This post contains items that were gifted.
And brilliant.
Sometimes, when you are a blogger, you get sent things from companies and public relations agencies in the hope that you will fall in love with it and sing it from the rafters.
Mainly mundane things like cleaning products, or nasty convenient snack foods. Perhaps a brand new type of nappy or a super-dooper new sample of porridge?
I recall receiving a trial pack of washing detergent once, and then I received a follow up email asking when it would be featured on my blog.
I told the lady that I didn't really think it was a good fit for my readers, so she asked me to send it back. The postage cost more than the sample would have.
Your details end up on some random database, that is the only way I can decipher it.
If you are interested in how that side of business works, I encourage you to click here, where my friend Kirsty goes into this a bit further with her animated series, The Super Busy Mummy Blogger.
But sometimes I am gifted something that I love so much, I feel it is my duty, a bit like a community service announcement to share it.
These companies sent me samples with no obligations to blog about them.
Now the first one I have been using for 6 weeks. It came about as a result of my asking the Facebook ladies (and 3 men) about what the hell I should do about the appalling state of my skin. I am not doing a before shot, because.... well I didn't take one to be honest.
But it is safe to say that it was a good indication of what would result if a dinosaur and a pizza had a baby. Dry AND oily! YIPPEE!
So I got stuck into it with the Cosima range. I followed it fairly religiously and, although I am never going to have the perfect complexion, I am far happier with it these days....
And here it is. The unearthed epidermis sans makeup and sans filter. ON THE INTERNET? What the fuck am I thinking....
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| 40 years of skin right there. |
Cosima is Australia's first 100% natural, certified organic cosmeceutical skin care brand. Every ingredient in the Cosima skin care range is not only natural and organic but has been scientifically proven to give results that are equal to (if not better than) conventional, synthetic skin care brands. Cosima is 100% Australian owned and operated.
Cosmeceutical means it is stronger than your usual skincare range. It is also very good value compared with similar ranges on the market.
From your face to your feet, I have been wearing Walnut Melbourne shoes for years. They are also an Australian brand which was established in 2007,focusing on children's shoes at first and later, some clodhoppers for women.
At first, I was addicted to their tennis shoes, although I had not picked up a racquet for years.... Mainly because you can chuck them on on one second and cost just $39 bucks.
Then I got into their ballet flats, again despite not being a ballerina. They asked if I would like some samples from their latest range and I said yes please. I left it up to them to surprise me.
I think they got it bang on.
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| Louise Suede and Snakeskin |
They also do the cutest kids shoes ever....
WALNUT MELBOURNE
Il Tutto is yet another Australian company that started up about 5 years ago. It is owned by designer Lucie Trinco who trained in Italy designing accessories.
Now, I must be loving under a rock, because I instagrammaed that picture up there and flushed out what I can only consider to be an established fan club.
Why am I always the last to know these things?
This is her "After Baby Bag" and the features will allow me never again to have to dump the entire contents of my quagmire handbag onto the kitchen counter, like I did yesterday, to locate a ringing mobile phone.
I HATE BAG FLUFF!
So far it is a display bag only, because I don't think I have ever owned something so beautiful in my life and I like looking at it.
And finally, we have the outside covered and I have something delightful for you to check out that will reward your inner senses.
Yet another Australian company, Gascoigne & King, who make beautiful handmade, soy wax candles. I must admit that I have re-ordered this one (Paddington) which I light every day and enjoy while I tippity tap out my mundane stories each day.
It is like a ritual.
So there you have it, a sample of things that I have collected this year and that I love. It is one of the perks of blogging, and sure beats the fact that the staff parties are lonely and the staff meetings consist of me talking to myself in the mirror.
HAVE YOU DISCOVERED SOMETHING SPECIAL LATELY?
CARE TO SHARE?
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A LINK IN THE COMMENTS.
Because I think you don't need a lot of "stuff", but you should love the stuff you have.
