A post by Shay

I have pretty horrible skin, you know. On my body and on my face. Besides the whole oily-combination thing, I have lived with this condition called eczema for my entire life. If you don’t have it you may not know that it’s a form of hereditary, allergy-sensitive dermatitis. In a nutshell that means my skin goes whacky and develops some pretty awful rashes over certain things in the environment that set me off.

In my particular case, this is JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.

Dry air, moist air, hot weather, cold weather, dust mites, animal hair, dust particles, pollen, grass – I could seriously go on forever.

Unfortunately in recent years the eczema has spread to parts of my face, and it’s something I have really struggled with treating.

But don’t despair, this is a good news story people! There is a happy ending!

I’m very happy to let you know that Aveeno Active Naturals have come to my rescue and saved me from itchy, blotchy and irritated skin with their Ultra-Calming range.
(more…)

- by Shay

While we’re all blustering about how cold we are, how chapped our lips are and how we can’t even feel our feet I thought I’d remind you dear readers of a couple of things I love about Winter.

I’ve always loved the sound of frost under my feet; the white breath that hangs in the air in the dark, still mornings; going on a holidays to the mountains and watching the sun glistening on the snow; slippers, mittens and dressing gowns; steaming hot bowls of soup and cold nose kisses with the one I love – I adore all of these things when it’s cold outside.

Another thing I love about Winter is ruddy cheeks! That naturally flushed look that makes you look like a soft, approachable and natural beauty. Sadly it rarely gets cold enough in Brisbane to bring out the natural blush in my cheeks, so I’m always looking for a cheats method to achieve the look.

This brings me to a product I’ve been loving recently – Booty Parlour ‘Get Flushed’ lip and cheek tint.

The number one thing that stands out about this product is the packaging. The creators have really put their thinking caps on and come up with a totally portable little sphere that is super light and easy to pull out of the smallest purse to reapply as required.

Unscrew the lid and you will be presented with the softest, most delicious smelling (my nose picks up candy red apples) balm. It’s smooth to apply and literally glides over the skin. I found it a bit drying on my lips, which is to be expected with a multi-purpose product, but on the cheeks it was like silk.

The colour is intense and very buildable. I was cautious when applying as it looks so pigmented, and I was right to take it easy. I simply smiled wide, took a quick swipe of the tint on my finger and blended, blended, BLENDED to smooth the colour over the apples of my cheeks.

The end result was a beautiful flush that looked so much more natural than any powder blush I’ve ever used.

Get Flushed lasted all day on my cheeks with a little wear towards the end of the day. I recommend setting the products with a light swipe of powder (either blush in a similar colour, or your face powder to tone down some of the pigment) to keep it looking fresh all day.

On the lips, it worked almost like a stain and looked beautiful and so girl-next-door under some shiny clear lip-gloss.

So now we’re over half way through Winter isn’t it about time you started to embrace the cooler weather before it’s gone for another year? Get Flushed Lip Tint is an affordable way to bring on your inner ruddy-cheeked beauty and will make you appreciate the cold so much more.

Booty Parlor Get Flushed Sexy Lip and Cheek Tint
Price: $19.95
From: Bootyparlor.com.au (if they’re out, try chemistdirect.com.au or hapsari.com.au)

For more of Shay’s reviews, check out her youtube channel

This product was offered to Stuff That I Bought for editorial consideration – for more details, see our disclosure policy
.

- by Shay

I have been a regular old scientist this year. My shower has become my laboratory, my hair the topic of observation.

You may remember my last post where I sang the joys of Joico KPak Sun Therapy Treatment Masque. You could be forgiven if you thought I’d slacked off on the beauty reviews, and left Elise like some jilted lover since then. Let me assure you this was not the case. I could never turn my back on Elise, or beauty products in general. Since my love affair with Joico, I have been hunkered down in my testing room with a myriad of hair cleansing products. Many of them were turfed after my minimum two week testing term (I refuse to make any kind of decision on a skin or hair product unless I’ve used it for a fortnight at the very least) but the most recent couple of products have stuck around and now have a permanent home in my shower caddy. Alterna Hemp Organics Colour Hold Repair Treatment Conditioner and Shampoo is a brand and product I had never heard of. It immediately conjured up images of red-eyed hippies seated around a campfire, but I was certainly willing to give the funky packaging a shot.

The shampoo comes in a slender, long necked bottle while its counterpart, the conditioner, squats at around half the height and double the width. The mustard yellow definitely makes them stand out in the stark white of my bathroom.

Package design aside, these guys pack a serious soft and shiny punch for coloured hair. I felt my hair responding well to this combination from day one.

The shampoo cleansed gently but thoroughly, removing all traces of styling products and it smelt gorgeous. Both products had soft, earthy floral scents that were gentle and not overpowering. The shampoo formula was a pearly white colour and it felt very luxurious and smooth on the hair, almost like silk.

I left the conditioner in my hair while I washed my body, shaved and cleansed (multi-tasking in the shower is a must in our rain-starved country, don’t you know?). It applied well and combed through my hair nicely. It had the consistency of thick, white cream and softened my hair almost directly on contact.

Once everything was rinsed out and the water was running clear, I towel dried my hair to put these hair care items to the real test. I’m pleased to say that they left my natural, air-dried hair soft, bouncy, smooth and shiny – oh so shiny! It also seemed to control my frizz and calmed my natural kinks and waves.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the way the key ingredient (Fresh Water Silt) supplies amino acids, phytonutrients and microfine minerals to my hair. The formulas are packed with a variety of organic botanicals (hence the divine scents) and Alterna’s patented Hemp technology©, so I feel like my hair is in safe and natural hands. They are also sulphate free, which really seals the deal.

I’ve been using this combination for almost three weeks now, and I can’t see myself giving them up anytime soon. At $31.95 per bottle, pricewise they’re on par with my other favourite shampoo and conditioner combinations.

I definitely recommend you inject some hemp into your hair care routine, you won’t regret it! And it won’t leave you with red, bleary looking eyes. ; )

Alterna Hemp Organics Colour Hold Repair Treatment Conditioner and Shampoo
Price: $31.95 per bottle (300mL shampoo and 250mL conditioner)
From: call 1300 437 436
Why you need it: For soft and shiny hair, no Bob Marley required

For more of Shay’s reviews, check out her youtube channel
.

- by Shay

I don’t know about all of you guys, but I am so happy that the warmer weather is now behind us. Living on the East Coast of Australia means I was hit with the full-force of the Queensland Summer including but not limited to, extreme humidity, stifling heat and torrential rain. This was compounded by semi-regular beach and pool visits, with salt and chlorine also making an appearance to wreak just a little more havoc on my poor locks.

All of these things don’t add up to picture-perfect hair. In fact, they caused a minor disaster to take place on my head. I was in struggle town from late October right through to early March, fighting with a frizzy, unruly, damaged and generally lifeless mop.

I thought my annual war against the weather would play out the way it always does – I get angry, frustrated, sad and ultimately resign myself to having crap hair for an entire season. I resort to throwing it into pony-tails and trying to hide it at every opportunity…hello cowboy hat!

That was until I was sent a tube of Joico KPak Sun Therapy Treatment Masque.

It contains the miracle ingredient known as ‘Hydroxy Sun Complex™’ which apparently fills holes burned into the cuticle of the hair by the sun. They’ve also used universal wonder-ingredient Aloe Vera to heal and soothe the hair shaft. All I know is the first time I used it my hair practically let out an audible sigh of relief.

The masque has left my hair feeling soft, supple and nourished each time I’ve used it, although it’s important not to overdo it, especially if your hair has a tendency to develop oily roots like mine. I have been using it once per week, that is once every two washes, and I find it’s been working beautifully.

Hair needs to be damp to receive the full benefits, and it’s recommended you leave it in for at least 3 minutes. I generally throw it in after shampooing and conditioning my hair, and then complete all of my other varied shower tasks (like shaving, exfoliating, singing badly etc) while it’s working its magic.

Can I also just mention that it smells freaking amazing? I tend to judge most products on their scent (or lack thereof) and this one is definitely a winner. I get strong coconut and pineapple, so Summery – so yummy! I also find that the scent sticks around for a good amount of time afterwards, and I’ve been complimented on my lovely smelling head quite a number of times after using it. (Elise: I’m telling you, boys like nice smelling hair!)

I find it to be generally quite economical compared to other lines on the market. It sits right in the middle in terms of price, and I don’t need to use a huge amount of product with each application.

I’m not sure if this stuff is only designed to treat hair damage caused by the sun, but it has done a pretty great job at combating every other environmental factor my hair has come up against this past season. Now to tackle the hair challenges that Winter brings…

Joico KPak Sun Therapy Treatment Masque
Price: $26.95
From: Joico is a salon brand, so check your local salon or call 1300 764 437
Why you need it: To counteract all that damage you did during summer.

Picture credit: Courtesy of Joico -
This product was sent to Stuff That I Bought for consideration - for more details see the Product Disclosure Statement 
.