Spotlight: Olieve by Gunbower Creek

I'm an absolute sucker for pretty packaging. As important as product-effectiveness is, these are most likely products that one will be looking at everyday, even several times a day, so aesthetics cannot be overlooked. We recently sold our house, see, and this process is all about aesthetics. My mother felt that our bathrooms needed a little extra pretty-ness to entice potential buyers, and thus decorated the showers with a few products from the Olieve by Gunbower Creek range. I wasn't familiar with the brand before this, and I don't think my mother was either (which is where pretty packaging plays an important part). After selling the house, we've been able to actually use the products, and let me just say it's a brand that from now on we won't be straying from. A delicious combination of beauty and nature that delivers what it promises.

"The Gunbower Creek Olive Grove was established in 2000 overlooking the Gunbower Creek, West of Echuca in Victoria. Using our very own Extra Virgin olive oil, our Olieve Skin care range are all natural and hand made right here at our grove."

This Natural Liquid Soap has been made by hand at Gunbower Creek. Using Extra Virgin olive Oil (85%) for its superior ability to hold moisture close to the skin & form a breathable film to prevent loss of internal moisture. Coconut oil (10%) for its gentle cleansing properties & lathering ability.Castor oil(5%) for its ability to act as a humecant by attracting moisture to the skin.

This mild liquid soap does not contain lather enhancers, chemicals, alcohol or preservatives. It cleanses skin effectively without drying, even on sensitive skin.

Use for face, hands & all over.

The Fine Salt Scrub, with 100% Extra Virgin olive oil, is a carefully selected blend that includes Triple milled Salt Drawn from Artesian Waters. Gently exfoliates & moisturizes leaving the skin feeling amazingly soft and fresh with the Essential Oils of: Lemon, Mandarin, Lavender, Rosemary & Peppermint. Can Be Used Daily.

My personal favourite, a beauty must-have for unbelievably soft, smooth skin almost instantly after use.

Super rich, vitamin laden, Olieve Body Butter has an exquisite creamy feel, the hallmark of natural oils that are easily absorbed by the skin. It is moisturizing, soothing and has potentially great healing properties. Use all over.

Other products include lip balm and bar soaps. Purchase information can be found here.



Tell me some of your great beauty finds!

Romany

[photos courtesy of gunbowercreekolives.com.au]

To red or not to red?

I'll be honest with you: I've never been a huge fan of red lipstick. Artistically (e.g. in a painting), I think it's wonderful. But in reality (e.g. on a person), in my opinion it almost always falls flat. Needless to say, I've never left the house with red on my OWN lips. This is purely due to some bias that I was unfortunately born with, and haven't been able to shake thus far. But recently, I've been wondering if I've done a switch. I was getting a much needed haircut two weeks ago (my first in nearly 10 months), when my hairdresser (in her adorable British accent) remarked that with my hair, skin and eye colour (dark brown, fair and blue), I would look simply fabulous with red lipstick. As far as I know, she wasn't producing her own beauty line, so I was fairly sure she wasn't just making this up to pimp products, but horror of horrors, she was being genuine.

Passion Has Red Lips

Wine by Some Young Punks

Mick Jagger
by Russell Young

Red Lips
by Brigitte Hintner

Is it possible that I've had the look for that iconic red lip all these years and NOT taken advantage? Not even tried it out? My whole world had been shaken up by this one comment. Ever since then I've been thinking about it from all different angles. Waking up every day feeling either pro red lips, or anti. I haven't had the balls to try it out yet (I don't own any red lipstick, and have been far too busy to head down to a beauty counter), but rest assured when I do, you will be the first ones notified...

Private Lip Blend Colour Collection
Tom Ford

If I were to make the jump from no red to red, I'd want to make it noticeable and dramatic. That's just the kind of person I am. Tom Ford has just released a collection of "highly desirable, highly charged emblems of sophistication and femininity". Something tells me that Tom is the best option to guide me through this new transition.

What do you all think? Pro red? Or anti?
Should I conform after all these years of resisting this trend, however iconic?


Romany

[photos courtesy of elite-view.com, russellyoungprints.com, redbubble.com and sassisamblog.com]

Palace by the sea...

A brief respite from hiding (aka, lack of internet)...

Priscilla, 1969
Jones Beach photographed by Joseph Szabo

"A day by the sea – a daydream that is surely on everyone’s mind at the moment. Photographer Joseph Szabo fulfilled this dream in the 1970s, when he first began going on daytrips to Jones Beach on America’s East Coast and documented the laid-back beach life with his camera. Millions of sun worshipers have squeezed and still squeeze onto the renowned beach in the New York area, the so-called ‘people’s palace by the sea’.

He observed teenagers posing in their beachwear, sunburnt muscle men, women with oiled skin and backcombed hair – the full parade of adolescence set on the dynamic environment of a beach – a melting pot of humanity."

Kissing, 1981

Jesse, 1983

3 Guys, 3 Girls, 1989

Kelly, 1989

Beached Bikini, 1989
Wow, killer curves!

The Triangle, 1989

You know I love retro so.

Romany

[photos courtesy of gosee.us]