The Easter Bunny Loves Beauty Too

I wanted to wish all of you a happy Easter, and what better way than with a cheeky post featuring chocolate themed products (and the real deal of course!).

Chocolate scent may not be everyone's cup of tea (I've been brutally told by my boyfriend he hates it) but it's Easter after all, so why not make yourself smell good enough to eat!

1. Lush Sweet Lips Sugar Scrub - Smelling like vanilla and chocolate, these scrubs are a gem at removing any chapped, dead skin on your lips. It's vital when you are going to sport a bold, or subtle for that matter, lip that you ensure the surface is smooth to avoid caking in dry patches - not a cute look. This definitely gets the job done, and the best part? It's edible after application!

2. Body Shop Deluxe Edition Chocomania Body Butter - Some chocolate scents can be quite artificial but for me this smells like the real deal. This formulation is exactly the same as their famous all year round body butters (you've surely tried the Mango or Strawberry, right?), and does a perfect job moisturising your legs and arms after a shower. If you've gone into (or past) a Body Shop store lately, you would have noticed they have a whole chocolate range. From body scrubs and lip balm to hand lotion and soaps, there is something to make every part of you extra scrumptious.

3. Boujouis Block of Chocolate Bronzer - I searched high and low for this product in my makeup collection with no luck. I'm sad I couldn't feature this for you, but definitely check this out in Priceline or Target, as unlike a lot of bronzes this is matte, giving a much nicer application and finish than those with chunks of shimmer. When it's shaped like a block of chocolate, you can't go wrong!

I hope the Easter Bunny was good to you all today (can you spot him anywhere?), not that we ever need an excuse to eat chocolate though, right?

ajarose xo

CULT BEAUTY #4 - Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

The last CULT BEAUTY post for the month of March is drawn to a conclusion by featuring the one and only Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant by Elizabeth Arden.



WHAT MAKES IT CULT?

You may have picked up on a running theme between the posts in this series and that is versatility. A product that can have multiple uses is always appreciated in the beauty world and Ms Arden definitely used this to her advantage.

Created in 1930 this miracle cream became an instant success, and took our lips, skin, elbows, knees, hands and anywhere else for that matter, from a dry chapped mess to feeling like a baby's bum.

But it can do more than soothe and rehydrate your skin, it's also a must-have kit product for all makeup artists to keep legs and eyelids shiny and ensuring the perfect brow doesn't budge.

There are an infinite number of ways to use this classic cream, but here are a few you may not of thought of from Elizabeth Arden herself:

1. CUTICLE CONDITIONER – Soften rough, dry cuticles to keep them smooth, supple and beautifully manicured.

2. TREAT FOR FEET – Smooth rough heels and soften soles for barefoot beauty in every season.

3. AFTER-SUN SOOTHER – With its legendary soothing and moisturizing benefits, it’s the ideal after-sun treatment to relieve minor sunburn and calm dry, irritated sun-exposed skin.

4. FLIGHT TOOL – Flying can leave skin looking and feeling dry and uncomfortable. Pack this intensive hydrator to boost skin’s in-flight moisture level wherever you go.

5. LEG WEAR – Great for an after shave or after wax treatment. This cream calms irritation, reduces redness and leaves legs super-smooth and silky-soft.

This is a great all round product and unlike a lot of products, is worth the hype.

You can pick this up at any Elizabeth Arden counter or Chemist Warehouse often have this on special for less than $25 - check it out here.

Thank you for coming back each week and following this series with me. Though March is over I still want to keep this going, but will be introducing a new Friday series for April so keep an eye out for that announcement in the next few days!

Happy Easter my beauty bunnies -

ajarose xo

CULT BEAUTY #3 - Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

A good judge of beauty character is to ask, would a makeup artist use this? It says a lot about a particular product if it has a following with makeup artists and this week's CULT BEAUTY must-have definitely has that - Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler.

WHAT MAKES IT CULT?

There is a reason why celebrity makeup artists like Lisa Eldridge won't even think about applying mascara until using these eyelash curlers - and that reason is because they actually curl the lashes. Most other 'curlers' really just bend the lashes, and as our eyelash hairs are quite delicate and fragile this is a no no.

It is by far one of Shu's best sellers due to its high quality design and make. The curler features a silicone pad which means it won't budge when you're curling.

What I also love about this tool is that the hinge has been engineered to apply the perfect amount of pressure on your eyelashes - there is nothing worse then when you clamp down and pinch yourself, ouch!

RR TIP: Even for days when you can't be bothered wearing makeup or even mascara for that matter, still curl your lashes - this makes your eyes appear wide wake and creates a youthful look to your face without having to apply a touch of makeup! 

The fact is there is nothing else like these curlers and when a product is in a league of its own like this bad boy, you know you're on to a winner.

ajarose xo

Eighty and Beautiful!

Today's post is something a little bit different as it's not everyday that your Grandmother turns 80 - so I wanted to write a special post wishing my beautiful Nan a very happy birthday!

There is a slight beauty theme still here as I gave my Nan Chanel goodies for her gift and PS - If I look even remotely as good as her when I hit 8-0 I will be one happy camper!

I was lucky enough to spend this past weekend with my family in Tasmania celebrating our wonderful Nan and it was a trip I'll never forget.

Happy Birthday Nanny - I love you more than you know <3 

ajarose xo 

CULT BEAUTY #2 - Caudalie Beauty Elixir

It only takes one celebrity to mention a must-have product to instantly turn the beauty world upside down on it's pretty little head. The celebrity and product duo in question here is - Victoria Beckham and Caudalie's Beauty Elixir.

WHAT MAKES IT CULT?

When the oh-so-glamourous Mrs Beckham says she loves a product - you should take notice... And oh did we ever! Confessing she uses the Elixir on top of makeup to give her that youthful glowing complexion that turns us all green with envy, instantly sent Caudalie's sales into overdrive - skyrocketing the beauty spray
 into cult status around the world.

Inspired by the 'elixir of youth' used by Queen Isabelle of Hungary, this product can be used as a toner after cleansing, a setting spray after applying your makeup and also just as a refresher anytime of the day and night.

Though the price point is not cheap, ingredients such as grape, orange blossom, rose, balm mint and rosemary are crammed into each bottle, making this luxury pick-me-up totally worth every penny.

RR TIP: The plant extract ingredients in this product are extremely calming and soothing - if you are needing a perk up try spritzing this into your palms and breathing it in.

Whether it's hearing a celebrity say they love a particular something or if you're like me, a beauty blogger calling a product 'holy grail', it is undeniable the influence star power has on the beauty world. Nevertheless, this bad boy is in my makeup collection for the long haul, thanks Vic!

Checkout Caudalie here. 

CULT BEAUTY #1 - YSL Touche Éclat

There wasn’t a second thought in my mind about what to feature for the first CULT BEAUTY post – Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat wins hands down.

WHAT MAKES IT CULT?

Selling one every 10 seconds, Touche Éclat ranks #1 spot for YSL’s (and thousands of beauty addicts everywhere) most coveted product.

The unforgettable gold packaging, the pen like dispenser and creamy product has been a beauty icon since it launched back in 1992 and is as cult as ever, raking in hundreds of awards every year.

This highlighting genius contains reflective particles and should be used in any dark areas of the face to divert attention away from unwanted bags and shadows.

RR TIP: Often mistaken for a concealer, Touche Éclat is in fact a highlighter. Due to the light reflection properties of this product, do not apply on top of blemishes if you want to conceal them!

This product really was the first of its kind and we have YSL to thank for changing the way women (and men) create flawless, glowing skin all over the world.

Introducing...

I’m excited to announce the launch of a new series I’m going to be writing all about CULT BEAUTY!

This is a project I have been working on slowly for a while now which was initially going to be one post. However, after thinking about all the different things I want to try, review, share and recommend I thought this would be perfect to turn into an on-going series.

There will be a new ‘Cult Beauty’ post up every Friday for the month of March so make sure you check back each week to find out what makes the cut!

I’m going to feature products that are cult worldwide and also things that I couldn’t live without, so hopefully you find something new to add to your must-have beauty list.

Come back this Friday March 8^th for the first instalment!

Ajarose xo

What's in my... Beauty cabinet

There's no better feeling than when you're in a cleaning mood (for me this is rare so I have to go with it) and reorganising your space.

For some reason reorganising the bathroom is almost enjoyable for me once I get started, so yesterday I went through my beauty cabinet (or for those of you who don't hoard makeup like me - medicine cabinet) and gave it a good old fashioned spring clean scrub down.

While it's looking this respectable and you can make out what is actually in there, I thought no better time than to share with you what, out of my makeup collection, I like to have easily accessible...

Shelf One - I keep my Victoria's Secret body lotions and matching fragrance mists together here, as well as some larger items that can't fit in the smaller shelves like my Embryolisse Lait'Creme Concentrate and my Caudalie Beauty Elixir.

Shelf Two - I like to organise this shelf by keeping all my face products together such as base, concealer, highlighter, blush and my EVE LOM skincare (read my review on the EVE LOM skincare line here).

Shelf Three - This is dedicated to my eye and lip products. This shelf gets switched up probably the most as I like to change colours and textures around on a regular basis.

I'm trying to crack my boyfriend to let me have both sides of the cabinet, but I guess that will mean more cleaning...

Until next time, happy organising!

ajarose xo