Monday 31 August 2015

Thoughts of the month

1. People are criticising Rhonda Rousey's figure. What the hell is wrong with this world? She has an amazing figure, she's fit, strong and looks beautiful. I don't understand how anyone could see a fault with that. And if they do they should be keeping their opinions to themselves! Bet they'd never say it to her face, she'd knock them out.

2.They're also criticising Serena Williams. WTF?

3. If people don't like the way someone looks, what makes them think they have the right to voice that opinion? And why do they think that anyone cares what they think? It's bloody rude. Since the people making the criticisms aren't perfect I think they should keep their mouths shut.

4. Also, why is it that male athlete's figures are never criticised? And if they were, I'd bet the media wouldn't report on it.

5. I'm loving the new Macklemore song....cause it has Ed Sheeran in it. Hahaha.

6. This was in the latest Ikea catalogue. WTF Ikea?

7. I can only come up with six proper thoughts this month.

Friday 28 August 2015

FFS Friday - Addicted

I've come to the conclusion that my brother is either in trouble or a total fuckhead. FFS.

We're at the point where I'm just not going to bother with him anymore. FFS.

I'm sick of him lying, deceiving and not being honest with me. FFS.

I wouldn't accept that behaviour from a friend so it's not okay for him either. FFS.

I've tried and tried to get him to open up to me but he won't so I'm done. FFS.

Tiger keeps on buying things we don't need. FFS.

Not that I can talk (hello huge lip product stash!). FFS.

His latest thing is stylus pens. FFS.

He's bought me about ten of them so far. FFS.

He'll come home all enthusiastic and say "look what I got you babe!" FFS.

I'm not interested in the stupid things. FFS.

There are five of them in front of me right now. FFS.

In true addict style he enthusiastically tells me they're all different. FFS.

Apparently they grip differently on the screen and slide differently. FFS.

I can't growl at him cause I probably sound exactly the same when I'm telling him about the latest mauve lip gloss I've bought. FFS.

Takes one to know one eh. Hahaha.

Thursday 27 August 2015

New in from The Body Shop


On Monday The Body Shop launched a beautiful new Spa of the World range. I was lucky enough to receive some of the products to trial and have been using them daily since I picked them up. 

The first product I used was the Dead Sea Salt Scrub. It has a creamy base with large coarse crystals. If you're someone who likes gentle scrubs you'll probably love this, but for me, I don't rate it as an exfoliator at all. However, I still love it. I use it as a hydrating shower cream, it's as moisturising as the in shower moisturisers such as Nivea and it smells amazing. It leaves a subtle scent on my skin that I can notice all day. It's not strong enough that it competes with my perfume, but on those days that I'm not wearing perfume I get lovely wafts of fragrance all day.  


My favourite product is the Japanese Camellia Cream. It feels like silk. You can see from the photo above how smooth and silky it is. I feel like I'm rubbing clouds on my skin whenever I use it. Seriously, you have to try it. 


Polynesian Monoi Radiance Oil is my other favourite product. Again, it smells beautiful. I've been using this as a body and hair oil, it doesn't weigh down my hair and gives it a gorgeous scent. 

The Moroccan Rhassould Body Clay reminds me of a body clay that I had from Red Earth. Body clay's are really messy but lots of fun. They aren't overly practical, cause sitting around slathered in mud is very messy, but my skin feels so smooth and soft once I've washed it off.

Overall I'm in love with everything that I received and looking forward to trying the rest of the products in the range. I have my eye on the Hawaiian Kukui Cream.

Tuesday 25 August 2015

Top Three Tuesday - Australian Online stores

A few years ago I rarely shopped for cosmetics and skin care in Australia because of the ridiculous prices. Now, thanks to companies lowering their prices, I find that it's often cheaper to buy my products here. I'm all for supporting the local economy, so if I can buy something here I will. There are lots of stores that I love, but the three who get most of my business was an easy one. 

First up is the Natural Supply Co - They launched last year with a slew of amazing brands and they keep on adding to them! If I go broke, I'll be blaming NSC. All their products are natural, cruelty free and low-toxic. Perfect. With brands like Bite Beauty, Yard Skincare and Lavanila (to name a few) you're sure to find something you love.

Next up is Adore Beauty - I've been shopping with Adore for years. When I first started shopping with them they only carried a few brands, now they carry heaps! Their prices are often cheaper than buying in store, shipping is free and the package arrives with a Tim Tam. What more could you want?

Of course this list wouldn't be complete without mentioning Mecca Cosmetica - They have a great range of prestige brands with free shipping when you spend over $75. Orders arrive to me in country Western Australia in two days, that's pretty amazing. On the odd occasion they've arrived the next day!

What are your favourite Australian stores?

Monday 24 August 2015

What's in my make-up bag - Mummy edition

Four years in and I've got the Mummy make-up bag down pat. I carry around three items.

A foundation stick that doubles as a concealer, an eye pencil that works as eye shadow and brow pencil and a lip crayon that can be used as a blush. Simple, quick and it doesn't take up too much room in my handbag. 

Revlon Photo Ready Insta-Fix make-up is brilliant. It has great, light coverage that's layerable, non drying and it doesn't sink into fine lines which means it works well as a concealer. I'll often use this as a touch up in the middle of the day.  
The eye pencil I've been using is the ArtDeco Mineral Eye Styler 62. It's a mid toned taupe which makes it really versatile. It's dark enough for my brows, looks good when it's sheered out as an eye shadow and is a lovely eye liner.



I'm in love with the new Models Prefer Moisture Lust Lip Tints. I have the Shine version and the Matte version and they're both great. I have the Shine in Watermelon Refresh in my make-up bag, despite what you'd think from the name it's a medium mauve colour. On my lips it's a natural, mlbb shade and on my cheeks it gives a very natural flush.
The other product I always have in my make-up bag is a multi purpose salve. At the moment I'm using the Dr Lewinn's Multi Moisture Balm. I like multi purpose salves as they can be used for so many different purposes, the Dr Lewinn's one can even be used as a primer or moisturiser. I like to dab a bit under my eyes if my concealer is looking creased in the middle of the day, it gives a boost of hydration and the lines are less visible.

What products are in your make-up bag?

Friday 21 August 2015

FFS Friday - AWOL

You know how sometimes you have those weeks where you are present in body but your mind is awol? That's been me this week. FFS.

Sunday I was cleaning the house. FFS.

I filled up the water compartment of the steam mop, put it on the bench, plugged the mop in and waited for the steam. Nothing happened. FFS.

I pumped the handle a few times then started mopping without the steam which was a total waste of time. FFS.

After a few minutes I gave up, put the mop down and went to get a drink. It was then that I noticed the water container for the mop sitting on the bench. FFS.

Pretty hard to make steam without water. FFS.

A few days later we were at the shopping centre. I had some clothes to return in a plastic bag. We stopped to get a coffee, Tiger sat at a table with Eljay whilst I ordered the coffee. Whilst I was standing in line I realised that I couldn't find the plastic bag. FFS.

I searched around, checked the floor and couldn't see it. FFS.

I was pretty sure I hadn't given it to Tiger and for the life of me I couldn't remember what I'd done with the bag. FFS.

I spent a good few minutes racking my brain trying to remember what I'd done with the bag. FFS.

Then I noticed it hanging on my arm. FFS.

I kid you not. FFS.

Last week a friend told me that she has breast cancer and is having a double mastectomy in a few weeks. FFS.

At times like that I'd like to think that I can offer words of comfort. Nope. FFS.

All I could think to say to her was "Fuck. Fuck. Really? Fuck." FFS.

I followed that up with "Fuck. That's fucked. Fuck. That really sucks" FFS.

Then I managed "I'm here if you need anything at all, say the word and I'll do whatever you need." FFS.

Sofaking supportive. FFS.

Sofaking helpful. FFS.

Don't come to me in a crisis if you need anything helpful. FFS.

I'm not quite sure when my brain left the building, hopefully it manages to make it's way back to me sometime soon. Meanwhile, if you want inappropriate words or to feel better about yourself, let me know and I'll share some of my thoughts.

If you happen to find my brain wandering around, please send it back to me.

Wednesday 19 August 2015

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush lip gloss

It's a very cruel irony that a Victoria's Secret store opened at the Perth airport a few months after we left Perth. I used to drop Tiger off at the airport every month when we lived in the city, now that we are in the country I don't drop him off so have never got to visit the store. Life is cruel. Luckily for me Tiger regularly comes home with a little pink bag full of pretties for me. On his latest return he bought home something I've been wanting for ages, Beauty Rush glosses! He'd tried to buy these in the past but they didn't have them, so when he saw them the last time he was passing through he grabbed them. I'm obsessed with them, I haven't worn any other glosses since I got these.

Look how pretty they are! There are six glosses in the kit; Guava-Voom, Indulgence, Citrus Kissed, Love Berry, Candied and So Jelly. They all apply clear, even the shimmery ones. At a guess I'd say that they might give a slight wash of colour to pale lips, but for those of us with pigmented lips they all look clear. 

I'd happily only use Beauty Rush glosses for the rest of my life, they're perfection. They taste great, are as hydrating as a lip balm, last a few hours before I need to reapply and they aren't sticky. Perfect.
Ingredients:
Have you tried Beauty Rush lip glosses? What flavour should I get next?

Tuesday 18 August 2015

Top Three Tuesday - Mauve lip glosses

Mauve is my favorite lip colour, the one I'd choose if I could only wear one colour on my lips for the rest of my life. For me mauve is a mlbb shade, the perfect shade that looks like my natural lip colour with a bit of extra oomph.
Left to right: NYX Butter Gloss Angel Food Cake, Burt's Bees Lip Gloss Nearly Dusk, Lancome Gloss in Love 351
I'm constantly buying mauve lip glosses, they're one of those products that I buy over and over again, even though I already have more than I could use in this lifetime. As you can imagine, choosing my top three was extremely difficult. After much debate I present to you my top three favourite mauve lip glosses.

NYX Butter Gloss Angel Food Cake -The Butter Glosses get a whole lot of hype, some of which I think isn't justified. They are a nice formula but in my opinion they're just a gloss, nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe I expect too much, when a product gets a lot of hype I expect amazing things. Having said that, I do like the butter glosses, they smell great, have no flavour, feel hydrating and last well. I find the darker shades bleed a lot so I avoid them. Despite all that, the Angel Food Cake gloss is a beautiful, glossy mauve that looks like a slightly darker version of my natural lip shade. It made my top three list because of the beautiful colour, it really is the perfect mauve.

Left to right: NYX Butter Gloss Angel Food Cake, Burt's Bees Lip Gloss Nearly Dusk, Lancome Gloss in Love 351
Left to right: NYX Butter Gloss Angel Food Cake, Burt's Bees Lip Gloss Nearly Dusk, Lancome Gloss in Love 351

Burt's Bees Lip Gloss Nearly Dusk* -This is the lightest of my three favourites, it's shiny and sheer. I wear this when I want simple, no fussy make-up. Due to the sheerness I can reapply it without a mirror and it feels more like I'm wearing a lip balm than a gloss. Even better, it's all natural so I don't have to worry about the kids getting their hands on it. Whenever they see me putting on lip balm or lip gloss they want some too, this is one that I don't mind sharing with them.

Lancome Gloss in Love 351 - Ah my pretty! Gloss in Love is the gloss I wear when I want to feel grown up and sophisticated (whilst in my mummy uniform of jeans, t-shirt and sneakers!) It's like a hybrid of the NYX and Burt's Bees glosses. It gives opaque, hydrating and long wearing colour. Perfection.
Left to right: NYX Butter Gloss Angel Food Cake, Burt's Bees Lip Gloss Nearly Dusk, Lancome Gloss in Love 351
What are your favourite mauve lip glosses?

*Note:The Burt's Bees gloss was provided for review.

Monday 17 August 2015

Covergirl Colorlicious Lipsticks

Covergirl have a new range of lipsticks out so of course I had to buy some. It was the gorgeous packaging and 50% off at Woolworths that sold me. This was a sneaky release, I haven't seen any advertising, the first I knew was when I saw them in the Woolworths catalogue. 
The shades I purchased are Honeyed Bloom, Tantalize and Delight Blush.
Out of the three Delight Blush is my least favourite, it has shimmer and quite a gritty feel to it. I may have got a dud though because Christina has the same shade and hers is not gritty.
Honeyed Bloom and Tantalise are beautiful, they're creamy and feel hydrating. All three shades last well on my lips. Honeyed Bloom wears off the fastest as it's the lightest shade. Tantalise and Delight Blush leave a stain of colour that lasts all day.
They all have a very subtle vanilla scent that fades immediately upon application and no flavour (mores the pity).
Overall I'm very happy with the Colorlicious lipsticks. If you see them on special grab one (or three)! They're a gorgeous formula with a great range of colours.

Friday 14 August 2015

FFS Friday

I"m late, I'm late, for a very important FFS Friday date. But at least I managed to get my post finished on Friday. Go me. 

Our poor Bella (dog) is sick again. FFS.

She's got that awful skin condition again. FFS.

The one that the vet assured us he'd never seen a dog need more than one treatment for. FFS.

It's so bad this time that she also got a secondary infection. FFS.

I have no idea what a secondary infection is. FFS.

And she's got an ear infection too. FFS.

The poor little thing is so miserable. FFS.

She's on antibiotics, ear drops and she has to be bathed in special (very stinky) wash. FFS.

Poor girl. FFS.

Despite this she's still so sweet natured and gentle. Not FFS.

She went downhill really fast, in two days she went from fine to really, really sick. FFS.

She was barely eating and looking really skinny too. FFS.

Thankfully after a few days of antibiotics she is starting to look better and getting her appetite back. Not FFS.

Eljay has decided he's scared of monsters. FFS.

I have no idea why. FFS.

Every night when it gets dark he tells me "Mummy? Sked" to which I reply, "what are you scared of baby" and he says "Mo-ster". FFS.

I tell him that monsters are pretend and that there are no monsters. He's still scared. FFS.

We inspect all the places he thinks monsters might be and I show him there are no monsters. He still doesn't believe me. FFS.

I think Chai might have told him there are monsters in the dark. FFS.

I had something funny to tell you but I don't remember what it is, so instead I'll leave you with a quote:


Always remember that you are absolutely unique, just like everyone else. Margaret Mead.

Wednesday 12 August 2015

Garnier Miracle Skin Cream

When this much hyped dupe for the Origins VitaZing moisturiser was released here I was excited (and bought it straight away). I loved VitaZing but found it a little bit too dark for me, so I was hoping that Miracle Skin Cream would be a better match. Thankfully it is.

Garnier make big claims about Miracle Skin Cream. It's touted as an anti-ageing cream with instant and long term results.

The claims: A breakthrough formula with 12 patents that combines self-adjusting technology with anti-ageing benefits for an instant & long-lasting transformation. 
Instantly, its self-adjusting formula is enriched with micro-pigments that provide natural coverage by adjusting to match your skin tone. Skin is immediately flawless, radiant and appears visibly younger.
Enriched with 7 anti-ageing actives (LHA, Pro-Retinol, Vitamin C, Vitamin B3, firming peptides, anti-oxidant ginger) + SPF 15 protection, fights against the signs of ageing for lasting results.
In 28 days, wrinkles and imperfections are reduced, complexion is more even and skin is firmer.

I've been using my Miracle Skin Cream for about six week now and I'm yet to notice any change in my wrinkles, imperfections, complexion or skin firmness, so I don't agree with them on that point. 
As for their claim that my skin will be visibly younger, I disagree with that too, however you can look at the photos and judge for yourself.  

Naked face
A very subtle difference but a difference none the less. You can see that my skin looks more radiant and even toned.

In my opinion this is a lovely product. I'll often use it in place of a tinted moisturiser with a light dusting of powder over the top. It also works well used under tinted moisturiser or foundation, it gives my skin an added glow.

Miracle Skin Cream is a light cream that absorbs quickly. I use it over moisturiser as it isn't hydrating enough for my parched winter skin. For those of you with oily skin it'd probably be fine to use in place of moisturiser. 

The bottom line - I like Miracle Skin Cream better than VitaZings, purely because the colour matches better to my pale skin.

Monday 10 August 2015

Quick Mummy makeup

I've seen a few videos and posts in the mummy world lately about how to get made up quickly and they really make me laugh. They call a ten minute make-up routine fast. Hah. I took ten minutes to do my make-up when I was childless, that's not fast! Clearly these articles were written by someone who either doesn't have children or who has children that will sit still for more than two minutes (unlike mine who never sit still).

This is my version of how to get made up quickly, aka, how to put on just enough make-up so as not to scare young children when you haven't slept for more than three hours in a row for the last four years.

Here's my naked face. I'd had a bit of sleep so wasn't looking too bad and my Skinstitut skincare is working miracles, however I still need make-up. 

My routine is very simple and takes around three minutes, or seven minutes if you include the time it took me to run into the kitchen (to stop Chai climbing up the pantry in search of lollies), referee two fights (over a car, they have at least 50 cars but always want the same one) and comfort Eljay after Chai hit him (again, because of the car). 

I thoroughly rub in a tinted moisturiser or BB, put concealer on my dark circles (don't rub it in yet, leave it to settle), apply brow pencil, line my top lashline, put on mascara, swipe on some blush add a chubby lip crayon, pat in concealer and I'm done.

Voila.


Products used: Hourglass Ambient Lighting blush in Ethereal Glow, Garnier Miracle Skin Cream, Benefit Fake Up, Models Prefer Matte Moisture Lust Lip Tint in Pink Lemonade, Innoxa Liquid Eyeliner Pen in Navy, Shu Uemura Hard Brow Pencil in Acorn and Napoleon Classic Glam Mascara.
This photo is on another day when I had even less time (thanks to two fighting children and then Eljay hanging off my leg). All I put on was the Garnier Miracle Skin Cream, brow pencil, mascara and lip balm. That took me about two minutes. 

I'm really loving the Garnier Miracle Skin Cream and Models Prefer Matte Moisture Lust Lip Tint so expect a post about them soon.

Friday 7 August 2015

FFS Friday - Wisdom?

Well this is awkward. It's FFS Friday and I have nothing.

Well I do have things but they are the usual kid related things and I'm sure we are all sick of hearing about them.

Other than that, I have nothing. Hmmm.

Instead of my usual whinge, I'll attempt to impart some of my wisdom (hah!)

Yesterday I went to meet up with some friends. We were talking and the topic of weight came up. Strangely, I have never been around women who worry about their weight. I've only had one friend who was concerned about her weight. Other people tell me their friends are constantly complaining/discussing their weight and their body which I find really sad. 

One thing I've learned over the years is that there are much more important things to worry about. So what if you are carrying a few extra kilos? Does it really matter? If you are healthy and happy, weight is irrelevant. When you are 70 and thinking about your life, what are you going to regret? Are you going to be glad you spent all that time worrying about your weight? Or are you going to wish that you enjoyed your life and didn't care about a few kilos?

So eat that cake, drink the wine and enjoy life. 

Tuesday 4 August 2015

Top Three Tuesday - Hydrating Lip Glosses

I've always been a gloss girl, if I had a choice of lip gloss or lipstick it was always lip gloss. At work I'd always have a tube of lip gloss on my desk and I'd reapply it constantly throughout the day. Since I stopped working I've become more of a long lasting lipstick and lip balm person. I really, really miss my glosses but I find they aren't as practical because I just don't get to reapply them during the day. Also, since we moved south my lips have become a lot dryer so I need something hydrating. That's where these beauties come in, hydrating lip glosses. Once again, narrowing down my favourites to only three was difficult but I managed and here you have my top three favourite hydrating lip glosses.

Jane Iredale PureGloss lip gloss - This has been my go to winter lip gloss. It packs a great punch of colour with the hydrating feel of a lip balm. An added bonus is that the tube is flat so it fits easily in my back pocket (very handy when you're running around after kids all day). At the moment I only have the one shade (Cosmo), something I need to remedy.

CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint - It's horrible when you fall in love with a product that isn't available in your country. My love affair with Mentha Lip Tints started years ago when I received two in a swap. I carefully hoarded them until I managed to get my hands on a few more. Every time I get some they are used sparingly as I don't know when I'll be able to restock. Luckily for me my brother went to the US last year and bought back five, so I'm set for a while. But I digress. 
These are awesome! They smell like mint, they're really moisturising and super shiny. The tint is fairly sheer, on my pigmented lips it's not very noticeable, but I don't mind that because it means I can reapply without using a mirror. If you happen to be going through Sydney airport towards the end of the year, pop into the Bath and Bodyworks store and pick up a few Mentha Lip Tints.

Lancome Lip Lover - Lancome claim that this provides the comfort of a balm, the colour of a lipstick and the shine of a gloss and they are right. It has a great, intense colour and it feels quite hydrating. Out of the three glosses I've mentioned, Lip Lover is the least hydrating, however it still feels like a balm, just a light one. The packaging is lovely, you press the button on the front to release the lid which means it'd be handbag safe (it's also baby proof as they can't wrangle the lid off). 

What are your favourite hydrating glosses?

Monday 3 August 2015

July Empties

Chi Chi Marshmallow shower gel - If you are fan of Mor Marshmallow you need to try this, it smells lovely.

Rexona Sport deodorant - My old fall back deodorant that I go to when my pitts are irritated and angry.

Dr LeWinn's 4 Fusion cleansing oil - I quite liked this. The bottle lasted forever, it easily removed my makeup and didn't leave my skin feeling oily.

Mor Blackcurrant and Iris hand wash - Love, love, love this scent. I wonder if they make it as a perfume. If they do, I need it.

Garnier Body Tonic body scrub - I've used this before, it's pretty good but I prefer the Beauty Oil scrub because it smells nicer.

Ponds Flawless White BB - Oh I loved this! It was love from first application. I'll definitely repurchase once I've got through my other BB's.

Korres Wild Rose day cream - Surprisingly this didn't smell very rosey. It was nice though.

Rodial Superfood Stem Cell serum - This is the stickiest serum I've ever used. It was really, really sticky. I wouldn't buy it again purely for that reason.

YSL Manifesto perfume - Love!

Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super revitalising cream - This smelled like the sort of cream a rich old lady would use. It's very heavy and hydrating, which I quite liked.

Ren Micro Polish cleanser - I don't remember if I liked this or not so clearly it was unremarkable.

Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel - Another one I have no opinion on. It was a single use sachet. My only impression is that they have a very strong chemical smell.

Yet another pile of tosses. I've started going through my lip balms and tossing the expired ones. Next up is lip glosses, that's going to be a huge job!
I tried to do my glosses last week but it was a huge fail. I pulled them all out, admired them and then put them away again. 

Sunday 2 August 2015

Dear Eljay

My precious boy. Today you are two years old! Two! And what a little character you are. You are such a delight, you are curious about everything and love to communicate. Last month you decided you'd start talking, you are saying so many different words and putting together two and three word sentences. Your first two word sentence was "miss Daddy". You do miss your Daddy but you handle him being away fairly well, it's all you've known so it's normal to you. 

You have a very strong personality and everyone knows when you are not happy about something. I can see you are going to be a fiesty one, you don't hesitate to stick up for yourself. You are determined to do things yourself, you are constantly saying "Do" or "Do it" and then once you've accomplished your task you'll happily announce "Did" or "Did it".

Chai and you are developing a beautiful relationship. You love playing together and I'll often find you both sitting in the toy room playing cars or dinosaurs.

Your favourite book is Cheeky Monkey and your favourite toys are balls, you love balls, we have them all over the house. You'll fall asleep with a ball clutched in your hand and it's still there when you wake up. Jumping is another thing you love to do. After much determined effort you started jumping when you were 19 months and you haven't looked back. You love when we go to your aunty's house and you get to jump on the trampoline.

You don't yet sleep through the night and you're still breastfeeding, you aren't showing any signs of giving up the boob soon. As far as you are concerned a feed is the cure for anything that ails you. 

My beautiful son, you are my greatest joy, the sunshine in my day and the reason I get out of bed every day (and several times every night). I'm so glad you chose me to be your mum.