32.4 and THPShop Jewellery Review

31 July 2015

When it comes to jewellery with me, I am all about staple pieces. I love to get good quality jewellery that I can wear again and again, but that are also simple and dainty and work with most outfits. So that's pretty much my approach whenever I buy new pieces for my collection. I decided to try out two new jewellery online stores that I had not tried before and see how they went.
Spoiler alert, one was great and one was not so great.

The Single Bey Earrings - THPSHOP

I really liked the style of these earrings. Tiny little honeycombs. They were silver which is my jewellery colour of choice, and the store is by a blogger "The Haute Pursuit". All of their jewellery is lovely and dainty and after following their store on instagram for months I decided to make the leap.

The earrings are $30, but that is in USD. Once I converted and added shipping these earrings cost me $60 AUD. The shipping cost had no tracking, unless I wanted to pay $40 USD for shipping. So I never knew if they would even arrive. Three weeks after purchasing they showed up. 

Now clearly I should have read the description better, as these earrings are not Sterling silver, they are in fact silver plated. With less than a week of wear these once lovely earrings are tarnished to heck, look terrible and I'm pretty certain I have basically flushed $60 down the toilet. 
Super disappointed by these, and I would definitely not shop with them again. 

I would pretty much get the same quality in earrings for a couple of dollars down at one of those bargain jewellery stores.  Thumbs down from me. 


Moon Chaser Choker - 32.4

I started following this jewellery store on instagram after they started to be stocked at The Lair. A local boutique in Newcastle. This pretty much confirmed to me that what I was buying was going to be good quality. I wanted a dainty necklace that I could pretty much wear all the time, and in the necklace description it actually says "Sterling Silver, so you never have to take it off".

It started off at $89 but they had a discount code become available so I used that and managed to buy the necklace for $75. I would have to say I am super super pleased with this necklace. It is everything I wanted out of a new daily piece. I have had it on since it arrived in the post and is still looking good as new. 

There are two spots to clip it at the back, so it can either be a regular kind of loose necklace, or more of a choker. So I have it on the tighter clasp, and it looks lovely. I would 100% shop here again, and definitely recommend it to others. Their jewellery is lovely! Thumbs up from me!

Do you have any good quality online jewellery stores that you like to shop at? Share them in the comments.

Cya! xx



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Sydney Makeup Haul

29 July 2015

I took a day trip to Sydney the other day with Joshua. Sydney is just two hours South of my hometown of Newcastle. I was really keen to visit one of the only Sephora's in Australia. Poor old Australia. All of the poisonous spiders and snakes, and none of the cool stores. 

There were a few cool products I was keen to get my hands onto that were only available at Sephora. I only ended up purchasing one piece of makeup from there but I still ended up buying a few things here and there while I was in Sydney. 

I wanted to try a new kind of blush for a while, move on from a powder and get something that leaves more of a dewy finish. I got the Pretty Cheeky Blush in Apricot from Sportsgirl. It comes in a little roll up tube that you can easily dab onto the apples of your cheeks and blend it in with your fingers. 

I think it gives just the right amount of colour and the peach shade makes sure it's not too pink.
Adding another nude shade to my lippy collection was on my to do list, and I wanted more of a brown tone this time. I went for Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Honey Beige. It's quite dark when it first goes on, but after I blot it a tad it's pretty perfect. 

Why has it taken me so long to get a highlighter?? I really wasn't sure what type I wanted,  something creamy and shimmery. At Sephora I asked one of the girls to show me a few of the different kinds and finally settled on the Clinique Chubby Stick in Champagne. 

They didn't actually have any in stock at Sephora so I ended up going into David Jones, where I got to use my giftcard anyway, so it turned out for the better. Now I get to have a crack at strobing


At Priceline for a little while there was 50% off Rimmel products, so I had to jump in. Rimmel has a new range of Awakening products, that I really want to try out. To start with I grabbed their new Wake Me Up Mascara. This mascara feels lovely, gives a lot of volume and smells of cucumber! One of my favourite mascaras so far. 

My daily moisturiser just ran out and I had no clue what I wanted to replace it with. I walked up and down the skincare aisle for like 20 minutes looking at different kinds of moisturisers and reading about them. I have tried the Simple range years ago but hadn't got back into it. But I really liked the sound of an anti-blemish moisturiser that would also help fight my acne. Because for some reason in the colder months my spots kind of flare up.  I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes long term.
Last but certainly not least, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade

The only purchase I actually made at Sephora. I decided I wanted this brow gel a while ago but with 11 shades to choose from, I didn't want to buy one online and find out it was the wrong colour. The girls at Sephora were incredibly helpful, and found me my perfect shade. My hair is a lot lighter than it has been, but my roots and brows are still a darkish brown. 

I know that the Dipbrow is old news to a lot of people, but regular folks like myself seem to have been behind in the trend. I'm completely on board now I've got the pomade, though I'm still practising. Using my illamasqua angled brush to apply, you can make it as dark or as light as you want. Which is really rad as you kinda want to start dark at the tail and fade it out.  

So anyone looking to up their brow game, I would check this product out. FYI I use the shade Medium Brown.
Have you ever tried any of these products? Is there anything you'd like me to do a review on?



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My Fav Blog Design Resources

27 July 2015

My Favourite Blog Design Resources - Permanent Procrastination

Styling and designing a blog is hard work. Especially for a newbie blogger. Unless you're actually a web designer or go ahead and get your entire blog template professionally designed and installed then it's all going to be a bit of a learning experience. With a lot of discovering new things and throwing them in there. 

I've rounded up some of my favourite resources that I use when it comes to design and overall making my blog look pretty and functional. Even with all these, my overall favourite design resource is really just gaining inspiration from every blog I visit.

Coding & Design Help

I love using these websites to add a little something extra to my blog, or to update my existing template. They often have already answered questions I have when it comes to design and coding issues. Which is super helpful.

XOMISSE - Lots of coding and design tutorials for both Wordpress and Blogger. Elaine covers a whole range of topics relating to blogs. I definitely use this website as a reference a lot.

I Can Build a Blog - I am such a Big fan of Dana Fox, she writes soo many good guides and tutorials and everything bloggy. I Can Build a Blog is her side blog completely devoted to helping you become blog and design savvy. 

The Wonder Forest - This is Dana's main blog, she has an entire tag called Blog Help, which is fantastic. You can find some different things here than she has on her side blog. 
Clover & Dot - Kate may only be young but she's already incredibly code and design savvy. She has quite a few different tutes and guides that should be super helpful. Just mouseover the "Design" button at the top of her blog. 


Blog Templates 

There are a lot of places to get templates online, these are just a few and most of the ones I've listed are paid templates.  There's nothing wrong with having a free template! I have seen quite a few good blogs that are running the default blogger "Simple Template" with pretty features added in. 

Pipdig - The designer of my current blog template. Phil was super helpful, even when I e-mailed him months later with a dumb question, thanks Phil. I added a few things to the template myself after installing, that would have come with an extra price tag if I'd wanted him to install them. 

Envye - Dana Fox's very own template shop, she's a very talented lady. You can find templates for both Blogger & Wordpress here, as well as some graphics, photoshop actions and fonts for sale. 

Mango Blogs - I kind of wish I would have found these earlier, because these blogger templates are both amazing and very affordable. If you're just starting out, I highly recommend this etsy store. 

Maira Gall - Another etsy store, and creator of my second blog template. Maira was super helpful with any queries I had about my template. She has beautiful templates for Blogger with Wordpress ones on the way!
Clover & Dot Templates - These templates are super cute with lots of personality. With the majority of them mobile ready, you're sure to find one in your price range. 

Theme Xpose - A variety of free templates with quite a range of different styles. Good for bloggers just starting out who want a template but haven't committed yet. 


Free Stock Photos

I bounce back and forth from using stock photos to using my own. I do like to take my own photos the most obviously, but sometimes working for most of the day doesn't leave any good light left to take photos. That's where stock photos come in. These are all free to use, with no need to leave a source.

Unsplash - Beautiful large images, often of landscapes and cities. New photos added weekly. Website has a reasonable search system also. 

Gratisography - Usually crazy bright stock photos, often of people and random inanimate objects. Free to use with new pictures added weekly. 

Start Up Stock - Lots of desks, computers, and people working. 

Kaboom Pics - A random variety of photos with a good search system. I use this website quite a bit now that I've found it. 

Splitshire - Beautiful photos. Definitely a stock website I need to utilise more often. 

Death to the Stock Photo - Has a free subscription services where a stock photo pack is sent out each month. There's a premium service where you can access their entire stock library, which I haven't done but I feel it would be worth it. 

Snapwire Snaps - Similar to Unsplash. New photos added weekly. 
Minimography - Gorgeous minimalistic stock photos. They're only new so not too many photos, but still beautiful.

Canva's Design School - There is a huge selection of free stock photos here! Definitely worth checking out. 


Add to the List!

Got a favourite resource that fits under one of these headings? Link it to me in the comments, if I like what I see I'll add it to the list, and i'll link back to you as suggestion credit! Rad!

Cya! xx

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Styling the Top of my Bookcase

24 July 2015


I always loved how people styled the tops of their bookcases, with decor and artwork just resting neatly on top. With my IKEA Kallax bookshelves in the study I was super happy to finally be able to do just that. For ages I really didn't know how I wanted to style it at all, and it had mostly sat with empty frames along it. I decided to go with a mostly monochromatic theme, with pops of green from the plants and some other subtle touches. 

I've had that Marilyn Monroe poster for years now, but I recently cut it so that it would fit into my square frame and I've never been happier. As for the Scarlett Johannson print, I had always been a fan of her and that photograph, but it took a long time for me to get my hands on it. 
These two framed prints were the starting points on styling the bookshelf top.


I collected a lot of other items that I already had, as well as acquiring pieces specifically to sit atop there. From Left to Right, my faux plant and white pot both from IKEA always a favourite.
 
Good for places that won't get enough light. Then my ceramic black and white owl, a gift from Josh's parents. 

I have a timber and white ceramic oil burner, for when life gets way too stressful. My favourite essential oil blend is "Calming" which is a blend of orange, lavender and patchouli. Heavenly. 


In the very center is Josh's clock, which I don't think even has batteries in it at the moment but I like the look of it. In front of it is an Ampersand cut out from Typo. I really like how it matches in with the style of everything. 


I got this beautiful Clear Quartz Cluster* from Feel Crystals that I adore. I think crystals are really amazing and I would love to read and learn more about them. Clear Quartz is said to be full of positive and cleansing energy, and can help in emotional healing if you're feeling stressed. I feel a bit calmer just thinking about it. 


I have a petite candle by White Horse Home in Parisian Pear that smells divine when lit. The entire study smells of cinnamon and pear. Like a pie.  At the end I have my Bird's Nest Fern that I probably need to move as I don't think he's getting enough light during the day. But it's very pretty. I'm not sure where else I should put him. 

Finally there's Geoffrey, my faux plaster stag head. He's from Typo and used to hang above my study when I lived at home with my Mum. He's now progressed to a more chilled lifestyle. I'm sure he'll be hanging up again one day. 

I'm pretty happy with the decor I've got up there at the moment, it might change around in the future but currently I think there's just the right amount.

Cya! xx
*This post contains items I was given for review. You can view my full disclaimer here

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Life Lately 22/7

22 July 2015

Everything can get a tad hectic occasionally. Sometimes I feel like my free time is spent so boringly, like why do I never have plans, and then suddenly I have plans in every spare and waking moment. I am either working or I am out doing something. Then once again I am exhausted and overwhelmed and all I want is some solid me time. It's all very confusing. 

Pictured above is me fitting in some quality Welsh Blacks' coffee and bagel time, before I rush off to another work shift. I'm wearing my new Ziggy Mom jeans that I scored in my amazing Universal Store Haul. I don't look impressed because Josh was literally on the phone (to his mum) the entireee time. Because of this he got no bagels. 
A cute polaroid of Kaity, Sandra & I
One of the many activities was a friend's 23rd out in the middle of nowhere at his house. I literally think my cold was triggered by the aggressive amounts of Singstar that we all played. I probably should have been taking it less seriously. What can I say, Singstar is competitive karaoke! The scores are there for a reason! 
Darling Harbour at Dusk
Josh and I ventured into Sydney as a day trip, which for your information is two hours South of where I live. We walked around the city for a bit, I visited either the only or one of the only Sephora's in Australia, for the first time. I bought a few goodies, which there will be a post on later, duh. 
Then we went to Sydney's IMAX to see the new Ant-Man. 

Even though my love for Marvel is great, I wasn't really that keen on Ant-Man, and obviously a lot of others weren't either from what I can tell from their opening weekend earnings. But I was pleasantly surprised. The movie was highly amusing with lots of action, and cutie ants. There's a scene after the credits too, of course!
Meet "Delphine" the prettiest bike ever. 
On Monday I went for a job interview, and I think it went okay?? Apart from when I answered the question "Why do you want to work here?" with a rambling combination of how cool it is. Oh well. 
The day improved tenfold when my vintage bike arrived from Reid Cycles! 

If anyone previously thought I was at least kind of cool, I can tell you to throw that out the window as I pretty much excitedly wore my helmet around the house until Josh agreed to build it "right now please!"

There will be a separate post on my pretty bike and how I plan to decorate the basket. I'm so keen to be able to ride it on my days off though. Especially to the markets that would be rad. I've ridden it once so far, around in circles nervously on the huge driveway that connects all the units I live in. I then bruised my leg on the back as I tried to get off like an idiot. Josh then proceeded to demonstrate the appropriate way to dismount a bicycle. 

Side Note:

I wanted to give a bit of a shout out to everyone who reads my blog (yes you!). It's hard to actually fathom or know who really reads my blog, I can see the view count but I can't see much else. Not to mention that basically the only people who comment, are fellow bloggers. Which is perfectly fine. 

But seriously, people that casually mention to me in person that they saw that on my blog, or they love my blog, or even a slight mention that they read it. Is such a big deal to me! You probably have noticed I respond really nonchalant to any mention of this but this is all an act, inside I am both ecstatic and there are little fireworks going off in celebration. 

I blog because I love it, but I really love when other people enjoy it too! So thank you thank you thank you! I appreciate it, like gazillions. 

Cool Things I'm Loving Right Now:

Cya! xx



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How to Kick Butt at Group Interviews

20 July 2015


I have been in quite a few group interviews over the years now. When I went to my very first one, I was soo incredibly intimidated and frightened. I mean what better way is there to make yourself feel inadequate than comparing yourself to that gorgeous, hilarious, smart person right next to you that is also going for that job that you are! Dang it! You'll never get it now! If only they didn't apply!

My two jobs that I work in now, I got through a variety of interviews, including one group interview with the other potential candidates. I had been in group interviews before, when I was younger and a lot more timid, and I can say that it get's a lot easier! If there's one thing that I have learnt, no two interviews I have gone to have been alike. I'm sure that's not the case after you go to a lot of them. But I've been to maybe 10? They've all been super different. So here are my top tips, on how to Kick Butt (not literally guys...) at Group Interviews. 

Before You Go

These tips can generally be applied to any kind of interview, and they're always important. 
  • Gather some general knowledge about the company and it's products. You don't want to look like a fool straight up. 
  • Dress neat and appropriately for the job you're applying for, and do not be late!
  • Make sure you have the necessary skills and qualifications for the job you're applying for! You want to stand out from the crowd. Careers Australia can help advance your skill set. 
  • Have some answers in mind for general job interview questions, why do you want to work here, what are your strengths and weaknesses, why should we hire you?

Waiting to be Interviewed

This is actually my favourite tip, and you do have to be chatty and kinda confident. (I believe in you!) Usually before a group interview you're sitting or standing in some general area with the other people that will be getting interviewed. Everyone is sitting around, staring at their phones or feet, nervously, awkwardly. Trying not to make eye contact with their competition. 

My number one tip? Start talking. Start making conversation about literally anything with the people around you. You already all have one big thing in common, you're after the same job, that's a good start! Talk about how nervous you are, how excited you are for this opportunity, how much you like the company. Introduce yourself to the other people, comment on their outfits, find out their names. You'll find that everyone will suddenly seem a lot less intimidating once they all seem less like strangers. I kid you not, once you head into that group interview room. You've already got an edge. You're the chatty confident one, who is going to swoop in and take that job. 

During the Interview

Now's your time to shine. Group interviews are all about how you act in a team setting, how well you communicate and how much you can stand out from a crowd. But in good ways. Now that you're in there, don't be loud and obnoxious. Listen to your interviewer, and don't chat to anyone while they're talking, or whilst anyone else is talking. It's rude.

"Who would like to go first?" Shoot your arm into the air! This is a question I hear at every group interview. They're saying who here is brave, confident, and knows what they're doing. It doesn't matter what it is, go first or at least attempt to go first. You're enthusiastic remember? Participate in everything, be friendly. 

There can occasionally be parts where they split you into teams for separate activities. There is always always someone who will bossily take over immediately. I'm not that person, because I don't just order people around. Maybe you do, that's okay too. Help out, speak up with your ideas, and make sure you're heard. Don't fade into the background, and don't let that self allocated team leader bring you down or steal your spotlight. 


Afterwards

You did it! It's over! Thank the interviewers. Wish the remainder of the group good luck. Leave there feeling positive. You did your best, now you just have to wait for that magical call and see if you've got the job! Or at least made it to the next round. 

 I actually have my very own job interview today! I'm only like mostly nervous, probably. Wish me luck!


Have you been in any group job interviews before? How did you go?




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*This is a sponsored post, but all thoughts & comments are 100% mine. xx

Universal Store Haul

17 July 2015


A little while ago I talked about how I bought my The Horse Watch through this awesome deal that one of my fav stores Universal Store was running. Where whatever football team you chose to win this competition, you could get their score as your discount percentage off. 

I am super happy to say, that in the most recent game, one team won with a score of 52! Which seriously never happens! You realise what that means? I got 52% off everything in the online store. Boy did I go mental. I have had mom jeans on my wishlist for ages and was unable to find a pair for under $100! Not any longer!

I had already bought myself a watch that I wanted, so I went on a bought some jeans and three tops. My partner bought some hair pomade, his very own Horse Watch in Emerald, and some new havaianas thongs (or flipflops). Plus a Horse Watch in silver and a pale pinky nude colour for Josh's sister. How could you seriously say no to that??


That's all this! $565 worth of stuff, for $270! I don't think I've ever had a better shopping offer in my life! I ended up spending about $100 on my four items, including the jeans that were originally $120. Pure bliss! Not to mention, all this stuff came with free express shipping, two days later!

White Crop | Ziggy Mom Jeans | Grey Tee | Navy & Orange Ribbed Crop | The Horse Watch Sand | The Horse Watch Emerald | Havaianas Thongs | Hair Pomade

Winning!

Have you ever got a super good shopping deal?? Tell me about it in the comments. xx





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My Necklace from Happiness Boutique

15 July 2015


I was lucky enough to be sent this gorgeous necklace from Happiness Boutique the other day. When they approached me about reviewing a necklace I was so keen as they have soo many gorgeous ones available on their website, and all with free shipping! That's what a girl wants to hear. It's only too often I have to run away from shopping at an online store as shipping to Australia is like $40. Bah. 

There were quite a lot of beautiful necklaces to choose from, and I spent a while browsing through the collection. I decided I wanted to go with something basic, that would work with a lot of outfits, and not too much colour. Nothing too bright. 

Finally I settled on the Tranquility Statement Necklace and I couldn't be happier!


I styled it with my black skinny jeans, white button up shirt and Camel coat. I love how this necklace is quite versatile, as I can wear it with a collared shirt but it would also look lovely with a pretty and feminine dress. 

Happiness Boutique also has a rewards program, where the more you shop, and review your purchases on their website, the more points you earn. Then the points can be exchanged for goodies like jewellery and clothing. Which is really nifty. I wish more of my favourite online shopping destinations had rewards programs. It's definitely an incentive to shop and to review your fav products. I don't know about you, but I love reading reviews before I buy things. 

I don't have too many necklaces, as I'm a staple jewellery piece kinda gal, but I'm glad to have the Tranquility necklace as part of my collection. It will definitely find it's way into outfits in the future. 

Cya! xx
Some of these items may have been sent to me for review purposes. See my full disclaimer here.

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Watercolour Workshop

13 July 2015


Last Wednesday, Tilly and I went to a sweet arts workshop that is pretty close to where I live. Watercolour Wednesdays is run by a local artist Melisah May in her art studio located in the Hunter Street Mall. I came across this crafty workshop after Newcastle Mirage posted about it on their instagram. 

I shot Mel an email and booked in for Tilly and I for the upcoming wednesday. Then we excitedly awaited the big night!

An Idiot's Guide to Finding Things You've Lost

11 July 2015


One of my absolutely top pet peeves is losing something. I mean losing something out in the big wide world is absolutely devastating it's gone forever. How could you have been so stupid? How on earth did you lose that?? But losing something at home is a different feeling altogether. Pure confusion. Annoyance. Where on earth did you put it? You're sure you've checked everywhere, but you still don't have it. 

I want to be the best at finding things. I want my kids and partner to shout from upstairs that they can't find their "insert specific item" and I can holler back the exact location because I just know. Of course, I know! I'm the queen of finding things. 

Being a good finder is not just about luck, or having one of those beeps clicker things that beep until you find the item. No no no. That's almost cheating. Probably. So here are a few of my trade secrets to finding things that I've lost around the house. Including things that aren't really that lost in the first place.

Losing Something in the Bookshelf/Fridge/Pantry

Sometimes you just know something is there. You're staring into the pantry like a maniac, squinting and staring and waiting for the peanut butter jar to just jump out and hit you in the face. 

You know it's in there. Where the heck else would it be. It's not on the counter, and god knows no one is crazy enough to put it in the fridge. (not in this house buddy). But try as you might, you just can not see it! 

I know there's some sciencey explanation for this phenomena but that's not what this post is about. It's about finding the peanut butter that's in sitting right in front of you the whole time. So here are some tips. 

Take a step back, breathe in, breathe out. Look away from the shelf, turn around if you must or stare at the floor. Now visualise what it is you're looking for. This might seem dumb but you're at your wits end here. You need that peanutty goodness. You see it in your mind. That yellow lid, peanutty coloured jar and those smug bears on the label. 

I know they're watching me, judging. 

Now look back into the space where you know you left your spread. See the item in your mind. Oh shit it was literally eye level straight in front of you the whole time, but somehow your mind basically forgot that was what you were actually looking for. You can thank me after you make a delicious sandwich. 

Losing an Item Somewhere in Your House

This is the big kahuna. The ultimate misplacement. Popular items include your car keys, wallet, hairbrush, phone, remote or unicorn night light. This is the action that is so incredibly annoying and makes you feel like an idiot once you do finally find said item. I'm (not) ashamed to say that I once sat on the floor and had a little cry after I was unable to find my hairbrush for 4 days. 

The majority of our most used items tend to have a particular zone that we keep them in. The zone could be an entire room, or a spot in many rooms, or just one place in one room. When said item leaves that zone, and can not be found in any other potential zones this is a moment for panic. 

Retracing Steps
It doesn't matter what the item is, but if you've lost it before the first thing you want to do is retrace your steps.  For example, if I lost my phone, and I had just been sitting at the computer firstly I would look there. Often it's next to my keyboard, but I have been known to sit it on the bookshelf as I walk past. So I'd want to check these typical spots. As soon as I can rule out the study I can move on to where I was before that. Typically this will eventually lead you to your lost belonging.


Dumb Places I've Found it Before
This is an important one. Sometimes items are just notoriously bad at getting lost. You sit them down absentmindedly and not just occasionally, all the time. In this case, you want to retrace your steps to all the dumb places you've ever found it before. 

For example, I've left my house/car keys in the front door. I couldn't find them anywhere and was actually reversing my car with the spare keys when I spotted them hanging from the lock. Low and behold I have now done this twice. So if my keys aren't on the bench or in my handbag, it's likely that I've done that again. 

I also often place my iPhone on my dresser in my bedroom as I walk past, but I can't see on top of it at first glance. So if I've left it there, I usually need to kind of stretch up in order to check if that is indeed where I've left it. Just the other day, I put my phone on a shelf in the closet and shut the door, and oh man I would have been searching for that one for a while, but luckily I received a phone call before I even realised I had lost it. 


Remember Your Train of Thought
I know one time I pulled apart my closet and the laundry looking for one pair of track pants because where could they be and why aren't they in one of those places. 

Only to give up and find them later accidentally when I opened my pyjama drawer, remembering I had now dubbed them PJ pants as I folded and put them in that drawer. If you can remember what you were thinking last time you had that item, it's a sure way to find it again. I just pulled my elf makeup brushes out of my study drawer because I had put them there for future blog reasons. But amazingly I had remembered!

Most importantly, know your own logic. Cause I mean that doesn't make sense as a place to put makeup brushes but it sure as hell sounds like something I would do. 


Do a Systematic Search

The thought of losing something like your pink diamonds can be inconvenient and annoying- totally nerve-wracking! Retracing your steps might not even help, but stay calm.

Of course, it will be freaking that you've lost something important. However, you'll have a more challenging time if you're stressed out. Finding it hard to calm down? Calm down and take a few slow, deep breaths.

Then start looking at it where it should be. If you always keep your wallet in the basket at the door, that should be the first place to look. Do a slow, careful search. Throwing things around frantically and in panic will create a bigger mess.

If you miss the item on the usual spot, you can widen the search area. Check it a few inches from the spot and the surrounding area. Keep widening the search area systematically until you find your lost item.

If All Else Fails

You can always try tying all of the items you most commonly lose, to a piece or string attached to a belt that you wear. Sure you will look ridiculous, but at least you know where everything is! Just try not to lose the belt. 
Cya! xx



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Australis Contouring & Highlighting Kit Review

10 July 2015

Australis Contouring & Highlighting Kit Review
If you hadn't noticed, contouring is very "in" at the moment, and will most likely continue to be for a long while to come. Contouring is really sweet as it's a way to highlight your best features, and kind of improve your not so great features. But it's also seen as a lot of effort but I disagree! Contouring honestly only adds maybe 5 minutes to my routine, if I feel like I want it that day.

But enough of that, I'm here today to review the new Australis AC on Tour, Contouring & Highlighting Kit. This one here is for the Aussie babes, because it's seriously hard to walk into a Priceline around here and grab an actual contouring set off the shelf, especially not one for under $20. This beauty is only $16.95. 

Now I haven't tried the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit but a lot of beauty bloggers are saying that this is a pretty spot on dupe. Especially as that kit comes in at around $50+ if you can find it in Australia.

Looking at it, and photos of the Anastasia contour kit, I'm going to say that the colours and shades are pretty darn similar.  The top row are highlighting powders, a light pink, banana and another pink with a shimmery addition. Which will be great for highlighting cheekbones. 

The lower three are all for contouring, I only attempted using the first and lightest shade on the left, when I used these on my face, but it was still quite dark. I don't think I could use the final two.
These are numbered from left to right on the palette. As you can see the darker shades are super dark, and it's hard to make out the lightest pink. I gave it a go using this product on my face. 

The case had contour instructions as a sticker on the back of the case, which is really dumb, because you can't use it and have the case turned upside down at the same time can you! 

First I used the number 4 and lightest shade of contour to do my cheekbones, jawline and then the bridge of my nose. I don't often contour my nose, but for the heck of this review, why not. Then I used the banana colour to highlight under my eyes, down the bridge of my nose, my chin, eyebrow arch, and cupids bow. 

Finally I used the shimmery pink, number 3 to highlight my cheekbones. I also added my own blush to my cheeks, before blending everything in with a kabuki brush.
A before and after face picture probably would have been helpful, but here we go. You can pretty clearly see where I have contoured on my face, such as my cheekbones and nose. 

When getting product on your brush, you seriously only need to dab it in a tiny bit, the darker shades especially are very pigmented and coat your brush immediately. I kept dusting the brush off a tad onto my arm before applying to my face. I found this less with the banana colour, I think it was harder to see that you were applying it just because of the lighting in my bathroom but that it is more visible in daylight and in person.

Excuse the red nose. I have a cold... again. 
Overall I am pretty pleased with this contour palette, especially for the super affordable price. I would love to know how this actually compares to the Anastasia Contour Kit. 

But I definitely think for people that have been looking to have a go at contouring, this is a good purchase. As long as you don't apply too much on your brush and then your face, and blend blend blend! 
Btw I love this contour cheat sheet.
Do you contour your face? Have you been wanting to give it a try?
Cya! xx

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Life Lately 8/7

8 July 2015

As a lifestyle blogger I definitely ramble on a lot, about a variety of things. But less about what's going on in my actual life. So I thought I'd throw a "Life Lately" post in there every now and then with some little updates. 

I'm lucky enough to get to work with one of my best friends, which is awesome. We work together in one of these huge chain hardware stores in Australia. The store that we work in just had its first birthday and to celebrate there was a big fancy dress party. The store has a lot of staff, and pretty much everyone participated in dressing up which was great!
How Sweet are our outfits! Couples costumes for the win! That's some pinnable costuming right there my friends. Both of our sweet outfits are brought to you by eBay. Though Tilly expertly made her own pokeballs and velcroed them to her belt, and also made an Ash Ketchum wig out of a black bob that she cut and gelled. She's a costume expert. We've been to Twilight covered in glitter and to Harry Potter as Hogwarts students.
Josh and I tidied up the entire house, and courtyard and amazingly enough for the first time since we have moved in together we decided to have friends over for a BBQ. We have been meaning to for ages but had not got around to it. We have a pretty barbecue and a lovely area, and the only negative was that it's really cold at the moment. 

It was good to finally have some friends over, a lot of people hadn't seen our house yet. We fired up the BBQ, laid out a bunch of snacks and set up a spotify playlist. Everyone was really good with bring snacks as well, we ended up with such a large variety of dips! It was an adventure.
We rolled up the rug just in case of any spillages and just general foot traffic. Many games of Worms & DC Injustice on PS4 were played. Along with a round of Cards Against Humanity. If you haven't played it before, definitely get on that. It's an experience. 
Recently I had spotted on my cousin's Facebook that she had this super cool bench that my grandparents had made her. I commented thinking man that is nifty and now here I am with my very own bench! I couldn't be happier! Look how nice it is! It even has a spot for a plant of my choice, and if you know me I went and found the plant with the biggest leaves that I could. Perfect!
Btw I'm still absolutely loving my new hair so so much. As well as my super cool denim jacket from Princess Polly. Yep I'm still wearing it daily. Making up for years of not owning one. I'm also completely on board with the roll neck sleeveless tops this Winter.

 I got this sweet grey one from Dotti. My notoriously bad dark circles + eyebags are still going strong. Except when I manage to get a miracle photo with magic lighting that somehow mostly hides them. 

I did buy a new under eye treatment by Natio, which I'm not too sure is working that well anyway. (do any eye treatments really work??) But I will be putting up a review on that shortly. 
In the mean time, here are some cool things i'm loving right now:


That's all for now! I might do a Life Lately type deal fortnightly from now on... that is if I actually get up to anything at all! ha 
Cya! xx



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5 New Shows on my Watchlist

4 July 2015


I watch a lot of shows. A LOT. I have probably talked about this before because it's a pretty basic fact about me. In fact you can view my Sidereel tracker profile right here. To see how many I really do watch. Btw Sidereel is seriously the best TV Show tracker. Tick off your watched shows, get alerted to when new episodes come out. There's an app too!

But moving on. Following so many shows, this means I'm only going to focus my time on shows that are actually good. I used to watch a lot of new shows and continue watching them even if I wasn't really into them. But no longer! So here are 5 new shows that I am loving so far and will continue to watch!

Sense8


Netflix recently came to Australia, and while we have next to nothing compared to literally anywhere else that has Netflix, we still get to enjoy their Netflix Original Series.
Sense8 is about 8 people, who are Sensates, that live all over the world. They are connected cerebrally and are suddenly able to see and talk to each other as though they were in the same place, and have access to each other's deepest secrets.

The show takes a little bit to get the storyline going, but it's the love of the characters that really kept me intrigued. Definitely a show that takes a bit of getting into but I watch it, I seriously love this show.


Humans

I'm so keen on any new sci fi shows that come out. Humans is kind of like, (have you seen Bicentennial Man?) a parallel universe where the new must have gadget is a "Synth", a creepily lifelike robotic servant. Synths aren't meant to free thinking, they're robots after all. But some aren't so good at following the rules.

Only one episode of the show Humans is out so far, but I'm already hooked! The first ep ends on a cliffhanger and I am dying to see what happens next!

iZombie

The name of this show is pretty dumb, you've all got to admit, but iZombie this is one of my favourite new shows. The story follows Liv Moore a modern day zombie, turned against her will at a boat party that went terribly wrong. Liv now works in the Morgue where she can safely have access to the brains that she needs to survive.

But when she eats the brains she takes on traits of the victims and has visions of the times leading up to their death. Using this she helps the police department solve their murders. All while hiding her true zombie nature. I'm sorry if this description sounds lame, but it's really not! The whole first season is out, so have a look!

Wayward Pines

I'm actually watching this while I write this post. 2 Episodes in and I'm already hooked! I just really want to know what's going on. Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke wakes up in the quaint town of Wayward Pines, Iowa. But something is not quite right, everyone is acting strangely, no one is giving any straight answer, oh and also he can't leave.

This show is creepy and intriguing and I'm definitely going to keep watching. Imagine some crazy mix between Twins Peaks and maybe The Truman Show... kind of.

The Astronaut Wives Club

The first episode only just came out the other day. I was glad to add this to my watchlist as the cast is full of amazing actresses. Including the aussie Yvonne Strahovski who I already loved from Chuck and Dexter. Not to mention her astronaut husband is my fav Wilson Bethel from Hart of Dixie. 
The Astronaut Wives Club follows the lives of 7 women who become American "royalty" in the eyes of the media after their husbands all enter the race to be the first man in space. 
Have you seen any of these shows? What do you think? What new shows are you loving right now? I would love to know! 
Cya! xx



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