Tuesday, February 26, 2013

My Week in Pictures #24

MAN. It was a BIG week last week. Which, hopefully, will explain why I hardly got any posts up. There just isn't enough hours in the day!

On Monday night I met up with some of the other girls in the Sydney blogging community! K from Teacup Grunge helped with the organising, and we got everyone to meet up at Din Tai Fung at World Square for dumplings. Can I just mention here...BEST DUMPLINGS EVAH.


 
 
L-R:
Laura, from White Winters, Rachel from the The Autumn Castle, me (obv!), Kirryn and Oishee from Rioters Bloc

Unfortunately, the quality of this photo isn't that great. That's what happens when you ask randoms on the street to take a photo with a camera too complicated for them. Anyway, it was really great meeting most of the girls for the first time after stalking their blogs for the last 2 years. Like Laura mentioned on her blog, it really did feel more like old friends having dinner rather than a meet up for the first time. 

 
On Tuesday I got a much-needed haircut, and on Wednesday my bestie took me to Blink 182 for my 21st. Life made. 


 

Our microwave broke, so we bought a new one. Rommy is having a great time playing in the gigantic box, and I cooked my first fishy! 

On Sunday we headed out to Sydney Olympic Park for Soundwave, so here are some snaps from the day:

 
Feeling pretty excited. 


This was a bit of a pain, but MSI got to play:

 
The vandals were effing crazy, 

Flogging Molly had to play an acoustic set on instruments that weren't theirs due to the flooding and missing trucks. Unfortunately, Garbage didn't get to play. 


Hanging out. After a trip to First Aid (goddamn you lungs!), and convincing the first aid people that I did not need to go to the hospital, we took it easy listening to APC. Then we hung around for a bit waiting for Blink to start their set. 

List of all the bands we saw: Mindless Self Indulgence, The Vandals, Flogging Molly, SUM 41, Cypress Hill (J saw some of their set while I was in first aid), A Perfect Circle, Blink 182, Offspring. 

What's your best festival memory? It seems like every year I go to SW something gets messed up! 

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

50 Facts About Me!

1. I am quite tall at 5'9.5"

2. I am an absolute metal-head and music is such a massive part of my life. I'm not a purist however, and do branch out into other genres (does punk and ska count as "branching out"?, ha ha)

3. This year is my penultimate year of law school. I am beyond excited to get my degree and be a real lawyer. And have real money.

4. I am a full blown stationery addict. I have piles of unused notebooks, and drawers (plural!) filled with pens and highlighters and post-it notes.

5. I even work for a stationery company.

6. In November, I got my first job in retail and I love it more than I thought I would. After 3 months, I was promoted and I love it more than I did before!

7. I am a twitter addict. Follow me @michaelaarghh.

8. I also really enjoy watching QandA on Monday nights (political talk-show kind of program) and I have had my tweets published 3 times :D

9. Two of those three times were centred around the ol' Christianity vs Atheism debate.

10. I do not have a facebook. I deactivated mine over a year and a half ago now. Read all about that here. I have not felt any desire whatsoever to go back to it.

11.I prefer to get up earlier in the morning so I'm not stressed and rushed than sleeping in.

12. I am very much a bookworm, and have been since I was a young child. I would literally carry a book wherever I went. Yes, I was that child

13. I'm running out of "interesting" things to give you facts about.

14. I met my boyfriend at a Soundwave festival in 2009. A couple of months later, I ran into him again at a Mindless Self Indulgence concert and loaded my number into his phone. He is the love of my life.

15. I'm the youngest out of my friendship group, and have been for as long as I can remember.

16. I started school early, and am a year younger than most peeps in my cohort.

17. I am not a natural blonde.

18. I have 10 piercings, and there's a couple more that I really want.

19. I prefer having shorter hair than long hair.

20. I have a little kitten, Romulus. I got him for my birthday last year from my mum. He's almost a year old though, so won't be a kitten for much longer.

21. I check out girls more than I check out guys. Not in a sexual way. Just in a "hey you look really nice today" kinda way.

22. I made it one of my goals for 2013 to compliment others more often. Who doesn't love a compliment from a total stranger, right?

23. I played guitar for 8 years and absolutely loved it. I haven't picked it up much in the last 2 years though. Everyday this makes me sad, but I'm scared that I'll pick it up and won't be able to play anything. Not knowing is better.

24. I studied Mandarin Chinese for 2 years, as my minor in my Arts degree. I absolutely loved it, and will probably go back to studying it at TAFE once I have my degree. I would love to be fluent.

25. My major in my Arts degree is politics.

26. I really struggled with depression and anxiety in high school. I had a shockingly low self-esteem and was pretty full of self-loathing to the point I made myself very sick, and hurt myself a lot.

27. Today I'm all about self-love and self-respect. Which is hard, but it's a much better way to live.

28. I am a pole dancer. Pole has helped me a lot in my quest for self-love. I love feeling strong and capable of anything.

30. I didn't know what to expect when I started blogging, but 2 and a 1/2 years later and it's a major part of my life and who I am.

31. I was born on the 24th day of the 7th month. 24/7.

32. I love tea and coffee. Day cannot start without coffee. Tea is pretty mandatory for most days.

33. I have been a football (soccer) referee since I was 16 and I LOVE it. I referee all ages (including men) and most state-levels of competition. I would absolutely love to make it to national accreditation.

34. I have IBS. My doctor reckons I have some missing enzymes in my gut, which makes it really difficult for me to digest things like wheat, starch and gluten and sometimes lactose. I have to take tablets to make this better. But generally I try to avoid these foods because they hurt me and cause discomfort. Not as serious as celiacs, but not fun either.

35.I prefer winter over summer. Not very Australian of me, I know.

36. I am the eldest of three.

37. I rarely read one book at a time and usually have at least 2 or 3 going at once.

38. I don't think I can pick a favourite movie. I would list movies I really enjoy but I fear I would forget something and that would be unfair.

39. I have a few favourite TV shows though; Law and Order: SVU, Gilmore Girls, Modern Family, Boston Legal, Scrubs, Weeds, Dexter.

40. I'm not a genre purist. I will watch pretty much anything and enjoy it.

41. I love holidays because I stop neglecting my PS3. At the moment I'm playing Hitman Absolution, and DMC. I'm enjoying both of them.

42. Favourites make for pretty easy facts.

43. I have only ever been overseas once. I'm itching to travel more.

44. My child nickname is 'Moo'. As such, I collect cow-related items. Thanks, mum and dad.

45. My boyfriend is being very unhelpful in suggesting interesting facts. Here's one he has given me: "The first letter in my name is M. The second letter, is I."

46. My favourite colour is red.

47. My all-time favourite band is Metallica.

48. I dream of winning powerball one day. Makes it a bit hard to win it though when I've never played it in my life.

49. I'm turning 21 this year.

50. I'm only capable of generating 49 facts.

Give me an interesting fact about yourself! If you've done this before, link your post in the comments below!


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Friday, February 22, 2013

Eye of the Night - Blink 182


On Wednesday night, my bestie took me to Blink 182 as an early 21st present - I cannot even put into words how excited I was for this event. This was the culmination of my entire childhood, my teenage years, my entire life basically.

Anyway. I'll talk more about this in another post. I decided to go with a dark smokey eye for the event. Dramatic eyes, for a dramatic night. I used colours exclusively from the Naked palette (man has that palette been getting some lovin' from me lately!)

Check it out below:



 
DRAMA!

Get the Look:

Main eyeshadow colour: Hustle
Crease / Outer Corner: Creep
Lower lash line: Creep
Blended out with: Buck
Highlight: Virgin. 
Lashes: Blync - Fabulously Fashionable


What are your favourite colours for creating a dramatic eye? Or do you prefer to stick to neutrals?

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Monday, February 18, 2013

I see you shining down on me...




It may not look like much but that white dot NE of the moon in the above photo is Jupiter! 

Science is so cool. 

Did you get to see Jupiter tonight? 

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

Nails of the Week - V DAY NAILS


Bokeh background image taken from here
Happy V-Day guys! Although I don't normally 'celebrate' Valentines Day with J, I thought it would be cute to get into the spirit anyway. I'm working all day today, and we're allowed to dress up in red and pink; so I painted my nails to match!



Silver french-tipped red manicure! When I showed J this one he remarked 'oh wow! It looks like your nails are dipped in silver!' oh boys...haha!

I used three colours for this one; a red for the base, a silver for the french tips and a silver shimmer top coat for the accent nail - again, just to add a bit of bling bling.
For the french tips, I cut out the curved shape from pieces of masking tape and used that as a stencil. It worked really well because masking tape is the Goldilocks of sticky tape; not too sticky, but sticky enough that it won't move during the painting process...just right!





Colours I used:
- Australis Nail Glitter Top Coat in Shimmy Shake
- Rimmel Lycra Pro in 319 Ruby Me (kind of an orange based red)
- Revlon Top Speed in 860 Metallic. 

Do you wear french tip nails often? What are your tips for getting that perfect semi-circle?


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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Wordless Wednesday



Rommy says 'Oh heyyy there!"


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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Review and Swatches: Inglot Blush Palette

I've been talking about this palette a lot lately - mentioning it in both the "6 products I could not live without" and my "January Favourites" posts. Considering I chose these shades online without trying them out in person, I think I did really well. Normally priced at AUD$16, I got them on sale for $12.80 each. 

48-68-30-37

Here's a closer look at the colours I got, with each number. It's quite annoying that Inglot uses numbers instead of names (although I can imagine it would be easier for them). It's difficult to remember numbers, and the blush pans don't come out of the palette as easy as the eyeshadow pans do. The first three blushes are all matte, with 37 being a shimmer colour. 

48-68-30-37
Swatches with flash off. 
48-68-30-37
Swatches with flash on. 

I absolutely adore the first three colours - 
I think 48 (far left) is perfect for that rosey "just went running in the cold" flush - I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of this one in winter. 

68 is a really beautiful, slightly coral colour, and one I've been getting a lot of use out of lately. I feel like this is a colour that would suit most skin tones (surprisingly - I've never seen myself as a coral kinda gal)

30 is a matte peach colour - I haven't had that much wear out of this one yet. 

37 - The SHIMMER! I was really overwhelmed when this one arrived in my mailbox - I didn't even realise it was a shimmer when I bought it. As you can see in the above swatches though, the shimmer is not that crazy on the skin, and I actually really like it. I first thought I'd use this one mostly as a highlighter, which is what I've done so far - but I think I'd be game enough to wear it on my cheeks. 

As far as pigmentation goes - watch out cheeks! These blushes are incredibly pigmented, and a little really goes a long way. I apply with my Real Techniques stippling brush, making sure to pat off the excess product. If I've applied too much, I normally blend out the colour with some setting powder and my Real Techniques powder brush.


I really think Inglot have hit the nail on the head as far as packaging in their freedom system goes - the palettes are incredibly sturdy, lightweight, with a top that allows you to see what's in the palette. The lid snaps on with strong magnets, which also comes in handy if you have more than the one palette. As you can see in the above photo, the palettes can be stacked up together - perfect for travelling and saving space. 

Single blushes from Inglot retail for AUD$22-$28 for 2.5g. 
These blushes are $16 for 7g; kind of amazing value. The palette retails for AUD$20, or if you have a z palette (or similar) you could just use that. 

Have you tried Inglot blush before? What's your best blush tip?



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My Week in Pictures #23


This week I....

 

...made photo strips out of my instagram photos...

...walked home in the rain....


...Caught up on some reading on the way to work...


....wore my hair in a wrap around braid...

 

...and burned a delicious new candle!

What did you get up to this past week?

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Saturday, February 9, 2013

Guest Post: Organisation Tips - Blogging!

So today I have a special guest post for you - I'm handing the reins over to my good friend Jasmine to talk to you all about organising. This girl is a genius and I really hope her tips below will help you out...or at the very least make you laugh. She's kind of hilarious. 
 
Hey guys! My name is Jasmine and I blog over at Curlicue. When Michaela and I agreed to do a post swap, I was so excited that I finally got share some of my organisation tips.
 
If you're anything like me, real life sometimes squeezes out the time for blogging. Between juggling university, a job, family and friends plus any sports or interests you have, blogging is often last in, first out. Sometimes I actually even feel guilty about not investing enough time in my blog! To help me overcome 'Busy Life, No Time For Blogging' Syndrome (I'm working on that one...) I decided to implement a blog calendar and I wanted to share with you guys how to use one.
 
1. Download a freebie or put together your own. I have my own separate calendar and diary that I use for "real world" things, so for me, it's easiest to have a blogging calendar that lives on my computer. I downloaded the one I currently use from Calendar Labs (the Simple Monthly calendar) but they are easy enough to whip up through Word. Whatever you decide, remember that it has to work for YOU. 
Tip: If you use more than one computer/device to blog, download the app/program 'Dropbox' to all of your devices and leave the calendar sitting in there - ready to access whenever you need it! This program is also great for photos and other word documents.
 
2. Fill out as much as you can as soon as you can. Start each month by filling in the slots that you already know you will use. For example, every Monday I do a round-up post called 'Connecting the Dots' so I've filled every Monday in for the month. I also do a 'Bookworm' post once a month and I've filled that one in too! Filling in the squares you already know you will fill helps to establish a pattern. You already feel more accomplished and on track because visually, you are. What's left to do is fill in the blanks. Try and fill in as many as possible, even if they aren't set in stone. It helps you to get motivated and make blogging a priority.
Tip: Work out how many times a week you want to post and let that be your target. Don't feel pressured into filling every square, unless of course you want to do that. Find what works best for you and then plan according to that number. Any less and you won't feel motivated, any more and you'll feel like it's become a chore.
 
3. Use colour! It is so important to use colour. As a visual learner, I love colour. It's like my best friend when it comes to organising. That, and my diary which I could write a whole separate post on just because it's a cutiebear. The point is, colour helps with your memory and it makes anything more enticing to look at it. Unless you're a die-hard minimalist and you live and breathe white space, throwing a bit of colour into your calendar is a must-do. My Monday series 'Connecting the Dots' are all coloured purple and my 'Bookworm' posts are all blue so that at a glance, I can easily see what I have coming up and plan accordingly.
 
4. Constantly tweak. Remember how I said to fill in as many squares as possible? That's because, if it's on the computer, all you have to do is cut and paste away a post and VOILA! you just tweaked your blogging calendar to fit your life. It's okay to move around certain posts. Maybe you didn't get the materials in time or your best friend broke up with her boyfriend and you could hardly say 'Sorry love but I have to write this really great post thanking Jasmine for all of her help...' The important thing is to re-schedule that post and look at why it didn't go live when you planned. Too much on your plate? Couldn't bring yourself to write the post? Whatever your reason, don't ignore it. One of the perks of blogging calendars is that you can use them to track your own habits and tweak them to perfection. This will help your content become regular and fresh.
 
5. Did you fall off the horse? That's okay, this is an imaginary miniature pony, so it's super easy to get back on and because it's imaginary, it can't even run away and leave you behind! So you fell off the pony huh? Dust yourself off and get back on! We all have those weeks where all motivation to do anything productive just fades into the background and you watch every single episode ever created of Gilmore Girls... Just me? Regardless of what your guilty pleasure is, don't fight it. If you need time off from blogging, take the time off and feel guilt-free. Ride it out (so many horse metaphors!) and come back fresh-faced and happy to be able to share what you know. Look at your calendar as motivation, not a death-sentence.
I hope this helped you guys! If you have any questions, shoot me an email (curlicueblog@hotmail.com) and I'll do my best to help you. But if there are any questions about ponies that laugh maliciously as they gallop off into the sunset, please don't email me. 

Twitter -- Instagram -- Pinterest
 
 
 
Thanks so much to Jasmine for posting on my blog today! I've found this really helpful - I hope you guys can take something from it! Don't forget to check out her blog here for amusing anecdotes, life tips and general awesomeness.
What are your blogging organisation tips?

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Friday, February 8, 2013

Interview Tips Part 1: Hair and Make-Up

This is part 1 in a 3-part series on interview tips! I'm really excited to bring this to you guys, and hope that it'll be able to help some of you out. I've been on quite a few job interviews, and in my experience they're always stressful. 
So today we'll cover part 1 - hair and make-up. 


General Tips:
- The most important thing to remember is that you only do what makes you comfortable. If you don't normally wear make-up you don't have to feel that you must wear it to look presentable. As long as the image you're portraying is clean and professional you'll be fine. 

- Clean and professional is the ultimate goal here. Keep hair out of your face, and remember that this isn't the time to try out bold colours. 

This is how I did my hair and make-up for a job interview about 2 weeks ago (I got the job, YAY!). 
It was an 'informal' interview, so I did wear my hair down with my fringe pinned back. We will cover hair a little later, but just so you know. 

So for the eyes I used:
 
Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bold Gold. Check out my review on this entire collection here. I used this as a base for my eyeshadow, and applied it all over the eyelid. 



For the eyeshadow, I used Half Baked (lid colour) and Buck (crease and outer corner) from the Urban Decay Naked Palette:
 

I then followed it up with a coat of Maybelline's The Falsies Flared in Blackest Black

I didn't bother with my eyebrows as they're quite dishevelled at the moment. (If anyone wants to donate funds to the Fix Michaela's Eyebrows Foundation that would be appreciated
I tied off the look with a nude lip.

 

Again, if you want a full review on the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain you can check that out here. Like I said earlier, you don't want to go with bold colours, so a nude lip works really well. This balm stain nourishes your lips quite nicely, with a hint of colour. 

So for the hair, you can either leave it out like I did, or if it's a more formal situation, try one of these easy-peasy up-dos using these:

  

Chic and sophisticated! For more tips and to see me actually doing my eye make-up, check out the video below. 



What are your make-up tips for job interviews? Do you prefer not wearing any make-up at all? How do you usually do your hair? 

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