Get the look! Liptember is here!

I'm back from Texas feeling refreshed and ready to get on with the business of September. There are a few things going on, but today I wanted to tell you guys some more about Liptember and show you a look I've put together using my Liptember lippie.

I decided to go a bit "full glitz" with this one, and I'll make sure I do a more everyday look later in the month for you. I've used lots of purple, because I have green eyes and purple is one of those colours that just makes my eyes pop.

So here it is, my full glitz/night time makeup look using my Liptember Pink lipstick, the lipstick I'll be wearing all this month to raise funds for womens' mental health. Don't forget to check back on Sunday or Monday to see me wearing my Liptember Pink lipstick whilst running Tough Mudder!

I posted a few weeks ago when I first signed up for Liptember, but I can't stress enough how important this cause is to me. So many women out there are coping with some kind of mental illness, and there really needs to be more research and more resources for us. I'm so happy that the Liptember organization are out there raising funds for such an important cause.

They have partnered with some really awesome brands, and you can even win yourself some prizes just by getting involved in their challenges of facebook and instagram. Check them out at www.liptember.com.au
Their facebook is www.facebook.com/liptember
Follow them on Instagram @liptember

If you want to sponsor me personally, please go check out my donations page at www.liptember.com.au/katy.lylak

You can pick up your own Liptember lippies in 4 different colours, plus super bright challenge colours from Chemist Warehouse, My Chemist and My Beauty Spot all throughout September.

Special Announcement: Liptember has made me an official blogger in 2013!

I'm absolutely delighted to announce that Liptember have offered me the opportunity to be one of 10 official bloggers for their 2013 campaign!

As you all know, this is a cause very close to my heart, and I became involved as a lipette before I was even aware of their blogger network initiative. I'm so, so happy that they have given me this opportunity.

I told you all in my last Liptember post about how you can get involdved, so for the moment, stay tuned for more awesome posts and challenges once Liptember starts next week!

Once again, if you want to sponsor me, you can at : http://www.liptember.com.au/katy.lylak

Or sign up yourself and help to raise some funds for womens' mental health! 

CAUSES: LIPTEMBER

Can you see that there is a theme this week here on Katy's Beauty Secrets? I'm interested in all the different causes that beauty brands are getting involved in over the next few months, and this particular one has sparked my interest so much that I am getting directly involved.

I don't often share really personal details about my life here, but I feel like my story is one that a lot of women can relate to. I am a diagnosed anxiety sufferer. I'm a single mum, I have a very busy life, and on top of all of that, I am (along with my amazing partner, who is so supportive in every way) managing a VERY long distance relationship, which will require more time, perhaps even a couple of years, before we can be together permanently. After speaking to my doctor about my anxiety problems, we have concluded that my anxiety is definitely situationally-based, and that the best way to treat my anxiety is with over-the-counter medications to help me sleep better (insomnia is a big side effect of the anxiety), and a prescribed medication which I can take if things get a little overwhelming. It helps me to be able to treat the anxiety directly, and only when it is at an unmanageable level, rather than blanket-coating with a combined medication. That's what works for me. Everyone is different, and manages their stuff in their own way.

That is why Liptember appeals to me so personally, because Liptember is to raise funds, awareness of, and support for Women's mental illness. I am lucky. My condition is very minor, compared to what some women go through, and I want to help out in any way that I can.

So what's the deal with Liptember?
Well, basically, I'll be sponsored to wear a specific lipstick, which I'll go into more detail about below, for the entire month of September. No matter what look I'm wearing, it will be my Liptember lippie that I wear. You guys can look forward to some tutorials of different ways to dress up the same lippie next month. I am even going to wear my Liptember lippie when I run Tough Mudder on the 14th of September! Really, it's just a donation to the cause, but the buying and wearing of the specifically marketed Liptember lippies adds a bit of extra fundraising, through the brand partners releasing the lipsticks, and just a bit of fun, to make the people involved feel like there's something they are actively doing to  "earn" their sponsors' donations.

All funds raised from Liptember will be donated to the Centre for Women's Mental Health and Lifeline Australia. Studies on mental health patients are largely done on male patients, and then applied to women, which often misses the mark. For example, postnatal and menopausal related depressions are not the same as general depression, and women's situational depressions and anxieties often stem from different causes than men's. Hence the need for specific research into women's mental illness. This by no means suggests that women are more important than men in this regard, but this cause is specifically targeted towards women's mental health issues.



So, let's hear all about the official lipsticks, shall we?
Revlon are an official brand partner of Liptember, and they have released 4 exclusive shades especially for the event. There's a red, a pink, a coral and a grape colour, so there is something to suit anyone's taste. They are $9.99 and available from Chemist Warehouse, My Chemist and My Beauty Spot.

I chose "Liptember Pink", obviously that was the go-to choice for me, as I'm a pink lipstick lover. That is the lipstick that I'll be wearing, rain, hail or shine in September.

As with any Revlon lipstick, they are lovely and creamy on the lips, the colour lasts well, and they don't dry out or feel gross on your lips at all.

Like I said, they are available in 4 different colours, and I actually think I'll be sad if mine runs out and I can't replace it after Liptember is over. Maybe I should buy a couple more, just in case.

If you want to get involved in Liptember, head on over to THEIR WEBSITE and sign up, or donate to someone who is raising funds. If you would like to sponsor me for Liptember, you can head on over to MY SPONSORSHIP PAGE and donate directly there.

I'll be posting countless Instagram pics of myself during Liptember wearing the lipstick, so if you're interested in seeing some fun pics as well as some challenges and other fun stuff during Liptember, you can follow me on Instagram @katylylak.

Get involved! It's a great cause, and it should be lots of fun!

Supernutrient: Rose Hip Oil

I've recently been doing some research into "bio" oils, and things which claim to fix scars, psoriasis and other chronic skin conditions, and the one thing that keeps popping up on my radar is Rose Hip.

Now, this is by no means a new concept, but I do feel the need to share what I've learned with you guys, because it really is fantastic.

The traditional "beauty" way to apply rose hips is by using the oil of rose hips directly onto the skin. It contains fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and essential nutrients, which helps to repair skin damage, and to promote healthy growth of new skin cells. Everyone I've spoken to about it, and the reviews I have read, have all been very, very positive.

You literally need 2 drops of rose hip oil for your whole face. As it is, after all, an oil, we don't want to slather it all over our face, because that's going to unbalance things and cause us problems.

So what can we use rose hip oil for?

As a daily moisturiser, particularly for dry skin.
As a treatment for anti-age.
As a treatment for psoriasis and other chronic skin conditions, including eczema,  acne scarring and lupus rashes.
As a treatment to assist in the prevention of stretchmarks.
As a treatment to reduce the appearance of existing stretchmarks.
As a treatment to reduce the appearance of scars.
As a treatment to assist in the correction of uneven skintone.

So, as you can see, it's pretty much a fantastic all-rounder product, it's all natural, and it's readily available.

I do want to recommend one particular brand, both because they have a fantastic range of skincare options, but also because they are teaming up with the McGrath foundation for the next 3 months to raise $20,000 for breast cancer research. They are also an Australian company, which is just awesome.

Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil is, at $19.95 (25ml) and $32.95 (50ml), an incredibly affordable product, and with their pledge to donate $20,000 to the McGrath Foundation, I can't think of a better place to put my Rose Hip spending money.

Sukin Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil is sourced from wild-grown rose hips, and cold pressed to harness the maximum amount of super-nutritive goodness. 98% of users would recommend this product to you, and I'm happy to say that I am among them (and that this is not a sponsored post, nor have I received free product).

You can find it from now until the end of October at selected pharmacy and health food stores nationally including Priceline, Chemist Warehouse, My Chemist and Terry White Chemists.(Limited time only, while stocks last.) Look for the pink box to ensure you're helping to support their breast cancer fundraiser.

OPI Special Breast Cancer awareness pack

Every year, I can't wait for the special OPI pack that finds its way into stores in September or October for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Pink of Hearts is a pack of two nail colours, full sized and in the pink theme, this year with bonus nail stickers and crystals, which you can find in David Jones from September 13 at $24.95.
100% of profits from the sale of these packs is donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, a cause close to my own heart, as I have several family members who have fought and won the battle with breast cancer.

Pinking of you

More than a glimmer

My mum's older sister, my Paternal Grandmother, my Dad's younger sister, and my "adopted" mum, who is my close friend's Mother, have all done battle with the dreaded Breast Cancer beast, and I am particularly mindful of checking myself out regularly. Early detection is our greatest weapon in the fight against Breast Cancer, while the research continues in hopes of finding a cure or prevention. OPI are continuing to help out with that every year, and for that, I applaud them.


Quite aside from the awesomeness of their cause, who needs an excuse to go and buy a couple of new nail polishes!?!?
I will definitely be out to get mine when they hit the stores next month, make sure you keep an eye out for them too.

In the meantime, here are some pics of last year's Pink of Hearts colours, "I think in pink", and "You glitter be good to me", and some arty ideas I had for their use.

A cause close to my heart: Wear your bright pink lipstick today for girls at high risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

This is one of my favourite pink lipsticks...
but I plan to go a little more wild for the day

Today is bright pink lipstick day! It's a day to wear bright pink lippie in support of pink hope, an organization raising funds and educating women about the risks of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

This cause is one close to my heart. I'm a high-risk girl myself. A little bit about my family tree:

My mother's eldest sister was diagnosed at 33 years of age with breast cancer. She went into remission after treatment, and later passed away sadly from a secondary cancer at approximately age 40.

My paternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer, I believe in her forties. She had what was, at the time, radical surgery and radiation therapy that left her with Osteoparosis, and went on to live a life longer than normal expectancy, passing away only recently in her late 70s from other (age related, natural) causes.

I am a little sketchy on the details of this one, but I believe my maternal Great Grandmother passed away after a battle with ovarian cancer.

Also, my father's younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in her forties and treated. She remains healthy and happy in remission and cancer free.

So all of this puts me well and truly in the high-risk group. I am one of those people who is hyper-aware of these things, and so I've had many discussions with my doctor about it, check my breasts monthly (normal hormonal changes can affect the way that your breast tissue feels, so checking more often can be misleading), and intend to have the available tests regularly once I reach the appropriate age.

Girls, I can't stress this enough. Get to know your body. Act upon it when something doesn't feel right. Early detection and treatment can be the difference between winning and losing your fight with cancer.

So wear your pink lippies today, get behind the cause. Post your pics on their facebook, twitter, pinterest and instagram. Donate to the cause. Share the love and help to raise awareness.

Click here to visit the pink hope website and get details of their pink lipstick day.