Afternoon Delight

After a pretty hectic week and the boy receiving some bad news over the weekend I decided to get us something to have with a huge cup of tea in the afternoon.  Say hello to Ghermez.

They are like the upper market cupcakes in the cupcake world (even though the icing designs aren't the most mind blowing) they taste out of this world and are so incredibly light and airy in texture.  Yum yum.

I got Blueberry, Vanilla and Red Velvet which without a doubt has to be my favourite. 

Electric Feel

For a few weeks now I have been making little sneaky pitt stops into Wittner's while doing my rounds of Westfield and pa-rousing their endless array of gorgeous shoes and wishing for every single pair to be mine.

After seeing the beautiful Kim L from Accidental Encounters post where she shows her new purchase of the exact same shoes, I instantly fell in love with them.

So tonight after a late night shopping sesh with a friend and it being pay day, we popped in and tried them on (along with THESE bad boys which looked amazing on) followed by heaps of posing, I got the card out and made the purchase without a seconds thought.  

I am so in love with these and with Fiji being less than a week away and summer just around the corner, the bold electric blue and turquoise will look gorgeous with a tan.  I know these won't be to everyone's cup of tea but they are my new pride and joy!

My rubbish lighting hasn't shown off the colours to the full effect.  Will get a better photo during the day!

Mood Boards

A few mood boards of mine that I do in my spare time to give me inspiration for work/assignments.

New leaf

I finally have a new wardrobe to hold all of my clothes after our last one gave up.  It is a little on the big side but I love having all the doors as mirrors compared to our last one which had the two narrowest mirrors ever, you could barely see what your outfit would look like.  Now I can see what clothes I have, storage for my bags, shoes...and new clothes of course!

Excuse the shoddy camera work....had just got in from the beach.

I also did a sneaky purchase during a quiet five minutes on my lunch break at work.  I bought a MAC lipstick, Shy Girl in cream sheen.  My lips do change colour but are usually a soft pink colour a majority of the time.  With a coat of Shy Girl it adds a nice pinky sheen to my lips.  The texture is perfect and it glides on without a hitch.  I'm not usually a huge lipstick wearer, only for big occasions I'll wear a muted pink here and there but I'll defiantly be checking out more of the MAC the cream sheen lipsticks again.

A day at the beach

Some pictures I took on my phone today from the beach.  A beautiful sunny (hot) day in Sydney.

Make Up Forever

I have been a bit naughty this past week and been on a major splurge for all kinds of everything, one of them being the Make Up Forever - High Definition Foundation.

I have seen it all over blogs and Youtube but was really keen to see what all the fuss is about.  When I saw Make Up Forever were having a stand at the IMATS convention I jumped at the chance to get myself a bottle.  The queue was insane and I was only just about able to get up to the front to do a few colour tests before I was barged out of the way by hoards of make-up crazed girls.

So after feeling pretty confident that I had found my colour match I went on the website for Australia and was able to get three free samples. To be on the safe side I ordered three different shades varying from my skin tone.  

I couldn't have been more spot on with one of the samples so I went ahead and placed an order.

I ended up ordering shade 125 in Sand.  The colour match is perfect.  It blends so well into your skin it doesn't feel like you are wearing foundation, leaving you looking fresh face.  I've even noticing that my blush/bronzer are staying on longer and have had comments about how good my skin and make-up is looking.  Now that the weather is finally improving here I've also found (esp this week as it's el scorchio) that it's staying on my face and that I'm not ending up with a patchy face.

I'll give it a 10/10 so far and it is defiantly worth the price - $56.00

Lust Have It #1

In my previous post (Beauty Box #1) I said how I had subscribed for another beauty sample box but couldn't remember what one it was.  I did start to panic as I couldn't find any emails or anything in my history. But after doing a bit of goggling I found it. Welcome Lust Have It.

After tracking it's every move while in transit it arrived on my door step today.  The packaging was pretty battered and I was hoping everything inside was intact.  Once opened there was a tissue wrapped package  with blue shredded paper bursting from the sides.

So it wasn't a nicely packed as my Beauty Box was but the samples were far more generous and interesting.

Inside my Lust Have It parcel was:

* Lancome ~ Genifique Youth Activator (RRP $115.00 - 30ml)

* LimeLily Cosmetics ~ Cream Blush (RRP $14.95 - 2.5g)

*Lush ~ Honey I Washed The Kids soap (RRP $7.95 - 100g)

*Taut ~ Collagen Orange Drink (RRP $84.95 - box of 8)

*Kerastase ~ Resistance Range x3 -Brain De Force Shampoo (RRP $55.00 - 250ml)

-Ciment Anti Usure Treatment (RRP $65.00 - 200ml)

-Ciment Thermique Reconstructor Milk (RRP $60.00 - 125ml)

This first product caught my eye straight away.  I had heard about this recently in the media but couldn't really remember why until I read the fact sheet.  Taut - Collagen Orange Drink is the new celebrity secret.  They recommend you drink a chilled bottle three or four times a week and that it 'provides you with an easy and delicious natural source of concentrated bio-available collagen'. Right!

On opening the bottle it smells like an orange liquor chocolate you get at Christmas time.  

I'm still not 100% sure if I'm going to drink this.  I don't feel like I need to drink a concoction to keep me healthy.....that's what water is there for!

Also as a side note the say the product contains Shark cartilage extract and if you suffer from seafood allergies that this little beast is not for you.  I would be interested in how they got the extract.  I may be giving this one a miss. (update: boyfriend just downed the drink. Not the most pleasant)

So my hair is in desperate need of some TLC.  I take a lot of care in my hair and use Moroccan oil religiously but every now and then I do need a really good deep conditioner or treatment.  I was so happy to see several Kerastase samples and cannot wait to try out the treatments this week.  Silky hair here we come!

Last but not least the Lancome

I've been using this for a few days now both morning and night after I moisturise my face and it has left my skin feeling so soft and smooth.  I've only been using a small amount as it spreads well and it holds under my foundation without leaving a sheen or patches anywhere.  The consistency isn't the best.  Its like a a runny oily texture (like the watery layer you get on top of a yoghurt) So apart from that it does seem to work wonders.  Still not sure I could justify spending $115 for the full sized bottle but if you don't mind splashing out I would defiantly recommend it.

Hey big spender

The past few weeks have been none stop for me and we are already half way through October.  Where is the time going to?

Over the weekend our wardrobe which has held my clothes crammed in a few shelves for three years, finally gave way and burst all of my clothes out onto the floor.  This for me was pretty upsetting and not to mention the gaping hole in the door.
So I went through item by item seeing what I would be wearing and what I haven't worn in ages and did a massive sort out.  Which was pretty rewarding. Also moving out all my winter clothes into storage in the sun room helped with additional space. So with a trip to Ikea planned for the following weekend it was time to get ruthless!

Obviously after doing this (I wasn't in the best of moods anyway) I decided to do a little retail therapy of course. With a shifting of funds into the old tommy tank (that's 'bank' in cockney rhyming slag if you were wondering) I heading into Westfield.  I also had an hour until the shops were closing which made it all the more fun for me as I had to buy them before it was too late.

My purchases were:

* MOR wash bag in white

* Paco Rabanne perfume ~ Million lady

* L'Oreal ~ Studio secrets anti-redness primer

* OPI ~ Lip front & personal

* Models prefer ~ eyebrow pencil in medium

* Portmans sunglasses

* Elie Saab ~ Le parfum sample

* Jean Paul Gaultier ~ Le male sample

* Mariah Carey ~ Never forget you, Inseparable & Vision of love samples

Sadly my Jo Malone is on it's last legs.  As much as I adore the smell (Nectarine blossom & honey) I fancied a bit of a change.  I went through a phase where I went off the usual perfumes you get in your department store as I thought everyone had the same one and there never was such a good a verity as there is now.  I was there for a good while stuck between Burberry Brit or Paco Rabanne.  As you can see I went for Paco.  

It smells divine. A strong but sexy smell.  Great for a spring/summer evening I reckon.  The bottle is in a shape of a girls best friend, the diamond.  Not only does it look great but it smells fantastic. 

I only bought the 30ml as I couldn't justify spending that much more for the 50ml with all the money I had spent already.

As I said in a pervious post I am obsessed with nail polishes.  So today of course I made the trip to the OPI counter and browsed rows upon rows of colours.  I was after a shimmer polish, which I never normally go for.  I found 'Lip Front & Personal'.  A gorgeous subtle gold/silver shimmer which looks great once applied.  I had a layer of Essie's 'Topless & Barefoot' on already and loved how it looked over the top.  A perfect, fresh shade for summer and would go with any outfit.

This is with a layer of Essie's Topless & Barefoot underneath

After browsing OPI. I found this beautiful make-up/wash bag.  It has a kind of art deco look to it and I love the pattern.  It also comes in white.  Already thinking these could be good christmas presents for some of the fam.  MOR do a great range of body lotions, soaps, fragrances (some which can be a little pricey) but they leave you smelling absolutely amazing.  I especially love their lip balms and candles.

Every time I walk into Priceline I always find myself standing in the L'Oreal section giving the tester another go knowing full well I'll leave with the same feeling as the other day....meh.  However today was a different day and now that the weather is slowly getting warmer I am noticing a few little red areas on my cheeks.  Nothing over the top but I have always wanted to know if the old faithful green primer really does do the trick.  Tomorrow will be my first day to give it a whirl so I will see how it goes.  This may come in handy in Fiji.

I did also buy a gorgeous blue/purple maxi skirt, a skinny brown belt which was my only item from the day that was on sale and kimono dressing gown for summer but I'll pop those into another post this week for you.

Beauty Box #1

After seeing fellow bloggers back in the UK/US receiving a monthly Glossy Box or Boudoir Prive package, a wave of jealously crept in and I went on a huge hunt for a Glossy Box equivalent for Australia.

Low and behold I did stumble across quite a few.  I signed up to two that I thought looked the best and would deliver the best products.  

Today my Beauty Box arrived nice and early and yes I was a little bit excited.

The packaging is compact, simple and nicely presented.  

The contents are as followed:

* Biotherm ~ Aquasource Moisturiser (50ml RRP $59)

* John Frieda ~ Full repair/body shampoo & Conditioner (250ml RRP $15.99)

* Shiseido ~ Sheer matifying compact foundation (13g RRP $66)

* Garnier ~ Body intensive 7 days ( 400ml RRP $6.95)

* Calvin Klein Fragrance ~ CK one shock for him & her ( 50ml, 100ml, 200ml. RRP $49, $59, $79)

When I opened the box I was a little disappointed with the size of the samples.   The shampoo and Biotherm were perfect but no-one wants to receive a sachet of a product or a tiny perfume sample that will provide you with one spray.

Putting them to one side I dove in and opened the Biotherm and Shiseido.  The texture of the Biotherm is smooth but not something you would smother a thick layer of on your face.  However the smell is not the most appealing.  Let just hope it works wonders!

Next was the Shiseido foundation or what I thought looked more like an eyeshadow than a 'reasonable' foundation sample.
The box and compact look nice but when I opened it to take a look at the foundation I was less than impressed.  The sponge was already brown and had looked like it had already been used.  The actual foundation sample is awful.  I'm not entirely sure how they expect you do full test this over a certain length of time with such a small amount.

Look how dirty the sponge is compared to the lovely white lid!

I was/am a little annoyed.  Compared to the size of samples you get in the Glossy Box (etc) in the UK I'm not entirely won over.  I will give the samples a road test and will update in a few days/weeks with how I've got on with them.  I'm also having a massive blonde moment and mentioned earlier that I had signed up for a second sample box but I can't remember the name of the company or find my registration e-mail.  Very frustrating.  When or if I find it i'll let you know......(Ooh I remembered the other one. It's from Lust Have It)

Anyway let's hope for better things in the Novembers beauty box!

New Shoes

My first pair of wedges.  Just in time for summer...and they won't be my last!

Thank you

I have had many different looks and styles over the past several months for my blog and never seemed entirely happy with it.  Now I have gone back to basics (which I am loving now) but my blog header was so lame and boring.  I tried different fonts, colours and wanted something eye-catching. 

The other day I came across the lovely Rachinald. Not only is her blog amazing, I saw she had a post about designing blog headers.  When I saw the designs that she had done in the past for other bloggers I had to get in touch and see if she could add a little something something to mine.

All I can say is thank you and I LOVE it.  Go check out her blog and if you are also stuck like I was for a gorgeous blog header, Rachael is your girl!

Over the rainbow

I will confess that I did use to bite my nails and then had acrylics religiously for about four years.  Not only are they expensive to keep getting them tended too they also ruin your nails underneath making them weak and flakey.  

Half way through this year I stopped biting them and purchased every nail strengthener, grower and bad tasting polish I could get my hands on and it's done the job.  I still have to keep them fairly short as they are still strengthening but I really enjoy being able to wear nail polishes now without worrying about how bitten my nails are or grown out acrylics.

So with these new found nails that I have, I've gone a little polish crazy and buy new ones all the time like today when I guiltily bought two Essie polishes.  Oops!

As summer is slowly edging in I love a mixture or pastels and brights.  Below is a photo of my go to colours at the moment.

*OPI ~ Color so hot it berns

*Revlon ~ One perfect coral

*Revlon ~ Sunshine sparkle

*OPI ~ Shorts story

*Essie ~ Chastity

*Bloom ~ Flamingo sands II

*Revlon ~ Passion fruit (scented)

*Elf ~ Mint cream

* Deborah Lippmann ~ Glitter in the air

*Essie ~ van d'go

*Essie ~ topless and barefoot

I am in love with Van D'go that I bought today.  It's a colour that will look great with a tan and can really add to an outfit.  These two will defiantly be coming in my with me to Fiji.  Essie and OPI would have to be my guilty pleasures, which isn't good as they rack up to nearly twenty bucks each. Yikes!

Happy shopping!

Louis Vuitton - Paris Fashion week

As the guests sit and wait in anticipation the curtain lifts.  The main focus - the white carousel in the centre of the runway.  Starting from the front the girls step off the moving carousel and walk a circuit of the catwalk.

The outfits are stunning.  With a 60s feel and pastel colours they oozed femininity, class and elegance. The detailing and patterns are just so beautiful.  Ending the show, an unrecognisable Kate Moss appears looking fresh faced and glowing wearing a white laser-cut dress.  She makes everything look so effortless.  If I had the money to spend I would buy one of each...and the bags!

Images borrowed from daily mail

The Lady is a Tramp

Tony Bennett is an absolute hero and what a voice and performance from both.

 

Chinese Whispers

In the city tucked away behind Darling Harbour is a little oasis, that unless you investigate, you wouldn't even know it was there, hidden behind a tall walled off garden.

I love going here.  It's like another little world.  It's so peaceful and serene and not to mention beautiful. As you stand on the bridge gazing down into the water, huge Coy Carp come racing over to you in the hope of receiving food.  They are amazing to watch and the colours are breathtaking.

As spring creeps in all of the flowers, blossom and trees perk up and the gardens transform.  If anyone comes to Sydney I'd defiantly recommend going here.  There is also the opportunity to dress up in traditional Chinese garments.