I Went For The Chop!!

So, after growing my hair for what feels like FOREVER, I finally decided I wanted a big change...Yep, I wen't for the chop.

I went to a hairdresser I hadn't been to before (risky, I know) but  she was brilliant. Loved every minute of my experience. I have only had one holy grail hairdresser before who upped and moved overseas and now I think I have finally found a HG again oh and did I mention she is super cheap!! $50 for wash cut and blow dry (not just any cut - a new style too).

Bonus is that she is an awesome down to earth chick who will have you in stitches.

For all you Sydney kids details of the Salon:

Anyway, in terms of colour, I haven't dyed my hair for over 4 years and I would love to keep this up but I am going to see how I feel with this new cut as it might need a bit more splash than my natural colouring.

In terms of what this is going to look like once I wash it and don't have a professional blow dry going on, who knows! But I have a good feeling and will update this post with pics in a few days time.

Ok here is the before and after. Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know xx

Hmm, yes next comes colour I think. Alright, enough computer time now. G'night Loves!

Louise x

BB vs Tinted vs CC Creams

It happened to me: I'm a beauty blogger and I don't know what the difference is between BB and CC creams. (Did you like my XOJane style line...yeh).


Ok Seriously, I'm calling bullshit. Whilst I get that BB Creams contain all kinds of properties that tinted moisturisers don't, I find it hard to believe that CC creams can be that much different to BB creams.

Skin79 Super BB Cream

BB Cream's generally have properties like:

• Anti ageing
• It's relatively cheap
• Acts as a moisturiser, primer and concealer in one
• Suitable for most skin types (dry, oily or combo)
• High SPF
• Soothing properties
• Has good staying power
• Brightening / whitening benefits
• Tend to have a thicker texture but brands Garnier are very light

Whereas Tinted Moisturisers generally has properties like:

Nars Tinted Moisturiser

• Thinner consistency
• Lower SPF
• Wider range of colours to choose
• Can get extremely expensive
• Shorter staying power
• No anti ageing or whitening/brightening benefits
• Not as suited to oily skin types due to its dewy nature

So BB cream is like a tinted moisturiser on crack and the only reason someone would buy tinted moisturiser over BB is if they prefer the thinner consistency or find it hard to colour match their skin. I have heard of some great tinted moisturisers so I am not dissing them, but in terms of properties, BB cream has them outdone. But now what, there's a CC cream. Seriously?

Admittedly, I haven't tried any CC Creams and to be honest, I'm really not fussed if I ever do. I feel like I am only just coming to terms with BB cream let alone a new CC cream.

CC (standing for Colour Control) claims to:

Clinique CC Cream

• Help even out skin tone (which, If I am not mistaken, BB whitening/brightening is meant to do...)
• Higher SPF (my current BB Cream Skin79 is 50+ so...)
• Lighter texture (textures are across the board on BB creams so..)
• A less oily finish (ok fair point, some BB's can leave an oily residue)
• Better blending capabilities (I will admit I find the thicker BB creams to be somewhat stubborn however the thinner ones are fine)

So CC cream...where was I meant to be wowed?

Personally, I feel like BB creams are starting to vary a lot in consistency, SPF range, price and capabilities so creating a CC cream just seems like somewhat of a PR gimmick to me. CC cream can't possibly differ that much from a BB cream, it's claims are so similar but hey if I find a CC cream I love more than my BB cream then I'm all for it - but not because its a new "CC" sensation, but because its probably just a better formulated BB cream.

What do you think?

Louise x

Attending Makeup School

I Recently enrolled in a makeup course (makeup only no other beauty treatments) and have now been to 2 of the 8 classes.

All I can say is wow. There is just so much to learn about makeup. Last night we spent a whole evening (over 3 hours) discussing foundation. The amount of information crammed into my brain is almost unbearable. Needless to say I slept like a baby last night. I was exhausted!

My sister came along last night to be a "model" for me to practise on. Regardless of us being related, our skin is completely different.  I thought she had "combination" skin so used a foundation product with oil in it - oh boy was I wrong. Her face immediately started to oil up with the product separating and looking absolutely horrid.

Luckily we swapped models and I got a second chance and I nailed this girls foundation type and colour perfectly with Makeup Forever's HD Formulation. From my little knowledge, that product is amazing and I will be colour matching myself next week so that I can buy it!!

As I am only learning, I will not bore or confuse you with my understanding of how foundation works and will instead direct you to an absolute superstar who has now done a series of YouTube videos all on foundation! Yes, I am talking about the one and only Lisa Eldridge.

If you are at all interested in learning how to pick the right foundation rather than just trusting a sale assistant, I urge you to watch at least some of this series.

Ah, Lisa Eldridge. She will never cease to amaze me. The link to all of her YouTube video's is - here.

I tried to embed the first video of Lisa's foundation course for you but alas...YouTube is being a bitch. You can find her first foundation episode - here.

Big Love,

Louise x

Mothers Day Gift Guide

I have had a few people ask my opinion on what they should be getting their mum for Mother's Day so I thought I would compile a little list of my ideas for you!

The best thing about being prepared and organising your gift early is that you can find things cheaper online and still have time to get them sent to you! So ladies, let's save some bucks - Google is your friend!


The Beauty Lover Mum:

I love brightening pen products used around the eye area on older women. I find it really lifts the whole area and reduces the appearance of wrinkles and shadows. If you aren't sure what shade your mum would be I suggest taking her to a store and looking at the items with her there.

My pick: Yves Saint Laurent Radiant Touch/ Touche Eclat available here for $45.95

I realise not everyone wants to drop $50 on a brightening pen, but if you can, get the real deal rather than a drugstore alternative.

YSL Touche Eclat

The Mum Who Deserves Some Pampering:

A facial or massage is a gorgeous way to pamper mum and say thanks for going through an endless amount of torture during childbirth (and the teenage years). Find somewhere local so that she doesn't let the damn voucher expire (ala my mum countless times)! Testimonials and suggestions from friends are a great way of sussing a place out without needing to go yourself...then again...you could do with a massage couldn't you? ;)

Don't quite have the dosh to spend up on a facial or massage? - what about a manicure or pedicure (or both). This gift provides just as much satisfaction and your mum can look at those shiny claws and feel blissful for a week or two! Whats bad about a mani/pedi - nothing! Awesome safe gift that she will love.


The Tech Savvy Mum:

My sisters and I recently all chipped in and bought mum an iPad (RRP $415). All I can say is that the woman hasn't stopped smiling for days. Great gift.

The year before that we all chipped in and bought her a Kindle (RRP $229).  I'm surprised the thing hasn't over heated she uses it so much. We set it up, taught her how to purchase books and she just doesn't put it down.

On this note, a great gift for a mum that already has her mitts on an iPad/Kindle is the iCrib. She can sit back and read/watch/play all day without needing to get out of bed!

iCrib Bean Bag

Available for $29.95 from www.lifeliveitup.com.au

The iCrib Bean Bag

The Garden Fiend Mum:

Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy

The larger size is $45 from Myer but there is a smaller option available in a tube which is half the price here.

Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Hand Therapy

The "I Love to Be Entertained" Mum:

Take the lady out!

Online coupon sites such as Living Social and Groupon have some amazing dinner options (for cheaps) at wonderful restaurants. What about taking mum out on a cruise around the harbour for dinner or giving her the voucher for her and your dad (or a friend).

The Online coupon websites also have some great deals on hotels and getaways. Maybe mum and dad can spend a night in a fancy hotel in your City or even spend the day in a vineyard!



No point in me linking to deals as the links will be dead by the time you see them
(online coupon sites have a very high turn-over rate) - so here is a pretty picture.

The Homey Mum:

What about some gorgeous hand made tea towels or hand towels. These Brazilian items are a fun and inexpensive way to brighten up a kitchen or bathroom and as they are hand made it gives them a gorgeous one of a kind quality.

Atelier Brazil Hand Towels $16.70, Tea Towels $13.40







Atelier Brazil Hand Made Brazilian Items



 Hope I provided some inspiration!

Louise x

Getting Out of a Rut

Hi guys,

As the weather gets cooler and daylight savings has ended, Sydney is turning its head towards winter and I have been feeling pretty down in the dumps lately.

This is a pretty common occurrence for me in that as the days get rainy and dark, so too does my mood.

Here are a few things I do to try and keep on the up and up!

1. Have a relaxing bath.

There is no point denying that you are feeling a bit low and down. One nice way to treat your body and mind to a time out is to have a bath with some invigorating whilst soothing bath bombs or bath gel, light a few candles and relax!

For a quick cheap fix, I like to put bicarbonate soda in my baths as it cleanses and leaves the skin feeling fresh and soft.

I have also been loving Lush's bath products recently. Whilst I have a bit of trouble going into the store (all the smells combined overwhelm me!). I do love their products individually. They are lovely on your skin and as a bonus are completely animal friendly! Next to try is the "A French Kiss" Bubble Bar that claims it is a "calming and reviving lavender, rosemary and thyme bath, with essential oils from sun-soaked Provence":

A French Kiss - Lush $10.95 per 100g

2. Do something productive!

Whether you clean your room, do your laundry or try out that new recipe - doing something productive that has been on the "to do list" for a while will help you feel you have achieved something. For me, Its writing this blog post! I have been a bit lazy with my blog lately and this is something that has been lurking in the back of my mind. So writing this is killing two birds with one stone!

3. Chat to friends of family.

Whilst the idea of socialising and leaving the comfort of your bed in this depressive funk often makes you want to cry and snuggle down deeper into the blanket - it will help you to have a laugh. Whether you do something simple like go over to mums for dinner, chat to a friend on the phone or go all out and head to the local water hole, socialising and laughing is a wonderful remedy for depression and downy moods (yes downy is a word...well, it is now).

You would have heard the saying "laughter is the best medicine", well it's true, especially when your head is full of negative thoughts. You just need to lighten up and have a bit of a laugh sometimes. As hard as it may seem - phone a friend! You don't have to be your perky best self all the time, let someone else be the perky one and cheer you up.

4. Exercise

Whether you go for a fast walk around the block, do a gym class or do some YouTube pilates (yeh, who knew this was even a think right..but it's actually awesome and free!), exercising a couple times a week will help your system release those endorphins and get you pumped up! Nothing better than feeling energised when you have been feeling low.

5. Finally, get outside and see the sun! 

Get away from your computer or TV (yes, I will be closing my laptop down once I finish this post). Now, obviously this is going to be a bit tricky if the sun ain't shinin' but in Australia we are lucky to have the sun shining at least every other day during our winter months.

If you are in an office all day, get out and feel kissed by the sun on your lunch break, get up early and get the sun on your face or arms while you eat breakfast, or if you are really motivated, you can do steps 4 and 5 together and go for a nice walk or bike ride, in the sun!

So many people these days are worried about sun cancer that quite a lot of us are actually Vitamin D deficient. Now whilst I don't condone baking yourself all summer long, I do think getting a bit of sunshine on your arms during the cooler months is necessary to help our circadian rhythm (this helps our sleep/wake cycle which ensures we get a great sleep which in turn helps our mental health).Win, win, win!

Do you have any thoughts on how to get out of a rut?

Louise x