I don’t know about you but when I think of Nivea, I think of a brand that is soft and gentle on skin and this new face wash certainly fits in with that perception.

The Nivea Creme Care Cleansing Cream Wash, part of the Daily Essentials range, does exactly what it says on the sturdy dark blue tube it’s packaged in; it’s cream (sorry, creme) and it cleanses. I was sent it by BEAUTY / crew to provide my opinion on it a while back and have duly done so.


Usually I go for a more robust face-cleaning product that has some kind of scrub and / or foam factor. It’s easy to feel that with this product, it’s not doing anything because it doesn’t foam up. It’s like washing your face with moisturiser which, to be fair, is quite nice and leaves the skin feeling appropriately moisturised, as you’d expect.

It’s a product that claims to be gentle enough for all skin types and it certainly feels like it wouldn’t cause any kind of irritation or reaction. I found it delivered a clean enough face without my skin feeling dry afterwards but didn’t have that astringently clean feeling I go for.

Used in conjunction with a separate scrub product would be okay, however if I was looking for an all-in-one cleanser, I probably wouldn’t reach for this one that often. I would certainly recommend to people with sensitive skin.  It's an affordable, accessible product and one worth investigating if it sounds like your thing.

And just to make it easy for you, Priceline have 3 for 2 on the entire range of Nivea products*

Rock on!


Do you look for gentle cleansing products or use Nivea already? Tell me.

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I was provided this product for review by BEAUTY / crew and a modified version of this review has appeared there. All images, words and opinions are my own. For more information, see my PR & Media policy.

* Affiliate link.

When I was in Sydney recently, I got in touch with my friend and fashion designer Ali from Philosophy Australia and asked if I could come and visit the headquarters and meet the team. She very kindly said yes, so once my Uber driver finally found the place, we were on!

My only real exposure to the goings-on of fashion houses has been gleaned from watching documentaries about Valentino and the like so I was keen to experience what a more accessible label looked like behind the scenes.

Here's Ali's office where she does the things. You can see the remnants of our afternoon tea, which included much needed coffee and one of the best brownies I have ever consumed. Ever.


The day before my visit, the team had met with fabric sellers to pick designs and patterns and stuff for TWO SEASONS IN THE FUTURE. Crazy. I got a sneak peek and there is some pretty prints on the way, let me tell you.

Here's where Ali's designs are magically turned into patterns! And by magically, I mean by hard work, experience and talent.


Look at all that fabric! I even saw the roll that one of my Philosophy dresses is cut from. The material is stacked and then cut to pattern with a jigsaw type arrangement which was pretty cool.


The Philosophy team is totally long-term and close-knit. They have pretty much all been working there for roughly ever and enjoy it, which makes for a great team vibe and work with makers who do the bulk of the making right there in Sydney's 'burbs.

Here's the current range for the season, chilling in the show room.


And here's Ali, also chilling in the show room:


From the range above, Ali kindly gave me a couple of presents which I'm wearing below, an Aztec knit wrap type arrangement and a super comfortable jersey top in really nice stretchy non-clingy-in-the-gut material in a long-enough-at-the-front cut in khaki which is also reversible! Joy!

Did you know:

• The label has been around for over 15 years and drops spring, high summer and winter collections annually.
• Over 95% of Philosophy's range is Australian-made; produced and coordinated by the Sydney headquarters and in-house cutters and makers. 
• The only products made off-shore are denim, true knits (like mine above) and embroidered items which can't viably be made locally. The pants team at Philosophy can smash out about 1000 pairs of pants a WEEK but one pair of jeans takes about an hour and a half to make.
• You can find Philosophy stuff at over 300 boutiques in Australia and New Zealand, including regional areas.
• I recently wrote a blog post for the Philosophy website about things to do in Adelaide in winter. You should have a look.

Thanks for having me Ali!


Have you got any Philosophy in your wardrobe?

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I visited Ali and the Philosophy team of my own accord and was kindly gifted the items shown above which was a lovely surprise. For more information, please see my PR & Media policy.

It’s not terribly groundbreaking to write about the original Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette, since it was released way back in 2013 so I’m sure anything I say has been well and truly covered, but bear with me as this is MY Chocolate Bar journey.


For quite some time, I’d been motoring along just using my two Tarte palettes; Tartelette and the limited edition Poppy Picnic for everyday (and occasionally throwing on some single pot metallics for more extreme evening looks) when I decided I’d like to incorporate some shimmer into my world. As a beauty blogger, you naturally hear a lot about different products on the market and there is a huge temptation to get everything ever but quite frankly, the task of narrowing it down was overwhelming and I naturally didn’t want to spend massive dollars on something unseen in real life, as is the struggle of Adeladies. $70 on a palette is some serious coin. I had been thinking about the Zoeva Rose Golden palette but there was something about it that didn’t feel quite right . . .

ANYHOO, one day I got excited by a blogger review and raced out and got the Natio Natural Shades Golden limited edition palette for $20, featuring matte neutrals and shimmers. It was . . . nice . . . . I guess, but . . . I don’t really know why I wasn’t more excited about it and only used it a couple of times.


Then I bought the Morphe 35F Fall Into Frost palette from Beauty Bay, along with some nice Zoeva goodies that are no longer available to be shipped to Australia thanks to the colluding non-compete power of Sephora Australia. ANGRY. FACE. The 35F was lovely, with a huge range of gorgeous highly pigmented shimmer shades and a row of matte neutrals . . . and I used four shades precisely twice before shelving (and recently selling) it. Why? It was too much. Overwhelmed with choice (and the size of the thing meant it had to be kept in a drawer, not in front of my face in my make-up cabinet) meant I never used it, I couldn't open it one-handed and I have no time for mucking around and experimenting.



So the mission remained uncompleted. When I was in Sydney I had a swatch and sniff around the Too Faced stand (buying the Born This Way foundation) and started strongly considering a palette from the Chocolate Bar family - whether the OG or the Semi-Sweet. Now, as I mentioned, 70 bones is a lot to drop on a palette and it wasn’t something I was keen to do online. When I was in Melbourne earlier this year, I had it in mind to pop into Sephora (because it's there) and maybe, MAYBE, suss out a Tarte palette with shimmer shades. I was literally on the way there from my hotel when I passed Myer. Then I concurrently remembered a) Mecca Maxima was a thing in Myer Melbourne AND b) I had a $100 Myer gift card as a farewell present from my old work, so before I knew it, I was in and out with a Chocolate Bar palette to call my own, essentially free. Problem solvered.

or was it?

In the excitement of my whirlwind Melbourne trip which included buying a pretty special handbag, I didn’t have time to open the box before I returned home to Adelaide, whereupon I prepared a backdrop for a flatlay, opened the box and was greeted with this:


TEARS WERE NEARLY SHED, I can tell you. I wondered what to do, whether to blast out the crumbled shade with a hairdryer and get on with life or see if I could possibly get some kind of restitution. Almost Posh's guest contributor Bridie informed me Mecca had really good customer service so I decided to give it a shot, despite the nagging feeling that I may have lost my receipt (I hadn’t, as it turned out) or that I’d be told the breakage may have happened in flight and wasn’t their problem. Well, happily I was wrong and after a pleasant phone call and an email of the photo above (and sending the old one back), I had a perfectly perfect replacement in hand with zero dramas. Yay!

So when I finally got to actually USE it, I didn’t stop and haven’t yet. There is such a good variety of shades that I’ve been able to team to several themes, especially as I don more autumnal colours, and create a range of different eye looks which is great as I’d got into a massive rut with my Tartelette palette. The cocoa scent is divine, the shades are buttery and blendy and I love the overall look of the packaging. I’m using different brushes and overall enjoying my eye make-up situation.

Naturally, literally days after I bought the Chocolate Bar, Too Faced dropped the limited edition Natural Love eyeshadow collection. Which of course, I want.

Have you got a Too Faced palette in your life or any on your wishlist? How do you feel about it?

Have you heard of RY.com.au?

The RY in question stands for "recreate yourself" and it's easy to do just that with this Australian-owned beauty site offering cool brands at affordable prices which is, of course, totally my jam.

(Side note: my four-year old daughter, having gone through a phase of saying "that's my jam, Mum" has now switched it up to "that's my Vegemite". I KNOW, SO CUTE)

Parental pride aside, when RY got in touch to see if I was interested in trying out some new goodies from The Ordinary - a skincare brand by Deciem - I was most intrigued. My friend and occasional Almost Posh contributor, Bridie, said their hyaluronic acid serum was the business so I was keen to have a go.


Can we just take a moment to admire that sleek minimalist packaging and dropper tops that makes it look almost medicinal? You know it means business because medicine = science and science = results. If you browse through the range, you'll see lots more sciency words like peptide, retinoid, phosphate, matrixyl, magnesium, zinc and other elements found on the periodic table. Here's my totally scientific experimental research findings:


The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 30ml

Now, I have to admit, the thought of voluntarily putting acid on my face seemed a little crazy. Nevertheless, I applied the drops as directed prior to moisturiser and other cream-based products - flinching as I anticipated the burn . . . nothing. It was like thick water and smelt about the same, and I worked it easily into my face.

They say: "Hyaluronic Acid (HA) can attract up to 1,000 times its weight in water. This formulation combines low-, medium- and high-molecular weight HA, as well as a next-generation HA crosspolymer for multi-depth hydration. This system is supported with the addition of Vitamin B5 which also enhances surface hydration."

WHAT DOES THAT MEAAAAAN?

It boosts the effects of moisturiser.


The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12% 30ml
This sounds like an ingredient you might find in cheap lollies and actually, it's not tooooo far away from the mark because it's basically derived from Vitamin C.

They say: "Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant, brightens the skin tone and reduces signs of ageing. In its pure form, Vitamin C is unstable in water. Ascorbyl Glucoside is a water-soluble derivative of Vitamin C. It is much more stable in water but it is less potent than direct L-Ascorbic Acid. Being more compatible with water allows for a very pleasant serum texture. It is considered a gold standard of Vitamin C derivatives due to its high stability and comfortable use, but it's impossible to achieve extremely high L-Ascorbic Acid potency with this solution."

I say: It's a brightening serum that can reduce the signs of aging and also felt comfortable to apply to the skin alongside the acid.

This solution comes in an apothecarical brown bottle designed to protect it from UV rays.


The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 30ml

To be honest, I'm not keen on rose hip oil; in my previous experience, it either smells rampagingly organic or leads to milia seeds, neither of which I enjoy. However, in the name of science, I gave it a crack. The smell wasn't as strong as other brands but it did have that slight cold-pressed scent and was a yellow colour.

They say: "This formulation uses 100% pure Rosehip Seed Oil that is both cold-pressed and organic. Rosehip Seed Oil is rich in linoleic acid, linolenic acid and pro-vitamin A, all of which degrade when the oil extraction process involves heat. While cold-pressed extraction is complex, it preserves all of the quality of this important oil which has been shown to reduce signs of photo-ageing and many other skin conditions."

I say: "Can reduce the signs of ageing".


The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors + HA 30ml

This tube of whipped fluffy moisturiser is light, non-greasy and a little goes a long way - all things I enjoy in a moisturiser.

They say: "NMF are made up of multiple amino acids, fatty acids, triglycerides, urea, ceramides, phospholipids, glycerin, saccharides, sodium PCA, hyaluronic acid and many other compounds that are naturally present in the skin. This formula offers non-greasy hydration that acts as a direct topical supplement of impaired NMF components. It contains 11 amino acids, phospholipids, alpha/beta/gamma fatty acids, triglycerides, sterols and sterol esters, glycerin, ceramide precursors, urea, saccharides, sodium PCA and hyaluronic acid. It offers immediate hydration and lasting results with continued use."

I say: "A nice moisturiser that keeps my face feeling hydrated".

I can't recall ever really noticing dramatic differences when switching up skincare but I have to say, after using these products as directed for three weeks, my skin looked less craggy, more even, smoother and brighter. I do believe there may be some re-purchasing in the future.

Have you tried anything from The Ordinary or ordered from RY.com.au? How much of the periodic table do you know off by heart?

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I was kindly sent these goodies from The Ordinary thanks to RY.com.au. All images, opinions and epidermal experiences are my own and authentic. For more information or to work with me, please see my PR & Media policy.

Last year I was sent the new L'Oreal Revitalift 3x Dual Action Moisturiser to trial by the good people at BEAUTY / crew.


All this talk of lasers this and 3x highest concentration that sounds quite intense. What we have here is another product designed to wage war on the signs of aging.

via GIPHY
The product is dispensed by a single pump and looks like this:


No, I don't know what each one is but allegedly one visibly improves the surface of the skin while the other one gets to work on the deeper layers. YAY, TEAMWORK!

The user is instructed to mix product in hand first before applying to the facial region.

It's a lightweight formula and this small amount is enough to adequately cover my face and feel sufficiently hydrated. It's got a really pleasant smell which I feel gives it a bit of an edge over competitors and has an almost silky feel on the skin; absorbing quickly and without tackiness. I didn't notice any increase in milia seeds so it's obviously not too rich for me either.

In terms of reducing the signs of aging, much like the Olay products, I didn't notice any obvious reduction in fine lines. Once again, I'm assuming this is probably a product designed for more mature skin than mine. However, finding the right moisturiser can be a struggle and I enjoyed this one for its hydrating properties alone so will continue to use it.


Would you give Revitalift a go?

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I was gifted this product for trial by BEAUTY / crew and this review has appeared in similar format on their site. All images and opinions are mine, authentic and for realz. For more information, please see my PR and Media policy.

Once again, LUSH has dropped another outstanding limited edition collection designed for joyful gifting for that special someone . . . YO MAMA.


Or, you know, whoever – I’m not getting prescriptive about who to give these goodies to. Treat yo’self, why not.

I’ll definitely be fighting with my daughter (and sole reason I get to claim special treatment on the second Sunday in May) for exclusive rights of the Scrubbee body butter bar. I mean, look at this thing, it’s adorable. So is the bee. Not only does it a) look extremely cute, b) smell delicious and c) appear to be made from white chocolate, it’s also an exfoliating body bar – made from cocoa butter (so kind of chocolatey), ground coconut shells and ground almonds. BEE-YOU-TIFUL. Definitely for grown-ups. Sorry, bubby. Yoink.


Now on the subject of rampaging cuteness, check out the Baa Bar bubble bar. I KNOOWWWW, I might have to confiscate this one as well although the comforting, soothing and sleep-encouraging properties sound like the perfect pre-bed bath time ingredient for a four year old. Ingredients include lavender, rose, ylang ylang . . . all encased in fluffy soy milk fleece. Don’t be sheepish!


For something a bit more invigorating, go no further than a couple of LUSH’s famous bath bombs which are, indeed, the capital M in Wingdings. The MUM bath bomb available in both pink and yellow text is a citrus delight with lemon and orange oils chilling calmly alongside rose for a sweet treat, where the Ups-A-Daisy is a reversible flower of power, delivering a jazzy riot of colours to the bath and an uplifting scent of orange, rose and rosewood. Here is what was left of the Ups-A-Daisy which was enthusiastically added to the bath prior to my knowledge.


Keep it sweet on the lips with the delicious Honey lip scrub featuring honey, as the name suggests, with a hint of mint. I presented my actual Mum with this and she was very happy about it. You cannot go past a LUSH lip scrub for keeping your lips in tip top condition, especially in the drying winter months.


Does your Mum prefer custard or jelly? In the immortal words of the Old El Paso girl – ¿Porque no los dos? (For the record though, I am custard all the way). This Pink Custard shower jelly is a pleasing shade of pink and brings a whole of lot of wobbly fun to bathing. It is full of tonka and lavender goodness that makes it a pleasure to get jiggly wid it.


LUSH shower creams are a HG item for a lot of people and the Yummy Mummy edition is worth checking out. Orange (although it's purple), geranium and cocoa butter combine to embrace your bod with sweetly-scented goodness.


Is your Mum a LUSHY? Got any plans for the day?

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I was kindly gifted this pack from LUSH for review. All images, opinions and daughters are my own and authentic. For more information, please see my PR & Media policy.

Today (give or take allowances for time zone differences) marks the 10 year anniversary of our Las Vegas wedding, so I thought I'd share the story of the day with you.

As you might remember, I am a fan of the luxury Australian subscription box Peony Parcel (and not just because the owner is a friend of mine, but you know, that helps).

I'm pleased to bring you news that will help you cement your position as the favourite child . . .



This year, for Mother's Day, why not treat a mum (either yours or somebody else's, even yourself) with one of the Peony Parcel special Mother's Day gift editions?

It's easy to purchase a one-off gift box and a great way to road-test before committing to a subscription.

Peony Parcels are great value for money; beautifully presented gift boxes (no wrapping required!!) that contain products of value well exceeding the spend per box. They also understand that budgets are different for everyone and have released both "grande", "mid" and "petite" versions of their Mother's Day special editions so you can still give a value-packed luxury treat in a delightful way that suits your bank balance. Keep reading to save a further $10 off . . .

As an Australian company committed to showcasing the best in emerging Australian brands, this is also a great way to support local and small businesses . . . twice!

Here's a look back at previous editions of the Peony Parcel so you know what to expect.

The Revitalise edition:


The Lumiere edition:


As promised, I'm pleased to share with you an excellent deal. Use code GIFTSFORHER to get $10 off and free shipping! Each box also comes with a blank Typoflora greeting card. Seriously, it could not get any easier. All you need to worry about is getting your order in before Wednesday May 3 to guarantee arrival in time for Mothers Day.

Have you tried or gifted a Peony Parcel yet? What are your plans for Mother's Day?

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These Peony Parcels were kindly gifted to me. Images, opinions and positive feels are my own. For more information, please see my PR & Media policy. 

This year, I'm trying to expand my fashion and beauty horizons and say yes to things I had previously said a big fat NO to in the past. You can read about my experience with white pants if you like.

Spray tanning to me was always (perhaps unfairly) associated with people like Snooki from Jersey Shore; orange-toned Oompa Loompas in bodycon dresses and big hair looking and acting extremely grubby. Over the years, I've been lucky to have skin that tans easily so I never saw the need for anything more than some Dove gradual tan moisturiser to bring my legs up from winter white in preparation for summer.


However, as I get older and spend less time in full sun (by choice as well as by circumstance), my tan doesn't get to anywhere near the levels of my younger years and when it does, it's uneven and plagued by sleeve lines and strap marks which do not pair well with the OTS trend of recent times. I also chatted to (non-feral) friends who swore by their spray tans and started to think maybe there was something to it.


Late last year, when Jenni from Styling Curvy organised a #yourbodyconfident photo shoot down at the beach in our bathers, I knew I had to take action. The winter had been long and my skin was not summer ready so I started making some enquiries. One thing that has held me back from new experiences in the past (see: waxing, manicures / pedicures, eyebrow threading) is that I don't know what the protocol and procedures are. Then I beat myself up once I realise how good the procedure is and that it took me so long to get on board. Assumed knowledge is prevalent and one thing I fear quite a lot is looking like I don't know what I'm doing. I decided to be upfront with the salon, told them it was my first time while booking and asked them to talk me through it, which of course, they were happy to do.

I baulked at the disposable G provided and kept my dacks and an old bra with the straps down on throughout which wasn't an issue.


It does feel kind of weird to be standing in a small booth being coloured-in with a spray gun by a stranger, and the spray is a little chilly. I followed instructions and the result was a perfectly natural looking tan, just the same colour as I would be at the end of summer, only nicely even and (pretty much) all over.


I was impressed with the process at the time of the visit and took up the "two for $50" offer the salon had going. The affordable price surprised me, I always assumed it would be upwards of $50 a pop.

Now while the first experience was good, the second one wasn't so much, largely thanks to my skin still peeling after a sunburn incident a good 11 days prior. I felt like I maybe left it on too long as well as it was a lot darker than the first time and I wasn't quite as thrilled, by which I mean I was wiping myself with nail polish remover and scrubbing my skin raw trying to get some of it off before attempting to wear an off-the-shoulder dress for an event. Still, it worked out alright.


Are you a fan of the spray tan? If you haven't had one, would you give it a go?

#neversaynever2017

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I paid full price for the spray tan but the bathers were gifted for the photo shoot by Curvy by Capriosca swimwear and Sequins and Sand gifted Jenni the rashie that I am posing with. Photo by Jackie Reichstein. For more information, please see my PR & Media policy.