Wednesday 28 February 2018

Same same but different

Designer Brands Pink Sugar Lavish Lip Oil, Lancome Piece of Cake Juicy Shaker

When Lancome released their Juicy Shakers they were a totally new concept. A lip oil in a cocktail shaker bottle, such a cute, unique idea. Unsurprisingly it wasn't long until they were copied. Whilst the packaging of Juicy Shakers and Lavish Lip Oil are the same, the product inside is totally different.

The difference is in the texture. Piece of Cake separates in the bottle and feels very light/oily on my lips. It absorbs quickly and is all gone after about fifteen minutes. Designer Brands is thicker and more hydrating, it feels balm like and stays on my lips for around an hour.


Colour wise they are very similar. They look different in the bottle and swatched but on the lips they are indistinguishable. The Juicy Shaker is glossier, that's the only noticeable difference. 


The bottles are nearly identical, with Designer Brands being slightly bigger. The applicators are identical. 


As you can see in the swatches, the shades are slightly different, but not enough to be very noticeable. On my lips they're identical. I'm wearing Lancome on my top lip and Designer Brands on my bottom lip.

Top lip Lancome Piece of Cake Juicy Shaker. Bottom lip Designer Brands Pink Sugar Lavish Lip Oil.
Lancome Juicy Shakers cost $36 and Designer Brands Lavish Lip Oils cost $11.99.

Have you tried Juicy Shakers or Lavish Lip Oil? Which is your favourite?

Monday 26 February 2018

Inika Lip Serum

I love face serums, they've made such a huge difference to my skin and are an essential part of my skin care routine. You can imagine my delight when I discovered that Inika have a lip serum! I ran out and bought it, then was lucky enough to be sent one as well!


Inika says:  INIKA Certified Organic Lip Serum provides the ultimate nutrient-rich lip care and deep hydration for beautiful and nourished lips. Nutrient packed Certified Organic Sea Buckthorn enriches this healing formula with a rejuvenating mix of essential fatty acids and antioxidants. Made with 91% Certified Organic Ingredients, hydrating Certified Organic Jojoba, Sunflower, and Rosehip Oils work together to condition the lips and form a protective barrier for long-lasting natural softness.
Vitamin C from Certified Organic Mandarin Orange Extract and Orange Essential Oil with powerful antioxidants from Vitamin E helps to detoxify and hydrate the skin. With no added colour, this lip serum provides shine and seals in moisture when applied on top of your favourite organic lip colours, as well as when used alone on top of natural lips. Use as a remedy for sore, chapped lips, morning and night, or to create a 'gloss effect' over organic lip pencil or lipstick.

Usually I read claims about a product and largely ignore them because they're inaccurate, but in this case Inika are correct. The lip serum is beautiful. It's soothing, hydrating and a delight to use. I like to use it as a primer in the morning, as a gloss during the day and as a treatment at night time. On days when my lips are really dry I'll use it under lip balm for an extra hit of hydration. 

I find clear lip products so convenient now that I'm a stay at home Mum. Gone are the days where I'm fully made up all the time, now I'm all about natural looking makeup that's quick and easy to apply. Instead of wearing lip gloss or lipstick, I usually wear lip balm, so the Inika Lip Serum is ideal, it looks like a gloss whilst providing hydration. 

If you like matte lipsticks but don't like the dry feeling of them, Inika Lip Serum will be your best friend, it works really well over the top of lipstick and lip stains. 

Inika Lip Serum costs $39 and can be purchased from their website, health food stores and numerous online stores. My favourite place to purchase Inika is Natural Supply Co

Ingredients: castor seed oil, shea butter, candelilla wax, jojoba seed oil, orange essential oil, sunflower seed oil, seabuckthron fruit oil, rosehip seed oil, hemp seed extract, honeysuckle flower extract, goji fruit extract, acerola fruit extract, green tea leaf extract, sea kelp extract, mandarin orange fruit extract, rooibos extract, willow bark extract, vitamin E.

Note: I'm not sure what to say for the disclosure regarding this. I purchased one and was also sent one to review. 

Sunday 25 February 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. Summer is drawing to a close. The mornings are already getting cooler and I'm dreaming of boots and warm fires. We've had a very mild summer, it's been quite pleasant.

2. Finally our garden is starting to come together. We've added some more plants and it's lovely to look out the window and see the beautiful greenery.

3. I just can't fathom why the USA refuses to implement gun reform. They have so many mass shootings, it's heartbreaking. Now they're talking about arming teachers. Surely I'm not the only one who thinks that's ludicrous?

4. Tiger is taking Eljay to kindy this week. I'm really hoping that he likes it. Unlike his brother, I think Eljay will thrive in mainstream schooling if we can get him comfortable there.

5. I bought the new Lipstick Queen Girls Will Be Boys lip balm. It's very unique but I like it. Full review coming soon.

Friday 23 February 2018

FFS Friday - Random

I don't have a whole lot to whinge about today, so instead I'm bringing you an assortment of random stuff.

Crap the school wants me to believe:
I can't teach the boys myself.
School is essential.
It's normal for kids to cry for hours at school.
Children have to go to school.
Kids should be happy to learn about things they aren't interested in. 
Allowing children to be comfortable is a reward and not a requirement.
Giving kids the tools they need to calm themselves down is a reward.
Children must follow class rules even if they are incapable of doing so.

Things I never thought I'd say as a parent:
Please get your nose off my boob.
Are you sniffing my boob?
Please stop sniffing my boob.
Don't sniff my boob!
GET YOUR NOSE OFF MY BOOB!
STOP SMELLING MY BOOB!!!!!

Why is there popcorn all over the dog?
We do not put fly spray on the dog!

Please stop licking me.
Do not put your penis into the watering can.
I'm not sure if gorillas have penises, the boy ones probably do.
Don't sniff my phone. 
Please stop sniffing me baby.
Get your tongue off my leg!

Eljay likes to ask questions that have no answer. Such as:
E: Mum, what's that?
M: It's a tree.
E: Why is it a tree Mum?
M: Because that's what it is
E: Why is it called a tree?
M: Because that's what someone decided to call it.
E: But why?
M: I have no idea darling. 
E: Why Mum?
M: FFS.

Have a wonderful weekend beautiful people. 

Wednesday 21 February 2018

Bargain Alert! OXX Brush Drying Rack


If you need a brush drying rack and live in Australia, get yourself down to Kmart pronto.

They're selling the OXX Brush Drying Rack for the bargain price of $8 and it's brilliant! 


 It is easy to put together and holds 26 brushes. Run, don't walk!

Sunday 18 February 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. Tiger totally surprised me with flowers for Valentine's Day. When the florist delivered the flowers I told him he had the wrong address, haha. 

2. I've decided I'm an alien. It totally explains why I'm having so much trouble understanding all the crap the school is trying to feed me.

3. Last weekend Mum and SD (Step Dad) bought me some gorgeous plants for our garden. They're ones that can be either ground cover or creepers and they're so pretty. 

4. On Thursday Avon announced that they are withdrawing from Australia and New Zealand. Wow. They say it's about pursuing more profitable markets to ensure the long term survival of the company. Interesting. I haven't bought Avon products for years cause I think it's crap the way they treat their consultants, however I feel for those people who've been involved with the company for years and now find themselves without an income.

5.The Lancome Jelly Flower Lip Tint is calling my name.

Friday 16 February 2018

FFS Friday - Bum

My regular readers will know about my germ phobia. Specifically my bum germ phobia. 

Last week I was doing my make-up whilst Chai was doing a poo. I usually stay out of the bathroom when they're on the loo, but it was a school morning and I had to get ready.

After he'd finished his poo and wiped his bum, he used the hand towel to wipe his bum again.

WTF!!!!!!

How long has he been doing this?????

Bum germs!!!!!!

I don't use the hand towel on my face, but I do dry my hands with it and then touch my face. 

The horror!

All this time I've been polluting my face with bum germs!

So disgusting. 

Now back to my usual school rant. There are so many things that bother me about our schooling system. Here's the latest.

When I had the meeting with Chai's teacher and the deputy a few things they said really pissed me off. 

Their favourite word seems to be resilience. Must be the latest buzzword. They are of the opinion that having a nasty teacher is how kids learn resilience. What a load of bullshit. You don't learn resilience from being yelled at! So stupid.

Every time I say that Chai has issues with a certain teacher they tell me he needs to learn resilience. Fucking bullshit.

The other thing that pissed me off is this: We were talking about how Chai learns. The deputy was trying to tell me that I can't teach him at home because he's a reluctant learner. I told her that he's quite willing to learn at home because we learn in fun ways. She made a huge point of telling me that he only likes to learn things he's interested in.

Why is that a point? Do adults like learning about things they aren't interested in? No. So why should kids like learning about things they aren't interested in? Seems pretty basic to me. 

I pointed out that I could quite easily cover almost all of the required subjects using his latest interests (sloths and silverback gorillas). Isn't it better to teach kids about things they're interested in and have them enjoy learning?

I feel like I'm from another planet because I just don't understand their logic. It makes no sense to me and yet they tell me these things with a straight face as if they are fact. Most people agree with the school, so it must be my thinking that is strange. 

I've tried to see things their way but I can't. Why is adversity, mistreatment and force an acceptable way to treat our kids? Why is it okay to treat them in ways that would never be okay for an adult? Are kids not more important and more precious than adults? In my mind they are but others don't seem to think so.

Have we not realised that the world is so fucked up because of how we treat our kids? Why isn't this obvious to other people?

Why do people blindly follow along, watching their kids struggling but doing nothing about it?

I'm so confused.

Wednesday 14 February 2018

2018 Project Pan Update One

Now that we're well into 2018 it's time for an update on my project pan. I'm doing well with my purchases, I bought a few things at the Priceline 40% off skin care sale (mostly sunscreen) and have picked up a few makeup items here and there. I'm very tempted by the new L'oreal Infallible Pro Glow foundation but have managed to resist so far. 
Every time I'm tempted to buy it I remind myself that I have a huge pile of foundations, it's not natural and the reviews aren't great. 

To my delight I've managed to finish six make-up products! 


I really miss the Lip Lip balm and Physician's Formula eye liner. I have more of the Lip Lip balms but they aren't tinted. I have other shades of the Essence eye liner so I'll dig them out. I'd really love to buy another one of the Physician's Formula liners but I won't do that until I've used up most of my current stash.


These are the products I'm currently working on. With the exception of the lip liner, I use these products every day, so I'm getting through them at a decent pace. The brow pencil and foundation are nearly finished and the lip primer is at least half done. I'm hoping to hit pan on the blush and powder by the end of March. 

I've been wondering if I should count clear lip balms as make-up items. I've always considered them to be skin care, however I use them in place of lipstick, I use glossy balms so they're like wearing lip gloss. Thoughts? Should I count them or not?

Sunday 11 February 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. Tiger is back at work and for the first time in nearly seven years I've had several hours alone. It was so strange. I went out and got all my stuff done so quickly, what would take me three hours with the kids in tow took me an hour. The house was quiet and I felt very calm, it was the strangest feeling. I suppose I'll get used to it soon. I'm slowly starting to remember how I used to feel before I had kids.

2. That is if they continue to go to school. Eljay isn't coping at all, I have no idea what I'm going to do about that. Buying a bush block and being a hippy is sounding like a great solution.

3. This week I swapped my FitBit Alta for a Samsung Gear Sport. So far it's love.

4. A lot of my friends are going through really tough times at the moment. I wish I had a million dollars so that I could help them/fly around the country to give them a hug/be there to support them.

5. It's taken years, but I have finally cleared our junk room. It's no longer a junk room. Go me. I'm still decluttering, but everything is now in it's place and I know where to find things. I was planning on going through the whole house whilst the boys were at school, but that won't happen if they don't go to school.

Friday 9 February 2018

FFS Friday - Water soluble

A few weeks ago I spoke about lying to my kids. Well I've done it again. 

By some accident I managed to convince the boys that I have surveillance cameras all through the house that can see everything they do, even when they're under the bed. Heh.

Both my boys are at school now. Just like that the baby stage is over. Fuck it was tough. So very tough. 

I'm okay that it's over, but sad at the same time. I can totally understand why people have more babies when their youngest goes to school.  

I'm not okay with them both being away from me. I'd be okay with it if I thought they were happy but I'm not sure they are. 


Eljay doesn't like school at all, he cried at school on Monday, Tuesday he sobbed for an hour and Wednesday I kept him home. My poor baby. Every time I talk to him about kindy he starts crying.

Chai doesn't want to be there, he asks every day to stay home. I'm hoping that after a few weeks he'll settle in and enjoy school. His teacher is brilliant and he likes her, so hopefully he'll start to enjoy school. If he doesn't then I'll withdraw him. Simple as that. 


Remember the pool saga from a year ago? It's back on again. I'm not joking. Wish I was. 

When they did the job originally they didn't do it properly. There were run marks, part of the coating was flaking away and it was a mess.

Tiger got in touch with the company who did it to find out that they no longer deal with our local pool shop. Great.

They agreed to come down and fix it, even though the issues were due to the preparation not being done correctly, which was the responsibility of the local pool shop. 

They were supposed to come down last September. They were here last week, five months later.

Re-coating the pool means that it has to be drained of water. That's $200 down the drain. Because of the chemicals and salt we can't use the water on the garden, so it literally went down the drain. 

Once the pool was drained the guy looked at it and realised that it was a really bad job so the whole pool would need to be redone. 

Amazingly he got it done in a day.

The next day we realised that the pool walls had moved inwards. When they originally did the job they didn't prop the pool properly, so the pool walls moved inwards. Not a good thing. Not a good thing at all. If they move too far inwards the pool will break and need to be totally replaced.

Thankfully the walls hadn't moved much so it was not an issue. The pool guy told us that after a few days the walls would move back out again, which they did. Winning.

Everything was looking great until a few days later when we noticed a white residue leaking from the light. Tiger contacted the company who told him that he could fix it easily. Or not. 

He called our pool guy (not the pool shop, a different pool guy) who said that Tiger couldn't fix it himself. Turns out that when it was put back in the guy used water soluble silicone instead of the waterproof silicone. 

The good news is that the company are going to pay our local guy it fix it for us. Winning again. Our pool guy will fix it in a few weeks once the water soluble stuff has all dissolved. He also told us that it's the best pool refurb he's ever seen. Double winning.

So all is well with the pool.  

Wednesday 7 February 2018

January Empties

Well would you look at me. I'm starting 2018 with not one but four empty make-up products! Go me! I've been using the same products every day so it's not really any surprise that I have make-up empties, but it's still a wonderful feeling to finish make-up.

I did quite well with my empties this month, finished my cleanser plus a conditioner and four sunscreens. 



Look at all those beautiful empties.

My Eco Tools and Napoleon brushes died. Oh well.

We go through so many sunscreens. I've been using the Natio sunscreen on my face, the others I use on my body. 

Ombra Sensitive 50+ Sunscreen
This is a super cheap option for sensitive skin. It costs around $2.50 and is water resistant for four hours. 

Natio SPF 50+
All of use use this on our face, it doesn't irritate, isn't greasy and absorbs quickly. It works well under make-up and doesn't sting if it gets into my eyes.  

Little Innoscents Sun Lotion
The boys love the Little Innoscents sun lotion, I find it too thick and hard to blend in. It leaves a film on the skin which doesn't absorb, which is ideal for when they're swimming so that's what we've used it for. Eljay likes it because it doesn't sting his sensitive skin.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face
I used to use this on my face but lately it's been irritating me so I used it on my chest, neck and arms. I think this range has been discontinued as I can't find it in store anymore. 


Palmers Facial Cleansing Oil
I really liked this oil and have already repurchased. It smells nice, removes all my makeup and doesn't leave a greasy film. 

Trilogy Cream Cleanser
In the past this was my holy grail cleanser, however I've now broken up with it so this will be the last bottle I purchase. You can read why I broke up with it here

Alba Botanicals Hawaiian Conditioner
I won this from Beauty Heaven. It did the trick. I've never seen it in store, so won't repurchase, if I did see it I'd happily repurchase. 

Natralus Paw Paw
Our holy grail paw paw. I've always got several tubes around the house. Chai uses it as a lip balm, we use it on cuts and scrapes and I use it on my cuticles. It's a great, multi-purpose staple. 

Face of Australia Nailpolish Remover
Does the trick. 


Skin Republic Hydrogel Under Eye Patch
Ive been using these twice a week. I'm yet to see any long term results, but they do make the area look smoother after I've used them. I'll continue to use them for a few months to see if there's any improvements. 

Innoxa Hydrogel Under Eye Mask
Noice. I find these very similar to the Skin Republic masks.

Oribe Gold Lust Shampoo and Conditioner
My hair felt so, so soft after I washed with these samples. 

24k Goddess Perfecting Eye Masks
These stung so badly I had to take them off.


4 makeup empties! I'm so pleased with myself. 


Lip Lip Raspberry Lip Balm
I love these balms. If I didn't have a whole pile of balms to use I'd repurchase. They're so good. The boys love them too. This one was tinted, the clear ones are just as good. If you haven't tried Lip Lip yet, give them a go, you won't regret it.


Physicians Formula Eye Liner
I'd happily only use this for the rest of my life. It has a fine, brush tip, doesn't fade or flake and lasts all day. This was the brown shade which unfortunately isn't available in Australia. 

Covergirl Lashblast Volume Mascara
I've lost count of how many tubes I've gone through. This is a great mascara, I'd buy it  again if I wasn't making the switch to natural products.


Too Faced Shadow Insurance.
The only eye primer I use. I've tried others but none compare to Shadow Insurance. I'm already onto my next tube.


Sunday 4 February 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. Sophie and Stu split up. Couldn't see that one coming. She should have chosen Jarrod or James.

2. My babies are back at school and I'm not okay with it at all. I want them home with me.

3. Who else is watching Married at First sight? It's the first time I've watched it. Some of the couples are so cute.

4. How amazing was the super blood moon! We could see it from the lounge suite, it was such a beautiful sight.

5. Have a beautiful Sunday.

Friday 2 February 2018

FFS Friday - Serious

I've mentioned before that Tiger has a flair for the dramatic. He's a drama queen.

Last swing, the day before he was due to come home he video called me. 

He looked very, very serious and said hello in a low, dramatic tone of voice. I took one look at his face, dispensed with the niceties and asked what was wrong. 

In a very solemn voice he said "I've got some bad news, go somewhere private."
I was already walking to another room and as I was heading there my mind was swimming with thoughts. From how serious he looked my first assumption was that FIL was either dead or on deaths door. It was either that or his aunty had died, such was the look on his face.

I've also mentioned before that Tiger loves a good, long winded story. Never one to cut a long story short, he can always be relied upon to tell a story the longest possible way.   

So, he starts on this story about a new policy at work and the guys who had already gone through the process. It went on and on and on until he eventually got to the point (a good three minutes later) which was that he wouldn't be flying home the next day, he'd be delayed for an indefinite period of time. 

My exact words were "Oh is that all, I thought someone must have died." 

BIL is the same. Must have been the month for it because a few weeks ago he sent me a message saying that I needed to talk to Tiger because something important had come up. 

Once again I immediately thought there was something wrong with FIL. 
BIL then kindly told me that it was all good, so helpful.

As Tiger was at work, I couldn't get in touch with him for a few hours. When I did it was to be told that.....wait for it.....BIL had found a faith healer who he thought could fix Chai.

I kid you not.  

No wonder he wanted Tiger to tell me instead of telling me himself. 

There's no way in hell I'm taking my baby to a faith healer. No way in hell. No sham faith healer is going to get their hands anywhere near either of my boys.