Top 5 // Essential Tomboy Beauty Products

I admit it, I am a complete tomboy. I practically live in my hoodie and jeans but despite some resistance, I've also found myself using the follow products on a daily basis. And while they are just that, extremely basic, I couldn't imagine my life without them right now.

My Top 5 Beauty Products

1. Clean & Clear Morning Burst Skin Brightening Scrub @ $12 // I'm yet to find the perfect brand of facial cleanser so I tend to switch between a few different brands depending on price. I have to use this one in the shower as it can get fairly gritty and sometimes the fruitiness is slightly overpowering. Any recommendations on quality brands?
2. Walgreens Triple Antibiotic Ointment On-The-Go Pump @ $5 // I picked up this antibiotic ointment while on holiday in the US and it works under. We have nothing like it in Australia so I'm trying to use it minimally.
3. Loreal Youth Code Luminosity Day @ $24 // I paid roughly $10 for the luminosity tub and have almost used it all. It's a perfect light and creamy moisturiser that isn't too oily and goes on easy. After reading the label closer, I can see it's recommended for 30+ but it's suited me fine… maybe next time I'll go for a little bit more age appropriate. 
4. Dove Moisturizing Body Silk Cream @ $10 // We have a couple of tubs of this stuff in the back of our cupboard, I only recently started using it but it's wonderful stuff for super smooth skin with a bit of shine.
5. Tresemme Cleanse & Replenish Conditioner @ 10 // I tend to find that other shampoo and conditioner will work wonders on the first use but after awhile leave your hair dry and damaged whether it varies in price/brand so I tend to stick with Tresemme. Despite what my hairdresser recommends, Tresemme keeps my hair knot-free, soft, smooth without being greasy.

Q: What are your favourite products for face, body and hair? Do you tend to stick with one brand or try out a variety?

Book Review: Vicious Little Darlings

Title: Vicious Little Darlings

Author: Kathering Easer

Genre: YA, Mystery

Released: June 2011

Links: Goodreads, The Book Depository

My Review: Vicious Little Darlings is an extremely unique tale of jealousy. I can safely say, I've never read anything like it. There are mentions of a pet baby fawn, nude portraits and so much drama that you'll be in complete disbelief while reading this book.

Early on, I was completely taken aback. Vicious Little Darlings is almost a complete shambles and downright unrealistic but as it sits in the same vein as Pretty Little Liars, you'll find yourself holding your breath until the very last secret is revealed. It was also the perfect way to tide me over until the next season of PLL.

Basically, Sarah has recently transferred to a new school on the other side of the country far from her family. She feels isolated and alone so when an instant bond forms with the school outcasts, Maddy and Agnes, she clings to their friendship and eventually moves into their private accommodation away from the security of her fellow students and teachers.

Sarah finds their antics slightly odd but passes it up as grief and immaturity, it isn't until she finds a Hello Kitty diary full of disturbing diary entries that she starts to take things seriously and finally tries to get the hell out of there!

Yes, Vicious Little Darlings tested my limits to the nth degree but in a roundabout way, I became very invested in this novel. I only wish their had been an improvement to the first half of the novel so it could've be enjoyed by a much wider audience.

Yonanas // Product Review & Aussie Giveaway

Yonanas Product Review

I first spotted the Yonanas Ice-Cream Maker when it was featured on one of my favourite blogs so I'm thrilled to be able to review it for my readers today!

In the past, I've experimented with lots of different frozen dessert recipes, most recently I froze vanilla yoghurt in little tubs with berries and some honey for a healthy snack. I even blogged about my DIY Smoothie Cubes a little while back so I'm hoping the Yonana can become a staple in my household when it comes to creating healthy and delicious treats!

Personally, I made the decision to STOP buying kitchen appliances as we've racked up quite a few in the past couple years (convection oven, air fryer, food processor) so when I spotted the Yonanas machine in my local Harris Scarfe store for the first time, I was a little disappointed that I couldn't break my promise and test out this brand new product. Luckily, Yonanas were able to supply me with a machine for review today and I couldn't be more pleased.

At first, I was a little skeptical as to whether the taste would compare to store bought ice-cream and whether the recommended retail price would be worthwhile but I was easily won over.

In anticipation of the Yonanas turning up on my doorstep, I made sure to prep a few bananas and put them in the freezer so I was all ready to go when I finally unpacked the machine. I started off by placing two frozen bananas in the chute with some leftover chocolate pieces. It got a bit noisy at this point and I was required to press a little forcefully to get the frozen banana through the grinder. In hindsight, I now see I should've left the bananas out to defrost for a little bit and also chopped them up into smaller pieces but other than that I had no real issues and was pleased with what the machine produced.

The ice-cream like texture and taste was delicious and I was keen to test the machine out further, so I went on to create a Banana/Berry combo and put those into the provided icy pole freezing containers, as seen in the below photo.

I love ice-cream and all sorts of after dinner treats but I try to avoid them for the calories and mostly the guilt but with the Yonanas you can have the fun of creating your own flavour combinations and then get to have a healthy and delicious treat whenever you want!

I'm chuffed!  I've been eating yummy treats for days now. It's even fun to make and experiment with new flavours. And it's all HEALTHY because you're only adding fruit and no preservatives or sugar. It's even easy to clean and doesn't take up too much room in our kitchen because it's such a compact device.

Overall, I really enjoyed using the Yonanas machine. It's taste and health benefits have fit in with my lifestyle really well and I hope to use it on a regular basis especially in the upcoming summer months.

Pros:

• Healthy - A great snack for the summer as you're only eating frozen fruit without any sugar/cream/preservatives.
• Taste - I'm really surprised to say the Yonanas sits on par with store bought ice-creams. I don't miss the sugary flavours at all.
• Easy to Clean - Just take apart the grinder section and rinse or pop in the dishwasher.
• Allergies - I can imagine this being a life-saver for those with allergies, you know exactly what you're putting into your ice-cream!
• Fun - I love trying out new recipes and especially enjoy testing out desserts so this is just more of a chance for me to have fun in the kitchen

Cons:

• Quantity -  I used two bananas and half a cup of berries which resulted in about two small servings. It was perfect for me but I imagine it would be chaos for those with small children or a large family!
• Ease of Use - You need a bit of strength to push the frozen fruit into the chute and through the grinder. It's also a rather noisy device.
• Pre-freezing - I wouldn't recommend this machine to those of us who are a little impatient. The bananas must be frozen solid for up to 24 hours before using the Yonanas machine. I now have a system where I add bananas to my freezer every time I use the machine otherwise it becomes a waiting game.
• Price - As I said earlier, I was originally put off by the price but if I could go back in time, I would definitely buy one for myself earlier as it looks like it's becoming a regularly used household appliance.
• Food Processors - After reading a few other reviews, it seems a similar result can be obtained through a food processor. I will definitely test this out myself one day.

Product Info

What Is It?

Yonanas is a new, easy to use ice-cream maker that takes frozen bananas and other ingredients and turns them into a low cost, healthy soft serve ice cream.

How It Works:

Simply freezer chunks of banana overnight then allow to thaw for a few minutes before placing in the Yonanas machine. Repeat the process with your choice of frozen fruits, nuts or chocolate and you'll have delicious homemade ice-cream ready to eat!

Where To Buy:

The Yonanas Ice-Cream Maker retails for roughly $89.95 in Australian stores. It can be purchased online at the Yonanas store or through these major retailers: Target, Myer, Harvey Norman, Harris Scarfe & Matchbox.

Links:

Australian Yonanas Website, Twitter, Facebook.

Aussie Giveaway

The Yonanas team were kind enough to donate one ice-cream maker to a lucky participant who follows their Facebook or Twitter profile below. Entry is open to Australian residents only!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Q: What ice-cream flavour combinations would you make with the Yonanas machine? I'm thinking about trying Banana/Pineapple next up!

Book Review: Preloved by Shirley Marr

Title: Preloved
Author: Shirley Marr
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Source: Aussie Swap (Nomes)
Released: April 2012
Save the Book: Goodreads, AbeBooks

Review: If you were ever a fan of Ghost Whisperer or Gilmore Girls, you're going to be very fond of Preloved. It's a mash-up of 80's pop culture and Chinese superstition all rolled into one!

Poor Amy is a little bored with her high school routine. She simply cannot see how amazing her life is right now. Her days are filled with helping out at her mothers antique store while also suffering through the old wives tales she offers up as advice to almost any willing ear. Then there are the longing stares from Michael, the utmost perfect boyfriend waiting in the wings for Amy yet she still feels utterly lonely and totally oblivious.

That is, until Amy finds a locket on her way to school one day and as a result is stalked by a ghost named Logan. Logan becomes her love interest from afar and keeps her company when the days are a bore. Yet Logan has his own agenda for tagging along, he adores Amy's BFF, Rebecca as she is almost identical in looks to his 80's high school sweetheart.

It's obvious Shirley Marr adores the 80s era and at some point in her life has held or hopes to host an 80s themed dress-up party. Personally, I never experienced this time period but can totally relate to reminiscing about the years of your youth.

Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed by the major turning point in the novel, I felt I had been waiting and wishing for a great outcome for the most-part of the novel and for it all to come down to pure imagination and mental illness was not as fulfilling as I'd hoped. I would've liked to see the mystery evolve possibly with the assistance of Michael as he was an excellent character I feel we didn't see enough of.

In one word, I would describe Preloved as simply adorkable. I loved Amy's pop culture references and the many mentions of old wives tales, some I had never heard of before but loved trying to figure out the meaning behind them all. Overall, it was a light and enjoyable Aussie YA novel for those of us who have always questioned the possibility of reincarnation.

2012 Aussie BFF Romance Novel

Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson

Review: There isn't much you need to know about this book before I recommend you go out and buy a copy. Everything Left Unsaid is such an addictive and refreshingly realistic novel that I feel it could be enjoyed by almost anyone.

Tai and Juliet have been best friends since kindy but only just discover a romantic fondness for each-other in their final year of school when graduation and uni are on the cards and a semi-adult life is about to begin. All of this comes to a sudden halt when Tai finally goes for a check-up on a reoccurring headache that has been bothering him for quite some time. It turns out Tai has a brain tumour and with a couple rounds of chemotherapy and a surgery, he may be able to live for a few more months.

I'm not usually one to be drawn to such a morbid sounding novel but I just couldn't resist the idea of this Aussie YA novel. I'm really glad I got a chance to read this book as it's such a quick and easy read with a roller-coaster of emotions and a few teary moments thrown in near the end. I even found myself bringing Everything Left Unsaid along on each and every outing in the hopes of getting stuck in a queue at some point during the day and having even more time to spend reading this book.

I especially loved how Jessica Davidson included lots of little Australianisms which made it an even more enjoyable novel for me. I'm sure it'd work just as well worldwide with such an addictive story-line.