GIFT GUIDE: VALENTINES DAY ESSENTIALS FOR SINGLES

My Beauty Book Haul..

I haven’t been spending much money on myself lately, it has been more fun buying things and clothes for our little boy. Things have settled and we have started going out, and even had a trip to the big shopping centre, Chadstone on our own, where he behaved really well.

But this last week and a bit I haven’t left the house. It’s been a horrible week to be honest...  

 

 

Last week we too our one of our beautiful Labradors to the vet as we found a lump on her foot. The vet was pretty sure that it was cancer, and the following day, Thursday, she went in for a biopsy, and then we had the long wait until Monday for the results. And with her front leg completely strapped in, I had to stay home to watch her to make sure that she didn’t attack the leg and undo the bandage and the stitches, which she had already done while she was waiting for us to pick her up at the vet, so they had to be re-done.

Monday we got the results, which confirmed that it was cancer, - stage two – so could have been a lot worse, but it could of course also have been a lot better. But at least it was good news as it meant that that they could remove the tumour, and didn’t have to amputate her leg. And the following day, Tuesday she went in for the surgery, we just wanted it done as soon as possible. She came home the same night, groggy and with the whole leg strapped in. But she has been so brave, and in spite of clearly being in pain, she has not once whined or whimpered.

Yesterday she has had all the bandages removed. We had hoped the stitches would go too, but unfortunately they are not being removed until next Sunday. So now with the leg and all the stitches exposed, we have to watch her like hawks to make sure she doesn’t start attacking or even licking the area on her leg too much. And she is such a clever dog, sometimes going up to the other end of the house where we can't see or hear her, just to lick at the leg, that clever little bugger!

But it also means that I best not leave the house for too long this week either, as I simply don’t trust her to leave her leg alone!!

Anyway, back to my haul…. Reading through the weekly junk mail I noticed that Aldi was selling Rae Morris and Napoleon Perdis beauty books last week. And at the bargain price of just $9.95 each! What a bargain… these books sell for least double that price on Amazon!

But what does a girl do when she has a newborn and is also forced to stay at home to care for her sick dog…..send hubby of course. So I asked him to get the two different Rae Morris books pictured in the catalogue – but knowing Aldi, and how quickly they sell out of these things – also because I knew hubby wouldn’t be able to make it to the store until the end of the day – I really didn’t expect to get any of the books at all!

But surprise, surprise – hubby came home from work that night, with not only the two different Rae Morries books, but also the one from Napoleon Perdis as he thought that I’d enjoy that one as well. What a sweetie!!

These are the books I got...

Napoleon Perdis - Forever Flawless

 

This book does promote the Napoleon Perdis products through some product photos, but regardless it is full of useful tips throughout, including how to do eye colour and contour, how to make thin lips appear larger, how to make large lips appear smaller, how to apply liquid liner,  how to apply foundation, blush and how to contour (see picture).

 

 

This is a great book, and I am happy that hubby got if for me as well. I will enjoy reading it. And really, at $9.95 it is not far from the same price as a monthly magazine such as Marie Claire or Vogue, and I will enjoy this book for much longer!!

Rae Morris - Makeup The Ultimate Guide

 

 

This book has some amazing pictures, and it shows among others step-by-step how to great a variety of looks from natural eyes, sultry eyes, smoky eyes, and Grecian Eyes (see picture), how to apply blush and contour.

And another thing I really like is that it shows the best makeup looks for the Over 40s…which is (sadly) also of huge relevance to me… So a fantastic book, that I will enjoy looking through again and again.

Rae Morris – Timeless Makeup

 

Like The Ultimate Guide, Timeless Makeup is full of beautiful pictures and it shows you how to create classic makeup looks though step-by-step guides. It also contains eye colour charts with the colours best suited to your eye colour (see picture), which I find very useful and fascinating.

 

 

 

And wearing glasses I really like the section on wearing glasses and make-up and which makeup you should wear and which glasses best suit the shape of your face. It also teaches how to apply eye makeup, contour, how to make your nose smaller or larger, and a range of makeup looks such as the Beach Babe Look (see picture). Another great book with a lot of useful tips.

 

 

What do you think of these books? Did you snap up any of them too? Or maybe you already have some of them? Do you have any other beauty books? Can you recommend any good beauty books worth buying??

 

Xmas Gift Ideas - Part 2

Now there are less than two months until its Xmas….including today,  there are just leaves 56 days for your gift shopping.

As you may recall, I have already done a post on Xmas gift ideas – which I appropriately labelled ‘Part 1’, as I knew there would be more and more beautiful gift sets available as we get closer and closer to the big day. If you haven't yet seen Part 1, you can see it here.

Here are my latest suggestions of gift ideas.

So I thought I’d put together a list of things that I would love to receive - and hopefully I can give you some good ideas too. 

 
Justin Bieber Girlfriend
Get close with Justin Bieber’s new fragrance, Girlfriend and never let go. Flirty, personal, inviting, Justin’s new fragrance draws you in with an exciting splash of crisp mandarin and juicy blackberry. From there, things heat up with exotic floral notes of pink freesia and star jasmine, before striking a flame in your heart with warm vanilla orchid and sultry musk.
Personally, I cannot say that I am a Bieber fan, but I do love the look of the bottle!

RRP: 50ml $69, 100ml $89 - Available exclusively from Myer



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Clinique Whole Lotta Colour
This gift pack includes five mini chubby sticks housed in a pink sliding box. Shades include
Richer Raisin 1.2g
Curvy Candy 1.2g
Chunky Cherry 1.2g
Super Strawberry 1.2g
Oversized Orange 1.2g

RRP: $60 –Available from Clinique


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The Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible – Everything You Need To Look and Feel Gorgeous Forever

In this latest in their bestselling Beauty Bible series, health and beauty experts Josephine Fairley and Sarah Stacey bring together everything a woman needs to know about feeling great, looking gorgeous and being fabulous, whatever your age. Chapters include guidance on skin, hair, make-up, hands, feet and nails, sleep, exercise and much more. There are top tips for taking off ten years in minutes as well as the secrets of inspirational older women. And of course Jo and Sarah’s trademark "tried and tested" reports on scores of health and beauty products—reliably tested by over 2,000 women. Packed with insider info from the world’s leading experts, this is the bible for the older woman, showing you how to look, feel and be fabulous - forever.
Price: $31.50- Available from Booktopia

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Estée Lauder Pure Art of Eyes – Subtle Smokey
Be a Modern Artist. Master the art of the subtle, smoky eye with neutral shades. The kit contains:

Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara (Full-Size in Extreme Black)
Eye Shadow Compact with 5 shades of Pure Color Eye Shadow (in Sugar Biscuit, Tranquil Moon, Hot Cinnamon, Newport Blue and Intense Violet.)
Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil (in Onyx)
Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer (in Light/Medium)
All housed in a colour-block cosmetic bag.

Also available in Dramatic Smokey combination.

RRP: $60 – Available from Estee Lauder


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Clinique Black Tie Violets
This beautiful cosmetic pack includes:
Eye Shadow Quad, 4.8g
Cream Shaper for Eyes, 1.1g
High Impact Mascara in Black, 7ml
Bottom Lash Mascara in Black, 7ml
Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Woppin’ Watermelon, 1.2g
Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief 30ml
Housed in a pink cosmetics bag.

RRP: $95 – Available from Clinique
 

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Laura Mercier Luxe Lip & Eye Collection
This professional makeup kit contains a stunning array of shadows and glosses to bring out your natural beauty:

 Matte Eye Colour Duo - Vanilla Nuts/Coffee Ground 2.6g
Lustre Eye Colour Duo - Gold Dust/Sherzade 2.6g
Sateen Eye Colour Duo - Primrose/Kir Royal 2.6g
Bare Beige Lip Glace 2.8g
Petal Lip Glace 2.8g
Baby Doll Lip Glace 2.8g
Custom Compact
Chic Patent Brown Makeup Case

RRP: $99 – Available from Adore Beauty

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OCRF Ceramic Vase set of 3
Ceramic ornamental vases. This style features a set of three vases in three different sizes. 10% from the sale of this Silver Gift Range will go directly to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.

RRP: $29.95 – Available from Witchery

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The Ecoya Mini Metro Jar Candle Gift Set
This candle gift set contains three of Ecoya's best selling, gorgeous 100% soy wax candles, beautifully presented in an Ecoya Gift Box. Scents include: 

French Pear
Lotus Flower
Sweet Pea & Jasmine

RRP: $39.95 – Available from Adore Beauty

 


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I love beauty books, so I have my eyes on the Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible, and that makeup set from Laura Mercier looks so divine. Oh, and I also love the white vases from Witchery, so sleek and simple, and support OCRF at the same time, how good is that!

What do you think of my new gift ideas? Will any of these be on your wish list this Christmas?