november favourites 2017

I haven’t posted for a little while, but I’m back again now with my favourite things from november. Obviously, my number one fav from this month was andy and I’s little New Zealand trip, but I’ll share more of that once my film gets developed. But for now, I’ll start off with the best beauty goodies from the past month.

I’ve been trying to get my hands on the Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer for the longest time, but they’ve always been sold out in my shade (the lightest one). I finally snatched one up though at the end of october and I’ve used it every single day since then. I completely understand the hype around this concealer; it’s got really good coverage, blends into the skin beautifully, and has a wonderful finish that is just really smooth looking.

I am super pale, and sometimes I can have a hard time finding concealers that are actually light enough for my skin. I’ve got the shade Chantilly and it’s perfect for me. I use a little elf flat shadow packer brush to apply it from the little jar (my fingernails are too long and it’s just a hot mess if I don’t use a brush), and then blend it out with my beauty sponge. I hope I’m not speaking too soon but I think I’ve found my holy grail concealer.

The other makeup product I’ve been reaching for non-stop is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure. This is one of my all-time favourite makeup bits. Hourglass powders as a general rule are all gorgeous, but this blush is my number one of all of them. It’s such a beautiful, natural mauve shade. Like all their powders, it’s so finely milled that it just blends and sits on the skin so nicely, and never looks cakey in the slightest. If I could only keep one of my blushes for some reason, this would be the one.

Lately, my skin hasn’t felt or looked it’s best, so I thought I’d try a couple of new bits from La Roche Posay and see if they’d help. I thought La Roche Posay would be a really good brand to try when my skin was acting up because their products seem very straightforward, get the job done sort of products.

This month the two products that I think have actually made a difference in my skin are both from the Effaclar range and are; the Purifying Foaming Gel and the Unclogging Purifying Sebo-Controlling Mask. They’re both made for oily sensitive skin, so they’re really gentle but still work very well on my skin. I’ve been using the face wash pretty much daily after I’ve taken off my makeup, and then the mask I’ve been using about 2-3 times a week.

Lastly, before I get on to my two fashion favourites, I want to talk about the Jo Malone fragrance that I spoke about in my what I bought in New Zealand post. This cost me a fortune. I’ve never spent close to this much on a perfume before, but honestly, in my eyes, this is worth every cent. It’s the Jo Malone Oud & Bergamot Cologne Intense and it is gorgeous. I’m shit at describing scents but I feel like it’s deep and kind of masculine, but also sexy at the same time. It also lasts amazingly on the skin, which is absolutely what you want when you’ve spent a crazy amount on your perfume.

My first fashion favourite this month is a pair of swimmers I bought closer to the start of the month and took over to NZ with me. They are the most amazingly me swimmers I’ve ever seen or owned. They’re an electric blue velvet one piece with a super low back. I saw them months ago but held back from buying them because it was still way to cold to think about going swimming, but I finally got them and I’m so glad I did.

Velvet is my thing. I love velvet so much and I own so many different pieces of clothing made from velvet, so of course when I saw swimmers I had to buy them. I’m not really a bikini kind of girl, I love one pieces so much more, especially when the back is super low. I think they’re so understatedly sexy, and I always feel much more confident in pieces like this than in a bikini. I’m obsessed.

Swimsuit: Blue Ruby by Bras N Things / Jeans: Rollas / Belt: Sportsgirl

And lucky last is the bag that I’ve used more than any other one this month. This bag is from Decjuba, but it is obviously a massive rip off of the Loewe puzzle bag, which I would love to own but I’m 19 and work in retail so it’s definitely out of my price range for handbags at this point in time. Anyhow, I used this bag as my carry on, and it was the only bag I took overseas with me. It fits quite a bit more than you would think in it too. I carried my SLR camera, a book, wallet, passport, disposable cameras, plus all my random beauty products and I was impressed that it hold all of that.

It’s just a safe bet too, I feel like it’s one of those bags that you can put with any outfit and it’ll look great but also hold all the goodies you need. It’s starting to wear out a bit, but considering it’s a $70 bag and I use it majority of days out of the week, I’m really not too fussed.

Jumpsuit: Kmart / Jacket: Absent (mens) / Shoes: Nude Footwear / Bag:  Decjuba

tattoos I got & things I bought in new zealand

I just got back from my little trip to New Zealand yesterday, and I’m already sad to be back. It’s so beautiful over there, so I’m completely not ready to accept it’s over, or to get back into my daily routine and work. I have so many photos and I took two disposable cameras with me, so once they’ve been developed I really want to do a massive post including all of them. For now however, I thought I’d share just some of the things I spent my money on while I was there.

In all honesty I thought I’d bought so much stuff, but once I’d unpacked everything I realised the vast majority of what I bought were gifts for other people. I tried to be pretty practical with what I bought, and I was much more so than I first thought. But the most exciting things I got were two new tattoos.

Before I talk about the tattoos though, I wanna talk about the material things I bought. Firstly, these boots are everything. I’ve been after a pair of boots similar to this for ages, but while I’ve found ones I’ve liked, none have really caught me like these ones from Nude did.

These boots have so many details that I’ve wanted in a boot; the pointed toe, the pull tab, the elasticated sides. To top it all off they have the croc-effect on the back, and I always love a bit of croc-effect. They’re also real leather which is a bonus. The basic design elements are super reminiscent of the Acne Jensen boots I think.

Usually, when I’ve been looking at boots I definitely have swayed toward black styles, but I’m actually kind of glad these only came in tan leather. I think because of the colour they’ll be that pair of boots I’ll get to wear all year-round, whereas I feel like black boots can look and just make an outfit feel so heavy over the summer.

Dress: Re-made by Cream / Boots: Nude Footwear

The only other wearable thing I bought myself was this super sweet midi dress from Glassons. Honestly, when Andy asked if I wanted to have a look I really wasn’t convinced I’d see anything I liked but I was still curious so we went in. Really there wasn’t that much in there that interested me, the overall look the brand is going for just isn’t my style. But this dress got my attention straight away and I fell even more in love with it when I tried it on.

I’m really into wearing red at the moment (who isn’t), and I’ve been after a midi dress that looked slightly flattering on, so this really killed two birds with one stone for me.

The little slit up the front under the buttons is a detail I love, as well as the cut-out/tie-up front. I wouldn’t say this dress is sexy at all really, but I still think it’s flattering and shows enough skin to make it less grandma like.

Dress: Glassons / Shoes: Decjuba

I bought myself a few little things that I don’t really think would mesh with this kind of ‘haul’, but there’s one last thing I wanted to share. I finally took the plunge and spent a small fortune on a Jo Malone fragrance. I’m not really a huge perfume person, I’m pretty selective and I only own a couple. Jo Malone colognes are something I’ve lusted over for a while now but just had not been willing to part with that amount of money on a fragrance.

In the end, I splurged even more and got one from the cologne intense range. Although this range is almost double the price of the regular range of colognes, the scent I got is so amazing, I don’t regret the amount of money I spent on it. Oud & Bergamot is so sexy and deep, slightly masculine, and is probably my perfect fragrance.

The best thing I spent my money on though is absolutely my tattoos. Andy found Holy Skin Tattoo Wanaka on instagram and luckily for us they had time to fit us in while we were there. Nathan, who tattooed both of us, was so nice and such a great artist. If anyone reading this goes to Wanaka and wants to get inked, Holy Skin Tattoo has my stamp of approval. As for the pain, neither spot that I had done was that bad at all. Obviously they hurt a bit, it’s a needle going into your skin, but in the places I got them it was completely bearable.

The first tattoo he did on me was a snake on the back of my left arm just above my elbow. I’ve wanted a snake tattoo for ages now, and I’m so happy to have finally had it done. I showed him a picture of a snake tattoo I liked and he drew me up a design and I loved it, so that’s the one I got done.

The other one is a small quote that I really love. I get that quote tattoos are something people either like or don’t, and for me, I’m pretty selective about what ones I do like. Mine says “no rain no roses” in all capitals and a pretty blocky but simple font. This one’s also on my left arm, but on the front just below the inside of my elbow. I love both of my tattoos, I love the way the look with my other tattoos, and they both have special little meanings to me.

 

 

dressing down

One of my favourite things to do with clothing, especially in summer, is dress it down. I love taking pieces that are really meant to be worn for evenings, or semi-nice occasions, and bringing them down to a super casual level. The easiest way to do this, in my opinion, is just pairing dresses with trainers instead of something nicer.

This dress I bought to wear out on my 19th birthday, which I did and I loved it, but I haven’t worn it at all since. I think that mostly comes down to feeling like it was a dress that I would only wear if I was going out. To me, it just didn’t feel so much like a casual dress.

I feel like maybe a lot of that could come down to the fact that it’s velvet, and while I’m absolutely in love with velvet everything, sometimes it doesn’t feel just any random day is an occasion to wear a full velvet dress. My shoes as well are one of those things that I really love and don’t regret buying, but I just find that I don’t wear that much.

The shoes really do have a lot going on, and that’s one of the reasons I bought them in the first place. Firstly, I think stan smiths are such a good shoe anyway, so when I saw they had this limited edition that had both spots all over and velcro I couldn’t help myself. I just wish I wore them more, and especially with outfits other than jeans and a t-shirt.

Dress: Reverse / Shoes: Adidas / Sunnies: Le Specs

I like this outfit even more than the last one. The dress is pretty new, I only got it a couple of weeks ago, but still, it’s something I’ve only worn once so far. I’m honestly in love with this dress though. I think that the style and fit of it is just perfect, and I want it in a million different colours and patterns.

Last summer I was super obsessed with slip dresses, and styles like it, but this year I’m definitely getting into styles that are much more fitted and I think they’re really flattering. The colours on this dress suit me well (in my humble opinion), and I think plaid and checkering is something that’s always going to look cool.

I paired it with my regular stan smiths in the white and green colourway. I bought these probably about 2 years ago when everyone had either a pair of these or superstars, and I am so glad that the past me decided to get these over a pair of superstars. They’re super comfy, and you can wear them with pretty much anything.

I think the major thing that turned me off wearing them for a while was that they just wouldn’t wear out. I really like my shoes, especially trainers, to look a bit worn out, and the fact that this pair stayed so stark white for so long definitely wasn’t something I was in to. But I’ve kind of got over it, and they have worn out a bit since I first got them, but I guess the fact it’s been something hard to achieve is a testament to how well they wear.

Dress: Beyond Her / Shoes: Adidas / Sunnies: Vintage

And last but definitely not least, is my new favourite outfit. I can not wait to wear this all through summer. The dress I only bought yesterday, which is when I shot these photos, and I’m already obsessed. It’s from Bardot, which is somewhere I honestly never shop, so I was surprised when I saw it and decided I had to have it.

In my eyes, I think it’s very reminiscent of certain Realisation Par dresses, which is probably part of the reason I was so attracted to it in the first place. I love all the detail. The frilly straps are so cute, and the little dots (I feel like the name of them has something to do with dobby, but I don’t know for sure so I won’t commit to that) add a bit of texture. Plus it’s a gorgeous bright red.

And of course, I couldn’t not include an outfit in this post that had my checkered vans in it. I love these shoes so very much. They could be worn with almost any dress, and just take it down a level and make it such a cool outfit. I feel like I’ve gone on quite a bit already in previous posts about these shoes but it’s so hard to stop myself from talking about them.

I think they’re one of those classic pairs of shoes, that even if they aren’t in style anymore, I’ll still love and wear to death. But I also think they’re one of those items that if they happen to go out of style, eventually they’ll come back in again.

Dress: Bardot / Shoes: Vans / Sunnies: Rubi Shoes

P.S. I’m going to New Zealand tomorrow and I doubt I’ll post anything until I get back, so bear with me because I’m sure I’ll have lots of lovely pics to share on here.

The weather in Canberra has been really all over the place this past week, some days have been nice, but others have had me bringing out my knits and jackets. This weather has had me working out ways to style my winter pieces and incorporate them into outfits which aren’t so wintery.

One of my favourite things that I bought over winter was a blazer by Jaeger, which I was lucky enough to find in an op shop for $15 which is just insane. It’s in perfect condition from what I can see, it’s gorgeous quality, warm and it just looks amazing. I wanted to use this one piece and style it up a few different ways for this transitional period, and also show how versatile something like a checkered blazer or coat could be in your wardrobe.

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The first look I did would be something I’d wear if I was going out to somewhere nice on a slightly chilly night. I layered a plain, tight, black turtleneck top underneath my dress, which had a lowish v neck and just singlet straps. I love layering long sleeves and turtlenecks under summer pieces to make them more appropriate for colder nights.

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I love the way that a longline blazer looks with short dresses too. I think it’s sexy but in an understated way. Covering my top half up like I have also really makes my legs stand out.

I went for some simple black sock boots to finish the outfit off. I love how flattering this style is where it just hugs the ankle, and I think I prefer a pointed toe on most styles of boots, but definitely on sock boots.

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Top:  Kmart – Dress: Neon Rose – Boots: Rubi Shoes – Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

The next look I did I would also say is definitely more of an evening/going to an event kind of look. It’s much lighter and not as wintery as the previous one though.

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Honestly, just things as simple as swapping out a black dress for a lighter colour can completely change the feel and overall look of an outfit. It makes it just seem so much more like a spring outfit, but you’ve still got the little warmth from the blazer when you need it.

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If you want to elongate your legs, then you need a pair of heels in the same sort of two strap style as the ones I’m wearing. They don’t cut off your legs at all, they’re just the most flattering heel in my opinion. In my eyes, these are the most classic style in heels you can buy.

My heels are a blue-grey velvet, which I think matches so well with the red tones in the blazer. The heel height on this pair is really good, the block heel on them is high enough for the shoe to look nice, but not so high that they’re difficult to walk in.

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Dress: Things We Lost – Shoes: Sportsgirl

The other two looks are much more casual looks, the kind of outfits I’d just wear throughout the day. This first one would definitely be for a bit of a colder day.

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I really like how these black pants with the pinstripe style stripes down them look next to the checks, it’s a really subtle clash. Pretty much whenever I wear pants with this kind of straight leg fit, I like to pair them with a smaller top to balance out my figure a bit more. The singlet I’m wearing here is one of my favourites because of its slightly cowled neckline, and the fact that it comes up a bit cropped.

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I think this outfit definitely radiates some pretty masculine vibes, with the straight cut pants and boxy blazer, but I kind of love it. I think that the little singlet that I’ve got on with it makes it a touch more feminine, but overall it’s a pretty androgynous look.

I think that loafers in that kind of gucci esque style are a pretty feminine shoe, so that’s another little hint of girlyness in there, but I also just love this style of shoe because I really feel like it goes with everything and looks so effortless but very classic.

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Top: Things We Lost – Pants: Vintage – Shoes: Decjuba – Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

And finally, a little spring outfit for nice and easy days with cold afternoons. I really love the way that a longline blazer looks with a skirt or shorts underneath, especially when the length of both hit a pretty similar point on the leg.

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There’s some more pattern clashing in this outfit too, except I wouldn’t say it’s as subtle as in the last one. I think the reason that this animal print next to the checkered blazer can actually work without looking insane, is because the colour of the top is so neutral and matches the same neutral tones in the blazer. So that’s my big tip for if you want to do a bit of a pattern clash but you still want your outfit to be simple and wearable, use patterns with pretty neutral tones throughout them.

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Finding shorts that are the right fit for me can prove to be very difficult, especially because my legs are so long that something that doesn’t seem that short on someone with more average length legs, will look so tiny on me. These are one of the only few pairs of shorts I have and I would say they’re for sure my favourites. The length is perfect, and I love the slightly big, but not super unflattering, fit.

I honestly sometimes forget that I own these slides because they kind of got pushed aside for my Birkenstocks over last summer, but I’m going to make a conscious effort to wear them more this year because I love how they look.

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My little bag is one of those mini backpacks where you can change the straps to make it a cross body bag, and I think the style of these kinds of bags is so adorable. I would say they’re definitely a more spring/summer bag as opposed to a winter piece, so I’m keen to bring this one out more over the next couple of months.

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Top: Kmart – Shorts: Things We Lost – Shoes: Shu Bar – Bag: Kenneth Cole –                      Belt: Warehouse

Thursday 2nd Nov:

I thought I’d try a slightly different sort of layout for these types of posts, so I’m going to try do them day by day instead of kind of just throwing it together at once. Anyway, I’m sure my blog will keep changing writing and layout styles for a while, while I try and find my favourite way to write and post things.

Anyway, tonight I went out with my family for my dads birthday. We went to The Duxton in Turner, which is like a nice-casual kind of vibe, so that’s the sort of look I went for.

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One of my favourite bloggers, Lizzy from shotfromthestreet, posted a photo on instagram the other day of her wearing a tiny little tight top paired with some very oversized jeans, so this look was pretty much inspired by that. My jeans definitely aren’t as wide and big fitting as the ones that Lizzy was wearing in her photo wear, but they’re still that kinda slim-but a little bit baggy look.

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I really like the back of this top, I think it’s really cute. Because of the cutouts on the back though you can’t wear a bra with it but for me that’s not really a problem.

I also got some new shoes from kmart (which in my opinion do not look at all like they’re from kmart), so I wanted to wear something that wouldn’t take away from them, and also not look like too much when paired together. I just chucked on my Rebecca Minkoff bag too, because it’s so easy and it looks good with honestly anything.

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Top: Monki – Jeans: Wrangler (the style is Drew) – Shoes: Kmart – Belt: Warehouse

Saturday 4th Nov:

Today all I did was go out to do some shopping and get milkshakes, and the weather was pretty nice around lunchtime and into the afternoon. I just went super casual and comfy, but I’ve been feeling more inspired and excited about what I want to wear and how I want to wear it, so I made it a little bit more interesting and fun.

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I felt like adding a bit of colour today, and I hadn’t worn this singlet yet so I pulled it out and just wore it with these white pants which I’ve been loving lately. I feel like for me personally, as someone who really is not a fan at all of the skinny white jean trend, if you’re gonna do a white pant, it’s gotta be a straight or wide leg.

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What I will say about these pants though, is that they’re pretty see-through, and the popper button closure at the top is really bad and just pops open sometimes. Other than that I think they fit really well and are very flattering, and they’re a super easy alternative to jeans.

For my shoes, I wore my very Miu Miu esque Wittner flats, which I also love but don’t wear as often because I feel like sometimes they can look a bit too extra with some outfits. And of course, my Rebecca Minkoff bag to finish it all off.

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Top: Cotton On – Pants: JOA Los Angeles – Shoes: Wittner – Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Sunday 5th Nov:

The weather was definitely not as warm today as it has been lately, so I rugged up just a little bit more than usual. Today me and Andy went out for some lunch at Sweet Bones in Braddon ( I say lunch but I just had a cinnamon scroll because theirs are literally to die for), and then went to see the Hyper Real exhibition at NGA which was so amazing.

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Only the top half of me looks appropriately dressed, but for some strange reason, my legs don’t seem to feel the cold as much as my arms do. Anyway, the jacket isn’t mine sadly, it’s my friends, but it’s perfect for weather like this when it’s kind of in-between being warm and a bit chilly because it’s not lined.

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Whenever it gets a bit on the colder side, or I want to make the outfit I’m wearing look super casual, I bring out my Docs. They are so beaten up, but I think that just makes me love them even more. They’re the comfiest, most durable shoes, and I don’t think I could ever bring myself to part with them.

 

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This jumper I bought recently, and whenever it’s been cold enough to need a jumper it’s been my go-to. It’s so cute, and so easy to style because obviously, it’s just neutral colours so it goes with whatever. I also love the added bit of tan in there, because I think if it was just black and white it could be a bit stark.

And for the last outfit of this week, I’ve switched out the Rebecca Minkoff bag for my little Fendi rip off I spoke about in my october favourites.

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Jumper: Gordon Smith – Skirt: Levis – Shoes: Dr Martens – Belt: Warehouse