April Favourites '14

Hey there! These were some of my favourite things in the month of April:

1.
Recently, I was just wandering around and I happened to have a quick look in the Red Cross op-shop and I was lucky enough to find this beauty!

I have been looking for a nice coat for a while now and I was so happy when I found this for only $20. It has the coolest silver buttons on the front and deep pockets too which are great for fitting all of my goodies in. It fits perfectly and isn't too heavy so it's great as a layering piece, which is perfect for me. Today, I paired this with a black waffle-knit cardigan tucked into high waisted shorts and boots and it really added something a little fancy to my outfit. 

2. 

I know that I am quite late on the band wagon for these but now that I own some I can definitely appreciate why they were on everyone's feet at the end of last year. These are a knock-off of the Jeffrey Campbell Coltrane boots from City Beach.

 I got these on special for about $20 I think so I was very pleased. I would've preferred them with a gold buckle but besides that I absolutely love them. I like wearing these with cool patterned socks, like my stripy ones (as seen above), and stomping around campus in them because they are super comfy and give me an edgier look.

3.
I have been in search of a morning cleanser, I didn't want anything too harsh on my skin but wanted it to make me feel refreshed and to make me look more awake. I found this one from LUSH for $9.95 and it ticks all of the boxes.

 Every morning I will rub a squirt of this all over my face and let it sit for a bit whilst I brush my teeth and then I rinse it off with a warm flannel and it leaves my skin feeling smooth and lovely.

4.
Lucy Molloy did a review of this Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion on her blog and it really got me interested, so much so that I hopped straight in my car and went to purchase it. It was quite pricey (in my opinion) at $23.95 but I guess its worth it because a little bit definitely goes a long way. I love putting this on my face after cleansing and moisturising before bed, it makes my skin feel clean and when I wake up in the morning I can definitely notice that my redness has gone down. If you don't want to spend this much there is the cheaper option of just purchasing tea tree oil, which you can get from the Body Shop for $9.95 or LUSH also has a tea tree spray for the same price both of which will probably have similar effects.

5.
As I have said in a previous post, I was getting quite annoyed with my Nude by Nature mineral powder and decided to follow the advice of YouTuber Tanya Burr and get the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder ($12.95 from Priceline).

 (Sorry that the picture is the wrong way around, I was in a rush). I have it in the shade 'Peach Glow' and it has such a gorgeous finish.

6.
Another product by Rimmel, which I have also previously mentioned is the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in the shade 'Cutting Edge' ($9.95 from Priceline).

This is such a cool colour and really gives a nice pop on the lips, it smells good too! The finish is matte and it really lasts me probably 80% of the day even with eating and all of that. 

7.

I am a new member of the T2 society after spending probably a little too much money on these wonderful tea's ($14 each from T2).

 'Detox' is a loose leaf tea (try saying that really fast over and over), which I drink every morning. The taste is quite unusual and I'm not sure if it really does have a detox effect but I like to think that it does. 'Gorgeous Geisha' is a green tea infused with strawberries and cream, it's a really light tea, which I love drinking when I get home from Uni or in the middle of the day. It's super yummy and soothing. 'Sleep tight' is a calming, fruity tea that is wonderful to have just before bed.

8.
I have been really into iBooks ever since I got my iPad, so far I have read five books and am really enjoying getting back into reading (I was once obsessed with reading anything and everything). I have been getting into crime stories, especially the Steig Larsson trilogy "The Millennium series" if you haven't read it then go and buy it immediately because they will probably be the best three books that you have ever read. I love reading on the bus on the way to and from uni and whenever I want to relax and immerse myself in a new world.

So they're the majority of the things that have kept me going through April. I am now off to see the movie Divergent so I'm sorry if this post was a little half-hearted but I'm running a little behind schedule. Thank you so much for reading! Please don't hesitate sending me an email (bonnyd@outlook.com), I would love to hear your opinions and what your favourite things were this month.

Love, love. love.

The BIG Screen.

Recently, I visited the cinema twice and I thought that I would share my thoughts on the movies that I saw. 

Firstly, my friend and I went to see 'The Amazing Spiderman 2".

I'm unsure, and so was he, whether we had seen the first one or not but we are both big fans of the original and were looking forward to seeing it non-the-less. I didn't have any expectations because I was just excited to be going to the movies and watching a 3D film! From the start right up until the end I was thoroughly entertained and found myself laughing in parts, gripping to my friends arm in others and even crying. I'm not sure that I like the idea of recreating Spiderman again and think that after the first three Spiderman's maybe this is too much. I didn't like Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker because I was so set in my ways with Tobey Maguire as the actor. Andrew is definitely not as geeky or as insecure as Tobey and this made me almost not like Spiderman. I feel as if the Amazing Spiderman is more centred on the action, although there is definitely the emotional storyline to it, the romance and family hardship are less in depth compared to the action side of things. The producer definitely played with the fast-changing audience, as the visual effects were incredible and there was one scene in particular that was quite horrifying. The film was quite long and in some parts it did feel like it was dragging on for too long but for the majority it was easy to sit through. I would rate this movie a 7/10 and would definitely recommend that you go and check it out. 

Secondly, I had planned a full day of shopping and cleaning and getting my life back on track (because at the moment it is a complete mess) but then woke up and realised that it was ANZAC day and nothing is open, so instead I went to the movies by myself to get out of the house and waste some time. I was originally going to see Transcendence (the new Johnny Depp film) but opted for an easier, more girly watch; The Other Woman. 

I definitely chose a really bad day to go the movies by myself, it was crazy in there! There were kids running everywhere, couples everywhere I turned and I even saw a few familiar faces (yes, this was a negative). Anyway, I got myself a small popcorn and took a corner seat and watched. It was just an average chick-flick really. It was funny, sad and romantic and was definitely a no-brainer (which was good for me on this particular day). Leslie Mann plays Kate, the wife, and oh boy is she hilarious, however I did feel quite awkward laughing at the funny bits when I was there by myself, I'm not sure why but I would definitely recommend you to go and see this with a girlfriend so then you can laugh together. Cameron Diaz is as gorgeous as ever, same goes for Kate Upton and Leslie is just so cute. The story line was quite good, a bit more sophisticated then "John Tucker Must Die" which I think was appropriate and made it more interesting. It is one of those predictable movies, although when Nikki Minaj popped up as an actor in it with the camera focused on her booty I was quite surprised. I rate this a 5/10 because on any other day I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it but for today it was definitely worth while to get me out of the house. 

Going to the movies is a great date idea or just for something to do with friends or even by yourself. Movies are an easy thing to converse over and are a great way to relax and just hang out. They are quite pricey so maybe not something for every weekend but definitely once in a while they are great, especially when there are good ones out. My advice would be to go on days when it is less likely to be a full cinema and if you can avoid going by yourself then do it because everyone needs a bit of company (choose your company accordingly). Treat it as 'going out' and dress up a little if you don't get to very often, even wear a bit of lippy if your game. I would love to hear any movies that you guys would recommend for me, I enjoy all sorts so pop me an email if you wish.

PS thank you so incredibly much for your most appreciated help, my blog has had over 2000 views. Please let me know if you liked this post and what sort of posts you like the most. Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

Love, love, love.

Fashionista.

I have been really getting into fashion blogs and Youtube channels lately. I love seeing people who have put a lot of effort into their look; you can tell that they have thought about what clothes they are wearing, considering their body type, the style they want, etc. It makes me quite envious because I would absolutely love to be one of these people. I don't really like my body shape and so I find it hard to compliment the good parts by wearing particular clothes and I always try to mix too many styles together so I just end up looking stupid. The other day I went into my favourite clothing shop ever, "Vintage Wonderland" and was talking to the owner who gets all of the clothes in the shop from places all around the world and she was saying how in Melbourne the new saying in all of the shops is "if it's not black then put it back on the rack", this coupled with a few of new Youtuber discoveries including Clair Marshall, Mika Francis, and Leanne Walker has got me really liking monochrome clothing. So, I went through my wardrobe and chucked out most things, now my rack looks like this

I like wearing black because it allows me to add colour through things like makeup. I feel comfortable in black because I don't have to consider pattern or colour clashes and it allows me to create many different looks by adding accessories (gold in particular) or wearing bright shoes or having really nice makeup that allows me to look casual or classy. I don't go out at all so I never really have to do the classy side of things but I definitely do the casual on a daily basis. Lately I have been loving wearing black pants with a black or white muscle tee/top with my new fluffy jumper (that has a hood) and my new shoes (which I love so so soooo much), also with my new Laura Jones bag that is plain black with white panels along either side.

To spruce things up a bit I have painted my nails a dark red and have been wearing the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in the shade "Cutting Edge" paired with gold jewellery (rings, necklace, tongue bar, looking for a nose piece too) and quite heavy contouring, however I'm not loving the bronzers that I have. The other day I went to the Benefit counter in Myer and tried out the Hoola bronzer as well as the What's Up and absolutely fell in love, my goodness these products are incredible! I would love to have purchased both and walked right out of there with beautifully bronzed cheeks but I resisted due to the price. I wish I had a birthday or something coming up but maybe we should start giving Easter presents too, hint hint to anyone who is feeling generous. I have been loving minimal make up looks with "stand-out" eyeliner too, I have always loved the winged eyeliner looks but have felt that they look "too much" on me so I have stayed away from them, but I am thinking if I just have nude lips and minimal make up then it could work. Could you recommend any easy-to-apply liquid eyeliners, specifically for wings? 

I have seen a few things that I would really like to have in my wardrobe over the past few weeks, including a hat that I saw at City Beach. Usually I don't opt for headwear because I feel as if it doesn't suit me but this hat was the perfect fit and style and I really loved the way it looked that day. I really wish that I had bought it but I'm hoping it is still there so I can go and get it soon. I think hats are a great accessory and can really make an outfit look even more incredible. I own a black beanie that I try on most mornings hoping that that day it will look good on me but it hasn't happened yet so I'll keep trying until it does and when it does I'm sure there will be a mirror shot or selfie on Instagram for you guys to see. I have also been thinking of getting a faux leather skort because I think they are so cool! They look super funky and appear to be so comfy too. Another thing I would love to get for the colder days is a long coat to chuck on, I have seen a few really nice ones but it hasn't been overly cold lately and they are a bit pricey so I might just wait for a colder day when I have just been paid. What fashion pieces/trends have you been loving lately? I would love to know. 

To make my look a little more edgy (thinking of that episode where that magazine lady visits Daria and talks about being edgy, "ask Daria because she is it, and I mean it with a capital I T") I have been contemplating dying (well bleaching) my hair like this models, I absolutely love the way she looks and a few people have said that this hair colour will suit me but I'm definitely not too keen on bleaching my hair. However, I like the idea of having to pay more attention to my hair care routine. What are your opinions on bleaching? How do you think this will look on me?

I have also been considering tattoos that I might like on me, I don't want any big ones but I think a few little ones here and there could be nice. I have wanted a tattoo for my friend ever since he passed and I was thinking of getting a sword with a special postcode on the inside of one of my fingers for him because his name means "eternal warrior" and I think a sword is a good representation of that and the postcode is something I hold close to my heart and he held close to his too. I don't want any names of anyone on my body but prefer small pictures/symbols to represent them. I was also thinking of getting a replicate of the rose my Mum has on her back but just outlined either behind my ear or on the outside of my wrist for my Mum. But these are just ideas and until I am certain there will be no traces of ink on me. I love tattoos and admire people who have them. I think they are such a cool thing and can really make someone look incredible, if their tattoos are chosen wisely and actually look well-done. It doesn't bother me that people get tattoos just for the way they look but for me personally I think any tattoo that I get will have a meaning. 

I am most definitely not an expert when it comes to fashion or make up or anything like that but I like to think I can give it a go sometimes. I love getting new ideas from people in the street, Youtubers, friends, anyone who has a cutting-edge look and I can't wait to further develop my look. Thank you so much for reading, please leave some feedback in the form of a comment or email and I will be absolutely over the moon to read it and reply. I hope you had a relaxing Easter Friday and are leaving plenty of room in your tummies for all the chocolates that are coming your way. 

Love, love, love. 

'Sup.

Hey guys, I know that I didn't post on Wednesday so I'm sorry if you were waiting, I just felt really uninspired and didn't have much to write about. Also, I don't know what you are getting out of this blog or whether you're enjoying it or not and I would really like to know because it gives me a lot more motivation to continue doing it. My last post wasn't enjoyable to write so I don't think I'll be doing much like that anymore and I'm going to post whenever I feel like it from now on because I feel that my writing will be a lot more pleasurable to read. Anyway, I hope that you are all doing well and happy easter to you all.

Love, love, love.

Toxic wasteland.

Disclaimer: I'm sorry if my last post was offensive or you thought I was bragging, I absolutely wasn't and was just trying to give my general opinion on being polite. Also, this blog post is not a whinge but I'm trying to be personal and my teenage years were absolutely crazy for me so I want you guys to know that part of me. Thanks again for reading, I love you all so much for helping me with this.

I have always been below where I want to be in regards to my self esteem and weight. I remember even in primary school I struggled to accept who I was, especially because I was one of the taller girls and I just had this thing in my head that I was like a big giant compared to everyone else. It's really not a nice feeling, if you can relate then I would love to hear your story. Then as I began to develop more and high school came along, my Mum lost a lot of weight and I had started to compare myself to her and every other girl at my high school. I hated buying clothes because then I would have to consider what size I was, even though I wasn't overly big I was just bigger then everyone else it seemed. Because of this I was definitely quite daggy during my high school years and I had no clue about fashion or makeup or any of that, I still don't really.

In years nine and ten the girls at my high school all seemed to be really concerned about their own bodies and it frightened me because if they thought that they needed to lose weight then what did they think of me? I found it very hard to make friends because of this and it really had a big impact on me socially because on the rare occasion that I was invited somewhere I would decline because I didn't know what to wear and everything that I tried on looked awful on me. I always had my older friends back home who made me feel welcome and I cannot thank them enough for being there for me. Year ten was the worst, as there were girls starving themselves and taking laxatives and I thought I should too. I went through a really rough stage where my weight didn't really change and I was putting my body through hell by binging and vomiting and all sorts (please don't confront me about this because I really don't like talking about it). During this stage I had started going out to parties and that kind of thing, so my social life definitely increased but I think it wasn't the right time. I was in a frame of mind where I was easily influenced in to doing things I didn't really want to do and was simply wearing clothes that everyone else wore and doing the things that everyone else did.

I moved schools for the start of year eleven to try and escape the toxic life I had run straight into. I knew people at my new school and my friend from my old school moved with me so that made the transition a little easier. Everyone at my new school was really friendly and I was so glad that I had moved. Things happened really quickly during this year of my life and my weight just seemed to effect every aspect of my life. I ended up getting back with my old boyfriend because he was popular and I thought this would help me with developing my social life but it just added to the acid environment that I was creating. I don't want to go into details but I was partying too hard and wearing the most atrocious things during this time of my life and I was also at my most vulnerable, I'm sure that the mistakes I made during this time will always be things that I regret and I wish I could've learned the things I did another way, without hurting the people that I did and destroying myself.

My weight was always the underlying issue because it was the beginning of all of my doubts. In year ten my teacher suggested that I go to see the councillor, I went twice and on the first occasion I balled my eyes out and was diagnosed with anxiety and then on the second occasion I balled again and she gave me homework so I decided that there is no possible way that this woman could be helping me and I never went back. In year eleven I started getting further away from my Mum and we barely talked because when we did there would always be an argument, some which got quite out of hand. My life was a mess and I tried so hard to get out of it but I was too busy trying to help other people get out of their troubles, I believed that other people should be helped before I focused on myself.

Then at the end of year eleven, a shining beam of hope came in the form of my absolute most bestest friend who confessed his love for me. He is truly a saviour and I will always be so very grateful for him being such a big part of my life. He showed me who I truly was and gave me hope that I could be a better person. At the start of year twelve I received compliments on looking thinner and I started to involve my Mum more in my life, I was the happiest I had been in a very long time. I came back to who I truly was and started facing my problems head on. Year twelve was a very bumpy ride and I'm still on the crazy roller coaster that is my life, there's still things that I have to face but I know that I am a much stronger person now and I just have to focus on the good and be the best person I can be. I have made some absolutely amazing friends who I will cherish forever and have had some wonderful times. Thank you to all of you who have been a part of my journey so far, I hope that you can be in my future too.

PS this post went a little off track but I hope you enjoyed it and I will be going into more detail about some things in later posts so stay tuned if you want to know more.

Love, love, love.

Manners matter.

Welcome back to all of you wonderful people! Guess what? My blog has reached over 1000 views and it's all thanks to you guys so thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I hope you are enjoying these reads and please don't forget to send me a quick email (bonnyd@outlook.com) for suggestions, comments, or just anything you feel like sharing with someone, I will give advice and help you in what ever way that I possibly can if need be. I was discussing with my wonderful work colleague tonight what I should post and she said that she likes reading personal pieces, are you guys the same or would you like some beauty/fashion related things also?

Being polite is something that has been ingrained in my being since I was little, thanks Mum and Dad. I remember when I was a kid people would stare at me with a surprised expression after hearing me say "Thank you very much!" I guess they were surprised not just because they had a polite three year old standing in front of them with a big chubby grin on her face but because manners are a rarity in society today. I think this is unfortunate because manners are such a lovely thing. Letting people know that you truly appreciate what ever it may be that they have done for you, no matter how small, is so easy and can have such an impact on someone. I know that when I am thanked or even when a stranger walking by smiles and says hello to me, I feel so much more joyful. Knowing that people appreciate you being kind and going out of your way to help them is truly such a fabulous feeling. By going about my day, smiling at the passers-by, thanking shop keepers when I have finished in their stores, saying please when I place my order for a large soy chai latte, and topping it all off with "have a nice day" makes me feel so much better inside. It's like a sun has just sprouted in my stomach, warming up my insides. 

Today, I saw a man with his beautiful dog on the side of the street, he wasn't asking for money but simply having a play with his dog. Seeing people who don't have a bed to sleep in at night or food to feed themselves breaks my heart. I don't consider how they got in that situation but rather consider myself extremely lucky. I gave this man five dollars and he looked me straight in the eye and said "thank you, thank you so much, thank you." This amazes me, this guy who has nothing but the clothes on his back for warmth is thanking me for giving him money that is considered almost worthless to the majority of people today. I felt like crying and going to the bank and getting out all of my money and giving it to him. I was so happy for him that he had his dog for company, to know that he has someone to get through this tough time by his side. My heart just dropped and I wanted to tell him and his dog to come and live with me until he got himself a job or a plan or anything, but of course I couldn't. So instead I gave him the money, looked him in the eye and said "that's absolutely fine, good luck with everything." I then gave his dog a pat and left. If this man who has hit absolute rock bottom can still breathe a "thank you" then I don't understand how someone who has everything they could ever dream of can not even give a simple smile. 

My mind is going all fuzzy because it is way past my bed time but the point of this rant was just a small reminder to be a little more polite, even if you're having a bad day there is always room for a quick "thanks". Manners make you a more approachable person; they show positivity and appreciation and that is absolutely grand. Vice versa, helping people and just being generally kind to those around you by acknowledging their presence with a smile or holding the door open for them can turn someones day around. By putting yourself in worth of thanks and giving thanks to those who are in worth of it makes this world that we live in a lot nicer and it is oh so simple, so make someone's day and give them a compliment whilst giving up your seat for them and in return you shall be thanked. 

On a side note, I saw this poster at work today and fell in love with this models looks. My goodness! Look how incredible she is! Some of the amazing people that I work with said I have similar features and it got me thinking about dying my hair this colour. What do you think? Please let me know, I would love to hear your opinions. Thank you so much.

Love, love, love. 

Home.

My home is where I spent the first thirteen years of my life, it's where my dearest friends are and where my fondest memories happened. I absolutely love my home and miss it so very very much. I drove down south last weekend and could only stay a night but as soon as I passed the sign that says "welcome to the south west region" I never wanted to leave. I haven't visited my home town for way too long but the closer I get to it, the bigger my smile gets. Going to the place I moved to for high school is always nice because I have made some amazing friends there too and it's not too far from where I grew up.

I love the atmosphere and appreciate it so much because there is nothing like it anywhere else. The trees are greener and more plentiful and the air just seems fresher. I love seeing familiar faces and getting a friendly "hello" wherever I turn. I love listening to the ocean and the wind through the trees. Everything is just so glorious. 

I spent the night in a familiar bed in a familiar room and had such a wonderful time. I have missed familiarities more than I thought and it was so good just to feel like myself again. Being up here I feel as if I have to hide and act differently. I feel unwelcome and judged every single day and it makes it really difficult to keep myself here. It's not all bad though and I have met some really great people, especially through work, but I'm finding it super hard to be more open and let people in on my life. If you do meet me up here then I am apologising in advance because I will probably seem really queer and stand-offish, please don't take it personally, just know that I will come around eventually and I am so grateful for your friendliness. 

I am excited to go and explore the world and live in new and exciting places but I will definitely always keep a special spot in my heart for my home. I miss the people who were apart of me growing up and I cannot wait to see them all again, hopefully soon. I have heard things along the grapevine about the exciting new lives that they are living and absolutely love hearing about what they have been doing. I wish we stayed in touch but I realise that everyone is so busy getting on with things, including me, and that is absolutely lovely. I have many ideas for the future and don't want to live in my home town but rather go and visit for holidays of reminiscence and relaxation. I will be forever grateful for having been brought up there (thanks Mum and Dad you crazy hippies) and will always cherish it very much.

Love, love, love. 

Don't chop the dinosaur daddy.

In 2010, I decided that meat just didn't taste as good anymore and I got bored with being easy to feed so I told my Mum that I was becoming a vegetarian. She looked at me in disbelief and said "okay" with a little smirk on my face. My Mum was once a fruitarian (she only ate fruit and nuts) so I don't know why she thought I wasn't serious. Anyway, for the first few months I ate white meat (chicken and fish) so I wasn't a vegetarian but I decided that this would be the easiest way to become one. Then one day I felt ready and decided to completely delete meat from the menu. I was a full-time vego for probably two and a bit years and absolutely loved it. Mum didn't mind either because she was never a really big meat eater so it didn't really bother her. If I was lucky Mum would have a new vegetarian recipe for me to try when I got home from school, experimenting with not using meat but replacing it with vegetables instead. I remember when she made vegetarian Sheppard's pie one cold, wintery night and it was so good!

The one thing I dislike about being vego is that you now have to let people know about what you do and don't eat because meat is such a huge component in most dishes you can't just push it to the side and eat the good bits (veggies). I feel like such a nuisance when I stay somewhere and have to let whoever is cooking aware that I don't eat meat and then along come all the questions. Why don't you eat meat? Is it the animals? Do you eat eggs and fish? Etc, etc. I don't eat meat because I don't want to basically, of course I care about animals but the fact that people eat them doesn't bother me a lot, I try to make it bother me because then I could have a good answer for people when they ask these questions. I am not a fussy vegetarian and can eat around meat if it's in like a curry or something and I don't mind preparing dishes with meat in them. What you put in your mouth is your choice, who am I to say don't eat that piece of beef because it once was a calf. Now the eggs question I don't really understand. Yes chickens come from eggs but only if they have been getting it on with the rooster, so if there is no rooster then there is no chicken and an egg is simply a yolk and white. In other words, yes I eat eggs. The fish question is just as confusing. I think when you are vegetarian you don't eat anything with a face, no matter where it lives, if it has a face you don't eat it. Fish have faces so I don't think you should eat them and besides they have a specific term for fish eating vegetarians; a 'pescetarian', which is what I am now. After being vegetarian for quite a long time I realised that I wasn't getting enough nutrients from the food I was eating because I was a lazy vego and didn't really pay attention to what certain vegetables contained but rather just ate them because they tasted good. So I decided to start eating fish again. Now I am going to contradict myself and say that I do call myself a vegetarian rather than a pescetarian to try and avoid the question of "what is that?", rather than explaining I just answer "yes" to the fish question.

I am thinking that I now I am living independently I should become even more fussy and call myself a 'vegan' mainly for the health benefits but also because all of the vegans that I follow on Instagram post the most amazing looking food. Do you think I should do it? Food is generally more expensive as a vegan, as I have discovered when making a few vegan recipes, this I don't understand because you're cutting so much stuff out of your diet that it would only make sense that it would be less expensive then eating normally. But the health benefits, including glowing skin, thin body, and generally being healthy and happy are really persuasive so I think I shall give it a go. If you're vegan, please help me out with some simple tips? I'll keep you updated with my progress!

Love, love, love.

Painting your face.

Before I start my ramble, I would just like to know from YOU how often would you like me to post something? Please let me know, I don't want to annoy you with posting something every day but I don't want to not post enough. Also, I really hope that you are liking what I have posted so far, I'm not really following any particular format or anything, it's all just personal recount basically so I hope that's okay.

On with this new post, I have recently got in to wearing make-up. Before coming to the city and working in retail, I only ever wore a bit of make-up if I went out or if it was a special occasion. But lately, my skin has been really bad and I decided I would give it a go. I watch a lot of beauty Youtube channels so I kind of used them to save myself from using mascara on my lips or something crazy like that. I still don't wear a lot of makeup nor do I own any really expensive, pretty things or really even know how to apply it all properly but I am learning and experimenting a little bit just to see what I like on me. The below products are what I have been currently wearing but I am hoping to extend my make-up collection and hopefully one day find some products that I absolutely love and know how to wear properly. If you have any tips for first-time make-uppers like myself, please email me and I'll mention you in a blogpost with your tips. This is what I do most days to attempt in making me look a little more interesting and add a touch of confidence.

Step one: wash face with water and dry. 

Step two: apply BB cream (Covergirl) with big end of beauty blender.

Step three: put Stay Matte Concealer (Rimmel; 010 Ivory) on any blemishes and blend with small end of beauty blender. 

Step four: apply Natural Mineral Cover (Nude; light) all over face with Nude brush, blend into neck. 

Step five: use eyebrow pencil (Essence; 04 Blonde) to colour in eyebrows and shape with brush.

Step six: apply shadow pencil (Covergirl; Flamed Out) to inner corners of eye and blend into eyelid and under eye. 

Step seven: curl eyelashes with eyelash curler (the cheapest one from Priceline).

Step eight: apply a little bit of mascara (Rimmel; Extreme Black).

Step nine: choose lipstick depending on weather or just use Baby Lips (Maybelline; Energizing Orange).

The BB cream does a good job and is quite refreshing; I feel extra good when I put it on my face because it has sunscreen in it. 

I really like the concealer that I have at the moment, as it blends really nicely into my skin and has good coverage. I also like the matte affect that it has on my skin, as I dislike looking shiny.

I'm not really liking my Nude powder because it bursts out when I open the lid and goes everywhere and it doesn't blend well into my face, although it is a good colour for my skin. I'm thinking of trying a liquid foundation but I'm scared I will look like a wedding cake, can you recommend any that are nice and light? 

The eyebrow pencil that I have at the moment was a purchase that I quickly grabbed because it was the cheapest one I could find in a hurry. It does the job but it feels a bit gluggy and gross and I don't think I really like the colour but I am a huge fan of lovely shaped eyebrows that are a little darker than natural hair colour. At the moment my eyebrows are like caterpillars with long, random hairs sprouting from them and are definitely in need of a groom so I just use this product to quickly spruce them up a bit until I can be bothered letting a professional work their magic.

The eyeshadow pencil that I am using is okay but it's too shimmery for my liking. When I bought it I thought I could use it to cover my whole eye but it's too shimmery so I just use it in the corners of my eyes to make me look a little bit more awake. I really need to invest in some basic nudes for my eyeshadow, help? 

I stole the mascara off of my mum like a year ago so its good for how long it has lasted but it is turning a little gluggy and I don't really like having long, black eyelashes because I feel too made-up. I am in search of a clear mascara so please let me know where I can find one.

Now, with my lipstick choice it completely depends on the weather, my mood and the occasion. I like the two darker shades for wintery days (my favourite) and the other, brighter shades for more summery days. All of the lipsticks are from the Rimmel Kate Moss collection, I would highly recommend any of these lipsticks as they last for ages, have a beautiful matte finish and a great range of colours, they are also relatively cheap (about $10 each). I love wearing lipstick to make my outfit more interesting, I love wearing all black or black and white so having colour on my lips allows me to look and feel a little more colourful. If you're interested the lip colours from left to right are Alarm (170), 107, 12, and Cutting Edge (120). 

Here is what my face looked like yesterday (sorry the quality is so fuzzy). I am wearing lip colour 107. 

Make-up is something new to me and I am actually really liking it. I feel like I am painting my face everyday and thats exciting! I can do anything, there are so many products out there, so many different shades and colours; I cannot wait to explore more of the make-up world and create better paintings. When I see the girls at my work I think that they must have spent hours on themselves to look that glamorous, but to them I guess it's just an everyday routine. If you are one of those girls, please know that I have the highest respect and admiration for you. When I wear make-up I feel like I am protected from the people that stair at me because I have gross little spots on my face, I guess it's kind of like being invisible, but at the same time I feel like I have a little bit more confidence because people see the 'paint' on my face rather than the bad stuff underneath. Please don't feel as though you have to wear make-up because I think natural beauty is something incredible, it's like a make-up look that no-one else has and is completely unique, but I definitely think it can be fun to play around with make-up just to see what looks you can create and it's just like colouring in but on your own face! Be who you are, in whatever way that comes, you can't hide behind make-up forever and you don't need to because your natural beauty allows you to be a blank canvas again, you are pure and that is beauty that you can't see any other way, it's beauty that is only seen when you are in your most comfiest trackies and hoody with nothing but a gorgeous smile on your face. 

Love, love, love. 

12 needles, 9 holes.

Piercings are a funny thing, some people love them, some people hate them and then there's everyone else in between. Personally, I like piercings because they are something different and can really accentuate people's features, which I think is nice. I have been pierced twelve times and have nine piercings to show for it. I have seven in my ears including two in each of my lower lobes, one on my upper ear, one on my slightly lower but still upper ear on the other side and one in my tragus. However, I only wear my two upper ear piercings and sometimes the 'normal' ones in either ear. I would love to be wearing my tragus but unfortunately it has closed up so that is on my to-do list to get it re-pierced. I don't wear the other ones because I feel as if it will look like I have too much jewellery in my ears. I have also had stretchers up to 10mm, which was something different and I personally really liked them but I took them out due to preconceived notions that people hold about people with stretchers and decided that I could live with out them. I do miss them sometimes though. None of my ear piercings hurt a lot, although when I stretched my ears quite a bit of pain was experienced. After being pierced for the very first time on my tenth birthday I have been a little addicted to piercings in the sense that I love discussing other people's unusual piercings with them and understanding people's views on piercings and getting a few done on the side.

Recently I got my nose pierced, as I have wanted to do it for a while and I was a little persuaded by a friend. I chose the left side of my nose to 'balance out my face' as my ear piercing on the right side would've aligned with my nose piercing and I just couldn't have that. It was a thrilling experience, as all piercings are, and I was quite surprised at how little it hurt. I am very happy with the outcome and have found it easy to maintain. I am a little sceptical about putting a ring in because I don't want to look over-pierced and I'm unsure if it will suit me; let me know what your thoughts are? I am looking to get another diamond stud a little bigger than the one pictured on the left to match the size of the diamond studs in my ears.

A week after getting my nose done, the addictive nature of piercings set in and I went to get my tongue re-pierced. The first time I got my tongue done was about a year ago with my dad. Firstly we went and got sushi because it is my favourite food and seeing as I wasn't going to be able to eat properly for a few weeks Dad thought I should treat myself. Secondly I talked as much as I possibly could just so my voice was memorable incase it changed after having a bar put through my tongue, it didn't. And thirdly, a really nice lady with two tongue piercings told me to wipe the saliva off of my tongue, she cleaned it with some funny-tasting chemical and then clasped it with these funky tongs. She kept asking me questions throughout this process, which I had to try and answer in the form of hand movements because I couldn't exactly talk. Then she whipped out this big needle and shoved it through. I barely felt it and when she unclasped my tongue I assumed something had gone wrong then realising that it was all over I was very surprised. Later, after swallowing multiple little silver balls and one bar, it got infected and I had to take it out. This time was a different story. The first few steps were the same but then when the needle went through tears starting swelling in my eyes and I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs, but of course I couldn't. When the man had finished, I squeezed out a "thank you" and a giggle but oh boy I was hurting inside. Thankfully the healing process went well and now I am looking to get this big bar changed for a small one, as the swelling has gone down and now my tongue is its normal self. I have noticed that people tend to look at my mouth when I speak to them now, which sort of annoys me because I like to look into people's eyes but besides that I haven't had many troubles.


For me piercings are a way to make me interesting; it gives me something to talk about with people and makes me a little different to look at. I think it represents my personality a bit and honestly having piercings gives me something to do when completely boring times arise, especially my tongue piercing, I love twirling it around in my mouth and seeing what tricks I can come up with. I don't know if I will keep my piercings forever but for now I like them a lot.

Love, love, love.