Click Frenzy turns to Vomit Frenzy in our household

I am wondering whether any of you scored some amazing bargains? I had every intention of jumping onto Click Frenzy and having a search for my Christmas gifts. I knew it would be busy at 7.00 so was planning on leaving it until 8.00/8.30pm, after the kids had gone to bed, to have a bit of a look. I had just logged on (though was getting the frozen error screens) when we heard The Crazy Kid coughing...or so we thought. We went in to check on him and found that he had spewed everywhere. So, instead of shopping up a storm I got to cuddle a hysterical vomit soaked toddler whilst my husband stripped and remade his bed (to be honest, I am not sure who had the worst job).

Once Crazy was clean and back in bed asleep, it was shower time as I reeked of vomit. The only good thing to come out of the night was that I used my ILA Body Scrub for a Blissful Experience from the I AM NATURAL STORE for the first time and it was out of this world amazing.

What they say: This sensual Body Scrub is ideal for occasions when your body needs special treatment. The essential oils of Jasmine and Rose restore and relax the nervous system, leaving skin glowing and resulting in a sensation of enhanced well-being for both body and mind. Massage Body Scrub over damp skin as a healing exfoliant, then bathe in hot water and let the uplifting, strengthening essential oils pervade every essence of your being.

Now, I am going to review this in much more detail (in a non vomit related post!) but just wanted to say that it was my savior on Tuesday night. The fragrance completely over rode all traces of Eau de Vomit and the scent lasted for ages. I had to sleep the night in Crazy and Kiki's room (which was now also fragranced with Eau de Vomit) but all I could smell was the heady deliciousness of Jasmine and Rose.

Though Click Frenzy went for 24 hours, I was so shattered yesterday that it didn't even enter my head to check the sales out again. I guess I will have to do my shopping the old fashion way by physically going to the stores.

Since I missed out on the Click Frenzy sales I want to live vicariously through you. Please tell me what bargains you managed to snap up. Or were you caught up in the Click Fail and gave up before you managed to get online? 

The online sale of the century: Click Frenzy

Tomorrow is going to be a super day for online shopping. Not only is there the David Jones sale that I have already told you about, there is also the multi-retailer mega sale - Click Frenzy. In the United States, they have massive sales on the Friday after Thanksgiving and it is these sales that kick start the buying frenzy of the holiday season. These Black Friday sales are the biggest sales on the calendar. The Monday after the Black Friday sales is the online equivalent - Cyber Monday. The aim of Click Frenzy is to give Australia its own version of the Cyber Monday sales and kick start the local retail economy.

The Click Frenzy Sales start at 7.00pm (EDST) on Tuesday 20th November and it runs for 24 hours. You need to register before hand (I think...though that might just be to get updates, but register anyway just in case!) and can do so here.

There are over 150 retailers on board for the Click Frenzy sales. The full list of participating retailers can be seen here. However, I have sifted through the list and found the following beauty brands are getting involved:

• Gelicious (if you want to start writing out your colour wishlist, check out my Gelicious swatch guide for inspiration)
• Pure Fiji
• Skincare Store
• Urban Spa
• Myer

I'm a bit excited about this sale...shopping with The Crazy Kid and Kiki in their double pram is, quite frankly, a pain in the arse! Hopefully, I can clear a good chunk of my Christmas shopping with a few clicks!

Have you heard of Click Frenzy? Do you have a shopping list of what you want or will you be impulse shopping?

HUGE pre-Christmas sale at David Jones - online and in store

Just a heads up that David Jones are having a massive pre-Christmas sale tomorrow (Tuesday 20th November). The following discounts will be available:

• 20% on all full-priced toys; 
• 15% on all full-priced fragrances; 
• 30% on a range of full-priced women’s shoes; 
• 30% on all full-priced denim; 
• 30% on all Manchester (excl nursery); 
• 40% on a great range of full-priced cookware; 
• 20% when you spend $50 or more on full-priced small appliances and floorcare; 
• 20% on all full-priced items from the Christmas shop, boxed Christmas cards and David Jones Home Christmas gift wrap, bags and tags.

Store opening times are as follows:

9:30am – 10pm: David Jones stores NSW, ACT and Vic

9:30am – 9pm: David Jones stores QLD, SA and WA

And, if you can't make it to a store tomorrow don't worry - the sale is online as well (with extended hours):

6am – Midnight: davidjones.com.au 

Now I haven't seen any discounts on beauty but I think I might pop up there anyway to double check as I really want to get OPI's Man With a Golden Gun polish for less than $40!

Will you be hitting any of these pre-Christmas sales?

Dermaviduals Glow & Nourish Gift Set

I whinge a lot on this blog about how little time I have to myself since having kids. This means that I tend only do the bare minimum when it comes to skincare. When I just had The Crazy Kid I could sometimes sneak a mask on whilst I was supervising him in the bath. This was all well and good if he did his normal 45 minutes but the problem was that when he decided that it was time to get out, he meant immediately. He didn't have the patience to wait for me to rinse my mask off and any delay would result in an epic tanty.

I think that I might have discovered the perfect solution for time poor people - dermaviduals have a peel and a mask that can be removed simply with a tissue! This Christmas, dermaviduals have beautifully packaged together their DMS Mask with Vitamins and their DMS Peeling Cream in the Glow and Nourish Gift Set. This set retails for $130.00 - if you were to buy the products individually they would cost $185 so you save a huge $55.

The gift set is beautifully presented so that you do not need to do anything - it is ready to placed straight under the tree.

DMS-Mask with Vitamins

What they say: Vitamins A, C, E combined with D-Panthenol for all skin types. Provides intense skin care. The DMS®-mask with vitamins contains a very effective combination of vitamins A, C, E and provitamin B5 (panthenol) together with DMS® components as well as vitamin F (essential fatty acids) in the form of liposomes and nanoparticles. The mask is free of emulsifiers.

The mask acts as a prophylactic against vitamin deficiency symptoms of the skin. Due to its composition similar to DMS it provides intense skin care which is still measurable after 72 hours.

Application: The cream is spread onto the skin in a circular motion. After absorption by the skin, the surplus cream is removed by gently patting a dry tissue to the skin. As the mask is an excellent base for further skin care steps due to its DMS®-base, there is no need for removal of the mask.

What I say: This mask is very runny (which you can see in the picture below) so when I first applied it I only used one pump; however, this felt more like applying moisturiser so I added a second pump to really saturate my skin so that it could suck up as much of this mask as it needed. I left it to soak in for about 5 minutes then simply blotted off the excess with a tissue - although there was actually very little excess.

I applied it whilst the kids were in the bath (about 5.00pm) so didn't wash my face again until I had a shower the next morning. Whilst I was in the shower, my skin felt slippery like it had excess product on it so I kept trying to rinse the excess off but the slippery feeling wouldn't leave. Turns out that wasn't the feeling of product on my skin but the feeling of my actual skin. My skin was so hydrated and silky soft it felt slippery!

I have used this mask twice now and it always leaves my skin so hydrated that it has a glowing sheen to it. It really does leave it looking and feeling its best.

The mask doesn't smell pretty. It has no added fragrance or essential oils so it doesn't have that aromatherapy scent that you would often associate with masks. The scent is probably closer to sorbolene cream. It is not terrible by any means and I can definitely hand a non-pretty smelling product when it works as well as it does.

The DMS-Mask with Vitamins can be used up to three times a week and, given how easy it is to apply and remove, I can really see myself using it that often.

DMS-Peeling Cream

What they say: Gentle removes the build up of dead skin cells. Peeling and care of skin in one simple step. DMS-cream with jojoba beads (wax particles).

The DMS-Peeling cream is free of tensides and emulsifiers. It is based on DMS®-cream; therefore we can speak of abrasive cleansing and skin care in one step without damaging the skin. Jojoba beads with their typical rubbing effect gently remove the tiny horny scales from the skin surface.

Application: The cream is applied in circular motions onto the skin and removed with a dampened tissue or face cloth without any further treatment.

What I say: Again, I took this peel for a test drive whilst the kids were in the bath. Since Kiki was born 6 months ago I really haven't looked after my skin very well and that has left it looking congested and a bit flaky. So, this peel was exactly what it needed.

I applied 2 pumps of the cream to my skin and massaged in it for a good few minutes. It is a thick cream with lots of little jojoba beads in it that gentle yet effectively exfoliate the skin. Since the beads are smooth, the massaging sensation really was lovely - it was incredibly soothing and relaxing.

My skin had been looking a tad dull due to lack of care, yet after this peel it was looking much fresher. Just about all of the dull flaky skin had been removed. My skin was left feeling smooth and looking hydrated.

I attempted to remove the peel as suggested with just a wet tissue (I actually used a cleansing wipe), but I found that it didn't completely remove all of the jojoba beads. I ended up having to splash some water on my face to remove the beads, though they were all gone after three splashes.

The DMS-Peeling Cream can be used once a week.

The DMS-Peeling Cream and DMS-Mask with Vitamins can be used together. The first time I used them I did the peel first then followed up with the mask. I found that using them together left my skin feeling so hydrated and glowing and two days later the effect was still noticeable. I plan on using the peel once a week and immediately following it up with the Vitamin mask then using the Vitamin mask again during the week for a top up of the effects.

This gift set is perfect for anyone who loves to take care of their skin but is struggling to find the time to do so. As the peel and the mask take mere minutes to apply and remove just about anyone could find the time to slot them in. And, for something so quick the results are surprisingly effective. You will notice an improvement in the hydration and smoothness of your skin.

You can find stockist details for this gift pack along with other dermaviduals gift packs on the dermaviduals website.


What is your go to speed skincare treatment?


All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. The Glow and Nourish Gift Pack was provided for consideration.

The Bio Sculpture Christmas gift guide: all your nail needs covered

Bio Sculpture have a whole bunch of naily gifts this Christmas to suit just about every naily need!

Bio Sculpture Beach Holiday Nail Collection Pack RRP $29.95

This pack includes four bright nail polishes - 132 Coral Cove, 133 Isla del Sol, 134 Aquacade and 135 Appletini. The colours really are on-trend this season and I have swatched them all here.

Bio Sculpture A little TLC Pack RRP$22.50

I don't know about you but I treat my hands terribly. I barely put hand cream on let alone anything else. So here is a gift pack just for your hands. It includes Vitamin Dose, Cuticle Oil and Cuticle Cream.

 

Bio Sculpture Mini Treats Pack RRP $22.50

I don't always wear polish so this pack is perfect to have my nails looking their best even when I don't have polish on. This pack includes three miniature polishes to protect the nails. It includes the Bio Sculpture Lavender Base, Vitamin Dose and Cuticle Oil.

Bio Sculpture SpaMani Pack RRP $29.95

If you have your nails in tip top shape, you don't want to ruin the look with wrinkly dry hands. This pack includes a Hand & Body Butter (100mL) and Apricot Kernel Scrub (100mL) to really have them looking their best and feeling soft and smooth. The pack also comes with matchbook nail files.

Bio Sculpture SpaPedi Pack RRP $29.95

Don't forget about the poor neglected tootsies, especially during the beach and party season when they get most abused but need to be on constant display. This pack for feet include Heel Balm (100mL), Mint Mask and Foot File.

These packs are available from Bio Sculpture Salons nation wide. To find a salon near you, just enter your postcode on their website.

Super stocking fillers from Manicare

There is one thing that I can absolutely guarantee that I will forget to pack when we go on holidays is tweezers and nail scissors. I could go weeks without using tweezers when I am at home but suddenly, under the harsh hotel fluorescent lights, my brows always seem more unruly. I used to carry nail scissors in my handbag but took them out the day they worked their way through the pocket and stabbed me in the side. It was actually only a very minor scratch but I got worried about the damage I could do to my kids with them, so out they went. We almost always go away to the beach and the sand always ends up splitting my nails leaving me thinking, dammit, I wish I remembered my scissors.

Manicare have the perfect solution to my dilemma this Christmas with their Perfect Nails Wallet. This brilliant little wallet contains all the things that I forget when I go on holidays plus more. The wallet includes a file, clipper, cuticle trimmer, tweezers, buffer and handy zip wallet. 

The wallet is valued at over $60 but retails for $16.95 - so it is cheap enough to buy a couple - one for use at home and another to keep in your car glove box or luggage to guarantee you never are without your nail tools.

The size of the wallet is great - not much bigger than my hand, so it won't take up a lot of space in your luggage but your tools are safely protected from being damaged (or from stabbing you!).

So far, I have tried the scissors, nail clippers and tweezers and found them all to be high quality. The tweezers are sharp and precise making it easy to pluck only the hairs you want plucked. Both the clippers and scissors cut through the nail easily and neatly and did not cause it to split or leave and jagged shape edges behind. I am not actually sure how I am meant to use the cuticle trimmer...I'm a bit scared of that one!

The Perfect Nails Wallet is not the only gift that Manicare have available this Christmas - there is also the French Manicure Collection which retails for $19.95. Packed in a stylish red leather zip pouch, the French Manicure Collection comes with the manicure essentials. The collection includes French White, French Pink and French Finish polishes, a Miracle Shiner buffer and shiner, 10 Tip Tapes and a Cuticle Pusher.

These Manicare gifts can be purchased at Priceline, Myer, Target, K-Mart, Big W and leading pharmacies.

What item do you always forget to pack when you go on holidays?

All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. The Perfect Nails Wallet was provided for consideration.

Bio Sculpture Beach Holiday Nail Collection Pack Swatches

For the past three summers I have been pregnant, trying to get pregnant and then pregnant again so I have pretty much avoided buying fashion as there was no point with my ever changing body. This summer, that is all about to change and the timing is perfect. The colours of the season are right up my alley - all fluoros and brights. When I saw the Bio Sculpture Beach Holiday Nail Collection Pack I knew the colours were going to fit right in with my new wardrobe.

Their are four colours in the Holiday Collection - 132 Coral Cove, 133 Isla del Sol, 134 Aquacade and 135 Appletini and, during the Christmas period all four colours can be bought together in a nail polish gift pack for $29.95 or individually for $17.95. Alternatively, the colours are also available in the Bio Sculpture Gels for in salon application.

I did used to think that wearing different coloured nail polish on each finger was a tad 'Year 8 try hard' but these colours look spectacular together! In fact, I got two compliments on my nails whilst I was at the shops today.

132 Coral Cove 

132 Coral Cove

Coral Cove is a great bright pink - it is more of a pink with the slightest coral hue rather than a true coral. This was opaque and streak free after two coats.

133 Isla del Sol

133 Isla del Sol

Isla del Sol is a very, very bright yellow (but not fluoro). I am not sure whether I could pull off a full manicure of this colour; however, it does look amazing side by side the other colours. It would also be ideal for use in nail art, if that is your thing. I'm not really steady handed enough to do nail art so I have included some examples from the Bio Sculpture Blog at then end of this post that you can use for inspiration. It took 4 coats to get this colour to be opaque and streak free.

  

134 Aquacade

134 Aquacade

Aquacade screams summer. It is such a gorgeous tropical turquoise. I think that it is a very wearable blue, both on its own or mixed with the other colours. This was opaque and streak free in two coats.

135 Appletini

135 Appletini

As the name suggests this is a real apple green. Green is actually my favourite colour though I don't tend to wear a lot of green nail polish. I can see this green changing that! It took 3 coats for it to be streak free and opaque.

As I mentioned above, I a not really skilled enough to do my own nail art so here are some examples of manicures that you can get by a nail artist at a Bio Sculpture Salon.

Source: Bio Sculpture Blog

If you are unfamilar with Bio Sculpture nail polishes this is what they say about them:

Bio Sculpture Nail Polish is a fast drying, stable and durable. Our polishes contain double density fluorinated colour pigment to match our Colour Gels and will never need more than two coats. Not wearing Bio Sculpture Gel on your nails? Brighten up your natural nails with Bio Sculpture nail polish. Bio Sculpture nail polishes are available to purchase from Bio Sculpture salons nationwide and are a perfect match to our range of colour gels. All nail polishes are toluene free, DBP and formaldehyde free.

The two paler colours - Isla del sol and Appletini - took more than 2 coats for me but that is probably because I wanted them completely opaque. Other than hat I agree with everything they say.

These polishes are available from Bio Sculpture Salons nation wide. To find a salon near you, just enter your postcode on their website.

Do these colours float your boat? Are they exactly the type of colours you want to be wearing this summer?  

All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. These polishes were provided for consideration.