So it seems only fair that I spill the beans on my favourite trick for keeping my crazy/wavy/frizzy main under control - it's too good to keep to myself!

Ever since stumbling across this tip a few years ago it's made the world of difference and my hair is in much better condition, making it a cinch to style and meaning I can sometimes (gasp! shock! horror!) even wear it au natural.

The key? That old cotton promo t-shirt you've thrown away to be forgotten in the back of your drawer. Yep. You know you've got one. Pull it out.

Next, take a small amount of hair serum and run it through the lengths of your wet hair after you jump out of the shower. Be careful to keep it to the lengths only - oily looking roots are not cute. Blot your hair gently with the t-shirt being careful not to rub (this causes hair breakage which we're trying to steer well clear of). Wrap your hair turban style in the t-shirt and leave to dry.

Unwrap for soft, frizz free (or at the very least minimised) locks!

The cotton pulls the moisture from your hair without the abrasive texture of the towel causing hair to be pulled and break - try it and thank me later, you babe you!

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Sarah

 

When a good friend of mine was heading off on holidays to Hawaii, I knew I had to take advantage and asked her very nicely if she could pick up a few things for me from MAC while she was there. I just can't get over the crazy markups on cosmetics here in the land of Oz! Luckily she was most obliging and happy to do some extra shopping on my behalf! ;-)

 

Granted, with the falling Aussie dollar the savings weren't quite as good as they once were but I still stocked up on a few of my favourites.

 

Here's what I picked up:

• MAC Mineralised Skin Finish Natural in Medium Plus - USD$32 (usually AU$49)
• MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC 35 - USD$32 (usually AU$54)
• MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Lingering - USD$16 (usually AU$30)

What are your favourite products from MAC?

 

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Sarah

The past few weeks I have been drooling over some AMAZE-BALLS (yep, pun totally intended) protein balls I have been picking up from my local Nutrition Station. But I made a rookie mistake - I've been telling everyone who would listen just how good they are and now they never seem to be in stock! :-/

While the lovely staff have assured me they will be ordering a larger quantity from now on, I was far too impatient to wait for them to come in so set about recreating them myself. A bit of trial and error but all in all I've pretty pleased with my efforts!

You will need:
100g dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70% cocoa)
375g crunchy natural peanut butter (yep, a whole tub!)
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 cup diced apricots
2 cups almond meal
5 scoops vanilla protein powder
Crushed peanuts to roll in

Melt chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave.
Mix through other ingredients (except peanuts) in a large mixing bowl.
Roll into balls and roll through crushed peanuts.
Place in the fridge to harden.

Makes 34.

I have frozen some of these too and they seem to freeze quite well. I need to freeze treats like these in small portions to stop me eating them all at once!

The best part about these is you can play around with them and make endless varieties. Possible substitutions I might try next time include: swapping he chocolate out for some cacao to make it healthier, adding more protein powder and less almond meal to make them sweeter, adding some sultanas in place of some of the dried apricots. Adding peppermint essence and rolling them in coconut, the ideas are unlimited!

What are your favourite things to include in protein balls?

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Sarah

I'm sure many of you are reading this and thinking "who doesn't know this trick?", but up until recently I had no clue! I'm not even sure how I missed the memo about this but I had just been using my foundation brushes until I couldn't clean them anymore with regular brush cleansers and then tossing them away - I cringe at the thought! I stumbled across this tip very randomly on YouTube and it has been such a lifesaver I thought it was worth sharing. Even if it helps one of you then my mission has been achieved...



So... my top tip for cleaning foundation (even long wearing formulas) out of my foundation brushes? Olive oil! Yep, that little beauty hiding at the back of your pantry can make all the difference.

I hold my brushes with the bristles up, pour a small amount of olive oil directly into the bristles (maybe a 50c piece size), and massage in well until you can see the foundation starting to come out. Then I massage in a generous dollop of shampoo (you can use baby shampoo but I have found my Dove Intensive Repair for dry hair works quite well) or brush cleanser. Rinse under a running tap until the water runs clear and voila - good as new! For really stubborn brushes or if this is the first time they've been cleaned in a while you may want to repeat this a second time.

Had you heard of this tip before? Do you have any clever makeup tips you can share?

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Sarah

Playing around at Chemist Warehouse yesterday (it's a little dangerous having one so close on lunch breaks!) I came across this cute gift with purchases from Sally Hansen for spending over $20. After giving my nails a much deserved rest from Shellac lately I have been on the look out for a polish that comes at least close in terms of lasting power and shine so these Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polishes (at $14.39 each) seemed promising (stay tuned for a blog review coming soon)!

 

Included in the free gift was:
Triple Shine Nail Polish in Reef-Raf
Complete Salon Manicure in Bittersweet
Insta-Dri Anti Chip Top Coat

 

Have you tried out these Miracle Gel polishes from Sally Hansen? Would love some colour recommendations!

 

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Sarah

Last Thursday Priceline started their annual hair care gift bag with purchases of selected brands in store and online. In the past I haven't been very keen on these as they seemed to contain quite a number of products that weren't suitable for my hair colour/type - what a waste! However, since I was desperately in need of more Bastiste Dry Shampoo anyway I decided it was worth stocking up. Most of the brands included were on sale too so it worked out to be even better value!



I picked up:

• Bastiste Dry Shampoo in Tropical 400ml ($12.76)
• Pantene Ultimate 10 Shampoo ($5.00)
• Pantene Ultimate 10 Conditioner ($5.00)
• Loreal Fibralogy Thickening Shampoo ($4.16)
• Loreal Firralogy Thickening Conditioner ($4.16)
• Bastiste Dry Shampoo in Fresh 200ml ($7.99)
• Bastiste Dry Shampoo in Mamba 200ml ($7.99)

The bag itself was quite cute this year and something that I will definitely get some use out of.




And inside:

• Bastiste XXL Volume Dry Shampoo
• Cedel Foaming Conditioner
• Essence Ultime Shampoo
• Essence Ultime Conditioner
• John Frida After Colour Conditioner
• Klorane Dry Shampoo
• Lady Jane Hair Extensions in Golden Blonde
• Lee Stafford Flat Iron Spray
• Loreal Elvive 1 Minute Miracle Treatment
• OGX Kukui Oil Curl Cream
• Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Treatment
• Scrunchi Hair Chalk
• Tony & Guy Glam Vol Pump Whip
• Crema Hair Colour Voucher
• Revlon Colour Silk Hair Colour Voucher
• John Frida Vouchers

What I really liked was that it seems they have learnt from previous years and now include vouchers to pick up a hair colour in store so I can go in and choose my own colour. I just wish they had done this for the Lady Jane Hair Extensions too as Golden Blonde are no good to me!


Did you pick up this bag from Priceline?


Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Sarah

In honour of Valentines Day today and all things LOVE I thought it was about time I shared some of the things I have been madly in love with lately!



Here we go:

Shanghai Suzy Lipstick in Miss Courtney Electric Flamingo

It took me a few months of having this in my collection before I really began to use it often. A friend had a stunning pink on her lips one night at dinner and what do you know - it was this baby! I whipped it out of my lippie collection quick smart and have been hooked ever since!

Acai Bowls

I have been loving these as a refreshing and healthy lunch option on warm days. Since Nutrition Bar opened a store at the shopping centre right by my work, I have been an almost daily customer (the staff seem to know my order - whoops :-/)!

Simple Eye Makeup Corrector Pen

This is one of those products I probably would have never thought to pick up in store, but after receiving it in a gift bag a while back I have been reaching for it every time I do a winged liner. This is the PERFECT tool for cleaning up and wobbly edges or slips of the hand without having to redo your make up afterwards - think of it as a magic eraser for your liner!

Podcasts (specifically Serial)

When a friend recommended this podcast I was sceptical having never listened to one before, but I can now say I am a total podcast junkie! I love learning new things and this is essentially a doco for your ears that you can take anywhere and pick up whenever you have a free moment. I like playing it through Bluetooth in my car on the drive to work and after finishing Serial (the examination of a real life criminal case) I have now moved onto Criminal.

Victorias Secret Love Spell Body Lotion

A blend of cherry blossom and peach, the scent of this just makes me think of beaches and summer.

Adorable Stationary

Despite not being at school for many years now, nothing gets me as excited about organisation than back to school time! There are so many cute options for beautiful stationary around now and I seem unable to resist a few new notebooks and pens. The pic above is some sparkly notebooks from Big W and some heart notepaper and pen from Kikki K.

Avocados

On toast or spread on rice crackers for morning tea, I have been eating so many avos lately. Super tasty and healthy too so a definite win! :-)

MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters

The perfect shimmery neutral shade for using over the whole lid when I'm creating a quick makeup look for everyday.

Licorice Tea

First off, I absolutely cannot stand eating licorice! As a child my poor mother would have to eat countless slimy bullets missing their chocolate after I sucked it off and passed them on to her! After reading about Licorice tea helping with bloating I was not expecting to like the taste of it one little bit, so was super surprised this didn't really taste like it at all. Some people have said they find it too sweet but I love this tea as an afternoon answer to any sugar cravings.

What have you been loving lately?

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Sarah

My Goodness Me Box has arrived! I seriously wish it could be delivered fortnightly I am that excited to see all the delicious new things. Unfortunately for me (but possibly fortunately for my wallet!) it’s a monthly occurrence and just like the last few months, the Feb box was jam packed! It takes all my powers of resistance not to rip into everything and try it all on the first day, but I have been really loving the great variety of foods and drinks mixed in with a few other wellbeing products.

Without further ado…



Simply Raw: Paleo Vanilla Energy Bar
Yum, yum yum! I love little snacks like these to keep me from reaching for the 3pm chocolate bar when hunger sneaks up.

Natures Way: Vitamin C
I love taking Vitamin C tablets throughout the winter months (and sometimes the warmer months too) to help ward off any sickness and keep my body from getting too run down so these will be perfect. Don’t get me wrong - I do try and give my body enough Vitamin C through the foods I consume, but a little boost along the way has made a dramatic difference in the number of times I have been sick in the last couple of years. Even better, these tablets are made from 100% natural wholefoods!

Leda Nutrition: Gojo’s
Described as a healthy version of Oreos (and who doesn’t love those?), these chocolate cream bikkies will be perfect for throwing in my handbag for a snack on the go.

Stolen Recipe: Ice Tea - Wild Berry Pomegranate Green Tea
I generally steer well clear of sugary soft drinks and juices but every so often I do crave something sweet to just give me that little extra boost. 100% natural and with no refined sugar this is going to be kept in the fridge for a better option I can quickly pick up.

Orgamix: Cacao Crackle
These will be a perfect topper for the Acai bowls I have recently been loving (or the peanut butter pancakes recipe included in this month’s box), the only trick will be using them in moderation! Stay tuned - will certainly make for some Insta-worthy snaps too!

Chai: Organic Rainbow Chai
My love for takeaway Chai Lattes (I’m not a coffee person) is something I’m really working on reigning in so this will be a nice little compromise. Nothing beats a warm chai with a little milk and honey on a cool morning.

Protein Supplies Australia: Pea Pro Vanilla
I’ll be honest - I’ve tried a few pea proteins in the past and haven’t been a fan. They’ve tended to be a bit gritty and not mix very nicely so I have my fingers crossed this might be a pleasant surprise. We shall see!

Food to Nourish: Wow Cacao Bliss Ball
Another perfect snack for the handbag, this raw, vegan bliss ball looks like it will be a big hit. Hell, anything with chocolate and hazelnuts has me on board!

Rosehip Plus: Day Cream
Rosehips Oil is one of my Holy Grail skin care products - I cannot rave about it enough (I’ve managed to convince many a friend/family member to give it a crack). I use the oil at night I would love to use it for day as well but it leaves my face just far too greasy and there is no way I could apply makeup over the top without looking like a shiny disco ball. Enter this Hydrating Day Cream - where has this been all my life?! While I’ve only tried it on my hand so far, it seems nicely hydrating and absorbs quickly which is a must for applying makeup over the top.

Have you tried any of these products? Would love to know your thoughts!

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Sarah