Cuff love

Remember the shoes I posted about a while ago? They’re the ones I’m wearing to the wedding with my black dress. I’m not much of a matchy-matchy girl so I didn’t even bother looking for jewellery to match aqua patent leather. What would I look for? Where would I look?! Since I’m wearing a silver studded belt with a one-shouldered dress, I was on the hunt for a silver cuff but wanted something a bit out of the ordinary. After scouring jewellery sites and markets for a few weeks, I inadvertently stumbled on my new baby by accident in Sportsgirl. Isn’t that always the way? Good old Sportsgirl, so reliable.

It’s quite a cool cuff – the base is ball chain, and it closes with press studs. There is a mesh bow and then a big f%#^-off silver rose, which is tarnished to give that vintage feel. It also has other weird chunks of glass and enamels blobs on it, but the focus is all on the rose. You can probably see that from the picture though. It is, as they say, worth a thousand words.

Gold star Sportsgirl. Thanks for coming through with the goods for me!

Price: $39.95
From: Sportsgirl
Why you need it: For a real statement piece

As an aside, if I’m wearing a one shoulder dress, studded belt and chunky cuff, do I need earrings? Like, just some small studs? Thoughts, my friends. All advice appreciated.

Sweet and girly pink pout

I feel like every second conversation I have at the moment is about weddings, but that’s probably because I have 2 coming up in the next 2 weekends. Thankfully it’s two completely different groups of people, so I can wear the same outfit (relief!), but there has still been much time devoted to stewing over makeup, hair and jewellery. I’m on the downhill slide now and finally have all the puzzle pieces in place, so I’ll fill you in over the next few days.

I’m wearing a black dress, so decided to go for a bold, colourful lip. Red is too sexy-vampy and orange is too outrageous, so it’s all about the pink. I am tossing up between 3 shades of pink from the new L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Anti-Age Serum range, so maybe you guys can help me decide.

What I love about these lipsticks is how stupidly moisturising they are. They are actually designed for women over 40 because of their anti-age serum. Does that seem nuts to anyone else?! Anti-aging lipstick. Anyway, the lippie contains hyaluronic acid for hydrating and re-plumping, pro-xylane for cell structure (the same pro-x of the L’Oreal Genesis range/loads of other anti-aging ranges) and collagen for firmness and fullness. Work it baby, this thing is going to give you a pout like no other.

I am road testing three shades of pink: Satin Pink, which is a very pastel baby pink, Freshly Candy, which is a sweet musky pink and Radiant Rose, which is the darkest of the three and a bit more luscious. I have been rotating between the three of them for the last few weeks and I really can’t pick a favourite. Like a mother, I love all my children equally. What I also love is that they aren’t shiny and they aren’t matte. Miney? Sh...oh wait. Inappropriate.
What do you think? Girly and wedding-suitable?

Price: $24.95
From: Priceline, Myer
Why you need it: For a sweet girly pink pout (just like the header says...)

Try out dermalogica on the cheap

Pick up Girlfriend magazine for the Dermalogica Clean Start samples. As I said, it landed on my desk (Blake Lively cover), and they don't always do the tip on in all locations (supermarkets vs newsagents), so keep your eyes out.

Price: $5.95
From: Wherever you buy magazines
Why you need it: To get some salicylic acid onto your oily pimples

Jasmine what I need*

*Apologising for the terrible headline - I have been sick, so please don't hold it against me

I read a really interesting article on beautydirectory yesterday about certain scents being mood altering and triggering memories, transporting you back to places and times. I would absolutely 100% agree with this – whenever I walk past a guy wearing Calvin Klein Crave, I shudder a little thanks to an ex-boyfriend. Ditto a certain Lynx body spray (I don’t know the name, but I can recognise it at a hundred paces). On the flip side, Clinique Happy makes me, um, happy because it reminds me of four weeks in America and Mexico with my family (the citrus top notes are what do it), and Estee Lauder White Linen calms me down because it makes me think of my dear Grandmother. Fascinating how something that tickles the nose can also tickle the emotions.

Stepping away from perfume for a moment, there are many other things that trigger happy moods in my brain. The scent of baking chocolate cake. The scent of nail polish (don’t judge me). The scent of jasmine and gardenias, my two favourite perfumed flowers. It was like I was suddenly high on drugs when I opened my latest PRIMPED VIP parcel and encountered the new Jurlique Jasmine Hand Cream. Talk about good feelings in a tube! Yeah, it keeps skin soft and hydrated, and it’s all natural, but it’s really about the fragrance. Added bonus: it’s not greasy – there is nothing worse than greasy hand cream. But this hand cream is all about the jasmine fragrance.

The only thing I didn’t like, and this isn’t a criticism of Jurlique but of all brands, is that metallic tubes are a total bitch when you squeeze them the wrong way. One false pinch and you can’t stop the flow of cream. Messy.

Price: $27 40mL/ $55 125mL
From: Jurlique
On Counters: March 29th (Monday)
Why you need it: To lift your mood and keep your hands hydrated (you know your hands are a dead giveaway of your age – keep them in good nick).

Extra stuff you need to know: Jurlique, godluvem, have launched a recycle and reward program. Simply return old Jurlique packaging such as bottles or tubes and you get a 10% discount off replacement purchases. Give & Gift is a permanent addition to the Jurlique family and aims to raise awareness of responsible recycling. Gold star to Jurlique; bonza effort from such a proud Aussie brand.

Picture credit: Jurlique

Victoria's Secret in Sydney!

Whoa baby!! My Mama works at Sydney Airport and said that signage went up today announcing a Victoria's Secret store was opening soon. Could it be? My beloved VS and VS Pink right here in Sydney! Think how much I'll save on shipping!

If you hear anything, shoot me an email or leave a comment.*

*edit: now confirmed by Sassi Sam (Friday morning)

The bad news is, it's AFTER immigration i.e you can only get to it if you're going overseas. The good news (for me) is that my Mum works at the airport and has SACL clearance, so she can shop for me!

A Doctors certificate and a note from Mum

Sorry! Not much to report today. I have been sick for a little while and it has finally caught up with me, so please excuse me while I take leave. I can produce a Doctors certificate if you need me to.

I have loads to write about, but just no capacity to get the words onto paper. So while I can't deliver my usual witty repartee on all thngs beauty and lifestyle, I can instead give you a picture of a kitten.


Does that fill the void? Yeah, I thought so.

I'll try and be back tomorrow. Promise.

Picture credit: icanhazcheezburger.com, the masters of the kitteh universe

Grrr baby, very grrr

When the weather started to turn a few weeks ago, I got really excited and went a little nuts. New shoes, new pants, new cardigan, new scarf. And that was just in one day! Of course, when you buy new stuff, you want to wear it straight away (I’m fairly certain that’s a Universal Rule Of Shopping). I managed to get two wears out of my new scarf and then the Indian summer hit and I’m back to maxi dresses and sandals for work. Not that I’m complaining, because I absolutely adore the warmer weather, but I’m getting anxious here. I just have to keep reassuring myself that the cold will be here soon and then I’ll want it gone again.

Meanwhile, how crazy is this weather?! Floods and hail and 30 degrees...I don’t know whether to wear gumboots or thongs. Peace out to my Perth peeps in your time of muddy need.

I bought this supercute scarf from French Connection and it’s pretty much going to be my every day staple. I love the leopard print – it means it has personality and will be my statement piece, which kind of feels like a cop out because I more or less live in grey and black for winter. How could I not make a statement in a Leezy Leopard Scarf?! Grr baby.

Price: $39.95
From: French Connection
Why you need it: You’ll want to keep warm when autumn eventually decides to show up.

An orly good fairytale

Once upon a time, in a kingdom not so far away, there was a fair young maiden who adored nail polish. She was on the eternal quest for the ultimate grey/taupe/red/orange/pink, and spent her days wistfully fantasising about formulas and shades.

One day, she ventured down from her tower and out into marketplace. Lo and behold, she discovered a new brand called Orly had been brought into the kingdom. What delight! The range was extensive and the shine was more appealing than any of the suitors who had been asking for her hand. This called for a celebration. She exchanged gold coins for polishes from the Once Upon A Time collection and got to work on her talons. The creamy grey of Mirror Mirror on her fingers brought forth squeals of delight. “Such a great neutral!” she exclaimed, “The blue grey reminds me of the elegant doves eggs, up in their treetop nests”.

But what of the Happily Ever After? Every story needs a good ending. “A triumph in autumnal shade” the fair maiden declared, “I am channelling the turning leaves with warm burgundy tootsies!”

With that, the maiden skipped off into the forest, wearing the charm bracelet that came with her new purchases, and singing a happy tune. And she lived happily ever after, because her new polish had excellent staying power and hadn’t chipped in 5 days.

Price: $18.95
From: Chemists and salons – check their website
Why you need it: To live out your fantasies and get the happily ever after you deserve.

Thanks for the inspiration, LMFF!

Gutted LMFF is over for another year – I have been really enjoying seeing the pictures coming through and being inspired by the different makeup looks that genius Rae Morris has been creating for L’Oreal. I was quite taken by the simplicity of the Runway 5 for Cosmopolitan – it was a very clean and luminous look, with one focus (lips) and everything else muted. Of course, gold is going to be big again this winter, and the gold eyes were a nod to that. Honestly, I think gold is one of the only universally flattering colours for eyes, so this is good news for everyone (particularly if you like makeup, not so much if you have no eyes.)

The look was fresh and punchy: clean skin, luminous powder, golden cinnamon blush for a bit of a highlight, gold eyes and no mascara to keep it youthful. The highlight was Radiant Orange lips from the new Colour Riche Anti-Age Serum range. I have three pink lippies from this range which I have on high rotation at the moment – very soft and buttery with a lot of staying power. Will review soon, I promise.

I was so inspired by this look that I dug through my bag to see what I could find to recreate it. I used the gold eyeshadow from my Estee Lauder Signature Quad; the pigment wasn’t as dark, but it did the job. I also had a bright orange lippie lying around (as you do) – it’s from SLA and the colour number is 20146, but it doesn’t have a name on the tube. I’m fairly sure it’s hot orange though.

Hair is textured and tousled, then pulled into a deep side pony across the face. Probably not overly practical for work (I wear glasses, so this style might get in the way), but you could easily adapt it for functionality. I used kms California AddVolume Body Build Detangler to add body (smells like eucalyptus and cinnamon – v. yum) and then Hairplay Sea Salt Spray for extra tousellage.

Is this a look you would try? Is tousellage a word? How do you feel about orange lips? I was always afraid of them, but they actually aren’t that scary (unless they are attached to Aunty Doris and leave a big smudge on your cheek.)

SLA lipstick
Price: $39.50
From: Encore Beauty, or the SLA store in Balmain

Estee Lauder eyeshadow (part of a quad)
Price: $70
From: Estee Lauder counters (if that colour has gone, they have other golds in their range)

kms California hair bits
Price: Hairplay Sea Salt Spray $36.95; AddVolume Body Build Detangler $28.50
From: This is a salon brand, although I have seen a limited range popping up in Coles

Picture credit: L'Oreal

Some Friday pomegranate pampering

Happy Friday! How do you feel about a bit of pampering for the weekend? Excellent, I thought you would say that. I completely agree. And yes, I would love a glass of wine, thanks.

I have found a divine body balm that not only smells good and feels good, but the packaging looks good. I find that’s a really important factor when buying a body balm or body butter, because it adds a little touch of glam when it’s sitting on the bedside table (or is it just me that reads too many homes magazines and likes to fantasize about bedside tables full of candles, body balms and fresh flowers.)

Urban Rituelle Pomegranate Body Balm is a deliciously heady mix of sweet and tangy. The cream is silky and glossy, so it glides on like a dream, and it smells so divine that you’ll want to lick your arm. And I don’t care if that sounds creepy. It has all the hallmarks of a quality body balm: jojoba oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, antioxidants and aloe vera. High five, Urban Rituelle. I know I’ll be having a bath with my Pomegranate soap and then loading on the moisturiser with a glass of wine tonight. Cheers!

Price: $29.95
From: Urban Rituelle. They have their own retail store in Caringbah, otherwise they are stocked in loads of gift and homewares stores – check their website
Why you need it: Smooth, tasty skin

Picture credit: Urban Rituelle

Citrus special!

I have been looking at the pictures as they come through from LMFF in Melbourne (that’s L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, for the uninitiated) and the makeup looks created by Rae Morris, creative director extraordinaire, are simply sublime.

As I was flicking through the Runway 2 snaps, my train of thought was something like ‘very cool quiff thing, I wonder how I would look with that...not practical for going to the gym, is it?...Angelina eyeliner, I’m trying that this weekend by using sticky tape for the neat line...do I even have any sticky tape?...great nude lip, I wish I could find a nude lippie that made my lips look like that...holy heck! Check that neon eye!!! Want! Need!'

After my initial glee, I remembered I had some neon orange eyeshadow and eyeliner stashed in my room. Not sure why, but then why do I buy anything? Perhaps I was just really ahead of trend without knowing it. Yeah, that’s probably it.

If you want to try this look out on the cheap, head to Kmart and hit up BYS. For the price of your morning coffee, you can give the fluoro orange eye a whirl. If you’re referencing the L’Oreal look, simply go for a horizontal stripe across the eye (note: I added water for a wet shadow and brighter colour). I did mine with a hard liner brush to get the sharp, rectangular edges.
Am I wearing it at work? No. Will I wear it on the weekend? Potentially. Can I show you a photo? Well, no. My camera is being moody. Just pretend I look like the model, but without blonde hair and way hotter, obviously.

Price: BYS Individual eyeshadow $2.95
From: Kmart
Why you need it: A cheapie way of trying out a novelty trend

Picture credit: bys.com.au

Feathering my birds nest

Yay! I love a good online shopping website. I stumbled across Birdsnest purely by accident, but what a happy accident it was.

Let me take you to Myer, one lunch break last week. It was the moment I fell in love. I spotted the most gorgeous Bluejuice khaki green slouch jacket, with pushed up sleeves, a loose collar and a relaxed feel. Exactly what I never knew I always needed, and I had to have it. Sadly for me, Myer only had size 8 or 14. I fit the 8, except when I tried to move my arms forward. Moment of truth...take the 8 and commit to not moving my arms too much, or track down a 10. I jumped online whilst still standing in Myer (thank you, mobile internet) and found THE jacket in THE size on Birdsnest.

Ten minutes later I was back at my desk, credit card in hand and details in the address field. Ace! If you order by 1pm, they promise to have your order to you the next day; I didn’t get my order in until 2pm so I had to wait 48 hours. Oh the torture! Honestly, 24-48 hour shipping is really damn cool, so respect to the Birdsnest girls.

As well as getting my jacket really quickly, they also included a rewards program card and a really sweet handwritten note complimenting my choice of clothing. This little gesture absolutely made my day because it was so thoughtful, and it’s reassuring to know there are still good people in the world. High five.

Price: Bluejuice jacket: $89.95 + $10.95 postage
From: Birdsnest.com.au
Why you need it: The jacket is the perfect trans-seasonal piece (thumbs up for layering) and the website stocks dozens of big brands. I also love that you can shop by body shape (it even gives you fully styled outfit options!)

Picture credit: Both pictures brazenly stolen from birdsnest.com.au - that's not me wearing the jacket, but I look just as good in it.

An open letter to my Mother

Dear Mum,

I know I’m a bit old for Easter presents, but I love that you give me a little bag of eggs every year. You know exactly which ones are my favourites (hello, Turkish Delight, crème eggs, caramel crème and Lindt bunnies) and you always put them in a sweet gift bag with a thoughtful card. Gold star for being an awesome Mum.

This year I’m going to be incredibly bold and assume you will once again make my day with some chocolaty treats. I would strongly urge you to visit the Lindt display and hunt down some peanut butter eggs. You know how I feel about peanut butter. Surely you remember my obsession with peanut butter and nutella on toast (I get that from Dad). You also know that I load up on Reese’s everytime we go to Hawaii. Consider this a very big hint; Lindt are doing peanut butter eggs for Easter and I want in! The pouches are available where you buy Lindt (Myer, supermarkets, Lindt cafe) and they’re affordable ($6.29), so you can still buy me other stuff too! How great is that?!

Loads of love,
Your favourite daughter xx

Bits and pieces...

* Three cheers for our $50 Coles voucher winner! Melissa – I’ll have the voucher posted out as soon as possible.

* I went to an amazing bar called Small Bar in Crows Nest a couple of weeks ago. I have been trying to find info on it so I could do a proper post but because it’s so new info is pretty light-on. What I do know is: it’s the first bar on the North Shore opened under the new small bar licence laws. It’s owned and operated by the same dudes as Small Bar on Erskine St in the city. They serve wine by the (very big) glass, bottled beer and food. The back garden is amazing, with fairy lights through the overhead vines, casual tables and a really authentic, friendly vibe. It’s like being in someone’s backyard. I was well impressed and can’t wait to go back. It’s on Willoughby Road, Crows Nest (location was formerly Michael’s Seafood).

* I am super excited because I am going to Massive Attack at the Opera House forecourt tomorrow night. The BOM is predicting fine weather, but please say a quick prayer to the weather gods for me because I will be gutted if it rains!!

Have a great week x

"Take a picture, it lasts longer"

Weee! I love completely frivolous new beauty products. This new unnecessary-but-you-want-it-anyway product comes to us courtesy of Benefit, the masters of catchy names and cute packaging.

It’s a body balm called Bathina and it’s all about creating sexy, touchable skin. The little tin contains the balm and a soft velvet puff for application. You just swipe the balm over arms, legs, chest for a glimmering golden-pink sheen (woo! one step product!). Personally, I would have loved this three months ago to enjoy over summer, but that’s the problem we face with being in the antipodes.

It smells really sweet, but I can’t quite place my finger on the scent. If you happen to get to a Benefit counter, please have a sniff and let me know your thoughts.

So apart from making you look good, does it do anything else? It contains jojoba seed oil to soften skin (winner), natural aloe extract to support skin (winner) and vitamin E & antioxidants for fighting the free radicals (winner). You can’t use it in place of a moisturiser, but it will keep your skin soft whilst also looking alluring. This also reminds me, I was going to do a video on free radicals – Laura Goodman from DDF explained free radicals in a really easy to understand way so I finally get what they are and what damage they do, and I thought you guys might be interested (and if you’re not, I’m totally not offended).

Price: $55
From: Benefit (hits counters March 14)
Why you need it: For sexual skin. Drive the boys wild with your golden glow.

Oi!

Hey twerps! Don't forget about the $50 Coles voucher competition! All you have to do is send me an email. How freaking simple is that?!

Email address: sendmestuff@stuffthatibought.com

Subject line: Cheese

What I need: your name and postal details (which I always delete straight after a competition)

Closes: 5pm Friday! Quick! Hurry!

Awww yeah, suck back that juice.

I’ll save you the boring details, but I have been pretty run down and flat lately. I guess we all get like that sometimes – bad eating, lack of exercise, the odd cold/virus just catches up with you and BAM! run-down punches you in the face. After reading a bunch of tweets about Urban Remedy juice detox, I decided it seemed like a good idea and made my enquiries.

A juice detox is designed to eliminate toxins, boost energy and rejuvenate your system – I’m sure you would know all that if you have ever read a celebrity magazine. Urban Remedy does 1, 3 or 5 day detoxes; they recommend 1 day for beginners (probably because they know people like me couldn’t last more than a day!). The juices are delivered to your home or office the evening before you are due to start, and they come in a cute little esky bag for easy transportation (note: a week later, I’m using my esky bag to carry my lunch – how primary school).

The juices themselves are fresh fruit and vegetables, mixed in the right combinations for maximum benefits (although not necessarily maximum taste...blech). There are 6 juices that need to be drunk in 2 hour intervals, starting at breakfast. The first juice of the day had carrot, parsley, cos lettuce, silverbeet and a few other things in it. Not the nicest, but it went down. Second juice was pineapple, apple and mint, and was definitely the highlight of the day. Juice 3 was like juice 1, while the hero of juice 4 was beetroot (hence the shocking colour). Juice 5 had me channelling my inner Beyonce with lemon and cayenne pepper (not as nice as it sounds), and the dinner juice contained raw cashew, coconut milk and a bunch of other stuff.

You have to chew your juice, not just gulp it, which is an unusual sensation and kind of explains why my colleagues were giving me funny looks (or it might have been my ‘eww yuck’ faces, I’m not sure.) I figured have nothing but juice would leave me hungry and cranky, but I was full all day. The juices are packed with all the protein, good fats and nutrients you need, and drinking every 2 hours means you don’t have a chance to ever get hungry before it’s time for the next one.

Would I recommend the juice detox? Well, how adventurous are you with food? When I booked it I clearly forgot just how fussy I am, because some of the juices were not enjoyable to me, but Kat also did the detox and her palette was hot to trot. I would also think about just how run down you are. My body was clearly in worse shape than I though, because the day after I had some, erm, unpleasant side effects of the cramping variety. If you like parsley in your juice and you want to feel all wholesome and smug, then jump on the Urban Remedy site, get your $20 off voucher and get detoxing.

Price: 1 day - $75, 3 day - $195, 5 day - $325
From: Urban Remedy (currently metro Sydney, but expanding Australia-wide shortly)
Why you need it: Clean your insides, clear your skin, give your insides a rest and take a break from cooking (and chewing).

I'm gonna be a supermodel, and my hair will shine like the sea!

I had the best day yesterday! I don’t want to give away too much, but my mug will be coming to a magazine near you very soon.

I needed to have my photo taken to stick next to my words (pretty nifty) and I had the pleasure of being made up for the occasion. The makeup artist was so super cool; she didn’t mind answering my 101 questions about what she was doing, what she was using and why she was doing it.

This was my first experience with having foundation airbrushed on. It feels like getting a fake tan on a much smaller scale. She used MAC face and body, and I was so pleased with the result that I am heading off to buy some on pay day. She did my cheeks with Shu Uemura glow blush in matte warm pink (m30). I normally do a bronze or peach cheek, so it felt unusual doing pink but I really liked the look. My eyes were done using a Nars eyeshadow duo, although I didn’t catch what colour (bad blogger!). She curled my lashes then slicked on a couple of coats of DiorShow, whilst commenting that it was her #1 choice for mascara (I debated this because I passionately love Covergirl Lash Blast, but I have to admit my lashes looked kickass).

The finishing touch was fairy floss pink lips using my new love, L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Anti-Age Serum lipstick in Freshly Candy. I have been preparing a post wholly devoted to this lippie because, OMG, it is just the sweetest pink ever. I have been planning my ‘looks’ for the two weddings I have coming up, and was thinking this pink lip with a Nars eyeshadow duo I was sent to review. Talk about kismet!

By the way...she did my hair with a medium curling iron. A large one would be too big for my fine hair, and a small one would make Shirley Temple ringlets. The medium one is juuust right, and gives a better curl than I can do with my GHD! Hmmm...another thing to add to the shopping list.

**This is not the best photo, but you can see how nice and even the foundation looks. I promise to post the proper ones in a couple of months once they are published.

Stuck at your desk all day? Me too! Let's snack (and win stuff)

The good people at Mainland asked if I wanted to try some cheese. “Cheese? Sure, I love cheese. Eat it a lot at work. I like the little snack packs so I can eat at my desk.”

“Well perfect” said Mainland, “because our new Cracker Cuts is, er, cheese, cut to, uh, fit your cracker”

“What a novel idea!” said I, “Pre-cut cheese means zero effort on my part. I’m all for zero effort. And Cracker Cuts is such a descriptive name, don’t you agree?”

Cracker Cuts are pretty cool. I’m going through a bit of a health kick at the moment (don’t worry, these are usually short lived), so I have been enjoying my pre cut cheese with my carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, tzatziki and Vita-Weat crackers. I normally buy the little snack packs of cheese and crackers for work, but they only come with 3 crackers and 3 bits of cheese. Three crackers is not enough to tide me over, ever! How ridiculous!

Anyway, the Cracker Cuts packs have 20 slices, which is more than sufficient for a few days and a box of Vita-Weat crackers (the packs are resealable, which = clever). There are four flavours (actually, does cheese have flavours or types?); Light, Tasty, Extra Tasty and Mild. It ticks all the boxes for a desk snack, which is good for me because I spend a lot of time at my desk. What do you think? What are some of your favourite desk snacks?

Price: $4.35
From: Coles and Woolies
Why you need it: Snack attaaaack!

Speaking of...stuff...the good kids at Mainland have given me a $50 Coles voucher to give away. Think how much cheese you could buy with that?! (Kidding – I know you will go straight for the beauty aisle. I would). Just shoot me an email with the subject line: Cheese and your name and postal details* in the body. Comp closes 5pm Friday and I’ll do a random draw over the weekend. I may even video it, just for funsies.

*I will never keep your personal information for anything but the competition you are entering

More embarrassing photos, but it is SO worth it!

Saturday just passed was a pretty big day and I had been looking forward to it for ages. It was my good friends hens day AND my five year anniversary with Boyfriend (and before you ask, no, there was no ring. Consider that bud nipped). I had planned a really special dinner for us at Guillame @ Bennelong and I wanted to look gorgeous for the occasion.

Along with a hairdressers appointment and beauty therapist visit, I had been saving an SK-II mask that I had been kindly sent to trial, just for this occasion. I figured two birds, one stone. I told you about the SK-II Facial Treatment Mask a few weeks ago, and I was pretty impressed by it. I was even more impressed by the Skin Signature 3D Redefining Mask. Tutti frutti she’s a beauty!

The mask comes in two parts for maximum coverage of the saggy bits (your double chin deserves some love too). Also, your skin has different needs on different parts of your face (think how different your oily forehead is to your hormonal chin). It goes on easily and all you have to do for 15 minutes is chill. I’m pretty good at that. In fact, I rock at chilling out; I should put that on my resume. Anyway, I was so glowy afterwards, the sun was jealous. Don’t think I’m trying to sound conceited, I’m merely telling you how great this product worked. My skin looked plump and healthy. My makeup seemed to shine that little bit extra. My skin felt good and, ergo, I felt good. I have a couple of weddings coming up, so I will be investing in a box of these masks to prep my skin for the hectic one-after-the-other schedule. Honestly...box of 6 masks is the same as 2 facials in a salon.

Price: $190 for 6 masks
From: SK-II
Why you need it: For the instant gratification of glowy skin now and anti-aging benefits that target wrinkles and sagging.

PS - I had vanilla bean creme brulee with green apple sorbet, green apple jelly and mini doughnuts balls at Guillame and it was AMAZING!

Stuff bits

Remember when I raved about Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe about 6 months ago? You don’t? That’s ok, you’re probably new, I won’t hold it against you. Anyway, I roamed the streets for months trying to find the mascara to no avail. At that stage it wasn’t available here and I was gutted. Cut to me visiting Priceline a couple of days ago and there it is! Yesssssss! I actually did a *gasp* OMG! Squeal! Not least because I had just finished my last tube of it and was wondering what to do next (I love you, Exact Eyelights, but you’re just not the same). Anyway, it’s on the shelf in Priceline and I still highly recommend you get on board.

In that same old post last year I also talked about a Clinique moisturiser that I was totally in love with but that wasn’t available here. Thankfully it will be on counters in May, along with another new Clinique product that I can't wait to tell you about. Trust me, it's a big one. Exciting, right?!

Finally, tomorrow is a big day if you like to orgasm. I do. I like to do it every day. Well, regular orgasm during the day and then super orgasm at night because it’s that bit sparklier and deeper. I am of course, referring to the cult product Nars Orgasm blush (and you would never believe I made those innuendos on purpose, because I am totally not like that). As well as cult product Nars Orgasm and big sister Super Orgasm (a kickass blush for ‘evening’ because it has sparkle in it), the orgasm-on-the-cheek family is extending with Orgasm Illuminator (there were far too many orgasm’s in that sentence…oops there’s another one). Think flecks of gold, peach and pink dancing across your cheekbones to softly highlight and give you a warm glow. I don’t normally post about things I haven’t tried yet, but I am dead certain this will be a winner. Remember how amazing Rihanna looked at the Pre-Grammy’s party in that cut out Victor & Rolf dress. Yep…she was orgasming.

Covergirl Lash blast Luxe

Price: $17.95

From: Priceline

Nars Orgasm Illuminator

Price: $69

From: Mecca Cosmetica

Available: from tomorrow!! (you can bet I’ll be heading in store at lunchtime)

Picture credit: covergirl.com.au, Nars

I can't write about butter nail polish and not write "butterfingers" in the header

Since we’re talking about nail polish, I wanted to talk about butter LONDON polish. My very lovely beauty therapist and I were having a conversation about polish the other day (we speak a whole other language when we are together – I call it OPI-ese) and she offered to loan me a couple of bottles of butter LONDON so I could try them out and review them for you. Such a thoughtful little scamp.

Butter LONDON’s point of difference is that it is “three free”. This means it contains no formaldehyde, no toluene and no DBP (dibutyl phthalate). The polishes are non-toxic, although I wouldn’t recommend drinking them (not so tasty, my friends). Most nail polishes these days are or have been phasing these ingredients out, but butter LONDON is, I believe, the first to have all three of these ingredients out of their entire range. Kicked to the curb, bad guys!

The Nail Foundation Flawless Basecoat (not just basecoat, but foundation, thank you very much) is just incredible and I will be buying this as soon as possible. It is a matte base and I would wear it alone because it gives nails a polished but very unusual look. Check the picture – see how classy it looks? It’s not clear like a usual base coat, but it has a natural tint, much like a foundation. Hmmm...I see how that works.

I also tried the matte base on top of colour (no piccie – sorry). Matte polish will be a trend again this winter, and using a matte topcoat is cheaper than buying a whole new range of matte colours.

The colour I tried was Macbeth and to be honest I’m kind of peeved because I have found the perfect red-orange colour and now summer is over. Typical. The colour is great though. It paints on really well, you get rich, vibrant colour from two layers (so much pigment-y goodness) and it dries quickly (although I still managed to smudge one nail – less a reflection of the polish, and more my clumsiness).

Price: $19.95 colour and $24.95 basecoat
From: adorebeauty or Honey Honey (polish is $22)
Why you need it: There are 50 colours in the range, so I’m sure you will be able to find something you like. Even if you don’t buy a colour, I definitely recommend the matte foundation.

St Patricks Day nail polish, perhaps?

Beyond the very obvious trend of grey/taupe set by Chanel and their Particulière polish, I haven’t seen much indication of nail trends for the cooler months. That’s not to say there aren’t any; I’m sure plenty will come through with the show season in full swing. Nails are pretty fluid with trends though – season seems to dictate pretty strongly. Think bright & sunny for summer and warm & moody for winter.

I have had a couple of bottles of fluoro green polish sitting on my desk for a while and I thought I would give them a crack and see how appropriate they are for autumn. I usually think of fluoros for summer - mainly orange, pink and red. Green is a tricky colour at the best of time, so fluoro just exacerbates that.

What do you think? The B Collection by Bloom green (Bahamas) is very wearable – heavy enough that it loses the garishness of fluoro and doesn’t totally look like I coloured my nails in with a highlighter. The BYS (Fatal Attraction) on the other hand...total bright fright! Definitely on the yellowy end of the green spectrum. Would you wear either? One feels more summery, while the other would be autumn appropriate.

BYS
Price: $4.95
From: K-Mart and chemists

B Collection by Bloom
Price: $14.95
From: Target
Why you need them: If you want to start autumn with a bit of colour. I know I can’t bring myself to put the greys and maroons of winter on yet, but I have summer coral and orange fatigue.

Let's get physical...physical...

When I was tweeting about my experience with the Tracy Anderson DVD last week, a few of you asked me what I thought and would I write about it? I borrowed the DVD from my good friend Kat and she has given it a thorough working over on her blog, but I thought I would throw my scathing 2c in because that’s kind of the point of a blog, isn’t it?

I wasn’t impressed. As Kat points out, I said “It's hard, but for the wrong reasons. She isn't a good instructor. Her moves felt like an 8 year old trying to choreograph a routine in her backyard after 6 months of dance lessons.” In person she might be different, but the DVD is not easy to follow even for the most seasoned dancer (I did elite level irish dancing for 17 years, plus loads of jazz and ballet, so I come from coordinated breeding). She doesn’t explain things well and the routine isn’t logical to follow. In fact, the routine isn’t logical at all. Have you ever seen a young girl choreographing her own routine? Not terribly musical or rhythmical; basically a mish-mash of everything she has learnt in her beginner jazz class. That is more or less what the Tracy Anderson “method” feels like. Jazz ballet circa 1993.

While it might be specifically designed to work all the right muscles, I didn’t enjoy it. And there is no point forcing yourself to endure something you don’t like. I’m just glad I didn’t pay for it (sorry, Kat!)

Price: $25.99
From: JB Hi-fi
Why you need it: Who doesn’t like jumping around the lounge room to bad music while looking like a ninny?!

Picture credit: jbhifionline.com.au

This week I...

• Am doing my This Week I... post on Tuesday instead of Monday.
• Am kind of (really really) obsessed with Miss Chu. The dumplings are little flavour explosions and the custard buns and pork buns are to die for. Literally, I would sell my sister for one of these steamed buns, and I love my sister very much.
  
• Really enjoyed reading NW magazine. After a few rough weeks, it seems to have finally done a Stella and got its groove back. I am très impressed.
• Am pretty thankful the Olympics are over - now I can finally get some sleep.
• Made the best garlic pizza ever. I used Aldo’s pizza bases and topped them with olive oil and slices of garlic. These are the best bases I have ever used, and I have made a lot of pizza in my time.
• Read a book called Accidently Single, wrote a review and interviewed the author. You should definitely go and read it over on Sassi Sam.
• Did a juice detox cleanse. Then I got sick. That’s less a reflection of the juice detox and more a reflection of the state of my body.
• Had something really exciting happen, that may or may not involve my face appearing in a magazine soon. I will tell you all about it once it is 100% confirmed.
• Will be celebrating 5 years with Boyfriend, by enjoying dinner at Guillame @ Bennelong.
• Can't wait to fall down the rabbit hole with Alice in Wonderland!! Bring on Friday night!!!
• Am also going to High Tea for my friends hens. It’s going to be a busy week.
• Along with everyone else, said farewell to Summer. Sad. I adore Summer.

I hope the start of Autum is being kind to you. If you know somewhere to buy good but affordable gumboots, do be a sport and comment below.

With wet ankles,
xx

How to be massively inappropriate at work

I love my job, I really do, but Monday’s suck hairy dogs balls. I know you’re nodding your head in agreement right now. Hauling ass out of bed...first bus/train ride/traffic jam of the week...crazy people chasing you for work before you have even had your coffee; sometimes you just want to run screaming from the working week before it has even begun. I have found the perfect antidote to Monday painfulness – rude post it flags.

I had my first encounter with a Typo store in Melbourne. Typo is a stationary store under the Cotton On family umbrella. Very cute and quirky; think funky pencil holders, great cards & wrapping paper and notebooks you want to write in. Whilst perusing their wares in the Spencer St Station store, I happened upon two very cool sets of post it flags – one set was polite and sensible, and one set was very rude. Against my better judgment, I purchased the sensible set and have been regretting it for the last month. By sensible, I mean Read, To Do, Important, File, Urgent and Can’t Wait.

Thankfully my flatmate knows me too well and came home with a surprise gift one day! They aren’t exactly appropriate for her very important and heavy regulated office, but I can go to town (within reason, of course). How rude is rude? Idiot, Fuck, Shit, Whatever, Crap and Wank. There is nothing more satisfying than a report landing on my desk and being able to stick a Shit post it on top.

Price: $4.95
From: Typo – check their website for locations
Why you need it: So you too can feel the rush of flagging something with a great big Crap.