New In: Sunscreen

I'm very much an advocate for sun safety and health, and have spoken before about how important it is for me to apply sunscreen daily.
Not only does increased sun exposure cause your skin to age faster, but it also puts you at risk of melanoma, and in Australia particularly, we have the worst rates for skin cancer in the world.

So when I was contacted about a new sunscreen by Banana Boat, I didn't hesitate to try it out.

The Sport Cool Zone - 50+SPF is a spray on sunscreen that is designed to cool and refresh, as well as providing a ridiculous amount of sun protection.

If you're one of those people who don't like wearing sunscreen - why is that?
Banana Boat did global research into this and found that a recurring answer was people didn't like the way that sunscreen left them feeling hotter and stickier after applying it - this was amplified when playing sports outside.
So this sunscreen is designed specifically to reduce that discomfort.

I love this product, for so many different reasons.

• It's a spray application, which makes it really quick and easy to apply. It sprays on clear, so there's no chance you'll get any colour transfer onto your clothes. 
• When sprayed, it cools on contact and dries fast, so there really is no mess and sticky-ness after applying it. 
• It's infused with aloe which is soothing, and it actually does feel refreshing to use it.
• It's water and sweat resistant, so you don't have to worry about it rubbing off earlier than it should (although you should still apply sunscreen frequently if you're sweating lots or playing in water)
• It's got broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection, and is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation International. 
• I've worn this almost every day for a month and haven't got burnt once (and we've had some crazy hot days recently). I've also given it to J to use when he does gardening outside in the sun, and he also hasn't got burnt when using it, so I guess that means its working! 
• The cap has a lock, which is good if you're going to carry it in your bag when out at the beach or out playing sports. 
• It's relatively cheap, with a RRP of $16.99

The only thing I don't like about this product is the scent.
It doesn't really smell like sunscreen, but it has a kind of alcohol-y bug-repellent scent to it. It's not really enough to bother me to not use it though.
You also need to be a little careful when spraying because if it's windy it can end up in your mouth, and it doesn't taste that great.

The active sunscreen ingredients are chemical, rather than physical: Octocrylene (7% w/w), Oxybenzone (3.50% w/w), and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (2.10% w/w). 

This means it offers more broad sun protection than some physical sunscreens, however you MUST apply 20 minutes before going into the sun to get proper protection. 

Are you crazy about applying sunscreen, like me?

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Her Fashion Box: September

September's Her Fashion Box was titled "Pearlfection", and paid homage to the return of pearls as a trend, and the return of the warmer weather that Spring has to offer. My box got a little bashed up in the delivery, but that's okay. 

So many goodies this month! 

There were three main fashion items in this month's box. The super cute pearl 'Chisel' earrings (RRP $14.99), and the "Two Pearls in a Pod" ring (RRP $12.99) are pretty much the definition of classic. I am so happy that the ring fits me perfectly - there is pretty much nothing worse than missing out on item because it doesn't fit you. I've spoken before about my sensitivity to cheap metal. One of my readers suggested putting some clear nailpolish over the metal, so I might try that to see if I can get some wear out of these earrings, because they are pretty nice. 

(That being said I kind of like the earrings that were in the Trendy box, but that's the gamble you take when you sign up to a particular style)

So many beauty items this month! 

We got a full-sized (500mL) bottle of the 'BX Bit of a Soft Touch' nourishing body milk (RRP $7.99). Unfortunately mine leaked throughout my box in transit. This has aloe vera, goat's milk powder, peach and honey, manuka honey extract, sea salt and lots of other good things in it. It also smells really nice, so this went straight in my shower. 

So I'm a little confused about the next items... I think the Orly nailpolish and toe separators were a gift for completing the review survey about last month's box. 

The magazine has a page about the 'Brauer Paw Paw lip shimmer', but I didn't receive that in my box. So not sure if they just forgot to put it in my box or what happened with that, but I'm obviously sad, because nobody likes missing out. 

We also got a 'smoothie booster' sachet (20g RRP $30.00 for 30 day pack). Not too sure what's in this, and I don't really make smoothies so I might pass this along to my sister, who does. 

I really love the addition of the sunnies this month! I love sunglasses, and these have come just in time for the warm weather.
We also received these cute samples of Ime Natural perfume (5mL RRP $12 each). There's nine different scents, I received the 'Eu-ter-pe' (cool) scent, which is described as being clean and crisp. I really like it, and think it will be great for Summer.
The perfume range is made from 100% botanical ingredients, so there's no synthetic-y smell to it, and they're accredited cruelty free and toxic free, yay!




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Get Your Feet Summer-Ready!

So, even though all the rain and ridiculous wind might have you thinking otherwise, it is technically Spring! YAY! My feet (like most people's) have spent all Winter hiding away in boots and thick woolly socks. Now that the weather is warming up, it's time to get them looking fineeee for Summer - or y'know, as fine as feet can look. Even if your feet come out of Winter looking not-so worse for wear, these products work really well as a foot pamper session too! 

We've all heard of Scholl, and most of us have used their Party Feet when wearing heels. This is THE miracle product you need to get if you want beautiful feet. In a nutshell, the Dry Skin Recovery Cream from Scholl* softens and smooths dry skin. 

Honestly though, I was pretty amazed when I used this for the first time - it removes hardened, dry skin and leaves your skin feeling really soft and smooth. Without any scrubbing, and without taking any time at all. 

It feels like a moisturiser, there's no scent and it is absorbed into your skin really quickly without leaving any residue so you don't have the danger of slipping around after applying it. As amazing as it is, it didn't quite remove callouses on the first go, but they're definitely less "tough" with continued use. 

For a little extra pamper session, this peppermint pumice foot scrub from the Body Shop is pretty good at removing dead skin. It contains volcanic rock, to really exfoliate and the peppermint smells really good and is really cooling. I love this after a long day working retail and being on my feet all day. I find this works best after my feet have been soaking, but it does leave my feet a little dry. I tend to follow up with a thick moisturiser, or the Scholl dry skin recovery cream. 

For a little extra foot-loving, pick up one of these footsie rollers - It's like a little foam roller for your feet! I got mine from the Body Shop, and love keeping it under my desk to roll away any tension and tiredness. Bonus tip - use this before stretching out the back of your legs to get a little deeper in your stretch! 

(Products marked with an * were sent to me for editorial consideration. All opinions are my own - check out my disclaimer for further details)


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OOTD: A Little Bit of Colour

The weather has just been so nice lately! I'm glad the rain is staying away, and it's feeling more like Spring than Autumn. 

This skirt screams warm weather to me, and it makes me happy whenever I wear it. 

So happy in fact, that I could do a little dance...

Okay, I'm sorry. My GIF making skills abilities are terrible. 

Anyway, surprisingly the only black in this outfit was my boots! Even the guy at the uni coffee-shop had something to say about it. "Michaela! I've never seen you in so much colour! Are you feeling okay?" 

Very funny. 

Top: K-mart

Skirt: Alice in the Eve / General Pants

Boots: Dotti

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January Favourites

1 month down, 11 more to go! 

I've kept my product use fairly basic the past month. Either it's been too hot for me to bother, or I've just been lazy. 

Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream has been amazing for those lazy mornings. I really like this for smoothing out my skin-tone without the hassle of blending and effort that foundation requires. I use my fingers to apply this, meaning I also don't have to worry about making sure I have a clean brush! 

Bioderma's Crealine H20 micellar water has been another favourite. I've discussed this product before, and have been loving it for a quick way to wipe off my make-up when I first get home in the afternoon. That way I can focus on properly cleaning my face later when I'm in the shower, but I'm not wearing make up just for the sake of it. I picked up two bottles of this in Priceline's recent 40% off skincare sale. 

I've been leaving the Urban Rituelle Lip Balm in Passionfruit on my desk, and I find that by doing that I'm a lot more likely to use it. I received this last month in the Her Fashion Box. Although I wasn't using this for the whole month, I've used it every day since I got it! I love how creamy the texture of it is, and the smell is amazing! 

When I was younger, I wore red nailpolish almost exlcusively. I then stopped wearing it for a few years, but recently I've gotten back into it. I've been wearing a lot of Revlon's Fire Fox, part of their matte suede collection. I love the colour of this polish, and I love that it dries to a matte finish. However, this does mean you can't put a top coat over the top, which means it doesn't last as long. So that's kind of annoying. 

I am so, so happy that us Aussie girls now have an easy way to get our hands on NYX, since Target started stocking them. I picked up this blush in Mocha, and think it's really pretty. It's pretty pigmented, so I blend it out with a some setting powder after applying it. 

Sunglasses are a pretty staple Summer item. This is my first pair of 'real' sunglasses...ones that haven't cost me $20 from either the markets or those little shopping centre stalls. I love aviators, and I love the quality of this pair from Ray-Ban. The frame is really sturdy, the glass is a high quality and I'm so in love with them! 

Swatch of the NYX blush, and the Maybelline BB Cream.

What has been your favourite products this past month?



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My Week in Pictures #43

Sorry this one is a day late

 

J built a new planter box for the backyard. We now have plenty of veggies growing away which is exciting. Rommy is back to his back-sitting ways.

My little brother stayed with us on Friday night. We played some Settlers of Catan, with the expansion pack he got me for Christmas. 

 

New sunnies arrived in the mail. 

Saw Hunger Games 2 at the IMAX. The IMAX is incredible; it's amazing seeing a film that huge and it's a lot easier to immerse yourself in it. The 2nd movie was a lot better than the first, and I really, really enjoyed it. 

 

Had my first pole class for the year, and finally managed to do the "Reverse Ayesha" (on the left). It took me about a year to get this one, due to limited shoulder flexibility from an old injury. Just goes to show what dedication and hard work can do!

Tried out the 'forearm grip Ayesha' as well for the first time. Not bad for a first timer, but still needs some work.

Had a Mexican themed night in Surry Hills with my mate Brad. Headed out to Tio's and then to El Loco. We went for a walk to Sydney Festival to find the jumping castle Stonehenge, but we were deterred by the massive line. We then decided to give Baxter's Inn a try, but again, the 25 minute line made us turn away. 

I leave my yoga mat out for less than 30 seconds and the cat makes himself at home on it. Does anyone else's cat do this? 

On Saturday, J and I went on an 'extreme boat ride' in Sydney Harbour. It was pretty fun, with the boat reaching high speeds. We went out past the Sydney Heads, around to The Gap, and past Bondi Beach.

The infamous Gap

Bondi Beach

It really was such a nice day, and even though we both applied a heap of sunscreen, we got patchy sunburn which sucked. 

What did you get up to in the past week?



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My Week in Pictures #42

It's been a fun past week; my hours at work have gone back down to 20 and I have heaps of spare time again yay! 

I have wasted ample amounts of time playing both the Sims and Batman Arkham Origins. 

And I've spent a lot of time cuddling this cutie, and admiring not only how cute he looks when he sleeps, but also the funny places he chooses to sleep. 

Went over to Megs for some champers...which of course, resulted in backyard handstands.
Floral shorts, old cut-up t-shirts and thongs is the perfect summer wardrobe. 

J's brother and his fiancee have been staying with us the past couple of days. Yesterday we all headed out to La Perouse beach, which was nice for something different. After a few minutes of bobbing around in the water, we headed up to the island national park and had a bit of a walk around the rock pools.

I'm very much enjoying Summer holidays at the moment...painfully aware this is possibly my last long Summer break.



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Top 6: Red Lipsticks for Summer

Although it's hard to make a definitive decision on what is my favourite make-up product, I think a red lipstick is definitely way up there. I especially love a red lip over Summer and the festive season. A red lip is so easy to accomplish, looks great on everyone (regardless of skin colour and undertones etc) and is so bright and cheerful; just like this time of year!

So I bring you; my top 6 favourite colours in my collection. I tried to go for 5, but I could not narrow it down.



Rimmel Apocalips in 'Stellar' is a great glossy red, perfect for Christmas parties and summer evenings. This product is a lip lacquer, which is kind of a hybrid between a lip gloss and a lipstick. (Read my full reviews on the Rimmel Apocalips here and here)
Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 'Romantic' is a hybrid between a lip balm and a lip stain, packaged in an adorable chubby pencil. It goes on kind of sheer, but is really easy to build up. Perfect if you're new to the red lip and a little bit wary of it.
The Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate lipstick has a great colour payoff but is a bit of a 'greasy' formulation. It does slip around on your lips quite a bit (unless you set it with something like lipcote). So if you're a red lip novice or want a no-fuss lip I would steer clear of this one. The colour '09' is a beautiful deep, berry red so if you don't mind a bit of maintenance, this one is fantastic.

Maybelline's ColourSensational in 'Are you red-dy' was one of the first red lipstick colours that I ever owned. This is a true red that makes your lips pop and your teeth appear whiter. 

L'oreal Infallible Lipstick in 'Ravishing Red' is also a gorgeous, bright red.. This one is a bit more 'berry' coloured than the Maybelline. Whilst I love the colour, the staying power of this isn't amazing and the time it takes the lipstick to wind up the tube is ridiculous. 

Revlon Lip Butter in 'Candy Apple' is a cross between a lipstick, a lip stain and a lip balm. The lip butters really are the best of every world when it comes to lip products. This colour is a little orange-based. It's also quite a sheer red, but it is easily buildable and lasts for hours. This colour is perfect if you're venturing into the world of red lips as it's such an easy one to work with. 

What's your favourite lip colour?

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