Spotlight On: Hire A Packer!

This post is sponsored by Hire A Packer

Welcome to the third and final post in my series highlighting the Hire A Group companies! If you missed those, let me quickly fill you in. Hire A Group comprises Hire A Mover, Hire A Box and Hire A Packer. They are all pretty self-explanatory, but if you fancy a hot dude or cute cat photo you can read my hilarious and no doubt highly entertaining posts on Hire A Mover and Hire A Box at the links (and thank me later). Haha.

Teresa and Nicole from Hire A Packer (Photo Source: Hire A Packer website)

Put your hand up if you like packing boxes! OK, so I can't actually see you but I'm pretty sure noone put their hand up, because we're all normal around here, right? It's boring, it's tedious, it's hard work and frankly I'd rather be watching Season 4 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine than putting my stuff in a cardboard cube. This is where Hire A Packer comes in handy! These lovely ladies (it may not be these actual ladies depending on your location, but how sensible do they look? Seriously!) will carefully wrap and pack your household items so that you don't have to. They have a lot of experience with packing too, so they'll do a bang-up job of ensuring nothing gets banged up (all Hire A Packer staff must pass training courses and police checks). Packing is so time-consuming, but not if someone else is doing it for you! Not only that, your stress will be reduced along with your chances of having a mental breakdown (may just be talking about myself at this point). I remember when hubby and I moved from our rental into our first home, and the epic all-nighter we pulled trying to get everything packed by Moving Day. I was a crying, delirious mess in the end, and it was not pretty. LOL.

Photo Source: Hire A Packer website

So as well as not having to participate in dreaded manual labour (hey, the less physical exertion the better, says my ageing body), hiring a packer means you'll be more organised in your new home, as they label all the boxes as they go, so you know what room they belong in. Don't you hate it when you open a box in the loungeroom only to realise it in fact contains your pots and pans? Hire A Packer can also unpack your boxes and help settle you in by putting things away! It's suggested that this is best done the day after you move, as there will be Removalists at your new abode on the actual day and it will be pretty chaotic. I would love to have someone unpack for me, and the Hire A Packer ladies can even make the beds, organise the kitchen, put away books and DVDs and set up your kids room. I would draw the line at asking them to put together your backyard trampoline though, because boundaries. Although I'm sure they could do it! (Seriously, don't ask, it's just not polite). It's such a comprehensive service that's really designed to make your move smooth and stress-free.

In my first post of this series, you may remember me mentioning my Mother-In-Law's penchant for moving house. Well true to form, she's actually shifted since July, either once or twice, I legitimately can't keep up anymore! The latest move is quite a distance away, and given hubby's hatred of driving, we are waiting this one out, because it won't be long before she has itchy feet and moves again. I think she must have her belongings down to a minimum, because Hire A Packer or not, it's still no fun moving, although for some reason she loves it!

Nicole from Hire A Packer (Photo Source: Hire A Packer website)

So if you have a move coming up, keep in mind there are people that can help reduce your workload, stress level and odds of doing your back in, by packing and unpacking your belongings for you! And with locations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast, there's a good chance Hire A Packer can help you out with your next move. Check out their FAQ for more information.

You can contact Hire A Packer on 1300 366 522
Or you can check out the Hire A Packer website.

You may also like Spotlight On: Hire A Mover and Spotlight On: Hire A Box

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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Hire A Packer and written by Max The Unicorn blog. All thoughts are my honest, unbiased opinion. The Hire A Packer ladies do not assemble trampolines. All photos are from the Hire A Packer website. Links are for information purposes and are not affiliate links. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Would you use Hire A Packer for your next move?

Review: asap Skincare Range*

The asap (purposely lowercase!) tagline is 'the science of beautiful skin', and whilst I'm no Scientist, I tend to agree, as my skin has definitely improved during my asap skincare trial. A few months ago I was kindly sent four products from RY; the Daily Facial Cleanser*, Daily Exfoliating Facial Scrub*, Moisturising Daily Defence* and Super B Complex*. I was so happy for the opportunity to work with RY (Recreate Yourself) again, because I've ordered from them before and the products were competitively-priced, the transaction was smooth and the customer service was great. They are an Aussie company that stock a large range of hair and beauty brands, they price match and have fantastic sales. Let's have a look at the skincare!

Daily Facial Cleanser with AHA*

'asap Daily Facial Cleanser is an oil free formulation that gently cleanses skin of makeup and impurities. Contains AHA's to loosen and remove dead skin cells, leaving skin refreshingly clean and smooth.'

I really like the packaging of the cleanser and the scrub; the push-down, pop-up (is there a technical term for this? lol) dispenser is easy to operate in the shower, and the product opening is hidden after use, so it's hygienic and the products are kept fresh. This cleanser is a white cream, and I'll say that I'm not the biggest fan of cream cleansers. There's nothing wrong with this cleanser, in fact it works really well, it's just that my personal preference is for gel cleansers, and I think I would have got along really well with the asap Gentle Cleansing Gel instead. Daily Facial Cleanser does a good job of cleaning, feels nice and my skin feels comfortable afterwards; refreshed, clean and not at all dry or tight. The fragrance is subtle and pleasant and you get a low level of lather, so you don't have to stress about suds going in your eyes!

Daily Exfoliating Facial Scrub with AHA*

'asap Daily Exfoliating Facial Scrub is formulated to improve the appearance and texture of skin. Smooth, round exfoliating beads combined with AHAs remove dead skin cells without irritation and promote healthy looking skin.'

I really love this scrub and so I'm so glad I now know about it! The formula is a white gel-like consistency, with a moderate level of small scrubby particles in the mix.The fragrance is slightly stronger than the cleanser. Using this scrub is like having a tiny massage on your face! The gritty particles aren't harsh at all, and feel really nice when they're doing their job exfoliating and renewing my complexion. Afterwards, my skin feels amazingly soft and smooth as well as renewed and rejuvenated. I feel like this scrub is doing a fantastic job at reducing the congestion on my chin, and I'll definitely continue using this one, and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an effective exfoliant.

Super B Complex with Niacinamide*

'asap Super B Complex contains a high concentration of Niacinemide to boost collagen production and rejuvenate skin. Crosslinked Hyaluronic Acid provides five times the moisturising power and 50 times the moisture retaining properties of traditional Hyaluronic Acid. With B5, B9 and other powerful active ingredients, this fast-acting serum increases skin hydration and helps visibly reduce signs of ageing.'

I'm really enjoying this gel serum. The formula is light and absorbs quickly, leaving my skin soft and more toned. I can definitely see a difference in brightness; my skin looks more awake and healthier after application. I especially love using this on the mid-section of my face, from under my eyes, across my cheeks and nose, to level with the top of my lips. That's the area that looks dull from time to time, and my under-eye circles can always benefit from some brightening! Am I the only one that uses different skincare in different areas of their face? I need anti-ageing products galore under my eyes and break-out treatments on my jaw and chin. Sometimes I get funny about putting any serums or rich creams on my lower face as I'm worried it will break me out. Anyway, this is a great first step under my moisturiser, and I've also been using it in my nightly skincare routine so it can work its magic overnight. I'm loving the hygienic, easy to use pump packaging, and would highly recommend this to anyone wanting a high quality, effective anti-ageing serum that brightens the complexion.

Moisturising Daily Defence SPF50+ with Antioxidants*

'asap Moisturising Daily Defence SPF50+ is scientifically formulated to replenish essential moisture, leaving skin feeling soft and supple, while providing broad spectrum protection from harmful UVA/UVB rays, assisting in the prevention of premature skin ageing. Hyaluronic acid, an effective anti-ageing ingredient, helps to increase hydration and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while Nicotinamide hydrates and soothes skin and promotes elasticity.'

I appreciate the high level of sun protection in this moisturiser. asap is an Australian-made and owned company so it's only fitting that they target their products with the hot Aussie sun in mind. Having said that, I'm not normally a big sunscreen user, and I usually just rely on the sunscreen in my foundation which is pretty bad of me. Anyway I think it's the sunscreen content that makes this a thicker formulation than I'm accustomed to. As such, I like to apply this a good 20 minutes to half an hour before I start applying makeup to give it a good chance to sink in properly. The dispenser hole is quite big, so this could easily be used as a body moisturiser too, although it's probably a bit too expensive for anywhere other than the face! A little goes a long way with this Daily Defence, so it pays to be careful when squeezing it out, otherwise some may go to waste (if this happens I rub it down my neck, which I probably should be doing anyway!). After I apply this, my skintone seems more even and my face feels nourished, soft and supple. I found it to be a great base for makeup, as long as I don't apply too much, and leave plenty of time for it to fully absorb into my skin.

The asap skincare range is available at RY and you can check it out here.

Linking up to Monday Makeup Madness at Fabulous And Fun Life!

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Disclaimer: Products marked * were provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post (I don't make any money if you buy the products), links are for information purposes only. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Have you tried any asap products and if so, what did you think?

'

Project 10 Pan

I've decided to start my very first Project Pan, consisting of a hodgepodge of products I want to have finished by the end of the year. Some of these products just seem to sit around, nearly finished, but for an annoying 10 or so percent, so that I can't throw them out. Some are past their expiry date (oops!) and others I just want to use up so I can start other things. Let's have a look at the products.....

1 The Body Shop Watermelon Lip Balm
I bought this back in May at the Pre-Mother's Day Pamper Night and I seriously love it. It's nearly finished and I know I can use it up pretty soon. I won't re-purchase because I have a lot of other lip balms to get through!

2 Chi Chi Coconut & Lime Perfume
This is part of a gift set of colourful perfumes I won in a Giveaway on Kats Colourings blog a while back, and it's just the most delicious, Summery, tropical fragrance. But instead of spritzing Blueberry one day, Tutti Frutti the next, then Coconut & Lime every Sunday, I'm going to concentrate on getting this one finished! I don't think it will be too difficult.

3 MAC Amplified Lipstick in Craving
I don't know why I can't get into MAC lippies like a lot of other beauty lovers? I think I just haven't bought one I love yet. Anyway, this has maybe a quarter left in the bullet and I'm probably going to have to use it every day, but I'd love to finish this by the end of December.

4 NIP + FAB Glycolic Fix Night Pads Extreme
I quite like these night pads, but I think it's because I'm lazy and often use them to remove my makeup instead of doing a proper cleanse. I like the smell of them and I'd probably re-purchase if they were on sale. I have about 20 pads left, and even though I don't use these every night, I think I can finish the container.

5 Skin B5 Acne Control Moisturiser*
I was gifted this to review back in March (you can read my Review of the Skin B5 range here) and I use it predominantly around my jawline where I'm susceptible to hormonal breakouts. I've been trialling the ASAP skincare range during the day, but using this one at night so it can work while I sleep. I feel like it's nearly finished, so I'd love to have another item to declutter. It is really effective though!

6 Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel*
This is a big bottle from last year, and the expiry date was September this year! It's still fine though, and you may have seen me use a lot of it to make a Snow Fairy bubblebath recently (on Instagram - not in person, that would be weird and disturbing). A few more bubblebaths and I reckon this will be done!

7 Lush Santa's Belly Shower Jelly*
I was sent this as part of last year's Lush Christmas range and I think I used half of it then it got lost during my bathroom renovation. It expired on the 7th of November (so a couple of weeks ago), but it's still good. I have about half to three quarters left to go, and have been using it in every shower. These Lush jellies take ages to use up, but I'll give it a red hot go!

8 Lush Happy Hippy Shower Gel
I bought this in a gift pack, stored it in the cupboard and when I went to get it, it had leaked! Anyway Happy Hippy is my equal fave shower gel with Lush Rose Jam, and I reckon there's only one or two uses left in the bottle, so this should be no problem.

9 Oh Deer Sugar Rose & Passionfruit Shower Moose
I've been putting off using the last bit of this because I love it so much and don't want to see it go! It smells amazing and the formula is beautiful. It made my September Favourites and I think I can use this up in one generous go. I love it to death but won't re-purchase right now, as I have a lot of shower gels to get through!

10 Oh Deer Sugar Fruit Tingle Body Scrub
To be honest I just want this gone. I don't really like the harsh formula, and much prefer the Oh Deer Sugar Mango Sorbet Soda Pop Body Scrub that foams up and is gentler, but I'm not allowing myself to use any more of it until I've finished this scrub. I like the sweet fragrance, it's just a bit too 'scrubby' for me, and that's saying something!

Linking up with Monday Makeup Madness at Fabulous And Fun Life and Life This Week at Denyse Whelan Blogs!

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Disclaimer: Products marked * were provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Have you done a Project Pan? Link it up below, I'd love to have a read!

Typo Haul!

A while back I was lucky enough to win a $250 Cotton On gift card from an Instagram giveaway, and I've been having a ball redeeming it ever since! I actually haven't used any of it in Cotton On stores, because the gift card is also valid in Typo stores. Yes! I'm a huge stationery addict, so it's exciting to be let loose in a Typo store with a shit-ton of free money, so to speak! Around the time of my Birthday, I thought I'd treat myself, because why the hell not? I was thrilled to see so many items on sale, which just made my haul all the sweeter. Here's everything I got (and I still have $100 left on my gift card to spend!).....

DIY Album Kit

Photo Journal

Rose Gold Glitter A5 Buffalo Journal

Rose Gold Speckled A5 Buffalo Journal

Aqua Speckled A5 Buffalo Journal

What The Fluff? A5 Spinout Notebook

Black Blush A5 Spinout Notebook

Batman A5 Spinout Notebook  (not pictured)

Purple Palms iPhone 6S Cover

Light Me Up Pen

I am so addicted to the A5 Spinout notebooks! I have about ten of them and write in them every day. I try to keep them themed, as in one for blog writing, one for my To Do lists, etc, but sometimes I write in the wrong book, and then can't keep track of where my notes are, and have to look through a lot of notebooks to find them!

* I'm sorry for the ugly grey watermark-like circles in the middle of my photos! It's never happened to me before, and some Googling reveals it's a known issue that Google Blogger are working on. Hope they fix it soon!

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Are you a stationery addict?

My Priceline 40% Off Cosmetics Haul + Skincare Goody Bag!

Wednesday and Thursday this week Priceline held their 40% Off Cosmetics sale, and, well, what better time to buy a bunch of makeup than during a makeup clean-out and declutter? It's not like I'm trying to downsize my collection or anything. The thing with these sales is, they are pretty hard to resist. My idea was to mainly just buy my staple products, because I would have had to buy these anyway, so why not be smart and stock up while they are nearly half price? But I did pick up a few sneaky unplanned purchases. Luckily I went on the second day of the sale and the masses had swooped in and cleaned out the best lipstick shades. I'm kind of glad! The fact that my entire haul fitted into a small paper bag instead of the usual large plastic one is a testament to my restraint. Here's what I got.....

I'm so unfamiliar with this tiny paper bag lol

Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation in Porcelain
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair Clair
Maybelline Master Conceal Camouflaging Concealer in Fair Clair
Maybelline Masterliner in Black
Natio Lip Colour in Elegant
NYX Lip Primer in Nude
NYX Wonder Pencil in Light/Claire

~~~

Priceline Summer Skincare Goody Bag Promotion

Photo Source: Priceline website

Now I don't want to be an enabler, but I probably should mention that Priceline's Summer Skincare Goody Bag promotion has just started! When you spend $69 or more on participating skincare, suncare or tanning brands, you get a free Goody Bag valued at over $290! Some of these brands include Olay, Australis, Le  Tan, Aveeno, La Roche-Posay, L'Oreal, NIP + FAB and Skin Physics. This is available in-store and online, while stocks last. You can check out the details here.

Linking up with the Monday Makeup Madness Linky at Fabulous And Fun Life!

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Disclaimer: There are no affiliate links in this post, links are for information purposes only. I'm not affiliated with Priceline in any way and this is not a sponsored post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Did you take advantage of this sale? If you've blogged about it, link up your post in the comments, I'd love to see what you got!

Mani: FOA Molten Metallics in Bronze

I pulled this eye-catching bottle of nail polish out of my stash last week, and was so impressed that I thought I'd share it here. This is two coats of Face Of Australia 'Bronze' from their Molten Metallics collection, with one layer of Essie Good To Go Top Coat over it. I really should start bothering with a top coat more often, because this mani is lasting way longer than mine usually do!

I can't find this actual shade available on the FOA website, however I did find this cute 'Carol About You' Holiday Gift Pack which contains four Molten Metallics enamels;  Iron Ore, Amethyst, Flaming Lava & Gold. AND it's marked down from $19.80 to $7.95. I don't benefit if you buy it, I just thought it was a good deal and wanted to let you know! I do have the Iron Ore shade from this set, and will post a photo below so you can what it looks like on. Edit! - I've just discovered they also have another Holiday Gift Pack called Cinnamon Kisses, which contains different Molten Metallics enamels, also marked down. Here's my mani .....

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Disclaimer: Products were purchased with my own money. Link is for information purposes - I don't make any money if you purchase, and am not affiliated with Face of Australia or Essie. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

What colours are you loving on your nails at the moment?

LUSH Adelaide Grand Opening Media Preview Event!

Hello! This post is all about an amazing event I was lucky enough to attend, thanks to Nici and Kate from Promote SA and Jasmine and Nikita from Bloggers United AU; the Lush Adelaide Grand Opening Media Preview. This was held at the brand new Rundle Mall store on Friday November 4, the day before it opened to the public. We all know the only disadvantage of the old store was that it was tiny and it was difficult to move around in there. Well crisis over, because this new store is huge! It's now the largest Lush store in Australia, you guys! It's split-level, with plenty of room to move around, explore the goodies and not bump into anyone! The cashier stations are more organised and there are actual hand basin stations, where you can rinse masks off your hands after trialling them. A vast improvement on the old tub of water situation!

We were greeted by the PR ladies at the door, and very generously given a gift card to spend on the night on anything we desired in-store! Cocktails awaited us, too! Not just any cocktails, but cocktails based on Bubbly Shower Gel or Shoot For The Stars Bath Bombs. I requested a blue one, then expertly took perfect photos with one hand, because skillz. (No, not really, that was impossible, so I sculled my bevvie to free up both hands, because photographs were important, yes that's why).

Here's a look at the spacious new layout....

Many Lush staff were on hand to explain all the products, and point us in the right direction. The staff were lovely, friendly and very helpful. I even took it really well when the Lush lady in the hair section smoothed a de-frizzing product through my hair for about 5 minutes; the same lank, fine hair that I had spent around 20 minutes adding various volumising products to in a desperate attempt to build body before the event. It was actually hilarious and I freaking love her for it, because irony.

There was a build-your-own bath bomb station (see photo below) which looked like a lot of fun, but I didn't get time to participate as I was too busy testing, sniffing and perusing all the Lush goodies, and working out what to get with my gift card!

I also want to mention that I think I ate the healthiest food of my life at this event? I didn't touch the balls (I was raised not to put strange balls in my mouth lolol) but, seeing as I hadn't eaten since breakfast, I did inhale three pieces of what I'm calling 'Lemon Slice'. (Please don't inform me if it was actually quinoa tofu, my brain is simply not equipped to deal with that). And it was delicious. I could taste the health in it, but it was still very yummy. Here's the food...

I was so excited to finally meet Kanya in person and An from Lush, as well as catch up with Beth from Almost Posh, Caitlan from Procrasticaitlan, Amy from Bottled Beauty and many more fellow bloggers that I hadn't seen since the Bloggers United Event in February. It was so great to see everyone again! I even forced my shy self out of the old comfort zone and introduced myself to a few people.

The large, stylish hand basins I mentioned earlier were used to demonstrate some gorgeous bath bombs.....

And of course there were Lush goodies absolutely everywhere! From bundled and wrapped Lush gift sets, to the Massage Bar section, Fresh Face Mask station, Perfume stand and the Bath Bomb towers, every product was beautifully displayed. Here's some #lushporn .....

Here's what I got in my gifted haul on the night! After recovering from being totally overwhelmed I finally remembered that my most favourite Lush products ever are the soaps, shower gels and bath bombs. Which led me to this....

Don't Look At Me Fresh Face Mask

Mask Of Magnaminty Face And Body Mask

Bubbly Shower Gel 250g

Happy Hippy Shower Gel 100g

Rose Jam Shower Gel 100g

Brightside Bubble Bar

Big Bang Bubble Bar

Sultana Of Soap

Turkish Delight Roulade
Miranda Soap

A few of these products are favourites of mine! I've talked about Rose Jam before here, Sultana Of Soap in this post and hauled Brightside Bubble Bar before here. So excited to try the bright turquoise Don't Look At Me Mask, champagne and orange fizz-scented Bubbly, which smells amazing, and Turkish Delight Roulade as I've never tried any of the Lush roulades before!

I'm a huge Lushie and feel so lucky to have attended such an amazing and fun Event! Many thanks, again, to all involved in putting the night together.

Lush remain committed to the fight against animal testing, use ethical buying, naked packaging and make 100% vegetarian products. All proceeds (excluding GST) from the sales of their Charity Pot Hand & Body Lotion go towards supporting grassroots charities who improve the world for people, animals and the environment.

Linking up to Monday Makeup Madness at Fabulous And Fun Life!

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Disclaimer: Products in my haul were bought using the gift card gifted at the Event. I went $15 over, so the haul includes $15 of my own money. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

What's your favourite Lush product?