Jurlique fruity goodness

I have talked about Kate Somerville’s wonderful fruit Exfolikate enzyme scrub before – it’s a staple in my beauty routine but it is a) not available in Australia and b) pretty expensive, so I was thrilled to bits to find out Jurlique have brought out their own Fruit Enzyme Exfoliator. Being a very lucky beauty blogger, the girls at Jurlique sent me one over to try so I could see how it matches up to my old faithful.

The ExfoliKate is a granular paste; Jurlique is a liquid. It is easier to rub the paste on because you can feel where it is going, but since you press the liquid in, it is less stressful on skin than rubbing.

ExfoliKate is in a tub with a press down distributor (which I feel often gives me just a bit too much); Jurlique is in a classic frosted glass bottle with pump on the top for easy access.

Once both are on you can feel the fruit enzymes working their magic, with mild tingling a sure sign that all those dead skin cells are being washed away. The result is the also the same – fresh, luminous skin. Bonus: this means anything you apply to skin afterwards is going to be more effective.

It comes down to personal preference of paste vs liquid, but the Jurlique one has a few advantages in my opinion:
• It smells amazing – this would be the desert lime, quandong and wattle.
• It’s certified biodynamic
• It’s Australian made – support local industry, mate
• It’s ridiculously cheap for what it is (I seriously was anticipating $75+ for this baby; not so)
• It’s locally available i.e. I don’t have to fly to Hawaii to restock. Hmmm...on second thought...

I am normally quite sensitive to most exfoliators, but my skin definitely appreciated this one and I enjoyed using it. Two thumbs up; would recommend. Just remember that anytime you use a product like this with natural alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) in it, that you must be even more diligent with your sunscreen. Not that you’re not already, I know, but I’m just sayin’.

Price: $50
From: Jurlique stores, Jurlique online, Myer, David Jones
Why you need it: To scrub away those old layers and reveal some new skin. Also, to unclog your skin from all that sunscreen you have been wearing. It hit counters yesterday, so hurry on down!

Picture credit: jurlique.com.au

This week I...

• Am in Melbourne to enjoy some tennis action at the Australian Open. If I don’t come home, it’s because I have run off into the sunset with Rafael Nadal or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. I’m not picky.
• Have had another cold, but Fess nasal spray fixed me right up. Good one, Fess. (Too much information? What do mean we aren’t that intimate yet?)
• Realised that it wasn’t just a fluke and I had actually found my miracle hair product.
• Have been taking videos of everyone and everything with the super cute Flip mini video camera. Stalker? Yes. Will hopefully have some videos to share from aforementioned tennis.
• Had dinner at Bird Cow Fish. I recommend the gnocchi.
• Started the countdown to my birthday (19 sleeps, just in case you don’t have your countdown going yet).
• Accidentally got sent American InStyle instead of Australian InStyle at work. Yes, my job is awesome. I devoured that baby cover to cover (although I’m not sure about Whitney Houston on the cover).

Peace, love and forehands,
xx

Montra Spa saved my soul

I have to admit that I haven’t been in a great place lately. I won’t bore you with the details, but I’m quite possibly more stressed now than I was before Christmas (which is really saying something). It doesn’t help that I’m a bit sick at the moment and I’m going away on Sunday, so that is just compounding my run-down-ness.

I left work a little early yesterday and on the way home realised that what I needed at that. very. moment. was a massage. I don’t think I have ever needed a massage more. Montra Spa has been on Crown St in Surry Hills for almost a year (maybe more?) and every time I walk past I peer in, but I had never thought to check them out. Silly.

It’s a really sweet little Thai spa, decked out beautifully with shiny wood, artefacts and loads of candles. My massage therapist, Lucky, was so super sweet, but massaging me is like kneading a pile of rocks, so the poor girl really worked hard for her money! I asked for the focus to specifically be my neck and shoulders and she was very obliging, adapting a couple of treatments to suit my needs. It’s always the sign of a good massage therapist when they can chop and change and react to what your body is doing.

After my massage, I sat in the lounge with a warm cloth for my hands and neck, and enjoyed a cup of tea (honey, ginger and spices? Tasty, whatever it was). Good God I walked out feeling better than I have in ages. I’m just disappointed that I hadn’t been in there sooner!

Price: Quick 10 minute massages start at $20. I had a 30 minute thai oil massage for $45, and they do 60/90/120 minute massages (bliss) for $80+. They also do facials and scrubs.
From: Montra Spa – Surry Hills and Double Bay
Why you need it: To rub the knots out and feel renewed.

Speaking of feeling renewed, if posting is a little patchy over the next few weeks, you know why. Well, you don’t know why but hopefully I will be able to tell you about it soon.

Picture credit: montraspa.com.au - picture is Double Bay spa

How to attract boys - nice smelling hair

Fact: 94% of boys like girls with nice smelling hair. This is not a made up statistic. It comes from the Institute Of Why Boys Like Girls; they are based in NSW, but work nationally.

Actually, Herbal Essences did a national survey that found over 70% of Australian women think men prefer the scent of their hair over their perfume. To that I say...well duh. I reckon on average Boyfriend compliments me twice a week on how nice my hair smells, but comments maybe once every few months, if that, on my perfume.

There is something very intimate about breathing in the scent of a girls hair, or “hair-sniffing” as I like to call it. It means that the boy has to be in close enough range to inhale your scent, preferably in some sort of snuggling arrangement. Boys like that. Girls like that too. See, mutually beneficial.

Anyway, I tried out the Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship shampoo, conditioner and treatment. It smells like red raspberry and satin. Before you ask me what satin smells like, I have no idea. But the shampoo smells really yummy and Boyfriend was all about the cuddles just so he could nuzzle my hair. Relationship win.

Price: $6.99 for the shampoo & conditioner, $8.50 for the treatment
From: Supermarkets
Why you need it: To make sure that a boy smells your hair

Picture credit: herbalessences.com.au

Primped VIP review - L'Oreal Studio Secrets Primer

Time for another round of Primped VIP reviews! This was definitely my favourite of the three products we were sent. I had been stewing over whether to buy the L’Oreal Studio Secrets primer for a while when, lo and behold, it landed in my lap (and I mean literally – when I opened the parcel it came rolling out and landed square in my lap).

The Studio Secrets Professional line was developed as a way of giving the everyday consumer (you and me) access to the sort of products that top make-up artists use. L’Oreal collaborated with Linda Evangelista as, let’s face it (ha!), she has had a lot of slap piled onto her mug over the years so she must know a thing or two about what works.

My first reaction when I opened the Smoothing Resurfacing Primer was confusion. In the jar it smells faintly like nail polish remover (?!) but once it hits skin it just smells kind of...creamy? Powdery? It smelled faintly of my Nan's powder when I was a kid, which I'm totally cool with because the scent doesn't linger once it's out of the jar. As for how it fells, well, it feels really weird – kind of like what velvet would feel like if it was a cream. It has a very distinct texture which is a result of the slippery silicon oil mixed with the powders. Once you buff it in though, skin is silky smooth and flawless. No kidding.

Take a little finger full and gentle rub into areas that need smoothing, like the forehead, around the mouth and the eye contours. Start inwards and move outwards, slowly rubbing it in circles to get it to smooth out. It gives skin a beautiful luminous glow while making it perfectly even – my foundation and blush went on better than it ever had before. Best bit? My foundation and cream blush stayed put ALL DAY.

I had a family thingy on one night last week and naturally there were some photos taken. You know what? I look good in them. Nevermind the fact that I had been at work all day and it was a balmy evening, my skin looked even and glowy. My usual primer is an illuminator, which this is not, BUT, this does have a subtle glow to it and it evens my skin out much more than my usual base. And you know what? It’s about $20 cheaper than my usual primer too.

I have been using this for about 3 weeks now and I’m not quite halfway through the pot. I will say already that I will definitely be replacing it when I run out. Would I recommend it? Yes. Just be careful if you have really sensitive skin because the silicon might clog pores if you use it too much.

Price: $39.95
From: Priceline, Priceline, you’ll pay less at Priceline
Why you need it: I recommend giving it a crack just so you can see what it feels like! Seriously, great stuff if you don’t have 100% smooth and velvety skin already, because you will soon.

Picture credit: My Canon Ixus 85IS and a tripod because my hand isn't steady enough to take decent macro shots

What's my fantasy?

As any big-boobied girl will tell you, finding bras to fit is tricky. Finding bras to fit that don’t look like maternity and/or grandma bras is even more tricky. God I wish Victoria’s Secret was in Australia. Thankfully, they ship internationally! Yes, I know we have discussed VS before, but my new order arrived yesterday so I’m all about the bra right now.

Having been to a store and been fitted properly, I know what size I am in VS so I can order online. If you haven’t been fitted in a store, you can still measure yourself at home with their very easy to follow step-by-step bra guide. Then it’s all a matter of choice. Seriously, Victoria’s Secret has so many colours, shapes, patterns, degrees of push-up, that there must be hundreds of thousands to choose from.

Personally, I tend to skip the Miranda Kerr push-ups and go straight to the DD options. Lined or un-lined? Demi or full coverage? This time around I picked 2 of the new VS Cotton, mainly because they come in 21 awesome colours but also because they are on sale 2 for $40. Oh, and because they are full coverage and mega-comfy.

So here I am, writing this blog post in my new VS Cotton pink stripes bra (yes, I look like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) and VS Pink college trackies (yellow...UCLA...go Bruins!). No top...why would I want to wear a top and hide this beautiful work of art? In fact, I may never wear a top at home again. I’m sure Boyfriend will appreciate it, but I don’t know how our other flatmate will feel. Hmmm...

Price: VS is having a mega sale at the moment – loads of cheap deals! Shipping is scalable depending how much you order; an order under $75 is $28 shipping. (I just bought 2 bras, trackies and a swimsuit for a total of US$131 incl shipping)
From: Victoria’s Secret
Why you need it: a) Bras are really expensive in Aus and b) They are, generally speaking, ugly for the girls with girls. Big boobs deserve to look good too!

Picture credit: victoriassecret.com

Tough as nails

Way back at the beginning of December I was moaning on twitter about the fact that I was on my way out the door to an event but, having just painted my nails, silly me smudged 7 out of the 10 fingers and suddenly my mood was ruined. You guys know how precious I am about my manis, right?

Anyway, the beautiful Akisa of Akisalove and Beauty Swatch recommended I track down some Sally Hansen Insta-Dri so that I wouldn’t have that problem again. Goodness me, Akisa is not just a pretty face because this product is GENIUS.

Not only do your nails dry literally within 30 seconds (just like it promises on the box), but the anti-chip formula means your mani lasts longer with no chips and cracks. It also has the most incredibly shiny formula – it made my normally bright nail colour (in this case, Revlon’s Pretty in Papaya) really pop! Massively impressed. Bonus round: Insta-Dri has lovely UV filters to help prevent fading, yellowing and discolouration caused by sunlight, which is obviously a big win for summer nails.

Price: $14.95
From: Priceline, Myer
Why you need it: So you don’t end up with smudged nails when you’re running late and time isn’t on your side.

Picture credit: sallyhansen.com

Rosehip lovefest - face

Last day of the rosehip lovefest, and this is the power punch.




I just ran out so I have to pop into DJs on my lunch break today to grab some. I suggest you do too.

Price: $42
From: David Jones, Myer, Priceline, chemists
Why you need it: To fight the free radicals

Picture credit: invisiblezinc.com.au

Rosehip lovefest – hands

Do you like Terry’s Chocolate Orange? You know, the one that’s shaped like an orange and cut into slices? Orange chocolate seems to be quite polarising – you either love it or you hate it. Me? Love it. Love it.

So when I came across Grown Vanilla and Orange Peel hand cream I was off-the-chart smitten. It smells so amazing, like diving into a creamy bath of orange chocolate and vanilla cream. I have been sprung surreptitiously licking my hands on more than one occasion.

The fact that it’s organic, made from grape seed, wheatgerm, and sweet sweet rosehip oil also helps. These beautiful, non-greasy ingredients fight evil free radicals and boost skins natural protective function, as well as increase skin’s lipid content which helps restore moisture and enhance moisture retaining capabilities. Mmmm...moisture.

You know, your hands are always a dead giveaway for your age. No amount of treatments, botox, facelifts and makeup can hide the age spots and wrinkles on your hands (even hand botox won't hide age spots, ladies). I realised just how important hands were mid last year when someone who I thought was early 30s hand her hands on the table and...well...she had the hands of a 50 year old. Good for her face, bad for her hands? Destined for a lifetime of gloves? I don’t know. The moral is, nutella should always be eaten with a dessert spoon – don’t waste time with a teaspoon! (and look after your hands, duh)

Price: $24 for 65ml tube $66 for 500ml pump bottle
From: Myer, DJs and a few select stockists
Why you need it: It smells good, it’s good for you, the packaging is gorgeous recycled cardboard and the black tube looks classy. It ticks all the boxes.

Picture credit: grown.net.au

Rosehip lovefest - hair

I know I have mentioned this before, but one of my desert island beauty products is rosehip oil. Keeps me hydrated and dewy, heals my spots, cleans my oven – she’s a real smart cookie. So imagine my glee when I realised that three products that have all made it into the A-team beauty routine (we all do this – the A-team is the products you use every day, the B-team is the backups and occasionals) all have rosehip oil in them! No wonder I love them so much.

They are all pretty different products – shampoo, hand cream and skin serum. I’ll give you the run down on each over the next couple of days and then you might consider adding them to your A-team too (I highly encourage this).

After having my hair cut and coloured at Atlantis last month, I started using the Original & Mineral range of products (same people, same philosophy). My stylist advised which products were best for my hair; shampoo for fine hair, conditioner for normal hair – my hair obviously has an identity crisis. The fine hair shampoo is called Fine Intellect and contains chamomile for calming and rosehip oil for condition. Talk about a one, two combo! It’s also chock full of Provitamin B5 for hydration and, most importantly, Fine Intellect, just like all the O&M products, is sulphate, paraben, MIT, propylene glycol, phthalates and triclosan free. Did you know that propylene glycol is in antifreeze?! Yeah, I don’t want that on my hair, thanks.

I have also been using the Maintain The Mane conditioner, which doesn’t have rosehip oil in it, but we can celebrate it anyway because it does have rosemary & sage so it smells good. It also has silk protein so it leaves my hair in good nick PLUS it has UV protection, so it has eliminated one extra step from my routine in summer. High five.

Price: $28.95
From: Check with Original & Mineral for stockists, or grab some online from Adorebeauty
Why you need it: Clean and healthy hair without the chemicals.
Bonus: They look really classy in your bathroom.

Picture credit: Original & Mineral

Bringing light in - Omnilux

My skin has been in a terrible state the last week. Poor diet, breakout from a dodgy product and a lack of vitamin D has led to, well, this...



So I took myself off for some Omnilux and this is the result...



Like I say in the video, I'm now saving for a handheld device with the same passion DJ Tanner saved for her 'I gotta get a car the day I turn 16' fund (name that obscure 90s pop culture reference). If you're looking to make donations, I'll send you my paypal details!

This is a picture of the Omnilux machine that I stealthily took whilst getting dressed after my treatment. The thing at the top with all the rows of little light bulbs gets lowered down over your face, while you blissfully lie there pretending to be somewhere tropical. A few days later and my skin still feels good. As the therapist explained, one treatment isn't a miracle cure and you do need continuous top-ups to get the real benefits of tissue repair - all salons that do Omnilux will generally sell a discounted 10 pack for this reason. Mind you, for the price of a 10 pack you could buy the at home device and suddenly become everyones best friend.

Worth noting: I did both of these videos sans fard. Au natural. Naked (naked face, not naked body).

Price: Single treatment is $99 at Ella Rouge - this was the cheapest I could find
From: Check spauniverse.com.au for all salons that offer Omnilux
Why you need it: For plump, healthy and repaired skin that glows. Or to treat oil and acne issues.

Picture credit: Taken at Ella Rouge Bondi Westfield

This week I...

• Had an Omnilux facial treatment – winner
• Discovered that three of my most loved beauty essentials all have something in common
• Enjoyed the most amazing degustation dinner at Restaurant Atelier in Glebe
• Figured out what makeup product was causing my skin to break out (no surprises it was, once again, a Napoleon product)
• Learnt that Sephora guava passion body butter is most excellent at masking eau de fake tan
• Placed orders at Victoria’s Secret and Urban Outfitters – I can’t wait for those parcels to arrive!
• Played an obscene amount of Super Mario Bros on the Wii. I suck, but I don’t care.
• Made honey snap biscuits from a recipe in the Frankie Afternoon Tea cookbook. Yum!

Welcome back for another year of trialling products, shopping, dodgy videos and lame jokes. I would regale you with all my grand plans for the blog for the coming year, but at this stage I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing and writing about what I love. Of course, I am always open to suggestions for things you want to see more or less of (less lemurs? No problem! Consider them gone) and I thank you for your continued support. Or for just humouring me and my ramblings.

Picture credit: These were the only biscuits I managed to get a photo of! Someone helped themselves before I could grab the camera.