April favourites

It's already the last Friday of the month, how crazy is that? I have the feeling that April went by amazingly fast for some reasons. Anyways, I have being trying out a few new products this month and I thought it was the perfect time for me to share them. So here is my list of things I loved wearing/using this month: my April favourites.

The first thing I wanted to share is a phone app called seven. The app is free to download from apple store and google play. This is the best workout app I have found so far! There are a few different workout that you can unlock (or buy for only $2.49 if you don't want to wait) simply by doing your  current unlocked workout every day. The exercises are really simple to do and there is a "learn" section on the main page if you want to know more about how to properly do each movement. The workout only last seven minutes although you can increase the circuits up to 39.50 minutes. I am warning you, it might be short in time but it's really intense and you do feel the burn!

To me this is just the perfect workout app; it got everything you need! You receive a reminder everyday, so no excuse for not doing the workout. You can also choose the voice and language of the "coach" because yes, it talks! The fact that it talks is probably the main point why I like the app as you don't even need to hold your phone while exercising. Another very good feature is that you don't need Internet for it to work.



My next April favourite is a fragrance. It's the eau de toilette: La petite robe noire of Guerlain. I actually have it since Christmas to be honest, but I rediscovered it in my drawer this month and I absolutely adore it! The packaging is really cute; transparent sophisticated bottle with the name on one side and the black dress on the other. The fragrance is gentle and sweet; everything I like in a fragrance! I think it will be  perfect for spring or summer but this is the kind of fragrance I don't mind wearing all year long. The fragrance is very chic, feminine, glamorous and sweet, you can note scent of berry and rose and a tiny note of jasmine according to me. I also really like the ad, it's totally representative of the fragrance.

Makeup wise I have two great products from Maybelline. The first one is a gorgeous small eyeshadow palette. You have four colours; a dark black, a white, a violet and a gorgeous prune colour (my favourite I must say). Very affordable, the new expert wear: Amethyst smokes is perfect for creating smoky effects. Great advantages of the set, all eyeshadows are very pigmented and easy to blend.

The second Maybelline product is a lipstick. The colour sensational lipstick in the shade 515 coral crush is a beautiful bright coral colour. the packaging is okay, nothing too original but nothing too boring either. I must say for the very decent price of the product it's totally worth it; the colour is gorgeous, the product is long lasting and very moisturising.

More on the lip care side, I found an organic lip balm. Funny name and lovely packaging, I found the hurraw coconut lip balm in my local health market for $4. made of premium organic, vegan and raw ingredients this lip balm offers an amazing moisture to your lips while protecting them from nasty chemicals that might darken and dry your lips. Made of natural ingredients it helps your lips to be moisturise on a long term.

Last but certainly not least, I found a really cute lighting chain at IKEA, the samvaro led lighting chain has 12 white bulbs to it and is a perfect accessory for adding charm to your bedroom. Let me tell you that I am really enjoying my cute lights at night, it makes a different, relax ambiance into the room when they are on.

A walk on Cottesloe beach

We had such an amazing weather this Sunday in Perth; so I thought I would take advantage of it and go for a long relaxing walk. Walking is good to clear our mind and has so many benefits for our health too. With autumn being already here in Australia, I am afraid we won't have much opportunities to have a walk in such a lovely weather. So in order to enjoy this weather at the maximum level I went and have a walk on the beach, and just because you know who does not like  t go at the beach? 

The beach I went to is called Cottesloe beach, it is located midway between the Perth CBD and the port of Fremantle. As Cottesloe beach is one of the most famous of all Western Australia's city beaches  and is also half a kilometre long I decided to go a bit further down to enjoy the golden sand in a more quiet area. Yes it was a really beautiful weather and sometimes it is so crowded you can hardly find a quiet place. The south of Cottesloe beach is very famous for swimming, snorkeling, relaxing on the sand and watching the sunset over the Indian Ocean. It is a quiet place with beautiful clear blue water and golden warm sand.

Cottesloe Beach

Spotted on my way to the Beach 

I did not only walk on the beach but i also walked to the beach! I walked on a beautiful path full of beautiful flowers and trees and spotted the coolest palm trees ever. I also spotted a turquoise Volkswagen bus/van camper. I adore those they are so cool and pretty I couldn't not take a picture of it!

OOTD

It was a really warm day, I couldn't even spot a cloud in the sky although it was a bit windy at times. So I was wearing a black short from forever 21, a very thin jumper from valley girl, some cute sandals from valley girl. For the accessories I had my favourite bag from ASSOS and my Ray bans .(just in case someone might be interested.) This is all I was wearing that day; as I was walking to the beach I didn't want to have to many accessories or anything like that, just kept it simple.

view of the beach from the street

I then finally arrived at the beach. Unfortunately the water was way to cold for me to swim although I did see couple of brave people swimming! I just chilled on the sand with an ice cream I bought on my way to the beach. I then walked along the beach wetting my feet in the blue water, took couples of pictures and went back home!

Cottesloe Beach

I felt so relaxed after this long walk! I love going at the beach and Cottesloe beach is a really gorgeous one! Not forgetting that it reminds me of my home country but more importantly when I am on the beach it feels like I'm on holidays and for a moment I forget everything, I just enjoy the moment, the journey. 

South Cottesloe Beach

South Cottesloe Beach

Feeling the warm sand under my feet is one of my favourite thing!

South Cottesloe Beach

La route du thé

When I went back to Mauritius last summer I had the pleasure to go on a little journey called la route du thé. It was a real pleasure to rediscover the beautiful Mauritian landscape and get to know more of the historical background of my beautiful island.

La route du thé or the tea route in English is a cultural and gastronomic journey which highlights the different facets of Mauritius island. It shows it's cultural and traditional aspects; you get to learn more about the history, the people, the traditions and the local savours of Mauritius.

The journey is to be done in three steps. The first step Domaine des Aubineaux; allows you to visit a beautiful colonial house built in 1872. There we've met a lovely woman who gave us a little tour of the house and served us a morning tea. 

The second step Bois Cheri; is the tea factory. We get to know more of the tea making process by visiting the factory once again accompanied with a guide. You are also able to have lunch in the restaurant and do a little tea tasting facing an amazing and unique view.

The last step Saint Aubin is a beautiful residence where we had lunch. You can also visit a little and authentic rum factory located at the back of a colonial house.

Domaine des Aubineaux

morning tea at Domaine des Aubineaux

tea factory

tea factory

Saint Aubain

Saint Aubin rum factory

A guide to: Makeup expiration

You didn't know that makeup expires? Don't worry, I know you are not the only one! Too many people are not aware of the consequences of using an expired product on their face or their body. In fact you might have already faced some of them without even noticing this was the cause. Using expired makeup can cause a bunch of skin issues from clogged pores and cystic acne to problems such as serious eye infections. So here is a little guide on makeup expiration for you!

How do I know if my makeup is expired?

1. The colour.

Some products such as foundation, gloss and lipstick slightly change colour when they expire. You should be able to see a tone of orange or yellow in your makeup. I recently had to throw away one of my favourite lip gloss as it sadly expired. When I was going through my makeup collection I noticed that the colour slightly changed into a more orange colour plus there was some kind of tiny bubble inside as you can see in the picture bellow.

Expired lip gloss: slightly orange colour + tiny bubbles  

2. The smell.

If your lip gloss smells like a rotten egg don't ask yourself to many questions; throw it away! The smell of your makeup can change when it expires specially for liquid products. If you find the smell of the makeup you are about to use different to what it use to be before; simply stop using it might be expired already.

3. The texture.

In the same way as the colour and the smell, if you find the texture of your product particularly strange, there is a high chance that it expired.

4. The Label.

Almost all brands indicate the lifespan of the product on their packaging. As you can see in the picture bellow it is represented by a number followed by the letter M (for months) in a small pot. This number is the number of months you can use the product for before it expires. Of course you only start counting when you first open the product as before the first opening any air or bacterias can get into the product.

Maybelline BB cream
I will be able to use the product without any problems during 12 months after 1st opening

Can I still use my makeup even if the date is over?

Well this is totally up to you! I won't recommend using any liquid or creamy product such as mascara, liquid foundation, cream blush, lip gloss etc.. after the time indicated on the product. However if you want to it is at your own risk, but don't forget that it can be very painful and annoying if you get infected! For powder products in the other hand, if you feel like you've been using it without any problem and you haven't notice any difference since you first start using it, it is again at your own risk but it is less likely that you get any kind of issues with them.

I can't find the label on my makeup, how do I know how long does it last?

Well almost all brand will put the label on the product packaging, however I have noticed with M.A.C for example the label is only on the original box and not on the product itself. All product have more or less the same lifespan according to the makeup category, but keep in mind that expiration varies according on the way you use and store your products.

What makeup product should I beware the most of?

Mascara is the product that attracts the more bacterias so it is therefore the makeup product that last the less but it's also the product that causes one of the most painful problems you can have by using expired products. Here is a little guide of makeup products lifespan. Remember: all brand is different this is only an average, some brands last twice longer than others. The lifespan also depends on the way you use and store your makeup!

BB/CC/DD cream: 12months

Foundation: 12months

Concealer: 8-12months

Powder blush: 18-24 months (most of my blush last for 36months!)

Cream blush: 12months

Eyeshadow: 18-24months (some of my eye shadows actually last 36months!)

Mascara: 3-6 months

Liquid liner: 6-12months

Eye pencil: 12months

Lip gloss: 12months

Lipstick and lip pencil: 12-24months

Perfume: up to 10 years

Nail polish: 12-36months

If you found this post useful, click on the little share button down below to share the knowledge! Sharing is caring!

Lot's of Love,

Anissa.

easter treats

One sleep left before Easter! Why not trying to be a little bit healthier this year? Celebrate Easter with my three easy Easter treats recipes.

Healthy Easter eggs:

• chocolate chips
• 1/2 of ground oats
• 1/2 of organic flour
• 1 tbsp of cinnamon 
• 1/2 of brown sugar
• 3 tbs of melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp of vanilla essence

All you have to do is to mix all the ingredients in a boll until it forms a cookie dough. Then with the help of a teaspoon form little eggs. You can now put your eggs in the refrigerator for about an hour, until it is set. 

I put my healthy eggs in a container together with normal chocolate eggs as you can see in the picture below. It is healthy and delicious!

Green smoothies:

      
• cucumber
• spinach
• apple
• 1 cup of coconut water
• 1 cup of greek yogurt
• 1 date
• 1/2 the juice of a lemon

This is probably the easiest and fastest one to realise. You simply need to put all your ingredients in a blender and let it do the job for you. Dates are excellent natural sweetener, if you don't want to add sugar in your smoothies you now know what to do!

My tips: 

• Freeze your fruits and vegetable in a resealable bag to avoid adding ice that will make your smoothie too watery. It will also help you to make your smoothies even faster next time.
• Always put liquids and yogurt closer to your blades. (add the liquid at the end if your blades are on the top of the machine or first if they are on the bottom of the blender)

Last but certainly not least; lemon biscuits:

• 1/2 cup of organic flour
• 1/2 cup of peanut or almond (ground)
• 1/2 cup of ground oats
• 2 tbsp of coconut oil (melted)
• 1/2 the juice of a lemon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp of honey
• 1 tbsp of brown sugar

Start by preheating your oven to 180 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients into a boll. Then simply add the melted coconut oil and while stirring add the lemon juice, the vanilla and the honey. When every thing is well combine, place the mixture on a sheet of baking paper. Make a flat dough, cut the shapes you want out of the dough and place it into your baking tray. I simply used a knife and draw carrots, rabbits (well at least I tried to) and heart shapes. Then place your baking tray into the oven and let it cook for 15 mins. Don't forget however that every oven is different and therefore the cooking time varies according to the oven you use.)

Bon appétit and happy easter to all of you!