A new way to choose your eye shadow colour - by your star sign

Each day I receive a bunch of press release about beauty products. Most of them are fairly stock standard and I just use them to get an idea of what products are out there. However, one I received today really caught my eye as it is such a cool concept (though not scientific...which is what my blog is meant to be about..oh well!) - using your star sign to choose your eye shadow colour. I'd love to know whether you agree with the colour that has been chosen for your star sign:

What eye shadow colours should you wear to match your zodiac sign! ELES shares in the inside scope from Astrology guru Michele Bernhardt. According to Michele wearing certain colours can add balance to your life…

GEMINI

Your best eye shadow colour is: Yellow

Why: Energizing and stimulating, this is a colour filled with radiance and light. It has the ability to lift your spirits. Wearing it increases your memory and communication skills.

One to try: ELES Mineral Shadow in Yellow Diamond

TAURUS

Your best eye shadow colour is: Green

Why: This colour rejuvenates the spirit. It resonates with stability and healing and gives you balance of strength and substance. Wearing it helps heal the body and attract wealth and prosperity.

One to try: ELES Mineral Shadow in Jade

ARIES

Your best eye shadow colour is: Red

Why: This colour signifies passion, strength and courage. Wear it to increase your strength, energy and vitality when beginning something new or initiating action.

One to try: ELES Mineral Shadow in Tourmaline

CANCER

Your best eye shadow colour is: Pink

Why: This colour inspires love and can be worn in times of change or transition. It is also a good colour to wear when you’re in need of emotional healing. Wearing it opens the heart and increases receptivity.

One to try: ELES Mineral Shadow in Sandstone

LEO

Your best eye shadow colour is: Orange

Why: This colour resonates with power and greatness. Wearing it increases joy and optimism and also assists in aligning you with riches and your position in life.

One to try: ELES Mineral Matte Shadow in Terra Peach

VIRGO

Your best eye shadow colour is: Royal blue

Why: This colour resonates with beauty, purity and wisdom. It helps ease tension and promotes tranquillity. Wearing blue opens the mind and encourages patience and eloquence.

One to try: ELES Mineral Matte Shadow in Indigo

LIBRA

Your best eye shadow colour is: Light blue

Why: This colour signifies love, beauty and balance. It embodies the essence of peace and serenity while inspiring you to be strong and take decisive action. Wearing it promotes balance and a sense of well-being.

One to try: ELES Mineral Matte Shadow in Bermuda

SCORPIO

Your best eye shadow colour is: Burgundy/berry

Why: This colour inspires depth, strength and love. It helps you move through times of transition. Wearing shades of burgundy increases your perception, persistence and drive.

One to try: ELES Mineral Matte Shadow in Roselle

SAGITTARIUS

Your best eye shadow colour is: Turquoise

Why: This colour will enhance wisdom and optimism. Wear it while traveling or exploring. It promotes tolerance and understanding and is useful in dealing with others who have alternative points of view.

One to try: ELES Mineral Shadow in Turquoise

CAPRICORN

Your best eye shadow colour is: Earthy brown

Why: Logical and surefooted, this is a colour of substance and determination. It helps you feel stable and responsible. Wearing it promotes practicality and aids you in manifesting your dreams.

One to try: ELES Mineral Shadow in Bronzite

AQUARIUS

Your best eye shadow colour is: Purple

Why: This colour invokes the qualities of humanity and kindness. It helps you practice and understand detachment. Wearing shades of this colour gives you a sense of community and enhances friendships.

One to try: ELES Mineral Shadow in Hyacinth

PISCES

Your best eye shadow colour is: Sea foam green

Why: This colour helps guide people between the inner and outer world. It evokes qualities of trust and clarity and helps you see past the world of appearances. Wearing it will increase your faith and psychic abilities.

One to try: ELES Mineral Shadow in Jade

Here are the swatches of the colours that have been suggested for each Zodiac star sign:

I am a Virgo, though right on the cusp of Libra. My suggested colour is Royal Blue (ELES colour - Indigo) and Libra's is Light Blue (ELES colour Bermuda). These are very much colours that I would wear - in fact they are probably my most worn colours in my collection!

How did the colour suggestions match up with your Zodiac star sign? Are they colours you wear or was it way off the mark for you?

The Ultimate Christmas Beauty Gift Guide

I LOVE Christmas. I love all the family getting together, and all the food, the presents, the parties, the Christmas carols, the hot weather, and especially all of the decorations - the sparklier the better. I can already feel that this Christmas is going to be the best one yet as The Crazy Kid will be nearly 3 and so will understand what is going on. For the first time since becoming a parent I am actually excited about waking up at 5.00 am  - just see his excitement at what Santa has brought him.

One thing that I have always been excited about each Christmas is seeing all of the beauty gift packs that get released as they are always such great value. I remember each year going up to the shops, pretending that I was Christmas shopping for others when really I was drooling over the gift packs working out which one I would ask from Santa and which one I would buy myself for Christmas (I ALWAYS buy myself a Christmas present, and it is ALWAYS beauty products - usually expensive ones that I just cant bring myself to ask for!).

The press releases have started flooding in with all the spectacular gift packs on offer this year so  have decided to create an Ultimate Christmas Beauty Gift Guide. My plan is show you all the amazing gifts on offer throughout November so that by the time December rolls around you will have all the beauty info you need and hopefully your shopping list will be written. Where possible, I will try to review some of these gift packs (tough job, I know!). Once a review or gift list has been posted, I will update this post so that you can search through all of the brands in one place.

Bio Sculpture Beach Holiday Nail Collection Swatches
Bio Sculpture gift guide
Dermalogica Gift Guide
Elemis Duchess of Spa Gift Pack (absolutely heavenly!)
Manicare Perfect Nails Wallet + Gift guide
OPI Top 10 Gift Pack
OPI Gift Guide
The Body Shop Vanilla Bliss Body Butter
Urban Rituelle Signature Soap Collection + gift guide

So, who is organised and has already started their Christmas shopping? What did you get or what have you got on your shopping/wish list?

The acne series: Guest review of Fixaderm

Got itchy skin? Sunburnt? Pimple brewing? Insect bite driving you mad? Fixaderm® can help give instant relief. Keep Fixaderm® handy in your First Aid kit or bathroom cabinet ready for everyday use.

This was on the press release that I received about Fixaderm and so I thought that it could be another interesting addition to The Acne Series. Sophie (from the blog Sophie's Maze), who is 28 and gets hormonal acne along her chin had contacted me about trialing acne products. She needed something gentle for her skin as she was finding that harsh products really dried it out. I thought that this might be a good solution for her.

More from the company: Necessity Fixaderm® is a 100% natural First Aid and skin repair product made from the finest quality essential and plant oils. The blend of 11 oils has been tested and refined over several years, resulting in a unique formula that may help alleviate skin discomfort, help prevent infection and help promote healing. Fixaderm® is completely free from chemicals and has a wide range of applications including; natural First Aid for cuts, abrasions, minor burns, fungal infections, insect bites and stings. It has also been demonstrated as an effective treatment for pimples, scarring, and stretch marks.


And now to Sophie's review:

Review for Necessity Fixaderm Skin Repair

Fixaderm is marketed as a skin repair oil containing the following key therapeutic oils:

• Calendula
• Lavender
• Patchouli (Progostermon Cablin)
• Rosehip oil (Rosa Eglanteria)
• Tea tree oil (Melaleuca)

These oils are used to treat an array of ailments ranging from burns, cuts, fungal infections, eczema, scarring, warts, sunburn and acne. I was interested in trialing Fixaderm to help treat persistent acne on the jawline and random congestion on the remainder of my face. My skin is combination and extremely sensitive. As such I struggle to use traditional acne remedies such as Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid. I have used tea tree oil for years to treat individual spots and have found it reasonably effective with minimal side effects. The concept of Fixaderm is intriguing to contain tea tree oil along with some other oils known for their calming and healing properties.

The packaging of Fixaderm is the same as most essential oils, in a small amber bottle with a dropper top and a screw on lid. The dropper is good and it’s easy to dispense the product drop by drop. The actual oil is very liquidy and almost clear in colour. The smell is very herbal and the tea tree oil is definitely the dominant scent.

Results:

• ·         Acne – I initially tried using this as a spot treatment. Thankfully it didn’t irritate my skin but much to my surprise it actually made my spots worse. The texture of the product is quite greasy and maybe this is the reason it exacerbated the spots. I do find neat tea tree oil better for this purpose.
• ·         Scarring – I next tried applying this on broader areas of acne scarring. I only needed 1 drop to cover half my jawline, I little goes a long way! It feels quite greasy going on but sinks in after 5-10 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised by the non-greasy feel after it had soaked in. It moisturizes well but after 3 weeks of application I didn’t notice any accelerated healing of scars. I do usually use a vitamin C serum in the mornings and I think that is far more effective at fading scars.

• ·         Hands – Now I absolutely ADORE this oil for moisturizing my cuticles and around my nails. I was travelling overseas recently and the flight combined with the cold English weather meant my skin went haywire. My hands were the most effected. I had the worst hangnails ever. Like I am talking multiple skin peeling things around each nail. It was painful and unsightly. I started rubbing Fixaderm around my nails much like you would a cuticle cream each night and my skin was back to normal in a few days. Continually applying Fixaderm prevented the same thing from happening on the return home.
• ·         Dry skin – I also get really dry elbows and knees. A couple of drops of Fixaderm really helps relieved the chapped skin.

Overall I think Fixaderm is an interesting product that has many potential uses. It helps that I also love the smell of the oil and find it relaxing. Personally, I like it as an antibacterial cuticle oil. I wish it had worked wonders on my acne but it wasn’t the case. However, I am more than happy to keep a bottle around to help prevent and repair damage around my nails. And who knows what other uses I will find for this multipurpose oil?! 

All opinions are Sophie's own and she received no remuneration for this post. This product was provided to Sophie for consideration.

Vanilla lovers: Vanilla Bliss is the best vanilla fragrance you will ever experience or your money back

Ok, I lied. I am not going to give you your money back if you don't think The Body Shop's Vanilla Bliss is the greatest vanilla fragrance ever but now that you are here you may as well learn more about it! I was meant to write this up as part of my Christmas reviews but I am so completely besotted with my Vanilla Bliss Body Butter that I needed to dedicate an entire post to it!

The Body Shop is famous for their body butters. They are so deliciously thick and rich, incredibly moisturising yet surprisingly non greasy. Over the years my alliance to particular scents has chopped and changed. My love affair was ignited with the Brazil Nut, but then one day I cheated on Brazil Nut with Coconut and didn't look back...well until I discovered Mango. In general I'm a bit meh about mango...except this Mango - it was the scent of summer bottled up in a tub. It was many years until I strayed again. I was walking past a store and they had a new scent on display - Moringa, on a whim I stuck my finger in the tub and tried it. Precisely 12 seconds later I was standing at the counter purchasing a tub. This fragrance is beyond amazing. Perhaps the perfect white floral. I thought I was finally going to be monogamous to a body butter but then Vanilla Bliss came along. OMG it is friggin' amazing. OMG a body butter made me say OMG. I sound like a star struck teenager, and quickly frankly I feel just as gushy and excited as one! 

I wouldn't say that I am a huge vanilla fan. I like it enough but have never bought a vanilla perfume or anything like that. I guess I m just not that into gourmand fragrances. This Christmas The Body Shop have a range of products in three limited edition seasonal fragrances, one of which is Vanilla Bliss (I'll tell you about the rest when I do my Christmas reviews next month). I decided to try the Vanilla Bliss fragrance in the body butter. OMG it is seriously so amazing (crap, I just said OMG again). It is a very true vanilla without being overly sweet. It is so utterly delicious it takes an enormous amount of self control not to lick the butter. I have honestly never smelt a vanilla product that smells as good as this one. In fact, I challenge you to find a better one. I will be shocked if you can.

Like all Body Butters from The Body Shop, this one is both highly moisturising and completely non greasy. Because it smell so amazing I have been applying it twice a day. I have only been using it for 3 days and the change in my skin has been amazing. I haven't taken care of it at all in the last 6 months, if not longer (Kiki turned 6 months today so now you understand why I have not looked after myself!). In these 3 days my skin has transformed from being dehydrated and scaley to silky soft and smooth. Before it look dull and dry, now it glistens with health. As an added bonus, the fragrance lasts hours (about 3 hours on me) - that is longer than some perfumes. Today, at playgroup, two people came up to me to tell me that I smelt amazing - and what is really amazing about that is that I hadn't showered (The Crazy Kid chucked an epic tanty so showering got replaced by 'mummy cuddles' and some Chuggington).

Ok, I think I might have gushed about this enough so I am going to finish by putting a challenge out to determine whether this the greatest vanilla fragrance ever. All vanilla lovers out there - I need you to sniff this then report back whether you also think that this is the greatest!

The Vanilla Bliss Body Butter is $AU27.95 and will go on sale (along with the other Christmas releases) from the 5th November, 2012 until sold out - sadly, it is limited edition so you might need to stock up (I know I will be!).

All opinions are my own and i received no remuneration for this post. This product was provided for consideration. 

Want a funky new haircut? Why not donate your ponytail to create real hair wigs

It is common knowledge that one of the major side effects of using chemotherapy to treat cancer is that ones hair will often fall out. For many women, this can be as traumatic as having cancer itself. Sure, there are wigs out there but often these are so fake and tacky that women will prefer to wear scarves. Unfortunately, real hair wigs are extremely expensive and, what with all of the other expenses associated with cancer, a luxuary many women cannot afford. However, now there is a way that we all can help by donating our ponytails. Here is some information on how to do it:

Beautiful Lengths is a program by Pantene in partnership with charity Look Good…Feel Better, designed to encourage women to cut, grow and donate 20cm of their hair to create real hair wigs for women who have lost their hair to cancer treatment. Since 2006, Beautiful Lengths in North America has received an incredible 303,998 ponytails. With enough hair to create 24,000 real wigs, Pantene has helped to transform the lives of thousands of women across the US. Now the program is being launched in Australia and New Zealand.

Monday 12^th November will mark the launch of the inaugural Beautiful Lengths National Donate Your Hair Week in Australia kicking off with a hair donation event at Martin Place in Sydney CBD with Pantene ambassadors leading hairstylist, Barney Martin, and beauty expert, Zoe Foster.

The first 100 women to donate their ponytails will receive a free haircut from Barney Martin and his team of top hairstylists. A gift bag full of products will be presented to every woman who donates their ponytail as well.

In order to participate in the National Donate Your Hair Week event, hair donors must be able to travel to Martin Place for 8am on 12^th November and have at least 20cm of hair to donate.

To take part, please visit https://rougemag.com.au/pantenendyhw and complete the registration form.

The website for Beautiful Lengths is www.beautifullengths.com.au.

Basically your pony tail must be at least 20cm long for it to be donated otherwise the hair will be too short for the wig weavers to use and it can't be dyed, bleached or too grey. Other than those restrictions you are free to donate. Also, remember that if you are going to post your ponytail in then make sure you put a whole heap of hair elastics around it so that it stays as a ponytail - if it falls out of the elastic then they can't use it.

I am actually desperate to cut my hair all off. I usually keep it quite short but having The Crazy Kid and Kiki has made it quite hard for me to make it to the hairdresser. I actually worked out that my last haircut was on 25th November 2011...nearly a full year! I measured my ponytail and it is currently 15cm so I am not going to make the 12th Nov to donate but I think that I will keep growing it anyway as you can donate it at any time.


Are you planning on donating you ponytail or have you done so in the past?

A short film by OPI featuring the horse from War Horse (wearing nail polish, of course!)

OPI have just released their first international short film/video, directed by Han Emanuel featuring the horse from War Horse, wearing OPI nail polish and having a dance off. Check out his moves - it's pretty funny!





I just love how advertisers minds work. Seriously, who would think to put a horse in a nail polish short film! But it is a brilliant idea as these sort of things always go viral.


What has been your favourite, unusual advertisement?

MOR Marshmallow Eau De Parfum: Heavenly, divine, scrumptuous

I have been on a bit of a perfume journey lately, haven't I. I can't help myself. I just love perfume so much! Today's review is of MOR Marshmallow Eau De Parfum. This perfume astounded me. It really did. I tested it on a whim, not expecting to like it. I don't like sweet, foody fragrances but wanted to know what this pink boxed fragrance smelt like. Would it really smell like marshmallows?

The answer? Yes, but in the most sophisticated way. It is not a young girls perfume but a sensuous women's fragrance. I read somewhere it be described as rose petals dipped in sugar and think that this is such a fitting description. There are definite floral notes, as well as clear sweet notes but there is not a hint of sickly sweetness.

On me, the top notes are the sweeter notes, kind of like a musk stick lolly, but not quite so sugary. These fade in about 30 minutes and what remains is a very sensual musky floral. It is warm and comforting and quite sexy. The perfume is not super long lasting - about 3 hours on me, so I always take the roll on oil with me when I am wearing this to do quick top ups.

This is definitely a daytime fragrance. It's fun rather than classy. It has good silage - you will leave a delicious fragrance trail behind you when wearing this one.

I also have the Marshmallow bath Elixir (don't you just love the word 'Elixir'!). This smells exactly like the perfume and fills the bath with gentle bubbles and a subtle fragrance. I kind of wish that the fragrance was more intense, though it does linger on your skin for ages so it would be perfect to layer with the perfume.


Does this sound like a perfume you would wear? It really does smell very much like musk lollies...but they smell so damn good, so that's a good thing!


All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. The perfume and bath Elixir were purchased for me by Crazy and Kiki for Mothers Day (though they used my money to do so!).