Review: Yes to Tomatoes Totally Tranquil Facial Hydrating Lotion

About two weeks ago I went to my local Coles and I had a quick look at the reduced to clear isle and I found this moisturiser for just under $3. Though I didn't know the company nor did I know the RRP for this product I decided to give it a try anyway and for less than $3 if I didn't like it I could chuck it out.
After I brought it home and tried it I found it to be excellent and decided to do a search for it on the web and I found that this is not another cheap supermarket brand but is quite pricey for Coles with a price of RRP $US14.99 ~$AU24.00 for 50mL.

Front view Yes to Tomatoes Face Cream

Yes to Tomatoes Face Cream Ingredient List

Yes to Tomatoes Face Cream Side View

Yes to Tomatoes Pump

Features:

• 99.6% natural ingredients
• clear/semi-transparent plastic packaging
• sturdy pump
• Contains the hydrating power of 26 minerals from the Dead Sea
• Free of parabens, petroleum and SLS
• Manufactured by Yes To Ltd, Israel

Likes:

• Rich consistency that goes on smoothly
• Moisturizes well
• Absorbs quickly
• Softens skin
• Non greasy/sticky
• Soothing
• Pleasant soft fragrance
• Great quality pump which provides enough cream to thoroughly cover your face and neck though I often find that a half pump is enough for my skin

Dislikes:

• I've no dislikes so far but a SPF factor would be great for daytime wear.

Overall:

 

One of the reasons why I was willing to purchase this product was because it is for oily/combination skin. When I first applied it to my face I was a little dismayed as to how thick it was because I link thick formulas to a greasy finish but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not the case. The formula was quite thick but upon application it absorbed right into my skin and I was ready for my next beauty step in the morning within a couple of minutes.
The packaging and the product felt that it was made from high quality material which made the experience of using this product just a little bit better.
With use I have found that overall my skin feels softer and more hydrated than usual but without that grease factor and I hope to find it or another product from this range in shops again sometime soon!

Review: Lux Body Wash and Shower Gel

If you are looking for a body wash that leaves your skin feeling refreshed and smelling delicious I would have to recommend the Lux body wash range. I have already finished two bottles of Lux Secret Bliss Body wash and I have decidede to try the rest of the range starting with Lux Indulge and with a RRP$AU5.49 I am sure to continue buying these (especially since it is often on a half price sale at Woolworths).

From left to right: Lux Shea Exfoliating Scrub Body Wash, Lux Magical Spell Body Wash, Lux Indulge Body Wash and Lux Tropical Sunset Body Wash

Features:

• Made in Australia
• 100% soap free
• pH balanced skin cleansing lather
• Easy to hold bottle with easy flip lid  

Likes:

• Need only a small amount, therefore lasts ages
• Lathers well
• Great smell
• Great range of scents
• Great cleanser
• Easy to hold bottle with easy flip lid
• Looks pretty in the bathroom

Dislikes:

• The opening at the top of the bottle is too big therefore you can often squeeze out more body wash than you need therefore leading to wastage. I sqeeze the contents of these soaps  into an old pump bottle so I can pump out the right amount in the shower.

Have you indulged your senses with one of these body washes?

Review: La Prairie Cellular Time Release Moisturiser, Intensive

Recently I received this cute little 15mL sample pot of  La Prairie Cellular Time Release Moisturiser, Intensive in the mail. Which is thanks to La Prairie joining Twitter and handing out this gift to their first 200 followers.
And just so that you know if you wanted to purchase this cream this 15mL pot will set you back $115.

La Prairie Cellular Time Release Moisturiser, Intensive Cream with the pretty packaging and card in the background that it came with

According to La Prairie this cream which is for all skin types triples the skin’s moisture levels, delivering a steady dose of highly effective hydration while guarding against moisture loss for a 16 hour time period.

Close up of the La Prairie Cellular Time Release Moisturiser, Intensive jar and lid

Features:

• Glass white jar with solid built metal and plastic lid
• Classic non over-powering cream fragrance
• Made in Switzerland
• Protects against dryness and moisture loss
• Softens and smoothes the skin throughout the day
• Helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Improves the skin’s vitality with continued use
• Super-moisturising

Likes:

• This cream has a rich but non-sticky texture
• Not too rich that you cannot use it with a serum
• Smoother and softer feeling skin is instantaneous, no need to wait one week to see results
• Dry patches of skin just disappears
• Skin still feels intensively hydrated the next day, therefore no need to use it daily. You can use it in conjunction with your usual moisturiser

Dislikes:

• Nothing about this cream disappoints, only that I cannot afford it....

Did you get your hands on this little beauty?
Have you tried anything from La Prairie before?

I've just bought a pair of Skechers Shape-Up's

Yesterday I went to the shoe department in Myer with a $50 voucher which needed to be spent (expiry date is the end on June 2012) and in need for a new pair of sneakers and just by co-incedince the Skechers range of Shape-Up foot wear was on sale so I decided to try them on and I took them home since I was happy with the price (RRP AU$149.95 on sale to $70), the softness and the general feel of these shoes.

Included in the shoebox you get a extra set of shoe laces if the original white ones are not your thing, a Shape-Ups book and DVD with a Shape-Ups workout, I don't think I would ever watch the DVD though :P.

Skechers Shape-Ups, Jump Start's in the colour white, silver, blue

As I was purchasing the shoes the sales woman advised me to only use it for a couple of hours the first time I wore them until I got used to them since they apparently they give you a real work out. Well I didn't heed that advise and put these shoes on as soon as I got home and went for a two hour walk that very same day and went for another 2 hour walk early the next morning and and I wore them for the rest of the day and I must say that I don't feel a thing apart from the soft and cushy comfort of these shoes (not that I was expecting to be sore, I just thought that I would do a search).

Therefore I decided to do a google search for these shoes and I unearthed a whole lot of bad press. Apparently the brands claims about the shoes does wonders to tone and shape your whole body is a whole load of rubbish.
There are also claims and that for the elderly and people with joint problems these shoes can cause a lot more pain and there are also issues with instability and falling.

These issues are so big that Skechers were to taken to court about claims of false advertising and they are in court again for safety issues, wow, I had never heard of that. With these court cases happening Skechers has been told that consumers are eligible for a partial refund for being mislead...Jikes! That is quite a loss in profits!

Even though I have now heard the bad press about these shoes, it has not changed the fact that I love the comfort of these shoes. I have bought quite a few sport shoes over the years and recently I have been having trouble finding comfortable shoes that protect and does not damage the skin on my wide feet nor leaves blisters in their wake.


As for the claims for helping you tone your body just remember though these shoes may 'help' you, but you still need to put in the hard-yard with exercising regularly whilst wearing these shoes ie don't get sucked in by any brands claims about getting toned just by wearing their shoes! If it sounds too good to be true then it usually is!

Do you own a pair of Skechers Shape Up? Don't they just feel great to wear?
Do you think they help tone your muscles?

Quick Guide to Healthy Eating

How many Serves you should be eating daily and Serving Sizes

We are constantly hearing about the fact that we are a nation with an expanding waistline and that we need to be more careful about what we eat.

But when we are constantly being told what not to eat, it is sometimes hard to know what or how much we need to consume to make sure that we have enough energy for the day and to get the nutrients we need.

The table below from an Australian Government Health eating pamphlet and it specifies how many serves you should be consuming daily based on your sex and age. If you are smaller or live a less active lifestyle you should aim for the smaller number in each boxes which relates to you, if you are larger or more active you should be aiming for the larger figures.

How many serves of each food type we should be aiming for daily. Source: pg 10 Food for Health, Dietry Guidelines for Australians, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. ISBN 1864961171 (print) 1864962240 (online)

From the table above it does seem like we need to eat heaps, therefore are you confused about what a serve is?

Well so am I so I had a look at what they meant by one serve and here are some examples of what one serve is from each of the categories in the above table:

Cereals

• 2 slices of bread or 1 medium bread roll
• 1 cup cooked rice, pasta, noodles
• 1 cup porridge
• or 1/2 cup muesli.

Vegetables and Legumes

• 75 g or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables, cooked dried beans, peas or lentils
• 1 cup salad vegetables

Fruit

• 1 medium piece, eg apple, banana, orange, pear
• 2 small pieces, eg apricots, kiwi fruit, plums
• 1 cup diced pieces or canned fruit
• dried fruit, eg 4 dried apricot halves,
• 1 1/2tablespoons sultanas.

Dairy

• 250 mL (one cup) fresh, long-life or reconstituted dried milk
• 40 g (2 slices) cheese
• 200g yoghurt

Meat, Fish, Poultry, Nuts and Legumes

• 1 serve meat is a portion which is equal to the palm of your hand
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup cooked (dried) beans, lentils, chick peas, split peas or canned beans
• 80–120 g cooked fish fillet

Treat's or 'Extra's'

• 1 (40 g) doughnut
• 4 (35 g) plain sweet biscuits
• 1 slice (40 g) plain cake
• 25 g chocolate
• 200 mL wine (2 standard drinks)
• 375 mL soft drink
• 50g icecream.

Source: The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, 1998, ISBN 0 642 272573

Are you worried about your weight level?
Are you getting the nutrition and energy from food that you should be getting daily?