Bloggers United AU 2nd Birthday Bash at Lush!...

If you're an Aussie Blogger, and you haven't hooked up with Bloggers United AU yet, you're missing out on a whole heap of benefits, including invitations to fabulous events, like the one I attended on Saturday 11th March. To celebrate their 2nd Birthday, this powerful team of gorgeous gals (who incidentally are blogging experts and so generously offer their tried and tested advice) arranged a celebration at QVB Lush, and I jumped at the chance of wishing them a Happy Birthday, enjoying the unbelievably colourful and scented surroundings of Lush, and catching up with some of my beautiful blogging buddies ♥...

Absolutely tickled pink (and red, and green, and blue lol) to see my lovely friend Ingrid from Fabulous and Fun Life at the door. We first met at last year's November event, and it was so wonderful to see her again and have a chat. She's such a warm, wise, fun and friendly lady, and her blog content is world class ♥...

After exploring some of the sights and smells in this wonderland of scintillating scents, tantalising textures and riotous rainbow hues, we were warmly welcomed by the knowledgeable staff, and were treated to a guessing game of "what are the ingredients in the Cupcake Mask" (which I believe Ingrid won!). We then split into two groups, and watched in amazement as the Lush ladies made two of the top selling masks, right in front of our eyes. My group was observing the blending of the luscious ingredients that go into the Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask. Incidentally that vision of loveliness on the right in the pic below is Rachel from Rachel Beauty Style, one of the Sydney Bloggers United team, and an absolute delight to know ♥...

And here's the finished product we were given to take home - those purply blue bits are freshly crushed blueberries! There's also chamomile, rose, and almond oils included in the formula, plus calamine powder and this kinda weird Irish Moss gel. We were advised to keep the mask in the fridge (no preservatives), and I treated myself to it's cooling and calming effect earlier this week - it's especially effective if you're dealing with redness. My complexion is still feeling super smooth and soft, and I'm so looking forward to another dose of this brilliant concoction...

Another guest I was delighted to catch up with was the stunning Marisa from Marisa Robinson MUA - this gal knows her makeup craft inside and out, and if you're not following her blog, you're missing out on awesome makeup tutorials and brilliant reviews of just about any beauty product you can imagine ♥...

After the mask-making, we headed on over to the cosmetic section, and here's the Goddess that is Barbe the Babe from Fashionista in Suburbia ♥ getting herself all swatched with eyeliner, lip colour, concealer, highlighter etc. I had no idea Lush made makeup, and I was so impressed with the quality and pigmentation, I bought one of their Liquid Lipsticks - more on that later...

There was a whole range of yummy refreshments to nibble on, and all of us were gifted with a selection of Lush products, plus there was the extra special treat of choosing something (pretty much anything) we liked, and that went into the bag as well. Below is what I scored - all divine creams that I've been thoroughly enjoying sampling this week (reviews soon)...

My special gift was a no-brainer - I chose the Dark Angels Fresh Facial Cleanser, which is actually more of a scrub than a cleanser, but being pitch black and made from charcoal, rhassoul mud, black sugar and cold pressed avocado oil, there simply couldn't be another choice hey? Here's what it looks like in store...

...and here's what's inside my pot. It's dry and firm, and you pinch off a piece about the size of a pea, mix it with water in your palm till it's like a paste, and then massage it into your skin. Being black the drips are a bit messy, so I'm keeping this in the shower recess. It smells a bit like licorice, and oh, what it does for my face is a wonder - my skin felt like that of a newborn babe, complete with the healthy glow. LOVE!

And what a joy it was to spot the truly gorgeous face of Mel from Aussie Beauty Talk. This woman is a total doll, and I reckon I deserve a bravery medal for standing next to her radiant beauty for this picture. I've been following Mel's blog for a while now - she does the best, funniest, 100% natural videos in the business, and sometimes her cute-as bunny is in them too. I say again, a total doll ♥... 

Not content with the goody bag, there were a few other items I just had to take away with me on the night, and I was ecstatic we were able to make purchases. Below is what I bought - a cake of lavender, fennel & ginger Sugar Scrub, the absolutely fascinating Whoosh Shower Jelly, mouthwateringly berrylicious The Comforter Shower Cream, and the amazingly pigmented Liquid Lipstick in the shade Power Without Force...

And here is the lipstick on my pucker. Head over heels in love with the formula - creamy, smooth, non-drying, and I swear I reapplied it ONCE throughout the whole day. Hard to see in the pic, but it has the most gorgeous gold shimmer. Yes indeedy, I'll be getting more of these ♥...

What a fabulous night it was - I'm still on a high, and there are so many Lush products I want to try! Thank you Bloggers United and Lush for inviting me to this wonderful event ♥...  

Are you a Lush-aholic? What's your favourite product from their range?

Take care of you,

kats xxx

P.S. Come on over to Ingrid's awesome Monday Makeup Madness Party any time after 6:30am ♥...

SPOTLIGHT: Marie Claire Ageless Parcel - February 2017...

The latest Marie Claire Ageless Parcel arrived last week - as always I couldn't contain myself till I'd opened it, and as always, it was a delight to see what goodies were inside. Some of these boxes are a tad more exciting than others, but all of them are astoundingly good value, and this quarterly offering is an absolute delight. With four full-size products and one generous sample, the RRP of the contents is around $105, and for an outlay of $25, and specifically targeting my particular ageing issues, I expect to be subscribed to these forever ♥...

Revlon UniqOne Hair Treatment (150ml, RRP $29.95)

Only available in salons. this is a leave-in spray treatment that targets 10 problem areas, and having used it today after colouring my hair, I can certainly confirm there are immediate benefits from this potently scented (but dissipates quickly) formula - sure am looking forward to the long term ones. Instructions say to spray over damp hair, but it comes out like a foam, so I just mixed about five squirts in my palms and ran my hands over my hair, paying special attention to the highlighted sections which are the most damaged. After blow drying, my tresses are softer and silkier, with loads of shine ♥..

Just prior to publishing, I noticed that I'd accidentally photographed the Italian language side of the box in the pic above (whoops!), so here's the English translation, plus the list of ingredients...

Jergens Age Defying Multi-Vitamin Moisturiser (250ml, RRP $6.99)

The skin on my bod is pretty much dryish all year round, but during Winter, it becomes twice as moisture-starved. Having used this today after my shower, I reckon I'll have no such issues this cold season - LOVE the fresh flower scent of this body lotion, it absorbs completely after 30 seconds, and leaves my skin feeling supple and completely hydrated. According to the blurb, it triples (whoa!) the moisture content of the skin if you keep using it - yes please, I'm in! ♥...

L'Occitane Precious Cream (50ml, RRP $85, sample 8ml, value $13.60)

LOVE L'Occitane products, so I was super happy to find this bubby jar in the box. If this is anything like the stunning Immortelle range (the ones in the yellow packaging), which I trialled for beautyheaven some years ago, I'll be as happy as a clam. The container is too small for a list of ingredients, but here's what the box insert has to say ♥...

I have a stack of part-finished moisturisers to clear, so I'm saving this for a cold rainy day when I want to give myself a truly luxurious treat ♥...

 Redwin Coconut Balm (25g, RRP $5.99)

At first I thought this was a lip balm, but it turns out to be one of those multi-purpose healers - can be used on insect bites, burns, rashes and cuts. It's a thick clear gel that smells exactly like fresh coconut, and it's made with 100% organic coconut oil. There's also papaya fruit, jojoba, sunflower, marigold and carrot oils in the list of ingredients, plus it's 100% vegan friendly, and not tested on animals. There's a whole stack of horrors that are NOT included as well, like SLS, parabens, mineral oils and petroleum jelly. So far I've only used it on my lips, and they're thanking me for it already ♥...

Elucent Anti-Aging Eye Cream (15ml RRP $49.99)

Chuffed to see this old favourite included in the selection. Used this entire range some years ago and loved it, but you know me and how fickle I am with skin care, I moved on to trying out a whole heap of others from the gazillion available on the market. Still I'm delighted to have the opportunity to revisit this gem. It's fragrance-free and contains 4% glycolic acid, so it packs quite a punch in the battle against fine lines and wrinkles. There's also vitamins B3, C & E in the mix, and I love that there's an expiry date on both the box and the tube. Mine says Aug 2018, so I've plenty of time to get through all the part-used eye creams that are currently on my bench (four lol) ♥...

Another awesome collection from this resourceful and thoughtful panel - you can subscribe to the consistently brilliant Marie Claire Ageless Parcel at their new Beauty Crew home...

What do you think lovelies - are you keen to try any of these products?

Take care of you,
kats xxx

P.S. Linking to Ingrid's very popular Monday Makeup Madness Link Up - come join me in the fun of discovering some new blogs to follow ♥...

SPOTLIGHT: BotanicES Natural Caffeine Skincare...

Back in November last year, my gorgeous blogger pal at A Bella Adventure gifted me with a sample pack of botanicES skin care ♥ I was thrilled to say the least as she is my main source of natural and organic (and Aussie-made) product information, and if she loved this stuff, then I was bound to. Well that's sure how it turned out - I wrote a RAVE review, and I'm now using these refreshingly different and highly effective creams in my daily routine...

A couple of weeks ago, the lovelies at botanicES sent me this adorable travel pack - not only are the 15ml pump bottles the perfect size (and weight) for away-from-home adventures (actually the Eye Creme is full-size), the box is a "starter kit" for discovering how magical the formulations are, and beginning the journey to fresher and firmer looking skin. The whole range is based on CAFFEINE which is known to reduce puffiness, redness and the symptoms of dry skin, as well as having anti-cellulite properties. The Arabica beans are sourced locally from plantations in Byron Bay NSW, in fact every component of this range is developed and made Downunder - yay! According to their press release, their unique method of extracting the caffeine results in a product that has six times more efficacy than other caffeine formulations available in the market...

Clinical testing by the Institute for Personal Care Science showed improvements in skin hydration (up to 59%) within 3 hours and elasticity (up to 50%).

The bottles are sturdy and recyclable, and I love the fact that I can control the quantity of product that's dispensed by the pump, plus it's airless, which means that the contents are protected from contamination. Trust me, the eye creme is so concentrated and has so much "slip" you only need a half a pea-sized amount. The 5ml sample lasted me just over two months, so I'm expecting this full-size to keep me going for at least six...

I listed all the individual ingredients in my previous post, but didn't include what's NOT in this range - just as important (if not more so), so here we go...

The Face Creme is an infinite pleasure to use - I can't get enough of the natural smelling fragrance, the consistency is light and effortless to apply, absorption is lickety split, and not only does my skin feel beautifully hydrated and toned, I feel as energised as my face. The whole moisturising experience is a pick-me-up, and that has me grinning from ear to ear ♥...

As for the Body Creme, I'm hopelessly time poor on weekdays, but with the inevitably drying cold season fast approaching, I'm making a supreme effort to apply this delish cream whenever and wherever possible - it's already made a huge difference to the suppleness and softness of the skin on my legs (see ya later flaky bits) and another major benefit is it sinks into the skin in seconds, so there's no delay getting dressed...

I've already taken advantage of the free shipping for orders over $50, and bought the Face & Eye Care Package, but I'm kicking myself for not choosing the Full Skin Care Package, which includes their hand creme. I'm positively BUSTING to try this next, although at present it's not available as a single item - hope that changes soon ♥...

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything about this range, and if you've been following me for a while, you'll be aware of how fickle I am with skincare. Sure I'm bound to keep trying other products (hey it's my duty as a blogger right?), but this is now officially the staple set in my kit. My face and bod thank you again A Bella Adventure for introducing me to these beautiful products, and I so appreciate Team botanicES sending me this cute-as pack of natural goodness to review ♥...

Take care of you,
kats xxx

P.S. If you haven't checked out Ingrid's Monday Makeup Madness Link Up Party, you're missing some brilliant blog posts - starts 6:30am tomorrow ♥

REVIEW: botanicES Natural Caffeine Skincare..

That sweetheart gal at A Bella Adventure recently did me the BIGGEST favour - she sent me this awesome sample pack of botanicES face and body products, and I've been blissing out ever since. The natural skincare market is expanding in leaps and bounds, but not every company has got it right - from the effectiveness of the formulas, to the absence of the usual chemical ingredients, and then all the way down to environmentally sustainable (and recyclable) packaging, I reckon botanicES has the leading edge. Add in no animal testing, and you have a superb range of skin goodies that are made in Australia, and from my albeit brief experience, has the makings of living up to its claims...

They've even got their sample packs spot on - easy to dispense tubes instead of the usual sachets (which drive me nuts), and there's sufficient product inside to allow a true experience, not just one or two applications, which tell me very little at all. While I haven't used any of the creams long enough to notice any improvement in my wrinkles, my skin LOOKS and FEELS firmer, beautifully soft and hydrated, and not a dry flaky spot in sight ♥

Just for the record, my hesitation with using "natural" or organic skin care has always been for two simple reasons:

1) I've not seen any noticeable improvements in a short period of time. I understand that changes in texture and elasticity can take a while, but I need to observe at least some sort of short-term benefit to lure me into purchasing or repurchasing a product...

2) Often natural products smell awful - fishy(?), or like stale oil, yucko! Hey - I'm a scentophile, and if I don't enjoy the application experience, then forget it...

Delighted to report that these botanicES products don't fit into either of these categories. In fact I'm in love with the fragrance - while it's very delicate and it doesn't smell at all like coffee, there's something earthy and nature-scentric about it. Difficult to describe, and there's that old cliche of "just like a walk through a spring garden after the rain", but in this case it's true! 

Face Creme

Spreads effortlessly so you don't need to use very much at all - absorbs very quickly, and there's an almost instantaneous firming effect, although by that I don't mean the skin feels at all tight. Suits my combination skin perfectly - seems to adjust automatically to my oily T and drier cheeks. Very soothing, and the perfect makeup base ♥...

Ingredients listed on their website: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate [and] Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylic [and] Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Stearic Acid, Kakadu Plum Extract, Xantham Gum, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Licorice Liquid Extract, Phenoxyethanol [and] Ethylhexylglycerin.

Eye Creme

I have huge bags under my eyes, and I've noticed a reduction in the bulges since I've been using it - yay! It's super concentrated, and dispensing via the tube, it's a challenge to not express too much. In fact I hold my finger over the hole, and then gently squeeze, and the smidgin that ends up on my finger tip is more than enough for the entire eye area (I expect this not to be a problem with the full size as it has a pump). I still have some of this left! ♥

Ingredients listed on their website: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Cetearyl Olivate [and] Sorbitan Olivate, Coco-Caprylate, Xantham Gum, Kakadu Plum Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Licorice Liquid Extract, Phenoxyethanol [and] Ethylhexylglycerin.

Body Creme

If you have problems hauling on your skinny jeans after moisturising your legs, then this is the body cream for you. Absorbs in seconds, and I mean completely. There's nothing left except soft, gently fragranced skin ♥ There was only enough in the sample for a couple of applications, but thankfully I can see that standard bottle is a generous 100ml...

Iingredients listed on their website: Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Glucoside [and] Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Caprylic [and] Capric Triglyceride, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Xantham Gum, Phenoxyethanol [and] Ethylhexylglycerin.

In summary I'm very VERY impressed, and ever so grateful to both botanicES and A Bella Adventure for the opportunity to try out this fabulous range ♥ You can count on me to do an update once I've placed an order, and used the products for a longer period of time...

Take care of you,

kats xxx