Dusty Colours

Winter is finally coming! Everyone else in the world is celebrating spring meanwhile us Aussies are beginning our descent into sweater weather...

So, I was on the hunt for a lightweight longline jacket for a few weeks, and came across a few on ASOS. I was reluctant to get them though, mainly because of the price (I didn't want to pay over $100 for an online purchase and also for an ASOS brand product), like this and this one which I particularly liked.

I wandered into Forever New (I hardly ever go there because... it's all a bit too girly for me) and found this duster coat/mac for half price, tried it on and left it behind. I wasn't a huge fan of the flappy bits around the back and chest.

Only to realise after going through every online store I could think of that the perfect coat I was picturing didn't exist... especially not in this price range. (Boohoo had heaps but I thought they wouldn't be good quality.) I was happy with this one because it was the colour I wanted (a nudey-stone colour) and it was the right size and length (Forever New do quite small sizes) and it had a collar/lapel which I liked the look of. I decided to get it in the end!

It goes really well with everything, but pairs nicely with wintery, dusty colours (I guess it's also spring colours too), like grey, pale blue, mint, white etc.

Top - (No brand) turtleneck long sleeve I've had in my closet for years and years
Jeans - Vintage Levi's in a mom-jeans style

Shoes - Dr. Marten's Polley

Accessorized with a simple bar necklace from eBay and my DW watch.

I can totally see this as a wardrobe staple, especially for this time of year in Brisbane when it's cool, but not really that cold. I think it will go well with all my jeans and boots, and because it's so flowy, drapey and lightweight, I don't need a fancy top to wear with it. Just a basic will do!

Winter Makeup Look

A simple makeup look that doesn't take long using simple products. I like a bit of glow and flush even in winter otherwise I would look like a zombie. The main products for this glowy look are luminizer, bronzer, blush and a nude lip product. A bold lip also goes well but makes the look not-as-glowy because it attracts a lot of attention.

So a run-down on how I created this look:

After moisturising my face and lips, I put my hair back with a headband. I then fix my brows with a pencil, and apply my base - my trusty good-old foundation.

Bourjois foundation in Rose Clair
It has light to medium coverage with a semi-matte finish and applies like a moisturiser.

My trusty Sugarbaby Bronzer which is very light and not too intense in colour.
(I also applied a dab of Daniel Sandler watercolour blush in Cherub.)

Using an angled brush to contour!

Set everything with a translucent powder (this is a cheap one I got from Missha and does the job well enough).

Luminizer! I used a liquid one so it looks the most natural on the skin. 

Also used some liquid eyeliner (Maybelline Master Precise) to do a very fine winged look.

Applied Taupe from my Lorac Pro palette over my eyelid for some depth & colour.

And a bit of sable on the outer "corner" of my eye - barely any really.

Curling my extremely downward-facing lashes with my Shu Uemura eyelash curler.

Most of the time I don't use mascara, but I put a bit on today, using my all-time favourite.
It's good for length and not so much volume, which gives it a natural look.
There are tiny hair-like fibres in the formula that stick to your lashes to lengthen!

After I applied all of these I just put my Burt's Bees tinted lip balm on (the one in my previous post).

And that's it folks! A really easy, quick and natural look for the colder days when you want to look like a snow princess (questionable).

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm

I love Burt's Bees products - especially their facial cleansers and toners. I've tried multiple items by the brand - cleansers, toners, creams, ointments and lip balms.

I'm always on the hunt for a good moisturising lipbalm because my lips tend to get dry easily. And For some reason Chapstick, Nivea lip balms and regular Burt's Bees lip balms don't cut it for me.

I also find them all to be a bit funky tasting (I had pomegranate Burt's Bees that tasted nothing like it) and with a slightly waxy texture which I wasn't a huge fan of (probably because it has bee's wax in it... duh me).

This one I recently got has more of a creamy texture, so I found the formula to be right up my street compared to most lip balms out there. And, it's tinted.

I know 'tinted lip balm' doesn't equal good colour payoff so I wasn't expecting much. But because of the creamy texture, I think it has decent enough colour to it. If I got a much brighter shade it probably would be a lot more visible, but I really like this natural-nude/caramel finish, which will probably last a considerable time for a tinted balm over some lip liner.

Coconut oil / Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Caramel Daisy

Currently loving this product, as it's kept my lips nice and soft for hours. I'd say it's a bit on the pricey side, I paid around $10.50 for it, originally $15 or so. I'd say it's worth it for people who want a good moisturising lip balm with a natural shade. But maybe some of the other colours might be heaps more visible? I'm tempted to get a brighter colour...

Vintage

I have some pieces of clothing that were handed down to be from my mum and aunt, I thought I'd keep them just in case. (My mum was going to throw them away!) And I'm glad I did because I think they are perfectly wearable right now!

This singlet - which my aunt gave me is made of a knitted material, and is the perfect cropped length for so many skirts and shorts. It somehow matches with everything, mostly because of the colour, style, but also the material.

My mum used to wear this denim shirt, it's severely faded, worn in and pretty daggy. But I love it! Good to chuck onto any outfit like a flannel, but more like a boyfriend denim shirt. 

Excuse my terrible skin IT WAS EASTER AND I ATE MANY MANY CHOCOLATES OKAY

Wearing my new sunnies! Can you spot the highlighter on my face?!

Easter Treats

This Easter I spent most of my time in bed being sick! Hooray! Still recovering - I'm pretty much a hibernating bear hiding in the dungeons.

I finally got a pair of sunglasses that ACTUALLY FIT for once. David Jones has some pretty good sales going on, I got 30% off the full price, to $35!

I also spent ages looking for a Muslin cloths - I went to Priceline, Terry White, Big W, Target, Kmart, you name it. Silly me, I walked into the Body Shop and found them! I think they are better at exfoliating than those scrubbing pads, it's good for the morning before I put on makeup because it prevents flakiness on my face, especially on my nose.

Also picked up a few makeup brushes at CDF, because they are super cheap and seem to be pretty good quality from the ones I've used. I think each of them are $4/$5.

Pretty excited to finally have a proper pair of sunglasses that fit now, the front pair in the photo were some $10 ones from the markets at uni (I don't even know if they have proper UV protection) and my Ray Bans are unfortunately too big for me :( I can only wear them at the beach or when I'm lying down just for some eye protection. I didn't know they would fall off just from moving around a bit when I bought them!

It's so hard for me to find sunnies and hats that fit, even though I really don't think I have an unusually small head or anything. Le Specs seem like decent quality for the price, and I'd say they're pretty similar in price as Quay eyewear, if not slightly more expensive. But a really great alternative if you don't want to fork out a lot on designer sunglasses (I don't get private health insurance on non-prescription sunglasses either.)

ASOS Haul

I have been thinking about this white top for far too long and decided to get it while my size was in stock. Andddd then I got carried away... I decided to get some comfortable earrings, because the boring old tiny hoop sleepers that I usually wear brokeeee! I don't have many earrings actually, especially for a girl it's probably because I opt for sterling silver or hypoallergenic metals because my ears get sore with regular earrings from cheaper stores.

Structured Top with Japanese Cities Print

Woven Print Top

I thought this top would be a sweater-type top, but it was actually a chiffony-type of loose top. I guess in a way it's good because it will be wearable in the warmer time of Autumn/Winter! I wish it came in an actual sweater like it though :(

Boyfriend T-Shirt with French Print

I was apprehensive in ordering jewellery from ASOS, but they all arrived perfectly in a small box and they were packaged individually like this. Quality wise, they seem to be okay, and my ears aren't sore or anything.

Dainty Hexagonal Sleepers

Wire Through Earrings

Bar Through Earrings

A little bit disappointed with this last one because I had no idea the bar was studded with diamontes... which I'm not a huge fan of. But, it's not that noticeable and I still liked the design of it so I guess I'll be keeping them!

Anddd on the rest of my ASOS wishlist...

DIY moodboard & kikki.K goodies!

Picked up a few goodies from kikki.K. Damn you staff discounts!

These pens tho. Urgh. Let's just take a moment to appreciate them... very "Swedish" I must say.

I used the vision board kit to fancy up my desk-whiteboard to create a moodboard collage, since I don't own a vision board and I can utilise my whiteboard to do the same thing anyway. I can't pin things up like a vision board, but that ladies and gentleman is why blu-tack exists!

All I used was the vision board kit (10 cardboard designs), blue-tack, sticky tape (to stick the twine on) twine, wooden pegs, polaroid photos, and some random stickers I found in an Alice in Wonderland diary I got from Korea. I really like the corners around the "Do All Things With Love" quote. It's so simple and you can pretty much use anything!

My small desk-setup. 

This is just my first go at a moodboard/collage sort of thing, obviously there are some gaps, stickers in funny places and blank spaces which I will probably fix and add to later on. But seriously, these pastels are killin me.

On another note, I made a flatlay using some of these products!

kikki.K: journal, vision board card, 5pack slim pens, faceted vase (which I planted my cactus in)
Revlon (Pink Orchid), YSL Touche Eclat, Lovisa midi rings, SugarBaby bronzer.

Recent Food Favourites

Ever since working during the Christmas period, I never got back into the habit of eating healthy. Now that work has died down, I've only got one job and I'm focusing more on studying and being the average uni student I've been able to take the time to eat proper food and be on the hunt for healthy ideas.

 In love with PB2: This is only my second jar. I believe there will be many more to follow. It's perfect to mix into smoothies, recipes, mix with fancy milk or just water to have as regular peanut butter, THE OPTIONS ARE LIMITLESS

Agave Nectar: If you're like me and you don't like the taste of honey, this is a good option. It's cheaper than real maple syrup (the real stuff is exy!) healthier than golden syrup and other flavoured syrups.

Lentils: So many options with this, you can get plain lentils and add your own spices and sauces to create your own flavour, or bet a lazy pig and get a prepacked one like me! hahaha! I like to add some extra spices I have and a tin of crushed tomatoes to give it some extra zing :)

Muesli: I find that muesli fuels me for longer than regular cereal (even the healthy natural kind) whether it be corn flakes, rice flakes etc. I think the oats, dried fruit and higher doses of fibre in muesli keeps my energy going for longer.

Dark chocolate: Always a fave. Recently found this baby at a health food store, it's basically a healthier vegan version of Crunchie chocolate by Nestle. Of course the dark chocolate is delicious but I love the crispy quinoa puffs in it as well.

Enjoying colour coordinating my flatlays!

I made a banana bread this week which was a total hit - if its mother approved, it means it's good. Unlike regular banana breads which I find quite tough, stale-ish and really dense, this one was super fluffy, light and soft. I used a recipe I found online but tweaked it a bit to get the recipe below:

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup oil (I used a mix of rice bran and olive oil)
3/4 cup brown sugar (I used muscavado sugar)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large overripe bananas

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup - 1 3/4 cup self raising flour (original recipe called for 1 1/2 cup but I added a pinch more because it seemed too runny)
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1. Mash up the bananas with a fork or whatever tickles your fancy.
2. In a bowl, mix the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla together. Mix REALLY well. Werk it.
3. Add that banana mush to the bowl.
4. Sift in the flour and salt into the bowl (save on those dishes amirite?)
5. Bake at 170 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes, then turn it down to 155 degrees after 30-40 min. (Use your own judgement on how brown it is, it shouldn't be too brown at this point, but fully risen.)

Cosmetics Haul and Makeup Look

I grabbed a few bargains this week at Priceline, after waiting to restock on some of my favourite items. Priceline do their 40% off all cosmetics sale every now and then, and every time I go in with the intention of buying this one item (Bourjois healthy mix serum foundation) I buy something else instead... woops!

Restocked on my liquid eyeliner because the one I have now is almost dried out and the brush tip is all screwed up. I'm yet to find THE best liquid eyeliner, this one does the job okay for now. For $8, it's pretty decent.

I repurchased the Antipodes Hosanna serum (25% off yay!) because I quite liked it and used up every last drop. I use it as my moisturiser at night - it works well for my combination oily skin because of its quick absorbing and light texture. I was originally tempted by the Apostle skin-brightening & tone-correcting serum, but because of the price tag on it I got this hydrating serum instead because of its similar ingredients.

Totally got sucked into the world of CC cream after hearing so many beauty bloggers and YouTubers rave about them. Seeing as it was 40% off I decided to go for it. It honestly reminds me of some of the Korean BB creams I have tried before, but the colour seems to suit my skin better (Asian BB craems have a weird greyish tone to them) and the texture is more lighter and less chalky. (Could be because the SPF is quite low in this one). So far so good.

Because I don't like using lot's of products after cleansing at night, I never bothered with eye cream. But I have severely dark circles and eye-bag looking under-eyelids (my mum has the same kind of eyebags) so I thought I should probably try something for it. After using it for a week, I can't say much because I haven't noticed a difference or anything. I like the texture of it though, and it hasn't caused any kind of reaction to my skin. I didn't realise it was "anti-ageing" until after I got it, the description says it's for puffiness, dark circles etc. The regular eye cream really.

I used the Bourjois CC cream in these photos for a natural everyday look.

Other products I used: Maybelline Masterpiece eyeliner
Benefit Gimme Brow (in medium/deep)
Daniel Sandler watercolour blush (in Cherub)
SugarBaby Glow Better Bronzer
Lorac Pro Palette (Taupe)
Translucent Powder

I think my makeup-collection is all stocked up and got everything I need for now. Feels pretty good!