After something that came very close to No-Buy June, July saw a return to normal retail activity as I enjoyed some sales and a competition prize.


Firstly, I hit up Rivers during a sale and nabbed the fox print pyjama pants (not included in total costings as are pyjamas and don't count) and a much-sought-after pair of trackie pants.

Plus these bad boys for $20.


And this super comfortable, perfect fitting striped top.


Later that day, I found the pictured scarf and a 3-pack of belts at Kmart that included a perfect match for the Rivers boots which was most pleasing. I also got this jumper, worn with the aforementioned Rivers trackies. I don't mind telling you, I have lived in this combo during the cold weather.


Pleased with my haul and having snared a $5 reward voucher, I returned later that week to Rivers and picked up this sassy knit dress that I wore to the screening of Embrace: The Documentary which I highly recommend you seeing.


I also finally fulfilled my promise to myself to get a pair of gumboots. Typically, it then didn't rain for two weeks, however we're good now. Adelaide has officially received more rainfall by now than it did in the whole of 2015 and we still have four months to go!


I also won this blanket wrap in an Instagram competition thanks to Toddlers Plus Teens and Millers. It was twice taken to the airport to pick up relatives returning from warmer climates.


Since my love of ponte pants and fleece-lined tights knows no bounds, I've been keeping an eye out for tunics and picked up this merino knit one at ALDI of all places.


After reviewing my spending for the month, I decided it was reasonably high and decided to reel it in for the remainder.

Clothes and Shoes
Items acquired: 8
Total original ticket "value": $236.95
Paid: $124.45
YTD Spend: $1,066.93
YTD "Value": $1,868.02

And as already mentioned, the only accessories acquired during the month were the Kmart scarf and the 3-pack of belts.



Accessories
Items acquired: 2
Total original ticket "value": $17
Paid: $12
YTD Spend: $65
YTD "Value": $783

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is definitely a thing.

Well, maybe not for you all right now living above the 27th parallel where the sun continues to shine and days rarely dip below the low 20s. SAD is generally associated with "winter blues" although having lived in the Pilbara region I can confirm it applies to hot weather too. Sometimes one would like to wear a jacket and boots for a change and relentless 45 degree days with high humidity can be enough to make one faint in a Subway during a busy lunch time. . . or so I've heard.

So what can you do to beat the seasonal sadness?

Stay healthy

Well, obvs. If you're continually fighting the symptoms of cold and flu and your nose is running like Cathy Freeman in the 400m final of the Sydney Olympics then you're hardly going to be a barrel of laughs. Get your flu shot, wash your hands, hold your breath on public transport, you get the drill. I personally will smash pseudoephedrine at the first sign of a sniffle, no matter how many forms I need to fill in and how much ID I need to produce to assure the chemist I'm not making meth in the spare room. Eating well, staying hydrated and keeping your vitamin levels up all make sense and avoid germy people. If that means your own kids, well, who I am I to judge.

Make an effort

Not going to lie, I spend non-office days during the winter in some pretty high-comfort attire - mainly trackies and jumpers. I definitely notice the lift in my sense of purpose and wellbeing when I get dressed for work or some other kind of occasion. I love winter fashion; jackets and scarves make me look more polished than I actually am plus I like big boots (and I cannot lie). Make up on my face, hair did. The only things I don't maintain are leg hair (why would you bother and they are blonde anyway) and my toenails, which I allow to lie fallow until the warmer months and peep-toe shoes make their reappearance. I must stress the importance of moisturising during these months however; super hot showers and dry warm air means scaly skin and that is not going to make you feel good.

Get up and out

Staying in becomes the new favourite thing; whether it be in bed, a boiling hot shower or the lounge room in front of the heater, borging on pasta and gritty British crime drama. Forcing yourself out of the house (within reason, nobody is suggesting you sit out in the rain in sub-zero temperatures, be real) can provide that boost to your activity level that increases endorphins and has the added benefit of snaring Vitamin D if the sun is playing nice. Rug up and get out. Kids love that shiz. Just take a towel if you're heading to the playground to wipe down any wet play equipment (#toptip)

If it's within your means, heading super north for the winter definitely sounds appealing.

Accor Hotels recently surveyed 1500 Australians to find out how winter weather affected behaviour and the results certainly won't surprise those same people who have been hibernating in front of the heater, borging on pasta and gritty British crime drama. Hypothetically speaking.

Here's the breakdown of the survey, presented in this handy infographic:


What are your tips for beating the winter blues? Do you get SAD during the cold weather? Any plans for a warm weather trip?

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This post brought to you by Accor Hotels. If you're looking for Sydney Accommodation, why not check them out? For more information, please see my PR and Media policy.

I may have mentioned before, I tend to stick to lightweight gel type moisturisers to avoid the dreaded issue of milia seeds and because my skin doesn't like to be weighed down with all your negativity, man.

It's relatively normal and not overly prone to breaking out so I like to keep things simple and keep products minimal.

I was gifted the Stem Organics Hydrating Face Fluid at the Adelaide Bloggers United event in February and have finally admitted defeat on scraping out the last of the bottle with the tube thing - short of smashing said bottle and getting the last smears of the bottom, it was done.


I thought about repurchasing and went to the Stem site to check it out. Sadly I coudn't justify the $46 for a replacement bottle, given I am usually a "whatever's on special at the supermarket" type of gal.

I decided to test out some of the other moisturising products gifted at the same time. You may be wondering "seriously, how much loot did these people bag at this event?" I'll tell you how much . . . BLOODY LOADS. I'm serious. Over $1300 worth. This is just one bag of five. You can see the Stem stuff right there in the middle.



Anyhoozle, I decided to try the Elucent Skin Whitening moisturiser. We got the whole range of full-sized Elucent skin whitening stuff, another very generous brand.


First feelings: it's more of a cream texture than a gel and feels very sunscreeny, which makes perfect sense because it is, in fact, SPF 30+. The smell is inoffensive and it comes in a solid pump dispenser.



I also had a try of the Enbacci Skincare grape stem cell system by using the Vitis Vinifera Rejuvenating Essential Creme sample which was a whipped souffle type affair but went on quite thin and kind of watery with the face feeling stiff afterwards. I've since found (when googling for the link to add here) that it's actually more of a toner / balancing creme so that's operator error on that one.

In summary, I think I'll save the Elucent one for summer when I need more SPF action and cast my eye around for another daily moisturiser with a lighter feel.

Edit: Popped down to Priceline and picked this up - largely because of the pretty box and price point. Will report back!



What's your favourite face hydrater?

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All products were kindly gifted at the Bloggers United event in Adelaide. All opinions and images are my own and authentic. For more information, please see my PR and Media Policy.

Guest contributor Bridie returns to Almost Posh with this handy guide on how to go from panic-buy to presentable in six easy steps.

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All dressed up and nowhere to go? Sure, maybe in your 20s.  Now, you desperately want to stay home under the heater, drinking wine, eating apple crumble and wearing trackies that are warm from the dryer (sorry – too specific?! Nah, I bet you want in on that!) but these days you have parties to go to, things to do and yet; nothing to wear.



via GIPHY
Recently I had the good fortune to be invited to an engagement party.  The invite specified “don’t come dressed like a hobo – don’t be afraid to be the best dressed guy or girl in the room” – and yes, with my nuggety physique and square jaw, it would be easy to be best dressed GUY in the room, but I digress…


After having a baby and deciding to focus on basics and building a capsule wardrobe (more on that to come!) of items I love, I find it difficult to spring for fancier clothes.  If I spend all my cash on frocks and frippery then there’s not much left for the day-to-day clothes appropriate for work, the park and trackie-clad-couch-sitting-crumble-eating. But if you don’t spend any money on appropriate going-out clothes, you will inevitably be invited to something fabulous and having nothing to wear.  It’s Murphy’s Law.

In the interests of full disclosure, it would be remiss of me to lead you to believe that our fabulous hosts for the night had not given much notice for their event. Of course they had. Months. I had more than enough time to clothe myself appropriately, but had put off the task because it involved dressing up and planning and I had better things to do, like go to the dentist and clean the grout in the shower. (Okay, dressing up isn’t THAT bad, but sometimes….)

Anyway, say you’ve left it to the last minute…if you’re in Sydney or surrounds, our friends at The Iconic^ have got your back, with 3-4 hour delivery.  3 hour shipping with free returns would be an absolute lifesaver – just order a selection, pick the best for the night and you’re good to go!

If, however, you’re not in Sydney and only have Saturday afternoon to select something before you go out Saturday night, then the following tips should help:

1.       Panic! Hahaha kidding….DON’T PANIC!

The more you panic, the more you will trigger your flight or fight reflex. Your animal brain will laser focus and you will lose peripheral vision, leading to the loss of bargains that might ordinarily be present from the corner of your eye. Okay, there is absolutely no science behind that (note to CSIRO – more shopping research needed.) BUT enjoying the process will put you in a better frame of mind and hopefully lead to a more enjoyable night, when you get home from shopping.

2.       Find a security blanket

Find an item from your wardrobe that you already like, that you know fits and that suits the occasion.  Shopping for a dress, and shoes and a bag and a floral brooch like it’s 2001 is just too much stress – you need to be on the hunt for one or two items max.  I often base outfits around shoes I already have as I know they’ll fit and won’t cause any blisters on a night out.

3.       Shop with military precision

Plan your route, like you’re Rommel attempting to seize the Suez (what the?) Seriously, you have no time for distractions or weird detours to pick up a honeydew melon, look at sheets or whatever…JUST SHOP.

4.       No dalliances

Stick to stores that you know fit.  If you’re over 30 and not built like a whippet, then you know certain stores* ain't got nothing for you, so rather than descend into a pity spiral, just move on past. Similarly, now is not the time to be considering new yoga pants if you’re headed to a cocktail party tonight.

5.       Consider small boutiques

This is where #shopsmall comes into its own.  If you build up relationships with small boutique owners you can present them with your dilemma and often they will be more than helpful. Some of my best outfits have come from small boutiques where they have interesting clothes at decent price points and are willing to spend the time to help a shopper in need.

6.       Makeup on point

Sure, you might not have luck at the shops, but if you’ve followed these tips, your shoes will fit and your makeup can carry the whole look.  Red lipstick and a cute pair of heels can go a long way.

Now, grab your slippers, Cinderella - it's time for the Ball!!  What are your top tips for getting a killer last minute outfit?

See How To Shop With Success and Shopping: Instore vs Online for more thoughts on the subject and for the mums out there, try 15 Handy Hints For Shopping With Kids.

*Not naming names, but we all know of a few stores like this, amirite?!
^ denotes affiliate link

Still on the hair kick this week as I review Pureology "Pure Volume" Style + Care Infusion*.


As I've mentioned previously, atop my head is hair that is fine yet plentiful so volume-enhancing products have always been something I've looked for and if there is the added bonus of being kind to colour-treated weaves, then I'm all in.

I was sent this nifty new product to put through its paces. First, I did a control test - how I would usually dry my hair. This is a wash, blow dry and a misting of Pureology's "Colour Fanatic" spray* (reviewed here) for heat protecting.


Off topic: that lip colour is Colourpop Ultra Matte "Sundae". Super bright! Thanks, my lovely benefactor.

Back to my weave. I washed my hair as normal with Matrix Hello Blondie shampoo and conditioner* (reviewed here) and then twisted it into my Smurf hat microfibre hair towel. I'm also wearing a proper towel so don't be all looking in reflections!


See how the packaging is literally two products in one? There is a tube within a tube, or "dual-chamber" as they call it in the business.


With a handy dot to show you where to press:


Now it says to use "a small amount" which I always find subjective. What's small? A pea? A 10 cent piece? A Suzuki Swift? Be more specific please. This is why I don't do well with freestyle baking.

This is how much I went for. Too much? Not enough? Who knows. But see how it comes out? Tricky!


I applied to damp hair as directed and blowdried as normal. I considered doing another video for this review but I thought five minutes of me with my head over the bath drying my hair upside-down wouldn't be that entertaining and I haven't got my editing skills up to speed yet.

This is what Pureology have to say on the matter:

The innovative dual chamber Style + Care Infusions feature a caring cream formula and a styling gel formula, that fuse together at the moment of application to provide a multi-benefit blow-dry product. Customised for all hair types, each of the three formulas are cocktailed with PUREOLOGY’S exclusive Style + Care Complex which features Xylose Sugar and Intracylane to strengthen hair, insulate the cuticle layer and protect against heat damage. Each tailored formula also offers a specialised ingredient to beautify every desired hair look…

There are three different products available in the range:

PURE VOLUME  |  Wheat Protein to create body and lasting fullness

SMOOTH PERFECTION  |  Camellia Oil to create ultimate smoothness

CURL COMPLETE  |  Coconut Oil to tame and beautify all curl types

It's also made from 100% vegan ingredients if that's your jam.

All that, and this is the final result:


That lip colour is Chi Chi "O.M.Nude!" which is another kind donation!

I can see a little bit of lift and I can feel more texture than usual. Having read the instructions again, I think I should have emulsified between my fingers first and maybe applied more than I did. I'm usually pretty light on applying product to my hair as I don't like it getting limp or too greasy. I'll continue to use it and report back as it smells pleasant and why wouldn't you.

One thing though; this shiz ain't cheap. The 150ml tube retails for $51.95.

What are your volumising tips? Any holy grail products to share?

Linking up with the Monday Makeup Madness link party!

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* denotes gifted items.