So, big news...

This weekend I'll be hitting not one but two major milestones for this here little old blog. Expect some changes next week, but also expect the biggest competition I have ever done.

That's all I'm gonna say.

Ok, I'll be giving away all of my favourite things, just like Oprah (lucky for me my favourite things don't include a car - too pricey to post).

Now that's really all I'm gonna say.

See you next week!

Aveeno Ultra-Calming - for irritated skin

-by Shay

I have pretty horrible skin, you know. On my body and on my face. Besides the whole oily-combination thing, I have lived with this condition called eczema for my entire life. If you don’t have it you may not know that it’s a form of hereditary, allergy-sensitive dermatitis. In a nutshell that means my skin goes whacky and develops some pretty awful rashes over certain things in the environment that set me off.

In my particular case, this is JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.

Dry air, moist air, hot weather, cold weather, dust mites, animal hair, dust particles, pollen, grass – I could seriously go on forever.

Unfortunately in recent years the eczema has spread to parts of my face, and it’s something I have really struggled with treating.

But don’t despair, this is a good news story people! There is a happy ending!

I’m very happy to let you know that Aveeno Active Naturals have come to my rescue and saved me from itchy, blotchy and irritated skin with their Ultra-Calming range.

I have been using the Ultra Calming Cream Cleanser on and off for ages now, well before my latest tube was sent to me for review purposes. I like to stash it in my drawer of ‘emergency’ items in my bathroom so I can use it when my skin has decided it hates me (for the millionth time).

It is the most beautiful, soap-free cleanser that left my troubled skin feeling smooth, soft and most importantly – calmed. It’s like a comforting hug for my red, raw skin. It uses a relative of chamomile (feverfew) to achieve what I once thought impossible, and remains very reasonably priced at only $13.99 for 141g.

When the weather started to warm up I pushed the cream cleanser aside, and started wondering how I could treat any Summer sensitivity that would inevitably crop up. I didn’t have to think for long, as I was sent the Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser and Ultra Calming Daily Moisturiser with SPF 15. Talk about reading my mind?!

The foaming cleanser gave the same results the cream cleanser did, although it left my skin feeling less moisturised and more ‘fresh’ feeling (which is exactly what we want for Summer). This one also retails for $13.99 for 180mL.

The daily moisturiser is absolutely lovely. It worked a treat on my red and inflamed patches, and really moisturised and calmed like nothing else has. No stinging, and no itchiness. I felt like jumping with glee!

The fact that it has SPF 15 is a huge bonus, but of course I would still add your regular 30+ underneath if you’re going to be in direct sunlight (as opposed to driving your car) for any amount of time. This one will cost you $24.99 75mL and comes in the most convenient little pump pack, which I absolutely adore.

All in all I would not hesitate to recommend this line to anyone who experiences skin troubles. You might not suffer to the same extent I do (dear GOD I would not wish that on anyone), but even if you experience redness, blotchiness or tightness these products will certainly help you even out your complexion – no matter what time of year it is.

Aveeno Ultra-Calming range
Price: Daily Moisturiser - $24.99, Foaming Cleanser - $13.99, Moisturising Cream Cleanser - $13.99
From: Priceline

For more of Shay's reviews, check out her youtube channel

This product was offered to Stuff That I Bought for editorial consideration - for more details, see our disclosure policy
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DIY Macarons & Whoopie Pies - easy as...err...pie

My love of baking is well documented on this blog. Food blogger I am not, however I love to cook sweet treats. We had a big family shindig on the weekend and I decided to take not one but two tasty desserts (I'm good like that - invite me to your next BBQ or dinner party and I won't disappoint).

However, instead of making something from scratch or creating my own recipe, I went with two packet mixes. These weren't no ordinary cake mixes though. Behold:

Betty Crocker Chocolate and Vanilla Whoopie Pies and Donna Hay Almond Macaron With Chocolate Filling. Hello, calorietown.

I was pretty confident with the whoopie pies, so I decided to make the macarons first since there was greater potential for error (i.e. if I screwed them, I would have time up my sleeve to make something else).

They were remarkably easy. Like, really easy. Donna Hay is a saint - the instructions were clear, it didn't take long to prepare the mixture, and the only extra things I needed were water and some cream. Handy hint: I drew circles on the baking paper as a guide so that all my halves were roughly the same size to easily match them up into pairs.

If the macarons were easy, then the whoopie pies were no effort at all. It's basically a packet cake mix, but instead of putting the mix in a pan, you plop it onto baking paper. Same deal - I drew circles in texta on the baking paper and then flipped it over (texta doesn't taste so good) so they acted as a guide. This mix also requires an egg, veggie oil and some milk - all stuff I assume you have already? Maybe not, if you're lactose intolerant.

Both of these get my seal of approval and will be pulled out again in future. Someone even told me they had recently read that whoopie pies are apparently the new macaron. Typical me, always ahead of the curve.

Donna Hay Almond Macaron with Chocolate Filling
Price: $7.99 - cheaper than a half dozen from Lindt
From: Coles

Betty Crocker Chocolate Whoopie Pie
Price: I think I bought it on special for $4, normally $5.55
From: Coles

Update: I made the Whoopie Pies again and added a layer of strawberry jam to the middle. Holy shit. Although I would say raspberry > strawberry. 

*I just thought I would mention, while it might look like I have some sort of affiliation with Coles, it's only because I live across the street from them and do all my shopping there. 
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Lindt Passionfruit - 'nuff said

This is the kind of post where I just need to post a picture and a moan of appreciation, right? Good. Let's get to it…

Ohhhhhhhhhhh

Omnomnomnomnom

Lindt Passionfruit
Price: $3.93 (although I bought it last week when they were 2 for $4 at Coles)
From: Supermarkets
Why you need it: Lindt Passionfruit! The tantalising sweetness of passionfruit married with the magic of Lindt dark chocolate and the creaminess of almond slivers. Hello, sexytimes.
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