A reminder about Why you Should use Natural Skin Care (+ Giveaway)

Like many of us, I inspire to live a healthier, greener life, and a way to do so is to use nasty-free, natural skin-care & hair-care products. 

This post is a quick reminder to us all about why we should use natural skin care as supposed to mass manufactured chemical loaded industrial products.

• Skin is our largest organ.
• It absorbs about 60% of any topical product we use.
• The average woman wears nearly 515 chemicals a day!
• 10,000+ chemical ingredients are permitted to be used in the production of personal care products.

Also, don’t forget that beauty comes primarily from within. It’s a huge misconception to think that layering ingredients on the outside of our bodies will make us beautiful. If you feed your body with a range of colourful, antioxidant rich, chemical free foods, and healthy fats, you’ll have yourself a one way ticket to natural gorgeousness.

One of my all time favourite natural skin care brands is Burt's Bee. I like the fact that their goal is to create but also educate people on truly natural products that have a positive effect on both you and the world we live in. And with winter just around the corner in Australia, their shea butter hand crème is a must have! It's super rich, natural and perfect for a daily indulgence.  

Giveaway

One lucky reader will have the chance to Win a Burt’s Bees Classic Pack, valued at $51.80. The prize pack includes:

• 1 x Burt’s Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream  
• 1x Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream (the most awarded product in the range)
• 1 x Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip 

Attention, the rules for entering the giveaway are a little different this time around!

To enter you have to share Mademoiselle Slimalicious Facebook Page with your friends on Facebook and tell them why you think they should visit this blog! The most creative answer will win!

Additional entries: (leave a comment for each additional entry)

• Tweet this: "Follow @MSlimalicious and RT for a chance to win some wonderful Burt's Bees goodies! www.mslimalicious.com #giveaway"
• Share this post via Facebook or Twitter 

This giveaway is open to readers with a delivery address in Australia and closes on 16th March 2014 at 6 pm (EAST). One winner will be chosen based on creativity. The winner will be notified on Facebook after the end of the competition. If a reply email containing the winner’s postal address is not received by 21st March 2014 the prize will be forfeited and awarded to another entrant. Prize donated by Burt's Bee, total prize value $51.80 + delivery. I received product samples for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. 

For more chance to WIN more fabulous goodies, 

visit my Competition Page

Hotcakes with blueberries and ricotta (Weight Watchers Recipe)

Weight Watchers invites you to celebrate Pancake Day with these light and fluffy pancakes served with fresh ricotta and sweet berries for a cafe-style brekkie at home.  

Serves 2 | ProPoints per serve: 9 

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup(s) wholemeal self-raising flour, (100g) 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 2 tsp caster sugar 
• 1 medium egg(s), lightly beaten 
• 2/3 cup(s) skim milk, (160ml) 
• 2 tbs low-fat ricotta cheese 
• 1/2 cup(s) fresh blueberries, (80g) 
• 1 tbs honey 
• 1 x 3 second spray(s) oil spray 

Method

1. Sift the flour and baking powder into a medium bowl. Stir in the sugar. Place the egg and milk in a jug and beat with a fork until combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Whisk until smooth. Set aside for 10 minutes. 
   
   
2. Lightly spray a large non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Spoon ¼ cup (60ml) of the batter into the pan and spread out with the back of a spoon until 1cm thick. Cook for 1–2 minutes or until bubbles rise to the surface. Turn and cook for 1–2 minutes or until hotcakes are lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. 
   
   
3. Repeat with remaining batter to make 4 hotcakes. Serve topped with the ricotta and blueberries. Drizzle with honey. 

Did you know traditionally, pancakes were eaten the day before Lent because they used up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar before fasting?

For more pancake recipes visit Weight Watchers's website

Image source: Weight Watchers 

What is your favourite pancake topping?

French Film Festival in Australia (+ Giveaway)

It's this time of the year again...one of my favourite events is about to kick off... C'EST EXTRAORDINAIRE…C'EST FABULEUX… It’s the ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL!

Cinephiles and romantics rejoice! Australia’s most glamorous film event is returning for its 25th season with a tantalising line-up of 46 features and documentaries that make a French ‘affaire’ essential! Presented by the Alliance Française in association with the Embassy of France in Australia, the Alliance Française French Film Festival will screen across seven cities throughout March and April.

A couple of my favourite 2014 festival movies  

BRIGHT DAYS AHEAD (Les beaux jours) 

Director: Marion Vernoux (Starring Fanny Ardant, Laurent Lafitte, Patrick Chesnais, Jean-François Stévenin) 

In this tender romantic comedy, an older, still vibrant woman, embarks upon an affair with a much younger man, which becomes complicated by their age differences, her marriage and his string of other lovers.

MÖBIUS  

Director: Éric Rochant (Starring: Jean Dujardin, Cécile de France, Tim Roth, Émilie Dequenne, Oleksii Gorbunov)

Amidst the backdrop of Monaco, a Russian secret agent sets up a ‘sting’ to entrap a corrupt tycoon but along the way embarks upon a torrid affair with a beautiful financial trader which threatens the success of the operation

Visit the festival's website to discover the full programme and buy tickets. Feel free to leave a comment or drop me a line on Facebook or Twitter if you'd like assistance to pick a movie, I'll be delighted to help you chose a movie you'd enjoy! 

Giveaway
The Alliance Francaise has kindly given me 3 double passes to giveaway to 3 lucky readers in Australia! The giveaway is hosted on Europe in a Box's Facebook page. 

Enter here

(you must be a FB page liker to enter)

Giveaway is open to readers with a delivery address in Australia only, and closes on 8th March 2014 at 9 pm (EAST). The prizes were kindly donated by The Alliance Francaise. Ticket RRP: $20 per person. Total prize pool value $120.

Do you like French cinema?

Will you attend this year's festival? Have you attended before?

Read last year article about the French Film Festival 

Read the article from two years about the French Film Festival