Showing posts with label bblogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bblogger. Show all posts
TOURIST AT HOME:SYDNEY
These past weeks have been a whirlwind of travel, work and school. A close friend I made while abroad in Europe made the long journey to Australia to visit me over her summer break, which called for a bit of touristing not only in my own city, but across the country. Sydney is such a stunning city and one I would love to relocate to if I do settle down in Australia. It has an atmosphere and an aesthetic that I adore and feel at home among, one that I can't quite locate in Melbourne. The beaches were stunning, the city was stunning - I just loved everything about it.
LONDON HAUL
This is a set of photos that I have had sitting on my desktop since January, and they are finally seeing the light of day! London was a dream, and naturally I could not visit the home of most of my favourite beauty bloggers and vloggers without picking up some products!
LIFE UPDATE & BACK TO BLOGGING
Moving back to Melbourne after eight months in Paris was an adjustment period I couldn't have prepared for. Being back here gave me a burning motivation to keep busy and get my life back on track after what felt like an eight month holiday. I got my studies in order, got a job and reconnected with everyone I had been missing while I was abroad. Now, two months later, I can safely say I have settled back into the rhythm of my Melbourne life, but in the best possible way.
A MINI FRENCH DRUGSTORE HAUL
Due to my long break from blogging while trekking Paris, I had a backlog of photographs that I had intended to turn into posts but I never got around to it. On my first day in Paris I uploaded a mini pharmacy haul, and this was the makeup counterpart! Arriving on European soil I found a plethora of new products that I had never seen before from brands I love. I tried to keep my composure and only pick up things I knew were going to be amazing so I didn't blow my budget in my first week, which would have been a tragedy.
APPS THAT MAKE YOU A BETTER PERSON
Provocative title, non? But in all seriousness, I definitely tend to turn to apps when it comes to making a habit, breaking a habit or for general self improvement needs - the life of a phone addict. There are some great ones out there and some not-so-great ones that seem great for the first five minutes until they ask you to subscribe to keep using - non merci. I've tried them all, trust me, and I've weeded through the good and the bad to help bring you this curation of the very best apps the app store has to offer.
WHAT'S IN MY BAG
'What's in my bag' posts and videos have a very special place in my heart as they were my first introduction to the online beauty community. I remember back in 2006 (for my sanity, let's not even reflect on how long ago that was) I would come home from school and spend my time watching these kinds of videos - namely rewatching as YouTube definitely didn't have the variety it does now back in the day. There is some addictive quality about them, and I'm sure everyone reading this has a similar story about their introduction to the beauty community, or simply an addiction to watching them!
My YouTube Debut
This is not a post I ever thought I'd be making. As much as I have wanted to dip my toes into the YouTube pool for years now, I've never mustered up the courage to do so until today. Something came over me this morning and I found myself out the door and soon stamping around the 7th arrondissement of Paris, collecting clips of beautiful places that mean a lot to me. At first, I just wanted to experiment with editing - to see what it was all about. I never really thought I would upload the finished product, but I was proud of it and though why not? It's hard to say what will come of this, as I still feel so much more comfortable behind the camera, but all I know for sure is that I found the experience of filming and editing so, so exciting. Regardless, I hope you enjoy Paris still managing to be breathtaking on even the cloudiest of days!
Life, Paris and The 20-Something Crisis
Sometimes I sit down to tap out a beauty post and partway through a half-hearted description of a lipstick I realise that there is something much bigger on my mind, and something I'd much rather be writing about. I love to think of this as a positive place, so I tend to feel guilty discussing those "negative" parts of life we all go through. However, there isn't really anything "positive" about hiding raw emotion and masking it with a fake-positive review of a beauty product. Today I am trying to abandon that guilt that seems to haunt me whenever I make a post that is possibly "too real". This is real life and there is a real person behind this blog, so what's wrong with writing a real post?
Burgundy Times Nine
As much as I've heard the complimentary colour rules over and over in the beauty world, the idea of anything red toned around my eyes never appealed to me. Picking up a super affordable burgundy Kiko shadow some months ago on the insistence of a friend, I fell in love with not only the way the shadow looked but how much greener it made my eyes appear - it really was like magic! That's how I came to find myself considering a palette full of these warm, russety shades at a MAC store in the depths of Paris.
Vamp
A gorgeous rich and dark lip has to be one of my favourite makeup looks of all time. For the past two years now I've been trying to find the lipstick and liner that are just right for me in terms of colour and formulation, and I'm glad to say that I have finally found them! Combined, this liner and lipstick create a lip dark enough to give that edge I'm looking for, but also red enough that it can be worn in a multitude of ways. The products in question? MAC's lipliner in 'Burgundy' and lipstick in 'Sin'. Now, aside from that perfect deep, oxblood colour I was looking for - these two provide a lovely matte but non-drying finish as well.
2015
2015 was simultaneously the best and the worst year of my life. It was full of such incredible highs, and such exquisitely painful lows but I would not change any part of it for a thing. This is a space I have been shallow with in the past, and while I have vowed to make it a better reflection of 'me' in the past - this post is the start of a much realer effort, and the end of a kind of "dormancy".
Where I've Been...
I can honestly not believe how long it has been since I've sat down to write a post. This has definitely been one of the longest breaks I've taken from blogging in almost two years, and while I have missed it at times, I'm glad to say that I have completely and utterly swept up in my life in Paris. I would go for days on end without even thinking of blogging and I think that goes to show what an amazing time I've been having. While blogging is a great love of mine, it's hard to have a spare minute to think about it (let alone do it) when you're forging new friendships, going on new adventures and all while university is running in the background.
I really just wanted to reach out and let you all know that I'm alive and have a little ramble about what's been going on for me! As for where my blog stands, I of course wish to post regularly again, but it's not a promise I can make as of yet even to myself. I have so many great skincare and beauty products lined up, however, and can't wait to share them all with you.
There have been so many points on this adventure where the internet and my phone are the last things on my mind, and it has been so refreshing to me as I'm someone who generally has my phone in my hands at all times. I have also learnt so much about relationships and people, and while I find the term "lifelong friends" so cheesy, I really have made some of the most important friendships of my life here.
This has been such a big, uncalculated ramble that I need to just end it here and come back later with a more structured recap of how things have been and a beauty review or two! I hope you are all doing wonderfully!
Rosy Glow
Browsing the French's answer to the drugstore is always an exciting experience as even the products I know well have different packaging, and those products I don't recognise are usually incredibly exciting additions. The Dior Lip Glow is something I have lusted after forever, but I could never justify the purchase. I have seen a few affordable alternatives for this product, but the one that intrigued me most was this offering by L'Oreal - the universal lip glow.
Paris So Far...
I knew from the moment that I signed up for an exchange program that I was about to undertake a huge learning curve. However, nothing could of prepared me for how much I have learnt and simply how much has happened in just a matter of two weeks. I honestly feel like a different person and would highly recommend this experience to anyone already, and I'm still kind of in holiday mode!
Brave
I only have a small collection of MAC lipsticks, each one carefully picked to ensure that I would not regret the purchase. What I realised about my collection is that it's comprised of shades that are neutral enough for everyday, but are also more 'out there' than a true everyday shade. I adore Velvet Teddy possibly the most, but sometimes you're not in the mood for a straight up matte-brown lip and want something more lively and fresh. This is what prompted me to go hunting, along with the 19 euro price point which makes MAC lipsticks almost as affordable as the Sephora own brand - which to an Australian is heaven.
August Favourites
Happy September, everyone! Last month was largely comprised of preparation, packaging and saying goodbyes. While there was a lot of room for beauty shopping while I was out and about buying essentials, I held back in anticipation of the shopping that would come in Paris, and for this reason most of my favourites this month are old products that have stood the test of time for me.
My Introduction To Kiko Cosmetics
Kiko is a brand that has burst onto the beauty scene in the past year due to a few rave reviews from big bloggers, and now everyone is in on the fun. It's a brand I have personally coveted for just as long, as it's not attainable outside of Europe. Stepping into a Kiko store for the first time was incredibly exciting for me, and although I knew it was an affordable brand, the prices still shocked me! I picked up just a couple of pieces, as I knew I would be returning for more at some point!
My First French Pharmacie Haul
The experience of walking into a French pharmacie is something I've dreamed about since I first decided on going to Paris on exchange, along with seeing such a beautiful city, of course. When I finally set foot in one it actually felt comfortingly like home - the same stark, harshly lit and down to business type layout that I'm used to. However the choices are overwhelming and I didn't know what to do with myself, so I reached for the tried and true and vouched to not return without doing some more research.
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrate
This seems to be at the top of everyones "If you only buy one thing, make it this" list when it comes to French products. I have heard nothing but incredible things and I knew I needed to give it a go for myself. I opted for the smaller tube, just in case, but after using it a few times now I think it's safe to say I'll be purchasing the bigger one at some point.Maybelline Tenue & Strong Pro in 'Sea Sky'
The Maybelline counter is the first thing I made a beeline for when I went to Monoprix for the first time as I was on the hunt for this polish. I have been obsessed with the shade ever since Amelia from Amelia Liana started wearing it, which was possibly an entire year ago! This colour never came out in the Australian launch, so I was determined to get it while on European soil.
Do you have any French pharmacie recommendations for me? I would love if you could tell me what they do and why you love them.
Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Moisturising Stick
The original Nuxe Rêve de Miel is my favourite balm of all time and I use it daily, but I never take it on the go with me as it's quite heavy and I want to avoid that awkward balmy finger that you end up wiping on your pants even though you know better. The formulation of this is definitely reminiscent of the original, but it's less thick and more "day time" appropriate, if a lip balm can be such a thing. It sits really well under lipsticks as well, which I love.Caudalie Eu De Beautè
This is another one of those cult favourites that I felt I needed to give a whirl for myself. I have been obsessed with facial mists lately as well, so this is probably the first of many that will grace this blog's pages. While I have been enjoying this product a lot, I find that it makes my eyes sting even though it's such a fine mist and couldn't be getting into them. Has anyone else had this experience?Do you have any French pharmacie recommendations for me? I would love if you could tell me what they do and why you love them.
Bonjour, Paris!
I envisioned myself tapping away this post contently in the waiting area of the airport while I waited for my coach to whisk me away to the city centre, however that did not happen. Instead, I'm sitting here catching up on Shaaanxo vlogs that I was off the radar for, having already had a day to explore the city.
Gotta Glow
The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer is one of the first products that comes to mind when it comes to highlighting, up there with MAC's 'Soft and Gentle' it has created such an unparalleled reputation for itself that I had the highest possible expectations. After swatching back and forth between 'Soft and Gentle' and Mary-Lou during a leisurely department store browse with my sister last night, my sights were finally set on one of the two products I'd been tossing up between for what feels like months.
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