Yesterday when I was in town buying homewares I just happened to walk into the beauty department (as you do!). Walking through the store I noticed that Natio has a GWP running at the moment.

As usual the GWP comes in a cute make up bag. And it also starts at a great price point. When you spend $38 or more you qualify for the GWP.

It contains...

Long Lasting Eyeliner

Lash Definition Mascara

Colour Creme Lip Gloss

Wellness Intensive Hand cream 30ml

Ageless Dual Action Cleanser & Exfoliator 20ml

Ageless Uplifting Day Cream 20ml

Ageless Firming Night Cream 20ml

Spend an extra $11, and you'll also be eligible for a bonus GWP. In this one you get a ...

Spa Gentle Cleansing Bar

Face Mask Purifier 20ml

Moisturising Lip Balm SPF30+ 

Small cosmetics bag

Also David Jones has a special when you purchase $250 or more in the beauty department you get a free GWP. 

In a gorgeous make up bag you get these samples...

 Aromatherapy Co Votive Candle 50g
• SK-II Facial Treatment Essence 30ml
• OPI Nail Lacquer 15ml
• Lancome Absolue Precious Cells Eye
Cream 5ml
• Lancome Absolue Oleo Serum 5ml
• Napoleon Perdis Luminous Lip Veil 5ml
• Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydramist 10ml
• Philosophy Hope in a Jar 7ml
• Marc Jacobs Fragrance 4ml
• Shu Uemura Porefinist Gentle Foaming
Cleansing Water 50ml
• Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream 7ml
• Clarins Beauty Flash Balm 30ml
• Ella Bache Great Tan without Sun 50ml
• Molton Brown Body Lotion or Bath and
Shower Gel 30ml

You can see more details about it here. 

Will you be picking up either of these GWPs?
XO

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Antipodes is a New Zealand company that specialises in organic skincare that's mixed with science. Every ingredient has been chosen carefully to create a high performance product. They use organic products to make sure there are no chemical nasties in their ingredients. 

I was kindly sent the "Grace Gentle Cream Cleanser" to trial. It's the first Antipodes product that I've ever tried. 

The "Grace Gentle Cream Cleanser" is a gorgeously moisturing cleanser that is even suitable for the most sensitive skin. 

It has a subtly sweet scent that reminds me of the Lush Christmas soap called "Snowflake." It's enough of a scent to smell amazing, but not overpowering or intense. 

Its hero ingredient is called "Vinanza Oxifend." It's extracted from pinot noir grapes and is high in antioxidants for anti-aging and also it's great for redness because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Also in this tube of deliciousness is avocado oil, which is a moisturising ingredient.

Since it's a cream cleanser I'll only use this in the winter time, since my skin is normal to combination in summer and drier in the winter. If you have dry to normal skin you could use it all year round. 

It's such a gorgeous cleanser to use after I use an oil cleanser to get rid of my make up. It puts moisture back into my skin and makes it feel soft and smooth. 

The packaging is really great. It's simple, but so informative too. 

It has a screw top that's easy to use, even when you have slippery hands in the shower. 

Because Antipodes don't like to use synthetic preservatives, favouring natural preservatives instead, they have a use by date. One thing I love about natural skincare has to be the expiry date. I hate the idea that the skincare I'm using has been sitting in a warehouse for years before I used it. 

For the eco friendly consumer, their packaging is recyclable.  

Using this has made me get really excited about the brand and also about their other products. On my wishlist has to be the Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser, Apostle Skin-Brightening & Tone Correcting Serum and Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream. 

They also do a small range of make up, which I didn't realise. Their "April Sun In Cuba" Lipstick is the one thing that really jumped out at me. It's a gorgeous reddish orange that is very much a statement lip colour. 

You can purchase the cleanser here for $46.90 NZD. Myer and David Jones also sell Antipodes. Find your local stockists here. 


Do you change up your skincare for each season like I do?
XO

I was kindly sent this for consideration. All thoughts and views are completely my own, and are always 100% honest. See my disclosure policy here.

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Last fortnight Priceline had one of their GWP beauty bags when you spent $60 or more on selected brands (like Models Prefer, Revlon, Bourjois, Manicare, Australis and more). 

I love a GWP because it's a fantastic way of being able to try out products or brands you normally wouldn't bother with. I really umm-ed and ahhh-ed about this promotion. While the bag is good, it isn't as amazing as previous bags (see here, here and here), but the things I bought to qualify for the bag were things that I would have bought in the next 3-4 weeks anyway. So I bit the bullet and decided to get it.

Here's what I bought to qualify....

Manicare "Blending Airbrush"

The Manicare brush has been on my to buy list since late last year. Ever since I went to the Priceline Beauty Editor Workshop back in Sydney, it's been on my wishlist. Jessica Bell, who's a professional make up artist, raved about it. So i finally picked it up. You can use this with both liquids or powders. I'm looking at getting more Manicare brushes if I end up loving this one. 

Models Prefer Energy Lift Primer

While I really didn't need this, it's been on my wishlist for a while. This is to help brighten your skin and make your make up last. I'm interested to try this out and see how it performs. I haven't used Models Prefer foundations or primers before and I'm not sure what to expect. 

Models Prefer Infinite Colour Lip Liner

I'm really loving bright lipsticks at the moment and needed a lip liner to make sure that my lipstick stays on my lips and doesn't move. Kate from "Seduced by Beauty" had a review on her blog recently and loved this (you can read her review here), so I picked it up. At only $7.99 (yep, only $7.99 this will cost you!), you can afford to buy one in every colour. There's 5 colours in total. 

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in "10"

I purchased 2 of these recently and FELL IN LOVE!!! You can see the two I bought here. They're so moisturising and the colours are gorgeous. "10" is a red with an almost neon orange twist to it. While it's not normally a colour I'd use, I love it!! Expect to see it on the blog very soon :)

Australis Pout Paste in "Pash Me Pink"

I've recently been buying a lot of red lipsticks, and was really tempted to get the red Pout Paste, but then decided to get the bright pink. I can't wait to try it out and see what the formula is like. 

Savvy by DB have a lot of great products at an inexpensive price. I've used their blush before, but not their graduating blush. When I swatched it instore, it looked pretty, and as it was on sale for only $5.59, I couldn't say no!!

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in "Nude"

I've seen this on so many blogs and youTube videos for months now. I finally picked up "Nude." I don't wear eyeliner a lot, but am hoping that this will brighten up my eyes, even though it's not white. 

Because I spent over $60, I was got the goodie bag. Now since you've all probably seen 100+ blogs with a post about this, I'll save you (and me) the time of listing everything and use a picture instead!

I'm really looking forward to using the Models Prefer "Brow Highlighter" as Jessica also said it was one of her favourite MP products. I don't really do anything with my cuticles (which is why they look shocking) so I can't wait to try the Manicare "Cuticle Therapy" oil. I'm also looking forward to try out the Nude by Nature "Undercover Airbrush Mineral Primer," as it's one of the only NBN products that I haven't tried out before!

So that's my haul!! What have you picked up at Priceline lately?
XO

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At the start of the year, Kosmea opened up a day spa. It's the only one in the world, and luckily for me they opened it up in little ol' Adelaide. The reason for this is because Kosmea actually started in Adelaide. 

Kosmea has been ahead of the beauty pack for years because rosehip oil is the foundation for Kosmea. Rosehip oil was their very first product, and they continue to use RHO in all of their products. Rosehip oil is one of those wonder ingredients that is not only moisturising and nourishing for dry skin, but balances out combination and oily skin. It contains essential fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants that are powerful when applied to the skin. 

One thing that Kosmea does is use ALL of the rosehip (the fruit, skin and seed). Their brand is about being eco friendly, and that means that their ingredients are used completely, not just extracting a particular property and ditching the rest. 

Back when Kosmea started, it was created to change peoples views of natural skincare. Back in the early to mid nineties, when you thought of natural skincare you didn't think of ground breaking or revolutionary. You were more likely to think of hippies and smelling like a leaf or herb. How things have changed so much!! 

I was lucky enough to be invited to a complimentary 1 hour facial. And after reading about my experience, I'm sure you'll all be wanting a visit to the day spa!!!

The spa is simple inside and is relaxing. Even though it's on a busy road, you don't notice the cars.

Before your appointment you fill out a questionnaire. It lets them know about your skin and if you have any skin allergies. It also has an extra part that you can fill in if you want to ask the staff about any skincare or brand questions.

The lovely Amy took me into the treatment room. I absolutely loved the large artwork in the room. It was beautiful but also added to the calmness of the room. There was also calming music on to help you relax and enjoy the experience. 

Amy excused herself so I could get into the robe and onto the table. They have blankets on the bed so you don't get cold or feel embarrassed at being half naked in front of a stranger. 

To make sure she was using the correct products for my skin, she checked my skin under a UV light. It showed that I had sun damage and the skin around my eyes was dry.

Firstly Amy washed my my skin with the Purifying Cream Cleanser. To me the words "purifying" can be scary. I've used cleansers before that have had the word purifying and it left my skin red, sore and angry. Luckily this cleanser was heavenly. It's a cream based cleanser, which makes it gentle. It contains RHO, avocado oil to moisturise and witch hazel to purify the skin and tone it. It's great for sensitive skin. I was quite surprised when Amy told me that a lot of people don't know about double cleansing. If you're not double cleansing, especially if you wear make up, then you're really not cleansing!! 

She then exfoliated my skin using the Daily Facial Exfoliant. This is gentle enough to use daily, but is still powerful enough to get rid of dead skin cells. It contains crushed chamomile flower to help soothe your skin and the grittiness comes from ground rosehip. A steam machine was used to open up my pores. It felt warm, but not hot or uncomfortable. Amy then used a Clarisonic like brush to help assist the exfoliant. I could feel it adding to the exfoliating feeling, but it wasn't rough or hard on my skin. She went over my skin a couple of times to make sure that my skin was thoroughly exfoliated. She really focused on my nose and the curves of my nose. I have to admit, I really don't pay much attention to my nose when exfoliating, so it was a great reminder. She then washed it off. 

After cleansing and exfoliating, a mask was applied. This is a special one that's only available in the day spa. Amy applied first a mask onto my blemishes, then applied a moisturising mask all over my skin. While it was sinking into my skin and making it feel and look great, Amy gave me a neck and shoulder massage, It was pure bliss!! After about 20 minutes, the mask was washed off. 

Next she sprayed the Hydrating Rosewater Mist. I'm a huge fan of mist toners. They're so refreshing and lovely to apply. Amy and I both talked about how we love to keep our mists in the fridge... except it can be very cold in winter!! 

What happened next actually changed the way I thought about applying my skincare. Amy applied their much loved Rosehip Oil onto my skin by patting and tapping it into my skin. When I asked why, she told me our skin is like a sponge and by patting it into the skin it helps to penetrate your skin more effectively. Which makes so much sense. By rubbing it in, it moves around on the skin but doesn't always sink into the skin. Also if you rub too hard, especially around close to the eye area, it can do more harm than good. 

After applying the serum, she then applied their new eye cream Apple Of My Eye, which is being launched on Mothers Day. It felt really nice and moisturising without being heavy. 

Finally she applied a wonder product called Moisturising Lotion SPF 30+, which is a moisturiser, sunscreen and has a light tint!! It's perfect for anyone time poor.

And then it was time to get get dressed, and go back to all of the boring things like washing and dishes!! :(

Amy talked me through what she was doing step by step. She talked about what she was using (eg cleanser), why she was doing it and what benefits the product had. She also talked through about the best ways to apply the product and how often to use it. 

I loved how she explained why she was using a particular product and how this product and its ingredients benefit my skin. Sometimes it can become confusing when you're buying a new product but aren't sure which to buy out of two that sound similar. 

You can also purchase from the day spa. They have their products out on display so you can take a closer look at the packaging and ingredient list. 

If you don't live in Adelaide, but are interested in their products, their website has them all here. If you make a purchase of $39.95 or more in April and use the code "REPLENISH" then you get a free Replenishing Moisture Cream that's worth $44.95. 

I ended up purchasing the moisturiser, as I really need to start taking more care of my skin when it comes to suncare. It costs $44.95, but since I will only apply it once a day in the morning, it will last quite a while. Also because it's a moisturiser and sunscreen, I'll save money from needing to buy 2 separate products. 

They currently have an introductory price of a 1 hour facial for only $49 or an hour massage and hour facial for $89. See here!

I'll leave you with this great quote that I saw on the Kosmea website...

"Our skin is a living organ and we should nourish it with ingredients that we recognise and would be prepared to eat!"

To see their website with all of their different facial options (and prices) at the day spa click here. 

When was the last time that you had a spa experience? What did you get?
XO

I was kindly provided the treatment for consideration. All thoughts and views are completely my own, and are always 100% honest. See my disclosure policy here.

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At lunch time today the post man brought me my second Her Fashion Box. And he couldn't have been slower!! I had been stalking the front door since getting my "on board with driver" Australia Post update this morning.

I had been trying my hardest to not look at blogs or youTube, as I didn't want any spoilers. Surprisingly, I seemed to skip any internet spoilers and when I opened my box it was a complete surprise!!

Here's what was in the "Classic" box...

The first thing that I noticed was a HUGE self tanner from "Bondi Sands." It's been nearly a year and a half since I last faked tanned!!! I don't do it very often, but am really interested in this. I've never used a product from Bondi Sands before. 

It's a foam formula that has a pump applicator, which makes application so easy. It's Australian made with a gorgeous coconut scent. When I was in my late teens and used fake tan, they smelt awful! Luckily in the last decade there has been a huge improvement on not only smell, but also the colour selection. Being pale has made it hard for me, and as a teen there only seemed to be two colours available... light orange or dark orange. 

Luckily I was sent a Light/Medium colour. I'm not sure how natural it will look on my light skin, but I'm interested in trying it. It retails for $19.95 for 200mls, so it's an affordable option if I end up liking it. 

Secondly I noticed a Schick "Hydro Silk" razor. I've used this quite a few times before and love it. I'm currently using a Schick Quattro and while it's nice, the Hydro Silk gives me a smoother and softer feeling. This retails for $10.00 and includes one cartridge.

The Schick razor and the tanner are quite big, but after taking them out I saw 2 make up items. 

Firstly there is a ModelCo lipstick and lipgloss duo. I actually own quite a few of these and the "Shine Ultra Lip Glosses." I always seem to use up the lipgloss but never the lipstick, purely because I'm a lipgloss girl. This has "Nude" lipstick and "Watermelon" gloss, which work really nicely together. This retails for $24.00.

There's also a black ModelCo eyeliner included, which retails for $26.00. I don't wear eyeliner often because I have small eyes, and I find that black eyeliner can make my eyes look even smaller. Also I don't apply it often because I'm lazy!! I do love that it has a inbuilt sharpener, which is fantastic as I ALWAYS lose my sharpeners. It's also a great idea to have the inbuilt sharpener so you can put it in your bag for touch ups. 

I love that the fashion product comes in a bag to keep it safe! The classic fashion item is a plain silver cuff bracelet. It's a simple everyday piece that will go with any outfit. They've retailed this at $39.95, which I think is overpriced. If I saw it in Diva or Lovisa  I wouldn't pay more than $15-$20 for it. 

I really adore the "feminine" bracelet which is a black or gold lace looking cuff. It's really pretty and is more my style. I'm hoping that I'll be able to find the lace cuff (or similar) in Sportsgirl or Lovisa/Diva so I can have one!!

The "trendy" fashion accessory is also a cuff bracelet, but it has spikes. It came in either gold or silver. I think it was a great accessory to have, since their last box had a spike hair tie! 

Finally I noticed that there was something else in the box! It was black and lying flat, so it slightly camouflaged in with the black wrapping paper. 

It was another Bondi Sands product! This time it's a "Self Tanning Mitt." I think it's a great inclusion and goes perfectly together with the tanner. One of the annoying things about applying fake tan is the orange hands you end up getting! I've never used a tanner mitt (since I don't tan often), so I'm interested to see how effective this is. This retails for $9.95. 

The magazine that comes with it is so great!! It's full of tips on how to use the products and information on the brand. It also shows you how to wear your fashion accessory. 

Overall, I'm happy with the box. For me it didn't live up to the first box (you can see the first box here), but the first box was amazing. It had a soap that I'm using at the moment and LOVING. The make up brush is great (and I want to try more of the range). I always love a lipgloss. The hair samples were INCREDIBLE!!! My hair felt so soft and smooth after using it. And the fashion accessories were cool. 

I can't wait to see what next month brings. I'm not sure how many of these boxes I'll get as the $39.95 price tag is a bit steep, especially if you've signed up to other beauty boxes. 

To see the other boxes, check out Kayte's blog post on the Feminine Box or Oz Product Junkie's youTube video of the Trendy Box.
XO

I'm slightly, actually very late, on the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow train. These have been out for decades (in beauty years) and I only just bought 2 earlier this month.  

Even though I normally stick to nudes and browns when it comes to my eyes, I couldn't resist this gorgeous blue colour. 

I really like the packaging. It's sturdy and yet still functionable. 

While it looks like a loose powder formula, the consitency is really smooth and feels almost like a cream as you swatch it or apply it with a brush. To keep the eyeshadow from falling it has a black stopper. DO NOT THROW THIS AWAY, as it's not useless packaging, but essential to keep the eyeshadow together (and keeps it from spilling in your make up bag).

I've included a lot of pictures for this post, because the blue is such an interesting colour. Depending on how much pressure and how much of the eyeshadow you apply, it can make it a completely different colour. 

When applied lightly and with a soft touch, black and grey show up more than the blue colour. I found applying it with a brush brought out more of the smokey grey and blacks.

When I apply it with my finger to my eyelids, or use a couple of layers, the blue really stands out and I noticed less black and grey. 

I really adore the formula and found that it lasts all day. I also have used it as an eyeliner (but not in my waterline!!) and found that it was a really wearable way of wearing blue without it being too full on. It's a great way of testing out a colour, without wearing it all over your eyelid. 

Another thing I love about these eyeshadows is the fact that they are so pigmented. I can give the illusion of a complex smokey eye just by using this one eyeshadow and layering the colour at my crease and outer eye. 

I absolutely adore the eyeshadows. The only thing I don't like about it is the price. Here in Australia they cost $19.95. For a drugstore brand, it's quite expensive especially as it's only one eye colour. Luckily places like Priceline, Target and Big W have regular sales on L'Oreal. I'll be picking up more of these...just when they are on sale ;)

Have you tried these before? Do you think $20 for a drugstore eyeshadow is too much?
XO

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I hadn't heard much about "Arbonne" cosmetics until earlier this year. The company is really gaining a lot of hype online through beauty blogs lately, and I was lucky enough to be sent this mineral foundation so I could see for myself what all the buzz was about.

Arbonne have a few different types of foundations for any skin type. Along with the mineral foundation they also have a liquid foundation, tinted moisturiser, pressed powder as well as a translucent setting powder.  

One thing that I was really impressed with online, is their colour selection. In the liquid foundation they have 15 shades and the mineral powder foundation has 8, so they cater for a LOT of skin colours. 

The outer packaging it comes in is so informative with information on how to store it, how to use it and what's in it. 

The packaging of the actual powder foundation is really beautiful. It's quite sturdy and has survived multiple falls (I'm so clumsy!!!). 

I love that it has an expiry date on the packaging. So many products don't have when they were made, so it's nice to know when's the best time to use it by.  

There's a stopper inside to keep the powder from spilling out. This is great to have especially if you travel a lot, or keep it in your handbag. 

I use liquid foundation, so I've only used this by itself once. It gave me enough coverage to hide most of my imperfections, but the red pigmentation on my cheeks was still visible. If I applied a concealer first then the powder, it would have given me a flawless look without pigmentation.

I absolutely love applying this over a light coverage liquid foundation. It not only helps to keep my foundation looking flawless all day, but gives my liquid foundation a bit more coverage. I apply this with a kabuki brush or a bronzing brush. 

It's a really soft formula that never feels heavy, or looks cakey. Because it's so light, you can build it up if you just want to wear it alone. 

I have no idea how, but this powder foundation makes my skin look radiant and glows so naturally. It's not shimmery or glittery. It just looks like I have pregnancy glow or holiday skin. Since using this I have barely touched a highlighter, as it makes my skin glow and I don't need to apply anything else. 

Even though it makes my skin glow, it never looks greasy or oily. It also contains SPF 15. 

After trying this, I'm really interested in trying out their liquid foundation since it has skin firming ingredients. They also have a make up primer that sounds great.  

You can purchase the "Natural Radiance Mineral Powder Foundation" here. I'll be buying this once I've finished this tub! It's become my holy grail powder! 

Have you tried many mineral powder foundations? Do you prefer a liquid formula?
XO

I was kindly sent this for consideration. All thoughts and views are completely my own, and are always 100% honest. See my disclosure policy here.

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