I'm getting married...

...and I'm writing about the experience over on Cosmo Bride.

With only seven months to go, wedding planning should probably be in full swing by now. It kind of is, but I have a really short attention span and get bored quite quickly. Case in point, Fiance and I were designing our save the date cards and after the initial 'yay let's do it, that looks great', he kept feverishly working on getting every detail right (the font! oh, the font!) while I got bored and started reading a magazine. Then I got in trouble for not contributing, even though it was my idea and I was making him do the design work. Then I got distracted again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Anyway, you can read all about it on my bridal blog over at Cosmo Bride. I promise a rollicking good read*.

*no responsibility taken if promise is not fulfilled
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Carbon Anti-Static - sounds science-y and stuff

You remember how on Monday I mentioned my very strong dislike of static electricity? If you missed it, here's a re-cap: I hate static electricity. Loathe it. This is not just my fear of the spark from touching a car door handle or trampoline (hmmm...maybe that's where the trauma started). Oh no, running a plastic comb through my hair and having it stand up creeps me out no end.

And yet I continue to use plastic combs.

Anyway, a few weeks ago ghd sent a little parcel my way which included a tail comb. On first glance I assumed it was like any other tail comb (I currently wield a $2 job from Priceline). It wasn't until I went back and carefully examined it that I realised this may have just been the greatest thing I had ever been sent (well, top 5 at least). It's a Carbon Anti-Static comb. No matter how often I run it through my hair and how windy it is, no static electricity! Woohoo! Usually a run through with a comb makes it look like I have been touching one of those plasma globes that were the home accessory du jour in the mid-90s, but this leaves my hair sleek and flat, especially when teamed with my ghd (fyi I have a gold series ghd - it's freaking awesome).

I have seriously been telling everyone I know about this comb. Are you impressed? Or did you already know about this? Maybe I'm just a bit behind the times.

ghd Carbon Anti-Static Tail Comb
Price: $12
From: ghd salons or the ghd website
Why you need it: Screw static! With all this wild and woolly winter weather, buy now and thank me later.

This product was offered to Stuff That I Bought for consideration - for more details, please see the disclosure policy
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The simple things that make me smile

On my recent holiday (are you sick of hearing about it yet?) I bought myself a beautiful bangle at Kate Spade. I looked at it in two other Kate Spade stores and couldn't get it out of my head, so I had to go back and buy it (luckily the store I went to had a bonus sale on - score!) It's lovely - white and orange giraffe print, with the words STAND TALL engraved on the inside. It makes me smile.

Cut to a few weeks later and there is a surprise in my mail box. I received a hand-written note on a Kate Spade note card from the girl who served me at the Kate Spade store. She was writing to say thank you for shopping in their store, it was a pleasure to serve me, she hopes I'm enjoying my bangle and please stop by and say hello on my next visit. You could have blown me over with a hairdryer. Talk about above-and-beyond excellent customer service! This just made me fall in love with my purchase all over again, and moved Kate Spade up a few extra rankings on my imaginary tally board of luxury brands I would like to shop at in future.

It's nice to be nice, people. I'm off to grab one of my French Navy notecards and send someone a few thoughtful words. The small things can have the biggest impact.

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Shiny. Glossy. Thick. All words we like to hear about hair (and chocolate pudding)

As I mentioned recently, I visited the gorgeous Bauhaus salon in Waterloo. It's next door to the Pivot Point Academy, which is one of the top hairdresser training schools in Sydney, and they learn from all the staff at Bauhaus who are mainly resident masters. As an aside, how cool would it be to have the title Resident Master on a business card? It sounds so mysterious and powerful.

After Alex the super-hairdresser did the scalp test and sorted out my dryness issue (with Ergines B - below D), he picked out a volumising shampoo (Volume Creme Shampoo Plus - B) and anti-frizz conditioner (erm, Anti Frizz Conditioner - C) to help me fight my two biggest winter concerns - thin hair with constant flyways from static. Have I ever mentioned my unnerving fear of static electricity? I *hate* electric shocks. Fear them. Loathe them.

But I digress. I have been using the shampoo and conditioner for almost two months now and my hair is in fabulous condition - thick, shiny and healthy. I have also been using a treatment called Ergines Plus Vital (A) which is jam packed full of minerals and elements to repair damaged hair and just keep things in healthy working order (kind of like taking a daily vitamin). The treatment comes in little ampules and the instructions say you should use two-thirds of an ampule each application, but I have been using much less than that (maybe 1/6th of an ampule?) and it seems to be working just fine - I guess that's one up side to having thin hair, it's a cheap date.

It's a miracle that my hair is in such good nick to be honest, considering that it has been about 4 months since my last cut (BAD blogger), and the last time I did my colour I only did the roots. Screw paying hundreds of dollars at the salon for balayage, just let your old colour grow out and keep doing your roots. There is something to be said for home colouring, and that something is 'it's good'.

La Biothestique
Price: Volume Creme Shampoo Plus (380mL) - $44, Anti Frizz Conditioner (150mL) - $35, Ergines Plus Vital (10 ampules x 10mL) - $84 (may vary from salon to salon)
From: Bauhaus Hair - 293 Young St Waterloo - check the La Biosthetique website for other salons
Why you need it: For freaking gorgeous hair that's thick, shiny and not going to stand on end when it's windy!

These products were offered to Stuff That I Bought for consideration - see our disclosure policy for more details
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Alterna Hemp - for mellow hair

- by Shay

I have been a regular old scientist this year. My shower has become my laboratory, my hair the topic of observation.

You may remember my last post where I sang the joys of Joico KPak Sun Therapy Treatment Masque. You could be forgiven if you thought I’d slacked off on the beauty reviews, and left Elise like some jilted lover since then. Let me assure you this was not the case. I could never turn my back on Elise, or beauty products in general. Since my love affair with Joico, I have been hunkered down in my testing room with a myriad of hair cleansing products. Many of them were turfed after my minimum two week testing term (I refuse to make any kind of decision on a skin or hair product unless I’ve used it for a fortnight at the very least) but the most recent couple of products have stuck around and now have a permanent home in my shower caddy. Alterna Hemp Organics Colour Hold Repair Treatment Conditioner and Shampoo is a brand and product I had never heard of. It immediately conjured up images of red-eyed hippies seated around a campfire, but I was certainly willing to give the funky packaging a shot.

The shampoo comes in a slender, long necked bottle while its counterpart, the conditioner, squats at around half the height and double the width. The mustard yellow definitely makes them stand out in the stark white of my bathroom.

Package design aside, these guys pack a serious soft and shiny punch for coloured hair. I felt my hair responding well to this combination from day one.

The shampoo cleansed gently but thoroughly, removing all traces of styling products and it smelt gorgeous. Both products had soft, earthy floral scents that were gentle and not overpowering. The shampoo formula was a pearly white colour and it felt very luxurious and smooth on the hair, almost like silk.

I left the conditioner in my hair while I washed my body, shaved and cleansed (multi-tasking in the shower is a must in our rain-starved country, don’t you know?). It applied well and combed through my hair nicely. It had the consistency of thick, white cream and softened my hair almost directly on contact.

Once everything was rinsed out and the water was running clear, I towel dried my hair to put these hair care items to the real test. I’m pleased to say that they left my natural, air-dried hair soft, bouncy, smooth and shiny – oh so shiny! It also seemed to control my frizz and calmed my natural kinks and waves.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the way the key ingredient (Fresh Water Silt) supplies amino acids, phytonutrients and microfine minerals to my hair. The formulas are packed with a variety of organic botanicals (hence the divine scents) and Alterna’s patented Hemp technology©, so I feel like my hair is in safe and natural hands. They are also sulphate free, which really seals the deal.

I’ve been using this combination for almost three weeks now, and I can’t see myself giving them up anytime soon. At $31.95 per bottle, pricewise they’re on par with my other favourite shampoo and conditioner combinations.

I definitely recommend you inject some hemp into your hair care routine, you won’t regret it! And it won’t leave you with red, bleary looking eyes. ; )

Alterna Hemp Organics Colour Hold Repair Treatment Conditioner and Shampoo
Price: $31.95 per bottle (300mL shampoo and 250mL conditioner)
From: call 1300 437 436
Why you need it: For soft and shiny hair, no Bob Marley required

For more of Shay's reviews, check out her youtube channel
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Foam hair colour is really as easy as it sounds (including DIY balayage)

Since I'm doing this whole "saving money" thing for my "wedding", one of the first luxuries to go was salon dye jobs (isn't it always). In a strike of fortuitous timing, I went to a launch about four months ago for a few Proctor & Gamble products, and one of the things they told us about was the Clairol Nice N' Easy Foam.

I'm not averse to a DIY home job. One of the most popular posts on this blog in fact is the one about my DIY balayage - I can rock a pair of crappy plastic gloves with the best of them. I am however one of the clumsiest people on the planet - my Fiance thinks it's hilarious that when I make spaghetti bolognese, there is just as much bolognese sauce on the stovetop as there is in the pot. After I home dye, it usually looks like someone has actually died in the bathroom.

The Nice N' Easy Foam makes this messy process a heckofalot easier - the foam is new non-drip technology, so it's not slipping through your fingers and dripping everywhere (if you watch TV, you have probably seen the commercial by now). It is kind of like applying mousse - squeeze a little ball out and slide it through your hair. Easy. 

I was given a kit at the launch event and I liked it so much I went and bought another one when it was time to do my roots again. FYI I'm a 5 medium brown or 5G golden brown, and I'm still DIY balayage-ing - I just do the colour from the roots to about halfway down the head, and keep the lighter bits at the end. Which is probably why my ends look so ratty these days!

I have no idea why George and I were posing like this (George is my fur vest, FYI) but we're looking pretty pleased with ourselves. Must be the great hair colour.

Clairol Nice N' Easy Colour Blend Foam
Price: $17.99
From: Supermarkets
Why you need it: Save your pennies, spend an hour in the bathroom and don't make a huge mess!
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IS HAS DOES: Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque

Just before I went on my recent holiday, a friend swore black and blue that I HAD to get hold of a particular Dermalogica face mask that was going to fight all the nasties of long haul flying and make my skin look like I just stepped out of a salon rather than a jet. That magical product was the Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque, and she was right. Magic.

Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque - a powerful masque packed full of concentrated antioxidant vitamins. Part of the Age Smart range.

A veritable powerhouse of crime fighting good guys: Vitamin E and Pro-Vitamin B5 for healthy tissue regeneration, Vitamin A to increase elasticity and moisture content in the skin, and Vitamin C synthesizes collagen and restores suppleness. There is also the botanical extracts of Licorice, Comfrey and Burdock to soothe the skin and decrease sensitivity, along with Betaglucen to soothe irritation and enhance moisture barrier properties. Phew!

This baby does a heck of a lot of hard work - cleans up damage, stops more damage, reverses damage. Honestly, crazy. Above all else, this made my skin plump and dewy. It fought all the dryness that comes with flying and just left me looking fresh. And I think saying someone looks fresh is the highest compliment you can pay someone. Even if I am paying it to myself.

It’s a cream masque - you squirt it out of the tube, slap it on, leave it for 15 minutes and then wipe off with a cloth. It’s a light orange colour, and the only thing I don’t like about it is the smell. I can’t quite put my finger on what it smells like, but it might be that coloured zinc sunscreen we used at swimming carnivals at school. It’s not offensive or off-putting, just weird.

Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque
Price: $76
From: Dermalogica counters and Adore Beauty
Why you need it: To get fresh, plump, dewy skin. Slap it on before a date to give good face!

This product was offered to me for consideration in accordance with my disclosure policy

Wear your sentiment on your wall

Heads up porkchops. Remember when I mentioned I was a Cherry Pick Me ambassador and this means, along with the cherry hat, I get a sneak peek at the deals and stuff. I am OBSESSED with the deal for today (Friday) and WIN because it's also running Saturday and Sunday too.

It's these supercute banners from Banter Banner. They are in the style of that old Happy Birthday banner your Mum used to drag out every single year and hang in the kitchen (just my Mum? oh) except they are cute sentiments instead - things like Wine-Dine, La Dolce Vita, Sweet Dreams, Magic Surrounds and Beauty In Little Things.

The Cherry deal is 3 banners for $19, which is pretty slick because they are usually $10 each (48% saving, for all the maths nerds) Personally, I'm going for Joie De Vivre, Good Times and Celebrate The Everyday. Because we totally should celebrate the everyday, and this sweet reminder hanging over my bed will be a nice start to every morning.

Cherry Pick Me - Banter Banner
Price: 3 banners for $19
From: Pick up the deal on Cherry Pick Me
Why you need it: They are fricking adorable, how could you not!
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Friday noms: Boteco. Brazilian. Brilliant.

There are so many amazing restaurants in the area where I live that it's pretty unusual for Fiance and I to visit something more than twice unless it is really special. We have now been to Boteco five times and I am itching to go back again. Do you know how amazing it is to find a local haunt that you LOVE, that you want to GO BACK TO, and that is within WALKING distance! I love where we live.

Boteco (bo-tech-ko) is a Brazilian tapas restaurant and cocktail bar. In Brazil, boteco's were traditionally known as a place where alcoholic beverages were sold, serving as a meeting place for bohemians who looked for good drink, cheap snacks and a chat (thanks wikipedia). I love when restaurants are all literal like that. Think chicken croquetes on a bed of capsicum sauce, snapper ceviche, grain fed piranha beef with salsa. Drool. My favourite thing on the menu is Bolinho de Arroz (parmesan rice balls) on a bed of spinach and chick peas. I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner (the fact that I would start to resemble a rice ball isn't lost on me).

Bolinho de Arroz - parmesan rice balls on spinach and chick peas

Croquete - chicken on red capsicum sauce

Hortela & Blueberry Caipifruta

 Actually, the balls are top 3 in terms of favourite. My other two favourites are the blueberry and mint caipifruta cocktail, which is made with cachaca, a liquor popular in Brazil that is made from fermented sugarcane. It's sort of like rum and goes down really easily (dangerous). The other favourite, and the main reason I want to take Ms. Critique there, is the 70% cocoa brownie served with homemade coconut ice cream. Let me say that again…70% cocoa brownie served with home.made. coco.nut. ice.cream. This thing is like heaven on a plate. It's so simple and yet so unbelievably tasty - I have had it on all five visits and have licked my plate clean every single time (on one visit I actually did lick the plate - Fiance was mortified, can't take me anywhere).

Santiago - plum pisco, apricot brandy, Dubbonet, fresh pineapple & lemon

Mandioca Frita - cassava chips

Cozido - four hour braised beef cheek portugese port & cassava puree

Brownie com Sorvete - 70% cocoa brownie with coconut and tapioca ice cream

 Prices: Cocktails are $16+, Dishes range from $9-$19 for the tasting plates, and then $42 for the grill tasting plate. The famous brownie is $12.
From: Boteco - 421 Cleveland St Surry Hills
Why you need to go: Good food, good drinks, and a cute wine bar atmosphere. Great for both couples wanting a nice meal and groups wanting to party. Make sure you book on weekends because it gets busy.
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Fun fact #763 about me

I have worn glasses since I was 7. That's a really long time.

I went to an event last week for Specsavers, those purveyors of fine spectacles. I was there with the gorgeous Helen from SASSYBELLA.com and we had a ball trying on all the different specs and making silly faces for the camera. We also got to meet Jenny Kee, who is an ambassador for Specsavers. Just quietly, I wanted to steal Jenny's scarf. It was her own design so I'm sure she has dozens of them and wouldn't miss it.

The event was perfectly timed really, because I'm due for an eye test and am subsequently on the hunt for a new pair of specs. Every time I get new glasses I go through this same battle - plain old black or a bright colour like red. (I have had both in the past, loved both.) I'm not totally nuts with matching my frames to my outfit, but it's really important to wear a pair of glasses that you feel comfortable in and that look good on you. In my looong looooong history with being a four eyes, glasses are all about confidence.

Which ones do you like on me? Considering Specsavers do a deal where you can get two pairs for $199, there's no excuse not to get a couple for different occasions.

Right, I'm off to get my eyes tested!
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IS HAS DOES: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream

When someone asks me about a beauty product, there are usually three main things I tell them: what it IS, what is HAS in it that makes it so special and what it DOES. So even though you haven't asked, I'm going to tell you about Kiehls Ultra Facial Cream in that same format. Because I can.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream - a lightly textured, super-hydrating face cream perfect for winter.

There are three hero ingredients: Antarcticine, Imperata Cylindrica and Squalane. Antarcticine is a glycoprotein (this means it's part protein and part carb - just don't eat it) sourced in Antarctica, hence the name. It's hydrates skin while also smoothing it out, protects from nasty free-radicals and helps shield skin from extreme cold (the Antarctica thing might have been a clue). In fact, it thrives in the extreme weather, so this last week in Sydney it has really been put to the test (and succeeded - my skin has been smooth and hydrated even though it's fricking freezing!)

Imperata Cylindrica is an ingredient that flourishes in the desert (namely, the Aussie outback) and its primary role is to store and retain moisture. It has a high saline (salt) content, so it sucks moisture in and holds onto it pretty firmly, and it also has lots of potassium for an immediate and lasting hydrating effect. The third hero, Squalene, is used in a lot of Kiehl's products. It's a highly refined moisturising oil derived from olives (don't try and cook with it though) and is highly compatible with the natural oils of the skin. This is the ingredient that makes the face cream glide on like silk and absorb so quickly - it's like magic!

 This is the most incredibly hydrating face cream. In the pot it's all lush and thick, so I honestly expected it to feel heavy going on. Not so. It glides over the face the way peanut butter slips across hot toast, and is very easily manipulated for super quick application. There is nothing worse than having to push your face cream around your face to try and cover every inch. Who has the time or inclination? Moisturiser shouldn't be an effort.

So anyway, it glides on smoothly and then just disappears - for a powerful moisturiser it's surprisingly light. I know it's working though, because my skin feels amazing at the moment. Smooth, supple and super-hydrated (alliteration is the cornerstone of describing skincare). I have also been looking a bit glowy recently, which I'll put down to a combination of this moisturiser and my Terre & Mer by Thalgo Marine scrub. What a team.

This gets a huge thumbs up from me. It's a little pricey (although Kiehl's have just brought their prices down - woohoo!) but the cost per use would be pretty low because you don't need much AND it's a tub so you can get out every last drop.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream
Price: $52 for 125mL
From: Kiehl's stores, Mecca Cosmetica, some David Jones AND the newly launched Kiehl's online store - if you enter the secret code lipglossblog at the check out you get a free lip gloss, courtesy of moi. Don't say I never give you anything!
Why you need it: To fight winter weather and keep your skin looking A-MaY-Zing!

Bonus fact: Kiehl's stores do FACIALS! They are $80, which is then redeemable on product, so it's practically free. I had a facial at the Sydney store a couple of weeks ago and it was absolutely delightful. The treatment room out the back has this awesome vintage vinyl player, and amazing old prints of New York on the wall. Do yourself a favour and book in. Ask for Sae - hands of an angel.

This product was offered to me for consideration in accordance with my disclosure policy
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Friday noms: Out of this world tastiness!

Picture this…I'm 9 years old and have just moved back to Australia after living in America. I have an American accent, say soda instead of soft drink (and get teased mercilessly as a result), am obsessed with rice krispy treats, and am gutted to learn that no one here knows what I'm talking about when I try and explain the joy that is rice bubbles mashed with marshmallow (this is the early 90s, well before LCMs).

 I didn't even know what a tuckshop was, and yet, I will never forget that first experience. I bought 6 of the little sun lollies for 30c (can anyone remember what they were called?) and the other 30c went on a Jupiter bar. Delicious, chewy, fake-caramel married with rice bubbles and peanuts. Suddenly all thoughts of America, rice krispy treats, Hersheys and my old friends disappeared - I was home.

Cut to last night and I'm doing my grocery shopping whilst also avoiding the film crew who were filming a Duracell commercial in my local Coles. As soon as I walked in I knew something was different, and it wasn't just the giant Duracell bunny being chased around by screaming school kids. My spidey senses were tingling…there was something new in the confectionary aisle! Helllooooo Jupiter bar. Yep, 60c later I was instantly transported back to the tuckshop at St. Mary's. Thank you Coles, for bringing back my childhood for less than a buck.

Europe Jupiter bar
Price: 60c
From: Coles
Why you need it: For a fake caramel reminder of your schoolyard days

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Lions and tigers drink water

This is going to sound nuts, but my favourite thing that I bought on my trip wasn't my new BR trench coat, or my Kate Spade bangle (although they are in the top 5), but my Water Bobble. Like a water bottle, but better.

How? It has an inbuilt filter. I'm obsessed with drinking water (I very rarely drink anything else) and I know tap water is fine, but too much tap water tastes funny, y'know? The Water Bobble filters out chlorine and any stray contaminants, but leaves all the fluoride in place (a certain TV commercial with a piece of chalk and some blue liquid told me fluoride was important). It also makes tap water taste that little bit better, which might only be in my head, but it's important none-the-less.

The filter is a carbon filter, and it's good for 150L/300 uses/2 months. At $14.95 for a bottle and $7.95 for a filter replacement, that's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a few water bottles a week, and way better for the environment. The polar bears thank you.



Water Bobble
Price: $14.95 for the bottle, $7.95 for the replacement filters
From: Domayne, Myer, Officeworks - check the website for stockists (I bought mine from American Apparel in the States)
Why you need it: Fresh, filtered water on tap (zing!)
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You know I love me some discounts

I just got back from a shopping holiday where I left with 16kg of luggage and came back with 40kg. The fact that we timed it to be there for the Memorial Day Long Weekend Sales was only part accident. I am a serious shopper, but more importantly I am a serious bargain hunter. I'm signed up for every single one of those group-on/scoop-on/dupe-on discount sites around. I say dupe-on because, quite frankly, they all offer the same thing and they are getting a bit yawn-worthy. Every site seems to have the same snoozy offers - discounted waxing, discounted laser hair removal, discounted jet boat rides. Umm what? Where are the real shopping deals? Oh wait, here they are.

Hello Cherry Pick Me. I am very proud to be a Cherry Ambassador - I get to wear a little cherry hat and carry a cherry purse and tell you all about the cherry deals (only part of that is true, although I would really like a cherry hat, hint hint!) Cherry Pick Me have shopping deals for online stores that I actually visit and actually want to purchase from. Ada and Darcy? Lusting after their Moroccan Pouffe (and I missed the Cherry deal last week because I was away). Nearly Nude? Swear by their Bedtime Bra. Collection of Cool? I really need an excuse to buy the Belles Gift Tags. Actually, you didn't hear it from me, but tomorrows Cherry Pick Me deal *might* be for Collection of Cool. And it *might* be mind-blowingly amazing. Finally, the excuse I need to buy those gift tags!

I went on a tropical holiday and didn't take a razor

True story. I went to Hawaii for a week and didn't take any sort of hair removal device. Crazy, right? It's still blowing my mind that I don't have hair under my arms anymore. I had my second laser hair removal about 2 weeks before I left, even though the hair hadn't grown back from the first session. The laser was a little bit stronger second time around so it hurt a fraction more, but not to the point where it was unbearable. Besides, it's only five minutes of pain and I just kept reminding myself the whole time 'no more hair, no more hair, NO MORE HAIR'.

It was also pretty nice being able to throw on a bikini every day and not having to worry about strays (y'know what I'm talking about). I waxed my legs before I left (am I oversharing yet? ) but I also have an at home IPL that I'm trialling at the moment - I'll let you know what I think soon. That all said, I'm actually considering lasering my legs. Has anyone done this? I imagine it would be well worth it, but it takes about 45 minutes, and 5-mins of pain vs 45-mins is a huge difference.

While I've got you - don't forget you can get discounted laser hair removal just for being awesome. If you're a Sydney reader and you head into Leah’s Waxworks in Mid City Centre, mention Stuff That I Bought and you’ll get $10 off any treatment valued over $50. The deal is valid until September 1st, 2011, so plenty of time to get hairless before summer.

(side note: I'm sticking with the Leah's logo because it's really hard to find an appropriate image to go with a hair removal post)


For more about my laser hair removal journey, flick through some old posts.