Mimco Online Haul

Parcel from Mimco

Surreal Flower Acetate Alice Band and Crystallized Mini Hoop Earrings

Crystallized Mini Hoop in Silver Pearl

A few weeks ago I received a $30 MIP (Mimco Important People) reward on my Mimcollective card after I made a purchase at the Mimco boutique in Queensplaza, Brisbane. A few days before the $30 reward expired I received a friendly reminder e-mail letting me know that it would expire in 7 days. It wasn't until the very last that I remembered about the $30 and figured I should just make a purchase at the online store to redeem my $30. Being indecisive me, I did take awhile oohhing and ahhing at the cute Alice Bands and Mim Bride Collection pieces. Everything is just sooo expensive! Anyway, I ended up splurging ontop of the $30 reward and purchased the Surreal Flower Acetate Alice Band in Petrol and a pair of Crystallized Mini Hoop in Silver Pearl. Their delivery was quick, items received after about a week and I was able to track it using the tracking code I received in an e-mail. I was surprised that the two items were packaged in such a large box and even more surprised as to how many pouches and layers of bubble wrap I had to go through. Normally all Mimco accessories are housed in a Mimco Satin bag, however, to keep everything together in the parcel, both items were placed in an additional drawstring bag which is the same material as Woolies and Coles eco-bags. That is quite a nice touch from Mimco!

What are your recent online hauls?

xx Rose

L'Occitane Shea GWP Online

L'Occitane's online store currently has a Shea Butter gift with purchase when you spend $80 (including one Shea Butter face moisturiser) or more on their online store. The Shea bonus gift contains the following:

Gentle Moisturiser (10ml)

Shea Fabulous Serum (2ml)

Shea Face Wipe (limited edition)

Shea Foot Cream (10ml)

Cleansing Milk (50ml)

Shea pouch

This offer is only available while stocks last!

Enjoy!

xx Rose

WINNER ANNOUNCED: Revlon Colorsilk Hair Voucher Mini Giveaway

Thank you to everyone who participated in my Revlon Colorsilk Hair Voucher mini giveaway. This is the first time I used Rafflecopter to draw a winner and I must say that it is an awesome and easy to construct widget for hosting giveaways/competitions. The Rafflecopter widget uses Random.org to draw a winner and lucky number #1: Kimberley from http://hopefulaspirations.blogspot.com.au/  was drawn.

 Congratulations Kimberley!

FYI, my One Year Blog Anniversary Giveaway is currently up and running, so if you haven’t entered click here.

xx Rose

Fun and Flirty Lust Haves for May

Last month saw Glossybox merge with popular beauty sampling subscription service Lust Have It! and during April, ex-Glossybox subscribers had their accounts automatically transferred to LHI. Due to the sudden news about the merge, ex-Glossybox subscribers will receive an alternative May LHI pack to the May LHI pack in which original LHI subscribers will receive. So, there are apparently three different LHI packs for distribution only in May: the usual May LHI pack for original LHI subscribers and the LHI pack for ex-Glossybox subscribers with the theme of either ‘Luxe and Luxurious’ and ‘Fun and Flirty’.

My first ever LHI pack has arrived with the theme of ‘Fun and Flirty’ and the contents were stored in a hot pink LHI pouch rather than a box like Bellabox and Glossybox. Since it was Mother’s Day not long ago, my LHI pack also contained a lovely Mother’s Day card. That was really thoughtful!

Showface Professional Eyeshadow (full size): I have not come across this beauty brand before and it was nice to receive a full size eye shadow to try out. At first I thought it was a face powder, however, after reading the info card, it says that it is an eyeshadow. To be honest I was not impressed with this product at all! There was no indication of the shade name on the card nor packaging, the packaging is a little flimsy and there is no pigmentation at all. I could not get the slightly bit of powder to show up. This eyeshadow seems to apply on translucent like a face powder and once applied, it just disappears without a trace.

Lush Dirty Soap (60g sample): My LHI pack smells absolutely divine due to the Lush Dirty Soap inside my LHI pack. Lush Dirty Soap consists of spearmint, sandalwood, pine and oakmoss. I’ve never really had the chance to try Lush soaps before, so I’m looking forward to using this product.

Nicole by OPI in ‘Give Me The First Dance’ from the Justin Bieber Mini Hit Makers Set (3.75ml sample): 'Give Me The First Dance' is a foil silver shade with a gazillion miniscule glitters that gives a nice smooth finish. I will definitely show a NOTD post soon! The bottle is just too cute and a great size to trial.

Chloe L’Eau de Chloe (1.2ml sample): Fragrances by Chloe are just beautiful and luxuriously feminine. The top notes are a floral mix of rose petals blended with natural rose water. Sounds like the perfect scent for me!

Biore: I received three samples from the Biore range, namely Unclogging Scrub, Triple Action Toner and 2 Pore Strips. I’ve tried a few products from the range before and I found that the cleansing products were a little too harsh for my skin type. I might just have to give these samples away to my friend who would probably make good use of these.

My first impression of my May LHI pack was honestly not so great having received an eyeshadow with little information and poor quality and Biore skincare samples which I  previously found were a little too harsh for my skin type. If I had the choice, I would definitely choose the LHI pack that the original LHI subscribers received (e.g. ModelCo lip gloss and Evo haircare samples). On the up-side, I was very pleased to receive Lush Dirty Soap to test drive and samples of Chloe L’Eau de Chloe and Nicole by OPI lacquer.

Are you a regular LHI subscriber or a newbie like me? What did you receive in your May LHI pack?

xx Rose

Priceline Haul:Take Home Hair Salon Bag

Priceline Haul: Models Prefer Hair Brush and Combs and Klorane Dry Shampoo

Priceline Take Home Hair Salon Bag of hair products

Hair masque, treatment and spray | Shampoo | Hair towel, compact mirror, comb and accessory | Various vouchers and a shampoo sample.

It's been awhile since I actually walked out of Priceline with a huge shopping bag weighing more than 5 kilograms! There is currently a special offer going on at Priceline: from now until Monday 21 May 2012, if you spend more than $40 on participating brands at Priceline, you will receive The Take Home Hair Salon goody bag containing all the essentials you need to keep your locks in good shape! Priceline sure has saved me from having bad hair days this coming winter season! I purchased my favourite Klorane Dry Shampoo and Models Prefer Hair brush and combs for approx. $45 and received some interesting hair products from Wella, John Frieda, Klorane and Scunci, just to name a few. This is really an amazing offer and you don't want to miss getting your hands on this gigantic gift bag- be sure to stop by Priceline by Monday 21 May!

I received a voucher to redeem a free Revlon Colorsilk Hair Colour DIY hair dye kit which I will be giving away to one lucky reader! The voucher can only be redeemed at Priceline stores in Australia before 10 June 2012. You can simply enter this competition by submitting your entry in the Rafflecopter widget below. Just be sure to allow a few seconds for Rafflecopter to load.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Entries are open to Australian residents only. 

The winner will be notified the day after the Giveaway closes. If the winner does not reply within 48 hours I will re-draw the winner.

Good luck!

May Bellabox: Pamper Yourself, Pamper Your Mum

My May Bellabox has arrived with the theme 'Pamper Yourself, Pamper Your Mum', to celebrate Mother's Day. Here is a list of the products in my May Bellabox:

EmerginC Hydra Repair Capsules, 4 capsules worth A$13.90 

(40 capsules per pack A$139)  (full size A$2)
Eau Thermale Avene Ystheal+ Emulsion, sample size 5ml worth A$10.30 

(full size 30mL A$61.95)
Eau Thermale Avene Eluage Eye Contour Cream, sample size 2ml worth A$8.50 

(full size 15mL A$63.95)
Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara, sample size 3mL worth A$24 (full size 6mL A$48)

Savior Faire Lipstick in Opulence, sample size 1.2 g worth A$16.50

(full size 3.5g  A$48) 

Sebastian Professional Range, sample sachets 3x10ml, conditioner, shampoo and masque from the Penetraitt range for strengthening and repair (full size products from A$34)

May Bellabox Total worth ~A$75

The May Bellabox was very interesting as there was a mix of cosmetics, haircare and skincare. It's great that there were a mix of different products for five different brands. I am super excited that there was a Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening mascara as I received this same sample in my previous Glossybox and absolutely love it! It not only lengthens my lashes as it claims but it also separates and dries up quickly to give me naturally looking fluttery lashes. 

The second cosmetic product is a miniature Savior Faire Lipstick in Opulence- a dark chocolate shade. This shade is the darkest shade I have ever worn and it will be the last time I will wear it. It's just too dark for my light skin tone and doesn't suit me at all unfortunately.

There were a few skincare products, namely Eau Thermale Avene Ystheal+ Emulsion and Eluage Eye Contour Cream. I have tried samples of Eau Thermale Avene toner and cleanser that I received in my Glossybox (again!) and really loved how gentle the products were to my skin. The emulsion and eye cream sound great to add to my skincare regime. EmerginC Hydra Repair Capsules were another skincare product sample that I received. I don't think I will use these, so off they go to mum!

Now, last but not least, I received generous sachet samples of Sebastian Professional shampoo, condition and masque from the Penetraitt range. The Penetraitt range aims to provide strengthening and repair to weak and damaged hair. This sounds like something my hair definitely needs!

All in all, I'm pleased with the variety of deluxe samples I received this month. I'm particularly happy with the Bobbi Brown mascara I received as I really loved the look it provided to my lashes. This mascara tube will be my back up as I'm still using the one I received with my Glossybox.

What are your thoughts with the May Bellabox? What did you receive in yours?

xx Rose

 

April Glossybox: The Beauty of Nature

My long awaited April Glossybox and sadly the final Glossybox for Australian subscribers has finally arrived with the theme of 'The Beauty of Nature '. I'm sure the news of Glossybox joining forces with Lust Have It! have been well circulated where subscribers of Glossybox who choose to continue their subscription will be transferred to the Lust Have It! subscription service. For me, I was a little sad but excited at the same time. 1. I will surely miss the boudoir pastel pink Glossyboxes that I have accumulated over the last few months and 2. my favourite high-end brands associated with Glossybox such as Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder and Biotherm, just to name a few, are not associated with Lust Have It!. On a brighter note, I will have the opportunity to experience the subscription service from Lust Have It! (I have heard how reputable Lust Have It! is) and experience trialling deluxe samples from brands such as Lancome, MD Formulations, O.P.I, Laura Mercier, Dermalogica, Burt's Bees and BioEffect, just to name a few. 

Now, on to the contents in my Glossybox. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the selection of samples included. I've noticed that most people have expressed their disappointed out loud and clear and I'm not surprised. Have a look below.

Jurlique Intense Recovery Mask, sample size 15ml worth $11.40
(full sizes 40ml/A$55; 125ml/A$95)

Redwin Organics Moisturiser, Organge & Bergomot, full size 100 g A$2.99

UANDI Natural Age-Reversal Cream, sample size (full size 30ml A$60)

Davroe Thermaprotect Protection Spray, sample size 50ml worth $5.60
(full size 200ml A$22.50)

Indola Innova Repair Capsules, 3 capsules worth $3.60 (15 x 1ml/A$17.95)

 April Glossybox Total worth ~$34

Jurlique Intense Recovery Mask was the only product in my Glossybox that really caught my interest. I really admire that the focus of Jurlique is towards natural plant extracts for healthy looking skin. I have not used their Intense Recovery Mask before, so I'm very keen to try this out.

Redwin Organics Moisturiser is super affordable and it wasn't a surprise that I received a full size tube. The moisturiser helps to deeply nourish and rejuvenate the skin to reveal the skins radiance. 

UANDI NaturaAge-Reversal Cream, this is another moisturiser in my Glossybox but a luxe brand deluxe sample with anti-aging properties. I haven't reached my 30's, so I guess this cream would be great to trial and test out the texture.

Davroe Thermaprotect Protection Spray sounds like a great product to apply to my hair prior to heat styling. I have been using a number of different products to my hair to maintain it's moisture and prevent it from drying out. The main reasons as to why my hair dries out easily is due to dying my hair every few months and heat styling my hair almost everyday.

Indola Innova Repair Capsules is enriched with apricot kernal oil and claims to treat damaged hair. I received three capsules in a little paper bag with no description, so I had no idea whether it would be used for the skin or hair. I'm glad those info cards come in handy!

Overall, I was happy to receive the Jurlique Intense Recovery Mask as I have a huge obsession with masks, particularly clay-based masks. On the other hand, I wasn't impressed with the idea of including two hair products and two moisturisers which pretty much claim to provide similar benefits. Like every other Glossybox I have received there was always a variety of products ranging from skin care to hair care and to makeup. I was a little bummed that there were no makeup samples and new/upcoming beauty products. I always look forward to receiving a sample of something new and innovation in the cosmetics industry, which is the primary reason why I subscribed to Glossybox. Ultimately, the finale of Glossybox Australia wasn't as great as I had anticipated, but that doesn't matter as now I'm looking forward to receive my first Lust Have It! pack within the next fortnight!

 What is your opinion of Glossybox joining forces with Lust Have It!? What are you thoughts on the April Glossybox? What did you receive in your April Glossybox?

xx Rose

Lancôme Midnight Rose GWP at Myer

I was out and about in the city today and noticed that there was a very generous bonus gift with purchase offer at the Lancôme counter in Myer. The Lancôme Midnight Rose (love the name by the way!) GWP could not have come at a better time! My Lancôme favourites are Visionnaire serum, Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara and my most recent love is the newly released Rouge in Love Lipsticks which I reviewed here. I might just as well purchase another Rouge in Love lippie to add to the collection and maybe the Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation that has received so many rave reviews. 

Spend $75 or more and receive a 8 piece gift including the following:

Midnight Rose Pouch

Miniature Tresor Midnight Rose EDP 5ml
Hypnose Mascara 2ml
Color Design Lipstick in Ooh La La
7-Shade Color Design Eyeshadow Palette

Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover 30ml
Night Cream, 15ml, and Eye Cream, 5ml, from either the

Hydra Zen, Renergie or Absolue Ranges

Lancôme Midnight Rose GWP at Myer starts Sunday 13 May until Sunday 3 June 2012.

Enjoy!

xx Rose

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the Mums out there, 

Have a spectacular day and hope you all get spoilt!

Review: Grown Botanical Beauty Facial Serum

Grown Botanical Skincare is a fairly new natural organic brand to me, so when a bottle of Grown Facial Serum arrived at my desk I was intrigued to see what it is like. 

Grown is Australian made and owned and their philosophy is 'beautiful healthy looking skin comes from a profound understanding of nature's power.'

Grown Facial Serum (25ml A$59) is a certified organic serum formulated using a concoction of antioxidants, vitamins, essential fatty acids and natural extracts (sweet almond oil, macadamia oil, jojoba seed oil, cranberry seed oil and rice bran). The core ingredients are Borogo to help boost hydration, Rosehip and Buckthorn Berry to support the skin's elasticity, nourish and moisturise the skin. It claims to help restore elasticity, reduce fines lines, firm, soften and smooth skin while simultaneously hydrate and protect the skin from premature aging. 

 

 I have been using Grown Facial Serum once per night on my face and décolletage after toning my skin and before applying moisturiser. Applying serum is an important step of my skin regime as it is packed full of antioxidants and vitamins which help improve the skin texture and prolong the aging process. I apply a few drops from the pipette to my fingertips and lightly tap the serum onto my skin. Grown Facial Serum is lightweight and you only need about 2-3 drops to apply on the face and décolletage.

The scent is relatively strong with a calming botanical scent which I find soothes my senses. I don't have any issues with the scent as it is a very pleasant scent which I assume originates from the mixture of natural extracts formulated in this serum.

My skin feels instantly hydrated, smooth and relaxed. I love the fact that Grown Facial Serum contains a plethora of natural ingredients to help boost hydration and nourish my skin. The serum does not leave my skin feeling congested or greasy, however, the serum does take awhile to absorb completely through the skin. This is the reason why I only use Grown Facial Serum as a night treatment to help restore and nourish the skin during my beauty sleep.

 Which serums are you currently lusting after?

xx Rose
 

Product was provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Grown Botanical Beauty and did not receive remuneration to post this product review. 

Review: BeneFit Cosmetics The POREfessional

For those of you who have read my previous skincare reviews, you would know that I have a combination/oily skin type and one of my main skin concerns is an oily T-zone, visible pores and dry cheeks. Recently, I discovered BeneFit Cosmetics The POREfessional (25ml A$53) which is an oil-free, lightweight, translucent, silky pro balm that helps to minimise the appearance of pores. These are the qualities in a balm that I have been looking for as sometimes, either primer or foundation is not adequate to ensure pores look invisible.

The POREfessional is a latte coloured balm which is formulated with silicone based ingredients and vitamin E to nourish the skin. I apply about 1/4 of a pea size of The POREfessional along the T-zone and on the inner cheeks, where pores are most visible. The texture of The POREfessional is very lightweight as it claims and the silky texture reflects on the amount of silicone present in the formulation. The silicone feel makes my skin smooth and appear nice and matte. The POREfessional is lightly fragranced and to me it isn't a pleasant scent. However, the scent does dissipate awhile after application. 

Once I blend in The POREfessional onto my skin, the balm dissappears instantly and becomes translucent. You can apply the balm before OR after foundation. I prefer to apply before foundation to leave a perfect canvas base for foundation application. 

The POREfessional covers up my pores really well! I am very impressed with the results as most products I use only slightly minimise the appearance of my pores. However, I found that The POREfessional does not provide longevity to my foundation. Hence, I would need to top up powder on my skin during the day.

I absolutely swear by The POREfessional and it is my staple and holy grail primer! If you have similar skin concerns as I do, expecially with visible pores, I highly reccomend you try this out!

Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isononyl Isononanoate, Silica, Isododecane, Phenoxyethanol, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Cyclohexasiloxane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Fragrance (parfum), Mica, Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77491, CI77499), Limonene, Triethoxycaprylylylsilane, Bht.

Which holy grail products do you use to minimise the appearance of pores?

xx Rose

Review: Jane Iredale Mystikol Pencil Box

Jane Iredale Mystikol Pencil (A$36 each) is the first product I have used from Jane Iredale. I have heard so many rave reviews about Mystikol pencils that I had to get them ASAP! Mystikol Pencils are sold individually (7 different shades), however, I was just too indecisive that I ended up purchasing the Mystikol Pencil Box containing five different shades (set of 5 A$120) to play with!

Mystikol Pencils are dual-ended pencils with eyeliner on one end and complementing highlighter on the other end. The cap on each end is filled with a creamy mineral powder to give a burst of intensely pigmented eyeliner and pearlescent highlighter.

The shades are as follows:

Malachite: Intense emerald with soft beige

Amethyst: Rich purple with oyster silver

Lapis Lazuli: Brilliant blue with pearlescent ivory

Dark Topaz: Dark brown with stunning rose gold

Onyx: Jet black with sparkling pearl

The mineral powders are EXTREMELY pigmented that I have to get used to applying in very small amounts at a time. The eyeliner gives a dramatic, intense and bold look to the eyes and simply defines the eyes in a single swipe. Not only am I amazed about the quality of these Mystikol pencils but I love how the sponge tip of the eyeliner is pointed for precision and the highlighter is rounded for blending and achieving a soft look. The ideal shape of the sponge tips make it super duper easy to create versatile looks from AM to PM such as a basic soft all-over colour over the lids, a simple winged eye or glamorous smoky eyes. Plus, the highlighter works really well to highlight the brow bone, cheek bones or the inner corner of the eyes.  

The selection of shades in the Mystikol Pencil Box is just beautiful and stunning: my favourites are actually Onyx as the jet black shade is probably the blackest jet black I own and Amethyst as the bold rich purple stands out and adds a gorgeous pop of colour to my lids! The box in which the pencils are contained in is a simple tin box which packs the Mystikol Pencils in neatly and protects them from damage from any beauty product clutter.

Jane Iredale Mystikol Pencils are truly amazing eyeliner/highlighter pencils which make application so easy without the hassle of using eye shadow brushes and tools, eye primer and there is no need for re-applications (just ensure you use an oil-based eye makeup remover for ease of removal) !

Jane Iredale products are available at selected beauty salons and clinics, just click here to locate your nearest stockist. 

What are you thoughts on Jane Iredale Mystikol Pencils? 

Have you tried any Jane Iredale beauty products before? 

I'd love to hear which products you would recommend!

xx Rose

*CLOSED*GIVEAWAY: The Beauty of Red Roses One Year Anniversary!

I am very excited to announce that The Beauty of Red Roses turns one year old this month! I would like to thank everyone who has contributed and supported my blog as if it wasn't for all of you, then The Beauty of Red Roses would not have come this far!

To celebrate the One Year Anniversary of The Beauty of Red Roses, I would like to host a beauty giveaway where one lucky person can win all the products featured in the photo below! To enter, please see the Rafflecopter widget below.

 The Beauty Pack contains the following:

Jayson Brunsdon for Shiseido designed cosmetic pouch
Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps in 'Gold Lace on White' (2 x sets), reviewed here
 Sally Hansen Age Correct Retinol Hand Creme
 Australis Makeup Finishing Spritz
Thin Lizzy Concealer Creme
Invisible Zinc Tinted Daywear in 'Light'
 Napoleon Perdis Angel Baby Lip Quad
Napoleon Perdis Lipliner in 'Cameo'
 Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm 
Chanel mini Inimitable Intense Mascara in 'Noir' 
Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Mascara
 Napoleon Perdis Eyeliner in 'Chocolate Mousse'
TopShop Eyeshadow duo compact in 'Greyscale', reviewed here


Here are some close-up photos of the beauty products featured in the Giveaway:

Revlon GWP at Myer

There is currently a Revlon gift with purchase offer at Myer which is available until Sunday 19th May 2012 or until stocks last. If you haven't already gotten your paws on their popular ColorBurst Lip Butters, here's the chance to grab them and take advantage of their bonus GWP when you spend $39.95 or more. There are two gifts on offer, both sets contain the new (not yet released) ColorStay 16 Hour Eye Shadow, ColorStay Long Wear Nail Enamel and a ColorBurst Lip Butter is in one of the packs!

Enjoy!

xx Rose

Travel Photo Diary: Cairns in Tropical North Queensland

Apologies to my lovely readers for being M.I.A. for the last fews days! I am very sorry for leaving my blog in silence up until now. Last week I was on a two hour flight from Brisbane to Cairns to explore the beautiful beaches, rainforests and scenery up in Cairns, Tropical North Queensland. The weather was beautiful, humid, cloudy at times but sunny the majority of time I was there. There was so much to see in such little time. The highlight of the trip was walking through the World Heritage rainforest areas of Daintree and Cape Tribulation, approximately 115km north of Cairns. I'll leave you with some photos I captured during my trip.

Have you been to tropical far north Queensland?

xx Rose