Wednesday 27 February 2013

My Favourite Exfoliants

Before I start I'll tell you what I'm looking for in an exfoliant, because what suits me won't suit everyone. I have normal, slightly sensitive skin. I can't handle anything too harsh however as I'm getting older (I'll be 40 in a few months), I need to exfoliate every few days so that my skin doesn't get rough and dull. I like gentle exfoliants with dense, small, round beads that don't scratch my skin. I like the scrubs to have heaps of beads and be mostly beads and not much other stuff, I don't like scrubs that have more liquid/gel than scrubby bits.

These are the ones that work for me and I've been using them in rotation for years now. 

Dr LeWinns Facial Polishing Gel - For years this was the only exfoliator that I used. It was the first gentle yet effective scrub that I found. Prior to finding this I rarely exfoliated my face as everything was too harsh and would scratch my skin or leave it red and irritated. This has a lot of tiny exfoliating beads that scrub really well. I buy my Dr LeWinns products from Priceline where a 150g tube costs $39.99. (Image courtesy of Priceline).
Dermalogica Age Smart Thermafoliant - A few years ago won this in a BeautyHeaven competition along with a few other Age Smart products. I found that the other products I used where too harsh for my skin so didn't bother trying to Thermafoliant until I'd run out of my Dr LeWinns scrub and discovered this sitting in my cupboard. I was happily surprised to find out that I love this. It has lots of scrubby particles and the warming sensation feels nice without being overpowering. I use this every second day to make my skin feel lovely and smooth. A 75ml tube costs $71.50.

These next two scrubs are different from the usual exfoliators in that they are a powder. It took me a while to get used to using a powder exfoliator but now that I have I'm a convert. They are super gentle and suitable for daily use so ideal for people with sensitive skin.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant - When I first tried this I really didn't like it. Trying to get the mix of water to powder right was really difficult and it got quite messy. Now that I've got the hang of it I love it. The trick is to slowly add the water until you get the consistency that you want. Daily Microfoliant is one of the gentlest and most effective scrubs that I've ever used. As it's a powder the particles are tiny yet they somehow exfoliate really well and leave my skin feeling very smooth. As the name implies, this is gentle enough to use every day and I sometimes use it instead of cleanser (in the mornings, not when I've been wearing make-up). A 75g bottle costs $69.00 and lasts for about six months with daily use.

Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant - This is very similar to the Daily Microfoliant. The only difference is that the Gentle Daily Exfoliant is a little more clay like and so easier to mix and get the right consistency. Other than that, it does exactly the same thing as the Microfoliant. A 50g bottle costs $59.9.

That's my favourite exfoliants, do any of you have suggestions to similar products that I should try?

Monday 25 February 2013

February Favourites


I haven't done a favourites post for a while now, mainly because I haven't been using many products as I've been too sick to bother. Now I'm feeling better I'm starting to get back into a routine, taking care of myself and wearing make-up again. I don't know about everyone else but I always feel better when I am wearing make-up. I'm also loving perfume again now that I can stand fragrances.

Lush Imogen Rose Perfume - Rose is one of my all time favourite scents and I love anything that smells like roses. I'm still a little sensitive to fragrance at the moment so this is perfect as it has a gorgeous true rose scent. I just apply a little so that it's not too overpowering. 

Lush Rose Jam Bubbleroon Bubble Bar - This smells amazing! I bought two of these and I'm using them as home fragrances. I'm sure they'd be lovely in the bath, however I've found that one of these makes a whole room smell beautiful. I'm planning on buying a few more and stashing them all over the house.

MAC Summer Rose Beauty Powder - I bought this years ago because it was pretty and then didn't use it until my wedding day. After that I put it away and just got it out every now and again to admire. The last few months I've decided to start using it so I now use it every day as a blush. It gives a very light wash of colour so is perfect to use when I'm in a rush (which is every day).

Crazy Rumors Mocha Lip Balm - Crazy Rumors lip balms are one of my favourite brands however I haven't used them for a while now (because I have a huge pile of others to get through, I could open a shop with all the balms I own.) I had a craving for coffee a few weeks ago so dug out my Mocha lip balm and remembered why I love this brand so much. I've just discovered that they are available on iHerb too, bonus! (If you are going to place an iHerb order, code YUF175 will get you a discount on your first order).

Rimmel Taupe Scandaleyes Eye Liner - I use this every day. It's the perfect colour to create definition under my eyes without looking too overdone. Lately I've only been using eye liner and mascara so I don't want anything that looks too harsh or obvious. Taupe is perfect. Next time Priceline has a sale on Rimmel I'm going to buy a few back-ups.

L'oreal Mystic Grey Color Riche LeSmoky Eyeliner - Along with Rimmel Taupe, this has been my go to eye liner lately. It's soft and easy to smudge into my lash line. I sharpen it to a point and use it to tightline. In the past I haven't had much luck using a pencil to tighline however the soft texture of this makes it perfect. Once my P100P is over I'll be getting a few more colours.

Nutrimetics Apricot Body Dew - An oldie but a goodie. I've been using this since I was a teenager, back when it used to be called Con Stan. Anyone else remember those days. I like to use Apricot Body Dew in summer as it smells lovely and is very light. I've been using it after the shower instead of a body oil.

Nutrimetics Nutri-Rich Luminous Body Lotion - One of my friends gave this to me for christmas years ago. I promptly put it away and totally forgot about it. I found it when I was searching for my Apricot Body Dew so dug it out. I'm not sure if they still make it, I hope they do. The scent is the same as Apricot Body Dew however it's thicker so more hydrating. It gives my skin a lovely radiance and is ideal for summer.

Real Techniques brushes - The hype about these is true. They are cheap and excellent quality. I have three or four but plan on getting the entire range. You an get them from iHerb and Priceline. 

(Photo from Rae Morris' Facebook page)
I saw a great tip from Rae Morris on Twitter. For those of you who are getting older, like me, you may have discovered that some shimmery eye shadows don't work for you anymore. I find there are some shimmery shadows that I can wear and others make my eyelids look really crepey and wrinkly, which is not the look I'm going for. Rae's tip is this: swatch the eye shadow on the back of your hand. If it makes your hand look wrinkly then it's going to do the same thing on your eyelid. I tried this with one of the L'oreal eye shadows and it works! What a great, simple trick.
 
Owls. I'm obsessed with owls at the moment. I love them and see them everywhere. Isn't this one gorgeous!

Friday 22 February 2013

FFS Friday - Jumping Through Hoops

Friday I became a Bunnings Widow. FFS.

We went to Bunnings for some handles, child locks and a gate. An hour later we were still there. FFS. 

Chai was very restless so I was waiting out the front for Tiger. FFS.

He finally emerged, without the handles and child locks that we'd selected. FFS.

When I asked him where they were he said he thought I had them. FFS.

Why he thought that when I'd told him that I was going to take Chai outside and left the trolley with him I have no idea. FFS.

He went back for the trolley but it had been removed and all our things put back, so it took another ten minutes to collect everything again. FFS. 

Next time I'll send him to Bunnings with Chai and I'll stay home. Not FFS.

We finally managed to find the Target loading dock to pick up our portacot. Not FFS.

It took them 10 minutes to come out and when they did they said that the piece of paper we'd been given wasn't the right one and we needed a receipt. FFS.

We explained to them that we didn't get a receipt as we purchased the cot online. FFS.

Twenty minutes later it was all sorted out and we got our cot. FFS.

Don't think I'll be buying anything online from Target again. FFS.

Dang, I forgot about the baby capsule that I've got on layby online. FFS.

Friday the PILs came down to give me some FFS Friday fodder. FFS.

MIL was her usual annoying self. FFS.

She decided to empty the bin for us. Not FFS.

Without replacing the bin bag she then started putting rubbish into the bin. FFS.

I pointed out to her that it needed a bin bag, to which she replied "but it's only plastic". FFS.

I told her that whatever it was the bin needs a bin bag in it before we can put rubbish in there. FFS.

She ignored me, continued to put rubbish in there and then put a small plastic bag in as a bin bag. FFS.

I then had to remove the plastic bag and the rubbish before putting the bin bag in. FFS. 

In order to use my computer in peace I have been forced to lock myself in the bedroom, sit on the floor and use the bed as my desk. FFS.

If I don't do this, Chai crawls all over me and presses all the buttons. FFS.

I long for the day when we have an office that I can shut myself in. FFS.

Any jobs that Tiger wants to apply for usually have to be done online. FFS.

As he can't type, I do them. FFS.

There are not enough swear words in any language to describe how infuriating applying for construction jobs is. FFS.

They want the same information over and over again, even though it's all contained in his resume. FFS.

One particular job he applied for about three months ago and has been jumping through hoops for them ever since. FFS.

I did the original application, uploaded his resume, gave details and copies of all his qualifications, listed his work history for the last five years etc. FFS.

He then had to do an online test. He did that and passed then they wanted him to do an online interview. The interview wouldn't load on our computer so they passed him to the next level. Then they wanted him to do another online interview. FFS.

He couldn't do it because he was away, so they called him and he did the interview over the phone. Naturally they called when we were at a cafe so I was left to deal with a wriggling, bored child for twenty minutes. FFS.

After the phone interview they wanted him to fill in another online application and it had to be done in the next 48 hours. FFS.

It was identical to the information that I'd provided in his resume and the original application. FFS.

Clearly these people are incapable of reading. FFS.

I've done that, now they want him to go in for a face to face interview. FFS.

Are these people serious? It's only a job. It's not a high security job, it's just a construction job, why is it such a drama? FFS.

The worst bit is that he's not even intending to take the job as he's happy where he is! FFS.

But it's a good job that he needs to be on the list for, hence we will keep on jumping through hoops. As you do. FFS.

Having Tiger at home for the last week and a half has been both lovely and irritating. FFS.

When he was working locally and only home for a day and a half every week his irritating habits were easy to overlook. When I have to deal with them every day it's not so easy. FFS.

In the interest of keeping things brief, I'll just share one with you. Tiger is one of the messiest people I've ever known. FFS.

He leaves a trail of clothes, shoes, plastic bags, papers, water bottles and all manner of things around the house. I am constantly tripping over or moving his junk. FFS.


Whilst he seems to have a blind spot for his mess, he can't stand Chai's mess and so is constantly cleaning up and putting away Chai's toys. FFS.

He does this at least five times a day. FFS.

It drives both Chai and I crazy, Chai because he can't find his toys and me because I'm constantly searching for the particular toy that Chai wants. FFS.

No matter how many times I tell him to leave it until the end of the day, Tiger ignores me and then gets annoyed when the house is strewn with toys two minutes after he's cleaned up. FFS.

If only he'd clean up his own mess so diligently. FFS.

And that, lovely people, concludes my whinge for this week. I was going to include something about the weather however I'm sitting here in the air conditioning eating an icypole so I won't.

Have a great weekend!!!!!


Dear Baby G

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Pregnancy - How I survived the first trimester

The first trimester of a pregnancy is tough. It was tough with Chai and this time it was even tougher cause I couldn't rest when I felt sick or tired. Add to that 24/7 morning sickness and I was not a happy girl. Thankfully, there were a few products that helped me get through.

Audra James special morning sickness blend - In desperation I emailed Audra and asked if she could make me a blend to help with my morning sickness. I initially asked her for a balm that I could use on my lips as I wanted something to sniff and an oil to rub on my pulse points. Audra made them both in the one product! 

She made me a roller ball that I can use on my lips, pulse points and as a light perfume. Amongst other things it contained ginger and spearmint, both products recommended for morning sickness. By some miracle Audra knew that I couldn't stand the smell of ginger (even though I didn't tell her), so the oil has a lovely, light spearmint scent. I didn't go anywhere without my Audra blend, it was usually in my pocket and it worked really well. Whilst it didn't get rid of the morning sickness it make me feel a lot better and able to function.

Preggie Pop Drops from iHerb - When I was pregnant with Chai I sucked on salted pretzels and ginger to help with morning sickness. This time I couldn't stand salt or ginger, so I got some Preggie Pop Drops. I'm not sure if it was the placebo effect or not, but these helped. I'd suck on one when I was feeling really bad and it'd stop me being sick. I still felt sick, but at least I wasn't actually sick. 

If you haven't ordered from iHerb before, what are you waiting for? They have thousands of amazing products at a really cheap price. If you use discount code YUF175 you will get a discount on your first order.

A'kin Aromatherapy Lavender shower gel from EchoLife - Audra sent me a link to an article that said the Duchess of Cambridge (is that her title? I'm talking about Kate Middleton) was eating lavender shortbread to help with her morning sickness. I was unable to find any lavender shortbread so started using my A'kin Lavender shower gel every morning. It helped a lot. I still felt sick, but it was soothing and made me feel a little less sick.

I also changed my skin care and deodorant as my skin was dry, my armpits were especially sensitive and I couldn't stand any fragrances. 

I used Bio Oil to prevent stretch marks. This isn't my preferred oil however I had a bottle of it and it's fragrance free, so I used it.  Now that I've finished my bottle I won't be repurchasing it, I have a bottle of Audra's Belly Oil to use.

For deodorant I used Dr Organic and Natural Scents. They both work well, however I find that in 40 degree heat the Dr Organic deodorant is more effective. I'm currently trialling a shower gel/body spray combo that Audra James made for me so I'll let you know how that goes. 

On my face I switched to Kosmea 8th Natural Wonder serum and Garnier BB Cream. 

As you can see from the photo above, I really couldn't be bothered putting on make-up, so the Garnier BB Cream made me look semi decent and helped to even out my skin tone. The Kosmea serum is light, inoffensively fragranced and makes my skin feel lovely. 

That, along with acupuncture is how I survived my first trimester. If anyone has any other tips, please post them in the comments below.

Monday 18 February 2013

Project 100 Pan Update 6

I thought this month was going to be a slow one, however I unexpectedly finished a few products which was a bonus. I bought two things from Lush this month, but I'm not counting them because I don't have any other bath melts. I'm so glad that I've finally hit the 70's, however I'm expecting the last few months of my project pan to take ages as I'm working on full sized products that seem to take forever to finish. 

I've been tossing quite a few products out lately. I'll use them a few times and if I don't particularly like them out they go. I want a small, pared down collection of products that I love and that make me happy when I use them. Anything that doesn't fit this criteria is doomed. 

I finally got around to cancelling my subscription to BellaBox. I enjoyed getting the monthly boxes but it was just adding to my clutter and I really don't need any more products!

69. Ten samples
70. Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser
71. In Essence Hydrating Hand Cream
72. Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara
73. Bio Oil
74. You, Me and Everybody Bodhi Me Facial Scrub
75. Priori Gentle Facial Cleanser
76. Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector
77. Halakahiki Lotion
Amazingly I now only have 23 products to go. But when I say it like that it sounds like a lot. I have a face scrub that's nearly finished but other than that everything else it at least half full. Oh well, I'll finish my project pan sometime this year I hope!

Friday 15 February 2013

FFS Friday - The "I can't believe I'm admitting to this" edition

Hello Friday! We've made it safely through another week. I hope you all had a great week. Ready to read all about mine?

After saying that Chai was coping well with Tiger being away, this week was a shocker. FFS.

Chai realised on Friday that Daddy wasn't coming home and it was all downhill from there. FFS.

I felt so upset for the poor little munchkin. FFS.

Friday evening Chai was having a bath. He did his usual trick of weeing in the bath. He then spewed, so I changed the water. FFS.

Then he poo'd and stood in it, so I changed the water again. FFS.

I was sure he'd come up with something else so I quickly washed him and got him out before he could do another trick. FFS.

Friday night I put him to bed. Half an hour later he woke up and was still awake three hours later. FFS.

Every time I put him down he got hysterical. FFS.

In desperation I phoned Tiger at 11pm and got him to talk to Chai whilst I washed my face and put my pj's on. He screamed the whole time. FFS.

That night I missed out on tea, not good when you are pregnant. FFS.

Saturday I gave up and went to stay at Mum's house. FFS.

For the past week Chai has been upset about his hair. He touches it and pretends to cry. FFS.

I can see he got his drama queen side from Tiger. That's going to be fun when he gets older. FFS.

Tiger tells me that cutting Chai's hair will make it grow back thicker. Idiot. FFS.

He can't explain why this didn't work for him (he shaves his head). FFS.

I'm sure he only cut Chai's hair so short because he was jealous that Chai has more hair than he does. FFS.

I've debated whether or not to admit to this one, but you all know I'm an idiot so I decided I may as well (plus my twitter peeps wanted to know the story). FFS.

Friday night I thought there was an intruder in the house. FFS.

Turns out it was my finger. Yes, I kid you not. FFS.

Here's what happened. I was in Chai's room trying to get him back to sleep, standing by the side of the cot patting his bum. I rubbed my eye. As I was rubbing my eye I saw a shadow go past the door. FFS.
 
So there I was, in the middle of the night, standing by Chai's bed trying to decide what to do about the intruder. I had no weapons in his room and my mobile phone was in my bedroom, which was the direction in which the intruder was headed. FFS. 

Whilst I was pondering what action to take, I rubbed my eye again and noticed another shadow going in the other direction. FFS.

Any idea what happened yet? No? Keep reading. 

This seemed a little strange to me as the intruder had only just gone into my bedroom. FFS.

It was at this point I realised it was my finger causing the shadow.I'm quick like that. FFS.

I am putting the blame for this one solely on Baby Brain. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. FFS.

In my previous life I used to be intelligent. Who would believe that now? FFS.

Friday morning I delightedly announced to hubby that I was 14 weeks pregnant. Then I checked my pregnancy app and it told me I was 13 weeks. FFS.

I didn't believe it so added it up on the calender and it was right. FFS.

Saturday morning Chai and I were at the park when Mum rang. She has the worst timing. FFS.

I told her I was at the park and she said she'd guessed that cause she'd checked on Friend Locator, seen I was at the beach and guessed I was at the park, so decided she'd call. FFS.

She then went on to explain that she tries to call when it's convenient to me. How she thinks that talking on the phone whilst I'm chasing after Chai at the park would be convenient is beyond my comprehension. FFS.


Monday was a 3 dress day. FFS.

I put on my first dress choice, realised it was dirty to put it in the wash. I put on my second dress choice, Chai immediately came up and wiped his dirty hands on my dress. That dress went in the wash. I put on my third dress choice and then dropped toothpaste all over it. FFS.

So I gave up and put a skirt and top on. FFS.

Wednesday Tiger came home. Chai and I were both excited about it and Chai spent the whole day chanting Dadda, Dadda, Dadda at the top of his voice. FFS.

Tiger wasn't due to arrive until 3.30pm. When I got dressed in the morning I put on my and Tigers favourite dress. As I was getting dressed I contemplated getting dressed just before we left for the airport, however I decided it'd be okay as the dress was dark and even if Chai did get me dirty you wouldn't be able to see it. I also foolishly dressed Chai in Tigers favourite clothes. I should have known better. FFS.

Tigers flight was delayed by an hour. FFS.

Just as we were about to leave for the airport Chai wanted me to pick him up. I picked him up and he promptly did two huge spews all over both of us. FFS.

We were totally covered in spew, it was even pooled in my bra. FFS.

I had to put Chai in the (dry) bath, strip us both off, mop up the spew (naked), shower us, put the clothes in the washing machine then get dressed again as quickly as I could so that we weren't late to pick up Tiger. FFS.

There were roadworks the whole way along Great Eastern Highway and the speed limit was 40. FFS.

Thankfully we managed to get to the airport before Tiger arrived. Not FFS.

Here ends my weekly whinge. Have a beautiful weekend my lovelies.
 
Dear Baby G

Tuesday 12 February 2013

My Favourite Face Sprays

I'm a big fan of the face spray. I've been using them for years, they're lovely all year round. In summer I put them in the fridge and use them to cool me down and in winter I use them to keep my skin hydrated.

One way I love to use my face sprays is before moisturiser. It's great when my skin is dry, it really locks in the moisture and makes my skin feel so hydrated and soft. 

In Essence - This one holds a special place in my heart because I used it when I was in labour with Chai. It smells beautiful and reminds me of my little boy. It's refreshing and my face smells lovely for about half an hour after application.

Avene Thermal Water- I've been using this one the longest, for around ten years. It's unscented and great for sensitive skin. I like that it comes in two different sizes, the small one is perfect for my handbag.

Evian - This is very similar to the Avene one. I prefer the Avene one though as the Evian sprays out in larger drops.

Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner - Contains rosewater and chamomile so is soothing to the skin. I use this when my skin is feeling irritated or itchy from the hot weather. It has a strange smell, not unpleasant just different, at a guess I'd say it's the chamomile. 

Echolife Lavender Calming Facial Mist - I have the lavender version, there is also a rose version that I plan on trying next. It comes in a huge 250ml bottle and only costs $19.95 (with free shipping!), which is a bargain! Even better, it comes with both a flip top lid and a spray, perfect if you want to use it as a toner.

Mary Kay Botanic Effects Freshen -  The great thing about this face spray is that it comes in three different versions, one for dry skin, one for normal skin and one for oily skin. I have the normal skin version. This is one of the sprays that I keep in the fridge to use in summer as it's fragrance free and soaks in quickly, leaving a matte finish.

The Mary Kay toner was sent to me for review. I received the Echolife spray in my POBM gift bag. All other products I purchased myself. 

Friday 8 February 2013

FFS Friday - The buzz cut

First thing Friday we were cleaning up the house getting it ready for someone to come through when we noticed that the power had gone off. FFS.

I rang Western Power who said that there were no reported outages in our area and asked if we'd checked the trip switch. We hadn't even thought of that. FFS.

We checked and it was a fault with our house. The Western Power guy was very patient and explained to us that we needed to unplug all our appliances, turn the power back on and then plug everything back in one by one to figure out what was flicking the switch. FFS.

He also told us that if we couldn't figure it out we'd have to call an electrician. FFS.

I was imagining a $1,000 bill. FFS.

We unplugged everything and then decided to check our tv power point as that has the most things plugged into it. We immediately realised it was the cause of our problem. FFS.

Chai loves to throw things down the back of the tv cabinet. He'd thrown various things down there, including his milo, which spilled all over the power board. FFS.

Once we cleaned that up everything was fine. Not FFS.

Whilst we were clearing out back there we found all sorts of things we'd been missing for months. Not FFS.

This week my little treasure has suddenly turned into a climber. FFS.

I leave him alone for a few minutes and return to find him standing on the toilet, sitting in the bathroom basin, standing on his change table, hanging off the side of his cot or sitting on the kitchen table. FFS.

Added to this him being able to open all the doors in our house and it makes life very interesting. FFS.

To combat this problem we got some covers that go over the door handles so that Chai can't open them. They work really well. So well that I can't open the bloody things either. FFS.

It appears that in the last few weeks Chai has grown and he can now reach things that he couldn't a few weeks ago (which is how he got hold of my nail polish last week). FFS.

I got a box to put all my skin care products in to keep them out of Chai's reach, however I soon discovered that he could reach the box, take it off my dressing table and pull everything out. FFS.

Now I've bought a make-up case to store everything in. I hope it works but I suspect it won't because he will be able to unzip it. FFS.

Tiger has been saying for the last week that Chai needs a haircut (which he does). He hasn't bothered to make him an appointment though. FFS.

Sunday he announced that Chai had to have a hair cut and I told him that I'd get it done during the week. Not satisfied with this, Tiger decided to get his clippers out and cut it himself. FFS.

I was dead against this and was holding Chai in my arms whilst we argued about it, when Tiger trims a huge stripe up the back of Chai's head. FFS.

Chai had never seen the clippers before and was scared of them, so got really upset. FFS.

I had to leave the room because I couldn't cope with seeing him so upset. FFS.

My stupid, stupid husband gave him a number 2, which is not even and it looks awful. FFS.

I can't decide if Chai looks like a cancer survivor or a bogan. FFS.

His hair is so short that I can see his scalp. FFS.

I spent the rest of Sunday seriously considering divorcing Tiger. FFS.

You think I'm joking. I'm not. FFS.

He is now banned from touching Chai's hair. FFS.

I was very worried about how he would cope with Tiger being away. Thankfully it hasn't really bothered him. He's asked for Tiger a few times, but hasn't got upset about it. Not FFS.

On the other hand, I am exhausted. FFS.

I have no idea how single parents cope on their own. FFS.

A few weeks ago I bought a portacot from Target. It was out of stock everywhere so I bought it online. It arrived this week so yesterday I went in to collect it. Instead of making things easy for me and giving it to me at the layby counter, I had to go to the loading dock to get it. FFS.

I couldn't find the loading dock so gave up and went home. FFS.

Now I have to go back again today and try to find the damn loading dock. FFS.

 

Dear Baby G

Wednesday 6 February 2013

Eleven Questions Tag

Is anyone getting sick of me doing tags? I hope not because here's another one that I saw on Bronzer Bunny

What is your dream job?

I have no idea. If I knew, I'd be doing it. I'd like to do so many different things. I'd love to be a make-up artist, martial arts instructor, naturopath, aromatherapist, traditional chinese medicine practitioner, psychologist, investigator. See, I can't decide. At the moment I'm perfectly happy with what I'm doing, which is being a mother, so I suppose that's my dream job.

Are you a baker or a cook?

Both. I prefer baking however I cook more than I bake, cause when I bake I make yummy, fattening things and then eat them all, which is not a good thing!

On your beauty journey, have you noticed any changes in your preferences in any way?

Not really. I suppose that my tastes have changed as I get older, but I still love beautiful make-up, which I've always loved. And I'm still addicted to lip products.

What is always in your refrigerator?
Cheese, olives, sundried tomato's, eggs, lots of fruit and veggies.


Do you crave sweets or savory and what was your last intense craving?

Sweets. I'm a chocolate girl. Having said that, my last intense craving was for mashed potato's, but that's a pregnancy thing.

Last gift you gave?

I gave a ring to hubby for our second anniversary.

Last gift received?

Hubby gave me a bracelet for our second anniversary. 

What is your current beauty item that is welling up into an uncontrollable urge?
I've always been addicted to lip products but since I've been doing P100P my urge to shop has drastically reduced. I'm starting to realise that I have way too many products and I don't need to add anything more to my collection. That's not to say that I won't still buy things when P100P is over, but I will buy less.


What age did you get your first white hair?
39. I was pretty pleased when I found it. 


What is the last horror movie you watched?

I don't watch horror movies.

What is a holy grail beauty product that you’ve discovered?
Only one? That's impossible to answer, there are so many!

Monday 4 February 2013

Products I regret buying

I haven't written one of these posts for ages, but have tried a few dud products lately so thought it was time I told you all about them.

Stila Jewel eyeshadow - I may as well just put a whole pile of glitter on my eyelid. Whilst it has a beautiful colour in the pan, when I apply it there is no colour just a whole lot of glitter.

Savy by DB liquid eye liner - This is absolutely crap. When I apply it, it evaporates so I end up with a really uneven line. No matter how thickly I apply it or how many times I reapply it won't give me a decent line. I'm so glad I only paid $4, but it wasn't even worth that!

Korres Sunflower Oil Shimmering Eyeshadow - I'm so disappointed with this one. It's a beautiful eyeshadow but it's so, so flaky. Every time I use it so much of it flakes away. I've hit pan on it already, purely because it flakes so much. 


Lush Shower Jelly - This just isn't useable. It's literally like firm jelly, so slippery, it doesn't dissolve even when used with a shower puff and it was just a waste of time. I threw it out. 

A2LB closing down - I'm so upset. Now I won't be able to buy most of my favourite balms. Luckily I stocked up before they closed.  

Friday 1 February 2013

FFS Friday - A Pregnant Pause

Hello Friday my old friend, we meet again. 

This week I have a special FFS Friday, it's the pregnant edition! Yes, I'm finally pregnant, twelve weeks today. I've know I was pregnant since week four, so I have a lot of complaining to get out of my system. Here goes.

My first pregnancy symptoms were reflux and leaking wee when I sneezed. These symptoms started in week four. Great. Welcome to pregnancy. FFS.

At week five the morning sickness, extreme hunger, baby brain and prego rage kicked in. FFS.

It irks me greatly that they call it morning sickness, it's not morning sickness, it's 24/7 all day all night never ending sickness. FFS.

As if that wasn't bad enough I was extremely tired. FFS.

So tired that I'd fall asleep whilst Chai was playing and only wake up when he jumped on me. FFS.

Being jumped on is not a very nice way to wake up. FFS.

By week six I was so sick and miserable that if I'd miscarried I would have been relieved. FFS.

I felt awful for thinking that way but I was so, so sick and miserable. FFS.

I spent a day sleeping then saw my naturopath who gave me acupuncture and I felt heaps better. Not FFS.

After my second acupuncture treatment I felt almost normal again. Not FFS.

I've had baby brain to the extreme. This time around it's been dangerous too. FFS.

One night I was making dinner, I got it all ready, put it on the stove then went to play with Chai. A while later I heard a strange noise, looked into the kitchen and was surprised to see food bubbling away on the stove. FFS.

Now I set the oven timer for 15 minutes every time I'm cooking. FFS.
My belly was bloated right from the start so trying to keep my pregnancy a secret wasn't easy. FFS.

For the last two weeks I've forgotten to add my FFS Friday link to Sarah's blog. FFS.


After his initial shock*, Hubby was excited about the pregnancy and wanted to tell everyone but I said no. That didn't stop him. FFS.

Thankfully he managed to restrain himself and only told the guys at work. FFS.

My Mum guessed that I was pregnant because I was so sick. FFS.

MIL really pissed me off. She just can't keep her nose out of things. When they came down on christmas day the first thing she did was put her hand on my belly and say "any news?". I ignored her and walked off so she followed me saying "Is there any news? Are you not saying anything? No comment? You have nothing to say?" 
At which point I turned around and said "It's none of your business". She replied "So there is news". By this time hubby was grinning like an idiot. She was still following me around so I turned around and said "I didn't want to say anything but you haven't given me much choice have you!" Then she says "Oh, sorry." By this time prego rage had kicked in and I said "It's none of your business. We were going to tell you when we were ready, not when you forced us to but you just can't mind your own business can you!" Then I went to my room. FFS.

Bloody stickybeak woman. FFS.


I saw the Dr, gave pathology about a litre of blood and a bottle of wee, then went to book my ultrasound. They told me I had to have the ultrasound that day because there was a risk of an ectopic pregnancy. FFS.

That was the first I'd heard about it. FFS.

The logical me would have know that was just a precaution and not worried about it, however the prego me panicked and called hubby at work telling him he had to come home because there might be something wrong with the baby. FFS.

Thankfully hubby managed to talk some sense into me before he left work. Not FFS.

Unfortunately he didn't manage to calm me down before I'd driven over a star picked and put a huge gash in the tyre. FFS.

The tyre went flat so then I was housebound. FFS. 

We had our ultrasound when I was 9 weeks and 4 days pregnant, only to find out that thanks to my long cycle I was 8 weeks and 4 days pregnant. FFS.

Thankfully bub has a good strong heartbeat. Not FFS.

Once was saw the heartbeat hubby thought that meant he could start telling everyone. FFS.

I realised this and stopped him from telling everyone, cause I wanted a few more weeks to keep it to ourselves before we told the whole world. FFS.

Chai has become obsessed with my belly lately. FFS.

He's constantly patting it. And by patting, I mean slapping it as hard as he can, or biting it. The last time he bit it he drew blood. FFS.

I'm in quandry as to what to do about an obstetrician. I have a great ob here who I'd be happy to see again, however we are moving down south and I don't want to have half my care up here and half down there, because I want to be comfortable with the person who's going to spend an hour staring at my girl bits. FFS.

I've spoken to my GP and he said that he'll look after me until we move or until I'm 20 weeks pregnant and then I need to be seeing the obstetrician. Thankfully I have found an obstetrician down south. Not FFS.

Tuesday Chai learned how to unscrew lids off jars. FFS.

As with any new skill, he decided to practice it as often as he could. FFS.

He demonstrated this to me by taking the lid off the air freshener whilst I was in the shower and pouring it all over himself, the floor, the toilet etc. FFS.

Hubby had been in the lounge room at the time, so he cleaned him up. Not FFS.

A few minutes later I was doing my hair (hubby was back in the lounge room) when Chai comes into the bathroom with a brand new bottle of dark green glitter nail polish. FFS.

It was all over his face, hands and legs. FFS.

It was also all over me, the carpet, the wall and my bathroom. FFS.

I was wearing a new skirt for the first time, it got covered in nail polish. FFS.

Chai managed to empty the whole bottle of nail polish. I hadn't even used it. Now I can't find that colour at Target. FFS.

The new company that hubby (who from now on shall be known as Tiger) is going to be working for are absolutely hopeless. FFS.

They sent him an offer of employment last Thursday and said that once they'd received the signed copy back he would get an email and be flying out on Wednesday. We emailed back the signed offer on Thursday and when we hadn't heard anything on Tuesday he rang them. As usual, he got voicemail. FFS.

Just to be sure, we resent the email and faxed a copy of the offer of employment through. We still heard nothing. FFS.

At 1.30pm hubby called back and managed to get hold of someone who promised that she would get someone to return hubby's phone call. Five minutes later the girl he's been dealing with called and said that she was at lunch but she "should have called him". FFS.

She told him that she isn't sure when he'll be flying out but it probably won't be until next week. FFS.

All she has to do is make one phone call to find out when the next induction is and then she'll know when he's flying out. Clearly that is too difficult for her. FFS.

If we'd known hubby wasn't flying out this week we would have stayed down south longer and seen my obstetrician. FFS.

Yesterday we still hadn't heard when Tiger was going to fly out so we went into the office to find out. Chai was asleep in the car so I sat in the car with him. Hubby was in the office for over an hour. FFS.

There is now a new person dealing with Tiger and by the the afternoon she'd sorted everything out, emailed us flight details etc. Not FFS.

Last week I witnessed a spectacular display of bad customer service. FFS.

We were at The Coffee Club at Karrinyup (where I have only ever received wonderful customer service). They were really busy so we'd stood around for about 10 minutes waiting for a table. FFS.

We finally got a table, decided what we wanted and Tiger was standing in line waiting to order whilst Chai and I sat at the table. One of the staff came over with two customers behind her, put their food and drinks down on our table and asked me if we'd ordered yet. I told her that we hadn't and she told me that the people with her needed a seat. I told her that my husband was waiting to order and gave her my F@#$ off look. FFS.

She then went to the table behind me where there were three adults and two children sitting. Meanwhile the couple looked like they were about to sit down at my table so I gave them the F@#$ off look too. FFS.

She asked the people at the table if they had finished, they told her they'd finished their food but hadn't finished their drinks. She kicked them off the table, handed their drinks to them and made them stand up! FFS.

Meanwhile the people at the table next to me had finished, their table had been cleared and they were just sitting there chatting. The poor people who got kicked off their table were really annoyed (especially as the girl had been quite rude in the way she spoke to them and me) and said that they'd never be going back there. Can't blame them. FFS.

I have no idea why you'd order food before you found a table. It's just common sense, you get a table before you order or you get takeaway. FFS.

Tuesday Tiger, Chai and I were out shopping. We stopped to get some food. When the food arrived Tiger ignored his food and started putting salt all over my chips. FFS.

A huge pile of salt poured out, he expressed surprise at how much salt had come out and then continued pouring salt all over my food. FFS. 

Before I had the chance to touch my meal, hubby started eating my chips! FFS.

By a superhuman effort of restraint I managed to keep my mouth shut. FFS.

We now have a rule that he doesn't put salt on my food and doesn't touch it until I've finished. FFS.

He knows that unless you have a death wish you do not come between a pregnant woman and her food. FFS.

Having Tiger at home has been really nice in some ways and really unpleasant in other ways. FFS.

Wednesday morning I heard strange noises coming from Chai's bedroom. I asked Tiger what he was doing and he said he was "measuring a few things". I knew it wasn't going to end well. FFS.

Without consulting me he decided to rearrange Chai's bedroom. He cleverly put the large chest of drawers right next to the cot so that Chai will be able to use it to climb out of the cot. FFS.

As if that wasn't bad enough he put the change table in front of the window so I can't reach the cord to close the blinds and I can't reach to close the curtain. FFS.

The furniture is too heavy for me to move so I can't change the room back to the way it was. FFS.

Wednesday we got a call from Bankwest telling us our mortgage was in arrears. FFS.

We'd asked if we could suspend our payments over christmas which they had organised and assured us that we would not go into arrears as our repayments were ahead. FFS.

They miscalculated something, causing our loan to go into arrears. FFS.

Now we are $1000 behind through no fault of our own. Bastards. FFS.

Wow, what an epic whinge. Is anyone still with me? If you are, congratulations. Have a wonderful weekend!

*A note about hubby being surprised that I was pregnant. I have no idea why he was surprised, we had agreed that we were trying for a baby and were deliberately having 'special cuddles' when I was ovulating, so his surprise surprised me!
Dear Baby G