Last minute gift ideas from The Body Shop

Tutti Fruity Bon Bon in Japanese Cherry Blossom

Japanese Cherry Blossom Bon Bon, $12.95 AUS

A stocking wouldn't be complete without this sugary sweet cherry blossom scented shower bomb!

Body Polish in Vanilla Bliss, Cranberry Joy & Ginger Sparkle

Body Polish, $20.95 AUS / $19.00 USD

Heighten the shower experience with seasonal scrubs available in three heavenly scents.

The gift will keep giving in the form of smoother skin all year 'round.

Body Butter in Vanilla Bliss, Cranberry Joy & Ginger Sparkle

Body Butter, $27.95 AUS / $19.00 $8.00 USD -- it's the deal of the day in the States!

During the Winter and even Summer months we could all use soft skin that smells good to boot.

Book of Coconut

Book of... Shea, Chocolate & Strawberry too! $49.95 AUS (Coconut's sold out online)

For the baker/fruit lover in your life.

Comes with a complimentary recipe on the inside cover as well :)

*PR sample provided –  Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

The guinea pig diaries: Philips' Lumea IPL Hair Removal System - fighting hair regrowth one pulse at a time

A few months ago I started using Philips' Lumea IPL* to help combat hair regrowth on my legs. I've tried shaving and waxing, but let's face it any method of hair removal requires patience and time. And more often than not I leave myself with very little time in the morning to get ready, let alone shave. And my patience, well you'll have to ask Scott about that ;)

Aside from committing myself to trying a new device, I also have to believe in the potential positive results. Every two weeks (well, four in my case) I sit down on the couch and reach for my fully-charged Lumea. Before firing the device, be sure to hand your loved one sunglasses; we wouldn't want to blind them, do we now?

I bet you're wondering about the benefits, timeliness and ease of use. After shaving, but before moisturising is the best time to use the Lumea; it's important to note your moisturiser can act as a barrier and reduce the effectiveness of the device. And the manual, read it -- it's useful and addresses who can and can't use it; women or men with auto-immune diseases and skin sensitivities should give the Lumea a miss. Also take a look at the back of the box, there's a table which helps you asses your skin and hair type -- if you're a match, then live long and prosper! Erm, go for it!

Once you've gone through the important stuff and read the fine print, it's time to point and shoot. So where do we go from here?

• Test an inconspicuous spot to see which level of light intensity you can handle; ranges from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest).
• Shave desired areas you wish to treat.
• Turn on your Lumea IPL and switch it to the appropriate level of intensity.
• Press the head of the gun firmly onto skin until the "Ready" indicator turns green, shoot, slide device to a new area and repeat.
• If you want to use the Lumea on your face or underarms, simply switch to the smaller interchangeable head.

Philips Lumea IPL

Flashes green when ready

The perks of using Philips' Lumea IPL:

• I'm down to shaving my legs twice a week.
• My hair has stopped growing in some spots on my legs and in other areas is coming in blonde/fine.
• Fast and easy to use! I can finish one leg in about eight minutes.
• It's cordless.

The cons:

• It's expensive. The suggested retail price is $1,299.95 AUS!!
• The manual can scare a user off from even attempting to try it.
• It takes a while to notice the promised final results.

This particular hair removal process is a work in progress. I'll check back soon to give you my final thoughts and let you know where my leg hair stands (or falls).

Until then...

*PR sample provided –  Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me: Ruby Sparkle lippie

• Mistletoe? - check
• A loved one to kiss on the cheek? - check
• A sparkly red lipstick? - *cue record scratch sound*

Need to complete your seasonal look on the cheap, but aren't sure how to add that unexpected bit of pizazz? The Body Shop has got you covered this holiday season!

The Body Shop's (limited edition) Colourglide Shine in Ruby Sparkle

Label

Ruby Sparkle with flash

Swatch of Ruby Sparkle

Ruby Sparkle* comes in a bullet shaped tube and delivers a shot of cherry red infused with a subtle shimmer to the lips. The scent is light yet slightly fruity, but I suspect you won't notice it after application. Colour opacity was achieved after two passes in the swatch above. The only thing I can't comment about is wear time, however I will update you about this aspect in my final Body Shop Holiday beauty look.

Aside from the beautiful colour, you can expect to have soft and smooth lips thanks to marula oil and beeswax -- my lips can't wait!

Colourglide Shine retails for $24.95 AUS / $12.50 USD. Go to your local Body Shop before stocks run out!

*PR sample provided -  Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

Christmas Inspired Mani

Christmas mani

Christmas is nearly upon us! I love painting my nails for holidays and other special events and I decided to do a Christmas manicure. The more I look at my nails, the more I can see it also working for a Chinese New Year manicure (it reminds me of the red envelopes that children receive!) I used two coats of Essence's Nail Polish in 01 Snow White from the Snow White collection topped with one coat of Australis' Nail Glitter Top Coat in Eureka.

Snow White has a flat, wide brush that I'm not yet accustomed to using; I made quite the mess around my nails and cuticles. The formula was good -- it was almost opaque in one coat, but had a bit of a visible nail line so I decided to paint on a second coat. The finish on its own is quite shiny and almost looks like a jelly polish but isn't as sheer as other jelly polishes. Eureka was easy to apply; it wasn't thick and distributing the glitter particles evenly was not a problem.

Essence's Snow White

Australis's Eureka

I purchased Snow White from Target for $2.62. Essence is available at Target as well as select Priceline stores.

I purchased Eureka from Priceline (on sale) for  $4.95 (full priced it is $7.95). Australis is available at Target, Priceline, Kmart, and Big W.

Both Essence and Australis are cruelty free :)