Lately, in Pictures #78

A video posted by michaela (@michaelaarghh) on Nov 27, 2015 at 9:49pm PST

It's been a while since I've written one of these posts - this past month has just flown by, and I haven't really been up to much that's worth taking a photo of.

At the beginning of the month, I started parkour training and have since learned how to jump, vault, slide, and roll my way around obstacles. It's so much fun, I feel like such a big kid and the Sydney parkour community is awesome.

I'm sad that the jacaranda trees have stopped flowering. The best thing about my morning commute was getting to stand amongst the discarded purple flowers that lay strewn across the platform. I have not been enjoying the weather these past few weeks. From 40 celsius to 19 celsius, to rain, sun, hail and everything in between, I'm never sure what to wear to work anymore. 

I made Vietnamese rice paper rolls for dinner a few weeks back, and haven't been able to stop thinking about them since. So filling, so tasty and so healthy - one of my favourite meals in spring/summer. 

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Review: Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Nude Collection*

I received four out of five of the Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Nude Collection lipsticks in my goodie bag at the Bloggers United AU Sydney event last month, and have been wearing them almost exclusively since. 

There's a few different takes on the "nude" colour, meaning you should be able to find something that suits your skin tone. Rimmel claim these will give you 8 hours of wear. I have found that with a 10 hour workday, I've had to re-apply twice, maybe three times if you count after eating. 

The formulation of these is really nice; the colour is opaque, and you can build it up to a nice intensity. I have fairly pigmented lips, and don't have a problem with getting the colour to show. I find these lipsticks really moisturising, and they apply easily. 

The packaging is okay. Each tube is the same colour, and the colour is identified by a sticker on the base. The tube is made out of plastic, which does feel a little cheap, but this is a drugstore brand so that's to be expected. The lipstick itself winds up nicely, and the lid snaps on with a satisfying 'click'. I don't know if I'd trust the lid not to fall off if it was just thrown in my handbag though. 

Swatch time! From left to right - 40-42-43-48. 

40 is the lightest of all the shades, and is probably my least favourite. It's a cool-toned apricot-y nude. 

42 and 43 are both contenders for my favourite colour, I think they both suit me really well. 42 is a bit more pink, while 43 is a warm-toned apricot. 

48 is a bit dark to be considered nude with my skintone, but would suit darker skintones better. It's a warm-toned burgundy colour. 

top row: nude lips, 40. middle row: 43, 45. bottom row: 48. 

Overall, I really love these lipsticks. They have a great formula, are easy to apply, and I have got compliments each time I've worn them to work (which admittedly never really happens when I wear nude lipsticks). 

Disclaimer: These lipsticks were given to me in a goodie bag at a bloggers event I attended. This review has not been influenced in any way by Rimmel, and all opinions are my own. See my disclaimer for further details. 


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November Goals

I'm slowly getting used to being back in the real world. We were only in New Zealand two weeks, but we packed so much in it felt like a lot longer. 

OCTOBER GOALS

- Order my sister's 21st birthday present

I ended up having to deviate from my original gift idea, due to the people having no stock, but I hope she will like this present just as much. Hopefully she also won't mind that it's almost a month late. 

- Eat more salads / vegetables

I'm not sure whether to cross this one off - we didn't eat that many veggies while away, but we ate lots when we got back. 

- Start planning Christmas present ideas

Not yet. Maybe this week. 

- Get back into cooking

My friend gave me a recipe book for my birthday, filled with gluten-free recipes. I've gone back to cooking one dinner a week, and started preparing meals to bring to work for lunch too. I'm finding cooking really satisfying, but I hate the mess it leaves. 

- Enjoy New Zealand! 

As if that was ever going to be a challenge. 

- Try to keep up with stretching while overseas

This however was a real challenge. There was a little stretching, but nowhere near as much as there should have been. 

NOVEMBER GOALS

- Have Christmas shopping finished by the end of the Month (or, in the very least, a gift list sorted)

- Practice handstands 5x a week. 

- Stretch 5x a week

- finish editing NZ photos

- Print photos for my desk at work

- Attend two parkour classes each week

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Lush Bathbomb and Bubble Bars Haul

I love taking baths - they're relaxing, and they ensure you get about an hour of just "me" time, to pamper yourself, read a book and zone out from the real world. 

I picked up some more bath bombs from Lush a few weeks ago - 

Twilight Bath Bomb: This is one of Lush's best-sellers, and I've read so many reviews on this one that I had to try it. The scent is really relaxing, so I'm hoping it will carry through and be a really relaxing bath. 

Sex Bomb: I've written about this bath bomb before, and I loved it so much the first time I used it that I just had to get another one. I love the colours this turns my bath, and I love how moisturised my skin is after using it. I also really love how good my bathroom smells. 

While in Lush I thought it would be a good idea to pick up some bubble-making bars, because as J says "baths aren't baths without bubbles". I think these are probably a bit better value than the bathbombs, because they can be used multiple times.

Pop in the Bath Bubble Bar: This has lemon, bergamont and mandarin, which sounds really refreshing and rejuvenating. 

Sunny Side Bubble Bar: I was partly attracted to this one because of how pretty it is, partly because of the citrus-y scent it gives off. 

I can't wait to hop into a bath and try these new ones out. 

What is your favourite Lush bath product?

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OOTD: Leather and Stripes

I was in the market recently for some new jeans. I decided I wanted black skinnys with ripped knees, but couldn't find any that I liked. I asked for recommendations on Twitter, and was advised to check out Topshop. 

I'm so glad I did because these jeans are the best - they are super comfy, with in-build stretchy material, they're high-waisted, they're everything I was looking for. The sales assistant advised me to go down a size, because apparently they stretch a lot, but I'm glad I didn't and stuck to what felt the most comfortable. 

- Stripey top: Popbasic Le Breton in navy

- faux leather jacket: Crossroads

- Jeans: topshop

- Shoes: Dotti

- Beanie: Sportsgirl. I think. I've had it for about three years, so I could be wrong. 

Beauty note: Curls by MUK curl stick. 

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