21 before 21

Love these lists!
So, as you know, I turned 20 last week. Which means next year I'll be 21. Which is kind of a big deal (I say kind of because it's not really as big as turning 18). I saw Cate at All Cats are Grey at Night do her 30 before 30 list, and it really inspired me to do one myself!

I put a lot of thought into this list - I wanted to dream big, but also make my goals achievable. So here we go... here is my 21 before 21:

1. Go Overseas Again.
It's true that nothing expands your world more than travelling. I loved my experiences travelling to Bali earlier this year, and that combined with all my friends getting back from Europe this week makes me desperate to travel again! 


2. read 52 new books
This should be easy I think, as it equates to one book a week. Although during semester I slow down on my personal reading, I absolutely devour books during holidays, so I feel it should balance out.

3. Keep a list of each book I read
This is in line with the last point and something I've been meaning to do for years. I also plan to write down a few thoughts of the book - that way it'll be easier for me to recommend books to friends and family.

4. Finish reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Chinese
Again with the book theme! This is pretty self-explanatory but I really would love to be able to read this iconic book in another language.

5. Have a Conversation in Only Chinese
We have started doing this in class of course, but I think it would be pretty amazing to have a conversation outside of the classroom using only Mandarin. What can I say - I dream big!

6. Learn to Knit Socks
So I've started knitting scarves this year - which is a fantastic hobby for when I'm watching tv. I fidget a lot so knitting is great at keeping my hands occupied which allows me to better focus on what I'm watching! I would like to expand my knitting repertoire to include socks!

7. Go on a Road Trip
When I was younger we road-tripped it up to QLD a few times. I'd love to do another road trip now that I'm older.

8. Solve a Rubik's Cube
This is a skill that has always eluded me. I think it would make a great party trick to be able to finish one!

9. Watch every movie that has won an Academy Award for Best Picture
Okay so unless you know me well, you probably have no idea what a challenge this will be for me. I very rarely watch movies and would almost always pick watching a TV show over a film. J works in the film industry and loves movies - so luckily with his help I should be able to complete this one.

10. Make a tower cake. 
Since moving in with J I have not cooked once. Impressive, non? When we get our oven fixed I am going to attempt to make a tower cake.

11. Do the Splits
Again, another skill that has eluded me for my entire life. Routine stretching is key with this one - but I think I can do it if I'm religious enough with it.

12. Get my Provisional Licence
Yep, still on my Learner's. Everyone has a great laugh at that one, at my expense. I'm sick of handing over my L's as ID and am desperate to learn to drive.

13. Get my next planned Tattoo
I think I've picked out the studio I want to go to in order to complete this one. Now it's just a matter of saving the money.

14. Perform at my pole studio's open night
I love pole. But for some reason performing kind of scares me. At the same time - it's something I dream of doing. So I'm going to suck it up and do it!

15. Take More Photos and Get Them Printed
I want to take more snaps of me and my friends. And I don't want them to just become files that sit on my computer forever. I want scrapbooks, or albums...either way I want tangible memories.

16. Get back into Volunteering
As a teenager I volunteered quite frequently. Since leaving high school though, it's pretty much taken a massive back-burner. I loved volunteering and it was such a huge part of me. I want to get back into that, and really make a difference in my community.

17. Do a First Aid Course
I have no idea how I'd react in an emergency. Once a guy on my bus had a heart attack. The only thing I could think of doing (someone else had already called 000) was giving him my jacket to rest his head on as he lay on the floor of the bus. I doubt doing a first aid course will be able to help me heal people who are having heart attacks, but I think first aid knowledge should be essential - and common knowledge - to everyone.

18. Complete a Daily Photographic Diary
I think it would be fun to look back at this in a years time.

19. Get a job that I like and enjoy
At the moment (apart from refereeing) I am jobless. Not by my wishes, either. I hope that by this time next year I'll be in a job that I like.

20. Donate Blood More Regularly
I already donate quite frequently, but I aim to be more regular about it. As in, every 3 months. Schedule it in, no excuses. It's such a small action on my behalf, but can save lives.

21. Climb a Mountain
Because, why not?

So that's my 21 before 21.

Have you done a list like this?
What would be in your list? Any tips on how I can complete my goals?

My Birthday!

Tuesday was my 20th birthday! I had such a great day - it was pretty simple and low-key but it was spent with people I love which is really what counts.

The morning of my birthday I went to breakfast with mum at the Post Cafe:

We both had eggs benedict - seriously amazing. The hollandaise sauce has such a tang to it - I love it!

At about 9 o clock, I arrived back home and was prepared to start some of my uni work and play with Rommy. I got home and as I locked the door, I looked at the top of the stairs and there was J! Peering out from around the corner, holding the most beautiful bouquet of roses, he greeted me: "Surprise hun!!"

I was obviously so happy to see him, but so confused! He was going to be late for work! I mentioned that to him and he told me he took the day off work. He'd organised it a couple of weeks ago to surprise me! - What a cutie!

I got home sooner than he was expecting though, so he had to go finish wrapping my presents, haha.

Isn't that the cutest wrapping paper? The presents have smiley faces on them!

What was inside included after the jump:

My Week in Pictures #4

I've had such a massive week this week!
Monday I was back at uni, and then Tuesday I had my birthday! (Look out for that post tomorrow)

Some snaps:

Started my week off buying a train ticket - I begrudge paying over $100 a month to what is probably the shittest rail system in the world, but it's cheaper (and more convenient) than buying weekly or daily.

Still loving those South Coast train views - we've had such strange weather this week. On Monday it was quite sunny in Sydney, and I thought I'd maybe be over-dressed for uni. Turns out the weather in the 'Gong was so much worse and I froze all day.

But Wednesday was super foggy - these were taken at about 7am.

Being studious on the train. My Chinese textbook this semester is almost entirely in Mandarin and we're pretty much only speaking Mandarin in class which is INCREDIBLY INTIMIDATING.

And speaking of Chineseeee....

 

My friend Chelsea took me out to a Chinese restaurant in Wollongong on Wednesday. Chels and I both did Chinese together but she's going to study over there in September so is not in my class anymore which is pretty sad. This food was incredibly delicious and really reasonably priced too. 

Had a monstrous STACK of parcels arrive on Monday! I will be doing more posts about this later in the week...but here's a sneak peak of what was in one of them:

And last but not least...I finally nailed this trick:

This one's called a "Gemini", or "outer leg hang". Cool, huh?

Have you ever learnt a new language before? What are your tips? How have you been dressing to keep up with the weather fluctuations during the day? 

I Can Fake it All....

Today I wanted to write a quick post about buying makeup online - and in particular avoiding fakes off ebay.

One of the beauty bloggers whom I greatly admire did a post recently about a product she bought off ebay for quite cheap. Although she knew when going into the transaction she could be purchasing a fake she went and did it anyway and then maintained her product was an original. (it's not).

There's no doubt about it; sometimes the price of products is so exorbitant that you can justify spending money on a fake replica if it means you save $15. Counterfeit products are products that the seller tries to pass of a product as being a certain brand name, an authentic or even going so far as to say it's a "factory second".
I'm not going to lecture to you, but here's a few reasons why buying counterfeit make-up is a BAD idea:

Firstly, the seller is purposefully using another company's brand and hard-work to steal their profits. They are trying to trick the consumer. This may not be of a concern to you but there's a reason certain products have hype surrounding them. Buying a counterfeit does not guarantee that same quality.

Buying fake make-up is not the same as buying counterfeit clothes and handbags. You're putting this stuff on your skin where it will be absorbed. I can guarantee you that the chemicals used by the counterfeiters will be cheap and nasty. Further to this, there's no one for you to run to when you have a reaction, when your skin breaks out, or if there's harmful ingredients. For obvious reasons, counterfeit products are not held to the same quality testing as authentic products.

Okay, so now here's how to spot a fake. I've noticed a few bloggers writing about Urban Decay Naked Palettes and there's been quite a few who have posted about buying fake ones off ebay without intending to. So I will be using that brand and that product to emphasise my point, but remember that these will apply to pretty much every brand. 

This is the legitimate packaging for the Naked 2 palette. 

This is the legitimate packaging for the 1st Naked palette.


Both come in a tray, with the colours / info on the back, and in a plastic sleeve. The Naked 2 comes with a lip junkie lip gloss, and the first Naked comes with a primer potion. 

This is fake packaging - it's in a cardboard box. 

This is also fake - not only does it come in a cardboard box, but the brush is encased in plastic. The authentic UD Naked brushes just come sitting in the palette box. 


Generally, if it does not come with the primer potion or with the lip junkie you can guarantee it's a fake. The listings may even point out that they don't come with the extra product:

Note that they say it comes with no lip gloss, yet the smaller text has been copy+pasted from UD's website - as it says it includes the Lip Junkie. 


Some sellers will have excellent feedback:

This means nothing. I've read a few blog posts over the last few days from people who have bought fakes and once they confronted the seller about it the seller OFFERED THEM MONEY to leave a good rating. I swear to you, I am not making this up. 
Remember that people may leave feedback straight after they receive their item in the mail - feedback on ebay usually goes along the lines of "posted quick, delivery was great, thanks". I've also read numerous people saying they didn't realise their product was fake until after they left their feedback. 
So don't take this as meaning anything. 


The listing may say that the product is a "factory second":

This should immediately set alarm bells off in your head. High end brands DO NOT RELEASE factory seconds on their products. Even common sense and logic should tell you that they wouldn't. Especially to ebay sellers.


Further, I contacted Urban Decay and asked them about how to spot a fake. Here was what they had to say:

If you're interested in researching this further, or seeing the difference in quality of the fake to the authentic, just check out youtube. There's a few posts on there comparing the two. 


Like I said, I get it! I understand why you would be incredibly tempted to buy that palette at $30 as opposed to $50 - especially when the product is not sold in Australian stores or is, but at a higher price. But for an extra $20 you could have an authentic product - with a proper returns policy if you didn't like it - and guaranteed quality. My skin is too important to me, which is why I wouldn't risk buying fakes. 


Have you bought a fake product off ebay?
Would you buy a fake? Why/ Why not?




*Note that all photos were taken from ebay.