Things I Love

Win: MUK Spa Argan Oil Packs x 3

2013-05-22T23:30:00.000+10:00

Today I bring to you another competition on the blog.

I have been so smittened with the recently reviewed MUK Spa Argan Oil range that I've persuaded the kind people over at MUK to let me share my love of it around and give you a chance to try out the range yourself.

That's right, you can enjoy this heavenly hair experience yourself as I have three (3) packs of the full MUK Spa Argan Oil range to give away this week.

Each pack is valued at over A$150 and comprises of:

MUK Spa Argan Oil Repair Shampoo 300ml
MUK Spa Argan Oil Repair Conditioner 300ml
MUK Spa Agran Oil Repair Mask 250ml
MUK Spa Argan Oil Shine Repair Spray 100ml
MUK Spa Argain Oil Repair Treatment 100ml

To be in the running to win a pack, you just need to complete 3 simple steps:

Like the MUK Haircare Facebook page
Like the Things I Love Facebook page and comment on the page letting you know you want to win a Muk Spa pack in your own creative words.
Register your details on the form below so we can track your entries.

Loading...
Terms of the giveaway:

• This is a game of chance and only one person per entry is allowed.

• The competition is only open to Australian residents and will run from 22nd May to 29th May 2013.

• Three (3) winners will be randomly drawn and announced on the blog and Facebook on 1st June 2013.

• The judge's (yours truly here) decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

If you want to find out more about the products in this amazing range - go check my review on them here.

Good luck everyone!
x A

Clear Skin Series: Busting Back and Body Acne

2013-05-21T06:00:00.000+10:00

I was recently asked by someone what I would recommend them to treat back-acne.

Well, I have a confession to make. I suffer from the condition too – not severe, but enough to make me think twice whenever I need to consider wearing strapless or backless clothing.

Suffering from acne anywhere on your body can be debilitating, whether it be on your face, back or chest that can be hidden by clothing, it ultimately can have the same effect and lower your self esteem and affect confidence levels. Acne on the body is generally caused by hormonal imbalance, where to body is producing too much sebum and the best thing is to try and keep the oil and grease off the skin so it does not clog the pores and hair follicles on the body.

Here are my tried and true products that I use to keep my body blemishes at bay.

Back-Acne Busters

1. Wash skin with an anti-bacterial cleanser on a daily basis. I recommend anything with benzoyl peroxide as an active ingredient as it will help to kill off the bacteria on skin and remove excess oil. Benzac AC 5% Face and Body Wash is a good place to start and it's not too drying on skin.

2. Incorporate into your cleansing routine a body wash with AHA to help with removing dead skin cell build-up and unclogging pores. The ASAP Revitalising Body Scrub is great for this as it contains glycolic acid (a type of AHA)and micro polishing beads to manually exfoliate skin leaving it baby smooth without all those layers of dead skin that blocks pores. I recommend using the product 2-3 times a week in place of the anti-bacterial body was.

3. As a further step of exfoliating the skin, try a dry body brush to brush off oil and grease from the body and is especially handy for those hard-to reach areas like the back. The Manicare Cellulite Bristle Brush will do the job perfectly and help with removing skin cells and help with blood circulation. I haven't really used it as a cellulite reduction brush and cannot say how effective it is for that but for exfoliating, it is amazing.

4. Sometimes, all the over-counters products will not be enough to treat your problem if it is persistent and severe. Don't be afraid to call in the help of the GP (you don't have to be dying of the flu to see them!). I recently did just that and was prescribed something topical to help with treating the pimples. If you suffer severe cases, your doctor may be prescribe you oral medication. I use Epiduo Gel which contains 2.5% benzoyl peroxide to kill off the bacteria and 0.1% adapalene, a retinoid to help unclog pores as well as reduce inflammation and swelling of bumps and cysts.

5. The other thing to keep in mind is to wear natural fibre clothing so that excess moisture and oil can be absorbed by the fabric and still let the body breath comfortably. To that end, I recommend wearing cotton, bamboo or woollen materials over the synthetic and polyester clothing.

I hope that these tips will help you keep you skin clear and blemish free (or at least reduce the number of nasty bumps on you skin). Let me know if you have other methods that works for achieving clear skin on your body.

Stocklist Information:
Benzac AC 5% Face and Body Wash 200ml - RRP A$16.99 is available at pharmacies.
ASAP Revitalising Body Scrub 200ml - RRP A$39 is available at selected salons and online at the SkinCareStore.
Manicare Cellulite Bristle Brush - RRP A$14.95 is available at Priceline, Kmart, Target, Big W and selected pharmacies
Epiduo gel is a prescription-only drug and available from your GP upon request.

In the next skincare series, I'll review some great scar treatment products.

It's My Birthday so I'm having a Giveaway!

2013-05-16T23:30:00.000+10:00

It's my birthday today.

I try to let this day pass by quietly because I don't like to be reminded that I'm another years older, especially now I'm moving through the 30 something bracket...

But they do say you are only as old as you feel and act, so I'm determined to feel young at heart for yet another year. And what better way to do that than to celebrate it positively and share the joy of the occasion with family, friends and extend that celebration virtually to you, my readers?

That is why I've decided to host this giveaway to celebrate my birthday - and the best thing is, it's open to all readers, so all you international readers can get in on the act this time!

All products for this giveaway are purchased by yours truly during my travels last year, either because they are cult and iconic beauty products or are irresistibly cute. As a way of thanking you for your support of the blog, especially the past 6 months which has been a very difficult time for me personally and I haven't had the opportunity to update as frequently.

So let's take a look at what the stakes are shall we? I present to you the prize packs on offer:

I've broken the prizes into 4 packs so there will be 4 winners for this giveaway.

Prize 1
consists of the iconic Laduree macaroon key ring I picked up at The Grands Magasins in Paris and a YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch corrector in shade #2 (light)

Prize 2
comprises of the gold-plated limited edition, cult-status eyelash curler from Shu Uemura and the Kit Cosmetics bronzing powder brush

Prize 3
is a travel-friendly Guerlain makeup compact picked up at the Hong Kong Duty free store with 5 eye shadows and 4 lip shades with mini brushes.

Prize 4
last but not least is the irresistibly sweet Vera Wang Princess EDT juice (30ml)

To be in a the running of one of these fabulous (if I do say so myself) prizes, all you need to do is comment in the form below and answer the question " what was your most memorable birthday to date?".

You will also get one bonus entry each of the actions below

Liking the Things I Love page on Facebook and then sharing this giveaway post
Following me on Twitter and tweeting "I'm entering @lilpil99 birthday giveaway to win some awesome beauty booty #win #ShuUemura #Guerlain #YSL #Laduree"
Following me on Instagram and reposting the competition picture
Subscribing to this blog via email. If you already are a subscriber, you already get a bonus entry! Just leave your details in the form below

The bonus entry actions are not mandatory but I'd appreciate and be very grateful for all your love and support the blog on all the various social media channels!

I've tried to make this competition as simple and easy as possible but here are the nitty gritty details:

The competition is opened from 16th May to 31st May AEST to all readers including international readers. The prizes will be allocated in the order of winners drawn by June 2nd 2013. The judge's decisions are final and no correspondence shall be entered to.

Good luck beauties!
x A
Birthday Giveaway

Go to Hair Heaven with Muk Spa Argan Oil Haircare

2013-05-13T23:00:00.000+10:00

It's not often I get excited about hair care products - particularly shampoo and conditioners. However, when I was recently introduced to this range - let me tell you it was pure hair romance and love at first wash. And the adoration just continues every time I use it.

So what is this amazing range? Well it's none other than the latest Argan Oil Repair range from MUK.

For those not quiet acquainted to the brand, MUK is actually started by 3 passionate entreprenurs 6 years ago in Melbourne with the philosophy of creating great market leading hair styling products with attitude. They have since gone from strength to strength, branching out from the original "Hard Muk" hair styling product to now include haircare and hair styling tools as well as expanding into international markets in the UK, Western Europe. USA, and Taiwan.

Their latest additional to the current 23 haircare product line is the Muk Spa range.

with the core ingredient being the now ubiquitous Morroacan Argan oil we see in almost all hair care products, Muk's philosophy and point of difference is to only use ingredients that are actively beneficial to the health of hair. That means that the range is free from sulphates, parabens, phosphates, mineral oils and are full of nutrient giving and conditioning ingredients that nuture hair back to full health. Not only work on all hair types, its also colour safe so your pretty hair colour doesn't fade due to its use. Ok - that's enough talk, lets get straight into the range shall we?

Argan Oil Repair Shampoo 300ml - RRP A$26.95

This has got to be my favourite shampoo to-date. It is gentle on use yet, smells divine with is warm sandalwood and aromatherapy based scent and gives hair and scalp a good clean. Not the stripped-of-all-oil but the nice-but-still-have-a-bit-of-moisture clean.

My hair doesn't feel stringy and even during the rinse, it is already smooth and untangled. I don't know how one can describe freshly washed and dried hair can be fluffy and soft, healthy, full of vitality without frizz or fly-aways, but that is exactly what this shampoo (together with the conditioner) does to my hair. I feel like I've created volume from the roots and the unruliness that my thick wavy hair is well renowned for is tamed.

That is definitely saying a lot without the aid of any styling products or tools. It's almost like magic really and hair feels light without being weighed down by residues or silicones (yes, you can tell I'm very much enamoured by this shampoo.)

Argan Oil Repair Conditioner 300ml - RRP A$26.95

Thick, and nourishing, this conditioner has the same aromatherapy scent as the shampoo but is richer and just adds moisture back into hair, effectively treating the dry ends that we're all prone to with all the hair styling and hair dying that hair is subjected to these days. It conditions, smooths and add shine back into hair - the perfect pair with the shampoo as is almost as effective as a hair treatment.

Argan Oil Repair Repair Mask 250ml - RRP A$26.95

I use this luxuriously rich masque once a week in place of conditioner to help add extra moisture back into hair, reducing dry ends and helps to improve brittle damaged hair. Make sure to leave this for 5 minutes or more so that the conditioning agents can penetrate into hair. Results are tangle free, smooth straight glossy hair every time after blow drying.

Argan Oil Repair Shine Spray 100ml - RRP A$34.95

A range cannot be complete without some post-washing hair care product and this has got to be one of my favourite products in the current market. It spray a fine mist to just lightly coat hair for a lustrous shine and reduces hair hair drying time when sprayed onto hair that is 40% dried. It also helps to keep any stubborn fly aways at bay and doesn't add weight to hair. I love how this shine spray also conditions and nourish hair to imrpove its health with the argan oil rather providing a temporary shine solution with heavy silicone based products.

Argan Oil Repair Treatment 100ml - RRP A$34.95

This is a viscous gel serum that is good on damp hair as it is on dry. The dropper dispenser makes it easy to dispense the right amount onto hands to use every time. On damp hair, it helps to tame and provide straighter hair once blow dried. On dry hair, it acts as a shine serum to add shine, and protect against heat damage, making it an ideal heat protectant product (I wouldn't advise to rely solely on this for heat protection as it would require too much product to provide the protection and be too heavy on hair).

I can honesty say I love washing my hair these days thanks to the MUK Spa Argan Oil range. I am already scouting for a local MUK salon so I can refill when I finish my shampoo and conditioner (I've been using them for 4 weeks and so am only halfway through them).

MUK haircare products are available at MUK stocklists. Call 1300 768 264 for stocklist info. International stocklists can be found at Muk Online.

These featured products were provided for editorial consideration.

DIY Gel Polish with Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit

2013-05-09T23:30:00.000+10:00

Today I have guest blog from a dear friend of mine - Stef. She is as much of a beauty lover as I am and we have enabled each other to a countless number of beauty purchases! One of Stef's great love is getting her hands manicured and today, she shares with us a review and tutorial of her latest nail haulage.

* *

I’ve always loved finishing up my gym workout session with a manicure session at a local salon. And ever since I found out about gel nail polishes, I was hooked! I love that it dries instantly and doesn't chip; is still glossy and shiny even after 2 weeks. For me, gel polishes are the best things since sliced bread because I can still wash dirty dishes (I don't use gloves) and not have to worry about my nail colours fading or chipping!

But each gel polish manicure costs $35-$40 - do I really want to spend that amount every 2 weeks - especially when I realise that I could probably do it myself (though probably not as well as the salon manicurists, but practice makes perfect right?).

So when I found the Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit, it was Hallelujah! I ordered my kit from eBay, which was the best way to source the product from the US to Australia.

Sally Hansen Salon Gel Polish Starter Kit

The kit contains:

1 base coat 1 colour coat in “Wine Not”
1 top coat (I love the glossiness of this coat)
10 cleanser pads
1 nail buffer
1 gel polish remover
the LED lamp

The application is really simple:

You apply a very thin coat of the base coat. This is important! If you apply a layer of slob, it won't set properly. Trust me - I've been there before :(
Then you cure it for 30 seconds under the LED lamp.
Apply the colour coat thinly. Depending on the colour intensity that you want, you can either apply one or two coats of colour.
In a single coat, “Wine Not” looks like a bright red with shimmer. In two coats, the red looks a bit deeper, sexier, and richer. Cure it under the LED lamp for 30 seconds with each coat.
After curing the colour coat, apply the top coat thinly; cure it under the LED lamp for another 30 seconds. This is my favourite part. As soon as you layer that top coat, it lifted up the whole polish to show this glamorous glossy colour.
Use the cleanser pad provided to rub over the nail colours to remove the tacky residue from your nail polish.
The last step is to apply the CND Solar Oil - a sweet almond oil base cuticle oil. Brush a good amount on your cuticles and gently brush it in with your finger. Not only is it nourishing to cuticles, it also helps the nail polish to stay on longer.
I purchased another gel polish last week: CND Shellac in “Hollywood”. Below is the comparison of the two colours. My nails are polished in “Wine Not” - 2 coats and my toe nails in “Hollywood” - 1 coat.

On hands: Sally Hansen "Wine Not", on feet: CND "Hollywood"

The Verdict:

I think this at-home Gel Polish kits make a good investment and Sally Hansen has come up with a value-for-money kit. However, I find that their gel polish are not as long-lasting as those from the CND Shellac range. So, once my current Sally Hansen gel polish runs out, I'll be getting CND Shellac or Harmony Gelish gel polish replacements.

RRP US$64.15 at major US drugstores or you can source this online at Amazon.

Do you like doing your own nails or prefer to visit the salons?

Thanks Stef for writing for the blog - hopefully she will be making more regular appearances!

Winners: Natio Mother's Day Orange Blossom Giveway

2013-05-08T15:00:00.000+10:00

Happy Hump Day everyone!

I hope your week has been travelling well so far. I've had a busy week already at work and am counting down till the weekend again (it seems to be a vicious cycle these days).

As promised , I'd like to share with you the winners of the recent Natio Orange Blossom Mother's day competition today.

After reviewing all the great entries, there were two stand out responses that struck a chord with me. They were about the strength, determination and selfless giving of mothers to help those around them even when it disadvantages themselves.

So congratulations to the following ladies for the fabulous entries.

Sarah Butihen

Michelle Vamvas

You have both won a fabulous Natio Home Spa Orange Blossom Kit and your prizes will be mailed out to your shortly. I hope you and/or your mothers enjoy the amazing products!

On another note, it's my birthday next week and I'll be hosting a few more giveaways to celebrate - so look out for the details on the blog over the coming week!

x A

Guinot Biological Peeling Radiance Gel for Baby Soft Skin

2013-05-07T23:30:00.000+10:00

I'm always looking for a good cleanser to add to my morning routine. Usually I look for products that are AHA (alpha hydroxy acids) based as I find that those products are more effective in removed dead skin cells that build up over time that can dull skin complexion and a cause of dry flaky skin.

One such product that I've recently had the opportunity to try out is now on my favourite list.

Guinot Biological Peeling Radiance Gel - 50ml

Guinot Description:
A gentle facial peel the exfoliates by softening the keratin kinks between dead skin cells. Fruit acides dissolve the dead skin cells.

My View:
This is a light gel with a pearlescent sheen when it comes out of the tube. It also has a pleasant floral scent that can be a bit strong for some but I personally didn't mind it.

It contains AHA made from can sugar, apple and citrus to gently exfoliate and Green Tea extract as an anti-oxidant to protect cells from being damaged through oxidisation. It also has shea butter and glycols to help soften skin.

You apply this onto dry skin on your face, contours of the eye and neck and then in circular motion, rub this into skin until it becomes a clear liquid and with a slippery texture with an oily sheen on the skin (this takes about 2 minutes for the whole face). The product does rinses off completely away with lukewarm water without any residue.

Oily sheen texture after working the peel into skin.

I find that this is a great exfoliator for gentle skin because its not a scrub which can irritate sensitised skin and can be use quite regularly.

As for result , immediately after use, my face feels as smooth as a baby's bum afterwards and looks clear and radiant. It is soft and velvety to touch and an improved in clarity where any rough or dull skin is removed as old cells are rubbed off and new skin cells are revealed.

I also found that using the peel helps with speeding up the lightening of the scar marks due to improved efficiency in the cell renewal process.

I use this facial peel 2 to 3 times a week in place of my normal morning cleanser depending on the condition of skin and it's my go-to facial cleanser if I suffer from flaking skin as it sorts out the problem out in the first go.

Tip- try use this peel once a while on the back of your hands for the smoothest paws in town- you'll see the layer of dead skin cells that gets rubbed off like magic.

RRP A$57 Guinot spas/salons or online at Adore Beauty.

This featured product was provided for editorial consideration.

WIN: Natio Orange Blossom Kit for Mother's Day

2013-05-02T06:00:00.000+10:00

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

Wouldn't you love to win your mum (or yourself if you are a mum) an indulgent pack for Mother's Day?

As a way of saying thank you to you, my lovely readers, you could do just that!

The kind people at Natio is kindly sponsoring this year's Mother's Day giveaway and today I have up for grabs two prize packs consisting of a selection their products from the upcoming Orange Blossom Home Spa range.

Each Orange Blossom Home Spa prize kit is valued at A$39.85 and contains:

A refreshing and luscious Body Wash,
An invigorating Sea Salt Scrub, and
the delectable Orange Blossom Hand Cream

To win, all you have to do is fill in the form below and answer the question of "What do you admire most about your mother?".

The give away will close on 11.59pm May 7th AEST. Winners will be chosen by yours truly based on the creativity of their response and announced 8th May and their prizes delivered shortly after.

Best of Luck beauties!

Mother's Day Gifting Guide 2013 Edition

2013-05-01T23:00:00.000+10:00

Can you believe it’s already May? This means mother’s day is around the corner.

I know lots of people say it’s become such a commercial thing with mother’s day, but you know, if it takes a commercial focus to get us thinking and getting around to thanking and appreciating our mothers’ tireless efforts, then I’m more than happy to follow this particular commercialised event.

Some may already know what they need to get their mothers, but for the rest of us stuck on ideas, my one advice is think gifts that are PAMPERING! Don’t rush out to get her more kitchen gadgets or boring appliances (unless she specifically asks for it) to help around the home. Think indulgence and pampering because mothers often don’t get or take the time out to indulge or pamper themselves.

Being a beauty aficionado, I’m going to be biased and suggest a few amazing beauty products – all geared towards making mum feel special and pampered. And as always, there’s gift ideas to cater for all budgets.

For the Scent-sational Mum
MOR Deluxe Soy Candle 284g - RRP A$49.95*

Let mum enter the world of sweet jasmine and vanilla musk with this deluxe Marshmallow soy candle that also has notes of roses and cotton candy sweetness. With over 60 hours of burn time, she will get many evenings of enjoying this exquisite candle housed in an ornate ceramic candle holder that can be re-used to store bits-and-bobs afterwards.Presented in a beautiful bowed tied box - how can she resist? Available in Myer, David Jones and MOR online.

Balenciaga L'Eau Rose EDP 50ml - RRP A$125

For the mum who likes a sophisticated twist, the sparkling notes of violets is infused with delicate roses and sweetness of blackberries. But the watch out for the lingering spicy green notes of patchouli, cypress and cedar that creates a sophisticated blend of pretty perfection. Available in David Jones, Myer and selected pharmacies.

Estee Lauder Beautiful Romantics Set - RRP A$145

If your mum loves her classic, then you can’t go wrong with giving her the Beautiful set – with a burst of roses mandarin and lily scents, she will feel feminine whilst being enveloped by mid notes of Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang and orange flowers that lingers and with a sandalwood velvetier base. A great value when the 75ml comes with a perfumed body lotion and Bath and shower Gelee (also 75ml each) to make the scent lasts even longer and is valued at over $179. Available in Myer, David Jones and Estee Lauder online.

Oscar De La Renta Oriental Lace EDP 100ml - RRP A$165

For mums with more exotic preferences– this heady juice starts up with an inviting blend of hoya carnosa flower, laced with the sweetness of honey and almonds but shows a warm dark cacao and sensual heart of patchouli that is sure to please all discerning tastes. Available exclusively at David Jones stores.

For the Spa-licious Mum
Skin Physics Derma Sonic Cleansing Brush - RRP A$119

This latest gadget from looks like it could be a clone for the much pricier Clarisonic Plus facial brush with the same benefits of sonic technology and providing 6x the efficiency of manual cleansing. Not only that, just in time for Mothers day, you will get a Cellugen skincare pack valued at over $265 that you can gift to mum or keep yourself - what an amazing bonus!

Skin Physics available at Myer stores.

Natio Orange Blossom Home Spa Range*

Natio’s Orange Blossom Home Spa range Get a whiff of orange blossom in full bloom with Natio’s latest body care Spa range in Orange Blossom. From body wash to lotions to hand creams, the tangy citrus floral and fresh neroli scent is sure to be a hit to mums with prices ranging from 8.95 for the hand wash to $18.95 for the sea salt scrub. My pick – try the hand cream ($9.95) and body butter ($16.95). Available in Myer, David Jones and selected pharmacies from 6th May 2013.

MUK Spa Argan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner - RRP A$26.95 each*

By far my favourite hair care product this year, this shampoo and conditioner set will give soft luscious silky manes to the most unruly hair, not only that, it is effective yet gentle, it's also free from parabens and sulphates. Mum will feel like she just stepped out of the hair dressers every time with its use with her transformed into shiny locks full of volume and body without the frizz. Available at MUK salons. Call 1300 768 264 for stocklists.

For the Skin-Savy Mum
Sisley Phyto Blanc Intensive Lightening Serum 30g - RRP A$390*

Give mum bright luminous skin with this indulgent whitening serum. She will love the lavender scented light fluid that contains vitamin-c, AA2-G, extracts of mulberry, scutellaria and lemon to lighten pigmentation and give supple skin the is full of clarity and radiance. Available at Sisley counters in David Jones

Prevage Intense Moisturiser serum 30ml - RRP A$270*

if mums been through stress lately, and showing the signs she’s appreciate this intensive serum with concentrated dose of idebenone, atrazine and thoitaine to protect against free radical damage and give skin improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and whilst boosting skin firmess and skin lumiousity. Available at Elizabeth Arden counters.

SK-II Stempower Gift Set - RRP A$159

Infused with SK-II's piteria essence, this set contains a full size 50g Stempower cream that promises to increase firmness and improve texture in 10 days. The set also contains travel size of its famous Facial Treatment Gentle Cleanser 20g, Facial Treatment Essence 75ml, and a Facial Treatment Mask and is valued at $280. Available at all SK-II counters and Adorebeauty online.

Shiseido Cherry Blossom skincare set - RRP A$75

The Hydration Cherry Blossom collection is the perfect pack to help regulates and maintains optimal levels of moisture for a healthy-looking, luminous complexion , valued at $120, contains: Night Moisture Recharge 75mL Extra Gentle Cleansing Foam 30mL Hydro Nourishing Softener 30mL Refining Makeup Primer 10mL. Available at Shiseido counters in Myer

For the Glam-loving Mum
Estee Lauder Mother's Day Makeup Collection - RRP A$90

Let your mum master the art of glam with this limited edition makeup set containing superb products with incredible value containing Shimmering palette of 9 eyeshadows, bronzer, 3 Glosses, the Sumptuous Extreme Mascara and 2 Pure Color Intense Eyeliners in a deluxe makeup bag with tip cards that help her create looks that shimmer day and night.Available at Estee Lauder Counters or online.

Clinique High Impact Favourites – RRP A$38

The essential to creating glamourous statement eyes. Includes quickliner for eyes, mascara both in intense black, Take off the Day makeup remover in a cute little mesh beauty bag. Available at Clinique counters.

Tom Ford Private Blend Lip Color - RRP A$65

Opulent and luxuriously creamy, which mum doesn’t want a Tom ford lippy to add to their collection? The pigments and shades deliver unparallel wear and colour sophistication – there’s bound to be a beautiful shade that would suit mums everywhere. Available in City David Jones stores.

Revitanail French Manicure Set - RRP A$25.00

For the classic manicured nails, mum will love this pretty and budget friend manicure set. Available at Priceline and selected pharmacies.

I hope this selection has inspired you. If not, take a look at all the catalogs that have already started flying into your inboxes - there's bound to be something that will tickle your mum's fancy. As long as you remember to give her something that pampering in mind, she'll love it because it came from you!

Product marked * were provided for editorial consideration.

Indulgent Timeout with L'Herboflore Facial Masks

2013-04-29T23:30:00.000+10:00

Facial sheet masks have been a favourite of mine for a mid week pick me up or weekend chill out session for the face.

They are easy to use, don't need to be washed off afterwards (unlike conventional clay or cream based masks) and generally have enough skincare fluids on them that that you can skip putting on your regular skincare serum if you do it during night-time.

My latest sheet masks indulgence are from L'Herboflore (蕾舒翠), a Taiwanese brand specialising in sheet masks. I managed to get a few of these masks when they were sent over by fellow beauty blogger and good friend Tina from Chasing Elixir who now resides in Taiwan and has started working for L'Herboflore.

L'Heboflore Facial Sheet Masks

Right off, I have to say the packaging is divine - each and everyone of them are colourful, unique and tell a story that relates to the range it belongs to - trust these clever Taiwanese artists to come up with such pretty and cute designs.

back of packaging - the recommended application time is 15-20 minutes

Available in over 25 varieties, from the Aromatherapy range, Agean sea range, Garden of Venus range to the Clinical range. Each range has a few different masks to cater for different skin types and skin concerns (eg. extra hydrating, firming, whitening, skin refining etc). I've only tried a few of the varieties, and apart from the differences in scent, I can't say I've noticed too much difference in terms of benefits - they all provide intense hydration and leave skin feeling velvety soft after use. I don't really notice any firming or but I guess you might have to use it on a daily basis to see that kind of benefit.

The sheet masks are gel-like and flexible and made of thin breathable materials, allowing them to stretch better and fit my face more - something that I struggle with in many other sheet masks.

typical ingredients listing - this one is for the Q10+ Marine Collagen anti-aging silk mask

The serums in each mask pack are also very generous - you are looking at 30ml from each pack, enough to apply the excess serum on your face after taking off the cloth mask and then some for your neck. If you still have extra juice, you can even slap the excess all over your arms or legs.

These sheet masks feel very indulgent and luxurious on but surprisingly, are quite hip-pocket friendly with prices ranging from T$50 to NT$250 a piece (that equates to A$1.65 to A$8.35 for the most expensive face mask).

In all, these sheet masks are one of the best I've tried to date in their price range (far better than those from My Beauty Diary, Kose and Laneige facial masks). In fact, they probably blow their competitors out of their water in this price range.

This sheet mask wraps around your neck and over your ears (Tranexamic Acid + Truffle Whitening Mask 3D)

My only lament about L'Herboflore sheet masks are that they are not available outside of Taiwan yet, so if you are travelling there (or know someone who is going there), be sure to stock up!

L'Herboflore facial sheet masks ranges from NT$50 per piece to NT$250 (equiv to A$1.65 to A$8.35) from L'Herboflore store in Taipei (address: Taipei 101 Floor B1, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xin Yi A11 Floor 2) or you can grab them online (note: it's a Chinese site so you might struggle to navigate around and they don't ship overseas)

P.S - I'm told by Tina that if you ask very nicely over at their Facebook page, they will arrange something for us international peeps! Thanks Tina for introducing me to these sheet masks.

This featured product was provided for editorial consideration.

Lift your Lids with Eye Define

2013-04-28T20:00:00.000+10:00

As the years go by, I'm noticing that my lids are feeling the weight of gravity and drooping more than when I was in my 20s.

Having Asian eyes which are semi hooded doesn't help either. Short of having surgery to correct the problem, what else can I do?

In Asia, women have been using the hugely popular invisible tapes to create double eye lids or enhance the creases over the past few years.

This idea has now caught on in western market and have gone on to additional uses, they can also be used to lift droopy eyes and create better defined creases.

One such product in our market is Eye Define.

Results others achieved with using Eye Define

Eye Define eye lid tapes

Out of the packet

The product comes in a box with a set of 34 strips of medical grade tape strips and a little tub of wax gel to help it apply to eyes.

The lid tape itself are cut to a crescent shape to fit the eyes. These are transparent temporary stick on lid tapes that you use to create deeper crease and hold the droopy lids in place.

The Eye Define lid tape

To use, simply use a pair of tweezers to lift the lid tape from its backing paper, wipe on a bit of wax gel to create a and then apply onto the lids of eye according to your eye shape.

Don’t be afraid to use a pair of scissors to cut the tape to size to suit your eye shape if it is too thick, not curved enough etc. Play around with it until you find what works for you.

The Pros of Eye Define

Instant results of lifted eyes and better defined creases, creating bigger eyes. Stays put and lasts all day long without irritating eyes and is very comfortable on eye lids.
Cost effective and great for special occasion are perfect for those Kodak moments where you want to look fresh and at your best for the camera.
Can be used over or under eye shadow. I find that the fading of eye shadows gives obvious lines around the tape so regular touch ups will be required when using shadow on top.

The Cons of Eye Define

Can be fiddly to work out the angle of which to apply the strips to create desired result. This means it can be time consuming unless you perfect your application of it.
Depending on your eye shape and crease depth, they may not be as invisible as you like them to be. It will not be noticeable in photos but from speaking distance, people will be notice – just as they would with extravagant false lashes.

For me, the lift not only created a wider eye look, it also helped to remove the hooding of my eye lids so I have proper double eye lids, like what the Asian eye lid tapes could help me achieve.

A pleasant surprise I had from using Eye Define was that after a couple hours of wear, and then after taking off the tape, my enhanced creases were maintained and I still had the benefits of enlarged double lids for a few extra hours longer. This meant I could have wider eyes without the tell-tale signs of the tape.

Wider Eyes: one done (on the left). You can even use eye shadow over these lid tapes

Eye Define on both eyes

Although I get gorgeous wider and lifted eyes using Eye Define, I'm not too excited about using it due to the the amount of time needed for me to get the angle right to create natural looking enhanced creases. If you have deeper creases, you will properly have fewer issues than me as you have more lid space to play with.

In any case, practice makes perfect so if you are looking to use the product for a special event, make sure you do this a few times before you actually want to wear this out as you will need plenty of practice to know what angle you need to apply these eye lid tapes on.

RRP A$29.95 from Eye Define online.
This featured product was provided for consideration.

Weekend Recipe: Pineapple Tarts

2013-04-21T23:30:00.000+10:00

It’s been a long time since I did some baking but I’ve been having a major craving for pineapple tarts for a while now. Unfortunately, I don't know of any places in Melbourne that sells them so I finally succumbed to my cravings and made these pineapple tarts myself.

Pineapple tarts are traditionally a Singaporean/ Chinese Malaysian sweet that is made during Chinese New Year to share with family and friends and they are equally a farourite amongst the young and the old.

In fact, the sweet juicy pineapple jam morsel wrapped in a light crumbly shortcake pastry creates the perfect treat any time of the year. What’s more, they can be eaten in one mouthful so you can indulge in one than one!

The only thing that stops me from making them more regularly is the time involved to make everything from scratch – it’s pretty darn time consuming. That’s why I like to make extra pineapple jam and store them in the fridge so I have the filling on standby whenever I get craving (they store up to 4 weeks in the chiller compartment).

So if you are interested, I’ll share with you my version of the recipe which I modified from Rasa Malaysia (check her site out - she is one of my all time favourite Asian food bloggers).

Pineapple Tarts (makes 30)
Degree of difficulty to make - moderate

For Pineapple Jam paste

Two 825gcans pineapples slices in natural juices (lightly drained) – you can buy the pieces as well. I use the Golden Circle brand.
8 tablespoons (150g) sugar (or to taste)
1 teaspoon cornstarch or corn flour (mixed with 1 teaspoon water) – to thicken the jam

For Shortcake pastry

2 ½ cup (375g) plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
200 grams unsalted butter - room temperature
10 g of Copha (vegetable shortening) – optional but adding this gives a crumblier pastry. If you don’t use shortening just add the extra amount in butter.
2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
2 egg yolks
1 extra egg yolk (lightly beaten to use as egg wash)

Method

Drain the pineapple and add them in a blender to pulverise them for 10-15 seconds. Don’t over-drain the juices out of the pineapple as you won’t get that nice tangy pineapple taste if you squeeze out all the juices. (for an alternative to blending the pineapple: see note 1)
Add crushed pineapples with sugar in a saucepan over high heat and cook till there is no liquids to be seen, stirring occasionally. Most of the liquid would have evaporated by now. (note 1: roughly chop the pineapple slice and use a potato masher to crush it up during cooking stage - it's more work but as I hate cleaning and didn’t want to wash another piece of equipment, it works better for me).Turn the heat down to medium-low heat and continue to stir occasionally until the mixture becomes slightly sticky.
Mix in the cornstarch water mixture to thicken it and stir a few more times. By now your pineapple jam should be a thick paste with a golden yellow colour. Set aside to cool down (you can leave this in the fridge to cool faster).

golden pineapple paste divided ready to be made into tarts
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
The make the pastry, sift in all the dry ingredient into a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix in the butter, shortening, vanilla essence and use a beater to cream it until it is light yellow and fluffy in texture.
Beat in the egg yolks until it is well combined.
Mix in the flour mixture until it is well combined and you have a soft dough. Cut the dough up into 30 pieces. Tip: I use my kitchen scale to divide the dough in half, then in half again etc, until I get all even sized pieces.

same sized pastry - use a scale to divide them evenly
Do the same for the pineapple paste so you have equal parts to fill each pastry.
Roll the pastry dough out on the palm of your hand and put in a portion of the pineapple paste before folding up the edges to form a ball. Roll in your hands some more to get a log shape.
Continue with remaining pastry. Use a fork to press on top of the pastry to form cross-hack patterns.
Mix the extra egg yolk with a tablespoon of water to create an egg wash to brush on top of the tarts.
Place pineapple tarts into a baking tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown.

almost done - baking away in the oven
Let cool before transferring them to prevent pastry from crumbling.

These tarts are best enjoyed the next day as the flavours are more developed with a nice cup of tea. And you can’t stop at one once you start. They keep well for up to a week but I bet they won't last that long!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I had making and eating them. Thanks for reading.

Take it off with Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover

2013-04-18T06:00:00.000+10:00

Having oily eye lids, I am often wearing liquid eye liners and waterproof mascara to prevent smudging and the panda eye effect during the (sometimes very long) day.

These smudge-proof products do such a good job that it can be a pain in the back-side when it comes time to remove them. And really, when you want your makeup to come off, you just want it to be quick and easy.

I’ve always found dual phase removers to work best on removing waterproof makeup.
Note: A dual phase makeup remover is one with different layers of liquids (often an oil phase and a water phase) that you shake to mix and activate the liquid for use.

Today, I can add another dual phase product to my favourite list.

Clarins Instant Eye Make-up Remover 125ml

Non-irritating and doesn't leave a sticky or oil residue on skin, this French gem from Clarins has been reformulated to contain rose water, cornflower and camomile extract to soothe and calm skin, ensuring it doesn't irritate or after during use.

It even contains pro-vitamin B5 to gently condition lashes to help prevent them from being damage during mascara removal.

What you will notice from the first moment of use is the gentle floral rose scent which is instantly soothing to the sense and inviting on skin. It was non-irritating on my skin and even when I clumsily got some of the product into my eyes, I didn't experience any stinging sensation - woohoo!

I love the squirt nozzle to control and help with dispensing of the product. To use, I pour a bit of the shaken remover liquid onto a cotton pad and gently press it on my eyelids for 5 seconds before swiping across the lid. This usually sees 90% of my eye makeup lifted from my skin in 1 wipe and I would have some remaining mascara left on my lashes which I go over to wipe off in a couple more gentle strokes.

I also use this makeup remover to remove product from the rest of my face and it does the job with ease and in a cinch. I follow up my removal process with a good face wash using facial cleanser.

Another great thing about the product is its price – at $36 a bottle, it is much less than my favourite dual phase remover, Lancome Bi-facil (A$58). It may still be slightly more than other makeup removers but being so pleasant, gentle and effective to use, I'm willing to fork that bit extra and will be refilling with this Clarins makeup remover when I next run out.

What is your favourite makeup remover? I’d love to find out.

RRP A$36 at Clarins counters now at Myer, David Jones and selected pharmacies or online at AdoreBeauty.

This featured product was provided for consideration.

Almost a Hit: Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipsticks

2013-04-17T03:00:00.000+10:00

Lipstick technology have come a long way these days – you don’t have to spend a fortune or look too hard for one that not only gives good pigmentation but also comfortable wear. In fact, even drugstore brands are coming out with fantastic products.

The latest is from Revlon with their Colorstay Ultimate Suede lipstick (although in Australia, their pricing doesn't really sit in the drugstore price point like they do in the USA at only US$7.99!)

Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede lipstick
I was lucky enough to win 3 of these in a recent giveaway on Beautyswatch and will be swatching them for you today:

Revlons’ Description:
A one-step, ultra comfortable lipstick that provides all day colour, giving lips a velvety, suede finish that looks and feels good.

My View:
Packaged in plastic colour-coded bullets with clear lids, they twist up and down and you can hear clicks as you get to towards the base products to let you know you can stop the twisting.

These lipstick are indeed comfortable on the lips, being lightweight, you barely feel that you've applied a layer of product on skin, gliding smoothly on lips. I didn't feel that they were hydrating lips (it has Shea butter, aloe and vitamin E) but they were not drying and will accentuate chapped lips to remember to prep with a lip conditioner if you have dry lips.

Pigmentation is also very good, obviously not as colour-packed as those of high end products but a couple of swipes and full opaque colour can be achieved, even on my deeper lips (note: the shades I tried are darker shades, so the lighter shades may not show up as well on darker lips).

The formula has a satin (semi-matte) finish rather than the namesake suede finish and is tacky on lips. This is my one big gripe about the product. I love everything about it except the tackiness, which seems to get worse the longer you wear the product. I overcome this by slicking a non-sticky clear gloss on top, which changes the semi-matte finish but at least removes the sticky feeling and gives it added hydration.

Tip: Another way to reduce the tacky feeling is to apply a very thin layer of the product onto lips and use a lip brush to define the edges and fill in any gaps that didn't get colour with the product already on lips.

As for longevity, these easily last 4 hours straight without smudging or fading. It even fares well through eating, lose some pigment, but enough remains (at least on the richer shades anyway) that you still have colour on your lips. You usually would re-apply your lipstick after eating anyway to avoid the coloured-ring look (where there is no colour in the middle of lips) so lasting over 4 hours was more than enough for me.

095 Finale – the little sister of siren screaming red shades, Finale is a rich fresh red that brightens the face and perfect for daytime wear as it’s not too dark but still packs a powerful colour punch.

005 Muse – a rich pink with a blue undertone that looks lovely on cool tone skin but equally alluring on warm skin tones.

075 Cruise Collection – a mid coral red shade on my medium lips. This is by far one of my favourite shades in lip colours and suites all skin tones, especially warmer skin colours

Overall, I quite like these new lipsticks from Revlon. I enjoy the light formula, good pigmentation and good colour selection. Except for the tacky feeling that gets worse over time, they could have almost been the perfect lipstick.

Have you tried this new lipstick? What are your thoughts?

RRP A$25.95 Available in 20 shades in pharmacies, Kmart, Myer, Priceline and Target

Products that relieve allergic itchy skin

2013-04-15T02:00:00.000+10:00

Earlier this year, I broke out in hives. I have no idea what triggered it as I never had an allergic reaction before but for 6 weeks everyday, I would develop itchy rashes across my legs, arm and body (thankfully my face was spared).

These weren't your regular rashes either; they were scary itchy and painful mosquito like lumps that bandied together and formed a large raised patch on my body and sometimes my finger tips would be so itchy they swell up and become painful.

My GP prescribed me 1% cortisone cream and put me on antihistamine tablets to control the symptoms. The cortisoid cream only gave temporary relief (15 mins) and antihistamine tablets were the only thing that effectively stopped my rashes from forming until the drug wore off and I need to take the next dose.

However, I didn't want to be dependent on drugs and steroids (which is what the cortisone cream is) all the time and so started looking for alternatives to relieve the itch and pain. I found some in these amazing products to help deal with my on-going skin irritations.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR Multi-Purpose Dry Oil for Face, Body, Hair 50ml* – RRP $24.95 /A$29.95 (non-shimmer/ shimmer version)

Dry oil did I hear you say? Yes, dry oil – which means it doesn't leave a sheen that normal oil products do on skin and there is not the slightest greasy feeling at all. In fact, my skin has a smooth velvety feel after the luxurious French oil is absorbed.

This luxurious French oil softens skin and relieves my itching bumps better than the cortisoid cream ever did - I kid you not. Although it also only gives temporary relief (about the same time of 15 minutes), it’s also adding moisturise back to by dry scaly skin and with its pretty gold shimmer particles, imparts a subtle golden flickering as well.

Made from over 95% natural ingredients including a blend of wonderful oils (macadamia, sweet almond, hazelnut, camellia seed, borage, olive, sunflower), rosemary extract and vitamin E, this dry oil is suitable for all skin types on the face, skin and hair (I haven’t tried this on my face yet, only on the neck and I’d only work this into the ends when using it on hair) but who would have thought a natural product fared so much better than a prescription drug – I have Yishan of BeautySwatch to thank for alerting me to try this for my hives.

Available at selected pharmacies and Adore Beauty online.

Ingredients listing for Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR

Cetaphil Restoraderm Skin Restoring Body Wash 295ml* – RRP $19.99

I’ve been avoiding all possible skin-irritants so I've been keen to stay away from soap and body washes containing SLS (sodium laureth sulphate) as it is a known skin irritant. I found this soap-free and fragrance-free body wash a soothing addition. With sunflower oil and vitamin E to soften and niacinamide to provide anti-inflamatory properties, it is designed to restore skin's natural barrier and protects it.
I found this body wash very gentle, easy to rinse and moisturised the body, keeping it soft and supple whilst not aggravating problem skin such as eczema and rashes has helped reduced my itching.

Available at pharmacies and Priceline nationally.

Ingredients listing for Cetaphil Restoraderm skin restoring body wash

Suvana Paw Paw and Honey Balm 25g – RRP $8.95

This organic balm is very rich and leaves a greasy feeling on skin so I only use it on the problem skin areas (the actual rash bumps) and don’t work it into my entire body. It provides itch relief as well as soothes the bumps so they settle down faster.

This multi-tasker also works wonders on cracked lips, elbows and heels and also makes a kick-ass lip balm/conditioner that I apply at night for soft chap-free puckers in the morning. It is small enough to carry around everywhere making it handy to keep into the handbag.

Available at Chemists nationally and online

Ingredients listing for Suvana paw paw & honey balm

After 2 months, I no longer take any antihistamines to control my symptoms and rarely apply the cortisone cream – I still break out in rashes every few days but thankfully, they subside after an hour or so now and by using these alternative products daily and watching what I eat (alcohol and shellfish seem to bring out the rashes), I’ve managed to keep my conditions under check.

Do you suffer from any allergies – how do you keep it in check? What other products do you recommend?

Products marked * were provided for consideration. Other products were purchased by yours truly.

2013 Prix de Marie Claire Beauty Awards Winners

2013-04-03T09:00:00.000+11:00

It's fashion shows and awards time of the year again.
Into the 8th year this year, the 2013 Prix de Marie Claire Beauty Awards celebrates the past year's outstanding beauty products amid the myraid of new product launches. Today I'm sharing with you the winners of the Readers Choice Awards.

These have been rated by Marie Claire readers and classed between Splurge vs Steal for each category so that there is a product to meet every consumer budget. This year the awards go to 9 product and one beauty brand.

Best Fragrance – Chanel Coco Noir

Best Makeup Product (Splurge) – Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat

Best Makeup Product (Steal) – Natio Pure Mineral Skin Perfecting BB Cream SPF 15

Best Skincare Product (Splurge) – Jurlique Herbal Recovery Antioxidant Gel Mask

Best Skincare Product (Steal) – Bioré Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser

Best Haircare/styling Product (Splurge)– GHD Air Hairdryer

Best Haircare/styling Product (Steal) - TRESemmé Split Remedy Split End Sealing Serum

Best Body Product (Splurge) – Kora Organics Luxurious Rosehip Body Oil

Best Body Product (Steal) – Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion

Best Australian Beauty Brand – Napoleon Perdis

Congratulations to all the winning brand and products.

I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I've only tried 3 of these winners (Coco Noir, Bioré skin balancing cleanser and Kora Rosehip body oil) - there are just too many products being launched for one to try them all.

It looks like I better get cracking on making more regular visits to the stores to acquaint my self with the other winners so I can find out first hand why these are voted the country's favourites.

Have you tried any of the winners? Do you agree with the votes?

Guest Review: I am King EDT

2013-04-02T14:00:00.000+11:00

When it comes to men's products, it's always good to get a review from a male perspective since they are likely to tell it as it is - and in a language men would understand, which always helps.

So today, I have a guest post from a good friend of mine, A. King (or AK as we like to call him). He considers himself somewhat of a decent writer and connoisseur of fine food and spirits. His inaugural review is on a fragrance as it aptly has his namesake and was gifted to him by a beautiful lady.

Now without further ado, here is AK's take on the fragrance.

I am King EDT by Sean John

A novice at all things creamy, oily and cosmetic, I nonetheless found myself drawn to try this offering. In my humblest opinion, I am King so an eau de toilette called ‘I am King’ seemed a natural addition to my life (yes, this is a joke).

Launched by Sean John (aka Puff Daddy/P. Diddy) back in 2008, the lifestyle and attitudes of the fragrance owner fortuitously also seem to match my own (at least in my dreams).

Sceptical from the videos and grand fluff on the fragrance’s official website, I pushed down the pump for the first time to find myself enjoying a soft fruity smell.

It's not quite the smell of fast cars and beautiful women as expected but pleasant nonetheless. Could I smell the aroma where I applied it several hours later? Indeed.

Was I enjoying a fruity aroma around my body the rest of the day? Not really - it sort of became a green woody scent in the final hours of wear.

Did it make me as attractive to women as P. Diddy? Sadly, it didn’t seem to but I guess that was one thing it never promised.

I do not see any benefit in this product for everyday use (who do I want to impress at work anyway?) but I do put it on for special occasions – weddings in particular and if there was a special someone I wanted to please, I'd be squirting more of this on me.

To be the King, you have to smell like the King right? This is worth a try for the man who has visions of grandeur - even better as a gift for the man from a beautiful lady.

I am King 50ml - RRP A$140 but available cheaper at Myer and online. Yes, I am King.

What do you think of having a guy give their opnion on men's beauty product? should AK's reviews become a regular feature on TIL?

If you are interested in being featured on TIL in a guest review - drop me a line on Facebook, email or twitter.

Review & FOTD: Rimmel BB Cream

2013-04-01T16:00:00.000+11:00

During the 2nd half of 2012 - the beauty market exploded in the number of non-Asian BB cream launches (the non-Asian version prefer the abbreviation BB to be known as Beauty Balm creams whilst Asian varieties are known as Blemish Balm creams).

Being a popular staple in the Asian markets over the past 10 years, it's little wonder that the BB cream mania been as wildly embraced once released in the non-Asian market. Today, you definitely need your own version of a BB cream if you want to be taken seriously as a makeup company (Clinique, Dior, Estee Lauder, MAC, Garnier, Natio and L'Oreal are all on-board!).

So what makes a product a BB Cream as opposed to being just a tinted moisturiser? Well they have the following properties.

is a all-in-one primer, concealer and medium coverage foundation product to provide a natural and flaw finish to skin
has a gel-like texture and have a dry to touch finish.
is a moisturiser and has additional skincare benefits depending on variety (whitening, healing, anti-ageing)
has UV protection often means you don't need a separate sun block

But even though there are skincare benefits in BB creams they are not to the same level as targeted skincare products so I would still apply my serums and skincar as they are more effective in addressing the my specific concerns.

Till recently, my interactions with BB creams have only been the Asian varieties, so I was excited to get introduced to the western versions with my first one being none other than the Rimmel London BB cream.

Rimmel Londom BB Cream - 30ml

Boasting 9 benefits claims:

Skincare benefits: 1 -prime, 2 - moisturise, 3 - minimise appearance of pores and 4 -helps protect against environmental damage;
Makeup benefits: 5 - conceals, 6 - covers, 7 - smoothes, 8 - mattifies, 9 - brightens

Available in 3 different shade, this BB cream caters to a wider varieties of skin tones. This is a plus as alot Asian BB creams only come in 1 shade. The light, and medium version are neutral tone and both suits me (summer and winter shade) and when blended out gives a very decent colour match.

Rimmel BB cream on NC30 skin, natural light

Being SPF 25, it gives decent sun protection so that you don't need a separate sunscreen if you are only going to be in incidental sun for a short period of time (which is adequate for those of us who doesn't get outdoors much during the day).

There is a light citrusy floral scent that is not over bearing and in fact quite pleasant. It definitely has a rich gel-like texture but is very easy to blend on skin to give a velvetly smooth finish.

For those with normal/oily skin, this BB cream would also provide adequate hydration on its own but if you have dry skin, I'd defintely layer a separate moisturiser rather than solely rely on this for hydration.

The claims of being a primer is substantiated as it does a good job of evening out the skin and mattifying it for a 4 hours (after that, my oily skin just shines through).

As a concealer, it provides medium coverage so that discolourations, redness and marks are all evened out but any large blemishes will need stronger coverage as this won't cover them as well. It also gives a radiant natural finish that looks like you've applied a soft-focus lens over your face so it temporarily brightens skin as well.

As for minimising appearance of pores, I found that my pores looked the same but it didn't accentuate it so this was a moot claim for me.

Verdict
Rimmel has put out a great BB cream as has pulled off 8 of the 9 claims - a pretty good result and I'd happily incorporate this BB cream into my everyday makeup repertory.

Skintone is even and complexion brightened with Rimmel BB cream

In fact, I do so most work day or casual weekend when I'm after a natural finish that covers my uneven skin tone, dark circles and what not but don't have me looking too cakey or heavily made-up. I normally would apply a translucent powder on top to set the product and a little blush, lippy and minimal eye product and I'm ready and out the door. This is an example of my not too made up look I sport on weekends.

Fresh look FOTD with Rimmel BB Cream. Full product lists used are

Rimmel BB cream in M111vb11edium
Face of Australia Translucent loose powder
Bobbi Brown Blush in Apricot
YSL Glossy Stain in #14
Kiss Me Heroine make smooth liquid eyeliner
Lancome Hynose Star mascara
Daiso Dark brown brow pencil

Rimmel BB cream RRP A$1295 at Kmart, Target, Big W, Priceline and David Jones stores as well as Woolworths and selected pharmacies nationally.

This BB cream was provided for consideration. Other products featured were purchased by me.

Smart Sampling with Clinique - Get 4 weeks worth of serum free!

2013-03-25T19:00:00.000+11:00

Want a free full-size equivalent bottle of Clinique skincare product?
Of course you do and with Clinique's smart sampling you can from next week.

Clinique has set up a smart sampling initiative to give you 4 week's worth of their Repairwear Laser Focus serum. Here's how it works.

Visit any Clinique counter in Myer from Sunday 31st March to Sunday 14th April for a skin consult and you will receive a 15ml bottle of their hugely popular Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle and UV Damage Corrector serum. This is equivalent to a 2-week supply for morning and night use.
Come back for a follow-up consult 2 weeks later with your empty bottle and you'll receive another 15ml, 2-week supply bottle, bringing it to 4 weeks worth of product all up - all for free - that's equivalent to the A$72 full-size 30ml bottle!

Plus, during your consult, you will receive tip cards and and advice, targeted to your specific needs.

So why not head to a Clinique counter at Myer soon to see the results of this serum yourself - you don't have anything to lose, except for the potential of a few fine lines, dehydrated and uneven skin.

Better yet, spread the words and tell your, mum, sister and girfriends (or skin-savy males friends) so they can experience this skin improvement themselves - all for free thanks to Clinique Smart Sampling.

De-stressing With Scent

2013-03-24T23:00:00.000+11:00

Work has recently been very intense, political and downright stressful so I've been burning the midnight oil more than usual this month. Add in a relationship break-up, on-going estate work bogging me down it's little wonder my stress and anxiety levels are hitting the roof and causing me to break out in hives on a daily basis!

Whenever I'm feeling stressed or low in spirits, I try to surround myself with the people I love. I find solace in their warmth and comforting hugs.

I also turn to scented products to help lift my spirits as I find that scent often has a positive influence and effect on my mood.

Glasshouse Triple Scented Candle - Monet's Garden* - RRP A$39.95

Nothing soothes as well as calming aromas. To have the room filled with callming and aromatic scent for hours on end definitley improves my mood. My current favourite scented candle is Monet's Garden from Glasshouse. A heady bouquet of tuberose, lavendar and ylang ylang, its a perfect mixed of warm and sensual - it's like spending an uplifting afternoon in a garden full of Spring blooms.

Available at David Jones, Peter Alexander and selected specialties stores. For more including international stocklists, check here.

Natio Mediatate Shower Gel 240ml - RRP A$12.95

I love the spiced woodiness of the narcssus attar that awakens and relieves. Even though this is a shower gel, it is also capable of giving amazing ubbles for soothing warm baths. It's versatility has seen me finish up the bottle in less than 4 weeks - a record for a shower product for me.

Available in Myer, David Jones and selected pharmacies.

The Body Shop Deep Sleep Pillow & Body Mist 100ml - RRP A$29.95

Lavender is said to be calming, stress-relieving and helps with insomnia - pretty much all the things I need right now. Who knew lemon and lavendar combined with camomile can make such a soothing scent like this bottle of goodness? I can't say that this has solved my sleep issues but I do feel calmer after spraying it into the air and onto my pillow before going to bed. It also helps to clear my airways and helps me breath better.

Avaliable instores or online at The Body Shop.

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist 50ml* - RRP A$35

This rose mist is my all time favourite scented face mist. It gives the right amount of skin refreshment, especially on a hot day and acts as a wonderful toner morning and night. It calms irritated skin and even though don't relieve my hives symptoms, soothes and cools down my skin temporarily. Given Rose is my all time favourite floral scent, every spritz transports me to a mid-summer's rose garden where I temporarily forget my worries.

Available at Myer, David Jones and online.

How do you de-stress when there is too much going on in your life? I'd love to hear your tips.

Products marked * were provided for consideration. Others were purchased by me.

Disco Nails with BYS Glitter Dust

2013-03-19T06:00:00.000+11:00

I've seen many fun and innovative nail products come into the market in recent times (cue those press-on patterned nail strips, caviar nails, nail art pens etc), but nothing has gotten me as excited as the recent BYS glitter dust nail polish sets.

Not only is it give impressive results, it is very easy to apply as well – I watched this video below and knew I had to give it a go myself.

Now with your typical glitter nail polish, the glitter is already mixed into the nail enamel formula and can be hard to build a consistently glittery finish.

BYS Glitter Dust for Nails

Shades: Star Crossed Lovers (pink) and Feeling the Sparkles (purple)

With BYS Glitter Dust, it’s actually two separate products: a normal opaque nail polish and a matching tub of micro glitter and gives you perfect results every time – I guarantee it.

How to get glamorous glittery nails in 4 easy steps

Disco nails in 4 easy steps with BYS

Apply the nail polish as you would normally.
While nail is still wet, dip the nail into the tub of glitter so it sticks onto the finger nail. Don’t worry about the glitter going over the edge, as you have no product for it to stick on, it won’t stay.
Use the included a brush tool to brush off excess glitter around the edge of nails.
Slick on a top coat to seal the glitter onto nail and prevent fall outs.
Viola! You are done.

How easy was that?

Just be careful of the glitter fallout during application/dusting off so make sure you spread a newspaper under your working area to keep your table/floor clean afterwards.

The results are stunning and sparkles are like a disco ball on your digits. Available in 11 shades, there’s one to wear for every glamorous occasion when you need to bring some bling to your nails.

What do you think of these glitter nails? Are you into nail art? Share with me your thoughts.

RRP A$.795 per glitter pack at K-mart, Gloss Accessories, Cosmetics Plus, selected pharmacies and Online at Fashion Addict.

This featured product was provided for consideration.

Face Off: Clarisonic Mia v PRO

2013-03-17T16:00:00.000+11:00

Working in the IT field professionally, I’m quite a gadget geek. So when it comes to beauty gadgets, I’m pretty much all over them!

Before the Clarisonic cleansing brush officially made its way onto our southern shores, I had one imported (thank you online shopping) because I read so many rave reviews on it from overseas (predominately US) sites and forums. I was convinced all my skin break out problems could be solved by it. You can read about my original review of the Clarisonic PRO here.

3 years on, the Clarisonic craze has arrived into Australian shores and many out there are coveting this lush tool and deciding whether to make the investment and buy one.

So when I was recently sent a Mia for review, I thought I need to do an updated post. This time, a comparison between the Clarisonic PRO/PLUS and the Mia! I want to be able to provide some guidance to those out there deciding on which to get as I don’t see many comparison reviews available.

What is a Clarisonic?
What? You haven’t heard about it… tsk tsk. Well OK, let me give you brief summary.
Basically it’s a rechargeable and waterproof hand held tool with a brush head attachment that you use to cleanse your face.

Its selling point is that the brush bristles don’t rotate but instead vibrate 300 times per second to dislodge impurities from the pores and remove dead skin cells.
There are various brush attachments of different softness to suit different skin sensitivity levels and even a body brush if you buy the appropriate version of the Clarisonic tool.

In the Australian retail market, you can purchase the Clarisonic Mia or the Clarisonic Plus. I don’t own the Plus, but I have the PRO and they both look and functions the same except that the PRO has one more speed setting than the PLUS. So I will review the PRO as if it's the PLUS.

Physical Differences
Side by side, you can see the Mia is the baby sister of the PRO/PLUS. It’s smaller, cuter and in my case, a limited edition pink version compared to the classic white of the PRO.

Front and back of the Clarisonics - without brush attachments

The Mia is also 50g lighter (195g v 245g without brush attachments). Both fits ergonomically on the hand but on my smal palm ,the Mia feels more comfortable and slightly easier to grab.

There are fewer buttons on the mia and the light (charge) indicator is embedded inside the case of the device and can only be seen when charging.

The charging mechanism is also different. The PRO sits in a cradle to be charged whilst the Mia is attached to the base with a magnetic charger. I prefer the PRO as the cradle acts as a home for it after use.

Functional differences

The PRO is the Rolls Royce of the Clarisonic range – with 4 different speed settings (the PLUS has 3) and capable of taking on a (optional) larger body brush attachment to be used in the shower. It has a default 1 minute running cycle for use but can be changed to 2 minutes with facial brush attachments. It also beeps at set time intervals to help you with time allocations on each part of the face you use it on.

Body brush and different face brushes

The Mia has one button – On or OFF with one speed setting (which is comparable to the lowest setting on the PRO – what I call the gentle mode). It doesn’t have any fancy beeping timer and automatically turns itself off after 1 minute of use. You can’t adjust any of these preset settings. It's one of the simplest tool to use and follows the motto of KISS - you just cannot stuff up during use.

Both products also came with sample (30ml) size facial cleansers to start you off your clarisonic cleansing journey.

Differences in Action
I use the PRO in the shower and to cleanse the face and then change to a body brush and give my back a good squeaky scrub as well. With the body brush, the device runs for 3 minutes before it switches itself off (you can turn it back on) and there are 2 different speed setting. I don’t really care much between the 2 setting and use either interchangeably.

I get the best cleanse on my body when using it and it helps keep my bacne breakout in check. You’d think I would do this more often since it’s so good. But in reality, I only do this once or twice a week. Why? Because it’s time consuming slowing using the device to scrub such a large surface area on your body. But the main killer is that it depletes the battery of the PRO significantly. On one charge I can only get 2 showers worth of face and body cleansing (about 15 minutes use all up) before having to charge the device for 24hr before its next use – very annoying!

Mia with face brush and PRO with body brush

On the Mia, I use it once every night for 2 whole weeks and the battery is still going strong (about 14 minutes use)! Clearly it’s a winner when you are taking it with you for travels. So although they both run for about the same time, but because of differences in use, the PRO battery capacity is clearly inadequate.

Mia v PLUS/PRO - which one should I buy?
It’s up to you but here are my observations and thoughts that might help you decide.

You really don’t need 3 or 4 speed settings to cleanse your face. Really! One option is more than enough. If you want to use different intensity or to suit different skin types, then get different brush head attachment that cater for normal, sensitive, or delicate skin. I like the delicate brush attachment best as it’s the most gentle and prefer to use the brush for a 2 minute cleanse instead of 1 minute. - Do you need a fancy brush to cleanse your body? Probably not. A good body brush can do an equally good job. And you don’t have to worry about the battery dying in the middle of a body scrub as well.
Having the luxury of both, I now use the mia to cleanse my face and the PRO soley to cleanse my body weekly. But if I was to start from scratch, I’d stick with the MIA. The constant 24 hr charge required by the PRO is a turn off for me.
Cost of product. The mia is the entry level product and priced more than $100 cheaper than the PLUS/PRO. Cheaper doesn’t mean bad. Here, it just means fewer functions. So, if you don’t need the additional functions, you shouldn’t need to pay for it.

The Mia is $139 (US $119) whilst the PLUS is $265 (US$225). Face and body brush attachments are priced at $29 (US$25). Available at David Jones, Myer, and cheaper online at The Facial Company.

So as you can see, the Mia is clearer my preferred Clarisonic, it’s cuter, more fit for purpose and more value for money – all the things that make a gadget great!

Whilst the Clarisonic Mia was provided for consideration, the PRO was purchased by me.

Fuzz-free forever with Philips Lumea Precision Plus

2013-03-07T06:00:00.000+11:00

True story: when it comes to hair, we all want more of it on our heads and less on our bodies.

We spend countless hours and use various ways to make ourselves smooth and fuzz-free - from shaving, to waxing, to depilating, it’s become an obsession in our society. Even men are getting in on the act these days - suffice to say most of us wouldn’t mind at all to be fuzz-free for life – especially on our legs and underarms.

Once upon a time, we would try electrolysis, but that is slow, sometimes painful and definitely a time-consuming process. Thankfully, technology has improved and increased our options to bring us permanent hair removal via lasers and IPLs.

Until recently, these new options are only available at salons so you would need to book an appointment get permanent hair reduction and your hair removed. Well, now there is a new option – At home IPL hair removal with Philips Lumea IPL Hair removal system.

Philips Lumea Precision Plus - IPL Removal system (model SC2003/11)

Features

Uses IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) technology to destroy hair at follicles and prevents regrowth. Over time the follicle will die and hair will stop growing.
Is suitable for a large range of skin types from very fair to dark brown skin (but not deep drown/African skin), and a variety of hair colours
Variable energy intensity means its suitable for all areas of the skin from the legs to the face to the under arm and bikini.
Features a flash and slide function to allow faster treatment time.
Built in safety measure where IPL will flash only when correctly applied across the body.
Last up to 5 years with the lamp able to generate over 10,000 flashes ((after which it's implied that it the lamps may start to fail and as it doesn’t have replaceable parts, it probably means you will have to dispose of it).

Table showing suitability use for different skintone and hair types

The contents of the box

Philips Lumea IPL device - shaped like a space-aged nerf gun, it is very ergonomically and comfortable in the hand, with the operating button in a convenient location and the power and settings options well positioned so that there are no accidental changes of settings during use.
2 lamp window attachments for the device, one that covers a wider surface area (4cm)and another for another smaller one (2cm) with an integrated light filter for more precise hair removal at lower intensity (so is better for sensitive area such as bikini lines and facial areas).
A/C Power adaptor – the unit takes over an hour to fully charge up and gives about over 200 flashes before running low on juice again and needs to be recharged. You cannot use the device whilst it’s charging but it’s is cordless and portable when fully charged!
Instruction guides, a quick start one and a more comprehensive manual

How it works
In a nutshell, it the IPL device on, position the the lamp window over the area of the skin you want to remove hair from evenly across until the ready green indicator light on the back turns on and then press the trigger to activate the IPL flash. Too easy right?

There are 5 power settings on the device to customise the intensity of the light pulse for different types of skin as well as different part of the body (eg. lower setting on the facial and bikini region compared to the legs or underarms).

On level 5 intensity setting

This is very handy because it allows you to adjust for how well you can tolerate the discomfort during treatment and also means that almost every skin type can be treated with this device.

I’m fairly tolerant to pain and having epilated most of my life and having had previous laser hair removal treatments at salons, I knew I could handle the discomfort and so I started out with the highest (level 5) setting but I’d advise other beginner users to start with a low setting if you are unsure of your skin’s tolerance and crank up the settings the next treatment. For sensitive areas like my upper lips and bikini area, I use the level 2 or 3 setting.
I have fine short hair on my body, and didn’t feel the need to shave before treatment except for the bikini region where I have longer and thicker hair. I don’t shave mainly because it allows me to better see which area of skin I’ve flashed vs the area I haven’t because the hair does get singed once it’s been flashed.

Hair before IPL flash; after - see the singed dots of hair?

However, if you prefer not to smell the singe of hair or have long hair, shaving a day or 2 before treatment the preferred/better option. I trim my hair on my underarms and bikini because these grow longer and there is too much singeing otherwise during treatment.

Once the area of skin is pressed evenly down against the attachment window, the green indicator light comes on and you can press the trigger to flash the skin. The device then takes about 3 seconds to recharge itself before you can flash again.

How to ensure you cover all areas?
On legs and large areas you can use white (make sure it’s white so it doesn't absorb the light energy) chalk to draw 3cm gridlines (so there is a slight overlap from the 4cm lamp attachment) to help you guide through the areas you will be flashing. I have tried doing this the first time but found it too time consuming and troublesome so after I got used to the product, I started treatment without drawing on my skin. Either way, you would flashed on a straight line from top to bottom (especially on legs) before moving horizontally to the adjacent area.

You can use the glide feature of the the device to slide the unit along to the next area to be flashed, but because of the delay in re-flashing, I prefer to lift the unit off my skin and move it along to the next area to be flashed. This is obviously a personal preference and others will operate the unit in a way that is most comfortable to them.

How much did it hurt?
I didn’t find the flash on skin painful at all, it was more like an elastic band flicking against my skin and quickly dissipates afterwards although on my face and bikini area, the flicking pain was slightly more intense. I just adjust the power setting down until I’m comfortable with the discomfort before continuing the rest of the area again.

How often do you use this IPL device?
I follow the recommended usage frequency and operate the device in treatment mode, using it every 2 weeks. Over time, you will find that you will have fewer re-growth and can go for longer without treatment. This is when you enter maintenance mode. In this period you only need to flash every 6-8 weeks depending on the speed of your regrowth.

What are the results like?
Let me make no bones about this – this at-home device is never going to be as powerful as the machines used in salons. Therefore the results should never be compared vis-a-vis, on treatment-for-treatment, hair-for-hair loss basis - it just wouldn't stack up and and neither would it be fair.

What you can expect though from my experience, is that hair will begins to shed from the body 5-6 days after treatment. Coarser hair (which absorbs more of the light’s output) seems to shed more than the fine hair (which contains less melanin and therefore absorbs less light). As hair grows in different cycle during each treatment, not all hair would shed after each treatment and you can be left with patchy areas of hair after a week’s time. Shaving (required very infrequently) in between treatments ensures even fuzz-freeness during the interim treatment periods.

For my hair type, it seems to take between 4-6 treatments (about 2 to 3 months), before the hair dies and stops growing back. The hairs that do grow back are softer and finer (even in the bikini region) and also the hair regrowth is slowed down significantly after 3 treatments. Obviously this depends on the hair cycle and how strong the hair follicle is so the hair regrowth time frame vary on different parts of the body.

Using this device definitely take longer to remove hair than going to salons where the machines are more powerful and so takes fewer treatment to get the same results. But this also a lot less painful/uncomfortable given its lower power output and is effortless to use.

Final words
This IPL device has an advertised life span of 5 years so you will get plenty of time to continually use the product until all your unwanted hair is removed from your body. It is easier and more convenient since you can do it any time you have a free moment to treat yourself (or get someone to treat you for the hard to reach areas such as your back).

It will also allow you to use it as a maintenance product (every 6-8 weeks) once you’ve remove most of your hair since you will always have it at home to remove any stubborn regrowth that crops up over time.

If you are contemplating permanent hair removal, this beauty gadget must be in your consideration when evaluating all your options and I wish I had this device from day one so I didn’t have to endure those embarrassing salon visits to get my brazillians done (yikes!)

Overall I’m extremely pleased with the results and I feel this investment device (it's damn expensive with a suggested retail price of A$1299) pays for itself in the long run. I’ve honestly paid a lot more over the last 2 years to have my body treated of unwanted hair in salons and I’m still nowhere near hair-free. I’m just glad to have this device to finish off the job that was started off in the salons.

RRP A$1299.95 at all Shaver Shop nationally. If you can’t afford this new model, I'd wait for it to go on sale or pick up its predecessor - model SC2001 (which is less flashy literally with fewer flashes per charge and covers a smaller area per flash) which is currently on sale at the Shaver Shop stores for A$599.

This featured product was provided for consideration.

Getting Clear and Brilliant Skin

2013-02-25T00:00:00.000+11:00

This post is a long time in coming - in fact, it should have been published last year had I not been sidetracked. But as they say, it’s better late than never right? Well then, let’s get straight to it.

Who doesn't want clear and vibrant looking skin?
Sometimes, no matter what you do, you skin just looks dull and tired. Whether it be diet, lack of sleep or exercise, you just haven't got the routine right to having you looking fresh again.

Normally you might hit the salon and get a face peel or microdermabrasion but if you want something extra that continues to deliver benefits for months after, then you need to look into new treatments delivered by laser technology.

Now I know that when people think about laser treatments, they conjure up images of traditional laser treatments that is pretty strong and powerful. It is also associated with the need to take time off from normal activities, press the pause buttons for a few days before they can resume normalcy and regular routine again.

With improvements to technology, you can now get the benefits of laser but in a more gentle manner, without all the typical associated discomfort and inconvenience.

Always keen to experience and learn more, I had the opportunity to try this technology last year at Melbournian clinic Erase Aesthetic Services.

Clear + Brilliant laser (C+B) - what is it?

Clear + Brilliant is like a souped up facial – it’s based on fraxel laser (so uses fractional lasers) technology to help prevent the early signs of ageing and can work as a skincare maintenance regimen. It uses a diode laser that gives out a 1440 nm wavelength and a 140 μm spot size to create micro-injuries that only reach the skin’s top layer (stratum corneum) to rejuvenate it.

C + B is suited to those in their 20s and early 30s who want to subtly refresh their looks (read: radiant clear skin) and don’t want to resort to drastic measures. It can also helps with improving pore sizes and temporarily reduces sebum production so is great for anyone with oily skin. In short, if you don’t have major skin conditions but want to refresh (rather than rejuvenate which in most people’s mind is a more dramatic improvement), then C+B would be suitable for you.

Why did I want it?
My skin was just looking dull and tired with my perpetual lack of sleep and stressful work. I also had very oily skin and as a result, very enlarged pores on my nose and cheeks. I wanted to give C+B a go to get the glowing skin look that lasts longer than just a day or 2. I was also hoping that it would help with clearing minor breakouts I had around my T-zone area.

The procedure
As far as procedure goes, this is one of the simplest ones I’ve had, it was literally like going to a salon for a facial. There wasn’t much pre-treatment measures to observe, other than to stay out of the sun (or wear sunscreen – which we all should be doing anyway) so skin isn't over exposured or burnt.

I dropped in to the good people at Erase Aesthetic Services in the morning and after filling in a new client form (including what my current skincare regime and products I was using was) with the clinic, Maria, my dermal therapist proceeded to assesses my skin type and condition. She decided that we would use the high setting (the machine has 3 settings giving out different energy levels during the treatment to suit all skin types) as most clients tolerate the high setting well and it would help with my oily skin.

After the assessment, I was given a quick cleanse to remove any dirt and makeup from my face using the gentle Jan Marini cleanser and then as a comfort measure, she applied a topical aneasthic cream on my whole face so that during treatment, I wouldn’t feel the laser on my skin.

20 minutes later, my face was feeling slightly numb and the bit of cream that got onto my lips made me feel like I was about to drool off the side of my face - a good indication I was ready for the treatment.

The actual treatment:
Lying down on the treatment chair, Maria, used the C+B device with a one use only laser tip to shoot a beam of light onto my skin. As an additional comfort, there was a cooling fan called a Zimmer which was blowing jets of cool air on the area where my skin was being treated, making it very pleasant and completely pain free. During the treatment I felt a slight prickly sensation and my skin warm up but the zimmer cooler was doing its job so well, I wasn’t bothered by it.

Clear + Brilliant device used to zap my skin

In total, the area of the face had 8 pasess over the same surface – 4 horizontally and 4 vertically to ensure that any area missed in the previous pass is picked up.

After about 10 minutes, my treatment was complete and my skin was allowed to cool down some more

skin immediately after Clear + Brilliant treatment: looking red

Straight after treatment, my skin was warm and red in patches of the face and sensitive to touch as if I’ve stayed out in the sun for too long but it didn’t hurt or sting. I popped on some sunscreen before leaving the clinic and headed home to rest up.

I was also provided some post care advice and after care products from Jan Marini to use before being sent home.

C+B post-treatment care

Use gentle cleansing products and not to use exfoliating agents (chemical or physical) for the first 3 days. Scrubs are an absolute no-no!
Skin will dry up and so application of topical hydration is essential to help with adding the moisture and helping with the skin recover. Peptide serums like the Jan Marini Peptide Extreme serum is great for this as it regulates the skin’s inflammatory response. I used this quite liberally on the first few days 2 and even 3 times a day in the first 2 days.
Skin experienced dryness and dry flakes started appearing in 3 days. On the 4th day, I could use to ezyme mask to help remove some of the top layer dead-skin cells.
Avoid perfume, chlorine, UV, products that contain resurfacing ingredients, and hot water. Also little note: waxing, hair dying should be avoided.

Recovery & Results
Day 0:
Even though there isn’t supposed to be any down time, I did notice on the that my face started swelling a fair bit afterwards but died down the next day. This is to be expected since I just had my face lasered and therefore I would not recommend this as a lunch time treatment as you can look quite bloated afterwards! My forehead stung a fair bit and I decided to lye down for the bulk of the afternoon and stayed indoors the whole day.

Slightly swollen and sun-burnt looking

Day 1:
The swelling is gone but I noticed some dark tiny blood dots on the side of my face. I was told these were micro internal bleeding in the skin from the skin injury cause by the laser will fall/wash off with the dead skin in a few days time when new skin grows. Skin was starting to feel dry and I was slapping on the peptide serum like it was water to a desert. Skin wasn’t painful to touch and I was able to go about my normal routine with a slightly heavier than usual makeup application to hide those blood dots.

Day 2 & 3:
Skin was starting to feel and look rough with the dry flakes occurring. The blood dots were deepening more in colour and looking like micro scabs dots now. Thankfully nothing that makeup couldn’t fix either – even though it gets tricky around the area with dry patches. Towards the end of day 3, I I was able to gently sloth away the flaky skin in the evening during my cleaning routine just by gently rubbing my skin.

Day 5:
My skin is a lot more clearer now that all the top layer of dead skin has been taken off. Actually, it’s quite glowy with a inner radiance and plumpness that you get with new skin. Skin definitely feels and looks reborned. The texture is also refined and soft. I continue with using the peptide serum but have included a vitamin c serum in an attempt to improve my pigmentation spots.

Week 2:

Skin is still looking great – it's radiant and skintone is very even but what I’m most estatic about is that it seems C + B has also improved the appearances of my shallow scar marks on my cheeks. They definitely look less pronounced and my skin is more even.

before C + B treatment

at week 2 - naked skin with moisturiser only

The recommended number of treatments to start off with is 3, each at 1 month intervals (to coincide with the skin cell life cycle perhaps?) and after that, quarterly sessions for maintenance purposes.

before C + B treatment

at week 2 - naked skin with moisturiser only

At $300 each treatment (pricing correct as at September 2012), this is not a cheap course. But the results on my skin are by far better than any facial or microdermabrasion treatments I’ve had so I guess it delivered more value for me. I would likely get a laser treatment on a quarterly basis to maintain and improve my skin texture.

I've enjoyed my Clear + Brilliant treatment and have the wonderful staff at Erase to thank for the complimentary service. It's made me realised that laser doesn't have to be painful to get good results. I'm now a firm believer that laser is the future of beautiful clear skin.

Where the bloody hell have I been?

2013-01-17T07:00:00.000+11:00

I can’t believe it’s been over 4 months since I’ve wrote my last blog entry!

I’ve missed out on the last few months of 2012 and OMG we’ve now passed the midway point of a new month in 2013.

As Lara Bingle once famously said - "where the bloody hell are you?" So what exactly happened?

I meant to write a bon voyage entry to give my readers some notice of my blogging hiatus for my Europe holiday - 6 weeks of amazing sights and adventure back in mid Sept but work, a bout of the cold and last minute commitments saw me ran out of time to say adieu online before jet setting off to Europe. I had the most amazing time over there and learnt so much, experienced and saw majestic buildings and ate incredible food almost every day. I will one day (as elusive as it sounds), write a blog entry about it with bucket loads of photos from the trip.

I then came back home in November last year mentally refreshed but physically fatigued – 6 weeks of non-stop travel and lack of sleep the entire trip really took a toll on my body. Then work commitments took over again and I didn’t get a chance to find my blogging rhythm.

When I was finally geared up to re-start blogging again in December, tragedy struck. There was a death in the family and I had to make an emergency trip overseas to help sort out the administrative matters with passing away in a foreign country - making funeral & repatriation arrangements, lodging & following up on insurance claims and other sombre administrative matters.

Let me tell you, the past 6 weeks has been so surreal for me, so fraught with emotional extremes, sadness, tears, and untold amounts of stress I don’t even know how I manage to get through each day. Even a brief trip to NSW for new years was did little to distract me of sadness of recent events.

And right now, I still have a whole lot to get through dealing with deceased estate administration but I want to blog again. I won’t have much time but I want some sort of normal life back.

Whilst I’ve been away from blogging all this time, I missed it. I really do. I miss the ability to share with you my latest beauty purchase from Europe (infact 90% of what I bought overseas I havent' even touched yet). I missed having exchanges on this blog and on twitter. I miss all my blogger friends because they inspired and motivated me with blogging ideas. Because I just dropped out of the online world for a while, I lost that inspiration and energy from the creative sharing of ideas with the blogging community.

But I realised blogging is my sanity in this insane period of my life. It is one of the few things that is familiar and comforting but also time consuming to write detailed posts. I will not be able to blog as frequently for a while. I hope my sporadic updates will still entertain and inform you and you will continue to visit this blog.

I certainly haven’t given up on blogging, and I hope you don’t give up on me either. I’ll be pre-emptive and thank you in advance for your love and support.

Hopefully it won’t be too long before my next entry.

xx lilpil