Op Shop Finds #1

I am trying to introduce a new word into my vocabulary - budget. What a scary word. A word that means you're really growing up. To be honest, I spend more money than I should, and it's not good. That is why I'm trying to break my bad habit and look for cheaper options, that are still just as good, if not better! I thought why not document my finds and journey here on my blog because it might even help to inspire you as well. 

Today's post is about my recent op shop finds. I love op shopping because it's so fun. I think of it like hunting for treasure, and it feels amazing when you find gold. I'm trying to become more conscious of where I'm buying from, and op shops are a great way to help support charities, while finding great bargains. I visited two op shops near me over the past week and these were the few bits I picked up. I got a total of five items and all up it only cost me $27! 

This sweater top is originally from Country Road and was only $5! I will definitely be getting a lot of wear out of this in autumn and winter. 

This sweet little top is originally from Glassons and was also $5. I love the mustard yellow colour of it and think it's the most perfect little top for all year round - but especially autumn and spring. 

This lovely little skirt is from Temt and was another $5 bargain. I love the vintage look of it and it's peachy colour and spotty design. I just feel so lady-like and lovely in it. 

This is another polka dot find and was also $5. It is originally from Uniqlo and I think it's also got a lovely vintage, classy, sophisticated feel about it. It's more appropriate for going out somewhere nice, and I hope to get a lot of wear out of it. 

Last but not least is the most precious dress that has little flowers all over it, and it's from Dotti. It was $7 and as soon as I tried it on I knew it was the one for me. I just feel so beautiful in it - which is a good sign that you're buying the right thing! 

I hope seeing my great finds has inspired you to check out the op shops in your local area. You'll never know what you'll find and I can't wait to explore some more. 

Summer Essentials with Boohoo

Summer is well and truly here in Australia and I'm left desperately wishing it was winter again. I'm just not the biggest fan of the heat and humidity and it leaves me feeling a little cranky some days. However, these are a few of the things that I use to keep my unhappiness about the weather at bay and to feel prepared for the warm days. 

1. Wear a cute outfit
To me summertime means playsuit season, because they're just so easy to wear. I really love this one because the pattern is so pretty - I'm a sucker for anything floral! Playsuits are always a safe option, especially if the weather turns windy. Mine is from Boohoo and you can see it here. I also live in my Birkenstock's all year round, but especially in summer. Sunglasses are a must-have, and these ones from Boohoo are so interesting because they look black but they're really a dark blue tortoise shell design, which is just so pretty. You can't forget a bag of course, and mine is a new purchase that I found in the sales on Asos. My watch is Daniel Wellington and I can never be without it. Its design is stunning and timeless and I always get so many lovely compliments whenever I wear it. You can also view some more of the items in Boohoo's Holiday Shop here because they have some really great and affordable items that are perfect for this season. 

2. Read a good book

I love to read all the time, no matter what the season. Although in summer you can sometimes find yourself with a little extra time on your hands, so why not use that time to lose yourself in a book? I'm currently reading The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett and I am really enjoying it so far. I love that books have the power to transport you into a whole other world. 

3. Remember to wear sunscreen

There is nothing worse than forgetting to put sunscreen on and coming home burnt. Not only is it extremely painful, it's also no good for your skin. I'm one of those people that dislike the smell and feel of sunscreen, so if you're like me in that regard, then I've found two perfect sunscreens for you. I use the Neutrogena Beach Defence SPF50 all over my body, and then the Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face Facial Sunscreen SPF30 on my face. These two are my heroes because neither of them smell or feel like normal sunscreen. They both smell so lovely - the one from Neutrogena smells like a tropical island and the one from Mecca smells like cucumbers. I highly recommend them because not only are they a pleasure to use, but they actually work really well also. 

4. Explore different forms of hair removal

Up until last week I only ever shaved my legs. And I always hated it. It left my skin irritated and never even worked perfectly as my hair would grow back far too quickly. It's always been such a hassle for me, so I decided to explore other alternatives. I settled on buying an epilator because waxing was going to end up being too expensive in the long run. I use the Braun Silk Epil 7, and I like it so far. It hurts a bit, not going to lie, but it isn't completely unbearable, and I think it's just something that I'll get used to. Once I've used this a bit more I'll write up a proper review. I also use exfoliating gloves before hand (to stop ingrown hairs) and my Vaseline lotion afterwards (to keep my legs smooth). 

5. Invest in this life-changing bottle

This water bottle from T2 is the greatest thing ever. It's my absolute best friend in the warmer months because it actually works at keeping your water cold for hours upon hours - even in the sun! I cannot say enough good things about this bottle, and I highly encourage you to invest in one (they are around $32) if you spend a lot of times outdoors and away from a fridge. It is worth every cent because it works so well, and nothing beats the refreshing feeling of cold water on a hot day. 

These are just some of the things that are essential for me to have during summer, but I'd love to know what some of yours are in the comments below! Hope you're all having a lovely day, and here's to braving the heat together. 

The Spring Lookbook

Yesterday I uploaded my very first lookbook on my YouTube channel, as you can see above. To go along with that video I also took some photos of my outfits to put in a post on here. You'll find some closer shots of my and certain aspects of my outfits. I hope you enjoy this little post, and be sure to watch the video as well. Information on all my outfits and the makeup I'm wearing can be found in the information bar on the video, just incase you're curious! 

A Week In Outfits

So it seems that I'm finally fulfilling my 'part fashion blogger' responsibilities with today's little post featuring a recap of my outfits from last week. Now, you will notice a certain pair of jeans make a fair few appearances, and nothing is all that fancy. However, I am quite liking the contents of my wardrobe at the minute, so I'm taking full advantage of that with this post. Perhaps you will find some outfit inspiration among these, so enjoy!

Monday: I just had a regular day at uni, so I kept it pretty chill and comfortable. My jeans are the Modern Ankle grazers from Target (they will be making a reappearance, just you wait), top is a basic white tee from Valleygirl, cardigan is a few years old and from the brand Avocado at SES, my bag is from Kmart and the sunglasses are the Leah ones from Cotton On. I also wore my Nike Free Run 5.0 trainers, however they weren't on my feet at this stage!

Tuesday: As you can see this outfit is very similar to the one from the day before (oops). I just really like the vibes that they give. Same jeans from Target, top is a white cami from Valleygirl (their basic's section is ridiculously good, and cheap!), cardigan is the brand Mix at Coles, same bag from Kmart, and shoes are Toms. 

Wednesday: Wednesday's are my day off, so I usually spend the day in my pyjamas, and I'm totally okay with that. I didn't want to fancy around and pretend that I wore some lovely outfit, so I thought I'd keep it real and raw. My pants are from Kmart (they are so comfortable it's crazy), and my jumper is from Millers and I bought it a few sizes up so that it was big, slouchy and cozy. 

Thursday: Today was the day I went into the city for Vogue's Fashion Night Out. I wanted to be chill and comfortable, but also have a more 'put together' vibe about my outfit. As you can see, those same Target jeans are on once again, plus a black version of my Valleygirl tee and a cardigan from Topshop. I have so much love for this cardigan, it's actually becoming a bit of a problem. 

Friday: What a glorious day! Sadly the weather wasn't all that lovely, but I needed a change from wearing jeans, so opted for a skirt and tights. My black skirt is from Blue Juice, cropped grey jumper is from Target (with a white tee from Asos underneath), and the green parka is from Temt, plus that same Kmart bag once again!

Something Extra: So I bought a pair of the infamous love/hate shoe. I picked these dupes (copies) of Birkenstock's by the brand Lipstik. They were only $29.95 from Trade Secret and I thought it would give me a chance to see how much I like them before going and spending $100 on Birks. Thoughts...? I actually really love them, although I hated them at first. I've seen so many bloggers wear them lately, and they've really grown on me. Anna (Vivianna Does Makeup) calls them the Marmite, or Vegemite, shoe. I'm team Vegemite in this instance (although I actually hate the taste of Vegemite). 

So there we have it, a week in outfits done and dusted. If you like this sort of post be sure to let me know and I'll do them every now and then. And just in case anyone is curious, my iPhone case is by Kate Spade and I bought it from the Apple Store. I am clearly no fashionista, but I kind of like the look I've got going on at the moment, so hopefully you guys do as well. Now I'm going to resume dancing to Black Widow by Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora...

Mimco Love

Part of my blogging resolutions for 2014 included doing more posts on individual things - for example lipsticks, skincare, clothing, etc, as well as include more fashion related posts every now and then, as my blog is generally just beauty related (even though I am technically a fashion blogger as well). So after that rambly introduction, here is today's post which is both of my resolutions in one! It's a post featuring the beloved Mimco pouch! 

A few weeks ago I took the plunge and splurged on this beautiful black and silver pouch from Mimco, though it comes in many a colour if you're after something else. I use it as my wallet and absolutely love it, so for me it was well worth the money spent. I've had my first taste of something designer and definitely want to save up for some more treats in the future. My friend calls this the Mary Poppin's bag of pouches, as it literally fits so much inside, and I completely agree. I normally keep my cash, cards, lip balm, and iPhone in it, with room to spare. As these are $69.95 each they are definitely a splurge, but I think that it's nice to treat yourself every once in a while. What do you think?

You can buy these beautiful pouches, or just lust over everything, online at mimco.com.au (go on, treat yourself to something nice!). Alternatively you can visit a boutique of theirs - a full list of stockists is on their website. 

lovelovelove

Christmas Day Makeup & Outfit

Merry Christmas beautiful readers of mine. I hope that you all have magical days today, wherever in the world you may be. Remember to always share love, joy and peace with others. May the holiday spirit and cheer fill you and be with you all year round. I thought I would show you guys the makeup and outfit I had for today. I do apologise that the lighting is a bit poopy - it has been raining all day long! Nevertheless, I got my brother to snap a few photos for me to show you guys. Love you all, and hope you had a fabulous day with friends and family. 

Face of the day:

Foundation - Rimmel Wake Me Up in 103 'true ivory'

Concealer - Maybelline Fit Me in 10 'light'

Powder - Rimmel Stay Matte in 'transparent'

Blush - Essence Silky Touch in 'adorable'

Highlight - Sleek Face Contour Kit in 'light'

Eyes - Stila eyeshadow in 'bliss', Mary Kay fluid eye colour in 'spring leaf', Stila stay all day waterproof liquid eyeliner in 'intense black', and Maybelline the colossal volume express Cat Eyes

Lipstick - Rimmel Kate Moss in 107

Outfit of the day:

Top - plain black tee from Kmart

Skirt - metallic gold skirt from Glassons

Nails:

Essie Scarlett O'Hara 

lovelovelove

Melbourne Haul

So as you would have guessed from my previous post, I went to Melbourne last week. I also did a bit of shopping whilst I was there. Now, I was debating over whether to do this as a video or a blog post, and decided to do a blog post because I wasn't really wanting to film a video (just not feeling the best about being on camera right now, so this was a safer option!). I do apologise that there are a lot of photos, I just did buy quite a few things and couldn't leave anything out. So why not make a nice cup of tea and get some biscuits, sit down and relax, and enjoy this post.

As this is not a review post, I'm just going to list what I bought, then include photos of everything down the bottom. If there are any products you'd like me to specifically review, let me know. Though over time I will probably do some reviews on some of these things. I totally love every single thing I bought and I could not be happier. I have already got use out of most of these things and they are all really wonderful! So enjoy. 

The Body Shop

Japanese Cherry Blossom Hand & Nail Cream - $17.95 (though it was their 30th birthday at this particular store so I got it as a gift for free!)

Tea Tree Face Mask - $18.95

Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion - $23.95

Tea Tree Blemish Gel - $12.95

Priceline

Maybelline New York City Rescue Total Clean Eye & Lip Makeup Remover - $6.95

Bourjois Colour Boost Glossy Finish Lipsticks in '01 Red Sunrise', '03 Orange Punch', and '04 Peach on the Beach' - $15.00 each

Mecca Cosmetica at Myer

Nars Eyeshadow Duo in 'Isolde' - $55.00

Zara

Bright yellow/green sweater - $29.95

Vibrant blue cardigan - $39.95 (on sale)

Topshop

Eye Crayon in 'Marble' and 'Rust' - $3.00 each (on sale)

Eyeshadow brush - $8.00

Nail Polish in 'Peaches and Cream' - $10.00

Pink knit cardigan - $22.00 (on sale)

Pink/coral singlet - $4.00 (on sale)

Victoria's Secret

Body Lotion in 'Hello Darling' (white nectarine & peony) - $17.00

Fragrance Mist in 'Sheer Love' (white cotton & pink lily) - $17.00

The Chocolate Box

Chocolate Hearts (aka my favourite things ever!) - $4.95

Much love!