(Baby) Body Prep

Okies, some of you may know already from my Youtube annoucement, FB & Twitter that I am expecting a baby! However, what some of you may not be aware of is the body skin care prepping I am currently obsessed with.

I have been avidly researching a lot of the skin care ranges out there specifically targeting expectant mothers - well that is any products perpetuating to "fight stretch marks" like some super beauty hero not to mention "tone" the skin during & after pregnancy.

There are many brands on the market, but admittedly I was particularly intrigued by a range mentioned in a rave review/overview on Youtube by the one & only Kandee Johnson where she divulged the wonders of Mama Mio in preventing stretch marks & I had to find out more. Video here

To cut a long story short I was impressed by the reviews I read & went on a journey to find the cheapest & easiest buy of the Mamo Mia products...I ended up getting the Mama Mio Countdown Kit from Babies Galore as it was reduced (from $119 to $69) & had the Tummy Rub Butter as well as a Calming Facial Spritz, Wonder-Full Balm & Massage Oil. Plus the range stresses paraben, petrolatum & colourant free as well as no animal testing (thumbs up there!)

Mama Mio Countdown Kit - a good little gift for the mum-to-be full of skin caring goodies

I also picked up the See-No-Scar Solution (reduced from $54U to $32AU - albeit it appears to have been even reduced further since I bought it!) as it sounded perfect for my old tummy scars.

I figured since there is going to be a lot of attention around the tummy region, it seemed a good time to reduce these scars; or as it states on the pack "help magic away the remainders of any serious scars". That "magic" is apparently dimethicone derived from quartz shown to minimise the visibility of medical scarring.

Mama Mio See-No-Scar Solution (30ml)

I am also desperately on the look out for the Boob Tube (gotta love that name - as below) for the "upper chest area". It is readily available at a lot of baby stores (such as Baby Kingdom) & online, but I am wanting to get the best price (appears to retail in AU for $59-$64.95) for the full size of 100ml. I may even end up getting a mini size in a pack...

On the hunt for the Mama Mio Boob Tube

I have been plying my tummy area & chest (even neck) with the Tummy Rub & the See-No-Scar Solution on my two major medical scars for close to a month now. It is too soon to see any visible differences in my existing marks & scars but I can definitely feel a lovely suppleness & smoothness but time will tell over & after the next 6 months so I will keep you posted!

I must also add that the Gravida fragrance which is apparently "10 pregnancy specific oils" smells like sweet lemon to me (or that yummy lemon icy-pole scent) which I find calming & not overpowering which is good since my sensitivity to smells is at an all-time high & possibily increasing.

The Wonders of Bio-Oil

Even before the Mama Mio I purchased a 60ml Bio-Oil (from Big W but you can pick this at most chemists, Target, K Mart, Woolworths & Coles) for around $9 ok, give or take a few cents or a dollar!.

I got the Bio-Oil for numerous reasons - hydrating my skin in summer, evening skin tone, improving scars as well as reducing & preventing stretch marks. I am employing this little bottle on my arms & legs & have been slathering myself in it for almost 2 months.

I seem to have had some fading of existing scars on my arms & they feel lovely & smooth (or so the hubby reckons) but I am really wanting some "fading" of the marks on my upper thighs (yep, gotta admit I have them there). I will wait another month before making some judgements there but I am also hoping this little wonder will help in preventing any new marks around there.

So at this stage it's a review-in-progress of these skincare goodies in my "growing baby" body. I will no doubt be getting some more brands but I want to keep Mama Mio & Bio-Oil as the main stays.

Of course, not to fear, there are still many other beauty hauls & reviews I will be posting without mention of the "little one" but I hope you have found this pre-baby booty interesting at least. (So keep any requests coming!)

If you have, are having or know of, any skin care products during pregnancy (& even after) OR of course, any skincare ranges you would recommend - please leave me a comment below...

Tag You're It!

I've been Tagged!

Aha! At last a blog from yours truly & what better way to kick off a post in 2011 than with a tag & a fun one by the lovely beauty blogger Beeneelicious!

If you haven't already, check out her tag post here & follow

These are my "10 Beauty Confessions" to start off the New Year...gulp!

1. The first time I wore make up

I think it wasn't until my very late teens! Not until around 17 did I really wear any makeup (my mother didn't quite approve of it). It would be a smidgen of lipstick & awfully darkened brows.

Why, oh why did I think that exaggerating my eyebrows in jet black of all things would make my eyes (?!) stand out from behind my large, dark blue rimmed glasses (oh sadly yes). Ha ha...live & learn.

2. The very first make up item I bought/was given

Hmm, does those makeup sets as a kid count? or stuff I would raid from my mothers yummy smelling makeup draw to play with? (oh how I loved the smell of her Max Factor foundation compact & her Estee Lauder lippies). I guess the first item I actually bought was some Covergirl mascara, as it seemed to be the thing to do at uni in the '90's (!).

3. My first high end make up item

Would have been a Dior lipstick my mother-in-law (at the time, er yes been married before) gave me that she didn't like. I think someone gave it to her but it was too dark for her so she passed it to me (unused I would like to think!).

It is "Brun Swing/Jazzy Brown", um I have to admit I still have it! Oh my gosh yes, yes well past its use by date & I don't even use it but it is a sort of sentimental value & I love the tube! Ha ha plus I haven't had any Dior products since!

4. My first "going out" look (as a teen, so talking dinner, not clubbing)

Oooohhh, going out look...if you can't tell from my answer to question 1 it wasn't much!

I suppose there were a few "dolled" up versions to that where I would wear some hideous shade of dark red lipstick that my mother had (suited her wonderfully, but not me!).

Ok, I admit I remember this because I have a few photos of some dinner party/outings...but no way am I gonna post them...shudder central! Thank the heavens Facebook wasn't around then!!

5. My first make up faux pas

I think my eyebrow darkening disaster as part of question 1 again says everything! Then I moved on to plucking like mad in my early twenties & foregoing the e/b pencil & now I'm in my 30's & having to go back to filling them in! Now that's a faux pas ;-)

5. My first favourite beauty brands

Definitely L'Oreal for foundation (that is when I finally discovered it) & Revlon for lipstick.

6. As opposed to my favourite make up brands now

Covergirl, MAC, NYX, e.l.f & Bourgois (ok who am I kidding I could fill a page with faves & way to many body lotions to mention!)

7. My first perfume

Think it was a fragrance mini set by Cacheral & I loved Anai Anai as my favourite. In fact it still is my favourite scent! A light floral scent...

8. My first beauty obsession

Mascara - lots & lots of mascara...top & bottom lashes. Oh boy, they must have been clumpy! Thank goodness I discovered lash combs...although I still have my moments.

9. My first favourite hair & body items

Hair: Would have been some horrid wax like stuff to sculpt my hair when it was short back at varsity...ugh...even when I went an intense paprika red (say no more)

Body items: Have to make a note of the beauty brands for moisturisers that I loved back in the day - St Ives & Oil of Ulan (Olay).

10. My first nail polish

Gosh, I can't really remember...I never used to be bothered with my nails except for a bit of clear lacquer & kept them short & sweet. I have only really tried to grow & polish them in the last few years & now I am obsessed with any pretty colour!

Well that was it...gee, why did that leave me feeling a little queasy going down tragic makeup memory lane? :)

Now bini has tagged a lot of those who I cannot wait to see or read a response from (eg, danniibeauty, jadegrrrl, vulcanella etc etcetera!). But some others I would love to tag are:

pearlbeauty1020, lucky, nissyrae, brainsRbeauty & everyone reading this right now - yes that's YOU!

Event: Oprah at the Sydney Oprah House

Oprah does the Sydney Oprah House

Yes you can guess this isn't a beauty blog post...so if you are not interested I suggest you leave now! ;-)

Well now down to blogging business, I have a few big events & shows on my "to-do" list for my lifetime...a few I have already done in the last few years or am due to do next year: Fleetwood Mac live in concert (tick), IMATS (tick), Billy Connollly show (ticked in for next year)...but I never imagined that I would get the chance to go to see an Oprah show (ok, ok, plus it would involve going to the US & doing some much dreamed about shopping at Sephora, Ulta, CCO's & any of those beauty havens we here so much about in Australia).

I mean seriously, as much as I would love to go to the US that probably won't happen for a very long time & the Big O is retiring from her talk-show circuit so how could I possibly go? So in comes Oprah Winfrey's with one of her bigger than big shows in her season finale, that she is organising here in Sydney at the Opera House on Tuesday 14th December.

Construction underway on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House for the Oprah show on the 14th December

I tried my luck at winning some tickets to the morning or afternoon taping. Heck, I was poised at 10am waiting to log in to www.oprah.com when registration went up on the random "lottery win" style draw.

Unfortunately I missed out on round one of the allocated forecourt seating but somehow I made it into round two for seating on the monumental steps & I mean on the steps as the guidelines stiplulate to save any confusion, "you will sit ON the Monumental Steps; chairs are NOT available in this area". But hey, I am very, very excited & am just plain happy to get this experience I would sit on the Sydney Opera house roof! (although cannot say the same for my "guest" which is the none-too-happy-about-it hubby)

Pleased as spicy punch I have been waiting to be able to pick up tickets which have been available for pick up from the box office at The Sydney Opera House since 9am this morning until 6pm & then only for one more day tomorrow. Of course I tried to get there early today, but needless to say so did the other thousands of people that are also going along.

At least we had something to speculate on while waiting in the long queue: on who the hundreds of people were poised at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with a helicopter taking footage of them, maybe the 300 plus guests Oprah brought with her? Indeed this turned out to be the case & you can view details of Oprah & her entourages climb at the Sydney Morning Herald site.

You can just make out little dots on the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge - Oprah & her entourage!

Oh, did I mention that there are about 5,000 people attending for each taping session? (then again that number was discussed back & fourth amongst the people queuing so guesses range between 3,000 to 6,000). All I know is that there was a LOT of people lined up all around the Opera House & I considered myself lucky to have made it through the queue in over an hour.

Details on the event at the Sydney Opera House

I have no doubt that there will be a quack load more queuing on the day & it will either be ridiculously hot or tropical & raining like mad on the day. Either way I fear hubby & I will be carrying ponchos (umbrellas not allowed), sunscreen, water & sun-hats, just in case (of course these necessities must be in an appropriate, mid size bag approved for the day).

The list of "important points to remember" attached to the congratulatory email announcing my ticket reads more like I am to be entering the pentagon. But security appears to be a big must for the day & so I should be with the madness & hype surrounding Ms Winfreys whirlwind visit.

On the day of the show queuing to the morning show starts at 7:30am, admission at 8am but taping won't actually start until 10am. Yes, it will be a bit of a wait ahead for all the thousands going. We start queuing along Macquarie Street to get to the Sydney Opera House & public transport is well recommended.

I would love to be able to film or take lots of pictures of the show once in the forecourt but use of any photographic equipment is prohibited so I may end up taking pictures of the queue & any general hollabalah that will surround the circumference of the site. I must admit the set up of the stage area around the forecourt & steps looked impressive (as below)

So although this is in no way my usual blog post or anything to do with beauty I will endeavour to record here details after the event, so wish me luck queuing again on Tuesday!

Overview: A Hair Tale - Argan Oil

Oh Hair, Oh Hair has another month gone?!

An Argan Oil Tale...

Well...finally doing a post. How can it have been a month since my last one? Where, oh where has the time gone? Then again I am usually updating YouTube but I have seriously missed blogging.

I decided to do a post on a product that I have only been road testing for 5 nights (well I picked it up Saturday, used it that night & have used it everyday since including tonight!).

Now, I know that this is not really long enough to really put a product through its paces, especially a haircare product. BUT my goodness I have never had such a noticable response to a hair product...& frankly & I even loving it more than my most beloved Andrew Collinge Perfect Endings, TRESemme Heat Tamer, & Schwarzkopf Nutri-Protect Leave in Conditioner (pictured below).

My Beloved Trio of hair care

In fact, this newly acquired product is like a combination of all three...the visible & effects that is. Now, cue drum-roll....dun da da daaaaa!! It is the Agadir Argan Oil Spray Treatment (yes, I do love spray treatments!)

Agadir Argan Oil Spray Treatment, 150 ml

This is the 150ml bottle that I picked up at SA Hair, Nail & Beauty Supplies for $23.95 which also comes boxed with an Argan oil Hair Treatment sample (7.5ml).

http://www.sahairsupplies.com.au/

Now the beloved trio I mentioned before would have cost that for all three of the products & I did baulk a little at the price for one item. However, with encouragement from Jade (aka jadegrrrl on YouTube as she has tried Argan oil before) I decided it was worth a go.

It is in a pump bottle & is alcohol free, is not tested on animals & the dark amber coloured bottle is also recycable (can I get three hoorahs?). It is also 100% Certified Argan Oil. To see more on the range you can visit the site http://www.agadirint.com/

I have seen many a review raving about the wonders of Argan oil which is produced from the nuts of the Argan Tree (argania spinosa) that is native to Morocco. The oil is supposedly rich in Vitamin E, Omega's & essential fatty acids good for conditioning, hydrating & hydrating dry damaged hair. No surprise then that my hair is the dreaded double d's! Not to mention known to frizz dramatically in hot humid (& stormy) weather like we are experiencing now.

The directions tout to spray on damp hair, comb & style or spray over styled hair for a silky shine. It also states on the bottle that it protects against "heat appliance & chemical damage". Well I haven't died or lightened my hair recently but I have indeed blow dried & hot ironed it.

The first night I got it I only had an hour to get ready to go to dinner so I thought I would try & use it to revitalise my slightly damp hair. (It had been raining & I hoped I could style it quickly). So I sprayed it lightly onto my hair midway through my hair to the ends only brushing it through & then gave a quickblow dry & brush.

Ok this is not a comparison shot of my hair but I wanted to fill in the space so for a laugh I popped in a shot of me getting my hair done by the lovely Romeo on my wedding day...he is a great hairdresser!

Well, much to my amazement my hair felt very silky (at least in comparison to what it had felt like a few minutes beforehand!) & was very shiny. I wanted to do one of those shampoo adds & flick my hair around under some bright lights. But I didn't have time for that so I had to finish getting ready.

I almost didn't put on any perfume as the spray itself is fairly potent a sweet yet musky fragrance which reminds me quite a lot of Cacharel's Lou Lou (the light blue bottle that I used to wear in college).

When I was out to dinner with the hubby he actually mentioned how shiny my hair looked. That does not happen often (e.g. uninvited compliments about my hair & I was still in shock how quickly it made a difference!) I am usually pretty skeptical about claims of products & normally like to try products for at least a full month before I truly get to appreciate the effects.

But since I was so immeditately impressed I have kept using it, thinking it may have been because my hair was so "down" that day & the effect I thought I was seeing was merely because it was just something different on my hair than the old "routine". (To get an idea of my hair "routine" check out my old youtube post, well before I discovered Andrew Collinge Perfect Endings...view link here)

So needless to say I have since used it everyday but I still haven't even missed reaching for my "beloved trio" when I was drying & styling my hair no matter what shampoo I have used.

I haven't even reached for my back up heat styling product - istyle by samy Hot Iron Spray (which I interchange with the TRESemme Heat Tamer), any other treatments or any of my league of hydrating, frizz taming or deep conditioners.

Each time I use it whether during styling or as a spray & "shine" my hair feels softer, looks "shiner & healthier" & smells pretty good too. So although it is early days yet to see any longer effects, I wanted to say that I am currently loving this product. I will do a full review in a few months time on my youtube channel & also on here so stayed tuned!

Also a blog & Youtube link love shout out to the lovely ladies that we met up on Saturday when I got this lovely product...

Jadegrrrl (Jade)

Anobsessionwiththefabulous blog (Angie) youtube

Beeneelicious (Sabine)

Beatideas (Holly)

Swatchgirl (Lara)

Vulcanellaxo (Anita)

GillPill (Gilly)

theplasticdiaries

Review: Sigma Travel Set (Nice in Pink)

Sigma Travel Set

Nice in Pink

I received this travel set over a month ago from Sigma Makeup - www.sigmabeauty.com

So I used this for four weeks before posting my review to Youtube -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spd5jJpaSu4

I was impressed by the packaging & it would be nice to send as a gift to someone needing a travel set as pictured below...(it also comes in black)

Also included is a brochure on the brushes in the set. However, this has the old Sigma numbering system "SS" followed by the corresponding MAC brush number. This has since been changed & brushes have a new number with "E" or "F" at the beginning to designate "Eye" or "Face" brushes.

There is also a Cleaning Instructions card which recommends cleaning them before using which I followed. (I used a gentle shampoo, in this case baby shampoo).

There are 7 brushes in the roll - 4 "F" & three "E" types. From left to right: Large Powder F30, Angled Contour F40, Duo Fibre F50, Tapered Blending E40, Eye Shading E55, Concealer F70 & the Pencil E30.

To the side of the roll is a small zippered compartment which you can store other brushes or very small travel items. In my case I am keeping the gift brush, the Foundation F60 (pictured packaged below)

Over the four weeks I washed all the brushes up to four times & also spot cleansed whenever I used them. I was using them in conjunction with four other full size professional brushes I purchased around the same time I received these, 3 from Sigma & one from ACW. (However I will be mentioning these in a separate review & YT post)

The F30 brush above bleed the most the very first time I washed it & then in subsequent washes bleed less & less until around the fourth wash I did not notice any black run off. It also shed a bit from the sides. (Natural bristles)

The smaller brushes in the set (as above) did not bleed. But the E40 Tapered Blending brush (bottom) shed a bit from the sides & the E55 Eye Shading brush (top) shed from the middle of the bristles. However not to any significant amount & no more than some of my other brushes.

I would dare say the E30 Pencil brush (second from top) is comparable to the only full size MAC brush I own which is the #219. Although the wand is shorter & the tip is more tapered on the Sigma one. Yet the bristles on the Sigma E30 are not as densely packed as the MAC #219 & they are much softer & feel kinder on the eye area even if not as precisely shaped or as firm to place a precision line.

Pictured above: The handles appear to be wood & are very lightweight with the Sigma brand & brush details printed on them.

On the back (not pictured) are the words "Made in P.R.C" (People's Republic of China) which are only indented into the pink wood. Although the plastic sleeves the brush heads were originally wrapped in also had the "made in p.r.c" printed on them clearly in black type.

Above: The F50 Duo Fibre (R) is a blend of synthetic & natural fibres & bleed a little the first few washes as well as shed a bit. The F40 Angled Contour brush (L) are natural bristles & only shed a little bit but did bloom out on the sides when drying. I found using a brush guard half way through the drying process (as well as during storage) helps it maintain the nice smooth angled edge.

All brushes are very soft & I was pleased with the performance. However the F50 brush is not as densely packed as the Artiste Professional stippling brushes that I have (I own two) but is almost the same size in the handle & head length. In comparison it took me a few weeks to stop thinking that I was "working" harder to blend in the mousse or liquid foundation because I felt the brush was smaller (it is only less dense).

The F40 I found was just as good as my angled contour brush also from the Artiste Professional range (I again own two of those!) but I do find it feels softer & was surprised that being white it did not stayed stained from using my powdered blushes & bronzers.

The F60 Foundation brush (below) is similar to any other foundation brush I own (soft synthetic fibres) & I like it the same as my Illamasqua, QVS, Manicare & Beauty Essential ones but I prefer to use them for liquid foundation or liquid blush only. Any cream or mousse foundations I prefer a stippling/duo fibre brush to apply.

For further comments & details you can refer to my YT review post here

Review: Olive by Langlois Australia

Olive by Langlois Australia

I did an overview of some of the products from Olive by Langlois Australia about a month ago on my Youtube channel & also mentioned these in a recent post about some of my favourite products I used during the colder months. Now my update & review of the products I have been using (as shown pictured above) is up on my YT channel here at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAgQvW5Pk4A

Check out the Design You Own Brand at www.olivebylanglois.com

You can choose a Lotion or Cream with 15 fragrances to choose from (or no scent) & 4 extracts (or none) depending on what you like.

Certainly nice for a little treat for yourself, or to give as a lovely tailored gift where you can also personalise it with your own or the recipients details.

Priced at $19.95AU each & all web purchases in Australia over $20 have free shipping - so check out the online shop here

As above, I purchased two products from the Design Your Own range - the all over lotion with Rose Essential Oil & Apricot Extract & the Cream with Sweet Orange Essential Oil & Olive Leaf Extract (100g tubes).

As pictured above: I already had the Lavender, Vanilla & (my favourite) Musk lip balm from www.addicted2lipbalm.com.au Also available in Strawberry & Mango.

Olive by Langlois Australia included the Anti-bacterial, Anti-Acne scrub free with my order of the Moisturising Cleansing Bar & the Dewberry & Walnut Face & Body Scrub.

(above) The Anti-baterical, Anti-Acne Scrub contains Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Jojoba beads & Olive Leaf extract & I found it was a lovely, gentle exfoliating cleanser for my t-zone. (Regularly $19.95AU)

The Dewberry & Walnut F/B Scrub I bought ($15.95AU) & used on my cheeks, forehead as well as in the shower on my back & arms. I found this a good exfoliant with the ground walnut shell & moisturising with the extra virgin olive oil (sample pictured above)

I used the Moisturising Cleansing bar as a gentle foaming facial cleanser & also in the shower. Now in the second week in September the bar has been well used! (below) This is priced at $6.95AU

Join up to the Olive by Langlois Australia newsletter here: OBL Newsletter