Book Round Up #1

This is a new type of post I'm trialling. I am hoping it will keep me focussed on my yearly reading goal, and it will give me an opportunity to provide quick reviews on the books I've read from month to month. 

John Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men

 I loved, loved, loved this novella. In such a short amount of words, Steinbeck managed to create fully developed characters so much so that the heart-wrenching ending left me numb for a few days after I'd finished it. Steinbeck's prose is magnificent. Everyone must read this book. At least once. 

Rating: 5/5

John Marsden - Checkers

This one's a re-read for me; I read it as a teenager, and now re-visiting it as an adult I still love it. John Marsden has always been one of my favourite authors. Checkers is the tale of the unnamed author; writing from a mental hospital, this is her story of breakdown following her father's unethical business practices. The foreshadowing of the author's dog being named "Checkers", (Nixon had a dog of the same name, and his infamous Checkers Speech draws parallels to this book) was lost on me when I was younger. A quick re-read, but I'm glad I did. 

Rating: 4/5

Virginia Woolf - A Room of One's Own

One of Woolf's most famous pieces? This extended essay is thought-provoking, inspiring, incredibly well written. A book about writing, and a book about feminism? Totally up my alley. This was excellent. It's only short, you should just read it for yourself. 

Rating: 5/5

Jon Ronson - The Psycopath Test

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately it fell flat. Ronson's analysis of the mental health industry lacked depth, and was frankly, a bit all over the place. For instance, we've all heard that psychopaths apparently make the best CEO's, and this is a claim that Ronson investigates...by interviewing one "psychopath" CEO. I disliked how much Ronson inserted himself into the book; this entire book reads as "look at all the interesting situations I got into!" Towards the end of the book there was some more interesting things about the DSM manuals becoming oversaturated with "labels" that might not even be psychiatric illnesses - but again, this was rushed, anecdotal and barely scratched the surface. I'd probably give it a miss. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Susanna Kaysen - Girl, Interrupted 

I've always loved this film, so decided a while ago to purchase the memoir it's based on. This is the story of Susanna Kaysen, who at 18 years old swallows 50 aspirin in a half-hearted suicide attempt. A year later, she visists a psychologist who books her into the McLean psychiatric hospital (other famous patients include Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, and Ray Charles). I finished this book in a couple of days; it's mostly observations and short stories about her time in the hospital, other patients, and the nurses. It's not chronological; and might appear a bit jumpy, but I feel like that fits well with the themes of the book. Overall, a quick, interesting read. I really enjoyed it. 

Rating: 4/5. 

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New Years Resolutions and January Goals.

Happy New Year and welcome to 2016!

I still can't believe how fast 2015 flew by. Nuts.

I love the idea of fresh starts and having goals to work towards, and I love spending the start of each year reflecting on the year just gone, and the new one about to begin.

Let's look back at last year's Resolutions...

2015 GOALS

- Read 30 books. 

Failed pretty hard at this one.

- Get my splits

Still nope. 

- Continue learning

Definitely. I'm learning so much every day at work, and generally about myself. 

- Get a job

Definitely the biggest goal - I cannot believe that not only did I achieve this in my first year as a graduate, but that I did it so soon after graduating. I've now been a lawyer for almost a year, and learned so much in that time (one such lesson being that actually being a lawyer is nothing like law school). 

2016 GOALS

- Read 30 books

I'm going to actually hold myself accountable to this goal this year. 30 books in a year is only 2.5 books a month, which is totally do-able if I actually finish the books I start. I have about four books on the go at the moment, so I should get a good head-start to this one. 

- Get the Splits

Another year, another flexy goal. I really believe I can achieve this if I actually kick myself in the butt and train stretching regularly. Flexibility is really difficult for me (compared to strength training), so I need to get over that "too hard" mentality and just train. This is the year where the excuses end.

- Journal regularly

I love journalling, and want to get back into doing it regularly. I don't think I can commit to every single night, but I definitely want to be doing it more than I currently do (which is whenever I remember). 

- Get better at saving

It's not that I'm bad at saving, it's just that I'm better at spending. Although we have some big expenses coming up this year, I want to make a conscious effort to put some money aside each pay, just to be more of a responsible adult. 

JANUARY GOALS

- Finish three books

- Clean out the linen under the bed.

- Clear off my bedside table

- Stretch 5 days a week

- Pay off my credit card bill by the end of the month. 

- Go trapeze-ing! 

- Clear the hallway

I'm so excited to get started with this year, and am read to dive head-first into it. I have quite a lot of time off work these holidays, so want to get a good mix of productivity and relaxation in. 

Are you setting New Years Resolutions? 

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2015: A Year in Review

The year started with mending a broken wrist, and feeling frustrated that I had lost all strength I once had, and feeling like it would take forever to get it back. In retrospect, it really didn't take too long at all. 

I left behind my retail job as I got a job working as a Judge's Associate. A few weeks after that, I was admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW, and officially was able to call myself a lawyer. The firm I had been working at as a law clerk then asked me to start as a full-time lawyer. I was devastated to leave my job with the judge behind, but so excited to start this new chapter of my life. 

I threw myself into 50-hour work weeks (made longer with a commute). It took me a while, but I did eventually adapt to the long work weeks, and settled into an area of law I never saw myself practicing in (and actually kind of loving it) 

I took my Dad to Soundwave in February - impressive, if you knew my dad. J and I rocked out on Day 2 of the festival, and I got to see Slipknot (one of my favourite bands ever) for the first time - Over the past ten years, I keep missing their shows for one reason or another. 

Not that we were to know at the time, but it turns out this was the last Soundwave ever. J and I met at Soundwave in 2009, so it's sad to see the festival to go, even just from a sentimental point. 

So many cute Rommy snuggles all year... 

Was lucky enough to attend two hen's nights, and watch two of my good friends get married to the loves of their lives. 

Spent a few months eating only brussels sprouts and potatoes as I struggled through the RPAH Elimination Diet. Turns out I'm very intolerant to gluten, along with some other food additives. Not the funnest way to find out but I'm glad I did. I've been strictly gluten free for a few months now, and never knew it was possible to feel this healthy. 

J and I moved house. I adore our new house, and feel so much better living here than I ever did at our old place. Even though we're practically only down the road from our old place, it's amazing what a change of scenery can do for your mood, and your wellbeing. 

Brad and I checked out the Festival of Dangerous Ideas - sadly by the time we were booking tickets most of the panels we wanted to see were sold out. We did manage to get into Cybersexism, which was amazing. 

We celebrated J's birthday at Parapark - an escape-the-room type game. So much fun, and now we're looking to try so many more of these. 

Our New Zealand trip in October was a definite, massive highlight of the year. 

Such an amazing, beautiful country - so much to do, so many beautiful people and it will forever hold a special place in my heart as the place where J and I got engaged. 

Probably the best part of the year was saying 'yes' to J asking me to marry him - I now get to spend the rest of my life with my love, my goose. my best friend. 

I think I was overdue for a good year, and 2015 definitely delivered. 

Although I'm sad to see 2015 go, I have so many plans and goals for 2016 and I'm excited to get started. 

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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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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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My Essie Nailpolish Collection, Part 2

If you missed Part 1 of my Essie nailpolish collection, click here to catch up. 

This post will take you through the brighter colours in my collection. 

Naughty Nautical: A blue-green colour, stunning for spring/summer. This colour has a bit of subtle shimmer to it (only really obvious if the light hits your nails in the right way), making it quite unique. Is opaque in two coats, and I get compliments every time I wear it.

Aruba Blue: A deep, royal blue, perfect to wear all year-round. This is one of my most favourite in my entire nailpolish collection. The formula is quite thick, and is opaque in two coats.

Peach Daiquiri: This colour is a bit tricky to describe, and I don't think I've come across anything like it. It's a dark coral, pinkish, red, it's bold, it's bright. Although the polish is not a thin consistency, I find this one applies best if you put on three thin coats rather than two thicker coats. Love this even more now that the weather is warming up, and have had compliments every time I've worn it to work. 

In Stitches: This is a muted brown-y pink, almost terracotta colour. This applies relatively easy, but I feel like it takes longer to dry than my other colours, even when I have a quick dry topcoat on top. 

Dress to Kilt: This gorgeous red was part of Essie's fall collection last year. Although this colour is stunning in the Winter months, I think it works all year round. This is a true berry red, only takes two coats to get to opacity. 

Scarlett O'Hara: One of my all-time favourites. This red is deeper than dress to kilt, and almost metallic with subtle shimmer throughout. I always get compliments when I wear this colour, and I actually catch myself staring at my fingernails - it shines like wearing rubies. I feel like I can normally get about 5-6 days of wear with this (and a top coat) before it chips. I love wearing this in Winter, and I love wearing it for Christmas. 

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Haul: Dusty Girls Make-up Products*

A few weeks ago I wrote about some skincare products that I was sent from Moogoo. 

Dusty Girls is the make-up products "farmed by Moogoo" - these products are all created with the same principles from their skincare line; products for people with sensitive skin, with honesty about what ingredients are used. 

I was sent the Natural Mineral Blush in "Pink Ladies" and the Natural Mineral Bronzer in "Sunshine". 

"Pink ladies" is a sweet pink colour that looks really natural on my complexion. The blush is not overly pigmented, which is good if you're looking for a flush of colour to brighten up your complexion. There are some shimmery, almost glittery particles in the pan. I found these don't really transfer to your skin to look like glitter, but it does provide a bit of shimmer. I think this blush is perfect for the warmer months.

The bronzer is warm-toned, and very pigmented. You only need the smallest amount on your brush to give you a sun-kissed glow. It can also be used for subtle contouring, just make sure you blend it out so you don't look streaky. "Sunshine" is the only colour this product comes in, and it's designed to suit all skintones. Again, there are the same shimmery, glittery particles in the pan that are in the blush, but it doesn't translate to glitter on the face. 

I really love the packaging of these products; the cardboard boxes they're housed in are made from 100% recycled materials. The actual plastic containers are really sturdy. I love the design with the logo, I think it's really cute. The products are 15g, and the pans are really large, making it perfect to swirl your brushes in. 

I have also been trying out the Natural Mineral Lip Shine in "Argyle Pink". 

The lip shine is packed with moisturising oils; almond oil, safflower seed oil, watermelon seed oil, apricot seed oil, grape seed oil, shea butter, vitamin e. Similarly to the Moogoo cowlick lip balm, all ingredients are edible as "lip products get eaten....slowly". 

The lip shine looks really dark in the tube, but is not that pigmented at all, and really sheer on the lips. It does add a little bit of sparkle, so I think it would work really well on top of a berry or pink lipstick, or on its own if you're after a bit more than your standard lip balm. 

Disclaimer: MooGoo very generously sent me these products to try out. They haven't influenced my opinion in any way, shape or form, and all opinions are my own. Links in the post are not affiliate links - I've just linked for your convenience! For further info check out my disclaimer. 


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My Essie Nailpolish Collection Part 1

 

Ever since Essie was introduced at Priceline, my collection has slowly grown. 

I really like Essie nailpolishes; they last well on my nails, there is a beautiful colour range, and when on sale, they're pretty reasonably priced.

I own a mix of pastels/muted colours and brights - in this post, I'll talk you through those colours.

Ballet slippers:  this is apparently one of Essie's most famous shades, and was the first Essie polish I ever bought. I was so disappointed with this colour and it really put me off Essie for the longest time. The formula is thin and streaky, and it takes sooo many coats to build up any colour. I also think the colour is too pale for my skintone. 

Tea and Crumpets: this is a much nicer 'nude' colour, and is a bit of a frosted, golden-toned beige. I really like this colour for work. It's pretty sheer, and takes about 2-3 layers to become opaque. 

Chinchilly: I love this grey-slate colour. I think it's super flattering on almost every skintone and I get compliments every time I wear it. The formula isn't too runny, and two coats is all you need for the most perfect opaque-ness. This is also probably the perfect office colour. 

 Lilacism: Honestly, I am not really a fan of pastels. I think this is colour toes the line nicely between being pale and muted, but also being bright enough that it doesn't quite cross over to "baby purple". This is a thin formula, and takes about 3 thin coats to reach a nice colour on the nails.

Mint Candy Apple: This is another colour that always gets me compliments. J said it looks like the colour of a 60s bathroom. I say it's the perfect 'mint' colour. I love this shade. This colour only takes 2 thin coats to reach the desired opacity and colour on my nails, without being streaky.

 

(L-R: Ballet Slippers, Tea and Crumpets, Chinchilly, Lilacism, Mint Candy Apple)

What's your favourite Essie shade?

 

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Micellar Water Review - Bioderma, Garnier, Sukin

It's taken a few years, but so many brands are now bringing out their own affordable versions of micellar water - that holy-grail, no-rinse cleansing liquid that melts make-up off your face, whilst still somehow being super gentle.

I've been a long-time lover of Bioderma's crealine H20 (now called Sensibio H20, or the sebium version for my oily-faced friends), and have many, many bottles on stand-by, lest I run out. But, as much as I love Bioderma, it is kind of expensive so I have been trialling some of the cheaper options on offer.

Garnier - Micellar Cleaning Water
RRP = $12.99 for 400mL ($3.25 / 100)

Garnier were the first brand to release a 'drugstore' version of micellar water, and it is remarkably cheap, at just $3.25/100mL. I'm personally really not a fan of this product.
I did not find it effective at removing make-up (particularly mascara and eye make-up), and I would have to go over the same area with at least two soaked cotton pads to remove all my make-up.

This product also really burned my eyes, and dried out my skin. I did use up a whole bottle, and it did come in handy for wiping swatches off my arm.
Overall rating: 2/5

Bioderma - Crealine / Sensibio H20
RRP = $39.99 for 500mL

The original micellar water! Bioderma is super expensive in Australia, coming in at $8/100mL. Unfortunately for my wallet, it's also my most favoured of the three micellar waters I've trialled.

I've reviewed this before on the blog, here. In a nutshell, Bioderma is gentle, doesn't sting my eyes, it doesn't dry out my skin, it doesn't smell like anything, and it is effective at removing my make-up. 
Overall rating: 4/5
 

Sukin Micellar Cleansing Water
RRP = $9.99 for 250mL

Sukin are an environmentally-responsible and vegan friendly brand, and their offering in the micellar water world is gentle, smells really good and is reasonably priced at $4/100mL. It's infused with cucumber and chamomile, which helps to soothe your skin.

This is probably the runner up of the three for me. It does a pretty good job of removing make-up, and it doesn't sting my eyes. It has got a very distinct scent though, which is a bit strange for a "water", and is something that may not agree with a few people.
This micellar water doesn't leave my face feeling as clean as Bioderma does though - it's almost as if a very thin film is left on my skin, and it takes ages for my skin to dry and feel normal.
Overall rating: 3/5

Final thoughts
I think everyone would like the Bioderma offering, except for the price. The good thing is, when Priceline have their 40% off skincare, you can get the 500mL version for prices that are comparable to what you would pay in Paris.
If your skin isn't sensitive and you don't wear eye-makeup then the Garnier version could suit you really well. If you don't mind scents in your products, then you would probably really like the Sukin version.





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September Goals

 

I sent my phone in to get repaired during August. The inner earpiece was broken, so I couldn't hear a damn thing when making phone calls. Which I actually do kinda often, so it was a bit of a nuisance. I was told it would take 5 days, but it's now been longer than 2 weeks. I've been using my friend's old iphone, but it's still got all her things on it, and no real battery life, so I only really use it for using calls and texting. Anyway, this is a long-winded way of saying I have no photos from the past month. Which is why my "week in pictures" posts have disappeared, and why you get the delightful photo above of me in the bathtub for this goals post. 

Let's review August's goals.

AUGUST GOALS

- Complete the August splits challenge

I got really sick in August (still recovering, almost a week of work sick), and totally lost momentum. I'm starting my own September splits challenge to try and make up for it. 

- Train handstands 5x a week

Nope again. Same excuse as above. 

- Buy Meg and Dad a birthday present

- Finish at least one book

I almost didn't think I would cross this one off, despite really focussing on reading this past month. The book I spent most of August reading is like, 700 pages long, so I'm still a few hundred off finishing. But I did buy one book, and finished it in a couple of days - it was that good. (And yeah, I'm one of those people who usually has a few books going at once). I plan to review it properly during September.

- Take clothes to charity bin and photograph clothes to sell

Half completed. I gave two garbage bags worth of clothes to the charity bin. Still have not photographed those clothes I want to sell. I think part of the reason I've been delaying on this is because I don't even know what I'll do with them once I take photos of them. Do things still sell on ebay? 

- Get back into a regular gym schedule

Nope. Sickness, etc. 

- Organise Alex drawers

I did organise my Alex drawers! (mostly). 

SEPTEMBER GOALS

 - Train handstands 5x a week

- Stretch 5x a week

- Buy J's birthday present

- Get Dad a Father's Day gift (this should have been an August goal, really)

- Finish two books

- Organise my filing cabinet

- Organise the basket of stuff in the bathroom

- Find a storage solution for my sock drawer

- Review our New Zealand itinerary, and make sure everything is ready to go!

- Go to the gym once a week

There's quite a few things on that list, but I think I can get it all done. 30 days, that's plenty of time, right? 

How's your goal-setting and goal completing going? I love hearing what other people are focussing on for the month!

 

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Review: True NARS lip pencil set

 

I received my tax return the other week, and decided to use some of it to treat myself. I stumbled across this limited edition NARS lip pencil set in Mecca and it was love at first sight.

 

Firstly - that packaging. Oh me, oh my. 

The lip pencils come in a hard case with a slot for each of the three pencils. The graphic artwork on the top of the case is stunning, and there's a giant mirror on the inside. This set is so beautifully packaged up and would make a perfect gift. A jumbo size pencil sharpener is included in the set, which is really thoughtful of NARS - you won't have to bother yourself with picking one up since it's all included. 

Honestly, the packaging is absolutely stunning, but it's quite bulky so pretty impractical to take travelling or throw in your handbag. I think of it more as a collectible that looks beautiful on top of my vanity.

 

The set comes with two satin lip pencils and one velvet matte lip pencil.  All lip pencils are full sized.

Included in the set is Yu, Luxembourg (both in the permanent line), and limited edition Provocative Red.

Yu is a bright, fucshia pink. 

Luxembourg is watermelon red - probably my most favourite of the three pencils. 

Provocative Red - the matte in the set - is a deep, muted red.

 

The texture and staying power of these is well worth the money spent on them. All three are beautifully smooth and creamy, and apply like a dream. They don't dry my lips out, although they don't really moisturise my lips either. The two satin lip pencils make my lips look shiny and juicy.

Provocative red is really velvety (as the name would lead you to believe)

Each colour lasts 3.5 - 4 hours on the lips - they do stain a bit, which I think helps with the staying power quite significantly, but they don't come off in the middle leaving a ring of colour on the outside of your lips, like some staining lip colours do.

(L-R: Yu, Luxembourg, Provocative Red)

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