NEW SEASON HULTQUIST COPENHAGEN

The new season range from Hultquist Copenhagen has arrived and oh how I love it.

The base of the jewellery is metal alloy. The base material is coated with copper or palladium and afterwards it is covered with real silver or gold. Finally the jewellery is treated with golss, dull or antique finish. Most of the stones are Swarovski crystal, quartz, fresh water perals and Czech glass beads. All Hultquist Copenhagen jewellery is nickel free.

...a few snaps of the new collection in the shop window display I created recently....

Caring for cuticles (Guest Author)

It’s such a lovely, satisfying feeling to have a well-cared for body – exfoliated, purified, hydrated & moistened.  But how often are we able to luxuriate in that feeling?  Mostly, we simply don’t seem to find the time or have the energy.

 

Is there an answer?  To some extent, there is – it’s convenience.  If something is “convenient” we tend to do it.

 

This is why I always keep a small cosmetic bag close by when watching tv – even if it’s just the news!  My cosmetic bag contains cuticle cream, cuticle stick (orange stick), emery board, hand cream and a small nail cutter/cuticle scissor (which I use with care and only when I feel it is really necessary).

 

Why is the cuticle so important?

 Just below the cuticle, new skin cells are formed.  These harden and become the nail.  Of course, in addition to that, well cared for cuticles are much more attractive than broken, tough cuticles covering part of the nail.

 

So, while watching tv, I firstly massage cuticle cream into the base of each nail and then gently push the cuticle back with an orange stick.  If you have not done this for some time (or ever!) it is extremely  important that you do not use too much pressure.  The result could be very sore nails with damaged cuticles that can lead to infection.  It may be that you need to slowly encourage the cuticles back over a period of time and then maintain them on a more regular basis.

 

The end result is more attractive nails that you can grow more easily and maintain at a uniform length.

Coconut Lovin' Bath Bliss

I love a bath. I probably have a bath a minimum of once a month if not twice a month. If this ever comes up in conversation with others I get an ‘OMG’ reaction that it is so frequent. I did say I love a bath. Besides, it’s not that frequent compared to my hubby who I doubt would go a week without at least one bath, if not two. Yes, we are a big bath loving little family.

 

I love to have baths with bubbles and other products like oils & salts etc.  I really don’t know if I would bother with a bath if it didn’t have something added to it.

Me in my bath with Pompadour votive candles and lots of bubbles

 

I have developed my own kind of ritual to having a bath. I don’t seem to have a bath anymore without:

 ·        Music playing

 ·        All lights off and candles burning

 ·        Bath products - at the moment that tends to be:

a) Bubbles

plus

b) Some kind of oil for moisturising the skin

 

With my ‘bath’ play list going, candles burning, I am ready to relax in bubbles and skin softening oils and scents.

 

 

In my last bath I used my favourite bubble bath: Lavender & Acacia Foaming Bath by Le Couvent desMinimes.

 

Lavender & Acacia Foaming Bath by Le Couvent des Minimes

& Extra Virgin Coconut Oil by INDAH

 

What makes it my favourite? – plenty of bubbles and the scent. Aahhh the scent, I am a sucker for Lavender. Yes I know, it’s so ‘Nanna’. I can’t help it, I love it. The Acacia (wattle) in this range seems to soften the scent of lavender in it and, well, it just works for me. Plus I love the History of the brand:

 

 

I also added for the first time, two teaspoons of Indah's Coconut oil.

 

 

WOW!! This was crazy good.

There was no scent, so I could continue to enjoy my favourite bubble bath scent. It didn’t interrupt with bubble levels (some products you could add to a bath can flatten all bubbles rapidly). There was no sign it was there during the bath at all – perfect. I forgot I had added it and was just lying there enjoying my music.

 

My bath play list at the moment

 

 

When I got out of the bath – that’s when I  could not help but notice it’s effects. My skin was so soft, so smooth.  I could feel how moisturised and hydrated it was. I really was so stunned how well it had moisturised and softened. I can't rave about this enough! I think it might just be the best thing I've ever added to my bath!

Definitely no need to add any body cream after that bath, just straight into my pj’s and off to bed (more or less).

Coconut lovin’ Bliss!



The products I used are available at my shop:
www.bellainspirations.com
For more information on INDAH you can also visit:
www.indah.com.au

Re-use Candle Glasses/Jars

Candles can be beautiful. They can make a house a home with their scent and ambience.  I spend many evenings and nights with the only light being that of my candles burning.

 

There are so many styles - from the glass they are contained in or the wax they are made with. The choice seems endless. I continue to find brands I have never heard of.

 

Like many, I am attracted to how the candle looks. Sometimes I am lucky enough to be given candles to try them out. I accumulate so many empty glass containers and am always looking for ways to re-use them.

 

Candles I burn are natural, but I still don’t like to re-use my containers for food uses. I find there is always scent left in the container no matter how much I wash it and I just don’t want that to permeate any food.

 

I am stumped sometimes on ways to re-use my empty glass candle containers. I thought I would start to record ways I use them so as to not only possibly help others find ways, but also for me to refer to.

 

 

I filled this Pompadour glass with all my beaded bracelets that I seem to have too many of.

 

 

 

 

 

I have a couple of these Palm Beach glasses filled with tea light candles where ever I have an oil burner. So handy to have them right there with the oil burner.

 

 

 

More  Pompadour Candle glasses in the bathroom. One for cotton buds, one for cotton pads and one that I dropped and smashed the lid is handy for a few bits 'n' pieces.

 

 

 

Treat your hands with Crabtree & Evelyn

I’m rough on my hands and I don’t look after them. I have no good excuse for not treating them with a little care; I am surrounded by products day in/day out designed to treat and pamper.

 So I have decided to treat my usually neglected hands. 

I have chosen

Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Recovery

followed by

Crabtree &Evelyn Hand Therapy

- both in the scent of La Source.

 

Hand Recovery is basically a hand scrub.

Hand Therapy is basically a moisturising hand cream.

 

 

·        I applied the Hand Recovery to dry hands and rubbed all over.

 

·        I rinsed off in warm running water, dried my hands and applied the Hand Therapy and rubbed that in.

 

 It really was an easy process and didn’t take long at all.

 

The La Source scent is described by Crabtree & Evelyn as “A crisp, clean scent reminiscent of fresh sea air”.

I can totally relate to that description. It is a very light fragrance and it did remind me of holidays at the beach.

 

After all was done, my hands really felt baby soft. They looked a little better, a little softer and all the wrinkles looked a little smoother. I think I will have to continue to do this a few times to get a real improvement. Crabtree and Evelyn recommend twice a week. Given how quick and simple this was to do, twice a week doesn’t seem hard to maintain at all. 

 

 

 

 

Illamasqua Purchases

I was in Melbourne CBD for work recently and squeezed in a little retail therapy whilst I was there. I thought I would, along the way, pick up some more foundation. Alas, this did not happen. I could not get any service. No-one was around to assist at the brand I wanted plus the ladies at the neighbouring counters couldn’t/wouldn’t help me. A disappointing situation that I find more and more frequent. I should just find a foundation that is available at an independent retailer so as to avoid this kind of frustration and disappointment.

 

However good did come from it (this time). The Illamasqua stand caught my eye on my way out. I've heard alot about Illamasqua but have never tried it. After playing around a little I was approached and together with the helpful staff we had lots of products that I was loving.

 

My purchases could easily have been triple what they were, but I mustered up some strength and narrowed it down to:

 

Left: Pure Pigment. Colour: Berber

Middle: Powder Eye Shadow. Colour: Tango

Right: Pure Pigment. Colour: Ore
(This one has turned out to be my favouite of all 3. I love the Sparkle/Glisten/Glittery effect)



 

Little Village Market Elwood

For a year now the Little Village Market Elwood has been running.  It’s on a few times a year when school holidays are on.  

I had a stall myself at the very first one. It was a great experience. It was my first market stall anywhere and what a great one to have as a first. The people organising the market and the fellow stall holders were all lovely.  I’ve since developed a friendship with the organiser and brains behind it all, Bella. She is all round a lovely, lovely person.



My stall at Little Village Market Elwood (Oct 2011)



Nicole from Pompadour and me at my stall for Little Village Market Elwood (Oct 2011)

I think I have attended every market they have held so far. I was chatting about this to Bella and she pointed out that she cannot recall one that I have left empty handed. It’s true, every market I find something quirky, cute, interesting, or yummy. It’s a small market, but packed with great stalls. All are worth a good look.

 The latest October market was once again filled with great stalls and finds.

 I was torn between many necklaces at ‘Arrow Divine’ until the gorgeous one I ended up purchasing was shown to me. I loved it the moment I laid eyes on it - a stunning large silk tassel from Turkey. Bright yellow or hot pink were the choices and, whilst the yellow was lovely, I couldn’t not have the hot pink.

Me and my 'Arrow divine' pink silk tassel necklace



I stocked up on incense. Although I stock oodles of scented candles, diffusers etc I still enjoy other scented lines. I will go out and buy candles that I don’t stock just to try them. The incense I buy at this market is called ‘Hippy Sticks’. I’ve bought these a couple of times now.



This was the last Little Village Market Elwood for 2012. I hope it comes back in 2013.

Check out more details on‘Little Village Market Elwood’ here.

AHAVA favourites (Guest Author)

A number of years ago a customer walked into my shop with an empty soap wrapper.  The soap had been a gift from her grandson from his travels.

 She asked if I was familiar with the brand and whether or not I could source the product.  The brand was AHAVA.

 This led me on my own journey of discovery into the fascinating world of the Dead Sea and the wonderful benefits of the minerals it contains.   AHAVA products focus on hydration, anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory agents and stimulation of the skin cells to encourage cell renewal and boost collagen & elastin.

 

 

 

I could go on forever with details about our body and its need for minerals but AHAVA Australia has a great website with a host of information about the Dead Sea and their wonderful products.

 

One of my favourite products is the Hydration Cream Mask.  (Using AHAVA’s products as a complete skincare regime is so simple, which is another thing about them that I love.)  After cleansing at night, simply apply the mask and leave on instead of your usual night cream.  If you try this, I’m sure you’ll find, as I do and many of my customers, that you will wake in the morning with your face feeling extremely moist and soft.

 

 

 

 

Exciting news for this year is that AHAVA has finally released its Mineral Makeup.  They have four types of makeup but I love the liquid Rich Foundation.  When I have tried mineral makeup in the past, my face has felt quite dry but AHAVA’s Rich Foundation contains shea butter, macadamia oil and avocado oil which makes it quite moist.  I also intend trying their loose powder which gives a dewy, shimmery appearance.

 

 

 

 

 

AHAVA even includes in their product range sachets of pure Dead Sea mineral salts so you can be carried away to the world of the Dead Sea in your own bathtub!  Many of my customers have visited AHAVA’s showroom right at the Dead Sea – one day I hope to have that experience myself and bathe in the Dead Sea which is the largest and richest natural spa on Earth – once the legendary, personal spa of Cleopatra!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to veiw the AHAVA range for purchase at our boutique

 

 

 

Comfy Walnut Shoes

Walnut Shoes could just be the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned!

 

I bought myself a pair Walnut shoes for the first time. I chose a pair of plain black leather ballet flats. “Oh how boring!” I can hear you saying. All I can say to that is practicality wins sometimes. I find black flats versatile and easy to slip on when in a rush.  Walnut shoes all have little details, so my plain black ballet flats have subtle stitching and elastic features that I love.

 

My Walnut ballet flats are sensationally comfortable. I am on my feet nearly all day, and these really feel like I have the most comfortable slippers on.

New fragrance range from Crabtree & Evelyn

Himalayan Blue is the newest offering from Crabtree & Evelyn.  The range includes an EDT and body products.

 

 

 

 

 

The inspiration behind this new release was the search for the mythical blue poppy in the heart of the Himalayas by British explorers of days gone by.

 

The fragrance is a blend of smoked black tea, warm ginger and spices, golden champaca (magnolia), and base notes of patchouli and exotic woods.

 

 

 

 

 

I mostly love patchouli (the inner hippy), and when something is described as containing ‘exotic woods’ it usually gets my attention as it’s likely to be something I must have.  I have worn this fragrance a few times and, on me, I cannot pick up on the patchouli or my interpretation of what exotic woods are. However, I do get a hint of fresh citrus or possibly green notes and a very pleasant black tea scent. There is also a gentle and comforting wave of spices and soft woods working its way through that lingers.

 

The scent to my nose is light, easy to wear and I am able to sprits liberally without a feeling of over doing it. I get a feeling of fresh, breezy-ness, with a subtle depth.  I can see me loving wearing this for evenings on hot nights in summer. However it is versatile, I could wear it during the day too.

 

The fragrance pyramid for Himalayan Blue:

 

 

The Himalayan Blue Range includes:

 Eau de Toilette

100ml $59.00
  30ml $28.00

 

Bath & ShowerGel

200ml $28.00

 

Body Lotion

200ml $28.00

 

Hand Therapy handcream

100g $28.00