Review: Body Butter

The Body Shop's Ginger Sparkle body butter was a bit of a surprise. For cute packaging with a picture of a gingerbread man, I expected it to smell like gingerbread. Instead it smells like ginger beer. Kind of a fizzy scent, but I like it! The packaging screams Christmas and after I finish using the body butter, the case would be cute as a storage container.

The colour is like a bubble gum pink, and almost feels like the consistency of hair product. When rubbed into my skin (my arms were the test subject), it softened and moisturised.

I did this while getting ready for work and forgot about it until I was under some downlights. There is the faintest shimmer, but not chunks of glitter. Just looks like a pretty glow on my skin and now it has settled into my skin it smells like gingerbread men. It smells nice, but it's subtle, which is good, as I don't like to draw attention to myself with overpowering scents. I am currently wearing Taylor Swift's 'Wonderstruck' over the top and the layering of scents has worked well in this case.

I bought the body butter off eBay, as The Body Shop Australia is ridiculously expensive. The Body Shop USA is more reasonably priced, however shipping to Australia is ridiculously expensive. I think wearing this over my regular moisturiser Nivea Soft is a better option for going out and the summer weather, as it's not as greasy as the Nivea.

You can buy me here!

Lunch at Pearl's Diner

After having visited Pearl's Diner when they first opened in June 2012, my fiancé, brother and I enjoyed our burgers albeit a long wait time for takeaway. Pearl's Diner, the diner established by the guys from Burger Theory is a delicious slice of burger and waffle heaven located, or should I say hidden, in suburbia; in Felixstow. Teaming up with La Waffle, Pearl's Diner has something this foodie loves!

We visited at around 1:30 today, and Pearl's was on the quieter side, a stark change to my first visit. The food itself was amazing, and the customer service spot on. We received one on one attention and I was even discovered via my Twitter handle!

Onto the review!

Our drinks were first up. We ordered the lemon iced tea ($3.50) and the chocolate milkshake ($6). The black tea is made fresh and served with sugar syrup. It definitely kicked Lipton's butt, and was a welcome treat on a warm Summer's day! The chocolate milkshake was a very generous serve, and tasted like childhood and had a malty flavour which I loved!



Next up, we had the pulled pork bun ($7). Made up of 14 hour long smoked Berkshire pork, barbeque sauce and a soft bun, this was shared between 2 of us. I have heard so many people going to Pearl's enjoy the pork bun, and although not a big pork eater, I am so glad I tried it! It was sweet and more-ish, and next time I will get my own - no more sharing!

Lastly, the piece de resistance, was the burger itself. Being a purist, I picked Burger 1 ($13), an artwork packed with a freshly ground meat patty, cooked medium, lettuce, tomato, American cheese and the awesome truck sauce. Chips on the side were seasoned and looked hand cut, and definitely cooked other chips' butts! The bun was ever so soft, but so fresh.

Our meal was lovely and we had an excellent chat to Rob, about Fork on the Road, which I won't be able to attend, but is an excellent showcase of food trucks and local talent!

We will definitely return for the elusive mac & cheese, the fried chicken and coleslaw and the waffles! It was the perfect venue for a lazy Saturday lunch, and I do recommend if in SA, you go try it.

Here are their details: Website, Facebook, Twitter. Tell them Leni C sent you!

Bon appetit!

Makeup Removal

When putting on my face, I occasionally forget to remove it all before I go to bed. Then I wake up with a glitter streaked, panda eyed complexion!!

I have found the most gentle way to remove makeup for my skin is to use the Dermalogica Soothing Eye Make-up Remover. You can see it here.

Aimed at eye makeup and lips, I find the gel is gentle enough to use on my whole face, and a little goes a long way. I just put some on a damp cotton pad and away I go!

I totally recommend this, it is pricy like all Dermalogica product. I find for sensitive skin, it's not as irritating as their face wash used to be.

I give this 4 out of 5 stars!

Imelda Marcos II

I love shoes. I would buy shoes all the time, if it weren't for the small factor, of, say, money! I have had my eye on this pair of shoes for months. First, Mimco had them in yellow. It was love at first sight! Then Wittner had a cheaper version. Today I noticed they were on sale. What's not to love?? The only thing better than shoes, are shoes that are on special!!

Here's what I bought:

 

You can find these shoes here. I bought them for $74.98, down from $179.95. Bargain! The colour on the Wittner site is a bit iffy, but in person, they're a beautiful soft, green colour. The leather is fantastic. Made in China from Spanish leather, these shoes are amazing!

Losing my hair

I am a stress head, there are no two ways about it. I carry all my thoughts, fears and worries, and don't vocalise them. Unfortunately, although I have an amazing partner, family and friends, I still carry a lot with me.

So, well over a year ago, while on the oral contraceptive pill, Levlen ED, I noticed unusual amounts of hair falling out when I washed it, when I dried it and just generally.

I read that Levlen is a high testosterone Pill, and could have been causing the hair loss. So, armed with that information I went to my GP and was prescribed Diane.

Since taking it, and stopping the use of artificial sweeteners, I noticed the decrease in hair loss, but it was still falling out. To make matters worse, hair hasn't been growing back. So I currently look like Fergie, with patches of thin hair everywhere.

I have started a diet to help lower my weight, and hopefully bring my hormones into check.

On top of this, I made an appointment with David Salinger of Trichology Centre to see what there was left to do, as I didn't want to be a bald bride in a year's time. All I had to lose was an hour of my day and $130. So the appointment was today, and I have been given L-Tyrosine to take, to help the hair grow. Maybe grow back? Fingers crossed and if I remember, I'll update my blog with the progress!

The Cost of My Face

Taken from posts that Monnie & Neena did, I thought I would complete the cost of my face. I'm not huge on wearing makeup, as I find it makes my face feel dirty. To be honest, I'm quite happy with my Clinique 3 Step of Wash-Tone-Moisturise! On the occasions I do get up early or am getting ready to go out, this is what I wear.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion $74
Smashbox Photo Finish Oil-Free Primer $32.50*
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium $47
Urban Decay Naked Palette $55
Nars Blush in Orgasm $33*
Smashbox Limitless Eyeliner in Java $28.95
Rimmel Volume Flash The Max Mascara in Ultra Black $16.51
Napoleon Perdis Lip Lacquer in Pink Patina $23

And lastly my daily staple, Maybelline Baby Lips (not pictured) in Anti-Oxidant Berry $4.21

*bought cheaper online

Total = $314.71

Oops, I didn't realise I had spent so much on makeup! To be honest, I had been lusting after the MAC, Nars and UD products for a long time and after having a bit of a mental breakdown one week, treated myself one expensive weekend. One this is for sure, the quality is definitely better than what I was using previously. The Skinfinish Mineralize powder foundation is so gentle on my skin, and doesn't make my skin flare up like my previous L'Oreal mineral foundation did. I find the Nars blush can be a bit much for day wear, due to the glitter in it. But all in all, I am really happy with my "face"!

On a last note, I find that the Dermalogica Gentle Eye Makeup Remover is the best thing to use on all my face to remove makeup. I also incorporate the use of my Clarisonic Mia (post found here) for that extra clean feeling.

Living through renovations

In April, fiancé and I bought a unit together. You could tell it hadn't been lived in as a primary residence. The walls were blue, the shower wasn't clean and the kitchen was brown. Fake wood panelling which smelt like mice. So I got the idea, let's get a new kitchen, it won't be that hard, right? Oh how naive I was! The decision was the easiest part!

First, finding a kitchen company. Then tradies. Picking a design. Someone to put it together. Not using a kitchen for 2 weeks. Trying not to kill each other!

One of the biggest factors was how much would we spend? What if we sold within the next 5 years? Or if it was rented out? Why put in a $30,000 dream kitchen when you can have something for now?

I'm glad we did it though. From yucky brown, to white, grey and stainless steel. It was gross while we had no kitchen. Just that feeling of being without a family member (what can I say, I love a kitchen!!), bare walls with holes. And yes, I found a mouse nest!

Now the last couple of steps include a couple of cupboards, painting, bulkheads and tiling...

Remind me why I wanted a new kitchen again?

Planning a Big Fat Greek Wedding, Part 1

Stage 1? Panic! Stage 2 - take a deep breath, write a gazillion lists and stay calm. Just less than 18 months to go!! At the moment, I'm looking at wedding stefana as we will be married in the Greek Orthodox church.

Stefana are a crucial part of an Orthodox wedding, as follows:

In a traditional Greek wedding ceremony the bride and groom are crowned with Stefana. Stefana being dual crowns; each crown being linked together with a single length of ribbon symbolising the joining of two souls and the creation of a new household. It is a symbol of combining two people as one. As a married couple they become the king and queen of their household. These crowns represent the signs of wisdom, justice, intregity, glory, honour when the king and queen are crowned. After the wedding the wedding crowns or Stafana are kept in a safe place representing the couple's commitment. Stefana or wedding crowns are intended to be kept for life forming eternal memories for the bride and groom

To me, they represent the most beautiful part of a wedding ceremony, linking man and woman into husband and wife, like a beautiful bond.

When M & I get married, we will not purchase our Stefana, as this will be done by our Koumbara (wedding sponsor). I am a control freak, and usually can't stand the thought of someone buying something for me if

Back in my parents day, Stefana looked very 1980's. My grandparents would have used something basic, white and beautiful. My great grandparents (although I have never seen a picture) would have worn Stefana that would have been very basic, functional and plain. But this does not take away from the symbolism.

Here are what they look like, and what I like, but this is for "research purposes".










My precious!!




Beautiful!
 



Old school as!


Basic, but gorgeous!

I should make this a series! Weddings are an interesting thing to plan while renovating...

My Mia arrived!

My Clarisonic Mia 2 arrived today while I was at work. I ordered last Sunday, a day before a public holiday (Saturday in the US). It arrived today! It came to my desk via a colleague, I was so stoked to see it!

It's smaller and prettier than I expected. I was bummed to see "International Charger" means American only...

On the plus side, free samples! A Clarisonic face wash sample and some moisturiser from the company that sells the Mia 2.

Here are the pics of me opening it (or packing it up, if the photos are shown in reverse!). Will edit with a review when I get a travel adapter tomorrow.

 
EDIT: I have used it, with the remaining battery life (I was never one for instruction manuals!). My skin feels amazing! I got a bit of reddening, but that's expected with my sensitive skin and all. I used the Clinique Liquid Facial Soap, and while not applying liberally enough, I think it was a good amount for my skin.

Using it was super easy. It gives a buzz every 10 seconds, which is good as the manual tells you to focus for 20 seconds on your forehead, 20 on your chin and 10 seconds on each cheek. My skin looked and felt clearer straight after using it. Then I realised I'd forgotten my nose. My nose with the huge pores and black heads - gross! So I thought I'd use the second setting. WOW! While it didn't remove all the blackheads, it did such a good job! I finished off by patting my skin semi-dry, using my Clarifying Moisture Lotion 2 and finishing with Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion. It glided onto my skin sooo smoothly, it was almost like silk.

Colour me converted!

Clarisonic Mia 2

After reading how my favourite bloggers (and the Internet in general) were falling in love with the Clarisonic Mia, I thought, wow my skin isn't in the best shape. I do have a Clinique 3 step, and love it. I have considered peels or microdermabrasion, but with sensitive skin, I don't want to chanve inflammation and red, raw angry skin.

So, off I went, researching prices (and colours!!). Started off with the usual Aussie sites. Til I realised I would pay $149 no matter where I shopped. One department store offered the colour I wanted, but I don't appreciate feeling pressured into buying something at only one retailer.

Then I googled it. OMG! 10 colours to choose from, including 1 in animal print? So instead of a choice of 3, the internet is spoiling me! And it was US$119... Wait a minute. That's cheaper than here. You know why? The Clarisonic Mia 2 has just been released for US$149.

So, I visited an Australian department store, to which I had some gift vouchers. I went to one of their bigger stores. And there was nothing. How disappointing? Why would I then buy it on their online store and pay $10 for postage. I sat on it a bit longer, until this morning. I found a site in the US, which gave me $20, then $20 for shipping. This will now cost me $139 for the Clarisonic Mia 2 in Island Coral (yay!) with postage to Australia. I am so stoked! Now that I've ordered on a Sunday, I have to wait for it, but I am happy to do so, for a bargain! Will post more when I receive it!!!

Now if only I could get this excited over dieting...

Self Esteem

This week I've been feeling really crummy.

I've been taking Vitamin D, and thought it was something that would be like a miracle cure. It was great in the first fortnight of taking it was great, but I feel it leeching out of me and I've been feeling depressed. To the point of stopping myself from crying at work, multiple times. This is bad, people! I've only ever felt like this once before, and it's when my extended family fell apart. And I was hiding in a toilet!

So I hit the usual suspects; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Everyone is posting things that made me feel really shitty, and I hated it. 2 people in particular with their money spending ways. I used to be a spendthrift, and I've had to cut down on my spending since I've bought my unit. Which is THE best money I've ever spent, mind you!

But lusting after pretty, sparkly things got me down. Until I realised, 2 days later...

IT'S A SELF ESTEEM THING!!

Now, I'm a bit up myself, and I think people must think I have tickets on myself. I do, sometimes ;) but these girls have so little self esteem, they're taking to social networking to VALIDATE THEMSELVES! Oh my God, once it hit, thanks to my colleagues, I felt so relieved!

Anyway, back to me thinking about how awesome I am! Cause I AM!

Laters

Growing older (and drinking coffee)

Ever since I've moved out of home, I've wanted to drink more coffee. I don't know if this is a healthy addiction, but I figure drinking coffee at home is cheaper than paying $5 a cup during work hours. That, or instant. While I don't mind Moccona, I would prefer real coffee. These are my 3 choices of a coffee machine.

Breville Drip Filter 12 cup would be my first choice. Brewed coffee is my absolute favourite, and if I could, I would drink it all day. Then I would suffer terrible insomnia :) But is it worth buying a drip filter machine if I'm the only one drinking it? This would be good in party or group situations, however, as making more than a couple of coffees would be easier! As for filtered coffee grounds, I'm not even sure where you can buy them besides at the Central Markets.

My second choice would be a Delonghi fully automatic Nespresso pod machine. Less clean up than a regular espresso machine, and makes as much or as little coffee as you need. The expenses would come in when you have to buy pods. This would probably be less scary to use for the uninitiated to coffee, as a beginner's machine. Another negative would be the cost of pods, and only being able to use Nespresso.

My last choice for a coffee machine would be a regular espresso machine. I've used these before and have been around them in my folks house for almost 10 years. I find they are ok to use, however, the cleanup after making just 1 cup of coffee can far exceed the experience. The bonus would be you'd be able to try different beans and grounds across all the brands that suit this type of machine. I wouldn't go for a Saeco necessarily, as I'm only entering the beginner's market for a coffee machine, but my dream would be to have a fully automatic $5000 Italian machine! I guess the downsides to this is, if you have a few people over, you're stuck making 2 coffees at a time.

Now I have to ask Fiance what he wants, and what we are willing to spend on a beautiful piece of coffee machinery.

What do you think blogland?

(PS: To Breville, Delonghi and Saeco, if you want me to road test your machines, I won't say no!)

A post for colleague T

So it's been a while since I last posted. A certain someone ;) keeps asking me if I'm still blogging. Well. I've been tweeting and talking but not so much writing on here. Here's some random stuff:

Fiancé & I are in the process of buying a house
I'm still trying to kerb my shopping addiction
Have started my Cert 3 in Recordkeeping
And other stuff i forget

And I'm going to see Tom Green tonight.

Yay :3

Cider

So, I'm drinking cider for Australia Day eve and how good is this? 4 ciders and a free glass for $10.90 from Dan Murphy's! I might even try the pear cider, even though it's the devil's fruit :/

Oh yeah, weeknight drinking, yeah!

Presents for me!!

So I just received all my beautiful OPI polishes, wow - did I buy a few!! Love these polishes, and at $7 each with free postage from Hawaii, who could say no? Colour names to come later :)

Le Creuset

First world problems! The cherry red or the cobalt blue Le Creuset???

Gratuitous Food Posts

For your pleasure!

House-y stuff!

So, once all the house basics are bought, one can then purchase frivolous things such as Tinkerbell Christmas tree stars, seafood plates and cake serving sets for their future wedding!