Hi, my little Unicorns!
I have been very busy for the past few weeks, and am acutely aware of my lack of bloggage. December is a HUGE months for competitions, with companies running Advent Calendar and 12 (or 24) Days of Christmas comps which, of course, are daily entry and extremely time-consuming. Needless to say, I have been comping my butt off!
Anyway, soon I will be bound for Singapore! YAY! I'm going on a Cruise with my family (but before you think of robbing me, someone will be looking after the house during our time away). LOL.
If you have been to Singapore (or know someone who has), I would LOVE to hear your tips! Please post below in the comments. I'm interested in anything about holidaying in Singapore, especially;
- MAKE-UP & SKINCARE; where to buy and what is cheap
- GENERAL SHOPPING; what the best shops are, etc
- TOURISTY THINGS; where the best places to go are
- INSIDER TIPS; anything you can pass on from your experiences
Thanks so much!
Wishing all my readers and fellow bloggers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Love you all and looking forward to blogging next year xxx
Di :o)
Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Samuel L Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Steve Coogan.
Genre: Conedy/Action
Terry (Wahlberg) is a cop who accidentally shot Baseball superstar Derek Jeter. Allen (Ferrell) is happy with his boring but safe job filling out police paperwork. Relegated to the office, they receive no respect from their workmates. Suddenly, Terry and Allen's lives are turned upside down when they seize the opportunity to step up like the courageous cops they idolise.
Director Adam McKay collaborates with Ferrell for the fourth time, following Anchorman, Talladega Nights and Step Brothers. You probably know by now that I'm a huge Will Ferrell fan, and he doesn't disappoint in The Other Guys. This is a hilarious film, that I'd highly recommend. It's also more actiony that Ferrell's other outings (generally speaking) with a knockout, purposely over-the-top opening scene. The whole cast have fun with this, from Michael Keaton, the Police Captain with the second job at Bed, Bath & Beyond, to Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L Jackson as the hero cops idolised by the Other Guys. It is well worth getting the Blu Ray as it contains an Extended Version not shown in cinemas, a gag reel and 100 minutes of special features, including "Pimps Don't Cry" and hilarious interviews with British comedian/actor Steve Coogan and Director Adam McKay. Pure Awesomeness :o)
I don't get out much! So when I get an entire day at Westfield by myself, you can be sure I will shop 'til I drop. Note that all these sales/deals are most likely finished as this Haul happened a fortnight ago. I've also included my haul from The Shoe Shed online as my shoes arrived one day before this epic shopping trip. I present to you, Haulage to the MAX (The Unicorn). LOL :)
Kate Moss Rimmel Lipsticks in 11, 05 and 07 (left to right)
PRICELINE: buy 2 get the 3rd free
Maybelline MasterLiner in Black
Maybelline Hyper Diamonds in BU-1
PRICELINE: Buy one Maybelline eye product, get one free
Bourjois Healthy Mix Correcting Concealer in 51 Light Radiance
PRICELINE: 30% off Bourjois face products (from memory!)
Australis Eyeshadow Primer
Australis Paparazzi Perfect High Definition Blush in Flash It
Australis Voluptulash Mascara
PRICELINE: Spend $16 (I think?) or more on Australis, get a free Mascara
Batiste Dry Shampoo in Tropical
UNITED DISCOUNT CHEMIST: $7.95 instead of rrp $9.95
Schwarzkopf Extra Care Volume Power Mousse
Schwarzkopf Extra Care Push-Up Volume Shampoo
Schwarzkopf Extra Care Push-Up Volume Lotion
PRICELINE: I think they were on special, but can't remember!
My Fashion Scene black headband with black flower
BYS Eyeshadow #2 Natural Delight (left)
BYS Metallics Darks (colourful one in the middle)
2 x BYS Metallics Browns (right and top)
THE REJECT SHOP: headband $3, all eye palettes $2 each (normally $4.95 each)
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 356 Soft Suede
Revlon Colorstay Lipliner in Pink/Rose
MYER: products purchased to qualify for the Gift With Purchase (GWP).
Revlon GWP containing (left to right):
Revlon Top Speed Enamel in 140 Guava
Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in 096 Petal
Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping Mascara in 001 Blackest Black
Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in 022 Sunset Peach
Revlon Colorstay 12 Hour Eyeshadow in 02 Coffee Bean
Black Lacy Clutch/MakeUp Bag
MYER
FREE SAMPLES
Balenciaga Paris
Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose
Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude
Estee Lauder Resilience Lift Firming/Sculpting Eye Creme
DAVID JONES and MYER (using various vouchers/coupons etc)
Amelie Blu Ray
Forgetting Sarah Marshall Blu Ray
The Other Guys Blu Ray
SANITY: used $5 left on my gift card. Total spent = $35
3 pairs of Wedges
THE SHOE SHED ONLINE which can be found here
$140 + $10 shipping which is capped no matter how many pairs you buy :o)
PHEW! You made it to the end! What's your favourite product here?
In October 2011, Australia Post released a set of Mythical Creatures stamps as part of Stamp Collecting Month, comprising a fairy, troll, mermaid, griffin, unicorn and a dragon!
This stamp issue was illustrated by Brisbane-based artist Aaron Pocock.
From Australia Post, a little about each mythical creature:
Fairy
Excitable and contrary, fairies can be both malicious and good-hearted. Common in mythology, they can take on a number of guises.
Troll
This creature is often referred to as the ugliest of legendary beings. Grumpy, strong and not very clever, trolls originated in Scandinavia.
Mermaid
In Greek mythology the beautiful woman with the tail of a fish lures sailors to their deaths with her eerie song.
Griffin
This majestic being has the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle. It is very ancient, first appearing in art of the Bronze Age. The Griffin was often regarded as king of all creatures and responsible for guarding priceless treasure.
Unicorn
This horse-like creature with a spiralling horn projecting from its forehead was first mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In the Middle Ages it was believed that only a young girl could catch this wild and shy animal.
Dragon
This creature appears in the mythology of most cultures. In European legend it is usually a malevolent, fire-breathing monster with bat-like wings. It lives in a dark lair, like a cave.
I received a letter last week with an untouched (slack-arse Autralia Post!) Unicorn stamp. Here it is below......
* The first image was taken from the Austalia Post website.
What's your favourite mythical creature?
Starring: (voices) Shane Jacobson, Magda Szubanski, Delta Goodrem.
Genre: Animated, Family
Santa's Apprentice is being marketed as a "heart warming, animated adventure for the whole family". We follow the adventures of Nicholas, a seven year old Australian orphan, who because of his name and his pure heart, is chosen by Santa to become his apprentice.
To be completely honest, I did not enjoy this one bit. From the moment I smacked my eyes on the archaic animation, I was underwhelmed. The dialogue is corny and I know it's a kid's movie, but my four year old was bored shitless during this. For comparison, he loved The Smurfs and was much better behaved in the cinema. It seems they made this on a shoestring budget, for the voice cast is unimpressive and I just don't think there is any justification for the crappy animation displayed here, given the current technology available in this field. We have come so much further than this! I was disappointed, and honestly, I'm glad this was a short movie and I got to see previews for Arthur Christmas and Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked before the feature.
Welcome to the lastest edition of Celebrities in Dresses. So far I've only featured women, but I'm thinking of doing a post featuring men. Of course they won't be in dresses. But they will be famous. Enough talk, onto the frocks!
Reese Witherspoon
Reese is wearing a black Cushnie et Ochs dress at the Gucci-sponsored LACMA Art & Film Gala for Clint Eastwood. Love this sexy dress on Reese, it's very adult and quite different from what she usually wears. Also loving the hairdo, red nails and hot shoes. Go Reese!
Katie Holmes
Katie is wearing a dress from her own collection, Holmes & Yang, at the LA premiere of her movie with Adam Sandler, Jack & Jill. This looks like a top and skirt but it's apparently a dress. A horrible one. The black skirt looks huge on her, and it's the wrong length, making her legs look bigger than they are. Also, look at the ill-fitting waist! Weird.
Michelle Williams
Michelle is wearing a gold Ocsar de la Renta frock at the My Week With Marilyn screening at the AFI Fest. This is lovely. Love her pixie cut and soft makeup, too. She pretty much always looks good!
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth is wearing a green sequinned Elie Saab gown and Annoushka necklace at the Bambi Awards in Germany. I don't really like the necklace and I'm on the fence with the dress. I like how it's all sparkly and the colour is really pretty, but I'm not sure if it suits her. What do you guys think?
Kate Hudson
Kate is wearing a gold Gucci cocktail dress at the LACMA event for Clint Eastwood. This dress is stunning and Kate looks amazing! Loving this look big time.
Which dress is your favourite out of this lot?
Starring: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell, Donald Sutherland.
Genre: Comedy
Three friends hatch a plot to murder their 'Horrible Bosses' when they realise they are making them unhappy in their respective careers. This fantastically crude and fruity language filled Seth Gordon directed comedy is hilarious. Colin Farrell is practically unrecognisable as a balding cokehead. Jennifer Aniston shocks as a foul-mouthed slutty Dentist. And the chemistry between the three males leads is amazing; they play off each other seamlessly. Jason Bateman's career appears to be going from strength to strength, and he gives a wonderful performance here. I actually hadn't seen Charlie Day or Jason Sudeikis in anything else, but they are so funny, I will now rectify that.
A warning: if you don't appreciate swearing, this is not the film for you. Horrible Bosses had me in stitches from start to finish and I'd highly recommend it. Don't miss the out-takes at the end, motherfucker!
I've decided to make a conscious effort to use up my sample-sized products, because they are smaller and I'll power through them quicker, meaning I can throw more empties out. I'm fast running out of storage space! Welcome to my October Empties.
TN Dickinson's WitchHazel
My all-time favourite toner, I've been using this product for years, to clean, tone and smooth my skin. I apply it liberally to a cotton ball then swipe my face. It can be used to remove face makeup, or tone skin after a shower, readying your face for moisuriser and makeup. This is especially good to use if I have broken out. I apply it before bed, and it seems to clear up my skin quicker than pimple creams do. At about $6 a bottle, this is a bargain buy.
Revlon Matte Powder Blush in Rose Rapture
This was a great every day blush, in a flattering shade. Upon opening the lid there's a black button you push which makes a mirror pop out the side. This was handy for checking my hair from different angles in the bathroom mirror. I won this product along with a bunch of other Revlon goodies, and won't purchase another, simply because I have many other blushers to use up first.
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel
This was a pleasant, gentle cleansing gel. So glad I've been winning Dermalogica products lately, because I'm really impressed with the brand. Hope I win more!
Payot Gentle Scrubbing Cream
I quite liked this gorgeously-fragranced exfoliant. It was gentle and felt lovely to use. I've said before, but for fancy French brands, I love Payot so much more than the more-famous Guinot.
ASAP Gentle Cleansing Gel
This was a great little cleanser, although admittedly, I didn't get much out of this tiny sample. But it was my introduction to the ASAP brand, so I was excited to try it.
ASAP Daily Exfoliating Facial Scrub
This was quite possibly the harshest scrub I have ever used. The particles were huge and dense within the formulation. It hurt and after the first go, I decided to use the rest as a body scrub, so as to not lose 10 layers of face skin. OUCH!
** TN Dickinson's WitchHazel was bought by me, all other products I won.
Feel free to link to your October Empties in the comments below so I can check yours out!
Here's some Celebrity Fashion that will wake you up on a Sunday! I got these photos from Celebitchy, my all-time favourite gossip site :)
Zhang Ziyi
Chinese Actress Zhang Ziyi at the Rome Film Festival for the premiere of Love for Life, in a dreamy princess dress from Elie Saab Couture. Just beautiful.
Amanda Seyfried
Actress Amanda Seyfried at the premiere of In Time, her movie with Justin Timberlake, rocking an electric blue H&M tuxedo-shorts ensemble. I love that she has thrown caution to the wind, and she certainly has the body to pull this off. Do you like this look?
Sarah Jessica Parker
Fashion icon SJP is in Australia currently, promoting her latest film No One Cares How She Does It. Here she is in Melbourne wearing a Chanel dress and a hideous Philip Treacy satellite hat. What was she thinking? CAN you think with that monstrosity on your head?
Sarah Jessica Parker
A double dose of SJP, because I just can't get enough. LOL. Still in Australia for a photo call/press conference for the same movie, this time in an acid yellow-green Vera Wang dress. It's certainly bright and colourful. It's what I imagine you'd hallucinate while using magic mushrooms or tripping on acid. I like her hair.
What's your pick of this bunch?
Here are my favourites for October. This includes two brand new products on the market, one newly-discovered product and an old lover :)
Urban Rituelle Vanilla Eau De Parfum
Loving this! I won a $100 UR voucher and included this delightful fragrance in my order. I'm so happy I did! It's a light, umm, vanilla-ey fragrance that's fresh and pretty. And not one of those strong aromas that gives me a headache. YAY!
Olay Total Effects Cream Cleanser
I used to use this cream cleanser years ago and I don't rememeber why I stopped! It's fabulous and I'm so happy I've rediscovered it. It has such a lovely fragrance and although it's a cream cleanser it contains sparse tiny exfoliating particles that are hardly noticeable, yet give me such a satisfying cleansing experience. Hope I remember to keep buying this. :)
Maybelline Eye Studio MasterLiner Cream Pencil
I was quite impressed with this eyeliner, which I bought in Black. Who uses brown eyeliner, seriously!? I normally dislike retractable eyeliner and stick with pencil ones, but I couldn't resist buying this, as it's quite reasonably priced. The formula is quite soft and creamy and it provides a dramatic line which would be great for an evening look (I wear it during the day, though). It has superior staying power and doesn't rub off or smudge. My new favourite eyeliner. For now. :)
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer
I bought this in Fair Clair, as part of my neverending quest to find my Holy Grail concealer. And I'm really loving it. I'm quite particular about my concealers. Even though I have a YSL Touche Eclat, I don't love it because it's a brush-on instead of a wand applicator. I was quite sceptical of a concealer thats concept is to let your natural skin shine through. No, that's what I'm trying to conceal! LOL. But this is a lovely creamy product that DOES cover my imperfections, is easily blendable and lasts all day. Currently my everyday concealer, however the hunt for my Holy Grail product continues.
* Urban Rituelle I won, all other products I bought with my own money.
What products are you loving right now?
rrp $22.99
Aveeno say: "With clinically proven Total Soy Complex to brighten and even skin tone while providing SPF15 sun protection, Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturiser contains natural light-reflecting minerals and lightweight coverage that seamlessly blends away imperfections and immediately enhances skin’s natural radiance."
I'm quite taken with Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturiser from Aveeno Active Naturals. I'm using Fair to Light, but it's also available in Medium. The consistency is spot on, not too thick or runny. It applied easily and blended well. The Fair to Light shade is perfect for my pale skin. Normally my shade is Ivory, so I thought this may be too dark, but this wasn't the case. I loved the slightly glowy complexion this gave me, and it really evened out my skin tone. My face looked glowing and healthy after application. I found Aveeno Tinted Moisturiser to be slight thicker with greater coverage than most other tinted moisturisers, and as such it easily covered my blotchy patches. I was very impressed and thought it did meet its claim of evening out skin tone and brightening the appearance of skin.
The pump action packaging is easy to use and aesthetically pleasing, however I did notice when I used this each day, there was a small, dry, crusty bit of product that I had to wipe away to get to the fresh product. This is exactly the type of product I'd use for days I'm staying home and on weekends, as it's quick and easy to apply, yet doesn't give me the confidence of a full coverage foundation (hence I wouldn't really wear it out!). Overall, I am impressed with Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturiser and the results it gave me and I'll continue to use this product.
* this product was provided for consideration. This review is my honest opinion.
So I've written myself a new, pared-back skincare routine, with the hope I can actually stick to this one! I'm really going to try and make time to carry this out daily, because I did a proper night-time routine last night and it felt so good. I've changed nearly every product up, so it will be interesting how I'll go.
CLEANSING
Olay Total Effects Cream Cleanser
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
DAY (UNDER MAKEUP)
Botani Olive Skin Serum Anti-Ageing Natural Moisturiser
Olay Total Effects Anti-Ageing Cream
Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum
NIGHT
TN Dickinson's Witch Hazel
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Recovery Complex
Dr. LeWinns Line Smoothing Complex S8 Double Intensity Night Cream
L'Oreal Dermo-Expertise Youth Code Rejuvenating Anti-Wrinkle Eye Care
* photo taken from the Estee Lauder website
Do you use any of these products? How are they working for you?
RRP $19.99
DB says:
"Eternal Youth Illuminating Day Creme helps prevent and reduce the signs of ageing whilst providing moisture and hydration. The infusions of Q10, antioxidants & peptides helps promote the appearance of younger, fresher looking skin. Leaves skin looking radiant and glowing!"
This pink coloured cream from DB (Designer Brands) has a lovely light consistency and a pleasant fragrance. It feels luxurious to apply, and blends quite easily as long as you don't use too much. At $19.99 for a 50ml jar, this day cream is quite good value for money, since only a small amount is needed each time. Immediately upon application, my skin felt slightly sticky to the touch, however this effect disappeared after 5 to 10 minutes, the time taken for the cream to properly absorb into my skin.
Results
My skin felt soft and smooth and fine lines were less defined. It must be noted, I also used my lifting eye cream in conjunction with DB Eternal Youth, so that would have been a contributing factor. The best effect I saw was that my skin looked brighter and more illuminated after using this cream. I could see a noticeable glow and radiance. Also, Eternal Youth provided a great base for makeup. This is something I always worry about, because you don't want to cleanse, exfoliate, moisturise, then apply your treatment cream, wait for it all to absorb, then discover your foundation smears over the top or you get the dreaded rub-off effect. After applying my makeup, my pores were tight and I could barely see any fine lines.
The packaging of this product is also aesthetically pleasing. It looks like an upmarket glass jar, however it's plastic. Great news if you drop it on the bathroom floor (another thing I worry about with cosmetics and skin care packaging!).
Overall, I'm impressed with the results of DB Eternal Youth Illuminating Day Creme, and would consider purchasing it once my current jar runs out.
** This product was provided for review purposes. This review is my honest opinion.
What do you think of DB products?
I don't know why. But here are six famous ladies in black dresses. YAY!
Dita Von Teese
Dita in a dress she wore in Berlin recently. It's being referred to as a negligee dress but I love it! Her red nails and lips compliment this dress perfectly.
Julia Roberts
Here's Julia at a Fireflies In The Garden premiere. I dont mind the dress but the blazer doesnt really go. I would have liked to see it without the jacket. The shoes look stripperesque but I like them anyway!
Lindsay Lohan
Alleged crackhead hot mess LiLo at a Saints Row event in LA. Hideous. Her foul extensions look cheap and the dress is awful. The pockets don't help. Those (alleged) meth teeth have gotten a lot of publicity this week!
Charlize Theron
I love this Little Black Dress and the shoes are fantastic. Seriously, though, it's Charlize. She'd look good in a potato sack!
Felicity Jones
Felicity is an upcoming actress from new movie Like Crazy (she was also in Chalet Girl). I love this dress! Yes, it's busy but I like that there's a lot happening. Pretty!
Evan Rachel Wood
Evan at this years Emmy Awards in a gorgeous black beaded Eli Saab gown. Old school glamour at it's finest!
What are your thoughts on these dresses? Do you have a favourite?
Another month, another load of empties. I actually really enjoy blogging my empties, because it forces me to use up my products so I've got something to blog about! Today, I started organising all my unused prodz into categories so I can store them better and I am SHOCKED at how much shit I have!
L'Oreal Casting Creme Gloss Conditioning Colour in 910 Light Iced Blonde
This was a hassle to use, compared to the home colours I've used in the past. There's a perforated bit where you pop the cardboard box out and you are supposed to stand the container up in it to mix the other stuff in. Sorry I'm being to vague, I've thrown the instructions out and I don't know the names to refer to! Also, after I broke the top off the bottle and squeezed some out, it came out crooked and went near my eye. Not good! I think I just had a bad day with this colour, because I've used a lot of different brands and types in the past and this has never happened before. The result wasn't too bad, not brilliant though, and I do have to use blonde toner or my hair looks a bit orangey. I will be looking to purchase a completely different colour in the future.
Dove Gentle Exfoliating Beauty Cream Bar
Love this soap and have blogged about it previously here
Toni & Guy Volume Conditioner
I wasn't a massive fan of this conditioner. It didn't really seem to make my hair fuller or more volumous. It does take a lot to get body into my fine hair, though.
Clinique Liquid Facial Soap
I quite enjoyed this mild cleanser from Clinique. It was very gentle and did the job although it's definitely not the best facial soap I've ever used.
Guinot Gommage Grain D'Eclat (Gentle Face Exfoliating Cream)
I was so disappointed with this exfoliator! It had an unpleasant aroma, minimal exfoliating particles and left a horrible, grimy residue on my face after I'd washed it off. If I'm to compare fancy French brands, my Payot stuff is winning hands down!
Schwarzkopf Extra Care Liquid Silk Shampoo, Conditioner & SOS Repair Treatment
These mini-sized products were from a travel kit I won and they were just lovely. They almost smelled of fairy floss or coconut ice. I enjoyed the silky smooth results I achieved from these products. They conditioned my hair well, and left it shiny and soft. I'd definitely purchase these with my own money in the future.
** L'Oreal, Dove, and Toni & Guy were purchased by me, Clinique, Guinot and Schwarzkopf I won.
I'd heard a lot about nailpolish brand Ulta3 but had never tried it myself. This all changed when I saw a big container of polishes at the Chemist for only $2.25 each!
I snagged Watermelon and Party Shoes.
Check out my Ulta3 Watermelon manicure below! The first photo is without flash and the second photo is with flash.
What's your favourite Ulta3 shade?
Today, I'm blogging about Urban Rituelle, because my order arrived!
So I've made a SoapHenge out of the Urban Rituelle soaps in my order.......
The vegetable soaps I chose are (from the top left of SoapHenge) Raspberry Spritzer, Vanilla Bean, Guava, Passionfruit and Mango. They smell DIVINE! See a more professional photo below .....
Thanks so much to the lovely peeps at Urban Rituelle for running a brilliant competition, I won a $100 voucher to spend in their online store. SUCH FUN! Below is my order in its entirety......
So in addition to the soaps, here are some of the products I'll most probably review after I've tried them out:
* Beachcomber Pink Jasmine Body Butter
* White Kimono Hand & Body Lotion
* Vanilla Eau De Parfum
* Beachcomber Summer Scents Frangipani
* Green Tea Hand Cream
* Lime Splice Lip Balm
* Beachcomber Pink Jasmine Lip Glamour
* Beachcomber Coconut & Ginger Lip Glamour
* Geranium & Ginger Flower Lip Lustre
They all came in this lovely bag. Urban Rituelle rule when it comes to gorgeous packaging....
What's your favourite Urban Rituelle product?
