the Aveda ‘Walk for Water’ in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or Brisbane visit: www.aveda.com.au or visit the Aveda Australia Facebook  page. Enquiries can also be made at your local Aveda salon, spa or Aveda Experience Centre.

The 6km Perth Aveda ‘Walk for Water’ route around the Swan River is approx one hour easy walk from 11am – 12pm.
  • All funds raised from the Aveda ‘Walk for Water’ in Australia will be donated to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal to assist the many communities which have been devastated by the recent natural disasters in Queensland.
  • Donations collected by the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal will be disbursed to the people affected by the natural disasters in Queensland from December 2010 to February 2011.

WHERE AVEDA ‘WALK FOR WATER’ MONEY GOES:
Charity: Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal

Whilst in previous years, all funding has been directed towards Global Greengrants, in 2011 Aveda will distribute funds locally in an effort to provide much needed support to Queenslanders. In a move to keep funding on our shores, donations from the Aveda ‘Walk for Water’ will be donated to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal. 

The Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal assists Queenslanders affected by recent flooding and Tropical Cyclone Yasi. With the damage bill in the billions, many communities have been devastated and many families have lost everything. Over 2,000 families lost their homes after the catastrophic floods and Tropical Cyclone Yasi and without insurance, will rely solely on the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal.

Set up by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, the Australian Red Cross manages the distribution of the donated funds to families suffering the aftermath of the recent natural disasters. Whilst $400 million dollars was raised for the victims of the Victorian bushfires, just $250 million has been contributed to date to the Queensland Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. With or without insurance, there are families still struggling who need assistance from an already stretched fund. With the support of the Australian public in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane, the Aveda ‘Walk for Water’ will aim to help these families in need.
11025_EM11_RouteMap_PERTH

About Aveda
Founded in 1978, Aveda™ creates high performance, botanically-based products for beauty professionals and consumers—while continuously striving to conduct business in an environmentally sustainable manner. Headquartered in Blaine, Minnesota, Aveda manufactures innovative plant-based hair care, skin care, makeup and lifestyle products, available at retail in Aveda Experience Centers and more than 7,000 professional hair salons and spas in more than 30 countries.



Wednesday 6 April 2011

Protective Mummy?

As I'm adjusting to life with my baby, I'm finding it rather difficult to deal with the demands of my relatives. Specifically my mum and Hubby's mum. I know that they both want to be involved and they are delighted that they have another grand child (for my mum) and their first grand child (for Hubby's mum), but really, there are times I wish they would back off and leave me alone. 

Thankfully with my mum I can tell her to back off and Hubby is great at telling his mum to back off. I couldn't cope if Hubby didn't put his mum in her place. It all started when I first got pregnant. They both wanted to be involved with everything and were really pushy about it. We had to make our boundaries very clear to them.

Towards the end of my pregnancy my mum was calling every day and if I didn't answer the phone she'd call Hubby. If he didn't answer she'd get my step dad to call and she'd keep on calling until one of us answered the phone. Because of this we had no choice but to tell our family that we were being induced. We'd wanted to keep it quiet and just tell them when the bub was here, however we knew that Mum would be calling constantly so we had to tell them.

Despite Mum having already been told that she wasn't going to be allowed in the delivery room, as soon as Hubby told her I was being induced she said that she'd come up. He told her not to and that we'd call her when we had news. Being the clever man he is, Hubby then called my brother and asked him to call Mum to make sure she didn't ignore our wishes and come up anyhow. Luckily he did, because she had been planning on coming up. I would have been so angry if she did. Giving birth was difficult enough without having to deal with unwelcome guests showing up at the labour ward. 

When both of the mothers visited us in hospital they had a discussion in front of me about how disappointed they both were that they couldn't be in the room with us when I had the bub. Seriously!?

Their expectations really amaze me. Mum in law recently asked me if my mum has taken the baby for a walk yet. I looked at her like she'd grown two heads. Why on earth would my mum be taking my two week old baby for a walk? My response was somewhere along the lines of "no, why would she" and then she launched into a long story about how she'd like to take the baby for a walk and that she takes her niece's three children for a walk all the time. It's worth nothing that her niece's children are all over 3 years old. I told her that he is my baby and no-one is going to be talking him for a walk.

Hubby says that I'm like a protective lioness. But really, who would reasonably expect me to let my 2 week old baby out of my sight? And if I was going to, would I really let someone take him out walking in 33 degree heat? 

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Priceline Beauty Bag


At the moment if you spend over $50 on products from Australis, Eco Tools, Gaia, Hollywood, Lee Stafford, Manicare, Nair, Neutrogena, Nude, Palmer's, Prestige, Protech, Revlon, Rimmel, Sally Hansen, Shick or Sukin you get an amazing goody bag containing products worth over $200.

Never one to resist an offer like this, I headed to Priceline last week and picked up a few things (which I forgot to take photo's of). It's definitely worth stocking up, because the contents of the Beauty Bag are amazing. From what I could see they all contain the same products.  

This offer is available until Monday the 11th of April.

Monday 4 April 2011

Bloom Nude Lipstick


I love nude lipsticks. Those who aren't beauty lovers don't understand the point of a mlbb lipstick, but for beauty lovers like me (and probably you since you're reading this blog), we're always on the hunt for the perfect nude lipstick. Nude lipsticks can be very difficult to find as the wrong shade makes you look like a corpse (which is never a good look).

Bloom has recently released the perfect nude lipstick, and I was lucky enough to receive one to test and review. Nude was released as part of the Gypsy Glamour collection. The Bloom website describes Nude as "a creamy, natural beige".  I have trouble getting a good photo of it, however the one below on my lips is the most accurate.


Like all Bloom lipsticks this has a lovely, creamy texture with great pigment. It lasts about four hours on me before I need to reapply. 

Would I buy this? Yes, it's a gorgeous colour and has a lovely texture.


Ingredients: castor seed oil, pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate, caprylic triglyceride, candelilla wax, ozokerite, lanolin alcohol, beeswax, lanolin, corn starch, fragrance, limonene, calendula officinalise flower oil, evening primrose oil, jojoba seed oil, tocopheryl acetate, bha, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, red 6 lake, red 33 lake.