Spotlight On: Ariel's World

Recently I was contacted by Raylene from Ariel's World, asking if I'd like to try some of her candles and lip balm. After hitting up her website and reading some background on the company, I was excited to get involved. Raylene is a single Mum to gorgeous Ariel, a little girl with Down Syndrome. I loved reading her heartwarming story and was even more impressed when I saw that she donates part proceeds from sales of Ariel's World products to Down Syndrome NSW.

In the online shop, you'll find lip balms, candles and diffusers. There are two varieties of lip balm, three different diffuser fragrances and five different candles to choose from, as well as a set containing a Xmas Candle and Lip Balm! I was sent an Ariel Candle*, Ariel Candle Mojito*, Ariel's World Lip Treatment Balm* and a Candy Cane Lip Balm*. Keep reading for my thoughts!

Ariel Candle and Ariel Candle Mojito

I'm not the biggest user of candles; don't get me wrong, I don't dislike candles. In fact, quite the opposite! I enjoy having a candle burning and find it really relaxing, I just never seem to get around to lighting my candles! Well, that has to change. If trialling these candles has taught me anything, it's that I need to slow down, chill out, stop stressing and take the time to relax and enjoy life.

These gorgeous candles weigh 320g and have 60 hours of burn time. I'm still going with mine, so I can't verify that claim. I'd rather make them last and enjoy them over time than burn through them (literally!) too quickly. They are double wick candles and are individually handcrafted in Australia using soy wax. The wick is also eco-friendly as its made out of all natural fibres and doesn't contain any harmful metals such as lead.

The black one is the Ariel Candle, featuring the signature scent. It smells beautiful, and despite being concerned it may give me a headache, it doesn't. Here's the description of the fragrance:

"Our signature scent is in a soothing woody musky base of Patchouli, with notes of exquisite sweet floral Jasmine and sun ripened nectarines infused with the crisp tangyness of blackcurrant berries."

The name Ariel means Lioness Of God. The Archangel Ariel is all about protecting animals and the natural world. This candle honours Ariel, who was born into our natural world with Down Syndrome. The fragrance encompasses embracing the natural scents that empower your senses while protecting the environment. Generously, $5 from every candle sold is donated to the Down Syndrome Association and Lifestart Australia, which helps children living with disabilities.

The pretty silver one is the exciting Mojito Ariel candle! I can't pass up anything cocktail-themed, so I was thrilled to receive this zingy baby. For the innocent amongst you, a Mojito is a Cuban highball boozy delight drink that consists of white rum, lime juice, sugar, soda water and mint. Yum! Let's delve into the fragrance description of this candle....

"A fresh crisp scent with notes of herbaceous mint and lush, juicy lime. Rounded off with middle notes of herbal garden leaves, lavender and a deep floral base."

I love fresh, clean scents and I'm also a citrussy aroma kinda gal. I'm immediately drawn to anything that has the words lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, mandarin or tangerine on it. Despite the Mojito candle also having a strong floral base, I didn't find that it overpowered the lime. I really like burning this one to give my house a nice fresh fragrance, and as I mentioned earlier, the relaxing nature of candle-burning is something I appreciate and need to experience more often!

Ariel's World Lip Balms

"Ariel Lip Balm is nourishing and restorative thanks to bio active emollients. The sweet mixed berry and nectarine flavour makes lips even more kissable! $1 from every lip balm sold goes to Down Syndrome NSW."

Ariel's World lip balms come in lightweight plastic tubes with pull off/click on lids, and operate with a simple wind-up mechanism. You get 5g of product in each tube, and they are available in two varieties; the original Lip Treatment Balm and Candy Cane. The formula for both balms is nice and thin and really smooth to apply. The lip treatment appears white in the tube, with the Candy Cane balm appearing slightly yellow, but they both go on clear and leave my lips with a beautifully moisturised feel and glossy appearance.

Lip Treatment Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Shea Butter Liquid, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Fruit Olio Wax, Olive Squalene, Candelilla Wax, Vitamin E, Macadamia Wax, Flavour, Stevia.

Candy Cane Balm Ingredients: Coconut Oil. Cocoa Butter, Castor Seed Oil, Shea Butter Liquid, Candelilla Wax, Vitamin E, Flavour, Stevia.

I use the Candy Cane balm when I crave that minty/candy apple scent, and appreciate that it contains Stevia, a natural plant-based sweetener, instead of sugar. It's awesome for prepping lips before makeup, using straight after stepping out of the shower, and before going to bed at night. I love how soft and healthy it makes my lips feel. The original lip treatment is a fantastic, kid-friendly product that would be great for children, teens, men, women who aren't into fancy products and anyone wanting a basic, affordable, nice-feeling, effective lip balm. My nine year old son loves it and uses it before we leave for school and if we are going out on the weekends. His lips tend to get quite dry and it really nourishes and hydrates his lips quickly.

The lip balms are vegan and cruelty-free and handmade in Australia. They retail for only $8.50 a pop, with $1 being donated to the Down Syndrome charity.

I love that if you purchase an Ariel's World lip balm or candle it means you're supporting a great cause and helping make a difference for kids living with disabilities. If you're keen to read more about Ariel's journey, you can do that here.

Linking up once again 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, links are for information purposes only (I don't make any money if you purchase via the links in this post). Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Do any of these products take your fancy? Are you a candle person?

Spotlight On: Barry M Cosmetics*

I'll admit I didn't know much about the cosmetics brand Barry M until quite recently, when I was sent a lovely package consisting of three Barry M Gelly Nail Paints* and a gorgeous Get Up & Glow palette*. Before that, I had only encountered Barry M through the Bloggers United AU Adelaide Event last year, as one of their nail paints had been included in our goodie bags as attendees.

Barry M is an affordable British colour cosmetics brand that is available exclusively in Big W stores. Founded in 1982 by Barry Mero, the brand is cruelty free, and boasts on trend colours at great prices ($6.95 - $24.95)

I thought I'd have a play with my Barry M goodies and show you a few manicures using the Gelly Nail Paint! These come in 21 different shades and have a really glossy finish. Also, I love that the colours are totally different from what I usually wear, so it really pushed my boundaries slicking these on. I'm glad I did, though!

Green Berry Hi Shine Gelly Nail Paint

I applied two coats of this bright minty green nail paint and didn't bother with a top coat as it was already pretty shiny.

Rose Hip and Huckleberry Hi Shine Gelly Nail Paint

Again, I applied two coats of these pretty pastel shades, with Huckleberry on the accent nail and Rose Hip on the other fingers. It was a bit patchy on the first coat, but thankfully the second coat applied evenly and smoothed everything out.

Get Up & Glow Bronzer, Blusher & Highlighter Palette

Here's a look at the gorgeous Get Up & Glow Bronzer, Blusher & Highlighter Palette. The bronzer is shimmery and is a bit too dark for my skintone, but I've been loving the blusher shades and have been using the top centre one every day. This multi-purpose palette would be amazing for trips away and retails for only $17.75 at Big W. It features a mirror within the lid, which closes securely with an inbuilt magnetic strip. The pink lightbulb design packaging is super-cute, too!

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 tried any Barry M makeup or nail polish? What do you think of the brand?

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?

Spotlight On: Hire A Box!

This post is sponsored by Hire A Box

Photo Source: Hire A Box website

Things have been mighty hectic around here for the last couple of months, what with multiple Birthdays, my son's Party, Father's Day, anniversary celebrations and the Royal Show, but I've almost made it through! I'm now enduring a five week long bathroom renovation process, and with all the house cleaning and preparations, a constant theme has been boxes. We have boxes everywhere! We've packed shizz in them, used them to move stuff, organise products and store things in until we have a bathroom and linenpress cupboard back! What can I say? Those cardboard cubes are useful! Which brings me to Hire A Box.

You may remember my post about Hire A Mover in July, well Hire A Box and Hire A Mover are part of the Hire Group, along with Hire A Packer. If you're moving house it can be exciting (just ask my relocation-addicted Mother-In-Law), but also a lot of work, not to mention stress. I'm all for anxiety reduction, and anything that will lighten my workload, and that's where Hire A Box come in handy. You can hire or buy boxes from these guys, because honestly, what would be worse than running out of boxes mid-pack? OK, there are worse things (eg, Adam Sandler's entire filmography, with the exception of 'The Wedding Singer' and '50 First Dates' {I can't hate a Drew Barrymore movie, although she's pushing it with 'Blended'} and 'Punch-Drunk Love'), but still, it's a sub-optimal situation. 

Hire A Box to the rescue! Photo source: Hire A Box website

Have pots, pans, toys, shoes, linen and clothes? Opt for a heavy-duty large box. What about CD's, DVD's, crockery and books? A medium box is ideal for these heavier things, and will even accommodate your vast wine bottle collection (it can't just be me with a laundry full of Cabernet Sauvignon?). Then there's the small box, perfect to house what's left of my sanity. Haha, joking, there is no small box (and barely any sanity at this point either. LOL).

Take note, fashionistas, because here's an exciting fact: Hire A Box even have Porta-Robes, if your clothing collection rivals Carrie Bradshaw's and you want to transport those threads in a fancy 'hung up' position.

Hiring is a great option because it's 30% cheaper than buying, and you can use the boxes for up to three months, with no delivery fee if you need a second, top-up order. Hire A Box will even come and pick up your boxes after three months, just make sure your cats have climbed out before they take the boxes away. Because that cat is gonna be hella confused when it wakes up in a box warehouse next to this guy (see below). I, on the other hand, probs wouldn't complain. #sowrong

Photo credit: Hire A Mover website

Confused cat. Photo source: Valeriya via Getty Images

So if you're in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide or the Gold Coast and require superior grade, durable cardboard boxes for moving, renovation (I feel your pain) or storage purposes, give Hire A Box a go! For more information, check out the Hire A Box FAQ.

Hire A Box can be contacted on 1300 858 446 and emailed at enquiries@hireabox.com.au

You may also like Spotlight On: Hire A Mover

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

How many times have you moved houses?

Spotlight On: Hire A Mover!

This post is sponsored by Hire A Mover

Photo source: Hire A Mover website

Oh hey, guys! Today I'll be talking about moving house. How many times have you shifted? I've only moved a handful of times, but I've hated it each and every time! It's just a hassle, right? Cleaning up, packing well into the night (if you're as disorganised as me!), getting next to no sleep, then enduring a full day of heavy box lifting and arguing with your partner about how to do things and where everything should go! Interestingly, my Mother-In-Law moves house on average once every eight months or so. She thrives on the excitement of it and seriously enjoys the whole process. LOL. I hope she's not reading this because that's pretty weird! She's obviously the exception to the rule.

I wish I had known about Hire A Mover for my house re-locations! They are experts who do the work for you, and they have locations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast. Soz Tasmania and Northern Territory. Awkward Face! You can get a quote within an hour by entering your suburb or postcode on their site, then answering a few easy questions (mostly tick box options). I tested this out however I did it on a Saturday; their website does say Quotes may take longer on weekends or outside of business hours. I received an auto-response email immediately, acknowledging my quote request and giving me further information about Hire A Mover's services.

I think we all worry about our precious items being smashed beyond repair in transit (my Benefit Cheekathon, Too Faced Chocolate Bar and Urban Decay Naked 3 palettes do not belong alongside bookcases, my lounge suite and 283 stuffed full boxes), which is why it's good that insurance is included when you Hire A Mover! Yassssss. So the Goods in Transit Insurance and Public Liability Insurance means your goods are covered if the company are negligent. That's one less thing to worry about!

Wouldn't mind moving here! Photo source: Joshua Ness (stock image)

I like the fact that this Company is part of The Hire Group, which also includes Hire A Box and Hire A Packer, so if you're super-lazy, you're allergic to manual labour, you'd rather be watching Game Of Thrones, that's OK, there are people who will do that shizz for you! Hire A Mover are available to move you seven days a week, which is convenient if you only have your weekends free. They offer competitive rates and will do the stuff people like me struggle with, like dissembling bed frames. OK I've never actually tried, but I'm sure it's totes imposs, along with changing car tyres and piloting a Boeing 747.

If only it was this easy! Photo source: Mike Birdy (stock image)

One last thing; I have to point out this awesome Interactive Moving House Check List - it's a PDF provided by Hire A Mover that lets you edit and save as you go, with helpful 4-6 weeks before moving, 2-3 weeks before moving, 1 week before moving and Moving Day sections, as well as a Change of Address checklist. I'm a huge List fangirl. I love making lists and getting stuff crossed off said lists. I do weekly and daily To Do lists, and sometimes I even add something to a List that I've already done just so that I can cross it off, because I'll be damned if I don't get credit for it! I have a new system lately where I cross off List items by highlighting the completed tasks with a green highlighter instead of simply ticking next to it. SO much more satisfying, you guys, and the page goes all pretty. I highly recommend giving it a go. Yeah, so 10/10 for the handy interactive checklists Hire A Mover! I'm going to email the PDF to my Mother-In-Law for her next move. If she's still talking to me!

Photo Source: Hire A Mover website

You can contact Hire A Mover on 1300 358 700.
Everyone loves a good FAQ
If you want to look at a bunch of guys with their arms crossed meet the removalists you can do that here

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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Hire A Mover a Removal Company, and written by Max The Unicorn blog. All thoughts are my honest, unbiased opinion. Please see my Disclosure Statement for further information.

How often have you moved houses?