December 17, 2014

Last-minute gift ideas for some of the people in your life

December 17, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

I realise I really don't need to tell you how to shop or even what to buy, but just think of this as the 'Cover Your Bum' list for the time poor in need of a few ideas for Christmas shopping.

The Summer Beach Bag - ($39.95 AUS / $9.00 USD similar) - chock full of Summery/Coconut/Mango goodness. Did I mention the bag is plastered with the iconic Brighton Beach boxes? Heck, I might grab this when I get back from Hawaii to let the holiday times roll on.

Modern Gent's Shaving Kit ($49.95 AUS / $24.00 USD) - I have a thing for buying Scott shaving product, especially stuff that'll leave his face feeling softer than usual. Bonus points if the scent plays well with his cologne.

Keepin' it clean - Vanessa Megan's Lemon & Eucalyptus Foaming Hand Wash

Vanessa Megan's Lemon & Eucalyptus Foaming Hand Wash* ($54.95 AUS) - Tis expensive, however if or when this bottle starts riding side saddle to your dish detergent, I can guarantee a line forming at the kitchen sink for the ultimate hand washing experience.

Aesop's Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash ($40.00 AUS / $39.00 USD) - Another good one for recreating the spa experience.

The Body Shop's Body Sorbet* in Strawberry or Mango or Moringa or Satsuma or Pink Grapefruit ($19.95 AUS / $14.00 USD) - The scents are amazing, but don't count on this formula to bring the moisture at the height of Winter. Stow this bottle away for hot Summer days or warm getaways.

Anara Spa's Coco Mango Body Lotion ($20.00 USD for 8 fl oz. / $54.00 USD for 34 fl oz.) - If you can't make it to Hawaii, bring Hawaii to her.

Byredo Parfum's Cotton Poplin Candle ($90.00 AUS / $80.00 USD) - Give me a warm summer breeze over Caramel Nutcracker Hot Toddy any day of the year. I recently splurged on the smaller sized candle (retails for $44.00 AUS), because the shocking price tag of the larger version made my eyes bulge in the most unflattering way. I think I had to scoop my eyes off of the floor before leaving the shop.

Bath & Body Works Wallflowers ($4.95 for the cheap and cheerful plug-in unit and 6 for $24.00 for the oil filled pods) - Fire not required. I picked these up last month in a fit of excitement, but soon remembered the electrickery would not work here in Australia without a converter. Back they went.

Finally, here are a couple of tips from a former retail girl who busted her butt during the height of the holiday shopping season:

Asking for my favourite colour won't help your situation when you're told her favourite colour is sold out.
The stack of sweaters those old ladies are riffling through might not be the thing to keep her warm.
Britney Spears and my Nana like velour. Enough said.
If I see your face on the 24th, run like the Dickens to your nearest Tiffany or liquor store to grab a bottle of Veuve, Moet or Ballatore (if you're budget-conscious).
In January forgo saving up for presents and agree to put that money toward an amazing holiday instead. I'd gladly exchange all of the things for memories with my loved ones.

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

July 07, 2014

You can take it home with you: the nail lady

July 07, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Sporting Illamasqua's Marquise over OPI's Where Did Suzi's Man-go? (nails by me)

I l-o-v-e getting manicures, it's probably my biggest treat. In order to reign in my spending I cut back on weekly manicures, thankfully I took loads of mental notes and pictures and I think I'm now well equipped to paint my own talons every now and again.

My one takeaway tip from watching the pros do what they do is properly wiping off excess polish on the rim of the bottle before bringing the brush to the nail. A giant glob of polish is far more difficult and messier to deal with and takes entirely too long to dry.

To keep my cuticles in fighting form (especially in winter) I invested in a bottle of Essie's Apricot Cuticle Oil. Simply dab a small drop where the nail meets the cuticle and gently massage in. I find that if I keep the bottle near the sink it serves as a gentle reminder for me to apply it before hitting the pillow.

Another favourite product of mine is OPI's Avoplex Exfoliating Cuticle Treatment. This mighty tube of goodness helps to prevent hangnails by keeping my cuticles properly hydrated.

Elemis' Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream

For those times when I don't have cuticle oil in close proximity, I count on moisturiser (the workhorse kind) to keep my hands soft.

These are my go-to hand moisturisers:

Elemis' Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream* - I keep this baby at my desk. The lotion melts into my skin and nails without leaving behind a greasy residue.
Provence Sante's Hand Cream - merely purchased to keep the French Pink memories alive. This stuff is the cat's pajamas.
The Body Shop's Spa Wisdom Africa Honey & Beeswax Hand and Foot Butter - Personally, I really hate the jar it's packaged in, but I'm willing to deal because the scent and texture is pure magic.
The Body Shop's Almond & Nail Cream - Why Body Shop, why did you have to break something which didn't need to be fixed? The texture and overall performance is still the same, but the scent! Why?!?!

Hand lotion is my BFFL, can't you tell?

Also, be sure to invest in a really good pair of cuticle trimmers and remember to be super careful when nipping off dry bits of skin around your nail. Here's a helpful video from Cute Polish which showcases her nail care techniques.

Finally, I take one Flaxseed Oil supplement every day which helps to keep joint soreness in my knees at bay (yes I'm getting older) and the other added benefit is my nails have become noticeably stronger.

Healthy hands and nails make for happy hands and nails.

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

April 21, 2013

Giveaway time: Win a bagful of notions!

April 21, 2013/ Nicole McIntyre

This morning I felt compelled to clean my workspace and guess what, I stumbled across a few unopened goodies! I've amassed quite the makeup collection, it's getting to the point where I need to purge a bit. If there was ever a time to have a giveaway, it'd be now.

Enter for a chance win your very own bagful of notions!

Two L'Oreal lippies and an Infallible eyeshadow in Flashback Silver

So what are you waiting for? Enter now!

P.S. be sure to check out the rules below.

Good luck :)

**Update**

The giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to Diana, hope you love the Essence makeup!

Thanks to those who entered! I’ll be sure to have another giveaway in the near future.

The Rules:

Enter to win (1) gift bag filled with beauty items from Essence, The Body Shop, L'Oreal, The Balm & Maybelline. These items were either purchased by me or given to me. Estimated prize valued around $150.00+ AUS.
How to enter – there are two ways to enter! For two entries, leave a comment below and follow me via Twitter @bagfulofnotions -- be sure to send me a tweet and say hello after you follow me! Not interested in Twitter? Leave a comment below for one entry.
This giveaway is open to adults aged 18 years and older. Also, this item is up for grabs internationally.
I will happily accept entries through Sunday, 28 April 2013 by no later than 11:59 PM local time.
The winner will be chosen randomly via http://www.random.org/. I will then notify the winner via e-mail; you will have 24 hours to claim this giveaway. Should you fail to contact me within the time frame specified, I will choose someone else again at random.

February 02, 2013

Millions of peaches, peaches for me: The Body Shop's Vineyard Peach

February 02, 2013/ Nicole McIntyre

Just bitten and the pit, well it's non-existent. And the smell, it's as if someone was dangling a peach right in front of your face. Soft, succulent and juicy -- the way a peach ought to be.

Vineyard Peach Body Lotion and Shower Gel

My life's been quite peachy with a little help from the Body Shop. Truth be told, three of the four items have been lifesavers after being rotated into my morning routine two weeks ago. The Shower Gel provides a burst of sunshine in my porcelain cream bathroom; my senses are perked up so much that I've considered skipping my morning dose of coffee. You read that right, considered.

After drying myself off, I then smooth on a bit of the Body Lotion onto my arms and legs. During the day I sometimes take a whiff of my forearm in order to get a soft hit of peach. Weird, but it works and don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

Vineyard Peach Body Scrub and Body Butter

The Vineyard Peach Cream Body Scrub is something I've only used once prior to a day at the beach. The creamy consistency helps to spread the product around and the little scubbers work to slough away dead skin.

I really can't comment on the Body Butter, except for the smell (it's just as delicious as the rest of the collection). Personally, I prefer using a lighter lotion, because I don't want to feel like I'm the one who's being worn -- I've always felt this way about heavier lotions. Although, now that I think about it, I might change my tune when the drier, cooler seasons roll around.

Like what you've seen here? Get to your local Body Shop and pick up Vineyard Peach. Btw, this is a limited collection, so start running!

The Vineyard Peach Collection price list:

Body Lotion - $21.95 AUS / $12.00 USD

Shower Gel - $12.95 AUS / $8.00 USD - it's cheap and my favourite by far.

Cream Body Scrub: $27.95 AUS / $20.00 USD

Body Butter: $27.95 AUS / $20.00 USD

A parting gift from me to you...

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

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