Balmain Beauty

Victoria's Secret: Wild Raspberry, Bright Strawberry, Juiced Berry (Beauty Rush) Fragrance Mist

2013-05-23T17:43:00.000+12:00

Apologies for the break, I was in Auckland for a few day's and came home and I've been working, plus the hour's and month's seem to be flying past (daylight saving has ended) and before we know it, it'll be Christmas!

Today, I'm writing about a Victoria's Secret fragrance I found on TradeMe. I have 3 of the VS body mist's (Love Spell, Coconut Passion and a Plum and Freesia) fragrance so when I saw this one, which is a little different, I bought it - it's brand new (250ml) and I paid NZ$10 including postage.

I've been wearing this scent for about 9 out of the past 12 day's and I like it, it's Autumn/Fall here in New Zealand but because of the juiced berry I think it could also work well in Summer. It's a bit stronger but I find it last's on my skin longer and I need to use less product too which is nice.

VS describes this scent:

A flirty fresh fragrance sensation. Weightless formula treats skin to a sexy pop of scent. Spritz on the scent of Juiced Berry, a sparkling mix of Wild Raspberry and Bright Strawberry.

I wish we had more VS product's available in shop's here in New Zealand. I'm really keen to try VS beauty (makeup) but sadly it's not sold here unless it's online from an independent trader but for now I'm trying to save so I'll have to add VS beauty to my ever-growing wish list.

Of the 3 other scent's I have, I find this one is just as nice so I'm really pleased because buying online without sniffing it in person can be a bit of a gamble. If you like Berry scent's, you'd like this one.

Do you have any VS body mist's, fragrance's and if so what's your fave scent?

Ecoya | Vanilla Bean Mini Metro and French Pear Mini Metro + French Pear Handcream

2013-05-15T08:00:00.000+12:00

A few month's ago I went shopping at Bayfair Shopping Centre in Tauranga and I don't go there as often as I'd like because it takes two buses and a journey time of 1 and 15 minutes each way.

Bayfair has a few of my favourite shop's and one of those is one of the bigger shop's called Farmers (similar to Australia's Myer, David Jones and the UK's Debenhams, John Lewis). There's a small Farmers store outside of my town but because it's small they don't have a big Home Fragrance section.

I was looking around nail polishes rack's and I found a 4 tier stand stocked full of Ecoya with an Offer if you spent $25 you get a $29.99 (75ml) Ecoya handcream of your choice so I decided to buy two Ecoya Mini Metro candle's NZ$24.95 each and receive the Gift With Purchase handcream, then I remembered I had $20 in Farmers points redeem so this meant one candle would cost just $4.95!

Ecoya are an Australian luxury brand and I really don't know much about them. I hadn't heard of them before moving to the UK so I wanted to buy one and try it out, the candle's cost over $20 each but I don't mind paying a little bit more for a candle that's going to actually fragance my flat with a beautiful scent with a clean burn. I don't like cheap candles with fake or chemically scent's when they burn I find those give me a headache but Ecoya doesn't because it's a Soy candle and the throw is pleasant.

The mini candle's will burn up to 18 hour's which I think it's pretty good for a mini.

Ecoya mini candle's are called Mini Metro 50g (1.07oz) $24.95 each.

They had a few scent's so I sniffed all of them and I decided to go with Vanilla Bean because I adore Vanilla.

Ecoya say's:

A velvety and rich, full-bodied vanilla bean extract is deliciously wrapped in creamy tones of butterscotch to create a rich, indulgent and luxurious fragrance. A beautiful soy wax candle. Delicately poured into a contemporary glass jar and presented in a colourful box. Enjoy up to 18 hours of burn time.

French Pear smelt wonderful and because I liked French Pear I chose it for the Free Gift With Purchase Handcream. The essence of a crisp, tree-ripened pear is captured and blended with a hint of the creamiest vanilla. This sophisticated and rich combination is then infused with star anise for a scent akin to freshly baked apple crumble. A beautiful soy wax candle. Delicately poured into a contemporary glass jar and presented in a colourful box. Enjoy up to 18 hours of burn time.

I haven't tried the French Pear handcream or the Vanilla Bean candle but I'll review these separately in the future. As for the scent's; I definitely recommend the French Pear and if you like Vanilla then I believe you'll like the Vanilla Bean. Ecoya also make Home Fragrance, Body Care and Gift's. The larger candle's come in a Madison or a Metro in two different sizes along with the Mini Metro (above).

Have you tried Ecoya before, do you have a favourite scent, product?

BalmainBeauty on Social Media:

Facebook, Google+, HelloCotton, Instagram, Paperblog,

Pinterest, Pose, Twitter, tumblr and YouTube.

Disclosure

This post is not Sponsored by Ecoya or Farmers. These product's were bought with my own money. All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please don't reproduce content, but you may post a link, Like and share this post on social media with a link to my original post and credit BalmainBeauty balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

Estée Lauder Makeup Brush Cleaner (235ml)

2013-05-14T11:32:00.002+12:00

A couple of month's ago I noticed a bottle of Estée Lauder Makeup Brush Cleaner in my local Unichem for the bargain price of NZ$10 (normally $35) so I thought I'd give it a try.

I've never tried a professional makeup brush cleaner before and until now I'd been using a gentle Baby Shampoo to clean my brushes. I knew it wasn't deep cleaning, but professional makeup brush cleaner's are expensive so getting this one and trying it for $10 has impressed me - it's a total game changer.

Why I will repurchase this product

Firstly, you get 235ml which is a decent size so it should last quite a while. I've used mine for around 3 month's and I've only used up to the top of the Estée logo. I've been cleaning 4 makeup brushes every 3-4 day's. It's not thick, it doesn't smell like alcohol or another nasty chemical smell, in fact I can't even smell it, it's tinted pink but if it wasn't pink you'd think it was water. It has a little press up section on the lid to open it but you can unscrew the blue lid and remove the entire lid if you want, however I wouldn't do that because I find once the press up bit on the lid is open you just need to pour slightly and you don't need to squeeze the bottle. It is a runny, water liquid so pour carefully.

I'll definitely repurchase this product because it deep clean's but it's gentle on my brushes, since using it I've had no hair loss from any of my brushes (I don't know how it'd work with animal hair brushes because I only use synthetic brushes). If you've not tried a professional brush cleaner I think you should give it a go, we spend so much money on makeup and we should take better care of our tool's too.

If you'd like me to write a post on How I Use This Product, please comment below.

Have you tried a professional makeup brush cleaner before, how do you think it compares to using a baby shampoo, do you prefer using baby shampoo and also, how often do you clean your brushes?

BalmainBeauty on Social Media:

Facebook, Google+, HelloCotton, Instagram, Paperblog,

Pinterest, Pose, Twitter, tumblr and YouTube.

Disclosure

This post isn't Sponsored by Estée Lauder. This product was bought with my own money. All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please don't reproduce my content, but you may post a link, Like and share this post on social media with a link to my original post and with credit to BalmainBeauty at www.balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

Nivea Soft | Face Body Hands (75ml)

2013-05-12T13:29:00.002+12:00

I don't know why but I've never tried a Nivea hand cream. I was in The Warehouse and I picked up my usual brand and then saw this next to it so I thought I'd try this one instead.

What I made me decide to buy is it say's it's for Face, Body and Hand's and it contains Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E Cream and it's a refreshingly soft moisturising cream. I started using it right away and after 24ish hour's it has really moisturised my hand's and they are soft, feel and look cared for. It's now been 3 day's since I started using it on my hand's to get them looking nice again and I've been applying it 4+ time's a day and I can see considerable difference and I feel it's even giving my nail's some tlc.

It's 75ml and it's approximately NZ$7.49 which is a little bit more than I'd normally pay but I now feel it's worth it because it feel's nice, it doesn't take too much work or time for it to sink into your skin, it's not greasy and the scent is pleasant plus it's doing a better job than what I normally use by another brand (in the past some hand cream's I've tried have been an absolute waste of money because they didn't do anything, they were greasy and too strong) but this one definitely tick's all the right boxes!

It may look like I'm using more than I should but I also add a bit more to apply to my elbow's and arm's each time I apply to my hand's and I've taken a closeup photo so it look's like a lot but just use a normal amount, unless you want to have enough for elbow's and arm's or face and body.

Unfortunately, I've got a bit of a cold at the moment so my sense of smell isn't great but it smell's nice and that's the best way I can describe it it's not a strong scent and the scent is less noticeable after the cream sink's into your skin - I'm sorry I can't describe the scent in more detail and the back of the packaging doesn't really list ingredient's in non-scientific names. This product contain's Alcohol but it's definitely not drying out my skin but what work's well for me may be completely different for other's.

The description on the reverse of the product say's:

Nivea Soft, a moisture sensation! We love this highly effective formula with Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil becuase it is quickly abosobed, leaving your skin sensationally soft and smooth. Enjoy the revitalising feeling of long-lasting moisturisation on your face, body and hands everyday. Skin compatability dermatologically approved.

What I also like about Nivea as a Brand is they're Cruelty Free and that's very important to a lot of people. I also notice this cream doesn't contain Parabens, which is also important so I'm definitely going to repurchase this and try out other product's by Nivea. Nivea is fast becoming one of my preferred brand's and it all started with a lip butter recently so I won't go back to buying the other brand I'd bought repeatedly, this one trump's what I've been using and is perfect for an everyday hand cream.

As yet I haven't used it on my body, or face but I'm definitely going to give it a try and once I've done so for a good amount of time I'll review this cream for the Face and Body - probably early-mid June.

I'm keen to try their Makeup Wipes, Daily Face Wash and Cleanser but I've got a few product's I need to finish before purchasing new one's but I'll let you know once I've given them a good road test.

Have you tried Nivea product's before and do you have a favourite?

BalmainBeauty - Social Media:

Facebook, Google+, HelloCotton, Instagram, Paperblog,

Pinterest, Pose, Twitter, tumblr and YouTube.

Disclosure

This post is not a Sponsored post by Nivea. This product was bought with my own money. All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please do not reproduce content, but you may post a link, like and share this post on social media with a link to my original post and credit to BalmainBeauty at www.balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain | Honey

2013-05-11T13:01:00.004+12:00

I don't know about you but Revlon product's are my fave drugstore beauty brand so when the original Just Bitten's were released I went and looked at them in Unichem, but I didn't buy any because I had enough lip product's to use and I'm also not a big fan of lip stain's.

However, when Just Bitten Kissable's were released I sourced swatches online to find the best colour for me and I liked the look of Honey so I decided to buy one online.

Unfortunately, they're super expensive to buy in NZ so I ordered mine on eBay from the US where it ended up costing about half the price (including postage) of buying one in NZ so unless the price comes down or there is some kind of Revlon offer I won't be buying any in NZ which I'm sad to say. In NZ they cost $24-$26 each (£13) and if you find them for $20 and under you've got a bargain!

I apologise for this next photo. I took about 50 swatch photo's and they all looked terrible - this was the best I could do with what I have and natural lighting. I think it show's the colour and maybe the glossiness makes this hard to focus so I just couldn't improve on the quality of the swatch for this post.

What I like about Honey is how nice it feel's on my lip's and the colour plus I'm a sucker for crayon type lip pencil's (the Clinique Chubby and the Face of Australia's Gloss Stain's and more recently the MUA Cosmetics Power Pouts). I don't have a Clinique Chubby or an MUA Power Pouts to compare to the Revlon Kissable but as for the Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayons in Macaron and Cupcake, I think they're better quality than the Kissable and at A$14.95 for 3 they're better value. If you'd like to read my review of Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayon's, please click here. Unfortunately these are now unavailable. I bought mine from Fashion Addict and they ship to NZ.

What do you think of the Kissable's or are you a fan of the original Just Bitten's?

BalmainBeauty - Social Media:

Facebook, Google+, HelloCotton, Instagram, Paperblog,

Pinterest, Pose, Twitter, tumblr and YouTube.

Disclosure

This post is not a Sponsored post by Revlon or Face of Australia. This product was bought with my own money. All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please do not reproduce content, but you may post a link, like and share this post on social media with a link to my original post and credit to BalmainBeauty at www.balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

Maybelline Baby Lips Color | Pink Lolita

2013-05-10T21:01:00.004+12:00

I'm super excited to tell you I found a tinted baby lips today in the shade Pink Lolita!

Unlike previous baby lips eg Pink Glow, Energizing Orange etc, this one is actually tinted, it gives off a nice shade of pink, you can wear on it's own or under a lipstick. I just bought it so I'll write a proper review of it in a week or two, but so far so good. I like the tint, how it feel's and look's on my lip's.

Thanks for your support by commenting, liking, pinning, reading, sharing, and subscribing.

Are you as excited about this coloured baby lip's as I am?

If you have the other two colour's, please leave a comment

below and if your a Blogger please leave a link

to your post so I can read and share it.

BalmainBeauty - Social Media:

Facebook, Google+, HelloCotton, Instagram, Paperblog,

Pinterest, Pose, Twitter, tumblr and YouTube.

Disclosure

This post is not a Sponsored post by Maybelline. This product was bought with my own money. All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please do not reproduce content, but you may post a link, like and share this on social media with a link to my original post and credit to BalmainBeauty at www.balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

Haul | Colgate, InStyle, Maybelline & Victoria's Secret

2013-05-08T18:47:00.001+12:00

I went into town to buy coffee pod's for my Kensington Coffee Machine and to look for some warm, comfy, stylish slipper's because it's getting colder so I decided to go into The Warehouse, which by the way has the coffee machine (above) on Clearance for $99.98 each, click here to buy (within NZ), so I was barely in the shop when I spotted item's I'd not seen before so I decided to treat myself and my rationalisation is why not - it's My Birthday Month! (does anyone else say that too?).

Victoria's Secret - Love Spell (Fragrance Mist) Cherry Blossom and Peach (250ml) NZ$19.00 each. Firstly, I'd never expect to see Victoria's Secret in The Warehouse so I'm over the moon to find it, they had a few of these in this scent and also in Endless Love, Coconut Passion (which I already own and love) and a scent with Strawberries (I can't remember the name of this particular one). They didn't have many there - maybe 2 or 3 of each of the scent's I mentioned so I don't know if they had more stock but these were flying off the shelf or if it's a test run to see if they sell but I'm hoping I'll find them in again in the future and would love to see a body lotion and some of the VS makeup and candle's sold there.

I've had Love Spell on my Wishlist for a long time but I wasn't quite sure from the list of scent's I'd read to describe it were for me, but I smelt it in person, I loved it (it's going to be a perfect scent for the cold month's) so I bought one. I would've bought the Love Spell Body Lotion too if but it look's like all they have (or have left) are the Mist's only.

Also, my local (Whakatane) store had 2 giant table's setup with perfume's marked down from over $100 to $75 each or less, perfumes by Beyonce, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Kenso, Calvin Klein, Katy Perry and more. I don't need anymore perfume right now - it's very hard to resist temptation to buy a new perfume for such a good price but I managed to do so this time. I'm guessing as these table's weren't there a couple of week's ago they've set this up for Mother's Day which is Sunday, 12th May this year.

Paris Eiffel Tower Pillow/Cushion $15 each (Global Collection). I saw this on a lounge just past the perfume sales table's and as you know I'm obsessed with Paris the city, the Eiffel Tower and other iconic places in Paris and I adore France, my room is slowly changing from Pink to Paris themed, some Paris item's you can find are tacky so I only have 3 thing's with a Paris theme in my room and I think it sit's on my bed nicely with Oscar the Owl.

My room is still not 100% done and I don't think it'll ever be completely happy with it as I'm renting and none of the furniture is mine and I don't want to spend money on furniture I like when I have what I need - if that also makes sense. With the amount of knick-knack thing's, make-up etc. new HD tv and Stereo I've bought since I moved into my flat in August I'm going to need a semi-trailer to move my stuff to the next flat so I'm not ready to buy my own furniture. If you like this, you can also buy it online here (within NZ).

Also in The Warehouse I found another flavour of the Maybelline Baby Lips in Baby Pink.

I think as it's similar to Pink Glow and they may've been released around the same time but perhaps it was out of stock when I bought Pink Glow so it's probably not new but it's the first time I've seen this particular one so I decided to buy it to add to my Baby Lips collection (which until I saw it, I didn't realise I was now collecting these) $4.29 each (4g).

Colgate Optic White. I'd actually heard about this product in a Monthly Favourites video by a US beauty guru some time ago on YouTube (I can't remember who it was) so I've been waiting for this to be released in NZ.

I don't know how well it'll whiten my teeth because I have crown which was added when I was 21 and I've never seen the need to replace it, but I guess I might have to if this toothpaste super whiten's my teeth but it doesn't work on the crown.

I'm keen to try this and I'll review it once I've had a couple of week's using it. I also like and have used the Colgate Max White Toothpaste so I'm hoping the Optic White is a bobby dazzler! $10.99 each (160g) and I bought mine at New World. It say's on the box: brush twice a day. It has the Whitening Ingredient that Dentists use and 3 shades whiter teeth (after 4 week's use), individual result's may vary!

and finally, I picked this up about 2 or 3 week's ago and I haven't read it and haven't hauled it either so I thought I'd include it today. I don't buy this every month but I do love this magazine, which is the Australian version of InStyle, the only reason I stopped buying it regularly is because it comes out later here than in Australia (1-3 week's release difference) and it's $9.20 per issue. I know under $10 isn't much for a printed magazine these day's but that's $110 for 12 issues per year which I could be spending on something else or a few something else's (if you get what I'm trying to say) and also because I see the Subscribe page and want to join because the magazine work's out cheaper per issue and they have a cool subscription gift - when you first join they send you a present but that's only available in Australia! The International Shipping for this magazine is expensive so if I'm in The Warehouse and want a magazine then I'll pick it up but I don't religiously buy it like I've done in the past for the reason's I've mentioned but it is my fave Australian mag along with Cleo (Australia) which unfortunately isn't available in NZ because there's a Cleo NZ issue.

Sofia Vergara is on the cover and it took me a while to recognise her, this is the April 2013 issue. I saw today at The Warehouse that the May issue is out but I didn't buy it as I haven't even read this issue yet and the May issue was partly obscured so I wasn't drawn in by the cover picture or text.

I did manage to remember to pickup one box of 12 coffee pod's for my machine, but I forgot to check out slipper's because I was side-tracked with joy about the Victoria's Secret and the Pillow, so I'll have to shop for some slipper's tomorrow afternoon after work, or on Saturday.

April Favourites 2013

2013-05-07T00:17:00.000+12:00

Apologies for a post instead of a video but I don't have time to get everything together, sit down and film the video, edit it, wait for it to render and then upload to YouTube (if you don't make videos for YouTube you have to experience the process to fully understand the time it takes to make videos and then add a couple more hour's for wifi hickup's, internet dropouts and uploading to YouTube servers).

The first thing I'm really excited about are my fave Wedge Booties (I can't remember the style name) by London Rebel. I find these hard to keep clean as they are a suede kind of texture and this attracts a lot of carpet fallout etc. but I'm really excited to have them (I recently received these along with a few more of my possession's from the UK) and I'm taking these with me to Auckland on the 17th!

These are comfy (the test will be wearing them for long periods of time). I think they're cute. I'll be wearing these with jean's, legging's and dresses.

Unfortunately, this style isn't in stock anymore but I've seen similar style's recently by other brand's. I prefer wedge booties or chunky heal boot's to flat boot's or boot's with stilettos. I wouldn't say no to these in a similar style in Navy Blue or a Brown colour!

The next few thing's are staple item's so a couple of thing's will need replacing soon because I've loved and used them frequently. I don't like the word's Holy Grail but they are indeed holy grail item's!

MOR Cosmetics | Sugar Rose Tiger Lily Hand Cream. I received this luxury hand cream in my GoodieBox subscription. I'd never tried any product's from MOR before, it's a brand I've wanted to try, so I finally got my first product and I love this, it's nicely scented and isn't overpowering - it's moisturising and non-greasy. I reviewed it here if your interested in a proper review of the product. If you'd like to buy it from MOR it's here (80ml) AU$14.95.

I've noticed my hand's are nourished and feel softer and I even think it's helping my nail's from being so fragile. I definitely will either buy this scent when it run's out, or buy another MOR hand cream and I'm also keen to try out other product's. I'm trying to shop my stash rather and save a bit of money.

My favourite perfume for the past 2+ year's has been Angel by Thierry Mugler.

This fragrance was released in 1997 and back then I thought it was too strong - it's a gourmand scent so I decided it wasn't for me, but whilst shopping in duty free, I decided to re-sniff it because I was looking for a new perfume. I now absolutely love the scent, it smell's like chocolate and pralines and you need a tiny squirt and it last's all day. I find, the more you spray, the stronger it is and it can be a little too much for some people so a little spray goes a long way.

It last's on my skin for an entire day! I have the Eau du Parfum in a 25ml refillable bottle and this can be refilled at Farmers and chemist's with refilling station's so I'll be refilling before it run's out completely, which is cheaper than buying a brand new bottle, plus I'm helping the environment by reusing my glass bottle. I love the Star design but it also comes in other sized bottle's with the Star either in bottle design like mine or a Star lid. More about Angel here. I'd go as far to say this is now my Signature scent!

My favourite makeup brush to apply my liquid foundation is the Flat Top Face Brush by XOBeauty. Shannon aka Shaaanxo (a New Zealand beauty guru on YouTube) created these brushes.

I actually like all four brushes in the face set I bought from her online shop, but this one is my absolute favourite. I've mentioned it in my March Faves here. I also reviewed the 4 piece face brush set here.

The brushes are synthetic so they're not made from Animal hair. I'm against using brushes made from Animal Hair!

You can buy this brush here for NZ$26 (FREE postage within NZ and Australia, International Shipping available too) or in the 4 piece set here NZ$80 (these link's aren't Affiliate link's) I bought this set and like it so much I want to let you know XOBeauty, I like supporting other blogger's.

I found this bottle of the Estée Lauder Makeup Brush Cleaner on a sale table in my local Unichem in Summer and it was $10 (normally $35 for 235ml) so I was happy to try it as I've never tried a professional brush cleaner before. I don't want to go back to the baby shampoo way of cleaning my brushes. This brush cleaner works to deep clean all of my synthetic makeup brushes and I hope that I can buy it again for under $35 or find something just as good for under $20. I write a full review of this product (once I catchup on other thing's I want to post about first) I hope it'll be soon.

I've been wanting an Ecoya candle for the longest time. I love Australian brand's and I also like to use Soy candle's (because they burn clean, seem to burn a decent amount of time and the throw is pretty good - the throw mean's the scent) but everytime I went into a local Homewares shop in my town I found these were super expensive (as they normally are from boutique homeware shop's) so I was overjoyed at seeing Ecoya on offer in at Farmers in March (yes it's taken me too long to talk about it).

The Farmers deal was spend $25 on Ecoya and receive a Gift With Purchase (a free Ecoya Handcream of your choice, which cost NZ$29.95), so I bought two Mini Metro Jar candle's for $24.95 each to receive gwp handcream, then I used my Farmers Clubcard (a Free to join store reward card that gives you money back to spend instore) I had $20 reward so I redeemed it (good's worth $79.85 including the handcream) but reduced in the Offer to $49.90, less $20 Farmers card reward so all 3 for $29.90. I love a 3 for 2, a GWP or a Buy 1 Get One Free!

This candle is in French Pear and it's beautiful. This scent is also the scent I decided upon for the free gift handcream (which I've yet to use). I haven't burnt the other candle in a Vanilla Bean yet. I think Ecoya's a great brand and well worth the money but even better if you can get it on Offer. I'll definitely will be buying more Ecoya product's from now on!

Now the weather has changed and it's getting colder and more windy I'm prepping my lip's for the big chill of Winter.

I use the Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Glow or I reach for the Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream.

I've reviewed both the Maybelline here and the Nivea here.

I also like a little colour on my lip's and find the Wet n' Wild lipstick's are crazy pigmented, long lasting and affordable and applies nicely over the top of either the lip balm or the lip butter smoothly.

Think Pink (901B) which I've read on other blog's is a dupe for the MAC Creme Cup Lipstick. I don't have the Creme Cup to compare them but from online swatches they really do look very similar and you can probably buy 2 or 3 of the Wet n' Wild lipstick's for the cost of one MAC! I reviewed Think Pink here.

If you follow me on Twitter or have seen a few of my Monthly Beauty Favourites videos subscribe here then you'll know I've included Batiste quite often and my favourite scent is Blush but in Countdown a month or so ago I found the new packaging and a new scent I'd not tried before, so I decided to try the mini can to see if I liked it as much as Blush. I think I love it just as much.

The new scent I bought is Coconut and Exotic Tropical in 30g NZ$8 or the larger can is $17.

What can I say other than this is the best brand of dry shampoo I've used. I still have more than half a can of the Blush but I've been reaching for this one which I'm keeping in my handbag organiser and I'm definitely going to buy the bigger can of this scent once this run's out.

I use this 3 times a week (on day's I don't wash my hair). I find even though it spray's white you just need to work it into your scalp with your finger's and the white disappear's. It smell's lovely, it doesn't leave my scalp irritated, or feeling dirty, limp, oily. Batiste is definitely my preferred Dry Shampoo!

Finally the last thing, even though I know I've had a lot to talk about, thanks for bearing with me, I have two new Tea favourite's Twinings Herbal Infusions Pure Peppermint Tea and Dilmah Green Tea with Natural Lemongrass and Lemon (teabags).

I bought both of these in Countdown I think they cost $8 each box for 25 individually wrapped Pure Peppermint teabag's and I think you get 25 also in the Dilmah box.

I like both these tea's because their different flavour's. I'm trying to drink more tea for it's anti-oxident properties than drinking coffee, since giving up my thrice daily cup's of Coffee in the past few day's, I've had splitting headaches, but this afternoon I feel less jittery and I've weaned myself off the caffeine, I think.

I'm not a big tea drinker but I do enjoy a cup of Twinings Early Grey Breakfast tea from time to time and I now think tea is the way to go and I feel it's a more refreshing drink than coffee. I won't be giving up coffee altogether I'm just cutting down to one cup a day and if you enjoy coffee you'll know how hard it is to limit yourself to one cup a day (I might even downgrade to Decaffeinated coffee soon).

So that's it for my April faves and I'm sorry it seem's like such a long post, with the amount of hour's I've spent writing up this post, including the link's, cropping and labelling my photo's I could probably have made a video but this is the first time I've decided to change my writing layout and I like it. I might try writing the next few post's in this style but I'd like to know if you like this style, or perhaps prefer an alternating layout eg some post's with larger images, please comment below.

I hope to make a May Faves video at the end of the month and I'm trying to schedule one or two videos a week from next week and/or trying to schedule a couple of post's a week.

Thanks for your continued support by bookmarking, commenting, liking, pinning, reading, sharing, and subscribing. Please let me know what your April Faves are by commenting and including your blog link's below or the link to your favourites video on YouTube.

BalmainBeauty on Social Media:

Facebook, Google+, HelloCotton, Instagram, Paperblog,

Pinterest, Pose, Twitter, tumblr and YouTube.

Disclosure

This post isn't a Sponsored post by any of brand's I mentioned. ALL product's were bought with my own money. All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please don't reproduce content, you may post a link on your blog, site, like and share on social media to my original post with credit to BalmainBeauty at www.balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

{Review} Maybelline Baby Lips | Pink Glow

2013-05-05T09:30:00.000+12:00

I've been using a couple of lip product's to keep my lip's from chapping and becoming dry. I want to talk about Maybelline Baby Lips today [they've been out for a while]. I wrote about Antioxidant Berry, Energising Orange, Relieving Menthol and Soothing Cherry here earlier last year.

The Baby Lips balm's have a sheer/light finish. Perfect for use everyday. I wear it on my lip's whilst applying makeup so it has time to soak in but I also wear a lip balm on day's when I don't feel like wearing lipstick [a recent step which appears to work] but re-application is very important!

Pink Glow is a pretty shade with a light pink glow to it. I can notice it on my lip's, it feel's nice - not

thick, not thin, not sticky (I don't like grainy or sticky lip balm's or lipglosses).

The back of the cardboard packaging say's:

Shed away rough dryness for supple, smooth and cushioned lips all day long. Our exclusive color-blooming technology reacts with your unique lips chemistry to reveal your perfect pink glow.

Directions:

Turn the base 1-2 times for usage. Reapply when lips are exposed to strong sun, wind or cold

for maximum protection.

Unfortunately, it doesn't list if these balm's contain an SPF!

Some of the Ingredient's:

Beeswax, Castor Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Oil and Shea Butter

Baby Lips are under $5 each at Countdown and The Warehouse and I'm sure you can find them in chemist's and probably at Farmers. From time to time Maybelline release Limited Edition flavours.

I like the packaging, it's small enough for a tiny clutch, a pocket or any size handbag!

We're now in Autumn and heading into Winter so you can start prepping your lip's to keep them nourished because no-one's happy with dry, cracked, split and/or wind-chapped lip's are they?

Note
This isn't Sponsored or paid for by Maybelline. I bought this lip balm with my own money. All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please don't copy or re-post any of my post's to another site without correctly crediting BalmainBeauty with a link to the original post and to my blog at www.balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

{Review} Nivea Lip Butter | Caramel Cream

2013-05-04T16:04:00.001+12:00

I've been waiting for the new Nivea Lip Butters to arrive in New Zealand. I found out about them from US and UK gurus on YouTube and beauty blogger's last year. I contacted Nivea Australia on Facebook to enquire and they said they'd be launching in April 2013.

I found only two flavour's in Countdown. They're small round tin's containing 19ml of a clear lip butter. I bought mine in a promotion for $5.19 each (saving 90c on each in the introductory promotion).

I bought Vanilla and Macadamia and also Caramel Cream

I've been using the Caramel Cream for a few day's - applying three or four times a day and feel it's already helped moisturise my lip's (which were becoming dry and cracked) now my lip's feel smoother and I've noticed my lipstick applies nicer and seems to stay on longer, whereas before I started using it I had lipstick sticking to dry spots on my lip's and it was extremely annoying.

I have opened (but not yet used) the Vanilla and Macadamia. I find this one isn't as noticeably scented as the Caramel Cream and I won't be using this one until the Caramel Cream is empty.

I'd definitely buy more if we were to get the Raspberry Kiss flavour. I think there are more flavour's but other than seeing an Instagram picture of Raspberry Kiss I don't know what other flavour's are or even if they'll release Raspberry Kiss in NZ.

Nivea are a Cruelty Free brand, so I recommend giving Nivea product's a try!

Note
This isn't Sponsored or paid for by Nivea. I bought this lip balm with my own money. All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please don't copy or re-post any of my post's to another site without correctly crediting BalmainBeauty with a link to the original post and to my blog at www.balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

{Review} Wet N' Wild Think Pink and Cherry Picking Lipsticks

2013-05-03T13:59:00.004+12:00

I've recently read reviews on Blog's and on YouTube for Wet n' Wild Lipstick's so I decided to buy two more (I'm not normally a lipstick collector) I guess I am now! I wrote about my other two Wet n' Wild lipstick's Dollhouse Pink and Just Peachy here last month.

Unfortunately with my camera it's really hard to focus on bright colour's and I apologise that it look's a little blurry so I need to upgrade my camera and will do so when I'm flush - this may not be for some time but it's definitely on my wishlist as well as a video "vlogging" camera.

and the swatches

I recently read on a blog (I wish I could remember where) saying 901B Think Pink is a dupe for MAC Cosmetics Creme Cup. I don't own this MAC lipstick so I cannot 100% say it's a dupe but it look's like a pretty close dupe to me based on blog swatches. I have to admit I think it's a very nice looking pink, not normally a pink I'd go for - it's on the pink/peach side and it's very pretty.

I can't wait to wear it in an OOTD and I'll instagram it and I decided to get 965 Cherry Picking because one of my fave YouTuber's and Beauty Blogger's Fleur De Force mentioned it and was wearing it in her UK v USA! video here and it look's absolutely stunning so I knew I had to have one of my own. Cherry Picking is a very pretty dark cherry/raspberry and it's a similar colour to the Apocalips by Rimmel London in the shade 303 Apocaliptic. Apocaliptick is a lipgloss with a more deeper, richer colour but both 965 Cherry Picking and Apocaliptic are within the same colour family.

Before 2012 I'd never have worn bold or bright lipstick's so I'm stepping out of my comfort zone on so many other thing's as well by wearing colour's I'd not normally consider like Orange, Yellow and Green. I feel like a brand new person and I can't believe how silly I was thinking bold lipstick's don't look good on me or those three colour's I mentioned. Life is for living so if you want to wear something bright or a colour that you think doesn't suit you - go for it, do what makes you happy!

The four Wet n' Wild lipstick's I have are so deeply pigmented and they really do stay on my lip's quite a long time and they're so beautiful I don't want to cover the lipstick over with a lipgloss at the moment but I might experiment with that as we're now in Autumn and I can imagine wearing bold lip colour's this Winter.

Unfortunately, in New Zealand these lipstick's are almost triple the price of what you'd pay in the USA. You can find them online for $9 and I've seen them on TradeMe for $12 or $15 (not including shipping). In the USA they cost about $3.00 each or less so I wish Wet n' Wild Cosmetics were affordable and more readily available in New Zealand, but then again if it was cheaper I'd probably buy more and end up with too many product's and looking at my two lipstick holder's today I realised I have too many and I need to use up a lot before buying anymore so I'm on a self-imposed spending ban -- any guesses for how long this will last? hehe

Note
This isn't Sponsored or paid for by Wet n' Wild Cosmetics. I bought these lipstick's with my own money. All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please don't copy or re-post any of my post's to another site without correctly crediting BalmainBeauty with a link to the original post and to my blog at www.balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

{Review} Wet n' Wild Just Peachy and Dollhouse Pink Lipsticks

2013-04-26T15:00:00.000+12:00

There's been a lot of buzz on YouTube about Dollhouse Pink so I decided to buy this lipstick to try it and after just 2 day's of wearing it, I then decided I quite liked the online swatches of Just Peachy so I bought that one too. I've also purchased Cherry Picking and Think Pink (from a US eBayer), which haven't arrived yet.

In NZ, Wet n' Wild lipstick's cost about $9 each but the seller I found on TradeMe had Just Peachy for $5 plus postage and another seller had Dollhouse Pink for $7 plus postage. However, in the US at the moment, these lipstick's are sold for under $3.50 each!

These lipstick's seem (to me) to be a thick consistency, but I found them very easy to apply, nicely pigmented and long wearing. I haven't worn either of them with a lipgloss but just wearing each lipstick alone has lasted hour's without having to re-apply.

I like how budget friendly these lipstick's are - great colour pay-off, good longevity and affordable.

If your curious about Wet n' Wild lipstick's I definitely think you should try them.

I'll swatch Think Pink and Cherry Picking once these have arrived from the US.

I wish Wet n' Wild was a little bit cheaper to buy and easier to find in shop's in NZ.

Do you have any Wet n' Wild makeup?

Wet n' Wild are on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Note
This isn't Sponsored or paid for by Wet n' Wild Cosmetics. I bought these lipstick's with my own money. All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please don't copy or re-post any of my post's to another site without correctly crediting BalmainBeauty with a link to the original post and to my blog at www.balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

{Review} Sugar Rose Tiger Lily Hand Cream by MOR Cosmetics

2013-04-19T08:23:00.000+12:00

I received this product in my Goodiebox in January!

I've made unboxing video for the Launch box, please click here to watch.

MOR's Sugar Rose Tiger Lily Handcream is 80ml and comes in pretty Pink packaging.

It's got a very nice scent, it feel's luxurious and nourishing and using a little bit will make it

last longer and I find that you don't need more than what I've shown below.

MOR say's:

An everyday handcream that you won't be able to live without! Hands are left feeling pampered,

restored and beautifully fragrant.

Contains the conditioning agents Glycerin & Coconut Oil
- Shea & Cocoa Seed Butters for superior moisture
- Sesame Seed Oil to help soften & rejuvenate the skin
- Vitamin A & E to nourish & reinvigorate tired skin
- Affordable for everyday use
- This hand cream product is not tested on animals

The Fragrance

A subtle blend of soft, sugary Rose, exotic Tiger Lily & ripe Tropical Fruits

I definitely recommend giving this particular scent a try. I've not tried any of other of MOR's hand cream's but I'd like to try more product's from MOR. It's available from MOR Cosmetic's website for $14.95 if your in New Zealand you can buy it from GoodieBox for $19.95.

Have you tried MOR's product's before, if so, do you have any recommendation's?

Note
This isn't Sponsored or paid for by MOR Cosmetics or GoodieboxNZ. The handcream was a product contained in the January Goodiebox and paid for with my own money (I have a Monthly Subscription to this beauty box). All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please don't copy or re-post any of my post's to another site without correctly crediting BalmainBeauty with a link to the original post and to my blog at www.balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

Sample Bar Glampack (April 2013)

2013-04-17T15:03:00.005+12:00

Hooray, it's time for another Glampack!

I'm pleased to say that this box arrived in very good condition (unlike previous boxes).

The Theme of this month's box is ECO CHIC

Firstly, I like that this is an eco box because I've never received an eco box before

(in any of my previous UK beauty box subscription's - before I moved to NZ).

Secondly, four product's really stand out for me and I'm excited to try them first.

Evolu Travel Tower

(this product comes in four unscrewable pot's)

You get:

Relaxing Creme Cleanser

Renewing Facial Exfoliator

Anti-Aging Day Cream

Anti-Aging Overnight Cream

The fullsize product is $65 (for a triple pack) and this one fullsize product.

You also receive a 20% discount e-coupon to shop at Evolu.com

Sorbet Shampoo Bars

I've never tried a shampoo bar before so I hope this is something to persuade

me to stop buying liquid shampoo and use better product's in my hair.

Sorbet Shampoo Bars are pH balanced and made from 100% biodegradable ingredients.

They contain Natural Extracts and Oils such as Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil and Cocoa Butter.

This product is Cruelty Free and you also receive a 15% off voucher for your first order

at SalonSorbet's website. The cost of a 96g bar is $22.00.

Next up I've heard of but I've never tried Antipodes.

The sample sachet is 5ml. I received the Avacado Pear Nourishing Night Cream.

It say's:

Promotes Collagen Production and Regeneration of Healthy Cells.

The Avacado Pear Night Cream is packed with superior restorative qualities

of 100% pure Avacado Oil and Calendula Oil from Marigold petals.

Active Manuka Honey in this wonder cream soothes and moistens your skin,

while potent antioxidant Vinanza Grap helps neutralise free radial damage.

Fullsize is 60ml $62.50 from AntipodesNature.

The final thing I'm excited about is the Perfumies [a solid perfum stick]. I much prefer these

to small vial's and this is again another fullsize product $10.95 (0.07oz).

The scent of mine is Verbena Bamboom.

The last product is Pharo Microfibre Exfoliating Cloth and $10 discount voucher for

a Sugaring Treatment. This is a reusable microfibre exfoliating cloth for use all over the body.

You only receive the exfoliating cloth and not the Sugar Treatment.

I kind of feel that we received half of the treatment - why do we get the cloth without

even a sample sachet of the sugar treatment? It seem's a bit silly to include one without

the other. I would've preferred a smaller cloth and a sachet or two of the sugar treatment

to give me some idea of how this cloth and sugar product work together.

The exfoliating cloth is the least exciting thing (for me) in this month's pack!

The extra thing which isn't mentioned on the card, is a small Easter Egg.

Easter has come and gone but I enjoy chocolate so I like they included a treat

(I haven't eaten it yet, but I'm sure it's yummy).

I like this box a little bit more than the March glampack (video).

It's definitely much better than the February glampack (blog)

Which product(s) are you most excited to try?

If you'd like to Subscribe to Sample Bar, please click here (not an Affiliate link).

FTC

All opinions, word's and photograph's are mine.

I'm not being Sponsored, or paid to write this review. I have no association with

Sample Bar, or any of the brand's in this box, other than a monthly Sample Bar Subscriber

which I pay for with my own money.

Autumn Scarf Fashion Challenge #BBScarfOfTheWeek

2013-04-16T17:59:00.001+12:00

Whilst being sick today, trying to stay warm, resting but feeling like I should be productive, I thought up a fashion photography challenge, which I started today on my Instagram.

I've previously joined: Styling You, CrashingRed, FatMumSlim and FoxInFlats challenges in the past.

Now that it's Autumn and the weather has seriously gone from gorgeous Autumn Day to a completely foul windy, rainy, cold, grey I'm wearing my first scarf of the season. I love participating in photography challenges and I've never started one myself so I thought why not create one using scarves.

This is my first scarf photo in the challenge and my aim is to wear the same scarf at least 3 times in the same week - obviously styled with different clothing and tying/styling it a different way, although having said that this is my go to scarf tying style but I'd love to learn more.

Wendy's Lookbook who I subscribe to and I'm a huge fan of her style, made a Scarf Styling video a couple of year's ago called 25 Ways to Wear a Scarf, please check it out and subscribe to her channel and let's see if we can learn new way's to style our scarves with Wendy's help.

Come along and join in the fun and post your scarf of the week picture's (a minimum of 3 per week using the same scarf) on Instagram, or if you don't have instagram you can post it as a picture on your Twitter. If you participate, please tag #BBScarfOfTheWeek so I can see your picture's and I'll share some of the best on my Instagram and Facebook. Anything goes, you can use silk or cotton, knitted, tartan/plaid - it's up to you!

Ladies, scarves at the ready. Whose with me?

Note: If I'm not following you on Instagram, please comment below with your account name.

{Review} Summer's Eve Feminine Wash

2013-04-15T14:05:00.000+12:00

I received this in a recent GoodieBox (I pay for my Subscription) so I decided it was time to use/test it for the purpose of a review.

I've never reviewed a feminine wash before (please don't expect a tutorial and picture's on the application stage).

Firstly, it's for Normal Skin. I guess they make it for other skin types (no, I'm not trying to be funny).

I've tried another product by a different brand which had a similar bottle, or individual (sealed) wet towel wipes so I carried the wipes in my makeup bag for freshening-up on the go. They were very handy everyday and especially if I was going straight from work to dinner and another use was during Summer, then I ran out and I don't know why I stopped buying it.

I felt kind of strange and nervous showing the product in the GoodieBox video but now I've overcome the giggle's (which was only because I'm shy). I find talking about private part's for want of a better word "private" but I'm a beauty blogger and I think that encompasses lots of things, not just makeup, skincare and nail polish so I guess what I'm trying to say is, we need to pay attention down there and soap's are drying and can cause irritation (don't use Soap). I like that this product is ph-balanced, hypoallergenic and gynecologist tested and the bottle I have is 119ml.

Directions: External Use Only. Wet area, pour a small amount onto hand and apply. Rinse thoroughly.

The direction's are pretty simple and it's got a bit of a lather. The scent is very nice, a floralesque scent that's not overpowering, it pour's a light blue colour with the consistency of a regular shampoo or a light, yet non-sticky gel. (see picture).

I've used this once a day for the past 9 day's and it's pleasant, then I got my period so after my period I started using it again and I notice a difference - it's very hard to explain but I feel more confident and I don't want to offend anyone (ladies I'm sure you know what I'm talking about when I mean it gives me confidence).

I've not found this in my local supermarket yet but I have found another brand. Once I've used it up and if I can find this product, the price is affordable, I'd like to continue using it.

Why don't we talk about feminine product's in the beauty industry?

So ladies, if your looking to change your shower or bath/wash routine, I think you should give Summer's Eve a try. I'll try and find where it's available from (NZ), the cost and post an update so you know where to buy it or at least read up on it, perhaps smell it in a shop and read the labeling to decide.

Please don't be shy to comment below, but if your not comfortable then you don't need to give too much information.

I'm glad this product was in the box because it's bought my attention to product's I wouldn't normally associate with "beauty" but I guess it fall's into the "hygiene" category too.

Finally, it may be tmi but I'm not normally an odorous person (apart from perspiration after exercise) so if your wondering if this helps those if us who may be prone to odor, I cannot say if this is a remedy and I suggest you try this product yourself.

Summer’s Eve is currently available at Life, Amcal, Radius, Care Chemist and Unichem pharmacies nationwide.

Do you think all Women should be using (gynecologist tested) feminine wash product's more often? Did you know these product's existed, would you try them?

Note
This isn't Sponsored or paid for by Summer's Eve or GoodieBoxNZ. This product was one of the items within a GoodieboxNZ beauty box and paid with my own money. All opinion's are 100% honest and are my own word's and photograph's! Please don't reproduce, copy or re-post any of my post's to another site without correctly crediting BalmainBeauty with a link to the original post and to my blog at www.balmainbeauty.com, Thankyou.

My Lipstick and Lipgloss Collection

2013-04-14T15:08:00.000+12:00

Just a quick video to show you my collection in the lipstick holder's.

If you'd like any swatches, please comment below and I can direct you to the blogpost
or perhaps I've instagrammed the lipstick so I can direct you to the picture.

If I haven't swatched it, please let me know which one you'd like to see and I'll swatch.

I bought my two lipstick holder's for approx NZ$5.00 each with FREE International postage from Hong Kong from this Seller, on eBay, but it appears she's out of stock at the moment.

Do you have one fave brand for lipstick's and/or lipglosses?

{Review} XO Beauty 4 pc Synthetic Makeup Brush Set

2013-04-08T10:30:00.000+12:00

I've been asked about these brushes on Social Media so I thought I'd review them.

I like Supporting other Blogger's, YouTube Beauty and Fashion Gurus and Vlogger's.
I also prefer to buy Vegan and Cruelty Free product's and I support Australian
and New Zealand made product's and brand's.

GoodieBoxNZ (March 2013)

2013-04-06T17:17:00.000+13:00

It's that time of the month again! Hello March GoodieBox.

For more about GoodieBox click here
or if you've decided to Subscribe, please click here.

What's In My Shower? (April 2013)

2013-04-05T12:53:00.000+13:00

These videos are popular on YouTube so I thought I'd kill your curiosity by making my own What's In My Shower video. I like watching other people's shower videos (year's ago we'd all think this was too creepy, but it's the new normal). I like that I get to hear about product's I may not have tried, or brand's I may not have even heard of - for me, these videos are a win win so I hope you like it!

If you have any questions about any of the product's, please comment below, or comment on the video on YouTube here. I'll film an updated video once I empty these and buy new product's to try.

Click here for my YouTube Beauty Channel and My Vlog Channel is here.

Please Subscribe - it's FREE and you'll receive a notification every time I upload!

March Faves 2013

2013-04-04T00:07:00.001+13:00

It's that time of the month again - where have the past 3 month's gone?

If you have any question's about any of the product's I mention,
please comment on this video on my YouTube channel, thanks.

Click here to Subscribe to my Beauty YouTube channel
and/or Click here to Subscribe to my Vlog YouTube Channel.

Guestpost: The 1 Day Detox by Jordy

2013-04-03T12:13:00.000+13:00

Hi everyone,
I'm Jordy from JordysBeautySpot, JordysCooking and JordysFitness (I know, I have a lot of blog's haha) but today I am acting as Jordy's Fitness and bringing you my "1 Day Detox" to help cleanse the system after all that Easter chocolate!

Currently, a detox diet is in order for me after just getting back from holidays over Easter and eating so much chocolate and junk. I think it's really important to balance the bad diet days out with a super healthy detox. I'm not talking about having only lemon water and tea for a week or anything; this is a detox for only one day (although you could do this for much longer) which includes just an assortment of healthy meals!

You will NOT starve on this detox whatsoever, you may even find you're eating more than usual but it's all of the healthy stuff and no junk. Also this is not a calorie counting thing, it's more so about flushing all of the toxins out of your body by only putting in super healthy and nutrition rich foods. The other thing is that this detox avoids all meat but that doesn't mean you will be lacking protein as there are many other substitutes for protein used in this 1 day meal plan.

BREAKFAST: PARFAIT

Breakfast is often referred to as the most important meal of the day and I wouldn't disagree! Kick start your 1 day detox with this energy, protein and antioxidant packed breakfast parfait! It includes calcium and protein from the yoghurt and that combined with the steel cut oats will keep you fuller for longer and sustain your energy. Top it off with your favourite fruit and chia seeds for some antioxidants.

Watch the recipe here.

Read the recipe here.

SNACK: TRAIL MIX

Snacking on dried fruit and nuts is such a healthier alternative to chips but it still gives you the same sort of effect. Add your favourite nuts and dried fruit into a container and whenever you feel like snacking, grab a handful. Just make sure to only add healthy nuts and fruits. Don't make the mistake of choosing honey glazed cashews or chocolate covered raisins; although those are completely fine, I probably would avoid them just for this detox.

Read the recipe here.
Watch this video for more healthy snack ideas.

LUNCH: SALAD

If you follow me on Instagram (JordysBeautySpot) then the photo above with probably look familiar to you, it's my typical salad! There's nothing better than a fresh salad, it's the perfect detox meal! My favourite kind of salad includes; baby kale, cucumber, tomato, shallots, walnuts with a drizzle of lemon juice and sprinkling of chia seeds. Basic, simple and perfect to flush out any toxins.

SNACK: KALE CHIPS

A healthy kind of crisp are kale chips! If you don't already know the many health benefits of the super food, Kale then click here to learn more. Kale chips are a delicious and healthy way of eating Kale to receive all of the nutritional and health benefits.

Watch the recipe here.
Read the recipe here.
Watch this video for more healthy snack ideas.

DINNER: VEGETABLE SOUP

Another great way to get your vegetable intake is through vegetable soup! Basically just chop up all of your favourite veggies and chuck them in a pot of boiling water! You can then eat it just like that or blend it up into a smooth consistency. Make sure to include some lentils and beans for protein. Soup is another great way to detox as it has very cleansing properties and of course you definitely get a healthy dose of vegetables. Just avoid adding cream or croutons as this is a detox, as part of a normal diet that's fine but because we are trying to make this as pure as possible, give it a miss this time.

Watch the recipe here.

DESSERT: PEAR & BANANA DISH

A healthy pear, banana, oat dish is the perfect dessert as it provides you with the nutrients from 2 pieces of fruit, protein from peanut butter and nuts as well as a long lasting, sustainable source of energy from the oats. The coconut oil (click here to read all about coconut oil) with all of it's health benefits and chia seeds (click here to read all about chia seeds) with their filling effect mean that you stay fuller for longer so you won't need any more food before bed and you also healthily satisfy your sweet tooth so you aren't craving chocolate for the rest of the night.

Watch the recipe here.
Read the recipe here.

INCLUDE:

* Lots of water! At least 2 liters.
* 2 or more cups of green/herbal tea.
* Lemon in everything, it's great for detoxing.
* Exercise

So it's as simple and easy as that! Just stick to eating clean and wholesome foods with lots of fruit, veg, nuts, lentils and seeds because these nutritional components will help flush out any toxins and help detox. This is only a 1 day detox but definitely extend this as long as you feel comfortable or you could even make this your everyday diet. Also, of course feel free to switch different ingredients in all of these recipes, this is just a general guide to help give you healthy meal ideas.

If you have an questions at all about this detox, feel free to tweet me (@JordsBeautySpot) or email me at mail@jordysbeautyspot.com and I will definitely get back to you!

Guestpost: Autumn/Fall Nail Trend's for 2013 by MyFoxyCorner

2013-03-27T10:30:00.000+13:00

Hi all!

I'm Lizzy from over at myfoxycorner.wordpress.com where I post about makeup, music, baking, book's, life and all things in between! Karen has been a great friend since I started blogging and when she asked me to do a guest post I was stoked, excited and nervous all at once. I love her blog and spent ages trying to think of something I could write that would both represent me and also be good enough for her!

In the end I chose to share with all of you lovely readers 8 of my favourite Fall/Autumn trend's for nail polish seeing as down in the Southern Hemisphere we are now slowly transitioning into the season. I love autumn nail polish as there is the opportunity to play with a huge range of colour's and finishes. In each category/idea i'll include a few of my "wishlist" nail polishes as well as one in my own collection that I love. So without further ado, here are 8 "trends" that I am loving for this season.

Oxblood

Hate the name but adore the trend that swept through the Northern Hemisphere during Fall/Winter (this was the big thing and I can see why!). There is something super sexy and edgy about nails the colour of oxidized blood and a deep red is a great addition to any Autumn look.

1. Deborah Lippmann in Single Ladies - a beautiful, deep oxblood jelly type polish with a squishy and vampy appearance. A gorgeous, glossy polish that I wish was easier to obtain in NZ.

2. Chanel in Rouge Noir #18- So this is definitely a "I wish" shade as I think it is now quite hard to find. This dark red/brown shade is dark without being black and is a perfect example of how sexy and classy the colour of dried blood can be!

3. Essie in Skirting the Issue - I love Essie nail polishes so this slightly berry toned dark red jelly is something I would love to get my hands on.

4. OPI in Skyfall - this is my pick from my own collection. I don't have many oxblood's but this reddish brown from OPI's recent Bond collection is a gorgeous option. Not as deep and dark as some other oxblood shades but still definitely within the category.

Eggplant/Aubergine

Eggplant purples are a classic trend every autumn and one that I very much agree with. These dark, rich purple shades are elegant and sophisticated and go perfectly with Autumn wardrobes.

1.Zoya in Katherine - Zoya isn't readily available in NZ but if it was I would snatch up this glossy, jelly eggplant purple shade in a snap!

2. ChinaGlaze in Urban Night - a slightly brighter eggplant purple creme.

3. Deborah Lippmann in The Dark Side of the Moon - how I wish I could buy many many Deborah Lippmann's! They are perfection in a square, glass bottle!

4. OPI in Vampsterdam - This was from the Holland collection of 2012 which I loved in it's entirety! This is a shimmery/metallic take on the eggplant trend.

Camo/Khaki

Autumn is the perfect time to bring out the edgy khakis and earth tones that are a little bit daring and different but very chic and on trend! These look amazing paired with a bold autumn lip. Somehow I have yet to add these shades to my little collection but they are top of my list. Here are 4 I wish I did have!

1. China Glaze in West Side Warrior - This creme polish leans towards the army green/camo colour and I love it! Edgy and a bit "ugly" but stunning on the nails. Until you try these edgy shades you won't realise how gorgeous and fashion-forward they look!

2. Dior Vernis in Amazonia - ahhh if money was no issue this brown toned olive creme would be bought in minutes!

3. YvesSaintLaurent in Khaki Arty - Another one out of my price range is this timeless shade of golden khaki. Imagine this paired with a bold, matte red lip!

4. Essie in Armed and Ready - As a contrast to the three other cremes here is a gorgeous shimmery grey-toned brown with some olive shimmer thrown in there. Stunning.

Emerald Green

We can't ignore Pantone's colour of 2013 and rich, emerald greens are something that will be extremely popular throughout this year! Whether you choose a spectacular shimmery green or a classy creme the result is something elegant and edgy.

1. Butter London in British Racing Green - Shimmery emerald goodness all wrapped up in Butter London's flawless formula.

2. Essie in Stylenomics - A very dark, almost black, green opaque creme with a little bit of a blue tone thrown into the mix.

3. MAC in Deep Sea - A gorgeous dark green creme polish that would be classy and sophisticated.

4. Barry M in Racing Green - The pick from my collection is this deep emerald green with beautiful, bold shimmer.

Nudes (Mauve toned)

I am a fan of nude nail polish in any season but this autumn I drawn towards more warm toned, subtle mauve nudes.Dusty mauve nudes are classy yet work/school appropriate and are a great palette cleanser for your nails when you need a break from all the deep, saturated shades you've been wearing.

1. Essie in Don't Sweater It - A beautiful, subtle mauve creme. If there is one thing Essie does well it is light nudes and this one is a stunner.

2. OPI in Samoan Sand - this is a more typical nude with a very subtle warm pink undertone and such a gorgeous nude I had to include it! A shade that flatters most skin tones and is a total classic that needs to be added to my collection.

3. Deborah Lippmann in Modern Love - The warm base of this nude is a perfect rich, opaque nude for medium skin tones.

4. Essie in Demure Vixen - My autumn nude from my collection is this mauve with amazing violet shimmer! A slightly different take on a nude nail polish and one that is in my top ten favorite nail polishes ever.

6. Midnight Blue

I am a big lover of cream shades in Autumn but sometimes a beautiful, deep, jewel toned blue calls out to me. These midnight blues are great for a night out on the town or just for when you want some shimmer in your life. I love the shades that look like they are lit from within.

1. Essie in Midnight Cami - A beautiful, rich blue packed with gorgeous shimmer.

2. OPI in Russian Navy - a shade I have been lusting after for what feels like forever is this deep blue shimmer with a bit of purple also visible. Complex, dark and edgy and a perfect addition to a little black dress.

3. Butter London in Bluey - A more teal-toned blue and a gorgeous jewel-toned polish with some amazing shimmery goodness.

4. OPI in Yoga-ta Get This Blue - This polish from my collection is like a lighter version of Russian navy but still a very dark midnight blue shimmer. A polish I immediately dig out once the colder weather arrives.

Grey

Don't be fooled by its bland appearance, grey nails are ultra-chic and look glamorous on short and long nails. This "trend" is an edgy alternative to the nudes and is a classy, sophisticated way to branch out and try something different. Somehow I am seriously lacking in the grey's department so here are 4 I would love to get my hands on.

1. Butter London in Dodgy Barnett - The only shimmery grey that I have found and loved the look of is this very light and delicate shade by Butter London. The shimmer in this makes the grey delicate and feminine and I love the look of it.

2. China Glaze in Elephant Walk - A slightly cool toned graphite colour with a very small amount of shimmer in it. This was part of the Safari collection from China Glaze (a collection I adore and need in its entirety).

3. OPI in Nein Nein Nein! Ok Fine! - A darker grey creme from the recent Germany collection. Sophistication in grey form.

4. Essie in Chinchilly - A "greige" polish that walks the line between grey and beige. The warmer tone may make it more flattering for some skin tones.

Classic Red

Classic fire engine red is a colour that should be worn all year around but especially in Autumn I love wearing this with a wardrobe full of neutrals and earth tones. A sexy and bold pop of colour that works in all shades and finishes (but my favorite is a bright red creme).

1. BYS is Rebel Red - A cheap option for us in New Zealand and Australia is this tomato red creme polish from BYS (around $8 from Glassons).

2. OPI in Danke-Shiny Red - A gorgeous, metallic red shimmer from the Germany collection that has depth and complexity.

3. Essie in Really Red - Another gorgeous red creme, not much more to say except that this bright red is fun and yet sexy.

4. Zoya in Sookie - A recent find for me and my new favorite red in my collection is this gorgeous red creme from Zoya. I love this because it is a classic red shade but more so because of the amazing formula that leaves this untouched on my nails all week.

Whew, if you made it through all that good job (I am a rambler, sorry!)! I hope at least one of these ideas sound's good and might give you some nailspiration this autumn. Let us know what your favourite Autumn trend's are in the comments :)

MUA Cosmetics Power Pout

2013-03-22T11:54:00.002+13:00

I kept waking up randomly last night so after playing games on my iPhone I decided to check Facebook and I noticed in my Newsfeed a new MUA product called Power Pout. Make Up Academy also known as MUA Cosmetics are one of my favourite UK beauty brand's.

As you know, I'm a little bit obsessed with lip crayon type pencil's and I have a few from Covergirl, Face of Australia and Revlon, so the Power Pout is right up my street and these are affordable at £3 each (approximately NZ$5.50, AU$4.50, US$5.40) they come in 6 pretty everyday wearable shade's.

Here's what MUA say about Power Pout on their website:

Available in six rich bold shades from chic nude ‘Rendez Vous’ to deep rich rasberry ‘Broken Hearted’, our new colour intense lip tints will ensure your lips will look good enough to kiss! MUA Power Pout is a lip treatment with colour intensity that relieves dry, cracked lips providing immediate moisturisation. The handy pencil-style applicator provides easy to apply sheer soft lip colour and rolls up for easy use. Ensure you have the most kissable lips this spring and kisses they will remember forever… Available in shades Rendez Vous, Irreplaceable, Crazy in Love, Runway, Justify and Broken Hearted.

picture's are from MUA's website. No Copyright Infringement intended.

The shade's are (left to right):

Broken Hearted, Crazy In Love, Irreplaceable, Justify, Rendezvous and Runway.

If your interested in looking at these, here's the link, they launch on 10th April, but they're currently available for Worldwide Shipping from the MUA Store and the product's are shipped from the UK.

MUA Cosmetics are on Facebook here

Pinterest here and Twitter here.

What do you think of lip crayon product's?

Sample Bar Glam Pack (March 2013)

2013-03-20T19:11:00.005+13:00

Unboxing of the March Sample Bar Beauty Box called a Glam Pack.

Sorry this video is longer than last month's but I felt I should mention my
boxes are arriving in poor condition and it's happened a few times so it's starting to annoy me!

I'm pretty gutted I didn't receive the Voucher for Lash Extension's because I really want to try them.
I guess this was sent to people who live near the salon offering this discounted service and it's probably in Auckland and another YouTuber received a Dermalogica product.

I can't remember if we completed a profile of our preferences but mine is definitely
Make-Up over Haircare and Skincare so I would've loved the Dermalogica and the Lash Extension voucher in my box. Anyone willing to trade for something I received?

Having said that, I liked this box more than February's glam pack.
February was my least fave (since Sample Bar launched in October, 2012).

I'm looking forward to April's glam pack!