Friday 29 June 2018

FFS Friday - It's Friday!

I was talking to a friend last week about times when we've let men treat us in ways that we didn't want them to. We were both surprised how often it'd happened. After wondering why we'd allowed them to treat us that way, we both realised that we've never been taught about the rights we have over our body.

Why do women feel that they owe a man their body after he buys them a few drinks or a meal? Why do men feel that they have the right to our body and that a womans body can be bought with a few drinks or a meal?

Why are women seen to be on offer or for sale? That's what it equates to doesn't it? You buy a woman dinner and she owes you sex. No no no. Nothing gives you the right to another persons body.

So often the worth of a woman is seen to be in her looks. That's so wrong and so unfair. Last week I was watching the news and there was a large male reporter. 
Name the the last time you saw a large female reporter? I can't think of one. There are plenty of average looking men on tv every day. How often do you see an average looking woman on tv? Why do we put up with this?  

I tell my boys that they don't have the right to touch someone else without permission and I don't allow anyone to touch them without permission. I don't make them kiss or hug anyone they don't want to, including me. Eljay hates kisses, he rarely lets me kiss him. If I want to kiss him I ask permission, if he says no then I don't kiss him.
Chai loves affection, but I still don't force it on him. If he doesn't want to be touched that's okay. If we're playing games, tickling etc, as soon as they stop we stop. 

Learning to respect other people's bodies and boundaries starts with being shown that respect at home.

Parenting is such a scary thing. Being responsible for how someone turns out is such a huge deal.I try not to think about it too often, I'd send myself crazy if I did. 

In other news, poor Chai has four teeth coming through at once, two of them being molars. Life is cruel sometimes. Despite this he's been in good spirits and says that his mouth isn't sore so that's good.

Happy Friday lovelies, I hope you all have a beautiful weekend.

Wednesday 27 June 2018

Winter hair care saviours

As much as I love winter, I really don't like what it does to my skin and hair. I've already shared the skin care products that I rely on to save my sad winter skin, today I'll be telling you about the latest additions to my winter hair care routine.  


I was sent the Aveda Damage Remedy Shampoo, Conditioner and Daily Hair Repair to trial. First impression, they smell amazing! Scent is really important to me, if something doesn't smell nice then I won't use it. The scent is a gorgeous blend of certified organic bergamot, mandarin and ylang ylang essential oils.

Damage Remedy is a plant powered hair care system that repairs hair from the effects of the four leading types of damage: chemical, heat, environmental and physical.
Damage Remedy contains quinoa, a complete protein packed full of essential amino acids, which helps to fill in damaged cuticles for instant repair.  

Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo gently washes away the pollutants that can damage hair whilst also helping to repair and strengthen. It's a very gentle, non irritating shampoo, it didn't strip my hair colour and leaves my hair feeling clean after only one wash (I usually have to shampoo twice). 

Damage Remedy Restructuring Conditioner provides intense detangling and fortifies hair to help prevent breakage. It leaves my hair feeling soft and smooth with no flyaways. This doesn't weight down my hair or make it feel greasy, even when I use it on my roots. I put most of the conditioner on my ends with a little on my roots. Once washed out my hair feels very sleek and I don't even need to use a leave in conditioner.


Whilst I love all the products, if I could only choose one it'd be the Daily Hair Repair. Finding an effective leave in treatment for fine hair is difficult, however Aveda have nailed it with Daily Hair Repair. It's undetectable in my hair. There's no greasiness, no oiliness, just soft, conditioned hair. Even when I apply Daily Hair Repair every day, it doesn't weigh down my hair or make it limp and oily. It's easily the best leave in conditioner I've ever used.
Daily Hair Repair protects against thermal damage up to 450 degrees so it's great to use before heat styling hair. 
If you have fine hair, you really need to try Daily Hair Repair. 


Aveda products can be purchased from Aveda salons, spas and stores or online.
Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo costs $49.00, Damage Remedy Restructuring Conditioner costs $55 and the Daily Hair Repair costs $49.

Note: These products were provided to me for review. 

Monday 25 June 2018

Three new additions to my winter skin care routine

Winter has arrived with a vengeance here in the south west of WA. We went from warm weather in the mid twenties one week to temperatures in the low teens the next week. I love it! My skin doesn't. Whilst I'm happily enjoying the beautiful cold weather, my skin is having a fit. It's sensitive, dry and flaky. Not a good combination.


In addition to my usual winter skin care saviours, I've added three new products to my skin care routine and I'm loving them!

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream
I've been wanting to try Bobbi Brown skin care for ages now. I love her make-up range and imagine her skin care would be just as good. 

The Hydrating Face Cream doesn't disappoint. It's a lovely, rich cream that my dry skin loves. Whilst this is a rich moisturiser it doesn't feel greasy or sit on the skin, it absorbs quickly, leaving my skin looking plump and feeling comfortable.

It doesn't contain SPF so can be used as both a day and night cream. I apply a thin layer after my serum and prior to make-up. As a base for make-up it works really well, I haven't needed primer since I started using this. A little goes a long way so the tub will last for ages, at a guess I'd say at least four months, if not longer.  

Hydrating Face Cream costs $85 for a 50ml pot and can be purchased from Bobbi Brown counters nationwide or from the Bobbi Brown website

Clinique Moisture Surge 72 Hour Auto Replenishing Hydrator
The second product I've added to my winter skin care routine is the Clinique's Moisture Surge. This is a light, gel moisturiser that is a lot more hydrating that you'd expect from a gel product.  

It can be used as a normal moisturiser, as an extra layer of hydration under or over moisturiser, as a five minute mask, under or over make-up. 

I use it as an extra layer of hydration over my moisturiser, however my favourite use is over  make-up when my skin feels dry throughout the day. Whenever I get that dry, tight feeling, I pat a little bit of Moisture Surge into the dry areas and my skin is happy again.

The secret behind this formula is that it contains hyaluronic acid which delivers an instant moisture boost of 152%! Being a gel product it absorbs almost instantly which is great when I'm layering it over or under moisturiser.

Moisture Surge 72 Hour Auto Replenishing Hydrator costs $60 and can be purchased from Clinique counters nationwide or from the Clinique website


Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

The last product I've added into my winter skin care routine is Clinique's Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm. Being a cleansing balm addict, Take The Day off has been on my wishlist for a while. I have no idea why I waited so long, it's been love from the first use. 

Upon application the balm transforms to a light oil that easily removes all my make-up, including eye make-up. It doesn't sting or irritate my eyes and removes mascara with minimal rubbing. Once I rinse my face there's no oiliness or residue left behind, just clean, comfortable skin. Take The Day Off has no fragrance, is gentle, non irritating and probably the best cleansing balm I've ever used.  

Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm costs $55 for a 125ml tub. Whilst that may sound expensive, it's not because the tub is huge and you only need a pea sized amount so it's great value. Take The Day Off can be purchased from Clinique Counters nationwide or the Clinique website

Have you changed your skin care routine for winter?


Note: These products were provided for review

Sunday 24 June 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. I was sent some Athren's Cookies for my birthday, they were amazing!

2. Olive sourdough is my favourite thing at the moment.

3. I wonder if I'll ever stop being shocked and disappointed at the things people do. I just don't understand how and why people are so awful. There are so many horrible things that happen in the world, watching the news is heartbreaking.

4. Last week I accidentally ordered a large print book from the library. Reading it is so disconcerting, I'm struggling to concentrate.

5. The new hemp and nib pana chocolate is wonderful and you all need to try it.

Friday 22 June 2018

FFS Friday - Life is a highway

Oh crap. I forgot it was Friday, oops. Time for another round of what's annoying me this week and I've got.....nothing. Hmmmm. I blame this on Tiger. When he's home we spend all our time running around doing nothing. He finds the need to go out every day and yet we achieve nothing. It's exhausting.

If we were spending quality time with the kids I wouldn't mind, but we aren't we're just racing around to different shops for no reason at all. I don't like it.

Anyhow. I've been thinking about the sexism that women face every day. It happens so often that we don't even realise. Two examples immediately spring to mind. 

I mentioned last week that I needed to take my car to an auto electrician. I waited for Tiger to get home because I knew that if I took the car myself they'd treat me like a fool and charge me more. 

The second example happened yesterday. My BFF took her car to get serviced. When she picked it up the receptionist told her that one of her tyres was bald and needed replacing. 
Funnily enough, the tyre they were talking about was only three months old and very clearly not bald.

So the people at the car dealership, seeing a way to rip someone off, decided to tell her that her car needed work it didn't need. Instead of telling her themselves, they got the receptionist to do it. The perfect example of the every day sexism that women face. 

What concerns me is how to raise my boys so that they don't behave like that. We have talks about everyone being different and how we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. They know that women are special and should be treated with respect. I tell them that being stronger or bigger than someone doesn't make the other person silly or less deserving of respect. 

I imagine these discussions will change as they get older, they'll become more specific. I just worry that I'm not doing enough to make sure they grow into decent people. 

Time will tell.

Yesterday I lodged the paperwork for home schooling. I'm excited, relieved and very, very scared. I spoke to the moderator yesterday, she was helpful so I'm hoping we'll get along well (she does not have a good reputation, a lot of people have issues with her).  

Fingers crossed I can do a decent job of teaching my babies.

Have a beautiful weekend.

 

Wednesday 20 June 2018

Bobbi Brown lip loves

I have a long standing love for Bobbi Brown cosmetics. I know I can always rely on her products to be high quality and do what they're supposed to do. I also love her beauty motto, the way she likes to enhance your natural features. 

My all time favourites from the range are the Corrector and cream eye shadows. I've used them both for around ten years now. 

Recently I've discovered how beautiful the Bobbi Brown lip product range is. I've already reviewed the Crushed Lip Colours (you can read that review here), today I'll tell you about the Pot Rouges and Lip Balm.

Bobbi Brown Sazan Nude Crushed Lip Color, Blackberry Crushed Lip Color, Pale Pink Pot Rouge, Fresh Melon Pot Rouge and Lip Balm.

Pot Rouges have been on my radar for years now, I'm a big fan of multi use products and the Pot Rouges can be used on the lips and cheeks.

They come in a shallow pot with a mirror, making them perfect for touch-ups during the day. 
I have Pale Pink and Fresh Melon. Pale pink is a cool toned mid pink (not pale at all) and Fresh Melon is peach/apricot. 


When worn as a lipstick I get around four hours wear before I need to reapply, when worn as a blush they last all day.I find them to be light on my lips, slightly hydrating and pleasant to wear, with a lovely glossy finish. The coverage is opaque with two layers. On days when I want a light colour I apply one layer, when I want more coverage I apply two layers. 

Pot Rouges cost $50 and come in ten shades so there's sure to be something to suit everyone. 


Bobbi Brown Lip balm is a very underrated product. I'm surprised there isn't more hype about it because it's a truly gorgeous balm. It's creamy, hydrating, has an SPF of 15 and is super hydrating. The finish is glossy so it's great for those no make-up days or over the top of lip colour. The pot is wide so I don't have to dig my finger in and end up with balm underneath my nails. Having a screw on lid means I don't have to worry about it coming loose in my handbag and the pot looks gorgeous so it's one I'm happy to show off. An added bonus is that the silver top means I can also use it as a mirror. 

At $38 for a 15 gram pot it isn't the cheapest lip balm in my collection, but in my opinion it's worth every cent.


You can purchase Bobbi Brown products from their counters at Myer, David Jones and the Bobbi Brown website.

What's your favourite Bobbi Brown product?

Note: Fresh Melon Pot Rouge and Blackberry Crushed Lip Colour were provided for review. All other products I purchased myself.

Monday 18 June 2018

The bronzer declutter

A few months ago, after my latest round of decluttering, I put all my make-up (excluding lip products) into a big box. Having it all there together is great because I can see exactly what I've got and play with everything when the mood strikes. 

About a month ago whilst I was playing with all my make-up, I realised that I have thirteen bronzers. Considering I only started regularly wearing bronzer this year, I have no idea why I found it necessary to accumulate thirteen bronzers. 

Over the last month, with the help of Emma, I've gone through and narrowed my collection down to four. I put three in the give away pile straight away and nine I tested out before making my decision.

For reference I have pale, cool toned skin. Warm colours look terrible on me which makes finding the right bronzer challenging.

Physician's Formula Bronze Booster
These are lovely but way too shimmery. If I was in my 20's I would have kept these, but shimmer and older skin are not friends. I loved the colour, if they were matte they would have been perfect.

Nars Laguna
I thought this one would be a keeper, so was really surprised to find it very hard to blend and too orange.


Physician's Formula PH Matchmaker
The colour of this is lovely, it's cool toned and looks nice on, but there's just too much fallout.

Stila Custom Colour Blush Shade Adjusting Bronze
I'm not sure why they say that this gives a custom colour. It doesn't and it's way too dark for my pale skin.

The Body Shop Bronzing Powder Shade Light
I used to love this but it's too orange for me now. 

That leaves me with Stila Sun Bronzer, Benefit Hoola, Lancome Star Bronzer, Bourjois Bronzing Primer and Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer. All of these are lovely and work well on my pale skin.  

I decided to give Hoola to Emma because she's wanted to try it for ages. Lancome Star Bronzer is quite sheer and needs two layers to be noticeable, so it's a great option for pale skin. I was going to keep it but as I'm writing this post I've decided to get rid of it. I bought it over five years ago, so it needs to go.


Considering it'll probably take me at least a year to finish a bronzer, I think that three is still too many. I'll wait a few months but will probably get rid of the Stila bronzer and keep the Bourjois and Physician's Formula. Two bronzers are enough.  

What's your favourite bronzer? 
Do you think three bronzers are too many?

Sunday 17 June 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. I'm in love with my new computer nook. After using a laptop in the kitchen for the last five years, having a desk that's out of the way is lovely. The extra bench space in the kitchen is lovely too.

2. After feeling quite low for the last few months, I'm finally starting to feel better. The beautiful cold weather always makes me feel better. We've been spending a lot of time outside and in the bush which is exactly what I need to feed my soul.

3. I received recycling information from my local council this week. Did you know that the only thing we recycle in Australia is glass? Everything else is sent overseas. How shameful.

4. I've decided that parenting is all about letting go. It's a long, slow process of holding tight and then letting go.

5. That's all I've got.

Friday 15 June 2018

FFS Friday - Winning

Hello Friday! We've made it to the end of another week. I hope you've all had a wonderful week.

Today I bring you the latest episode of Things That Only Happen When Tiger is Away.

So. Last week. Where do I start? 

There's been something dodgy going on with my car for months now. The radio doesn't always switch off when I open the car door, the reverse camera stays on sometimes, if I've been talking on the phone, when I hang up the radio won't come back on etc. Just random, strange things. 

The radio not turning off when I open the car door has been getting worse and worse until Friday afternoon it died. I now have to turn the radio off every time I get out of the car. No worries. 
I called the auto electrician who told me it could be a switch in the door (easy to fix) or a part of the computer. Guess which one it turned out to be? The switch. Winning! It'll still cost $400 but I'm betting that's a lot cheaper than the computer part would be.

Saturday my laptop started playing up. I consulted Google, ran a few tests and found out that the hard drive was stuffed. Great. Thankfully I'd backed everything up to a hard drive the week before and I managed to back up the last few things so didn't lose any of my information. Winning. 

I got a new computer (perfect timing with the end of financial year sales), found a computer desk at Kmart and now I have a little computer nook, I love it. 

Sunday we were at the park (as usual). The boys love playing with dogs and most owners are happy to oblige. A dog arrived at the park, the boys asked if they could pat it and the owner said no, it needed to run around first. Once it'd run around for a while the owner said they could pat the dog. 

Chai patted it then wandered off to play. When Eljay pats a dog he likes to lean down and look it in the eyes as he pats it. I always tell him not to do this, to keep his head away from the dogs face. Usually he remembers. Sunday he didn't. 

As he leaned down to look at the dog, it got excited, jumped up and bit his ear. I don't think it was intending to bite him, but it did. He screamed and ran over to me. The owner apologised, put the leash around his mouth and asked if Eljay wanted to pat her so that he wasn't scared of dogs. I refused and told her we have a dog at home. Eljay was starting to calm down, then when he realised that he was bleeding he got hysterical.

I had nothing other than my phone, a few tissues and my keys on me. When the dogs owner realised Eljay was bleeding she got really upset, started hyperventilating and crying. 
So I've got an upset owner and screaming Eljay. Then Chai saw the blood and started getting upset too. FML.

Naturally that was the day that the boys took their scooters to the park. I had to get Eljay and his scooter and helmet home.

First I had to calm down the dog owner. She was apologising over and over again and looked as if she was about to collapse. She wanted to drive us home, I didn't want her to cause I'm funny about people knowing where I live. 

After I spent five minutes trying to calm her, Eljay and Chai down I gave up on the poor lady, told her everything was okay and started the walk home. I couldn't carry Eljay and his scooter so Eljay had to walk. What would normally take us two minutes took ten as Eljay was walking so slowly. By the time we got home I was regretting not accepting the lift home. Oh well.

We got inside, I patched up Eljay's ear, calmed everyone down and we were all good...until the next morning. 

I could see that his ear had been bleeding overnight and I needed to look at it to see if he needed stitches or to go to the Dr. Eljay wouldn't let me near it. It took me three hours of pleading, bribery and coercing just to get the plaster off. The gauze was stuck to his wound and there was no way he was letting me near it.

I left the gauze on and thankfully it came off overnight. The wound is healing nicely and can be covered by a bandaid. Wonderful.

Meanwhile the owner of the dog had posted a message to our local residents page on FaceBook then private messaged me to let me know how sorry she was and that she was getting a dog trainer to see her dog! That's what I call a responsible dog owner!    

Have a beautiful weekend.

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Travel friendly Vitamin C serum

The one skincare product that makes a noticeable difference to my skin is Vitamin C. Within about three days of using a good Vitamin C my skin feels smoother and looks brighter. Continued use leaves my skin glowing. 

When I'm at home I use a powdered form of Vitamin C, however it's not very convenient for travel. That's where Clinique's Fresh Pressed Daily Booster with Pure Vitamin C 10% comes in.  


The issue with vitamin C is that it degrades when exposed to oxygen. Vitamin C is most potent when it's fresh. When you buy a vitamin C serum off the shelf, you don't know how long it's been sitting there.
The beauty of this system is that there's no chance of the serum oxidising as it's only activated immediately prior to the first use and is finished within seven days. The tube packaging is light proof, air tight,compact and easily portable, making it perfect for travel.

Each tube contains a seven day supply of vitamin C serum. You peel off the silver foil at the top, press the top of the tube twice to release the vitamin C, shake to mix it up then apply two drops. You can either apply the serum straight onto your skin or you can mix it in with your moisturiser. I prefer to apply it straight onto my skin.




Used twice daily, I notice a difference in my skin within three days. My skin is smoother, brighter and more event toned. Used longer term, vitamin C makes my skin glow. If there's only one skin care product you add to your routine this year, make it a vitamin C serum, you won't regret it. 

If you need further proof of the awesomeness of Fresh Pressed Daily Booster, Caroline Hirons loves it!

Fresh Pressed Daily Booster costs $45 for a seven day supply and can be purchased at Clinique counters or online from Clinique.


Note: This product was provided for review.


Monday 11 June 2018

Pan the Pots Update One

Now that it's been three months it's time for my first update for my Pan the Pots challenge.
You can read my first post here.

I'm doing okay but not as well as I'd hoped I would, mainly because I've been concentrating on using up other products. I'm trying to use up as many products as I can this year, so use the same things constantly until they're done.

Here's how everything looked at the start of this project three months ago.

Here's where I'm at now. 


I'm nearly done with the Givenchy Magic lip and cheek balm and have made good progress with the Black Chicken Balm of All Ages.

I'm using the Soap and Glory balm every day but still have a long way to go. I wish that it was more portable, that's my problem with balms in pots, they aren't easy to carry around so I don't use them as often as I do a tube style balm.

I haven't touched the Salt lip balm, Yard Lip Bloss or Harlotte lipstick. I've nearly finished my daily lip gloss, so when that's done I'll start using the Harlotte lipstick and Yard Lip Bloss more often.

Are you panning at the moment? How's your progress? If you're a blogger and have posted about it, please post the link in the comments, it'll help keep me motivated. 

Sunday 10 June 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. What a week it's been.

2. Adore Beauty have the limited edition Bobbi Brown Sazan Nude Crushed Lip Colour. Get it whilst you can! I'm seriously considering getting a back-up.

3. The boys and I have been having a lot of fun playing outside in the wet, windy weather. They love playing in the rain. Watching them fly down the slide when it's wet is highly amusing. 

4. The fuss about Kat Von D saying she won't be vaccinating her child has been very entertaining to watch. Caroline Hirons and Chloe Morello's comments are especially amusing.

5. I get my husband back in two days. Not that I'm counting or anything.

Friday 8 June 2018

FFS Friday - It takes a village

Oh look, it's time for me to get my ranty pants on again. So what's been getting my goat this week? Let me tell you.

You know when you're having a tough day with the kids and someone tells you to enjoy the time because you'll miss it when they're older? That shits me no end. Firstly, it's okay to have tough days, tough weeks, tough months. Totally normal and totally okay.

Secondly, I'm not convinced they're right. Granted, my kids aren't grown, but I have yet to find myself missing a past version of them. I don't miss when they were babies or toddlers and I'm not sure I'll miss these times either. 

Maybe it's just me. I don't miss previous times in my life either. You know how people look back and say "those were the good old days"? I don't get it. They were a different stage of my life, I don't miss them though. 

Perhaps I will miss these days when the boys are little, who knows. 

Back to the point. Stop trying to make people feel wrong/guilty for having a tough day. Parenthood is tough. You don't have to enjoy it all. It's okay not to enjoy it. It's okay to hate the stage you are going through, it's okay to complain, it's okay to talk about how hard things are. 

Right now I'm struggling. I don't like this stage at all. The kids are driving me nuts, I desperately need some time alone. I wish I had help, but I don't. The days are long, so very long. I'm angry, I'm tired, I'm exhausted and empty. I want to be alone. 

Chai is at cling factor ten. I am so over being touched all the time. Now that we aren't going to school I feel very lonely, however I just don't have the energy to reach out to someone.

A lot of Chai's issues are better/gone, however his habitual actions are getting worse and they are driving me so very crazy. His habits change regularly, but the ones he's doing at the moment are really, really, really annoying. He's making hand gestures, yelling instead of talking and saying UH all the time. 

I know he can't help it and I know it's unintentional, but these three particular habits make me rage. He does them every minute or more, so you can imagine how ragey I am at the moment. It's not pretty.

My inner self is struggling with guilt/not guilt. I feel bad that I'm getting so angry with him but at the same time I know it's totally understandable. He doesn't realise how angry I'm getting as I don't say anything, but I really wish that I wasn't so angry. He knows I'm frustrated by his actions as I'm regularly telling him to "STOP YELLING AT ME!"

We're seeing a new paediatrician soon. I'm not sure what I'm hoping for. We need help, that much I know. I really don't want to put him on medication but we're at the point where we need to do something cause what we're doing at the moment isn't working. I hate the idea of my baby being medicated so I'm hoping there are other options.

I thought perhaps there was something wrong with me and maybe I need to be medicated so I spoke to the Dr but he says that I'm fine and it's just parenthood. 

Surely it's not normal to feel so irritated and angry all the time? Perhaps it is. Perhaps this is how parents of special needs kids feel. I don't know. 

Why is there not more help for parents? Places they can talk about how they're coping or not coping. Everyone focuses on the kids but no-one worries about the parents. 
I was talking to friend with a special needs child and she told me I'm the first person who's ever asked her how she's coping with his illnesses/issues. How sad is that?

This is why we all need a village. 

Wednesday 6 June 2018

Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color

It's well know that I'm a lip product addict. Whilst I can resist any other make-up, show me a lip product and I'm like a moth to a flame.

It's not very often that a lipstick formula really wows me, most of them are lovely but nothing unique. The Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Colors are unique. Very unique. They're unlike any other lipstick that I've ever used. 



They feel like a balm, glide on smoothly and layer beautifully. One layer leaves a sheer, light tint. Two layers gives opaque coverage. Three layers give strong, bold coverage. No matter how many layers I apply, the feel is still smooth and balm like. 

The colour seems to melt into my lips, it doesn't look like I'm wearing a truckload of lipstick. One layer looks like a natural stain, as if I'd been eating fruit that had left a tint. 

Crushed Lip Color in Sazan Nude, Lilac and Blackberry


The longevity is great, I get around six to seven hours wear and once the lipstick has worn off I'm left with a stain of colour. 

I find the Crushed Lip Color's to be very hydrating, I don't need to wear balm underneath and often wear them in place of lip balm. They feel almost weightless on my lips, like I'm wearing a light layer of lip balm. They have no discernible fragrance or flavour. 

Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color Sazan Nude, Blackberry and Lilac

I now have three shades in the Crushed Lip Color collection and can see myself adding more soon. The shades I have are Sazan Nude (limited edition, so if you want it, get it before it's gone), Lilac and the famous (and very hard to get) Blackberry. 

I can see why Blackberry is so popular, it's the perfect mix of maroon and brown. 
Lilac is a gorgeous pop of pinky purple. It was the first shade I bought and the one that started my obsession with the Crushed Lip Colors.
Sazan Nude is a limited edition shade that is my perfect nude. It's one of the few nudes I can wear as it's a cool toned pink based nude. 

Sazan Nude, Lilac and Blackberry

Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color costs $46 and can be purchased from Bobbi Brown counters at Myer, David Jones, Mecca Maxima or online from Adore Beauty and the Bobbi Brown website.

*Note - Crushed Lip Color in Blackberry was provided to me for review. The other products I purchased myself.

Monday 4 June 2018

May Empties

I love reading empties posts, I figure if a blogger finishes something it must be really good because they usually have a whole pile of products. 



Mecca Cosmetica Transforming Facial Cleanser
It was almost love, but not quite. I love how well this works, I love the smell and the way it leaves my skin feeling. What I don't love is that despite being okay to use on the eyes, it stings the crap out of my eyes. For this reason alone I won't repurchase. 

Screen Volumise Shampoo and Conditioner
I found these at Priceline for $5 each. They're organic and sounded too good to be true. I've now discovered why they were so cheap. They do not smell good. It's not awful, but it's not nice, not at all nice. Thankfully the scent didn't linger and was gone as soon as I rinsed the product off, but it's a deal breaker. 

Sanctuary Spa Warming Microbrasion Polish
I don't think Sanctuary Spa is available in Australia anymore, which is a shame because they had some lovely products, the Microbrasion Polish being one of them. I really liked how fine the scrub was and the warming sensation was strangely lovely. 

Sanctum Shampoo
I've lost count of how many times I've repurchased this shampoo. It's a lovely, gentle product that doesn't weight down my fine hair.

ModelCo Gel Cleanser
I really enjoy this rose scented cleanser. I pick it up whenever it's on sale. I use it as a morning cleanse, however it also works well to remove make-up. It's gentle on my skin, doesn't irritate my eyes and smells beautiful.

Kate Sommerville ExfoliKate
If only this wasn't so expensive, I'd be buying a full size tube tomorrow. I just can't justify spending over $80 on a face scrub, no matter how good it is. 

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Mask
I quite liked the way my eye area looked after I used this, I'd like to buy more and use them over a few months to see what the results were. 

Meeno Organics Vanilla and Lemon Body Mousse
If you need a natural, super hydrating body moisturiser that smells heavenly, look no further. My dry legs loved this, it's such a beautiful product. 

Kora Organics Hydrating Moisturiser
This is another one of those products that I like but am not willing to pay the high price. There's nothing amazing to make it worth paying $59.95 for a 50ml tube, it doesn't even smell nice. So, whilst I enjoyed using it, I won't repurchase.

Black Chicken Barrier Booster Deodorant
There are only a few bicarb free natural deodorants that work and this is one of them. I'll always have this one in my collection. 

Herbs 'n Heart Elixir
I enjoyed using this serum, it kept my skin nicely hydrated. It didn't do anything other than provide hydration, so I won't repurchase.
 
Lancome Visionairre
Nice. Not amazing.

The Body Shop Spa of the World Adriatic Peony Body Wash
Love, love, love this beautiful scent. It's a definite repurchase, however I'll buy the full size next time.


I've been madly getting rid of things this month. Most of them aren't shown as they've already been given away. The ones shown below are going in the bin which is why they're pictured.


Sukin Super Green Cleansing Oil 
I really wanted to like this but I don't. It smells lovely but it's so thick. It doesn't emulsify when water is added so leaves a film all over my hands and face. Even if I use it as my first cleanse it still leaves a film that's really difficult to remove. 

Shu Uemura Nobara Foundation
The only reason I'm getting rid of this is because it's very old. I purchased it before I had Chai. He's 7. Enough said.

Skinstitut Age Defense
I love all the other Skinstitut products I've used, but I don't get along with the sunscreen. It's very thick and irritates my skin. Due to it being so thick I can't use it on my body. I thought it might be okay for winter, but it's too irritating so out it goes. 

Becca Lip Balm
This expired in 2013!

L'Oreal Base Magique
This is another really old product. Really old.

Sunday 3 June 2018

Thoughts of the week

1. Further to my FFS Friday post, I've now found out that abortion is illegal in Queensland and extremely difficult to access in Tasmania. WTF Australia? This is not good enough. I'll be writing a letter to the powers that be in Queensland and Tasmania next week telling them to get their acts together. Imagine if we all wrote a similar letter? Together we have a very strong voice, let's use it.

2. It's winter! Yay!

3. I've just realised that I'll somehow have to survive the whole winter with two children at home every day. This is not going to be pretty.

4. I am so tempted to get a few things from the Nars Erdem collection. It is all so pretty.

5.Where can I get reasonably priced make-up storage? I want something that I can put on my bathroom counter so that I can see everything instead of having it hidden away in a drawer.

Friday 1 June 2018

FFS Friday - Rise

Last weekend Ireland voted to repeal the 8th amendment to the constitution, meaning that abortion is now legal there. Yes, that's right, until recently, abortion was not legal in Ireland. Seems barbaric doesn't it?

In the lead up to the vote there were a lot of arguments for and against, with people labelled either for abortion or against abortion. It's not about that though. It's about a woman's choice to control what happens to her body. 

I'll say that again. People were voting to decide if women should have control over what happens to their body.

This angers me on so many levels. 

Name me a situation where people get to vote on what happens to a man's body. Name me a situation where men doing something to their body is illegal. Name me a situation where a man will be forced to go through with something that may kill him.

Men have no right to any say about what happens to a women's body, just as women have no right to say what happens to a man's body. 

It's also much more than being pro or anti abortion. It's not that simple. I'm not pro abortion. I'm not anti abortion. I am pro choice. Whilst I may not choose to have an abortion, I cannot say what is right for another woman. There are many reasons why women would want or need an abortion. They should not have to explain these reasons to anyone. 

Long term readers will know that I was raise in a very strict, religious family. They were anti abortion. I've always thought it wasn't black or white. One day at school we were discussing abortion. We had to go to the right side of the room if we were against abortion and the left side of the room if we were pro abortion. I wanted to stand in the middle because I am neither for or against abortion, I think it's up to the woman to decide. As I was forced to pick a side, I chose the left side (for abortion) and explained my reasons why. 

The teacher was part of our religion. Next church meeting he pulled mum aside for a chat. When we got home mum hauled me over the coals for being pro abortion. I was 14. We had a discussion that I'll never forget. I was trying to explain to mum that it's not black and white and that there can't be a hard and fast rule. Mum disagreed. So I gave her the following scenario: What if I, as a 14 year old virgin, was raped and became pregnant with my rapists baby. What would mum do? 
She said that she wouldn't allow me to have an abortion that I could either have the baby and keep it, give it to her to raise or put it up for adoption.

Let's take a minute to think about that. A 14 year old child gets raped. That in itself is a very traumatic event. As if that's not bad enough, the child is then forced to carry the rapists baby for 9 months, endure the examinations that are bad enough when you're an adult let alone a 14 year old child, give birth (which in itself would be extremely traumatic for a child), then face the heart breaking choice of keeping the child or giving it away.

How could anyone believe that would be god's will? God is supposed to be loving and kind, so why would he/she willingly put an innocent child through all that unnecessary trauma? Makes no sense to me. 

Life isn't black and white. There are many situations where abortion is necessary. Even if it's not necessary, a person has the right to control over their body. No-one should be able to dictate what happens to another person's body. It's not okay. 

I love that women are standing up for their rights. For too long we've been treated as inferior, been dictated to and told what to do. No more. Without us men would not be here, and until they manage to grow babies outside of the womb, men need us. It's time we demanded respect and slowly but surely we are doing that. We're standing up and taking back control. Northern Ireland, I'm so proud of you. 

Note: I read on twitter that abortion is illegal in Queensland, surely that's incorrect?