While perusing Kirk’s today I saw this sign. On the 11th and 12th June, Linden Leaves, who we love, are having a lady come in and hand and feet treatments (I think it’s $20 for hands and $35 for feet). You can make an appointment instore at Kirk’s (Wellington).
Previously Amy reviewed Workout Zone after getting some samples from Kirk’s. Rosy got in touch with us offering a full set of the products for a proper review, so as Amy and I prefer not to work up a sweat unless we’re rocking out to Rockband, we drafted the wonderful Miss Deuxmont to do a review for us.
I’ve been using the products for a week now – so that I can guest review it for the Pretty Pretty Pretty gals. For some context, I have normal skin but with an oily T-zone.
Pre-workout
Step 1, product 1, cleanse face. Now this make complete sense to me yet I don’t ever do it before I work out. It’s just straight in, make up and all. I can’t imagine this is doing my pores any favours. The cleanser is thick with granules, but not too rough. Easily wiped off with a wet tissue.
Step 2, product 2 (easy huh), pre-workout moisturise. I only needed to use a small amount of this – it’s nice and easy to apply, with a mattifying effect – a nice change from the usual shineyness. Delicate, pleasant smell, a tiny bit oatmealy.
I have a choice of 2, an indoor version, and an outdoor version (which has SPF30+). Smart thinking as I do usually use a sunscreen when jogging/walking. And have trouble keeping it on (I sweat it off!). Will be interested to see if this helps.
Workout time
Product 2 tells you to rub it in more while you are working out, for added hydration benefits. I do this, but get a few sidelong looks, so I find a way that makes me look like I am massaging my temples, and not just rubbing sweat into my face!
Shower time
Step 3, product 3, pre-shower bodywash. Now this is a new concept, and I get a few more sidelong looks, as I rub in the product, before I shower. I should stop worrying about what people think, really. The bodywash is nothing like a bodywash – in fact it’s like applying a rich cream (rich but again, mattifying). In the shower, I get confused about whether I just wash it off. Do I? Hmm. It seems a little greasy on my skin, so I click that it’s to help retain moisture. Can’t get my head around this, so I use my regular bodywash, and make a mental note to check the labelling again (read it again, still confused – but can’t make the mental break to using non-soapy bodywash).
Step 4, product 4, moisturise. I have 2 choices again – an alabaster, for fair skin, and a golden, for darker skin. I choose the golden version. You don’t need much of it, and again it has a lovely mattifying effect – which a subtle shimmer. Not too keen on the smell of this one, it’s a little stronger and more organic smell than the other products – but not enough to stop me from using it.
I feel like I’ve really treated my skin, and am excited about using it again.
One week later
It’s so good I think I’ve found my new skin care regime. I still haven’t figured out if I should ditch my soapy bodywash and only use the Workoutzone product.
Biggest likes: Feeling super clean when I am working out, and also the matt effect the Restore conditioning cream has – in fact I now use it as a primer under my makeup.
Biggest dislike: The slight dry feeling after applying the Restore conditioning cream – but this doesn’t last.
Summary: If you are a regular gym goer and really want to treat your skin with gentle and reasonably priced products (less than $100 for the entire set), I definitely recommend WORKOUT|ZONE.
Lou Draper is the wonderful woman who has keep us in Linden Leaves and Delicious product trials through her publicity business Rockstar PR. We talked to her about who she is, what she’s doing, and how come we keep getting nice stuff from her to review.
1. How/why did you get into doing publicity for brands? What was your career path that led you to starting Rockstar PR?
I have grown up around business, my whole family is very business-centric so it was a natural move for me to do the same. I had also done a reasonable amount of PR work in my corporate career as well as working for some top marketing legends so have learned a thing or two about PR. My first business was actually a beauty salon but given I am not a therapist, I got bored after setting the business up so took on a publicity contract for a bodycare brand on the side. Because I am a big talker that contract led to another and so on until I formalised my contracting business with an identity – rockstar PR. The lease ended on the beauty salon so I sold out to focus more on rockstar PR at a help level. Basically, our aim is to help out start up and small business in NZ. These are the guys with the awesome ideas but not necessarily the marketing skill to make their ideas a success. It’s such a buzz to see the little guy on the big global stage!
2. You’ve got a lot of hats to wear with Rockstar, High Voltage and Party-Spa: how do you manage your time and keep them all in balance?
A bloody big diary! Seriously! I’d be lost without mine. I had an AMI moment a couple of weeks back where I put my diary on the car and drove away… luckily I got it back but my life was in chaos for the 24 hours before its return. I think because they are my business’ I want to put more energy and time into them, so it’s slightly more than a 40 hour working week. Plus I don’t have set working hours, I do the work when I am in the zone for it, therefore getting through it quicker. Writers block for me means I need to stop and do something else. Having two other businesses to work on means I can change the “office” environment instantly, and I make time for my family and friends. Today I spent the day with my niece at the zoo which was a fabulous break. I might be working till very late tonight but I am looking forward to seeing my friends new baby tomorrow so having the life injection just keeps things in balance! And it’s a wonderful life really.
3. How about some free advice: what’s one thing Pretty Pretty Pretty could do better to increase our audience?
I found the fabulously fun ppp site from someone else who is a fan.. word of mouth really is the best tool ever. And given there is so much interactivity on ppp, once people know about you they will visit and stay forever. In other words talk it up to complete strangers.. ask them to visit the site, dangle the carrot. Bring your business into everyday conversation – “Hi Joanna, how are you” “I’m fine thanks Mr Postman, my website ppp is keeping me so busy…. oh, you haven’t heard of us.. check it out after work – www.prettyprettypretty.com”
4. What do you wear/do to make yourself feel good?
I’m a typical aquarian. I love fashion – especially the slightly quirky stuff. I can almost never pull it off but when I do find a particular dress or fashion creation that suits me, aside from wearing it to death, I only associate good feelings with it. I have a dress right now that is totally black and very floaty and lovely and I wear it over my oldest jeans. And because it’s comfortable I am automatically relaxed and that’s what makes me feel great. I’m also a huge fan of crazy make up and napping. Both of these things can cheer me up instantly!
5. How would you define pretty?
Probably a cliche but Pretty for me is an attitude. If you are positive as often as you can be, are kind to others at every opportunity and love life, the pretty-ness shines on through. But if that doesn’t work a good contour, colourful cheeks and fabulous mascara will do it instantly!
Yowser! Selected Life Pharmacy’s have a great Clinique gift with purchase at the mo.
You get:
If you’re wondering what two products to buy, here are my recommendations:
You know, it would take a pretty harsh person to criticise a product that’s made directly to fund the Cancer Society (as opposed to the “oh, we’ll donate half a cent from every bottle” type promotion), but as it turns out, I am that person.
What is life without a little luxury?
We all deserve some pampering and if we can help others at the same time, it feels even better. That’s the philosophy behind the Cancer Society’s new range of skincare.
Made from gentle ingredients and infused with natural extracts to soften and beautify, elements is the skin care range that really cares. Treat yourself to elements and know that your purchase is contributing funds to the valuable work of the Cancer Society.
Okay, so that sounds fair enough. I purchased a 500ml bottle of Ginger & Green Tea body lotion from Farmers for $10, thinking that I liked the smell, and that it was a new and interesting product. Turns out I don’t really like the smell that much, but of course that’s very subjective. What I think is more objective is that this lotion isn’t very thick at all (in fact, it kind of slops all over the room when I pump it out), and it doesn’t make me feel very moistened, and it definitely doesn’t last. Their body butter might be better, but if you want a big bottle of value that actually gets the job done, might I suggest Oatmeal and Shea Butter lotion from St. Ives that you can get for around $7 in a (good) supermarket or the Warehouse, and you can donate the $3 to your favourite charity instead?
(I’d offer up this body lotion as a dud trade, but I think it might come in handy for the impromptu foot-massage parties that pop up much more often than you might suspect!)
Apparently, ancient civilizations attributed healing properties to pure gold, which was often included in cosmetic preparations. I’m not sure how true that is, but I do know that Linden Leaves is all up with their gold goodness, and when I wore it out on New Year’s Eve, I didn’t feel nearly as bad the next day as I should have!
Because Amy and I are lucky and spoilt, we were sent GOLD gel, GOLD lotion and also GOLD mist, as well as some lovely creamy gold eye shadow which I haven’t seen for sale anywhere. As I was planning my New Year’s Eve outfit to have all kinds of metallic accents anyway, it was the perfect time to try out the products. They all have a similar soft scent that matches their ingredients – extracts of avocado and chamomile with a hint of vanilla. After my shower, my skin was a little sparklier than usual, and once I had slathered myself all over with the lotion, I was sheeny and glittery and lovely – without looking like a raver from the ’90s, which is always a bonus. It’s probably the shiniest body shimmer I have ever used, but it does seem more subtle than other products at the same time, if that makes sense? Yes? Good.
Normally, we like to give away the products that we get to try, but I’m going to hold on to the gel and the lotion, hah! But! Instead, we’ve got some Linden Leaves Room sprays to give away. There’s a Green Tea & Lime, and Passionfruit & Echinaecia and both retail for $27.50 (have we mentioned that there’s free shipping on Linden Leaves NZ website?). If you want to win one, leave us a comment and tell us what stinks in your life right now, and which fragrance you’d prefer. We’ll draw them at random, and then throw in the GOLD mist for the answer we prefer. The competition’s open only to addresses in NZ, and we’re closing it next Friday. Yay for winning stuff!
Southern Hemisphere Christmases are the best! Hot, hot days that languish into the evenings, bees buzzing, barefeet, ice creams.
But this is, afterall, a beauty blog (of sorts), which wouldn’t be complete without a rant about protecting your skin from harmful UV rays and dreaded dehydration.
Tut-tut you sun-sinners, and here are my most favourite summer beauty products:
What are your best summer buys?
You probably know that as well as writing Pretty Pretty Pretty with me, Jo also edits The Wellingtonista and that right now they’ve got voting open for the Third Annual Wellingtonista Awards. Amongst the nominees for ‘Best Apparel‘ are some of our favourite stores Swonderful and Madame Fancy Pants, so we want to make sure that you know about them, and that you vote.
If you come along to the TAWAs award night, you’ll go into the draw to win a gorgeous prize pack from Linden Leaves but if you can’t make it on the night, or if you simply can’t wait to try their lovely stuff, we have a Pure Man Soap on a Rope to give away. I think the soap smells like rosemary, strangely enough given that’s one of its main ingredients, while Jo goes to far as to say “If I wasn’t happy being a crazy cat lady, I might be tempted to leave this soap under my pillow so that I could imagine that there was a gorgeous-smelling man sleeping next to me at night, But I’m not that lame, honest!”
If you wanna win the soap, just tell us what your favourite nominee in the TAWAs is before voting closes next Tuesday, and we’ll draw it with the randomiser.
We asked you to pick us up, and some of you tried, and some of you repeated very amusing lines that’d been used on you or that you’d use, but we had one clear winner who scraped in at the last moment who’ll be receiving some delicious Delicious in the mail.
Congratulations, Miss Heather. How you doin?
The lovely Lou from Delicious has sent us some more goodies to try. Remember how we were in the pink and we wondered what it would be like to get the blues? Well, we’ve got the aquas now, and so can you.
Two out of two people in a blind smell test have said that the aqua hand balm would be for boys and the pink would be for girls, but Amy reckons it would be nice as a bodywash for girls too – and the site agrees, calling Aqua Delicious “fresh, clean and unisex”. One person described the scent as similar to that of Davidoff Cool Water, while someone else said it was a little generic-Lynxy. I say that it smells manly, but you can decide for yourself because that’s right – we’ve got another giveaway! We have the awesome-feeling hand-balm, some fragrance mist and the body exfoliator, and if you want it, you’ve gotta work for it.
In keeping with the manly theme, gentlemen and ladies, we want you to chat us up. Leave us your best pick-up line in the comments before next Monday, and we’ll choose a winner based on whatever we like the most on that day (so personalised compliments could be a go).
Prize will be sent to NZ addressees only, unless you want to stump up for packaging or send us reciprocal products.
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