4 Random Beauty Products From Daiso Review

I love random beauty products and James challenged me to find some things at Daiso that I’d never tried and give them a go… so here we are!

I got just-add-water face masks, eyelid tape, cocoon scrubs and a silicon face scrub. For those of you who don’t know, Daiso is a Japanese variety store where everything costs $2.80 (or less if you’re not living in Australia >_>).

So first up are natural silk cocoon face scrubs.
You pretty much soak them in warm water  and then use them to scrub dirt off your face.
They are really hard when they come out of the packet and it took quite a while for mine to soften. It definitely didn’t feel like silk. I felt like this did just about as good of a job as nothing really. I didn’t notice a difference at all. I was so ready to have magically amazing skin but apparently life doesn’t work that way :/
Next up the silicon face scrubber. This I bought because it reminded me of the Foreo Luna but cost about a 100th of the price. Not even exaggerating there.
This one is to be used with your regular face products and it does work quite well. It did scrub off my make up easily and felt pleasant to use. I don’t know if it works better than a face towel, but it works! It doesn’t have the vibrating function etc that the Luna does so it doesn’t work as well at removing face stuff but for a 100th of the price I think you could really just put a little more work into the scrubbing and still be happy! Tick!
Next up, double eyelid tape. I’ve always wondered how this would change the shape of my eyes. Obviously I don’t expect them to give me double eyelids because I already have them but changing the shape of my crease is something that I find interesting.
It took me quite a few tries to get the hang of applying them and if I was planning to use them on a regular basis I would probably buy another pack and just practice until I had the technique perfect.
Eyes with out tape:
Eye with tape:
So obviously they did make a difference, my eye is much more rounded and the skin is tighter. I found it uncomfortable but I’m sure it’s something you would get used to. Overall they did as advertised and if I ever felt like changing the shape of my eye again I would rebuy.
Lastly after all of that playing I thought my skin could probably use a break so I tried out these face mask tablets!
They come 5 to a pack and are good sized for traveling. I’m imagining trying to explain why I have white powdery tablets in my luggage but that’s another issue all together.
You soak the tablet in some warm water…
And it expands into a wet slimy mask, like those awesome “hatch your own dinosaur” toys you had as a kid. Luckily this leaves less of a feeling of annoyance that it didn’t turn into a 50 foot sponge t-rex. False advertising.
The mask was surprisingly nice considering how cheap it was. My face actually felt really nice after I was finished using it. I will actually re-buy these!
So that’s it, Daiso adventure complete. Some good ones and some… others! Next time I’m totally buying that weird horse fat cream I keep seeing, that looks highly disturbing and I think I should try it! Is there anything random from Daiso you guys think I should put in my next review?

Cel’s Deco Nail Store Review And Competition!

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Today’s review is a little bit special because it’s a review of a shop run by one of my long time readers: Cel! Cel has been a reader from all the way back when I was at Blogspot and I didn’t even realise that she had opened her own store until recently when I saw some of her pieces online.

Located in Greece, Cel’s Deco Nails has stores on Etsy, StoreEnvy and Zibbet. As the name suggests, she makes kawaii themed decoden pieces and beautiful nail art. She has been nice enough to put together some pieces for a giveaway as well for you guys at the end of the post!

In her photos everything looks extremely high quality so I was curious as to whether it held up in person!

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So on to the review!

The package arrived safely via airmail with no issues, it was sent over the holiday period so while it was a little longer than regular international postage that was down to Australia Post being busy and understaffed rather than a shop problem. The package was bubble wrapped and decorated with deco tape. Inside there was a selection of Greek candy and chocolates for James and I to try in an upcoming vlog!

The jewellery was individually wrapped in tiny bags and placed in a sturdy box for shipping. Everything arrived in tact and even though the outside package was a bit banged up from the journey.

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All of the items came packaged in sets in little organza bags.

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Unpacked there was a really big mix of items including rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets.

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Let’s have a look close up! A lot of the pieces I received were handmade resin set on metal backings.

Earrings:

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These earrings were actually my favourite pieces in the entire package, mostly because they are beautiful but also the hook clasps that Cel used as a base have a closure system at the back. I love wearing drop earrings but they always get caught in my hair and end up falling out and getting lost 🙁 With these ones, the hook clips in so there’s no chance of them coming out later!

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Here I am doing my best show room model posing with the matching earring and ring set. Clearly I’m not going to be a Wheel Of Fortune model any time soon 😉

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The matching ring was adorable too. I love that a lot of her items are available in sets.

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The resin jewels were perfectly set and I thought that the choices of glitter were really well matched to the individual pieces and pretty.

Bracelet:

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In terms of quality I think everything is very good for the price point. I’ve worn my favourite pieces several times over the last few weeks with no visible wear. Comparing them to other pieces I have in my jewellery box, the metals were very strong and not at all easily bendable so I think that’s a good indication of quality.

It’s not a fair review if I don’t point out downsides but the potential only down side I would make note of is that as with all metal costume jewellery you need would need to take appropriate care while wearing it to make sure that the finishes will remain perfect eg. not getting hand cream or water on the pieces while wearing them etc.

Rings:

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Even the tiny metal filagree parts on the rings were sturdy which surprised me.

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The rings come on standard adjustable bases which would suit most people’s finger sizes. I have very small hands so when wearing the pieces I had to make the ring even smaller but that was easily achieved.

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The pendants came on a mixture of necklaces including stiff wire and black leather. I liked the stiff wire the best as it was a bit more delicate and suited my current style.

This Alice in Wonderland set was on the wire:

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I thought the pendants were a really good size as well, they were little and delicate but not so much that they would get lost in an outfit.

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Of course, what kawaii themed shop would be complete without some Hello Kitty?

The rings:

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And the matching cuff bracelet is just gorgeous. Again I have very small wrists so cuff bracelets like this tend to just fall off me, if this is also an issue for you I would suggest making sure you look at the measurements before ordering.

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But nothing compares to the glitter resin, it’s my new obsession. It’s just so hypnotically pretty!

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I actually requested this pendant because in the Etsy photos I couldn’t stop staring at the glitter… when it arrived, I literally spent like 10 minutes staring at it in person. It’s just so sparkly… and now I sound a little like a crazy person… but hypnotic! I don’t wear much black so I’m going to switch the leather out onto a silver chain or possibly a string of pearls so I can wear it with everything. Hypnoglitter!!!

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So the verdict: I thought the shipping was quick, the quality was great and the designs were very pretty. I think a lot of you will love Cel’s nail art and her decoden. I personally love the resin pieces the most. Cel’s store has a large range of different styles from cute and pink to more dark and gothic so I think it’s definitely worth a look.

Now the fun part…

Competition time!

Cel has been nice enough to offer up some of her lovely designs for a competition.

The prize includes everything you see here:

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Full prize list:

-Red glitter resin ring
-Purple glitter resin ring
-Galaxy glitter resin ring
-Hello Kitty pink ring
-Hello Kitty black ring
-Kawaii skull ring
-Rainbow resin necklace
-Hello Kitty cuff bracelet
-Pink/Gold resin cuff bracelet

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The details:

To enter the competition, leave a comment on this post telling me which piece from Cel’s Deco Nail store is your favorite and why!

 

How To Use The L’Oreal Rowenta Steam Pod Hair Straightener – Violet LeBeaux

Today I’ll show you how I use my L’Oreal Rowenta Steam Pod to get super smooth straight hair. It’s totally awesome and doesn’t damage hair as much as a traditional straightener, I love it!

Here’s the text transcript:

Hey Besties!!
Look how lovely and straight my hair is!
Today I’ll show you how to straighten your hair using the L’Oreal & Rowenta Steam Pod!
Hooray!
I was lucky enough to win this Steam Pod as a door prize at the Garnier “Goodbye Damage” event.
I’m so glad that I did because this has become the love of my life.
This is my hair before I start. I washed it the night before, dried it and put some of the serum through.
This is the Steam Pod!
It’s like a normal straighter but it has a built in comb and these jets that shoot out steam.
The other half is the pod that goes on your bathroom counter.
It has suction cup feet that keep it in place.
The top comes off and you just fill it with water up to the max line.
It’s even comes with a water testing kit so you can see if you have hard or soft water.
Then pop it back onto the pod and you’re good to go!
Turn it on and wait about 90 seconds for it to heat up.
While you’re waiting, brush and section your hair into four sections just like you would for a normal straightener.
While you’re at it, pin back your fringe!
You can tell it’s ready when you close the straightener and steam starts to come out.
You’ve already applied heat protector, right?
Take a small section of hair, clamp the steam pod on top of it and move in the direction of the arrows.
The arrows are really important because it makes sure that the comb is going on the right side.
oooOOOoooo, soft!
Now just continue working section by section.
It can sound a bit scary because once you clamp it down the steam starts blasting out.
Even though it sounds scary it’s actually doing a lot less damage than a traditional straightener!
Before and after!
Frizzy, not frizzy. Silky smooth and shiny, not so silky or shiny.
Now repeat!
You don’t want to look like a before and after, right?
It’s actually really quick to do this, It takes me about 10 min max and that’s in my brain-no-workie just got up mode.
Don’t forget to do your fringe!
I do my fringe in two sections, bottom and top.
I’m not so much into the science-y side of things but you can read more about what it’s actually doing on their website.
I just care that it works!
Tadaa, all done!
Perfectly sleek and smooth and this will last pretty much up until I wash my hair again, about 3-4 days.
I can not tell you how much I love this steam pod.
I still use a traditional straightener for curling but this leaves my hair feeling great and healthy.
For more info check their website and thanks so much for watching, bye!~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shop: http://bit.ly/NknExz
Blog: http://bit.ly/qIKumk
Tumblr: http://bit.ly/oF86Yz
Twitter: http://bit.ly/onCld1
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/pdZ8B5
Instagram: http://instagram.com/violetlebeaux

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A blog and Youtube channel about a girl and her quest to make everything sparkle. New craft, hair and beauty tutorials every week!

Violet LeBeaux spends most of her time trying to think of ways to make life prettier, posting said ways on her blog and drinking very strong tea. She writes about big hair cute things, girly fashion, beauty finds, sometimes Hime Gyaru fashion (姫ギャル) and crafty tutorials.

She lives with her adorable boyfriend Jimmy, fluffy puppy Miss Lottie and Bergamot Bunny in Melbourne, Australia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Music: Garageband unless otherwise credited

FOREO LUNA Cleansing Tool Review! Mini Life Overhaul

Over the last few months I’ve been trying to change my life a bit. Nothing crazy but James and I are trying to eat a bit more healthily, treating my skin better and work in actual routines rather than just going to bed when I’m too tired to work anymore. We are even trying to exercise a bit… that’s a bit much though so baby steps!

Anyway skin care is something that I want to learn more about. I tend to get frustrated at the possibilities of allergic reactions so I put it in the “too hard” basket and don’t put in the time and effort to research things thoroughly. It’s not a great attitude to have really so I decided enough was enough, time to take better care of myself!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by FOREO to test out their new product, the LUNA Skincare Device, so I jumped at the chance! A fancy face cleansing system has been on my “to buy” list for quite a while but I had never gotten around to researching and pricing them either. I seriously need to stop being so lazy and find time for all of this stuff.

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Shipping directly from their online store took around 5 days to me in Aus. It came in a heavy box including recharge cable, short instructions (full ones available online) and a little travel bag. It was all very well packaged and the materials used were very luxurious.

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So what exactly is it?

The short version is that it’s a fancy tool to clean your face. It’s used with your regular cleaning products and when turned on it vibrates to get rid of all the dirt you can’t see on your face.

As opposed to a lot of the other cleaning brushes I’ve seen this one doesn’t rotate, it vibrates. According to their website it uses T-Sonic™ technology which is supposed to vibrate more dirt/whatever out of your skin and promote healthier skin beneath the surface. It’s made of soft silicone and has tiny silicon fingers which are in different shapes and styles depending on which model you order. The models/colours correspond to different skin types, I was sent the sensitive/normal one which is pink.

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It requires charging out of the box which took around an hour. There are indicator lights on it to let you know when it’s done.

Basically you apply your cleanser or whatever you are cleaning your face with then turn it on and rub around your face with it. Easy. The entire thing is pretty idiot proof actually which is awesome because first thing in the morning I have no patience for anything that takes brain power.

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There are 3 buttons: on, + and -. The plus and minus buttons control the power level of the vibrations. One feature I like is that once you set the power you want, it remembers it every time you use it even after being switched off. I use it on a medium setting.

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I also love that the entire unit is water proof so it’s fine to use in the shower. It also times how long you should be using it using short stops in the vibrations. It vibrates then stops for a moment 3 times indicating how long to spend in each area of the face. After that it gives 3 short bursts at once to let you know that it’s time to stop or keep going for a little longer if you prefer. Then you press the middle button and it waits for you to wash off, pressing the button again and it starts the anti-ageing mode.

The anti-ageing mode is used with the other side of the Luna, it has ridges rather than the silicon fingers. I found this side more awkward to use as it was rounded rather than flat. This mode is supposed to reduce fine lines and it supposedly improves skin elasticity as well. I can’t really say that it’s made any major changes to face so far but I think that would take longer than a few weeks if it was going to happen.

Again I like that it times things for me because I have very little concept of time in the shower XD

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When looking at the photos online I was worried that the little finger parts might be a little hard for my face. My skin is crazy sensitive so I can’t usually use anything scrubby on it unless I want to look like a tomato for a few days. In person, the fingers on the FOREO LUNA are super soft and they didn’t irritate my skin at all. Yay!

Now it wouldn’t be a fair review without some downsides. I have ongoing sinus problems/infections/etc and I found that I couldn’t use the LUNA anywhere remotely close to my nose because they vibrations caused a very unpleasant tingling feeling there and under my eyes. If you have sinus issues you might want to try before you buy and see if you experience something similar.

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The other main sticking point I have is the price, the regular sized LUNA is $249, a lot of the brush based competitors are around the $150 price range but when you factor in replacement brushes over the life of the machine I think you’d be approaching a similar price if not more. The LUNA is supposed to last for 10 years without needing anything so looking at it as $24.90 a year seems a lot less scary. That’s how I justify my purchases anyway, cost per use. There is also a mini version which is $179. Or you can go the FULL LUXURY route and get the 18-karat gold base model for $8,000-10,900 *_*

Product information provided:

FOREO LUNA Skincare Device RRP AU$249, available in Pink, Blue and White according to skin type (Violet uses Pink for Normal/Sensitive Skin). Available online with worldwide shipping at www.foreo.com

That all said, I think they are fairly minor complaints when I consider my skin has improved SO much while using the Luna.

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This is my full routine when using it:

– Apply cleanser. Turn on.
– Clean first cheek until first pause.
– Clean second cheek until second pause.
– Clean forehead until three short pauses. Turn off
– Wash off cleanser.
– Turn on for anti-ageing mode.
– Use on first cheek until first pause.
– Use on second cheek until second pause.
– Use on forehead until three short pauses. Turn off

Afterwards I apply my moisturisers etc.

Done!

So does it actually do anything? Yes! My skin feels SO much softer and smooth since I started using it. I’ve noticed that my moisturisers absorb into my skin a lot quicker as well. Foundations go on a lot smoother and I find myself having more days where I just apply concealer on my dark circles rather than full foundations or BB Cream. I think this has been a really great first step into taking better care of my skin and myself in general.

I actually find using it a really relaxing part of my morning routine, it’s like getting a fancy massage!

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So verdict? If it was within my budget I would 100% buy again. My skin feels awesome and it’s very little effort for nice results. I’m really interested to see what happens with this long term and whether any of the anti-ageing bits make any difference. I’m extremely happy with the progress I’ve made in a couple of weeks anyway so I’ll be continuing to use it twice a day as part of my routine. I would definitely recommend this as a skin car product,

Now if I could just make changes to other areas of my life like motivation to work out etc so easily!!

Garnier Goodbye Damage Review, Event and Competition!

A few weeks ago I was invited by the lovely ladies of Brand Meets Blog to attend an event to celebrate Garnier’s new Goodbye Damage range.

Originally I had just planned on putting the photos in a Snapshot post but after I actually used the products properly at home I really wanted to review them fully because they made such a ridiculous difference on my hair! I am alway so sceptical of hair products that make massive claims like the ability to fix split ends but this time I was really pleasantly surprised.

Garnier was nice enough to provide some products for me to giveaway as well down the bottom of the post if you want to try them!

I hadn’t been sure what to expect because Garnier’s branding is usually a little playful, I definitely hadn’t been expecting this…

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The theme of the event was “Hair Crimes” so we were all subpoenaed to appear in court for our crimes against hair.

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My crimes were over processing, teasing, pinkening and allowing my hair to be used as a puppy chew toy! The idea behind the new range is that it can supposedly fix 1 year’s worth of damage within one week of use. It contains Amla strengtheners plus fruit vitamins and all kinds of other fancy things.

I have been bleaching my hair for around 3-4 years and dying it for 12 so I really wasn’t expecting it to do anything amazing to me.

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The police officer (who was a super nice guy btw) made sure we were thoroughly read our rights and then we were sentenced to having hair make overs with the Goodbye Damage range

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Some of the bloggers fought back but there was no escaping the law 😉

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In case you want to see more of the action here’s my vlog from the night:

So back to it, I was given an amazing scalp massage and a wash and condition with the Goodbye Damage range. I have always loved the fruity smell of Garnier products and having an entire room full of it was fantastic. The new range smells more or less like all of their other ranges so a big plus if you like that.

After the conditioning some of the extra treatment serum was rubbed through as well for extra protection.

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While I was getting my hair washed the police officer started giving some of the other ladies shoulder massages!

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Then everyone started getting in on the massage action, it was so much fun and everyone was giggling the whole night.

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I moved over to the blow dry station next to have some more treatment oil rubbed through and a fun new style.

This is me explaining how I usually wear my hair… BIG! XD

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While my hair was being blown out it definitely felt a lot smoother but at the time I couldn’t tell if that was actually an improvement in my hair or just that I never blow dry my hair properly if I can avoid it!

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I told Nicole to go nuts and do whatever she wanted with my hair, I love being able to see people have fun and have their own creative freedom to work, what she came up with was amazing too!

In this photo I look like I’m more interested in the delicious brie I was eating than the hair… which was only partially the case… I LOVE brie and this was so good!

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Ready for the finished look?

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Taadaa! I thought it was like Marie Antoinette meets a 1960’s greaser!

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Many more photos with the officer after my transformation haha.

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Garnier Goodbye Damage - Violet (after)

 

 

After all of that I ended up winning the door prize which was amazing and totally crazy!

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It was a massive pack of Garnier products along with a Parlux 3800 hairdryer and a L’Oreal Rowenta Steam Pod! I can’t wait to film a video with the Steam Pod, it is one of the best styling tools I’ve ever used.

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All of that is fun but what about the actual products? Claiming to be able to remove a year’s worth of damage is a huge thing!

After all of the treatments my hair felt amazing. It was soft and smooth and easily manageable but I never judge hair products on how they feel at an event like this. It’s all well and good when a professional stylist is taking care of your hair, how did it work when I got home?

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Since the initial treatment I’ve been using the shampoo and conditioner every 2-3 days and then smoothing the split ends serum through towel dried hair.

It’s been a few weeks and I am really surprised at the huge difference this has made to my hair. My hair is very hardy but it’s impossible to bleach to the level I’m at for as long as I have without sustaining some damage. I have used the standard Garnier products before and even though they smelled and felt nice to use they didn’t really do anything amazing to my hair. This range was different, waaay different.

The shampoo seemed fairly standard, it lathered easily, smelled great and cleaned my hair well. It seemed quite gentle and my hair felt super soft after use.

The conditioner was much thicker than usual conditioner so I found myself having to use a lot less. It’s the consistency and same feeling of the thick conditioners which are included in my L’Oreal bleach kits. It felt really good in my hair and washed out easily. My hair felt light and airy after using both of them and dried a lot faster than it used to

Now the really impressive part… the split ends serum. The ends of my hair especially tend to get split often because the pink I use is quite drying. I’ve tried all kinds of products to combat split ends and nothing worked well and I thought that it was impossible to fix them so I generally just chopped them off when I found them. I didn’t even bother taking a “before” photo of my hair/ends because I didn’t think this would work, then after the first use I couldn’t believe I had around 70% less split ends. I actually sat there when we got home and searched through the ends of my hair looking for them because I was so sceptical. After a few weeks of use… I can’t find ANY *_* WHAT IS THIS BLACK WIZARD MAGIC??

I don’t normally get this excited about products but I can’t believe I actually found something that fixed my split ends, especially because it’s not crazy expensive either at just AU$11.95.

This obviously wouldn’t be a good review if I didn’t point out the flaws though: I hate the packaging. I know one of Garnier’s things is bright colourful packaging but the orange is like fluorescent. It sounds so silly but am really picky about how my bathroom looks and having things colour coordinated so the orange is a turn off for me. I also didn’t like the pump bottle that the Split Ends serum came in because the serum is quite runny so it had a tendency to dribble from the pump down into the lid which was a bit messy. All of those issues are just personal though and can be very easily solved by decanting them into different bottles. Also if you aren’t usually a fan of the fruity smell that all of the Garnier products have then this range probably isn’t for you. I personally love it though!

So the verdict? I am going to 100% continue using these three products and also look forward to trying some of the other things in my gift pack, I will let you guys know if the other things are this crazy good too. I don’t think I’ve ever tried a range like this which has made me want to get rid of all of the other shampoos/conditioners/whatever that have been clogging up my cupboard because I think I’ve actually found my Holy Grail set! If you have a similar hair type to me I’d definitely give it a shot.

Bonus pic: here I am with super smooth nice hair, no split ends and wearing the Hair Crimes pyjamas they gave me.

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Competition time! This competition is provided by Garnier Fructis.

After talking about my results with the range Garnier has been generous enough to offer 3 sets for you guys to try.

Each prize pack includes:

  • 1 x Garnier Fructus Goodbye Damage Fortifying Shampoo RRP $5.95
  • 1 x Garnier Fructus Goodbye Damage Fortifying Conditioner RRP $5.95
  • 1 x Garnier Fructus Goodbye Damage Split Ends Serum RRP $11.95

Important information:

  • Sorry this one is for Australian residents only (I’m pretty sure the range is already out everywhere else already anyway!)
  • Entries are judged on creativity so be creative!
  • Competition closes Friday 2nd August 2013 at 5pm AEST
  • See the full terms and conditions here.

To enter the competition, leave a comment telling me about what hair crimes you’ve committed!

FujiFilm Instax Mini 8 Review!

A little while ago I was offered the chance to try out some of FujiFilm’s new cameras including the Instax Mini 8. I’ll be reviewing the other models I tried out over the coming weeks as well so look out for them!

I have wanted one of these cute little instant cameras forever! James even almost bought me one last Christmas but at the last minute decided on getting some of my old photos printed instead.

They always look so damn fun when I see people online paying with them, so did it live up to the hype?

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The camera is basically snapshot oriented. It’s meant to be taken out on adventures and used to memorialise fun with friends! It’s a camera which is supposed to be all about fun!

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This is the kind of film quality you can expect:

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It really couldn’t be any easier to use, you switch it on by pulling out the lens, choose a brightness setting (inside, cloudy, hi key, etc) then take a photo.

It comes in a bunch of cute pastel colours and I have seen some completely adorable decoden versions! If this hadn’t been a loan camera I would have gotten right to deco-ing it myself!

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So was it fun? Yes, extremely!

We had 20 shots to go through and that was extremely easy to do.

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I loved being able to take silly shots with friends and it was really nice to have something physical as a reminder afterwards. That’s my main problem with iphone photos, I take all of these fun snaps but I never see them again as they get filed away on a hardrive. It was really fun to find places around the house to store these and now when I look at them it’s cool to remember those times!

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I thought it made taking photos a very social thing as well because it was a conversation starter and we would all crowd around waiting for it to develop to see how silly we looked!

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It was a really fun camera but this wouldn’t be a good review without thinking about the downside of things. Even though it’s the “Mini”, it’s still quite bulky if you’re comparing it to a mobile phone or a compact camera. Obviously you are getting a different end result but it is something to consider if you value your purse space! Cost is the other thing to consider. While the Instax Mini 8 retails for around AU$80-100 the film is going to be your major cost in the long run. From local stores like JB Hifi, Officeworks and various camera stores packs of 10 shots cost $20. When you start to think that every shot you take is costing you $2 it can add up very fast! Of course buying film online brings down the cost but to get real savings you need to buy in bulk and even then they average around $1 per shot. That definitely made me think twice about whether I really needed 23940823 shots of my hair… which is not necessarily a bad thing.

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Some other models come with a tiny mirror on the front of the camera which you can use to line up self shots. I didn’t have any issues lining up self shots but one can never have too many mirrors.

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Nothing can stop me from lining up set shots XD

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The fact that it was so easy to use was a big plus and I definitely found using it a lot more fun than I usually have when taking photos like this!

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Something to keep in mind is that because this is not a digital camera, what you see in the view finder isn’t necessarily what you will get on the finished photo. This is because you are looking through a view finder rather than a digital view of what the lens sees. I didn’t think about it at first but considering most of you also probably haven’t used a non-digital camera in many years it’s worth noting!

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The shots all tend to be very hi key which gives them a unique feel.

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We tried to do cute couple shots and failed miserably XD

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And this is why James wasn’t allowed near it after his first shot:

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I have a couple of shot like this from a friend when Lottie was really little and it was so fun comparing how much she’s grown!

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Overall would I buy my own Instax 8? Yes I would.

While the on going cost of film is a bit expensive, I loved the social aspect and the fact that it made regular outings a bit more fun. I carry big bags usually so the size isn’t an issue for me and I really enjoyed having the shots as keepsakes. Plus you can get shoulder straps that attach to the camera, making it into a nifty accessory and freeing up your purse real estate. I don’t think I would be using this as my exclusive camera but I really liked having it in my bag as well and I love the novelty factor.

If you are looking for something which would add some fun to your camera collection I would definitely suggest checking out the Fujifilm Mini 8, you can find more information on the FujiFilm website here!

When I eventually do get my own one of these to keep you can certainly expect some tutorials for deco-ing it and making accessories haha!

What do you all think of instant cameras, could you ever see yourself replacing your standard camera/phone camera completely or would you use them as a secondary cam?

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