While I’ve been posting about some of my Secrets to Perfect Skin, some of you have asked me to come up with product alternatives that are more suited to a tight budget but still do a great job.  This isn’t always an easy ask as there is just so much on the market that is ‘cheap’; but effective and inexpensive don’t always go hand in hand.  So I’ve been doing a bit of research, using myself as a guinea pig and have found a few simple solutions that are both affordable and give amazing results.

First up the skin care system.  While I’ve been using Sothy’s for a number of years now, it isn’t always an affordable option depending on what else I’ve been doing with my credit card that month. (Damn you Etsy!) One of the things I knew was that finding something that had quality ingredients for a smallish price was not going to be easy. So I took my list of nasty’s and no no’s shopping with me, and spent ages pouring over packaging to make sure that I could narrow the list before subjecting my skin to any distress.

The long and short of all this is a range that gets a tick in every box.  The Trilogy range is a New Zealand based company that uses all natural ingredients and actually has an easily accessible and understandable list of ingredients available on each product. Not hidden away, but even searchable in alphabetical order on their website which impressed me.  First up I had been using their handcream which gave me near miracle results. Smelt great, went in well and had a very soothing, therapeutic effect.  So after reading what was and wasn’t in their products, I decided to give it a trial run while I was on my last trip away.  They happened to have a good special at the time on their travel minis which meant that I could get the whole range that I needed at a fraction of the cost – perfect!

.

The results I got from these products was fantastic.  I’ve been suffering from regular hormonal breakouts along my jaw line which no amount of regular facials was helping. I’d been steaming, cleansing, masking all the usual, but I couldn’t seem to improve it very much.  After a week of using the full system, (cleanser, toner, moisturiser) the bumpy bits were gone.  I should also tell you that while I was testing this skin care I was getting about 4 hours of sleep a night, partying to the wee hours and working all day; so it had a heck of a lot to cope with!

From the research I’ve done on their website, it also appears that none of their products contain parabens either, which is a bonus as I know a number of readers are severely allergic to these too.  The price for each full sized bottle is around the $38 mark, but they also have regular specials. I picked up the whole system at the Myer stock take sales just this last week.  I think my favorite product has to be the spritzing facial toner as it has the most divine scent and is so refreshing. It know it is only psychological, but somehow the spritzing action makes me feel cleaner.

.

The next thing I wanted to address was the whole gentle exfoliation thing I’d been asked about.  Given that every-one’s skin is different and exfoliation is usually something recommended as a weekly activity only, it is hard to give specifically general advice (see what I mean?).  However,  removing all traces of makeup with a washcloth is one way of tackling the daily exfoliation challenge.  It isn’t about a scrub, but just about making sure there is no crap left on your skin and increasing the blood flow to the surface.  And yes, you can use a standard flannel washcloth but I wanted to find something a little bit different that would only be used by me and not end up becoming part of the morning ‘wheat-bix off face removal’ system. (Anyone with kids knows what I’m talking about here).  Here is the super cool and very cute tool I found for just such a task.

.

This is a Jelly Cleansing Puff. Found at a Korean beauty store, I’m sure my Asian based readers will have seen these before, but they certainly aren’t common here in Australia. But they are fantastic!  The texture is actually like squishy, wet but firm jelly, and they can be washed and squeezed out as you go.  It is an almost sponge like texture, but has enough texture to help remove any remaining makeup and if you rub gently on the skin, helps to increase the blood flow without any rough edges or scrubbing. Maybe these are just another gimmick, but they are fun to use and so far after a week of using it, I have seen an improvement to the clarity of my skin.  Have any of you used these before? Do you know anything about them?

The other thing that is huge in Asia right now, but hasn’t made it to mainstream here in Australia, is BB Cream – Blemish Balm Cream.  Basically it is a tinted moisturiser with an SPF, but has much more coverage than any other tinted moisturiser I’ve found to date.  The reason I started using this is that during winter, my skin becomes even paler and I often find that my foundation is just too dark. Even the palest porcelain colours still just don’t work.  But this BB Cream from The Face Shop is EXACTLY the right shade for my skin and gives me amazing coverage!  I use it over my regular daily moisturiser like a foundation, then set it with a clear, loose translucent powder.  It is more dewy than the mineral foundation I’m used to, but can be powdered to a matt finish.   I can’t find this exact cream on their website, but it is in store and comes in at about $52 for the tube.  I’ve been using it solidly for about the last 3 months and haven’t finished it yet.

.

Of course, every time I shop at The Face Shop I pick up a few other nick nacks to try out and this time I picked up their 3/4 lashes to try.  These have fast become my new everyday favorite lashes with a good length, spread and thickness.  They also have a decent width base to apply the glue to.  They are easy to clean and remove the glue from to use over and over again, in fact I’m still on the same pair after five weeks. Which at approximately $4 a pair makes these crackingly good value!

.

So there you go my friends, affordable, effective alternatives for creating a simply beautiful face!

Okay, maybe spark plugs are not what I can help you with, but the question remains; are you ready for Winter?  At the beginning of each new season, the magazines are full of tips of which boot / glove/ dress you need to survive the season. But one of the things I almost never read about is how to make the most of the wardrobe you have from last year!  So instead of giving you a bunch of advice on how to spend your money, today I’m looking at some of the key ways to ready your wardrobe for winter without spending a cent.

Autumn is the perfect time to start preparing and planning for the cold rainy days ahead. We get the odd cold day, but there is still enough sun to fool us into thinking that winter is still far away – until we’re caught out.

1. Boots & Shoes

If you’ve bought well in previous seasons you should already have at least one decent pair of winter shoes. Now is the time to make sure that they are up to another round of keeping you dry warm and stylish.

Check each pair for strained seams, check the soles for wear and check the join where the upper meets the lower.  If any of these areas is looking worse for wear make sure to take them to your nearest cobbler and have the small inexpensive repairs done. A little bit of sealant may mean the difference between wet or dry.

If the soles are worn or just looking a bit slick, have them replaced with a textured rubber to stop the potential for bruised butts and egos!

The upper should always be polished or nourished, depending on the finish.  Rather than carrying loads of different coloured polishes, I rely on “Zanolin”. It is a clear leather moisturizer that you can use on shoes, bags, seats etc.. It is one of my secret weapons in bringing vintage pieces back to life and will give your shoes a new suppleness and glow.

2. Woolens

At the end of last summer you should have washed and packed away your woolens, giving yourself more wardrobe space and protecting them from moths.  Now is the time, while we still have a few warm days, to get them out and get them freshly washed.  Use an eco friendly, eucalyptus bashed wool wash  or alternatively if you don’t have that on hand, a gentle shampoo with a few drops of eucalyptus oil will do the trick.  Make sure that you always hand wash woolens (even if they are acrylic I still recommend it), squeezing as much water you can from them, then drying flat on white towels to help them keep their shape.

Once they are washed and ready, check each one over for any repairs by holding them up in the sun and looking for holes that aren’t a part of the knit.  If you don’t know how to darn, now is the time to learn.  It may look or sound complicated, but it is quick, easy and can save you a small fortune.

Image by Yecatsml via Flickr

3. Gloves.

These guys take a beating each season, yet are so often forgotten when it comes to maintenance. Just like your sweaters, knitted gloves should be hand washed and repaired where needed.  But knitted gloves are also a quick and easy piece to fancy up with whatever your current obsession is.  All you need is a wool needle, things like beads, coloured wool or felt to sew on your own embellishments that are easily changed and removed with each year.

Leather gloves shouldn’t be washed but conditioned with “Zanolin”. Because these gloves are often lined, humidity can be a problem in keeping them fresh and clean.  I save those little packets of Silica that come in lots of products and keep them in the fingers when I store them.  If they get wet, dry the outsides then turn them inside out to air dry, but NEVER put them in front of a heat source or they’ll dry out and crack up.

4. Bags.

You don’t need the latest IT bag each winter,all you really need is a little care, attention and creativity. As far as care goes, the same advice applies here to leather bags as it does to shoes. Check seams, linings, hardware and leather condition.  Cobblers can also fix seams, hardware and split zippers on these.  When it comes to looks you can quickly change the look of your bag depending out your outfit. One of the things I like to do is to use big square head scarves looped and tied around the handle, choosing the scarf to match the outfit.  Then you’ll also have it on hand for rain, wind or any other of winter’s natural hair enemies.

The other one is using key chain clips. There are loads of commerically available charms, but I like to make my own; cannibalising old jewelery, kids toys or even bits of fabric to make over sized bows.

5. Create a uniform.

Now that you’ve made sure that all the critical winter pieces are in good working order, the other thing you’ll need to get you through the season is a uniform. A go to outfit that you can pull on in the dark, in a hurry or when getting dressed is an Everest of a task.  What your uniform is will depend entirely on your own style, but whatever it is make it easy.

The trick is to pull together pieces that are basic, simple, comfortable but in luxe fabrics that can be dressed up quickly with good accessories.  For me, my go to outfit is a long black cashmere dress. It wasn’t cheap, but it was a great investment. I’ve been wearing it each winter for the last six years and it never fails to impress. It feels like wearing pajamas, but throw on some sparkly earrings and you can head out to dinner.  A long, soft scarf and some boots, and it becomes perfect for the school run.

Your uniform should consist of as few actual clothing pieces as possible, relying on accessories to change it up. Choosing neutral colours is the obvious way to go, but you could always go with something like a dark plum in place of black, even chocolate or navy.

Think differently this Winter and rediscover the hidden potential in your wardrobe.

Remember, style isn’t about what you spend but how you wear it!

Travel can be a tricky business. I’m not just talking about the different time zones, the bad airplane food or the stinky feet of the passenger next to you!

I am asked several times a week about how I travel and what my tricks are for being practical, prepared and glam.  And what better time to share them with you than right now as  I start the count down to the APAC Blog Awards in Singapore. (Please vote for me!)

So pay attention class, today we look at the “Don’t Leave Home Without Me’s” and next week… Travel Fashion for the Fancy!

What you pack your things in is almost as important as what you pack.  God forbid you should be seen schleping an over stuffed, woven $2 shop bag with a broken zipper onto the plane. The less you have to carry the better for both your back and your look – so pare it down and choose wisely. When choosing a suitcase I ideally look for a hard case, even though these are limited in their capacity for expansion. I would rather arrive without fragile items crushed and have a safe space for all the knick knacks I bring back. Most importantly, your suitcase should have 4 rotating wheels! I cannot tell you what a life saver this invention is. After rolling around a 2 wheeled, 40 kilo suitcase in Tokyo during a rainstorm at 10pm at night, I vowed my next one would have 4 wheels. Whilst I tripped and struggled to negotiate the curbs and pavement, the local travelers smoothly went about their journey without loosing their knee caps to a misbehaving case.

Ensure you pack an equally beautiful tote bag that can be rolled up into a ‘next to nothing’ size.  Don’t fill it with things on your departure as this is your secret weapon for the exploding luggage syndrome at the other end of your trip. Down scale your makeup bag and brushes. Decide on the look you want before you go, and pack only the makeup needed to create that, not your entire case. Warning – don’t pack liquid eyeliner pens – they leak at high altitude and will fill your case with ink for a nasty surprise on arrival! You are better to pack either a cake eyeliner or a paint style of eyeliner. (I’m personally not a fan of pencils).

If you have the luxury to be able to buy all your luggage at once, pick a theme and stick to it. If you can’t, then customize what you already have and be creative.  At the very least, attach matching bows of fabric onto all the luggage you are planning to check so you can identify it quickly on the carousel.

How do the Star’s travel? Well is certainly isn’t without dark glasses! If I had to leave in a huge rush and not even pack, I still wouldn’t leave without these. My Passport in an entirely fabulous passport wallet. You need to both protect it and find it in a hurry. CASH! You’d think this would be self explanatory, but in the day and age of plastic, it is amazing how many people get caught out without the cash they need. NEVER assume that your destination will accept plastic, as there are many countries in which it can be very difficult to find an ATM and where cash is really the only acceptable form of currency.  But please, don’t take a money belt. It’s like painting a great big target on your forehead that says, “I’m a novice, please mug me!” If you’re worried, best to stuff it in your bra – seriously – just lie it flat and place it in the underside. Nobody likes crinkly tits!

iPhone / Blackberry / or whatever you choice of phone, camera and music all in one. Yes, you can listen to music once the plane has taken off, just make sure you are always set to flight mode. Last but not least on this list – My MAC Russian Red.  Generally, unless it is a very short flight, I don’t travel in makeup. Arriving with smudged eyeliner and skin that looks like the Gobi Desert is not my idea of chic. I travel fresh faced and take along a bottle of aromatherapy water for light spritzes. It doesn’t need to be expensive and I make my own with filtered water and lavender oil.  This way, when I arrive at my destination all I need is my big dark glasses and my trusty Russian Red – Instant Glamour!

What you take on your flight is VERY VERY important! You want to be prepared for the restless babies, the bad movies, the dry air and germ laden environment. A good nourishing lip balm is critical to maintain a soft, subtle pout in the coming days. Don’t bother with tints and flavours, just go for the most nourishing formula you can find. I’m a huge fan of the balm from L’Occitane, the hemp balm from Body Shop and also Paw Paw ointment. They all do a stellar job. Pack some pain killers but BEWARE of drug restrictions in the country you are headed to. Something as simple as Codine may be a restricted substance where you are headed and you don’t want to be cavity searched on arrival! Speaking on which, always travel in pretty but comfortable knickers – you never know when they may be on show.

Protect your hands. Carry both hand sanitizing wipes and a good hand lotion. The wipes won’t just be for your hands, but any suspect surface, you don’t want to be relying on paper napkins in the war against germs. I also carry a face mask in my bag.  It may seem a little extreme, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people travel when they are ill. In the event that I’m sitting next to someone who feels inclined to sniff, sneeze and generally inflict their ills on the surrounding passengers; I resort to my mask. Not only is it a good form of protection, but an excellent passive aggressive way of saying ” Stop sniffing on me you snot factory!”

An eye mask is a no brainer, but many people forget the earplugs.  Make sure you get some small, mouldable plugs and you’re on your way to a good nights sleep, if not a good old cat nap.  My other super trick is the headphones. I bring my own large, ear muff style, headphones and headphone jack adapter.  It means I’m not at the mercy of the audio provided by the airline, but even better is…the noise canceling technology! If you have trouble sleeping with the drone of the engine or the poor baby three rows back screaming his head off; these are a godsend. You can choose to double up and wear your earplugs inside the ear muffs, then you’ll experience a sleep serenity only previously available in pill form.

And there you have it!

Now I’ve gotten you there in style, stay tuned next week to find out How to Pack and What To Wear!

Finally, phase one of the Great Wardrobe Project is complete! Not for lack of trying, but other pressing matters keep pushing this project to the bottom of the list.  Well, that was until I decided to take a total ‘time out’ on my weekend, not leave the house even once, employing my mini troops in the battle against chaos. Occupying children when you have every piece of clothing and accessories you own scattered around, can be a little tricky. So I armed them with swimming goggles, spray bottles (of water), dusting cloths, cameras and clip on earrings! Rather than tackling the Everest that is all my clothes (that is costumes, collection etc..) I stuck to only the current day to day wardrobe.  With vacuum in hand, plenty of boxes, tape, surface spray for warding off any critters;  we set to work.

Taking everything out of the wardrobe is the best time to check for any creepy crawlies, give it a thorough vacuum, wipe down and take measures to protect your threads until next time.  And while you have everything out, check its condition – holes, buttons, seams, threads, cleanliness. Only the pressed and perfect go back in, and I keep a clothing rail in my studio for all the fixer-upers.

Maximise your space with clever thinking. All my long necklaces and belts are housed on tie racks at either end of the wardrobe, making use of the depth of the wall rather than more horizontal space. All the larger, soft handbags and totes go into a big plastic storage container with pictures at the front. Each bag is in its own dust cover inside and these are rotated out seasonally. I don’t like to keep things in plastic as a rule, as plastic gives off fumes that aren’t great for textiles.  But this container has a front opening door that allows me to reach inside and pull out what I want without taking the whole box down.

Special occasion hats are all in various hat boxes, with those I use most frequently, able to be grabbed at a moments notice. I love to colour block my clothes, but the various lengths and space restrictions make this tricky.  So they are blocked by colour and length to allow for more shoe storage and drawers under the shorter garments.

Of course, there is never enough room to house ALL the shoes, so those not worn quite as regularly as housed in boxes with their photos on the front. An old trick, but a good one, as even though you can now buy those see through plastic boxes, I resent paying for something that comes with the shoes already and is better for the environment and the longevity of my shoes than yet more plastic in the closet.

My dressing table houses the majority of my accessories, and as you well know, accessories are one of those things you really need to be able to see at all times or you totally forget what you have.  So I make good use of all the drawers, using yet more old boxes to help separate and store things so they don’t become damaged and jumbled. Even the scarves are folded and stacked so I can see the ’spines’ of each of them to help identify them quickly.

And as for all the hair & makeup stuff… how do you tame that beast? With the help of fishing boxes from the hardware store, makeup cases, and lots of hooks.  Also, having a handy MR. SKM around to get the shelf on the wall was rather critical to the success of this one too!

If all else fails and you know like me, that your wardrobe has to extend into the rest of your house just to find homes – get creative.

China cabinets need not just be for nana nick nacks, they are the perfect place to do a bit of visual merchandising with your favorite handbags, hats and small plastic friends!

…… and Done!

If you’ve got any other great wardrobe organisation tips – share them with us in the comments.

I am excited! For too long have we put up with the fickle nature of Google Ads.  The Russian brides and Viagra. It is about time that someone fixed this mess and gave us a way to advertise on our blogs that not only paid us more than a packet of two minute noodles, but made it FUN as well!  Enter Nuffnang – Australia’s first blog advertising community.

I came across these guys about six weeks ago in my great advertising platform trial.  As you may have noticed, I have been trialing the best way to have advertising on this blog that is both helpful, complimentary to my topics and doesn’t completely piss you off!  For a long time I resisted having advertising at all, but the more my in box filled with requests and the more time I spent on this blogging lark, I realised two things. One – there are a lot of businesses that need my (and I would like to ) support.  Two- This much time creating a quality blog doesn’t pay for itself! And so I set about finding the best way to keep everyone happy.

After trialing a Nuffnang space for a month I learnt that not only were they hooked in with good quality advertisers, but they were much more than just another ad box space.  They are a community.  A place for bloggers to connect, get tips, tricks and tools; no matter what your blog topic of choice is, there is a place for you at Nuffnang.  The question is why am I now sounding so evangelical about the whole thing? After meeting with their team in person at their Melbourne offices I got so excited about what they are trying to achieve for us bloggers, that I couldn’t help but get involved. So here I am to introduce you to their new community manager – Me!

Yet another excuse for me to validate all my time online, it seems to be a great match so far. Basically I get to spend time talking to loads of lovely bloggers, finding out what they want, making up great competitions and prizes, then meeting you all at different functions and events. Sounds good? It is.  And the best part for me is that it works in so perfectly with what I’m doing here on the blog that it will allow me to continue bringing you more of what you love, which according to the poll I have been running in the space, is more Vintage Tips and Tricks and Daily Outfits!

And there you have it. Now you can hook up with me at Nuffnang too and get something back for all that great blogging you do!