My Braces Are Coming Off!

I'm so excited, I just got back from an orthodontic appointment and I'm told that my braces can come off on the 15th of December. Yay! I've been wearing braces since January 2008, it has been just under two years since I got them on. In the beginning they used to hurt so much everytime I got an adjustment and I wouldn't be able to eat for days, but now when I get adjustments they don't bother me as much.

It's kind of ironic, my sister is going to be getting braces on the 8th of December, and I'm getting mine off soon after! It would've been nice if we'd had them on at the same time. I'm really looking forward to seeing what I look like without braces. It seems like I've had them forever! I got braces to fix my overcrowding problem and I never had them in my teens. Now my teeth are straight and I'm looking forward to flossing without wires in the way!

Here's a pic of me with braces, I usually don't smile in pics because of them but in this one you can see the wires. I wear clear on the top and regular metal on the bottom. My friend Khem on the left also wears braces. Horray for not being the only adult in braces!

Christmas Wishlist

Dear Santa, I've been a good girl, but I can turn on the bad if you like... *wink*! Here's my xmas wishlist...

Philosophy Travel Agent set, $69.00 AUD. Great to take on a weekend away! Nars Limited Edition I Want You gloss set, $110 AUD. For tons of pretty pouts.


Frederic Fekkai Travel Faves Gloss, $68.00 AUD. Another weekend getaway must have.

Nars Love Me set, $98.00 AUD. It contains the popular Orgasm and Albatross, as well as the Orgasm lip gloss. I need it... right now!

Black Loius Vuitton Lunar GM bag. It's not "show-offy" and is similar to my everyday bag, so I would use it a lot! Not sure how much it is, though. A lot, I expect.

Limited Edition Pink GHD set. About $300ish AUD. Yes, I still want this even though I already have a limited edition purple set that came with a hairdryer. I want this because it's PINK!

My Eyebrow Musing

Do my eyebrows look a little... scraggly to you? I dunno. I've never really cared much about my eyebrows before. But now when I look at it my mind starts ticking over. Is it too bushy? Is the shape a good shape? Does it look normal? Are they starting to thin?! In all honesty, I don't even know what makes a good eyebrow!

I know that too thin is out, because it makes you look old. And I know that if they're light, they're not gonna look very good on you, especially if you have dark hair. So, how are my eyebrows? Should I shape them differently? When I wear make up, should I fill in my brows so there aren't empty patches? Should I brush them and apply gel to keep them in shape? Maybe it's time to consult the beauty bible! Or, YouTube. Hehe!

Currently all I do is pluck the stray hairs that grow randomly on my lids. When I was very young, ten or eleven, my sister plucked my eyebrows for me and ever since then, I've just kept the shape. I don't get much hair growing back, so I rarely have to pluck. I think my sister did a pretty good job, because no one's told me how awful my eyebrows look... or maybe they've just never mentioned it? Hmm! Let me know what you think.

Jericho Purifying Mud Mask & Twitter

I'm going to start posting my outfit of the day on twitter, so if you're not already, start following me! I recently got an iPhone so it's so easy to upload photos to twitter. I also tweet pretty regularly. Follow me here: twitter.com/luvrin.

Now onto the review... I've had this mask since March 2008 but I stopped using it after I gave birth in June. I thought it'd have expired by now, but the expiration date says May 2010, so I've started using it agian. It is the best mud mask I have ever used, but it's pretty damn pricey. I think they were selling this for $100 AUD, which is A LOT for a mask, but I got it at a discounted price because I managed to talk the guy down.

I bought it from a Jericho stall. They don't have stores. I was hesitant to buy it but I'm glad I did. This product uses all natural ingredients, like avacado oil and honey, and dead sea mud. I got the normal to dry skin formula, as at the time I had dry skin. It's very thick and feels a little grainy when you apply it. If you apply it in a thin layer it dries pretty quickly. You leave it on for ten to fifteen minutes, then you wash it off with warm water. It washes away easily and omg, my skin is so smooth afterwards. Even if I don't moisturise straight away, my skin doesn't feel dry at all. Usually, mud masks are a little drying but this one leaves my skin soft and plump. Love it!

Colour Tag: Green

I've been tagged by Anne to do this fun colour tag. What you have to do is find 7 items of the colour they pick. Anne choose green, so here are my 7 green items!

My green hand towel that I used to dry my make up brushes on. It's a soft, pale green so you can't really tell, but I assure you it's green!

Tea tree oil blotting paper by The Body Shop. My saviour when I'm out and a little slicked up.

A green hair brush and comb set I've had since my first son was born... over 7 years ago! And I still use it to brush his hair, and even my other son's hair!

A pretty bikini top that I bought a few years ago... I don't wear this anymore because I lost the bottoms but I still keep it in storage. Just in case I want to mix and match.

My green eyeshadow palette by YSL.

Green make up bags I got free with a purchase from Estee Lauder. It had sample size stuff in there.

Kids nightlight we got in a set of 2. The other one is blue. They were so expensive! And we don't even use them anymore...

So those are my green items. I thought it'd be hard finding green stuff in the house but it managed to find them all in the space of 5 minutes. I think I'm meant to tag others, but I've seen this tag floating around and it seems everyone's done it! So I'm not tagging anyone. But if you want to do it, I tag you! And the colour I pick is... PINK! My fav colour!

OPI On The Same Paige

This is from the OPI BrightPair collection, and to be honest, I'm just not loving it. It says that it's an orange-red, but to me it just looks orange. Only in certain lighting does it appear the slightest bit red. I don't really wear bright nail polish so this orange colour is very... well, colourful for me, but it's good for summer. Adds a pop of colour to your outfit!

This is a good colour for toes. I wouldn't recommend it for your nails, unless you specifically need orange. Great to wear with sandals. Yes, I know. I have ugly toes. And yes, I know. I have hairs on my toes. So gross. Am I the only girl that plucks hairs from her toes? I don't even think I should be posting this! LOL. Oh well.

OOTD & FOTD

Here's the look I'm wearing today: an absolute minimum with just a little bit of tightlining and mascara (Estee Lauder MagnaScopic). No foundation or powder of any sort (as you can tell with all the spots!), just moisturiser. It's such a hot day today, I didn't want to wear any make up!

As for my outfit, it's also simple and minimal with just shorts from Supre (non skanky, of course) and a loose fitting tee from Lolita. Oh, and the bow hairband from Aldo Accessories. Nice and mumsy. No skanks here today... LOL!

Today we're just going to do the family thing, maybe take Dante to a park or the beach, and spend some time at the shopping center (for the air conditioning!) My other son is at home with his nanna and grandpa. He loves them!

K.LO Dot Com Giveaway

Katrina has just got a new domain (katrinalomidze.com) and to celebrate, she's having a giveaway! One lucky reader will get everything in the picture. It's worth over $100 USD and they're great prizes, including Lancome bronzer and a Mac lipstick! To find out more, click here. The giveaway ends on thanksgivings day.

My YSL Eyeshadows & Swatches

Ok, so I don't have a lot but I thought I'd show you my Yves Saint Laurent eyeshadows that I'm rather proud of. The first one is the Ombres Quadrilumieres, or 4 Colour Harmony For Eyes in number 5. I'm sure they have names but I don't know them. The second is the Ombres 5 Lumieres, or 5 Colour Harmony For Eyes in number 4, and the third is the Ombres 5 Lumieres, or 5 Colour Harmony For Eyes in number 6. The one up the front is a pigment that my sister gave me, the Eclat de Givre in number 3.


All the eyeshadows are so smooth and silky, and really easy to work with. They blend well, all the colours go well together and they have good colour payoff. Expensive, yes, but worth it in my opinion. I got all the eyeshadows at a reduced price so for me they weren't too pricey. My fav palette is the purple one, it's fun to wear and you can create a few different looks with the one palette. I want the blue one but I can't afford it at the moment. Haha!

Organix Coconut Milk Leave In Nourishing Milk

This stuff is so good. I really just bought it make my hair smell yummy, as an alternative to perfume which is drying to your hair. Organix Coconut Milk leave in nourishing milk claims to "indulge your senses with this exclusive blend of organic coconut milk to nourish your hair, while ultra whipped egg white proteins add strength and elasticity, along with weightless coconut oils to add hydration and balance".

So does it? Well, I know for sure it does two things. One- it makes your hair super yummy smelling, and two-it leaves your hair silky and so so shiny. My hair only really gets shiny if I straighten it, but I've been using this product for over a week now and I've noticed that there is a natural shine to my hair. So it must be doing something!

I will continue to purchase this as I love the scent. I spray it into my hair after blowdrying it and also before I go out. I use it every single day and I love what it's doing to my hair. If you like your hair to smell nice but don't want to dry it out with perfume, use this! It has benefits to your hair on top of making it smell yum! A great product. I lurve it!

Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin & Nutridefense

This is my current shampoo and conditioner. The nutridefense is really a treatment that you leave in for 5 mins, but if I'm rushed for time I'll use it just like a regular conditioner.

My current hair care regimen is comprised of the following: washing hair twice a week, using a mask (nutridefense) once a week (I try to anyway!) and minimal styling and products. My hair is really thick and dry. I used to wash my hair every single day until I figured out that it was probably making my hair really oily and flaky. So in 2007 I stopped washing every day and my hair is now normal and I don't get flakes anymore!

I love using the Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin because it has a really fresh, clinical smell to it. I'm sure there are people out there who hate it, but I happen to love it. It's just a clean, crisp smell. Reminds me of the hospital, actually! Lol. I don't think it's a bad smell. It's nice and fresh. The shampoo lathers up nicely and you really feel like you're giving your hair a good clean. I don't need to shampoo twice as doing it once is effective enough.

Kerastase Nutritive Nutridefense is such an awesome product. It's a treatment that really works. My hair is dry, but after using this my hair feels so soft and silky. It's amazing! What I do is wash my hair with the Nutritive Bain Satin, towel dry my hair, apply the Nutridefense, clip my hair up in a bun, pop a shower cap on and continue showering. The heat of the shower really helps your hair to absorb the product. I leave it in for 5 to 10 minutes then rinse it out. Seriously, my hair feels so amazing afterward. Like silk! I love, love, love the stuff!

If I don't have time, I just wash my hair with the Nutritive Bain Satin, then use the Nutridefense as if it were a regular conditioner: I just apply it to my hair, leave in for a few minutes then rinse out. Still makes my hair feel silky!

These two products together are amazing. Usually, I switch shampoos and conditioners every year but I think I'm going to stick with the Kerastase Nutritive range. The Bain Satin comes in a 250ml bottle and the Nutridefense comes in a 200ml pot. Both products have lasted me for a long time, I bought this back in March 2009 and I don't think I'm even halfway through it yet! So I think it's safe to say that Kerastase Nutritive is my HG shampoo and conditioner (treatment)!

O.P.I Shorts Story (From the BrightPair Mini Collection)

Awhile ago I bought myself a cute 4 pack mini collection of O.P.I nail polishes in the Brights collection. Well, technically, just 3 colours and 1 clear. Yesterday I had a chance to try out one of the colours: Shorts Story which is a hot pink. My model is the gorgeous Aliya, who is 4 and is a family friend's daughter. She's wearing just one coat. She chose pink because it's her favourite colour.

The other colours that come in the collection is A Grape Fill (rich purple), Shorts Story (hot pink), On The Same Paige (orange-red) and the O.P.I RapiDry top coat.

I've been dying to try out the purple. I will be using it for the first time this coming weekend. I'm going to wear the purple on my nails and either the orange or the pink on my toe nails. Well, that's the plan anyway. Lately I haven't had much time to play with my nails. They keep breaking, so I have to cut them really short... so ugly! I've been neglecting my nails lately. Hopefully I get to dress them up a little for the weekend.

YSL 5 Colour Harmony for Eyes Look

This is a look I did today, using a colour I don't use very often: green! I used the Yves Saint Laurent 5 Colour Harmony for Eyes in 6. I bought this really cheap from my sister who also got it for a good price off ebay.

It's just a basic smokey eye. I always seem to do smokey eyes. It's just so easy to do, plus it looks good. I didn't think I'd like the look of green on me but it turned out pretty nice. I think so, anyway! I love how the green isn't too garish.

The YSL eyeshadow itself was a dream to work with. It's so smooth and glides on easily. Very easy to blend and stays put without creasing (I did use Too Faced shadow insurance though). The only problem I have with this shadow is that the colours are a bit light... as in, if you want the true colour to show on your eyes you need to pat on more than one layer. But having said that, it does have a very good colour payoff. I just like it to be "bright".

I love how it comes with a highlight colour. It might be a bit too shimmery for some but I love the sparkle and shine. It pulls the look together. This palette is great for a night look. I also have it in the purple colour, which I use more often. But I'm loving how the colours all go together. Great shadow!

Glam, Sparkle & Pop Giveaway

Pop Champagne is holding a giveaway! It's been awhile since I entered myself in a giveaway so I'm glad she's got one running. You've got until the 1st of November to enter. To be in the draw you must be a follower of both her sites: Pop Champagne and Glam, Sparkle & Pop. There are two prizes, and the prizes are just too cute for words...

The giveaway is international! So ladies, get cracking...

My Mini "Smelly" Haul

Lately I have been obsessing over products that make you smell good- but are not perfume! Priceline was having a 20% off all Organix products, so I decided to grab some shampoo and conditioner for my son, who is 7 and is still using baby shampoo! I can also use it for myself on the days I want to smell nice. Currently I'm using Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin and Nutridefense which I love. But sometimes I just want to smell like a holiday, you know what I mean?

So I got the Coconut Milk shampoo and conditioner, and the Coconut Milk leave in nourishing milk. They didn't cost a lot at all. I swear, the leave in milk is soooo good. You just spray it in your hair and you smell delicious! It also claims to be good for your hair which I hope it is. But even if it does nothing, having yummy smelling hair is the reason why I got this and I'll repurchase if I have to!

I also grabbed some Palmers Cocoa Butter moisturising lotion for my body. Might as well smell nice from top to toe! In the past I've used this product religiously but since giving birth I haven't bothered to use it. I can see that my skin is really starting to dry out. So hopefully I can start using this agian to restore moisture to my skin, especially as summer is just around the corner.

I also got some earrings because they're about the only jewellery I wear. I thought I'd add to my collection. The thing is, I already had the smaller hoops but I've somehow misplaced them... I was looking for them all week long last week because I wanted to wear them for the weekend. I didn't find them so I had to get new ones as I loved them so much!

Anyway that's it for my mini "smelly" haul. I might do a review on the new shampoo and conditioner, and the leave in milk. And maybe even the Kerastase products...

Nars Laguna Bronzer

I bought this bronzer a little while ago and I've only just started using it. I sweep it over my forehead, cheekbones, jawline and a little down my nose. How am I liking it? Well, I believe it lives up to the hype. I think it's an awesome bronzer!

Nars Laguna bronzer comes in typical Nars fashion: sleek black compact which can get dirty pretty easily. I was hesitant to buy this because I didn't think it'd show up on my skin (NC40), but so far, so good. It's pretty sheer but gives the skin a beautiful glow. It has shimmer, but it's not at all shimmery on your skin. To me, it actually looks matte with an incandescently glow.

It doesn't make me look muddy. I think it's the perfect shade for me: I didn't want to get something too dark, and although Casino looked to be a better match for me, I'm glad I got Laguna as it's very natural looking and not over the top. I purchased this from a Mecca Cosmetica store in Chadstone for $72 AUD. And so far, I'm loving it!

Proud New Owner of Hot Pumps!

Oh my golly gosh. I am in love with my new shoes. They're from Aldo, and I bought them for $209 AUD. I absolutely cannot wait to wear them out. There's just one problem. My partner doesn't know about this new purchase of mine (or any recent purchase, for that matter)! He doesn't like me spending my money on "frivolous" sh*t, as he puts it. But c'mon. Shoes are a necessity!

Try telling him that! I suppose he's got a point though. I don't work, I'm a stay at home mum. He's the bread winner in this family. So really, he does have a right to tell me where the money goes. But when I see something I like, I just have to have it! I obsess over it and even dream about it. It doesn't stop until I get the item I so badly want. So there's only one way to stop obsessing over it, and that's to add the item to my collection.

I have a whole collection of dresses and shoes I haven't worn, simply because I see them and I tell myself I cannot be without them. What if I go to a party that has a red only dress code? What if bubble dresses come back in fashion? What if I get invited to P.Diddy's famous white only bash? (Dream on, Rin!) There's so many events that I could potentially be attending, and it's best if I have the right outfit for it so I don't need to do the whole last minute rush thing.

So these new shoes I got are perfect for a night out wearing a little black dress. Or even dressed down with jeans and a sexy top for a dinner or something similar. I cannot wait to wear them. I just need to know how to tell my partner about this new love of my life. I'm sure he'll love them once they're on me. He just won't like how I acquired them! Oh dear... what to do?!

Oops I Did a Haul...

Um... so yes I went shopping yesterday with the intention of buying just a facial cleanser. What did I come home with? Philosophy's Purity Made Simple cleanser. Nars Laguna bronzer. Mac 195 concealer brush. And 4 tops from Forever New... two of them the same top, just in different colours. Hmm. From a budget of $42 for the cleanser to over $300 for bits and bobs. I don't even know where the money came from!

I love the tops though. The singlets will be my summer staple. They have sequins, yet they're casual, yet you can dress them up. I love it! And they other two tops are good just for dinners or movies. Which hopefully I'll be doing more of this summer, since my mum can take care of the kids more often.

I would've gotten a shoe as well, but they didn't have it in my size. A blessing, really. But I really liked those shoes! I did get them to order it in, though. But that doesn't mean I'll end up buying the shoe... right? Hmm!

Trip to Mecca

I drove all the way to Chadstone just to go to Mecca Cosmetica... agian! This time I wanted to get philosophy's face wash, because I've seen and heard great things about it. I'm running out of my usual cleanser, which is Olay Gentle Foaming face wash. I like the stuff, I just sometimes feel it isn't strong enough to wash off all my make up.

So I get there and I see that they only have one size of their Purity face wash, and it's pretty big. I didn't want to spend the money on a product I hadn't even tried so I got the sales girl to get me a sample. She also gave me a sample of philosophy's Microdelivery exfoliating wash. So I'll be trying them tonight. For some reason, I'm so excited about it... I hope it's as good as the reviews make it out to be! I really would like to find a HG cleanser.

My fav Guess store is relocating, and they're having a 50% off sale. Everything in store is 50% off! I almost had a heart attack. But when I started looking around, there was nothing available in my size! And they took their new stock off the shelves, because when I went there not even a week ago they had all this new stock and browsing around today, there's none of it. I guess they didn't want to put those on sale. Shame! I can't wait to pick up my shorts on lay-by. Yes I ended up getting those shorts... they're so cute!

Free Nars Lip Gloss!

I had my eyes done at Mecca Cosmetica in Chadstone just to claim my free gift, which turned out to be these cute mini Nars lip glosses. The look was nothing special, just a basic sultry smokey eye. Let me just say, I felt so weird walking around the shopping centre with a bold smokey eye. It was a night look, not a day look! But that was what they were offerering on the day, and I wanted my goodies!

I did a swatch of the colours. My fav is sweet revenge. It's a nude gloss and give the lips a nice sheen. The Nars lip glosses are nice in texture, not too sticky and have a good colour pay off but they don't smell very good. The smell reminds me of paint, for some reason. I don't think I'll actually purchase these but if I were to buy one, I'd get misbehave (which has glitters in it but looks really subtle on the lips) or sweet revenge. I'm glad I got these for free, they're great to carry around in my handbag!

I did make a purchase while in Mecca (how could I not?) I bought Nars blush in Orgasm for $62 (AUD). I love that it has a subtle shimmer and it really does give you that naturally flushed look. This will be my regular blush from now on. Previously I was using Estee Lauder, which I love also but you really have to keep applying to get the colour you want. With the Nars I do just one swipe and that's all I need! My next Nars purchase will have to be a bronzer, which they're famous for. Not sure which one to get. The infamous Laguna or the new Irresistiblement? Any thoughts?

Guess What I Got!

So I got two new tops from... can you guess where? Guess! Of course. I have a thing for Guess clothing. They make the best casual yet dressy tops. I got both the black tops for 25% off, and the dress I bought a few weeks earlier. When I see something I like from the store, I freak out and feel like I have to buy it because it'll be gone the next time I go there. It's happened once before, so I've learnt my lesson. You see something you like, you buy it then and there! Or lay-by it, at least.

So I went there today and got the two black tops. I also saw some hot shorts that I really like, but I need to try them on to see what they look like. I had my son with me so I couldn't, but it's on my to do list for next Tuesday (my one day off being a full-time mother)! I can't wait! If the shorts look good on me, then it's going on lay-by along with another halter top and maybe a summer cardi. I wish I were made of money! Then I woudn't have to lay-by.

I need to lose some weight to have the dress look good on me. Pot belly is never attractive. Since summer's around the corner, I really need to watch what I eat and get more active. It's harder than it sounds, believe me. Especially if you're a glutton and luurve chocolate! Hehe.

Mac Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15

I'm loving the new(ish) Moisture Tint by Mac. I'm using the medium/dark and it's the perfect shade for me (I'm NC40). It feels moisturising, but doesn't leave you oily at all. It's actually a lot like a lightweight foundation, which is great for summer. It covers just enough redness and is natural looking. For $48 AUD, I think it's worth it. I will be using this a lot in the coming months as it's getting hotter and I don't want to wear foundation. The only problem with this is that if you don't use enough it can get dry quickly and really tug at your skin.

I pair this with the Studio Fix powder by Mac (C5) and I swear, it's a match made in heaven. With concealer in the right spots, I look like I have flawless skin and the best bit is that it's so lightweight and natural looking! This will be my foundation routine for summer. Who wants to cake their face only to have it melt off? I've worn the Moisture Tint, Studio Finish concealer and Studio Fix powder and it's lasted all day. I don't get oily at all. Usually I have to blot throughout the day, but I didn't have to do it at all with the Moisture Tint!

So all in all, a great product. I think I have found my holy grail. This has replaced the need for foundation. I wear it even for nights out, it's that good. I feel so comfortable with it on my skin and love the way it looks. Five stars for the Mac Studio Moisture Tint!

Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation

I've been needing a decent foundation for a long time and I finally went out and got myself the Mac Studio Sculpt foundation. I've heard great things about the Mac Studio Fix Fluid but I didn't want something matte, I wanted a glow to my skin so I decided on the Sculpt. I'm not sure how much it cost because I also bought some brush cleanser, concealer and powder. All together is was about $155 (AUD).

So far I've only tried it with one brush, the Mac 109. I want to try it with a 190 next, but I don't have that brush. But anyway. The foundation went on fine and it wasn't hard to blend, it gave me a medium coverage and actually looked really natural, like real skin. It wasn't overly shiny, it gave me a nice dewy natural look. Kinda like I had a natural glow about me. I used Mac Studio Fix powder over it which looked ok, but I think it made me look too made up. So I want to try the Mineralize Skinfinish Natural next.

I really like the Stuid Sculpt, it is a lot better than the Revlon that I was using. I wouldn't wear it for everyday, though. Just special occasions. I might wear just the Studio Fix powder as a daily go to look. So all in all, I'm very happy with my purchase and I would recommend the Studio Sculpt for anyone who wants a natural, dewy look.

Oh btw, excuse my hair in this photo, it was a spur of the moment shot and I didn't think to fix my hair. Yes I walk around with frazzled looking mum hair because that's what I am, a frazzled mum! In the photo I'm wearing Mac Studio Sculpt, Mac Studio Fix powder, Dior blush/illuminiser and YSL eyeshadow, as well as false lashes. Nothing on my lips!