Tuesday 30 June 2015

Thoughts of the month

1. I'm obsessed with Ed Sheeran's new song Photograph. It's been on repeat for the whole month. The boys love watching the video clip, they call it the baby song.

2. Speaking of Ed Sheeran, this is awesome.

3. I got onto the matcha bandwagon a few months ago. Last week I tried making a matcha latte, it was awful. Green tea and milk do not go well together. Gross.

4. I made my own almond milk. It tastes so much better than the store bought stuff and it's so easy.

5. You all need to read this article.

6. After I learned about the whole Ellie Goulding/Ed Sheeran thing, I no longer like Ellie Goulding.

7. Charlotte Tilbury now ships to Australia. This could prove to be very expensive.

8. I've decided I'm going to marry Ed Sheeran. I just have to break the news to hubby and Ed first. No problem.

9. If you like colouring in, you'll love this.  

10. End of financial year, yay!

Friday 26 June 2015

FFS Friday - Contagious

It's so difficult to find a good Dr that the whole family likes. FFS.

We had a good Dr last year but she left to further her studies. FFS.

We recently found another good Dr who we all like and now he's left too. FFS.

As far as I can see he hasn't started practicing elsewhere so we are on the hunt for a Dr again. FFS.

Chai is sick at the moment so we took him to a new Dr on Wednesday. She was awful, really condescending to Tiger and I and rude to Chai. FFS.

Won't be seeing her again. 

We'd just got in there and Chai stood up on the chair so he could climb over to sit on my knee. She said to him in a really sharp, rude voice "Don't do that!" FFS.

She could have said the same thing in a kind tone and it wouldn't have been a problem. FFS.

Then she went on to tell me that I should feed the kids a healthy diet that included a large amount and variety of fruits, vegetables and meat. I should have kept my mouth shut but I foolishly told her that the boys don't like meat. FFS.

Clearly she doesn't have kids because she shared this gem with me. "Try hiding the meat in other foods." WTF? How do you hide meat? FFS.

Her examples were pizza, spag bol and lasagne. FFS.

The meat isn't hidden in any of those dishes, it's clearly visible! FFS.

Again, I foolishly told her I've tried all those things and Chai picks the meat out. Frankly I don't blame him, I don't like meat either. Anyhow, she then went on to tell me that the most important thing is to keep offering him meat. FFS.

I have no idea WTF she thought I needed dietary advice. Chai is healthy, he rarely sees the Dr and we were there for his cough not to discuss his diet. FFS.

Plus, meat is not an essential part of any diet, there are plenty of healthy vegetarians. 

Once she felt like I was sufficiently educated on how to feed my child she got round to discussing what we were there for. 

I asked if Chai is contagious and she said that he is. FFS.

Then I asked if he'd still be contagious on Friday. Instead of answering me she asked why I wanted to know, so I told her that he has his first school disco on Friday and I'd really like him to go. Big mistake. FFS.

She launched into the whole "Well what you need to do is just imagine how you would feel if someone else's child was contagious and they bought him to the school disco." To which I replied "So he will be contagious?" FFS.

If I really didn't care about infecting other kids I wouldn't have asked would I? I asked because I'm not going to take him if he's contagious. FFS.

But it gets better. FFS.

She then told us that he'll be contagious for at least a week and we should "quarantine" ourselves and stay home for the next week. FFS.

The best part is that he's not even sick, he just has a cough. FFS.

He doesn't have a fever, runny nose, sore throat, swollen glands, headache or any other cold/flu symptoms. He just has a cough. FFS.

I'm pretty sure he isn't contagious. FFS.

I'm also pretty sure that she misdiagnosed him. FFS.

The reason I say that is because she said that the terrible night coughing would stop after two lots of steroids. He's had two lots of steroids and there is no change in his cough at all. FFS.

The hunt for a good Dr continues. FFS.

Monday 22 June 2015

Sugar Venom Carys Lip Gloss

Why yes it has - in the form of a package from Sugar Venom
A few months ago I was browsing Instagram when I came across Sugar Venom Cosmetics. They're an Australian company who produce vegan, cruelty free products. Naturally, I couldn't resist purchasing a few things. I got the Fairy Gloss in Carys ($24.95) and strawberry lip balm ($9.95). 

They arrived quickly in a very cool looking package along with a lollipop. I somehow managed to save the lollipop from the boys too, bonus!


If you're after the abbreviated version, I'm in love with Carys! It is a gorgeous, mlbb mauve/pink shade. The colour is opaque so I usually wear it alone, however it does look good over lipstick if that's your thing.


The texture is lovely, creamy and hydrating with no stickiness. There's no flavour but a soft orange scent that is undetectable after application. On my lips Carys feels more like a balm than a gloss. I really like the tube too, it's larger than the usual gloss tubes and so feels sturdy in my hand. I know that is a strange thing to say, but the packaging makes it feel nice to use. I get about three hours wear before I need to reapply, which is pretty decent for a gloss.

If you're in the market for a gorgeous vegan gloss, get your hands on a few of these. Sugar Venom also do lipstick palettes that contain five lipsticks for only $39.90 and eye shadows for $12.50.

As you can see in the photo below, on me Carys is a very natural pink. For someone with less pigmented lips it'd be a beautiful everyday mauve.


Ingredients: castor seed oil, hydrogenated polyisobutene, mica, jojoba seed oil, candelilla wx, cetyl alcohol, orange peel oil, tocopherol. 
May contain: titanium dioxide, iron oxides, pigment voilet, tin oxide, calcium aluminium borosilicate, silica. 

Sunday 21 June 2015

Priceline Skincare Gift Bag


Run, don't walk, to your nearest Priceline store and get your hands on their skincare gift bag. This is their best gift bag ever! All you need to do is spend $69 on selected brands to receive the gift bag.

 
As you can see in the photo above, the gift bag has a whole pile of amazing goodies. It also comes with vouchers for a full sized Innoxa cleanser or scrub, Garnier Miracle Skin Cream, Model Co Cleanser and Physiogel Calming Relief Cream.

 The bag is lovely, I plan to use it as a nappy bag.
These are the products that I bought to qualify for the gift bag. I'd planned on stocking up on Sukin products but they were all out of stock. Quite a few of the things I'd planned on buying were out of stock.

My local store only had a few bags left, so if you want to get the gift bag run to Priceline now!

Saturday 20 June 2015

Saturday Skincare - Maskd


I'm really lazy when it comes to face masks. I have a pile of them that rarely get used, I just don't make the time. I'm trying to get into the habit of using a face mask first thing in the morning, that way I can put it on, get the boys breakfast then wash it off in the shower.

One of my favourite masks at the moment is Maskd. The tingle takes a bit of getting used to, but I've found that with regular use I barely get any tingle at all now. Since I've been using Maskd regularly (at least twice a week) I'm noticing positive differences in my skin condition. My skin feels softer and looks more radiant.

Between my Skinstitut skin care and Maskd, my skin has never looked better.

You can read my full review (and see a funny face mask photo) here.

*Maskd was provided for review.

Friday 19 June 2015

FFS Friday - Backpeddling

Oh my goodness. As if the phone calls for Pamela and Brian Mullins weren't enough, I'm now getting phone calls for Kellie. FFS.

At least twice a week. FFS.

WTF is with people giving out my phone number? FFS.

Sofaking annoying! FFS.

I'm getting a call for Pam Mullins every night. It's at 6.30pm from overseas. FFS.

So far I've been nice and either not answered or told them they have the wrong number. From now on I'm going to pretend to be her so they spend lots of money on the phone call. Should be fun. Not FFS.

It's hayfever season. FFS.

Neither the natural or traditional medicine are helping. FFS.

I've gone through a whole box of tissues this week. FFS.

This swing has been terrible. FFS.

Chai has been in permanent beast mode. FFS.

Eljay has decided sleep is for wimps. FFS.

They've been getting up to all sorts of mischief like: turning off the deep freezer and bar fridge (which I didn't discover for a whole day), pulling things out of the shelves in the shed, finding a blade in the garage and slicing his finger open (Chai), getting gastro in the middle of the night and waking me up by spewing all over me (Chai), getting a blood nose during his daytime nap and ending up with a blood covered head (you can imagine the fright I got when I went in to get Eljay out of bed and found him covered in blood), face planting onto the concrete a few days before we were scheduled to have family photo's taken and getting a bruised forehead, nose and chin (Eljay) etc. FFS.

Tiger has no idea what solo parenting is like. FFS.

Whilst he was away he agreed to start working towards stopping FIFO, but now that he's home he's back peddling. FFS.  

Not happy!!!!!
 

Wednesday 17 June 2015

Makeup brushes for sensitive skin

I'm sure I'm not the only one with sensitive skin who has to be careful what make-up brushes they use. If I use the wrong brush my skin gets very itchy and irritated, sometimes I even get red welts on my face. It's not pretty. Brushes made of animal hair (gross!) are the worst but a lot of synthetic ones irritate me too. 

Surprisingly, the brushes that don't irritate me are all cheapies, bonus!

The brands I can always rely on are:
Models Prefer, Nude by Nature, Real Techniques, Crush Cosmetics, Eco Tools, Everyday Minerals and elf. 
I can use Manicare eye brushes but not the face brushes which is rather strange. For me MAC is hit and miss. I have a MAC duo fiber brush and it's fine however a got a limited edition kabuki brush that irritated me worse than any brush I've used. 

Brushes shown: 
Eco Tools Correcting Concealer and Skin Perfecting.
Real Techniques Foundation and Expert Face
Everyday Minerals Eye Kabuki
Crush Cosmetics Tapered Kabuki
elf Flawless Concealer
Models Prefer Contour and Airbrush Buffing.
The Nude by Nature brushes don't have names.

If you have sensitive skin, what brushes do you use?

Monday 15 June 2015

The Dr approved perfect pink lipstick

I have a great Dr. He's one of those adorable, nerdy guys that are really awkward and sweet. He's great with the boys, great with Tiger and I and always has time to have a chat. The last time I visited him I was feeling terrible, the boys were sick, Tiger was away and I was exhausted. In an attempt to cheer me up he told me that he loved my lipstick and it was "the perfect pink". Hah, what a sweetheart.

The lipstick in question was Maybelline Superstay 14 hour lipstick Perpetual Peony. I have to agree with my Dr, it really is the perfect pink and is one of my most worn lipsticks. 


For a long lasting lipstick I find this to be very comfortable. It doesn't drag on my lips and isn't drying. The formula feels comfortable to wear although it's a little bit sticky, but not enough to bother me. I assume the slight tackiness is what helps it to wear so well. 

Maybelline claim that it lasts 14 hours, this is definitely not the case. I get about half a days wear before I need to reapply, less if I'm eating or drinking. The finish isn't completely matte, it has a slight sheen to it and will transfer on to cups etc.

If you are after a cheap long lasting lipstick the Maybelline Superstay lipsticks are worth checking out.



I've been practicing my stunned mullet face

Saturday 13 June 2015

Saturday Skincare - Skinstitut



A few months ago I was sent some Skinstitut products to review. It was great timing as I'd just run out of my serum and moisturiser so I got straight into them.

I've been using the Eye Believe eye cream, Even Blend serum, Vitamin C powder and Moisture Defence moisturiser. As usual with anti-aging products, I wasn't sure if they'd irritate me or not but the only time they did was when winter and hayfever season started at the same time. Frankly, when that happens everything irritates me, so my skin is to blame, not the products.  
 
Since I've been using these products my skin just glows. It took about three weeks before I noticed changes. Even better, my dark spots are also fading. I've got one on the side of my face that I hate, it's about the size of a pea and it really bugs me. A few days ago I was very surprised when I noticed that it's barely visible now! I'm so pleased! 

I haven't been using Eye Believe long enough to notice any changes yet, so I'll report back on it in a few months. Moisture Defence is a lovely day cream that's very hydrating without being greasy. It'd be great all year round, I was using it when the weather was warmer with no issues and it performs equally as well now that winter has set in and my skin is super dry.

Whilst I'm happy with all the products the two stand out products are Even Blend serum and the Vitamin C powder. Even Blend serum is a light serum that absorbs immediately. I don't find it hydrating, it's a treatment so I've added it as an extra product in my routine. 

See look how glowy I am! This photo was taken in natural light, I haven't edited it or used any filters. The only base I have on is a light layer of BB cream, with no powder. (Lipstick is Shanghai Suzy Miss Tanielle. I'm still on the fence about it, not sure if I like it or not, what do you think? I'm wondering if it's a bit too brown for me?)

The Vitamin C powder is genius. I just shake a little bit on my hand, mix it in with my moisturiser and I'm done. I was worried that I'd find the Vitamin C irritating but I haven't and that's with twice daily use. Even Blend serum and Vitamin C powder have done wonders for my skin and I'm excited to see how my skin is going to look after I've been using them for a few more months.

Skinstitut is an Australian company, products are available exclusively through salons and all products are only $45 each!

You can check for stockists in your area here

Friday 12 June 2015

FFS Friday - Done done done done done done we are done

My poor Chai is not coping at all with Tiger doing FIFO. It's getting worse and worse every time Tiger goes away. FFS.

This swing has been particularly bad. FFS.

Chai has done a lot of complaining and tantrum throwing. FFS.

I've done a lot of yelling. FFS.

The poor little tyke is miserable. FFS.

He's upset and complaining about everything. FFS.

Going out is a huge trauma, we go through at least four different pairs of socks and shoes. FFS.

His socks are too tight and his shoes are biting him. FFS.

Tuesday he was complaining about everything he could. FFS.

He complained that his dinner wasn't ready. FFS.

He complained it was too hot. FFS.

Then it was too cold. FFS.

And so it went. FFS

Later that day he complained that his hands were wet. FFS.

He was in the bath. FFS.

I couldn't help laughing. 

He'd been in the bath for ten minutes so I'm not sure why it suddenly became an issue. FFS.

Even Chai's kindy teachers have noticed. FFS.

Wednesday was horrible. FFS.

He got really upset about going to kindy, I haven't seen him that upset for a long time. FFS.

Nothing I did calmed him down. FFS.

I took him to kindy and the teachers were amazing. They calmed him down and he was happy to stay. Not FFS.

That night I told Tiger that FIFO has to end. Not FFS.

I don't know what we're going to do but we will not continue to be a FIFO family. Not FFS.

I've had enough of seeing my babies miserable. FFS.

Even Eljay gets sad. FFS.

The first few days after Tiger leaves he walks around the house calling him and searches every room trying to find him. FFS.

He asks for Daddy over and over again then gets really upset when I tell him Daddy is at work. FFS.

We keep telling ourselves that we're lucky Tiger only works half of the year but the flip side of that is he's away for half the year. Half the year I'm a single parent and the children have no father. That sucks. FFS.

We are done. Not FFS.

Done done done. 

It's a relief. 

We've agreed that we'll start working towards finding a solution. That may mean we move and I'm okay with that, as long as my babies are happy. It's all about our babies. They are the most important factor. We'll find a solution so that Tiger comes home every night and we can all be together. Not FFS. 

Wednesday 10 June 2015

Incoming

It's come to my attention that there has been a distinct lack of haul posts around here. Since haul posts are one of my favourite posts to read (they satisfy the sticky beak in me), it's high time I started posting my purchases.
Kmart is doing so well on the accessory front at the moment. I got this gorgeous headband for only $5. They've also got a whole new range of elf products so I picked up a cream blush. The Body Polishes are finally back in stock so I grabbed two before they all sell out again. 
I can never walk out of Priceline empty handed. On my latest visit I got the Models Prefer Finishing Powder, Contour Collection in light, Avene Cleanance Gel (Natalie's fault), Face of Australia nail polish and Models Prefer contour brush.


I've been wanting the Rodial Glam Balm Multi for a while now and was going to buy it, but then I saw that for the same price ($49.95) I could get this set which contained a mini Glam Balm Multi, so I got it instead. I haven't used it yet but will report back once I do.


Monday 8 June 2015

May favourites



Models Prefer Airbrush Concealer Brush - My love for Models Prefer brushes knows no bounds, they're great quality brushes at a bargain price. 
In the past I've always used a dense, flat brush to apply concealer so when I saw this brush I was intrigued and bought it. I figured if it wasn't great for concealer it'd make a good eye shadow brush. Colour me surprised, it's brilliant for applying concealer. I've always thought that fingers are best for applying under eye concealer but I'm now a convert. I get a great finish that I can't achieve with my fingers or a flat concealer brush. The larger brush is somehow able to pack on lots of concealer without it looking cakey.

Bobbi Brown Corrector - I know I talk about this all the time but it truly is amazing. If I could only have one concealer for the rest of my life this would be it. Those of you who have dark circles need this in your life. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes eye shadow stick Trespassing Taupe  - I'm surprised there hasn't been more hype about these as they're brilliant quality, I find them to be equally as good as the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks and a lot cheaper. Trespassing Taupe is a great every day colour. I wear it alone as a wash of colour however it also works well as a base under other shadows. Most days I don't get any creasing at all, however in humid weather there is minimal creasing.

Benefit Fakeup - Another concealer! I know I said I'd happily use Bobbi Brown Corrector exclusively, but since I don't have to, I'm also loving Fakeup. It covers my extremely dark circles easily, doesn't sink into fine lines and can be layered without looking cakey.
   
Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Liner Mauve Moment -  My obsession with lip liners continues. So far Mauve Moment is my favourite. It's the perfect mlbb shade so works well under most lipsticks. I love this one because it's creamy, doesn't drag on my lips and it feels hydrating. It's become clear that I need more of these in my life.

Art Deco Mineral Eye Styler 62 -  To the distress of my bank account, my local chemist has recently started stocking Art Deco. The products are surprisingly reasonable and the range is huge. Never fear, I am steadily working my way through it.
One of the first products I purchased was the Mineral Eye Styler in shade 62. It's a light taupe colour that makes a great liner for my lower lash line. (Chai is obsessed with bottoms at the moment. I was going to write bottom lash line but it made me picture myself using eye liner on my bottom, hehehe).
Ponds Flawless White BB - This was love at first application. I've been using it about three weeks so I can't comment on the flawless white part, however the coverage is great, it gives me bright, healthy looking skin. Light is the perfect match for my skintone too which is a bonus. 

Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase - Well that's a mouth full isn't it? Surely they could have come up with a shorter name. Nevertheless, dry skinned people, you need this. I use Intensive Serum along with facial oil and a heavy duty moisturiser in winter to keep my skin feeling soft and hydrated. Skip it an my skin feels dry and tight. This is holy grail material for me. You can read my full review here.

Biyani Organics Rosehip and Raspberry Face Serum and Biyani Organics Frankincense and Jasmine Hydrating Face Cream - Another winner from the Natural Supply Co. Both products smells wonderful and they nursed my allergic, sensitive hayfever skin back to health in a few weeks.

Skinstitut Moisture Defense moisturiser - I was sent a few Skinstitut products to review recently and they are all winners. I'll be doing a review on them very soon. Whilst I love them all, the moisturiser gets a mention in my favourites due to the sudden weather shift. It went from warm to cold overnight and my skin was not happy about it. Thankfully I have my Moisture Defense on hand to keep my skin hydrated and happy. This is a great moisturiser for people with dry skin, it's very hydrating and stops that horrible tight, itchy feeling. 

The Body Shop Strawberry body butter - Strawberries, need I say more? Yes? Okay. I'd always thought the body butters where all heavy duty, however I've recently (Yes, I know I'm slow on the uptake) realised that they have different versions. Some are for dry skin, some normal skin etc. The strawberry butter absorbs quickly and smells beautiful. I don't like using heavy moisturisers before I get dressed in the morning, but this absorbs quickly enough that I'm able to get dressed a few minutes after application. 

Saturday 6 June 2015

Saturday Skincare - An intro

I don't talk about skin care very often however thanks to Skincare Saturdays that's about to change. The reason I haven't spoken about skincare much in the past is because I'm lazy. Skincare is a very individual thing, a product one person loves another will hate and I couldn't be bothered writing a detailed explanation of my skin type on every post. I still can't. What I will do is explain my skin type in this post so that people can refer back to it. Clever me.

I'm 41. My skin is combination normal to dry with fine lines, dark under eye circles and dark spots. It can be sensitive at times, especially during hayfever season. I'm allergic to a lot of products with SPF in them, I can't wear any sunscreen on my lips and the majority of facial sunscreens either give me a rash, sting or make my skin red and irritated after a few uses. I find a lot of anti-ageing products too harsh for my skin, I'll use them once or twice then they'll irritate and burn and I won't be able to use them again. 

As far as cleansers go I don't like foaming cleansers, they're too stripping for my skin. I like cream, oil and balm cleansers. 

I'd love to find a pile of products that work really well for me and then stick to them. I've found a few, but I need more. 

Now that I've explained my skin type I'll start posting about products that did and didn't work for me.

If there's anything I've missed that you'd like to know, please ask!     

Friday 5 June 2015

FFS Friday - Scammed

Helloooooo Friday! Or Friyay as some people call it. For those of you over east it's a long weekend too, bonus!

I don't have anything interesting to whinge about this week, just the usual not getting any sleep zombie mummy stuff, so instead I'm going to talk about scammers and marketing/fund raiser phone calls. We get a lot of them. FFS.

I've always had a silent number, I'm antisocial and don't want people calling me. When we moved into this house we got the home phone connected and Tiger forgot to make it a silent number. FFS. We were getting so many marketing calls it was driving me crazy. FFS. He changed it to a silent number but by then it was too late. FFS.

One night we had a scammer on the phone trying to get access to our computer. I love those calls. Provided I'm in the right mood we have an absolute ball with them. I'm told that because they are international calls they're expensive, so I try to keep the scammer on the phone for as long as possible. Not FFS.

So this night the scammer called and did the old "your computer is sending out viruses" scam. I played along and kept him on the phone for half an hour until he got exasperated with my total ignorance when it came to computers (I didn't even have the computer switched on and was just making up random answers to his questions). He asked to speak to someone who knew how to operate the computer, so I put Tiger on. Not FFS.

Tiger had him going for about twenty minutes until he finally figured out that we were stringing him along. At that point he got really angry and started abusing Tiger who yelled at him for being a scammer and then hung up. Hahaha.

After that we got a prank call every night at the same time. FFS. This went on for months. FFS. After three months of nightly prank calls we changed our number. FFS. 

This time we were unlucky. FFS. We got the phone number of Pamela and Brian Mullins. FFS. 

They apparently have given their number to everyone in the whole world. FFS. 

I know this because I get at least two marketing calls a day for them. FFS.

I'm also getting the scammers calling for them too. FFS.

Whilst they can be amusing it's irritating getting them every day. FFS.

Last night I told the scammer that I didn't have an email address so he said they'd create one for me (cause that's not suspicious). FFS.

When I told him I didn't have internet access at all he was amazed and couldn't get off the phone fast enough. Hahaha. Not FFS.

It's got to the point where I don't bother answering the home phone because the call is never for me, it's always for the Mullins. FFS.

Sofa king annoying. FFS.

That's my whinge for the week. And yes, I know it's late. 

Wednesday 3 June 2015

May Empties

When I was looking at my empties pile I thought I'd done really well this month but then I realised most of them were tosses. Oh well. At least they are products I've cleared out. 

I gave a whole lot of unloved products to the women's shelter a few weeks ago, it was a great feeling. My collection is lighter and everything went to people who will really appreciate it. I like to think that I might have bought a smile to the face of someone who's struggling and that using the products I donated brings them a little bit of luxury. Going through I quite ruthlessbut there's still room for more clearing out so I'll have another go in a few weeks so I can give more to the refuge. 

Now for the empties.

James Brown Intensive Moisture Mask - I've had this for years. It came free with a magazine and it sat unloved in my collection for ages. It was a really nice product that did the job. I would purchase it again.

Beauty Essential Round Cotton Pads - They did the job, what else is there to say?

L'oreal Revitalift Laser x3 Day - I've had a tub of this and liked it, it's one that I'd consider purchasing again. 

Natio Spa Pep Up Body Wash - Love it! Zingy morning shower goodness.

The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Creamy Body Wash -I liked this but didn't love it. In the end the boys used it to make the floor slippery so they could slide around whilst they were in the shower.

 
Korres Fig shower gel - Smells amazing!

Priori Invigorating face and body scrub - I'm not sure about invigorating but it was a nice scrub.
Clinique Liquid Facial Soap mild - This is great for removing my makeup, it was gentle on my skin and didn't sting my eyes. If I wasn't so in love with oil and balm cleansers I'd buy this.

Models Prefer BB Luxurious Youth Boost -  There was no youth boost but this is a nice BB. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. It did what it was supposed to do. If it was on sale I'd buy it again.

Swisse hand cream - All the Swisse skin care products I've used have smelled beautiful and the hand cream is no exception. It worked well and I'll buy it again one day.

Little Innoscents Winter Blues vapour balm - I have one word, AMAZING! I can't just leave it there though. This is a natural, gentle version of Vicks. It works just as well as Vicks without the stinging and irritation. It's gentle enough to use on babies. I mainly used this on the boys, however it worked just as well for Tiger and I. It's one of the products that we always have on hand.

Grown Alchemist Regenerating night cream -  I need this now! It smells lovely and made my skin feel wonderfully soft.
My destash continues. Here's a pile of old, unloved products. 

Clinique DDML+ gets a special mention because it broke me out badly. It's extremely rare for a product to break me out, which is why this gets a special mention. I had so many pimples when I was using this and they all went away a few days after I stopped. It was the only part of my routine that I'd changed so it must be the culprit.

Monday 1 June 2015

May lip favourites

I was working on my May favourites post and there were so many lip products that I decided they needed their own post. No idea why I haven't done this before as I love reading posts about lip products, they're always the first ones I click on when I'm scrolling through Bloglovin.

Lip Freak Bubble Trouble lip balm - This is by far the strangest lip balm I've ever used. It makes your lips buzz. For a long time (about half an hour). It truly is the weirdest sensation. I don't really know what the purpose is but as it's so unique I had to mention it. 

Lanolips Banana Balm - An oldie but a goodie. My only gripe with banana balm is that it doesn't have any flavour. I don't understand why companies make products that are fragranced but not flavoured. Banana balm smells like banana lollies, is super hydrating and has a lovely glossy finish. What's not to love?

Milk Coconut Kiss Lip Moisturiser - This is a fairly new release that flew under the radar. I'm not sure if it's available in stores, I haven't seen it anywhere yet. I can see this being my holy grail winter balm. It smells gorgeous, keeps my lips soft and doesn't get really hard in the cold weather. In the warmer weather I find it to be too thin/runny, but for winter it's perfect. 

Crabtree and Evelyn Honey Lip Salve - I'm totally in love with my honey lip salve, I've been using it almost exclusively since I got it. This is like a lip butter in stick form. It has a lovely flavour and is extremely hydrating. Last week my lips were so dry that they felt tight and uncomfortable but one application of Honey Lip Salve and they discomfort was gone. 

Carmex Jasmine Green Tea Moisturising Lip Balm - A new release for May and one that I had trouble finding (I had to ask the chemist to order it for me). It was worth the wait because it smells heavenly. If you like jasmine green tea and Carmex, you need this.

Yard Le Jardin Bloss - It's purple and it smells like chocolate!

Clarins Joli Baume - Mention a lip balm that smells like apricots and adapts to the tint of your lips and I'm there. If it's from Clarins, even better! As I'd expect from Clarins, this is a gorgeous balm. On me the tint is barely noticeable, it's just enough to give my lips a bit of extra colour. The only negative is that the package is cardboard so gets beaten up easily. For the price ($26), a plastic case would have been nicer.

Trilogy Holiday Lip Balm - This was originally released for Christmas and I couldn't find it anywhere, so when I found it at my chemist I jumped on it. It comes in a set with the Trilogy lip balm and a limited edition red tinted Holiday Lip balm. The holiday balm is beautiful, it smells like cinnamon and has a red tint to it. I hope they make it permanent.

Ladybug Jane Wacky Watermelon Lip Gloss - Whenever I place an iHerb order I always sneak in a lip balm or three. I have one of the Ladybug Jane lip balms and couldn't resist trying the lip gloss because it's a rollerball. Rollerball glosses take me back to my childhood and the first lip gloss I owned, a strawberry Maybelline one. I wish they'd bring them back. Anyhow, this is a lovely gloss. It's more like a balm than a gloss as it's hydrating and non sticky. I'll be adding a few more to my collection with my next iHerb order. 
If you haven't ordered from iHerb before you are missing out! Code YUF175 will get you a discount on your first order. 

Bite Beauty Suede BB For Lips - My latest love from Bite Beauty,they truly can do no wrong. BB for Lips is a beautiful tinted lip balm. It's a big call but I'd have to say this is the best tinted balm I've ever used (and I've used a lot!) I need more of these in my life. Suede looks like a deep red but on me it's anatural mlbb shade (I have quite pigmented lips). The colour is sheer but buildable and lasts a few hours before I need to reapply. 

What are your current favourite lip products?