The Ultimate Lip Balm

By Tammi Ireland

Flying, changes in the weather, kissing, air-conditioning.  What do all these things have in common?  Creating chapped lips, unfortunately.  But now the ultimate weapon in lip hydration has arrived – Burt’s Bees Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm (RRP $6.95).

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I’ve tried many, many lip balms over the years, each promising better results than the last.  Finally I feel I’ve found the Holy Grail of lip conditioning, and it’s less than 10 bucks AND all-natural!

The Burt’s Bees Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm goes on smooth, with one application lasting over two hours before I feel the need to reapply.

The star ingredient, Kokum Butter, is rich in essential fatty acids to help aid cell oxygenation, which ensures nutrients are readily available for skin tissue to absorb.  It also boosts Vitamin E to give an instant injection of moisture.

Shea and Cocoa Butters also feature – and we know they’re great for moisture – as is Marula Oil, which naturally revitalises and moistens lips.

This spiffy little lip balm is available from most Burt’s Bees retailers, including David Jones, Myer and Priceline.  Stock up!

 

‘The Beauty Night’ and why you must schedule one

By Tammi Ireland

Ladies, you have to agree with me there is nothing better than feeling sexy, confident and beautiful – just for you.  But how do you get that way if you’ve worked three different deadlines in a row, felt sick from lunch and been told some horrible news?  You schedule it!  Just like your dentist appointment or meeting your superiors, this is important, too.  Once a week is all I ask, and I’ll explain why it’s so great right now…

Tonight was my ‘Beauty Night’.  I try to schedule one a week or – failing that – one a fortnight.  On ‘Beauty Night’ everything gets done. And I mean everything.  Here’s my ‘To Do’ list…

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Obviously there’s no way I could (nor should) do all these on a daily basis, so scheduling one night a week to check everything off the list is not only a great idea, but also something to look forward to.  Because you feel AMAZING afterwards.

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It’s all in the products you use – ‘Beauty Night’ is not the night to skimp on products. On ‘Beauty Night’ it’s the best of the best.  Here are my must haves, working down the ‘To Do’ list:

Beauty Q&A: Fiona Hay, celebrity manicurist

Fiona Hay, celebrity manicurist and ORLY Creative Director

 

Beauty routine (day):

I start my day by cleansing with Malin + Goetz Grapefruit cleanser, Ageproof CoQ10 serum by Trilogy, Vital Moisturising Cream by Trilogy, To Save Face 30+ by Mecca Cosmetica.

Beauty routine (night):

Cleanse with Malin + Goetz Grapefruit cleanser, exfoliate twice a week with Microdermabrasion in a jar by Dr Brandt, Ageproof CoQ10 serum by Trilogy, Ageproof Replenishing Night Cream by Trilogy.

Think Safe, Work Safe

As a journalist, I can find myself running out of the office and chasing up stories before I have a chance to stop and think about the consequences… to my skin.  For that very reason, I am loving the 50mL, purse-sized Clinique SPF 30 Face Cream with SolarSmart.  Whenever I know I’m off to a job, I slather it on my face, neck and ears because I always have it handy!

My Lip Saviour!

This past winter was horrible for my lips. Just as I rekindled my love affair with lipstick and loved my boyfriend through kisses, my lips became more and more chapped. Yucky (not to mention the occasional ‘ouch’)!  I tried every lip protectant and lip balm on the block to try and smooth my lips and prime them for a summer of poppin’ lipstick shades.  Nothing worked until Burt’s Bees sent me the amazing new Mango Butter and Acai Berry lip balm flavours!

Lily Donaldson rocking the lipstick shade of the season during NYFW.

Simon Says, Do What This Post Says

Okay guys, I know you all wander over to the blog for tips and tricks, how to’s, product reviews, comps and more, and sometimes it can seem a bit daunting to you.  I mean, you’re being inundated with all this information about what to put on your skin/hair/eyes that it can be overwhelming (you should see my storage cupboards!).  So for this post I’m going to make it a bit easier for you.  This is a product review and tips post.  It’s also a must read!  If you choose to only read one post on CC (although that would be seriously detrimental to your beauty wellbeing), this is The One.

I’d like to talk about morning rituals.  What do you do when you wake up in the morning?  I stretch, check my emails and Twitter ( I can hear you groaning, J) and then hop in the shower.  Here’s where the skin ritual begins and it goes a little something like this:

Exfoliate with a mit.

Cleanse face.

- hops out of shower and towel dries –

Revitalise your Talons!

Sometime after O.P.I nail polish and I were introduced (nowadays, we do everything together) I made the decision to stop biting my nails.  Seeking redemption and putting the past behind me was however, no mean feat.  As anybody guilty of nail biting will tell you, even short periods of abuse will leave your nails weak, flaky and prone to splitting.

It was at my lowest point; after my manicure didn’t even last the night that I decided to seek solace in the bottle.  A 30 mL bottle of Dr LeWinn’s Revitanail Nail Strengthener, that is.

Product of the Day!

A few people have come to me to confess something I find almost astonishing.  They lean in close and whisper, ‘it’s winter T, so no, I don’t exfoliate or shave my legs until I have to show them again’.  Phwat?  But what about when you go to the gym?  Or when you engage in hanky panky?  Or just for feeling nice?

Then I thought, maybe they don’t exfoliate because they’re not having fun doing it.  The most fun I have in the shower (sometimes) comes from turning the water up hot, hot, hot in winter and slothing away all that dead skin for a new, shiny layer.  Where I run into problems is when I have to hop out of the shower and put the cold moisturiser on my body.  Brrrr….

BALL & FORMAL SPECIAL!

You’ll want to bookmark this post.  You see, it contains everything you need to know for that next huge, glamourous event in your life.  School formal?  Charity ball?  Wedding?  The tips, tricks, product reviews and industry insider goss you read on this here post will be all you’ll need to look fabulous.  Trust me!

Hair

There are three ways you can go with your hair for a formal occasion.  You can choose to go trendy, opt for a casual look and let your dress shine, or go all out and make it a formal up-do.  It does depend on the event as to which type of hair style you use, however we’ve gone and selected the best of the three and we’ll tell you how to do them, too.  (Lucky you!)

Trendy: It’s all about Alexander Wang’s side plait.  Imagine this, will you?  You’re in a long, slinky black gown. Your makeup and skin is golden and just dark enough to come across mysterious, yet fun.  Your shoes are sky-high and you’re feeling a million bucks.  But so is every other girl at this thing, because that outfit I just described can often be ‘cookie-cutter’ (read: everyone does it).  Set yourself apart from the pack with a fashion-forward hair do:

Tip: Cure Chapped Lips

Chapped lips can be caused by a whole multitude of things – cold weather, dry weather, too much licking, too much kissing, UV damage… the list goes on.  Luckily, there is a method you can precisely follow so you don’t have to give up pashing during the colder months.