The 2015 advent calendar list (and ones you can get in Australia)

Hello lovelies,

It is finally December, which means we can finally put those textbooks aside and focus on getting ready for the festive season. A must have item for Christmas is an advent calendar because not only is it a fun way to count down to the big day but who needs an excuse to get a little treat every day? I've compiled my ultimate advent calendar list for everyone who hasn't gotten one yet, it's not too late!

The beauty advent calendars 

These usually are quite rare in Australia but this year I've noticed a lot more beauty calendars popping up in Australian stores though at slightly higher prices.

Benefit Big 12 Party Poppers ($78, valued at $93)

This calendar is the perfect treat for make up lovers, with 12 days of sample sized Benefit products including favourites such as they're real! mascara, lollitint lip and cheek tint and POREfessional pore minimiser. It also plays an original 'Bene-song'  jingle when you open it but beware it is also light sensitive so when you open the curtains in the morning don't get scared when it suddenly starts singing!


Myer beauty box ($160)

I was so excited to see Myer offering this beauty box because I think it's one of the first major Australian department stores to do so. Although, it's on the pricier side it does contain make up and skincare products from brands like YSL, Lancôme, Giorgio Armani and Kiehls as well as a few mini perfume bottles. They only have 2000 of these for the whole of Australia so I would order one as soon as possible.


Loccitane advent calendar ($70)

A more reasonably priced beauty calendar with 17 beauty products, the majority of which are foot/hand creams but also including oils and eau du toilettes. It also has 7 Provençal gifts, which are miscellaneous items like gift tags and stickers. Although I like the price of this calendar, I think I would have preferred it to contain all Loccitane products instead of the little crafty bits and pieces.


Body shop advent calendar (Standard: $129, Deluxe: $199)

Deluxe version

There are two versions of this calendar: standard or deluxe. The difference between the standard (green) and the deluxe (red) version is mainly that the deluxe calendar is much bigger in size because it contains more larger/full sized products and a few more make up products instead of skincare. The green one seems to be selling out very quickly probably because of the cheaper price. I recommend looking at the contents list on the body shop website if you don't mind the spoilers as the calendars do contain different products from each other.


12 days of Lush ($99.95)

Completely vegan with a decent haul of bath bombs, body lotions and bubble bars in popular festive scents plus two exclusive Oxford St shower creams, this is the perfect way to make the lead up to Christmas more relaxing.

Charlotte Tilbury Book of Magic

With a mix of 12 sample and full sized beauty products and featuring the new Magic Night Cream, exclusive to the advent calendar, this one is a firm favourite with make up gurus.

Adore beauty advent calendar ($199, valued at $369)

This calendar has 24 deluxe mini products from a variety of popular brands such as Benefit, Essie, Lancôme, La Roche-Posay, philosophy, SK-II and St Tropez. It's similar to the Myer Beauty box but has more types of products (nail polish, primers, moisturisers, body oils...). Note: there's free shipping to Australia :)

Chocolate advent calendars

Moo free advent calendar (Prices online are quite expensive but I got mine from Target for only $5, what a bargain!)

Organic, dairy free, gluten free, soya free and vegan. What I love about this calendar is that it contains tasty dark chocolate and doesn't give me that intense sugar rush I get after eating the chocolates from those generic grocery store advent calendars.


Lindt advent calendar ($25)
Contains classic Lindt milk and dark chocolate truffles. I cannot find an image on the Internet of this but it's white and gold and I've seen these in David Jones and Myers.


Hotel Chocolat- Advent Calendar for Two

I absolutely love this calendar because behind each window is two baby truffles so both you and a friend get a fancy chocolate at the same time. Each truffle is uniquely flavoured including Pecan Gingerbread, Cinnamon Praline and Salted Caramel Cream. They also have normal advent calendars which comes in white, milk or dark chocolate which is perfect for those with a preference to a certain type, which can be harder to find in the grocery store.

I hope this helps you score some last minute advent calendars especially to my fellow Australians where it requires some research. The calendars I've listed are still available as I'm writing this but as expected they are are disappearing off the shelves fast so go, go, go! Are there any that I'm missing from this list? If so please spread the Christmas cheer by mentioning it in the comments section below ;)

Serena

Dining with the Pair: Kailis Bros

It was a grey and rainy day, but we decided nothing could stop us from getting our seafood fix. This was our first time dining at Kailis Bros for lunch, and it proved to be just as good as we had expected.

There's the fish market on one side, with plenty of fresh fish and seafood on display for purchase. And then on the other side is the restaurant, a great balance of homely and formal, with ample space between tables. The staff were all very friendly and were quick to provide an activity sheet for our little guest.

Our food:

To start off with I ordered a variety of oysters! There were the natural oysters, which were fresh and tasty with a squeeze of lemon, the kilpatrick and my personal favourite (and quite the novelty) a tempura version with wasabi mayo. It was so light and crunchy, without that heavy batter taste and just tasted absolutely delicious.

For my main I went with a fish pie which was so large! But it was so tasty, I still managed to finish it all. The pastry was light and flaky, and the inside was a creamy fish stew with potatoes and other vegetables. Definitely worth a try!

Overall:

A great place to go if you want a nice atmosphere to chat in. The specials menu is really interesting and the dishes are a little more unique than the standard menu, which is always a nice change.

Happy eating!

Sara

Sugar and Nice

Monday - Sunday (7am - 11pm)

101 Oxford St, Leederville

http://www.kailisbrosleederville.com.aua

Sasa Beauty Buys

I finally decided to try buying online from Sasa.com. I'd been wanting to try for a while, but never really needed to. I figured seeing as I was running out of a few products, I'd give it a go!

In terms of the site itself, Sasa has a huge variety of products and stock many Asian brands that can be difficult to find, even online! There is free standard shipping available if your purchase is over $100, and I was pleasantly surprised that even with standard shipping it only took just under two weeks for my package to arrive.

The goods:

Charcoal toothpaste, Innisfree BB Cream, Suisse Night Cream, Marjolica Marjorca Lash King Mascara.

I've always been curious about charcoal toothpaste, so I figured this would be a great time to give it go. Apparently it's meant to be more whitening than normal toothpaste. So far I'm liking this product, but I will certainly go into a more in-depth review when I've used it for a longer period.

This was actually a free sample added into my order. I'm always up for trying out new brands and products, and I've never tried anything from this brand yet, so I'm curious to see how it turns out.

For the past two years, I have been religiously using the Etude House BB cream, which I still really like using. However, in the spirit of trying new products, I decided to try a different brand. I've heard from friends and family that Innisfree is a great natural brand that is of good quality. I'm always a little concerned about matching my skin tone when buying online, but hopefully this turns out well.

Probably my favourite Japanese drugstore brand, Marjolica Marjorca was also one of the first makeup brands I ever used when I first started using makeup. The products are always affordable and of good quality. It's been quite a few years since I last used a mascara from them, and I'd been reading about this newest formula in their range. Apparently, this Lash King is supposed to be both lengthening and volumising!

On my most recent trip to Japan, I became absolutely obsessed with collagen drinks, and got into the habit of buying one every morning to have with breakfast. Unfortunately, here in Australia, buying collagen drinks is impossible, so when I found out about this collagen and hyaluron powder, I had to buy it. It is a little pricey, at $60 for this can, however you only need one spoonful of it per drink, so it should last a while. Now I can still have my collagen drink every day!

All in all, I've been very happy with the service from Sasa, and am super happy with all my products so far! I'll definitely be posting up more detailed reviews of the products, because I really like them all so far.

Looking forward to my next SaSa shopping spree!

Sara

Dining with the Pair: Sugar and Nice, Inglewood

Sugar and nice is a sugar lover's paradise. If you're needing a bit of a sugar kick, this bakery has got lots of baked goodies and an interesting selection of vintage trinkets to peruse in while your food is getting ready. Glass jars filled with childhood favourites like fruit loops and sherbet cones mixed with the accompanying scent of sugar in the air were enough to get me feeling like a kid in a candy store. So when I saw the crowded counter topped with cupcakes, cookies and brownies (oh my!),  my excitement level had peaked. Despite the small seating area, we managed to get a table straight away, giving me some time to snap some photos and deliberate some more over what I should try from the cabinet next time. Apologies for the lower quality photos, the place was quite dimly lit and it was getting dark outside but hopefully you get the idea :)

Our drinks:

Chai latte

Milky and topped with cinnamon sugar (how could they not?). The chai flavour could've been a bit stronger as after eating all our sweet treats I needed something to balance out the sweetness. Intrigued by the pretty pink liquid, Sara ordered the rose lemonade (on the drink shelf in the first photo) and although I'm personally not a fan of carbonated drinks I did try a few sips. The rose flavour was strong and I can imagine this would make the perfect summer picnic drink. While we were trying our drinks, the man on the table next to us asked if he could use our sugar pot for his coffee so perhaps there needs to be some sugar packets or pots available on every table?

Our food:

Cookie dough cronut

Coated in a icing glaze, white chocolate drizzle, a sphere of egg free cookie dough then finished with a sprinkle of crunchy granulated sugar on top; this cronut was definitely more exciting then the usual filled ones. The inside revealed lots of golden flaky layers and a surprise lighter cookie dough flavoured mousse which helped to emphasise the flavour in every bite. There were lots of different components but they all worked together without being overwhelmingly sweet.

Raspberry and white chocolate blondie

A good sized slab of buttery, crumbly goodness with bursts of chewy dried cranberries and a slight saltiness from the pistachios, this was a blondie done right. Blondies tend to err on the too sweet side since they are made from white chocolate especially when there's dried fruit involved but this blondie had a great balance between salty and sweet.

Overall

A great tea time place with a large selection of tempting treats. My only suggestion would be to have a drink menu on display so people are aware of prices and what's on offer before they reach the counter. Also a glass of water would have been nice to accompany the food just to wash down the sweetness a bit. Other than that this place is worth a visit to try their creative cronut flavours, I guarantee your sweet tooth craving will most definitely be satisfied!

Dishes for the next visit: Mac and cheese (my all time favourite!),  the cookies and cream slice and the milo and fruit loops cronut 

Notes

~ Small breakfast/brunch/dessert options but mostly cabinet food

~ Vegan, nut and dairy free options available

Serena

Sugar and Nice

Monday - Friday (7am - 5pm)

Sunday (8am - 5pm)

882 Beaufort St, Inglewood

https://www.facebook.com/sugarandnice882

5 Things To Make Your Commute Bearable

The mere thought of the journey to work via public transport can make your morning dreary. But there are ways of making the commute a pleasant experience!

1. Music: Listening to the right playlists can set your mood for the day. Feeling tired? Listen to upbeat, energetic music to keep your spirits up. 
2. Headphones: Investing in a good quality pair of headphones will help distract you from the mundane travel.
3. Reading material: This is the best time to catch up on your reading! Whether it's just getting lost in the world of fiction, or learning new things, bringing a book or magazine will help to pass the time.
4. Coat, scarf and/or gloves: Now that it's winter, using public transport can be super cold, especially when waiting for buses and trains. Ensure you're layering up against the wind!
5. Umbrella: You never know when it's going to rain, and walking in it is certainly not fun at all!

These five essentials will help to make that daily commute a little bit easier and make it feel like it's going faster. Hopefully it makes your day brighter too!

Sara

Dining with the Pair: Pixel Coffee Brewers

There's something magical about going out early in the morning when the city is not yet awake and everything is so peacefully quiet that even a casual breakfast becomes an exciting adventure, a reward for dragging yourself out of bed. Today, this reward came in the form of Pixel Coffee Brewers.

Arriving in Leederville just a few minutes past 7, the usual hustle and bustle of the brunch food strip was absent and everything was dark apart from an inviting glow coming out from a tiny little store with mismatching blankets and little succulents out front. Walking into Pixel, you instantly feel a little at home with it's grand total of four tables and a counter, fresh flowers on every table and quirky mermaid prints on the walls. Even though the area was so small, it's not claustrophobic as the white walls and long wooden tabletops do well to open up the space. I was surprised to see people already ordering coffee and food from the cabinet but with just the right amount of quiet chatter, no noisy coffee machines and the smell of food cooking; I can see why this cosy café makes the ideal early morning hang out.

Menu

The menu is just as minamilist as the decor with only seven dishes on the breakfast menu however I still had trouble deciding on just one. I was a bit sad that the pix plate was off the menu.



Our drinks:

Chai latte

Not very sweet and topped with a thick layer of glossy foam (as in one quarter of the drink was foam!) and my favourite crusty cinnamon sugar top. It had a good amount of spice and tasted more authentic then those chai lattes made from pre-made powder mixes and syrups favoured by most franchises. Something I liked was that it was served at a good warm temperature since I always am too eager to try my drink and end up with a burnt mouth.

Queen Rose: A blend of organic Fujian (China) white peony and rose petals ($5.60)

A light colour with the most delicate, floral perfume, this tea tasted just as dainty as the smell. The tea leaves come in a porcelain strainer and you can ask for more hot water for free top ups, which is good value for your money.

Flat white ($4.00)

I don't drink coffee but it certainly looked beautiful in the pale blue crockery.  D ended up ordering a second cup of coffee in a different blend to have with the cake and said that it was just as good as Typika.

Our food:

Pumpkin plate: Wood fired organic sourdough, roast pumpkin, two poached eggs, herbed cream cheese, maple almonds and herb salad. *grain or rye available ($17.50)

I tend to choose the sweeter breakfast options but today I felt like a savoury egg dish. The poached eggs were slightly firmer than expected but thankfully still had a runny yolk. The pumpkin was quite hard making it tough to cut through but tasted nice with the soft cheese and crunchy nuts and seeds scattered around the plate. The herbs were fresh and helped to lighten the dish despite it's hearty elements. Maybe I was a bit more hungry than usual but I felt like it could've done with another slice of bread especially as the slices were on the smaller side and there was enough toppings to eat with it.

Stormy mushrooms: Soft polenta, two poached eggs, mushrooms, parmesan and kale chips ($20.90)

As suggested in the name, this is an ideal winter dish with the rich yolks from the egg mixing with all the crispy crunchy elements served on a bed of smooth polenta. It looked delicious and stands out against the usual mushies dish served with poached eggs, tomatoes and toast.

5 grain porridge: Quinoa, brown rice, millet, buckwheat, amaranth puffs, pistachio, maple, blackberry poached pear and flowers *gluten and dairy free ($13.90)

Sara ordered the porridge, which is totally out of character since she is firmly against ordering porridge and museli out (unlike me who loves a good café porridge). Luckily for her, she was very pleased with her choice and found it just as filling as a traditional hot breakfast although she thought the pear was a bit too hard. I also had a taste and loved the natural sweetness and nutty, oaty blend of grains used.

I know you're thinking, 'Cake for breakfast? Really?' but once you've scrolled through pages of photos of their made in house, beautiful whole cakes topped with flowers, meringues, fresh fruit and dripping with icing on their instagram page; we could not walk out of Pixel without trying some. Since we were there so early, there was only two half cakes on offer: lemon raspberry cake and hummingbird cake.

Hummingbird cake

A thick slab of carrot slice with a nice layer of cream cheese frosting which was so moist that it didn't become a crumbly mess when you cut a piece. Mixed into the cake were pecans for an added crunch, pineapple, carrot and then it was topped with freeze dried raspberries for a slight tang and the obligatory flowers. I was very impressed with the serving size and taste of this cake.

Raspberry, pistachio and rose water slice

Totally instagram worthy with its pretty pastel layers, this slice was definitely the best looking thing on display this morning. Served cold, the flavours were subtle with an almost icey texture and would make a great treat in summer. Like most raw treats, it wasn't too sweet. I personally preferred the hummingbird cake better but Sara loved this slice particularly the base.

Overall

It was easy to see the thought that went into the presentation with a simple bowl of porridge jazzed up with a sprinkle of seeds and colourful flowers. Even though we walked in almost right on opening time, the staff were friendly and prompt; bringing us menus straight away and showing us to our seats. They were also well informed on the taste of the different coffee blends and gave us helpful suggestions on which foods to try from the cabinet. Thanks for a great start to the morning Pixel!

Dishes for the next visit: Stormy mushrooms, acai bowl and more cake (hopefully the vanilla and rose cake)

Rating: 8.7 stars out of 10

Notes

~ Limited seating (4 inside tables, bar counter and outside seating)

~ Orders are taken for and paid for at the counter

~ Breakfast is served daily until 2:00pm

~ Vegetarian and gluten free options are available

~ No bookings

Serena

Pixel Coffee Brewers

Monday - Saturday (7am - 3pm)

Sunday (8am - 3pm)

2/226 Oxford St, Leederville

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pixel-Coffee-Brewers/796134963789800?sk=timeline

Beauty Buys: Shiseido Ibuki range

One of my little life problems has finally been solved! My skin hasn't been this clear in almost two years now, and it's thanks to the Ibuki range from Shiseido. I've never had acne prone skin, even throughout my teenage years, but for some reason I started developing little breakouts on my forehead around two years ago, and they would just keep returning. I have tried various brands, but just haven't been as satisfied as I have with this range so far.

Shiseido is a globally renowned Japanese brand, famous for their well-researched skincare products. Their Ibuki range is one of their newer ranges, and focuses on rejuvenating the skin by hydrating and increasing resistance to breakouts and visible pores.

My favourites from the range

I decided to test out a mini pack while I was holidaying in Malaysia, and I was so pleased with the results that I ended up buying the full size products once I returned home to Perth. I really like all the products, but I'd like to focus especially on the cleanser, softening concentrate and emulsion, which were standout products for me.


Shiseido Ibuki Gentle Cleanser:
This cleanser definitely lived up to its name by not irritating my sensitive skin at all! It has a light, pleasant smell, and lathers up into a dense foam very easily. It is very light and refreshing on the skin, and effectively removes impurities and excess makeup.

How to use:
After removing makeup, just squeeze a small amount into your hands, add water and lather into a rich foam.
Apply all over your face, taking care to gently massage the product in.
Rinse the product off with warm water.

My skin didn't feel dry or sticky at all afterwards, and the cleanser helps to prep the skin for the next step; the softener.

Shiseido Ibuki Softening Concentrate:
Used directly after cleansing, the softener is used to intensely hydrate the skin and helps to enhance the effects of the products that are used after. The Ibuki softener has been formulated with PhytoResist Complex, which is meant to increase skin resistance against pore infections and enlarging.

How to use:
Pat a small amount gently all over the face.

This feels like a more liquified version of moisturiser, and definitely feels extremely hydrating.

Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturiser:
The purpose of the refining moisturiser is to renew the skin's surface and reduce enlarged pores, clear blemish marks and combat breakouts.

How to use:
This should be applied straight after using the softening concentrate, even if your skin still feels a little wet, as it helps to lock in all that moisture.

It feels very hydrating on, and yet it is very light on the skin. For someone with dry skin, such as myself, my skin has never felt more moisturised than it has with this product.

What I really like about this range is that despite it being extremely moisturising, it never feels heavy or as if it is clogging your pores at all. My skin is no longer dry, my pores have decreased in size, and I no longer have any temperamental little breakouts on my face at all.

For more information on these products, and the other products in the Ibuki range, please visit the Shiseido website: https://www.shiseido.com.au/lines/ibuki/

Shiseido is available in both David Jones and Myer, and both offer the mini trial kits as well if you'd prefer to test out the range.

Sara

Dining with the Pair: Sapore Espresso Bar

Red velvet pancakes? Gourmet thick shakes? Yes, please.

Sapore Espresso Bar is a trendy cafe located opposite the Belmont Forum Shopping Centre on Belmont Avenue. They incorportate seasonal local ingredients in their dishes and make their own baked goods, sauces and sides including baked beans and granola. Their dedication to making good tasting food and gorgeous pictures of their pancakes, it made it onto our must-try brunch places list.

Arriving just before lunch time, it was pretty quiet so we chose a cosy table in the corner. The breakfast menu is two pages long and full of interesting sounding dishes so we were spoilt for choice.


Our drinks:

Choc-peanut butter shake ($8.50)

I ordered the choc-peanut butter shake which was served in a glass mason jar with luscious swirls of chocolate sauce on the side of the glass, a mountain of whipped cream, vanilla ice-cream and topped with chocolate coated peanuts. Even though drinking out of mason jars seems like a trend of the past, it was perfect for appreciating the layered elements of the drink. With a light chocolate flavour and a hint of salty peanut butter, it tastes like a more creamy and less artificially sweet tasting reese's peanut butter cup.

Choc-peanut butter shake (left) and caramel popcorn shake (right) for $8.50 each

Sara had the salted caramel popcorn shake which was also topped with ice-cream and cream but with caramel popcorn instead of the peanuts. The flavour wasn't as strong as the chocolate peanut butter one and tasted like a slightly buttery version of salted caramel. The popcorn topping was crisp and tasty unlike the popcorn you can get at the supermarket that is thickly coated with too sweet caramel, which would go all soggy when used as a decoration. Both drinks were thick and creamy, not too sweet and well worth the price.


Our food:

Red velvet pancakes ($18.90) 

~ with cream cheese ganache, berry compote and vanilla ice-cream

These pancakes are the ultimate birthday pancakes. They're more of a dessert but included on the breakfast menu so as we both have a love for all things sweet, it didn't take any convincing to order this. It is on the breakfast menu 

The pancakes were thick without being dry and dense with a slight cocoa flavour. Overall the pancakes weren't that sweet so the ice cream added that note of sweetness which complemented the slightly sour berry coulis and delicious cream cheese ganache. I could not get enough of the cream cheese ganache! I just need a jar of that goodness and I'm set for life. The picture of utter decadence and beautifully presented, it tasted just as good as it looked and I highly recommend you giving it a try.

Red velvet pancakes (front)

Corn fritters with tomato avocado salsa and two poached eggs ($17.50)

A staple at many cafes, the humble corn fritters dish is not always done well. Thankfully, that was not the case today. Three well sized corn fritters that were packed with corn and not at all too doughy (a tragedy that occurs at many cafes) were also perfectly seasoned. You know it's a good dish when you can eat individual elements and it still tastes delicious. The fritters tasted even better paired with the fresh salsa and the smooth yolk that ran out from the poached eggs. Another stunning dish.

Overall

The service was friendly and efficient, the atmosphere comfortable and spacious and the food generously portioned and stunning. Like true food lovers, we finished everything we ordered. Altogether, this led to a satisfying brunch that left me well stuffed and put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. I'm already planning another visit to try those truffle scrambled eggs and the breakfast board that I had my eye on today.

Notes

~ Orders are taken for and paid for at the counter

~ Breakfast is served daily until 2:00pm, lunch is served daily from 12:00-2pm

~ Vegetarian and gluten free options are available

~ Toilets are available inside the cafe and are clean and well equipped

~ Free wifi inside :)

Serena

Sapore Espresso Bar

Open 7 days a week

4/275 Belmont Avenue (corner Fulham Street), Belmont

http://saporeespressobar.com.au

Welcome to the Petite Pair

Hello there lovelies, and welcome to our little blog.

 We are two sisters living in Perth, Western Australia, who started this blog as a way to share with you the things that inspire us, whether it's about lifestyle, beauty, fashion or food as we eat and explore our way through life.

Enjoy reading, it's truly a pleasure to meet you!

Sara and Serena

xoxo