Taking the blindfold off when it comes to Beauty Products!

Beauty Breakthroughs and Special Upcoming Events!

Now there has been lots of very exciting things happening in the beauty and cosmetics industry the last few years but if we don't keep up to date constantly it's like going in blind when it comes to knowing what is the best option available.

Technology is being developed at an amazing rate and it's hard to keep up with the most current and effective beauty treatments to suit our skin.

I thought I'd write about two products that really stand out for me and are worth giving a try.

I've also mentioned some upcoming events in The David Jones Melbourne store based around these products which are fantastic to take advantage of. These special events that are run every now and then are such a great way to learn about new products from the experts and get some great deals on the latest products. Anyone can book in for them but they usually have limited spots. If you will be in the city around those dates I really recommend checking them out, or even enquiring on other events run by your favourite brands!

SK 11 Facial Treatment Essence

Many people have now heard about the incredible discovery behind the skincare company SK 11 (pronounced 'SK Two', not 'ski!') but for those who haven't it's actually a fascinating story. 

In the 1970's a japanese scientist noticed something quite unique about elderly sake brewers; although there faces were wrinkled and aged, their hands were incredibly smooth and youthful due to their constant interaction with the yeast fermentation process. This discovery led to the formulation of an ingredient called Pitera. Pitera consists of vitamins and minerals and proteins that match the nutrients in the skin and is found in all SK11 products. It will renew the skin, keeping it supple, radiant and clear. 

The Facial Treatment Essence is more than 90% Pitera and only 2-3 drops per day underneath your moisturiser is needed to help hydrate and treat the skin. The retail price is $100 for 75ml.

SK11 offers a wide range of facial products, all with this unique ingredient.

A good way to try the products and also treat yourself is through the services offered by the cosmetic counters. 

For example, the David Jones Bourke st counter is offering free hour long facials using their full range for purchase of ANY two of their products from 1st October - 20th October. 

To make an appointment and try this amazing product or to find out more about SK11 you can call the counter directly to speak to an expert on 96432472

I absolutely swear by the essence and have already booked in for a facial myself! 

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

The scientists at Clinique were the first to discover a way to fade pigmentation caused by sun damage, hormones or scarring in a safe and ongoing treatment. This is the last step before laser treatment to remove dark spots. 

A lot of women suffer from hormonal pigmentation during pregnancy, the sun can cause age spots in men and women and we also have those annoying little blemishes from pimples that never seemed to heal! 

This serum is the easiest way to fade those spots, used twice daily and always with sun protection (the sun is what causes these spots to over produce melanin and darken) you can get up to 53% reduction over about 8 weeks. 

It uses a botanical extract and also some exfoliants to break up the pigmentation and also increase your cell turnover so that the new, clear skin comes to the surface faster. Although to completely remove most pigmentation you will need some kind of laser treatment, the Even Better Clinical will fade it to almost unnoticeable in most cases. 

They have just released an eye cream which has been advertised on the TV a lot, offering a 30% reduction in dark circles around the eyes. So now the boss doesn't need to know when you have had a big night! Haha. 

This product in particular is one of my favourites, most eye creams can only hydrate to reduce puffiness and make the circles appear  brighter- but this one actually fades them! It's also very well priced for a prestige brand eye cream- only $50! 

The Clinique counter at David Jones is running a special Masterclass around these products, so you can go along and learn about exactly how they work, if they will suit your skin and also about all the tips of how you can create the clearest skin possible, from daily skincare to makeup and coverage. This is for only one night, Thursday 27th of September. 

Its designed as an elegant high tea, with only about 10- 15 people in each session so that you can really get the most out of it. 

It's only a $30 booking fee, which is redeemable on products purchased and there will be special gifts for anybody who purchases any of the products as well. 

If you are interested and want to make a fun afternoon with a few friends feel free to call the counter on 96432419 for more details.

I hope that you do yourself a favour and try some of these products! The reason I mentioned them and decided to write a post is because they are things that I use everyday and that really work for me. I write about what I believe in and want to share with people. With skincare it really is hard to know where to start but clear skin is usually the aim so these are the two standout products in the industry at the moment! Its important to stay educated and keep your eyes open for new products and to actively take part in protecting and repairing our skin! 

What Men Really Think!!!

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Most Important!

My Top 6 Beauty/ Health Tips

Now I always like to write a bit about beauty, health and fitness- all those things that we need to keep an active life but I thought I'd sum up a few things that I consider being the most important, so if you don't do anything at all for your skin and for your body this should be the bare minimum. 

It all sounds very straightforward and its things that we have all heard before, simple things but its still amazing how many people I have come across in my work in the beauty industry and just in general who either don't know or they ignore these facts! 

So here's a quick summary in no particular order, it's all so easy- I like good choices to be easy and quick, not so they become a chore!

1. Drink Water! I thought I'd start with my most obvious one, just to get it out of the way. We all know how important this is for our skin and our body, we are made up of 70% water ourselves so it makes sense that we need it to stay healthy! This can be easier said than done I think so a good idea is to buy yourself a nice water bottle from a sports store or something so that you can reuse it and can keep it with you all the time. If it's next to you then you will drink it, it will become a habit to reach for your water bottle.  

2. Take your Makeup Off Properly! This one doesn't apply to men (well some men maybe) but it's so important for us women. Its very easy after a big night to just collapse into bed and think that it's ok to leave the face on for one night- but thats another 8+ hours that your skin can't breath properly. It's keeping all the dirt and oils trapped and not allowing the natural oils to escape. The eye area is very important, because the skin is so much more delicate there if you have black eyeliner and mascara seeping into that skin it can stain and damage that thin skin around your eyes. The easiest way to take makeup off is with a proper remover and cotton balls but the makeup wipes are so handy when you are tired. I wouldn't use them every day but for travelling or night when you are exhausted (or wasted) they are fantastic! It takes two seconds, wipe your face and put on some night cream to help repair your skin as a bare minimum on those nights. I'm lucky to already be in a routine so no matter how exhausted I am my face gets the full treatment, cleanse, wash, clarify, lotion, eye cream and night cream- but thats me and I'm a bit crazy with skin care! Haha. 

3. SUNSCREEN! Again, this one is super obvious and I feel a bit like a broken record but it's one that even I am guilty of not doing up until recently. I was already using so many products on my skin, I never had the sunscreen handy enough to put on as well and I always secretly worried that it wasn't good for my skin. However during some training recently I learned some amazing facts that has really ingrained it in how important it is. I also saw for myself how the sunscreen sits on your skin and doesn't absorb into it so it won't undo all of the good things your skincare does. One fact that really stuck with me was the fact that 80% of skin ageing before the age of 60 is caused by the sun. So think about someone you know who is around 60, and imagine that 80% of the lines, age spots, loss of elasticity etc wasn't there. How amazing would they look? So if we use sunscreen everyday then we can prevent a lot of those things. So now my sunscreen sits in my bathroom, right next to my makeup and I put it on underneath my foundation. It actually works as a great makeup primer too! 

4. Exercise (at least a little bit)- Now I know that a lot of people reading this will already have a great exercise routine and know the value of it but I'm writing this as if to myself a few years ago. These days I love to keep fit and try to make it a part of my everyday lifestyle but up until a few years ago even a short walk around the block was too much effort! I don't know what clicked in my brain but I just started small. I would walk my dog around the block most days and feel really great because I was getting my butt off the couch. Then I started to jog a bit as well, maybe halfway, then the jogs started getting longer and when I had time I'd go for a bush walk up steep hills to really start to try something challenging. All of those little things led to me being able to complete the half marathon this year (22kms). If somebody had of told me that 2 years ago I would have laughed in their face. Even if you hate exercise, it doesn't have to be hard. Just keep it simple and try for a start of an hour a week, you can break that up into two 30min sessions or 6 ten minute mini workouts. You will start to feel stronger and more positive each week until you're doing 30mins most days without realising its an effort because you are loving the results so much!

5. Don't Smoke- Now I only feel I can write this because I have been a smoker myself and so it's not me being judgemental at all. I used to absolutely hate people who would get on their high horse and do the smoking lecture thing. I wasn't even sure if I was going to put this part in, just because I know how annoying and frustrating it can be. It's only been about 6 months since I quit properly so I can only speak from my own experiences of trying to quit and then finally succeeding. I've written about this a little bit before and explained that I just started by cutting back, then if I wanted one I didn't beat myself up over it because having just one was better than the four or five I would usually have had. Everyone knows why we shouldn't smoke, my main concerns were for vanity reasons to be honest, for my skin and also because of the smell. I never used to be able to smell it on me or on other people but now that I can it's been a bit of an eye opener. I honestly do feel stronger and better since quitting but at the time its so hard, I used to be terrified that I was never going to be able to quit. It's the same as starting to exercise.. small steps.

6. SMILE! The happier we are, the longer we live. By smiling we also make the people around us happy. Of all the beauty tips in the world the thing that is going to make you the most beautiful is what's inside you, if you show the kindness in your heart to the world then you are making it a more beautiful place as well :) A positive outlook attracts positive people!

I hope that readers get at least something out of this post, it's all really super obvious stuff and I didn't even go over diet or anything. Even though we all know it, sometimes we just need that reminder to actually put this stuff into practise. 

We only get one body, and we put so much effort into other things in life like jobs, maintaining cars, saving for holidays and doing things with friends but those things at the end of the day you aren't stuck with. 

Our body is the only certain thing that will be there no matter what, we have to rely on it for our whole lives, every single day. So it makes sense that we put a bit of effort into keeping it healthy and strong! 

The Blog you have been waiting for…

So I have had a very interesting time putting this post together! 

I thought it would be fun to do a bit of an anonymous questionnaire to find out what men and women REALLY want to know about each other and what their answers are!

Have you ever wondered why women take so long to get ready?

Or what men really look for in a woman?

Well I asked a varied group of men and women to submit questions for the opposite sex, things they had always wondered but never had the chance or been too embarrassed to ask and then to answer the questions that the opposite sex had for them!

To start with I have the things that men were curious to know about us lovely ladies…  and all of the girls very honest answers! 

The questions and answers are in no particular order, some answers I have summarised the general answers or approximate percentages and others I have put the most common answer or two forward

Enjoy…..

Do you find beards/facial hair attractive? 

Most girls thought a little bit scruffy and rugged is sexy, but no one admitted to loving full beards! 

Whats the best thing a guy can do in the bedroom? (talk, be dominant, do what you say etc)

A little bit of dirty talk

Confidence and taking control

If a girl could choose one of the two, would she prefer to be seen by guys as sexy, or beautiful?

80% Beautiful 20% sexy

Does a girl prefer a guy who is a better listener or a better lover?

75% Lover 15% Listener

I once read that a well tailored suit is to women what lingerie is to men? True or false?

15% True 75% False (several of the girls also mentioned a fondness for tradie attire) 

What's more important to a woman, that she has an orgasm, or the man, and why?

Getting pleasure is always great, but I get satisfaction from a guy getting off, you know you've done a good job and it's a very satisfying feeling 

if the girl cant make the man reach that they feel inadequate

Have you ever fantasised about another woman? Have you ever actually acted upon this fantasy? 

Almost all of the girls had fantasised about another woman but only about half had acted on it…

Do you find your sex life usually gets better or worse the longer you're in a relationship?

I think it's always a little more exciting at the start 

It doesn't get worse, just different and has a different meaning. 

The person learns how to pleasure you and you fall into a good routine

How often do you ladies judge us on our shoes? Should I be leaving my volleys at home on a Friday or Saturday night hahaha?

This one was about half of the girls caring about shoes and half saying that they never look. However crocs got several mention as definite no's!  

Do women masturbate more frequently than they let on? Or is it too much of a secret to tell?

Every girl asked this had the same answer. YES. But its still a secret…. 

Career/education vs lady of leisure? How important is it to make your own success over being a kept woman?

These days its very important to be your own person, however it's nice to feel spoilt and a bit taken care of at the same time. 

In a females opinion, are Brazilians more for her or for him? 

90% for her 10% for him

How do you feel about body hair on men? chest hair? yes or no?, pubic hair baby shaved or neatly trimmed?

Chest hair is ok, pubic neatly trimmed. Baby shaved is a little too far

Man hair should be confined to the chest, head, scruff on the face, arms and legs and neatly trimmed down there. Nothing worse than a face full of pubes when you’re doing some oral exercise, baby shaved is just a bit scary.

What's the best thing a guy can do to lift your spirits if you're having a bad day?

The majority of answers to this one were just to make a girl smile, laugh, give a good cuddle and to be a good listener. Wine and flowers also help :)

Would you prefer to look perfect and die alone without being married, or look average and have the best husband you could dream of?

Every girl said they would rather look average and have the best husband they could dream of.

So sweet!

Would you cheat on your husband, if he wouldn't find out, for $50,000?

No 100%

Are women incapable of judging how good they look in an outfit, or is there an agenda behind the "Does this make me look fat?" question?

Hahaha depends on how well you know the girl but to be safe, if they do look fat just say “no not fat but its not ur best outfit, maybe try (insert item here) instead”

If you were a guy for 24 hours, plan your day..

Get up, shower, masturbate, drink beer, go do burnouts, shave, masturbate, drink beer, watch porn (with friends) go find a random to shag, keep my hands down my pants on my package for a whole tv program, eat some junk food, have a nap, repeat until 24 hours is over

Sex and masturbation would have to be top of the list, not going to hide that one. 

Rank the following about a guy in order most to least important - money... intelligence... facial good looks... good body... humour... fame

humour, facial good looks and intelligence were always the top 3, followed by good body, money and fame came in last every time. 

Well I hope you enjoyed reading the questions and answers! I thought the funniest bit was that all the girls who were asked would spend their day as a man using or playing with their penis! Haha!

Thanks so much to all the guys and girls who helped out; your honestly and time are very much appreciated! All of the questions AND the answers were so fantastic that it was hard to know which ones to choose  ut I tried to keep it as varied as I could! 

I'll sort through the girls questions and put together the guys answers soon!