A LUSHious Christmas Gift Guide

It's a scary thought, but Christmas is right around the corner. As much as I love December, it's approaching way too fast so I'm trying to slam my breaks on - to no avail, I might add.

Every year I want to be one of those super organized peeps that gets all their shopping done and dusted well in advance. And every year I am frantically running around my local shopping centre grabbing whatever is left on the shelf, thinking 'that will do'.  Not this year, I say!

So if this sounds like you too, hopefully this post will give you the kick start you need to get in the festive frame of mind. Before it's too late, and the shelves are empty. 

When it comes to gifts, I'm the type of girl that can whip together a wish-list in an instant, some people, on the other hand, aren't so easy to shop for. So what do you get the friend or family member that gives you the oh-so-helpful, 'you don't have to get me anything' line? LUSH goodies, that's what. 

This year LUSH are releasing 30 brand new limited edition Christmas products, which will be available online from the 1st of October and in-store from the 10th of October.

Because I have your back and want to make your Christmas shopping experience even easier, I've put together my top picks worth adding to your baskets. 

1. Santa's Lip Scrub and Lip Tint ($9.95 each) - Get mistletoe ready lips with this perfect pout duo. Start by prepping your lips with the (super yummy) sugar scrub and follow it up with the perfect rudolph-esk red lip tint. 

         

Image - Lush Australia

2. Bath Ballistics (various prices below) - Go bananas with this years limited bath ballistics, filled with all sorts of surprising goodies like popping candy, colourful floating polka dots and agar jelly stars. Bath time will never be the same again.

Image - Lush Australia 
Top left to bottom right - Luxury Lush Pud $6.75, Secret Santa $8.95, Shoot for the Stars $6.75 and Snowman $6.50

3. Bath Melts ($5.25 each) - One of the most luxurious things you can put in a bath, these bits of bliss are sure to be a Christmas gift-giving hit. 

Image - Lush Australia

Left to right - Star light, Star Bright and The Melting Snowman 

4.  Festive Knot Wraps ($5.50 each) - And what about wrapping, I hear you ask? Choose out of three Christmas themed prints, whatever goodies you finally decide on, can be wrapped inside. 

Image - Lush Australia

Left to right - Euphoria, It's Christmas Deer and The Ivy

The best part? The scarf is completely reusable (and not to mention so freaking cute I can't even handle it). 

And there you have it, my LUSHious Christmas Gift Guide to give you the festive kick you needed. Now go grab a pen (or better yet, print this post off) and get your shopping list started! 

Shop LUSH here and follow LUSH on Instragram @lush_ausnz

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way... 

ajarose xo

Want more Rosie Recommends? Check out -
Lush - Bits of bliss for your bath 

Inglot Freedom Palette - DIY beauty style 

Follow me around IMATS VIDEO! 

Don't forget to follow Rosie Recommends on Bloglovin or subscribe by entering your email address on the top righthand side of this page!

Follow Me Around - IMATS Sydney 2013 Vlog

This past weekend was the Sydney International Make-up Artist Trade Show (IMATS) 2013, aka the stuff beauty lovers dreams are made of. 

I attended on the Sunday and as it was my first IMATS experience, I wasn't sure what to expect. 

I walked away with a bag full of goodies and a huge grin on my face - it was pure beauty bliss. 

If you weren't able to attend IMATS this year, don't worry I have your back - in a Rosie Recommends first, here is my attempt at Follow Me Around Vlog.

I hope you enjoy seeing a glimpse inside the make-up world's biggest get together!



Watch my Follow Me Around IMATS Sydney 2013 video HERE! 

Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming haul post, featuring all the beauty bits I picked up!

Until next time,

ajarose xo

A woman on a beauty mission - Estée Lauder Gelee in Tease

Okay so I have an itch I need to scratch and you big shot cosmetic companies I'm looking at you. I'm not even touching on the insane markup prices we are expected to (and do) pay here in the land of Oz, but the bone I want to pick is why does it take so bloody long for new releases to reach our Australian shores? Seriously, why? 

There are a few products that pop up on my fave beauty blogs and vlogs which (I tell myself) I just must get my hands on, but before it's even looked at being launched in Australia, it's already sold out in the UK and the US. No fair. 

To make my point, take the Estée Lauder Pure Colour Illuminating Powder Gelee in Tease aka blush perfection. 

A new forumulation fusing together powder, gel and liquid technologies to create, what Lauder call, a Gelee consistency. The limited edition product is a beautiful rosy pink with undertones of golden shimmer designed as a multiuse blush or highlighter. 

After scouring the World Wide Web to track this baby down, I was left at a dead end. The thing was sold out. Everywhere. 

This is where most people would shrug their shoulders and give up, right? Wrong. I Facebook messaged Lauder and enquired about the Australian release date and was horrified when I was told it was scheduled for 2014. Ridic. 

So my search ended there. Or so I thought...

That brings us to a sleepless night this week which naturally leads to stalking the blush offerings on EstéeLauder.com.au -  Trolling makeup websites when you can't sleep is perfectly normal.

And what do I find? The bloody blush! If my boyfriend wasn't sound a sleep next to me, I swear I would have squealed. 

Myer received the limited edition collection at the beginning of this week and before it even hit the counter (the assistant opened the shipment right there and then), I had it in my hot little hands. 

Its now been almost a week since that sleepless night and here I am writing this post, all the while catching slight glimpses of the gold E.L monogrammed casing sitting on the table across from me. Oh so pretty.

If your makeup vice is highlighters, then I suggest heading straight to (or avoiding) an Estée Lauder counter pronto as I predict, following in the footsteps of the US and UK, this will sell out like hot cakes. 

Until next time, 

ajarose xo

An Electric Toothbrush For Your Face? Clarisonic Mia Review

There are a certain few beauty bits and bobs that always seem to circulate around in the blogosphere and I feel left out of the club if I don't own it too. Yes, I'm really that nuts. 

Case in point, the Clarisonic.

This bad boy has been blogged, Youtube'd, Instagramed and Pinned (feel free to insert any other social media platform in here too), by what feels like every skincare junky out there, expect for me - until now. 

So incase you are one of those few, rare kind that haven't been hit with the Clarisonic rave review train (I learnt these people do exist after Snapchatting my new purchase to a few friends, who all prompty replied with a confused, suspicious look on their face asking what the bloody hell it was used for), here is the Rosie Recommends take on the Clarisonic. 

What is it? 

Described as an electric tooth brush for your face, the Clarisonic uses sonic micro-massage to cleanse your skin six times better than with your hands alone (that is the claim on the box). The patented technology has been designed to work with the skin's natural elasticity, not against it, which allows your cleanse to penetrate deeper. 

What I particularly like about this, is that you can use your regular cleanser of choice  in-conjunction with the tool, enabling you to get the most out of your favourite products.

Who should use it? 

The Clarisonic has been designed for all skin types, and they do make different brush heads including one for sensitive skin. The company also claim it is gentle enough to use twice a day (I'm going to opt for around three times a week to start with), even on skin affected by skin conditions like rosacea and acne. 

A side note worth noting...

I have done a lot (and I mean, a lot) of research on this product and have come to the understanding that upon initial use the Clarisonic may cause your skin to purge aka breakout like there is no tomorrow. 

If you are thinking of turning away and running in the other direction, halt. 

Basically, when you're cleansing much deeper than your skin is used to, everything that is hiding away under the surface is going to come creeping up, just like it would if you had a facial. I know, I know, not a cute look. But if you can stick this stage out (which I've read isn't that long at all) you are left with glowing, clear skin. Sign me right up!

Where can you buy it? 

I picked mine up from Myer, but there are plenty of online stockists. I recommend shopping around to find the best deal, as these babies aren't cheap. 

How much is it? 

Currently in Australia we have three different options available -

1. Clarisonic Mia RRP $139 - One speed, one year warranty and includes the universal voltage pLink Charger, sensitive brush head and trial size cleanser. 

This is the option I went for, after a lot of umm and ahh-ing. Why? Not just because this was the cheaper option, I didn't think I needed a second speed which is the main difference between the Mia and Mia 2 (below).

2. Clarisonic Mia 2 RRP $175 - Two speeds, two year warranty, one minute pulsing t-timer, and includes the universal voltage pLink Charger, sensitive brush head, trial size cleanser and travel case.

3. Clarisonic Plus RRP $265 - The big mumma of the bunch, this features three speeds, adjustable t-timer, two year warranty and includes the universal voltage pLink Charger, sensitive brush head, body brush head and sample size cleanser and body cleanser. 

So whether you decide to buy a one way ticket to the Clarisonic frenzy land or not, at least you are informed on what this odd looking machine is. I mean, who knows who will be Snapchatting you a pic of their latest purchase next. 

Until next time,

ajarose xo

Want more Rosie Recommends? Check out -
Skincare Sunday - What goes on my face?
Skincare Sunday - How to master the art of a skincare routine
Skincare Tips and Tricks

Don't forget to follow Rosie Recommends on Bloglovin or subscribe by entering your email address on the top righthand side of this page!

Latest Beauty Buys

I recently had a special visit from my two favourite cousins. For five days we ate, drank, walked (a lot) and it is very safe to say, shopped up a storm. 

When I'm involved, a shopping spree isn't complete without a trip to Priceline and (countless) cosmetic counters. So what made it home with me?

1. Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm - My goodness, this is the stuff honey dreams are made of. The smell, the formulation and the fact it does it's job is why this balm is raved about by the masses. 

2. M.A.C Mineralized Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle - This is one of those products that has been on my wishlist for, well as long as I can remember. Used as a highlighter, this has the most perfect pinky golden sheen, making it a beauty blogger fave. My cousin was drooling over this bad boy too, and for good reason, so together we left with one each (feeling very pleased with ourselves, may I add). 

3. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51 - I have previously used (and loved) the original Healthy Mix Foundation but was very intrigued by the gel formulation of this new edition. The coverage is light but definitely build-able and in my opinion, leaves your skin looking like your skin only better (none of that horrible foundation-mask business). With vitamin-rich fruits included in the ingredients like lychee, goji berries and pomegranate this stuff smells unbelievable.

4. Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer in Ivory - This is one of those great products you buy on a whim but fall in love with. I wouldn't use this product to conceal blemishes, as the formulation is designed to illuminate (not a cute look on a pimple), but for under the eyes, this stuff is a drugstore winner. 

RR TIP - Chemist Warehouse has 50% off entire makeup collections like Revlon, Maybelline and also includes Rimmel London until the 26th of September 2013.

5. Maybelline Colour Tattoo Metal Eyeshadow in Barely Branded - Damn was this hard to get my hands on. A part of the new Metal range, this shade is the perfect shimmery champagne base for layering under other eyeshadows, for highlighting in the inner-corner and under your brow bone or all over the lid for those lazy days.

6. Indeed Labs Eysilix Eye Cream - Indeed Labs is a relatively new brand to Australia and is now accessibly stocked in Priceline's around the country. I already own the Hydraluron Serum from Indeed Labs (read my thoughts here), and this was the other product that had caught my eye from the collection so when I saw this on offer with 30% off, straight into my basket it went.

7. Miss Vogue Australia Issue One - Anything with the Vogue stamp of approval has me itching to get my grubby, swatch covered paws all over it, and the newest edition of the V family was no exception. 

I hope you enjoyed a little peak inside my latest beauty buys. Unfortunately, this wasn't everything that was purchased over our girls weekend *thinks about current bank balance and shudders*, but until I post it on here there isn't any evidence and I can stay happily in denial of my beauty-aholism. 

Until next time,

ajarose xo

Want more Rosie Recommends? Check out -

Lancome Show by Alber Elbaz Review
Skincare Sunday - What goes on my face?
Skincare Sunday - How to master the art of a skincare routine
Skincare Tips and Tricks

Don't forget to follow Rosie Recommends on Bloglovin or subscribe by entering your email address on the top righthand side of this page!

A beauty themed Instagram challenge! #supergorgeoussept

You've probably seen those photo-a-day challenges that pop up every few months on Instagram. I've attempted one or two in my instagram life, but never seen it through to the end until (hopefully) this month. 

Instagramer and Beauty Blogger Alice aka Super Gorgeous was clever enough to create her own beauty themed photo challenge, rightly named Super Gorgeous September. 

My cousin Maddy and I have taken up the challenge, we are three days in and so far so good. 

If you are a beauty gal at heart, join us! Repost the photo above and use the hashtag #supergorgeoussept 

Follow me on Instagram: aja_rose 

Follow Maddy on Instagram: madelaine_waters 

Let me know if you take up the challenge so we can follow each others progress! Goodluck! 

Until next time,

ajarose xo