Skincare - Step 1 Cleansing

Cleansing really is without a doubt the most important step in taking care of your skin. Why? Because it's the basis for good skin. Skin that's not cleansed properly is prone to getting clogged resulting in blemishes, uneven skin tone and texture.

Once upon a time I would go to bed and leave my make up. Why? Because I was too lazy and didn't realise the impact that was having on my skin. No wonder it was rough and prone to blemishes.

I've seen the light of day and 99% of the time I cleanse my face night and day. Now I actually enjoy cleansing and how great my face feels afterwards.

The secret is to be gentle. Gentle, but thorough. I use a variety of cleansing products depending on that time of the day and the muck I'm trying to remove.

If I'm just cleansing my face that has no makeup on it, I will use one of the following products. I apply them to a dry face and gently rub them in for a good 30-60 seconds. I remove the cleanser with a warm, damp face washer. Don't forget to also cleanse your neck and your chest.

For a single cleanse I use either:

First Aid Beauty Milk Oil Conditioning Cleanser - available online from Sephora Australia, Beauty Bay or Look Fantastic $25.40-$52

Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser - available online from Paula's Choice Australia $20.30 (this product will be replaced shortly with the Calm range)

I'm just about to start this one - Paula's Choice Resist Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser (because it's similar to the above one but contains some anti-ageing ingredients) $33

If my face is covered in makeup and sunscreen I will pull out the big guns - a three-step process.

Firstly to remove my eye makeup I will use the following on a cotton pad:

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution - available from Priceline $21-43 (always aiming to purchase when Priceline has 40% off)

Secondly I get out the balm cleanser and remove my face makeup and sunscreen. I use:

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm - available from David Jones or Myer $55

I apply it to a dry face, massage it in and remove it with a warm, damp face washer (flannel).

Thirdly it's time to now clean the skin. I repeat with the products mentioned above:

First Aid Beauty Milk Oil Conditioning Cleanser

Paula's Choice Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser

Paula's Choice Resist Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser

By now my skin feels completely refreshed and ready for the next step in my routine.

Please note these products suit my normal to combination/oily skin. They have a very light texture and are often in a very light formula and/or a gel consistency. If you have normal skin, a cleanser in a lotion formula would be a better choice. If you have dry skin, a cream cleanser would be better for you.

Next week I will talk about Step 2 - Toning.

Until next time xx

Favourite Makeup Brands - Charlotte Tilbury

Who is Charlotte Tilbury?

Charlotte Tilbury is a London-based makeup artist. She has worked with leading fashion magazines (Vogue, Vanity Fair), top models (Kate Moss, Gisele Bündchen) and celebrities. In 2013 she developed her own range of makeup. She also has blog posts and a YouTube channel showing how to use her products.

How I discovered the brand?

I was watching a bunch of British YouTubers (Zoella, Tanya Burr, Vivianna does Makeup) fall in love with the brand and then I noticed a bunch of Australian YouTubers doing just the same. Curiosity got the better of me.

What other products is Charlotte Tilbury know for?

Her most famous product is her Magic Cream. It's a thick cream she formulated as a moisturiser/primer for her makeup artistry work. The texture allows makeup to glide onto the skin. I haven't tried it as it's best for dryer skin types. Charlotte has recently launched a fragrance and Kate Moss is the face of the advertising campaign.

How I came to purchase Charlotte Tilbury products?

There are no Charlotte Tilbury counters or retail stores in Australia. The brand does however have an Australian online presence. I researched her range extensively and purchased some products in Bergdorf Goodman (New York department store) when we were in the States last year.

What I purchased?

I paid a small fortune but decided to purchase the The Dolce Vita collection kit (just one of the available looks).

It contained The Dolce Vita eyeshadow palette, Cheek to Chic blush in Ecstasy, Full Fat Lashes mascara in Glossy Black, The Feline Flick eyeliner in Panther, Lip Cheat lip liner in Pillowtalk, K.I.S.S.I.N.G. lipstick in Penelope Pink, Lip Lustre lip gloss in Seduction. The kit came with a cute makeup bag and instructions on some of the looks that you an create from the kit.

I also purchased the cult-product Filmstar Bronze & Glow face sculpting powder and highlighter.

How is it priced in Australia?

It's pricey and what's tricky is there is no retail site where you can try things before you buy. I was lucky enough that I could see and try the products before purchasing them in New York. The texture of these products is beautiful and my favourite product is the sculpt and highlight palette. The packaging is beautiful and finished in a rose-gold case. In the US the kit is priced at $230 and it retails for $340 on the Australian website. The Bronze and Glow palette was $68 in the US and $97 on the Australian website. Ouch!!!! Seemingly a big markup on importing to Australia.

Until next time xx

Father's Day 2016

My husband's one of a kind. He's an amazing provider for our family and also a great Dad to our kids.

He's by no means a soft Dad - he has high expectations for his kids.

But that's what kids need - something to aim for, a goal or two.

The kids got up on Father's Day morning and made their Dad a big breakfast of bacon and eggs.

This year we celebrated Father's Day by having a nice dinner at our local Italian restaurant. Get ready for some food porn!

Our starters were arancini balls and an antipasto platter.

The mains we chose were gnocchi, lasagne, risotto and pork belly.

And for dessert we had zeppole, bomboloni and tiramisu.

It was a fabulous meal.

Thanks Mr P for being the amazing father that you are. You are clever, driven, passionate and loving. You have helped raised two incredible children with a great set of values, impeccable manners and loving hearts. 

Despite the hard work of parenting seemingly over for now, we as parents are left with the tricky things of helping our kids to get good at 'adulting'. Adulting is tricky even for those of us that have had years of experience.

What I loved the most was watching the kids thank their Dad for being the person that he is and remind him that they really do care.

And to my own Dad, I hope you too had a good day. You also share many of the same qualities at Mr P.

Until next time xx

Getting back on track

I'm about to take you on a journey. A journey of getting back on track.

A freshen up of my hair colour always does great things for my self-esteem

For the last couple of months I've been going through a challenging time. Unfortunately, I have let my healthy lifestyle and wellbeing slide - too many hours, not enough gym and poor eating choices.

At first I thought it was fine as my clothes still seemed to fit okay but then other things started happening. I got sick, very sick, not once this winter season but twice. Last year I didn't even have a sniffle.

The other thing was I started feeling very sluggish during my few and far between gym sessions.

And now the weight gain has caught up with me and my clothes don't fit the way I'd like.

So it's time to get tough. I don't call it motivation because it's about being conscious of the goal and the goal is be healthy and feel good again.

And there's nothing to lose, but everything to gain. I'll start feeling stronger and more capable during my gym classes.  I'll sleep better.  My blood cholesterol will return back to normal. I'll start to feel better about myself and not do any of that nasty self-loathing stuff.

My family are honest - they are not afraid of telling me if I'm doing something to tarnish my chances of success. "Mum, why are you eating that?"

I do know that since I've been in my 40s, managing my weight and diet is far more challenging than it was in my 30s.

So what am I going to do - back to doing three gym classes a week. I have a great instructor and social network, so that keeps me keen.

I'm starting to cut out the junk food until the cravings disappear and then I'll start working on my portion sizes.

I've started weighing myself again (first thing in the morning) and I'm currently about three kilos above where I want to be (it's so close, yet so far). I'm also starting to track my food, exercise, water and weight using the My Fitness Pal app. It does take some effort but if I do so, it always works.

I know it will take a few months to get things moving, but slowly is the safe way.

So for me I think it's obvious that I need to treat my body with a good solid routine. Regular gym sessions, walking as often as possible (I'm looking forward to returning to walking home from work), eating clean and having the occasional splurge on the weekend and being kind to myself. And also I'll remember what Michelle said in the book Losing the last 5 kilos.

I'll keep you informed on my progress.

Until next time xx

All about contour

Contour is the hardworking underdog in my makeup collection.

With it my makeup look is complete, without it something is missing. I use contour to enhance the shape of my face, especially around my cheeks, nose and jaw bone.

Before contour

Contour should be a darker cool-toned matte shade that is used to push back facial features. It works in the opposite way to highlighter which brings features forward.

Applying contour

Contour is best worn just under the cheek bone to make the cheeks look more shapely. It can be used vertically on each side of the nose to make the nose appear slimmer. It can also be used along the jaw line to disguise a double chin. And contour is best used in or above the eye socket to make the eyes stand out.

Just before blending, adding blush and highlight

All of my contours are in a powder formula but they are also available in stick and cream formulas. Given my oily skin, powder is best for me.

And done

My favourite is the Sephora Colorful Contour in Tranquil No 26. It is only available from Sephora USA. I was lucky to have my lovely friend Colleen pick it up from the US on a recent order she placed. It retails for $US14.

Second is the Kevin Aucoin The Sculpting Powder. Miss P picked it up for me during her recent trip to the UK. It is very high end at £35.

Third is the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow. I picked this up from New York's Bergdorf Goodman last year. The sculpting powder is a little warm for me but I can get away with it. This is another high end product at $US68.

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Powder Contour Kit in Light to Medium is so much more than just a contour palette. It contains lighter powders for setting the face and highlighting. I'm drawn to the bottom middle colour as it is the coolest colour in the kit. It is available at Sephora Australia for $70.

And a call out to a great drugstore alternatively is the Australis AC on Tour Contouring and Highlighting Kit. It does look very much like the Anastasia one. It is highly pigmented and powdery so you need to be very careful not to overdo it. Again I'm drawn to the bottom middle colour as it's the coolest in the kit. It is available from Priceline for an amazing $16.95.

And the best brush I've found to apply contour is the Zoeva 109 Luxe Face Paint Brush. Available from Sephora Australia for $28.

Until next time xx

Our day at Ekka 2016

It's that time of year - the Ekka is here. For those of you not from Australia the Ekka is the Royal Queensland Show or the Brisbane Show. It runs for 10 days each August.

We love to go every year and I have fond memories of going with my grandparents when I was little. Miss P and Master P, despite their age, still love to go.

This year my niece and nephew invited us to join them and their 3 year old son.

Mr P and I were doing our best to practice being grandparents (although that will be quite a few years off for us). We arrived early to beat the traffic and crowds (yes a superb idea) and decided it was pancakes for breakfast - as you do.

Miss P has just arrived back in Brisbane following a 4 week Europe and UK holiday/study session so she couldn't wait to get to the Ekka.

Miss P and her brother are still in the 'liking each other phase', I give it a week lol.

As true foodies we headed to the fresh food hall and marvelled at the giant lamingtons (sponge cake squares coated in chocolate and coconut).

We saw the incredible fruit, vegetables and pulses that our State produces. There were the biggest pumpkins I've ever seen.

Some people are super clever.

Little Master F laughed his head off on the dogems as he was scooting around and bumping into other cars.

Time for lunch and I decided on a disgusting Dagwood Dog (sausage dipped in batter, deep fried and covered in tomato sauce). It's an Ekka tradition.

We followed that up with the also famous Strawberry Ice Cream - they are now filled with Lick Ice Cream and taste absolutely divine.

We headed to sideshow alley to check out the rides and activity. Master F was mesmerised with all that he could see and hear.

Mr P kept trying to get me to go on a ride - he failed.

Miss P got her hands on fairy floss - a very large container of it in fact... and ate the whole thing.

Next was the showbag pavilion.

Little Master F got this cute Minions bag that Miss P decided looked better on her.

What a fun and exhausting day we had. The weather was Brisbane at it's winter best.

Until next time xx