Burt's Bees VIP Trial Team

 

Exciting news today!  I was on Facebook and saw that Burt's Bees had announced who they had selected to be on their trial team (a competition they had a few weeks ago).  And guess who's name came up lucky last?  Mine!  *yippee*

I believe that the products the trial team members get to try will be a sugar scrub and a body butter.  This couldn't have come at a better time, as I was looking to buy a body scrub anyway.  I used to use the one from The Body Shop, (the Brazil Nut scrub) but since they no longer stock that, I've just been using their Olive Oil scrub, a loofah with body wash (Mario Badescu AHA Botanical Body Soap) or a DIY coconut oil and sugar scrub.

I prefer to use heavily scented products, so The Body Shop ones are good for that, but they contain ingredients I don't quite agree with so I always like to shop around.  However, I never end up finding anything I like the look of.  Having the opportunity to trial the new Burt's Bees body butter and sugar scrub is really exciting for me, as I get to try a product I needed anyway!  I look forward to reviewing them.  Thank you Burt's Bees!

Kora Organics Review

Kora Organics products.  Note: the Rose Mist no longer looks like how it is in this photo. This one is from the old packaging.

I adore Miranda Kerr.  When she came out with a skincare line, I... didn't actually know about it until around this time last year.  I actually heard about it through a good friend, who said she wanted to try organic products.  When she mentioned Miranda Kerr and organic in one sentence, I was all over it and googled to find out more.

A year later, here I am: an avid fan of Kora Organics.  Only recently they have become certified organic, which is impressive in my books.  If you watch my video, you can see her talking about the products in more detail.  I have not tried every product in the line, but those that I use I will continue to use until it no longer works for me, or if it gets discontinued (No!  What a nightmare!)  So here's my little review on each product I use:

Hydrating Day & Night Cream: (50ml, $59.95) Although this is a day and night cream, I do not use it for night time (for night I just use rose hip oil).  As the product name implies, it's a hydrating cream that has a fresh, herbal, slightly tangy scent.  If you use too little, it can feel like it's tugging at your skin as you apply it, so best to use a fair size amount.  Having said that, you do not need a lot.  A five cent coin amount is enough for the face, but I like to double it and have it taken down my neck and decolletage.  It does not contain SPF, which is fine with me because I like to use a separate sunscreen anyway.  It's not greasy at all, it gives you enough hydration to ensure your skin stays moist but does not feel heavy, look greasy or clog pores (mine, anyway!)  My ideal day cream!

Cream Cleanser: (90ml, $44.95) This product is definately not for the oily/combination skin type (but I think it can actually help your oily skin if you do, will post about it soon).  If you have normal skin, like me, or dry/sensitive skin, this would be great for you!  It feels quite "slippery", almost like a cleansing oil (but much thinner) so it doesn't feel like it's cleaning your skin... until you wash it off with warm water!  It's recommended you use a cloth to wipe your skin after cleansing with this product, but I'm lazy and just use my hands (often because I'm in the shower).  This cleanser does not foam at all, but is very effective at getting rid of dirt, oil and sweat on your face.  I used to use Philosophy Purity Made Simple, but now I've switched to the Kora Organics Cream Cleanser as it does not use any nasty ingredients but does just as good a job, if not better.

Balancing Rose Mist: (50ml, $39.95) This product is good for all skin types.  I absolutely love this spray!  It's so versatile.  I use it for everything: setting makeup, as a toner, as a moisturiser if I'm too lazy or time poor for an actual moisturiser, as a refreshing, hydrating spray throughout the day... so many uses!  I always spritz my face about 4 times with this before I apply the Hydrating Day & Night Cream.  It acts as a toner that way.  Sometimes, if I can't be bothered applying moisturiser (such as when I'm at home and have no plans) I'll just spray my face lots of times and leave it to dry.  My skin never feels tight, just moisturised.  It's like a lazy girls moisturiser.  The mist you get from the bottle is a huge spray, but it's so fine.  On hot days, I attack my two boys with this as well if they're looking red in the face.  It keeps you cool!  On top of makeup, it works just like the M.A.C. Fix +... except it's organic!  LOVE!

Daily Hand Cream: (90ml, $39.95 - not pictured in photo) One thing I really love about this hand cream is the simple packaging.  I get lots of questions when I use this hand cream out and about!  I suppose people are curious about the brand.  As an actual hand moisturiser, it is a good hydrating cream that is lightweight and does not leave my hands feeling greasy.  One thing I wish it did have was sunscreen, but I find that  hand creams that do contain sunscreen tend to leave a greasy film on my hand, or make it feel sticky.  So I'm not too upset by that minor fact.  Hand creams are a staple in my handbag, and so far this is my favourite hand cream.

Tinted Day Care Cream: (50ml, $59.95 - not pictured in photo) This is the only product in the range that I wasn't a fan of.  It is a tinted moisturiser that contains a little bit of sun protection (from zinc oxide).  I don't mind it, but I don't love it.  It looks great on the skin (very natural, slight coverage) and doesn't irritate my skin or anything, but I do have problems with the application.  It tugs at my skin terribly, unless I use a lot.  Which I don't want to do, because then it looks too obvious on my skin.  A thin layer looks best, but everytime I apply this it just feels like it dries too quickly.  I have tried both using a mist beforehand and not, and either way I still felt the tug.  Because of that, I don't like to use it.  But when I do use it, once it's on, I really do like it.  If it dried less quickly and didn't tug, I would use it more often.

Vitamin Enhanced Lip Balm: (6.5ml, $24.95) Not only does this lip balm look so cute in its beautiful green pot, it is also an awesome multi-tasker!  I don't really like lip balms where you have to dig for the product with your fingers, but I make an exception for this one.  It keeps my lips moisturised for so long.  I apply this in the morning, go out and have lunch, and I still don't feel like I need to reapply it.  It gives a great transparent gloss to your lips and has no obvious taste or scent.  If I have flyaways, I'll apply it to my hair to keep them at bay.  If I'm in a waiting room and I'm bored, I'll apply this to my cuticles.  If I have a dry spot somewhere on my face or body, I'll just pat some of this stuff onto it.  This is my all time favourite lip balm.  I love a lot of lip balms, but this one takes the cake!

There are a few other products that I use from the range, such as the mask and scrub, but I haven't used it long enough or consistently enough to form an opinion of just yet.  However, once I do I will be sure to review them also!

Kora Organics can be purchased online at their website www.koraorganics.com, which is the cheapest option.  They are also sold at David Jones and Terry White Chemist.  I'm not sure about the prices at Terry White, as the have only recently started stocking the Kora Organics range, but at David Jones the prices are atrocious.  They have jacked up the prices so much since the new packaging launched!  E.g: Online, the Hydrating Day & Night Cream is $59.95.  In store, it's just under $72!  What the?!  How do they justify that?  Grrrr!  I used to buy from DJ, but from now on I will just be ordering the products online.  Kora Organics has a great range, with products that work very well and while a little on the pricey side, I believe that you get what you pay for.  For certified organic products, it's not too bad.  And if it works, it is definitely worth it.  What will you be putting on your face tonight?

Discovering An Old Love Agian

Years back, I used to shop at Forever New.  It was my all time favourite store, because most of their clothing was feminine and pretty (totally my style)!  Their prices weren't too bad and the quality was reasonable.  Although, not all pieces are made equal.  Be weary of items made of cotton knit, it can lose its shape in the wash.  However, I've had tops from several years ago that I still have to this day, and wear regularly.  So always follow the washing instructions!

I don't know why I stopped going.  Perhaps I felt I was getting too old for it?  Or maybe I just moved on...  Well, today I was in Chadstone and was walking past the Forever New store and though, "eh, why not".  So I go in, and try on some tops...

$69.95 - Love the way the shirt drapes my body.  It's a bit longer at the back and a little sheer.  Gorgeous pattern!  One of my favourite items of clothing are shirts.

 

$29.95 - This is actually a lot more gold in person, and is mega sparkly!  The back has two straps that connect from the front and join in the middle... it looks interesting and makes an otherwise simple singlet quite remarkable!

$29.95 - I love the way this drapes over my body and hides my beer belly.  The flower pattern make the plain singlet more feminine and interesting.

Yes, I took photos in the changing rooms!  Very sneaky of me, but honestly, I took them so I could look back at them and see if I wanted to buy the item or not.  And right now, after having had a look at the snaps, I've decided that I do want to buy these tops!  The last two are really inexpensive and perfect for the hotter months.  This year I've really been into browns and neutrals, and all these tops satisfy that criteria.  I can totally see myself wearing the first top with a pair of denim shorts or a skirt and some tan platform heels or wedges.  The second top, although you can't really see it in the photo, is actually very sparkly, has an interesting back and is a great casual yet blingy style for nights out pub or club hopping.  And the last one is just cute for day time.  It's a racer back and would go well with anything.  Perfect for shopping!

So, I suppose this post is really just a preemptive haul.  I plan on getting those tops soon, maybe tomorrow!  What do you think?  My photos don't do them justice... in person they are a lot more cute and deeper in colour.  If you work at Forever New somewhere in Melbourne, hold these tops for me in a size 8 please!

A2LB Haul & Review

A couple of weeks ago I placed my first ever order on the website Addicted 2 Lip Balm.  You can see a list of everything that I ordered right here.  I have had a few weeks to trial some of the products, so I'll be reviewing them today, as well as the A2LB web store.

The website itself is a breeze to browse and find what you're looking for.  Everything is categorised according to type (lip scrubs, organic, lip tints etc) and the main colour theme is pink, my favourite colour!  That in itself isn't a big deal, but I like it.  They offer a loyalty program as well as 10% your first order.  And free shipping for orders over $50!  Shipping was super fast - I made an order at 10pm on a Thursday night and by midday Monday, my package arrived.  This was with standard shipping!

Everything came packaged nicely in pink paper, and groups of products were bubble wrapped to protect it.  A little gift was individually wrapped and included with my pack - Thanks Leah! 

Now onto the products that I have used regularly for the past few weeks... The first one is The Lip Scrub by Sara Happ ($30.95).  It's not an organic product, but it is limited edition so of course I had to have it!  It smells fresh and fruity, and works as a lip scrub should.  However, I find it to be really greasy and rich, when you wash it off you can still feel a film of gunk on your lips.  Ok, it's not gunk, it's supposed to be moisturising but I'm not a fan of petrolatum so I don't like it.  I try to wash it off as best as I can and I will use the product sparingly to avoid that leftover film on my lips.  But like I said, it scrubs well.  It's quite gentle and tastes pleasant.  My lips afterwards are smooth and look red and plump, like I'm wearing a lip stain.  I smoother it with the Kora Organics lip balm afterwards.

This yellow blob is the EOS Smooth Sphere lip balm in Lemon Drop ($6.35).  It smells delicious, it tastes delicious, but it does not feel delicious.  As in, it's not moisturising enough for me.  I kinda feel like I have to rub this on my lips for half an hour to feel like I have something coating my lips.  BUT it does contain SPF and does not make your lips look super shiny, so it's good for the whole family, men included.  Perfect for those who hate feeling like they have something on their lips.  It's a funny little round ball shape, but applies easily just like a regular stick balm.  I will continue to use this, especially as summer is right around the corner, but it sucks that I find myself re-applying this every half an hour just because I can't feel it moisturising my lips.


This is the one I have used the most.  It's the Badger Cocoa Butter lip balm in Lime Rocket ($9.95).  This is not a flavour I tend to choose.  I kinda just picked it to try something different.  And I'm really glad I did, because Lime Rocket smells so zesty and fresh!  I love the scent.  And it tastes nice, too (not that I go around licking my lip balms just to see what they taste like!)  It is a much larger product than your regular stick balms.  It's about double the size, and you have to be a little careful when applying it because it can make you look like you've been making out with a greasy frying pan if you're careless!  I find the larger size a bit of an inconvenience, but I do enjoy this one a lot and use it the most.  Plus the larger size makes it easy to find in my handbag, which is probably why I use it the most, ha!

Cacao Powder Organic lip balm - Chocolate ($5.95).  This one is a little deceiving.  It calls itself chocolate, but to me it has more of a subtle roasted coffee scent and flavour.  I'm not a big fan of coffee.  But it's chocolately and pleasant enough, and it also leaves my lips feeling very moisturised without too much shine.  It's the perfect size too, not too big like the previous one.  It lasts for a while on your lips and the scent actually wafts up occassionally throughout the day, which is a good thing if you like the scent, but a bad thing if it makes you crave for a hot chocolate (like it does for me)!

These four products I have used the most, but I have have also used some others which I will review once I feel I have used it long enough.  If you love lip balms as much as I do, I know you'll be hanging for that post!  Watch out for it in the coming weeks.  As for Addicted 2 Lip Balm, I highly recommend them as they have a huge assortment of lip goodies, great service and fast shipping, plus rewards for customers.  What more could a lip balm junkie want? (Life time supply of lip balm... D'uh, Rin!)

Note: Photos of the individual lip balms are all from the A2LB website, used with permission.  All products mentioned were purchased by me.

NARS Hopelessly Devoted

Feeling totally uninspired to blog.  Today I've had such a tough day, all I really want to do is go to sleep, but I'm not even tired yet.  So I may as well talk about some products I got a few weeks ago, from a NARS gift set purchased from meccacosmetica.com.au.

The NARS Hopelessly Devoted gift set contains a blush/bronzer duo in Deep Throat/Laguna and two mini lip glosses: Orgasm and Crepuscule.  It is limited edition and costs $85 AUD.  It can be purchased online or from the Mecca Maxima store (unless they've sent back their stock - I last spoke to them a few weeks ago so things might have changed).  The reason why I wanted this set was for the blush/bronzer duo.  I already use the Laguna bronzing powder, and had previously swatched Deep Throat blush and wanted to buy it, but never did.  This has the best of both worlds, and is perfect to take out with you for touch ups.

Left - Deep Throat blush; Right - Laguna bronzing powder

From top to bottom: Deep Throat blush applied with a blush brush, Deep throat blush heavy finger swipes, Laguna bronzing powder heavy finger swipes, Laguna bronzing powder applied with a fluffy brush.

The lip glosses are a cute size.  I wouldn't call it mini, exactly.  More like medium.  Agian, ideal to take with you on a night out or perhaps a holiday, if you're lucky!  Orgasm is a popular lip gloss shade, but I prefer the Crepuscule because it suits my NC40 skin tone much better.  NARS lip glosses aren't the best smelling products around, but I think they look nice and feel good on your lips.

Top - Crepuscule lip gloss; Bottom - Orgasm lip gloss

To sum up, I think Deep Throat blush is absolutely gorgeous.  It's quite similar to Orgasm blush, but to me it seems less glittery and suits my skin tone better.  It is my new favourite NARS blush, after purchasing the Hopelessly Devoted set, I went on and purchased the NARS I Will Survive gift set, which contains a full size Deep Throat blush.  I will review that set a little later, and perhaps create a look using the products in both the sets.  Or maybe just provide better swatches :)  Ok, now I'm feeling tired.  Goodnight xo

Chanel Peridot: Pretty!

Feast your eyes on this baby!  Peridot Le Vernis, a unique green/gold nail polish colour from the Chanel Fall 2011 Illusions d'Ombres collection (alongside Quartz and Graphite).  In Australia, you pretty much need to sell your first born to obtain this. $39 AUD is the most I've ever paid for polish!  Was it worth it?  Well...

I find that this nail varnish does not streak and even after one coat, it looks opaque.  In the photos I have on two coats, just to make sure that the application was even.  It was so easy to apply.  I always make mistakes with other polishes, but with this one, I did not make one mistake whatsoever.  Weird!  Or ingenuity on Chanel's part?

In my opinion, it is definitely worth the price tag.  You're not going to find a colour that comes as close to this gorgeous mermaid green that looks gold in certain angles.  You know how bright and shiny a green christmas beetle is? That's pretty much what Peridot reminds me of!  It's such a rich, glorious, intense shimmery green/yellow that can look gold at certain angles.  Amazing!

Sadly, it doesn't look very pretty on my hands.  It kind of matches my NC40 skin tone too much.  I put it on today and freaked out about how it looked.  Maybe it's just because I'm not used to solid colours on my fingers, as I pretty much always wear a french manicure?  Hmm.  Whatever it is, I'm sure I can overcome it because it really is so pretty.  Have a look for yourself...

Natural lighting

Sunlight

Lights on indoors

With camera flash

What do you think?  Unique and pretty?  Or just a waste of money?

My Chadstone VIP Shopping List

I'm a little behind, but I've only just  realised that tomorrow is Chadstone's VIP night. That means 10-40% off full price merchandise in most stores, fashion shows, free alcohol, exclusive events, blah blah blah, you get the idea... Basically, a whole lot of good stuff will be going on and you have the potential to save some money (unless you hadn't planned on buying anything but end up going just to buy something, in which case, you're not saving...)

Now, I'm not saying that I'm going to be attending, but in the off chance that I do get to go (98% certain that will be the case, lol) then these are the items at the top of my shopping list:

Photo source: www.primped.com.au

My eyes feel like they've been bathing in holy water. Just look at how gorgeous these Chanel nail shades are!  I have swatched Peridot and Quartz in a DJ store and thought they were both pretty, but not essential that I have them in my collection.  As soon as I got home, however, the shopaholic in me demanded to know why I hadn't purchased them and now I'm up all night, viewing other blogger's swatches of these gorgeous fall shades.  When something I want occupies much of my thinking time and even makes appearances in my dreams, that's when I know I have to give in and let the shopaholic win.

Photo source: http://au.burberry.com/store/

I'm not into bags that scream "look at me, I'm a designer!"  But I do like a well made handbag.  This Burberry bag is nothing special, but there is something that I really like about it, even though the label is obvious.  I think the only reason I'm obsessing over it is because I walked into a Burberry store one day and picked it up and thought "wow, this matches my outfit perfectly!"  So naturally I felt that I needed to have this in my handbag collection because it suits one outfit so well.  #trueshopaholic

Photo source: www.chanel.com

I'm sick of my manicure chipping two days after I've lovingly applied it. I have tried products that claim to resist chipping (OPI I'm looking at you!), all sorts of base coats, even the good old swipe with nail polish remover before applying a base but I still get chips. The Chanel Protective Base is one I haven't tried before, and I'm keen to get my fingers on it... or rather, it on my fingers!  It's supposed to treat your nails as well, so that's a bonus.  BTW, OPI Chip Skip does work, but it dried out my nails terribly and made them split :-(

Photo source: www.zushoe.com.au

Ok, so I'm watching Miss Universe 2011 as we speak and I just heard the commentator mention earlier that nude heels are very popular because they elongate your body. I'm all for it! This one here is the Issabella 2 in nude leather (from Zu). I have never been into peep toes until the start of this year. I think it's so sexy to flash your toes in a high heel, and I have tried these on in store and they are quite comfortable. Nude peep toes will go well with any outfit, so it's a great investment.  (Trying to convince myself that it's an essential in my wardrobe, so just go with it).

Photo source: www.aldoshoes.com

Another shoe I want.  It looks much cuter in person and on than it does in this picture.  I want this shoe because I wrote an outfit post awhile ago and this shoe was featured in it.  Also I saw it in store and fell in love.  It's the perfect spring shoe and a versatile colour.  And I promise you that you can run in these heels!  That's a huge thing for a mum like me with a three year old who cannot stand still.  I can't remember the name of this shoe, so I apologise.  It's from Aldo, one of my fav shoe stores.

I'm getting tired and even though there's a bunch of other things I want, I'm going to hit the hay because I've gotta be up early and fresh for my possible jaunt to Chadstone.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I won't be walking, I'll be running!  See you there (maybe)!