Sand Cloud Towels & a GIVEAWAY Just in Time for Summer

Welcome to Spring!! Well, kind of. I live in Melbourne and we’re known for our bipolar weather so we’re still getting some Winter days mixed in with the Spring but I’ve been so looking forward to the sun that I’ll celebrate anyway!

The lovely people at Sand Cloud Apparel sent me this awesome beach towel to try out which is perfect for this weather!

I’m not a huge beach go-er, but who doesn’t love sitting outside on the grass with a good book? That being said, sitting on prickly grass with nothing comfy under you isn’t as fun. So I took my Sand Cloud Towel outside and got cozy!

One thing I feel like I should let you know is that although it’s a ‘towel’ it doesn’t have the usual towel texture you might expect. The ‘towel’ is handwoven out of Turkish cotton and while this doesn’t make it very thick, it does make it soft. Due to this it’s light and quick-drying!

The towel also features a removable pillow. I did expect the pillow to have at least a plain pillow cover on it, which it didn’t, but that’s my main complaint.

If you remove the pillow, the towel doubles as a sarong! And a very cute one at that.

As someone who isn’t a beachy person, I don’t know how often I’d use this. I’d rather a picnic rug or something thicker to sit on grass. HOWEVER if you love the beach (which I think most Australians do – I’m the odd one out!) this is fantastic!! The material even repels sand! Due to the close  weave and the texture sand doesn’t stick to it much at all.

One last thing I want to point out. One of the reasons I’m telling you about this awesome beach towel even though I’m not a beach-goer myself is because the guys at Sand Cloud are really into giving back. They’ve got a strong passion for the ocean, and as such donate 10% of their net profits to various charities that help preserve our marine life! How awesome is that?

So, this brings me to the goodies!

One of you lucky beach fanatics has the chance to win one of these fantastic Sand Cloud Towels!

Use the Rafflecopter widget below and comment on this post telling me your funniest beach-going experience! Did you have your bathers fall off (holy cow that really would be embarassing!) or did you get totaled by a wave? The funnier the better!

Also if you want to go ahead and like my facebook page you can do so as well, though that’s not a requirement.

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Bellabox October 2014

It’s a weird, sad and slightly terrifying moment when you realise you haven’t written a blog post in almost a month. Life has gotten insanely crazy and I’ve been epicly distracted with assignments and projects and goals and the like. I promise things are going to get better. They’re in the process of getting better as we speak, starting with this post! Woo!

Here’s the video:

If you can’t watch it because you’re covertly hiding from someone or you’re on a train without headphones or you’re surrounded by 100 sleeping babies and can’t make a peep, I took some photos for you all so you can read quietly to your heart’s content 😉

All up, I’m pretty ok with this month’s box. I’m pretty disappointed with the lip colour (I’m wearing it in the thumbnail of the youtube video above) but I seem to always get weird colours of things. Maybe my profile is out of date or I’m just not answering the questions correctly, who knows!

Bellabox September 2014

My Bellabox finally came! I was a little disappointed with this box but that’s mainly because of my own expectations really. I wanted certain products and didn’t get them, which happens sometimes.

All in all, still a good value box. Check out the video above for more details!

Kikki K Lilac Personal Planner

I love stationery. I very very easily become obsessed with stationery and this is no exception. After doing a bit of a youtube and pinterest search I realised that there’s a whole planner community out there, and there’s far more options than I could have even imagined!

I am so excited to have this planner. I’m currently working on making it my own, but this is how it started out.

I’m also hoping to open an Etsy store soon, so stay tuned! It’ll have some planner goodies, as well as some other things if I get around to it. It’s all about finding the time to make things and having the money to gather supplies! Next on the list, a laminator. I really want to make my own tabs!

Have you got any tips or tricks? Favourite printables or etsy stores? Let me know!

LUSH Haul!

It really is about flipping time I got around to writing this post. For my birthday (aaalll the way back in August, haha) I was so incredibly blessed to be given a $100 voucher for LUSH. If you’re not familiar with LUSH Cosmetics click through and enjoy! But be warned, they’re not the cheapest of products. It’s for good reason as all the products are 100% vegetarian, natural and handmade and fan-freaking-tastic! 

So I figured this may be one of my only opportunities to spend a ridiculous (at least in my world!) amount of money on fabulous beauty products, and I might as well share with you. Here we go!

First up, Vanishing Cream Facial Moisturiser RRP $39.95
This was the most expensive product of the lot and the only one I’ve actually had experience with before. I received a sample in an old Lust Have It! box and was hooked! It smells delicious, as well as being an awesome moisturiser. It’s great for problem skin, acne and and oily T-zones and all that jazz. I love it. It soaks into the skin very quickly and doesn’t leave any icky residue. It’s light, yet effective.

This is the Angels on Bare Skin Fresh Facial Cleanser RRP $16.95 (100g) 
This stuff is pretty weird, but I love it. It comes sort of dry, almost a grainy putty but not quite. What you do is pinch of a bit, a little larger than a pea, and add small amounts of water to it in your hand until it’s almost like a milk. Rub it all over your face (there’ll still be grains) and it does it’s job! This one is great for evening out skin tone and reducing redness. Basically, it’s another product for temperamental skin, which I certainly have. It cleanses thoroughly without drying out your skin, leaving your skin feeling really clean and refreshed.

Hair Doctor Hair & Scalp Mask RRP $14.95
This product I wasn’t a huge fan of. You have to keep it in the fridge and it has a short shelf life (3 weeks) because of the fresh ingredients which is probably a good thing, but for me it isn’t because sometimes I just don’t get around to doing things like a hair mask super often. It really didn’t feel like it did a whole lot. That may partly be because it was flipping hard to apply (it’s literally like trying to smooth mud through your hair) and from the sounds of it a majority of the work it does is meant to be on the scalp and I don’t know that I actually got a lot on there! It doesn’t help that my hair isn’t exactly short. But yeah, it didn’t really wow me.

Vanillary Solid Perfume RRP $7.95
I really like this! It’s nice and understated, perfect if you’re wanting an everyday scent that won’t overpower. I also love solid perfumes because I find they travel better in my handbag than a bottle of perfume! To sum up, these are great!

Twilight Bath Bomb RRP $5.95
I haven’t actually had a chance to try this yet, but it smells amazing. I was gifted a few others for my birthday and each one smells absolutely amazing. This one is full of lots of wonderful things like lavendar which will be perfect for a night time bath!

Another thing I love about LUSH is that every time you buy something they throw a couple of samples into the bag! I got these two soaps. Again, something I haven’t tried but from my limited experience with their soaps and products I imagine they’ll leave you feeling clean but not dried out. They’re both very citrusy.

All up, a fantastic experience! The only price that really bothers me out of the lot is the moisturizer. $40 is quite a lot to pay, however it does last a long time so it’s worth it, just not something I’m sure I’ll be able to keep up… But I guess I’ll see. Thankfully everything else isn’t too expensive if I want to buy another or try something different!

If you’re looking for natural products, definitely check out lush!

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Candy Buffet Bag Printables

Today is my birthday, hooray! I had a small party on Saturday night to celebrate and it was a fantastic night! I’m going to write a bit about that later with some tips I learnt on how to keep the cost down but still have a lot of fun. 

One thing I did which was a huge hit was a candy buffet! I bought some glass bowls and jars off a facebook buy/swap/sell group (which I’ve written about previously) for a grand total of $25 with our future wedding in mind, but I was so eager to bring them out to try out the idea. It definitely helped me gauge just how much glassware I’ll need for the wedding (a lot more…) and it was so much fun to set up. I have to admit, I love feeding people and making them happy! 

I found some brilliant little brown paper bags at Kmart for a great price! 20 bags for $3.50, so I bought two packs. I decided to try and print on them to add a creative touch.

I’d recommend testing with a few spare bags so that you know which way the image will print (my image had to be printed upside down) and to ensure that they’ll fit on the bags. It’s also important that you don’t put too many bags in your printer at one time. Slow and steady wins the race as they say!

I’d seen a few printables floating around Pinterest but I couldn’t find a lot of variety, and the one that I did try was way too big and just would not shrink down correctly. So of course, I decided to make my own! After printing them and using them at the party, and thinking about the lack of printables on Pinterest I decided to make a variety for you guys to have! 

Simply click the image for the full sized version, and then right click to save. 

If you’re wanting a different or personalised design I definitely urge you to have a play around yourself, or email me (you can find my email on my contact page) to commission your own.

 

 

 

Enjoy! 

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August Bellabox 2014 Review

It’s that time again my lovelies! Bellabox time! This one was wonderfully timed, arriving one day before my birthday (tomorrow)!

I can’t quite decide how I feel about this box. It’s not the best I’ve ever gotten, it was just kind of… I don’t know the word I’m looking for. Average, I suppose. 

I think part of what disappointed me is that I got a black eye shadow last month as well and I NEVER wear black shadow. I’m going to have to review what my preferences say on the bellabox website. 

I have to say though, I was pleasantly surprised compared to what I was expecting. I’m so not a sporty person at ALL so when Bellabox revealed that the theme this month was ‘Sport Your Style’ I was kind of concerned, but nothing in the box is incredibly sporty, thank goodness!

First up! 

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion RRP $12.99
Ahhhhh… another. I probably have at least three of these lying around. I’m not entirely impressed with Aveeno and so I just don’t really care about this sample. Yet again, it’s one of those things that’s going into the ‘gift out’ pile. I find their products don’t soak in too well, which is something I hate in a beauty product. 

Savoir Faire Eyeshadow RRP $24
I was so excited when I saw this in the box because I love eyeshadow but receiving yet another black eyeshadow is a huge disappointment. At least it’ll make a good gift for someone I guess. I did quickly check the quality though and it certainly highly pigmented as it claims to be, and doesn’t rub off too quickly. If you’re looking for a good quality eye shadow this does look like a good one. 

Burt’s Bees Radiance Day Cream RRP $39.95
Right away you can tell that this product is quality. It’s in a lovely little glass jar and doesn’t feel like a sample I have to say! According to the website this product is 98.2% natural which sounds super promising. The last Burt’s Bees product I tried I didn’t really love, but I tried a little of this one and it feels great! I’m so looking forward to trying it on my face tomorrow morning. Plus as an awesome bonus, it smells amazing! 

OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo & Conditioner RRP $17.99
I’m really excited about this product. It features a bunch of ingredients I’ve seen floating around pinterest in natural hair masks so I’m hoping this works well! It’s got coconut milk, ultra whipped egg white proteins and weightless coconut oils! 

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure RRP $14.95
I have a few Sally Hansen polishes but they’re a quick dry version and they chip really quickly, which is a common problem with quick dry polishes as they can be really thin. I’m really looking forward to trying this polish! It looks nice and thick in a good way, and I adore the colour! It’s meant to be a base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, colour and chip resistant top coat all in one. This colour is called Good to Grape.

Bonus product – Palmer’s Cocoa Body Butter RRP $9.99
This stuff is obviously great, but I’ve already got a bottle so this isn’t really anything new. If you’re looking for a good moisturizer though, get on this one!

There you have it! Another month gone, another one bites the dust… whatever saying you prefer. I have to say, the more I look at the products and research them a little the better they sound! I’m loving the slight natural emphasis. What do you think? What’s your favourite product? 

Head to the Bellabox website to sign up today! 

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How To Clean Make Up Brushes

I’ve been meaning to clean my make up brushes for a few weeks now. My concealer brush is beginning to look especially gross! 

If you know me at all, you’ll know I really like natural options or options that don’t use a bunch of chemicals. This is especially true for things that are going to be coming in regular contact with my skin! 

So of course, I love this super natural option! All you need is a cup of hot water and 3 teaspoons of white vinegar! 

Put the vinegar in with the hot water, stir and leave your brushes to soak in the mixture for 20-30 minutes. Give them a good stir in the mixture and then rinse thoroughly under cold water. 

Dry flat, simple as that!

The easy, cheap and natural way to clean your make up brushes

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Rachel Held Evans’ “A Year of Biblical Womanhood” and the Heart of the Matter

Tamar joins a storied troupe of crafty and courageous biblical women who used trickery, sexuality, and manipulation to work the patriarchal system to which they were born and survive to change the course of Israel’s history. In fact, Tamar holds the rare distinction of being one of only four Old Testament women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. The others include Bathsheba, (a mistress), Ruth, (a foreigner), and Rahab (a prostitute).
God, it seems, prefers chutzpah [“extreme self-confidence or audacity”] to status. – Rachel Held Evans

I’ve been slowly discovering that Rachel Held Evans is pretty awesome. I’m loving her writing style, and the way she views things. She seems to have a view of ‘Christian Feminism’ that doesn’t come across as condescending as some posts do, and I find this thoroughly refreshing.

I discovered her book A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband Master about two hours ago and it’s been a wonderful two hours I must say. When I first read the title I sat for a second and though “ugh, not another one.” I’ve come across countless books touting ‘biblical womanhood’ and while they vary in their stances, a common topic of discussion among these books is whether a woman’s role remains solely at home or not.

This book has a slight hint of sarcasm constantly sitting there in the background and is incredibly honest and I love it. Basically, to sum up the book, Evans does a lot of research and decides to take the whole ‘biblical womanhood’ thing very literally for an entire year. Submit to your husband, have the house as your number one priority etc.

She basically questions whether basing the entirety of a woman’s role today in society on a sacred (albeit wonderful) text which in some ways is extremely culturally out-dated, is a wise decision. She questions whether we should take every single scripture referring to woman one hundred percent literally.

The above passage struck me as I neared the end of chapter two (I think – it’s harder to tell when you’re new to this whole ebook thing) for many reasons. It took me back to my days at bible college and reminded me of one of the great realisations I had during that time. One of my subjects was Old Testament Survey which was basically an overview of that section of the bible and it’s actually an incredible story. A lot of people discount this part of the bible because of the new covenant that Jesus brings in the New Testament, but I think that the new covenant is exactly why we need to know the story of the Old Testament, because when you take a step back and look at the entire story of the Old Testament you see the story that was carefully planned by a loving Father to bring this world the Saviour that they needed, and you come to understand the value of the new covenant some more.

You see those that contributed to Jesus’ blood line and you see that they were thoroughly imperfect. You do not need to be perfect to be a part of Jesus’ family, and that’s an essential fact worth remembering.

The above passage lists the women who are noted in the genealogy of Jesus and I think their imperfections are what make the story of Jesus even more beautiful than it is if you simply start at His birth.

What this passage really highlighted for me though is that God isn’t looking for you to fit the cookie cutter mould of the perfect woman, because it’s just not possible. If you were to attempt to describe the ‘perfect woman’ you would struggle due to the conflicting opinions thrown at us today anyway. If you managed to narrow it down and then decided to attempt to live your life that way, you would fail. We are imperfect and that’s okay.

There are qualities in the bible that are mentioned and we are encouraged to be Christ like but I think one of the most important things we need to do, and something I certainly need to work on, is making ourselves available. Reading and reading and reciting rules to ourselves isn’t going to do anything if we’re not making ourselves available to God, simply by being willing to listen and learn. He’s not a harsh teacher, he’s not the boring teacher you encountered in high school. He’s a teacher who is in love with what he teaches and teaches because he wants us to be closer to him, not because he wants us to have a life which we feel is riddled with rules that pin us down.

Besides, what else was Jesus doing if he wasn’t making himself completely and one hundred percent available to God? He spent so much time searching to find the Father’s heart, the Father’s desires.

I want to be a person constantly searching for God’s heart in every situation.

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Lust Have It! July 2014

 

Much to my surprise, I received my July Lust Have It box today, in July, and only a couple of days after my Bellabox! 

I’d seen some previews of this box so I was tentatively excited and I have to say that I ended up quite disappointed. To be fair, it’s not that the value of the box… bag… is bad or anything, but they’re just not my kind of products which is what I regularly keep finding with Lust Have It, which is why this is my last box, I have unsubscribed. 

That’s what we’re looking at this month. I have to say, the little note ‘get ready for our birthday box next month’ frustrates me purely because I hate not knowing things, I hate being out of the loop and I just unsubscribed so I won’t find out what’s in it without looking up people’s blog posts! But otherwise, I’m happy with my decision.
Anyway, onto the products!

Marsk Mineral Eye Shadow in Black Comedy (Full Size) RRP $24.95
This product is small for the price! Wow! But I imagine because of the price and the fact that it’s a mineral product it’s got a fairly strong pigment. This is one of the products I was really excited about because we had an option to choose a colour, which I did… and it wasn’t this one. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m really quite pale so I don’t exactly want to be wearing black eye shadow. Even if I’m going for the smokey eye look, it’s better for me to head towards dark browns rather than brave a full on black. However this will make a nice gift (or maybe even feature in a future giveaway…) for someone I imagine so I won’t be opening this one.

 

Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover (Full Size) RRP $22
This is the product that redeemed the box for me. I’d previously received a sample size of this product at least six months ago and I adore it. It lasts for ages because you really don’t need to use much, and it works so well! I still have half of my little bottle left and it’s only about as tall as where the text reaches on the bottom of the box. I’d been considering buying one of the full sized bottles when I run out because it’s that good, but $22 is a lot for me to spend on makeup remover… so this was a wonderful product to receive, especially as a full sized product. 

Ardel Self-Adhesive Lashes (Full Size) RRP $9.99
These… well I can’t say I’m excited. I got Revlon Lashes in my Bellabox a couple of days ago they look much nicer. They look more natural, and they look to be of a much higher quality than these, and it certainly doesn’t make me want to give these a try. To be fair, I’m not exactly a fake lashes fan to begin with which certainly doesn’t help the cause. 

 

Designer Brands Nail Polish (Full Size) RRP $6.99 
This is a huge let down… but maybe that’s just me. For one thing, combine this with the eye shadow and the lashes and it’s just way too much black for me. But then there’s the fact that DB isn’t known for it’s quality. I haven’t even opened this bottle and I don’t trust the quality of the polish. I’m a little surprised they’re $6.99 a bottle to be honest. This will probably be another product I give away to someone who will like it more than I do. 

 

Aveda Botanical Kinetics Hydrating Lotion RRP $79.95
Yet another tiny Aveda sample. I get it, they’re expensive products so even this little sample is worth a couple of dollars but still. I’ve got so many of them. I’m fairly sure I’ve got this exact sample already, and if not it’s very similar and kind of pointless because I will never ever buy their products, they’re ridiculously expensive. 

 

This isn’t exactly a product, but it’s the current Lust Have It! packaging. It’s definitely a nicer alternative to the plastic ones, I must say. It doesn’t feel or look as cheap, and frankly it looks like it’d last longer. The only downside is that if something leaks in here it’ll leak over anything it comes into contact with. I still prefer it based on the fact that it feels much nicer though. 

There you have it folks, my last Lust Have It box, at least for a fair while. They might do what Bellabox did and get better in a year or so but who even knows where I’ll be by then! I may have given up subscription boxes altogether, who knows! 😛

Let me know what you think of this month’s ‘box’, I’d love to hear some other opinions, especially if you guys liked the products! 

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