September Roundup
9/29/2014

September Roundup




With blogging I sometimes feel like it's easy to get trapped in a corner or niche if you will. For the longest time I restricted myself to only publishing fashion content. I love fashion, but it's not my only love. Throughout September I made a conscious effort to branch out and blogged about fashion, books and other topics that don't really get explored much. Did you like the mix up of content?? Let me know!

Here's a little roundup of some posts that were published during September...

The Extras | A Fashion, Beauty & Stationery Haul-After a recent wardrobe cull I felt like there was some pieces my wardrobe was seriously lacking. Some stationery and beauty were added into the mix as well. Did I mention it's a video? Go watch and subscribe if you're feeling generous.

Daisy Dream-The new Spring fragrance which I'm sure has joined many a girl's perfume collection over the last few months. I'm obsessed with it and it's been one of the only fragrances I've used all month.

SPF's From Clinique-In a bid to save my youthful complexion (ha), I've been incorporating SPF's into my morning routine. These Clinique gems have been working wonders and they're not interfering with my skin or makeup layered over the top. Wins all round.

A Celine Inspired Buy-I may have been hiding my preference of Birkenstocks in the past, not anymore. These Country Road sandals are shiny and comfortable, two things I love. Want all the deets? Click that link..

*I hope everyone's having a fabulous Monday. I'm in the best mood because I got my first A for the semester today. Yep, I'm that person. In seriousness, A's are a rarity for me so when I get them I'm usually always on Cloud 9. I handed in an assignment today too where I got to blog so as a reward I'm taking the afternoon off and disappearing to watch It's Kind Of A Funny Story
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A Mini Wellington Haul
9/29/2014

A Mini Wellington Haul





During the last week of the semester break I took a short trip down to Wellington and naturally we went shopping. I don't know what it is about you Wellington, but I swear you have some of the best independent stores. Shout out to Cuba Street. Also you have some of the friendliest salespeople out. Seriously, they have actual conversations with you and fangirl over your purchases with you. 

Madame Fancy Pants, Iko Iko and Matchbox Studios are some of my favourite places to visit when I'm in Wellington. The craftier types will love Minerva and there's plenty of places to find a vintage gem or two as well. When I posted a snippet of my haul on Instagram lots of you seemed keen to see what I picked up so if you are that way inclined, read on..

The Reading Material

Palo Alto by James Franco-As I mentioned last weeks, Unity Books is one of my all time favourite bookstores. We have one in Auckland but it's a lot smaller and a bit more cramped than its Wellington counterpart. It took me ages to choose how to spend my book tokens but this book has been on my radar for a while so it came home with me. Keep an eye out for a review in the coming months.

Mollie Makes Blogging, purchased from Minerva-I'd seen this magazine over on Liv's Instagram and could never find it in the shops so I was really excited to see it in Wellington. Aside from features with the ladies of A Beautiful Mess, there's also a writeup about Blogcademy, tonnes of tips and tricks, handy tools to buy and more..

An Extraordinary Theory of Objects by Stephanie Lacava-When I first discovered this book I found it such an enjoyable read so I'd been eager to add it to my collection. If you've not read this you must. It's a story of objects, life in France and learning to accept your faults. 

The Stationery

Rifle Paper Co 'Botanical' Notebook-Look at that floral gorgeousness! All the pages inside have gold detailing and it's just beautiful. The Rifle Paper Co. obsession lives on clearly...

Grumpy Cat+Hydrangea Ranger cards, purchased from Matchbox Studios-Cards are so good for pinboards, decorating walls and of course sending to loved ones in the post. I'm a little obsessed with Grumpy Cat and think he'll look right at home on my little wall gallery. The latter I think will belong on my pinboard. How gorgeous are those florals? They remind me of that field Dorothy wakes up in when she's on the Emerald City outskirts.

Cartoon Cat, purchased from Japan City-Japan City is one of those shops I always like to visit, even if I never buy anything. For some reason I find it rather fascinating, and I also secretly hope I'll find Muji in there. Anyway, I thought this would be cute to send to a fellow cat-lover. There may have been some Strawberry Pocky purchased here too but as you can see it's long gone.

Rifle Paper Co notepad, purchased from Iko Iko-This was one of Rifle's products designed in collaboration with Garance Dore. I love lists so this 'to do' list notepad was right up my street. They also have gorgeous weekly planners in stock at Iko Iko too and some of the Rifle Paper Co. phone cases which are stunning too.

Gold Chevron Washi Tape+Gem Washi Tape, purchased from Matchbox Studios & Iko Iko-If you saw one of my The Week posts a few weeks back you'll know I'm keen to set up a DIY wall complete with Washi tape as opposed to placing everything in frames. I've been on the hunt for gold tape and I loved this chevron design. The gemstone tape was so pretty as well and even if it doesn't end up on the wall, I'm sure it'll make its way onto gifts and the like sometime soon.

The Extras

Rose-Gold Ring, purchased from Matchbox Studios-You can't see this ring very well in pictures so I'll try to remember to upload one at some point. It's a rose-gold triangle on a thin band and it's so dainty. Lately I've been mixing metals when it comes to jewellery so I've been wearing this alongside some of my favourite silver rings as well for a subtle pop of colour. 

Tassel Keyring-I literally could not walk away without this last week. Rose gold anything seems to have that effect on some people. It actually won't fit on the straps of my current handbag so it might end up becoming a keyring for my car and house keys. We shall see.

*What have you hauled recently? Let us know so we can all live vicariously through each other in the comments xx
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The Week #123
9/26/2014

The Week #123




A Touch Of Shine For Spring-A bit of sheen on the cheekbones is nice but I also like to add a bit of shine to my accessories as well. Clearly Country Road's designers feel similarly as a range of pieces with metallic embellishments have made their way into stores. Seen here are the Tassel Keyring and the Hexagon Print Shopper. The keyring may have come home with me from the airport last week. Look how gorgeous it is! 

The Best Milkshakes Ever-I'm quite the fan of milkshakes and last weekend Charli took me to Fidels in Wellington which just so happens to have a rather awesome brunch menu and of course..milkshakes. I had an Oreo one and it was so good. It's inspired me to do an Oreo-Nutella milkshake actually. Maybe that can go on the weekend to-do list...

Style Inspiration-It doesn't happen all that often but sometimes the question of my personal style inspirations comes up. Aside from the queen (Alexa), I actually look at the runways and what my favourite bloggers are wearing abroad more than anywhere else. As NZ is currently Zara-less this can be quite a pain sometimes, but I try to keep an eye out for similar things in our shops. Anyway, Alix shared this video of her current style favourites and I loved it! I'm all for a more minimalistic, yet still classic approach to style these days and she just nails it. Adding leather backpacks to the wishlist as we speak. 

Matte Fantasy-What's this? More eyeshadows and they are matte. I know, I'm a changed woman. In seriousness, I have barely any matte shadows and the new Naked 2 Basics palette looks like it has you sorted. 6 mattes, one with a slight sheen that'll do everything from highlight, define the crease, you name it. Again, adding to the wishlist.

The Best Bookstore Ever-So I still think Waterstones in London is all kinds of amazing but Unity Books in Wellington and Auckland are awesome. Seriously, it is a book-lover's mecca and if you love reading as much as I do, you're bound to leave with a book or two and a slightly longer to-read list. I couldn't find photos online that I liked enough but Palo Alto was just one of the books I picked up in Wellington last week with a gift voucher that I had handy. If you live in Auckland or Wellington you should definitely head here for your book fix.

*Have a radtastic weekend girls (and guys). I've been working on essays and a blog assignment this week, the latter which is turning out to be quite fun. This weekend I'm finishing up said blogging assignment, playing with some new drugstore makeup, heading in to Mecca for some fun times and reading this book.
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The Extras: A CĂ©line Inspired Buy
9/25/2014

The Extras: A CĂ©line Inspired Buy





Confession hour: I am a bit of a magpie when it comes to the fashion department. If that wasn't obvious enough then this will certainly prove my point. When we were coming back to Auckland I spied these shoes in Country Road and made a mental note to try them on sometime this week. As you can see that clearly happened...

I'll be honest, I've always liked the idea of Birkenstocks but have constantly been surrounded by people who find them hideous so I tend to just overlook them. They've made a comeback in recent years though and Country Road's new spin on them, complete with metallic hues had me interested. The Harriet sandal is available in silver, as seen above and also gold, black and white. Like the Birkenstock sandal they are ridiculously comfortable. Seriously, I don't think I've owned comfier Summer shoes in ages. I feel like the metallic touch livens them up a bit too. You're either going to love or hate these shoes but I love them. As I said to a friend of mine, they're Man Repeller-esque in the best possible way. You be the judge of whether or not that is a good thing. Oh and one more thing: If you are breaking them in and are prone to getting blisters, wear plasters on the section of your foot where the straps sit. I didn't and I now have blisters so yeah *sad times*.

Anyway, if you want to grab yourselves some of these I'd act fast. They are selling out rather quickly in stores and I doubt they're going to be hanging around on the shelves for long. 

*Do you own sandals like these?
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September Favourites
9/24/2014

September Favourites




September is the January in fashion and the Spring in beauty. The heavy eye makeup and deep red lips get shelved and the neutral lips, shimmery eyes and perfected skin come out to play. This month is about all of the above and also the fresh and fruity fragrances, stationery to fall head over heels in love with, a brush that deserves an apology and more..

Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer-Oh em gee. This range is all kinds of perfection but rather than turning this into The Bumble & Bumble Hour I narrowed my pickings down to this primer. Spritz it into your hair for shinier, conditioned, UV-ray protected tresses. Just don't spritz too much that the tropical scent distracts you when you're driving. True story...

Sephora Pro #45 Brush-Now this brush was purchased to see if it was as good as the beloved Buffing Brush. At the time I decided it was fairly worthy but not amazing. Flash forward a few months and I love it! If you're in a rush and want something that's going to blend your foundation in for you fast, this is it. It's been compared to the face brush from Bobbi Brown. While it may not be as soft as its more luxurious counterpart, it still delivers.

Rifle Paper Co.-Obsessed doesn't fully cover just how much I love this brand at the moment. In fact, I may not have been able to keep my hands off some of their goodies in Wellington last week either. More on that Monday...If you love gold foil, flowers, beautiful type and illustrations then you are going to love their designs. They'd make great Christmas gifts for someone else or yourself if you're in a 'treat yo'self' frame of mind.

The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Makeup Remover-This was a little birthday purchase last month after spying it on several beauty blogs. The bi-phase remover works like an oil in that it breaks down all your eye makeup. Even the most stubborn waterproof mascaras will be swept away with this one. It's so gentle and I will forever repurchase this.

Marc Jacobs Twinkle Pop Eye Stick in 'Honey Bunny'-In an upcoming video I mention that these are just as good as the Ombre Blackstars at a fraction of the price. Creamy, shimmery colour that does not budge is what you'll get here. I like to pair it with the more shimmery shadows from my Lolita Palette, also by Marc Jacobs. If you can get your hands on these I'd highly recommend them. 

Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Pink Glace-Why we cannot get Jouer this side of the globe remains a mystery to me because if their lipgloss offerings are anything to go by, then the rest of their products are looking pretty darn promising. This nude-beige gloss is the perfect YLBB and slightly glossier option. It sits nicely alongside nude lipsticks as well. Lurve. 

Daisy Dream-Again, no surprises here. I've been on a real Marc Jacobs buzz lately. You can check out my review of this fragrance here. It really is the perfect Spring fragrance and is neither too floral nor too fruity. The bottle is pretty perfect too.

The Body Shop Instablur*-I'm not entirely sure how this missed the cut last time favourites deliberating took place because it is awesome. It has more of a gel-like feel which dries down to a matte finish. It's very smoothing on the skin and helps to reduce any uneven texture you may have. More importantly, foundation or your base of choice will not be going anywhere. If you're not willing to fork out for the Hourglass Primer then you should definitely consider this much more wallet-friendly alternative.

-What products have you been loving during September?

*PR Sample

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A British Beauty Update
9/22/2014

A British Beauty Update




Happy Monday everyone. I feel like it's been ages since I blogged. Since I was away there was a lot of advanced writing happening. In fact I think I last wrote a post over a week ago now-madness! Today I thought I'd give you a little update on some of the products Anna sent me over last month. They've fast become stash staples and if you can get your hands on them I highly recommend you do so...

Super Facialist Salicylic Acid Anti Blemish Clay Mask-Side note, longest product name ever!? This mask is gentle on the skin but also powerful enough to help calm down angry blemishes or red patches. Calming properties aside, it has a super subtle scent and won't leave your skin feeling ultra tight*. If you're in the UK I'd definitely grab this on your next Boots trip, particularly if your skin's throwing a bit of a tantrum. 

No.7 Precision Lips Pencil in Nude-Now I'll be honest, I was a bit unsure about this lipliner at first. Then, several hours later, I realised it was the Lisa Eldridge lipliner so a bit of fangirling occurred. The colour is spot-on and has major Kylie Jenner vibes in my eyes. I like to wear it alone all over the lips with a nude gloss over the top or just underneath nude lipsticks to line the lips. My only gripe is that you can't find this in No.7's small range of products stocked in NZ otherwise I'd be gathering a few backups. 

L'Oreal Miss Manga Waterproof Mascara-A few little birds have told me that L'Oreal do rather good mascaras and admittedly this is the first one I have owned. A couple of coats of this one leaves your lashes looking fuller. Several more and you have quite a bit of drama. I have pin-straight lashes and this is one of the few mascaras that holds a curl in them and unlike other waterproof mascaras it's not such a 'mare to remove. I'm sold. This one will hopefully be winging its way to NZ soon, well at least I hope it will be! 

-Have you tried these beauty products? What did you think of them?

*I call this "the botox effect". I've never had botox, but when you can't move your face because of a mask I imagine that'd be how it feels.
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SPF's From Clinique
9/19/2014

SPF's From Clinique




Surely I am not the only one who gets spurred into action when it comes to taking better care of their skin in their twenties, lest we be rewarded with premature fine lines and early signs of ageing. My skincare routine's been a bit haphazard as of late but in an effort to restore it I've been trying out these two gems from Clinique in the morning. They're designed to be worn under makeup, reduce the signs of ageing and have an added SPF as a little bonus for you. What more could you want..

Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Defense*-I first saw this product over on Nouvelle Daily and was naturally intrigued. A lightweight sunscreen that not only helps to prevent against damage caused by UVA/UVB rays but also wears well underneath makeup. You shake the lightweight liquid, much like you would a liquid foundation and then apply the cream to your skin. It is lightly tinted, but it doesn't add an awful lot of colour to your face. It's an SPF45 which to me is pretty high for products like this. It also doesn't make my skin break out or get that greasy allure awfulness like other facial SPF's do. As for its effects on preventing dark spots? I'll report back in twenty years...

Clinique Superdefense SPF 20 Age Defense Eye Cream*-This eye-cream has a slightly lower SPF of 20 but it's still pretty darn effective. Usually I only use this eye cream at night but I've found using the Clinique offering during the daytime has made such a difference. Not only does it brighten the under-eye area, it also helps to visibly reduce the appearance of puffiness and under-eye circles. Being an eye-cream it is slightly thicker than the former, but it's still pretty lightweight. 

*What are your beauty must-haves for sun protection?

*PR Sample
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Daisy Dream
9/17/2014

Daisy Dream




Many of us have probably owned at least one bottle of Daisy from Marc Jacobs at some point. It's one of those scents which seems to be popular with young women and many variations of it have been released over the years, the latest being Daisy Dream. Who can resist that floral adorned bottle?! On our shores it's available in 30mL, 50mL and 100mL bottles, pictured is the 30mL If you're a bit further afield, you may be able to get your hands on the rollerball fragrance and also scented body products. We're simply spoilt for choice here..

Daisy Dream is inspired by "the boundless spirit of daisies and blue skies". With top notes of blackberry grapefruit and pear, this fragrance is delicious. There's a few floral notes in the mix, like Jasmine and Blue Wisteria, but on the whole this scent is quite fruity which prevents the floral notes from becoming too overpowering. In comparison to the other Daisy fragrances, this one seems like the grown up, more sophisticated version of Daisy, which can be put down to the notes mentioned, but also the White Woods and Musk notes throughout. It's still got the girly, Summery charm that its sister fragrances possess, but to me this is a much more vibrant, uplifting scent.

If you're yet to experience Marc Jacobs' fragrances, perhaps you'll be swayed by Daisy Dream. It's the perfect new Summer scent and it hasn't left my vanity since I purchased it.

*Have you tried Daisy Dream? What did you think of it?

-Apologies that my schedule is all over the show this week! We're off to Wellington tomorrow so I've been trying to get as much blogging+uni work done before we leave as I don't particularly want to bring my MacBook on holiday.There'll still be blog posts going up here and over on Facebook so be sure to keep an eye out for them. Oh and if you have any Wellington recommendations feel free to leave them in the comments or tweet me. Have an amazing rest of the week+early weekend guys xx.
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Rifle Paper Co
9/16/2014

Rifle Paper Co





Ever since spying Rifle Paper Co in the pages of Frankie and on my Pinterest dashboard, I have been head over heels for their designs. It wasn't until I was pinning up the Frankie spread onto my Pinboard that I decided to check out their online store. Let's just say a rather lengthy wishlist was created, and after discovering they had a little Labour Day sale happening, well one thing led to another and I fell down the stationery lovers' rabbit hole...

Rifle Paper Co was established in Florida about four years back. In that time it has fast become a popular brand internationally. Most recently, Anna illustrated the covers for a series of classic children's novels for Puffin. Rifle Paper Co strongly believe that "life's personal stories are best told through the gift of a handwritten card or note", a sentiment I strongly identify with. There's something so lovely about sending someone a gorgeous card or handwritten letter out of the blue.

For my first order I was just testing the waters really. I knew Rifle Paper's products would be beautiful, but I thought rather than getting tooo spendy this time 'round, I'd just grab a little selection. Firstly their cards will leave you spoilt for choice. I grabbed a birthday card for my cousin (who is hopefully not reading this post) and the Best Is Yet To Come card for my wall of prints, when my room gets repainted. It's not one of my favourite quotes but it's definitely something I think is important to remember. Then I added some pocket notebooks to my cart, the Rosa duo to be exact. Pictured is the floral notebook with gold foil detailing but there is also a pastel pink notebook adorned with gold foil dots included. Swoon. Last but not least it would have been rude to ignore the Honey Bee calendar. Surprise, surprise it features gold foil detailing on every page as well as a series of bee and floral themed illustrations. Rifle Paper Co, you have won my heart. It's going to be hard to stay away for long.

*Have you picked up any goodies from Rifle Paper Co? What took your fancy?



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A Book Haul
9/14/2014

A Book Haul




Why hello there everybody. It's haul time again. This time, it's all about the reading material. I've done a bit of Book Depository trawling recently and was also lucky enough to receive some of the books you see above so I thought, rather than write a lengthy post about them all, I'd whack them into a ten minute video for y'all instead. You can check it out below or over on YouTube instead if you fancy. If you're not yet subscribed to me, it'd make my day if you subscribed to my channel too. 

*What have you read lately? Let me know in the comments! x


   
                              
      

                               

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The Week #122
9/12/2014

The Week #122




Pancakes That Are Good For You-Yep, you read that right. Olivia of Olivia Round Town shared this fabulous recipe for Protein Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce on her blog this week. They sound delish and super simple to make! I'll definitely be giving them a go sometime soon. Guilt free and chocolate sound like a match made in heaven.

We Were Liars-Oh my freaking goodness. This book. Now a few of you wanted plot notes when I posted this on Instagram but it's hard to do that without spoiling the whole thing. What I will say is this-a young girl from a privileged family goes to Beechwood Island every Summer. She has an accident and suddenly, things are not as they once were. That's all you're getting from me. Seriously, read it. It's so brilliantly crafted. I'm tempted to read it again to see how it's done but my copy is en route to my cousin as we speak. Grab yourself a copy here

Wall Inspiration-Lily's blog is one of my favourites and she always puts together awesome videos. Seriously, her editing skills are brilliant. I loved this DIY that she put together this week featuring prints and washi tape. It's simple and will jazz up any plain wall. My room's being repainted very soon and I was thinking about doing a fair bit of framing but this seems to be a much more cost effective way of displaying prints and the like. Searching for Washi tape as I type...

Lauren Goes To Italy-Many of you are probably familiar with fashion blogger Lauren from Someone Like You. She has impeccable style and is a pro when it comes to thrifting vintage pieces. I'm ever so slightly biased here, as Lauren is one of my friends. Anyway, she's currently doing a semester in Florence one of the most breathtaking places, ever. Seriously, you need to go there some day. In the meantime you should go check out her blog and Instagram feed because she's posting the most stunning photos of her adventures and time there. Do it.

My New Favourite Eye Look-Pro tip: Fix+ from Mac, and perhaps other setting sprays too+eyeshadow brush+eyeshadow=intensified eye makeup. Why have I only just realised that?  I particularly love misting this spray onto my brush before applying the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows. It really brings out those softer shades and leaves things looking a whole lot more glam. 

*I hope you've all had the best week! There won't be a weekly roundup going up next Friday as I'll be in Wellington but I'll still have a post going live so check back here or on Facebook then x. 
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The Blush Tag
9/11/2014

The Blush Tag


Hi again everyone. The lovely Tati from The Selfie Style invited me to do a guest post for her blog a couple of weeks back so I decided to do The Blush Tag. It was actually quite fun to do and it's left me wanting to redo the tag but for another makeup item. I wonder if you can guess which...

Anyway, if you want to go check out the post and Tati's blog you can head here
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More Sephora Sampling
9/11/2014

More Sephora Sampling





Another round of Sephora shopping inevitably means samples. Does any other beauty store do samples quite like Sephora? I think not. You get the gist, it just makes the whole experience that little bit more exciting. I've put these samples through their paces, a purchase even happened because I loved one of the above products that much. There's also my purchasing verdicts below as always. Enjoy!

Too Faced 'Better Than Sex' Mascara-That name is ever so slightly tacky. Is it just me thinking that? This was one of the 100 point-perks I chose with a recent order and despite its questionable name, it did not disappoint. My lashes are pin-straight yet this still managed to hold a curl in them. I love the hourglass-shaped fluffy brush. They're much better than plastic wands in my opinion.

Purchase? Maybe. This was a tough call because I do love my Bobbi Brown mascara and L'Oreal's Miss Manga just that fraction more though.

Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Shampoo & Conditioner-Along with the primer I featured last week, Bumble & Bumble have recently repackaged their shampoo and conditioners from this range. I love this range. Each product is infused with six oils designed to keep your hair detangled, frizz-free and feeling a lot silkier. Overuse of sea-salt infused products had left the ends of my hair feeling awfully dry and my hair feels a lot more nourished. It also seems to be drying a lot straighter too which I like, as my hair is prone to flicking out at the ends.

Purchase? Confession time, since trialling these I went out and bought the travel set from Mecca as I couldn't justify buying full bottles of new shampoo nor conditioner just yet. They're already getting a lot of use though and this set will be great to take away with me next week. 

Fresh Soy Conditioning Eye Makeup Remover-Now this is quite similar to the Benefit 'They're Real' remover but it's not as thick a consistency and breaks down to more of an oil. It was great at removing my eye makeup on the lids and also brow products but it didn't really do much in the way of breaking down mascara. It probably depends what mascara you use of course but that was a bit of a letdown for me. It's still a great product, but there are definitely better alternatives out there.

Purchase? No, and that's only because I like a new eye makeup remover that I've been using much more than this one. Psst..I'm reviewing it this time next week.

*Have you tried any of these products?

-I feel like this week's just gone by in a whirlwind yet I've not really been up to a lot aside from assignments, blogging and sleeping in (the best). Oh, a spot of online shopping happened because #feelingspendy and I've been filling in at my old job so $$. Yeah, that's my logic for ya. Today I have another driving lesson, some errands to run and hopefully just a chill afternoon ahead. Tomorrow though I'm having a self-imposed 'me' day. I plan on seeing Boyhood or Palo Alto, still deciding and trekking to Ponsonby Road and perhaps even some of my favourite stores on K Road. We'll see! I hope your week's have been rad. x 
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What I've Read Lately
9/09/2014

What I've Read Lately





A few posts back I mentioned how I've been trying to get out of my literary rut which has been successfully achieved. In fact, I'd say that I've been reading a lot more lately than just watching TV series to while away the hours. It's funny how things go full circle like that. Anyway, as you can see I've been frequenting the Auckland libraries lately for some friend+booktuber recommendations and in short, they're (almost) all fabulous. I'll let my mini reviews do the talking though from here on in...

Across The Universe by Beth Revis-Despite a reference to The Beatles in the title, this has nothing to do with the fab four. This novel is probably the most out of my typical reading comfort zone. As Tara so aptly put it, this book fits into the dystopian sci-fi genre, for teens. Amy, a 17 year old from America and her parents are cryogenically frozen on a ship, Godspeed where they believe they will wake on a new planet three hundred years into the future. Amy however is woken from her slumber early and all is not as it seems. Now I usually avoid sci-fi books like the plague but I really enjoyed this. I think because it's unlike anything I've read before it was all the more intriguing. If you like The Hunger Games then you'd probably like this too. 

Wildwood by Colin Meloy-Wildwood was a book I picked up in a specialty store in Auckland a few months back and it was quickly added to my 'to read' list. Whimsical illustrations, a story that takes the characters from Portland into an enchanted wood and brilliantly crafted writing. This is for children but it's easily a book I can imagine adults enjoying as well-I know I loved it. I could not put this, or the other two books in the trilogy down. 

It's Kind Of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini-One of my American blogging friends Hannah recommended this book to me in one of our many novel-length emails a long time back. This is the story of Craig, a New York teenager who happens to attend an extremely prestigious school and also battles with severe depression. After attempting to end his life, he admits himself into a hospital where he spends five days in a psychiatric ward. This all sounds rather dark, I guess in many ways it is. However this is not a sad, nor depressing book. It's funny, it's enlightening and it'll make you think. As Vizzini himself battled with depression this book doesn't glamourise the subject and for anyone wanting an insight into mental illness this is such a worthwhile read.

Berlin Street Style by Angelika Taschen-Now this was the book I probably enjoyed the least. It's not awful as such, there was just one too many "style advice" type pages for my liking. I'm very picky when it comes to fashion books. The street style photography and photography throughout though is stunning. If you're a fashionista or someone looking for a book that's just quick and easy to flick through then you're bound to like this.

I hope you enjoyed this little insight into what I've been reading. Books are such a huge part of my life so I'm trying to introduce them more to Nana Wintour. Keep an eye out for a lil' book haul which will be up on my blog this time next week. In the meantime, feel free to check out what else I've been reading over on my Goodreads page.

*Have you read any of these books? If not, what have you read lately and enjoyed?
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The Spring Beauty Edit
9/08/2014

The Spring Beauty Edit






It's Spring one of my favourite times of the year due to the fact that; a) it's starting to get warmer, b) new flowers are in bloom+my favourite fruits come back in season and c) I can justify wearing summery dresses and lighter layers again without getting the "you'll catch a chill" lecture. Today's post, funnily enough is not about any of the above, as I'm sure the title will have suggested. This time of year calls for a rotation of the stash and a lightening of the eye makeup, and perhaps lip if you're that way inclined. It's time to embrace the fresh fragrances, the peaches, pinks and the glow-givers...

The Floral and Fruity Fragrance-This may have been in my Spring-themed post last year but it deserves a mention again. Marc Jacobs Daisy fragrances are all so light and fresh. If you've spritzed them before you'll know these are perfect for Spring. Check out the new Daisy Dream fragrance if you haven't already. It's like Daisy's sophisticated older sister. 

Peachy and Bronzed Cheeks-Winter is all about the minimal blush look for me, Tarte's Exposed was on high rotation this year. By the time Spring rolls around the peaches and the bronzes come back out to play. Seen here are the  Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Tipsy and the Bobbi Brown Bronze Brightening Blush*. The latter is perhaps a tad too warm toned for my porcelain complexion at the moment but it's certainly going to get a lot of wear in the warmer months. Tipsy is one of those blushes that seems to brighten up your complexion-great if you're having an off day. 

Pink Pout-In an effort to step away from my trio of Mac Nudes, I've started embracing the new pink lip products Tamira sent me. That Jouer Lipgloss in Pink Glace is lovely on its own or layered over the aforementioned nudes (I just can't get enough of them...). Marc Jacobs Kiss Pop Lip Color Stick in Wham is the perfect raspberry pink. It has a matte-velvet texture, is ridiculously long-wearing and is not drying in the slightest. Lurve.

Sheeny Lids-First things first**, I am rather smitten with the Marc Jacobs Twinkle Pop Eye Stick in Honey Bunny as you will know if you saw my video yesterday. I'll save the raves for now because this will be in my September Favourites-go check out the Sephora reviews in the meantime. A slightly less spendy favourite is the L'Oreal Colour Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush. It's a sheenier version of All That Glitters from Mac and looks beautiful worn alone or over most neutral shadows. Last but not least we have my current liner love, Bobbi Brown's Long Wear Liner Pencil in Bronze*. It's the closest thing to a bronze, rose-gold hued eyeliner that I have seen. As the name would suggest, this stays put all day long and looks so subtle once blended out. 

Radiant Complexion-The photo above really does not show you just how worn out my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette is, given it's in use every time I wear makeup. Subtle powders that disguise shine and add the subtlest veil of powder to your complexion. They reduce the appearance of uneven texture and just leave things looking a lot more flawless. Another product that is great for low key days or fans of a light base is Estee Lauder's new Clear Difference BB Cream*. Not too matte, not too dewy and with enough coverage that leaves me skipping concealer and just reaching for the above powders. 

-What are your Spring beauty essentials?

**I'm the realest. Sorry couldn't resist using and abusing that reference.


*PR Sample



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The Extras | A Fashion, Beauty & Stationery Haul
9/06/2014

The Extras | A Fashion, Beauty & Stationery Haul




I am back, and out of YouTube hibernation for now. Earlier in the week I filmed two hauls, the first of which you are seeing today. This lil' mishmash of clothing, stationery and makeup has been accumulated over the last couple of months and given you seemed to want to see hauls when I asked on social media, I was more than happy to oblige. Keep an eye out for Part 2 which is a book haul and enjoy! Oh-and apologies for the umms and ahhs. I was very nervous about filming hauls for some reason. 


                                  
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The Week #121
9/05/2014

The Week #121


Martha My Dear-I hope at least one of you gems gets that reference. Now there is no picture here because I could not for the life of me find one, but head here to get an idea of what I'm harping on about. The lovely Anna of VDM sent me one of the Martha Stewart Home notebooks, along with some organisational tabs and it's totally changed the way I organise all things blogging. This feels like such a dorky inclusion but I love it and I'm a stationery lover so yeah, go figure.

Liv Joins YouTube-One of my favourite blog discoveries of late has to be What Olivia Did so when she recently jumped on the YouTube bandwagon I knew it would not disappoint, in fact I was rather excited.There's a beehive tutorial, her current monthly favourites and more on there. Go subscribe to her channel if you've not already done so. You won't regret it. 

Fashion Weekend-Last weekend Tara+Ellen and myself went along to the Mac seminar which was..interesting for lack of a better word. We also went to the Designer Garage Sale where I got a bit lingerie-happy over the amazing deals on Lonely Lingerie and we had lunch at Miss Clawdy. So basically it was an awesome time, with even more awesome people. Tara and Ellen were vlogging the day as well so keep an eye out for that.

Rifle Paper Co-Stationery addicts listen up, if you're yet to discover the Rifle Paper Co goodness then you need to get yourselves on that bandwagon, right now. After discovering them in Frankie magazine I have been obsessed with their designs and products. Florals, gold foil, temporary gold tattoos. LOVE. Pictured above are two of their notebooks which are just beautiful in my opinion. Proceed to their site with caution, more so if you're feeling particularly spendy.

The Weekly Staple-I've never been one to use face masks on the regular but that's changed recently thanks to this delight from Una Brennan. It's a clay mask that contains salicylic acid which is perfect if you've got blemish prone skin. My skin's been acting up a bit recently which I'm putting down to Uni stress and this is doing wonders. It reduces the size and angry appearance of blemishes, minimises redness and more. For a budget friendly mask I've been obsessed and find myself reaching for it at least once a week. 

-It's Friday & mid-semester break! Whoop whoop. I'm handing in one of my last assignments before I go on holiday today. Then I have an essay to finish and then I am free for 2-ish weeks. This week's been a bit stressful because of said assignment so I'm looking forward to putting my feet up this weekend and just chillin'. Tomorrow I'm catching up with my blogging bff Hannah which'll be fun and I have a video to edit. Oh-and sleep to catch up on! That is certainly a priority. Have an amazing weekend everyone!  I'll be back with four posts for y'all next week xx.
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The Makeup Bag Edit | BEAUTYMINDED
9/03/2014

The Makeup Bag Edit | BEAUTYMINDED



Another month, another bag to showcase. This time I'm shining the spotlight on Katia of BEAUTYMINDED and she's kindly given us a look inside her well-stocked makeup bag. Belgium-based Katia has exquisite makeup taste, although I may be ever so slightly biased. After all, I did spot more than one of my favourite products in the photos above. Sit back, relax and grab that pen and paper because you will be wanting to draw up a wishlist right about now..

"My makeup bag is filled to the brim with all the essentials for a daytime look. For my base, I usually stick with the Laura Mercier Oil-Free Primer as shown or the Clinique Superprimer. They both make my favourite foundation, CHANEL Perfection Lumiere Velvet last that little bit longer. I've learned from several makeup artists that primer is very useful for girls with oily skin like me.

When I've got my base covered, I fill in my brows with the Chanel trio "Les Sourcils de Chanel". I've had this for over a year now and even though I use this daily, it's nowhere near empty-think of it as a good investment. You can use the powder with an angled brush but I just use the tools that come with the palette. They do a nice job. If you want to see it in action you can check out my video here.

After that I concentrate on the eyes. I prime my oily lids with the Nars Pro Prime Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base and then I reach for one of my favourite eyeshadows of the moment: By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Brown Perfection as a smokey option or the Marc Jacobs Twinkle Pop Eye Stick in Honey Bunny combined with the L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Mono shadow in Cafe Saint Germain. Sometimes I also use the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze all over the lid.  A little tight-lining with Bobbi Brown's Perfectly Defined Eyeliner in Pitch Black creates a bit more depth before I move on to mascara.

In the mascara department, I'm hooked on Marc Jacobs' new O!Mega Lash Volumizing Mascara, as it's all my lashes need for dramatic black colour and volume. When that's all done, I apply a little of the Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer under my eyes. I love the formula as I find it to be more like a tinted eye cream than a concealer. 

Eyes done, I then apply the Clinique Chubby Stick for Cheeks in Roly Poly Rosy or the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed if I'm after a subtler look. My go-to lip options at the moment are rather colourful.  I love By Terry Baume De Rose Nutri Couleur in Cherry Bomb or my two picks from the Chanel Fall Collection, Rouge Coco Shine in #96 and the Levres Scintillantes Gloss in Songe. After applying the Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Rollerball I am good to go!"

-What are your current makeup bag essentials?
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Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer
9/01/2014

Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer


The brilliant folk at Escentual had a rather major sale going on a few weeks back and I decided to grab a couple of things from Bumble and Bumble to try. The Hairdresser's Trio set I featured on Friday was sold out at the time so I opted for this little beauty instead, the Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer...

Now skepticism was present, after all a hair primer does sound a bit unusual. This is designed to be used pre-styling your hair. I usually spritz it onto my hair after using the hairdryer or before I brush and style it. First things first, this is holidays in a bottle. Seriously, it smells like coconut and exotic tropical drinks. Yum! It's essentially a heat protectant, so you can use it pre-GHD's, curling tongs, whatever. However it's also designed to protect the hair from harsh UV rays. With a blend of six oils it also leaves your locks looking a whole lot glossier too. I wouldn't say my hair is overly damaged but if your hair is feeling lacklustre or dehydrated then you'll probably love the Invisible Oil Range.

I'm so glad I ignored my skepticism at the virtual till with this one. I use this primer on my hair daily and love the effect it has. I have a couple of samples of the shampoo and conditioner from this range which you'll be seeing in another post later this month so keep an eye out for that.

*Have you tried the new Bumble & Bumble Primer yet? What did you think of it?

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