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So living in North Queensland has its perks, but when it's about the sun, that's the most important topic on my agenda that to me is not a perk. We have the most highest index even on a cloudy day! My daughter is 14 now but was diagnosed with Porphyria when she was 9 years old. Google it and see what its all about but to cut a long story short, it's not good - she cannot go in the sun, sit close to a tv, laptop, mobile, anything that emits blue light, which the sun gives off too, no uva or uvb contact. She cannot go to school so is home-schooled via distance education. Ever since she was little it has been a challenge in finding a sunscreen that didn't burn or cause more severe reactions. With this condition it seems that the zinc based sunscreens are most successful even if only for a minute running to the car. I jump at all chances to trial sunscreens in order to not only find a successful sunscreen for my daughter but for everyone's ideal protection from the sun. I have this in my genetics also and never go in the sun so I have also been trialing this along with my daughter. We love the ease of rolling on the product then rubbing it into the skin with no harsh white effect and doesn't feel heavy like many sunscreens do. The scent is a typical sunscreen scent to me even though it claims to be fragrance free but its not too bad. The protection factor of a 50 is superb and contains minerals to protect the skin from the harshness of uva, uvb. Perfect to apply under makeup too. The convenience of this little roll-on is perfect for the handbag, beach bag, gym bag, camping, play groups. You don't have to have sensitive skin or be a kid to use this sunscreen as it is perfect for everyone. For those who love the outdoors make sure to apply 20 minutes before going into the sun and if swimming make sure to always reapply. Now, more than ever is so important to educate on sun safety so that our future generations have all they need to live lives where sun cancer is not even an issue. I would love to see that day. Slip, Slop, Slap is extremely important.

Thanks so much for this trial BH. A year ago my daughter was diagnosed with porphyria (vampires disease). She cannot go in the sun at all, every time she has an episode she screams in pain and the feeling is like battery acid has been thrown on her. She cannot even go to school, sometimes for at least a week until her symptoms subside. I have it also but not like her. We always wear long sleeved shirts, large brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen wherever we go, so to trial this new sunscreen was absolutely imperative. Nivea has been a favourite sunscreen brand of mine for a long time now so I was excited to find out that they had a new formula for sensitive skin with a high spf factor. This sunscreen lotion is not too heavy but it’s not totally light either. Definitely has the sunscreen scent but not too overpowering. With this sunscreen I find that it is best for application on the body....when it gets in your eyes it can be very painful indeed. The bottle is a decent size of 200ml and as we go through quite a bit each day, this is important. We don’t allow any sunburn to happen in our family so we didn’t get to experience a soothing or calming effect and also didn’t experience any sensitivity toward the formula. On application, the formula is hydrating, nourishing and it’s such a bonus that it is fragrance free also. I’m all for protecting against ageing and living in North Queensland, the high uv index from the sun is the number 1 skin ager. Great work Nivea and thank you.

Foundation is an integral part of my beauty regime. I am always on the lookout for a foundation that makes me feel confident. Well, on my first day of the Maybelline Dream Satin trial I was given the best compliment I have ever received. I was asked who does my facial treatments! Obviously this foundation was doing great things to my complexion. I have dry skin and also in need of much hydration so I was super excited that this “dream” foundation contained hyaluronic acid, an ingredient I’m always incorporating in my skin care. From the first time use I was impressed by how creamy yet blendable and even this foundation smoothed out to cover my pigmentation and imperfections with ease. I chose one of the lightest shades for my pale skin in Natural Ivory which was still slightly dark but I could get away with it. I usually have this issue with Maybelline shades. There is a bit of spf in this but definitely apply your own spf underneath as an SPF of 13 is not good at all to be protected. With application of this foundation I tried with my fingers, with a brush and a damp beauty blender and the best application I found was with the damp beauty blender...simply flawless. A little goes a long way too and the glass bottle with its pump dispense is very easy to use. This is a type of matte finish but not overly as I avoid matte foundations always because I would look like a prune. There is still a luminosity with being a satin finish, not too wet and not too dry on the skin. This finish gives an airbrushed and poreless effect hence achieving a dream skin and best of all it suits all skin types, even oily skin and sensitive skin conditions, it’s very comfortable, I have a sensitive skin also. I’m very impressed with this foundation and excited to use this every day especially if a compliment given can be then reciprocated to others to achieve a “dream” skin that I have had the opportunity to experience.

Having only used this for 2 weeks I can tell you that my skin feels more firm, my lines have become less prominent and my skin has become smoother visibly and to the touch. Being a treatment serum that packs a good punch in ingredients, I found that during the day the formula felt so light and comfortable that I didn’t feel my skin needed anything else but as the weather is beginning to become cooler a little more moisture addition was necessary. Such a special little mint coloured box that this serum is packaged in along with the silver packaging of the serum itself, so Estee lauder, so divine – the lid has a slight lilac hue to it though. There is a pamphlet with instructions and extra ingredient information inside the box but it’s so small I don’t bother but on the outside of the box and on the serum itself is extra information that is good enough for me to comprehend. The words “collagen” and “elastin” had me instantly excited as my skin is at that stage where these are depleting and I need to build them back up. Along with hydration and exfoliation I knew my skin was going to get the best care. The formula is of a beautiful gel-like serum with a pretty creamy, peach illumination to it that smells slightly floral and subtle at that. The formula sinks in right away and is ready for the addition of a day cream or night cream. Only 2 pumps of the product is necessary morning and night as any more would be such a waste as it’s enough for even the neck and décolletage. I am a big advocate when it comes to sun protection and it is very important that you apply sunscreen every day and the week after completing this treatment due to the AHA’s that resurface the skin’s texture. In such a short amount of time using this product, I can say I am very satisfied with what my skin is achieving. Thank you Beautyheaven and Estee lauder, I’m loving this so much.

For those of you who don’t get to the salon too often or haven’t coloured their hair in time for an event, this is the most brilliant invention yet to cover unsightly greys. I love this spray so much so that I always have a spare tin in my cupboard (I despise colouring my hair at the best of times) for those desperate moments. This tin contains all the power in my world, instantly giving me confidence in knowing my greys aren’t on show. This beaut tin is small enough to carry in your handbag or overnight bag for instant touch-ups. I use this before I go out or if I have guests coming over, it’s just so easy and convenient. Make sure to hold the tin 10 cm away from the desired area to spray as if you aim too close the colour goes everywhere, like all over the forehead and it’s then not too fun to get off especially if you have completed your makeup and your hair colour is black! When applying to the hairline I use a piece of cardboard so that the colour doesn’t go all over my face and goes directly to the greys I wish to colour. There isn’t much scent to the product as all it’s doing is covering greys and nothing else so don’t expect a pretty scent. I have never had a reaction to this spray and I find it very gentle on the roots and is cooling. The only negative aspects of this product is that the hair feels very matte and dirty once you have sprayed it, if you get caught in the rain it will wash out everywhere on your clothes as this has happened to me and that it washes out with every wash, obviously. It is solely for root touch up and is not permanent nor is it a hair colour. Keep this root concealer spray in your cupboard or bag and you will feel so much better if you can’t get to the salon, it’s incredible.

I have used this hair colour many years ago now and I still rave over how good it truly is. From the easy application and no ammonia smell, to the vibrant and long lasting results, I am a big fan. I have strong grey regrowth and most hair colours don’t cover too well when it comes to greys. So this is really important to me when colouring my hair. As soon as the colour began to develop on my regrowth I noticed how dark and intense of a black it was and I loved it. Another brilliant trait of Olia is the intense shine which lasts for weeks on end even when not using the nourishing conditioner that accompanies the hair colour. Though I do have to say that the conditioning treatment is absolutely beautiful not only for the gorgeous scent but for keeping my colour vibrant and lasting longer. I colour my hair myself and I try so hard not to stain my skin and the bathroom sink, but every time it happens. The pigment is quite intense so be careful around anything white! The box does come with a push out circle to place the bottle in making it very convenient and less messy. Also, I try not to wash my hair too much after I colour it as the colour seems to keep washing out every time I do and I want it to last as long as it can, so dry shampoo has been my friend. Thanks Garnier and Beautyheaven for giving me the opportunity to be true to a brilliant hair colour.

A surprise sampling of these capsules was such a wonderful addition to my recent Beautorium haul. The cylinder of 7 precious golden capsules of youth were so exciting to have in my beauty regime. Anything that claims to help restore youth is what I look for these days in skincare. The gold capsule of serum was easy to open but was a little slippery when trying to get all of the product out…didn’t want to waste this precious serum. I didn’t find there to be much of a scent and I do like a scent to a serum but it was still lovely. There was no need for me to apply an additional moisturiser over this serum as I felt it was enough for my skin to handle. Each morning on waking up my skin felt so soft and smooth and I could still feel that even after washing my face. After only 7 days I could see that the texture of my skin was more firm and less lined and felt firm as well. These gold capsules were part of my nightly skincare as I found that each single capsule was capable of nourishing my face, neck, décolletage to the point that there was just so much it took quite a while to penetrate the skin. I felt like my night ritual was precious and most important for my skin to repair itself and be really nourished. If I could afford the 60 capsules for $130 I would definitely continue with them but at this moment I just have to be grateful I was able to try such a luxurious serum. Thank you Beautyheaven for a little taste of luxury.

I can’t get enough of hand creams. Hand creams are very important to me as I suffer with extremely dry hands (especially in winter) to the point of bleeding. Being always on the look-out for a good hand cream is a major deal in my life. I was very fortunate to receive this purse-size tube of hand cream from Beautyheaven’s recent Beautorium event and I thank them so much for this gift…a gift that gave me back my hands. The gel-like formula is thick and creamy, instantly smells of almond (the scent is nice to me) and is very nourishing from the first use. A little of this does go a long way and I savoured every bit of it, I really loved it. Even though it is thick, once rubbed into the hands it leaves a light feeling of a barrier cream in which you can still feel a slight film even after washing hands but it doesn't feel slippery. I like this for me as my hands are always in water, I like to garden and it just keeps on nourishing throughout the day. At night time I like to slather on a bit more so that my hands get a really good night time nourishment and by morning my hands feel soft and silky and not dry. The hands are one of the first things people notice and I don’t want to be remembered for my witch hands! This will be a hand cream to remember for preventing that. Thanks Beautyheaven

What is more exciting than being on a hair colour trial? Nothing. When your hair ends up looking and feeling so beautiful, nothing is more exciting. When the trial product arrived in the mail, it was not alone. Along with it was a product that would keep that gorgeous colour in for longer and keep the hair continuously healthy. Garnier products have a beautiful, fruity scent and on opening the trial parcel, the scent was so Garnier! The delightful green packaging of the hair colour had me so excited as I have used this product before in my younger years when I started to see greys. On using hair colours, all companies recommend you do an allergy test first but as I have used every hair colour under the sun I will honestly tell you, I did not do this. I am no stranger to hair colours and I have never had a reaction to any permanent hair colour ever before so I was not going to waste any of my time looking the way I did with my regrowth looking so evident and my overall colour looking so faded.
The products within the box of hair colour are labelled very well and are so easy to mix. The tube of colour which will have your chosen colour number is on the front of the tube and this is to be squeezed into the Developer Crème. Make sure to take the grey ring from the tube to allow for the screw cap to pierce inside of the tube to allow the colour to come out. Then squeeze the contents of the tube into the developer, replace the developer lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Snap off the plastic bit on top of the developer bottle. I applied colour to all of my regrowth first and allowed that to do its magic for 25 minutes as I have resistant hair. After that I applied what I had left to the rest of my hair and left on for another 10 minutes. If your hair is past your shoulders make sure to have 2 boxes to begin with and if you have really long hair, you’d need 3. Compared to other permanent colours I have used, this doesn’t go as far. Another convenient addition to the packaging is the cut-out hole on the back of the box that allows you to place the developer bottle into it when you need somewhere to place it without making a mess. Pretty smart!
The whole colouring process is not unpleasant, the product feels very comfortable, no itching, no redness and no unpleasant scent at all. I did this process on my own and I did make a huge mess (black is the worst for stains of course!) but make sure to wipe away straight away or you will have stains for days and not just on your skin (bathroom walls, floor etc) and you will have to wear a scarf until it wears off!
The most exciting step in hair colouring is of course, the nourishing conditioner. So after time is up, with gloves on, I put my head under the tap, using warm water to emulsify and rinse the colour out until the water runs clear. With a generous amount of this glorious crème conditioner I massage my head then allow the crème to do its magic for at least 3 minutes. The tube of crème does go a long way so it will give you 2 more uses, in which I do once weekly like a hair mask.
I always allow my hair to dry naturally (you can blow dry of course) and within no time at all I have beautiful, glossy, soft raven locks that smell out of this world! I want this feeling to last forever. Thanks Garnier and Beautyheaven you have made me feel confident and beautiful!

Thanks to Beautyheaven and Schwarzkopf, I was able to be on the trial team for this new, innovative Omegaplex infused technology, repairing conditioner that would give my hair new life. The sleek purple, flip-top bottle of generous size is filled with a white, creamy and silky smooth formula that is scented with a sweet, floral-like perfume, which is not as strongly scented as the shampoo. The beautiful scent will have everyone asking what perfume you are wearing! My hair type is normal/dry and coloured and just past shoulder length and this conditioner really gave my hair that much needed infusion of moisture. Along with the shampoo and the added benefits of strengthening and repairing of the hair’s structure, my hair feels and looks incredibly healthy and soft, really smooth (no frizzies here), much more manageable and the glossiness that the conditioner presents is so impressive that I love wearing my hair out more often. You only need to use a small quantity of this conditioner to allow the benefits to penetrate every strand and make sure to leave it on for at least a few minutes to really do its thing. Even if you don’t style or colour your hair this conditioner is beneficial for all as my young daughter found out after just one wash…the shine, softness, smoothness was very evident. After only trialling this conditioner for only a week and with my hair benefiting as much as it has, imagine what this range can do long-term in protecting and repairing along with the benefits of the shampoo. My results have been really something special so I’m going to see it through. Why not give this a try and see what I mean.