Make The Most Of Xmas Gift Packs

So for me this post is a bit of a no brainer. I am always on the hunt for a great beauty bargain, I get complete satisfaction for knowing that I have got more bang for my buck!!! During the xmas period, beauty brands are always putting xmas packs together, making buying for family and friends easier. It also makes sense to stock up on certain beauty items that you may use.

I ran out of my usual moisturiser the other week. Now my moisturiser is $60 on it's own. However now that xmas is just around the corner I made sure I checked out  my local  counter to see if my moisturiser was included in any Xmas packs the were selling. BINGO, low and behold it was........

As you can see from the above picture, this pack cost me $60, so the same price as my moisturiser is anyway :) This is what I got in my pack...........

Inside was my moisturiser and the following... a small 15ml intentsive moisturiser (great for taking on planes) an all about eyes, eye cream 7ml AND a great travel friendly size super balm gloss treatment for lips 7ml. Now being someone who travels quite a bit (I am from the UK but currently live in Australia so I often take the long haul flight back home to see my family and friends) These small sizes come in very handy for when I am traveling the massive 24hr journey it takes between these two countries. I also find that eye creams that come in packs like these last for ages. Every brand does them so check out your favourite brands local counter now!!!!! When it is not xmas season, I always keep an eye out for when my favourite brands are doing GWP's and usually stock up then. There tends to be special packs on mothers day and sometimes on valentines day too.

I would love to hear your comments on your beauty bargains, so please comment on this post and let me know :)

Water Is Our Best Friend

One of the main beauty tips that celebs always give is that they drink plenty of water. So why the big deal about H20?

It keeps us looking younger by helping to plump out the skin!!!!!

We obviously need water to keep our bodies hydrated but it also keeps our skin hydrated. One factor for dehydrated skin is not drinking enough water. Think of those summer holidays when we take in too much sun, drink too much booze and not enough water, we start to get dark circles around the eyes, our skin looks more sallow and there are faint dehydration lines on the face, simple cure.... drink more water. Of course there are other factors that can cause dehydrated skin, your cleanser can be to harsh causeing your skin to dry out, over exfoliating, the wrong type of moisturiser etc, but by drinking plenty of water you can certainly help to eliminate the problem.  Be honest with yourself, how much water do you actually drink during the day??

I like to keep a bottle of water with me at all times. Especially in the summer, to help keep me cool as well as hydrated. I recently discovered a little gem of a water bottle from BRITA filter. It is a regular looking water bottle but in the lid it has a filter (pictured below) so it filters your tap water as you drink. Perfect for when your on the go and you need to fill up from the nearest tap rather than top up from your filter jug at home or in the office. You just need to make sure you replace the filter after a certain amount of time.

If your still not convinced about the wonders of H20 then here is another snippet...drinking water also flushes out toxins, being that your skin is your largest organ, it is a given that the more water you drink, the clearer your complexion will become. Remember though, it flushes out the toxins, so expect to possibly see a few spots first, but bare with it, keep drinking and you can expect to see a much clearer more radiant skin.  So come on people, put the fizzy pops down and start drinking the good stuff!!! Your skin is going to thank you for it....

Beautiful Skin From Within

Over the past few years I have been using a product that has worked wonders for my skin from the inside out. My 'Miracle' or 'Holy Grail' product is Imedeen. There are different tablets for different age groups:

Derma One, Time Perfection and Prime Renewal. They also have tablets for men.

I am using the Derma One tablets which are aimed at 30+ (yes I started them in my 20's, but now I am 30 I am so glad I did!!)

I have always had a good skincare regime, ever since I can remember. I get it from my mother who has always looked after her skin. When I was little I always loved watching her put on her lotions, and would always sneak a peak into her bathroom cupboard and try her expensive creams when she wasn't looking. As I got older I formed my own skin care routine which changed as my skin changed. So when I came across Imedeen tablets when I was 25 it just made sense to me.  As Imedeen says to help skin look its best you need to look after it from the inside out.

The tablets I take (Derma One) help to improve skin quality, improve moisture balance, helps make skin on face and body softer and appear more radiant.

It does this and I quote 'features it's Marine Complex that is rich in proteins and polysaccharides which is similar to that found in the skins supportive structure. This complex has the potential to prolong the life of skin cells by slowing down the ageing process. It also has Zinc and Vitamin C which helps with collagen formulation and for general skin health'.

These tablets have helped so much with the quality of my skin and as you can see from the above picture, I always buy them in bulk. There was a time when I was unable to get my hands on any Imedeen and in those months that I was without, I noticed my skin quality was much poorer, noticeably duller and I was getting a lot of dehydration lines around my eyes. Now I always make sure I am well stocked up!!!!

The tablets are not too big so are easy to swallow and you need to take two daily. I won't lie to you, these tablets are very smelly. They have a strong fishy smell to them and it does say on the pack, do NOT use if you have an allergy to fish!!! I take mine with a large glass of water so that I don't get an unpleasant aftertaste. Also it is important to note that these tablets are not cheap. However, for those in the UK, I would advise you get them from Boots as they always have 3 for 2 offers on them. You can buy them in 1 month packets or 2 month and at Boots if you buy 6 month or 12 month supplies you will find substantial savings. Also (UK people only) Imedeen have a voucher system where once you collect 6 they will send you a free months supply. I have done this several times, it is fantastic.

Anyway, I just wanted to share with you something that has been a staple in my skincare for the past 5 years and will continue to be a staple for many many years to come!!!!

Links

www.imedeen.com.au
www.imedeen.co.uk
www.boots.com

Ciate Caviar Nail Trend

I am so excited to have finally gotten my hands on the Ciate Caviar Manicure set!!!! This is a trend that was massive in the UK over the summer and has finally reached stores in Australia!!! Of course I rushed out and got myself a set. As you can see I chose the pink.multi coloured one. There are two more sets, one is Black Caviar and the other is White Caviar. I went for the pink on as I felt it would look more obvious. I will however be adding the other two packs to my collection

Once you open the packet you will find a bottle with the 'Caviar' in, a funnel and a Paint Pot (pink nail varnish colouring 'strawberry milkshake'

To use you do a first coat of nail polish, leave to dry and then doing each nail individually, apply your second coat and, using the lid of the box to catch the caviar, put your hand over the lid and immediately pour the 'Caviar' over the nail. Then gently press the Caviar into the nail and complete the process. Once you have done this you can apply a top coat just to the tips of the nails to help make your manicure last longer. Using the funnel, pour the excess Caviar from the lid back into the bottle so you can use again for your next manicure.

When I tried this, I decided to just do two nails on each hand as I wanted to see how long it was going to last and figured if I have to fix it up I would rather just do it to two nails. Here is how it came out....

Now for my honest opinion....

If your someone who wants a long lasting manicure then this is probably not for you. I did it on a day when I had to do a makeup job and as the day went on, my 'Caviar' started to fall off.  By the end of the day I did still have some of the Caviar on there but it didn't look as impressive as it did when it was fresh.  The following day I decided to remove the Caviar off my two nails and just pop the polish on. Now I have to say the paint pot polish I am completely in love with. Let me paint you a picture of my average day...  I am always having to use brush cleaner between makeups to sanitise my brushes. The brush cleaner contains Iso-Propanol which loves to melt and weaken my nail polish, I have a million different nail polishes, base coats and top coats, raining from cheap nail polish to very expensive nail polish, and during my average working day the result is usually the same. This polish however I managed to get a good 3 days wear from it without it looking, chipped, melted or generally unattractive, and that was without a top coat and without a base coat. I have to say it has really impressed me. I will be using Ciate paint pots as a go to polish for work from now on!!!! As for the Caviar part, I love the look and will use it for special occasions where I want that extra something for one night only!!!!

I will try and put up a video on how easy it is to do this manicure as soon as I have my camera up and running.

A Cherry Xmas

Well today I went to the shops for a little xmas cheer and came across this little gem. It is a 3 in 1 shower get, shampoo and bubble bath from Philosophy.  It caught my eye originally because of the beautiful pinky shimmer it had to it. It comes in a lovely box too, perfect for a Christmas gift, even if it is a gift to yourself!!! The smell is absolutely devine!!! A lovely sweet cherry smell that lingers on the body really well. This is going to be a regular in my shower over the coming weeks to get me into the xmas spirit!!!!