Make-up Organisation

So this is the very small "desk" I mentioned in my previous post - it does a pretty good job as a make-up table. I pretty much brought all of this stuff from Brisbane, except the 2 acrylic organisers which I bought online for $10 (catchoftheday) and the acrylic jewellery organiser which I bought from kikki.K (it's actually originally a stationary set).

My little set up - I spend about 15 minutes sitting on this most days.

It's not exactly that neat, but I don't have enough space to store this stuff or I use most of these everyday.

My kikki.K homeware to hold some of my tools!

I usually pick one of these two before bedtime for some extra relaxation.

Trying out this Elemis face wash - maybe with my Clarisonic. I like it on its own though!

Stocked up on my fav Burt's Bees cleanser I've been using for years. I purchased the cleansing oil for $10 because
I ran out of my Dr. Lewinns one, I have yet to try it. Hopefully it does the job, it's so much more affordable!

These acrylic organisers are so handy. It fits most of my basic stuff.
I have day products on the left and lippies on the right.

Daniel Sandler blush obviously not a lippy..

Light foundation, contour, concealer, blush, face powder and a tiny eyeliner brush.
I only really use the concealer one everyday because I just my brushes in my cups most of the time.

My purchases in August when I went to the Estee Lauder corporate shop before I moved down.

I originally got the Mac foundation for my mum - it was too pale for her so I tried it. 5/10.
It clings onto dry patches and is probably a a heavier coverage to what I usually prefer.
This estee lauder powder is a fab dupe for Hourglass luminous light!!! (It's shimmery, just not in the photo.)

Night-time skin/general skincare I don't use in the shower. Nothing much different really. Toner, serum, moisturiser.
I use the La Roche-Posay when my skin is congested, and my Moreish one when I'm drier than normal.
The second Burt's Bees hydrating lip balm is honestly the best I've used - better than any pawpaw product.

Random stuff like hair bits, unused make-up, jewellery cloths.

Dental stuff/refills for random things.

My watch collection. I know, I'm out of control.

Finally got my hands on this much larger glass case from kikki.K. Look how pretty *u*

All my powders/palettes I use almost everyday. 

Hair brushes and things in my old acrylic holder.

Stocked up on more Antipodes serum because my Apostle one is almost out!
Myer had an AWESOME 40% off sale so I felt more adventurous and got this one I've never seen before.
I usually use the H20 one or the Apostle. 

Stuff I use infrequently/extra stocked up items.

I rarely paint my nails - I find it kind of stressful and it chips so quickly because I'm rough at work/I peel it off...

I stocked up on my powder from the EL corporate store (I'm almost finished with my current one) and I still have yet
to try this philosphy set I got from David Jones ages ago - I got SUCH a good deal in it.
It was around $25, for a full-size day cream and small night cream. I have NO idea why. 

♥

Making My New Room into a Home

This post is to basically show how I "made" my room once the previous tenant moved out. I've worked on it for 2 months or so now, since I can't exactly buy everything in one go. (Gotta have your finances in check amiright?)

Everything I got was basically a combination of finding the cheapest but NICEST option. Most of these thing are from IKEA and the cheap options from them as well, but I picked specific colours and designs to make it look a bit fancier and invested more in things like bedsheets.

I also have a thing about using other people's things, so living in a furnished and shared place is sort of a nightmare for me. Not to mention my germaphobic tendencies as well. The room was left with the bed, a small desk, 2 small white shelves, a grubby, old, rusty chair, a short side table and an ancient chest of drawers with world's SMALLEST drawers in them... I put them in the closet with all the other unwanted things as storage.

Before

Not judging. Not judging. Okay I'm judging.

After

I think bedsheets are most important to make your room feel like yours, so I make sure to pick one I like on the material (100% cotton) a decent thread count and of course, the design. I ended up getting these Rebecca Judd ones from Adairs as soon as they went on sale from $189 to $89. I know, still pricey for a quilt cover, but I invest where I spend most of my time. Haha!

Copper lamp from Kmart ($40 or $50?), Sweet Dreams pillowcase from Adairs ($10),
Euro pillowcase from Myer ($15), bunch of pillows from IKEA each $7 or so.

I think these bedsheets are literally me in linen form - basic, relatively neutral with a slight touch of girly,
and super quirky on the inside.
(It bugs me a bit that the shade of the white on the inside isn't the same as the outside!) 

The dressing table in the background is the crappy old table that was used as a desk by the previous tenant.

I honestly got such an awesome deal on this square clock from Target - one of the hands was bent, but it was 100% fixable and I pretty much got it for less than half the price. I actually fancied it up a bit with a coppery-bronze sharpie and coloured the hands in as well as marking some of the hours. Because let's face it, this clock is 90% aesthetics and 10% functionality without the extra touch up.

Turns out this clock makes a really loud ticking noise (I expected better from Target, considering it wasn't one of Target's cheapo home-brand clocks). So I just hang it up and use my other smaller clock.

$10 rack from IKEA because anything longer than 60cm just drapes on the bottom of my super weird wardrobe.

Got nicer hangers just for this rack, most of the wardrobe ones are just wire/slip-free ones.

I got 4x small fluffy faux fur rugs from IKEA/Kmart (they were all the same price - $19).
I originally only wanted 2 but it didn't work out because I needed an actual rug.
The little stool to sit on was the cheapest stool I could find, from IKEA of course.
I just got the little white cushion pad to make it look decent - also a super cheap option from IKEA.

Laundry basket - $12 from Kmart, and I got some basic fabric to line it from IKEA for less than $4.

The reason why I needed a rug - I was literally allergic to the owner's one.
It must have been soooo old and housing millions of dustmites ewwwwwww.
Rugs also soften the noise in the room + prevents the bed frame damaging the floor  (hence why I had to get a new one).
 This one is actually a throw from Myer, $50 or so. RUGS ARE EXPENSIVE! WHY?!

A standing mirror, something I definitely am used to having. $40 from Kmart!
(Target has a slightly smaller and skinnier option for $30.)

Chair from IKEA, altogether $50 or so. Throw from Bed Bath N' Table for $20.
It actually doubles up as a blanket for naps and cushion/padding for the chair.

Using a bookshelf as a shoe rack because I wouldn't need to buy one! It honestly looks okay too which is a bonus.

All the shoes I brought with me (and again when I came from a short stay in Brisbane).

I brought my clock with me on my second journey back because the Target one was just so damn loud.
This Karlsson one I got as a gift doesn't 'tick' which is great. And of course some kikki.K furnishings!
The quote cards come in handy because I have have multiple of them vs buying one in a frame. (Bang for your buck!)

I have yet to put a plant in this cute little pot. I haven't found reasonably priced succulents yet :(

Le table - with summa that kikki.k stuff I already own (the frame is actually $6 from IKEA because it works out
cheaper that way) and the magazine holders/storage are from IKEA ($3 for a pack). I have to agree, kikki.K ones
look much nicer but even with a discount it's a bit too much. They all do the same thing anyway!

Journals, notebooks, magazines, a bit of staionary.

This TWG tea pack I got for my birthday has a super handy use :) Tech organiser!

I bought this mug AGES ago from kikki.K and glad I kept it, so I don't have to splash out on as much kitchen/cutlery stuff.

I was set on getting this desk from IKEA - it was the cheapest option but also in my opinion just as nice as all the other
expensive ones. It's not on the website or anything because it's new - I saw it in store and thought YEAH OKAY THAT ONE.

And that's the weird slanty wall of the room, which I think is kinda cute but also annoying. At least I'm short, so it doesn't both me much!

So this was one hell of a long post. It's quite difficult to good lighting in my room because of those 2 weird windows on the wall, but I was happy with them all! 

I'm still working on my dressing table/make-up station (it looks like it got bombed) so I might do a post once I clean it up a bit.

♥

Sydney

Okay so, this is one heck of an overdue post.

Last couple of months were really crazy for me, July - now basically. (Still is!)
I worked heaps during the mid year holiday (partly because I got thrown into it at work from people quitting) and to save up to.... MOVE TO SYDNEY!

I'm basically living here for now because I want to find a job here during/after my studies. Most of the larger and successful companies are based in Melbourne and Sydney, so I felt like Brisbane didn't have much to offer me and decided to be reunited with some friends in good old Sydney.

When I say a lot has happened, this includes being homeless (I crashed at a friends) for more than a week, finding out I almost could have failed uni because I started the semester so late (I left Brisbane after 3 weeks into the semester) and working out my finances.

But now I'm finally settled in - not 100% though, because all my assessments are looming and I still have lots to catch up on.

I've done a fair bit of shopping - for my new room which didn't have much besides a bed, shelves and a crappy little table + chair. So I have a MASSIVE homeware (on a budget too!) haul to show and some new pieces (beauty, fashion, jewellery). Yes, I was naughty and purchased things and went shopping even though I shouldn't be!

My first day arriving into Sydney with basically my life packed away into two large suitcases, I went out for brunch with my best friend of almost 13 years and did the Bondi walk.

One major thing that happened as soon as I landed at the airport - my phone fell into the toilet. Typical me, the weirdest things always happen. Basically it fell out of my coat pocket because the pocket was so shallow. Needless to say, my phone did not survive and all the photos I had taken with it are gone forever :(

She's been my friend for the longest time than anyone else I've ever met ♥  

The coastal walk is seriously beautiful - you can stop whenever and go back because it's just one long trail that goes through roughly 3 different beaches (Bondi to Bronte).

I'm so excited to be blogging after the long disappearance even though I should be studying! I have so many more posts coming up!

Meet my Halston!

I've been getting so naughty over the past few years, but especially the past few months.... I've been buying so much stuff! But a girl can't resist when she sees an epic deal! Especially when combined with peer pressure...

I take a lot of risk when it comes to buying luxury items (not that I've bought much ha!) just because I can't justify getting them full price. Not with my paychecks at least. I actually first saw this bag on the theoutnet.com and it was some ridiculous price - 300-400 or something? I just liked the look of it - it's like a combination of Rebecca Minkoff's casualness and Celine's bag structure.

I never heard of "Halston Heritage" nor do I still know much about it (although a friend who is into handbags told me it was a pretty good brand), and ended up scouring the internet for a good deal. I did find one on eBay - it was $160USD roughly with shipping (around $216AUD) but I just YOLO'd and put in an offer for $80USD and shipping for $30USD. They accepted it and agreed shipping was a bit OTT for a small bag. I just went um okay... $145 for a bag... FINE.) This bag actually took forever to arrive, 2 months or something because it disappeared halfway through the tracking process and I lost hope. The seller apologised and offered to refund though a paypal claim, luckily. But I guess miracles do happen!

The actual price is $425USD. ($575AUD.) Knowing nothing about the brand, that price seems kinda ridiculous to me! (Especially as a poor uni student.) I had no clue I got something for such an awesome price!

I'm not really a handbag person, so I thought this would be a great everyday essentials bag, because the cheap satchel one I've been using for the past 1.5 years doesn't quite match all my outfits and is a bit too casual/big. It was still a splurge for me... but I do really like silver hardwear (which is honestly pretty rare), compact sizes, compartments and thick but soft leather :)

I originally thought this was going to be a bit bigger than what it was when I saw it in person, so I was a tiny bit disappointed. Nonetheless it still fits my essentials (just not my water bottle which I wanted the bag to fit) and most importantly my wallet! Because everyone hates having to change back and forth with wallets.

I can't be the only one who sees a resemblance to Rebecca Minkoff and Celine? I swear it's that zip on the front!!!

That top handle is actually useful af when I want to quickly grab things out of my bag.
The extra bit on the strap is also lovely when I put it on my shoulder hehehe comfort amirite.

It's lined. Yay! It's boring but I like that I can spot things inside my bag easily.
Having mostly dark or black lined bags I am constantly fumbling around to fish out what I'm after.

Handy dandy slot at the bag (it's shouting GO CARD and PHONE at me).

Inside is a medium-deep slot and a zip compartment.

For reference that's how big it is. Fits my wallet with ample space once I put it in properly.

Target Beauty

I always wander into Target at work (Westfield Shopping Centre) because it's massive, always open, and have really cool snacks and stuff. My work buddy told me about some of their makeup products being awesome - especially Chi Chi lipsticks which are comparable to even Mac lipsticks. I remember their lip glosses from when I was in early high school, all their stuff smelled yummy and it still does!!!

There was a 30% off all Chi Chi (and other makeup brands) sale, so I decided to wander in to have a look, hoping to find a dark lippy to replace my Barry M (black cherry) because it seems to cling too much onto dryness and is a lot more sheer than I prefer.

The one I found was a cream lipstick - not a velvet or matte, but I thought the texture was a lot more buttery and moisturising than some of the matte ones. Smells good, goes on well, it doesn't look as bad either when my lips are a bit dry.

I found these liquid lipsticks for $5, but they actually came down to $3.50. It's really similar to the too faced liquid lipsticks, but it takes a while for it to fully dry and set. I still quite like the formula, you only need a thin layer for it to look super opaque and pigmented.

[Sexy Lady] You have to be quite precise with application, when I put it on for a rough test you can see how messy it can get! 

[She's Not Me]

[Let Me Tempt You] Yes, my lips are really dry here.

I never thought I would hop on the whole beautyblender bandwagon but... I kind of did. Considering how expensive they are and even the realtechniques version, I didn't see the appeal of it. To be honest, after giving it a go twice I'm still unsure about it. It's pretty good for blending concealer but it feels like it's absorbing a lot of the product. Using it wet feels weird as well. I guess I'll have to give it a few more goes!

Feels a bit unhygienic to me - it doesn't try very quickly either.