Her Fashion Box: December

This month, HFB teamed up with the Collective in their latest designer collab, to bring out this cool ipad case. I love the typography (created by the super talented Jasmine Dowling), and that the case is slightly padded to protect your ipad!

 

There was such a good mix of products in this month's box, it was definitely like having Christmas come early!

 

Pretty impressed on the beauty front; 

We received a full sized (500mL) natural body-wash in desert lime and wild orange flavour made in Australia with all Australian, natural ingredients. (RRP $7.99)

Another paw-paw lip balm, this time from Brauer (RRP $5.50). This particular lip balm seems a bit more "liquidy", with a thinner consistency than other pawpaw balms I've used in the past. It has no scent or flavour, and also contains shea butter, honey and almond oil, making it really hydrating.

We also received sachet samples of the Transformulas Eyelifting Gel and Marine Miracle Creme. I hate sachet samples, and I hate sachets even more when they're samples of skincare. There's not usually enough in the sachet to really test out how the skincare works with your skin. I will save these for when I'm travelling and don't want to de-pot a moisturiser / pack my eye cream.

 

 

The most impressive inclusion in the box is the Sensationail gel nail-polish starting kit, with a RRP of $49.99. I received the hot pink colour, Na-no way. I think the most exciting thing about this kit is that it uses an LED light, rather than UV. 

Full disclosure: I've tried using this on four different occassions and can not get the nailpolish to stay on my nails. It peels off after less than half an hour. I have tried varying the thickness of the coat, and it doesn't seem to matter how thin I apply it, or how many coats I do I just cannot get it to stick. If anyone has any application tips, holla at me because I'm getting pretty frustrated with this right now, and starting to think it might be the lamp itself.

The final fashion item received is this crystal necklace, with a RRP of $19.95. This is not really my style and I think the white plastic is a bit tacky-looking.

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Her Fashion Box: November

 

I received the November HFB well into December,  so apologies for this being seemingly late. I didn't receive the HFB Magazine in my box, so I have no idea what these products are valued at.

 

Jewellery items this month...I love the simplicity of both of these pieces. The bangle is really pretty on and looks like two straight gold bracelets.. I am in two minds about the necklace - there's no clasp so the bar just feeds through the ring and then hangs. It's pretty, but I don't like that the length can easily change / the necklace can come undone. I think this would have been so much nicer with the bar as a pendant and a clasp to actually keep the necklace on.

 

HFB have released their own version of the "tangle teezer". I hate this style of hairbrush as it absolutely destroys my fine hair, so this one will be a miss for me. If this type of brush works well for your hair, then you will probably love this. 

We also received two cookies from  Byron Bay Cookies - I love these cookies so was pretty pleased to see them in my box. 

Onto the beauty products, and we received a lipstick from Coral Colours. I received a cool-toned red. I'm not really a fan of the scent of this product, but the staying power is better than I expected it to be.

 

In other beauty products... more press-on nails. These are the type you get as a kid in "play makeup sets", where you peel off the backing sheet and stick it directly on to your nail. Apparently you just need to peel the nail off to remove, so I hardly see them lasting long. The colour is really pretty though and I can see these being used if you were in a rush and didnt have time to apply nailpolish. These come in a durable plastic container as well, which is nice. 

Lastly, I also received a bee venom and active manuka honey eye cream from Bee-Bio. I'm not allergic to bees, yet the thought of this being infused with bee venom kind of scares me. This product smells really nice though, and I'll definitely give it a try.

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Recently, in Pictures #60

J and I did something a little different the other week and had a trip out to Taronga Zoo! I haven't been there since I was a child, so it was great to be able to spend some time together doing someyhing fun. I got to practice taking animal portraits too, which I love. My Dad came along with us as well which was really nice. The same day I smashed my brand new, 3-day old phone when it fell out of my camera bag onto the floor. The screen was so obliterated that the touch screen wouldn't work, so it ended up costing $340 to fix, which fucking sucks. 

I'm simply loving all the free time I have had since exams finished (although I've worked every day since, so still keeping plenty busy). Catching up with magazines and reading  for leisure will always be amongst my favourite past-times. I've been reading Donna Tartt's 'Goldfinch', and am about halfway though. This book is quickly shaping up to be one of my favourites (big call!!).

 

Does anyone else get as excited as me when Starbucks' festive drinks arrive in store? The peppermint mocha frapp is my favourite - it's also ridiculously overpriced so that definitely stems my consumption. 

J and I headed out to breakfast at Brooklyn Hide in Surry Hills - very much recommend their bagels and cold pressed apple juice.

And for those who don't follow me on Twitter or Instagram, I had a bit of a poling accident last week and broke my wrist :( My pole studio was having an Open Night on Friday the 5th, and I had been working so hard on my routine for it. On Thursday night I stayed back in the studio after my stretch class to run through my routine and get some feedback. Which was stupid, because it was way too hot and humid that night, and my hands were far too sweaty. 

There's one part of my routine where, with full energy, I run from one pole to the other and do this spin (on a static pole). Except instead of grabbing on to the pole, my hand was so sweaty that I slipped straight off and broke my fall with my right arm flexed behind me. Fucking ouch.

Jen, my dance teacher, drove me to St Vincent's hospital where it was confirmed (after 5 hours of waiting and listening to the girl behind me who had a throat infection complain incessantly that they were taking too long) that I had snapped my radius.

I currently have a plaster cast on, which is horribly heavy, but I get a proper fibreglass one first thing tomorrow morning yay! Thanks to a mix of  my body mending a broken bone and the narcotics I'm on for the pain, I've spent most of the weekend asleep. I'm constantly frustrated at the little things I can't do, and more frustrated at how long it takes to do everything left handed (including typing). Patience is a virtue, and apparently one I don't have. J has had to learn the difference between a tight, high ponytail and a loose, low ponytail. He sucks at it, and pulled half my hair out the first time, but he's learning, which I appreciate.

On Saturday I met Kristina Karlsson, founder of Kikki-K (and I guess technically, my boss? Haha) She was lovely, as always!

What have you been up to lately? Leave me TV and movie recs!



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Christmas Instagram Photo Challenge!

This December I've teamed up with some great creative minds, and we've come up with the Instagram December Beauty / fashion photo challenge!
We wanted it to be Christmas themed, fashion themed and beauty themed, but vague enough for anyone to take part!!
I'll be posting each day, all month long - you can join in too by using the #beautyfashionplay hashtag. I'm so excited to see what everyone comes up with for our prompts!

Check out the IG's of the other girls: Christel, Jess, Therese, and Sammy! And of course, you can find my instagram here!

Please let me know if you start playing along, I would love to follow you!




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October Her Fashion Box: West Coast

It was a long wait this past month for the latest box from HFB. I received an email on the 10th saying all boxes had been shipped, and the shipping notification arrived promptly in my inbox. And then ... nothing. Usually, deliveries are overnight but I gad exams, and was busy, and kind of forgot about it.
As the end of the month snuck up on me, I realised it hadn't arrived and chased it up with HFB. They chased it up with the shipping company, who had lost my order!
The HFB team quickly came to the rescue though, and prepared my order to go out the next day, with a few extra goodies inside to make up for the inconvenience.

October's theme is 'West Coast', embracing minimalism and gypsy-inspired patterns. 

The 'Noir bag' (RRP $29.95) is a bit different to what I would normally go for in accessories. I think the size is perfect, but I would normally probably walk past a bag shaped like this if I saw it in the stores. This style is very on-trend at the moment, and the whole reason I signed up to this box was to challenge my sartorial choices. I definitely have some prints in my wardrobe that would work with this style. I think the key here is styling it the way that HFB have in their magazine - minimalist colours, a touch of print and having the bag as a statement. I really love the gold chain, and the clasp at the front. I also love that despite it being small, it would definitely fit more than a phone and lipgloss in it - yay for practicality! 

The other fashion piece in this box is inspired by silk scarves, and the print in the classic box is very Hermes-esque. The 'Carriage Scarf is really bold, and I do really like it. Again, there's styling inspiration contained in the mini magazine for those of us who aren't great with scarves, that highlight the versatility of these pieces. Wrapped around your head, your bag, your wrist...they add colour and texture to your outfit. At a RRP of $14.95, this particular scarf is obviously not made out of silk, and was a bit static-y when I took it out of the plastic it came on. Nevertheless, it seems to be pretty good quality, and at that price point you really can't complain. 

Bit spoiled for choice with beauty products in this month's box... 

HFB have come out with their own version of the beauty blender! I haven't tried the original, but am definitely keen to give this blending sponge (RRP $9.95) a go. HFB have also come out with their own eyelash curler (RRP $14.95). I got a bright green one (yay!) and am pretty impressed with it. It's a pretty sturdy construction, and quite rounded. I struggle with eyelash curlers, thanks to my deep-set eyes and I'm glad to report I experienced no pinching with this one! 

We also received an eyeliner from Coral Colours (RRP $5.95). I've only tried this brand once, about 10 years ago so it was a surprise seeing it again! This black eyeliner is super pigmented black, and applies easily with no dragging. It also smudges easily, which is great if you're going for a smokey look - not so great if you're going for clean and crisp. It contains Vitamin E and Aloe Vera, which is a nice touch. 

The last beauty product is a baked trio of mineral eyeshadows from Omshe Aromatherapy (RRP $14.95). I haven't heard of this brand before. These colours look really pretty, although a little bit strange to have these particular three paired together. 

Overall, I'm really happy with the October box - I love both the fashion items, and am interested in trying out all the beauty products. 

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Face of the Day: Rediscovering Old Favourites

I've been finding with the warmer weather that I've mostly been keeping my make-up quite simple, and my hair out of my face. 

I've been making an effort lately to go through my make-up collection and re-discover old favourites, and found myself falling in love again with the Stila 'In the Light' palette. 

Eye Base: Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'Inked in Pink'
Eye Shadows: Stila Kitten, Champagne, Bliss (Review, Buy here)
Eyeliner: Outline with Maybelline Line Express, cat eye with Maybelline Gel Liner
Mascara: Colour Theory Mascara Plump*
Eyebrows: Australis Oh Hai Brow (Review, Buy here)
Lips: Maybelline ColourSensational The Elixir in Signature Scarlet.

How do you do your makeup as the weather heats up? 


(N.B: Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly given to me. All opinions are my own. For further information, please see my disclaimer. Links are not affiliate links)



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Lately, in Pictures #59

It's been a bit ridiculously busy around here the past month.
I finished off my final exams ever, and am set to graduate in less than 4 weeks! (Exam results permitting of course).

After five long years, it's a very surreal feeling to suddenly have a heap of free time. Even though I'm working like crazy, and have hardly any time off, I don't need to study when I get home and have all evening to do whatever I like!

I never got around to sharing photos from my law ball last month! Like all law events, there was far too much alcohol available, and far too much bad dancing. I was having a great night ... right up until it was time to leave and we had to wait around in the cold for an hour for a taxi. Too much drama.

Forever the whitest person in group photos. 

I love this time of year and the flowers and trees that come out in full bloom! Jacarandas are my favourite. We also have our own flower garden this year, and it makes me so happy catching glimpses of it from our windows. I'll definitely have to share photos in my next post! 

I upgraded my phone and got the brand new Sony Xperia Z3. I absolutely love it - it's got a fantastic camera on board, it's super fast and the screen is super bright. I lasted three days before it fell out of my camera bag and smashed to bits on the ground.  I had ordered a case from ebay but it hadn't arrived. So $340 later and lots of tiny shards of glass in my fingers... I'm still waiting for it to come back from the repair-shop, but taking it as a very expensive life lesson to always have the case on before taking the phone out.

In fitness news, I've been taking an advanced stretch class lately. It's super intense but I've seen such an improvement in the last 6 weeks. Flexibility is my biggest nemesis, so it's nice to feel like I'm finally getting somewhere with it. My hollowback handstands are far from looking as great as they could, but months ago I couldn't get the shape at all. Although it's daunting to know how far you still have to go, it's always so important to remember just how far you've come.



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Nails of the Week: Green-Blue and Gold Glitter

It has been far too long since my last nails post.
I love these colours together, they're so bright and festive and just scream "holidays" at me.
The green is OPI's 'Fly', and the gold glitter nail is an exclusive shade from Colour Theory, called 'Happy Birthday'. Only 100 of these were made, and I was super lucky to receive one at the launch to their new skincare range (side note: launched this week. Check out their website here for details).

Michelle from Lab Muffin warned me that 'Fly' is notorious for staining, but I've never experienced staining with this shade. I always wear a base coat, so not sure if that's something to do with it.


(NB: I was given the 'Happy Birthday' nail polish from the lovely team at Colour Theory. They've not asked me to write about this polish, or to mention their skincare line. Further details at my disclaimer here)



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NEW! Hourglass Ambient Blush Wardrobe Palette {& Swatches}

I just could not resist picking up the Hourglass Ambient Blush Wardrobe palette. I already own the Ambient Lighting Palette, and have used it every single day since I got it. So, when I saw this in my local Mecca, there was no question about whether it would join my collection. 

The three colours are (L-R): Luminous Flush, a champagne rose colour; Incandescent Electra, a cool peach blush; and Mood Exposure, a soft plum colour.

With flash. 

In natural light. 

I think Mood Exposure (right) will look beautiful in Winter, whilst Incandescent Electra (middle) has been getting a lot of wear from me over the last couple of days. On my skin, it's the perfect peachy neutral shade, and adds just a bit of life to my face. Luminous Flush (left) is a bit more pink, and I think is probably my favourite shade of the three. 

There's the same photo-luminescent technology in this palette as there is in the ambient lighting palette, so the blush refracts light and helps to create dimension to your make-up. You can see in the swatches 'with flash' that when exposed to light the colours just look brighter, without having to resort to glitter or shimmer. 

Incandescent Electra (middle shade) is exclusive to this limited edition palette, and with the individual shades retailing at $46 each, this palette is well worth the pennies saved. 

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