Uncertain

Yesterday, something really shit happened to me. And it's going to take a long time to recover. So as of tonight, I think that I will be on a little blogging hiatus, just because I don't know where I will be, or if I will be close to a computer. I will do my best to try and blog, but I am not sure what will be happening.

I love you all.

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

New Years Eve Resolutions

1. To fix up my damn gross looking eyebrows. Very important.
2. To stop myself procrastinating and getting pissed off at uni when it all gets too hard. Just suck it up weiner.
3. To stop buying six thousand of something and then wanting to buy more. Buy something, use it up, buy another. Full stop, end of discussion.
4. Find my exercise routine which I lost somewhere at the beginning of December and follow it to a T.
5. Stop getting stressed about the little things, sometimes it just doesn't matter.

Happy New Year Everyone!

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Hand Cream Happiness - Hissyfit Handy Work and Sukin Organic Hand Cream

As I have harped on a few times, I got a mole cut out of my hand in October. Scary. I wear sunscreen everyday, but with washing your hands about a thousand times a day it is bound to come off. I adore Hissyfit Saving Face which I use instead of a facial sunscreen (although, as Dee pointed out, a lot of people won't because it is incredibly thick) so I decided to pick up the hand cream from their range, mostly as I read on Miss Chew's blog that although it is really high in sunscreen, it soaks in quite readily. That is quite important for me, as for some reason, I don't mind heavy creams on my face, but my hands and body are a different story. I have no idea why it is, but I hate the sticky slippery situation that you get from creams and lotion, so when I apply hand cream I squeeze some onto the back of my hands and rub the back of my hands together, so that I don't get it on my fingers! Fingers are more likely to slip around, plus you have to touch so many things. Yuck.

God I am a weirdo.

Back on point. Hissyfit Handy Work is still quite a thick cream, but it is no where near as thick as Saving Face. Even though it is thick, it soaks in really well. It does leave a slight residue, but that is expected considering it is primarily a sunscreen, although it contains aloe vera and vitamin E to provide some lovely moisture. It smells like orange mint, which is an interesting smell, it reminds me of orange cream biscuits/toilet soap... I am not really sure how to describe it. It is not a disgusting smell, but it is not insanely pleasant. But, I am not a fan of anything citrus so other people might really love it. Luckily it dissipates pretty quickly. I completely trust the level of sunscreen in Hissyfit, and it has been proven to me as my hands haven't been burnt at all, even though I was chilling on the beach for a lot of today without reapplication. In all, I am really enjoying this hand cream, and it has become a little bit of a handbag staple for me.

At night before bed I slather my hands completely in my Sukin Hand and Nail Cream, which soaks in well and doesn't aggravate my weirdo obsession, but that doesn't really matter because I am asleep anyway. When I wake up in the morning my hands are lovely and soft, and this hand cream contains aloe vera and vitamin E (like Hissyfit), but it also contains hydrolysed soy protein to help strengthen your nails. It smells of the Sukin signature scent, which is a little like lavender and vanilla. I love that smell. Plus, sukin products are Australian Certified Organic, which is the massive drawing card for me. I bloody love this stuff (and the entire range, really).

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

A day at the Goldy



Choppy waves and weather

I was wondering why my bag was so heavy while I was carrying it around the Gold Coast today. When I got home I tipped it out, now I understand why. Lucky I have an enormous bag! My run down was:
2 pairs of sunnies - unsure why I packed two when I only have one pair of eyes...
Deoderant
Phone - in the little white bag as a protector, because I drop it about a thousand times a day.
Sunsense Clear Spray sunscreen - the only one apart from the lovely Neutrogena Sport that I can handle on my skin.
Hissyfit Handy Work - sunscreen for my hands, after the mole being cut off and all.
Red and Blue makeup bag - contains my make-up which I carry around with me everywhere, the essentials.
Little Black Makeup bag - contains mints, panadol, bandaids, nail file, etc. Also goes everywhere with me.
Wallet.
Ipod.
Lipstick, Lip tint, Lipgloss, and Lanolips in Sunshine - one Lanolips goes with me everyday, and today's choice was Sunshine, to keep on with my orange lip theme.
Water - again, a bottle goes with me everywhere.
Magazine - for relaxing on the beach.
Plus, my camera.

No wonder it felt like I was carrying a sack of potatoes around on my shoulder!

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Review: Inglot Pigment in 14

Yesterday, after I finished working (which was death while everyone else was shopping) I was cruising around Chermy having a look at the sales, and a little sign at Inglot took my eye. 15% off? Winner! I ended up picking up a gorgeous pigment, which is a fantastic multi tasker.

Inglot products are amazing quality, I have already trundled on about their bronzer here, and I now have added another product to the list of Inglot loves that I have, which I know will continue to grow. The pigment is very well, for want of a better word... pigmented. It is so finely milled as well, it provides a beautiful light sheen to the skin, not a glittery shimmer. The colour is peachy, but it doesn't really appear to peachy on the skin, more a pale light peachy gold. Plus, I was told by the sales assistant that this pigment can be used as an illuminator as well, apply to cheekbones, cupids bow, brow bone... just blend very well, or due to the high pigment you might end up with a decidedly 80's streak of illuminator. Not attractive at all.

See the streak of goldi-ness there? That is the pigment. It is hard to photograph!

I plan to rock this on New Years Eve now I think... unless something else takes my fancy. A little pigment on the eyes and cupids bow, a lovely hot pink lipstick, party-a-rific!

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

It's Christmas Eve!

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were all hung by the chimmney with care, in the hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there....

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas, and I will see you all after my house has stopped being invaded by house guests.

Early Christmas Presents! Woooo

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Review: Bourjois Effet 3D MAX Lip Gloss

I received this little pressie as a thank you for entering the Beauty Heaven Blogstar competition, which by the way, pretty please go and vote for me. I will send you many cherries and grapes. Ta.

Anyways, I received colour 68, Brun Etincelant, which is a bronzey/berry/pink colour. It is a little hard for me to describe. It turns out quite sheer and bronze on your lips though, so it is lovely for summer when teamed with a tan, plus I think that it would be great for winter due to the berry tones through it. It's definitely a colour to go and check out, anyways, because it is quite pretty and very interesting.

This gloss is very shiny, and has little glitter pigments through it (rock it for Chrissie or new years maybe) which are supposed to help create a 3D effect on your lips. I am not sure whether they really do, considering that my lips are 3D anyway, but I really do like the high shine effect. I am still not quite sold on the glitter, because after awhile you are left with little glittery bits on your lips, but that is easily rectified.

One little interesting side to note is the applicator. It's not a normal little sponge applicator or brush, it is a little plastic oval. It feels really weird on your lips, but I guess that it is very useful because if you are a little phobic about germs like me, it is easy to wipe down the applicator before placing it back into the tube.

Other than that it is just a general lip gloss. It is slightly sticky but only very slightly, and it lasts reasonably well for a high shine gloss. I love the feeling of gloss on my lips and constantly run my lips together, which tends to eat gloss, so if it can survive that, it is quite long lasting! The glitter pigments might be a little over the top for some though, I think this is definitely a festive season lip gloss!

Note the interesting brush.

Note the glitter particles.

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

When your feeling as blue as the sky

This rain is really driving me crazy. I haven't been for a run in a week, due to work/rain on the days I am not working, and I woke up this morning all excited to go for a run. Of course, it's raining. I can feel myself becoming blobbier and fatter as we speak. Lame.

One little nugget of information that you might not have known, is that in a few different studies which corroborate findings (Berger et al, 1998. Berger & Owen, 1992. and McGowan, et al. 1996) the acute effect of exercise on mood is generally an increase in positive mood or a decrease in negative mood ie. you feel happier.

Plus, exercise has been shown in studies to be better than GP care in increasing the mood of patients who have depression. What that means is that in the study, those patients who undertook a certain amount of exercise per week felt happier than those that were on anti-depressants (GP care).
(I am pretty sure this is the right reference, I was having difficulty understanding my notes this morning! If not I am really sorry and I will try to rectify it as soon as possible. Yeung RR. The acute effects of exercise on mood. Journal of Psychosomatic Research   40(2 ): 123-141, 1996)


The point that I was trying to make by telling you this? When you are feeling stressed and all you want to do is cry or throw poor inanimate objects at walls, step away from the situation and head outside/to the gym/to the beach/to the pool, and go for a walk/swim/run/cycle/yoga/gym class/any form of exercise that you can think of. Studies show that this will improve your mood, and you might be able to think clearer and work out how to get around what is driving you mental.

When you are feeling as blue as the sky... exercise the frustration away

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Why I rarely wear foundation anymore...

Ever since I was a teenager and suddenly sprouted terrible acne, I have worn foundation. Almost every single day. Until about 3 months ago. Now I hardly wear it at all anymore, I have a cheaters product instead; Hissyfit Saving Face Tinted Moisturizer.

After beauty guru Zoe Foster recommended it on PRIMPED I was very intrigued by this product, but I resisted buying it for ages because I didn't think that it would be suitable for my skin. Hissyfit is quite a thick cream, and I was worried (due to my oily acne prone skin) that it would break me out more and my skin would be oily within minutes. Even so I eventually caved and bought it, after trying it almost every time that I went into Myer. For about six months.The ladies there must have thought I was some sort of weird stalker.

Anyways, Hissyfit is amazeballs. It contains awesome skincare ingredients like pomegranate and Australian Daisy, which help with anti-ageing, as well as having SPF 30+, UVA/UVB protection. Plus, it comes in 6 shades so it is much easier to choose your closest colour match when compared with other tinted moisturizer brands, which usually only have a couple of shades. I am the lightest colour, 'nude'; it is possible that people who are really pale therefore might not have a colour that would suit them.

Another great positive, generally speaking, is that Hissyfit is very long lasting, I can apply it first thing in the morning and by 8.30 at night it is still going strong, plus, for some reason my skin doesn't become anywhere near as oily. I am wondering if the botanicals in it help with oil control as well as moisturizing. I have no idea. I usually apply it over my Dr. Lewinns Oil Control Lotion (which doesn't control oil with other products nearly as well) instead of a sunscreen and foundation, so its a great little 2 - in - 1.

Darling Hissyfit also gives you a lovely glowing complexion - honestly, your skin just looks like better skin, I get so many compliments when I wear it - which is absolutely awesome for summer, but if you are not a fan or worried about oil, just apply a little translucent powder over the top.

One little tip with application, as Hissyfit is incredibly thick, warm it up a little between your fingers before application, so that it is much easier to spread. Too easy!

One more little tip: make sure that you double cleanse at night, because all of that water resistancy-ness and SPF 30+ -ness is hard to remove with one attack with the cleanser.

I tried so hard to swatch it but it was damn near impossible with my camera... lame.




Let me add a little note here: I still wear foundation when I am going out. Hissyfit is my daytime go-to. Unless I am suffering from super shit skin and need a little more coverage, then it is off to good ol' Invisible Zinc Silk Shield Foundation I go, tail between my non-foundation wearing legs.

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Overkill

I never realised how much crap I put on my face each and every day. I was particularly shocked when I looked at how many products I used to create my face for going out on Friday night, so I figured it would be a good idea to justify to myself (and to everyone), just why I use so many products.

First, after showering/cleansing, goes my Dr. Lewinns Medic Oil Control Lotion. A post will be coming on this soon, because it's awesome.
If it's daytime this is followed by my Hissyfit tinted moisturizer or my Clinique Cityblock. If it is nighttime and I do not need sunscreen, on goes my Beauty Flash Balm (please click on this link and vote for me, pretty please).

After this comes my foundation. If it is daytime, Invisible Zinc gets preference for it's lovely SPF containing properties. If it is night time, Clinique Superbalanced gets preference, because of it's lovely light texture and buildable coverage. Plus, it doesn't contain SPF which is helpful when you are going to be taking photos, because the SPF in products can wash out your face.
I have two concealers, one for illuminating my under eye bags and hiding them (the new Rimmel perfect match is perfect for this), and one for hiding my pimples (you do not need an illuminating concealer for this, it actually makes the pimples show up worse! I use the Maybelline coverstick, for waterproof coverage).

Next, comes my NARS the multiple in "Orgasm". I believe that people are either orgasm lovers or orgasm haters. I am an orgasm lover (HA, haha) and it shows as a lovely pop on my skin. If it is daytime I tend to use more powder based products, so the blush that I use is my MAC "Pinch of Peach".
If I am going out at night, I apply a little of my Sportsgirl Face Glow Instant Face Illuminator, to bronze up me cheekbones a little. If it is daytime I go without, because this can be a little too shiny and obvious for daytime.
A little of my NARS Orgasm illuminator comes next, just on the top of my cheekbones and on my cupids bow. I do not tend to use this during the day, more often then not I use MAC Mineralize in Soft and Gentle as a highlighter on my cheekbones, which is an absolute winner of an illuminator. If you are looking for a new illuminator, pick this one. It is amazeballs. Truly.

Next, to stick it all into place I use a little of the Nude by Nature Mineral Finishing Veil. This is a fantastic finishing powder, and it gives your face such a smooth look.
I then apply a little more bronzer (In powder form, now that I have powdered my face), because although the Sportsgirl one is lovely and illuminate-y, it is not very dark, and if I want to avoid the eagle, I need a little more colour.

Finally, eyes and lips get completed. My eyes are always quite bare. I apply a little sweep of Bourjois eyeshadow in "Beige Rose", with a slick of eyeliner and mascara. My eyebrows get slightly defined (but they are not ever allowed to look penciled on, I am not eighty years old).
With lips, it is what ever lippie I feel like that day, or Lanolips if I am feeling natural. Friday night consisted of my DJ's Beauty lipstick in Sunburst, because I was feeling bright and chipper and summery.

If I count this up, on Friday night I used 17 products on my face. Jebus. Crazy. High mainty much? I never thought I was high mainty.

16 + Moisturizer = 17. Wowza.

This is the final product. I could have probably gotten the same effect with moisturizer, foundation, concealer, powder, bronzer, mascara and lipstick. I could have knocked off 10 products. Jebus again.

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Eyeliner Love and Hate

I am a lover of eyeliner. Absolutely without-a-doubt wear it every single day. For the day, I rock lovely thin little lines which set off my eyelashes. If I am going out, it becomes little cat flicks, to open my eyes up. Back in the day when I was a teenager in a bad mood, I loved black kohl to smudge around my waterline and top eyelash line, and I used to rock the goth/tramp look with a passion. Now, I have a restraining order out on my old friend black kohl (I realised he was doing me no favours), and when I morphed into a lady liquid eyeliner came along for the ride, to give me cups of tea and remind me that my bra strap was showing, which is uncouth, of course.

In the years since, I have tried zillions of liquid eyeliners, but always with one fatal mistake. Let me explain. I love the little tubes of liquid with the thin brush that you pull out, gorgeous. I love gel eyeliner in tubs that you apply with a thin brush (I love Napoleon China Doll, but I hear that a new one from Maybelline will be hitting the shelves soon, keen as). I however hate the ones which are like little sharpies/texta pens. Yet, once every three or so months (when my little tube of liquid runs out) I will buy one, because everyone else in the world loves them, which is followed by disappointment, again and again and again.

Let me just place a disclaimer here, I have not used MAC penultimate or any of the awesome expensive brands, as I believe eyeliner is like mascara and has a short use by date (it's near your eyes man, yuck), so I only buy the cheapie ones that I can throw away and not feel guilty about.

The reason that I always get disappointed by the texta-type ones is that every single one that I have ever bought dries out really quickly. I used to buy the Covergirl liquid eyeliner pen, and I could get about three weeks out of it before it dried up. Similar reactions with some of the other brands I tried before I found my Rimmel one (more on that later). Last week, on the advice of a make-up artist friend who loves this eyeliner sick, I bought the Revlon ColourStay Liquid Eye Pen. My friend loves it because once it dries it is very long lasting, will not smudge or leave that strange line on the crease of your eye, and is easy to use due to it's texta like format. I have used mine four times, and it dried up.

Let me repeat that. Four times.

I am guessing that I bought a dud one, or that there is something wrong with my eyes and when ever a texta-like eyeliner touches them it freaks out and coil into itself like a frightened person. I don't know. When I told my friend she was amazed, because she has had hers for about four months and it is still going strong. What. The. Hell.

Anyways, I returned to my old faithful, Rimmel Glam Eyes Professional Liquid Eyeliner. This little baby is one of the ones that is liquid in a tube, with a little applicator brush inside. The reason that I love this eyeliner so much is because the little applicator brush is TINY. It gives the thinnest line of any eyeliner I have ever tried, and on the days when you want defined eyes without looking like you have eyeliner on, it is perfect. Want a thicker line? Just press down on the brush a little more and you get a line which is perfect for heading out eyes/doing cat flicks and such. Plus, the colour is very pigmented and supremely long lasting, usually it comes off in the shower with water but if I have only been wearing it for five hours or so it needs eye-makeup remover to get rid of it. I also find that it is really easy to apply, as the brush is very precise and I can get a perfect line.
This eyeliner is truly amazeballs! I continuously keep going back to it, even after dabbling in other items.

The offender and the winner

See how thin the tip of the Rimmel one is?

Left to Right.
The first two = Rimmel. The first line is thicker, to show how thick the tip can get if necessary. The second is one swipe of the brush, to show how thin and clean the line is, and yet how pigmented it is.
The second two =  Revlon. Note that in order to get pigment I had to draw an enormous line on my hand. The second line is one line with the pen, but I also think that the nib has softened because the first time I used it the line was thin and clean.

Has anyone else had these problems or am I a freak of nature who eyeliners hate?

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Peachy Keen for Peach Lip Tints

In my world, a lip tint is necessary. I am yet to be able to rock a smokey eye with out looking terrifying and cheap, like I should be walking the streets of the valley. Therefore, as I have mentioned before in my lip posts (red, coral and pink), I tend to stick to the bright lip/eyeliner combination.

When heading out somewhere for drinks or dinner, in order to make my bright lip last, I use some form of combination of lip liner, lip tint and lipstick. Normally, I apply a lip tint, because these are quite drying, I then add my lip liner, followed by lipstick over the top. The lip liner helps to hold the lippie in place for longer, but when that is gone the lip tint should still be hanging around, preventing you from having a terrifying ring of lipstick around the outside of your lips, which goes unnoticed until you head to the bathrooms and realise you look like a clown.

I have gone through my share of red/berry tints, such as the lovely Body Shop one and the cheapie (but a goodie) Sportsgirl Lip and Cheek Tint (I am yet to try Benetint, but that is next on the list), but I was keen to find one for when I was rocking a coral/orange lip.

Enter the Australis Perfection Brush On Lip and Cheek Tint in "Da Vinci Peach". This one comes in a brush applicator, for super easy and precise application, it reminds me a little of a Touche Eclat pen. The colour is very pigmented, and the formulation is a little thicker than other tints which I have tried, but I have found that this tint doesn't dry my lips out as much as tints are apt to do, which is perfect, because I hate having a prune mouth!

The colour = Peachy goodness!

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Fake Tanning for a reason - No Tan Jan

January is kind of going to be like Movember, with many orange/whitey people strolling around instead of sprouting strange facial growth. The reason for this? No Tan Jan. This is a new initiative to try and raise awareness about skin cancer in us, the fantastic Aussie population, as according to the Warwick foundation, Melanoma is the most common cancer in 18 - 40 year olds. Basically, for the month of Jan the Warwick Foundation is asking us to not lie on the beach and slowly roast away, and to look at Solarium's with disgust (which really is not a hard task, as I look at solarium's with disgust all the time). To put it even more simply, we are all going to be embracing our au natural colour or slapping on the fake tan like there is no tomorrow.

I now have a little anecdote about why I believe that No Tan Jan is so freaking important. When I was about 13 I used to lie out in the sun all the time, sunscreen was disgusting feeling and hats were for losers. I only did this until I was about 14, when I became really interested in beauty and started wearing sunscreen all the time, because I became terrified of getting wrinkles. Even though I was wearing sunscreen, if I wanted to go to the beach I would still lie out with my sunscreen on. Fast forward 7 years, in October this year I got a "dubious" mole cut out of my hand. It was not a pleasant experience, the local anaesthetic didn't work at first so I could feel the scalpel slicing into my skin. Plus, try having stitches in your hand which you can't get wet, and having to wash your hair/wash the dishes/have a shower/wash your face. Not Fun.

It has been said that most of the damage that occurs to your skin due to sun damage happens before the age of 15. Because I was lying out on the beach at the age of 13, I am now heading to wrinkles-ville when I am older. Idiot. Of course I wear SPF 30+ every single day now, and I am trying to prevent further damage, but damage has already been done. Case in point, getting a cancerous mole removed at the ripe old age of 20.

Of course, being a beauty product obsessive I love fake tan, and in No Tan Jan fake is the only way to bake! I have already blogged about some of my favourites, but for a little reminder there is the lovely Le Tan ones, the organic Santorini Sun, and the new Naked Tan Goddess Bronze, which I haven't blogged about yet, but its getting one soon because it smells like a tropical coconut and it is all natural ingredients, perfect for a non-smelly gorgeous bronze.

When applying fake tan there are three important things to remember. 1 - Exfoliate prior to tanning so the tan doesn't cling to any dead skin cells. Get out that loofah and scrub away in the shower. 2 - Apply your tan at your feet and work up. Apply some moisturizer onto the areas that 'grab' ie. knees, elbows, feet, ankles, so that you do not end up with tell tale dark patches. Do NOT apply tan to freshly waxed/shaved skin, or the tan soaks into the holes in your skin and swiss cheese look is not a good look. 3. Make sure that you  moisturise the day after, the DHA in fake tan dries out your skin to the max.
When using a tan in an aerosol spray can, DO NOT spray onto your feet. The spray in the aerosols is a lot heavier than a spray you get in a beauticians, and it falls to your feet anyway. If you spray them as well they get a double dose, Oompa Loompa feet here we come!

Sunscreen must be worn Every Single Day. Anything less than SPF 30+ is pitiful, therefore you need to rock a separate sunscreen to skincare, because I read somewhere that skincare with more than SPF 15 is more sunscreen than skin care. Everyday I rock Hissyfit Saving Face Tinted Moisturizer/Clinique Cityblock, and Neutrogena Ultimate Sport SPF 30+. Plus, my foundation contains SPF 30+, the wonderful Invisible Zinc Silk Shield.

http://www.hissyfit.com.au/products?c_id=UK

I once watched a video by an American Dermatologist who was explaining the two different types of sunscreen, physical and chemical. At the risk of plagiarising his work I am now going to paraphrase it here, but I will try and find the reference so that everyone can check it out. Basically, chemical sunscreens contain chemicals (wow, Einstein here), which react with your skin and turn your skin into magical skin which repels sunlight. Look for sunscreen which contains helioplex, like my dear friend neutrogena. These sunscreens need to be applied to BARE skin, do NOT apply to skin which has already been moisturized, because the chemicals cannot react properly. Physical sunscreens contain ingredients like Zinc and Titanium Dioxide, which sit on top of the skin like little umbrellas to repel the sun. These can be applied on top of other products, I apply my Hissyfit over my Dr. Lewinns Medic Oil Controlling Lotion and it works a treat. It is still better if you can rock physical sunscreen on bare skin though.

Before you start harping on to me (the studying dietitian, dangerous) about Vitamin D deficiency, ten minutes in the sun  in summer is all you need. Have your breaky outside, soak up the sunshine (its good for your body clock too), then head back in and apply your sunscreen for the day. Too easy, less cancer inducing.
Can't forget the fact that sunnies are the most amazing invention, and make you look awesome to boot. Add a kaftan and a 1960's style huge floppy hat to become a hot rich bitch lounging by the pool/beach. My 1960's hat is one of my prized possessions, it instantly makes me feel more glamorous. Plus, when you are chilling on the beach hang under a umbrella, or if a beach umbrella is too much to carry, find a shady tree. Bliss.

Do Not Do as they Do. Head one more metre into the Shade, like me and my mate (above)

I have one final demand, because I can't stop being a bossy cow now can I? Head over to the No Tan Jan website, have a play/register/sponsor people/sponsor me...
http://www.thewarwickfoundation.org.au/notanjan/about.html

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Beach Loving

Beat Me Drums, Mooloolaba

You can't really read it properly, but the egg and lettuce sandwiches say "chicken and lettuce" on their little labels. To quote my friend, "the chicken is a little under-developed".

Oh look! Here is that wonderful nail polish I was discussing the other day...

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Follow my blog with bloglovin

sorry guys, I had to create a post for Bloglovin' to sign up and claim my blog. I figured that since everyone keeps raving on about bloglovin' I should probably set it up! xx

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Seasonal Bronzer

I mentioned yesterday in the pink lips post that the DJ's lippie needed to be worn with heaps of bronzer (to prevent you looking washed out/musk pink lips look HOT with bronzer), and I figured it might be nice to have a gas-bag about my favourite bronzers, just as a nice link. Also, I am off to the beach today (Hurrah), and bronzer is absolutely neccessary for the beach.

I have different bronzers for winter and summer, because I am such a pale little being and I tend to roll with the vampireness in winter, while in summer I am covered in four layers of fake tan and need a darker bronzer.

Winter: Inglot Bronzing Powder in #80. I was rocking a MAC bronzer last winter, which ran out in July, so I replaced it with this lovely Inglot one. I had never used an Inglot product before, but one of my friends who is a make-up artist loves their stuff, so I figured that I would give it a go, and I now understand why she raves about their products. This bronzer is fantastic, it is quite sheer but very buildable, so its perfect for winter. Plus, it's a matte finish, shimmery bronzer seems inappropriate in winter, somehow. I love the packaging, the plastic lid seems quite durable, and I have dropped in a few times without it smashing.

Summer: Australis Jumbo Mineral Bronzer in Bronzed Ambition. As mentioned, in summer the fake tan comes out and if I want to prevent myself rocking an "eagle" (white face, tanned body - thanks Zoe Foster) I need a much darker bronzer. This bronzer is perfect, it is quite dark, so I have to apply with a very large, soft, fluffy brush to prevent myself looking muddy, but it is the most amazing colour. There is not a hint of orange, at all. Plus it's not really shimmery, it has quite a matte finish, and contains SPF. It generally helps me to match my face and chest perfectly (I was rocking it in this photo), and gives me a very Bahamas-esque glow. I am in LOVE! So much so that when I dropped it last week and smashed it (bronzer everywhere, at least the tiles could rock my bahama-esque glow) I almost cried. Sad I know, but when you find something you love, you can become a little emotionally attached.
Plus, because it is so huge it is perfect for body bronzing, I use it on my shoulders before I go out at night all the time.

note the distict lack of orange...

PS. When I attended a Priceline beauty function a little while ago with the gorgeous Leigh Campbell from Cosmo, she mentioned that she loves the Australis Jumbo Bronzer, because of the said distinct lack of orange. That was the reason that I purchased it in the first place, because she is always so gorgeous and bronzed.

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Happiness is...

getting ready to head to the beach...

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Happiness is...

finding a Homer Simpson Santa Claus cruising the streets of Toowoomba.

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Pink Lips

This is the final installment of my "Lips" post, after doing red and coral, we move onto pink. I have two pink lippies which are my favourites and deserve mention, and which get rocked regularly to work and such. I could probably continue the posts with orange, and berry, and many other things, but I think that I will leave it with my three favourite colours, and three is such a perfect number it would be a shame to disrupt that, right? Anyways...

Firstly, the lovely MAC Lustre Lipstick in Sweetie: This is one of my all time favourite lippies for wearing to work or out and about when I want to rock a more natural look, as it is a similar colour to my lips already, just slightly darker and more pronounced. The formulation, like all MAC lippies, is smooth and moisturizing, and very long lasting.

Secondly, is David Jones Beauty Moisture Cream Lipstick in Whisper Pink: This is a gorgeous musk pink colour, and as I have listed the benefits of the DJ's brand lippie already in the coral lips post I won't repeat myself, I do however just want to reiterate that these lippies are super moisturizing and great for the price. Rock this colour with heaps of bronzer.

Top: MAC sweetie
Bottom: DJ's Whisper Pink

Sorry guys, there are no piccies of my face today, I am having a fug day! Sorry! x

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Spices, not Salt

It's about time I popped up with another Dietitian post, wasn't it? Most people consume a lot of salt, whether they believe that the food that they eat is "salty" or not. Like it or not, almost everything that you eat contains sodium in differing quantities, and the biggest offenders are processed foods. Obviously everyone will think of take-away, and yes, they are incredibly high in sodium, but it is also important that you don't forget things like tinned vegetables, fish, anything processed and packaged really. 75% of salt in the Australian diet comes from added sodium components in processed foods, and 10% is naturally found in foods (Murray, E. 2010.

Modifying dietary intake to meet EBP guidelines for CKD; protein, sodium, potassium & phosphorous [lecture notes]).

Sodium is a very important electrolyte, it helps control nerve transmission and fluid balance. We NEED sodium in our diets. Just not in the very high levels that Australians are currently consuming, which is helping with our risks of hypertension (high blood pressure).

Here are a couple of little tips for those of you who are interested in watching your salt consumption, or, who are like me and have a family history of hypertension. For those of you who are worried that the lack of salt will make food taste bland, your taste buds change every two weeks, so persevere and you won't even notice! *

1. Don't add salt at the table, or in cooking for taste

2. Avoid high salt containing foods eg. commericalpickles, cheese, olives, and other preserved veges, seasoning, take-away.

Instead: use plenty of fresh fruit and vege, unprocessed breakfast cereal (Corn flakes has one of the highest sodium contents of all the BF cereals), and bread. Easier said then done, I know, but after a little practise it is not too hard.

* If you are finding that you are noticing the lack of salt, stimulate the remaining taste buds, such as sweet (add honey, jam), sour (add vinegar, lemon juice), bitter (lemon juice and peel in marinades).

OR. Use low salt stocks, fruit and vege puree, chilli jam, quince paste, zest of citrus fruit, and herbs and spices. (Murray, E. 2010.

Excellent herb and spices combinations (Willer, F. 2010. Weight Reduction [lecture notes]):

Beef: Bay leaf, marjoram, nutmeg, onion, pepper, sage, thyme

Lamb: Curry powder, garlic, rosemary, mint
Pork: Garlic, onion, sage, pepper, oregano
Veal: Bay leaf, curry powder, ginger, marjoram, oregano Chicken: Ginger, marjoram, oregano, paprika, poultry seasoning, rosemary, sage

Fish: Curry powder, dill, dry mustard, marjoram, paprika, pepper

For vegetables, experiment with one or more of these combinations:

Carrots: Cinnamon, cloves, dill, ginger, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary, sage

Corn: Cumin, curry powder, onion, paprika, parsley
Green Beans: Dill, curry powder, marjoram, oregano, tarragon, thyme
Greens: Onion, pepper
Potatoes: Dill, garlic, onion, paprika, parsley, sage
Summer Squash: Cloves, curry powder, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary, sage
Winter Squash: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, onion

Tomatoes: Basil, bay leaf, dill, marjoram, onion, oregano, parsley, pepper

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/21079/barbecued+pumpkin+red+onion+and+spinach+salad

With thanks to two of my lecturers, who I borrowed the information for this post from
(Murray, E. 2010. Modifying dietary intake to meet EBP guidelines for CKD; protein, sodium, potassium & phosphorous [lecture notes]).

(Willer, F. 2010. Weight Reduction [lecture notes])

I tried to reference the information, but if there is anything that you would like me to take down, please let me know!

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Review: Australis Nail Colour in Peek-a-boo

I am sure that I am probably coming to the party a little late with this one again, as Lilac is more of a spring colour and we have moved into summer, but I only bought this nail polish on Saturday so it's my new favourite thing. Hence, it deserves a post.

Australis has really upped it's game since they brought out the new products, I remember when I was little and Australis being the cheapy stuff that you were allowed to buy with your pocket money. Now I own their jumbo bronzer, translucent powder, two of their colour inject mineral lipglosses, and the make-up finishing spritz, because the quality is so good!

This nail polish is supposed to be a streak free, high shine, intense colour, and it honestly lives up to its claims. The colour only takes two coats to become opaque, and it didn't streak at all. The formula also wasn't too runny like some of the cheaper nail polishes are apt to be. Plus, it was reasonably quick drying.

Mostly, the colour is just such a winner!

Sorry about the pictures of my feet, I have this thing where I hate nail polish on my fingers...

God I love this nail polish! I think that I will be collecting a few more of these babies...

PS. look at my hilarious tan lines. How embarrassment! x

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet

Cleanser Disappoinment

You know how sometimes you buy something and you expect it to be excellent, because it is a luxury brand? I get really excited with certain purchases, and I therefore get really disappointed when they turn out to be a little bit crap.

On Saturday I was harping on and on about how excited I was that I bought a Clarins Gift Set, which contained a beauty flash balm, a hand cream, and a cleanser. I LOVE Beauty Flash Balm, and I also really like the hand cream, but I had never tried the cleanser.

The cleanser is what is really disappointing me. I have used it three days in a row, but I knew straight away that I didn't like it. The cleanser leaves my skin feeling tight and dry (even while still in the shower), and smells like soap. It really feels like liquid soap. It comes out of the tube white, and is very creamy and thick, but leaves your hands feeling soapy and it takes a long time to wash off. You know how some chemicals turn the lipids in your skin into soap? I am wondering if the cleanser in fact contains some of those chemicals (in order to fully remove make-up, maybe), and that is why it feels like when bleach gets on your hands (surely everyone knows the feeling that I am talking about?).

Plus, it contains Sodium Laureth Sulphate. EEEEEEP!

On the positive side, it does very thoroughly remove makeup. That still won't sway me into using it, when my current cleanser, Dr. Lewinns Medic (best cleanser ever, literally the only one that has managed to get rid of my pimples) thoroughly cleans my skin, removes make-up, prevents pimples and doesn't contain anything nasty.

http://us.clarins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/cosmetics-products_face_cleansers---toners_-1_10051_10204__40027_10315

PS. The cleanser is for normal to combination skin, and because I have combination/oily skin, it really shouldn't be drying my skin out so much. So disappointing.

{Facebook} {Bloglovin} {RSS feed} {Twitter} {Hello Cotton} {Google Plus} {Pinterest} {Instagram}
Pin It
Tweet