Crest 3D Whitestrips Vivid: before & after, demo + review

I purchased a pack of Crest whitestrips from this website a week ago and gave them a try (on video)! My teeth have never been white but I wanted to see if it would make any difference at all.  I think it did, what do you think?  The above photo is the before and after.  To see the demo and review, watch the video below.

Direct link to video: http://youtu.be/o3poJxiG6iw

Jimmy Choo style on a budget

Feel like stepping out in some Jimmy Choo shoes, except you can't afford to?  Don't worry, you're not alone - I feel your pain.  Boy do I feel your pain!  And so does ZU.  Thankfully they've made some affordable "Jimmy Choos" of their own, so us paupers can step out in style as well.  Hooray!

Jimmy Choo "Kani"

ZU "Ornate"

Jimmy Choo "Vamp"

ZU "Violeta Evening"

Jimmy Choo "Kiki"

ZU "Bahraini"

While the Jimmy Choo heels range in price from $700 - $2,200 AUD, the ZU heels are very reasonably priced at under $140 AUD.  And when they have their sales, you can save even more! Just so you know, the Bahraini and Violeta Evening are currently on sale... yippee!  Check out their website and grab yourself a bargain.

By the way, I'm not affiliated with ZU in any way.  I just love Jimmy Choo shoes but can't afford them and happened to stumble upon ZU's knockoffs and got all excited :)  Now we can all step out in Jimmy Choo style!

*Jimmy Choo shoe images are from www.jimmychoo.com and ZU shoe images are from www.zushoe.com.au

Latest Australian designer lusts...

I have recently become obsessed with Australian designers.  There's something very fun and eye catching about brands such as Zimmermann and Alannah Hill.  While I'm no stranger to these brands, I've never paid them much attention for one sole reason: their prices are beyond my means.

I think I may have grown up a little and decided that dressing trashy no longer suits me.  Not that I was majorly trashy or anything, but I'm pretty sure that if I was on that show Snog, Marry, Avoid I'd have been seen as the type to avoid.  Or at least snog, then avoid!

Anyway I just wanted to show you my latest fashion lusts from some Australian designers.  The top three bikinis are all from zimmermannwear.com.  They are high in quality and look different to any other bikini I own and am seeing on the current market.  The price range is above the $200 AUD mark but if they ever go on sale, you might be able to snag it for half price.  Which I plan to do!

How gorgeous are these two dresses?  Again, they're from zimmermannwear.com.  These two are prime examples of my fashion taste gravitating towards non-trashy.  Anything that came even close to covering my knees used to be scoffed at by me, now I understand that long dresses are very good when your knees start to get fat.  I actually saw the pink dress in store and if they had had it in my size, I would've bought it then and there - groceries for the week be damned!  Both the dresses are over the $400 AUD mark but the darker one is on sale for $275 AUD (original price $550 AUD)... run, don't walk!

I like to think of Kookai is an affordable Australian label.  While they may not be up there along with the other aussie designers, they do produce some great designs and when they go on sale, it's well worth it to have a look around.  They do great basics and stunning dresses.  The two dresses above I have tried on and fallen in love with.  They're $130 AUD and $190 AUD respectively.  And while Kookai are currently having a massive sale on right now, those two aren't on sale just yet.  Hurry up, please!  I wish to own them very soon.

This dress is $590 AUD from sassandbide.com.  Ouchies!  But look how unique it is.  You can never go wrong with black and gold.  It's long, but still sexy.  It's pretty much everything a dress needs to be: classic yet modern, different and I bet it looks good on too... on me.  LOL :)  Sass and Bide also do some great unique looking accessories.  Their price is definitely high but at least you'll know you're unlikely to bump into someone wearing the same outfit as you at a party.

While I lust for these items, it's highly unlikely that I'll ever get to add them to my wardrobe so I've written this post especially for me to look back on and drool at.  Are you drooling too?  To see more of the fashion that I love, have a peek at my pinterest.  I've only just started but there will be plenty more pretty things to see!  xoxo

Chanel Rose Exuberant

I purchased this nail polish not too long ago ($39 AUD from Myer).  It's one I've been eyeing forevaahhh and the only reason why I never got it before is because I already have so many pinks. My current favourite pink shade is OPI's Kiss Me On My Tulips, but the formula for that is a bit streaky for my liking (see a review for that here).

Chanel Rose Exuberant is extremely similar to Kiss Me On My Tulips.  It is a vibrant cream and is great for a pop of colour.  However, Chanel's formula is sooooo much better.  It's smooth and streak free and in fact I would've gotten away with just one coat.  In the photos you'll see two coats, but seriously, one application is enough to yield an opaque and streak free finish.

This is Rose Exuberant in low lighting.  Still so pretty, yes?  I think that given the fact that one coat is enough (therefore more wears out of a bottle), $39 is not bad to pay for a polish that has an awesome formula and is a colour I really love and will wear over and over agian.  What do you think?

Cajun Shrimp (on my toes)!

If you can get past how ugly my feet are (hairy toes, anyone?) perhaps you will enjoy the Cajun Shrimp I put on it yesterday.  It is a cream based orangey-red nail polish by OPI that was included in The Best of the Best mini collection which came out eons ago (ok, maybe just over a year ago).

In natural lighting it looks like a very vibrant coral red.

In low lighting it looks orange!

This is not the kind of colour I usually go for but it has grown on me quite a bit.  I think it's perfect for summer as it's a cheerful, bright colour and compliments my skin tone fairly well.  My feet have been in nothing but thongs as of lately - you can see those horrible thong tan lines, can't you?  When wearing thongs, I always like to dress up my toes in a cute colour.  OPI Cajun Shrimp fits the bill :)

Cheap, effective way to remove chlorine from hair

Check out my disgustingly crispy, frizzy hair.  That is the result of many swimming sessions at the local pool this summer.  Usually, I like to wash my hair straight after a swim but sometimes I forget to take my shampoo and conditioner.  Overtime, chlorine builds up in the hair anyway, and you need a special shampoo to get rid of it.

I didn't want to spend any money on a shampoo that I'd only use a few times... Ok, well the truth was, I actually did want to go out and buy a specific chlorine removing shampoo but all the shops were closed... *sobs*!  Anyway, I turned to Google to see if there was anything I could do to effectively remove chlorine from my hair, and I found a few things I could try.  The method I am telling you about is method #3 from this website: wikihow.com.  I chose the baking soda method simply because I already have baking soda at home, and it seemed to take up the least amount of time to do.  Hello, I'm not called lazy for no reason!

What I used:  baking soda, water

What I did:  I filled a small glass about one third full with baking soda, and added some water - enough to turn it into a not-too-thick paste.  I jumped in the shower, wet my hair, turned off the shower and started using the paste I just made to wash my hair.  I made sure to scrub it all over.  I spent a good 2-3 minutes doing this.  I then turned the water back on and rinsed my hair thoroughly before shampooing and conditioning my hair as normal.

Result:  I am pleased to report that I no longer have crispy, chlorine scented hair!  This method worked extremely well for me and I'm actually grateful that I saved a few dollars.  When it came time to blow drying my hair, my hair no longer felt like it had been at the beach all day.  The "salt" feeling had completely gone and my hair was back to being soft, light and bouncy.

Thank God that the shops were closed, and that I had to resort to Google.  Google really does have the answer to everything!

My Kids

I don't think I've ever formally introduced my kids before.  I have two sons, Tony who is ten years old and Dante who is 4 years old.  They are opposites in personality yet get along very well.  Tony has moderate autism and Dante has been diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder.  To me, they're perfect & I honestly would not have them any other way.