Smoothie Bowls

The easiest, healthiest, and a delicious smoothie recipe that I have always followed, with a little extra! It's also vegan friendly depending on the type of milk you choose, but I usually have it vegan and gluten-free.

For a chocolatey dessert-like smoothie base:

1 frozen banana
1/2 - 1 cup almond milk (or any other milk really)
Flavouring - natural of course! I usually choose from cinnamon, raw cacao powder, almond or peanut butter. Or a mixture of them!

For a fresh fruity smoothie base:

1 frozen banana
1/2 - 1 cup almond milk/other milk or juice
Frozen fruit and/or fresh fruit

The smoothie is great on its own, but I sometimes I like to make it heartier to have it as a meal. So, I turn it into a smoothie bowl! It's like replacing the plain old milk you have with breakfast cereal for a smoothie.

My favourite toppings are: Muesli/granola, cereal, nuts and seeds, dried/fresh fruit, and superfoods such as flaxseed, chia seeds and maca powder.

I usually match the toppings with the smoothie depending on the flavour, like adding fruit and nuts to the fruity smoothie, and maca and muesli to the chocolatey one.

Ingredients: Almond milk, 1 frozen banana, chia seeds, cinnamon,
raw cacao powder and gluten free Weet-Bix.

I wizz up all the ingredients in a blender except for the toppings
(chia seeds and Weet-Bix).
I also add about 1-2 Tbsp of cacao powder, it's quite strong.

A delicious smoothie... in a bowl!

Finally, I added some Weet-Bix and chia seeds. Note: The Weet-Bix stays
crunchy this way, even though I also like soggy Weet-Bix :P

You can really use this method to make a variety of combinations, depending on how energy-dense you want it to be, or if it's just for a snack. It's a good breakfast for summer because it is WAY too hot for porridge this time of year!

I find that using cereal like Weet-Bix and nuts/seeds provide me with a good amount of sustained energy because it's low in GI. Nuts also definitely give me plenty of energy, but I get lazy sometimes and can't be bothered cutting them up to put it in. It's hard to find a crushed-up nut mix, that also only has the kinds of nuts you like haha!

Crackle Nail Polish

I'm pretty much a century late on the whole crackle nail polish situation, but nevertheless I finally gave it a ago. I guess I wasn't that interested in it because it does look a little bit messy and not very sleek. But that was the beauty of this, when your nails chip and scratch, you can't even tell!

I used a Covergirl Outlast in the shade Black Diamond with the Bloom Crackle Top Coat in white. I then went over it with a clear top coat by Cutex.

Final result - not too bad for a first attempt!

I think it looked quite interesting, and it was fun to use. I went for a black base with white top coat because I just liked the combination the best out of most crackle nail polishes. Having a dark base and light top coat makes the style really obvious. I think I still do prefer a very basic, clean, single colour on my nails, but this is pretty cool and super easy to do!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

So I've heard about how amazing the Bioderma micelle solution is. My bank account however, does not justify spending so much on a bottle. Instead, I got this Garnier dupe, which I think is pretty amazing.

I compared how it did using a cotton pad and the solution vs a baby wipe, which is what I usually use to take off all my makeup. (If I have waterproof mascara on, I usually use an oil-based remover for it.) You can see how much solution I soaked the cotton pad with.

This is after I dabbed it gently onto one side of my face. I was wearing a very light foundation and no eye makeup. (Excuse the poor focus, I had no idea it turned out like this!)

I used the baby wipe on the other side of my face, and rubbed my makeup off. I did have to use some force, because it's a baby wipe.

First of all, I really do not like the feel and consistency of normal eye & lip removers (the ones that usually have an oil layer and watery layer which you mix). Sometimes they sting my eyes, or it feels like I got oil in my eyes and it gets all slimy.

The micellar solution was just like water, maybe with some kind of viscosity, but I could barely tell. So it felt really good to work with, even though all you had to do was pat it on your skin. No rubbing or anything, it's kind of like magic. As you can tell, the baby wipe didn't get that much off considering I was rubbing it on my face.

For $11.99, I think it was quite a success! I would really love to try the Bioderma one day though, to see if it's any better than the Garnier version. But honestly, the price difference is way out of hand and the Garnier one does a pretty good job!

Longchamp Le Pliage Néo

I'm not a handbag kinda girl, let alone a high-end bag kinda girl. but recently, I've had so much trouble finding a decent bag to carry around for everyday use. I usually go for my small-medium across the body satchel or backpack just because it matches with everything and it's comfortable to wear, but sometimes it just doesn't go with my outfit!

So, I recently purchased this Longchamp bag, in the Le Pliage Néo version. It's basically a thicker/sturdier material in a mono-colour than the original Le Pliage collection. I'd say this is my first 'luxury' brand item!

Came with dust bag, tag and original wrapping.

Holds it's shape really well (there's nothing inside the bag in the picture)
so it's okay if you have too little or too many things.

I asked around before making this purchase, because I used to think it was a bit odd that people bought these bags for over $130, because they look a bit like eco-friendly grocery bags, but I can see why. It's comfortable, long-lasting and looks great with any outfit.

Seeing as I'm not a huge fan of the original Le Pliage collection (they still do, look a bit like grocery bags to me), I came across this one and ended up really liking the look; It's modern, simple and sleek.

I went in-store to have a look, and the only colours they had were bright pink and orange. I quite liked the Le Pliage backpacks too since I am a fan of backpacks, but they only had one orange and pink colours. I couldn't find them anywhere besides online, so I ended up just buying it from eBay. I know, it was a bit risky, but I did buy from a reputable seller in Sydney for roughly 2/3 of the retail price in-store.

Needless to say, it was worth the risk! I really love it, and I know I won't have trouble with awkward bag-outfit combinations any more. The only down-side is that you can't fold these up like the regular Le Pliage, but I won't really ever NEED to fold it up so it doesn't matter to me!

I pretty much bought the bag to replace this one I got earlier this year, my first "real" handbag from Gap (Sydney Pitt Street Mall). What a disappointment it was though, I don't think I'll be using it again.

The terrible bag.

I liked it until I realised that the leather with no lining of some sort kept dispersing all this black fluffy stuff - from raw underside of the leather that is fully exposed. The particles that rubbed off went EVERYWHERE covering my phone, going inside all my books, sticking to my water bottle, etc. It was a nightmare, but just the tip of the ice berg. The straps just fell off twice (different straps too) - indicating the stitching was very weak and not well sewn on. It was also mega floppy with no firm bottom, so it never looked like it does in the picture, unless I filled it with a cardboard box. I pretty much gave up on it. Luckily I bought it for half price (originally $150).

TL;DR - Inspect the bag before you buy it, it may have added features you don't want. You're probably better off investing in a more expensive but reliable one rather than getting a mid-price one that probably wasn't made with good quality parts.

Athletic, two ways

I wanted to wear some of these pieces before it gets way too hot, I can already feel summer creeping in. My recent favourite is this top; it's stretchy but quite thick, and the white trimmings make it look quite athletic. I find that the cropped length is perfect, and it's so versatile. I even wore it to a job interview that went well! (It must be my new good luck shirt).

The first look is a tomboy take on the top. I paired it with my vintage high-waisted Levi's 550's which have been cropped and rolled up, combining the mom-jeans and boyfriend-jeans in one. To match the top, I wore my hi-top Vans sneakers giving off the boyish and athletic vibe.

Top: French Connection, Jeans: Vintage Levi's 550, Shoes: Vans, Belt: Black hole of closet.

The second take on the top is more chic, going all out in monochrome. I was dying to wear this vinyl skirt because it will be way too hot for it in summer. I really do love American Apparel, but seeing as I can't quite get my hands on their stuff without a massive mark-up, I found this skirt at Topshop for a fraction of the price, and still looks quite similar to AA's. It's surprisingly lightweight, and it's from the petite range - yay!

Top: French Connection, Skirt: Topshop, Shoes: Windsorsmith, Necklace: Etsy.

Now, I must stop procrastinating and work on my portfolio for my writing class :( It's worth 50%! Much to do.

Laters!

Scented Home

I love scented candles, but I have to say that they're a bit of a pain sometimes.

Not only do the really nice ones cost an arm and a leg, cheaper ones that DO smell nice usually don't come with lids or any other decent-looking case. Usually meaning, when you blow it out, the wonderful smell quickly turns into the post-birthday-cake-blowing smell.

My mum used to tell me that don't ever burn a candle with all your doors shut (I used to burn some aromatherapy essential oils while studying), since the flame burns oxygen and uses up whatever flow of oxygen you have coming minimally into your room. It's not like you're going to pass out or anything, but I'm just assuming it's not exactly the healthiest.

But with cheaper and weaker candles, that means having to close off windows etc. so you can actually smell the scent, otherwise what's the point!!!

I've spent quite a bit of money on buying a ton of crappy cheap ones - usually from the reject shop or something, some have been okay but I'm not all that surprised from the kind of selection that's usually available, cakey, vanillary, fruity or some flower/linen scent.

I recently went looking for reasonably priced candles and had a proper look at diffusers with the wooden sticks. They smelled surprisingly strong and just as good as a candle! No need to light a flame or anything, just stick them in and leave it there for a few months. Having it diffusing 24/7 means I can come into my room with the scent lingering on, yay!

Since it's getting hotter in Brisbane, I'm not a fan of having a burning flame in my room, I think it makes a difference, and the feel of it is just wrong in summery weather.

So I got one of these to test it out, and after 6 hours since placing the sticks in the solution, I can vouch that the smell is just as strong as a candle or even stronger, and it's nice to just forget about having to light it and put it out.

Cosmetics Fragrances Direct - $14 (originally $30 apparently)

So far I'm loving smell of this, I couldn't decide between a "black liqorice" and this. I didn't realise until I smelled a lot of diffusers that I'm more fond of musky, woody and spicy scents than sweet, fruity ones. This "wild magnolia" one is basically a musky floral scent, so it's really cosy and warm but still fresh and clean-smelling at the same time.

I've bought far too many things since I have started work last month... that includes makeup, clothes and random home-ware stuff. I think I'm going through the "oh my god I have money now, I can buy stuff from a store THIS FEELS AMAZING" phase. Again. Woops.

Monochrome I

A (somewhat) fancy schmancy outfit of the day post. 

I didn't realise that I wear a lot of black and white until I was going through filters on my phone and selected "B&W" only to realise it made absolutely no difference to the photo besides my skin tone...

Black and white is however, the most reliable. Plus, it matches almost all my shoes, especially the ones I wear most.

My first ever "shift" dress, or rather, a dress without much shape. Usually these types of dresses tend to look far too big on me, coming to my knees and making me look like a dwarf in a paper bag. This one has a bit of structure around the shoulders and arms, and it's not very long - it comes down to my lower/mid thigh. I say it fits.

I am currently breaking in my new Dr Martens Monochrome boots (so I can wear them at work because apparently my broken-in regular ones are not in compliance to uniform regulations; my shoes have to be completely black.)

Hat: City Beach, Dress: Forever 21, Shoes: Dr. Martens, Necklace: Portmans.

 

I don't consider my head to be ridiculously small or anything, but finding a hat that fits was a struggle until I found this one. I even searched for one in Korea in hopes that people's heads are smaller there, but I was wrong. City Beach has quite a large selection, and luckily some of them including this one has a built-in drawstring to tighten around the head, so it will fit even if the hat is a tad too big.

No eye makeup for today, just some SPF/UV
protective bb cream, undereye concealer,
eyebrows and lip balm

I'm not a huge fan of too many accessories, I think minimal is the best - I don't mind overloading, but I only do it if I'm wearing just necklaces or just bracelets, or just rings. Sometimes, I grabbed this necklace for a super cheap price at Portmans, along with another one after the Christmas period. Less than $5 if I remember!

Skincare

People often comment on how nice my skin is, I guess I am partially blessed with decent skin as well as putting effort into making sure it's clean and taken care of. However, my skin is just as prone to blemishes, enlarged pores, pimples and discolouration as much as anyone else.

I have combination skin - my t-zone is really oily, but sometimes my cheeks and around my lips can be quite dry. I tend to break out around my nose, hairline and forehead, so 2/3 times it won't be too obvious. Combination skin is really annoying, you don't quite know which products to use - nourishing creamy products, or squeaky clean bubbly products?

My skincare routine changes time to time, but my rule is to always cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day. I have tried a lot of products despite having relatively okay skin, but now I have found some 'holy grail' products, or stuff that seems to work well with my skin.

My go-to day cleanser is a Burt's Bees deep cleansing soap bark and chamomile cream cleanser. People I know who have tried it says it burns their skin and doesn't feel very"clean" after. Despite having relatively sensitive skin, it's wonderful on my skin as long as I don't rub it near my eyes!

Unfortunately I ran out of it and it is SO hard to find it in Australia as well as being overpriced, so Julia got me one from America yay! Until I see her, I am using the Neutrogena Naturals cleanser and scrub (I alternate days so I don't over-exfoliate).

Cleanser - $14.99 (Priceline), Scrub - $14.99 (Priceline)

I would say that it does the job, but it's no where near as refreshing as my favourite Burt's Bees cleanser and it seems to leave a film after rinsing off - I'm guessing it's to moisturise and prevent all the oils being stripped off.

At night, I use a Clarisonic brush with the Clarisonic Gentle Hydro cleanser - this combination seems to do well for me. I've been using these this year, and so far so good. I actually prefer the sensitive (white) brush head, I had no idea I was buying regular when I got the grey one.

Cleanser - $32 (Myer, Mecca), Clarisonic - Gift

I think these products are really good together - it's not foamy (most of my products aren't) but it gets rid of residual makeup and feels great after. (You can literally see left over makeup on the brush after!) I also don't replace the head every 3 months (hehehe naughty me), but I take ridiculously good care of it - I clean it and dry it properly every night.

Because I have combination skin, using things for just oily skin tend to make my skin feel dry and tight, but using dry skin products obviously don't leave my skin feeling clean. So I opt for 'deep' cleansing creams/milks that moisturise the skin without stripping off every ounce of oil, but cleans well enough to remove all those dirty things.

After cleansing, I tone with my Burt's Bees Radiance toner, again a staple in my routine. I also use the Priceline cotton pads - every other one I've tried seems to be terrible - it has stitching that scrapes against my skin, or it falls apart mid-use. 

Toner - $24.95 (Priceline), Cotton pads - $3.49 (Priceline)

I usually experiment the most with moisturisers because I can't seem to fight the perfect one, until I grabbed this chia seed one from The Face Shop in Korea. I liked it so much that I paid almost twice the normal price at a Korean grocery store here, and got the regular full size. Previously I had a mini set of lotion-toner-cream and only liked the cream. It's really great for combination skin - its quite hydrating, but it's super watery and light that it dissolves right into the skin and leaves it feeling 'dry-soft' - you know, when your skin is all moisturised and soft but you can't feel anything on there.

Chia seed cream - $28 (Korean grocery store)

I rarely use body moisturiser, but when I do, I use a baby one that's mostly natural ingredients. I like to use natural ingredients in most of my products because I think my skin is quite sensitive to parabens, SLS, SLES, fragrances and especially alcohol.

And don't forget that hand cream, I wash my hands so often they're always dry. I usually go for my Jurlique one, but when I am feeling like putting on a generous dollop, I use any old cheaper alternative.

Johnson's hand cream - $4 (Drugstore?), Jurlique hand cream - $57 (Myer)

Fragrances

A list of all the perfumes I have ever owned in chronological order.

Seeing as I currently still own numbers 3 to 5 (5 being a recent purchase), I haven't owned that many fragrances in my lifetime so far, neither have I spent much on them. I usually grow out of the smells, but some of them I still really like after years.

1. Jennifer Lopez 'Live' - One of the longer lasting ones. I used to love it, and my friends also said I smelled good when I used it. It smells really fruity, sweet and zesty, but I can't stand the smell of it any more - I once used it to cover up the smell of vomit when someone in my house vomited, and now I associate it with that smell. Weird, I know.

2. Guess for Women - I don't think you can find this any more, it's really old. I wore this in high school and it lasted almost a whole day. Many compliments on it - it was mostly a floral and slightly sweet smell. I kind of got sick of it though.

3. Dior - 'Cherie' & 'J`adore' - My dad got a collection of these tiny Dior bottles from Duty Free and gave me some. These are MEGA strong, it doesn't come with a spray pump and you just wipe it on where you need. It seems to be a very concentrated eau de parfum. It lasts the whole day as well, but I don't really like the Cherie, it smells a bit weird to me. But J`adore has a really lovely and mellow floral scent and I usually wear it when I need it to last.

4. Marc Jacobs 'Oh, Lola!' - Angela gave me this beginning of 2012, I really love the smell of it and use it quite sparingly. I never get sick of the smell - it has a fresh, clean, florally-fruit scent. The problem is that Marc Jacobs perfumes last about 30 minutes...

5. Lady Gaga 'Fame' - Let's just say I bought this for the novelty of it. I'm getting sick of the smell now, even though I quite liked it the first time. I thought it was super interesting how it's black but vaporises clear. It has a strongly sweet smell, almost grape-like, or candy-like. Maybe that's why I got sick of the smell!

6. Tommy Hilfiger 'Tommy Girl Brights' - I purchased it this week - I wasn't intending to but I walked past a perfume mega sale and decided to take a sniff. I've smelled Tommy Hilfiger perfumes before, I don't really like the original Tommy Girl nor the 'Dreaming' one. They both smell too mature for my taste. But, I still liked the rosey element to it, and when I smelled this Brights one, it was like a fresher, spicier, girlier version. Not too sure how long it lasts, but I think it is my new scent for now!

Photographies

I made this blog partially due to the fact that I got a new camera, and thought I could put some of the awesome pictures I take into use.

I've wanted a decent camera for a while now, the only camera I've ever had was a baby pink Sony TX1, a hand-me-down that has a broken zoom - the zoom is stuck zoomed in so the photos are of below average quality. 

I originally wanted the Fujifilm X20 because I love the look of it, until I came across the Olympus-OM-D-EM10. My oh my. It is one fineeeeeeeeeeeeeee camera. Except its twice my budget, so maybe one day :'(

Obviously I was super keen on getting a retro-looking camera, but I wanted one with a lot of functionality. Fujifilm X20 didn't really cut it, and I eventually found the Samsung NX300. But the lens was way too big! No way I want to carry that thing around. Samsung NX3000 however, is the previous version which I guess isn't as good as the NX300 but it's so much more portable and cute!

So here it is:

(Taken on a Sony Xperia Z)

Unlike the Samsung NX300, you can't buy the NX3000 in Australia, because it's relatively old now :( I ended up purchasing it online from Korea, for approximately $480. It came with a strap, charger, flash, the lens of course, and Adobe Lightroom which is pretty cool. I wish it came with Photoshop though!

I will probably purchase a case for it, because I realised after I received it that it probably isn't a good idea to carry around all these parts separately, rolling around in my bag.

A snap of the aftermath of my crazy I-just-received-a-parcel opening frenzy.

Check out dat aaaaamazing quality (anything better than iPhone 3GS/broken Sony TX1 quality is pretty sweet to me!)