Do you ever have moments walking along the street, conversations with people or dreams where you are reminded of a product that you used to use ages ago, or your Mum used to use it, or you had heard about it’s release in America/Europe but it never came to Australia, and you are suddenly gripped with the very capitalist urge to own it either for the first time in your life or to own it once again and again and AGAIN? I do.

So what do you do if that product is nowhere to be found in Perth…if it’s discontinued or it was never here in the first place? Should you cut your losses? Should you say to yourself “well it’s JUST makeup” and move on to obsessing over more important things like boys and clothes, politics and world peace?

Hell.

No.

The answer is so simple you may even already know it, but just in case you don’t, why aren’t you using the INTERNET to achieve these dreams? Now websites such as StrawberryNET http://www.strawberrynet.com and the like are pretty common knowledge to get good deals on current products from popular brands so let’s just assume the humble reader has this knowledge and move on to the discussion of your harder to find/discontinued product.

L’Oreal – Blush Delice in Strawberry Tart ♥

About two years ago (approx) L’Oreal stopped production on a few colors of their Blush Delice range. Anyone out there remember Strawberry Tart that perfect mix of baby pink and luminous wonderment? It was the best for a pale complexion and I really had a love affair with it from the moment of its release up until the dark, dark day that they stopped making it (for some stupid reason).

I went through the normal sort of feelings you go through after a relationship ends, sadness, rage, depression but goddamnit I was just not ready to give up on this little guy! So in a moment of desperation I typed into the google machine ‘shine+delice+blush+strawberry+tart+buy’ and guess what the first result was, ebay.com. OF COURSE! EBAY!

And guess what? I got two compacts of Strawberry Tart for $6 (plus $6 post and handling). I was hooked, I started looking up everything I had ever once loved, liked a lot, had a fling with- but for some reason or another had been taken away from me- and it was ALL there.

Clinique – Almost in Black Honey ♥

Remember that shade of Clinique ’s Almost Lipstick that was re-released here a little while ago, sold out almost immediately and then was never added to their permanent roster of products, a little shade called Black Honey? Hm? Yep. It’s there. And it’s way cheap.

Now, sometimes going to the Australian version of eBay (ebay.com.au) is not going to cut it, so you need to go American and go to just plain old ebay.com – but it’s worth it; obviously they have far more options for the nostalgic shopper. However, shopping on the American website does have it’s downfalls. Namely- sometimes sellers will not ship to Australia. I have found in a couple of instances if you just ask them really nicely they will have no problem with it but sometimes they just flat out refuse.

Barry M Kohl Pencil

I encountered this when I was trying to buy a Barry M kohl eyeliner in black. I had owned one when I was living in London and had never used such a good eyeliner (never hard and scratchy on the eye, so soft, so glideable, so smudgeable) but I couldn’t get it in Australia. So I just stopped using eyeliner (it really was that good). Anyway, I found one on ebay.com but the seller wouldn’t ship it to me (seriously you cant put a pencil in an envelope and send it to me even when I’M PAYING FOR THE SHIPPING?!!!?!??!) So I just went back to the old google search and came across this website http://www.crushcosmetics.com.au which is actually an Australian website but stocks Barry M. Take that lazy eBay seller who wouldn’t ship to me. Take that indeed.

In summary, I guess I’m not telling any of you anything new here but I do hope that all of this might make you think about a product that you used to own and love so dearly and maybe will encourage you to go to the internet buy it, and reignite that love.

Article by dream make-up internet babe Adriane Daff.

Be well,

xoxo

I love wholefoods and the opportunity to buy in bulk! I’d long known my Northie friends were being well serviced by Angry Almond in Nedlands but I yearned for something a little closer to home… it’s hard living South of the River in Perth y’know!

The discovery of Loose Produce in Como therefore was like a birthday, Christmas, Easter & any other gift-receiving holiday that exists, all thrown at me in one glorious “HURRAH!”

The great thing about Loose Produce is the attention to detail that goes into presenting their many, many wares.

Nutritional information, origin & a detailed list of ingredients are presented on the majority of their products, so if you’re like me and read more backs of packets than books – you’ll be right at home.

Those with a naughty sweet tooth will be thrilled with over 50 choices of bulk lollies, while the slightly healthier sweet lovers among us will be happy with the wide range of dried fruits including blueberries & goji berries. Our baking friends will marvel at the loose cake mixtures, sprinkles and bread mixes available for sale!

Gluten-free products are well-signed as are organic options, with an “I’m organic!” sticker to help you navigate your way to chemical free wonderland.

A really novel setup they have going is the “Jar Exchange Program” whereby people with jars they no longer need can bring them down to the store and those who would like to use them to fill with produce can do so!

There’s a dedicated Asian section, pasta, herbs & spices, organic fruit & veg, organic meat and so much more… you’ll just have to go down there to check it all out!

The only thing I would change is quite nit-picky; as I’m a vegetarian I’d prefer that the cold meat (which is spread out across two fridges) be contained to one fridge so the other products that are sharing space with them have less chance of being contaminated by the meat. Aside from that, I love the whole place!

Loose Produce is a pantry organisers dream, little jars to pick up and fill with all manner of tasty delights.

When you take your presumably many choices to the counter, you’re met with Larabars, vegan cookies and more snacks than you can poke an organic stick at. Just try saying no.

LP also run a variety of workshops which you can browse on their website and often have reflexology and kinesiology experts visiting the store.

Loose Produce

2 Hobbs Avenue, Como
Western Australia 6152

Ph: 08 9474 9100
Fax: 08 9474 9100

Email: keryn@looseproduce.com

Be well,

xoxo

Peaches Geldof recently said that she wears bronzer to prevent her from looking ‘dead’ and whilst I don’t normally subscribe to what Bob’s daughter has to say about anything, on the matter of bronzer- I think the young lady has a point.

Bronzer is one of those products that I used to avoid like the plague- if not done correctly- bronzer can be so very very bad, and when you are on the paler side of life the thought of putting some kind of browny orangey colour on your bright white face is enough to make you keep your distance from it. Permanently.

But I have recently become convinced that bronzer would like to help me, that it would like to be my friend and I have come to realize that if done correctly this could be a very good thing for me and may even stop me from looking dead (right Peaches?!) So why the hell not? Let’s do it.

Now the selection out there is enough to make even the most hardened beauty shopper break into a cold sweat so for simplicity I have stuck to one brand (Nars) and have road tested three different forms of bronzing/illuminating- the powder, the illuminator and the cream stick.

1. The Powder

Nars Bronzing Powder (Laguna) RRP $72

The Good: You can just keep layering and layering and layering this stuff on because the pigment is so strong which means you can choose between subtlety or making it as dark as you desire.

The Bad: Application. Hard. For. Me. I couldn’t get it even or to look the same on both sides of my face so I decided to combat this by putting more and more on, and then blending it in to the rest of my skin was nothing short of an ordeal. I tried a smaller brush, a bigger brush, throwing the powder in the air and then walking through it, but I just couldn’t get it right.

The Ugly: If you are not utterly hopeless like me and have even only semi-decent application skills then this product will not be a problem for you at all and will bring you much joy and happiness. I, however, somehow managed to make myself look like this…

2. The Illuminator

Nars Illuminator (Orgasm) RRP $69

The Good: You’re thinking ‘hey this isn’t a bronzer’ and you’re right, you are, but for the purposes of this experiment I wanted to cover lots of different kinds (well three) and bronzer is SCARY to me, so I had to start with baby steps. Plus this product has been so highly anticipated that I wanted to get in on the action. I wanted in bad!

Now…was I expecting too much? I’ll admit I went to the Mecca store three days in a row before I could buy some (it was selling out at a record speed) so maybe having to wait made my expectations way high. And yeah ok, maybe I was expecting this product to miraculously turn me into a young Sophia Loren, so it would be unfair of me to feel like this was anti-climactic (har har har). But…

The Bad: They say you can use this over makeup or under make up and I imagined that it was going to be a highly versatile product in what really is an iconic shade but it just didn’t seem to make any noticeable difference to me. It’s like in an attempt to be multi purpose I just couldn’t make it serve even one purpose for me. It’s probably my own fault (ahem- my inability even to apply something as simple as a powder bronzer- ahem) but I just didn’t really know what to do with it. I tried applying it all over my face or just to certain areas but…frankly, I got no real pleasing results.

The Ugly: I need to do some homework. I either need help with this product or I think I better master the art of using a brush. Then I will go out and by some powder in the colour of Orgasm because it really is a great colour.

3. The Stick

Nars The Multiple (South Beach) RRP $89

The Good: Where have you been all my life you sweet, sweet multiple stick? (Maybe in South Beach?) This was love on first use. It’s foolproof, it’s the perfect size, you don’t need to use a brush (just rub it on in) AND it’s a really great colour. It’s the perfect mix of bronzer and illuminator so you don’t feel like you’ve had a bad fake tan applied to your face. Instead its subtle whilst still giving you a little bit of zing- just tipping you over from dead to very much alive and kickin’.

The Bad: Nothing.

The Ugly: See above.

You can get any of the products mentioned here at Mecca Cosmetica

Review by Adriane, fellow ghosty-faced make-up adorer and possible catalyst for my first bronzer purchase…gulp.

Be well,

xoxo

Thalgo Extreme Comfort Cream was first recommended to me by my sister who referred to it as a ‘miracle cream’. Now, I’m pretty cynical at the best of times (especially when I hear that overused ‘miracle’ word) but I’m a big fan of moisturizers and an even bigger fan of the discount that she was going to get me, so I gave it a shot. It retails for around $87 a pop, but you can get it for $65.25 (www.getprice.com.au) which you might think is pretty expensive for 50ml, HOWEVER, take it from me…it is definitely worth spending your hard earned on.

Allow me to go into more detail, this is one of those ‘a little goes a long way’ kind of products and from the very first time you use it you really do get the sense that the good people at Thalgo have packed as much stuff in there as possible. Now, what I refer to as ‘stuff’ Thalgo calls ‘Omega 3 and 6 and restructuring oils’ but you could tell me that ‘whales tears’ and ‘the sneeze of a wizard’ were in there and I would believe that too.

The point is the repairing ability of this product is like nothing else that I have ever used. It’s quite a thick cream (which I really like even thought I know that’s not to everyone’s taste) and it’s really hard working. For example if I have a month where I switch to a cheaper moisturizer and then switch back to the comfort cream I notice the difference in about two days. My skin feels more even in tone, is less prone to breakouts, is smoother, softer and better hydrated for a longer period of time… everything you want your skin to be.

Now – once when I was espousing the virtues of this moisturizer, a friend of mine had two very good arguments that may have crossed your mind, so I will recount this conversation for you now:

Her: What do you mean fewer breakouts? It’s not a cleanser…that’s impossible.

Me: Yeah but if I put it on first in the morning (under makeup) then it acts as a really good barrier between my skin and any makeup which stops my pores from clogging.

This has no scientific proof it just seems to make sense to me. And…

Her: I HATE thick moisturizers in the evening you feel all sticky before you go to bed and in the morning you look all shiny.

Me: Stop putting so much on.

Case closed. Seriously, try this stuff because the only thing it is missing is an SPF…and a wizard’s sneeze.

Web: http://www.thalgo.com.au

If you would like to go in and buy some Thalgo Extreme Comfort Cream in person you can get it at:

Le Beau Day Spa (Kardinya) Phone: (08) 9331 1122

Duncraig Beauty Centre (Marri Road, Duncraig) Phone: (08) 9447 8860

The Beauty Gallery (Woodvale) Phone: 08 9309 5677

Review by Adriane, 25, upcoming actress extraordinaire, likes plump skin & jam donuts.

Be well,

xoxo

Juice Beauty- The Organic Solution

Most of us know the benefits of eating organic food such as less exposure to harmful pesticides and chemicals, but what about skincare? When you think that your skin absorbs up to 64% of what you put on it you probably want healthy ingredients in your skincare too. I’ve gradually been getting rid of as many nasty chemicals in my life, everything from cleaning products to shower gel has been changed and that’s when I stumbled upon a brand called “Juice Beauty”.

Juice Beauty was created in California by Karen Behnke a wellness entrepreneur whose mission was to create authentic organic beauty solutions to people worldwide. Juice Beauty contains no parabens, propylene, butylenes glycol, petroleum, sulphates, artificial dye and fragrances. What the brand does do, is contain is high grade certified organic ingredients, support local organic farmers, use solar power, and package its products using recyclable products and soy ink.

I’ve been using two products from the Juice Beauty range, the Cleansing Gel and the Nutrient Moisturiser.

The Cleansing Gel contains cherry and lemon juice both full of potent antioxidants, alpha hydroxy acids and vitamins A, B and C. This is combined with soothing sugar and coconut to gently remove impurities whilst protecting the skins natural barriers. This cleanser is suited to skins that are oily/combination, a great summer cleanser if you are prone to an oily T-zone like my skin. The cleanser has a light citrus smell which for some may take a little getting used to.

After cleansing I smooth on some Nutrient Moisturiser, a jar full of certified organic grape juice, vitamin rich carrot extract and nourishing essential fatty acids. This cream although designed for dry/mature skins actually works really well with my skin which is prone to dehydration in the cooler months. It’s rich in antioxidants and hyalauronic acid which nourishes and protects skin. Once warmed in hands and applied to skin, it is absorbed immediately for fresh, hydrated skin.

I only have one negative with Juice Beauty, it’s made in the US and not in Australia. Now if only I can find a comparable company in Australia! My search continues…

Reviewed by Hannah.

http://www.juicebeauty.com

Available at selected David Jones stores and online retailers.

Be well,

xoxo