Sambag Celebrates their First Birthday at Wintergarden Brisbane

I love an Aussie success story! After reading the news and seeing stories about renowned labels going into administration, or being sold to new overseas owners it really makes my day to see Sambag thriving.
For those who haven't heard of this label yet it is the epitome of Simplicity being the ultimate in sophistication. Renowned for their impossibly soft ballet flats and classic accessories, it's a brand that you cannot go wrong with.

Luxe Scarves to finish off an outfit

I'm completely in love with these Leopard Print Ballets!

Earlier this month I had the privilege of having an early viewing of their upcoming range and to meet the designer and creator of Sambag - Sam Wagner herself. I have a lot of admiration for her, as a single mother building an entire label from the ground up into an international brand with stores in Australia and Hong Kong, Sam even sold her engagement ring to help fund the venture, which as you can see has truly paid off!

The store invites you in with chic light scarves perfect for our upcoming Summer hanging luxuriously from displays, accompanying supple leather bags and shoes that beg to be touched. The Signature shade of blue speaks volumes of the effortless chic the label embodies.

Designer Sam Wagner with her creations (Pink flats! <3!)

Jewelry by Deepa Gurnani, Clutch by Sambag

Of course I had to try on some of the wares! I completely fell in love with these incredible bracelets by Deepa Gurnani. The Cuff styles are created on a leather base with lobster claw closures, and I simply adore the studded one on the top, Perfect to stack, you've really got to go and see them on yourself.

The wonderful team at Sambag Brisbane

Sambag Brisbane is located in the recently refurbished Wintergarden Shopping Complex, Nestled in Brisbane's humming CBD, the girls in store are waiting to help make the shopping experience something to savour!

Sambag Brisbane

Wintergarden Shopping Centre

Shop G14, Ground Level

171-205 Queen Street Mall

Brisbane

(The same block as the Hilton Hotel)

Opening hours

Mon – Thurs 9:00am – 5:30pm

Fri 9:00am – 9:00pm

Sat 9:00am – 5:00pm

Sun 10.30am – 4:00pm

Have you been to Sambag or Wintergarden recently? What gorgeous things did you find?

How to choose the right Fake Tan for your Skintone

Summer's coming, for a lot of us out there it feels like it's already here too! So here I'm going to tell you how to avoid a common dilemma with an ubiquitous Summer product.
How many of you out there have used fake tan only to leave the experience looking like a Cheeto/human hybrid? Or even something more interesting? This has scared lot of girls into never going there again or worse, shelling out far too much money at the professional spray booths. Sunless Tans come in a massive array of brands and varieties that it can be hard to find which one will work for you, but hopefully you will know your skintone, and that can make selection a lot easier.

How to Fake a Beestung Pout in one step

I finally caved and bought the lipsick du jour and I'm so glad I did! Ruby Woo by MAC really is an excellent go to shade for those with cool colourings and the impact is amazing. When I wear it I feel like a gorgeous forties starlet, when lipstick was bold and glamorous. I find it really fascinating that when economies go down sales of prestige makeup actually goes up, even if ladies can't buy designer clothes they still want that designer pout!

My favourite tip for lips any day is to use a brow highlighting pencil to create that pillowy, Angelina Jolie look that both men guys and ladies swoon over. A good budget option I love is this one by Models Prefer, available from Priceline. Simply trace the outside edge of our cupids bow and the lower outside of your bottom lip before you apply lipstick and liner, to see what I mean have a look at the picture below:

Once you have drawn the lines, use your ring finger to gently pat the product to blend any harsh lines.

This is a great trick to use with any lip colour, but if you want to look even more pouty, dot a bit of complimentary shimmery eye shadow in the middle of your lips (gold or silver are ideal). I skipped this step as my lips need a little boost, not a full on transformation.

What I really find interesting is that when I went to a MAC counter some years ago and asked for a good matte red they didn't suggest this one. I may or may not have a large MAC red lip collection but when a brand does them so well it's hard to stop at just one.

Do you have a go to brand for lipsticks? What shade do you find yourself reaching for again and again?

How to hand wash your Delicates

Hand-washing. Ugh, who has the chance to do it honestly? So much time that I could be doing things I actually enjoy.That's why I'm glad I found this method, it makes it an utter cakewalk, and the results are much better then handwashing in a basin. This method is ideal for small delicate items, such as bras, knickers and slips made of lace and silk.

Take a large jar that you have washed thoroughly (or put through the dishwasher, we're talking low effort here!) I like to use Kilner jars, the ones with the slip top lid and rubber seal or giant Moccona coffee jars.

You will also need:
Laundry Powder suited to the items your washing
Water
Dirty Delicates!
That's about it actually ...

Put a small amount of washing powder in the jar along with some hot water. Seal the jar and shake shake shake!
Once the powder has dissolved, fill up the jar to about halfway, pop in your laundry. One item at a time works best but it depends on the size of your jar really. Continue to shake for a minute or two (See? It's a workout and laundry in one! Time saved!)
Repeat with any remaining smalls until you're done, you can use the same soapy water but replace it if the water becomes murky ...
Replace the soapy water with clean cold water and shakes again to rinse. Replace the water as required.
Once they're washed, lay your smalls on a clean dry towel  and blot them with the other end to mop up excess water. Delicate items don't tend to like being wrung out so please don't do that.
Hang them out to dry!

This method works much like a small washing machine in order to give great results with maximum safety for your clothes. Because fabrics such as silk actually get weaker when wet it's a common occurance for them to tear when washed in a machine.
Make sure you wash the lid properly too, We don't want bits of dinner on our freshly laundered bras!.

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Bioderma, Uriage and Nuxe coming soon to Priceline!

This is great news you guys! Priceline Australia are about to start stocking some incredible brands from France and I couldn't be happier. (Not having to use eBay to find potentially fraudulent cult status items? Defs a win!)
What am I talking about? Bioderma, Nuxe and Uriage! Three world famous brands and rightly so, their products have both stood the test of time and are coveted by those in both the beauty industry and at homes across the world. This is just a quick introduction to their star products, make sure you go and check out the ranges in store soon.

Bioderma is a cult status beauty brand. With the ubiquitous product Crealine in their arsenal they are a brand to be reckoned with. Bioderma create products with the belief that skin in distress not only needs to be treated but also encouraged to use its own resources to aid in healing itself, this has led them to create incredible non irritating formulas that will make those with sensitive skin weep with joy. What makes Crealine so special is the Micellar technology that attracts oil based cells. When applied to a cotton pad and wiped across the face it binds makeup, oils and pollutants to the pad without interrupting the skin. Quite often you'll find it's the only make up remover an artist will use because it's effective without irritating a model's overworked skin.

Chances are you have an oil product in your Beauty Stash and Nuxe may just be the brand you have to thank for this! Aliza Jabès (a Pharmacist's Daughter) created the Dry Oil product Huile Prodigieuse over two decades ago, introducing what would become one of the best selling beauty products around, a bottle of this glorious oil is sold every 6 seconds worldwide! You can use it in your hair, as well as your face and body. It absorbs super quickly and has the most heavenly scent. A great use for it is actually before you shower, Comb it through your hair and leave for 20 minutes -under a clean towel is ideal to create warmth- and them shampoo and condition your hair as normal.  Easy, gorgeous soft hair!

Something for those with problematic and sensitive skin, where even tap water can freak them out is the star product of Uriage. The product is so effective that there is even an Uriage Thermal Centre, where people can be treated for severe skin irritations using the special naturally balanced water sourced from Uriage-Les-Bains, near Grenoble, Uriage Thermal Water spray is the take home version. For every day users like myself it's great for setting make up at the start of the day with a quick spray but it also wonderful for use during the day. It won't ruin your make up if you give yourself a very light spray during the day, but will in fact refresh it. I think it's going to help me survive summer!

These brands are going to start appearing on Priceline's shelves soon and are expected to be out by mid October, so do yourselves a favour and keep an eye out for them, Bioderma is already available at Terry White Chemists if you just can't wait though!

Have you ever used these products before? What did you think of them? Be sure to tell me in the comments!

Products have been provided for consideration.