Little Jo...

The secret diary of a stingy girl continues...

2012-02-22T13:33:00.000-08:00

I have a confession

I hate paying retail ~ with a P A S S I O N !

So I've been saving my pennies...

(Literally)

And shopping like a little smartie pants! But where?...

Central London's only indoor and outdoor all year round carboot sale!

I love my new coat! and best of all it only cost £2!!!

Isn't it lovely? ~ I think it goes fabulously well with my

£3 pink Aldo shoes!

So what do you think? fabulous or what?

Hairy scary?

2011-11-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

As a self proclaimed selfish cow, it pains me to say that sometimes it's not always all about me...

Let me introduce you to The Real Shaving Co.

Hubby-to-be was very surprised that something had actually arrived in the mail for him. Naturally I opened up all the tubes and had a good old poke about at all the products. And you know what? they smell, well - MANLY! Nice!

So with a box of brand sparkly new products to try out and me being insanely jealous, you know what the cheeky bugger then asked for? new razors! cheeky monkey indeed! then told me was too camera shy to actually appear in the blog post... Grrr!

So what to do, what to do?

In come's fabulous new housemate Bronson! who was more than happy (after the offer of free beer & gentle persuasian) to be my tester bunny! hurrah!

SUPERSTAR!

a natural born product tester!

pondering what he's got himself into!!

I asked Mr B what he thought of The Real Shaving Co. products?

Mr B: Ummm, yeah they were good

LJ: what was your favourite product?
Mr B: the scrubbing one, that was good! I'll use that one again.

LJ: would you buy these again when they run out?

Mr B: Yep!

LJ: so, what would you rate the products out of 5?

LJ: Oh good, so that's a solid 5?

Mr B: nope, make that 6 out of 5!

So there you have it! a 6 out of 5! impressive, good job Mr B!

With Christmas looming I would highly recommend some goodies from The Real Shave Co. for your other half, as stocking fillers, a pressie for your best guy mate or the office kris kringle.

And best of all they are all under a fiver! - unless you add on brand new razors!! lol

♥

Shopping up a tropical storm with L.A. Colors

2011-11-14T10:01:00.000-08:00

Dragging hubby-to-be to Westfield London is never a good idea...

I knew I had to make it quick!

After wondering around aimlessly I spotted...

Oh my stars I love that shop! from fragrance, to makeup & skincare it has it all! but best of all for the true inner stingy shopper Beauty Base has treats from as little as 99p!

Like nailpolish ♥

I love it! perfect for my new grey dress jumper ♥

As a huge fan of spending less, I have to say I was not disappointed whatsoever with this little cheapie polish, it painted on evenly, streak free & as a little added bonus it actually dried quickly between coats!

win/win

The secret diary of a stingy girl continues...

2011-11-12T07:38:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to say I've transferred my stingy/frugal ways across the other side of the world & discovered a whole new perspective on stingy shopping i.e. charity shops & carboot sales! ta da!

Oooh they are delightful!

Don't frown darling! it's not "charity ewww..." it's

Here is a quick little post about my morning charity shop bargain hunt...

Shoes! Yes, shoes!!!

Pink ones! aren't they cute?

unfortunately due to the rubbish weather, I can't get a true picture of the colour but they are a soft baby pink ♥

they even have bows ♥

but, wait for it - they are from ALDO! seriously!!!
Oooh nice!

so considering shoe's from ALDO can average around £65+
how much did I pay for these lovelies??

Yep! that's right 3 shiny british pounds, or for my aussie friends that's the bargain price of

AU$4.70 !!!

So who's with me? are they a bargain, or what!?
do you think they are cute? would you wear them?

have you come across any fabulous finds lately?

Would you like to see more of my stingy/frugal charity shop bargains?

♥

Storage update!

2011-10-28T03:44:00.000-07:00

In between sorting / selling / giving away my precious makeup that has become almost like children to me! *sniff, sniff* Not to mention all the whinging and whining from the hubby-to-be I managed to smuggle a few tiny kilos of makeup and skincare into my already overladen suitcase on my way home to the UK... lol!

So you may remember my first storage post back in Australia, and yes, well it seems that perhaps my collection may have grown a slight tad... so here's an update for you all ♥

Isn't she gorgeous?!!

It only took me a few weeks of trawling the net to find her, and oh my god it was tedious, I kept coming across dolls furniture! was rather hilarious now I look back, but I would get all excited, but then realise it was a miniature!! Eventually I was such a lucky little lady and nabbed my vintage dressing table from a guy on gumtree for the bargain price of £100 and the guy even delivered it that night! I just love it so much, exactly what I was looking for. She just screams, I'm a lady and I like lady things hehehe! I love sitting here, getting myself all prim and proper. And as an added bonus thanks to the drawers it actually keeps me very tidy!

But enough of that, I'm sure you all want to see what's in the drawers?

Bottom right: Blushe's galore! & a few highlighters and a bronzer or two!

Top right: Palette's! Oooh how I love my palette's ♥

Middle: Oooh bit of everything really. Skincare, foundations & tinted moisturiser

Top left: Lipstick, glosses and a bit of hair stuff!

Bottom left: last but not least, it's all about eyes! liners, mascara, lashes, shadow...

So what do you think ladies? I'm off to powder my nose, but in the mean time - how do you store your makeup?

post me your links!

xox

Toni&Guy create London Fashion Week history...

2011-10-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

Kicking off London Fashion Week
Toni & Guy presents the very first hair and fashion show!

guess who scored a hot little ticket to this money-can't-buy show?

MOI!!!

damn heels!

air kisses darling!

hair envy... isn't this impressively gorgeous?!

1 of your 5 a day! lol

Oooh who have they spied?

Olivia Palermo!

Lydia Rose-Bright (TOWIE girl & she blogs too!)

finally were in!


gosh! this is embarassing... um Miss Cambel your in my seat!

it's ok Naomi could happen to anyone..

now that's all sorted, let the show begin!
thanks Naomi ♥

And that's a wrap!

Phew! thank you so much to Halpern PR & Toni&Guy for my invite. Florrie White for the gorgeous, gorgeous makeup

♥

I'm so embarassed...

2011-10-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

I'm so embarassed! It's been FOREVER since my last blog post...

I do apologise, especially to all my twitter mates for all the

no internet = no blogging ranting & raving @#?!**

But I have been a busy little bee, in the last few weeks I...

moved house!

started a fancy new job

scored a hot little ticket to London Fashion Week!!!

attended a few product launches...!

and have been busily road testing a load of makeup, hair & skincare

So I just wanted to say hi! that I'm back and ready to BLOG!

But, enough about me...

How have you all been? and more importantly what have I missed?

feel free to leave your blog links in the comments

♥

Vogue Fashion's Night Out Sept. 08-2011 London

2011-09-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

Three years ago Vogue editor Anna Wintour created the late night shopping event to boost sales, three years on it's an absolute must for any fashionista with a heartbeat! With FNO events held worldwide with tantalising offers of free champagne, discounts & exclusive FNO only events... my heart skipped a beat, I could not miss it for anything! armed with nothing but a credit card I grabbed the girls, flung open the office doors & FLED as fast as my little legs could take me...

straight off the tube for TOPSHOP - it was crazytown in there!

phew some drinks! all this shopping is making me thirsty

oh dear! they must be exhausted, shopping is tiring...

free mani's? Oooh YES please! better get in line...

SHOES!

and SPARKLY shoes!

and a bag!

the gorgeous glossybox crew! thanks for the cute oystercard holder x

parking is very difficult to find in london...

Flower Power! our beautiful corsages thanks to Liberty!

my gorgeous friend Julie having a makeover at Bobbi Brown

While I enjoyed free face mapping & samples galore
thanks to the lovely Laura at Dermalogica in Liberty

pandora!!

champagne & chocolates! Oooh go on then...

what's this? a special little gift just for moi? x

and DONE

well kids, that's it until next year... arriving a bit late we did only get to see a very small part of the festivities but we had a fabulous night out!

we came, we saw AND we shopped!

did you attend the vogue FNO? what did you get up to?

I would love to hear about other FNO fun outside of London feel free to post your links below

xox

Little Jo dreams of Chanel...

2011-09-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

I'm currently daydreaming and lusting after the new Chanel F/W 11 advert styled by Carine Roitfeld featuring Freja Beha Erichsen & shot by Karl Lagerfeld... a PERFECT little teaser for the

Harrods Chanel takeover!

♥

Harrods is housing a Chanel takeover...

(dreams really do come true!)

From Monday 5th September two pop-up boutiques (one fashion and one beauty), the Brompton Road windows and an outstanding installation, will all pay homage to the iconic French brand.

THE WINDOWS

The Brompton road store façade features themed windows, inspired by Karl Lagerfeld's most recent whimsical Ready-to-Wear collection, with a magical forest theme. The iconic logo can be confidently viewed at the top of each door.

UNE PROMENADE (THE CHANEL INSTALLATION)

Situated on the Third Floor, this jaw-dropping installation encompasses eight rooms dedicated to milestones in Chanel's history. First up is the Camellia Room (pictured above - scroll to see a 360 degree picture of the room). Designed to resemble a walled garden this room pays homage to Coco's favourite flower. Amongst the leafy room you will find such joys as a quilted watering can and a white gold camellia tree designed by Karl Lagerfeld.

Room 7L is a recreation of Karl Lagerfeld's famously comprehensive library, with a voiceover from the man himself. Room 54, or the tweed room, is named after the year 1954 when Coco created classic Chanel tweed and includes panels of the famous fabric.

In the Haute Couture room, visitors can see how its lucky owner receives a Chanel couture dress (resplendent in a life size Chanel box).

The Nursery Room features wallpaper and curtains designed by Mr. Lagerfeld with the addition of a doll's house brimming with a host of Chanel toys, including a Chanel-clad Harrods Bear which is, unfortunately, far too precious for sale.

The 2.55 room is a tribute to Chanel's most famous bag - the 2.55 (created in 1955). Designed to feel as though you are actually inside the bag, the room features videos of the bags being crafted. Chanel has even created a limited edition Harrods bag in green, available to buy from the pop-up fashion boutique.

Last but not least, the Chanel No. 5 room celebrates the world's best-selling fragrance featuring posters designed by Andy Warhol and a litre sized bottle, available to buy from the pop-up Beauty boutique.

THE POP-UP BOUTIQUES

The one-off Chanel fashion boutique is located on the ground floor and is accessible from Brompton and Hans Road. Exterior walls are back and white, embossed with lions heads. Inside, the boutique splits into three rooms, one red, one green and one blue, displaying accessories, bags, shoes, and fine jewellery against a backdrop of a sumptuous, magical forest.

The beauty boutique is also located on the ground floor and showcases the "Knightsbridge Collection", created by Peter Philips, Creative Director of Chanel make-up.

♥

Oh my stars!!! Harrods ~ Chanel makeup!!!

little one's I know where I'm off to this weekend! who's joining me?

I'll of course be taking a million photos & will hopefully be able to nab a piece of the Chanel Knightsbridge collection but if you can't wait for my blog post here's sneaky peaky with the team at graziadaily.co.uk

xox

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless - London launch...

2011-09-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Descend into the riotous scene of erotic adventure that is

THE THEATRE OF THE NAMELESS, nocturnal den of the dissident leaders of the underworld subcultures...

"Theatre Of The Nameless is a heady mixture of opulent hues, decadent pigments and fearless application. A bruised and burnished pallet that gives a sensual slip that bleeds colour in colour, worn through and kissed off" Alex Box, Illamasqua Creative Director

here's your ticket, hold it tight!

it's time to cross the threshold & embrace a world of Unadulterated decadence...


go on, just push open the door...


welcome to the theatre of the nameless...

♥


the products!


the gorgeous Grandeur lashes £16.50


dare to be different with the limited edition Weimar lash £14.50


the only 2 blushes you will ever need in your life... Ambition & Morale£16.50


pure (not to mention fabulous) pigment in Beguile

Belladonna,
Violate & Facade £13

for the perfect all-night pout - Kontrol £15.50

kinky new waxy 'rubber-look' finish nail varnish£13.50

swatch-a-thon!

all this makeup is making me thirsty!

makeup porn!

lusty nails ♥

my goody bag!

it's personalised!!

for moi?!!

awww!

holds breath!


Oh my STARS! it's like Christmas!!! the gorgeous Beguile pure pigment I was playing with all night, Belladonna intense lipgloss which is AMAZINGLY perfect for my barbie alter-ego & Faux Pas 'rubber-look' finish nail varnish!!!

A huge thank you to Illamasqua for my blogger invite & LVPO for the gorgeous venue, I had such an amazing evening! And an extra special thank you for my lovely hand picked goodies ♥

illamasqua theatre of the nameless... click if you dare to enter

2011-09-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

a sneaky peak of the new illamasqua collection theatre of the nameless...

I attended this launch last night, blog post / swatch-a-thon / pic heavy coming soon!

xox

The london diaries... she blogs again!

2011-08-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

Little one's! It's been far too long!!! So sorry! Lately I've been a very self obsessed, busy little Jo - after all it is always all about ME, ME, ME!

Celebrating our first month back home in London town I'm proud to say we are nearly settled! Jobs and flat sorted (winner) so I am now very excited and desperate to imerse myself in all things beauty!!! starting with a very exciting delivery...

♥

With a knock at the door, awww look who turned up with a package - postman Pat and his black and white cat!

Look what he dropped off...

Squeals! Oooh a lovely box from the gorgeous girls at amarya! But, what's inside? Let's take a peek...

♥

Pink ribbon ♥ those amarya girls know me too well!

WOW I'm a lucky girl indeed!

In case your not familiar with amarya - amarya are an award winning UK company offering the best selection of natural and organic beauty products. Following on from the incredibly popular beauty box's on the market, amarya offer a unique approach to the beauty box with gorgeous natural and organic beauty products! £10 a month with free postage what's not to like?

Let's re-cap what was in my amarya beauty box!

A full size 75ml bottle ♥ Lemon Lemongrass Body Oil by Dr. Hauschka £17.95 (RRP)

Very excited to receive a body oil, especially with the UK weather turning a little chilly my skin just loves this product and soaks it right up leaving me smelling delish with soft baby skin!

A travel size 59ml bottle ♥ Blood Orange & Vanilla Body Wash by John Masters Organics £2.50 (RRP)

Oh my stars this smells divine! I'm actually saving this one for a romantic mini-break... HINT HINT hubby-to-be!

A gorgeous ♥ Organic Cotton Exfoliating Cloth by Herbfarmacy

£3.50 (RRP)

Specially woven from 100% organic cotton, this face cloth is perfect for my cleanser...

A cute little 2ml sample sachet ♥ Equilibrium Day Cream For Normal Skin by Ananne £85 (RRP) Well you all know how much I love samples! and I'm interested to do a little research and trial this one out but a 2ml sample wont go too far so we shall see... at £85 for a full size i'll have to be blown away to fork out for this one!

Last but not least, a 2ml sample sachet ♥ Aloe Vera Hydro Repair Gel by Santaverde £29 (RRP)

another little sample i'll add to my stash! I truly do love samples, but I do have to say 2ml sometimes just isn't enough product to really try it out! But, with promise of 100% active ingredient and 0 water - perhaps I'm wrong...

♥

So, all in all, I think this beauty box from amarya is great value and gives me a great insight into brands I may not have been aware of and I love the fact that they can ensure the products are natural & organic!

Which beauty box's have you ordered? xox

The little jo adventures...

2011-08-11T04:04:00.000-07:00

Why HELLO little ones! So sorry I haven't blogged in forever and a day, hope you haven't all forgotten about little old me!

But, I've been a busy little bee and have packed up my life to make the big move all the way back to London ♥

It's been an amazing journey with a few stops along the way...

Singapore the land of shopping malls and gorgeous food!


Oodles of noodles!!

ice cold Singapore Sling at the
famous Raffles hotel oooh don't mind if I do!

Some satay to nibble on? absolutely!!!

♥

Now for my favourite detour - the beautiful Sri Lanka...

Sri Lanka the jewel of the indian ocean...

♥

Sri Lanka was absolutely stunning from the people to the gorgeous ever changing scenery and the food oh my stars the food is AMAZING! We spent 14 days travelling this beautiful country soaking up the sun, sipping cocktails, patting elephants, watching cheeky monkeys play, and dining on fresh lobster...

Sigiriya the 8th Wonder of the World

Cheeky monkeys!

Just a little shopping of course!
how gorgeous is my sari?

my new friend Raja just chillin'
at the millennium elephant foundation

♥

Now for the truly exciting part!!

I arrived!!! I finally made it back to L O N D O N !!!

♥

There was even a welcoming party!

♥

I can't wait to continue the Little Jo bloggy blog with tales of Little Jo in london...

'til next time

xox

Oooh this calls for champagne...

2011-07-06T01:37:00.000-07:00

Pop! wheeeeeeeeeeeee...

Party time!

♥

Thank you SO MUCH little ones for the fabulous 100 followers!!!

As a little thank you I have chosen a winner for the Little Jo blog followers G I V E A W A Y

♥

Congratulations to:

Caitlin M!!!

you have won

A fabulous knit kit from sportsgirl! complete with gigantic knitting needles!!! plus, balls of yarn, an instruction booklet, a professional Sportsgirl Styling Session, AND a Sportsgirl rainbow lollypop! nommy nom!!

&

A gorgeous candle & body scrub from Ajana! in my favourite scent Lavender Lemongrass & Tea Tree and a mini rose scented bath bomb from Lin Lou skin rituals for a little pampering!

&

A lovely little bag of hand picked Kiehl's deluxe sample sized goodies!

&

Last but not least! Gorgeous cosmetics sheer brilliance foundation & VIP card! NAK aroma oil spray (leave in hair treatment), Derma Intensive anti-wrinkle day cream, Shiseido Perfect Rouge mini lipstick in RD305, Ultra3 nail polish in Bo Peep! Sportsgirl nail polish in Iceberg, Maybelline Baby Lips in Berry & Kink silk eyeshadow in Gypsy!

♥

C O N G R A T S! I hope you enjoy your goodies!

x

(prize will be posted this week)

The secret diary of a stingy girl continues...

2011-06-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Bonjour Little One's! It's been a little while, I know... BUT now that I'm a lady of leisure i.e. temporarily "unemployed" *cough* & about to embark on another international adventure (hurrah!) I celebrated my last day of work with a long boozy business lunch, then treated myself to a little self indulgence & S H O P P I N G stingy girl style of course!!

♥

For the past few weeks I've been running around like a crazy lady organising the big move, so sadly I've had hardly any

"ME ME ME It's all about me" time which in turn means I've missed my signature barbie pink nails. So jumping on the shellac train I popped into my favourite nail salon Eagle Nails for a $30 shellac hot pink mani!!

Isn't it fab? I just love the colour, so pretty & shiny plus it has this gorgeous hint of shimmer in it - such a shame my camera just wont do it justice. Such a bargain for only $30! will be interesting to see if it lasts the dreaded exit clean & trekking through Asia...

♥

So, now for the shopping! I cannot tell a lie, I hate flying and in a few days time I will be on not 1 but 4 planes on my journey back to London, so it helps if I can have a little distraction.. What would be better than a beauty book! Lucky for me, Angus & Robertson are closing down and have some huge discounts!! I could not go past Rae Morris Express Makeup

Last year I was lucky enough to actually meet & interview Rae at IMATS where she launched Express Makeup, which quickly sold out so she signed a comp card for me

But for the all important price!

What a bargain! $43.99 down to $11.00 that is just madness!!!

♥

I'm thoroughly enjoying my new found lady of leisure job title sitting in front of the tv watching The Circle, sipping a nice hot cup of tea in my hot pink pj's & blogging! I actually have to get with the program and...

and of course...

wish me luck!! oh, by the way have you entered my

Little Jo - G I V E A W A Y?

G I V E A W A Y ! my little way of saying thank you...

2011-06-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry?! I didn't quite catch that? did you say Little Jo is having a

G I V E A W A Y ?

Why?

Well, to say a little thank you! to all my lovely followers!!

T H A N K ~ Y O U

Now, Let's get down to it! what can you WIN?!

A fabulous knit kit from sportsgirl! complete with gigantic knitting needles!!! plus, balls of yarn, an instruction booklet, a professional Sportsgirl Styling Session, AND a Sportsgirl rainbow lollypop! nommy nom!!

A gorgeous candle & body scrub from Ajana! in my favourite scent Lavender Lemongrass & Tea Tree and a mini rose scented bath bomb from Lin Lou skin rituals for a little pampering!

A lovely little bag of hand picked Kiehl's deluxe sample sized goodies!

Last but not least! Gorgeous cosmetics sheer brilliance foundation & VIP card! NAK aroma oil spray (leave in hair treatment), Derma Intensive anti-wrinkle day cream, Shiseido Perfect Rouge mini lipstick in RD305, Ultra3 nail polish in Bo Peep! Sportsgirl nail polish in Iceberg, Maybelline Baby Lips in Berry & Kink silk eyeshadow in Gypsy!

How can you enter the fabulous Little Jo giveaway?

First: become a follower on my blog via google friend connect

Tweet: Oh my stars! I've just entered a fabulous @_LittleJo_ giveaway & you can too! @ http://little-jo-its-all-about-me.blogspot.com/ follow & RT

In the comments leave your follower name and answer this burning question:

What keeps you coming back to my humble little jo blog? is it the mutual love of pink? my witty blog posts? lol! OR are you truly deep down a great big stinge bag just like me!

xox

(comp australia wide only & will be drawn very shortly!)

G I V E A W A Y * NOW CLOSED*

these are a few of my favourite things...

2011-06-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a fabulous month in the Little land of Jo, so I thought I would share with you a few of my favourite things!

Mmm nom nom! sugary delights from BreadTop! woof woof..

Treating myself to a little pampering with a pink mini mani & some nail art!

♥

FOUND the perfect shimmery white & "Little Jo" pink shadows from RitualEyes The top jar is called Fuschia Kiss & underneath is White Out - the jars are filled to the brim with 3gm of product & are a tiny $6 each (bargain!) - white out is just gorgeous! I use this little beauty every single day as my base shadow just love it! And how cute is the pink? I know it's called Fuschia Kiss but I like to think of it as my custom Little Jo pink :-)

My order arrived super quick complete with some samples! and a gorgeous little powder puff ♥

♥

For the past few months I've fallen in love with all things Ajana ~ which is a gorgeous local handmade body scrub & candle co. that leave my house and body smelling divine!

With super dry skin I have a new obsession with body scrubs! my absolute favourites from the Ajana range are cinnamon (a warm & buttery scent good enough to eat!), tangerine & ginger (citrus & spice and all things nice) and last but not least my absolute hands down fav!! Lavender Lemongrass and Tea tree ♥ which is a tantalising fresh pot of lovely containing my favourite scents, I've found the lemongrass & tea tree get me going in the morning (hurrah) and the lavender calms me down at night ready for beddy byes...

Popping the scrub on dry skin & with a gentle rub leaves me with beautiful baby soft skin & they smell delish! I just love them all! best of all they also have matching candles! for a 250g jar they are only $8.50 and come in a re-usable jar which I've already put to good use! (you know how much I love packaging)

in the words of Julie Andrews, these are a few of my favourite things! what are yours? x

Am I all alone?... or, am I crazy as a coconut??

2011-06-15T02:24:00.000-07:00

Ok little ones, I have a confession... as some of you may already know I am shortly due to pack up all my wordly possessions and move back overseas (again) in no less than 25 days!!! but hey, who's counting! So I've been trying really hard to get with the programme and sort out all my stuff (junk) and I may or may not be hanging onto a few things I shouldn't...

Bags & boxes... (my pretties!) oh yes, I'm a little bit of a hoarder *shys away...* sadly this is only a small sample of my "collection"...

I try REALLY hard to keep my "collection" down... but every time I do I feel like this...

I would love to know if any of you also keep your bags and boxes? Why on earth do I feel the need to do this? Is it because i'm a total stinge bag & find everything so expensive that I feel the need to keep the bags and boxes as a reminder of my money parting ways? Or, am I completely looney and destined to become a bag lady?...

The Crowning of Westfield Garden City 'The Stylist's Apprentice'...

2011-06-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

20+ Metropolitan North Institute of Tafe fashionista's competed in a once in a lifetime opportunity to be crowned 'The Stylist's Apprentice' & win a paid position to work alongside the talented stylist

Sara Hatten-Masterson...

with thanks to redpr & my personal stylist Christine Little Jo donned a pair of very high heels in order to rub shoulders with the who's who of fashion...

follow me to find out how a star is born...

♥

Let's grab a drink first...

held at the gorgeous 1889 Enoteca private wine cellar...

Oooh hello! don't mind if I do! delish!!

Ok, back to work Little Jo!

the finalists fashion shoots were displayed throughout...

the fabulous hosts Laura Stead & Tim Blackwell (nova fm)..

with a few words from Sarah...


anxious finalists!!

Hey! so, who won?!!!...

♥

Ta da!!! congratulations Alice Waugh xox

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ~ Alice!

dreams really do come true, shoot for the stars...

♥

Illamasqua Brisbane Beauty Bloggers Event...

2011-06-10T03:48:00.000-07:00

Last friday on a chilly dark night I received an unexpected invitation to a very special event!

Thanks to Christabel and the Myer Illamasqua team Tiarah & Deanna who opened my eyes to the mysteriously beautiful world of Illamasqua... and the chance to meet other Brisbane beauty bloggers for the very first time! It was truly an amazing overwhelming evening spending the night playing around with the gorgeous Illamasqua products and meeting a very special group of talented inspiring ladies!

Tiarah the wonderful took the lovely model Tashie on a little adventure...

with a little toxic nature for inspiration...

gorgeous bloggers capturing every detail!

Ta da!

Every colour of the rainbow...

the rather scary looking strip lash that can be cut to size! it's a little funny isn't it?

swatch-a-thon!! oooh la la...

If you follow me on twitter you'll already know who my alter ego is...

It's BARBIE of course! why? because that bitch has everything!!!

tell me about your alter ego?...

It's all about the little things...

2011-06-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

It's all about the little things in life that just make it fabulous!...

Here are my little things...


Spotting a barbie pink ute whilst grabbing a coffee...

The joys of makeup...


Gnocci lessons with Cara & her mama...


Staying warm and toasty in bed...

Suga Mama cup cakes

Lipstick pens! horray for office work...

What are your little things?...

Grand opening of PeepToe Boutique Queens Plaza...

2011-06-01T05:24:00.000-07:00

Launched in 2006 by Sydney based designer Nikki Hager who recognised a gap in the market to tantalise our tastebuds for original, wearable and fabulous footwear...

"From the very beginning, stilettos have always been my absolute passion."
Nikki Hager Creative Director / Founder

Celebrity followers with the likes of Miranda Kerr, Megan Gale, Sarah Murdoch, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Nicky Hilton and The Pussy Cat Dolls to name a few and stocked in over 100 boutiques across Australia with five flagship boutiques it was finally Brisbane's turn to shine with the much anticipated launch of the new PeepToe boutique located in the fabulous Queens Plaza...

Darling! have you heard?...

2011-05-31T03:20:00.000-07:00

IS GROWING,
PRICES ARE SHRINKING

"Thanks to worldwide success and growth Kiehl’s is now able to offer lower prices!"

Just a little tease of the new fabulous prices!...

Strolling (quickly breaking into an excited jog!) on over to my closest Kiehl's counter at Queens Plaza to sneak a peek at the new prices... and you wont believe it! BUT I spy a sign ~

Kiehl's facials $30 (redeemable on purchase) I almost died!

So of course I booked in!!


David Jones Kiehl's facial room...

For 45 blissful minutes the fabulous Janmaree worked her magic on my tired, stressed skin... as a huge lover of Kiehl's this was a very special treat ineed! After sweet smelling lotions and potions, spritzes & wraps I discover my new face; revealing beautiful clear, calm and relaxed skin ♥

Then it was time for some SHOPPING!

Want to see what lovely Kiehl's products I adopted?...

Of course you do!!!

Don't you just adore the brown bag? but what's inside?...

♥


What a gorgeous Kiehl's zip up bag! Just perfect for my little travels, thanks Kiehl's!

Ta da! look at all my new Kiehl's goodies!!!

I bought the Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion $18 (travel size) which I just adore as it's perfect for those not so perfect little blemishes that seem to suddenly appear... With a cooling effect I can feel this toner working it's magic immediately "Formulated in 1964, this unique formulation has been created for use after shaving or on oily-prone areas"

And the fabulous Ultra Facial Cleanser $26 (was $36) an absolute must have for all skin types with a mild formula to thoroughly cleanse skin and remove makeup without over-drying or stripping skin of its natural oils. I love love love this cleanser, it's oh so gentle and foams up like a fluffy cloud... Also adore that is takes my makeup off ♥ I'm such a lazy Little Jo!

And last but not least my favourite! Ultra Facial Moisturiser $34 (was $58) what a beautiful product! Incredibly soft and smooth it absorbs into my skin in a flash. Perfect for my busy-fall out of bed-let's get ready for work face! I love that I only need the one product for my morning and evening skin care routine! Hands down favourite product out of the lot!

So you could imagine my delight at not only having a beautiful facial, shopped til I dropped but the final bill came to a grand total of:

$48!!!

Can you believe it? with the price drop and $30 facial redeemable on products I took home all my new pretty Kiehl's products for a heart stopping price! Stingy Little Jo strikes again!

Have you taken advantage of the Kiehl's price drop? What are your favourite Kiehl's products?

Fancy A Quickie?‏

2011-05-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

Oooh you cheeky little monkeys! were talking about skincare!!

Yesterday at Kit Cosmetics Brisbane City I, along with the lovely Juliana from sunglassesafterdark attended the much anticipated launch of Dr Nicholas Perricone's new skincare range SUPER we were treated to fabulous "quickie" facials! teamed with a fab little makeover and a little shopping squeezed in! heaven in 15 minutes...


Oooh la la! Oprah's skin man...

Such a long way up for Little Jo!!

Juliana's quickie facial by the fabulous Samantha


Loving the super cute frosted glass packaging, simple and cute...

Cute and quirky love it!

Want SUPER model legs? with chilli & pepper you'll be on the catwalk in no time! "increases circulation, improves muscle tone, promotes firmness & aids in the skin's moisture retention"

Bright Eyed came home with me after my SUPER quickie! "delivers wide-awake peepers that look perfectly perky & impossibly fresh! Cartenoids are the "it" antioxidant: found in juicy melons" & of course I just adore the pink packaging!!

3 Minute Facial HELLO!! perfect for little lazy me AND smells divine might I add! "delivers intense, tingling hydration while renewing skin for an afterglow that will last. Made with ginger, a feisty little superfood, this golden root stimulates skin for a quick boost of vitality & radiance. Skin is left super SEXY in three minutes flat!"

YOU'RE INVITED: GET SUPER IN JUST 15 MINUTES!

To celebrate the launch of Dr Nicholas Perricone's new skincare range, SUPER, we're inviting you instore for a QUICKIE from Monday 23 May to Sunday 26 May. Choose from one of four targeted treatments to get your skin sorted, pronto!

All you need to do is contact your local KIT store to bags your spot.
SUPER skin is just 15 minutes away!
Find your nearest KIT store call 1800 705 800

AND if a FREE 15 minute SUPER quickie facial isn't enough to tickle your fancy!

SUPER by Dr Nicholas Perricone has arrived exclusively at KIT stores nationally, and to celebrate you’re invited to get SUPER skin with a deluxe sample of the Hyper Hydrator with Coconut Water 7.5ml!
Simply print off this voucher, fill in your details below and bring it in to your nearest Kit Cosmetics store. Be quick - stock is strictly limited!

Click here! for the voucher!!!

Knit one, purl one...

2011-05-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

Last week on a particularly chilly, drizzly night (perfect for knitting!) I attended the brisbane Sportsgirl Knitworking event with fellow bloggers Joy from beautybargainqueen and Juliana from sunglassesafterdark! Follow me and have a little peek at what we got up to!

I had a little giggle at the hairstyles!

Knit kit!!

Oooh look what was inside... Sportsgirl coloured wool and gigantor knitting needles!


Our very talented and patient teacher professional knitter Jedda-Daisy Culley jedda-daisy culley art

Sportsgirl cupcakes! nom nom...

We all worked very hard...


My progress in the blue and white and Joy's in the red...

Do you knit?

The secret diary of a stingy girl continues...

2011-05-21T23:53:00.000-07:00

In the last 2 years I will have moved countries a ridiculous number of times; from Australia to England, England to France, France to Australia... AND in only a few weeks time i'll be packing my bags yet again and leaving Australia to head back to London ♥ With all this moving around (not to mention saving like crazy) I have to confess I haven't been shopping in a very long time... I usually do a lot of this...

With the another international move looming I let my hair down a little... stingy girl style of course!

Want to see what I spent my pennies on? Of course you do!!

Thank goodness I have a Estee Lauder Corporate Store card otherwise this would have cost a small fortune!

Perched on the counter in a big basket I found this Estee Lauder pack priced at a mere AU$20.00 containing:

Estee Lauder Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Spiced Peach
Estee Lauder Artist's Lip Pencil in 08 Spice Writer
Estee Lauder Pure Colour Long Lasting Lipstick in Berry Swirl

I also snagged (pictured above)

A Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Colour in Pink Buff and a MAC pigment in Fuchsia for only AU$10.00 each!! bargain!!

And last but not least!

Like every good stingy shopper I check my emails frequently for any specials or offers and I just couldn't go past this email from Strawberrynet offering me a 11% we miss you discount and to my delight jumping on the site at the time they were also offering a further 10% discount off all makeup!

So I snagged the gorgeous Chanel Fly High Makeup Essentials Palette & YSL eyeliner for a mere AU$64.00

Oh and the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polish in Fuchsia Power was a ridiculous AU$1.40 with a voucher I had at Priceline!

Isn't the Chanel palette pretty?!!

What are your recent buys? are you as stingy as me?

Little Jo on a mission! in search of white gold...

2011-05-19T05:09:00.000-07:00

HURRAH! finally the Face of Australia Limited Edition Molten Metallics nail enamel collection was released! Oh my goodness!!! I just couldn't wait to get my hands on these gorgeous polishes so I started my search at the nearby Big W... nope not there, then headed down the mall to the big Priceline... nope not there either. Starting to feel a little sad.. then light bulb moment!! I remembered! Oooh there is another Priceline down the street and GUESS WHAT I FOUND?

Aren't they gorgeous?! Oooh now which one?..

Took a very long time to choose but I finally picked one! guess which one I picked?...

Are you as excited as I am?

FOUND! White Gold ♥

Even if I do say so myself, how FABULOUS do my nails look?

Which colours are you going to get?

You like me, you really really like me...

2011-05-17T04:07:00.000-07:00

Grab some ice and crack open the vodka! I cannot believe this BUT I have been proudly awarded with a Stylish Bloggers Award! not once, but TWICE!!!

Thank you so very much to Me, my best and I and alazygirlsguidetobeauty for the nominations!!!

Stylish blogger award rules!

Thank and link back to the blogger who sent the award
Share 10 things about yourself

I hate to admit this (& will probably receive hate mail) but I hate clothes shopping… Yes, I know total blasphemy… but I do LOVE makeup & food shopping..
I’m obsessed with makeup & skincare packaging and rarely throw out the boxes (hoarder in the making!
Amongst my very serious day job I am also a mystery shopper!!! Oooh
Last year I lived in France for six beautiful months…
I am truly, truly stingy
When eating a cooked breakfast I don’t like any of the ingredients to be touching (little bit of OCD creeping in!)
My fiancé proposed over 4 days and over 2 countries!
I am left handed…
I am a self confessed grublet (from the dictionary of Zoe) I hate cleaning and generally leave a trail of destruction which somewhat amuses my husband to be!
I wish I had the courage to change careers (yet again!) and break into the beauty industry instead of just blogging about it…

Pay it forward…

My bested beauty pal ever! Melissa (miss melly-moo) who I just adore and although we write back and forth almost daily and send packages interstate we have actually never met or spoken! It’s a new age pen-pal like friendship! missmakeuplover

Oooh Magda WOW and I mean wow! She is just truly AMAZING with her jaw-dropping EOTD & FOTD blog posts keep me truly inspired! Follow her blog trust me it’s an addictive read and with helpful easy to follow step-by-step instructions you can re-create at home! alltheprettyfaces

Max the Unicorn! A fabulously well written and fun blog! With a mutual love for beauty, movies and the odd unicorn thrown in there!!! AND not to forget there is also a particularly exciting looking blog giveaway on - so get to it and start following for your chance to WIN! maxtheunicorn

And last but not least, the lovely JoyJoy! She keeps me in constant supply of my beloved samples and is quite possibly the founder of Free Samples Anonymous! LOL!!! but on a serious note, I would not be where I am today proudly blogging and free sampling away without all her help, support and advice! So thanks Joy!! x beautybargainqueen

It's all about ME

2011-05-15T04:10:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been feeling a little (ok, alot) like this...

So... being completely selfish I decided to take some time out just for me!

I ran a nice warm bath...

Popped on a QV Purifying Face Mask AU$13.50 which is my absolute favourite mask that I try to use weekly for my combination skin. When I have time it's extra luxurious to paint it on with a brush - just like a day spa!

For the ultimate indulgence I then used my FAVOURITE new product! Ajana handmade body scrub in Lavender Lemongrass & Tea Tree AU$8.50 which smells absolutely divine! soothing all my stresses (and dry skin) away leaving me with touchable baby soft skin!

Then, painted my claws in my favourite signature barbie pink using Ulta3 Bo Peep $AU2.00 which always puts me in a good mood!

Lighting the matching Ajana candle (just divine!) AU$8.50 which filled the house with a calming scent of Lavender, Lemongrass & Tea Tree...

I grabbed a cup of hot chocolate!

Popped on my warm, toasty socks! and had a snooze :-)

How do you de-stress? x

The Great Disappearing Act…

2011-05-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

LTD EDT - 6 little letters guaranteed to get my heart racing!!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock I’m sure your aware of the much anticipated launch of the new Face of Australia Limited Edition Molten Metallics nail enamel range!

FOA Limited Edition Molten Metallics
“Adorn your nails with breathtaking silver, gold and bronze shades in stunning metallic finish. A total of 8 rich, dazzling hues to make your nails the ultimate fashion statement this winter.

Molten Metallics is available from 23rd May until stocks last. At a tiny $4.95 each you'll need to get in super quick!”

Features & Benefits:
* Advanced formula dries in 60 seconds
* Stunning metallic finish
* Long wearing, chip resistant
* Toluene free, Formaldehyde free, Dibutyl Phthalate free
* 13ml

In much anticipation for the FOA Molten Metallics launch! I’ve got my nails in tip top shape and removed my Barbie pink polish using Face of Australia’s Strengthening nail polish remover of course! Buffed and filed my talons and popped on a base coat!!

Have also raided Mr Piggy for the $4.95

So are you excited? Which colours are you lusting over? x

World Earth Day...

2011-05-05T05:39:00.000-07:00

Happy belated Earth Day little ones!

Searching for a way that I could take part I came across an article on Primped that looked right up my alley!

"Kiehl’s is encouraging all you Primpers to recycle your empty skincare bottles. All you need to do is take any empty bottle from any beauty brand into a Kiehl’s store or counter, and you’ll receive a deluxe sample of your choice valued up to $15.00. The more times you recycle, the more samples you receive! Hooray!"

What a great idea from a gorgeous brand! Of course I had to do my little bit for World Earth Day so off I went rounding up my empties...

and look what sweet treats I was rewarded with!

Kiehl’s Crème de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter 15ml
Kiehl’s Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion 40ml
Kiehl's Cucumber Herbal Alcohol-Free Toner 40ml

*reviews coming soon!

What did you do for Earth Day?

Liebster Blog Award Nomination!

2011-05-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

Oh my stars! a H U G E thank you to the lovely Su at

my perfume diaries for nominating me for a Liebster blog award!!! which was designed to bring well deserved additional recognition to those bloggers with less than 300 followers.

*If you receive the award you link back to the blogger that nominated you and nominate 3 more blogs*

beautybargainqueen Joy, thank you so much for keeping me in constant supply of samples and bargains! and who without all her help, never ending knowledge and support I would not have started this blog xox

sarah-thescienceofbeauty Sarah thank you for being a wonderful friend! who constantly keeps me updated, entertained and educated in the wonderful world of beauty and science - an addictive read!

hauteandstylish with a mutual love for all things beautiful and a fellow Brissy girl! a fabulous must read blog with a passion for fashion xox

Garnsis Boutique online store launch...

2011-04-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday night accompanied by the gorgeous Christine from Unleash Me, I attended the Garnsis Boutique launch of their online store at Zuri nighclub with the promise of a fashion parade, cocktails, indulgent gift bags and hot fashion give-aways (valued at over $2,000) it did not disappoint…

Upon arrival we were invited into the VIP lounge area with a cold glass of champagne & gift bags! Relaxing on the lounges and indulging in delicious Zuri platters we excitedly browsed through the racks of clothing noting some gorgeous pieces..

Perched in prime position for the parade the models were captivating and stunning strutting their stuff down the runway showing off a fabulous wearable must have collection. Hair and makeup was relaxed and feminine (which I just loved!) - one model (far right) sported a particularly gorgeous shade of coral lipstick (must find out brand/colour) which was show stopping!

I was one of the lucky winners of the night winning a bag of Mink Pink clothing! Want to see what I won?

Just a little patriotic...

2011-04-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

Did you love watching the wedding as much as me?

Storage!

2011-04-23T04:26:00.000-07:00

Not so long ago I began to find my little makeup bag beginning to bust at the seams as my collection has grown & grown!… so off I went in the search of the perfect storage solution. Now I do have a penchant for pretty makeup bags BUT after watching an episode of the Kardashian’s where they pictured some gorgeous clear makeup storage towers with drawers I have to say I fell in love! But… after some googling I found the price tag just wasn’t appealing not to mention a little scary! L

So here is what I settled on

Here is my great (not so little) organiser from IKEA which has a compartment for all my essentials and most importantly cheap as chips (I’m sure I paid under $20 for it)! Also, at my towering height all 5 feet of me what I love most about this storage box is that I keep it on top of the washing machine in the bathroom so that I can see everything all at once so nothing gets lost or overlooked.

But I would still love one of these! (wouldn’t we all?!)

How do you store your makeup?

Wishing you all a fabulous Easter!!!

2011-04-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

The secret diary of a stingy girl continues...

2011-04-14T03:42:00.000-07:00

Hurrah for freebies!

I absolutely adore & LOVE samples (as you all may know) but my favourite type of sample would have to be mini perfume's!
I have them stashed in my handbag, on my desk, in the bathroom and oddly enough on my kitchen bench - perfect when I'm just about to dash out the door...

So a huge thanks to beautybargainqueen for my latest sample! Today I printed out my voucher and popped down to my beloved DJ's to pick up the 2ml sample of Burberry Brit Sheer EDT

As the name suggests it's a lovely sheer fragrance which is delicate and feminine, such a gorgeous breezy floral scent that makes me want to wear chiffon, pink lips & nails!

Sally Hansen pop-up nail bar!

2011-04-12T03:42:00.000-07:00

I LOVE painting my nails, but having them done for me is a true luxury especially when it's FREE!

During the month of April, Sally Hansen will be offering complimentary manicures at pop-up nail bars in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne thanks to http://beautybargainqueen.blogspot.com/ for keeping me in the know! Today on my lunch break I went in search of the Sally Hansen pop-up nail bar in Brisbane where I was truly pampered by the gorgeous nail tech Kirstyn, she shaped my nails perfectly and treated me to my chosen shade Guilty Pleasure (it certainly was) which is a fun metallic gold that brightened my day and compliments my olive skin. I was delighted to receive a free nail file and a $5 voucher that i'll be putting to good use at Priceline picking up a bottle of Guilty Pleasure!

Review Vaseline Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning Body Lotion

2011-04-11T04:08:00.000-07:00

Poor little me I have dry, dull skin :-( which is quite visible on my arms and legs... So I am always curious about new body lotions and butters. Thanks to beautyheaven for another fabulous trial I've been using the new Vaseline Cocoa Butter Body Lotion over the past few weeks now and I am completely hooked!!! This sweet cocoa delight has put me in the Easter mood!

Ripping open the post pack I find much to my delight a lovely easter duo choc caramel Dusk candle, Ferrero Rochers, Vaseline cocoa butter and body lotion pump pack! Woohoo for me! The Vaseline Cocoa Butter Body Lotion comes in a gorgeous bronze 375ml pump pack - which is my favourite style of packaging, for some reason I am more likely to use a product when it’s packaged this way most probably due to the fact that I am incredibly lazy! I’ve had a lot of trouble with lotions/butters in the past where they tend to sit on the surface of my skin and leave me feeling sticky but not with this lovely rich creamy lotion (that smells just heavenly like a coconut chocolate dream) it melts into my skin perfectly leaving me with smooth, touchable cocoa skin!

Free Facial Anyone?...

2011-04-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

As a dedicated makeup/skincare/beauty junkie I was a little more than intrigued reading the offer of a free facial from Grace Cosmetics http://www.gracecosmetics.com.au/Home.aspx so I just had to find out for myself! I popped my details on to the site and was shortly contacted by the very lovely Erica Frost who is a Grace Independent Distributor located in Brisbane. I was a little nervous meeting someone in their own home but Erica immediately put me at ease. Walking in I immediately felt calm and relaxed in Erica’s gorgeous home complete with it’s very own Grace beauty treatment room (lucky girl) where her magic hands whisked away all my stress! Such bliss!

Not knowing anything about the company or products I was very surprised and impressed to learn that Grace cosmetics contain a high level of Aloe Vera and are Australian Certified Organic, with their very own aloe vera Plantation which is the largest in the southern hemisphere situated in Bundaberg.

I loved my facial and was blown away by Erica’s 20 year history with the company and overall dedication to the brand. I loved it all so much I bought the 95% Aloe Hydrating Gel $40 which I adore!! It’s very light and pleasant on my skin with no scent, I love the feeling as it temporarily tightens my face - I use the Hydrating Gel as a light moisturiser during the day under my makeup and at night with a few drops of rose hip oil mixed in. I also purchased the Aloe Eye cream $35 which is my new holy grail eye product!

For your free facial contact Erica Frost 0402 249 769 please mention Little Jo when booking.

Kérastase how I love thee... let me count the ways

2011-04-08T03:22:00.000-07:00

As a HUGE Kerastase fan I almost died when this gorgeous product arrived in the mail. I have been using Kerastase shampoo, conditioner, volumiser and treatments for almost 10 years now. And I have GORGEOUS hair! As I'm already a huge fan I immediately started using the Elixer Ultime along with my other Kerastase products and the combination was fantastic! I found my blow drying time was cut in half and my hair was even more shiny and knot free than usual. I have to say the packaging is very luxurious in it's gold box, although when I first read up on the Elixer Ultime in UK Vogue I expected the bottle to be glass as I have found from other Kerastase products. It has a beautiful almost coconut fragrance which makes me think of summer and a little goes along way in the easy to use pump pack.

It says you can use it as a pre-cleanser, heat protector, styling product and for retouching. I don't agree with washing a gorgeous product like this down the drain but I did however use it before blow drying (which was amazing) and to add shine and protection to my hair just to the ends. This is another winner for the Kerastase family and will definitely be re-purchasing this liquid gold it is excellent value for money so get shopping beauties!

Tips Great for beauties with dry or difficult to style hair adds beautiful nourishment and shine. Definitely a must have product you wont regret this purchase, a little goes along way so is a great investment!! Enjoy xox

Barbie eat your heart out!

2011-03-29T03:31:00.000-07:00

Ultra3 are my holy grail, hands down, all time FAVOURITE nail polishes! So many gorgeous colours to choose from and best of all these little bottles of joy are only $2 each what a bargain! (I get mine from the chemist) They are fabulous! Quick dry, streak free, I just ♥ them, my personal fav is Bo Peep, it's the PERFECT barbie pink - it's me in a bottle! I frequently sport this bright pink on my talons (yes, even at the office!) and at $2 a bottle you can't go wrong.

The secret diary of a stingy girl

2011-03-29T02:35:00.000-07:00

After some amazing years away travelling and living it up in the UK, I returned to Oz with a heart full of memories and a makeup case the size of a small lunchbox! So with a limited budget but a penchant for all things shiny and beautiful I put my savvy (stingy!) backpacker ways to good use and started bargain hunting!

My hunt started before my feet even left British soil with an email from a friend who had touched down in Oz a few months ahead of me with a request for some much loved items from the UK. So here I was thinking how am I going to smuggle her gorgeous 6’2 boyfriend into my already over laden backpack?? But no! she was after a suitcase full of makeup wipes!? She later explained they were almost AU$10 a packet back home.. running down to the local 99p store and started stuffing them in. Now I’m home and settled I am proud to say I refuse to pay full price for anything from makeup and beauty to food and clothes.

Here are some of my top stingy tips!

Samples!
I absolutely love samples! such a great way to trial products and also super handy for travelling. Most SA at the big makeup counters are more than happy to shell out a few samples, or if your lucky offer you a complimentary makeover (yippee!) Here are a few of my most visited freebie sites http://australiasamples.com/ http://www.thefreebiesblog.com/ http://www.freestuff.com.au/

CFD ~ Cosmetic Fragrance Direct One of my absolute favourite stores! as the name suggests they stock a wide and changing range of cosmetics, fragrances and body products. CFD house a lot of my cult brands such as Elizabeth Arden, Stilla, Lancome and Revlon (to name a few) at fabulous prices. I have picked up some heart stopping bargains here. If your ever in the Brisbane city store say a big hello to Linda the lovely store manager!

Training colleges
Google beauty therapy, makeup and hairdressing schools in your local area. You will be pleasantly surprised at just how many students who are just dying to get their hands on your face/body/hair for a tiny fee and even free services. Fear not as students are always heavily supervised. Happy bargain hunting beauties!

Little Jo...

The secret diary of a stingy girl continues...

Every Sunday at:

Pimlico Academy, Chichester Street entrance, Lupus Street, London, SW1V 3AT

AND, if you follow Capitalcarboot on twitter like I do

you will be given a not so secret code word to gain free entry from 12.30

But, who cares about that?!

look what I found!

Hairy scary?

Shopping up a tropical storm with L.A. Colors

The secret diary of a stingy girl continues...

Storage update!

Toni&Guy create London Fashion Week history...

I'm so embarassed...

Vogue Fashion's Night Out Sept. 08-2011 London

Little Jo dreams of Chanel...

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless - London launch...

illamasqua theatre of the nameless... click if you dare to enter

The london diaries... she blogs again!

The little jo adventures...

Oooh this calls for champagne...

♥

♥

♥

♥

Congratulations to:

Caitlin M!!!

you have won

A fabulous knit kit from sportsgirl! complete with gigantic knitting needles!!! plus, balls of yarn, an instruction booklet, a professional Sportsgirl Styling Session, AND a Sportsgirl rainbow lollypop! nommy nom!!

&

A gorgeous candle & body scrub from Ajana! in my favourite scent Lavender Lemongrass & Tea Tree and a mini rose scented bath bomb from Lin Lou skin rituals for a little pampering!

&

A lovely little bag of hand picked Kiehl's deluxe sample sized goodies!

&

♥

C O N G R A T S! I hope you enjoy your goodies!

x

(prize will be posted this week)

The secret diary of a stingy girl continues...

♥

♥

♥

G I V E A W A Y ! my little way of saying thank you...

these are a few of my favourite things...

Am I all alone?... or, am I crazy as a coconut??

The Crowning of Westfield Garden City 'The Stylist's Apprentice'...

♥

♥

♥

Illamasqua Brisbane Beauty Bloggers Event...

It's all about the little things...

Grand opening of PeepToe Boutique Queens Plaza...

Darling! have you heard?...

Fancy A Quickie?‏

YOU'RE INVITED: GET SUPER IN JUST 15 MINUTES!

Knit one, purl one...

The secret diary of a stingy girl continues...

Little Jo on a mission! in search of white gold...

You like me, you really really like me...

It's all about ME

The Great Disappearing Act…

World Earth Day...

Liebster Blog Award Nomination!

Garnsis Boutique online store launch...

Just a little patriotic...

Storage!

Wishing you all a fabulous Easter!!!

The secret diary of a stingy girl continues...

Sally Hansen pop-up nail bar!

Review Vaseline Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning Body Lotion

Free Facial Anyone?...

Kérastase how I love thee... let me count the ways

Barbie eat your heart out!

The secret diary of a stingy girl