My April faves

 My April 2014 Favourites

I just read over my blog post below before hitting publish and it seems as though “smoothness” is the theme of the month! From a smooth body to a smooth face thanks to my new skincare fave from Brown Skin Secrets, I hope you end up using one of the below favourites and if you do make sure you let me know what you think and what your April or May faves are 🙂 xx

– SkinVitals Eye Brighten cloth eye masks
 – Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm
– Sally Hansen’s Triple Strong nail strengthener
– Brown Skin Secrets Balancing Moisturiser
– Brown Skin Secrets Pink Clay and Jojoba Exfoliant
 – Lady Jane Metal Ponytail Bow
 – Manicare Exfoliating Gloves

Eye Mask:  I used to apply SkinVitals eye masks after a late night out dancing. These days I use them after a restless night of no sleep due to a teething toddler – around once every couple of months! With puffy eyes that feel hot and tired I apply them soon as I jump into bed and the coolness of the cloth masks feels so good it’s puts me to sleep almost instantly!

Nail Strengthener: I bought this nail strengthener when it was on sale at Woolworths and my nails grew so strong and fast! Of course maintaining a good diet and protecting your hands from detergents also helps with healthy nails. I was surprised at how well Sally Hansen’s Triple Strong nail strengthener worked! I ran out of my Revitanail strengthener a couple of years ago now and haven’t found anything as effective til now.

Exfoliating Gloves: One time at dance rehearsals earlier this year, I brushed past one of the dancers in our crew and her skin was so soft. When I asked her what moisturiser or body butter she used, she explained that she exfoliating gloves. I got onto these bad boys straight after that and have been enjoying the same smooth sensation. Even though I want to use it every single day, I’ve been told that it may be a little too harsh on the skin and to limit my use to once a week.

Lip stain/balm: I love Revlon’s lip stains, balms and lip butters because they don’t leave my lips feeling sticky and heavy like other products so when Target had 40% off all Revlon items I bought 3 of the new lacquer and matte Colorburst range. I’m trying to be extra mindful of the household budget these days so I’ve chosen to purchase these Revlon balms over the Clinique Chubby balms and Tarte Pure Delights. Revlon’s Colorburst balms are easy to apply and leave my lips feeling soft and moisturised. And now with the extended range of lacquer and matte options there are so many more shades to choose from. Check out my Instagram (@jacqfruit) to see the other shades I bought 🙂

Hair ties: I was super excited when I won a Lady Jane gift pack on Instagram a couple of months ago and from the pile of products I received I have been using Lady Jane’s metal ponytails never every day! Totally crushing on how cute they look not only as a hair tie but also as an accessory on my wrist!

Face moisturiser and exfoliant: I was searching for a new face moisturiser to try for a while and it was just fate when I ended up with a gig for a fresh, new brand called Brown Skin Secrets by Skin Naturale. After receiving a few little sample pots I was hooked. Ever since then I have been buying the Balancing Moisturiser and more recently the Pink Clay exfoliant and using them as part of my daily skincare routine. I have combination skin and also have eczema so I love how Brown Skin Secrets uses all natural ingredients (see here) from green tea, rosehip oil, aloe vera and cucumber extract to avocado, sweet almond and manuka honey – it sounds almost good enough to spread on my morning toast and eat for brekkie! The scent is mild and pleasant and after using this product for a few months my pores appear smaller and my face feels soft, smooth and hydrated. Founder Lynn Ross is an inspiration with her research and development of this unique product –  this is a skincare range borne of pure passion and commitment to finding and embracing natural beauty with natural products. If you want radiant and healthy skin, then check out the new Brown Skin Secrets range online here or at a reputable day spa near you. For daily tips on beauty and skincare you can find Brown Skin Secrets on Instagram (@brownskinsecrets), Twitter and Facebook.

What were your April favourites? Let me know if you used anything awesome enough worth sharing.

Happy Monday everyone!

May & June’s Lust Have It beauty boxes

June’s Lust Have It goodies!

You can probably tell I wasn’t that excited about May’s box since I am only posting it up now – that and there was just a lot going on so I didn’t get the opportunity to blog about it. June’s box on the other hand I only received today and I already can’t wait to try the OPI Nail Apps! I’ll try them out at an engagement party at the end of the month and let you know how it goes! The team at Lust Have It also changed the back of their information/description card making it look very Great Gatsby-esque! 😉

1.  Batiste Dry Shampoo RRP $9.95 200ml This smells absolutely scrumptious! I tried it as soon as I opened the box and am excited to be able to try this dry shampoo as I haven’t had the chance but have heard nothing but good things about it!

2. Pure Fiji Hydrating Body Lotion RRP $29.95 345ml The description on the card for this product reads “This exotic blend of coconut milk, raw honey and exotic nut extracts contains a rich source of natural antioxidants and a bounty of nutrients..” It smells luscious! Can’t wait to try it out after a night time shower! It would’ve been nice if they included the ingredients list with the product.

3. Real Purity Natural Lipstick in Romantic Red RRP USA $15.00 This was another of the goodies I tried as soon as I got my delivery this morning! It is such a stunning color to wear and I’ll post up some pics when I wear it out. It is creamy and smooth to apply.

4. Savi Organic Soothing Cream RRP $27.95 60ml I haven’t tried this cream out yet but the packaging is pretty and it is Australian Certified Organic.

5. Klara H20 Proof Eyeliner RRP $18.00 “Sexy, audacious and totally fashion-forward”. After swatching it on my hand I find this eyeliner to be nicely pigmented and am hoping that it is also long lasting and smudge proof!

6. OPI Nail Aps RRP $19.99 I have used the Sally Hansen nail polish strips and can’t wait to try these OPI apps. Hopefully they’re just as easy to apply and long-wearing.

I haven’t really used any of the May goodies so if you would like to see the description of the contents then click here. The miracle hair treatment looks interesting and I have put Nude By Nature’s pawpaw ointment in my bag ready to use when the time calls for it 🙂

Lust Have It! February 2013

I know, I know, I am a little late with the posting of my February Lust Have It! (LHI) box and I still have the March one sitting here on my table – where does the time go!!? Looking after baby, birthday parties, baby catchups, mummy catchups, dance rehearsals, completing a community leadership course, baby appointments, shopping, cooking, baking, cleaning and a mini-holiday in Malaysia just the other week have taken up just a little of my time from blogging ;P So I am trying to get the February and March boxes up on here before I receive my April one!

The January Box – I used everything that I received in my January box (see previous post here) and have continued to use the Nude By Nature BB cream, LHI’s kabuki brush and the Lush lip colour! I also used up all the samples that came in the box and really loved the Klorane shampoo and conditioner. It left my hair feeling full of body and had a lovely smell. I also liked the smell of the Avene products and the cleanser felt so nice on my skin.

My first impression of the February box was “Is this it?” The products came in a plain cardboard box filled with some shreds of paper and even though the Lust Have It team kept us well-informed that we would be receiving different packaging for the month, I was still a little underwhelmed. However they are back to their pretty flocked boxes so that’s good to see.

1. Summer Tan by Mancin – This is the full sized product RRP $29.95. I don’t normally use any tanning products as I already naturally have a medium shade but I used this on my legs and it was very easy to apply and developed into a nice tanned colour.

2. Styli-Style – Another full sized product RRP $19.95. I was glad to see a lipstick in February’s box however when I tried it on I did not like the smell and it did not last very long at all on my lips. The colour is also a shade I wouldn’t normally purchase but it grew on me a little although I still haven’t worn it out anywhere.

3. The Natural Source nail laquer RRP $9.95 Nice pretty peachy colour (I love peachy shades!). Just be sure to wipe of any excess polish before applying otherwise you’ll get a big blob of polish dripping onto your nail!

4. Lon Vitalite C9 Moisturising hand masks RRP $4.50 for a pair. I have yet to try this out so I will let you know how I go with it in my next LHI post!

We didn’t receive the Bioderma cream sample in the Februray box but it came in the March box and I have yet to try it so I will let you know how it is once I’ve tried it out.