Wednesday 29 October 2014

Pure Tan Rapid Bronze

Just Wait An Hour.


Each day the weather is warming up and for about two weeks now I have lived in dresses and shorts. I am very pale naturally and I don't tan in the sun, instead I turn in to something that resembles more like a beetroot. In Australia it's pretty dangerous to lay about in the sun waiting for your skin to tan because the sun is really strong here. Fake tans are pretty popular in Australia, in fact, if you want to be a bronzed beauty fake tan is encouraged. Using sunbeds and sun bathing is very much discouraged.
I tested out a cruelty free brand called PureTan* the other day. I tried their Rapid Tan One Hour Tan for a High Tea that I was going to that afternoon. I applied the cream to my legs using a mitt they provided and waited an hour and a half for the tan to develop then I washed it off.
I noticed that by the time I got to the High Tea the tan had developed and was quiet dark. It was also patchy, very patchy. However, it has been four days since I have used this cream and it has settled to a really natural looking tan that suits my skin perfectly.




Before

After 1 1/2 Hours 

Verdict: I like this Tan cream, but, I would use it the day before I planned on going out because my dodgy application caused it to look like a spotty mess. After I had my second shower and used a little exfoliator on my skin it quickly evened out and I'm loving the result.
So unless you are a practised self tanner, wait until you have given them a light exfoliation  to show your legs off.

Have Fun!

Renee x

This Product was sent to me for consideration however my opinions are 100% genuine and honest.

Sunday 26 October 2014

Mini Lush Haul

It's Almost Christmas...


Last year I missed out on getting some of the Lush Christmas Goodies. I don't know why, I just did. So this year as soon as soon as I saw that the Christmas and Halloween range were out I went straight to the website and got myself a few pieces. 


A small selection of the Lush Christmas and Halloween range.

 

Wizard Bubble Bar: I have used half of this guy already and he smells fabulous but what's even more fabulous about this magical man turns my bath water purple with glitter and tiny sparkly bits. Contains Tangerine Oil, Juniper Berry and Fennel essential oils.



Butterbear Bath Bomb: If I could only recommend one Christmas item it would be this cute bear. He fizzes up a lovely and sweet Vanilla storm in your bath. Just the scent to remind me of Christmas time.


The Christmas Hedgehog Bubble Bar: This guy came to me a little worse for wear but I didn't mind. A gentle blend of Rose Absolute and Ylang Ylang essential oils are the scent to turn to when I have had a stressful day.


The Christmas Penguin: How cute does this little guy look? I'm almost tempted to just sit him on my bathroom counter and not use him, but I don't think I will. This penguin is quiet refreshing and is made up of  Orange Flower, mandarin and Lemon Oils.

What's your favourite lush item this holiday season?

Have Fun!

Renee x


Thursday 23 October 2014

Babe Coffee Body Scrub

Caffeine And Such...




I had never thought to rub coffee grounds all over my body. That was until I got a sample of the Babe Body Scrub in a sample bag at the Perth Bloggers Meetup. This scrub comes equipped with an intoxicating scent of coffee that is sure too wake up even the worst 'non-morning person' offenders. It's so simple to use, but a tad messy. I just stand in the shower and grab a handful of the mixture out of the snap lock pouch and add a bit of water and scrub, scrub all over my body. I concentrate on the areas that need a bit more care, like my legs. 
This is a mighty exfoliating mixture of sugar, ground coffee beans and mineral salts as well as added sweet almond oil and lavender essential oil for extra aroma. 
So why coffee you may ask? Well coffee is well known for its caffeine and that can temporarily reduce the look of cellulite and create a firmer and smoother appearance.
 How? Caffeine draws water from cells, making them smaller, constricting blood vessels slightly, thus creating a smoother and even toned skin.
Verdict: Did it make my skin smooth? Yes it did! All the scrubby bits work really well and the coffee stimulated my blood and resulted in firmer feeling skin after about ten minutes of washing it off.
Did I smell of coffee all day? No unfortunately I didn't, however someone should invent a coffee flavoured perfume because its so delicious!

Babe Body Scrub comes in:
Coffee Body Scrub
Green Tea Body Scrub
 Himalayan Pink Salt Body Scrub

What scrub would you like to try?

Have Fun!

Renee x

This product was sent to me for consideration, however my opinions are 100% genuine and honest.











Tuesday 21 October 2014

Kosmea Hydrating Rosewater Mist

A Thousand Rose Petals


Hydrating sprays are always a favourite of mine. They are so refreshing and simple to use. Just point to your face, spray and enjoy the cooling mist on your skin. Kosmea Hydrating Rosewater Mist* is no exception. With a beautiful scent of Rose Flower Water there is no wonder why I love spraying this over and over again. I have been using this over the weekend because I have a dreadful cold and I have locked myself in the house with the fireplace going and to no surprise my skin is very dehydrated. Sprays are great because even with absolutely no strength in my muscles I can still hydrate my skin and lips (obliviously the droplets fall on my lips as well.)
I was really excited to try Kosmea.  I have seen the brand in my local health food store and have always gazed curiously at it but I have never been able to decide which product to try first. Kosmea is an Austalian company and my personal belife is that Australian skincare is the best skincare. Kosmea focuses on Rose to help with sensitive, ageing, babys and teenage problem skin. Rose is known for its antibacterial qualities, is great as a toner and helps to heal itchy and flaky skin (hence a great anti ageing ingredient). In fact The Hydrating Rose Water Mist is made with 'a thousand delicately distilled rose petals'. Sounds pretty special, right?





 I just love the scent and the simplicity of this product. Do you love hydrating Sprays? What is your favourite?

Have Fun!

Renee x

*This product was sent to me for consideration, however my opinions are 100% genuine and honest.

Friday 17 October 2014

Makeup Brushes! Think twice

Natural vs Synthetics


Does buying 'natural hair' bristles contribute to the cruel fur trade? Are animals harmed in the making of  natural hair brushes. Every year Millions of animals are killed for their fur, even in use for makeup brushes. Goats, Badgers, Squirrels , Minks and Horses all unwillingly contribute their hair to makeup Brushes. Mink fur is often from the cruel fur industry in China. Minks are often captured and killed in the wild by drowning them. Small animals have also been known to be put in cages and gassed alive by breathing in hot exhausted fumes from trucks. Goats are seared like sheep and because the employees are paid by volume the work must be done quickly, often resulting in terrified animals left with cuts and other injuries.
Has your conscious been stirred yet? Even companies that claim to be cruelty free and 'pick up hair that has been gently brushed off an animal' are truly kidding themselves. All fur comes from fur farms and all these animals have greatly suffered.
So what can you as a concious consumer do? Easy! Buy synthetic. Not only are synthetic brushes more hygienic, I also heard through the (beauty) grapevine that natural hairs tend to shed a lot more than synthetic bristles. Doesn't sound like I am getting very good value for my money there.
I guess I wanted to write about this because I got a sample brush from Furless Cosmetics and it sparked my curiosity about makeup brushes and the origins of natural bristles. 



.
Furless Cosmetics are 100% vegan friendly. They have soft bristles and cool sleek handles. I have my eye on the Perfectly Pink Makeup Brush Set. Perhaps I should add it to my Christmas list?

Have Fun

Renee x

Tuesday 14 October 2014

Sea Siren Cosmetics Nail Colours

Cruelty Free and Vegan Friendly


I have been on the hunt for a budget friendly nail enamel for a while now. And I am always looking for that good 'ol Australian brand. Sea Siren Cosmetics is a company that concentrates on quality hand and foot products. I just recently wrote a review on their hand creams and foot lotions ect. I have also been lucky enough to test out some of their cool range of nail polishes*. They come in two different sizes of "Ocean Bubble" 15ml and "Wanderlust Minis" 5ml.

One thing I notice about Sea Siren Cosmetics is how much fun it is to read the nail polish colours. I feel each name is carefully thought out to match the nautical theme.


'Ocean Bubble' in Motion of the Ocean 

'Ocean Bubble' in Tranquility 

'Wanderlust Mini' in Stunning Sunset 

'Wanderlust Mini' in Seashells

My favourite colour is Tranquility, I think it is cheerful, feminine and it makes me happy.

What colour do you like?

Have Fun!

Renee x

*This product has been sent to me for consideration, however my opinions are 100% genuine and honest.

Sunday 12 October 2014

Perth Beauty Bloggers Meetup

Kings Park Picnic


Yesterday I had some fun and went down to Kings Park in Perth and met some lovely fellow Perth dwellers. We lay out a scrummy picnic and talked (mostly) all things beauty. We were also lucky enough to have Benita from Plunkett to chat to us about some of the John Plunkett and NS-8 range. Then Cassie from Arbonne told us a bit about the Arbonne products and how she came to love the products and sell them herself. She also gave us a few samples to try in a cute little paper bag.

Then came time for the beauty swap. We put all our unwanted beauty items in a pile and took turns deciding what we wanted to take home with us. I Got a Label M Texturing Volume Spray, Colour Theory Lipstick in Pouty Pink and The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream.
After some time of girly chatting and getting to know each other a bit better we decided it was time for us to say goodbye and promise 'till next time.'

Benita from Plunkett

Cassie from Arbonne

Some sample bags ready to be handed out

Products for the 'beauty swap'

Hayley from Primping Perth, Anna from Anna Blush and myself

What was in our sample bags.





We left laden with bags of goodies and I have to thank these companies for their generous contributions:

All of these companies are cruelty free as well! I guess I will have a few busy months ahead of me testing out all this great stuff.

I had a fun afternoon and I hope to see everyone again soon.

Have Fun!

Renee x










Friday 10 October 2014

Brand Focus *Sea Siren Cosmetics*

Hand And Feet Indulgence.


I get a little excited when I see a range of skincare that I havent heard of before. Being Australian, Cruelty Free and free of nasty toxins,  Sea Siren Cosmetics* ticked all the boxes. I really enjoyed my experience using this range and I can tell that these products will make a huge difference in the appearance of my hands and feet when I use them everyday.




From Left to Right: Sealicious Hand and Nail Cream, Sealicious Cuticle and Nail Oil, Sealicious Foot Cream
  • Hand and Nail Cream. This Non-greasy hand cream contains Orange Peel Oil and Tangerine Peel Oil so it smells wonderfully fruity, perfect for a Spring hand cream. This cream took no time at all to soak into my skin giving me less waiting time before I could get on with my day.
  • Cuticle and Nail Oil. My cuticles are always a bit of a disaster zone, but I am noticing that they are a lot more manageable using this oil.  I also really appreciate the pump bottle instead of the dropper that a lot of other brands have.
  • Foot cream. Beautifully scented with peppermint, it feels cooling and refreshing on hot tired feet. This is my favourite of the range because it is so moisturising. I noticed within two days of using this that the dry skin on my heels had begun to soften!


Left to Right: Sealicious Hand and Foot Scrub, Sealicious Hand and Foot Mask.
  • Foot and hand scrub. Lovely and easy to use. With a fresh peppermint aroma its like a recharge for your skin. Gently exfoliates the dead layers of skin off to reveal a healthy natural glow.
  • Foot mask. A gel like consistency makes this really easy to apply. The mask is also a favourite of mine ( a tie between the mask and the foot cream).This Mask leaves skin feeling silky smooth and expholiant fresh. I could tell that this mask penetrates the outer layers of skin to promote cell renewal because my feet felt very soft when I washed this off. Contains cooling Aloe Vera and Cucumber.
Sea Siren Cosmetics also have a range of beautiful, cruelty-free nail polishes. Watch this space for a review!

Have Fun!

Renee x  

*This product was sent to me for consideration, however my opinions are 100% genuine and honest.


Wednesday 8 October 2014

Dr Hauschka Translucent Bronzing Tint

So easy to use!


Spring and Summer is the time of year when I dramatically change my makeup routine. I get out all my BB creams, bronzers and transulant powders and go to town on them. And even though I still only have about 5 minutes to get ready in the morning, I am constantly on the hunt for quick, easy and versatile cosmetics.
Today I tried the Dr Haushcka Translucent Bronzing Tint*. It comes in a smallish bottle of 30ml but a little certainly goes a long way!




The bronzer is on my right leg, one layer.

I generally skim through the directions and try it myself ( sometimes with failed consequences) but I like to be surprised. I put one pump onto my winter white leg and blended it in noticing that it blended really easily because the formulation is not thick. I discovered that there were less visible imperfections on my legs, the blue/white undertone of my legs had come 'alive' with a subtle golden hue. It didn't feel dry or sticky but I did find that it made patches on my very dry knee caps so next time I will exfoliate that area.
Then I decided to give it a try with The Rose Day Cream Light*, a small dollop and 1/2 pump of the bronzing tint mixed together really lifted my face and made it look radiant from the inside out. Then I thought, can I push this product further and build it up on my checks and use it as a glowing bronzer? Yes I can! It was so easy to blend and build a bit more onto my cheeks with out it looking patchy. I absolutely fail at using most cheek stains but The Translucent Bronzing Tint is just a simple, easy peasy, pleasure to use.

The Bronzer and Rose Day Cream on my bare face.

I have a bit of a crush on this product. Eep. But I am really looking forward to mixing and matching this with a foundation or popping a bit of translucent powder on top for when I want more coverage. Or adding a small pump into my body moisturiser when I'm having a 'pale' day.


What bronzers are you loving right now?

Have fun!

Renee x

*This product was sent to me for consideration, however my opinions are 100% genuine and honest.

Sunday 5 October 2014

Wild Rose Cosmetics Mattifying Primer Treatment.

100% Natural 100% Vegan 100% Australian





I can't pretend to know a lot about primers, I know what they are used for but I have had very little experience with them. I must admit this is the first time I have ever really worn a primer and I have to say that Wild Rose Cosmetics has converted me. The Mineral Mattifying Primer Treatment is super simple to use and absorbed into my skin really quickly. I found that my foundation took a little more working with to blend out on my skin as the primer really locks the foundation down. This resulted in a really even and light finish. Wild Rose Cosmetics is all vegan, natural and Australian.
What I really like about this Mattifying Primer is that it made my foundation stay all day without it fading or smudging. I didn't feel greasy at the end of the day which is great and I am looking forward to using this during Summer because my skin gets a little oilier when the weather gets warmer.

What natural Primers do you like?

Have Fun!

Renee x