We Have a Winner of the My Haircare $100 Gift Voucher!

Well the Rafflecopter powers that be have spoken and I am extremely excited to announce that the winner of the awesome My Haircare $100 Gift Voucher Giveaway is:

Entry #4 - AmberB

 

 

Amber has been contacted and her details have been passed on to My Haircare so hopefully she will be having one great spending spree very shortly.

 

 

Congratulations Amber and a big thank you to everyone who entered!

 

 

Well, I'm heading off to the Easter Show today with hubby and our little man so am looking forward to a fun day.

 

 

I hope everyone else has an awesome Easter long weekend!

 

 

Michelle xx

A Little Bit of Bragging.....

So first up I have to apologise for being absent for the past week but things have been extremely hectic around my house lately and unfortunately blogging had to take a bit of a back seat.

Anyhoo, I just wanted to do a really quick post to brag about one of my finest creations in a long time. It's in no way beauty related but I just couldn't help but share:

Behold, the cutest cake I have ever made so far in my life. This was for my little man's 2nd birthday party last week and is seriously one of the most amazing things I have ever done!

You need to know that I don't bake, period. I've always been a savoury eater and am never really excited about sweets or cake but made a promise that I would always try and make a decent cake for our little guy for his birthday because I never got to have a cake or a party for any of mine when growing up. I could literally count the number of cakes I have tried to make in my life on one hand.

I did make him one last year but it was more of a toe-dip into baking and was just a plain number 1 cake that was pretty simple, but this year I wanted to challenge myself a bit so decided to do his favourite animal instead of just the number 2.

My entire kitchen was coated in blue coconut by the end but I'm still proud as (if you can't already tell :-))

Has anyone else done any achievements lately you'd love to share?

Have a great week.

Michelle xx

Bye Bye Google Reader

As you may be aware by now (or not!) Google Reader will be retiring as at the 1st July 2013. This means that any of you who follow me through an RSS feed in Google Reader will need to think about another way to stay up to date with my posts (pretty, pretty please :-))

To make it a bit easier for you, I have a few other ways that I can be followed, all of which are listed in the left sidebar.

The easiest way I can see for now is most likely Bloglovin' as they have a super easy way to import all of your Google Reader feeds into their platform. I just did it myself and was amazed at how well it worked.

Bloglovin is also great because they have an app for Android and iPhone that allows you to follow all of your favourite blogs on the go.

I am also on Hello Cotton which is a more female blog oriented site. I love to browse this site sometimes for new blogs I've never seen before as the front page is great for seeing new and or popular blogs that you might not have noticed yet.

Lastly, I am also on Bloggers which is a universal blog site. It's also a great place to find other blogs you might never had noticed before too!

As I said before, all of the links to follow me on any of these sites are listed on the left sidebar.

If anyone has any other great reader or blog following site suggestions I'd love to know about them!

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Michelle xx

Giveaway! $100 Gift Voucher at My Haircare

Today I am lucky enough to be able to bring you an awesome giveaway from the wonderful people at My Haircare.

I've been given the opportunity to offer a $100 Gift Voucher to one lucky reader for use on any products on the My Haircare website.

A little bit about My Haircare:

'Launched in 2008, My Hair Care is proud to be one of the fastest growing hair and beauty stores, Australia wide. Our first beautique salon opened in the heart of Kensington Victoria, Mazen Bali Haidressing. Since beginning, Mazen Bali Haidressing has become one of Melbourne premiere salon destinations. With a dedicated and growing professional hair dressing team, we continually update our knowledge with on-going professional training from our brands. With over 50 brands, 3,000 products, and 5,000 reviews, we take great satisfication with providing our valuable customers with the latest trends, and styles to help you look and feel incredible.'

All you have to do to be in the running for this great prize is to fill out the Rafflecopter form below and wait until I contact you if you're the lucky winner!

This giveaway is open to Australian residents only and will end on Friday the 22nd March 2013.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Good Luck All!!

 

Michelle xx

 

***This is a sponsored post on behalf of My Haircare ***

Nails of the Week - Napoleon Perdis Skinny Latte Nail Polish

This is my first ever Napoleon polish and although the shade is not something I would normally choose to wear (I'm more of a bright nail polish gal), it actually grew on me more every day I wore it and is one that I really like now.

I received this polish ages ago when I had a makeover at the local Napoleon Perdis counter and if you spent over a certain amount on products after you received a little goody bag with a few things in it. This polish was part of that goody bag.

This polish is surprisingly long lasting and is opaque after just two coats (which is what I am wearing here). It's a lovely consistency to apply and dries quite fast without any streaking or bubbles forming after multiple coats.

It took me so long to try this out because the colour just wasn't calling to me but I'm really glad that I did now. I felt a little bit too librarian at first when I put it on but it's surprising how nice it actually makes the nails look.

I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for other Napoleon Perdis polishes from now on!

Has anyone else ever used a polish from this range before?

I hope everyone has had a great week!

Michelle xx

The First Ever 'Her Fashion Box' Has Arrived!

Today I was very excited when I got home as waiting for me was the first ever My Fashion Box just asking to be opened!

The postage box itself was bright pink (sorry about the flash it was already dark by the time I got home from work) with the round Her Fashion Box logo on the front.

Inside was a nice and sturdy black cardboard box with a lid that lifts off and inside of this was where the products were contained.

Now, for the unveiling of the good stuff inside.........

I ordered the Classic box (there were also the Trendy and the Feminine boxes available) and inside were the following items:

1) Geometric shaped necklace in black and gold - I am so in love with this necklace and can see me getting a lot of wear out of it. I'm not sure of the RRP of this item as it's not listed.

2) Redken Diamond Oil Range of hair products - Deep Facets (30ml), Conditioner (30ml) & Shampoo (50ml). The RRP's of these are $35.50, $22.95 & $22.95 for full size products respectively.

3) Maybelline Colour Sensational Lip Gloss in Gleaming Grenadine - The shade I received is a dark fushia almost bordering on red and seems to be a nice opaque gloss on first impressions. RRP $15.95 for full size.

4) Master Makeup Eyeshadow Brush - I haven't heard of this brand of brushes before so am excited to try this one out. RRP is $30.00.

5) Moxie Collection - A small sample collection of Moxie pads and tampons. Probably the only item in the box I was a bit surprised about because to me it's not really an apropriate item to include in a box like this. RRP is listed as $4.47.

6) Circa Home Everyday Soap in Lilac & Orchid - This is such a pretty smelling soap that made the entire box smell lovely when it was opened. I quite like nice scented soaps so will be happy to try this one. RRP is $9.95 per soap.

7) Gold Ponytail Cuff - This is really cute but because my hair is so fine it's a bit wide for me. At least the black elastic it's attached to will make it still stay in my hair so I'll just have to work out a way to fluff my hair up a bit so it doesn't look so big. No RRP is listed against this item.

 

 

Also included was a little booklet giving information on the Master Makeup brush range and all the products received were listed in a mini Her Fashion magazine. This is an awesome little touch that is much nicer than the plain cards that are in other subscription services to describe the products received.

 

Overall I'm really pleased with what I received in this first box and will definitely be keeping my subscription at this point in time.

 

What do you think of the first Her Fashion Box?

 

I hope everyone has a great week.

 

Michelle xx

New Subscription Service - Europe in a Box!

There is a new subscription service in town and instead of appealing to our beauty obsessions, this one appeals to our stomachs instead! It's called Europe in a Box and offers a hand picked range of authentic food and drink imported from Europe. In addition, Europe in a Box is packed with educational, cultural and culinary information about the food you receive.

Here is some information I was sent about Europe in a Box so that you can get to know about this service a little bit better:

Launch of Europe in a Box: A Selection of Authentic Imported

Treats to Your Door Each Month
New Food Subscription Box in Australia

The special thing about travel is how we are able to recall a smell or a taste that reminds

us of a place where we once were. Europe in a Box is a way of sharing these experiences

through cuisine.

Packed with delicious authentic treats, educational and cultural and culinary information,

Europe in a Box brings new flavours directly to your doorstep each month! The service is

designed to connect food lovers with the flavours of Europe from the comfort of their

own homes in Australia through a monthly subscription.

Each box contains four gourmet products each originating from a different culinary

destinations in Europe, including an authentic imported drink, additional samples and a

keepsake.

Europe in a Box is also a business with a conscience. In addition to promoting cultural

diversity through the love of food, the company encourages philanthropy. Becoming a

member of Europe in a Box is a way to discover great food for a great cause: a percentage of

each sale from Europe in a Box is donated to All Together Now, the only national charity in

Australia that is dedicated to tackling racism issues.



Signing up for the monthly subscription service can be easily and securely done

online at Europe in a Box with membership prices starting at $48/month (free

shipping).  

Nourish your travel appetite!

Having a moment of discovery each month is something to aspire to!

About the founder of Europe in a Box
Cyndie's exploration of world food has grown through her experience of living in five

countries (France, Morocco, UK, Japan and Australia) and visiting more than thirty

others. Cyndie is also the creator of the popular lifestyle blog, "Mademoiselle Slimalicious – 
a healthy lifestyle inspired by French culture".

 
Europe in a Box is based in Sydney, NSW.

Important Links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/europeinabox

Twitter: www.twitter.com/europebox

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/europebox


*** I have not received any form of consideration for this post. I just thought it was a wonderful idea that needed to be shared with you all***

Nails of the Week - Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Sonic Bloom

Apologies for not posting a nail of the week for so long but my nails had a few issues in January and decided to break left, right and centre so I had to wait for them to grow to a nice enough length again before they were photo worthy.

I received this polish a while ago in one of the monthly sample boxes and have been so taken with it lately, even though I am totally at a loss as to how to descibe it adequately. In some lights it looks red and in others it looks kind of like a super bright pink. I just can't seem to make my mind up which colour describes it better but I don't really care because it is utterly gorgeous!

My photos are a pretty good representation of the colour so I might have to let them speak for themselves.

This polish has an awesome large square brush which reduces the amount of brush strokes you need to do to cover the entire nail and it almost gets away with being a one coat polish. I have applied two coats in these photos with no top coat because frankly it doesn't need it. I think it is shiny enough on its own.

Isn't it pretty??

Has anyone else tried this shade before?

Michelle xx

February Empties

Well, February was a pretty pathetic month for me as far as empties go. I've been trying to use very minimal products on my skin other than the absolute necessities lately due to how hot it has been. I think it has definitely paid off too becuase I've had the least amount of breakouts ever this summer even though my skin can be a total oil slick at this time of year.

Anyway, here is what I managed to get though during February:

1) Priceline Exfoliating 3 in 1 Facial Wipes - Holey moley! These are harsh on the skin. The first few times I used these I thought they were going to strip my skin to the bone but then I seemed to get used to them and they didn't feel too bad after that (maybe the nerves in my skin were permanently damaged, who knows!) Anyway, they certainly remove all traces of makeup as well as giving the skin a very good exfoliation on those lazy nights when you really love having something that kills two birds.

2) Gatineau Aquamemory Moisture Replenish Cream - I have no idea where this sample came from but I decided to try it as a light daytime moisturiser when I didn't feel like using a tinted one or some BB cream. It feels lovely on the skin and makes it feel so soft during the day. I'd definitely rebuy this.

3) A'kin Jasmine Body Wash - These body washes are a favourite of mine and I buy them over and over again.

4) Mirenesse Power Lift Foam Cleanser - This super foamy cleanser was actually really nice to use and didn't dry my skin out or make it feel tight at all. It cleaned my face totally and this tiny tube lasted a surprisingly long time because you really only need a tiny amount of this stuff.

5) Klorane Shampoo and Conditioner with Pomegranate - I know it's hard to make a decision from using a product once but this really didn't impress me at all. My hair felt like straw and was so hard to get a comb through after using this. First impressions are a definite no-buy for me.

6) Kerastase Nectar Thermique - It's official, these are breeding in my bathroom. I swear I have used up at least 10 of these sachets and I still keep finding more. I've resorted to using it a bit like a leave-in conditioner now just to beat them at their own game and use the buggers up!

7) Avon Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick in Looking Glass Lilac - Yes!!! A makeup product finally used up!! It has taken me forever but I have finally done it. I decided a while ago to pick one pale or neutral lipstick that I can wear practically every day when I'm feeling lazy in an effort to start trying to use up some of my lipsticks and this is the first one I picked because it was fairly used up already. I'm not sure what the next one I'm going to aim to finish off will be yet......

So that's it for me for the month of February.

Have a lovely day!

Michelle xx

Almay Intense i-color - Bold Nudes Collection for Hazel Eyes

I was fortunate enough to receive some of the Almay Intense i-color collection from Beautyheaven as part of their trial team a few weeks ago.

The products above are listed as follows:

1) Volumizing Mascara in Midnight
2) Defining Liner in Teal
3) Liquid Shadow + Color Primer for Hazel Eyes
4) Powder Shadow Trio for Hazel Eyes

The Almay Intense i-color range has been designed so that the colours complement your natural eye colour and make eyes appear brighter and more defined. I can't say that I hold too much truth in this concept as I didn't really notice my eyes appearing to look much different when I used this range as opposed to when I use other different colours.

(Almay Intense i-color Volumizing Mascara in Midnight)

The Volumizing Mascara was the most disappointing product in the range to me. Although it worked well when I was actually able to apply it properly (which was rarely), the brush is seriously made for someone with eyes the size of a giraffe because it did not matter what angle I used I just could not apply it to my eyes without getting it on my eyelid or in my eyeball. Frankly, this mascara wand now terrifies me and could be marketed as a great self-torture product.

(Look at the size of that freaking brush!)

(Almay Intense i-color Liquid Shadow + Color Primer for Hazel Eyes)

The Liquid Shadow + Color Primer was a product that really surprised me. I usually steer clear of liquid shadows as they never really work very well on my hooded eyelids and normally crease terribly after a couple of hours. This one however lasted the entire day on me and made a really pretty and simple subtle smokey eye when applied as a sweep all over the lid and then blended out at the edges. You have to work pretty quickly though before the shadow sets if you wish to blend it out as once it sets it does not budge at all! I even found that my regular eye makeup remover sometimes struggled to get this off becuase of how well its staying power is.

The Powder Shadows are nice enough to wear but are not very pigmented so need to be built up to the desired colour that you want. They are lovely and soft to apply and blend well to me without much fallout at all. The Hazel Eyes trio comes with a pale coral shade which is supposed to be applied all over the lid, a dark navy blue shade which is to be blended into the crease and a shimmery cream shade that is to highlight the brow bone.

I wasn't a big fan of all three colours used together but I did love using the coral and the cream and the blue and the cream together instead.

The standout product to me was the Defining Liner in Teal. This is an eye liner that I could live in. It's so buttery soft to apply, does not pull at the delicate skin around the eye even the slightest and lasts for hours without transferring to the top of my lid. It's also such a gorgeous shade that I just love to wear with a pale shadow as a base and nothing else.

(Left to Right: Powder Shadow Trio for Hazel Eyes, Liquid Shadow + Color Primer for Hazel Eyes, Defining Liner in Teal)

Here is a very simple eye look I created, and managed to remember to photgraph, one day while I was wearing the Cream highlighting shade all over my lid with the Navy shade blended into the crease and outer corner. I am also wearing the Volumizing Mascara in these photos:

 

Has anyone else tried this range before?

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Michelle xx