Sew Is Life

Nine months on, and well…my baby is still not sleeping through the night. I look like a wreck without any makeup, resembling more ghost than human.

These are the times of my life where I will lose hours of sleep that I will never recover! And we all know how crucial sleep is to the functioning human being. These days it can feel as if time is slipping away, and I try to stay up late to play catch up. But due to my busy lifestyle, my skin is paying the ultimate price.

Tell tale signs of stress and tiredness have shown up on the face. I only need to look into the mirror to see the dark circles and tired looking skin. I was initially skeptical, because I have never tried an Aveeno product in my life. In the post I received the Aveeno Positively Radiant intensive night cream to try out. 

According to research, only 44% of women actually use a night cream before bed. During this time of slumber, it is when the skin does its best regenerative work. Aveeno Positively Radiant intensive night cream is oil-free and contains vitamin B3 and Total Soy complex to boost 5 factors of radiance: tone, dullness, brown spots, texture and blotchiness.

I used this cream every night for the past 2 weeks and it is just pure bliss before turning in for the night. The texture of the cream is soft and milky, but not too light…it soaks right into the skin. It completes the final step to my cleansing regime. It has a lovely calming scent that stays on the skin and lightly fades away. 

In the morning I wake up and wash my face all over again and I do not get that sticky, greasy feeling that I get with other heavy creams. Aveeno Positively Radiant intensive night cream is very light and since it is oil free I have notice there is no build up of whiteheads or pimples from using it.

The only down side is that comes in a pot, so be prepared to dip your fingers in and risk contamination of the rest of the product. Best to buy a bunch of mini plastic spatulas that you can find from your pharmacy or online beauty suppliers. Cute packaging and ‘natural’ looking with the use of green and cream colours.

After two weeks, I noticed my skin was super soft, brighter and there was  evenness in skintone. I am completely thrown by this product. At $19.99 for a 48g pot, I am going to go out and get another once I have finished.

So…all those years, my mum told she drank lots of soy milk that gave her beautiful soft and creamy complexion, she already knew the secret of SOY. And she even drank copious amounts when she was pregnant with me, which she said was the result of me being such a fair skin baby. It could be contrary to Chinese belief…

Are you a night cream queen or do you skip out on this step?

Have a great week lovelies!

E x

*This product was provided for consideration and review. My opinions are my own.

Once again I have been hit with a Summer virus. And it isn’t even Summer any more! That’s what my doctor called it, he couldn’t describe it any other way. So with my body aching, where swallowing is equivalent to dragging sand paper down my tract and a tiny hammer is thumping on my brain. It doesn’t feel good to be me right now…Hence the hiatus on the blog :(

What is even worse is it has gone through all my three kids. With my baby and I being the last of the victims to this horrible virus. I had to call the health line the other day because she was coming up with a rash, had a fever and non-stop running nose. I thought the worst! Thankfully she is better today.

With the chaos, I decided it was a perfect time to trial these new facial cloths from Valleygirl. I didn’t even know that a fashion apparel store would stock beauty products! This is new to me! I love Valleygirl fashion, it is so affordable and always on trend. 

The facial cloth masks are made in Korea and the packaging is an ‘oh-so-cute’ blue pinstripe pattern. On the back, there are some clear instructions on how to use them. Firstly I gave my face a good cleanse and then pat it dry. Tear the aluminium packet and pulled out a sopping wet mask, placed it on my face and smooth out with my fingers. Then I laid down, closed my eyes and relaxed while the serum penetrated my face. The mask wasn’t too drenched in serum so I didn’t have problems with excess running down my neck.

The cut out of the face sheet was awesome, it had little tears in each corner to fit all face shapes. However, the longer I stood up to take this picture it begun to slide and that’s why my upper lip disappeared!

The ‘token’ face cloth shot! Ran into the lounge shortly after the scare the kids. But they just laughed, they are used to mummy’s beauty trials.

After 15 mins or so I removed the mask, which had already warmed up due to temperature of my skin and pat the skin with a tissue. My skin felt clean and moisturised, it even glowed with cleanliness. Though I can’t say that feeling lasted long because the serum didn’t feel as if it soaked into the skin. I wanted to apply my usual night time moisturiser to give it another boost of moisture. Although, it left my skin smelling clean and fresh and it didn’t have a strong perfume scent which I liked.

Some of the natural ingredients included in the serum were Red Ginseng extract, Green Tea extract and Citrus extract.

These masks are useful when you are going travelling and when you just need a quick pick-me up. Even more great when you are feeling run down and needing a little luxury in your life without the expensive price tag.

You can find them at your nearest Valleygirl store (available in Australia only)!

What do you like to do when you are feeling sick and want to feel better?

Have a lovely weekend all and a long weekend to my W.A readers.

Stay Well!

E x

I’m currently running a giveaway on the ‘Sewislife’ Facebook page, so come by and ‘like’ us, comment on the wall and you could be the lucky winner! 

*This review has been written in accordance with this site’s disclosure policy.

Towards the end of 2012, I was not being nice to myself at all. I was sleeping at odd hours of the night, waking up at least 4-5 times to breastfeed, forgetting to moisturise before bed time and even skipped on my daily SPF moisturiser. And even worse, I was succumbing to my sugar cravings and ate loads of chocolate and cake! And you could see the tell tale signs of torture to my body and wellbeing was showing on my face.

Dry flaky skin, dark circles under the eyes, white heads popping up everywhere, and pimple parties! Plus my pigmentation had not improved…even with the use of a dark spot corrector.

So it was a blessing really, that Beauty Heaven and Clarisonic was offering a trial of the Clarisonic Mia. I didn’t not think twice and put my hand up straight away! I have heard of this marvel brand, through various beauty blogger channels before and thought hmmm…I’m jumping on this bandwagon!

If you haven’t heard about Clarisonic Mia, I shall let you in on the secret ;) It is a professional-calibre brush that uses gentle sonic micro-massage action to cleanse deep within the pores. The cleansing is very effective, so much that creams and serums are absorbed better which results in beautiful glowing skin. The brush acts as an exfoliator, gentle enough to use every day. I used the ‘sensitive’ brush head and this was a perfect feel on my skin, some may find this too abrasive and can buy the ‘delicate’ brush head instead. 

The unit is small, hand held, maybe the size of an electric shaver. You can use it in the shower because it is waterproof. The Clarisonic Mia can give 20 minutes of use, but each cleanse only took me about 1 minute a day. It does need to be charged, and it uses a special magnetic charger (first I have seen of its kind!) and it gives off a flashing LED light when it is charging.

I just squeezed a half a pea size of cleanser on the brush head (the centre circle) where it oscillates and then press the brush flush against my skin. You have to move in small circular motions around the face. After the first use, I instantly noticed my skin was softer, my pores were smaller, it was glowing, and I was smiling :)

Now after the fifth day I did notice a mini-break out of pimples on my cheek and lip area. But I did some research and it said the skin is going through a ‘purging’ stage, which means the Clarisonic cleans so deeply that it draws the impurities from the pores to the surface. After using it for over a month, there have been no more pimples!! 

I have to say, I am reveling in the comments I receive from people who notice I’m looking ‘younger’ since using it :) 

Look at results and judge for yourself. This was the before and after shots (only after 9 days into the trial). And I promise, these are not Photoshopped! They were taken at different times of the day in my bathroom which is why there is a huge difference in the lighting.

Before

After

The Clarisonic Mia retails for around $139. I find it is definitely worth the investment! I feel this is such a great gift to buy a friend, your mum or sister. It is something they will be so thankful for! Even guys can use this.

If you are looking to grab a Clarisonic Mia for yourself, you can find them here:

Have you tried Clarisonic before? What is your number one skin concern?

E x

Around pre-Halloween season, Lime Crime released their ‘Alchemy’ range to celebrate the spooky occasion including a new pressed eye shadow palette and two new lipsticks. This is the first time that Lime Crime have launched a fantasy range. In the past they released the China Doll, Mary Antoinette and Aquataenia eye shadow palettes…but it wasn’t a part of a complete range. I would have loved to see lipsticks inspired by those themes…

I’m so thrilled to share this review with you…because there was no doubt that I was going to purchase this palette. It was a no brainer really because I have been into this stuff since I was a little girl. When I say ‘this stuff’ I mean anything to do with spells, cosmos, witchery and alike. Not that I was working towards being a witch, but I definitely had a keen interest in all things to do with magic, fantasy and potions.

So I hail the newest ‘Alchemy’ range from Lime Crime! I was super excited to have received this package all the way from the US the same day I was to attend the Betty Tran Grand Opening and immediately wore poisonberry lips to the event.

Here is the signature purple tin with gold scale like pattern on the cover of the palette. It exudes gorgeousness and fantastical beauty. Definitely a stand-out in the beauty cupboard.

Here are the 5 duo-chrome pressed eye shadows, from the left: Incantation (metallic copper with fiery sparks), Lucky Charm (forest-green/firefly green shift), Love Potion #9 (purple and mint shift), Spellbound (white and gold shift) and Divination (slate blue and peacock shift). All of them pressed with the same fan/scale-like pattern of the tin. I find it hard to break-in these eye shadows because the pattern is just too lovely! 

Here are the swatches, under natural light. I did not use any primer with these swatches and they are dry. You can use these with a hint of water which will bring out the vibrance in the shades. Highly pigmented even without primer or water. The strength of the colour is totally up to you ;)

And here are the two amazing lipsticks in their cute purple packaging, love the fact that there is a holographic/shimmery unicorn on the tube too. This is not a sticker mind you, it is like imprint so it is difficult to remove. Although, I do hope they don’t fade with wear…I must find a safe place for these babies and look after them.

Here I’m wearing the shade poisonberry on my lips. One of my all time favourites! So pigmented and stays on for ages, reapplication is not necessary unless you are having food/drink. The perfect purple/pink shade which makes your lips appear toxic :p

And this is ONE magnificent colour that I have never come across before… ‘Serpentina’. As the name suggests, your lips will resemble the shininess of snake-skin or you will be rocking lips like Medusa but you won’t have the special ability to turn people into rocks ;) Notice the slight green shimmer? Isn’t it mesmerizing?

I hope you enjoyed reading my review, because I was so excited to present it to you as you can probably tell! I’m having a lot of fun experimenting looks with this range and other Lime Crime products. Ever since discovering Lime Crime over a year ago, I can’t help but share my praises for their cosmetics. Their products are 100% vegan and against animal testing.

They have inspired me not to treat beauty one-dimensionally or to follow what is ‘on trend’. But make up should be about what makes me feel comfortable in the way I express myself and to inspire artistry in the looks I create depending on my mood.

Have you tried the ‘Alchemy’ range from Lime Crime? What do you like most about these swatches? Please share your comments below.

Have a great weekend good lookin’ peeps ;)

E x

*These products were bought by me and this review has been written in accordance to this blog’s disclosure policy. 

Sorry for the lack of posts everyone. I have been extra busy for the past week helping my parents set up their business. It has definitely been a steep learning curve and long tiring days where the brain has taken in so much that it has turned to mush…so please excuse my poor ability to form a coherent sentence as I write about my recent beauty buy :) 

Living in Western Australia you don’t become aware of the latest releases until you stumble upon something by accident when browsing on the web. And as for beauty products, I get my updates from fellow beauty blogger friends and the beauty directory. I can no longer find the time to go out to the department stores to ‘try before I buy’…so it is crucial that I depend on the opinion of others who also share my love of online shopping and product reviews!

Illamasqua is a cosmetic brand born in the UK and has made its mark known to the rest of the world as make up for your alter ego. The East Coast has Illamasqua products whereas the West Coast do not! It is about high time that they brought a counter for us beauty aficionados! 

I made my first Illamasqua purchase online, when the UK site was promoting free worldwide shipping and no minimum spend. I made a snap decision to purchase the ‘Lover’ blusher, which is a bright coral/apricot colour and the ‘Aurora’ gleam, which is a highlighter/illuminator for the face.

I have been searching high and low for the right apricot blusher, as I have only worn pinkish blushers in the past. This shade matches a lot of skin shades, especially those with a yellowish undertone.

The last highlighter I used was Benefit’s ‘High Beam’ and I loved how it gave my dull complexion a boost. It was an instant radiant, healthy glow that my skin look more youthful and alive! Since my bottle had run out I thought I would try something new…so ‘Aurora’ will be on my face this Summer.

Here are the swatches taken under natural light. I was amazed at how pigmented the blusher was, you only need a little to create a lot of colour. And the highlighter is simply gorgeous. I will be sure to glow like an ‘angel’ this Christmas :)

I have grown to love the Illamasqua brand in 2012 because of all the good things they have been striving for as a company to help out their consumers. They fought for lower pricing on beauty products supplied to Australia. The mark up on cosmetics is ridiculous! They were at the start of the movement and since their success of being able to provide lower prices, other companies have followed in their footsteps. 

Have you tried Illamasqua products before? What are your thoughts on them?

Have a happy Friday lovelies!!

E x

Last Friday I received a pack of Facial Fresh Masks in the letter box, it couldn’t have arrived at a better time as my skin has been screaming out for some TLC! With the warmer weather creeping in, my skin is tightening up as a result of the lack of moisture in the air. 

I was quite intrigued by the company Facial Fresh so I just had to ‘Google’ it to find out that they are a relatively new company in the Australian beauty market. A lot of research has gone into formulating these masks to deliver the beneficial results for the skin. Making it easy for us lazy-beauties to just pop one on at home.

There are 6 different types of masks:

• Aloe Vera - Soothing, Rejuvenating, Protecting
• Collagen - Firming, Nourishing, Anti-Aging
• Green Tea - Calming, Relaxing, Comforting
• Hydra-Surge - Hydrating, Moisturising, Softening
• Tea Tree - Cleansing, Purifying, Clarifying
• Vitamin C - Energising, Brightening, Invigorating

The first reason that drew me to these facial masks was the cosmeceutical ingredients. COSMECEUTICAL, what is that you ask?  They are the combination of medical or drug-like benefits of pharmaceuticals with cosmetics or skincare products. Basically, Facial Fresh, has used a mix of botanical ingredients teamed up with, vitamins, anti-oxidants to create a concentrated serum for each mask that immediately saturates the skin when applied. This provides intense moisture straight into the skin, leaving you feeling like you have just stepped out of a facial spa.

The second reason why I liked them so much, was because they come in individual packs ready to rip open and pop onto your face. I didn’t even need to step out of the house, you just needed 15 minutes of ‘R&R’ (rest & relaxtion) time (for me it was after putting the kids to bed!).

Ok, let it be known, that this is my first time EVER using a facial cloth mask! So in a way this review is going to be unusually detailed and pardon my naivety of such masks :)

I choose to try the Hydra-Surge Cloth Facial Treatment Mask, which states on the pack it is ‘hydrating, moisturising and softening’ for the skin. The mask was very wet when removed from the pack, ALOT OF serum still stuck in the bottom. I had to squeeze the extra liquid into the pack, but since the serum is such good stuff and I am such a non-waster I kept the excess aside and used it for later with a cotton pad. The cut outs in the mask fitted my face-shape, except the mouth hole which was a bit awkward and some serum fell onto my lips…however it didn’t taste awful or made me sick so I wasn’t too bothered by that.

I made sure I was lying down so the mask wouldn’t slide off my face. And kept a face towel by my side to wipe up any excess liquid. It felt refreshing and cool at first, then it adjusted to the temperature of my skin. Towards the end of the 15  minutes it had warmed up and was ready to be discarded. I didn’t have to wash anything off, just pat the serum into my skin and allow it to dry naturally. It didn’t feel sticky at all and woke up in the morning with my skin feeling comfortable.

Directly after removing the mask my skin felt instantly soft, supple, hydrated and slightly dewy. And at only $10.95 per mask it is nice treat to have each week at home without breaking the bank. 

You can order their masks online here, and can get 10% off if you follow them on Twitter, Facebook or Google +. Plus they offer free standard shipping to Australian customers and Flat rate international shipping.

Facial Fresh has kindly given me extra masks to giveaway to ‘Sewislife’ readers. There are 3 to select:

- Green Tea 

- Aloe Vera

- Tea Tree

All you have to do is complete a couple of steps:

• Like Facial Fresh Facebook Page
• Like Sewislife Facebook Page
• Follow Sewislife on Twitter
• Follow Facial Fresh on Twitter

And answer this question in the comments section below:

Which of the Facial Fresh masks would you like to try and why?

T&Cs: The last day for receiving entries will be Sunday, 21st October 2012, midnight WST. Giveaway is opened to Australian residents only (sorry international readers!). Three winners will be selected using a random number generator. One mask per winner. The choice of mask will be given to first come first serve basis, the sooner you enter and if you win you will receive your first pick! Giveaway winners will be announced on the Sewislife blog, Twitter and Facebook Page on Monday, 22nd October 2012. The winners must get in touch (either through Facebook, Twitter or the blog) within 24 hours of the announcement to claim their prize. Otherwise it will be forfeited and another winner will be selected.

Please share, retweet, email this giveaway to your friends and family. They might like to win a lovely treat for themselves too.

Good luck everyone!

E x

*This product was kindly provided for my review and consideration. It has not affected my opinion in anyway. Please refer to my Disclosure Policy for more information.

I was so excited when I booked in my free mini-facial with La Prarie, David Jones Hay St in Perth. I haven’t tried their products before but have heard many great reviews from friends about their range. All I have really come to know about La Prarie through the years, is their exclusive and luxe price tag! Something I know I can’t afford.  I wonder what is the secret ingredient in the products that makes it so expensive?

I was over the moon when I was able to experience first hand the La Prarie products on my skin. I had heard about the newest range Advanced Marine Biology Collection which is a marine-derived skincare that contains superior formulas and age-fighting benefits. An anti-aging complex, anti-oxidants and mega-rich sea nutrients combine to energize, protect and renew your skin. It is great for sensitive skin-types and for those with early signs of ageing. It is targeted to the mid 20s to late 20s age group.

I stepped into this room and went ‘oohhh-ahhh’

After my power walk to get on time to my facial appointment I was a bit red in the face, sweaty and in need of some ‘calm-down’ time. The room at the La Prarie David Jones, Hay St Perth was dimmed, slightly cool and smelt a little like Spring rain! I was asked to slip on a robe and then tuck myself under the cosy, cloud-like doona to keep the rest of my body warm whilst the facial took place. I had to also put on one of those paper-like shower caps, to keep my hair out of my face. I must have looked a sight!

First the Purifying Cream Cleanser (AUD$75) was applied on my face. It was light, gently cleansing and smelt amazing! I could feel my skin immediately cool down and the facial muscles relax. It was then removed with a warm towel. 

Next came the Cellular 3-minute peel (AUD$210), it comes with a soft brush to apply the special cream to the face. The consultant told me that it contains special acids to help resurface the skin removing the dead skin cells and rejuvenate the new skin. When it was on my face, I felt a slight tingling but it wasn’t uncomfortable at all and it slowly became warm. I was told not to wash this off in the shower, in case the product gets in the eyes. Just wipe off with a warm face towel. I was also told that something the skin would appear a little red as a result of the peel, but luckily my skin didn’t react that way (I was a bit scared to hear that actually!). Instantly the pores on my skin were minimised, pigmentation faded (Hallelujah!), skin tightened and luminious. If I had to buy one product it would be this! 

When the peel was removed, the Cellular Hydralift Firming Mask (AUD$160) was applied. Designed for dry, dehydrated skin, this fast-acting, non-drying mask helps to reduce redness and microstress resulting from hormonal imbalance or environmental conditions and relaxes the skin. It was not drying at all like other masks I have tried in the past, instead it moisturised and soothed the skin which left me marveled.

After wiping the mask off, she smoothed the Advanced Marine Biology Emulsion (AUD$135) over the face. It hydrated my stressed skin and left it feeling like a ‘dewy pillow’. Then to finish off I was given the Advanced Marine Biology Day Cream with SPF 15 (AUD$135) since I was going back into the sun, Advanced Marine Biology Eye Gel (AUD$105) to help my tired, dry skin and black circles around my eyes.

And running around also left my lips ‘desert’ dry, so she used Cellular Lip Renewal Concentrate (AUD$105) to bring back moisture to my lips. That was amazing too, it went on cool liquid but ended up a gloss-like consistency a few seconds later.

Photo courtesy of La Prarie Australia

I rate this as one of my TOP skincare experiences! It is THE BEST facial I have had, although the last time was probably when I was in student at uni, 7-8 years ago… anyways I have never seen my skin instantly transform this way EVER. I am used to products taking weeks to show any signs of improvement in my skin. But I guess that is why La Prarie’s range is pricey for a reason, their secret cellular complex is like an instant face lift without the surgical knives or injections.

Have you tried the new Advanced Marine Biology Collection? Or been to a La Prarie facial? Share your experiences below, I would love to hear about it.

E x

*This post was 100% my opinion, I was not compensated for my review of La Prarie products. These products may or may not be suitable for your skin, please see a consultant to get an individual assessment of your skin needs. 

Snap out of those Winter woes…take some time out to smell the flowers, because yes Spring is just at our Australian door step. Plants are so smart, they naturally react to the changing seasons. I wonder if we humans do the same too. My lemon tree is definitely responding with cute, little pink buds on the branches. Can’t you tell I’m really excited that Spring is less than 15 days? Well my reaction to SPRING is to hold another giveaway for my loyal readers :)

Not too long ago I told the bloggerverse that I started a new Facebook Page for ‘Sewislife’. Hi and thanks to all my new followers for ‘LIKING’ my page, I have been posting a lot of photos and interesting links on a daily basis…but not too much that I am bombarding your feeds. *looks sheepish* I hope I am not! Please spread the word out there so others can join in the Spring ‘Essence’ giveaway too.

Here are some items that have put together for the giveaway, that I feel expresses what the ‘SPRING’ essence means to me. See anything you like?

- Essence Season of Extremes colour3 nail polish in ‘06 My best nude friends and me’

- SELF Organics ‘AM to PM’ soap, handmade using organic coconut oil, shea butter, olive oil and grapefruit essential oil

- Handmade colourful bag

- Rimmel Glam’Eyes Quad Eye Shadow Palette in Urban Flower

For your chance to win this ‘SPRING’ essence prize CLICK on the Rafflecopter entry form below and ENTER!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TERMS & CONDITIONS

The competition is opened worldwide. It commences on Thursday, 30th August and ends at Midnight Sunday, 16th September. Make sure you leave your email address in the comments section so I can contact the winner.

The winner will be announced on the blog on Monday, 17th September 2012.

The winner must respond to their email within 24 hours of the announcement to claim their prize. Otherwise another winner will be selected.

Best of Luck my Lovelies!!! Start spreading the word about THIS giveaway :)

E xx