Underwear Review: Thin Lizzy Miracle Bra

Underwear Review: Thin Lizzy Miracle Bra

 

Ok so this is a different type of review completely but one I found was necessary.

My 5 yr old daughter is a walking infomercial, almost every day she is telling me about fabulous products she has seen in infomercials and even quotes them, one day I was mopping the floors and she said “You don’t need sloppy buckets of dirty water, you need a Shark Steam mop!”. Heaven forbid I get a pimple, I get told all about Proactiv and told that Justin Bieber and Katy Perry use it! Just this morning when I was straightening my hair she was telling me all about a fantastic tool that can straighten AND curl my hair. So of course I’ve heard all about the Ahh Bra and Thin Lizzy Miracle bra too (I will add here that I was MORTIFIED when she was 4 and I picked her up from daycare and was informed that she had used a sales pitch for the Ahh Bra on a mother picking up her child!)

So one day after shopping for Shapewear(review coming soon) I was at the pharmacy and wearing an uncomfortable bra when I saw the Thin Lizzy Miracle Bra, it is very similar to the Ahh Bra, feeling uncomfortable I could hear my little girls words in my head about the comfort of the Ahh Bra and thought how wonderful that level of comfort would be, plus the Thin Lizzy bra offered removable pads for a dollar more so with a fair amount of excitement and dreaming of the wonderful support and comfort promised I took it to the counter and handed over $24.95. So here is my review

Thin Lizzy Miracle Bra

Cost: $24.95

Claims: Superior support, seamless, removable pads for shape and added lift

What I thought? Well for one it sure is comfy. I even sleep in it. I get home from a long day out and off comes my bra and on goes the Miracle Bra… yes that’s right, I avoid wearing it out because the support is CRAP! The pads were removed after the first 2 times I wore it as they kept moving around and making the shape of my boobs just weird. It does nothing flattering for my bust and as for the seamless claim, meh I can get the same effect from a well fitted bra.

Would I recommend it?

Yes and No. If you want a comfy everyday bra that flatters your bust, I would suggest a fitting at a lingerie store because this bra is not flattering AT ALL!

But if you are looking for a bra that is comfy and good for lounging around and sleeping in then yes, I feel $24.95 is an OK price. The colour range is decent too.

Overall Verdict?

I could take it or leave it. Nothing to get excited over

Well that’s my review for now

Till Next time

Stay Simply Stunningly Gorgeous xx

Beauty on a budget

Beauty in a pinch

Holy moly batman! I haven’t blogged since March and now its October!! Where the heck has 2012 gone!? 

Trying to look your best is simple, but can sometimes be costly. If you are on a tight budget like myself you want to save money wherever you can. Ah if only we could make our own make up…unfortunately for most of us this isn’t a possibility, but there are things we can do to keep the costs down.

The following are things I have tried and I do love. I have combo skin which is more on the dry side just in case this info helps anyone who is considering using any of these tips.

Save on shaving cream by using conditioner! You may have heard this tip but the stuff really works. I prefer it over shaving cream, it gets my legs much smoother and you probably already have conditioner in your shower anyway!

Ok this next one may sound kooky but if you are after some damn good exfoliation try Baking Soda (also known as bicarbonate of soda). I used to use Anew Clinical Micro something or other (at home micro dermabrasion stuff) but Baking Soda works just as well for a fraction of the price. Just mix quarter of a teaspoon with a little warm water on a wet face. I don’t recommend this method to be used more than once a week. DISCLAIMER: I am no skincare expert so cannot guarantee the safety of this method. I have been doing it for months and it works well but if you try it, it is at your own risk, I have not heard any safety concerns about this method.

Olive Oil, oh how I love thee! Olive oil is great for softening cuticles. Olive oil is great for hydrating skin, I like to rub a little on my face before bed, tie back my hair and a towel on the pillow, my skin is ultra-soft in the morning. It is also a FANTASTIC make up remover and doesn’t clog your pores. How I remove make up with it is I smear it all over my face and on my eyelids and lashes (hey my lashes have never been in such great condition!) and gently wash it off with a wash cloth, I then cleanse thoroughly as it can leave an oily residue on your skin. Olive oil is also great to help dry hair, simply rub some through and rinse half an hour later.

Honey is a great hydrating facial mask, Im talking about real honey not the gooey stuff that you can squeeze out of a bottle. I will warn you, it DOES feel horrible and it does melt while on your face (have an old towel around your neck) but after 10 mins OH MY GOSH!!  Soft, hydrated skin.  Here is a link to my blog post about honey.

Lemon and sugar is perfect for a blackhead blasting, pimple killing, acne scarring skin superhero! Use a cotton pad/cotton round and squeeze some lemon on it,spinkle a little sugar and use the pad to gently scrub your face in small circular motions (not good for sensitive skin). It leaves your skin feeling super silky and you will see results. I like to do this once a week.

OK now this one is a real cheap (some may say nasty) tip. Now what are those make up brushes called, the lash comb, eyebrow comb combo thingy? Anyway I’m always losing mine and am too tight to go and buy them no matter how inexpensive, besides they usually come in packs of brushes I don’t want. What I do is wash old mascara wands till they have no product whatsoever left (I soak them, cleanse them, rinse them etc.).  I use the traditional wands for my eyebrows and the rubber ones to separate my lashes.

If you have dry lips exfoliate them! To exfoliate your lips try a baby toothbrush. It keeps your lips soft, smooth and flake free. Afterwards apply your favourite balm.

To keep your nails shaped forget disposable files and invest a little extra in a metal or glass file, they are a real money saver long term.

Well that’s all I have lovelies,its after midnight, beauty sleep is important! Also remember to Google at home tips, you can even make your own face masks!

Till next time, stay Simply Stunningly Gorgeous xx

EXTRAS!

Check out my post about at home facials Here 

Rescue remedies for feet click here

How to choose a facial mask click here

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector

Hello all
Sorry for the lack of blogging and videos recently,I have been having a few health issues which have finally(and thankfully) sorted themselves out.

Today I am reviewing the Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector,I had to see if it lived up to its claims.
Before I got it I read and watched reviews from people all over the world and to be 100% honest from those reviews my expectations were not very high,despite this I thought I have to try it, what one may love another may hate.

So what is BB Cream? I didnt know,nor had I heard anything about BB Creams until I saw the Garnier ad advertising this product. I visited Garnier.co.nz to see what they have to say about it,heres what I found

In the beginning, Blemish Balm was a soothing cream used by German dermatologists to calm and sooth skin after facial peels and other procedures.
The product was introduced in Korea and adopted by celebrities who happily shared their innovative, new beauty secret with local fans. It was an overnight success! Women, previously forced to use a multitude of different beauty products, were thrilled to find a cream that produced 5 benefits in 1 application.
As women from across Europe heard about the product, Garnier put innovation to work and developed BB CREAM MIRACLE SKIN PERFECTOR for all skin types-Taken from the garnier website.

So what is Garnier's BB Cream exactly? It is a daily all-in-one moistriser claiming to provide 5 benefits for instantly perfect skin
These benefits are(from the Garnier website)

1. HYDRATES for 24hrs
Microencapsulation of Lipidure and Hyaluronic acid doubles the water held in the skin for long-lasting hydrating care.
2. EVENS tone
Mineral Pigments melt instantly, evening out the complexion for flawless looking skin without the heaviness of foundation.
3. CORRECTS blemishes
Instantly smoothes the skin’s micro-surface for a natural coverage.
4. BOOSTS healthy glow
The antioxidant properties of Vitamin C boost the radiance and natural glow of the skin.
5. UV protection
SPF 15 UV filters block out the sun’s damaging rays.
Easy on sensitive skin, with a luxuriously light texture that conceals blemishes and optimizes radiance, while protecting and nourishing your skin. A natural, healthy glow that is simply beautiful.

So this miracle cream comes in two shades,light and medium which is a little dissapointing for those of darker skin tones.

First off I will cover what I do not like about this cream
The smell is a bit off putting. Its quite a citric smell to it,not gag worthy but not the most pleasant smell

Next I dont like that its not very hydrating on the skin. I have quite dry skin(except for my t zone) and I dont feel like its very moisturising

On my t zone which is slightly oily it only makes me look shiny,which means I need to blot or powder,not the end of the world but not ideal

Ok now I can tell you what I love
I love that it has more coverage than a tinted moisturiser but isnt quite a foundation
It gives a healthy looking glow
Feels like you arent wearing anything on the skin
Blends very easily and seamlessly
Helps to tone down redness and blemishes,evens out skin tone

So whats the verdict?
I overall like this cream,its a reasonable price($15-$17 approx) and it does offer most of the benefits it claims to. I do not think that this would be suitable for oily skin and if you have dry skin you can really rely on it as a moisturiser. If I was to rate it out of 10 I'd give it a 7/10

See the results on my skin! These photos were taken on seperate days but this is generally how my skin looks without make up
In the after photo on my face I am wearing
 -Olay Complete daily moisturiser for normal/dry skin
-Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector in Light
-Garnier Anti Dark Circles roll on(under my eyes only) for fair to medium skin
-L'oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara in Black

Bare skin

With Garnier BB Cream

Rescue remedies for feet!

Today I am going to share a deep, dark secret. I have the worlds worst feet. I have tough,dry,scaly skin on my feet!
I hate feet, I hate how they look, I hate them being touched,they are for walking only.
I cant wear stilettos,I just wobble(although I own a couple of never worn pairs). Heels are painful so I stick to wedges,flats and sneakers.
But I realised my feet look awful so thought I'd try to get them into better condition.
I asked my husband if he knew what I could do for my feet,he suggested scrubbing with a pumice stone. So we went to the beach and collected a HUGE bag full of pumice.
So first I'd soak them to soften the skin then scrub. After a few weeks I realised I needed something more effective.
So months later after trial and error my feet are in better (not great) condition but Im on my way so thought I'd share a few things that you can do to keep your tootsies in good condition or things you can do to help improve their appearance!
So here is a routine for people with rough,tough,dry,scaly feet. If you have nice feet already you may just want to follow the maintenance routine!
 

Fixing the problem
First off you will need a few things before you start.
You do not need to follow every step,it all depends on the condition of your feet.Mine are BAD so what I do is pretty extensive and time consuming

-Olive oil
-Cling wrap or an old pair of socks
-A tub or foot bath of warm-hot water
-Towel
-Pumice Stone(or if you have something like a foot file you can use this,pumice can often be found at the beach)
-Honey(you could also use vaseline)
-A foot moisturizer or one designed for dry skin

Step One

Massage olive oil all over your feet,focusing mainly on rough,hard,dry parts of your feet. Wrap in cling wrap or pop on an old pair of socks and leave for 20-30mins. This helps soften the skin.
 

Step Two

 

After the olive oil treatment remove the cling wrap or socks and pop your feet into warm-slightly hot water.  This helps to remove the olive oil and further soften the skin. Use a cloth in the hot water to wipe the olive oil off of your feet. After 10 mins remove your feet from the water and dry gently with a towel

Step Three
 

  

Warm up those arms,hands and wrists and get ready for the hard work! Take your pumice of foot file and firmly buff/scrub the dry,tough areas of your skin. If your feet are really bad you wont be able to get rid of all you need to but its a start! Stop if your skin is becoming irritated or sore. Remember the condition of your feet could be due to years of neglect so you cannot expect to fix it in one go.

Step Four

After scrubbing your feet put them briefly into some warm water for about a minute and rub your feet gently to get all the flaky dead skin from scrubbing,off.
Dry your feet

Step Five

This step is more of a luxury step,helpful but you can live without it.
Take some honey(which is a humectant,drawing and retaining moisture into the skin)and smother your feet in them! Take cling wrap or old socks and cover your feet. Alternatively you can use Vaseline. Put your feet on a towel(honey runs when warmed up,it can be a tad messy!) and leave for any amount of time you desire(usually over 5mins!).
Once the time is up,rinse off

Step Six

Take a generous amount of moisturiser and massage into feet
 Voila!Fini! Complete!
Do this twice a week and reveal beautiful feet!

Maintenance

Now for maintaning beautiful feet you can chop and change what you use. Below is a basic guide. You can add your own steps,remove steps. This is purely to keep beautiful feet just that,beautiful

Step One

Soak your feet in a tub or foot bath of warm water. Add essential oils if you desire. Soak for 10 mins,and gently dry with a towel

Step Two

    Slightly dampen feet and use an exfoliator,focusing on drier parts of your feet. If you still need a bit of a heavy duty scrub on your feet,gently use a foot file or pumice stone. Rinse off

Step Three 

This step is more to keep feet feeling soft. Take honey,vaseline or even oil oil and apply to feet. Wrap feet in cling wrap or a pair of old socks and relax for 15 mins then rinse off and dry

Step Four

Take a good hydrating foot or body moisturiser(you could even try hand cream) and massage into your feet.

Voila!Fini!Complete!

 

 Do this once or twice a week to keep feet looking beautiful!

I hope this has helped,till next time stay simply stunningly gorgeous! xoxo

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How to choose a facial mask

Choosing the best facial mask for your skin type

Hello lovelies!

Today I'm just briefly covering the topic of face masks! I don't know about you but hair masks and face masks are a necessity in my beauty regime.

Facial masks are wonderful,they reduce dullness,improve skins texture,clean,unclog and treat your skin. They can help with skin discoloration,increase cell turnover, and boost collagen production. 

Long term use can also help with blemish or acne marks.

One way to feel like your looking after yourself and giving yourself a little pampering is to use a face mask,but sometimes its hard to know what to use! I'm going to cover here a basic simple guide for what you should choose,so rather than blabber on like I have a tendency to do lets get to it! Do remember a lot of masks will specify on the packaging or instructions what type of skin it is intended for

If you have skin prone to blackheads or if you have large pores  a clay mask is a great choice.  Keeping the pores clean is essential in reducing the occurrence of blackheads,clay masks efficiently clean out your pores. The larger your pores,the more room there is to trap oil. Clay masks can also help dry up acne. Look for the ingredient kaolin or bentonite


If you have oily skin, clay masks again are a good choice ,also mud masks will be beneficial.Both  help absorb excess oil and grease,close up pores,clear up blemishes and reduce shininess which oily skin is prone to. Look for the ingredient kaolin or bentonite. Look for something that cleans and moisturizes because even though you have oily skin,you don't want to strip all the oil from your skin as you will be left with dry skin

 
Dry or mature skins have very different needs. When looking for a mask look for anything that is moisturizing. This is important because we want to restore moisture into our skin. A good cheap alternative for dry skin is untreated,unprocessed,unfiltered honey. 
Honey is a humectant and helps the skin draw in and retain moisture(apply evenly to the face and leave for 10 mins,this can get a tad messy when it melts but the benefits are amazing)


Combination skin can be tricky.If you have an oily t zone and dry cheeks you could use two different masks for each area. Use a mud or clay mask on the t zone and a moisturizing mask on the cheeks. You may need to use more than one mask on different areas of your face.
There are "universal" masks available,you really have to shop around

Acne prone skin can benefit from clay and mud masks . Some claims say that honey can help with acne due to it containing antiseptic and antibacterial properties but this has to be unprocessed and unfiltered to get the true benefits as the more the honey is messed with,the less effective these properties are. There is also information out there that unsweetened,unflavored natural yoghurt can help with acne as it has good bacteria which destroy bad bacteria and germs present on your skin. Some masks will contain salicylic acid and benzyl peroxide which are known acne treatments. I wouldn't recommend using such a mask unless you have all over acne,if you only have a small acne prone area on your face then either keep that mask to that area as those ingredients are very drying to the skin.

Normal skin?HALLELUJAH you! You will still benefit from using a facial mask. Just look for a mask specified for normal to dry skin. You can also use natural methods like a honey mask or yoghurt as these will both help promote skin health

I hope you may have garnered some info from this.I haven't been overly informative as a lot of the masks today specify what skin they are suited for but if they don't, you have a little knowledge on what you are looking for

Till next time,stay simply stunningly gorgeous xoxo

Hair Mask Magic!

Hair Mask magic!!

Hello Lovelies! I really need to get my A into G(ass into gear) and do more blog posts!! Only problem is, because I feel no one is reading my blogs I feel like I'm spending time and energy talking to myself when I do a blog so if you read my blog and would like more blog posts,let me know!
Right onto Hair Mask Magic!

I recently started using a different hair mask but it's not as kick ass as I need it to be,so I got to thinking what I could do. Do I make my own hair mask(avocado,banana,olive oil and a tiny bit of conditioner) or do I think outside the box and make my mask work for me?
So me being me and not wanting to waste money I thought OK,I want to make this work,but how? I then spotted my small sample of Argan Oil. Now if you LOVE haircare(even if you dont) you have probably heard about Morrocon Oil and how fantastic it is. Argan and Morrocan oils are basically the same(as they both provide similar benefits),difference is they are blended slightly differently(please dont take this as gospel,this is what I have been told).

So anywho, I know that a morrocan oil mask retails for about $50-$60NZD,this was something I wanted to try but was NOT going to pay that kind of money.
Upon spotting my sample bottle of Argan oil and my mask I thought(you know where Im going with this!)MIX THEM TOGETHER! I took a small amount of my mask and a tiny drop of Argan Oil and mixed them together. I then massaged it into the ends of my hair and mid way up(and I do a lil on my roots) and left it for 10 mins. My hair was so AMAZINGLY SOFT! It was insanely soft,even after I blow dried my hair it felt incredibly silky.

The great part about mixing Argan Oil with a mask is that it is generally cheaper than Morrocan Oil. If you are wary about purchasing a full size bottle,see if you can get a sample(I bought my sample bottle for $5,you use so little it lasts AGES!!). Try it,you wont be dissapointed

Till next time Stay Simply Stunningly Gorgeous! xx

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Trying, Buying, Loving!

Trying,Buying,Loving

Hello lovelies,here is my new "series" called Trying, Buying, Loving!
Pretty much what this means is Im going to every so often blog about 3 products,One Im trying,One Im buying or wanting to buy and one that I am in love with!
I am not sure how often this will be as I dont know how often I'll have a product to try,a product I want to buy and a product Im in love with(although I am always loving some product!)

So this may be boring as hell but here ya go!

Trying
Clean & Clear Advantage Blackhead Clearing scrub
I have skin that is plagued with blackheads! It drives me mental,so I thought I'd try this scrub and see if it helps

The blurb on the back of the tube says :CLEAN & CLEAR advantage blackhead clearing scrub works more on the areas that need it most to effectively clean out even tough blackheads without over-drying the skin.
The unique blend of beads breaks down trapped dirt, oil and dead skin cells that can cause blackheads. Next, a special cleansing ingredient is deposited into the skin, working deep down to clear pores and to help fight blackheds
Use daily for clean,clear and beautiful skin.

After reading this I thought I had to try it as it doesnt treat just the problem its also a preventative and it only costs $11(from countdown in new zealand) for a 140g tube. So I'll try this over the next few weeks and come back and let you all know what I think

Buying
Recently when I joined the gym,they gave a few beauty samples. One of the beauty samples was the Dove Intensive Repair Deep Treatment mask. I am a sucker for hair masks because being a bleach blonde my hair needs a regular mask to help keep it healthy,strong and smooth.
It came in a little 30mL tub which was enough for 2 uses and I have to say after the first use I was hooked! My hair was soft and incredibly easy to manage,more so than any other hair mask I have used before.
It retails for $8.39 at countdown for 200ml tub so is easily affordable. I'll let you know if Im still in love with it once I have purchased and used it

Loving


One product I have doesnt get enough gratitude from me. It has saved me on many occasions and the product is Australis Finishing Spritz
This spritz is amazing,it sets your make up without the use of powder. If you do use powder and maybe it looks a little cakey,take some Australis Finishing Spritz and either spray it on your face and use a sponge to dab the cakey areas of spray it directly onto a sponge and dab it on,either way this spray is a miracle worker,I dont know how I managed without it!
I have also found when my make up looks a little dull during the day,I spray a bit of this on and it just refreshes my make up making it look a little bit fresher than it did. Its my secret(now not so secret) miracle product!

Thats all for now
Till next time stay Simply Stunningly Gorgeous!

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Easy curls without the damaging heat!

Easy curls(without heat!)

Curls after using Second Method

First off,HAPPY NEW YEAR! It has been a LOOOONG time since I have made a blog post and I am so sorry. Life has been crazy busy and I haven't had a camera,less access to a computer in the evenings(which is when I did most of my blogging) but I am going to make more of an effort and now I have a camera,I may even do videos to supplement my blog!
Anyway,I have been stuck in a hair rut! I finally have the colour I want but my hair seems to be taking FOR-EV-ER to grow! And I haven't many choices when it comes to styling,straighten or tie it up,thats it! Maybe I lack creativity in the hair department I don't know but I thought to myself a few weeks ago,hmm maybe curls?
So I YouTube'd how to curl using a hair straightner,got the gist of it and straightner and hairspray in hand off I went.
Half a head of curls and quater of a can of hairspray later,feeling defeated(and slightly light headed from the hairspray fumes) I gave up.
I then tried the sock bun method I once saw on youtube,in the morning the sock was out of my hair and my hair was just a frizzy mess(my hair is too short for it ya see!). So I had to come up with my own technique and have come up with two ways to get curls.

First method(overnight)
1.Apply serum to freshly washed hair(to avoid frizz)
2.Comb through wet hair,apply a small amount of hair product(I use fibre putty) from an inch down from your roots,to tips of your hair(do not use too much!!)
3.Section hair into as many sections as you like(I reccommend 4-8 depending on thickness and length of your hair)
4.Twirl each section into a little mini "bun"
5.If you want your bangs/fringe to remain uncurled,leave these out
6.Spray the "buns" with hairspray
7.Take your hairdrier and blowdry your "buns" for a few minutes
8.Go to sleep(try and use a satin pillow case to reduce frizz and friction)
9.In the morning blow dry your buns before taking them out
10.Run fingers through to loosen curls as you desire
11.Spray with hairspray
VOILA-overnight curls!

Second method
This method is done during the day,best for if you want curls for the evening

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 from the first method
2.You can do this one of two ways,take your hair into a ponytail,sort of of like a scrunchy messy bun or into two pigtail scrunchy messy buns and spray liberally with hairspray
3.Throughout the day let your hair out for 10-15 mins at a time and regularly "scrunch" your hair with your hands,tie back in place
4:By the end of the day you should have messy but lovely curls. Set with hairspray

While these 2 methods may be time consuming,I have found they are the 2 methods that have worked best for me

Till next time lovelies
Stay Simply Stunningly Gorgeous xx


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