March Madness: Fav's this year...

It is mid March now and I thought I would share the products that I love so far this year, I'm always looking for the most affordable products, because I believe you don't have to spend a fortune on products to receive good quality. At least in my experience I have found some great, new products at savvy prices. 

1.    I absolutely love hair care at the moment, having dyed my hair lighter, it's always hard to keep your hair looking healthy and shiny once bleaching and colouring, brass has been a thing of the past.   

My current obsession is the Miracle Hair Treatment of ELEVEN Australia. This hair treatment is applied to damp hair, It smells absolutely fantastic and has worked, leaving my hair so smooth. Its a grade higher then drug store standard minus the price, at only $24.95 this treatment is worth every application! LOVE LOVE LOVE...

2.    The second on my list are a few products from the Sukin line.  I love Sukin's Natural Deodorant, Its a mist rather then a roll on, so much more hygienic and fresh. All products of Sukin have the same sort of smell, which I love. The best thing about Sukin is its affordability and the earth-freindly qualities they propose. And has there slogan says " Skincare that doesn't cost the earth" which is true, beauty doesn't need to compensate the environment!

And Sukin's Nourishing Hair Conditioner! leave's my hair clean, fresh and oil free! I'm not sure what it is about this conditioner but it has really served my hair justice, helping with frizz and oil. Smells absolutely fantastical!

 The Sukin line can be found at most chemists, both at such affordable prices, the Deodorant at $4.95 & the Conditioner at $19.95!

3.    And the award for best perfume goes to Salvatore Ferragamo's Signorina. Such an all year round scent! It's so feminine and sexy, but not strong and sickly which I love. Like all perfumes, for quality you have to spend a little bit more, I believe it was about $80.00 however I received it as a gift, so I'm unsure of what they paid for it. But its a great scent! 

4.    My Lipstick loves! This year I have been more daring with the colours I have chosen! And I'm so in love with the more darker colours which is perfect because Autumn is here, I have 3 that I have recently bought and I'm obsessed! 

Miss Shop: A Little Lippy Colour in Roaring Red, to my surprise this lipstick stays on through a day full on adventures and being not a very reputable brand of lipstick I wouldn't have picked that. 

Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Line,  Colour 106 which is a dark pink and 

Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Line, Colour 29 which is a plummy purple. Both have a great smell, smooth application and lastly finish as they claim. All were under $10.00 I love Rimmel, such a great brand!  

5.    And Lastly, HAHA! Hollister California's Body Mist: Tippers Beach. My sister introduced this to me and for a body mist it has such lasting properties and is really strong like a perfume. It is great when you need to freshen up during the day, taking you to the beach or somewhere you'd rather be! Love it! I bought it on sale, at about $8.00, normally sold at maybe $15.00-$20.00. 

I hope this gives you some idea's of what to try this year! Let me know what you love this yea so far! I'd love to know :)

Skin Care Routine: UPDATE

My Acne Battle, The only three words, I wish to never repeat. It seems like a never-ending one. From skin care products to therapies and onto diet elimination... It's a struggle for many and for me. I have publicised my product ventures and attempts to eliminate my acne, however, when all seems to be successful, my skin does not seem to follow through and give me my desired results... 

Unfortunately for me, my acne is caused from triggers beyond skin depth...

So I will be beginning my Roaccutane Journey!  With Roaccutane comes many side effects, dryness, skin sensitivity and discomfort but with the promise of clear skin...

I want to take you on my journey, giving you monthly updates of my progress. 

If your interested in using this product 

 or just curious,  I will give honest feedback and let you know how I have dealt with the side effects and update you on each of my phases.

 I'm eager to start and excited to see what my end result will be... 

Anyway, Today's blog entry is all about my current skin care regime, the products and regimes I have used to help minimise my scaring and limit excessive break outs...

Not all my acne is hormonal, some is caused by open pore damage, dirt, irritation and infection, I have found a great beautician who introduced me to the power of oxilyum lights and salicylic acid peels and facials, A little bit pricy but worth it if you want to avoid anti-biotics and medications. 

The magic of these facial treatments have completely banished me of my agonising acne irritation and extreme skin sensitivity.

After just over 2 months of treatment, my skin is less angry and more soothed, the oxilyum lights have helped with my scarring and has minimised their appearance. 

So I highly recommend this procedure to those with break outs that are minimal to severe, it's important to control your acne and not let it control you. 

A very wise decision of mine was to visit a beautician who has helped me a lot, and given me great moisturisers, cleansers and serums of success!! Knowledge is power. 

Since discovering Ultraceuticals, I never wish to turn back, their performance combined with regular trips to my beautician has managed to get my skin under control and remove all my surface break outs and most of my deeper acne. Unfortunately, If i want to banish my blemishes completely I must treat them internally...
However, If your looking for fantastic products you can't go wrong with these...

Step 1. Ultra Clear Foaming Cleanser 
Such a fabulous cleanser, gentle and fragrant. My skin feels fresh and purified as it removes excessive dirt and pore build-up, without drying.

Step 2. Ultra Clear Treatment Lotion
This is my acne clearing serum, It has Salicylic-acid properties that is great for clearing acne and has surprisingly worked! It does dry out your skin however. 

Step 3. Ultra Hydrating Lotion 
This Moisturizer is the best I have ever used! It leaves my skin hydrated and moisturised without leaving an oily base on my skins surface, and has worked great with hydrating the dryness caused the Salicylic-acid in the peels and clearing lotion. So happy with this product, Definitely a favourite!

I hope this has helped some of you, I do advise trying them out. You have nothing to loose. 
Stay strong, I'm sure your acne will pass, just as mine will too. 

From Brunette to Blonde: Care Tips on a budget

I have recently lightened my hair and was fearful of the upkeep! Having had really dark brown, the transition from brunette to blonde was not easy on my hair. Having quiet silky and healthy hair I was worried that the harsh treatment of my hair would kill it! And being a uni student, expensive products was not so appealing...  But for all of you out there with the same first world problems, I have some solutions! 

I'm currently adoring, My Marrakesh Oil and Coconut Express Mousse Treatment (now with Organic Argan Oil) by Schwarzkopf. Just 3 pumps of this baby you have more then enough to lather through the ends of your hair. It's a leave in treatment and is best applied on wet hair. I don't know why or how it works, but It has helped my hair look and feel less stressed. 

Secondly, My beloved Moroccan Gloss Pure Argan Oil by Edward Beale. Love this! I apply just a couple of sprays on the tips of damp hair. Leaving my hair smooth and glossy for days. Argan Oil's of any brand have the same benefits, I have just found Edward Beale's one to not leave my hair feel or look oily and shiny in bad way. Its composition is great.












Lastly, I have found that when you have coloured hair, the more you wash, dry and brush the more brassy and dry you hair looks and feels. Being a serial shampooer myself,  I have thrown in the towel and have shifted to using dry shampoo religiously! It's like fresh new hair in a can without the washing and drying, so convenient and efficient! I use Batiste Dry Shampoo: Coconut & Exotic Tropical. I love its coconutty scent! Although there are dry shampoo's specific for brunette hair the end result hasn't been the same, I always end up back with Batiste!

These products are my top 3 right now, so affordable each under $15. So reliable and of designer brand quality! 

(So thankful for my hairdresser Gabby who gave me this look! Love her and all the stylists at Pierre Haddad)

Hope these tips helped all you guys on a budget, looking for reliable and easy to use hair products to banish the brass! 

Happy hair days! 

Let me know about your secret hair weapons! 

xox 

Day Trippn': Berry Buys!

Lovely family friends of ours, took us to Berry recently. They spoke of this towns tranquility and abundance of relaxation and retreat. As we drove into the boutique town I fell in love instantly, from the vintage architecture to the towns laid back vibe. 

Berry is quiet cultural in a sense of design and mood. There is so much to see, do and BUY! My shopping experience was exhilarating, although not leaving with much, I have keen memories and plans to return soon! 

One store that I could no resist was Scullys & Co. 

New Brand Discovery: Scullys & Co. 

(please use the link to visit their page) 

The store itself is a point of attraction. I loved the rustic and country warmth of its atmosphere, which is inviting on its own. Scully has a deliciously scented range of bath, body and home products including Lavender, Rose, Green Tea, Amberlily and White Gardenia and all products are made using the finest natural ingredients,  including essential oils and bio-active ingredients. 

Berry is home to Scullys only franchise, however all products can be bought from their online store. 

Despite the products’ high quality and beautiful packaging, everything is at a suitable and realistic price   

Here is what I couldn't resist!

(Furtherest to the right) The small blue vile. Scullys Cuticle and Nail Revive. Use this after Scullys Hand Scrub for cuticle and nail care maintenance.

Scullys Lavender Refreshing Mist: Love this! Relax's me so easy! Such a stress relief 

Scullys Lavender Hand Scrub: This product made my hands so silky smooth, it removed all my dead skin whilst massaging the lavender essence through to finger tips. Its such an organically soothing product. 

Update: Beauty Bits New Skin Routine

Hi guys, 

So on my last blog on my skin routine i told you all that I had been using EmerginC and Dermalogica products, now in my quest to my best fit - I found the brand Kiehl's.

I had heard about this brand a while ago but was reluctant to switch from my comfort zone, but i took the plunge and went for it. It is probably Day 10 now since I used it and the results so far have been promising. 

My skin is reacting well to my cleanser and toner. The cleanser that I have is Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser (Blue tube) this is for normal-oily acne prone skin. It goes on so light weight and foams up so much which I love because you don't have to use more then a pea size to get full facial coverage!

Next I use my Toner, It is the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner (Bottle with white lid). What I love about this product is it alcohol free and it is the only toner that doesn't sting my face! It's made from whole flowers and pure extract! (the flowers petals are actually inside the bottom!!) 

Probably one of my favourite new products is my Kiehl's Dermatologist Solutions: Blemish Control Daily Skin-Clearing Treatment,  This product is for the reduction of blemishes and helps the skin to repair and heal. Unlike other scar and acne clearing products it has not dried out my skin or caused irritation. It can be used all over your face which is great! 

Next, is my Moisturiser this one my sister brought home and Its great, its the Macro Skincare Essentials Natural Vitamin E Cream . Now it may not be ideal for everyone but I haven't had dry skin since i started this product and Its Vitamin E cream so it helps protect and repair the skin which is good for me  because I have acne scars. 

And finally, my eye cream although I don't encourage an eye cream so young this is more of a preventative measure, living in Australia and in such harsh climate's its important to protect your skin and help hydrate and repair what damage has already been done. My eye cream is the Kiehl's Abyssine Eye Cream with Survival Molecules and Corallina Extract. It is so smooth and creamy on application, in the morning my eyes are fresh and hydrated which is great! Makes waking up better! 

So, thats my new and improved skin care routine, I'll update my skins progress in the coming weeks 

I hope this helps, and If you have any other skin care treatments or routines share them with me! 

xox

Beauty Bits (Skin Care)

Hey guys,

I am not to shy to confess that I suffer from acne, I have suffered from my acne since high school, It worsened around HSC time and has never got back to the way that it was before.

Im not one to complain of my skin, but it does bring me down and make me feel very insecure.

Im sure like many of you out there, I have tried most of the medicated skin care products, all the cleanser's on the shelf and a hand full of home remedies (I consider myself quiet the wizard, when it comes to creating home remedies).

However, 1 problem always existed... That was that nothing ever worked.

I had always been skeptical about facials as I heard that it just made you break out (those words being my biggest fear) so, I had always avoided the idea.

After speaking to the beautician she told me I was essentially doing everything wrong and told me of my neglect. It was a real shock, well not really, because my skin isn't great, but I wasn't expecting to hear that my skin was congested, dry (because I moisturise like nobodies business) and various other skin terms I hadn't heard.

Being a glass half empty type of person when It comes to my clear skin success. I had a closed mind to her comments but decided to invest in the products she recommended because honestly Im at my whits end.

I purchased the products from the brands EmerginC and Dermalogica

both of which i hadnt considered to that day, probably due to their price tag. But after using it for 2 weeks now I have to admnit that Im a fan.

I mean it hasn't essentially got rid of my acne completely, as that is something I have to deal with hormonely but the redness, dryness and irritation of the pimple and my skin itself has decreased. I have seen a change in the length of time the pimple takes to go and an effect on scarring. I have sensitive skin so i scar easy, but these products have decrease the aggression of the pimple.

I am happy to share them with you! :)

From left to right.

Exfoliator; EmerginC Micro-scrub; gentle skin refinisher

Cleanser; EmerginC Pomegranate Cleanser 

Toner; EmerginC Deglazing Toner 

Moisturiser; Dermalogica Active Moist 

I would highly recomment these products if you have dry but oily skin thats very acne prone. I would too recommend a visit to a trusted beautician, I went to SpaBar on Pitt St in the Sydney City. They were great. A beautician can actually educate you on what you actually need and specifically for you :)

Stay FAB everyone. 

I hope this helps :)