Sunday, March 16, 2014

Canon EOS 1100D

IMG_1179Taken with my iPhone 5

I have wanted a DSL camera for a while now and not just to have better photos for my blog. I’ve been taking more and more photos in the past six months with my phone and my little point-and-shoot; before the battery died on me. So I thought now would be a good time to invest in a nice camera.

The Canon EOS 1100D is your baseline model and one of the cheapest on the market that I found in my internet searching. I bought the body from Harvey Norman when they had it on sale and then the 50mm lens from the Good Guys a few days later. This camera is not as easy to use as your standard point-and-shoot or your phone, though it does have an auto focus function. I can’t really explain how it works because I don’t really know but I do know that I am in LOVE with my new camera and I’d like to share with you some of the first photographs I took with it.

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Admittedly most of the pictures I’ve taken have been of my dogs but I have also started using them for blog posts (though there will be a few which are using photos from my iPhone because they’re already written and are just awaiting publishing). I’m still playing around with it when it comes to makeup but hopefully this camera will allow me to take photos that actually show the colours so I can move on from just doing reviews.

Until then I will bring you reviews with much nicer pictures.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Nails of the Day


I haven't worn nail polish for a few weeks now. Today I've gone with a purple and gold look with OPI Dutch Ya Love OPI and All Sparkly and Gold

Monday, March 3, 2014

Soap and Glory Heel Genius

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I’ve tried a multitude of different treatments for my feet ranging from store bought to DIY and so far nothing has worked half as well as this stuff.

I saw this on a Vintage or Tacky video where Cora talked about a few skincare items she’d bought from Soap and Glory so I thought I’d look into it, even though I assumed that I’d never buy it because most of the products I see American beauty vloggers use are so much more expensive here I just don’t want to spend the money. But I look them up anyway. I found this on the Mecca Cosmetica website. It isn’t available online but you can buy it from a bricks and mortar store. There is a Mecca Cosmetica store on Hay Street in Perth but the soap and glory brand is sold from the Myers on Murrey Street (right off Perth train station) why I couldn’t tell you but it is.

So if you manage to work that out you’ll pay around $13-14 for this product, a pretty decent price in my mind. You get 125ml in a tube and so far I’ve gotten around 5-6 uses out of it and I’ve still got plenty left. When I remember to use it my feet feel so much better and slowly over time the cracks in my heels have started to fill in. I often wear this when I’m sleeping or when I put my runners on though most of the time I just wear ballet flats or walk around barefoot because who can really be bothered with socks? Which may also explain the bad feet.

The packaging is pretty cool. Its easy to control how much is dispensed and the writing on it will give you a good chuckle so if you do happen to see it at some point anywhere have a read of the back, if you have a sense of humour you should get a laugh.

For good measure I’ve included a little picture for how to use the product (though it’s pretty self explanatory).

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I would definitely recommend putting the socks on. I tried it without when I knew I’d be sitting down for a while with my feet up and it was good, the product soaked in quickly and I didn’t slide across the bathroom tiles or anything but when I followed the instructions (not something I usually do as a rule) it worked a million, yes a million, time better.

So now it’s time Pros and Cons!! (I hope you also heard that in a presenters voice).

Pros

  • Low cost
  • Softens up the feet really well when using socks
  • Not too greasy

Cons

  • Hard and confusing to find

3 pros to 1 con, I’d say this one is a winner. When it runs out I’ll be going back to Myers and buying some more and maybe even trying another Soap and Glory Product.

Australis Pout Paste

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Australis is one of my favourite Australian brands because it’s cheap, available pretty much everywhere and tend to have pretty good quality products. I picked up this particular product from Kmart a few weeks back and thought I’d give it a try. I am a lipstick girl so I didn’t have very high hopes for this lipgloss looking products, especially considering the last lipgloss’s I tried from Australis were so sticky and unpleasant I ended up getting rid of them because I never used them.

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This product is really interesting, the packaging makes it look like a lipgloss and looks like it should have one of those ends that you squeeze the product out of but it doesn’t. You use a wand to control you’re application. The tube also includes instructions which I think is a nice touch because most products just have the instructions on the box which no one ever keeps. Unfortunately it doesn’t include the colour name, I think I have Berry Nice or Pash Me Pink. You have two possibilities with this product, a lipstick or a gloss effect.

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The top picture (1) is the lipstick application and the bottom (2) is the gloss. I like both applications. You can have a lighter less noticeable colour or a really bold vibrant hot pink. 

The consistency is not very nice, especially if you don’t really like lipgloss like me, but the colour payoff is amazing.

This costs $12.95 and can be found at stores like priceline, Kmart, Big W, Target etc. and it comes in only 3 colours, Berry Nice, Loves Bites and Pash Me Pink.

It is pretty longwearing unless you start eating and drinking but good luck finding something that does last when you are and that doesn’t cost the moon.

So to round up;

Pros

  • Controllable application with the wand.
  • Great colour payoff.
  • Low cost.
  • Available anywhere in Australia.

Cons

  • Sticky, lipgloss like consistency.
  • Only 3 colour choices.

More pros than cons in my book so well worth the buy if you want a lipgloss or lipstick at a low price in one or more of those 3 shades.

Almay Daily Moisturiser for dry skin

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I picked up this moisturiser a few months back in Perth at Gloss and thought it sounded pretty good. Usually I just use a vitamin E cream for both day and night because I admit to being pretty bad with my skincare routine (as in I don’t have one). The one thing I do try and be good with though is sunscreen because I have very pale skin and I burn very easily. So the idea of a moisturiser with sunscreen is perfect for me which is one of the reasons I chose to buy this one. The other two reasons are its said to be fore dry skin and it was only $9.95. You get 118mL (4 Fl Oz) for your money which is a pretty good amount.

It is part of a 3 step system but I haven’t been able to find the other two items and I haven’t really looked that hard to be honest (I get a regular Bella Box which has so many skin care products its hardly worth the effort to go out and buy others).

The packaging is great, it looks nice, isn’t bulky, its comfortable to hold and the pump works properly and gives an even and controllable amount of product.

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It has a thin consistency and smooths over the really nicely. It does have a slightly stick consistency once applied like most sunscreens but that doesn’t seem to last very long. It smells like sunscreen which is a bummer because lets face it, sunscreen does not smell nice. But like the sticky feeling the smell goes away pretty quickly. I can’t even smell it right now as I write this and I haven’t been wearing it more than 5 minutes. It does leave your skin a little bit shiny looking for a while which usually isn’t a problem for me since I just cover it with makeup anyway.

All in all this moisturiser is more sunscreen like than moisturiser. It doesn’t dry out my skin which is good but I don’t feel it adds moisture either. That being said the sunscreen would help to retain the moisture that is already in my skin. So I would say its an OK moisturiser but a very nice sunscreen.

I would definitely repurchase this product once I’ve finished it.

Palmers Gentle Exfoliating Facial Scrub

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Having dry skin means you have to exfoliate a lot, though not so much you give yourself dermatitis (Not good!!) so I’m always looking for a exfoliator that isn’t too harsh but gets the job done. I got this product in a sample size in my February Bella Box and so far I’ve been really liking the results.

The first thing I have to talk about is the smell. Like all Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula products (that I’ve used at least) it smells like it should be on a dessert plate and not your face. Its delicious.

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The consistency is nice. The cream part is smooth and soft (weird description but it is) and the little micro-fine cocoa beans (their words not mine) work really well at getting off all that dry, nasty dead skin cells. It is harsher than I usually go for in an exfoliator mostly because I like to give my face a little massage when I use it which you can’t really do with this exfoliator. This is an exfoliator with a purpose, a get in and get it done exfoliator. And did I mention the smell? I did, it’s delicious!

This product is really well priced as well, you 150g for $9.99.

I do love this exfoliator for the results so when this sample size is done I’ll be going and purchasing the full size.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Revlon Color Stay 24Hrs

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Revlon Color Stay is probably one of the most popular foundation on the worldwide web, you see almost every youtuber at one point of another raving about it. I’ve had this one for almost a year now so I thought I should at least give it a little shout out.

First things first this is not my favourite foundation, but I don’t hate it. I have the colour 150 Buff which is the second palest shade (for once not the palest!), and is a yellow based foundation which cancels out the redness I get really well.  This is also the dry/normal skin formula.

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This is the old formula so it doesn’t have a pump which means that I often pour too much out, but that honestly doesn’t annoy me that much because I’ve never actually finished a foundation.

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I got myself colour matched at Myer when I bought this so the colour is exactly right for me and doesn’t wash me out like a lot of foundations do. I do have some trouble around my nose where I have particularly dry skin and very large pores which is why I stopped using this foundation for a long time. I have since found a primer that does a fantastic job filling in those pores and I discovered that using a sponge and rolling on the foundation leave the foundation looking very smooth and doesn’t emphasis the pores as much. I have yet to discover a way to stop this foundation emphasising my dry skin though.

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What I do like about this foundation is that you can control the level of coverage. I don’t like high coverage foundations for everyday use. Other than redness, dark circles and the occasional pimple or freckle I don’t have any real problems with my skin. I actually like it when you can see through the foundation to some of the imperfections bellow because it looks for natural and if you don’t cover your pimples they tend to go away faster. That being said this foundation can definitely be full coverage if that’s what you prefer.

This foundation is $34.95 in Australia which is a lot for a brand which markets itself as an everyday brand. That being said if $34.95 for an everyday foundation doesn’t bother you I’d say go ahead, it’s not a bad foundation, if it does bother you (like it does me) then there are a lot of cheaper foundations in the market that do the same as this one.

All in all I think I will finish this product but I don’t think I’d repurchase. Its good, it’s not great, at least not for my skin and for the price I expected more, what more I expected I’m not sure but I’ve got a lot cheaper products in my collection which are just as good as this one.

Adventures In Perth–Animal Parks

As you know from last Sunday’s post I have only just moved to Perth in the last few months. Most of my stuff is still in Newcastle waiting to be shipped. So I thought I’d share some of my adventures in my new state. Perth has changes a LOT since I last lived here 9 years ago, so I’ve been enjoying going out and rediscovering it with my adult eyes (I left when I was 14). So here are a few things that I’ve done since I moved here.

Perth Zoo

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My sister and I used to go to Perth zoo a few times a year with our cousins before we moved to the east coast so it seemed only right to go back years later with those same cousins and it was a lot of fun. I personally love zoos. I love all animals except snakes and ferrets. The tickets weren’t too expensive either, I got a concession ticket which only cost me $20.50. It hasn’t changed a whole lot since I was last there except the salt water crocodile I used to love going to see died so they’ve got a new one and he’s got a combined indoor and outdoor enclosure now. We spent a good 10-15 minutes watching an elephant have a bath and get stuck in a tire.
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She looks so happy
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Everybody loves meerkats

AQWA

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I remember AQWA when it was called Underwater World and they had dolphin and then seal shows (because all the dolphins died). I went to AQWA with the same cousins I went to the zoo with. I love sea animals, Orca’s are my favourite (I watched Free Willy so many times when I was a kid) but they can’t have them in such a small aquarium like they’ve got here. I loved seeing all the sharks and turtles swimming around. It was pretty expensive compared with most things in Perth, $29 for an adult ticket, but it was still pretty good.
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I love animals of any type really so going to zoos and aquariums is definitely my idea of fun.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Maybelline Color Tattoo Review

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  1. Tough as Taupe
  2. Bold Gold
  3. Bad to the Bronze
  4. Painted Purple
  5. Edgy Emerald
You might be able to guess where this blog is going since I have 5 of these to talk about. I really do like the color tattoos, especially the first three.

All of them are smooth and go on without too much hassle. They last a long time on the eyelid and don’t smudge.

I have nothing by praise for 1,2, and 3 on my list Tough as taupe is a really nice soft brown colour (despite the ‘tough’ name). I would describe Bold Gold as a very true gold colour, it’s not too yellow like a lot of gold’s are. Bad to the Bronze is a beautiful bronze which moves closer towards a shimmery brown than the red-y bronzes you often see. I feel like I can wear these three on their own or even combined to give a beautiful everyday look and I often do.

4 and 5 are a bit different. Painted Purple and Edgy Emerald are both stunning colours in the container. They’re jewel toned and I just had to have them when I saw them in Kmart recently but honestly they don’t impress me on the skin like the first 3 did. The colour tones down a lot when you put it on which is a bit of a disappointment so I don’t feel I could wear these without something on top. These are base colours.

I’m torn when it comes to the packaging. It looks great and you can see the colour through the glass bottom and none of the labelling has rubbed off yet so I still know what colours I have. I did have the silver one as well as these 5 but it got dropped in the bathroom and smashed which makes me question if glass was the most practical decision for packaging. That said I haven’t broken another one so I’d just say to be careful if you do your makeup in the bathroom or an area with hard floors.

As you can see in the pictures the 1,2 and 3 have started to dry out and pull from the sides of the container but they are still usable and hopefully I’ll get through most of it before they’re useless.

The price isn’t fantastic but it’s not horrible either in Australia with them costing around $11.95 unless you find them on sale.

All in all I do really like this product and I’m happy with the ones I have.

February Favourites


Its that time of the month (not that time) the time for MONTHLY FAVOURITES! (In my head that was an announcer so I hope it was in your head too).

This is my first time doing a monthly favourites on this blog so I thought I would include a whole range of things, starting with makeup since this is a meant to be a makeup blog (ignore the pitiful amount of makeup related blog posts this month). So here we go;

Makeup Favourites

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I haven’t been going all out with makeup this past month because I just haven’t been getting up early enough to do anything. But these products have been making regular occurrences in my day most days this month.

Chi Chi Nudes palette, I reviewed this palette in November last year and I still use it regularly so I’d say that definitely gives it a comfortable place on the favourites list. I usually use the two lightest shades for my lid and inner tear duct and the light brown colour right next to them for my crease to give my eyes some depth.

Model Co Fat Lash Mascara. I got this product in a Bella Box to try out, it’s a nice black mascara that gives me fuller lashes but doesn’t make them longer. This might not suit a lot of people but I have naturally long lashes that hit most sunglasses I wear which is pretty painful if I’m not careful.

Elf High Definition Undereye Setting Powder. ELF recently started selling their products in Kmart across Australia so I naturally went and loaded up on some of their products I hadn’t tried before and so far this is my favourite. I have to wear glasses when I read or use the computer so I have to make sure I set my foundation properly or it rubs off in a very unattractive shape on either side of my nose. This does a perfect job of keeping that makeup in place.

Instant Age Rewind Primer. I have huge pores (from a really bad sunburn when I was in primary school I think) so I have to be very vigilant when putting on my foundation over my nose. This primer is a silicon based primer so it fills in all the pores and leaves my skin pretty smooth. I don’t love the texture but after a while it stops feeling greasy and it certainly doesn’t look greasy.

Natio Eye Makeup Remover Gel. This stuff is great for removing  heavy makeup, liquid liner and mascara. I just put a little bit on a square of toilet paper and all my makeup comes right off. Not sure how it would work with waterproof makeup since I don’t actually wear any.

Revlon Photoready Flushed Blush in Flushed Rougissant 200. I am a big fan of the photoready line by Revlon so when I saw Kmart had 2 of the photoready blushes on sale for $10 I grabbed them. This pink one is the one I use the most. It blends into the skin really smoothly and looks really natural despite looking really bright and scary in the packet.

Hair Favourites
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Edward Beale Moroccan Gloss Argan Oil leave in treatment. I put a small (very small) amount in my hair after every shower and combined with product number 2, Moroccan Argan Oil Treatment, from Coles I’ve noticed that my hair is a lot less dry than normal though it is still more dry than it should be.
Other Favourites
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I haven’t had a lot of time to read recently because of work so I’ve taken to reading Manga again because it’s quick and easy to read. My favourite Manga has to be Sailor Moon (one of my favourite animes from when I was a kid too). As tends to be the case with TV and anything it bases it’s shows on, the manga is nothing like the anime but I still love both. 

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I’ve recently gotten back into quilting after putting it on hold for a few months. I’ve been making this beautiful embroidery Geisha quilt for my mum using various satin fabrics. My favourite part of the whole thing would have to be the cherry blossoms, they’re just so pretty.  

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I’m not usually one to take pictures of my food since I’d much rather just eat it but I was very proud of my first attempt at making Omurice which is a Japanese-western combination of fried rice and omelette.  It’s really delicious which is surprising to me since I don’t really like egg (except in cake). 

So that is where I plan to leave this post. What have been some or your favourite things of the month??

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

What’s in my Purse

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I love watching what’s in my purse videos on YouTube, must be my inner voyeur, but it’s fun to see what other people lug around with them. I personally don’t carry a lot of things with me, in general, give me a bag big enough and I’ll fill it with things I might need even though I know I won’t need them. Which is why a bag this size is perfect for me. I got this bright coloured Kardashian Kollection bag from my sister for Christmas. It fits exactly what I need and a few things I don’t need. So without further ado, all the stuff I carry around with me…

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Left to Right I have:

Collins Japanese Dictionary

I have only just gotten back into my Japanese (I’m a very beginner student) so I carry this around with me to look up words I don’t know or just to find out what words are when I’m bored. I do most of my learning while I’m bored, I’m that crazy person who sits on the train and reads a dictionary.

Forever New Wallet

This is one of those wallets that’s also a phone case for an iPhone 4 which I never had. I went straight from the 3GS to the 5. It also has a money purse on the back which is the reason I bought this one even though I had the wrong phone. I don’t like taking my whole handbag with me when I’m just going up to Coles so I just take my wallet. It’s also where I attach my house keys and my favourite key chains at the time, right now its Tsukiko the Kimmi Doll and Super Sailor Moon!

Jeepers Creepers Sunglasses

I don’t always carry around this particular pair of sunnies but I do love them. I bought these off Asos Australia when I was testing out the website (I like to buy a something small from online stores to make sure they aren’t dodgy).

Aurora Spa Rituals Vanilla & Honey Lip Moisturiser

I love this moisturiser, its so moisturising and thick and is hands down the best lip moisturiser I’ve ever used. Unfortunately it’s $25 on Bella Box where I got it so I won’t be purchasing it again.

Eclipse Mints

Yummy. I eat them while I’m driving too and from work in between cursing other drivers (from within my car of course, I’m no road rager).

Pink Notepad and Black Pen

For notes, nothing more than that really. I do practice my Japanese writing in it though.

Death Note Wallet

I’ve had this wallet for years. I don’t use it for money because it doesn’t have a coin pouch which is why I bought my other wallet. This one is for business cards and loyalty cards because they don’t fit in my phone wallet.

And that is what I carry in my purse on a day-to-day basis. What kind of things do you guys carry with you?

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Life with Curly Hair

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I have a confession to make, I have naturally curly hair, not lovely and straight like in my pictures. I also make weird faces in photographs. That is my hair naturally, all curly and frizzy and in desperate need of some hair dye. Most of the time I just put up with it, it’s my hair and I was born with it. Curly hair can be a real pain to work with. If left to it’s own devices my hair forms large knots in the back of my head and puffs up to a flighty ball of hair twice it’s size and very ridiculous looking. My hair is like an unruly child in an ornament shop, it can not be left on it’s own.
That being said here are a few things I’ve learnt about managing curly hair:

Blonde is not your friend.

Curly hair is naturally dry and bleaching the crap out of your hair is the perfect way to strip what little moisture is left in your hair. I am currently growing out my year long attempt at blonde hair. I loved being blonde, it was fun and I could add whatever colour I wanted over it (I had a pink layer of hair for a while which was fun) but your hair will not thank you for it and in the end it will go dry, brittle and even more frizzy than it started.

Put the brush away!

Brushing curly hair when it’s dry is another good way of turning your nice curls into a puff ball. Don’t do it! The only time I brush dry hair is when I’m going to straighten it. I avoid having to brush my hair by putting it up in one or two plaits when I go to sleep then I just finger brush it in the morning.

Diffuse it

If you want your hair to curl nicely  the use the diffuse connection on your hair dryer. Take a few sections of hair and twist it around your finger and put it in the diffuser to add even more curl.

Air dry

It’s best for all hair types to air dry I think but if you do have to use heat make sure your hair is about 80% dry and use the diffuser. This will minimise the time your hair is under the heat.

Don’t use too many products

Too many products is just going to weigh down your hair and make it look greasy and nasty. When I use a leave in condition I only use about a 5 cent coin size for my whole hair and I concentrate it on the ends of my hair. If you put too much product near your scalp it will make your hair look greasy.

Make your hair oily!!

Yes that’s right, OIL! I use olive oil at least once a week (usually Wednesday's when I also use a face mask). I have also used coconut oil which was pretty good but far too expensive whereas I buy a huge tin of olive oil for the kitchen for between $20-30 so I just poor a bit into my hands and work it through my hair from roots to ends. It takes about two attempts with the shampoo half an hour later to get it all out but it really makes my hair feel and look so much better when I do this regularly.

Get a regular trim

This is a rule I don’t stand by but one I definitely should. I haven’t gone to a hairdresser in years. I don’t enjoy the experience of going to get my hair cut and I never had. I hate waiting around and I can never seem to get them to understand what I want which is probably my fault. These days I trim my own hair (in fact I was just doing it which is what inspired this post) with a normal pair of scissors in my desk drawer but I can’t recommend doing that. Hairdressers train for years to be able to cut your hair and they generally know what they’re doing. I’m just cheap and can’t be bothered with the effort of going to the hairdressers which may also be why I don’t have the best hair.

These are just some of the things that I’ve learnt about my type of hair. Have any of you got curly, dry or damaged hair? If so what are some of your tips for managing it? I’d love to know because I’m always looking for new and better techniques and products to help with my hair.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Driving Across the Country

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This is going to be my first lifestyle post on this blog so I thought I’d start with one of the biggest events in my adult life. Moving states. Before December 2013 I lived not far from Newcastle, NSW, and now I live not far from Perth, WA, all the way on the other side of the country, I have moved approximately 3,900 kilometres away from where I’ve lived for the past 9 years. Newcastle was a pretty big part of my life, I graduated high school there and university (December 6 woot!) there and made a lot of friends (though I’ve lost contact with most of them as well but that’s life) so moving wasn’t a light decision to make. That being said I made it in about 2 days. This is the process it took me to decide to move;

  • Try and enrol in classes on the 11th of December
    • Realise you’ve finished your degree
  • Decide to move to Perth with a box full of makeup, 6 pairs of pants, 11 shirts, 3 scarfs, 4 jackets and a computer tower.
  • Drive

Okay so it wasn’t that simple, it actually took up 2 attempts to get on the road, the first time we over packed so the car was too heavy and we forgot the dogs back pain medication (poor little Wally gets an inflamed disk in his spine). Eventually though we got underway with a Holden Statesman laden with stuff we probably didn’t need all at once and we set off for a 3,900 km adventure. It took us 5 days and 4 nights of camping, we had to camp because my other dog Max has a heart murmur (he is 15) so the vet wouldn’t sign him off to fly (we had an awesome vet, always put the dogs before convenience). It was meant to tale 6 days and 5 nights but on the 4th day we realised we’d gained several hours through time zone changes and it was summer which meant longer days anyway so we kept driving for 14 hours until the sun started going down so we had to stop (only truck drivers and idiots drive through the Nullabor at night). Camping sucks but it was worth it, Max was worth it, cue the awww. And here are some pictures to commemorate the long long drive;

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The route we took, more or less, it took a little longer than 1 day 23 hr though

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Wagga Wagga, NSW

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Wally in his reindeer jacket because it’s all Kmart

had at the time and it was freezing at night.

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If you think that road looks long you’ve never been over the Eyre Highway.

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It just keeps going…and going…

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The Great Australian Bite. Stunning view

The drive was long but it was a good experience. Next time I’ve got to go the other way.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

New to Aus

Things have been changing in Australia. We’re finally getting access to more and more products that I’m used to see only on the internet and having for fork out for shipping and then wait 2-4 weeks to actually get the products. On the upside it’s like getting a birthday present because by the time it gets here I’ve completely forgotten what I ordered (yes even after 2 weeks). The two brands I’m talking about of course or ELF and Nyx, too low end US brands (or drug store brands as they say across the ditch). I am not new to either product. ELF has shipped to Australia for a while now (I think they had a distributor here because it didn’t take long to get them) and Nyx I bought off US website Beauty Joint but now I can get them here, just down the street. No more shipping!
I went shopping today, because it’s Saturday and I can, and I bought a few things from ELF and Nyx I thought I’d share with you.
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Target started selling Nyx some time last year, not sure when because I discovered it by accident just before Christmas, and I’ve bought a few things from them now including a gold jumbo pencil and now the Nyx Eyebrow Powder in Auburn/Red. I’ve never used a brow powder, hence the strange shading of my eyebrow in the picture bellow, but I really like how much smoother the colours are when you use a powder. Normally I use a Maybelline Define-A-Brow which I believe is discontinued now, which is the perfect colour for my brows but sometimes if I’m in a hurry I’ll miss blending out a line with the pencil and it will drive me nuts all day. I don’t think I’ll have that problem when I use a powder. This kit comes with a light colour, a dark colour, a small angled brush and a small brow wand and a wax which is meant to keep your brows in place all day. I’ve used this once but I have to say I really do like it. It costs $9.95 which is only $3.95 more than the US. 
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In the same trip I made a pit stop at Kmart and bought myself a few ELF products. ELF has only just started coming to Kmart stores and when I got there the price stickers were still being put on the shelves (I think I got in the lady’s way). ELF has been pretty easy to get in Australia for a while now because they’re website ships from Melbourne using Australia Post and only costs $7.89 standard anywhere in Australia which is pretty good. I went there hoping not only to find ELF but also that they would have one of their kabuki brushes which I want to try but alas they didn’t have one. So instead I bought the dramatic lashes kit, the natural lashes kit and the cream eyeliner in coffee. I’ve never actually tried fake lashes but at $3.00 a pop I thought it was worth giving it a try. The eyeliner was only $8.00 which I thought was pretty damn awesome for a liner. I have found it a bit difficult to use however but I suspect that’s because I’m used to using Maybelline’s Master Precise liquid eyeliner so it didn’t go on very neatly but I will practice. It came with a tiny angled brush which I just can’t be bothered with, it’s too small to hold comfortably so I used one of my own normal sized angle brushes. I haven’t used the lashes yet mostly because I have no idea how to use them, so I’m going to go watch some YouTube videos to work it out.
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All in all I’m pretty happy with the products I bought but more than that I’m happy to see more international brands (in this case US companies) moving into the Australian market and not charging exorbitant prices. I love Nyx and ELF in general and can’t wait to try more of their products in the near future and hopefully see more familiar but hard-to-get-in-Australia international brands on shelves soon.*
And that’s all I’ve got for you today, keep watching this space for more posts and Follow my blog with Bloglovin'

* This was not a sponsored post at all though this paragraph sounds like one.