Holy Grail: Jo Malone body moisturisers

Keeping the theme of moisture running (and what a theme - here in Sydney it's been bucketing!)...

I'm a sucker for a good body moisturiser. Something emollient and fragrant always works for me. I used to be a big fan of Philosophy body creams but recently they seem to have become somewhat... thin... Or maybe my body needs a thicker cream to combat Australia's drying environment?

If I am out and about outside I will often use Kiehls Creme de Corps Lightweight Body Lotion with SPF 30+ (which they have recently discontinued, much to my chagrin - they still make the lotion, just not with sunscreen). It has a wonderfully natural coconut smell which is really the essence of summer in a bottle. But now that it's getting colder and I don't need the SPF under the layers of cardigans and scarves I seem to be wearing, I revert to my all time favourite moisturiser: Jo Malone.

There are two different types of body creams produced by this estimable perfumery: Body Creme and hand and body lotion. To use a cooking analogy, the Creme is thicker and more emollient, like double cream. The lotion is more like single cream: a great hydrator and good for everyday.

Both have their place in my bathroom, but I find as the days get colder and I need that little bit of extra comfort, I reach more and more for the Creme.

The good news is that both options have great longevity when it comes to scent. You can also layer your favourite Jo Malone perfume over the moisturiser to either give it more staying power or create a new different aroma.I often wear the Lime, Basil and Mandarin Body Creme with the Grapefruit perfume (although I have to say all that yummy citrus does have the downside of making me a tad hungry).

Unfortunately the price of these wonderful creams is the downside. The Creme is $130 for 175ml and the lotion is $105 for 250ml. But, as a treat, they are worth the splurge. And if you can get them on your travels overseas where it is cheaper, all the better!

Do you have a favourite body cream?

Kitty

Holy Grail: Malin + Goetz's lip moisturiser

One of the disadvantages of being a, well, slightly more mature woman, is that you end up having to pay a little more attention to your skin care routine. It's just not as easy as the old days of my 20s where I could fall into bed, make up still on and be fine the next morning (albeit somewhat panda-eyed). My skin care regime is planned with the precision of a military tactical assault nowadays. Cleanse, moisturise, tone, buff, scrub, hydrate!

Case in point: I had coffee the other day with a few friends and a topic of national importance came up. The application of red lipstick (see? we cover all the big topics at our coffee dates). Some people swear by lip liners, others foundation their lips first, some apply, then powder, then apply again... But most of the women still encountered feathering. Or bleeding. Ew.

Not me. And I will share with you the reason why.

I have always been a huge fan of keeping my lips moisturised. Particularly as we move into winter and the cold weather means chapping and a dry cracked pucker. I always have something on them: for years I used Kiehl's Cranberry lip balm - which is indeed a great product - but I was recently introduced to Malin + Goetz's Lip Moisturiser. What a difference. It's a gel formulation and contains absorbent fatty acids, which unlike traditional oils, waxes and silicones that are often licked off or wiped away, nourish immediately upon impact while offering a continual layer of hydrating protection throughout the day and night.  It's also fragrance, flavor, paraben and color free and leave your lips beautifully shiny (which, as a busy mum is a bonus because you can feel polished without having to slap on the lippy).

When I wake up in the morning, it's still on my lips. One application lasts almost all day as well, whereas I would often find myself reapplying lip balm again and again.And it has made a dramatic difference to those little feathery lines around my mouth too, making red lipstick application an absolute breeze. And the best thing? You can use it over a lipstick or a stain to give a glossy polished look while still moisturising and hydrating. Double duty product!!


You can buy Malin + Goetz products at Mecca Cosmetica. I think at $18 this is a real bargain and a great addition to anyone's cosmetic kit.

You can all thank me later.

Kitty

Some things I love #1

Inspired by the wonderful ButWhyMummyWhy, I have decided to try and share a few of my favourite things on a semi-regular basis. I know I have been a bit of an absentee blogger recently, what with holidays with baby and our ever increasing social schedule, but I am hoping to get back into it over the following weeks.

Something I read: interiors magazines. Too many of them. Our house is filled with Belle, Inside Out, Vogue.... Seeking inspiration for our rebuild.... For me, its a very exciting project, if somewhat daunting. We have barely touched this house in the 7 years we have been here (knowing full well we were going to demolish) and the last time we bought a piece of furniture - our couches - it took us 9 months to decide... Hence getting in early with the research. We have a full house to decorate. Scary times.

 

Something I watched: We are ripping through The Good Wife at a cracking pace. I never watched this the first time around and am delighting in the storylines, the clothes, the relationships, the clothes... I can't wait for the next episode.

Something I wore: running shoes. Getting back into training after a few weeks off. Too much wine, food and lazing about on holidays made it hard this week!

Something I listened to: sick of Baby Einstein, we have moved onto classical for our car trips. Georgie is yet to be convinced but she seems to be digging Amici Forever..
 

Something I cannot live without: our recent trip to Margaret River has revived my appreciation for artisan chocolate and there is none better than Bahen & Co. Their 70% dark chocolate with roasted almonds and sea salt is the bees knees. More on this soon!

So are there some things you can't live without?

Kitty xx

On travel with children: they joys and challenges...

 Georgie having lunch at Cullen

I make no bones about it - having children (or in our case, a child) is the best thing that ever happened to Mr K and I. It's also the hardest thing we have ever done.

I know it's a very tiny first world problem, but the one thing I have struggled with over the last few months has been lack of - or broken - sleep. We have had a bit of a rough trot on the sleep front - what with 5 teeth (including 4 molars) coming though since mid-December (one more still to come) and three colds.

 Tiny footprints: Early morning walks at at Smiths Beach

Our trip to Western Australia was fabulous, but no picnic. Poor Georgie never settled into the time zone shift which meant for some very very early (3am) mornings for Mama and Papa. Despite that, we had a wonderful time and Georgie was on her best behaviour for much of the trip. We visited some fabulous wineries: Stella Bella, Cape Mentelle, Cullen and the always Fabulous Moss Wood (hello Erika!). All worth visiting if you are in the Margaret River vicinity, especially Moss Wood.

For us, it was the first time on holidays we really had to balance the needs of a toddler and our own desires. Our pre-baby wine region visits used to consist of 8-10 wineries a day, involved and complicated discussions with winemakers about crop yields, irrigation, vintages, oak and tannins, a quick stop for lunch and long, complex dinners.

Our trip post-baby allowed us to visit approximately two wineries per day (taking turns to alternate the baby wrangling) with a lunch in-between and a long stop at a park, duck pond or other such baby friendly activity. In some respects much more relaxing, but requires a lot more planning.

We are off to Hawaii in May. I am hoping for another, slightly more relaxing trip and that Georgie will slip a little better into the time zone. And perhaps she'll like the beaches a little better there.

Kitty 

Miss Kitty Bakes: the cheat's peach pie

A few weeks ago, I made the incredible investment of baking a peach pie from scratch. I made the pastry, let it rest, made the filling, popped it all together and into the oven. I whipped it out approximately 5 minutes after we were due to be at my friend's house. Complete palaver. The whole thing took an absolute age to make. But the tart? A revelation! Delicious and sweet and full of summery flavours. I resolved to make it again. Someday. When I had oodles of time to spare (ok, who am I kidding? I am a stay at home mum! There's no TIME!!).

So when a friend came over for afternoon tea this week, I decided to make the cheats version. The version that has just 6 ingredients. The whole recipe was adapted from a Donna Hay tart (current issue) and I promise, you won't be disappointed. And it's a great way to use the last of those gorgeous summer peaches.

Miss Kitty's Cheat's peach pie

1 sheet good quality bought shortcrust pastry (Careme if you have got it, otherwise an all butter, like Pampas is fine)
3-4 ripe peaches (about 400g)
40g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
2 tablespoons almond meal (or breadcrumbs if you don't have it)
Egg white

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Cut the sheet of pastry into a 30 x 30xm square (or, if you are using pre-cut, simply defrost one sheet). Slice the peaches and place into a bowl. Sprinkle with 30g of sugar and the vanilla paste. Toss to combine. Allow the fruit to macerate for about 5 minutes.

Place the pastry on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle the almond meal onto the pastry, leaving a 5cm border of pastry then top with the sliced fruit. Fold the pastry edges over the fruit, forming a rustic pie. Brush the exposed pastry with egg white and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes and serve warm with double cream. Or ice cream. Or whatever you like!

Do you have a favourite cheat's recipe?

Kitty x

Miss Kitty Bakes: Chocolate Banana Bread

There is nothing I love more than a good slice of Banana Bread. Simple, home made, delicious. It's hard to improve upon perfection but last week I stumbled across a recipe that I think is better than Banana Bread.

Chocolate Banana Bread.

Oh my heavens. So good. Worth the effort (and there isn't much really), the chocolate elevates the ordinary loaf to something truly amazingly wonderful. It's an adult treat, that's for certain. Give it a go, you won't be disappointed.

Chocolate Banana Bread (lovingly reproduced from Donna Hay Magazine, Issue 67)

125g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (175g) brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
1/4 cup golden syrup
100g dark chocolate, melted
Dutch cocoa for fusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Place the butter and sugar in an electric mixer and beat for 10 minutes or until pale and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well. Fold through the flour, baking powder, bicarb and mixed spice and stir well to combine. Stir in the banana and golden syrup.

Place half the mix into a separate bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix well to combine. Place alternating spoonfuls of each mixture into a 7.5 x 32.5 x 8cm lightly greased loaf tin lined with baking paper and swirl with a butter knife. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool completely in the tin. Dust with cocoa and slice to serve.

A cape is just a fancy cardigan.

I think Matches is now officially my new favourite online retailer.

On Sunday morning I noticed a new round of items had been added to the sale, or reduced further. Including this gorgeous Alexander McQueen cape. Now, as far as I am concerned, a "cape" is just a fancy cardigan, right? And at 70% off (with free shipping) it was just too good a deal to pass up. I tossed up whether I should buy the green or the aubergine, but the purple seemed just a litle to brown for my liking. I like my purples vivid and bright.

This little baby is now winging itself to me. I can't wait to wear it.

Hurry hurry hurry...

Kitty