I may be the only person on the face of the earth who is fascinated with facial shine.

Often when I’m looking at photos of celebrities at red carpet events I’m not looking at the gowns but rather at the faces. If I see one that’s too shiny I get all excited.

It actually really bothers me because shiny face is so easy to eliminate with a good powder and a kabuki brush. I discovered Jurlique Silk Finishing Dust around a year ago and it’s my favourite for eliminating any unwanted shine.

I’ve been using the Rose Silk Finishing Powder, which isn’t cheap at $43, however it works out to be rather economical when you consider that I am still on my first pot 12 months later. You don’t require much powder - just tap some out into the lid and brush lightly over your face after you’ve applied the rest of your makeup.

Jurlique also makes a Citrus Silk Finishing Powder, which I am keen to try when my current pot finally runs out.

By Caroline Warnes

The Samsung YP-U3 is a tiny, inexpensive MP3 player that also doubles as a USB stick to carry your files around.

Despite its tiny size (it weighs in at under 25 grams), it boasts a substantial 2GB capacity (which is twice the size of Apple’s smallest MP3 player, the Shuffle). It’s also comparable in price to the Shuffle, and can actually often be found for less in-store.

The U3 is so easy to use - because it’s actually a USB stick with music playback functionality, all you need to do is drag and drop your music files onto it when it’s connected to the computer. Also included is a very capable FM radio and voice recorder.

Last but not least, the Samsung U3 is an attractive MP3 player - it comes in a range of fun colours, including black, white, blue, pink and green.

Click here to find offers on Samsung MP3 players from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

Following on from yesterday’s foodie theme, I would like to discuss my one great love during the winter months: soup.

Soup and winter go together like single women and cats (yeah I’ve been waiting to use that one for a while). Nothing beats a warm bowl of thick soup for dinner on a really cold night. And of course there’s nothing better than making your own soup in a slow cooker - putting it on in the morning before work then coming home to have the whole house smelling like soup.

However if you’re stuck for time (or like me you are going through a ten-year non-cooking spell) and want to pick something up from the supermarket instead please, please don’t head for the powdered soups - you have to try the Pitango range, which lives in the fridge section.

Although they’re more expensive than the soups you find on the shelves they are organic, taste a lot fresher and don’t arrive in your house as a powder which to me is just wrong on so many levels.

I am currently having a love affair with the Indian vegetable soup (it’s also very low in fat) but also like the Tuscany ribollita flavour (it’s like a really chunky minestrone). The pumpkin soup and carrot, chilli and coriander soups are also good.

Pitango also does a range of risottos and curries which I am yet to try, as well as a line of porridges (organic blueberry, cream and vanilla sounds pretty drool-worthy).

Pitango soups are available in most major supermarkets as well as specialty health food retailers.

By Caroline Warnes

The winner of the Nikon COOLPIX S210 digital camera is:

R. Colombi, NSW.

Despite having heard all the urban myths over the years about what damage it does to your insides, I am a Diet Coke drinker.

My two (or sometimes three) can a day habit is something I don’t particularly wish to hang on to, especially when the very thought of Diet Coke is making me feel slightly ill at the moment. All that mouthwatering chemically goodness. Mmmmmm. What’s not to love?

Anyway today something persuaded me to break from my ol’ weekday routine - and that something was Parker’s new range of organic sparkling juices.

I’m not a fan of drinking regular fruit juice for refreshment (it’s been said that you’re better off eating a piece of fruit rather than drinking fruit juice), however these new drinks are light, crisp and refreshing.

Not only are the juices are organic, but Parker’s also claims they are free of sugar, preservatives and “anything artificial” (that claim is a bit vague and probably needs investigating).

I tried the Pink Lemonade flavour, pictured on the left above, and also want to try Apple With A Twist Of Lime (pictured right) and Pomegranate (in the middle).

Other flavours in the range include Blood Orange, Passionfruit and Orange, and Lemon.

So long, Diet Coke… (for now)

By Caroline Warnes

SpongeBob SquarePants has launched his own “Australian first” ride at Dreamworld this winter. The SpongeBob FlyPants ride plunges you into an imaginary deep sea world where you can soar and spin through the fantasy Jellyfish Fields.

Visit the rest of Nickelodeon Central to blast your brother with thousands of foam balls and see your sister get slimed. Or you can splash out on Nickelodeon’s Pipeline Plunge at the all new WhiteWater World. Nick Heads can climb, run wild or just chill out under the massive Pipeline bucket, dumping over 1000 litres of water onto you.

Thanks to Dreamworld and Nickelodeon and the launch of the new ride, Lasoo members have the chance to win a prize pack full of exclusive SpongeBob SquarePants and other Nickelodeon merchandise, valued at $300.

To be in the running to win, email competitions@lasoo.com.au with the word SPONGEBOB in the subject line and tell us in 25 words or less what you love most about SpongeBob SquarePants. Entries close next Thursday.

Competition terms and conditions

In case you missed all the hoo-ha a few years back, ugg boots are no longer an Australian icon.

Despite the fact that the term “ugg boots” originated in Australia in the 1950s and was trademarked here in 1971, these days the rights to the brand name “ugg” and all its variations belongs in America (therefore I will no longer use the word “ugg” in this blog for fear of a litigious American coming after me).

In fact, most sheepskin footwear companies these days are based overseas or at least have some kind of overseas interest which is disappointing given that sheepskin boots originated in Australia and New Zealand and are an integral part of our clothing history.

Emu Australia claims to be the only 100% Australian-owned sheepskin footwear company and for that reason alone I think it is worth supporting if you are looking for a new pair of boots this winter.

Now I love me a good pair of ugg sheepskin boots to wear around the house in winter but have always come down rather hard on the side of not wearing them out of the house (especially with short skirts).

However I really like the “Hip” style from Emu Australia, pictured here, which comes in a range of colours including chocolate and olive and retails for $119.95 (yep, real sheepskin boots are expensive but they last much longer than their synthetic counterparts). If I am ever going to wear a pair of sheepskin boots in public, these would be them.

Emu has a whole range of styles for men, women and kids and is available from David Jones, Yodgees, Evolution and independent boutiques.

Correction: I have just learned that there are several more all-Australian sheepskin boot manufacturers in Australia, including Mortels. Mea culpa!

By Caroline Warnes

The Bravia KDL52X3100 is a member of the second-generation of Sony’s popular X series of LCD TVs.

The first-generation models proved to be very popular with consumers and the current range builds on this success, adding features and fine-tuning performance.

The Sony Bravia KDL52X3100 is a 52-inch full HD (high-definition) model, which means it broadcasts in 1080p, which is considered “true” HD. If you have a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or a high-definition player you need a screen that is 1080p capable to take full advantage of the high-definition capabilities.

Sony has truly packed this LCD TV with every feature you’ll ever need in your high-def home theatre setup including an HD tuner and three HDMI ports as well as 100Hz motion compensation, which is supposed to remove judder from films.

Like its predecessors, the KDL52X3100 also performs very well and is well-designed, making it an attractive addition to your lounge room.

Sony is currently offering $300 cashback when you purchase selected Bravia LCD TVs (including this model) so ask in-store for details.

Click here to find offers on Sony Bravia TVs from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

I have a confession to make: I am shamefully, completely and hopelessly addicted to the “Next Top Model” franchise in all its incarnations (but mainly the American and Australian versions).

Before you write me off as some sad reality TV-loving drone, you should really know that it’s not the case. I will take a pass on watching most reality TV shows, even (in fact especially) “Big Brother”, which as far as I am concerned demeans the human race as a whole.

However for some reason each season of “Australia’s Next Top Model” and “America’s Next Top Model” suckers me in to the point of fanaticism. I don’t know why, because really at the end of the day it’s just a group of teenage girls calling each other fat then pretending to cry when one of them gets booted off each week.

Actually perhaps that is the reason why it’s such a guilty pleasure. Because despite the fact that these girls are young and attractive, you can still feel slightly superior because, well, they carry on like idiots.

After the recent bullying incident widely reported on in the press I couldn’t help but be slightly amused at people making comments such as “the modelling world is no place for bullying and bitching”. Did I miss something? Isn’t the modelling industry actually a breeding ground for that sort of behaviour? My extensive experience in the industry (ie watching every single season of Next Top Model) leads me to conclude that’s the case.

Well we are now down to the final three, which will be whittled to two tonight. Imagine how distressed I was to find after moving apartments on the weekend that my block is not Foxtel-ready (the show airs on Fox 8). I went into a slight panic yesterday and made several frantic phone calls investigating what can be done. I even considered fashioning a satellite dish out of foil and placing it on the balcony. Unfortunately I won’t be watching tonight’s episode. Argh…

By Caroline Warnes

The newly released movie version of “The Incredible Hulk” has inspired this new video game version of the classic comic book character.

The movie stars such notable actors as Edward Norton and Liv Tyler and while they lend their voices to the game version, the two are worlds apart in how the story is presented.

While the movie version attempts to combine special effects with a developed storyline and complex characters, the game version prefers to leave the storyline at the door and concentrate on the wham bam action side of things.

You play the game as the Hulk (obviously) with your mission being to stop a radioactive outbreak in New York City. However the game gives you the power to wreak whatever damage you want on the city itself so the fun part of the game comes in destroying the landscape rather than saving lives. You can pick up anything from the surrounding landscape and use it as a weapon.

Letting the game down is its poorly developed visuals and storyline, however if you love destructive action-type games, you will get a thrill out of this one.

Click here to find offers on The Incredible Hulk game from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes