My name is Elise and I'm a concealaholic.
Price: $68
From: Benefit
Why you need it: This is a fabulous edit of all of Benefit's best face products - you'll be flawless and glowy in no time!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
What's the time, Mr. Wolf?
There’s nothing like a new purchase on a Thursday night to get the weekend off to a good start. Boyfriend and I popped up to Bondi Westfield to exchange a bag he bought recently at Fossil, and while I was waiting for him to do the exchange paperwork (you have to give them your life story just do a simple swap these days) 
I wandered over to the watch cabinet. Minutes later I was buying a watch. How did that happen?!
Actually I had been considering a new watch for a couple of weeks (the band on my current timepiece was held together with superglue) but I had been looking at subtle silver. Instead I picked out this really cool sport-luxe chunky white beauty. It has a big face and a fat band in this weird silicon material. It looks like the silicon will mark easily on the underside of the wrist, but I’m only really concerned about the face.
Not much else to say really. I won’t keep you; I’m sure you’re busy since it’s Friday and all.
Oh wait! Yes there is more to say! Shout out to the staff at Fossil Bondi Westfield for being super-awesome and playing my favourite Frou Frou song. Also, What's The Time Mr. Wolf was my favourite game in primary school; Whats The Time Mr. Wolf > Bullrush because no one got hurt. Ok, you can go now.
Price: $169
From: Fossil
Why you need it: So you can tell the time (and date, and day of the week – fancy)
I wandered over to the watch cabinet. Minutes later I was buying a watch. How did that happen?!Actually I had been considering a new watch for a couple of weeks (the band on my current timepiece was held together with superglue) but I had been looking at subtle silver. Instead I picked out this really cool sport-luxe chunky white beauty. It has a big face and a fat band in this weird silicon material. It looks like the silicon will mark easily on the underside of the wrist, but I’m only really concerned about the face.
Not much else to say really. I won’t keep you; I’m sure you’re busy since it’s Friday and all.
Oh wait! Yes there is more to say! Shout out to the staff at Fossil Bondi Westfield for being super-awesome and playing my favourite Frou Frou song. Also, What's The Time Mr. Wolf was my favourite game in primary school; Whats The Time Mr. Wolf > Bullrush because no one got hurt. Ok, you can go now.
Price: $169
From: Fossil
Why you need it: So you can tell the time (and date, and day of the week – fancy)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Can I per-suede you?
Ooh la la! So chic! I was talking about the new OPI Suede polish on twitter last week and it seems like lots of you are interested in it! Being the good citizen I am, I tried out two different colours in a whole host of ways - no base, with base, with colour base, with top, without top...there was lots of painting and repainting while sitting in front of the TV.
OPI Suede comes in 6 colours and I tried two of them - Suzi Skis In The Pyrenees (deep blue-grey) and You Don't Know Jacques (the so-hot-it-hurts taupe). It also comes in Russian Navy (deep-sea indigo), Lincoln Park After Dark (dark purple meets midnight), OPI Ink (violet-blue) and We'll Always Have Paris (coffee-plum, very tasty). These are all existing OPI colours that have been given a make-over (or suede-over. so clever!)
First up I painted on You Don't Know Jacques (YDKJ) without any base or top coat. It has a really cool chalky texture which is very similar to matte polish but even more exaggerated. Without any top or base though, it chipped within 12 hours.
Next up I did Suzi Skis In The Pyrenees (SSITP) with and without a top coat. The nails without a topcoat chipped pretty easily, but the ones with a topcoat stayed chip free and ready to party. However, it changed the look and feel of the polish - it took away the texture and made it shiny, which in turn made it look more like a glitter polish. I quite liked the shiny look though, and will definitely add it to my repertoire, even though that wasn't really the intended purpose.
I think I may have figured this out though - YDKJ with a base coat seems to be the winner. It maintains the suede effect and texture but there is definitely less chipping, although still some
rubbing on the edges. I actually did a finger with a coat of regular YDKJ first but it didn't change the look or colour at all, so I think regular base coat should be sufficient. I'm up to day three now with only one small rub so far.
I really adore the effect these polishes give off, even though they're a bit painful. You have to make sure you shake the bottle every couple of fingers to keep the polish thick, otherwise the suede sediment settles at the bottom of the bottle and it becomes thin and watery. Definitely a fun trend though, and one I will be pulling out for big occasions this winter (and day to day with a top coat).
Price: $19.95
From: David Jones
Why you need it: Suede polish IS a fun trend. Suede polish IS NOT an easy trend to maintain. Suede polish IS an attention seeking compliment thief. Suede polish IS NOT very tasty.
OPI Suede comes in 6 colours and I tried two of them - Suzi Skis In The Pyrenees (deep blue-grey) and You Don't Know Jacques (the so-hot-it-hurts taupe). It also comes in Russian Navy (deep-sea indigo), Lincoln Park After Dark (dark purple meets midnight), OPI Ink (violet-blue) and We'll Always Have Paris (coffee-plum, very tasty). These are all existing OPI colours that have been given a make-over (or suede-over. so clever!)First up I painted on You Don't Know Jacques (YDKJ) without any base or top coat. It has a really cool chalky texture which is very similar to matte polish but even more exaggerated. Without any top or base though, it chipped within 12 hours.
Next up I did Suzi Skis In The Pyrenees (SSITP) with and without a top coat. The nails without a topcoat chipped pretty easily, but the ones with a topcoat stayed chip free and ready to party. However, it changed the look and feel of the polish - it took away the texture and made it shiny, which in turn made it look more like a glitter polish. I quite liked the shiny look though, and will definitely add it to my repertoire, even though that wasn't really the intended purpose.
I think I may have figured this out though - YDKJ with a base coat seems to be the winner. It maintains the suede effect and texture but there is definitely less chipping, although still some
rubbing on the edges. I actually did a finger with a coat of regular YDKJ first but it didn't change the look or colour at all, so I think regular base coat should be sufficient. I'm up to day three now with only one small rub so far.I really adore the effect these polishes give off, even though they're a bit painful. You have to make sure you shake the bottle every couple of fingers to keep the polish thick, otherwise the suede sediment settles at the bottom of the bottle and it becomes thin and watery. Definitely a fun trend though, and one I will be pulling out for big occasions this winter (and day to day with a top coat).
Price: $19.95
From: David Jones
Why you need it: Suede polish IS a fun trend. Suede polish IS NOT an easy trend to maintain. Suede polish IS an attention seeking compliment thief. Suede polish IS NOT very tasty.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Spreading some hope
I'm going to put my serious hat on (again! I know!) and talk about The Butterfly Foundation for a minute. They are an amazing organisation who do great work helping Australians with eating disorders. I myself have never been affected by an eating disorder, but body image is a huge deal in my industry (magazines) and it's something that is on my mind every day. I will 
very shamefully admit that a potential cover came through yesterday and the first thing I thought when I looked at it was 'her arm looks fat'. Why would I think that!? Her arm wasn't even fat but it was my gut reaction, ahead of straplines, colours or even the celebrities face. My male boss was horrified and I was ashamed. Ten Hail Mary's for me.
Fortuitous timing then that I popped into Sportsgirl at lunch to buy a pair of shoes (which I didn't buy - either the Sportsgirl sizing system has changed or my feet have grown). I noticed The Butterfly Foundaton had some new jewellery on the counter and my bowerbird instincts kicked in. Ever since Sportsgirl became a corporate sponsor of The Butterfly Foundation in 2007 (high five, Sportsgirl) I have been wearing a Butterfly Foundation string bracelet around my wrist. Every time I look at it, it reminds me to let my body issues go and be a little more forgiving
on myself. It also reminds me that I should probably buy another one as it's looking a bit tatty.
How amazing is the hope ring (statement, not question). It's dainty and delicate, but powerful in its message. As for the silver bracelet with the charm, well, that's just plain cool (and will stack perfectly with my other silver hardware). Sportsgirl have a beautiful range of Butterfly Foundation merchandise. It always sits on the counter, it's insultingly cheap (I felt like I ripped them off ) and it's for a wonderful cause.
Price: Ring $5 (OMG!) Bracelet $7
From: Sportsgirl
Why you need it: You get to look cool, feel virtuous and hopefully help a young Aussie in need. Hugs all 'round.
very shamefully admit that a potential cover came through yesterday and the first thing I thought when I looked at it was 'her arm looks fat'. Why would I think that!? Her arm wasn't even fat but it was my gut reaction, ahead of straplines, colours or even the celebrities face. My male boss was horrified and I was ashamed. Ten Hail Mary's for me.Fortuitous timing then that I popped into Sportsgirl at lunch to buy a pair of shoes (which I didn't buy - either the Sportsgirl sizing system has changed or my feet have grown). I noticed The Butterfly Foundaton had some new jewellery on the counter and my bowerbird instincts kicked in. Ever since Sportsgirl became a corporate sponsor of The Butterfly Foundation in 2007 (high five, Sportsgirl) I have been wearing a Butterfly Foundation string bracelet around my wrist. Every time I look at it, it reminds me to let my body issues go and be a little more forgiving
on myself. It also reminds me that I should probably buy another one as it's looking a bit tatty.How amazing is the hope ring (statement, not question). It's dainty and delicate, but powerful in its message. As for the silver bracelet with the charm, well, that's just plain cool (and will stack perfectly with my other silver hardware). Sportsgirl have a beautiful range of Butterfly Foundation merchandise. It always sits on the counter, it's insultingly cheap (I felt like I ripped them off ) and it's for a wonderful cause.
Price: Ring $5 (OMG!) Bracelet $7
From: Sportsgirl
Why you need it: You get to look cool, feel virtuous and hopefully help a young Aussie in need. Hugs all 'round.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The Steam Dream - VS Sassoon Goddess
Aiight…I know I mentioned last week that I had tried the VS Sassoon Goddess Conditioning Ionic Steam Straightener as part of the Primped VIP Club and I wasn’t that impressed with it. I figure I should give you a better explanation and then you can make up your own mind (I swear I can be serious business sometimes!)
The Goddess Straightener is a clunky, chunky beast. I found it very heavy to use, but I am used to using a GHD that is a lot lighter (and I’m sadly lacking in the arm muscle department). The silver tourmaline ceramic plates have variable heat for
various types of hair, with a retractable comb in the plates. The comb bit I liked, as you need to comb hair while straightening for best results. The varying heat of the plates is also good in theory, but you need to read the instruction manual very carefully to understand what you’re doing – there is quite a difference between 170 and 230 degrees, and you don’t want to mess that up!
One of the other selling points is the steam. You have to fill up the reservoir, which is kind of fiddly. I also found it very disconcerting having a heavy appliance hissing and fizzing whilst so close to my head. It reminded me of ironing my friends hair circa 2001, her bent down over the ironing board, me taking to her locks like I was ironing my undies. I think the steam was the biggest problem for me – it made my hair all sticky and straw-like, and then completely dried it out like beef jerky. What you need to remember is I have very fine hair that has been blonded on the ends with balayage, so my hair is fragile to begin with. My flatmate has been using the straightener, and as she said the other day, she finds it easy to use because she can straighten large chunks quickly. She has very very thick, dark hair and loves that she only needs to do a once over to get it straight.
Just on the once over thing, the press release talks about it being more effective than GHD with a one stroke pass, but I only ever do one stroke with my GHD. Again, shows how fine my hair is.
My conclusion is that it is great for thick hair (I got that impression from reading all the reviews on Primped) but not so great for fine hair. It is also purely a straightener - the shape of the plates means you can’t do curls (bummer) and you need muscles to keep it up. It’s a lot more hard work than a GHD, but it’s also $100 cheaper.
Price: $199.95
From: Department stores and electrical appliance shops (I think I saw them in Harvey Norman a couple of weeks ago?)
Why you need it: It would probably be a worthwhile investment if you have thick, dark hair and are looking for a straightener that just straightens.
Picture credit: VS Sassoon
The Goddess Straightener is a clunky, chunky beast. I found it very heavy to use, but I am used to using a GHD that is a lot lighter (and I’m sadly lacking in the arm muscle department). The silver tourmaline ceramic plates have variable heat for
various types of hair, with a retractable comb in the plates. The comb bit I liked, as you need to comb hair while straightening for best results. The varying heat of the plates is also good in theory, but you need to read the instruction manual very carefully to understand what you’re doing – there is quite a difference between 170 and 230 degrees, and you don’t want to mess that up!One of the other selling points is the steam. You have to fill up the reservoir, which is kind of fiddly. I also found it very disconcerting having a heavy appliance hissing and fizzing whilst so close to my head. It reminded me of ironing my friends hair circa 2001, her bent down over the ironing board, me taking to her locks like I was ironing my undies. I think the steam was the biggest problem for me – it made my hair all sticky and straw-like, and then completely dried it out like beef jerky. What you need to remember is I have very fine hair that has been blonded on the ends with balayage, so my hair is fragile to begin with. My flatmate has been using the straightener, and as she said the other day, she finds it easy to use because she can straighten large chunks quickly. She has very very thick, dark hair and loves that she only needs to do a once over to get it straight.
Just on the once over thing, the press release talks about it being more effective than GHD with a one stroke pass, but I only ever do one stroke with my GHD. Again, shows how fine my hair is.
My conclusion is that it is great for thick hair (I got that impression from reading all the reviews on Primped) but not so great for fine hair. It is also purely a straightener - the shape of the plates means you can’t do curls (bummer) and you need muscles to keep it up. It’s a lot more hard work than a GHD, but it’s also $100 cheaper.
Price: $199.95
From: Department stores and electrical appliance shops (I think I saw them in Harvey Norman a couple of weeks ago?)
Why you need it: It would probably be a worthwhile investment if you have thick, dark hair and are looking for a straightener that just straightens.
Picture credit: VS Sassoon
Monday, April 12, 2010
When you're running late...
Last wedding post for a while, I promise. My dear friend got married in Mollymook on Friday, which required an early start and a long drive from us. This might not have seemed like a big deal, except I was in charge of picking up the flowers and delivering them safely to the church, the bride and the groom. Yeah, important. Even more important since Boyfriend and I are ALWAYS late, and Friday was no exception. Wedding started at 3 and we didn’t do the first drop off until 2. Sorry photographer, you’ll just have to wait! Naturally I was in my comfy pants and thongs, with my hair all over the place and nothing more than moisturiser on my face. High five, me.
Thankfully, earlier in the week I had been sent
a Miette Beauty pack and looking at it was seriously a ‘why didn’t I think of this before’ moment. Jessica, the smart cookie at Miette Beauty, has created special packs like Wheels to Heels and Boardroom to Bar, with all the essentials you would in theory have stashed in your handbag/glove box/desk drawer, but they are never there when you need them.
So we didn’t get to our motel until 2:30 and a 3pm ceremony meant I had 15 minutes for hair, makeup and dress. This meant I had to do a lot of prep in the car on the move. The Miette pack had bandaids (for blister prevention on my feet), moisturiser (for my dry air con hands), Pond’s cleansing wipes (for pre-makeup prep), lip balm, comb, tampons, deodorant (winner!) and these cool little breath mint wipes, which you slip onto your finger and brush your teeth with. A quick wipe over the hands with the wet ones and I was ready to go.
Moral of the story? When your friend trusts you to do something really important, make sure you leave the house on time. And always keep a Miette Beauty pack in the car just in case.
Price: $24.95
From: Miette Beauty
Why you need it: The ultimate In Case Of Emergency. Break glass, grab bag, ready to go.
Picture credit: Miette Beauty
Thankfully, earlier in the week I had been sent
a Miette Beauty pack and looking at it was seriously a ‘why didn’t I think of this before’ moment. Jessica, the smart cookie at Miette Beauty, has created special packs like Wheels to Heels and Boardroom to Bar, with all the essentials you would in theory have stashed in your handbag/glove box/desk drawer, but they are never there when you need them.So we didn’t get to our motel until 2:30 and a 3pm ceremony meant I had 15 minutes for hair, makeup and dress. This meant I had to do a lot of prep in the car on the move. The Miette pack had bandaids (for blister prevention on my feet), moisturiser (for my dry air con hands), Pond’s cleansing wipes (for pre-makeup prep), lip balm, comb, tampons, deodorant (winner!) and these cool little breath mint wipes, which you slip onto your finger and brush your teeth with. A quick wipe over the hands with the wet ones and I was ready to go.
Moral of the story? When your friend trusts you to do something really important, make sure you leave the house on time. And always keep a Miette Beauty pack in the car just in case.
Price: $24.95
From: Miette Beauty
Why you need it: The ultimate In Case Of Emergency. Break glass, grab bag, ready to go.
Picture credit: Miette Beauty
Friday, April 9, 2010
Just like magic
If we are friends on facebook or you follow me on twitter you might know that I have been whinging and moaning the last few days about my spray tan. It looked amazing last week, but, as they do, it has gone a bit patchy. This means time to scrub it off, except mine is Refusing to budge with a capital R. This wouldn’t be a problem if I wasn’t going to a wedding today but, gosh darn, I am. (Congratulations Amy!)
My very patient beauty therapist Mel at Fifty Four Park helped me with damage control and hooked me up with a product called Magic Peeling. It’s an exfoliating glove that you use in the shower and the dead skin just rolls off. It would be disgusting if it wasn’t so cool.
You need to soak in the shower for about 5 minutes then you slip the mitt on and rub up and down. No soap, no body wash, no circular motions. Pretty simple. It’s made from a soft cellulose fibre so it just feels like you’re rubbing your arms and legs with a soft piece of fabric. Just like that. I am pleased to report I am now patchy-tan-free on all the important (aka visible) parts and ready to stand up in front of a church full of people.
Price: $50 (give or take)
From: I bought mine from Fifty Four Park – they aren’t widely distributed, but I have found them on GirlyEssentials and a stockist list on Feggari (looks like Price Attack stocks it). Check out the Magic Peeling website for more info.
Why you need it: To scrub off your dirty old fake tan and get rid of all your dead skin for a lovely glow.
Picture credit: girlyessentials.com.au
My very patient beauty therapist Mel at Fifty Four Park helped me with damage control and hooked me up with a product called Magic Peeling. It’s an exfoliating glove that you use in the shower and the dead skin just rolls off. It would be disgusting if it wasn’t so cool.You need to soak in the shower for about 5 minutes then you slip the mitt on and rub up and down. No soap, no body wash, no circular motions. Pretty simple. It’s made from a soft cellulose fibre so it just feels like you’re rubbing your arms and legs with a soft piece of fabric. Just like that. I am pleased to report I am now patchy-tan-free on all the important (aka visible) parts and ready to stand up in front of a church full of people.
Price: $50 (give or take)
From: I bought mine from Fifty Four Park – they aren’t widely distributed, but I have found them on GirlyEssentials and a stockist list on Feggari (looks like Price Attack stocks it). Check out the Magic Peeling website for more info.
Why you need it: To scrub off your dirty old fake tan and get rid of all your dead skin for a lovely glow.
Picture credit: girlyessentials.com.au
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Cool as a cucumber
Someone asked me last week how I could possibly try every single product I write about. I think that’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? I have three heads.
Ha! As if. I only have two. But I do try every product I write about. I don’t just wake up in the morning and think ‘I might like to write about this today’. Oh no. I generally make sure I use everything for a minimum of three weeks so that I can give a fair and honest assessment before I commit my opi
nion to the internet. I will be honest and say that I don’t necessarily pay for everything I try (and thank you to the PR companies who keep me in the loop with new product launches, because I love being in the know) but I won’t review a product just for the sake of it. I only review stuff if I like the product and think you want to hear about (and I mention if it was a purchase or sample).
This all started because I was telling her about the new Olay Total Effects moisturiser with Cooling Essence that I was trying out and enjoying much more than I thought I would. I love a good gimmick and I figured the Cooling Essence would just be their regular cream with an added something. Turns out that added something was mint extract and cool water. I loved it.
I have been meaning to try one of the other Olay creams (Regenerist) for a very long time but I always think of it at the wrong time (like, not when I’m at Priceline). After using this cream, I feel like this is probably a solid indication that a) Olay rocks and b) I should definitely be buying more of their face creams. My skin has been wonderfully hydrated, the cream is a joy to rub on and it’s nice and hygienic with a pump top (I always feel icky sticking my fingers in jars, don’t you?)
Price: $32.49
From: Supermarkets and Priceline
Why you need it: It’s a cheap but effective high quality moisturiser. Plus the Cooling Essence is a nice refresher on those hard-to-get-going mornings.
Picture credit: Olay
Ha! As if. I only have two. But I do try every product I write about. I don’t just wake up in the morning and think ‘I might like to write about this today’. Oh no. I generally make sure I use everything for a minimum of three weeks so that I can give a fair and honest assessment before I commit my opi
nion to the internet. I will be honest and say that I don’t necessarily pay for everything I try (and thank you to the PR companies who keep me in the loop with new product launches, because I love being in the know) but I won’t review a product just for the sake of it. I only review stuff if I like the product and think you want to hear about (and I mention if it was a purchase or sample).This all started because I was telling her about the new Olay Total Effects moisturiser with Cooling Essence that I was trying out and enjoying much more than I thought I would. I love a good gimmick and I figured the Cooling Essence would just be their regular cream with an added something. Turns out that added something was mint extract and cool water. I loved it.
I have been meaning to try one of the other Olay creams (Regenerist) for a very long time but I always think of it at the wrong time (like, not when I’m at Priceline). After using this cream, I feel like this is probably a solid indication that a) Olay rocks and b) I should definitely be buying more of their face creams. My skin has been wonderfully hydrated, the cream is a joy to rub on and it’s nice and hygienic with a pump top (I always feel icky sticking my fingers in jars, don’t you?)
Price: $32.49
From: Supermarkets and Priceline
Why you need it: It’s a cheap but effective high quality moisturiser. Plus the Cooling Essence is a nice refresher on those hard-to-get-going mornings.
Picture credit: Olay
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
(Insert pun about luscious lips)
Stupid change of weather means a change in air conditioning, more wind, rain and basically all the ingredients for dry skin. I loathe autumn for this reason (but I do love the leaves turning, so it’s almost ok). Dry lips is an extension of dry skin and I was most cranky last week when my lips went nutso because I needed them to be all lovely and smooth for my lipstick-wearing occasion.
Lucky for me, the Nougat London Luscious Lip
Collection landed on my desk the other week, which is kickass-awesome for knocking chapped evilness on its ass. It’s a set of three lovely little silver tubs: lip balm, lip polish and lip treatment. It’s pretty obvious what you do with the lip balm (you clean your car with it, duh), so I won’t teach you to suck eggs, which, by the way, is a horrible expression and I don’t care that it came from the 1500’s. The lip polish is gently exfoliating, with little grainy bits to scrub away the dry skin, and the lip treatment is like the lip balm but on steroids, perfect for an overnight treatment. Note: The best way to get the scrub working was to warm the tub up between my hands for a minute to warm it up to soften it slightly.
The Collections come in two flavours – sugared fig and sweet rose. I have been using the sugared fig and it is just delicious. I love that it’s an unusual flavour; I don’t recall ever using a fig lip balm before but by jove it’s tasty (that’s me, surreptitiously eating lip balm in the corner). It works, too. My lips scrubbed up nicely (zing) and definitely helped keep my lippie in place on the weekend.
Edit: Kat has been trying the sweet rose set, and while she agreed on the balm, she wasn't so sure about the flavour. She said it had a kind of potpourri vibe.
Price: $39.95 for the box set of three
From: David Jones and some chemists (the fancy ones that sell cool stuff)
Why you need it: The banish the autumn flakys.
Picture credit: Nougat London - Sweet Rose pictured
Lucky for me, the Nougat London Luscious Lip
Collection landed on my desk the other week, which is kickass-awesome for knocking chapped evilness on its ass. It’s a set of three lovely little silver tubs: lip balm, lip polish and lip treatment. It’s pretty obvious what you do with the lip balm (you clean your car with it, duh), so I won’t teach you to suck eggs, which, by the way, is a horrible expression and I don’t care that it came from the 1500’s. The lip polish is gently exfoliating, with little grainy bits to scrub away the dry skin, and the lip treatment is like the lip balm but on steroids, perfect for an overnight treatment. Note: The best way to get the scrub working was to warm the tub up between my hands for a minute to warm it up to soften it slightly.The Collections come in two flavours – sugared fig and sweet rose. I have been using the sugared fig and it is just delicious. I love that it’s an unusual flavour; I don’t recall ever using a fig lip balm before but by jove it’s tasty (that’s me, surreptitiously eating lip balm in the corner). It works, too. My lips scrubbed up nicely (zing) and definitely helped keep my lippie in place on the weekend.
Edit: Kat has been trying the sweet rose set, and while she agreed on the balm, she wasn't so sure about the flavour. She said it had a kind of potpourri vibe.
Price: $39.95 for the box set of three
From: David Jones and some chemists (the fancy ones that sell cool stuff)
Why you need it: The banish the autumn flakys.
Picture credit: Nougat London - Sweet Rose pictured
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The power of twitter
I was having a whinge on twitter the other week because a hair styling tool I had been sent to review for the Primped VIP club had absolutely fried my hair and it needed help, fast! As an aside, I was reviewing the VS Sassoon Goddess Ionic Conditioning Steam Straightener and I was not impressed one little bit. I’m torn as to whether to review it here or not, because on one hand it would be a negative-ish review and I try to be positive, but on the other I don’t want anyone spending $200 to ruin their hair
like mine was. Please let me know what you think.
Anyway, I was publicly lamenting my dry and angry hair when the fairy godmothers from Terax stepped in and sent me their lovely hair products to try. Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatment and Serum – high five, Terax!
The Collagene shampoo with soy protein (strengthening and repair) and quince seed (moisturising) is specially designed for dry to brittle hair (that's me!). At first I wasn’t sure about the scent of it, but I think I am so conditioned to think that shampoo = fruit or flowers that it took me a little while to adjust. It smells kind of like coconut, so I can deal.
The Life Drops are a leave in protein conditioner (there’s that silk protein again), and it’s also for strength and softness. The Gloss is a finishing serum with vitamin E designed to make hair shiny and tame random flyaways. My advice is don’t use both the Life Drops and Gloss at the same time – one or the other only, because otherwise hair becomes too heavy and lank. Lank is not what we are going for.
The real hero product though is the Original Crema conditioner. This baby has won all sorts of awards and accolades because it is GOOD. It’s a hardworking conditioner that meets all the claims it makes – detangling, elasticity, reducing static buildup and banishing frizziness. Leave it in for 2 minutes for regular conditioning or for 15 minutes as a treatment. If you want to go real hardcore, wrap your head in cling wrap (hair only, not face). I will admit I tried to do this and failed pretty dismally, but not everyone is as clumsy as me.
I give the Terax range two very enthusiastic thumbs up. The only positive that came out of using that nasty tool is that I was introduced to the Terax range and my hair is in better condition now than it was before.
Price: Shampoo – $24.95 (355mL) Conditioner – $29.95 (200mL) Serum – $24.95 (30mL) Treatment – $29.95 (200mL)
From: Adorebeauty, David Jones
Why you need it: To give dry, brittle hair the flick. Silky and smooth is the name of the game.
Picture credit: teraxhaircare.com.au
like mine was. Please let me know what you think.Anyway, I was publicly lamenting my dry and angry hair when the fairy godmothers from Terax stepped in and sent me their lovely hair products to try. Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatment and Serum – high five, Terax!
The Collagene shampoo with soy protein (strengthening and repair) and quince seed (moisturising) is specially designed for dry to brittle hair (that's me!). At first I wasn’t sure about the scent of it, but I think I am so conditioned to think that shampoo = fruit or flowers that it took me a little while to adjust. It smells kind of like coconut, so I can deal.
The Life Drops are a leave in protein conditioner (there’s that silk protein again), and it’s also for strength and softness. The Gloss is a finishing serum with vitamin E designed to make hair shiny and tame random flyaways. My advice is don’t use both the Life Drops and Gloss at the same time – one or the other only, because otherwise hair becomes too heavy and lank. Lank is not what we are going for.
The real hero product though is the Original Crema conditioner. This baby has won all sorts of awards and accolades because it is GOOD. It’s a hardworking conditioner that meets all the claims it makes – detangling, elasticity, reducing static buildup and banishing frizziness. Leave it in for 2 minutes for regular conditioning or for 15 minutes as a treatment. If you want to go real hardcore, wrap your head in cling wrap (hair only, not face). I will admit I tried to do this and failed pretty dismally, but not everyone is as clumsy as me.I give the Terax range two very enthusiastic thumbs up. The only positive that came out of using that nasty tool is that I was introduced to the Terax range and my hair is in better condition now than it was before.
Price: Shampoo – $24.95 (355mL) Conditioner – $29.95 (200mL) Serum – $24.95 (30mL) Treatment – $29.95 (200mL)
From: Adorebeauty, David Jones
Why you need it: To give dry, brittle hair the flick. Silky and smooth is the name of the game.
Picture credit: teraxhaircare.com.au
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Chocfest 2010
Happy Easter my lovelies!
No updates until Tuesday. You may recall I am going to a wedding today (did I mention it? I may have mentioned it once or twice recently) so I'm taking a well earned break tomorrow, as should you. Be sure to eat as much chocolate as humanly possible today. You can exercise some other time.
By the way, I made those cupcakes. It was a $3 packet job (Coles brand) and they turned out perfectly. I love the little choc rocks on top - they feel kind of fun and easter-y without being eggs. Don't you agree?
Havagoodone! x
Thursday, April 1, 2010
I've got my eye on you
If I’m doing bold lips, then I need to do muted eyes, right? I found the perfect duo palette, which means only needing to carry one eyeshadow in my purse. Bad news – there is no brush in the 
palette. But I can deal with that.
It’s the Kuala Lumpur duo from the new Nars Spring 2010 collection (American spring, natch) and it is soft and sexy. My ‘everyday eye’ is gold/bronze/brown, so I feel like I’m in my comfort zone with this lovely wash of rose gold all over the lid. However, it’s not all browns – I’m doing the outer corners of the eyes with the boysenberry side. Talk about living on the edge.
I had considered wetting the shadows to give them a deeper, more striking colour, but a softer wash means I will look polished without being OTT. Agree? Nars shadows are a) really good quality and b) highly pigmented, so a light wash literally means a light wash and you still get colour.
ALSO I am putting a couple of false lashes on the outside corners. I have some KIT individual lashes and I bought the DUO adhesive from MAC, which is apparently the best one on the market, according to the Governing Body of Fake Eyelash Glue (or GBFEG for short). I have only used it once so far, so give me another couple of goes and I’ll keep you posted.
If you have any other suggestions, I’m always open. Unless it involves kittens and merry-go-rounds, and then I’m out because that has nothing to do with eyeshadow.
Price: $78
From: Mecca Cosmetica
Why you need it: For a neutral eye that isn’t your same old brown. Spice it up! Mix it around! (yeah, go from one neutral eye to another...such a rebel, Elise)
palette. But I can deal with that.It’s the Kuala Lumpur duo from the new Nars Spring 2010 collection (American spring, natch) and it is soft and sexy. My ‘everyday eye’ is gold/bronze/brown, so I feel like I’m in my comfort zone with this lovely wash of rose gold all over the lid. However, it’s not all browns – I’m doing the outer corners of the eyes with the boysenberry side. Talk about living on the edge.
I had considered wetting the shadows to give them a deeper, more striking colour, but a softer wash means I will look polished without being OTT. Agree? Nars shadows are a) really good quality and b) highly pigmented, so a light wash literally means a light wash and you still get colour.
ALSO I am putting a couple of false lashes on the outside corners. I have some KIT individual lashes and I bought the DUO adhesive from MAC, which is apparently the best one on the market, according to the Governing Body of Fake Eyelash Glue (or GBFEG for short). I have only used it once so far, so give me another couple of goes and I’ll keep you posted.If you have any other suggestions, I’m always open. Unless it involves kittens and merry-go-rounds, and then I’m out because that has nothing to do with eyeshadow.
Price: $78
From: Mecca Cosmetica
Why you need it: For a neutral eye that isn’t your same old brown. Spice it up! Mix it around! (yeah, go from one neutral eye to another...such a rebel, Elise)
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