Spring Trend Essentials 2015

On the Shopping List!

1. Orange Lips were Hot on the Catwalk this Spring, to try this trend without killing the bank look for Australis Pout Paste in Love Bites $12.95.

2. Berry lips are big this Spring! Phyts Nourishing ad Moisturising Lipstick in Plum Velvet $34.00.

3. Use the Napoleon Perdis Neo Noir Liquid Eyeliner $32.00 to create the perfect cat-eyed flick.

4. Keep your lips feeling amazing by using Natural Bridge Organic Lip Balm $6.95 with a refreshing hint of lemon myrtle.

5. Give your hair texture and body with the Lush Dirty Hair Styliing Cream $13.95. This gives a medium hold with the Lush famous Dirty scent. 

6. The Beauty Chef Beauty Fix Balm $24.95 will be your essential cream for any inflamed or damaged skin this Spring.

7. Brown eyeshadow in soft matte tones are BIG this Season. Ere Perez Eye duo in Very Important $27.95 features two shades in a brown matte and a gold shimmer.

8. Add of pop of colour when you feel like it using the Zuii Organics Eyeshadow in Jade $21.75 for a vibrant look.

9. Glide-On Eye Pencils from Urban Decay $20.00 are creamy and waterproof. These stay put all day and have a wide range of colours.

10. Save money with a home waxing kit when the weather warms up. Try Moom Express Wax Strips Face & Bikini $15.95 for small areas of the body. Moom Organic Hair Removal Kit with Lavender $24.95 is best used for larger parts of the body such as legs and arms.

Have Fun!

Renee x

Winter Favourites 2015

Winter has gone and Spring has sprung. 

My favourite season has come to an end. I lean towards a much creamier and luxurious menu of skincare when the weather gets cold and my skin gets a bit drier. These were my picks for the season.

                                     

As a cleanser I have tried out the Toby and Rosie Pink Salt Facial Cleanser. I found this in the back of my bathroom cupboard. This was a sample that came with an order I made a long time ago, so I wasn't in a rush and try it. However, this has been a lovely substitute to my usual cleanser ( Toby and Rosie Activated Charcoal Bar) as it still makes my skin clean and glow. It contains pink salt that gently foams when mixed with water and this small tub lasted all winter and some.

My mornings are pretty hectic and I really don't have time to stand over the bathroom sink and cleanse my face the 'normal' way (I shower at night). Instead I have been reaching for the Kosmea Facial Cleansing Wipes*. These have been my skin saviour these last few weeks and if I didn't have them on hand to give my face a quick wipe after brushing my teeth I wouldn't be cleansing my face at all. These contain a moisturising blend of Rose hip oil, Olive oil and soothing Aloe Vera all in one Biodegradable cloth. I'm not particularly a fan of the scent but the cloth is so soft and the cleansing solution is so gentle that I can forgive that.

After I give my face a wipe in the morning, I finish off with a gentle moisturiser, so that my face doesn't feel like it's about to crack. I'm loving Zk'in Relief Moisturiser* for its gentle yet extremely effective moisturising tricks. I really enjoy popping a bit of this on in the mornings. It's really creamy and has very little scent. I love how this is so light that my face doesn't get oily during the day and its only got good stuff in it so that means no petro chemicals, sulphates or parabens.

At night I have been changing things up a bit and have added a night serum into my routine. I was sent the Dr Hauschka Night Serum*  a while ago and I love it! I have continued to use this every night and I have seen real difference in my complexion. Mostly my skin is softer and my skin-tone has evened out to reveal brighter looking skin. I'm all for that. The secret ingredient is Berner Rose Apple that help to support skin renewal overnight. I think it's doing pretty well indeed.

I can't write a favourites post without giving an honourable mention to this duo. The Moreish Exfoliator and Clay Mask are a couple that dare to go to skincare extremes. The exfoliator is a gentle and creamy formulation with tiny little jojoba beads that carefully scrub away dead skin cells. The mask is like a creamy clay when applied then it dries a little hard on the skin but seriously, once it's washed off my skin looks radiant! This is a repurchase for me!

Last but certainly not least is the Lush Sympathy For The Skin Hand And Body Lotion. My mum gave me this for my Birthday because she is cool like that. I got this in May and only half the tub has been used, which is good because Lush moisturisers don't come cheap. I love the banana/vanilla scent to this thick cream, I feel like it is the perfect scent for cold weather and because its a much richer cream it works well for my dry skin in Winter.

What have you been loving this Winter?

Have Fun!

Renee x

*First Impression* Native Box Winter 2015

Full Of New Brands

Yesterday was the arrival of the winter Native Box. All wrapped up in the exciting new package with the familiar Native box logo. I was thrilled!

This is a first impression of the box because these are my favourite kind of posts to read and write.

I am very please to see a full size Absolutely Gorgeous Macadamia Face Cream this winter. I still have quiet a bit of my current moisturiser left but if its as gentle and smoothing as they say, this will be perfect for Spring. As the name suggests this contains macadamia oil along with Rosehip oil and carrot oil to improve skin elasticity and slow down the signs of ageing.

Now, this I'm excited for! The Paleo Skincare gave us a sachet of their Spearmint Tallow Body Wash.  I love the idea of washing myself with mint. I have heard of Paleo Skincare and it really intrigues me. I think the scent will be perfect in summer, I get really tired in Summer (I don't handle heat well ) so this will liven me up after morning gym classes.

Natralus provided us with two sachets each of their Paw Paw Ointment, Paw Paw Gel, and Aloe Vera Gel. I think two sachets are enough to get a pretty good feel of a product, but I'm hoping with fingers crossed that for the Spring box we get full sized Aloe Vera Gel for any accidental sunburn that may happen in Summer.

Wotnot makes a regular appearance in the Native Box. These Body Wipes were a tad underwhelming as the only way I can think of using them is by popping them in the nappy bag for when I go out. I'm guessing they would be handy to use them after going to the gym and I don't have time to head home for shower before running errands. Either way they are free of alcohol, chlorine, perfume, parabens, PEGs and petrochemicals so they would be suitable for any skin type whether they be young or old.

I'm finding little sachets galore in this box! Buckley and Philips Indulgent Body Lotion is a handy one to have when I'm getting bit bored of my current body moisturisers. Sometimes I just like to mix things up. Scented with essentials oils this will be prefect to change my routine to something more natural. (even though I think I do pretty well on that front.)

 In amongst the paper shreds is the Awe Cosmeceuticales Rsadna Hydrating Mask. This is something I had to immediately try a bit on my hand and have a quick test. This mask smells amazingly natural with honey and soothing Aloe. I have never used a leave -on mask but I am looking forward to trying this out. Sometimes its pain to wash off a mask when all I want to do is snuggle in front of the fire in the evening. Am I right?

Last but not least is the Pure By Phytocare Papaya Ointment. I have independently bought this previously and quiet liked it. Its just a basic Papaw ointment in a lip balm tube but it does the job. This is probably one of the better brands on the market if you're looking for papaw lip products.

This winters Native Box was full of different brands, some familiar, some that I have never heard of. I like the full sized moisturiser and lip ointment but I feel that there is such thing as too many sachets. I kind of feel that this box isn't the best one that I have opened but I will still enjoy most things.

What do you think of this seasons Native Box? 

Have Fun!

Renee x

Bloggers United 2015

Picture Heavy Post

There has been a lot of anticipation and build up to the Perth Bloggers United event. I travelled five hours up to Perth just to attend, and it was well worth it!

We all met at the Gramercy Bar and Kitchen on Hay street and were treated to our own little area that was decorated beautifully with flowers from Freshflowers.com.au. They also gave us a single long-stemmed rose each in our sample bags. 

We were greeted by the lovely organisers Sophie (Born to Buy), Jasmine (Sweetaholic-Beauty), Angie (Peplum and Prosecco) and Sam (That Little Beauty Blog), then given complimentary mocktails and encouraged to hang out and chat.

Table decorations from Freshflowers.com.au

Sweetly Baked Perth custom made us some yummy cupcakes and Bloggers United cookies.

 

When we arrived there was not one inch of table space left because they were full of sample bags from very generous companies.

We had speakers from L'Oreal, Weleda, Plunketts, Elucent Skincare, Enbacci and Lush Cosmetics. I ws most excited to hear from Weleda and I learnt a great deal about their company. I also received  full size product from them so I will try it out and let you know what I think. 

We also received products from Dr Hauschka, Antipodes, EcoTools, Furless Cosmetics, Lush, Chi Chi Cosmetics, and many many more.

It was a beautiful sunny day on Saturday and the room had large windows that allowed the sun to shine in. There were a lot of beauty, lifestyle and fashion bloggers there. It was a full house!

All the girls were so friendly and it was great to meet some new bloggers!

Left to right:

justjessicalee, bonnbeaute, sophialcsmakeup.

Weleda had an exciting display of some of their products.

The Lush demonstration was a lot of fun. The girls got us all involved smelling moisturisers and dropping a bathbomb in warm water to watch it fizz away.

The 'Sex Bomb" Lush bath bomb.

Thanks to the brilliant organisers! You did a great job girls and we all had a wonderful time.

Some links to other great bloggers I met (minus picture):

Born to buy

Sweetaholic Beauty

Peplum and Prosecco

That Little Beauty Blog

wanderlust_by_val

Missmuseblog

Running in chanel

MazRawrs- youtube

Have Fun!

Renee x

Copycat 'Kiera Knightly'

Using *Face Of Australia* Cosmetics

Creating Kiera Knightlys' Smoky Eye. For $20.00

As you can see from the first picture, the eyeshadow has ABCD written on them. I have used these as a guide.

Dust 'B' all over the eyelid and up to the brow.

Line the eyes with a black pencil eyeliner.

Apply 'C' to the eyelid and blend 'D' together with it creating a dark smoky effect.

Dab a small amount of the lightest colour 'A' in the inner corner of the eyes  and apply two to three coats of mascara.

I'm pretty happy with the end result. I had a lot of fun playing with the colours and trying to find a lipstick similar to the one Kiera is wearing. The Face Of Australia lipstick has more of a pearl finish but Kiera is wearing a matte colour.

I challenge you to do a copycat, and send me the links to your post.

Have Fun!

Renee x

It's The Little Things

The small things that make me smile.

The windchimes hanging on our back verandah.

Every so often I hear the twinkling of the chimes during the day, and it makes me happy.

Rainy days.

I don't think I would like them everyday, but sometimes I just love waking up to rain and falling asleep to the sound of rain.

The view of our backyard.

I love the view of trees, but what I love most is the beautiful birds that live in them. It's a joy to watch them flying around from tree to tree. 

My pet chickens and cat. This is the gorgeous Mary.

I could sit all day and watch our chickens scratch around the backyard. They are such happy little ladies clucking about eating grubs and pecking at the pegs near the clothesline.

We have a beautiful cat, Louis and he is the most friendly and chilled-out cat you could ever meet. His cuddles are always appreciated.

Cooking and baking.

I love food and I love cooking it. Once a week I will sit down and plan meals for the week. This is possibly my favourite duty as a house wife because it gives me a chance to discover new recipes to try out.

Flowers from our front garden.

Our garden is full of native plants (and some weeds) and I find some really pretty flowers in there. I am looking forward to Spring when colour will burst but Winter delights me too.

I guess what I am saying is, appreciate the little things around you. Discover the beauty of nature. And laugh when something amuses you.

Have Fun!

Renee x

Treats In The Mail

Aussie Subscription Boxes for the Eco Lover.

Im still captured by the world of subscription boxes. Every month or so to recive a small parcel of goodies is always nice right? My first subscription was with Bella Box a few years ago, I loved receiving mail and new beauty products to try. Then I signed up with Lust have It! And more joy came in the post. I quickly discovered that after a while these boxes didnt really fit my niche for cruelty free, eco concious cosmetics. So I went looking for some others.

There is a huge range of Eco subscription boxes out there for those people who like beauty, snacks and tea, right here in Australia.

The Vegan Box costs$26.95 month: The fresh way to discover the best new vegan, cruelty free, healthy, and natural products out there!

Every month you’ll receive a box bursting with vegan goodness, delivered straight to your door!  You’ll get to try 5 – 8 assorted snacks, superfoods, skincare and/or lifestyle products, in a combination of full size, travel size and sample sizes. Always 100% vegan and palm oil free.

The Vegan Beauty Box $49.95 every two months: The Vegan Beauty Box is the easy way to discover luxurious, cruelty free and organic brands for your body. You can rest assured knowing that every product is 100% free of animal ingredients, and animal testing.

Every 2nd month you’ll discover 5 to 8 of the best new natural, chemical free and palm-oil free beauty products. No nasty parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, paraffin, lead, SLS, PABA or other dodgy ingredients you can’t pronounce!

The Vegan Beauty Box is bursting with skin-loving goodies, ranging from full size, sample size and travel sized items, and is always valued at over $60. A new Vegan Beauty Box is released every 2nd month.

Native box: $16.60 month: Every month receive a box of natural samples delivered straight to your doorstep, with only the finest products sourced by the Native Box Team.

Native box Beauty: $22.45 per quarter: This is our most requested box and is ideal for the eco conscious women who loves to know that all things natural are going on her skin. Delivered straight to your work or home. A range of the newest and best selling natural and or organic beauty products. A box full of natural skin care and cosmetics for the healthy ladies! 
Reviews:
Autumn 2015
Summer 2015
Spring 2014
Winter 2014

Notox Box: Snackfood $28.95 per month: Our original healthy subscription box is best for discovery!  

If you're new to healthy living, want to find non toxic products, or are overwhelmed by the choices available, this is the box for you!  We hand pick a range of natural & organic products and pack them up in a surprise box for you to enjoy each month.   It has a little bit of everything!

Each month, you'll receive 5- 8 products including:

• All products are natural, organic, eco friendly or ethical (cruelty free, sustainable, fairtrade) 
• organic food, health food or superfoods 
• natural and organic skincare and beauty products
• wellness, eco home or healthy lifestyle products

Notox Box Superfood Snack Subscription Box starting at $28.95 per month: A surprise delivery of superfoods and healthy snacks for you to discover every month!

Picture: Eco Brides

Beauty Box Flora and Fauna Seasonal $29.99: Flora & Fauna craft seasonal beauty boxes so you are able to discover and try different natural products you might not have used before.

We always choose seasonally relevant products and have a mixture of full size, trial and sample sizes. 

We send seasonally so we don't overload you with product and so we can select stunning, relevant product you'll want to use.

Buy one box or four seasons worth to really experience all of Flora & Fauna throughout the year. And with the Four Seasons box you get free delivery on each box.

Note this is not a subscription where you pay monthly, seasonally or annually; it's a one off payment whether it be one box or four so you don't have to worry about cancelling payments or getting something you don't want. 

Harvest Box 7.95 Per snack box, Delivered Monday to Friday.

Receive a box full of delicious snacks straight to your desk without any 'snack guilt.' Each box contains four delicious snack varieties for you to nibble on during the week!
Review:
For The Healthy Snackers

Goodness me box $25.00 per month: Our aim is to provide you food with integrity. We source only the highest quality health food brands that share our passion to provide wholesome and natural food products that are GMO-free and which are two or more of the following: Organic, sustainable, raw, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free or vegan.

                                   

Spiced Fig $55.00 Per tote bag: Your tote will be contain 6-8 full size artisan products, boutique products for you to discover. Start creating delicious meals & desserts, share photos & connect with the community. Schedule some time for indulgence and look forward to your next tote delivery.

Crave Good Food $149.85 3 month subscription: We scout the country for quality food finds made by Australian food makers to treat you to a new food discovery. At Crave Good Food, ‘artisan’ signifies food made with passion & integrity. We celebrate food makers & producers who are not afraid to experiment & be creative with their quality ingredients, tools or technique.

Crave Good Food not only supports the food maker who creates small batch food with much passion & detail, but also the talented producer who chooses local ingredients to turn traditional, family recipes in to good quality food that we crave.

Tea with Alice: $24.95 month for fours teas: Tell us what types of tea you like, and that is what we will send you to explore. Each sachet of tea contains about 8-10 cups for you to enjoy. Great to gift the tea lovers!

Review:

For Lovers Of Tea

What is your favourite subscription box service? Have I missed any out?

Have Fun!

Renee x