Monday 8 December 2014

I went on a New Zealand adventure...

...and it was pretty incredible.

The initial reason for the holiday was to see my sister perform in the ballet over there (which we did, 6 times over) but we also decided to make a road trip out of it. My Dad and I hired a car when we arrived in Wellington and drove over 1000km throughout the week to different little towns that each had their own style and backstory (such as Napier and their Art Deco street signs and shops). 

We drove around narrow, one way roads, through native NZ bushland, along steep and curvy bends in scarily heavy rain and around absolutely gorgeous bays. Honestly, if you want to experience the most beautiful parts of New Zealand, a car is a great way to go. 

My favourite place that we visited was a fisherman's town called Coromandel. It was a reasonable sized town in comparison to some of the other minute cottages we passed, it was extremely neat (as with most of the towns we passed by) and each shop was carefully painted to match the pastel/striped theme going on. I think we also lucked out with the weather when we stayed here because there was hardly a cloud in sight, very unusual for New Zealand. 

The food in Coromandel was great (if you find the right place, I don't recommend you try the local fish and chip shop. Unless you have an acquired taste for cardboard), and the motel we stayed in, 'The Olive Tree', was also a highlight of my trip. For instance, the shower in this motel was the strangest, most entertaining shower I have ever come across. It looked a little like a time machine and when you hopped inside there was a mirror with a control panel below. The control panel allowed changing neon lights to flash about the shower, music to boom out of the speakers and it even told me the temperature outside. The fun didn't end there, the shower also had a seat and a million and one different shower heads that sprayed water out in all different directions of the booth, depending on what setting you put it on. Honestly, I was in fits of laughter for a good amount of time when I saw it (and don't tell me you wouldn't be too)!! Not to mention the tap was a little space agent looking too. 

The rest of the trip after we dropped off the hire car was spent exploring Auckland and one of the islands close by. Auckland also had some great places for food (to be expected really, considering it's a bigger city) but you do have to walk down odd alleyways and side streets in order to find them. 

Driving around the coast near Coromandel 

Two of many, many sheep in New Zealand 

Napier Beach
Napier Art Deco 

Although I had an awesome time adventuring around NZ, I was definitely ready to come home. I was exhausted and even as I sit here typing this blog post, my eyes sting and strain to concentrate on the screen from powering on 2 hours of sleep and no coffee, but I'm determined not to sleep too early.
I. can. do. this! 

I hope you've all had a wonderful week and are getting excited about Christmas because it's just around the corner!! Yippee!!!

What's the last adventure you went on?

xx


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Sunday 23 November 2014

Quick and easy makeup routine

This is my quick and easy makeup routine which takes about 10 minutes once you get the hang of it. It looks pretty, classy and basically just enhances your natural beauty! 

I usually change the lip colours on a day to day basis because I get easily bored of one colour, this lip colour was just what I felt went best with my outfit that day. 






 FACE: 

Primer: MAC prep+prime radiant primer.
Concealer: NARS creamy concealer in "Vanilla" under the eyes, around the nose and on any blemishes.
Foundation: Bare Minerals original powder foundation in the shade "Fairly Light". This foundation has fabulous coverage, is super quick to apply, lasts all day without fading or creasing and looks natural on the face. Highly recommend to anyone!
Bronzer: The Body Shop honey bronze bronzer in the darkest shade. Applied to cheek bones, forehead, down the sides of my nose and around the jawline.
Blush: MAC powder blush in "Pinch Me". Applied to the cheek bones using a Sigma "F50" Duo Fibre brush which I find to give the most natural finish.
Highlighter: MAC soft and gentle highlighting powder.
Setting Spray: Urban Decay all nighter setting spray. This is optional and you totally don't need to worry about not using it if you don't want to!

EYEBROWS: 

- MAC eyeshadow in the shade "Mystery" to fill in and shape eyebrows.
- Benefit gimme brow brow gel in the shade "Medium/Deep" to set brows in place and to volumise.

EYES: 

- Lorac Pro eye primer.
- Lorac Pro Palette using: "Nude" on the lids, tear ducts and to highlight the brow, "Taupe" in the crease and under the eyes, a little of "Sable" in the crease to deepen and also under the eyes and "Espresso" as eyeliner, using the leftovers under my eyes.
- Maybelline volum' express the falsies mascara in "Black".

LIPS: 

- Chi Chi creamy matte liquid lipstick in the shade "Wild Child".

So that's it guys, I hope you found this helpful!

What makeup products do you most reach for when you're in a hurry? 

xx


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Wednesday 12 November 2014

Face Of The Night - Brown Smokey Eye and Cherry Red Lips

What's this? A face of the night? Good one Issy, posting something new for a change (note sarcasm)! ;) 

You know the drill...I went out last night, I put effort into my makeup, I liked it, took some photos and am now sharing it online! 

Dark red/plum lipsticks are my current obsession right now and so here I have an example of how I like to wear it; with matte brown eyeshadows, fluttery false lashes and a winged liner. Simple and sweet. 

As per usual I've listed all the products I used on my face below. Enjoy! 




Products Used:

- MAC natural radiance prep+prime primer
- MAC studio sculpt foundation
- NARS creamy concealer (under the eyes and on highlighting areas) in "Vanilla"
- Maybelline age rewind concealer to cover blemishes
- MAC translucent powder
- Benefit Hoola bronzer
- MAC powder blush in "Pinch Me"
- MAC highlighter in "Soft and Gentle"
- MAC eyeshadow in "Mystery" to fill in eyebrows
- Benefit gimme brow brow gel
- Lorac Pro eye primer
- Lorac Pro Palette using the shades: Taupe, Sable, Espresso, Cream, Nude (a little amount for highlighting areas)
- theBalm schwing liquid eyeliner in "Black" (for the winged eyeliner)
- Rimmel scandaleyes eyeliner in "Nude" (for the waterline)
- Maybelline volum' express the falsies mascara in "Black"
- Ardell false lashes in "Natural"
- Rimmel stay on lip liner in "Cherry Kiss"
- Chi Chi lipstick in "Let Me Tempt You"
- Urban Decay all nighter makeup setting spray

What do you guys think of this look? Are you a fan of dark lipsticks? Let me know! 

xx

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Monday 10 November 2014

I'm currently loving...

Benefit's 'Gimme Brow' Brow Gel - 




  • Quick and easy to use, especially handy when in a rush to get out the door! 
  • Matches my dark brown brows perfectly 
  • Fills in sparse hairs 
  • Volumises 
  • Keeps brow hairs in place all day long 

Chanel's Vitalumiere Foundation - 




  • Refreshingly light foundation, perfect for the approaching Summer months 
  • Has a smooth application
  • Covers any redness or uneven skin tones 
  • Is build-able without looking cakey 
  • Has SPF 15 
  • Perfect for those of you who like a more luminous and natural looking foundation 
  • Will repurchase (when I have the money...this is a very expensive foundation!)

MAC's Powder Blush in "Pinch Me" - 



  • As the name suggests, leaves cheeks looking slightly 'pinched' 
  • Gives a very natural look 
  • Very versatile, goes with practically any look and any skin tone 
  • An all around great staple blush for anybodies makeup bag

MAC's Highlighter Pen in "Radient Rose" - 







  • Effectively helps to cancel out any fatigued looking under eye areas
  • Gives a gorgeous luminous and dewy finish 
  • Conveniently comes in a twisting pen 

The Body Shop's Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder - 


  • Perfect shade for my pale skin, despite looking quite dark in the pan 
  • Perfect for bronzing (rather than contouring I find) 
  • Has a matte finish....no glitters lurking about! 
  • A great bronzer for a great price. Will repurchase 100% 

Lorac Pro Palette - 






  • Extremely pigmented and buttery eyeshadows 
  • Great payoff 
  • Gorgeous, very wearable shades for any occasion 
  • Very versatile with 8 matte shades and 8 shimmer shades 
  • Convenient slim packaging with a magnetic snap lock for travelling and storage 

So as I haven't done a monthly faves for a while, I thought it appropriate to update you on some of my favourite products right now. I use these on pretty much a daily basis (with the exception of the foundation as I tend to mix my foundations up a fair bit) and would recommend any of these products to you. Hope you enjoyed :) 

Much Love xx 


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Friday 24 October 2014

Halloween Makeup Idea - Cute Fawn!

Hey guys,

I have a special post today! With Halloween fast approaching I thought it would be fun to attempt a makeup look, suitable for the special occasion. I'm not one to really get into Halloween but as we all know, I'll use any excuse to practice makeup (not that I need an excuse ha ha).

Today I googled images of fawn makeup and tried to replicate a look of my own. I didn't have A LOT of the things that I needed for this look but I wanted to try it anyway and just work with what I've got.

Although there are many things that I would like to change, I'm very happy with the outcome and think it's such a cute idea for Halloween. If I was attending some kind of Halloween event, this is definitely what I'd go as.









If you'd like to recreate this look you can probably find lots of videos on YouTube or as I said, images on google....goodluck!

How do you like this makeup look for Halloween? Will you give it a go (if you do, don't forget to tag me!)?

xx

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Friday 17 October 2014

My Current Favourite Lip Products















1. The Body Shop Born Lippy lip balm in "Strawberry" $7.95
2. Lanolips ointment $17.99
3. Chi Chi creamy matte liquid lipstick in "Lady in Red" $16.95
4. Chi Chi lipstick in "Let Me Tempt You" $18.95
5. MAC cremesheen lipstick in "Bare Again" $36
6. MAC cremesheen lipstick in "Shy Girl" $36
7. Dior lip maximiser lipgloss $48.00
8. Chi Chi stay on lip liner in "Lady in Red" $9.95

Lip products are a secret (or not so secret) obsession of mine and these are the ones I am loving at the moment. I've only recently discovered Chi Chi lip products but was quickly swept off my feet when I did...they're amazing! I'd highly recommend trying out the lip liners as they are very pigmented and long-wearing. The price tag on Chi Chi products are also a great bonus. 

The Dior lipgloss is quite pricey which makes it a bit of a luxury but I find it works wonders as a lip primer, allowing the lipstick to glide on smoothly or just as a type of lip balm as it hydrates the lips very effectively. 

I'm sure you've probably heard of the MAC lipsticks I mentioned (they are my holy grail lipsticks) and same for The Body Shop lip balms and Lanolips ointment. The strawberry flavoured lip balm is definitely my favourite as it tints the lips a gorgeous berry/pink colour and smells very sweet and delicious. I'm always mixing up my lip balms and trying out new brands so these are just my favourite at the moment. 

Have you tried any of these lip products? What are your favourites at the moment? 

xx 


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Wednesday 15 October 2014

Spring & Coral FOTD

Hey guys!

Another Spring face of the day. I'm really into red and coral lip colours at the moment so today's face is sporting just that. "Lady Danger", the lipstick that I'm wearing, is a gorgeous, vibrant orangey red and has a surprisingly creamy texture for a matte lipstick. I'd highly recommend trying it out as no matter what skin tone you have (as the lady at the MAC counter told me), it suits everyone!

As always I've listed the products used on my face and also the brand of clothes I am wearing in the pictures below. Enjoy.

Before 

If you're curious as to why my face and body are a complete different shade, it's because I've fake tanned ;)

After



Products used on my face:

- MAC prep+prime primer
- Bourjois healthy mix foundation in the shade #54
- Maybelline age rewind concealer
- Elizabeth Arden sheer lights illuminator in the shade "Light"
- MAC translucent powder
- Benefit hoola bronzer
- MAC powder blush in the shade "Pinch Me"
- MAC highlighter in "Soft and Gentle"
- MAC eyeshadow in "Mystery" to fill in eyebrows
- Australis clear brow gel
- MAC eye primer in the shade "Light"
- Too Faced Naturals palette using the shades: Nudie, Honey Pot and Chocolate Martini
- Rimmel scandaleyes eyeliner in the shade "Nude" for the waterline
- theBalm schwing liquid eyeliner in the shade "Black"
- Benefit they're real mascara in "Black"
- Dior lip plumping lipgloss (applied as a primer for about 10 minutes before applying lip liner and lipstick)
- Chi Chi lip liner pencil in the shade "Lady In Red"
- MAC matte lipstick in the shade "Lady Danger"

Top:

- Mink Pink


What do you think of today's face? 

xx

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Wednesday 8 October 2014

Outfit & Makeup Look Of The Night

Hey! How are you guys?

Living on college usually entails a lot of parties and nights out, last night being one of them. I love getting myself all dressed up and doing a full face of makeup and last night I was very happy with the outcome so I thought I'd share it with you!

I usually tend to stick with the same makeup when I go out, a bronze smokey eye. I used my new Too Faced Naturals eyeshadow palette and there literally is not one colour that I don't like, it's awesome! I would definitely recommend investing in one of these palettes if you're a neutral gal at heart like I am. I also have been loving my Katy Perry false eyelashes and you can find a review of them HERE.

With my outfit I kept it quite simple and comfortable. I laugh at my High School self wearing huge heels to parties and complaining about my sore feet for days after....why did I used to do that to myself? Usually when I go out now I refuse to wear any heel past an inch or two as you just can't have as much fun! As for the fluro singlet top I was little skeptical when I first bought it but absolutely adored how vibrant and eye catching it ended up looking against my tanned skin (fake tan obviously ha ha).

I've listed all my clothing items and where they are from down below, as with the makeup products I used on my face.











Makeup:

- MAC prep+prime primer
- MAC studio sculpt foundation
- Maybelline age rewind concealer
- Elizabeth Arden sheer lights illuminating pen
- MAC pressed translucent setting powder
- Benefit hoola bronzer
- MAC powder blush in the shade "Pinch Me"
- MAC highlighter in the shade "Soft and Gentle"
- MAC eyeshadow in the shade "Mystery" to fill in brows
- Australis clear brow gel
- MAC prep+prime eye primer in "Light"
- Too Faced naturals eyeshadow palette using the shades: Cashmere Bunny, Sexspresso, Chocolate Martini, Honey Pot
- theBalm schwing liquid eyeliner in the shade "Black"
- Rimmel scandaleyes eyeliner in the shade "Nude" for the waterline
- Benefit they're real mascara
- Katy Perry "Oh Honey" false lashes by Eylure
- Lanolips ointment
- MAC cremesheen lipstick in the shade "Bare Again"

Clothes: 

- Jeans: Cotton On
- Shoes: Novo I think but I doubt they're in stock anymore as I bought them awhile ago
- Top: Tokito
- Necklace: Top Shop

Tan: 

- Bondi Sands tanning foam in "Dark" (two layers)

Scent: 

- Elizabeth Arden "Red Door"



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