by VioletLeBeaux | Jan 31, 2010 | Advert, Beauty, Review
A while ago Eco Tools sent me a couple of things to test out and this bath set was one of them!
You can most likely guess from the name but Eco Tools claim to fame is beauty products that are also environmentally friendly. They also make things like make up brushes (which I previously reviewed) and other fun bits and pieces.
So let the review begin!
First thing’s first: packaging! The bath set comes in a reusable plastic bag which zips closed at the top. The zip has a little loop of cotton ribbon so you can hang it up. I really like the idea that the packaging is actually useful, I would totally use this as a bathroom bag when traveling. It would also be pretty useful to keep hair clips etc in because it’s clear so you don’t have to go searching to find things in it ^_^
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So inside the bag you’ll find a loofah, a shower flower thingy, a bottle of shower gel and a bottle of body lotion. One interesting point on the bottles is that Eco Tools is a member of “1% For The Planet” which means that they donate 1% of sales to environmental causes. |
Now the loofah! Ok firstly who the hell knew that a loofah was a vegetable? I always thought it was like a sea sponge kind of thingy… but apparently it’s a vegetable so that makes it sustainable too ^_^ So yes, I liked that it had a string to hang it in the shower, I can’t stand things that can’t be hung up in the shower. To start with it was really hard and rough but after adding water and using a few times it’s much softer. Jamesdidn’t believe me that it actually gets squishy with water so I took this photo to prove him wrong hahaha!
The body wash! Omg I wish someone had invented a scratch and sniff computer because this smells so good that there aren’t words to describe it! It’s kind of like some kind of fruity cocktail of apple-kiwi-other-random-yummy-things.
I thought the viscocity was a little odd for body wash because rather than being like a gel it’s very runny. That said it lathered up really nicely and didn’t leave that icky soap feeling after. I’ve been using it since I received it and every time I step out of the shower Jamescomments on the awesome smell hahaha!
The body lotion! This stuff has a really similar smell to the body wash so you really need to go to a Priceline and smell it because it’s seriously awesome 😀 I found this to be a little bit thicker than other body lotion that I’ve used but it rubs in well and doesn’t feel heavy when you’re actually wearing it. It’s made from shea butter which feels really nice and it’s not hard to rub in like some other shea mousturisers I’ve used before.
Following on the eco friendly thing the lotion and body wash are also paraben free (YAY!), Phthalate free (if anyone knows how to pronounce that let me know!), recyclable, dermatologist and clinically tested (not on animals!) and hypoallergenic 😀
I’m not a huge fan of shower flowers or whatever else they’re called so I gave it to James to test and his verdict was that is was much softer than his current non-eco friendly one.
So all in all I would say this set is well priced at RRP$24.95 from Priceline. I think it would make a really good gift too because of the cute bag! I sure wouldn’t complain if some one gave me one *cough*Valentines Day *cough*XD
Have any of you tried out the Eco Tools Bath Set?
by VioletLeBeaux | Jan 23, 2010 | Baking, Life, Review
Today is a food review for a change, one for the Twist n Roll Bakery!
So the back story to this review is all about how for years and years and years of being teased with Lolita jewelery and dresses with macaron themes without ever tasting one… they were just so damn pretty but living in Brisbane I didn’t think that I would ever get the chance to try one so I stopped looking and tried to put the idea of deliciously cute sweet treats out of my head.
But I didn’t do a very good job and one day I was complaining on my second twitter account about how much I wanted some and one of my friends Roundragon did some research and found that there was a bakery called Twist n Roll who specialize in macarons! When I found out I almost fell off my chair in shock!!
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They have a stall at the New Farm Farmer’s Markets (at the Power House) but it’s only on every 2 weeks so…. today we ventured out to New Farm to find them!
It felt like it was a million degrees out in the sun today so James and I kept cool with ice green tea with honey and mint and a lemon slushie thing. Yum!
After we explored for a while we managed to find the stall.
Cute right? I loved the little Eiffel Tower and the gigantic tree of macarons ^_^
I decided to be cautious and try a large Raspberry one for $3.50 so I could see if I liked them
Here is a nice close up…
And the insides…
So the verdict? OMG YUMMY!
The shell was crispy and the insides were gooey. It tasted very fresh and packed with raspberry flavor. The man and woman who were running the store were lovely and chatty, they were both French and super bubbly and friendly!
In fact I enjoyed it so much that I went back…
And bought 6 small ones ($2 each) in each flavor! They had sold out of caramel and pistachio so I got raspberry, chocolate, coconut, lavender, lemon and an orange one which had chocolate filling like a Jaffa.
They started out like this…
And very soon turned into this… I have to say that the only reason I didn’t take a bite out the raspberry one is because I took it home for James’ Mum to try!
James tried the coconut one and loved it and Oh and James got a German hotdog thingy which he greatly enjoyed…
So my final thought is that macarons are freaking awesome and I’m going to be visiting the Twist ‘n Roll bakery next time I’m over in Rocklea! If you are in Brisbane, you can see all the locations here.
Looking at their website I’ve just found out Twist n Roll Bakery deliver, oh this is going to be so bad for my bank balance!! |
by VioletLeBeaux | Jan 14, 2010 | Advert, Beauty, Review
Today I hope you all enjoy this Skin MD moisturiser review!
So those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know how I’ve had some troubles with allergies. One of the things I’ve discovered is that I’m allergic to parabens which are a common ingredient in make up and skin products… when I say common I mean when I checked the labels of the products in my bathroom there were only like 2 that didn’t have them >_< I’m not going to debate whether parabens are good/bad I just happen to be allergic so I’ve been looking for alternatives.
One thing that I’ve been especially looking for is moisturiser. The back story to this is that as long as I can remember I’ve had insanely itchy legs, I mean like drive you crazy itchy, worse than the worse mosquito bite you’ve ever had! What didn’t click until I started looking at the labels in my bathroom was that I’ve also been using a moisturiser with parabens on my legs for like 10 years now… Mystery solved.
Aaaaanyway a few weeks ago I was sent some moisturiser from a company called “Skin MD”. When I received the package it had some pamphlets which were a little infomercial-y for my tastes so I took the claims with a grain of salt.
The general idea is that this isn’t so much a moisturiser but a “shielding lotion” that creates a barrier on your skin to keep natural moisture in and bad things out. I decided to give it a try for 2 weeks and see how I went… here is my morning routine/review!
I have *very* sensitive skin on my face so this was where I decided to test it out.
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The bottle is kind of… plain. Definitely not the prettiest bottle I have in my bathroom but hey it’s what’s on the inside that counts!
The bottle has one of those clicky top lids that you press down on one side to open. I have a personal hatred for these types of lids because they are *so* hard to open with long nails.
The smell of my moisturiser is really important to me, it’s the first thing that goes on my skin so I really have to like it. This has a really pleasant smell, not overpowering at all. Just kind of like generic cream smell. It actually really reminds me of the smell of the expensive cosmetics counters at David Jones/Myers which is really nice ^_^
The consistency is really runny, it’s super watery which I like because when you put it on it doesn’t take a lot of effort to rub in. It doesn’t feel like you’re wearing anything at all which is great because if you then layer foundation on you won’t have that heavy pancake make up feeling!
It feels very light and you need about 2/3rds of the amount I have here to do your whole face. I thought that the bottle was quite small when I first got it but after seeing how little you actually need I think the price tag of US$18 isn’t so bad especially when you compare it to the top level brands.
One thing that I was worried about with this moisturiser was it’s claims to be an effective treatment for eczema. As someone who suffered from eczema throughout high school I was weary of treatments that just plain don’t work. I still have mild eczema and after using this product for a few weeks I have definitely seen an improvement. I don’t think it is a miracle cure but the difference in texture is really there. |
I start by dotting little bits all over my face.
Then starting at my nose I massage it in the directions of the arrows.
After rubbing it all in my skin feels nice and smooth. Also hearts totally appear everywhere 😛
Taadaa!
So the verdict:
While I don’t think this is a miracle cure, I have noticed a significant difference in my skin since using it. I like the texture, the smell and how my face feels after using it. I actually recommended this to a friend with more severe eczema and they noticed an immediate difference too which is really exciting!
The part that I like the best is that it is free of parabens so I’m not allergic to it. After trialing on my face I started using it on my legs too and they haven’t been itchy in weeks now! After having itchy legs for the last 10 years I can’t tell you what an awesome feeling that is!
Another great point is that it comes in a version with sunscreen built in, for girls like me that live in sunny Australia that’s a huge plus! If you would like to read more just check out their website here.
So I’m going to give it an 9/10 (loosing a point because of the packaging and stupid clicky lid) I would definitely recommend it to others with skin problems or who just want yummy soft skin ^_^
Personally I love it and I am going to keep using it every day 😀
Have you every tried Skin MD moisturiser or had bad allergies?
by VioletLeBeaux | Dec 8, 2009 | Beauty, Beauty-Tutorials, Hime Gyaru, Review, Tutorial
Quite a while ago I was sent a bunch of 1000 hour individual eyelashes to test out:
To be honest I wasn’t really thrilled about the idea of individual lashes, it sounded like an awful lot of unnecessary effort to me. I mean who really wants to apply full eyelid’s worth lash by lash? Who has time for that either? It wasn’t until I did a bit of a rethink and took some inspiration from the lovely SuperKawaiiMama that I got some inspiration. ![]()
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These lashes are perfect for a cute casual look. You don’t actually need to put lashes over the whole eye to get an adorable effect, these are perfect for a cat-flick at the side! Ok so here is how to do it ^_^ These are my lashes to start with, I’ve applied some mascara and given them a little bit of a curl.
Before: cute and casual look.
This is the packet they come it, it’s a step up from 90% of other lashes available in Australia because the little tray they come in actually has a lid. I hate when you get lashes and they just come in the tray, it makes them useless for storage! This however is good and you get a lot of them in a pack so they last a while especially if you reuse them.
So to begin with get one of the little bunches.
And some scissors.
And cut the tip of the bunch on an angle. You need to do 2 of these (one for each eye so cut them in opposite directions). This is the part that will gradiat to the longest lashes on the ends. If you don’t have one of these it will look like you’ve just one a random flick on the edge.
This is what they should look like.
Now grab your lash glue. I would not recommend this brand unless you are allergic to others like me.
Add a tiny bit of glue to the base of the bunch. Depending on the glue you’re using you will probably need to wait for it to get tacky before applying.
Ok now apply it to you lash line, you should apply it a couple of mm before the end of your lashes. Once you apply the bunch, give it a little pinch to make sure it’s in line with your natural lashes.
Here is a photo of it applied to my lashes, you can barely see it because the shape blends into the length of my natural lashes. In the next photo I’ve highlighted where it it.
This is where it is placed, if you compare the below and above photos you’ll be able to see exactly what I mean and the angle of the cut.
This is how it looks when my eyes are open, it’s much easier to see here but you can still see how it blends.
And here it’s highlighted…
Ok! Now you want to get 2 more bunches per eye. These ones should be full sized. Do them one at a time so you have lots of control over the placement. Add the glue!
And this time we’re going to place this bunch next to the one we just did on the outside side (closer to the corner of the eye). You should make sure that the last one sits on the very edge of your lash line. By the time you’re finished you should have 3 bunches on each eye (2 full ones and 1 angled one).
Once you’ve placed them if you want you can add another coat of mascara to make all the lashes the same thickness or even curl them again. One other tip I have is that if you find they are sticking up at a different angle than your natural lashes, give them a coat of mascara and pinch them together with your natural lashes gently. The mascara will act like a light glue!
So this is what you should end up with:
And here is where the lashes are:
With eyes closed you can really see the difference:
And highlighted!
So there you go! This look is great as an everyday look because it’s not too heavy but the flick at the end is super cute. Now as for a review of the actual lashes I found them to be really good. I was really surprised at how durable they were, I’ve used the same 6 for this look several times. The best thing that I found was that they were comfortable enough to sleep in… probably not something I need to worry about every day but great when you’re on a 7hr plane trip! I was worried that because they weren’t held on by much glue that they would be hard to keep on but I haven’t lost one so far. You can get them from Priceline, Kmart and other beauty supply stores for around AU$7.95 which is an average price for lashes here in Aus. I really like them and I’ll be buying them again… though with this many in a tray I probably won’t need to for a long time hahaha! Have you ever tried the 1000 hour individual eyelashes? |
by VioletLeBeaux | Nov 17, 2009 | Beauty, Beauty-Tutorials, Review, Tutorial, Video-Tutorials
I have been planning to do this Eco Tools brushes review for a while and remember all that time ago when I promised you videos?
Well today my friends I deliver! Everyone kept asking about my make up so I have made you all a video tutorial on how I do my basic every-day make up. I really hope you all enjoy it, I’m not a pro at editing or shooting things yet but I am learning so be gentle ^_^ Also how awesomely flattering is the screen cap that got picked for the video XD
P.S What do you guys think of the theme song James wrote for me? How sweet of him!
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Ok so the other half of this post is about the brushes I used in the video. This is a list of all the products I used in the tutorial:
-Foundation- Innoxa Satin Sheen Buttermilk
-Concealer- Bourjois Brush Concealer
-Powder- Cover Girl Tru Blend Minerals 405
-Mascara- Cover Girl Lash Blast
-Blush/Pink eye shadow- Boujois blush 35 Rose D’or
-White/Black eyeshadow- Be Yourself Eyeshadow
-Eyelash curler- 1000 Hour Lashes Heated Eye Lash curler
-Eyelashes- 1000 Hour Lashes
-Eyelash glue- Lash Me Type 1
-Lip Tint- Bourjois Rouge Hi-tech 65-Cyber cassis
-Lip Gloss- Prestige Vinylwear High ShineJust before the Nuffnang Awards I was sent a box of EcoToolsmake up brushes to test out so here is my review…As someone who is a beginner in make up techniques I am always looking for the simplest, easiest ways to do things. Up until I got this set I was using those little foam applicators that came with my eye shadow pots. They always break and don’t last very long and I found that quite frustrating, I also didn’t like the fact that it was quite hard to get a precise line.
 So when EcoTools send me this package I was quite excited to be able to try out some brushes! In this pack there are 5 different brushes and a matching bamboo container, you can also buy the brushes individually and the prices range from AU$4.95 – $22.95 (available from Priceline Kmart & Price Attack) which as I understand it is fairly run of the mill for make up brushes of this level. The brushes in my pack are the following:
-Blush applicator
-Angled Eyeliner brush
-Eyebrow brush
-Concealer Brush
-Eyeshadow brush
I tested them all out pretty well as you can see in the video! I gave them a brief play with before we went to Singapore but the big test was really my make up for the Nuffnang Awards and you can see by looking back at the photos, they passed with flying colours ^_^
The thing with EcoTools is that it’s made from all cruelty-free sustainable materials (hence the bamboo holder). So you can feel like you’re doing your bit for the environment while you’re doing your make up XD When I read the back and discovered that the bristles were synthetic I was a bit apprehensive about whether they would be scratchy but I was pleasantly surprised, it’s so soft it’s kind of like rubbing suede on your face! Also because they are made of bamboo and aluminum they weight practically nothing. That’s great if you’re traveling so you can pack in more copies of Japanese magazines!
My favorite brush is the angled eyeliner one. I don’t use eyeliner often but I’ve found it’s really useful use for getting into to all those annoying parts like the corner of my eyes with eyeshadow! Genius!
I thought the box thingy was quite a handy addition to the pack because I would have no idea how to store something like this. Knowing my track record with my bathroom mess they would probably just end up laying on the counter somewhere ^_^ But now I have the box thingy I’ll keep all my pointy make up items like mascara, lash curler etc in there too!
So final thoughts? Well I’ve thrown out all the old foam applicators and as I mention in the video, I really do like having a set of brushes. I think it’s enough to say I’m using them every day now! I think it will enable me to be more adventurous with make up ideas in future ^_^ I would give these 8/10 over all, they were quite easy to use, the quality and price were good and the presentation was quite cute. I bet they’ll look even better after I deco them 😉
So what is your verdict on my video? Like/dislike? Anything in particular you want to see me do next time? I’m open to suggestions (within reason) ^_^
P.S. Can you totally tell James took these pictures for me because they’re all fancy and arty? If any of you and interested in amature photography you should go and take a look at his blog because he’s started writing tutorials with tips and things now ^_^
Thanks for the reading my eco tools brushes review!
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by VioletLeBeaux | Oct 7, 2009 | Beauty, Beauty-Tutorials, Review, Tutorial
So if you are a regular visitor here you’ll remember a few weeks back I had a horrible experience with some 1000Hour eyelash glue. Read my review here.
So after emails back and forth with the company that owns 1000Hour (ChemCorp) they were very helpful and apologetic about the allergy. They even sent me a little care package for my troubles! They refunded the money I spent on the glue originally and covered my Doctors costs and the medicine so I wasn’t out of pocket. What made me really happy was that they sent me some complimentary gifts to apologize ^_^
I received a cute little heated eyelash curler which I’ve been eyeing off for a while
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And eyebrow tweezers with a built in light.
I don’t pluck my eyebrows so I gave the tweezers to my Mum. I have road tested the eyelash curler though!
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Firstly I decided that the plain black was a bit boring so I deco’d it 😀 Much cuter no?
The curler comes with a cleaning brush, but there isn’t anywhere to store it so I’ll probably loose it! So here is what my eye looks like without anything on it.
The instructions say that you should apply mascara first and then turn the curler on. You wait 15 seconds for it to heat up. This is my eye with plain mascara:
There is a little light on the curler to indicate when it’s switched on and the AAA battery was supplied in the pack. I think the size is more convenient than a traditional scissor shaped curler, I can store it with my mascaras and eye pencils rather than having to find space for a traditional curler’s odd shape.
Ok so after it’s heated up you use it as if you were applying mascara. Face the heated comb on your lashes and press them upwards. Hold them there for a few seconds and you’re done! I repeated it a few times on each eye. The comb doesn’t get overly hot which was a nice surprise because I was worried about burning myself with my clumsiness XD It was still hot enough to curl and the plastic guard makes it very difficult to touch your skin with the coil. It has 2 heat settings controlled by the switch on the side.
This is after curling:
After adding a final coat of mascara:
The verdict:
I wasn’t expecting to like it because I thought the concept was a little strange but in the end I really liked the result! It was very easy to use and I think it did just as good of a job as a standard scissor one. I like that it doesn’t feel as damaging as a normal curler and the best part: There’s no way to accidentally pinch your eyelid with it! ^_^
It’s made it’s way into my standard make up kit, so that’s a thumbs up from me! Edit: You can buy one from Priceline for RRP$19.95.
Have you guys ever used one of these or have you used 1000 hour lash glue?
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