Google Reader to close + TBRR Turns 2 Giveaway!

I’m sure most of you beauties are well aware that Google Reader (news has been floating around that GFC will not close, only Google Reader) will come to an end on July 1^st2013. It’s sad news indeed, however, one way in which we can all keep connected and on track in the beauty blogosphere is to use Bloglovin’, which is similar in contrast to Google Reader. The main difference is that you need to login to the Bloglovin' website to view the list of blogs you follow and as for those who are following your blog... well you can choose to receive an e-mail notification once someone follows your blog, since the list of your followers seems to be non-existent. Despite this, the settings and layout of Bloglovin' are coherent and very easy to navigate. 

On a side note, The Beauty of Red Roses turns TWO and I’m hosting a Giveaway to celebrate! I’d like to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of my loyal readers for coming by and spending some time on The Beauty of Red Roses. I’m very grateful to have met so many lovely beauty bloggers in person and via the blogosphere since The Beauty of Red Roses was born, so thank you all once again for your support! 

Without further ado, here are the details of my Giveaway! 

I’ve collected a few beauty products and accessories from my favourite brands and I will be giving away this bunch of beauty/accessory products to TWO lucky winners! Please see the Rafflecopter Widget below (you may need to wait awhile for it to load) and there will be a few questions and tasks that you may choose to do to earn more chances to win the draw.

This Giveaway will be open until May 30^th 2013 and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Giveaway is open internationally!

Beauty Pack ONE

 Beauty Pack ONE

Strawberry Shaped Hair Rollers

Heart Shaped Curling Sticks

MIMCO Hair Barrette/Clip 

Kiss Everlasting French Salon Nails

Revlon  ColorBurst Lipstick in Petal

Bourjois Beauty'Full Volume Mascara in 01 Beauty'Full Black

Sally Hansen Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Color Pen

Bloom Cosmetics Eye Definer Crayon in Black

Models Prefer Multipurpose makeup Sponge 

  

Beauty Pack TWO

 Beauty Pack TWO

Strawberry Shaped Hair Rollers  

Heart Shaped Curling Sticks 

Lady Jayne Bun Styl'r Kit

L'Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes in Extra Black

Mirenesse Tight Liner Hydra Gel Eye Liner in Saphire Blue

Eylure Eyebrow Shapers

Eylure Naturalites Lengthening False Lashes

Bloom Cosmetics Mango Tango Natural Flavour Lip Balm

Manicare Disposable Mascara Brushes mixed pack of 20 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck! 

Beauty Gifts that will Spoil Mum on Mother's Day

Mother’s Day in Australia is on Sunday 12^th of May this year and despite being only a few weeks away I thought I would share with you all some luxurious and delightful gifts that your mum will surely love and adore! Mother’s Day like every other day of the year is a time to show mum how much you love her and appreciate all the great things she has done for you - giving mum a special gift on Mother’s Day is just like the icing on a cake!

Apivita Natural Serums (A$49.90 each or A$79.90 for a duo pack) which are full of natural   active ingredients to help boost skin are due to launch next month on 1st May 2013. The natural-based serums are categorised into four products: Hydration (with Aloe and Hyaluronic acid), Radiance (with Bilberry and Vitamin C), Anti-Wrinkle (with Vitamin E and Resveratrol) and Lifting (with Royal Jelly and Vitamin A). APIVITA Natural Serums are free from Parabens, Silicones, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, Phthalates and Ethanolamines.

Using Apivita Express Beauty Mask with Honey (A$7.90) is an excellent way to relax and soothe the skin whilst rejuvenating the skin after a long day at work. Apivita Express Beauty Mask with Honey not only contains Honey, but also Wheat Proteins and Neroli Essential Oil to revitalise the skin and enhance the benefits of antioxidants. 

Bloom Cosmetics Lip Duo (A$28 each) features a long lasting lipstick and complementing gloss which not only adds a punch of colour to the lips but also moisturises and conditions the lips due to Vanilla and Mandarin essential oils within the formula. There are 6 beautiful shades to suit all skin tones. 

Clinique Perfectly Happy Gift Set (A$79) includes a Clinique Happy Body Cream (75ml), Clinique Happy Perfume Spray (50ml) and Clinique Happy Rollerball (6ml) all packaged in a Clinique Orange Gingham pouch. 

Clinique High Impact Favourites (A$38) includes a Clinique Take the Day Off (30ml), Clinique Quickliner for Eye Intense in shade Intense Black and Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black (7ml) all packaged in a Clinique pink mesh bag with pink trim. 

Just a few drops of Dermalogica Stress Relief Treatment Oil (A$38/100ml) in the bath enhances muscle relaxation and reduces stress thanks to the concentrated essential oils of Sandalwood, Lavender, Orange, Clary Sage, Patchouli and Ylang-Ylang. Stress Relief Treatment Oil is multi-functional as it could be used as a tress relieving scalp treatment or therapeutic body massage oil. 

Dermalogica AGE (Advanced Glycation End products) Smart Skin Kit (A$71.50, was A$90 before Dermalogica prices were reduced permanently) contains a Skin Resurfacing Cleanser (30ml), Antioxidant Hydramist (30ml), Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque (15ml), Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF30 (10ml), Multivitamin Power Firm (5ml) and sample sachet of Renewal Lip Complex. The Dermalogica AGE Smart range employs unique ingredients (polypeptides, glucosamine and soy isoflavonoids) which help to prevent and prolong the molecules which are associated with the aging of skin. The AGE Smart Skin Kit contains all the products you need to start a skin regime which increases skin resilience, smoothing and firming for healthy and younger looking skin.

Grown Alchemist Facial Kit (A$59.95) is the perfect kit or travel accessory which includes a Facial Cleanser (Geranium Leaf, Bergamot and Rose-Bud, 50ml), Facial Toner (Rose Absolute Ginseng & Chamomile, 50ml), Facial Moisturiser (Camellia & Geranium Blossom, 12ml) and Facial Serum (Rosehip& Camellia Seed, 18ml) and Lip Balm (Watermelon & Vanilla, 12ml).

Kosmea Apple of My Eye Cream (A$44.95) is an all-natural apple stem cell anti-ageing revolution which has been clinically studied to combat the signs of ageing skin. This little beauty launches 1st May 2013. The special ingredient PhytoCellTec is derived from a rare Swiss apple and has shown to reverse the signs of ageing. Apple of My Eye Cream is also formulated with White Tea Extract, Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil, Shea Butter and Carrot Oil to hydrate the eye area and minimise the appearance of ageing skin. 

Kosmea Skin Clinic Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil (A$24.95/20ml and A$44.95/42ml) is one of Kosmea's  best selling products. Kosmea RHO protects, repairs and brings out the radiance in your skin due to anti-ageing vitamins, essential fatty acids and antioxidants within the Rose Hip Oil formula. Kosmea RHO assists with fine lines/wrinkles, scars/blemishes, stretch marks, acne, eczema, sun damage, dry/sensitive skin and Dermatitis, just to name a few.

Enjoy shopping for mum this Mother's Day!

xx Rose

October/November Empties

Sukin Sensitive Cleansing Gel (reviewed here) - Sukin's new Sensitive skincare range launched recently and I adore the calming and soothing properties of this cleansing gel due to the concoction of Chamomile, Cucumber and Aloe Vera within the formula.

Sukin Facial Moisturiser (reviewed here) - I love organic-based skincare products as they are so gentle to my skin. Sukin Facial Moisturiser is a lightweight cream moisturier, however, my combination/oily skin type actually prefers gel-like moisturisers. So, I've been using this moisturiser to hydrate my neck and decolletage as the moisturiser contains nourishing ingredients such as Rosehip, Jojoba and Avocado oils.

Lee Stafford Poker Straight Flat Iron Protection Shine Mist - I love how the nozzle of this bottle provides a large mist to coat most of my hair in one spritz, however, the formula had a very strong chemical-like scent which I did not really enjoy.

L'Occitane's Ultra Rich Body Cream in Hibiscus Flower (reviewed here) - I LOVE how nourishing, moisturising and rich L'Occitane Shea Butter creams are! Ultra Rich Body Cream contains 25% of Shea Butter and the scent Hibiscus Flower was a limited edition scent from the Shea Africa Collection.

Savoir Faire Concealer Pack in Light (reviewed here) - I received this concealer in my December Bella Box (2011) and it was the first time I have used products from Savoir Faire. I loved the creamy concealer formula, however, the mattifying  powder in the bottom compartment of this nifty concealer kit did not set well after applying liquid foundation.

Burt's Bees Rejuvenating Lip Balm with Acai Berry - Burt's Bees lip products always enthralls me! The Rejuvenating Lip Balm with Acai Berry had a very pleasant and sweet scent and kept my lips hydrated during the day.

Bloom Mango Tango Natural Flavour Lip Balm (reviewed here) - I've been in a lip balm crazy these last few months and that's probably due to the dryness I've suffered during the winter season. Mango Tango, the Bloom lip balm, smells lovely just like the Boost Juice Mango Tango flavour smoothie!

Alpha-H Clear Skin Blemish Control Gel with Wild Oregano and Tea Tree (reviewed here) -  This blemish gel has lasted me for ages! I love the fresh Tea Tree scent of this blemish balm and especially love how effective this gel helped to heal and sooth minor pimples and blemishes popping up on my skin.

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence (reviewed here) - Facial Treatment Essence is one of my favourite SK-II products! It is a lovely addition to my daily skincare regime where I apply a few drops onto my skin my gentle patting motions. My skin seems to appear clear and healthy after using this for a couple of weeks. This trial sized sample lasted my about 4 weeks!

Have you finished any holy grail beauty products last month?

xx Rose  

 

Bloom Cosmetics FREE Express Manicure- 2 days only!

Bloom Cosmetics has recently launched two sets of  Top Coat Effects for nails and they are called Crackle (black and white) and Sparkle (gold and silver). If you haven't got your hands on these, be sure to step into Bloom Cosmetics stores on Chapel Street, Myer Melbourne and Myer Sydney to get your FREE express manicure with the purchase of one of these funky new top coats!

Have you tried any of Bloom Cosmetics Top Coat Effects for nails before? What do you think of them?

xx Rose

February Bellabox: Valentines Edition

A few days ago I received my February Bellabox and this month, the theme of Bellabox is 'A Little Bit of Love' to celebrate Valentines Day. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the contents of my February Bellabox were wrapt in red tissue paper rather than the usual turquoise coloured tissue paper. Also, my Bellabox was packaged in a Bellabox signature satchel bag rather than the usual turquoise hard cardboard box. 

February Bellabox- 'A Little Bit of Love'

Here is what I received in my Bellabox:

Contents in the February Bellabox

Star & Rose Confetti Soap Rose (pink), 1 rose worth ~A$2 (box of 12 A$25.95)
b Collection by Bloom Collecta Eye Shadow in Pink Sands, full size 3.5 g A$9.95
SpaRoma Shimmer Wrap with Jasmine, sample size ~5ml worth ~A$1.50 (full size 150ml A$44.95)
MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Facebase, sample size 10ml worth A$11.65 (full size 30ml A$34.95)
Sasy n Savy Citrus Hand Cream, sample size 5ml worth A$1.50 (full size 50ml A$15)
Chocolate Box Chocolate Hearts

February Bellabox Total worth ~A$26.50

Star and Rose Confetti Soap Rose

As I opened my February Bellabox and unwrapt the items, the first product which caught my eye was the beautiful pink rose which is actually petals of soap combined to form a rose. The rose petal soap is so pretty I'm not too sure that I will use it. I've placed it in the bathroom near the sink and it does give a good look to the bathroom! These rose petal soaps are available in a box of 12 and I think these make a great gift for mum!

b Collection Collecta Eye Shadow in Pink Sands

b Collection is the sister brand to popular cosmetics brand Bloom. The shade I received is called Pink Sands and it's a gorgeous shimmery eye shadow with a copper sheen. The staying power isn't great, so using an eye primer is a must. The miniscule shimmers make this eye shadow perfect for an everyday eye shadow as the finish is not over the top. Using this eye shadow over matter shadows works very wel too. 

SpaRoma Body Shimmer Wrap with Jasmine

SpaRoma Shimmer Wrap is the second product I have received from Bellabox since I subscribed last year. There is a subtle scent of jasmine and there are also small amounts of chunky gold glitter. I personally would not use this product as a body shimmer, however, I would consider using this shimmer wrap over eye shadow to add some spark.

MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Facebase

MeMeMe is a UK brand and I was very happy to receive a sample of their Seventh Heaven Facebase in my box. Seventh Heaven Facebase is a moisturising primer enriched with shea butter, vitamin A and beta-carotene to rejuvenate, hydrate and nourish the skin. This facebase is scented with lemon zest, orange, lime and mandarin and these scents make this facebase smell lovely! The lightweight texture makes this facebase so easy to evenly distribute across the skin and the fast absorbing properties is another great factor. This primer reminds me a lot like Bobbi Brown's Vitamin Enriched Face Base that I absolutely adore. So, MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Facebase is a great alternative to high end brand Bobbi Brown's popular facebase.

Sasy n Savy Citrus Hand Cream

Sasy n Savy citrus hand cream is yet another divine scent in the form of a hand cream. The hand cream is simimlar to a balm and has a lightweight texture. When applied to the skin, the hand cream absorbed through my skin almost instantly! I was very surprised as I've always had to take in some time to massage other hand creams I've used to assist absorption. My skin feels vey hydrated, smooth and supple! 

All in all, I'm very happy with the February Bellabox and the contents in my box associates very well with the Valentine's Day theme of A Little Bit of Love. 

What did you receive in your Bellabox?

xx Rose

Bloom Cosmetics Essentials

Bloom Cosmetics at David Jones has a pretty good Value Beauty Bag on offer at the moment. They have a 6-piece beauty essentials set for $49.95 which is worth $105! That's a really great offer and a great chance to try Bloom's popular products if you haven't used Bloom Cosmetics before. Today I will be reviewing these products that I have fallen in love with recently!

The Bloom beauty bag has a gorgeous floral and bird print and is made from durable PVC. The bag has three mesh compartments inside that you could store lip, eye and makeup/skincare products in each compartment. There is also space on the inside of the bag to store essential makeup brushes. 

Bloom Cosmetics Cleansing Wipes

There are 24 wipes in this neat little pack and I'm really surprised that this pack is so much smaller and compact than cleansing wipes from other brands with around the same number of wipes. The wipes are super soft, removes all my makeup effortlessly and leaving my skin feeling refreshed, revialised and clean! However, I did take a little while to completely remove eye makeup and mascara. For eye makeup, I prefer to use a cleansing oil as eye makeup can be quite difficult to remove with just cleansing wipes. These cleansing wipes are very gentle to my skin and don't irritate or dry my skin at all. What I love about these wipes is the beautiful, pleasant and light scent. The wipes are enriched with cucumber, camellia leaf, aloe vera and ginseng extracts. 

Bloom Boost Lip Balm in Mango Tango

 I love drinking Boost Juice and using lip balm (of course!) and together Bloom and Boost have collaborated to create the Boost Lip Balm Stick! These Boost Lip Balm Sticks are actually oval in shape rather cylindrical. I found that quite interesting and different as I expected that these balms would be round in shape. I'm not much of a fan of fruity scented lip products, however, this is one exception! The scent of Mango Tango is del-i-cious and yummy!! The balms are formulated with soothing beeswax, nourishing jojoba seed oil and moisturising vitamin E. There are 6 flavours in the Boost Lip Balm range which are (surprise, surprise!) named after the popular smoothies and juice crushers at Boost Juice Bars: Banana Buzz, Berry Bang, Mango Tango, Strawberry Squeeze, Tropical Storm and Watermelon Crush.

Bloom Eye Definer in Black

You can't go wrong when using black eyeliner! Bloom's eye lining pencil defines the eyes with their smooth pencils. Just make sure you always have a pencil sharpener on hand in case the tip of the pencil goes round. 

Bloom Facial Blotting Tissues

If you have an oily-T-zone like me, then these blotting papers will be your hero! They absorb excess oils on the surface of the skin leaving your face looking a lot less shiny! They are made from rice paper tissue and infused and scented with lavender essential oil. Bloom is so well known for the lavender scented products and being a huge lover for the scent of lavender, these blotting tissues are worth keeping in my handbag!

Bloom Eye Brow Duo in Brown

Bloom's eye brow duo is genius! It's a 2in1 brow perfection tool which has a slanted tip to allow for enhancing and defining the brows. The other end is a transparent gel to set the brows in place. I love how you can apply thin and wide strokes with the slanted tip and this makes filling in the brows so much easier than a regular brow pencil. The shade of the pencil end pictured above is brown and it's not very pigmented. That is a great feature as you would avoid using too much product. The light tint this pencil provides is buildable, so you could achieve perfectly defined and groomed brows.

Overall, I found that Bloom's Value Beauty Bag contains a great variety of essential beauty products for your office desk, travel or even short road trips. It is definitely an offer not to be missed! For $49.95, you are basically purchasing each individual product at half price. 

Are you a fan of Bloom Cosmetics? Which products in their range do you love most?

xx Rose

Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Bloom Cosmetics and did not receive remuneration to post these product reviews.

Bloom Cosmetics GWP and Beauty Offers

Bloom Cosmetics currently has a handful of fabulous gift with purchase and offers going on within the next few days

The first is from Bloom Cosmetics online:

 The second is the Bloom's Value Beauty Bag containing all the essentials you need when you are travelling or  for your office drawer for touch ups during the day. Included in the adorable Bloom cosmetic bag is a dual ended brow pencil and gel, Boost lip balm, eye definer in black, blotting paper and cleansing wipes. I think this is an excellent offer if you're new to the brand or in need of an emergency/travel beauty kit! The beauty bag is limited edition and available exclusively at David Jones untils stock lasts.

Will you take up any of these fab offers from Bloom? Which products from Bloom Cosmetics do you love?

xx Rose

Christmas Gift Ideas For Someone Special

Christmas is just around the corner and if you're like me, you're likey inundated with an amazing array of beauty Christmas ideas that will make shopping so easy peasy! I've decided to share a list of gift ideas that I think would make someone in your mum, sister, cousin or bestie smile!

Soap & Glory You Cube, rrpA$39.95 at Kit Cosmetics

This spectacular Soap & Glory 'You Cube' is limited edition and contains 5 of Soap & Glory's best luxurious bath and body products. Everything comes packaged in a cute and sturdy box which means it can be re-used.

Bloom Cosmetics Fashion Mini Nail Polish Collection, rrpA$24.95

 Bloom Cosmetics offers a wide range of skincare and beauty gift packs and the Fashion Mini Nail Polish Collection pictured above would be an excellent gift idea. I'm certain there will be at least one shade that she will love!

Dior Christmas Palette, rrpA$142 at Myer and David Jones

Know someone who deserves an all-in-one beauty palette? Well Dior have definitely caught my interest on the 2011 Christma Palette which has everything you need in one sophisticated travel wallet adornedd with a cute bow. I bought this palette for my mother-in-law (she doesn't read my blog, so the surprise is safe!) and I can't wait to see the look on her face on when she opens her present!

Forever New Sienna Beauty Case, rrpA$69.99

This Sienna Beauty Case looks so luxe and beautiful! This beauty case would be great for not only storing beauty products but also great as a travel case.

Illamasqua Bespoke Freak Gift Set, rrpA$200 at Myer

Illamasqua has released their first scent called Freak. One of their Illamasqua Christmas gift sets reveal the fragrance Freak amongst your choice of Pure Pigment, Nail Varnish and Sheer/Intense Lipgloss. With this gift set, you're saving a total of $55 and you get to choose the shades of products, how good is that!

Napoleon Perdis Luxe Basics Brush Collection, rrpA$69

This four piece brush set comes with a foundation brush, buffing brush, primer brush and concealer brush. The brush pouch looks so luxe!

How much Christmas shopping have you done so far? Are you all ready and set for Christmas?

Which gift idea has caught your interest?

Rose

Silver Strip Half Moon Mani with Bloom Cosmetics and OPI

I've been having so much fun doing the half moon manicure on my nails. I'm not much of an expert when it comes to nail art, so I'd say the half moon mani is a very basic technique.

One of my favourite shades that I've been wearing is Bloom Cosmetics *'The Casette Society II' nail polish (gunmetal grey). The gunmetal grey shade suits the winter season, however, you can jazz it up and wear it to suit the Christmas season.

 I've used The Casette Society II as the base with Bloom Cosmetics 'Sibella II' (a gypsy gold shade) nail polish as the half moon (applied over the base) and a strip of OPI 'Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous' (from the OPI Irre-Swiss-Ables Collection) to highlight the half moon. Another reason why I love to use a strip of silver is to disguise an uneven half moon. I don't use any stickers or tape to acheive the half moon mani as it just gets too messy, so the best way for me to apply Sibella II is to simply swipe the nail polish across the base of the nails.

Are you planning on wearing the half moon mani this holidays?

Which shades are you loving at the moment? 

Rose 

*Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Bloom Cosmetics and did not receive remuneration to post this product review.

Gold Strip Half Moon Mani with Bloom Cosmetics and Hello Kitty

The half moon mani has become so popular these days that I decided to attempt this look using Bloom Cosmetics *'Sunday' nail polish and Hello Kitty Cosmetics 'Gun of Roses' nail polish. I also decided to emphasise the half moon by using the pointed tip of a bamboo skewer to apply Bloom Cosmetics *'Goldie' (opalescent gold) nail polish. 'Dabbing' the baboo skewer across my nails using the shade Goldie gives the effect of gold Christmas rope tassels.

Are you in the craze of half moon mani's?

Which combination's of shades would you reccomend wearing this holiday season?

Rose

 *Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Bloom Cosmetics and did not receive remuneration to post this product review.