Wednesday 31 October 2012

Study, Toni & Guy and other crazy things

Hi Everybody!

Long time, no speak! Or blog for that matter. This is actually due to my final exams which are coming up next week so I am currently in the midst of the pre-study stress mode so I haven't really been Tweeting, Blogging, or Facebooking recently.

I honestly feel like the busiest person. I have so much on during my week which makes it almost impossible, if not, very difficult, to find a moment to just get on the laptop and post something. When I do get the time to study, I do about a full two and a half hour's study, and then I just lose it and get interested in the weirdest things and just procrastinate the study further until it's the night before. Surely I can't be the only one who does this.




Anyway, I just thought I'd share with you something very exciting that happened last night. If you read my blog, which I hope you do!, you may know that I set out an application for Toni & Guy hairdressing a few weeks ago to becoming an assistant hairdresser as I have no real professional skills in dressing the hair whatsoever. 

I got called in for the interview as they were interested in my resume and I told them about my Duke of Ed and some other little things I've been participating in and they asked me to come on Wednesday eve for a trial night. 


So, I went, did some cleaning, coffee and tea making, washing hair, blowdrying and such and BINGO! I got the job! Hurray! Hurray! I am officially employed and it's quite a good feel (though quite sad as I don't really have a life) to add Toni & Guy to one;s "work" section in the "about me" of one's Facebook.

It is quite the nifty little place full of very snazzy people with crazy coloured hair. It's really good because one of the ladies whom was teaching me the basics of running Toni & Guy was telling me that with this job offer, I can go to the events which include Sydney Fashion Week and the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week as well which is super duper exciting!

Anyway,
I fondly apologise for the very short post as I really must be getting back to the nemesis of my Geography textbook so tally-ho and I'll see you in next week's blog!

P.s. wish me luck for exams!

Xx
Lucy



Tuesday 23 October 2012

Little Chatterbox

Hi everybody!

I feel like a frog. I'm so sicky-sick right now. I've been ill for almost two days now with the worst head cold ever and without going into too much detail, my energy levels are dangerously low. I hate being sick so much; I've been sneezing, nose blowing, coughing, wheezing, sleeping.....dying from sick and tiredness.

So today I thought I'd do a bit of a chitter-chat blog today just to talk about random things. I haven't really bought anything for about three weeks which for a major shopaholic like myself is quite an achievement. I've been reading some magazines lately and some of the fashions coming out this Spring are just gorgeous.








I find the colours so bright and pretty and just generally happy. I know that's rather the pathetic excuse for something but when I see people wearing something like that it just makes me happy and it makes the world a brighter place - which I think is something that the world needs right now. I am obsessed with the last picture with the pastel trousers. I think they're just so amazingly pizzazz-ish and would be a fantastic way to brighten up a Spring day. I also think that the contrast of the bright pastel pink, purple and yellow colours with the black and white of the background make such a nice juxtaposition. I saw these images in a free magazine called Fashion Journal. My Mother picked it up for me today at the hair-dressers which leads me on to my next point.

I got a notice of interest at my local Toni & Guy hair salon and they've got a spot open as a casual worker there, and being a senior student in need of a bit of a wage to get me into a university college, I could really use a bit of an income just to boost it up and pay for uni fees and such. It means I have to do all the waiting on people and stuff like making tea, hot chocolates, using the coffee machine, picking up the phone and making appointments. Aside from some community volunteer work I've done, this will be my first real job (that is to say, if I get it -- I'm not even sure that I will, but if I do) which is rather exciting. So...what do you think?

Saw these pictures on We <3 It and I thought they were rather cute!



I've been doing a lot of study recently for my finals which has been hectic -- and by hectic, I mean crazy and frantic...not cool and awesome...I've been study about seven or so hours every day and getting his head cold has certainly not helped me in any way, shape or form.

Anyway friends, 
I have to go now because I've got to go to sleep extraordinarily early as I am poorly and do wish to get better as soon as possible so I can resume my everyday schooling life,
so, ta-ta for now and have a magical and tea-riffic week. ;) 


Xx
Lucy

Sunday 21 October 2012

Toppershopper and Portmans

Portmans - Striped Floral Dress (front)

(Torso)

(Striped yellow hem-line)

(back)

Portmans - Pop Colour Crop Blazer ( I promise, it's actually a really pretty cream colour but because I'm using the crappy little camera on my iPod touch, it came up in a really gross Khaki colour. Click the hyper link and you can see the nicer colour on the website!)
 
Topshop - Lacey top (perfect for beaching!!)

Close up of the lace work



Hi everybody!

Sorry for the slow update again, I've been working like crazy lately because my final exams are coming up in a few weeks so I want to be very prepared for them so I'll know what to do in the exam, and hence this, I have just been away from my little laptop the whole time, so I do apologise and hope for your sincerest forgivenesses. Also, I've been having a few complications with one of my best friends, counselling is going crazy and my anxiety has been playing up a bit recently so I'm now sure how often I can upload, but I'm doing my best!

Last week, I made mention that I went to the city again (as I do often...and it's quite a bad habit I seem to have popped into recently) on the weekend with my mother and I went back into Sydney's brand spanking new Topshop in the QVB to do a bit of browsing and buying, as well as going to my favourite Lush which is also in the QVB and Portmans which I have been eyeing their new range for a while now.

So, let's get started. The first thing to talk about is my lovely Spring dress from Portmans. Oh my gollygoshums! The colours on this dress are absolutely marvellous and I think they are PERFECT for Spring. Immediately when I spied this dress I thought it as an absolute must have. It's bright, it's very spring and very light and it can be dressed up or down. I find that the flowers are very spring time and add for something bright in my grey, dull coloured wardrobe (as we've just come out of a cool winter). The bodice is fitted as well, so it's a highlight for showing off curves and the flared skirt is perfect for something light and Spring-like. The straps are adjustable, so that's good when you have small shoulders like mine and you find that anything from singlet tops to bra straps just slide off, you can just adjust them up and not have to worry and the zip up the back is metal and very elegant, I find. I like the contrast in the colours, but still how they harmonise so perfectly together to make something very vibrant.

I'd advise wearing a nude coloured heel for this, especially if, like me, you would be interested in wearing a cream coloured blazer (see below the dress) on top of it for a bit of pizzazz. I was also going to buy a pair of glitzy be achy sandals to wear with this as my previous pair of sandals have been torn to smithereens thanks to a certain puppy in my house but instead of being an impulse buyer, I chose to wait and see if I could find something else to pair it with, and if I can't then I'll go for the sandals. I haven't exactly worn this dress yet as, because of my study, I've just been in a pair of shorts and a baggy t-shirt but I'm going out to meet some family friends this weekend so I'm definitely going to do it then. I find this dress so pretty and girly and the fabric it's made out of is divine.

The next item I bought, to actually go with the dress, was a fitted blazer also from Portmans. I acknowledge that the picture above is absolute bollocks as the camera on my iPod I used is awful quality as I accidentally left my other camera at my dad's house which isn't very smart of me, having said that, a poor workman blames his tools, and so I have no experience in taking photos so if you read my blog, you will have to bear with me as I attempt to learn the art of photography the hard way. Also, when I took the photo (or attempted to take the photo), it was about nine o'clock at night so I had the lights on in my bedroom and they have a very yellowish beam so it's a bit saturated.

Moving on, the colour of the blazer is not a really gross Khaki colour, but instead, a very pretty cream colour with a nice canary yellow silken lining sleeve. One of the reasons I chose this garment was because of the yellow under sleeve thing. I thought it would really bring out the yellow in the hem of the dress and I tried them on together and I thought they went really well together. It does romanticise  the dress up a little bit and make it seem a little more fancy but I think that it gives it a little bit more of a touch. I don't know why, but whenever I see the dress, I always think of going to a nice little garden tea party with some friends wearing that dress. It reminds me of something that Blair Waldorf might wear...though it may be a little too inexpensive for her!

I went back into Topshop as I find it rather a nice place to hang out on my weekends and yet again, I fell for several items of clothing, one that is snapped up above and another one which I left at my dad's house so I couldn't take a photo of it...but I shall review it nonetheless.

The first one was the lacey top above. I really, really like this top as it's very light and it is see-through completely but that does have it's advantages...that sounds wrong...I wore this top to the beach yesterday as I was staying at a friend's house up north of NSW where the beaches are and it was just perfect! It allowed me to be able to breathe whilst sitting there in the shade reading my brand new copy of J.K. Rowling's new book, The Casual Vacancy which I am loving to death! The top is just so light and easy to just whack on with a singlet or something underneath and it's just generally a great top for summer weather. The only criticism is the lace part of it. I don't like the lace because I wear this necklace and it's got a little snowflake on it and it gets caught on the lace and pulls it up which bugs me to death. Aside that, it's very pretty and goes with practically anything as well as keeping you surprisingly moderate in body temperature. It does not keep you from getting sunburnt!! Unless you want to go home with little sunburnt pale and red patterned skin...I would not advise you to wear this as UV protection!!

The next top I bought was this tie neck sleeveless shirt from Topshop.  It's grey, but a nice grey, sleeveless and a little bit sheer but you can fix that with a black bra or a singlet and also contains a button-down front and a cute little bow at the Peter Pan collar. The shirt is very long so one would be able to wear it as a dress. Personally, I've been wearing this with leggings and flats and I think it looks rather cute as it's not too dressy, but doesn't yell casual and careless meeper. You could also tuck it into a pair of shorts or a skirt, but because I'm small and a tad self conscious of my legs, I wear the top with leggings to give the illusion that I'm a bit taller than 5"3'. The only thing that gets to me a bit is the little bow as it does come undone easily, but thats all water under the bridge really.

Anyway, I'm sorry about the slow update and if the blog post seemed a bit rushed. I've been writing this post for a while but didn't really know how to really word it. Downton Abbey is on outside so I'm going to pop round there to watch it, and until next time,

Au revoir!
Xx

Lucy

Saturday 13 October 2012

Collective Haul!

Miss Shop - Easy on the eye shadow in Smoky Mist

Miss Shop - Eye line and Design

Revlon Brush Set 

Miss Shop - Gloss Over Lip Lacquer in Peach Pearl & Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Coralberry

Revlon - Custom Eyes in Smoky Sexy

The colours from above! :D



Hi everybody!

Sorry for not uploading at all in the past week, I've been a busy bee and I've been feeling a bit poorly lately thus I just couldn't upload much...and I didn't really know what I should write about....but I'm all better now so it's all good!

So, today I'm just going to do a bit of a collective haul of some stuff I've bought over the past few weeks. As you can see, I'm going indie and posting my own pictures up above instead of using the website pictures because I just find it gives it more of a personal touch, don't you think? Now, I know I'm no photography wizard and I probably couldn't tell you the first thing about using a proper camera, so you may have to bear with me as I figure out how to take pictures! I do have a camera, but it's one of those ones with lots of buttons and I don't want to press something because no doubt, I shall break it and then have to pay my father back, so, in the mean time, I will be sufficing with the wee camera on my iPod touch because the camera on my phone is quite crap as well.

Anyhow, I went into Myer yesterday and did a bit of browsing and buying in the cosmetics district, mostly at Revlon because I do like Revlon's stuff and so I thought I'd do a bit of reviewing. I also went back into Topshop and Portmans just to have a little look and I bought some stuff there but I'm probably going to post that on another post because otherwise it may be long...and I seem to be babbling a bit now so let's get to it.

The first little boutique I went to was a little shop called Miss Shop - not very popular or well known, but they have some nice stuff nonetheless. Anyway, I was given a special deal where if I purchased something up to AUD$20, then I could get a little cupcake and my eye makeup done for free so I did! And I loved the eye makeup she did so much that I purchased the palette and liner packet of three she used! None of the four are matte which is okay as the purpose of the colours together is to create a smoky eye effect, hence the name, smoky mist. The eyeliners are electric blue, smoky dark grey and silver which I think is very versatile so that you can use it for different types of effects. I also bought this because I only had black eye liner pencils and thought that for six dollars, a packet of three eye liner pencils in different colours was a good deal. I also bought a lip gloss to make up the 20 smacks, but I shall tell you more about that below.

I then went to Revlon and it was there where I bought a fair bit of stuff, the most iconic thing being a Revlon brush set which I bought for AUD$50. I don't really have a proper brush kit, I really just have the odd angled brush lingering somewhere at the bottom of the make up bag so I thought it would be interesting and profitable to get a brush set now that I'm getting more and more into cosmetics. The set comes with a powder brush, a blush brush, foundation brush, a lip brush, a dual ended liner and blending brush, a "universal" sharpener, and another blending brush. Firstly, this is by no means a product as good as something from MAC or ELF, it is Revlon so I was expecting it to be a little scratchy and synthetic. I haven't tried it out yet because I haven't put on any make up today but I will try it out tomorrow and tell you how it is. I actually am a bit concerned because I just read a review of the product on the internet and the customer said that it was poorly made and had replaced all of the brushes and just kept the handy little bag it comes in, so I'm a little bit anxious and apprehensive about it because it did cost a fair bit of money, now, but I shall see how it goes and let you know soon.

As mentioned above, the third product that I bought with my 20 dollar deal with Miss Shop was a pretty peachy coloured lip gloss. I've been looking for a really pretty, quite girly coloured lip gloss that I can wear now as we are coming into the warmer months. I really like it because it's quite a bright, colour and I think it really goes with the Revlon lipstick I bought afterwards. The lipstick is the PERFECT colour! I wanted a light pretty pink, but still showing colour (so not anything nude coloured), and I've been doing swatches on my hand to find the perfect colour. Unfortunately, the perfect colour was one from Lancome and I unfortunately at the time was running out of cash so I continued searching and I found a practically identical coloured lipstick from Revlon which I was super happy about it. It's a bit of a coral colour, hence the name "coralberry" which I think gives my lips a bit of a pop. It's really nice to apply and glides on very easily. The lipstick is also very pigmented and looks really pretty with the gloss on top of it. I would definitely buy this product again.

The last thing I bought was the Revlon Custom Eyes Shadow and Liner in Smoky Sexy. I know some would say I've practically bought the same colours with both the Miss Shop one and the Revlon one which now I, as I look back on, have to agree with, but I do like the colours. The middle white colour is more matte than the rest, but each do have a tiny bit of shimmer applied to them, completing a very pretty smoky effect.

Hope you enjoyed this blog post and remember to follow me on Twitter: lucebelle18 and instagram (same name as Twitter). Again, my fondest apologises for the lack of updating, I will evidentially try harder this week to post more...maybe a tag or the stuff i bought from Topshop or Portmans.

Xx
Lucy

Sunday 7 October 2012

Bloglovin!

Hi everybody!

Just a quick little informative message saying that I have officially joined Bloglovin! So, if you want to follow me, please do and to the right there is a flashing Eiffel Tower icon of which you can't really miss, make sure to press it, make an account and follow me. I will be following back because I think it's nice.

Xx
Lucy


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Saturday 6 October 2012

Welcome Topshop!

Hi everybody!

I went to the beach for the first time this Spring the other day! Yay! And it was so lovely; I had a fantastic time with a friend and I did all the things that you do in summer like wear a floppy hat, swimmers, tan.........and now.....I'm sunburnt and it sucks so much and it's so painful.

Anyway, aside from taking painkillers and applying aloe vera and Sorbeline, breaking my favourite bottle of nail polish, foundation and my sunglasses and sitting at home watching bad stuff, I've been somewhere rather exciting for those who live in Australia....

Guess what has arrived in Sydney?? Topshop has arrived and I was lucky enough to be one of the first few to step foot into the shop! Not really, I'm sure loads of people will have gone there before me as I went there on the fourth or so day it's been open.

I went today and I must say, it was absolutely packed with people, I suppose it's because it is brand new to Australia but I went, I got in and it was amazing. I was actually going to do another "what's in my bag" blog post today because I wanted to but then I found the news that I was going to Topshop and decided maybe to say the post for later, which is what I ended up doing, to show you all what I've bought!

The first thing I bought was an "aubergine" oversized top.

Even though some people would say this is quite plain and a bit dull and boring for Spring which is typically a warmer season,  I really do like it.

It is very light, so I think it would make for a perfect little cardigan in Spring (and in Autumn or a warm winter) because it keeps you warm as well as being a bit breathy. I really like how the sleeves are three quarters and the hem on the back is a bit longer than at the front. I think this kind of adds to a bit of interest factor as well as being aesthetically pleasing and pretty. What interests me the most about the top is the fabric. It says on the website that the fabric is 48% viscose and 42% polyester. It's a bit of an odd combination for me as I'd normally wear either a silk or cotton blouse so it's a bit of a different thing for me, yet I do like it. I also like the colour because it's quite interesting and I don't really have anything yet in this purplish colour. You can also really dress it up or dress it down.

I got this for about AUD$40 but on the website it sells for only 18 UK pounds. I'm not sure how this works, I think because the marketers have decided to make it a bit pricey because Topshop is brand new to Australia and they thought, well everyone's going to buy something so let's up the price. I don't know...if I were in charge, I probably would have done that too, to be honest! Haha.

The next thing I bought was, of course, a maxi skirt. I love maxi skirts because they are so versatile and you can really dress them up, dress them down, wear them with a singlet or a baggy shirt, jumper, cardigan, blazer, coat, boots, wedges, heels, and sandals. EVERYTHING!

The one I bought is called Black Fold Over Dip Maxi Skirt and it is called this because the waistline literally folds the black fabric over to create a belt kind of thing. I really like this because it means that I don't have to wear a belt, but it's also a little bit subtle which allows me to jazz it up if I want to.

Like the oversized top above, the back is so much longer compared to the front. The back reaches the floor on me (whether it be because I'm very short, or the skirt is very long...or probably both), whilst the front half of the skirt sits about two inches above my knee. The material is black (again, which means you can practically wear it with anything) and it's very thin and floaty which I find perfect for a warm summer's day at the beach. One of the reasons why this product really did capture my eye was because of the skirt length design. I love how the skirt is different lengths as it makes it more interesting and prettier. I find you would even be able to wear this with leggings of sorts. It's very chic and a little bit indie which I find is quite my style.

In Sydney, the skirt goes for AUD$40, so it's reasonably priced whereas on the website, it sells for 20 UK pounds, so the conversion is roughly the same give or take a few.

Anyway! That's all I bought from Topshop and I'll probably go again next week when the crowds die down a little bit (because today was one of the first few days, and very busy busy busy at that, my time was a bit rushed in the shop), so hopefully next week, I'll get a bit of a look around!

Also! The ASOS opening lunch is next week and guess who got invited!!!??? ME!!! Except......I can't go which I was totally gutted about because I adore ASOS. My bloody school starts tomorrow and the ASOS lunch is on Wednesday and when I found this out, I was so peeved off. EUGH!

Anyway, hope everyone is okay and well,
best wishes,

Xx
Lucy

Wednesday 3 October 2012

September Monthly Favourites - Miscellaneous Part Three

Hi everybody!

You would not believe what happened last night. I was up really quite late writing Part Three of my monthly favourites and I was quite happy with how it was going, it was very casual and I was watching some crappy tv shows whilst doing it. I had finished the post and I was beginning to hyperlink everything, really pleased that I'd finished and could go to bed...when all of a sudden...my laptop shuts down from power and the stupid post did not save! I was so annoyed, and fuming and last night, I just went to bed, not being bothered about rewriting it again so here I am writing it up now for you.

Most of you reading this will have seen that I'm doing my Monthly Favourites tag in three different posts consisting of cosmetics favourites, fashion favourites and miscellaneous favourites. This is only because if I did one huge post, it would take up two entire pages on the actual blog and it would probably be really boring and tedious to read, so I'm splitting it up! I'm going to put a link at the bottom of this post that will send you to Parts One & Two as well as some other links that I may have put into the blog.

Hair Care: My favourite hair care product of this month would have to be Toni & Guy Prep Heat Protection Mist (bit of a mouthful, eh?). I've been using this product a lot because I find its really beneficial for your hair when blow-drying or using heat to style it such as curling or straightening. I basically just spray it all over my hair before I blow-dry and then again before I either straighten it or curl it. It really does protect your hair from UV rays and its not like some of those products that leave your hair really oily  and gross. It also prevents dryness and it works to rehydrate your hair, leaving it shiny but not oily which is definitely a plus. It also adds a bit of volume, I'm not sure that this is the real purpose of the spray but I've definitely found that it adds a bit of volume to your hair so that it's not completely flat. I think you can get it from a chemist like Priceline or Boots or something.

I'm actually not sure where I got mine from but I do get my hair done at Toni & Guy so I probably bought it from there but it's not too expensive and it's definitely profitable and beneficial. I would highly recommend this product.

Moroccan Oil: I use Moroccan Oil a lot and have been using it for a while as I used to have very, very long hair and it needed the treatment, and even after I cut it, I still use it. Moroccan Oil is a legend. I'm sure most beauty bloggers would agree with me when I say that it repairs, strengthens and nourishes your hair. It smells wonderful and the bottle is filled with vitamins and naturalism that makes your hair just beam with sunshine. I love this stuff because it eliminates knots and tangles in my hair and it makes it very smooth and manageable, as well as making it shiny and looking very healthy indeed. It absorbs very quickly and it also works very well as a heat protector if you straighten, curl and/or blow-dry your hair. I would highly, highly, highly recommend it. I cannot stress how amazing this product is. It is oil, but don't get sceptical about this as it doesn't leave your hair oily (unless you use a really large amount...which I wouldn't recommend) I had a product of the year, Moroccan Oil is definitely top of the list. I use Moroccan Oil Treatment in 100ml. That's just a link to the website but I'm sure if you go into a chemist or a certified hair salon, they'd have it there.

The price for the 100ml one is quite expensive as seen on several websites I've been on to check it out. It can cost up to just a few cents under AUD$50 which is quite expensive, but having said that, it is a treatment and it is a very good quality one at that, and it also lasts quite a while. Another small negative of this is that it comes in a glass bottle, which, as silly as this sounds, can actually break so just be careful, I know it sounds stupid, but it would not be pleasant if you dropped it, glass went everywhere and you cut yourself so please be careful and shop for the best price.

Body Butter: As many people know, I am OBSESSED with The Body Shop. I absolutely adore it because it's healthy, it's very natural and organic, it smells wonderful and its also against animal testing, which for me, is definitely a big tick because I love animals of all types. So, I change Body Butters when they run out and before I got the one I'm using now, I've been using a Cherry Blossom Body Butter but this month, I've decided to do something a bit different. I've been using (and loving) the Strawberry Body Butter and I've found its absolutely wonderful. It's creamy, it's moisturising, it's hydrating and it leaves your skin feeling wonderful, not to mention smelling like heaven. Like all body butters, it aims to prevent dryness and enhance hydration and leaves your skin feeling very smooth. I'd recommend using this once a day just after you shower or have a bath. I love this body butter.

I got mine from The Body Shop (like the actual boutique at a mall) but you can also purchase it online from the website and now (with all the worlds new technology gizmos), you can purchase this product over the phone, would you believe? I have the 200ml one and it is a bit expensive at AUD$27 something but I would definitely say it's worth it. You can also buy the 50ml one which is only AUD$10.

Cleanser: My cleanser of the month is another product from The Body Shop and it is  the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser (another looong name). I've been using this particular cleanser for a few months now (not the same one :P different bottles) and I have to say, it's worked wonders to my skin. It's suitable for all skin types and it aims to remove blemishes and impurities off the skin to leave it smooth and clean. Like the Body Butter above, it's very organic and natural so you don't have to worry about chemicals and such on your skin. It's very gentle and doesn't irritate the skin either, and it also works as a make-up remover so it's kind of two in one though I use a separate make-up remover. I use this product once a day in the shower to really just clean out pores and remove dirt and such from them.  For me, the only criticism I have is the smell. I like tea tree but for me it can be quite overpowering and strong and it somewhat makes me sneeze. I'm not allergic to it, it's just the smell that gets to me.

It also pumps out as a foam which I find really useful as its ready to go. Like above, you can buy it from The Body Shop boutiques in a mall or you can also purchase it online or over the telephone for AUD$22.

Moisturiser: I've been using Natio Ageless for a while now and I have to admit to finding this to be one of the best moisturisers I've used. It moisturises and hydrates your skin if used once a day. It also works as a very reliable sun cream, believe it or not, as it contains SPF 30+ which is definitely a positive considering that I live in a country where the sun seems to shine every day and the coast is surrounded by beachy waters. For me, it lasts up to about five-six hours, and it can wash off in the water. I also use this product as a primer for a natural layer underneath make-up as it is lightweight and it isn't oily or greasy. Like most of the products that I seem to buy, it smells wonderful with rose-hip oil, lavender and hints of lemongrass so it's very fresh and very organic like moist of Natio's products and it is suitable for all skin types, including very dry or very oily.

I bought this from a Natio stall in Myer but I'm sure you can just get it from a chemist as well as it's not too high-end but it's not a little crappy sun cream brand. It's very affordable for it's value, and I will definitely be using this again and recommending it to friends.

Dot: One of my firsts posts on this blog was about Marc Jacob's new perfume, Dot. I don't think there has been a day over the month that I've had this in my possession where I haven't worn it out. It is a gorgeously smelling perfume and for those, like me, who are going into warmer Spring-Summer weather, I would recommend trying this out. I'm only going to do a quick summary of this perfume because I've already written a full review a few posts back of which I'll link below.

The perfume is very floral and fresh, full of berries and has a few vanilla tones in it which I love. I just find it the perfect scent for Spring, disregarding the completely adorable ladybird bottle. I don't know where I've read it, but the use of the polka dots symbolises Marc Jacob's love for dots, apparently. Maybe that's why he called it Dot. I got this bottle from Boston so it was before it came out in Australia and I have to admit I've been anticipating this bottle of perfume ever since Fleur posted on her blog about the sample she'd received.

Lucky Lanterns: If you read my blog, you'd also know that I recently bought some flower shaped lanterns from Typo (which is a brand off Cotton On). Even though my friend believes so, this was not an impulse buy. I didn't just go into the shop with my 20 in hand ready to spend, I did the moral thing and looked it up on the internet during class that day to see if I liked it (:D) After seeing some other bloggers with their lights, I felt very out of it so I decided to go and work for some money and buy some pretty lights.

Like the perfume, I'm just going to do a bit of a synopsis of the lights and I'll link the full post below. The lights are very cute as they are shaped like little flowers. I really like them because they are very elegant and sweet, providing an atmosphere of elegance in my bedroom which I really like. If I had to change something about it, like stated in the review, I would change the little green plastic thing that holds the flower's fabric petals together and the little light in place. They were't actually that expensive, AUD$20 which I thought was quite good, but now I see that they are having a sale on the lights so it probably would've been wiser to wait three weeks for the sale, but my impatient self got the better of me.

Anyway, thank you so much for listening to my ramble of my September Monthly Favourites. I don't know when I'll post next so stay tuned for more and I'll see you soon!

XX
Lucy

Links:

Part One

Part Two

Dot Review

Lantern Review

September Monthly Favourites - Fashion Part Two

Hi everybody!

Welcome to part two of my September Monthly Favourites...I don't even know why the "welcome" was necessary haha. Anyway! As some might or might know, I've decided to split up my September Monthly Favourites blog post into three parts because I have so many favourites to share with you and if they were all in one big post, it would be about three or so pages long and it would be tedious and boring. So, instead, I have decided to put it into three different parts and this is part two of my post. I'll put a link below for part one and eventually part three when I get around to writing it up, so let's start!

Dress: I think I would classify myself as a bit of a regular shopper when it comes to Dotti. I don't know if they sell stuff internationally, (which just made a thought pop into my head which I'm extremely excited about! Topshop, ASOS and a few others are opening in Sydney so I'm so excited!!!) Anyway, I went into Dotti, and I can't believe I didn't blog about this because it was probably a very nice shopping spree I went on, and I was looking for a party dress so I asked the assistant and she pulled out this pale green dress with a little petticoat and as I'm writing this, I'm trying to look it up so I can link you to it but I can't find it on the website which is weird because it's a new arrival and I can't find it.

It's green with a kind of lace collar and sleeves and as said before, a silk petticoat that makes it flare quite a bit. When I first saw it, I think I actually said, "This looks like something one of the kids in the Von Trapp family would wear," and the shop assistant kind of looked at me weirdly before insisted I try it on because apparently, it would look nice on me...even though I still think it looks like something out of a Disney cartoon. So, I took her advice and tried it on and it actually looked very nice. It goes to show that first impressions are not always correct and I did end up looking like a combination between the Von Trapp kids, a little English girl from the 40s and Tinkerbell.

So, I stared at it for about ten minutes debating whether or not it would be a good buy as I'd actually intended to buy another sequeny dress that I found on their website and thought would suit the party dress theme that I was attending. I bought it and it cost a lot of money but it was definitely worth it.
The fabric is very easy to wear...I know that's not the best and most appropriate description but its hard to describe. The dress is very elegant and girly, but to spice things up a bit, I ended up wearing the dress with a pair of Doc Martens, would you believe, and I got quite a few compliments at the party.

If I had any little adjustments to it, I would maybe have not made it the pale green that it was because green is not really my preferred colour. I think it would have looked nice in a blue or a pale mauve-ish colour, but not green.

[just quickly adding in, I would have put in a shirt/blouse section but aside from my new school uniform blouse, I haven't actually bought any new shirts over September that I can thoroughly remember]

Pants: As a lot of you know, I bought a pair of Harem pants from Lorna Jane and I actually wrote a review on it four or five days ago so this is just a quick synopsis of the pants. I'll send a link to the review I did on it below.

So, I was walking down at this shopping centre when I was in Melbourne and I saw this women's sports shop and I was quite interested by it so I went inside and saw they were having a SALE! which I was quite excited about. I was browsing casually when one of my friends decided to buy a pair of sports leggings so I went over to her and had a look at some of the pants and found a pair of very nice Harems. I'd never really bought a pair of Harem pants before because I don't really like the style that much, but I tried them on nevertheless and they were absolutely amazing pants. They were very breezy and light so it meant that it would be perfect for my gym exercise in Summer and in Winter as well. I got them for about $50 which for me, was a bit much, but as I say in my review, I don't know the cost per average Harem pair of pants so I don't really know if that's good or bad but in my opinion, they were a bit much.

So, that's part two of my September Monthly Favourites. I hope you enjoy and stay tuned for part three where I'm talking about random things like hair and skin care (which probably should have gone into cosmetics but it was too long) and some other bits and bobs that I've bought in the month of September.

XX
Lucy

Links:
Part One

Part Three

Lorna Jane Harem Pants

September Monthly Favourites - Cosmetics Part One

Hi everybody!

So I'm back home which I'm kind of sad about because I loved being away and going on a holiday with my friends but like always, holidays can't last forever and of course I had to go back to living my regular life and preparing for the end of year exams which I'm starting to stress out a little about even though they are a good six or so weeks away.

Today I thought I'd do a September Monthly Favourites blog because I've found some good stuff this month and I thought I'd just share it with you, even though September was several days ago, I've been a bit late in updating recently so here it is.

Also, I'm going to do this Monthly Favourites tag in three parts (otherwise it will be extremely long and utterly boring) so I'll have one for Cosmetics, one for fashion and another one for anything else, the miscellaneous.

Cosmetics:

Foundation: As some may know, I'm obsessed with Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation. It's a liquid foundation and normally, I don't really go for liquids because I find them irritating to apply and everything but I've read some really good reviews about this product and so I thought I'd try it out. I have to admit, it was a bit of a risk for me to buy it because some reviews were good and some were bad, but when I tried it out, I was pleasantly surprised. I'm using it in the colour True Ivory. I find this foundation really good because it's light and it smooths on really easily. I also love the fact that it's got a bit of a shimmer to it, so come summer, I think it will be perfect to aim for a healthy summerly glow to the skin. It's mild coverage but it's still quite good and you can purchase this from any local chemist or drugstore. The only negative is that the bottle is made of glass...and if anyone is wondering, yes, I have dropped it on the stone floor, and yes, it did smash in half, and yes I did have to go out and buy a new one.

Mascara: Aside from using a high-end (and several years older) product from MAC, I've tried out the new Maybelline Define-A-Lash mascara. I've found this to be quite good, and even though I don't tend to lean towards plastic mascara wands but go for more of the bristle ones, I've found that this mascara does tick most of the boxes that it says it does; lengthening, defining, and elongating. There are two types of this mascara, the waterproof and non-waterproof. I got the non-waterproof because I don't really go swimming that often (as we've just sort of come out of winter and it's still a bit cold for the beach). The only little criticism I have is that it states that it has a "zero-clump effect"...not really for me, I don't know if it's the way that I'm applying it or something, but you do get a few clumps when you apply it. For me, that was kind of a pet peeve because I have a terrible case of perfectionism, but having said that, I would recommend this mascara. Like the foundation, you can purchase this from a chemist pharmacy.

Lip-Gloss: As some people may know, I love red lip glosses and lipsticks but when I'm not in a very exciting mood and want to go for something a little more low-key, I've been trying out a lipgloss from Smashbox. It's one of the first Smashbox products I've used and I have to say that I really like it. They're really beautiful and as well as providing a nice, elegant gloss over the lips, they also enhance the lips quite a bit. I've been using it in the colour Candid and I've found it to be a very simple light pinky colour which I really like. It's a lovely colour and the lip-gloss also has a nice vanilla-ish scent which is also quite nice.

Nail-Polish: I've been testing nail-polishes over the past few days and my favourite nail polish would have to be this product from Rubi which, for those who don't know, is a branch outside of Cotton On. I mentioned Typo in one of my last posts about those pretty little lantern lights which is also a branch off Cotton On. The one I've been using is called Age of Aquarius and there's a link to it above and coincidentally, I'm wearing it right now because it's amazing. For about five years, I've been searching for the perfect blue colour; light aqua blue with a slight shimmer in it, not to pale, not too thin and not too thick and heavy and FINALLY...for my birthday, one of my friends gave me this nail polish and I used it only a week ago for the first time and I'm already obsessed with it! It is the most amazing blue colour and I think it's going to be perfect for spring and especially summer. It's very beachy blue but also with several tones of green. I'm actually quite surprised with the turnout of the nail polish because I've used a polish from Rubi before and to be very honest, I haven't found it to be my favourite so when I found out my friend had given me five nail polishes from there, I was a bit iffy about it but I tried it and I loved it.

Eye Shadow: I got given an eyeshadow from Too Faced this month and I wasn't sure about it because the eyeshadow is practically made of glitter. It's called Glamour Dust in Nude Beam (which is the more golden colour) and for this product, you actually have to go into a department store like Myer where they have a cosmetics level because it's more of a boutique shop. It's not quite high-end stuff but it's not stuff you can purchase from a chemist. Anyway, I'm more of a nude and bronzy type person if I want something more exciting so being given a complete glitter eyeshadow, I was like...I am not going to like this at all. I tried it out for a party (because at parties, you go for the whole shabang) and I admit to liking it for a special occasion. I wouldn't wear it during the day because it's a bit too out there for me, but if you want something a little bit sparkly for a party or something, I would recommend it. The only thing is that because it's glitter, I would put like a primer or something on first so that it sticks to your eyelid properly otherwise, it falls off.

So, that's part one of my September Monthly Favourites. I hope you enjoyed what cosmetics products I've been using over the lovely spring month of September. Stay tuned for my fashion and miscellaneous blog post afterwards!

Xx
Lucy

Monday 1 October 2012

Flying Home & Trainee Waiters

Time for the lovely holiday to end. It's been such a wonderful time here in Melbourne and I just don't want it to end, but eventually it has to and I'll be on the plane back home to resume my regular life.

I don't know when I last posted, I think it was a couple of days ago, but a lot has happened in the past few days of which I'd been absent. I'll start at today. By the way, this post is going to be a little blog of my life right now (completely un-fashion/cosmetics related, but still fun).

So, we went to a restaurant out in the middle of a valley and it was absolutely magnificent because the rain had decided to hold off for a few hours whilst we ate which is definitely a break. As you know, it has rained at least once every day over the week I've been away for which, for me, is quite nice but for my brother, it's complete murder. Anyway, continuing with the story.

Before we went to this restaurant, I actually went to the gym today. I don't know how I gained the motivation, but this morning I woke up and was like...I'm going to the gym! YAY! And I wore my new Lorna Jane Harem pants which was so exciting and I felt like quite the gym-junkie. I also wore my Peter Alexander penguin jumper and the free sweat band that I got from Lorna Jane for free...not quite the fashion statement but I felt very motivated all of a sudden.

I did the elliptical trainer which I am a teeny bit obsessed with. Once I can afford it, I shall buy one and stick it in front of my TV so that I can watch what I want whilst training instead of watching either the news or some five year old's cartoon programme (which I hasten to add, I was watching because I got bored of my music and it's very interesting to see how cartoons and such have evolved over time). I then did some work on the old classic treadmill for a while until I felt myself feeling quite ill of which I then sat down and chilled out for a bit while my brother finished his work on the bikes.

So, that was my morning and then I came back and we went out to this very nice restaurant without a booking and I was so excited because they make the best steak ever there and I don't normally eat red meat but it's actually so nice. We walked into the restaurant without our booking and asked for a table and he was like..."We are full...sorry." and I felt the rejection and the apprehensiveness of the wonderful meat leaving me desolate.

Instead we went to this other restaurant nearby and it was probably the worst service I'd ever had in my life. I ordered gnocchi with potato and pumpkin; the dish that came out was pumpkin with a side dish of gnocchi and no potato at all. So much for that...but it gets worse...A friend of mine also ordered the same dish and never received hers in the end so we went up to the waiter and we were like..."hey, where's our dish?" and he responded with something like, "we're out of gnocchi, sorry,". I think we had a trainee waiting on us because he kept making stupid little mistakes and dropping things. It was not a very pleasant meal, nor service but the location was absolutely magnificent. We were in a chateau...and one would think that being in a chateau, the service would be as lovely as the location, but no.

So that's really how my day went today and tomorrow I have to be up early to sneak in another gym session and then head off back to the airport where I leave and fly back home to my troubling-anxious-divorcing-parents-crazy-ugly-depression life.

X
Lucy de Rouge