Friday 21 December 2012

FFS Friday - Miraculous Escape Ahead


Hello Friday! I hope you are all surviving the silly season with your sanity intact. How crazy is it at the moment? I had to go to the shops yesterday, not a good idea! 

Everytime I've gone out the last few weeks I have been car park stalked. FFS.

Wednesday a woman started following me from the moment I walked out of the shopping centre. FFS.

She could see that I had shopping, Chai and the pram to put in the car, but that didn't faze her. FFS.

Then she started getting impatient at how long it took me. FFS.

So I deliberately went even slower. FFS.

For those of you who don't watch it, this week was the last ever episode of Gossip Girl. Hubby and I were really looking forward to watching it (yes, we are sad). Before we'd had a chance to watch it, a very inconsiderate person posted on twitter who Gossip Girl is. FFS.

She didn't give any warning, just wrote 'I can't believe ... is Gossip Girl!' FFS.

FFS woman, if you are going to post a spoiler at least give people warning of it! FFS.

I unfollowed her straight away and stayed off twitter for the rest of the day. FFS.

The house next door was being painted this week. Tuesday the painters set off the smoke alarm and didn't bother turning it off. FFS.

It was going off all day, all night and all Wednesday morning until the turned up and turned the stupid thing off. FFS.

I was going to call the owner to let him know, however I lost his phone number when my phone died a few months ago. FFS.

I'm still discovering a whole pile of phone numbers that I lost when my phone died. FFS.

Wednesday the council came along and kindly trimmed the trees at the front of our house. We've tidied up the front of our house in preparation for selling it, put wood chips out the front and roped it off so that people don't park there. The council workers didn't give a damn about that, broke the wires that were roping it off and even bent one of the steel posts. FFS.

They also left a bloody huge mess of leaves all over the woodchips. FFS.

There is no way I can have it cleaned up before the home open on Saturday. FFS.

I've tried, but as I have Chai with me he thinks it's fun to run onto the road. FFS.

Given a choice of keeping my child alive or selling my house, I choose to keep my child alive. FFS.

 
Sunday the BIL arrives. FFS.

He's going to be here for ten days. FFS.

Staying with us. FFS.

I am so not looking forward to it. FFS.

Hubby is going to be working all the time, other than the public holidays, so it'll just be me and BIL. FFS.

I'm considering sneaking away in the middle of the night and pretending Chai and I have been kidnapped. FFS.

I'll make a miraculous escape once BIL has gone home. Bloody brilliant idea. Not FFS.

I might even get rich selling my miraculous escape story to the gossip magazines. Not FFS.


If you don't hear from me next week, you'll know what the deal is.

Dear Baby G

Wednesday 19 December 2012

20 Questions Tag

I saw this on My Project Pan and as I've been considering doing more 'getting to know me' posts, thought this would be perfect.

1. Thing you cannot leave the house without?
My son and my handbag.

2. Favourite brand of makeup?

That's a tough one. I don't have one favourite brand. If I had to choose I'd say for budget brands my favourites are Physician's Formula and Models Prefer and high end brands Lancome and Chanel.

3. Favourite flower?

Roses and gerberas.

4. Favourite clothing store?

Hmmm, I don't have a favourite clothing store either.

5. Favourite perfume? 

Philosophy Falling In Love.

6. Heels or flats? 

Flats. I've never been a heels girl.

7. Do you make good grades?

When I was at school I did, but that was a very long time ago.

8. Favourite colour?

Blue


9. Do you drink energy drinks?

No. Due to the crohn's caffeine makes me ill, plus I don't like fizzy drinks. 

10. Do you drink juice?

Rarely. Again, due to crohn's I can't tolerate a lot of fruit. Plus, I really don't find juice quenches my thirst. I mainly drink water. 

11. Do you like swimming?

Yes, but only when it's hot enough. 

12. Do you eat fries with a fork? 

No, that's what fingers are for. 

13. Favourite Moisturizer? 

Gah, I can't pick just one! I use a bottle of moisturiser and then move onto another one.  

14. Do you want to get married later on in life?

No, I'm already married and I'd rather not get married again, having one husband is difficult enough, I couldn't cope with two of them.
 

15. Do you get mad easily?
No, I am very patient and calm. 

16. Are you into ghost hunting? 

Not at all.

17. Any phobias?

No but I'm considering developing some to make life more interesting. 

18. Do you bite your nails?

No. I used to when I was younger, but I stopped.

19. Have you had a near death experience?

Twice. Once I nearly went over a cliff on my motorbike and the other time was when I got Crohn's disease. If you want to know about the Crohn's Disease experience you can read the whole story here.

20. Do you drink coffee? 

Sadly, thanks to my Crohn's I can't drink real coffee, so I drink decaf. It's a sad, sad world. 

If anyone else does this tag, please post the link below so I can read it!

Friday 14 December 2012

FFS Friday - Grass in the Driveway

Hello Friday! This week was a blink and you'll miss it week, I'm sure the weeks go faster as we get closer to christmas. 

Hubby had the day off on Saturday, which I was really pleased about because it meant that he could help me get the house ready for the home open. As he was home I didn't bother doing any of the preparations the day before. Saturday morning we got up and hubby started doing stuff outside whilst I was cleaning inside. I cleaned the whole house and he was still outside. FFS.

I have no idea what took him so long, he said that he was removing the grass from the driveway. FFS.

When I went outside I couldn't notice any difference. FFS.

Our driveway is not very long. In the time it took him to do that I mopped and vacuumed the whole house, washed, dried and put away the dishes, tidied up the spare room, both bathrooms, our bedroom, Chai's bedroom and both loungerooms, cleaned the toilets, both bathroom mirrors and had a shower. FFS.

The only thing hubby did that I'd normally do was wash the windows. FFS.

He then decided that he wanted to go out to breakfast. FFS.

To my great annoyance hubby refuses to eat any meals at home on the weekends, which I find totally ridculous and a huge waste of money. FFS.

The home open was at 11am, and yet we went out to breakfast. FFS.

By the time we got home it was 10.30am and we only had 1/2 an hour to finish getting the house ready. Fun. FFS.

By some miracle the house was ready by 10.50am which was good because the estate agent and people wanting to look at the house were early. FFS.

Later in the day hubby commented that I was lucky he was home to help with the home open. FFS.

I politely told him that he was no help at all as the only thing he did that I'd normally do was clean the windows. FFS.

Monday Chai was playing in my shower, which he does regularly. I was happy to let him play there for as long as he wanted, because it meant that I could put my make-up on in peace. After a while I realised that my bathroom smelt  unusually nice. FFS.

Chai had got my much loved Body Shop Moringa shower gel, screwed the lid off and tipped most of it down the drain. FFS.

On the plus side, my bathroom still smells lovely. Not FFS.

Tuesday I went down to Mandurah for the day. It took me two hours to get ready to go because Chai kept on whingeing and playing up. FFS.

When we finally got on the road, he complained non stop. FFS.

No matter what I did or gave him he wouldn't stop whining. FFS.

Ten minutes from our destination he asked for his bottle and stopped complaining. FFS.

Despite wearing sunscreen and reapplying it twice, I got sunburnt in Mandurah. FFS.

Chai was outside for the same length of time as me and I used the same sunscreen on him, he didn't get burnt. Not FFS.

How does that work? FFS.

Wednesday I was catching up with a few blog posts and waiting for the clock to hit 12:12. At 12:08 I got a text message from my estate agent telling me he was bringing people through the house at 12:30. FFS.

Naturally the house was a total mess. FFS.

I somehow managed to tidy it all up (threw heaps of stuff in the microwave and drier!), vacuumed and ready by 12:27. Call me superwoman. FFS.


Thursday Chai decided to start the day at 2.45am. FFS.


I gave up trying to get him back to sleep at 4.50am. FFS.


This meant that we missed out on his last day at playgroup and the party. FFS.


It was also the last time we would have seen everyone before we move so I didn't get to say goodby to anyone. FFS.


I've discovered that Chai is terrified of Father Christmas. Every time he sees him, even from a distance he gets really upset and starts crying hysterically. FFS.


I have no idea why as he's never been near Father Christmas, I haven't tried to get his photo taken or anything. Maybe he just thinks he looks strange. FFS.

That's the end of my whinges for the week. If you want to read more whinges, head over to Dear Baby G and you'll find a plethora of complaints :). Have a great weekend!




Dear Baby G

Wednesday 12 December 2012

November Favourites

I'm a week late with this, but thought I'd post it anyhow. My November favourites are rather varied, I've been using a few different products to try and change up my routine and due to the strange weather we've had here, cold one day and hot the next. 

Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Lipstick - I am all about long lasting lipsticks now that I have Chai. The only problem is that they are quite drying so I can't wear them every day, however Bobbi Brown's Creamy Matte lipstick is the perfect solution. It feels creamy (funny that) when I put it on, doesn't dry out my lips and stays put for most of the day. I was originally sent one to review, but loved it so much that I went and bought another one (with a gift card so I didn't break P100P). The colour shown is Razzberry.

Sukin Wellness Body Oil - This weather has been making my skin go crazy. It's all dry and itchy with scaly patches and eczema. Gross. My Sukin Wellness Body Oil has been a lifesaver. I put it on straight after my shower at night and wake up with soft, hydrated skin. It also smells amazing. This is a limited edition product so stock up whilst you can. As a bonus, it comes with a Sukin Nourishing Lip Treatment. I've already purchased two back-up bottles!

Dermalogica Super Sensitive Shield Sunscreen - I am allergic to most sunscreens and have a terrible time finding sunscreens that don't irritate my skin. I'll use them for a week and then all of a sudden my skin gets really irriated and I can't wear it anymore. Thankfully this Dermalogica sunscreen is one of the few that I can use. It's light, not greasy and smells lovely. Winning.

Inglot Cream Blush - I dug this out when I finished my Becca Cream Blush. Compared to most of the cream blushes I own this has a drier texture and more intense colour. This means that it lasts longer and I only need to use a tiny amount so it will probably last forever.

Haus of Gloi Coconut Cream Lip Balm - Unfortunately I've finished this and as their lip balms are all limited edition I can't repurchase it, but I'll definitely be purchasing some more HoG lip balms, they are creamy, hydrating and all round lovely. 

Pana Chocolate - I am obsessed with this chocolate, it's amazing and the only chocolate I eat now. Unlike regular chocolate, Pana chocolate is filling so it's like eating actual food, not just having empty calories. I've found that since I switched to Pana Chocolate I no longer crave chocolate every day, I eat it a few times a week and really enjoy it when I do.

Revlon Kissable Balm Stains - All the hype about these is justified. They feel like a balm but wear down to a stain. The colours are beautiful and they smell like peppermint. 

Sukin Nourishing Lip Treatment - This is my new favourite lip balm. In fact I love it so much that it's one of my top five favourite balms. I misplaced it on Monday and was in a panic until I found it again. If I wasn't on P100P I would have gone out and bought two back-ups, it's that good. 

Friend Locator App - I know this is nothing to do with make-up but I am really loving this app. It lets hubby and I check up on each others location whenever we need to. Sounds creepy or stalkerish, but for us it isn't, it's more a convenience thing. I'm not normally a worrier but since I've had Chai I'm convinced that hubby is going to die in a car crash on his way to or from work. Friend Locator gives me peace of mind because I can see where he is and I know if he's still moving. 

You couldn't use this to stalk someone because both parties have to give their permission for the app to work and you have to leave your gps on.

I thought I'd also share some You Tube videos that I've been loving. 

Goss Make-Up Artist Blush Video
 


Michael Brown Bronzer Video

Monday 10 December 2012

Current Obsessions

I don't know about everyone else, but I go through obsessions with make-up. I'll see a product or someone wearing a certain shade and then I'll be obsessed with finding it. I'll hunt high and low until I find the exact product I was looking for and usually pick up two or three different brands until I'm happy.

In view of this I thought I'd share my current obsessions with you all. Being on Project 100 Pan means that I can't buy anything so I've been shopping my stash and have been surprised at the products I already have. 

Since I no longer have plenty of time to apply my make-up in the mornings I'm all about products that are quick and easy to use. At the moment I'm loving cream blush and lip and cheek creams. I find cream blush a lot easier to use than powder blush, I can apply it with my fingers and only need to dab a little on then I'm good to go. Also, if I make a mistake it's easy to correct, I just rub it off with my fingers. 

I always have a lip and cheek cream in my handbag because it's a double duty product. I can use it to add more colour to my cheeks and use it on my lips too. Depending on the shade, I also use my lip and cheek cream as an eyeshadow.

This isn't make-up, but my other obsession at the moment is Pana Chocolate. It's amazing! Pana Chocolate is raw, organic, sugar free and the yummiest chocolate I've ever tasted!

Does anyone else get obsessed with products too? What are you recommendations for cream blushes and lip and cheek creams that I should try when I've finished P100P?

Sunday 9 December 2012

Dear Chai

Today you are 21 months old.

To your delight you can now eat with a fork and love to feed yourself. I took a video of you feeding yourself which you love to watch over and over again. 

You have a potty now which you sit on when Dad and I are going to the toilet. You haven't used it yet but it won't be long. You can wee when we ask you to and you tell us before or just after you've done a poo.

This month you have started to like baths. You've hated them your whole life but now you like them and want to have two a day. You don't sit down in the bath but you stand in there and play and splash water all over the place. 

Lip balm is one of your favourite things at the moment, probably because you see me using it so often. You've got one of mine that you keep in your pocket then take it out, put it on your lips and then back into your pocket, it's so cute. 

Another one of your canine teeth came through this month so now there's only one to go and you'll have all your main teeth.

You are a beautiful, happy little boy and I am blessed to be your mother.

Friday 7 December 2012

FFS Friday - Of Walkers and Lawnmowers

Hello Friday! I don't have a whole lot to complain about this week, but I came up with a few things to keep everyone happy. FFS.

Hubby didn't work last week as he was doing a training course. We were hoping that he'd get the weekend off so we could all relax together. He called the boss Friday and had to go back to work Saturday. FFS.

The shutdown has now been extended so he'll be working 13 day fortnights for the foreseeable future. FFS.

My poor baby is teething again. FFS.

He had a really restless night on Friday so he and I slept in the spare room. FFS.

Saturday morning I woke up a total mess.

I had eczema on my eyes and arms, my right eye was swollen and I had a swollen bottom lip. FFS.

If I hadn't slept in the spare room I would have blamed hubby for it, but as he was in our room I couldn't blame anyone. FFS.

My lip continued to swell for four hours, it got so bad that I was starting to think I would have to go to the Dr. FFS.

It had two huge blisters on it. FFS.

After four hours it stopped swelling and by the end of the day was back to normal. FFS.

I have no idea why I woke up in such a state. FFS.

Saturday we had another home open. FFS.

I am so sick of bloody home opens. FFS.

I did most of the cleaning on Friday so all I had to do Saturday was mop the floors and put away Chai's toys. I put him down for his nap, tidied up the house and was about to sit down for a rest when Chai woke up. FFS.

He woke up and hour and a half early. FFS.

The home open wasn't for another hour and a half either, but as I couldn't face the thought of spending that hour and a half trying to stop him trashing the house I decided to sink to a new parenting low. FFS.

I put him in the car, turned on his dvd, got into the drivers seat and we sat there in the driveway for an hour. FFS.

Just call me Mother of the year. FFS.

I'll do it again this week if it keeps the house clean. FFS.

Whilst we were sitting there a car pulled into the driveway behind me. I was sitting there wondering how I was going to explain us sitting in the car, when they drove off again. Not FFS.

As if chronic hayfever isn't bad enough, this week I've also got a cold, eczema and bad asthma. FFS.

Clearly something doesn't like me at the moment. FFS.

Monday I had to take our car to the panel beaters. FFS.

It had some very minor scratches that hubby insisted on getting fixed. FFS.

I dropped it off and they said it'd take 3 to 4 days. FFS.

The thought of being housebound all week did not please me. FFS.

Around lunchtime on Tuesday I got a phone call from the panel beaters telling me the car was finished! Not FFS.

Great work Platinum Smash Repairs. Not FFS.

Thursday I had to take hubby's car back to the mechanic. FFS.

There is a problem with the automatic transmission now. FFS.

It cost us $400 to fix. FFS.

We've now spent $1,000 repairing the stupid car and he's only had it a few months. FFS.

Add to that the $2,000 that he spent on rims and we could have got a brand new car for the same price. FFS.

My car (that he used to drive) never needed fixing and didn't use as much fuel either. FFS.

Thursday I take Chai to Rhyme Time and Playgroup. We both love spending time with the other kids and Playgroup gives me a chance to have some adult conversation. Thursday at Rhyme Time Chai kept on saying that he wanted to go home. FFS.

I didn't let him so he fell asleep in my arms, right in the middle of Rhyme Time. FFS.

I then had to carry him home, holding him with one arm and pushing the pram with the other arm. FFS.

He only slept for an hour and a half. FFS.


This week Chai has decided that slapping me in the face is hilarious. FFS.

He starts laughing hysterically before he does it, then he slaps me in the face, really hard. FFS. 

I have no idea where he got this idea from. FFS.

I asked him how he'd like it if I slapped him in the face, so he started slapping his own face. FFS.

Give me strength. FFS.


After being totally sick of carting Chai's walker everywhere with us, I hid it in the spare room. The next day hubby came home with a lawnmower, which now accompanies us everywhere. FFS.




That's my whinge for the week. Have a great weekend everyone!
 
Dear Baby G

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Bloom Organics Gentle Hand and Body Wash

Just after I had Chai I was given this as part of a beautiful care package. I decided to use it as a hand wash and put it in my ensuite so that I could use it all to myself cause I'm selfish like that. It lasted me 18 months! Prior to receiving this I'd never spent more than $5 on hand soap, but now I buy more expensive soap because it lasts so long and it's lovely to use something that smells amazing and doesn't dry my hands out. Plus, using it feels like a little bit of a treat which is nice.
It comes in a huge 500ml bottle and costs $38.00 (AUD). The scent is a beautiful mix of ylang ylang, lavender and orange which I found soothing and gorgeous. They also have a hand cream in the same scent which I'd love to try.
I'm a firm believer in using things that give you the feeling of having a bit of luxury in your day and this definitely falls into that category. I'm sure it would also be beautiful to use as a body wash and considering how large the bottle is it would last a few month and you'd smell amazing.

Monday 3 December 2012

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment

My hair is fine so I am very careful what products I use. If I use anything heavy it weighs my hair down so that it's limp and oily, which is never a good look. Due to this I have to be very careful with hair oils as they tend to be quite rich. 

I bought the smallest bottle of this possible to try out and was pleasantly surprised to find that I love it. It hydrates my hair without weighing it down and even when I accidentally use too much it doesn't make my hair heavy or greasy. In fact it's so light that I thought it wasn't doing anything for my hair at all, so stopped using it, whereupon my hair got dry and knotty. I always think the way to really tell if a product works for you is to stop using it and see if you notice a difference.

I only need to use a very small amount, about the size of a 20 cent coin. I mainly concentrate on the mid lengths and ends of my hair and then distribute the rest of the oil very lightly through the rest of my hair. It has a pleasant nutty floral scent that is not discernible once it's in my hair.

Whilst I still prefer Orofluido because it smells like chocolate, I will certainly buy Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment again. 



I purchased my Healing Oil Treatment from Hairhouse Warehouse for $5.95 for a 10 ml bottle. With once weekly use the bottle lasted me five months, which makes it a total bargain.  

Ingredients: dimethicone, cyclomethicone, tocopheryl acetate, macadamia ternifolia seed oil, argania spinose kernel oil, fragrance, benzyl salicylate, hexyl cinnamal, butylphenyl methylpropional, courmarin, linalool, limonene, ci 27755, ci 47000, ci 26100.

Friday 30 November 2012

FFS Friday - Life is Tough


I've been trying to arrange insurance for hubby's ute since he bought it. FFS.

I got a policy but couldn't pay monthly unless he phoned up. FFS.

The call centre isn't open when he is able to call. FFS.

They told me that I needed to go online and set up a new policy in joint names so that I could change the repayments to monthly. FFS

I went online but couldn't open a policy in joint names. FFS.

In the end I had to ring up and set up a third policy, in both our names so that I could pay the bloody thing. FFS.

You'd think that giving my money away would be a lot easier! FFS.

Strangely enough, even though I used exactly the same details, each time the policy was $40 cheaper, so our third policy is $80 less than the first policy was. Not FFS.

Saturday morning I was struggling. I haven't had a break from bub for weeks, I was tired, bub was whingeing and my hayfever was really bad. FFS.

Bub and I were at the park at 7am. FFS.

I stupidly left his walker in the car, he insisted on bringing it with us then abandoned it after five minutes so I had to carry the stupid thing. FFS.

He kept on trying to join in with the huge group of men who were exercising (there were about 30 of them.) FFS.

As I was racing after him to stop him jumping on the guys doing push-ups, juggling my handbag and the walker, my phone rang. FFS.

I made a swipe at bub, grabbed hold of him and tucked him screaming, under my arm. FFS.

I had bub under one arm, the walker in the other, my handbag over my shoulders and I was trying to get the phone out of my bag. FFS.

The caller hung up before I could answer. FFS. 

I looked at my phone and realised that I had 7 missed calls from a number I didn't recognise. Immediately I thought hubby had been involved in an accident at work because who else would call me 7 times at 7.30am on a Saturday morning. FFS.

I called the number and hubby answered. He was furious because I hadn't answered the phone. FFS.

He carried on at me for not answering the phone. I told him I hadn't heard the phone and asked what he wanted, but what he wanted was to rant on about me not answering my mobile or the home phone. FFS.

I hung up on him because he refused to tell me why I had 7 missed calls from him and if everything was okay. FFS.

I spent the rest of the morning fantasizing about being single. FFS.

It was lovely. Not FFS.

Hubby later rang up to apologise and tell me he'd been worried that something was wrong. I didn't forgive him. FFS.

He just doesn't get that when you are looking after a child there are times when you just can't answer the phone, but that doesn't mean that something is wrong. FFS.

Plus, when he calls me he will call over and over again, instead of doing the sensible thing and leaving a few minutes between calls. FFS.

The reason I didn't hear the phone is because my new phone has crap ringtones and it doesn't have a standard ringing one. FFS.

It may be old fashioned, but I don't like musical ringtones, I want one that just rings like phones used to when I was a wee child. FFS.

I spent the afternoon downloading songs to use as ringtones. My ringtone is now Sweet Child of Mine. FFS.

I also have Thunderstruck on standby. FFS.

Yes, I am a bogan. FFS.

We had another home open on Saturday so I spent the morning cleaning, then finished it all off and put bub's toys away whilst he was having a nap. I timed his nap so that he would wake up just before the home open started. He woke up an hour early. FFS.

I spent that hour running around after him trying to stop him trashing the house. FFS. 

I am not a fan of bread but when I do eat it I am partial to pumpkin bread. The Brumby's near my house does a lovely pumpkin bread with sunflower seeds in it. I went in there on the weekend to get some and they told me they only make it on Mondays and Thursdays. FFS.

Monday I went in there and they told me they'd have it on Tuesday. FFS.

Tuesday I went in and they said they only have it on the weekends. FFS.

Thursday I went in there to check and sure enough they didn't have it. FFS.

I gave up and got sourdough instead. FFS.

Two weeks ago I bought a G Shock watch. Saturday I noticed that the paint is chipping off it. FFS.

I took it back to Myer with my receipt but as I didn't have the book with me, they couldn't return it. FFS.

I went back in there with the book on Tuesday. It will take six to eight weeks to get my watch back, probably longer as it's over the christmas period. FFS.

Whilst I was returning the watch a random stranger came up to me to tell me how much she hated the christmas carol that was playing because it said that everything would be allright but everything isn't all right, everything is crap so clearly the song lied. FFS.

She then went on to tell me that she used to love that song until she realised that it was not telling the truth and now it drives her crazy. FFS.

I politely suggested that she go to another shop so she didn't have to listen to the song, however she much preferred standing there telling me how much she hated the song. FFS.

I seem to attract random nutters. FFS.

The next day a lady in the queue at the post office spent 10 minutes telling me how The Daring Book For Girls was sexist and that How To Hold A Garage Sale shouldn't be in there because it's not daring. FFS.

I actually agree with her. FFS.

My favourite store Addicted 2 Lip Balm closes today. I'm so upset. It's the only place where I can buy most of my favourite lip balms. FFS.

On the upside, not being able to buy amazing lip balms will mean that I can make a start on using up the make-up case full of balms that I currently have. FFS.

That's my whingeing finished for another week. If you'd like to read more whinges, head over to Sarah's blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!


 
Dear Baby G

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Dior Addict Lip Glow

(Image thanks to Sephora)
I've recently finished my Dior Addict Lip Glow and realised that I haven't reviewed it. I had this balm for about two years and as often happens, it wasn't until I'd nearly used it up that I realised how much I liked it. Once P100P is over I'll be purchasing another one.

This is one of those 'adapts to your skintone' products that always suck me in and it's the sole reason I bought it. Usually products like this turn bright pink on me, however Lip Glow just gives me a natural flush that looks natural and like I'm not wearing anything. It brightens up my face and makes me look healthy and fresh. Additionally, it stains my lips so I'm left with the pretty colour for the rest of the day.
Freshly applied.


Worn down to a stain.

Another reason I love this balm is that it smells and tastes sweet. Some people have said that it smells like chocolate, but to me it smells more like a lolly. The smell is subtle, just enough to be pleasant without being overpowering. 

As a balm this performs well. It keeps my lips soft and hydrated as I expect from a balm. The texture is buttery but not soft, it's just perfect. I've really missed my Lip Glow since I ran out and have been very tempted to buy another one despite being on P100P.
 
From memory this cost me $48 (AUD) which is extreme, but I like it enough that I'd pay that again. It's a gorgeous product to use, the packaging is lovely and luxurious and it's a great balm!

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Foundation Buying Tips

 (Image credit)
Foundation is one of those products that I really don't like buying. I often get matched to the wrong colour or wrong product for my skin type and end up with a foundation that I don't like but I don't want to waste so I use it up hating it the whole time. Through the years I've come up with some tips that I thought I'd share to help other people who struggle with buying foundation too.

1. When purchasing a new foundation get a sample pot of the foundation you've purchased. Use the sample first so that if you don't like it you can return the unused foundation. 

It is difficult to return used products in Australia, so if you use the sample pot first you won't have any problems returning an unopened product and swapping it for something else. You'll usually get enough foundation in the sample pot for about a weeks use, which is enough time to see if you like the foundation, if it works for your skin type and if the colour is right.

I know they say to check out the foundation in natural light before you buy it, but really, who has the time to do that? Plus, I find that a little bit of foundation applied on my jawline might look fine, but when I do my whole face it looks different. Having a sample pot enables you to check out the foundation in natural light and any other light that you like, at a time that is convenient to you.

2. When you are going to buy a foundation, go without foundation on and your neck bare. You can wear eye make-up, gloss and blush if you don't want to go out bare faced, but try not to wear any foundation.

Foundation needs to blend in with your neck, the colour should be similar or else you will have an obvious foundation line which is never a good look. If your neck is covered you are likely to end up with the wrong colour match, I learned this the hard way.

3. You can return used foundations in Australia. Despite what the cosmetic companies would like you to believe, if you buy a foundation from a department store (Myer or David Jones), they colour match you and it's the wrong colour for you, you can return it. 

The sales assistant won't like it and you will have to insist, but they will swap it for you because it's their fault that they colour matched you wrong. I've returned used foundations to Estee Lauder and Elizabeth Arden and swapped them for the correct shade. Both times they grumbled about it a lot and the Elizabeth Arden sales assistant even rang the lady who'd sold me the foundation at home to check I was telling the truth!

Incidentally, Estee Lauder have a satisfaction guarantee and will exchange products that don't work for you, that's something they don't tell you though!

4. Beware of who you buy from. Don't buy foundation from someone who is wearing foundation that doesn't look right, if they can't match their own foundation correctly it's likely that they won't match yours correctly. 

If the sales assistant tells you that the shade they are matching you to 'gives you a bit of colour', don't buy it, it's the wrong colour. Blush and bronzer give you a bit of colour, you don't want a foundation to do that. Foundation should even out your skintone and make you look like you aren't wearing foundation, not 'give you a bit of colour'.

5. Buy from MAC, Kit Cosmetics or Mecca Cosmetica. These brands/companies are great about returns and happy to give you generous samples to try at home before you buy a full sized product. 

I don't understand why more companies aren't happy to give out samples. I'm much more likely to buy a product if I've tried a sample of it because I get to test it out and I don't risk wasting my money on a product that doesn't work for me. The way some sales assistants carry on you'd think they personally pay for the samples.

6. Change foundations with the seasons and as you skin changes. No doubt you've heard this before but it is so true. Your skin changes with age and with the seasons, so that foundation you loved last summer probably won't be right for winter or in a few years time. Plus, formulations are always changing so it's good to try something new. 

7. Get to know the staff at your shop/brand of choice. If you can get to know the staff at your favourite store they will know what you like and what works for you so will be able to recommend products that are likely to work for you.

Additionally, asking the staff to make a customer record card for you is also helpful. They can record all the products that you buy and this gives them an indication of what you will like/dislike.  

8. Visit Findation. If you are buying foundation online or just want to have some idea of what colour will be right for you, check out Findation. All you do is put in some of your colour matches and Findation will show you what colours will work for you in lots of different brands. Genius.

That's all my tips, I hope they are helpful. If you have any more tips, please feel free to post them below.

Monday 26 November 2012

Project 100 Pan Update 3

I've finished another three lip products! I'm on a roll. I usually don't finish one lipstick per year so I'm extremely pleased with myself finishing four lipsticks in the last few months. It's motivated me to keep on finishing lipsticks, so I've decided that I'll use the same few lipsticks until they are gone and thus slowly reduce the size of my lip product stash.
I've been thinking about what I'll do once P100P is over. My collection is totally out of control and I don't like it, so I'm considering doing Project Pan Them All or maybe even going on a no buy until I've finished everything. I'd like to get my make-up collection down to one make-up case (it's currently 3 cases and a bathroom cupboard full) and my skin care collection down to just what I use with maybe one back up of each product. I'll keep on thinking about how I'll achieve this and come up with something by the end of P100P.

I'm an impulse shopper and we will be moving to an area where there aren't many interesting shops, so that will make it a lot easier for me to avoid temptation. I've also been getting pretty ruthless with my culling. I'm using products a few times and if I don't like them out they go. There is no use holding on to products that I don't love.
Another strategy I'm thinking of using is to only buy online. For me this would work really well because it would cut out all impulse shopping and mean that I wouldn't buy anything unnecessary. It'd also make it very easy to stick to a budget. I am considering giving myself a $25 per week budget which would be very easy to track via online shopping only.

I'm a bit disappointed with my progress this week, I was hoping that I'd be halfway through by now but I'm not. I've been very lazy with my skin and body care routine this month, which is why I don't have many empties. I'm also concentrating on using up my samples, which is another contributing factor.  

33 - La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water
34 - Bathox Milk and Chocolate Bath Foam and Shower Gel
35 - Rexona Women Clear Aqua Deodorant
36 - Neutrogena Healthy Defence Daily Moisturiser
37 - Wotnot Naturally Nurturing Facial Wipes
38 - Wotnot Naturally Nurturing Facial Wipes
39 - Wotnot Naturally Nurturing Facial Wipes
(yes, you are reading right, I finished three packets of face wipes. I found two nearly empty packets that I used for travelling, so finished them off. Bonus.)
40 - The Face Shop Pore Minimizer
41 - Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment
42 - Dior Lip Glow
43 - YSL lip product. I don't know what this was because the label has worn off and I can't find it online. Basically it was like a clear, slippy lip balm. Totally not worth the $$ I paid for it.
44 - YSL Touche Brilliance Lip Gloss
45 - Becca Turkish Rose Blush. I haven't actually finished this but the packaging is broken and it keeps on coming apart in my make-up bag so I'm calling it.
46 - Ten Samples

These are some bonus photos of what a teething child can do to a lipstick case. Chai was munching away on this after I'd finished it and I was really surprised that he managed to dent it so much considering he was using his gums and the metal case is really hard. It's hard enough that I couldn't squeeze it back into shape!



Friday 23 November 2012

FFS Friday - The Mental Hospital Edition

Friday! We've survived another week unscathed, wonder of wonders. 

No longer satisfied with spitting water and milk or pooing and weeing all over the floor, Chai has decided to up the ante. FFS.

He's now realised that he can make himself spew, so vomits all over the floor just for fun. FFS.

I have no idea how to deal with this. FFS.

I figure that he's doing it for a reaction so I just ignore it. FFS.

Someone help me! If he's like this at 20 months what's he's going to be like when he's older? FFS.

I might just admit myself to the mental hospital now, it'll save time later. FFS.

If only I could drink. FFS.

Monday morning hubby was in a stink cause he's tired of working a 13 day fortnight. He mentioned that he's sick of not having any time to himself, to which I replied "time to yourself, what's that?"
Stupid man responded with "I don't get three hours to myself every day like you do, I only get 40 minutes." FFS.

Men truly have no idea. FFS.

Sure, Chai sleeps for three hours, however I have to go in there at least two times to resettle him and I spend the rest of the time preparing dinner, doing housework, paying bills and all those other exciting things that housewives do. Not what I'd call time to myself. FFS.

Lucky for hubby I had Chai in my arms so was unable to strangle him. FFS.

Chai's headbutting has continued and I have no idea what to do about it. FFS.

He headbutts all the time and if he can't headbutt me he'll headbutt the nearest hard surface. FFS.

He does it so hard that he hurts himself and then starts crying. FFS.

If any of you have advice on how I can deal with this, please let me know!

Monday Chai woke up from his nap after only two hours. FFS.

I was exhausted and in no state to deal with him so desperately tried to get him back to sleep. I realised it was a lost cause when he started punching himself in the head. FFS.

Tuesday all of the inconsiderate people where at the playground at the same time as Chai and I. FFS.

First there was they lady and her daughter who hogged the baby swing for 45 minutes despite being aware that other children wanted a turn. FFS.

Then there were the parents of bullies who watched their children be mean to the other children and didn't do anything about it until I told off one of them and yelled at another one. FFS.

Interestingly as soon as they saw me yelling at the little monster who was trying to punch Chai in the face, they took their children and left. Not FFS.

I don't understand why you'd stand there watching your child be mean to or try to hurt another child and not do anything about it! FFS.

Surely they can't think it's okay for kids to push and punch other children? FFS.

We got a letter from our insurance company this week. They've cancelled hubby's life and income protection insurance as he failed to disclose medical details from one Dr's visit back in 1997. FFS.

How the hell do they reasonably expect him to remember each Dr's visit? FFS.

I rang our insurance guy to get it sorted out and he's no longer with the company. FFS.

Yesterday Telstra rang up trying to get me to change my home phone and foxtel to them. FFS.

I told the guy that they can't beat the deal that I have because they've tried before. He told me to be quiet and listen to him for 30 seconds. FFS.

I hung up. FFS.

Way to go Telstra. If you want people to switch to your network, try being polite to them, not giving them attitude. FFS.

Then he kept on ringing back, as if I was going to be stupid enough to answer. FFS.

I hope everyone has a beautiful weekend! We have another home open tomorrow, hopefully someone will buy the house and it will be the last one. I live in hope!




Dear Baby G

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Summer Scents


I'm sure I'm not the only person who changes their scent with the seasons.  Now that the weather is warming up I've pulled out all my favourite summer scents. I'm terrible at describing scents so am not even going to try, so you'll just have to believe me when I tell you these all smell lovely.

The perfumes that I'll be wearing this summer are:

Philosophy Falling in Love - This is one of my favourite perfumes. If I could only wear one perfume for the rest of my life it would be Falling In Love. I always get compliments when I wear it, it's such a beautiful scent. I have no idea how to describe this, it's a little floral, a little sweet and a very beautiful.

Versace Versense - I got a sample of this and will be buying the full size as I've just run out. This is a gorgeous, fresh green scent that makes me think of warm summer days laying in the park.

Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar - This is possibly one of the nicest perfumes I've ever smelled. If you are a fan of coconut you need this in your life. It smells beautifully of coconut and a very slight floral hint (probably due to the vertiver).

Urban Rituelle Mango Milk - Sweet milky mango goodness, what's not to love?

Pacifica Malibu Lemon Blossom - This is not a scent that I would have picked for myself but it's surprisingly lovely. It has a very fresh floral scent that makes me think of a tropical resort.

Lancome Miracle - I don't have this in my collection but will be buying it again soon. This is the first fresh floral scent that I fell in love with and it's still a favourite.

Dolce and Gabanna Light Blue - I have no idea how to properly describe this one. The first word I think of to describe Light Blue is dry. To me it's a very dry, fresch scent. When I was first given this I didn't like it at all, but it's grown on me and now I love it.

Tisserand Rose - A true rose scent, which is a year round favourite for me. I find that the smell of roses really lifts my mood.

Audra James Bespoke perfume - If you want a perfume custom made for you Audra is your woman. For the bargain price of $65 Audra will make a perfume just for you. The perfume Audra made for me smells like a little piece of heaven and calms me instantly.

The Pacifica scents were sent to me. All other products I purchased myself, other than the Versace sample which was a freebie.

Monday 19 November 2012

I Love Drugstore Make-up Tag

Jac from Buy Blog Sparkle did this tag on her blog and I'm going through a Tag phase so thought I'd do it too.


1. What is your favorite drugstore makeup brand?
I can't just pick one, I have two favourites, Physician's Formula and Models Prefer. Oh, also Face of Australia and Australis. 
 
2. What are your favorite face, cheek and lip products?

The new Models Prefer High Definition face powder is lovely, I've been using it for a few weeks now and it's quickly becoming one of my favourite powders.


For cheeks I really like Rimmels Wake Me Up Foundation Shimmer Balm. As confusing as the name is, it's a highlighter. I use it as a blush and it gives a lovely rosey glow. I also love Physician's Formula Happy Booster powders.

Australis Mineral Inject lipsticks and glosses are some of the best lip products I've used, they are easily comparable to high end brands

3. Least favorite product?

Savy by DB liquid eyeliner. I really like the Savy eye pencils so thought I'd try the liquid eyeliner but it's crap. Thankfully I only paid around $4 for it cause after two uses it went in the bin.


4. What is the best makeup bargain?

With the prices that we pay here I really don't think that any products are true bargains, however for the quality I'd have to say Australis Mineral Inject lipsticks and glosses are pretty awesome.

For an overall brand, Models Prefer. The products are great quality and the prices are very reasonable. 

5. What is your favorite underdog product?

The Models Prefer Airbrush Brush and Anti Wrinkle Concealer. You can read my review of the brush here and the concealer here


6. A drugstore product that is overpriced?

Nearly all of them are overpriced here in Australia, but specifically Revlon and L'oreal. 


7. Show your best drugstore dupe(s)!!


I totally fail at dupes. 

8. Drugstore product that isn't worth the hype?

Maybelline Great Lash mascara. I don't understand why this is so popular, it's a really crap mascara!


I tag anyone who'd like to do this post. If you do, please post the link below so I can read it.

Friday 16 November 2012

FFS Friday - The Clay Ear Edition

Friday! I've been so confused this week. Hubby had Saturday off then went back to work Sunday, so I've been a day ahead of myself all week. Then he got sick and had Tuesday to Thursday off work, by which time I had no idea what day it was. FFS.

Both Chai and I have been sick this week. Chai's had an upset stomach with a cold and I have a cold. FFS.

Hubby came down with Man Flu too. FFS.

I tried to get him to stay home from work Tuesday but he wouldn't. FFS.

He came home at 11am cause he was so sick. FFS.

Last Friday in my sleep deprived zombiehood I was trying to comment on some blogs. It took me six goes to get the captcha right on PP's blog. FFS.

Undeterred I then went on to comment on Sarah's blog. I edited my comment three times and still didn't say what I wanted to so gave up. FFS.  

Once again Chai has been spewing all over me. FFS.

Twice this week. FFS.

He has been spewing way too often for my liking. FFS.

My Dr says that it's probably because he's had mucous dripping down the back of his throat and he can't cough it up. FFS.

We had to get him to do a wee sample to make sure he didn't have a urinary tract infection. Thankfully he loves weeing on the floor so it was pretty easy. FFS.

Poor little man is now on antibiotics as he has a chest infection. FFS.

Amazingly it hasn't slowed him down at all. FFS.

Tuesday night in my cold induced daze I was in the shower using a clay face mask when I decided I'd use the mask on my hair as well. FFS.

(Incidentally, if you have never tried using a clay mask on your hair, try it, it's great for deep cleansing

After smearing mud all over my hair I decided to go all out and cover my whole head with the mask. As you do. FFS.

I'm still digging clay out of my ears. FFS.

Wednesday it was time for Chai's monthly visit to the chiropractor. She saw we were sick so decided to try invoking Mummy Guilt. FFS.

First she commented that "he has a lot of falls." FFS.

He's 20 months old and he's had four falls! FFS.

Then she told me that it's been proven that it takes two years for a toddler's body to recover from antibiotics. FFS.

She said that because of this he will need extra probiotics and I'll have to take extra care with him. FFS.

Like I don't already! FFS.

Luckily I was immune to her efforts and think she's full of shit. FFS.

Chai has now started deliberately headbutting me when he doesn't get his way. FFS.

I am half horrified and half impressed by this. FFS.

I know I'm going to be one of those parents that the teachers hate because if they tell me my son has been hitting bullies I'll congratulate him for a job well done. FFS.

We've now signed up with a new real estate agent and are having a home open this weekend. FFS.

This means that the cleaning has started again. FFS.

I hastily cleaned the windows on Thursday and then realised I'd done a totally crap job so had to do them all again. FFS.

Over the weekend we realised that despite it being fixed three times now, hubbys car is still leaking. FFS.

We took it back to the mechanic on Wednesday. FFS.

Thursday afternoon they said it was fixed so hubby went to pick it up. He felt the floor and it was wet. FFS.

The mechanic told him that he hasn't taken any of the panels off around where it's leaking! FFS.

So now they still have the car and I have no transport. Great. FFS.

Have a great weekend! And if you are having a bad day be grateful that you aren't the man we saw last night, running down the street yelling and punching himself in the head.

Dear Baby G

Thursday 15 November 2012

Confessions of a Beauty Blogger Tag

I am loving doing tags at the moment, they are lots of fun and a great way to find out a little more about some of my favourite bloggers. Mandy from Make Me Up tagged me this time.

How many hours a week do you spend planning/writing/uploading posts?
Now that I have a child I don't spend as much time as I'd like to and as I used to. Before Chai I would spend at least two hours a day blogging, reading blogs, commenting on blogs etc. Now I would be lucky to spend 1/2 an hour online. Before I used to spend about an hour on each post, now I probably spend about half an hour. I'd love to be able to put more time into blogging but it's just not possible at the moment.

Are you a spender or a saver?   
Contrary to what you might expect, I'm a saver. Every now and again I'll have a splurge, but for the most part I'm a saver. 

When is it easiest for you to write your posts?
When Chai is asleep.

What makes writing posts comfortable for you?
Before I had to baby proof the house I had a desktop computer with a great set up. I had a computer desk with a shelf and enough room to have whatever products I was reviewing in front of me, it made blogging so much easier. Now I have a laptop computer and no desk. I look forward to when we move and I can have an office again. 

What's your worst make up/hair habit?
I can't think of a bad make-up habit, but I am lazy with my hair. I just brush it and tie it back or leave it down. I rarely straighten or blow dry it, usually I wash it and then let it air dry overnight. 

What's one quote you wish the world would live by?
Not a quote, but a poem. It's called If by Rudyard Kipling. You can read it here

 
How long do you spend getting ready everyday?
Less than 10 minutes. Even before I had Chai I got ready quickly, now I'm ever quicker. 


What's your favourite post on your blog?
I love my FFS Friday posts. They are a lot of fun to write and make people laugh. 


Who is a beauty blogger that you think deserves more subscribers that they have? 
All of them! There are so many amazing blogs and I think they all deserve more attention. 

What's one thing you're excited about in the coming year?
Moving! We are selling our house and moving down south. It'll mean that we can have a house with a backyard for Chai to play in and I will be close to my family.


What's been your favourite blogging moment?
There is no one particular moment, but I love all the beautiful people I've met through blogging. My online friends keep me sane and connected to the world when I'm home all the time.


How long does it take to prep for a post?

Not long. I usually take photos of products as soon as I get them so to prep for a post all I need to do is upload the photos and sometimes do a bit of research on the product. 

Are you wearing jeans/skirt right now or are you wearing pajama bottoms?

Jeans. I don't like staying in my pj's all day, plus, I take Chai out to the park every morning, so I'm usually dressed by 7am. 


What are you most proud of in your life?

Being here, alive, healthy and happy. If you read my other blog you will know that I have Crohn's disease. I got extremely sick in 2007 and nearly died. Now, five years later I am well, healthy and a mother. That's something I'm really proud of. It would have been so easy to have given up and stayed sick (or died), but I didn't, I fought and fought until I got healthy again. I refused to give up and because of that I'm a mum.