Tonic Gifts

Bits of Beauty - Part 29

Ask Gratitude says that having positive thoughts and emotions is the key to looking younger and living longer and recommends staying away from junk food, exercising regularly and sleeping approximately 8 hours a night.  For those who may be having trouble sleeping, For the Love of Lavender gives us a wonderful recipe for a relaxing lavender bath fizzer as well a lavender based exfoliating foot scrub.

Aparna from Beauty and Personal Grooming shares natural cornstarch recipes which provide a cost effective alternative to store bought beauty products.  Julena from Organic Makeup and Skincare imparts her knowledge of the benefits of the cucumber as part of your own beauty regime.  There is no better (or cheaper) way to rid yourself of dark circles and puffy eyes than using cucumber slices.

Sara Ost from Eco Salon introduces us to EcoTools, a range of earth-friendly cosmetic brushes using cruelty-free synthetic bristles and Allie from Allie's Answers covers an eco-friendly version of mascara from Honeybee Gardens.

Lady Jess from Growing in Grace gives pointers on how to tweeze eyebrows for beginners showing how to avoid the common pitfalls of those at home attempting a DIY routine.  And another post aimed at the younger readers recommends a variety of slumber party beauty recipes provided by Jessica Jones from Practical Nourishment.

Philosophy products feature quite regularly on Bits of Beauty as our reader's favourites and Ron King from the Cosmetics Center provides a general review on their range and a selection of their products.

And we finish up this edition for those in the market for a men's cologne or aftershave.  Abhi from Perfume Cologne Online covers the top 49 colognes, including the top day time and night time selections.  There is bound to be one on the list that tickles your fancy.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their article for this issue of Bits of Beauty.  If you have an article that you think is suitable, visit here and submit your article and relevant details.

Helen White Wild Strawberry Room Spray

Hello.  Just wondering if you stock the Helen White spray in the strawberry fragrance.

- Nicole

Unfortunately Helen White have ceased making the strawberry line although have advised us that they will be adding this range sometime in the future.  So watch this space as we will be adding it back to our shelves as soon as it is available.

Our current range of room sprays include the Helen White Emily and Charlotte Isabella range as well as the classic Royal Doulton sprays.

May 2008 Competitions

3 brand new competitions have just been featured on the competition page at My New Shiny Shoes.

They include a stunning pair of funky hoodie breastfeeding top from Nuvo Maternity, a TLC wedding pack valued from Assential Scrapbooking and a 10 pack of premium shoe boxes from Diva Emporium.

All three competitions close on the 30 May 2008.

Dreamtakers

The Small Business Diva recently posted a great article about Dreamtakers - people who try to steal your dreams.

Her advice, "If you’re truly passionate about something, by all means listen to their advice as there may be something useful in it… but do what you believe is right for you. And if your idea doesn’t work, at least you know you tried."

Great advice Donna-Marie and good luck with your next project.

May 2008

We see all kinds of gifts pass through our shelves and one of my current favourites, perfect for mother's day, is The Housewives Tarot.  Leave It To Beaver meets Ryder-Waite in these domestic themed tarot cards!

Tonic's Recommendation -  I just knew chocolate cake was the Devil!

The Baby Shower

Jenni from Papercraft Designs has recently added baby shower cards to her range of handmade cards.  They are currently available in pink or blue although she will be adding a range for those who wish to keep the sex of the baby a secret until the actual birth.

If you are looking for ideas for the Baby Shower, check out Baby Shower Games.  With this handy game book as a guide, the hostess can break the ice, warm up the crowd and help all involved celebrate the mother-to-be and her coming bundle of joy.

Eight ready to play games including the "Who Knows Mummy Best" quiz, the baby-food taste test, "Mystery Meats and Other Baby Foods" and the pop culture trivia game, "TV Tots". 

Includes 15 tear out play sheets for each game and a special gift log to help the mum to be keep track of her gifts and the givers.

Bits of Beauty - Part 28

Plastic surgery is a choice that people make in regard to their beauty and lifestyle and I can't help but think how it must affect the child/children of any parent who has undergone surgery to enhance or better their appearance.  My Beautiful Mommy is a book written by a plastic surgeon to help kids cope with plastic surgery, but as Tracee Sioux from So Sioux Me points out "What is plastic surgery if it's not the ultimate self-criticism...and the ultimate in criticising both our children's and our own parents' DNA?

There are things we may not be happy with but plastic surgery is certainly a far cry from Cindy McKie and Her Hairstyle Blog's post about creating volumes in hairstyles for fine hair.  Skin lightening is something which many people use to also alter their appearance and Lyon from Beauty Secrets Revealed reveals a natural skin lightening recipe to get rid of pigmentation which includes honey and pears as the two ingredients.

Our readers are always looking for natural beauty recipes and Allie from Allie's Green Answers details her baking soda experience.  Ron King from the Cosmetics Centre also brings up the subject of whether egg whites are skin friendly?

And for those with sensitive skin, Jelena from Organic Makeup and Skincare discusses some common ingredients to try and avoid in your skin care routine.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their article for this issue of Bits of Beauty.  If you have an article that you think is suitable, visit here and submit your article and relevant details.

Issues In Tibet

It is no secret that Eternal Creation, one of our major stockists, is a supporter of Tibetans as they are based in Dharamsala, a Tibetan refugee community in North India employing over 70 staff spanning Tibetan, Nepalese and Indian cultures.

We were recently sent this photo taken from within Lhasa in Tibet and whilst it is not clear what is going on, it is certainly something that should not be ignored.

Women In Business

For the top 200 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) at 1st February, 2006:

- Women hold 12% of executive management positions

- 39.5% of companies have no women executive managers

- Nearly 30% of all women executive managers are employed in either materials or real estate

- Only 3% of companies have a female CEO and 2% have a woman chair

- Only 12% of companies have 25% or more women directors

Source:  MotherWho?  Original Source:  2006, EOWA, Australian Census of Women in Leadership

Left or Right Brained

There is no doubt about it - Annette Piper is a creative genius - you just have to look at her jewellery to see that.  But don't take my word for it.  She recently took a left or right brained quiz and the results clearly showed that she was 40% left brained (organised) and 60% right brained (creative). 

I recently took the same quiz, only to find out that I had even less going for me in the organisation stakes which those who know me on a personal basis would hardly find surprising.  Amazingly I scored quite high in the creative stakes but for me I think the balance falls between organised and unorganised as opposed to organised and creative!

My favourite pair of Annette Piper earrings currently are the stunning Theia Silver Earrings.  They are a timeless pair featuring 11mm Karen Hill Tribe engraved buttons.  Karen Hill Tribe silver is more pure than sterling silver and handmade by hill tribes in Thailand.