It’s nearly that time of the year again - when Australia comes to a standstill to watch the Melbourne Cup on TV.

This year, it could be your turn to actually be at the world-famous race and have the Ultimate Day out. If you pop into your local Terry White Chemists for your pharmacy buys*, you can grab an entry form for your chance to win a trip for two to the Melbourne Cup 2011.

The Ultimate Day at the Melbourne Cup prize is two exclusive marquee tickets, two return flights, two nights’ accommodation, Schwarzkopf hair styling, plus $500 spending money - just to make sure you really have a great time!

Will Deals Direct be the answer to bagging a bargain on your weekly groceries, plus getting them delivered?

We’ve been slow to buy our groceries online - and get them delivered - for lots of good reasons.  Product substitution (that you’re not told about), poor selection of delivery times (lots of people aren’t home during the day), high cost of favourite brands (much higher than in the grocery retailer’s bricks-and-mortar store!) - here are just a few of the real issues that the 2 major online grocery retailers (Woolies and Coles) just haven’t got right yet for consumers  - that is according to a large survey undertaken by CHOICE last year.

So, let’s see how Deals Direct go … they’ve just launched their Supermarket.Deals.com.au with some great grocery, laundry, pets and personal care product deals. `Love a bargain’ is the DD catch-cry, and they’ve got some great online grocery bargains to grab this week. Plus it only costs $11 to get your order delivered.

Find groceries on Lasoo now.

We know that eating olive oil is healthy - lowering cholesterol and giving us plenty of vitamins. But it’s also much better on your skin than synthetic soap.

Olive oil is very similar to our natural oils - Italians have massaged babies with it for generations. The owners of a boutique factory in WA’s Margaret River - The Natural Olive Oil Soap Factory - started making soap from olive oil after their kids had rashes and the doctor said `no soap’. Grubby children were not the go, so…

Many recipes/ingredients later, their soap bars use a traditional olive oil cold press method. All they add are 100% essential oils and pure plant extracts to perfume; organic teas, clays, flowers, herbs and spices give texture and colour.

We all know that OPI makes THE best nail polishes under $30, but until recently I had no idea the company had a line of moisturisers as well.

I recently picked up a sample of OPI Avojuice Skin Quenchers Caramel Cream Juicie and have been using it as a hand cream for a little while, and am pretty impressed so far.

Actually, maybe it is mostly the smell that appeals to me. As the name suggests, this is a very sweet-smelling cream - in fact, sometimes I want to eat it. But it also does its job on my dry winter skin, and has done well on keeping my nails from becoming brittle as well.

The Caramel Cream Juicie flavour isn’t listed on the site, but there are several other delicious flavours available in Australia, including Coconut Melon Juicie and Jasmine Juicie.

OPI Avojuice Skin Quenchers are available at selected retailers - phone 1800 358 999 to find one near you.

By Caroline Warnes

This time of year can truly wreak havoc on your skin, what with the change of seasons and all.

I always notice my skin gets much drier and begins to get that awful “tight” feeling. In fact, this is the perfect time of year to start using richer moisturisers and more intense treatment products on your face.

I was sent a couple of samples of new facial masques from A’kin and decided to give one of them a road test last night. The A’kin Instant Radiance Facial Masque contains multi-fruit AHA and willow bark BHA, both of which are designed to encourage surface skin renewal. Basically, AHAs and BHAs are chemical exfoliants (not as bad as it sounds), which remove dead skin cells to reveal the firm, plump skin underneath.

I already use fairly strong AHAs on a daily basis in the form of my Neostrata cleanser and moisturiser, so was keen to give this one a go. After cleansing I applied a generous layer to the skin, neck and chest and left it to sit for 10 minutes while I did the vacuuming. If you’re new to the world of AHA and BHA you might feel some tingling when you use this product, which means it’s working its magic. (I didn’t because I think my skin is fairly accustomed to these ingredients.)

After 10 minutes, I washed it off and applied moisturiser over the top. My skin instantly felt far softer than it has in the past few weeks and this morning it sill has a nice “fresh” feeling.

A’kin’s Instant Radiance Facial Masque is available now for $29.95 from David Jones, health food stores and pharmacies.

By Caroline Warnes

Just a quick note to let you know that Cincotta Chemist is having free shipping on all Australian offers for today only.

So if you need to stock up on any beauty, skincare, haircare or other pharmacy-type products, do it today. Cincotta Chemist is one of the cheapest around, so when you take away the shipping, you’ll definitely be saving money.

Cincotta Chemist stocks Neostrata skincare very cheaply so if, like me, you’re a devotee, get in quick today. Plus there are some other great offers - 50% off the entire Dove range, 50% off all Heinz baby food jars and a buy one get one free offer on the new Berocca Twist and Go drinks.

By Caroline Warnes

In an effort to trim the fat from my spending budget during January, I’ve made it my mission to try less expensive versions of my everyday essentials.

I was on a mission to find a new, inexpensive body lotion the other day and stumbled across a brand called Pure Innosense, which caught my eye mainly because it had the bargain price tag of $2.

Unfortunately I accidentally picked up the gradual tanner body lotion instead of the straight formulation (unfortunate because I’ve sworn off all forms of self-tanning). I gave it a go this morning anyway because I figure if I exfoliate everyday, then I won’t suffer any gradual tanning.

I’m pretty pleased with the results. My skin feels suitably moisturised and the smell is quite inoffensive. If there are no adverse effects from prolonged use, I may have a new favourite here. Of course next time I will invest my $2 in the lotion WITHOUT self-tanner in it.

Plus, some good news for anyone who is into natural products - this New Zealand brand only uses plant-derived ingredients, essential oils and extracts. That means no parabens, artificial colourings and other nasties that most supermarket brands have in them.

By Caroline Warnes

Unless you are Demi Moore and have a picture of Dorian Gray sitting in your attic somewhere, ageing is an inevitable (and depressing) fact of life for all of us.

One of the main “visible signs of ageing” is, of course, wrinkles - and while many of us pay attention to fighting the wrinkles on our faces, one of the biggest giveaways to a woman’s age is actually the condition of the skin on her chest.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should extend your facial skincare to your chest, but there’s a new product on the market that offers a little extra help, which I am determined to try in the new year.

While my chest wrinkles aren’t “mission critical” yet, I’d like to get in some preventative measures before I begin descent into my twilight years. Apparently sleeping on your side can make the situation worse (gravity always wins after all), and as a dedicated side-sleeper I have to admit I’m beginning to experience mild flurries of panic.

Anyhow, Decollete Pads (sold online in Australia at Skinvigor8) are 100% medical-grade silicone, a substance which has been shown to assist greatly in the healing of scar tissue. Basically, you lay the pad on your chest every night when you go to sleep and it will work its magic while you’re asleep. Each pad costs $55 and lasts somewhere between 30 and 60 days, which is kind of expensive but the product is attracting a lot of buzz so it may just be worth it.

By Caroline Warnes

I’ve never met a free sample that I didn’t like so when I came across some freebie sachets of Radox Mineral Infusions shower cream at my gym last week, I had to grab a couple and give it a try.

I’ve used it a couple of times so far and I am really impressed - it comes with sea minerals and AHA (alpha hydroxy acids) so it gives your skin a good scrub, plus essential oils so it smells great.

I am of the opinion that you shouldn’t be exfoliating your skin every day, as this can prove damaging to it in the long run, so I’d probably only use Mineral Infusions a couple of times a week in rotation with your regular shower cream.

Use it in conjunction with a pair of exfoliating mits to get a really good scrub going.

The recommended retail price for a 450ml pack of Radox Mineral Infusions is $6.49. Radox products are available at most supermarkets and Priceline.

By Caroline Warnes

I have recently arrived at that rather depressing age when every morning you seem to notice a new grey hair or line on your face.

I have also found myself scowling at rowdy youngsters skylarking on the street and feeling the urge to adopt several litters of cats with which to live out my old age.

Up until now I have been able to get away with not using a specific eye cream (I think it’s unnecessary for younger skin) but these days I need all the help I can get.

I recently received a sample of Coast to Coast Outback Brightening Eye Cream and have been really impressed with it so far.

The cream is an anti-oxidant rich formula, made with Aussie ingredients including Kakadau plum, desert quandong, fennel and organic rose hip oil to strengthen the connective tissues around the eyes.

The formulation itself is just the right consistency for an eye cream - not too runny and not too firm (you want it soft enough to dab around the eyes, it will do you more harm than good to be rubbing a firm cream into this delicate area).

Not sure if it’s just my imagination, but I think the area around my eyes already looks a little better.

You can buy Coast to Coast Outback Brightening Eye Cream online for $32.95 or from the company’s store in Melbourne Central.

By Caroline Warnes