Kit Cosmetics x Gorman Nail Strips in Ship of Fools NOTD

May 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Aw, two of my favourite Australian brands – Kit Cosmetics and Gorman – have given birth to a love child. And what a beautiful love child it is. Kit Comestics and Gorman have collaborated on a set of nail polishes and nail polish strips (plus a pair of socks and a cosmetics bag) in colours and patterns from Gorman’s Autumn/Winter 2013 collection. I was lucky enough to get a packet of the Nail Strips in Ship of Fools ($9.95AUD) for my birthday this year from my brother’s lady love, who works at Gorman (yes, I am deeply jealous). These work in the same way as other nail strips I’ve used before – simply peel off the backing from the nail polish strip, smooth the strip onto the nail, file off the excess, and seal with a top coat. These are a little thicker (and thus a bit more temperamental) than other brands, but at least twice as gorgeous, so I’ll deal.

Image from Kit Cosmetics

Note: Kit Cosmetics do not test on animals.

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Happy Mother’s Day Gaia Skin Naturals Giveaway

May 12, 2013 by 30 Comments

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How awesome are mums? Or at least, mine is pretty great. I’ve just turned twenty-seven and she’s still the one I call every time I get sick, upset, or hurt myself. She lives about eight hours’ drive away from me now, but I was lucky enough to see her for Mother’s Day and make her a vegetarian lunch of some Jamie Oliver favourites – Roast Tomato Soup and Spinach and Feta Pie with a green salad – plus icecream doused in lots of Kangaroo Island Spirits Honey & Almond Liqueur to finish. To celebrate all things maternal, I’ve got two Gaia Skin Naturals skincare starter packs to give away – one for baby and one for mum (or perhaps one for you and one to tuck away for your next baby shower gift). Gaia Skin Naturals is one of my favourite baby skincare brands, because they are Australian owned and made, and their products are cruelty-free as certified by Choose Cruelty Free (CCF), vegan (apart from the Soothing Lotion, which contains beeswax), and contain lots of certified organic ingredients and no sulphates, artificial fragrances, petrochemicals, or parabens. The two packs that make up the prize are:

Baby Starter Kit ($22.95AUD), containing:

  • 50mL Bath & Body Wash
  • 50mL Baby Shampoo
  • 50mL Baby Moisturiser
  • 50mL Soothing Lotion
  • 50mL Baby Massage Oil

Skincare Trio ($14.95AUD), containing:

  • 50mL Foaming Cleanser
  • 50mL Refreshing Toner
  • 40mL Facial Moisturiser

How to enter:

To enter, simply follow the instructions in the giveaway widget below. Your contact details are the only thing required to enter, everything else is voluntary but can earn you more entries.
The prize is 1 x Gaia Skin Naturals Baby Starter Kit and 1 x Gaia Skin Naturals Skincare Trio. The prize is valued at $37.90 AUD. Only Australian residents aged 18+ are eligible to apply. Entries close at midnight on May 19, 2013. One winner will be randomly selected using Random.org and informed by email. If the winner does not respond to this email within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: These products were provided to give away in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

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Native Box April 2013

May 8, 2013 by 6 Comments

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I’ll never get over my excitement about getting a mystery parcel in the mail. This way I can pretend I have a secret admirer or an old-timey benevolent patron or that I’ve won a special prize in a contest I never entered. A recent mysterious arrival was this month’s Native Box ($15 + $5.95 shipping/month), which features a range of sustainable lifestyle samples. April’s Native Box has an approximate dollar value that is slightly higher than the total cost of the box including shipping (by about a fiver). My top picks are the spicy Your Inspiration at Home South American Dukkah, the sweetly spiced Bondi Chai Club Cinnamon Chai Latte stick, the Jack and Jill Natural Toothpaste in Blackcurrant (which makes an occasional appearance in our house already on account of Johanis’ love for the packaging), and the Natralus Paw Paw Ointment (which combines the impressive powers of lanolin and fermented paw paw). The only product that I won’t use is the Byron Bay Detox Foot Patches – my inner skeptic refuses to even momentarily entertain the idea of drawing out systemic impurities through my feet while I sleep.

The April 2013 Native Box contains:

~20g sample of Your Inspiration at Home South American Dukkah [vegan] ($18.95/180g)
One stick of Bondi Chai Club Cinnamon Chai Latte [vegan] (.53c/stick)
Full size Ajita’s BBQ Vege Chips [vegan] ($2/50g)
One pair of Byron Bay Detox Foot Patches ($3.95/pair)
Full size Jack and Jill Natural Toothpaste in Blackcurrant [vegan] ($5.85/50g)
Full size Natralus Paw Paw Ointment ($2.99/7g)
Two 30mL samples of Serene Valley Shampoo & Conditioner [vegan] ($20/200mL)
Mrs Fields Anzac Biscuit & Herbal Extracts Herbal Fresh Hands sachet

Note: These products were provided for consideration in accordance with the Disclosure Policy. The Natralus Paw Paw Ointment is marked as vegan in the information flyer that is included with the box, but the product contains lanolin as an ingredient, which could be considered to be non-vegan (as it is an animal-derived product). In addition, the Byron Bay Detox Foot Patches are also marked as vegan, but the website notes that the product may contain shellfish.

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Kosmea Day Spa Launch & Spa Treatment Giveaway

April 5, 2013 by 11 Comments

When I was invited to come and try the signature Kosmea Deluxe Facial at the new Kosmea Day Spa in Eastwood, Adelaide, I admit I did a little jump for joy. Kosmea is one of my favourite Australian certified organic and cruelty-free skincare brands (see my previous interview with founder Marie Jenkins and her daughter Olivia here) and generally speaking I’m way too cheap to splurge on luxuries like spa treatments. On the evening I attended the Kosmea Day Spa, I was also several days into a generally obnoxious head cold and totally hanging for a pick-me-up (I promise I tried not to breathe on anyone).

The Kosmea Day Spa occupies a funky little shopfront on Glen Osmond Road, and inside you’ll find a minimalist-luxe interior and tranquil vibe (which was probably helped along by my being the only customer there at the time). Amy is the principal Kosmea Day Spa beauty therapist (pictured right). She kindly deposited my weary self into a warm and flatteringly-lit treatment room, with soft music and fluffy white terry-toweling as far as the eye could see (honestly, she probably could’ve just left me there for an hour and I still would’ve said, “5 STARS A+ WOULD SPA AGAIN”).

Amy started the treatment by double-cleansing my skin with the Clarifying Facial Wash ($34.95/150mL). She then conducted a skin diagnosis, confirming that I have the particularly delightful combination of an oily T-zone, dry edges of my face, very dry eye area, and sun damage. Amy then switched on a steam machine (which I’m sure has a more technical name) that was designed to open up my pores, but also had the unintended yet brilliant side-effect of clearing my sinuses. With the steam machine basically fixing my head cold, Amy massaged the Daily Facial Exfoliant ($39.95/125g) into my skin using what felt like an over-sized electric toothbrush (which I’m assuming was a Clarisonic-esque gadget), then removed it and refreshed my skin with a spritz of Hydrating Rosewater Mist ($19.95/125mL).

Amy then applied two different, house-made face masks (which unfortunately are not available for sale) to target my skin concerns: a clay-based purifying mask for my oily areas, and a creamy nourishing mask for my dry areas. I began to silently panic that I would be left alone for fifteen minutes to marinate on the treatment table (cut cruelly from the umbilicus of my iPhone); however, while the masks were working their magic, Amy gave me a blissful neck and shoulder massage and I was thus saved from even fifteen minutes of my own company. After removing the masks, Amy applied a few drops of Kosmea’s flagship Certified Organic Rosehip Oil ($24.95/20mL) to my skin, and finished the treatment by applying the Replenishing Moisture Cream ($44.95/50mL) and a dab of the new Apple of My Eye Cream (on counter May 2013).

As I got ready to leave, I realised it would be an utter travesty for me not to share this glorious experience with you. So, I am giving away 1 x voucher for Kosmea’s ‘Express Facial’ to a reader. This is a 30-minute facial, which includes a skin diagnosis, double cleanse, exfoliation, and your choice of serum or moisturiser. See below for more details!

P.S. For those of you who aren’t able to access the Kosmea Day Spa, Kosmea also have a gift-with-purchase offer available at their online store through the month of April – get a free full-size Replenishing Moisture Cream when you spend over $39.95, using the code REPLENISH.

How to enter:

To enter the giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter giveaway widget below. Your contact details and a blog comment (see giveaway widget for more details) are required to enter.

The prize is 1 x Kosmea Day Spa ‘Express Facial’ voucher, valid until October 4, 2013. The voucher is worth $50 AUD. The voucher will be sent by mail to the winner.

Unfortunately, the only Kosmea Day Spa is located in Adelaide, South Australia. You are welcome to enter the competition if you do not live in Adelaide; however, please be aware that you will have to visit our lovely, sleepy little city to actually use it.

Only Australian residents aged 18+ are eligible to apply. In the spirit of fairness, other Adelaide beauty bloggers who also received a complimentary Kosmea Day Spa treatment are not eligible to enter.

Entries close at midnight on April 19, 2013. One winner will be randomly selected using Random.org and informed by email. If the winner does not respond to this email within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* My Kosmea ‘Deluxe Facial’ spa treatment was provided for consideration in accordance with the Disclosure Policy. I purchased the Kosmea ‘Express Facial’ spa treatment to give away.

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Your Guide to Sustainable Sample Boxes

March 31, 2013 by 3 Comments

Once upon a time, I was subscribed to three monthly beauty box subscription services. As well as finding that my bathroom cupboards were starting to overflow with samples, I also felt the products I was being sent didn’t gel with my personal ethics. Often, I would receive products from brands that I wouldn’t ordinarily touch with a barge pole. I ended up unsubscribing from all of them, one by one. I remember moaning to dear Sabine from Echolife that I wished there was a sample box subscription service that just featured ethical and eco-friendly brands. She suggested I start one up myself, to which I responded that I was 100% too lazy. And unorganised. With no business sense. Thankfully, others were less hopeless, and now there is a range of sustainable sample box subscription services to choose from. Let’s take a look.

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Lust Have It Eco Box ($29.95 AUD incl. shipping/quarter) *

Lust Have It are Australia’s largest beauty box subscription service, with a popular ‘mainstream’ monthly beauty sample box. In September 2012, Lust Have It launched a new quarterly ‘Eco Box’ (actually packaged in a drawstring hessian bag), featuring 6-8 ‘premium sample-sized’ eco-friendly beauty and skincare products. The semi-reformed beauty blogger in me really digs this box. The first box is a thoughtful mix of well-known ‘natural’ brands – Avado, Burt’s Bees, Kosmea – and some previously-undiscovered gems. Thank the lord, there are no sample sachets in sight. FYI: Lust Have It have stated that the dollar value of each Eco Box will be over $100. Some full-size items are available from the Lust Have It online store, but for many of them you will have to scout around the Net.

Biologica Lady Lya Eyeliner in No. 382 ($20), full size = $20 value
Avado Sensitives Organic Gel Exfoliant ($14.95/100mL), full size = $14.95 value
Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Treatment ($19.95/110mL), 30mL sample = $5.45 value
Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb ($9.95), full size = $9.95 value
Sranrom Awakening Vitality Body Lotion ($30/200mL), 75mL sample = $11.25 value
Kosmea Radiance 24/7 Youth Boost ($39.95/20mL), 10mL sample = $21.95 value
Wicked Wix Organix Baby Jar in Bliss ($14.95/57g), full size = $14.95 value

Total value = $98.50 AUD

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Native Box ($20.95 AUD incl. shipping/monthly) *

Launching in November 2012, Native Box is a monthly sample box subscription service, featuring a range of eco-friendly and ethical lifestyle products. Native Box seems designed to give you a little taste of everything – each box contains 10+ samples. The website doesn’t have an online store, but each month you are provided with each brand’s website address. The information sheet also notes which products are vegan, which is brill. In December’s box, there was a balanced mix of skincare products, super foods and supplements, mineral makeup, tea, and snacks. The snacks – the veggie chips and gingerbread man – got snapped up immediately. I’m not so keen on the inclusion of sample sachets (they are packaging-intensive). I’ll also pass on the spirulina sample – there are only select circumstances in which I’ll take tablets divvied up into a little plastic baggie by a stranger, and this is not one of them.

Phytocare Omega Smooth in Sweet Lemon ($19.80/250mL), full size = $19.80 value
Island Sky Hand Made Goat’s Milk Soap (price unavailable)
Adorn Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Coral Pearl [vegan] ($15/1g), full size = $15 value
Ajitas Vege Chips [vegan] ($2), full size = $2 value
Ayana Organics Vanilla Body Butter [vegan] ($37.65/250mL), 5mL sample = 75c value
Morelife Spirulina 1000mg Tabs [vegan] ($27.95/500 tabs), 20 tablet sample = $1.10 value
Gingerbread Folk Chocolate Gingerbread Man [vegan] ($1.60), full size = $1.60 value
Adore Tea Australian Green Tea [vegan] ($9.50/50g), ’2-cup taster’ sample = 95c value
Kuranda Chinoa Health Bar [vegan] ($3), full size = $3 value

Total value = $44.20 AUD value

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Notox Box ($25 AUD incl. shipping) *

Launching in October 2012, Notox Box is a monthly sample box subscription service, featuring a range of eco-friendly and ethical lifestyle products. You can buy a full-size version of all the products included in the Notox Box from their online store – the online store has a very nifty function that allows you to see whether or not each product ticks the following boxes: certified organic, fair trade, cruelty-free, vegetarian, vegan, hand-made, and made in Australia. Notox Box has a smaller number of samples than Native Box, but happily in this case there were no sample sachets to be found (apart from the teabag). This box had the slimmest value-for-money ratio, but I certainly wouldn’t have felt ripped off if I had bought it. February’s box contained a balanced mixture of skincare, homewares, food, tea, super foods and supplements – and that candle smells like heaven, I swear.

Blacktea Soy Candle in White Tea & Ginger [vegan] ($44.95/300g), 57g baby jar = $8.55 value
Olive Oil Skincare Co. Olive Oil Soap with Manuka Honey ($6.95), full size = $6.95 value
Nutra Organics Super Greens + Reds [vegan] ($39.95/250g), 3g sample = $1.20 value
Power Superfoods Cacao Powder Gold [vegan] ($12.95/225g), 5g sample = 30c value
Absolute Organic White Quinoa [vegan] ($5.95/400g), full size = $5.95 value
Spiral Foods Mung Bean Chips [vegan] ($4.95), full size = $4.95 value
Pukka Love Tea [vegan] ($7.95/20 sachets), sample sachet = 40c value

Total value = $28.30 AUD value

I totally get the sustainability arguments against sample box subscription services, no matter what the contents – they are inevitably packaging-intensive, need to be posted in the mail, and can be wasteful (if you do not use some of the products). However, they are also an awesome way to find out about smaller sustainable brands and explore new things, and you all know (if you follow me on Twitter) that I have no issues with palming off my unwanted stuff to anyone who will take it. If you subscribe to one of these sample boxes and you find you do not use some of the products, make sure you find them a good home – I find when I leave a box of goodies on the lunch table at work, everything is gone in a blink of an eye.

* These products were provided for consideration in accordance with the Disclosure Policy.

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Baby It’s Cold Outside: Australis Nail Colour in ‘Sweetpea’ NOTD

March 22, 2013 by 10 Comments

0S7A0669I’m very excited about two things at the moment: one is that I now have enough time to start blogging again, and the other is that the weather is finally starting to cool down, so I can break out the jeans, jumpers, and these brill hand warmers. On my nails is a beauty-blogger favourite that I’m loving sick at the moment: Australis Nail Colour in ‘Sweatpea’ ($7.95 AUD). The pastel mint cream is a bit brighter than most pastel nail polishes, which stops it from ever looking streaky, and it’s pretty opaque, so you’ll only need two coats. Ah, the cozy life.

0S7A0673P.S. Speaking of the weather cooling down, I recently wrote a guest post for the Sukin blog, talking about why I love incorporating rosehip oil into my Autumn skincare routine. Check it out!

Note: Australis do not participate in animal testing [link].

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Firebird Bath & Body Haul – Cherry Limeade, Pomegranate Rose, Grapefruit Ginger

February 6, 2013 by 8 Comments

Firebird Bath and Body Cherry Limeade, Pomegranate Rose, Ginger GrapefruitI suffered a devastating emotional blow recently, when I realised I’d somehow lost my beloved Firebird Gingerale Perfume Oil (featured here). Firebird Bath & Body is a one-woman small business based in Baltimore, USA, which specialises in handmade perfume oils, soaps and bath salts, as well as tinted and untinted lip balms. Owner Brooke says that her scents are inspired by things like, “a wooden cigar box, the smell of the ocean in winter, or the scent of your clothes after a night around a camp-fire.” Lush.

Even worse, when I logged onto the Firebird Bath & Body Etsy store, the Gingerale Perfume Oil was NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. *PANIC ATTACK*. Finally, I settled on the new Grapefruit Ginger Perfume Oil ($9.00USD), throwing in Pomegranate Rose Perfume Oil ($9USD), Pomegranate Rose Botanical Bath Salts ($5USD/70g), and Cherry Limeade Soap ($5.50USD) for good measure.

My parcel arrived yesterday, enveloped in a perfumed fug. I’m making friends with Grapefruit Ginger Perfume Oil; it’s still got a lot of the zingy ginger of my old favourite, but it is soften by the juicy sweetness of the grapefruit. Pomegranate Rose Perfume Oil and Bath Salts are just an all-out floral-lolly-fest – totally gorgeous if that’s your sort of thing (like it is mine). Cherry Limeade Soap is the only BAH-BOW for me; just a little too much like the god-awful cough medicine my Mum used to have us take as children when we had sore throats (or were at least pretending to have sore throats in order to miss a day of school)… I see what you did there, Mum.

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Hello Darling 5-Free Nail Lacquer in ‘In the Navy’ NOTD

January 30, 2013 by 6 Comments

Hello Darling Nail Polish in In The Navy

The kind of colour that’s approved by mothers, fashionistas, governments and The Village People alike. Ahoy there, sailor!

Because it’s three-thirty in the afternoon on a Wednesday after a public holiday, here is a picture of my favourite blue nail polish, Hello Darling 5-Free Nail Lacquer in In the Navy ($18.95AUD). I love it because – thanks to a brightened blue base – In the Navy always looks like a deep inky blue, never black. Hello Darling are a female-led Sydney start-up nail polish brand, whose products are vegan, animal testing-free, and formulated without toulene, formaldehyde or formalehyde resin, DBP or camphor.

P.S. I got double good karma points for the top I’m wearing in this picture. It’s from my favourite sustainable fashion brand People Tree, and I bought it second-hand from eBay for $1AUD. SUPER SCORE.

* This product was provided for consideration in accordance with the Disclosure Policy. Hello Darling do not participate in animal testing.

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Steamcream 3-in-1 Moisturiser [Night Before Christmas Design]

January 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Steamcream 3-in-1 MoisturiserContinuing my long tradition of irrelevance, I thought I’d show you my brand new Steamcream 3-in-1 Moisturiser in Night Before Christmas ($21.65AUD). Well, it’s 331 nights before Christmas. If you’re cringing right now, I strongly recommend you avoid my loungeroom, where you may happen upon a half-dead Christmas tree.

My love for these multi-purpose moisturisers is deep, strong, and well-documented (see here and here). Made in the UK, Steamcream 3-in-1 Moisturiser is created with natural ingredients (although it does contain tiny amounts of parabens as a preservative) using an unusual steam infusion method. The end result is a delightfully wobbly, lavender and rose-scented, super-moisturising cream. And it’s vegan!

I kind of think that the best thing about Steamcream 3-in-1 Moisturiser is the tin. Although the contents are always the same, each metal tin features a limited-edition design. As well as working with established designers, Steamcream runs a design competition every year (see the 2012 winner, ‘Lighht From Space’, here). Once you’ve finished the tin, you can wash it and use it to store bits and bobs.

I was able to snaffle up one of the marked-down Christmas design tins on ASOS left over from the holidays. A total cheapskate at heart, I am content with it being Christmas on my face all year round. That design is now gone, but there are lots available on ASOS at the moment – I thought this one might be fitting for The Cat’s Pyjamas?

* Steamcream does not participate in animal testing. It is a vegan brand. This post contains affiliate links.

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Hurraw! Lip Balms

January 18, 2013 by 6 Comments

Hurraw Lip BalmsSee, this is one of my issues. When something is very cheap and very good, it somehow disables my inner censor that tells me, “No. You do not need them all.” Anyway. Hurraw! is a vegan lip balm brand based in a tiny ski town called Whitefish in Montana, USA. All Hurraw! lip balm ingredients are vegan, raw, certified organic and/or fair-trade. Standard lip balms cost $3.79USD and fancy ones – with sunscreen or a richer formula for night-time – cost $4.29USD.

Hurraw! lip balms are made by infusing oils with a range of fruit zests, seeds, pods, barks, and roots (for a better explanation, see here). There’s a cleverly-edited selection of scents and flavours: bright, zingy flavours like mint, lemon, lime; afternoon tea flavours like Earl Grey tea, coffee bean, spiced chai; soft, sweet flavours like vanilla bean, chocolate, almond. None of the flavours are overly sweet. I miraculously narrowed my selection to five lip balms – Moon Balm, Chai Spice, Coconut, Earl Grey, and Lime.

Shipping was $6.35USD and my order took about a week and half to arrive from the US. I got a kick out of the fact someone had annotated my receipt, writing ‘Made today!‘ next to Chai Spice and ‘LOVE!’ next to Moon Balm. Good job on congratulating me on my choices, Hurraw!, it has totally enabled my continued stalking of your website. The lip balms feel lovely to wear and they withstand better than regular lip balms; it was 44 degrees Celsius here yesterday and they coped admirably.

In conclusion, get some of these lip balms. If you don’t want to order them straight from the source, Australian natural health and beauty store Relauncher also stocks some of the flavours (for $6.95AUD each with free shipping).

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