My Watch Collection + a Giveaway!

As someone who used to never wear a watch (and could barely read the time on an analog face... :P ), I now can't go a day without wearing one! Along with knowing the time without having to whip my phone out, I love how a watch can complete an outfit and in general makes me look more chic and gives the illusion that I'm a punctual person ;). I don't have a huge collection, but I have three quite different styles that go with different outfits and occasions!

New Specs

Something you guys may or may not know about me is that I am a glasses-wearer! I'm short-sighted and while my vision isn't terrible (I don't wear my glasses around the house), I definitely need to wear my glasses whenever I go out. I've come to actually really love wearing glasses - I think of them as an accessory and find they add another element of interest to my face. One thing about me though is that I'm pretty sensitive in the sun - I get super squinty and my eyes start watering if I look into the sun for too long lmao. So - prescription sunglasses are a must for me! I've amassed quite the collection of glasses (more than pictured), but I recently got a few new pairs that I thought I'd share with you guys!

Haul // ASOS + Student Savings

Shopping for clothes online is not something I partake in too often - I like to see and feel things and am always paranoid an item won't fit or suit me! I must say though, ASOS is a standby site for me. I ordered both my semi-formal and formal dresses from there! They have amazing good quality basics (and trendier items) at reasonable prices, plus they always have a tonne of stuff on sale! I should also mention, they have an amazing range of beauty brands too! Once I start scrolling, I ain't stoppin'... I decided to have a bit of a browse the other night and ended up with three things in my cart! 

Monthly Favourites // April 2015

For serial doe, WHERE DID APRIL GO?!? I feel like I did nothing this month, study wise (oops). What with the Easter break, it felt like holidays and subsequently I watched a bunch of TV shows (more on that later) and movies (AVENGERS AOU!!!). But anyway, I have quite a few favourites this month so let's dig in!

Monthly Favourites // March 2015

March was a pretty busy month for me! It was basically my first month of uni where I actually started doing work, though...let's not talk about how I'm so behind on readings and should get back to doing the assignment that's due tonight! Favourites wise, I was actually grasping! Well, that's a bit extreme, but a lot is the same from last month. While I did get a boat load of stuff mid-month (thaaaanks Obsession!) I've been slowing starting to try things and wanted to test them out for a bit longer before I declared any faves! Though, there are definitely some gems in that bunch! Let's get stuck in here though!

An ASOS Haul.

Since starting uni, outfit planning for every day has been a real struggle. Well, actually I only go in to uni three days a week, heh heh :P Who knew I would miss having a school uniform?? I don't often go clothes shopping, if I do, it's usually in sales and I only get like one thing. Can I be bothered to try stuff on?!?? But anyway, I made an ASOS order. I just really like ASOS; it's cheap and they have an awesome range of stuff. I like their "catwalk" feature as well, tres helpful. My haul's actually not that huge, but I picked up a few "basics" and other such "uni appropriate" attire. Pfft, I wear what I want bish. Also, apologies for shoddy photos and CREASED CLOTHING. Fashion ain't my forte, and I'm lazy.

Formalities

As you may have seen from my Instagram, this past Saturday was my grade 12 Formal! Exciting times really. I had a really fun night, and even though my feet were killing me, I made sure to have a ball jigging it on the d-floor. It was also quite emotional and overwhelming as this is an event I've been looking forward to for years, and of course another reminder that my schooling life will be over very soon! A few of you guys asked to see some snaps from the day, so here they are!

I got my makeup done at Mecca Cosmetica. I was originally going to do it myself however I realised that the products I wanted to buy would've cost more than getting it done, so I decided to go down the Mecca route as they have literally every product I would've wanted to be used! I had a very specific look in mind (it was actually one of the MSFW looks a Mecca makeup artist created that I spotted in an email from them) and luckily the lovely gal who did my makeup did it exactly how I wanted (shoutout to Courteney, even though she doesn't know about this blog lol)! She took her time and I didn't feel intimidated to ask for certain products at all, I'm so happy with how it came out!

Products used (from what I can recall):

Face:
NARS Pro-Prime Pore-Refining Primer
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Punjab
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger

By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder
NARS Contour Blush Duo in Paloma
NARS Laguna Bronzer
NARS Orgasm Blush
Stila Kitten Eyeshadow (as a highlight)

Eyes:
Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Dark Brunette
NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
Stila Kitten Eyeshadow
Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eyeshadow in Kitten (mixed with Stila Stay All Day liquid eye primer)
Kevyn Aucoin Eye Pencil Primatif in Black
Chantecaille Mascara (not sure which one)
Ardell Short Flare Black Individual lashes and Lash Grip (applied myself)

Lips:
NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Lodhi 

I'm really happy with the products she picked out - she pretty much read my mind in regards to what I've been wanting to try! Though I did request a couple of things like the lip colour and foundation, and the eye look obviously. Seriously though, I love the way it came out. The wing is defining and accentuating without being too overbearing or dramatic, the glitter is super pretty yet not too garish, and the lip matched my clutch, and although it was quite bold, it didn't clash with the eyes. Also loved how flawless my skin looked yet it wasn't cakey or too matte and felt super light. The whole look lasted really well through the night, I only touched up my lips a couple of times, mostly because I wanted to be fancy and touch up my lipstick. My cheek products hardly faded and my mascara/eyeliner didn't smudge at all! It cost $90 with the full amount redeemable on products. My haulage will be coming up in a post very soon ;)

I did my own hair, and am super happy with how it came out - even though I was a little rushed. I was going for the "faux undercut/side shave look", inspired by Natalie Dormer and Sophie Turner at SDCC this year haha, here are the babes. Since my dress is quite delicate/pretty, I wanted to add a bit of edginess in the hair/makeup/accessories. I had a deep side part and my mum did a tight french braid down the side. I swooped my hair to the other side and used a 1 1/4 inch curling iron/barrel (thanks for the loan Tam!) to put in some loose curls/defined waves. I used the Kerastase Ciment Thermique as a heat protectant and it left my hair feeling super soft! Definitely a fan. I also used the Matrix Design Pulse Hair Lock Extra Strong Hold Hairspray which worked quite well. It did leave hair feeling a wee bit hard feeling if you sprayed too much - but not so bad considering it's Extra Strong! They held really well through the night full of dancing!

Dress: ASOS (available here)
Shoes: Tony Bianco (not that you can see them but here's a pic)
Ear Cuff: H&M
Bracelet: Topshop
Rings: Lovisa
Clutch: Etsy (I think, it's my sister's) and insert made by me (out of a Mecca Maxima bag haha)!
Nails: Maybelline Bleached Neons in Sun Flare

I really love my dress actually, I like how it's simple but still a little glitzy/glam with the embellishment. I really like how flowy the skirt is and the sheer panel underneath the cropped top. It looks a bit more pink in the photos online, but I still liked the colour in real life, though it was a bit more beige! The sequins were silver however I was adamant on gold jewellery, so I decided to "mix metals" and I think it turned out really well.

I really loved the clear clutch too. I was set on peachy-pink (of course) so I decided to make the insert out of what I had lying around the house. I really love the pop of colour! I think if I had gone nude, it would have been a bit too drab for my liking.

The gorgeous gals.

Something we do at our school's formals are entrances! Everyone arrives at the "pre-formal" in a vehicle/mode of transportation and walk in on a red carpet - ooh la la! It's always really fun to see what everyone comes in - usually fancy or classic cars, limos, etc but it's always cool to come in something different! We decided to hire out a trackless train and it was so fun haha! We decorated it with fairy lights, and even drove it down to the dinner venue which was only 5 minutes away - but we were choo choo-ing on the roads!

The night was definitely one to remember, such a fun time with all my closest friends, and of course it was amazing to get dressed up for the night. It makes me sad to know that soon it will be all over and weird to think that I won't see my friends everyday at school. Enough sappy times, I hope you guys enjoyed this post!

What was your formal/prom experience like?

HAUL-I-DAYS

Haulidays, hauls for days, you get the idea. I only ever go on shopping sprees when I go on school holidays, which is like four times a year, so splurges are totally justifiable, right? A lot of this haul was for my upcoming Formal. I was originally going to do my own makeup, seeing as I'm scared of people messing it up, or doing it wrong, and me being too shy to speak up about it. But, I wanted to buy quite a lot of things which would've ended up costing more than getting it done, so I just decided to book in at Mecca Cosmetica. They have legit every product I'd want to be used and the cost is redeemable on products bweheheh >:).

Puretopia Sleep & Renew Rejuvinating & Firming Night Face Moisturiser

(srsly Puretopia why the such long names) I'm nearly out of my current night cream (Trilogy Rosapene Night Cream) and as much as I'd like to repurchase, it's $45 and I thought I'd try something new! I really like the spray toner from Puretopia so I thought I'd give this one a go. It has really nice ingredients like Rose hip oil and Vitamins C & E. Even if this isn't the greatest, I always mix in a few drops of a facial oil so hopefully it works out!

Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub

Oh sweet jebus, I've been wanting this scrub for the longest time. Every time I go into Mecca/Kit I sniff this and cry a little inside, it smells so delicious. It's also my first proper scrub and my reasoning is that Summer is coming up - gotta get Summer ready! Lol, who am I kidding, I don't go outside. But also so I can get my limbs somewhat nice looking for Formal - scaly, lizard ness be gone! I was considering getting a scrub from Dirty Works which is the dupe brand, but I realised they really aren't that cheap! Their scrub is $13 and S&G is $16, just pay in a few extra bucks and get the real deal hey.

Decleor System Corps Lait Hydratant Moisturising Body Milk*

I was recently sent this from Facial Co and after a bit of a kerfuffle with mis-sent products, I finally got my hands on it! I've been using it and really liking it, it is a lightweight moisturiser that doesn't leave the skin feeling heavy or sticky, but rather glowy. Perfect for Summer!

Kerastase Ciment Thermique*

Kerastase has just released a new generation of their best selling Thermiques. I was sent Ciment Thermique which is a heat protectant that is thermo-activated and will help strengthen the hair fibre from within - apparently! I try to avoid heat as much as possible, purely because my hair is so damaged. I will definitely be giving this a go though, and will let you guys know how it fares!

Bourjois Healthy Balance Unifying Powder

Bout time I got this powder right? It's been raved about by just about everyone for being the 'non-powder' powder. It sets but still keeps skin radiant whilst adding a little extra coverage. Also apparently a dupe for the Chanel Les Beiges powders and Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk powder. I bought this since I hit pan on my other face powder - Australis Fresh and Flawless, plus Bourjois was doing a gift with purchase when you spent $19.95. The powder was $20. Unfortunately they were out of stock of the Bourjois GWPs, so I got an Almay one instead, which I'm quite excited about seeing as I haven't tried anything from them. Thank you Tam for picking this up for me!

Almay Get Up & Grow Mascara

The GWP came with this mascara which I'm actually pretty excited to use seeing as Emily Noel raves about it all the time! 

Almay Longwear & Waterproof eye makeup remover pads

I've also heard pretty great things about these. I tried one the other night and it definitely got off my waterproof mascara! The pads themselves are saturated in an oily solution which helps break down product. Very convenient little pads! The GWP came in a clear bag which I think will actually be quite good for in flight and things like that. 

Topshop Glow Stick in Spotlight

I've been seeing these cheek blushes and highlighters popping up everywhere online, and I spotted this guy on clearance for half price, coming down to $11. I really liked the colour when swatched, it's quite a sheeny, glowy light pink in the convenience of a chubby stick. I think it would work well as a layering highlighter, or blush/highlighter hybrid. 

Ardell Individuals Flare Short Black

I picked these up for my Formal and I decided to go down the individual lash route to try it out, knowing that they're supposed to give a more natural, fluttery lash look. I like the customisable-ness of them. I got the short ones since they seemed the best length for me - they're still longer than my natural eyelashes but nothing obscene - the long ones are CRAY. And there wasn't a set with just medium and short. I expect I can get very voluminous lashes with these - hopefully! These were $10.

Maybelline Colour Show Bleached Neons in Sun Flare

I was not aware that Maybelline were bringing over the Bleached Neons range, but they only had the nail polishes. Shame really, because I loved the look of the LE shades of the Elixirs and Colour Whispers. I was on the hunt for a pale peachy-pink polish for Formal, all the peachy pinks I have are mid-tone, and me being the fussy biatch needed something paler apparently! Nothing satisfied me in Priceline (seriously I got every peachy-pink polish to compare them (shoutout to Daphne for helping me choose ;) ), so I decided to go with Sun Flare. It's not exactly what I wanted, it's very much on the peach side of things, but I really like it and I think it will go with my dress/situation haha.

Tweezerman Mini Slant Tweezers

I picked these up on clearance at David Jones for about $11 I think, which I thought was a pretty great price! I've been wanting to try Tweezerman tweezers for ages, and trust me, my old pair of tweezers were SO old, and blunt and pretty dang terrible at doing their job. These Tweezerman ones are so damn sharp they could cut a b*tch, legit. Took me a while to master them, but they've definitely made plucking ma brows a little less stressful. Plus, the bee print is SO cute.

Jewellery - Topshop and Lovisa

I needed to pick up some jewellery to go with my dress. My dress has silver in it but since I'm so damn keen on wearing gold, I decided to go for the mixing metals thang of gold and silver. It works because the dress itself is a creamy-beige (wow it sounds so appealing) so it goes well with gold. I really liked wearing midi rings for my Semi, and decided to do the same for my Formal. I think the dress just suits much daintier jewellery. I picked up some gold rings from Lovisa and a bracelet from Topshop which has silver and gold - I think it's quite cute. But GUYS, do you see that triangle ring I bought!? BASTILLE RING. Seriously, it ain't just any old triangle, it screams BASTILLE TRIANGLE. I'm a little obsessed. Just a little.

Hope you guys enjoyed my haul! Formal is coming up very soon, less than two weeks in fact :O So yah, I'm defo in Formal prep mode.

*Products sent for consideration.

Collective Haul // 16 going on 17

It was my 17th birthday in May, the 11th to be precise, so I do have a bit of a haul to share with you guys! Majority were gifts from my amaze friends, but I also used some birthday vouchers I got from some shops for being part of their 'club'. I've signed up to like all of the stores haha, it's basically free money as I like to say!

The Body Shop Moringa Soap, Shower Gel and Body butter, and Passionberry Born Lippy

A couple of my friends actually unintentionally matched as one got me the soap duo and the other got me the mini body butter in the same scent! I've already dug into the body butter and am thoroughly enjoying it - the scent is definitely growing on me! I'm actually not a big fan of the Born Lippys, I don't find they do much in the moisturisation department. I used to have the strawberry one which I particularly didn't like because it was tinted and made my lips look all big and swollen. Passionberry on the other hand doesn't give off any colour, and the scent is delicious!

L'Occitane Shea Hand Cream and Almond Body cream samples

I got these for free from the store as my local(ish) shopping centre was having a bit of a 'do and the stores were having offers on. I've already tried both of these products and really like them!

e.l.f Lip Balm Tint in Nude

I picked this up from iHerb to make up the cost to get a $10 voucher off in the order for my friend's birthday gift. It was somewhat spontaneous, though I did look up a few reviews and they all seemed to really like it! The shade is a really nice peachy nude. Similar to Revlon Complex but a sheerer, glossy balm version.

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette

Aaah it is finally mine! This was the one product that I really wanted so I was ecstatic when a few of my friends got it for me. Mm rosy-neutral deliciousness is contained in that box. I can tell it's most definitely probably going to be in my June favourites.

Witchery Picnic Check Poncho

I couldn't get a dece photo of its adorable-ness so I'm using it as the background haha! Check out the link to see what it properly looks like. Yes it's from the kids section, but what can I say, it's adorable. I bought it because I had a $20 bday voucher, a $10 vouch for doing a survey, plus my mum and dad's survey vouchers, plus it was 20% off knitwear SO it came down to like SIX DOLLARS from SEVENTY. Bargain-bagger Tasha strikes again! Its so adorable and cosy - I love it!

Kmart Novelty socks in the Pug pattern!!

Ah ma gahd, LOOK AT HIS FACE. These are the most adorable socks I will ever own, though they also have a kitten print which was all sold out and hopefully they'll be mine too! I bought these because, well, just look at them, and they were only $1.50! Realistically, they look really weird on (he gets all distorted), and I probably won't wear them out but we'll see...

Mimco Pony Set in Black

The Mimcollective (I see what you did there ;) ) gives out $30 vouchers for your birthday so defs take advantage of that peeps! I purchased this little set of three hair bands with rose gold charms which were $29.95 so I didn't have to pay in (that's how I operate yo). I like that they look good on the wrist as well as the hair! BUT I would never pay money for these because the actual elastic is TERRIBLE. Like it's flimsy, thin and just plain shit. Get yo act together Mimco! I can get $2 ones from Woolies which are way better.

Assorted Earrings

I got a few pairs of earrings for my birthday as well. Excited for them, especially the blue ones from Colette as I don't have too many dangly pairs that I actually wear.

kikki.K Uppsala Small Pouch

I got a $10 voucher from kikki.K and decided to purchase this little pouch and pay in $4.95. I thought it was too adorable to pass up! I love the fruity, delicate print and I thought it would be sweet for makeup, or random bits and bobs.

kikki.K Wooden Greeting Stamp Set

So a couple of weeks down the track, I get an email to say that I hadn't spent my bday voucher, which I clearly did. I'm not complaining though! So I went in and purchased this stamp set which was on sale to begin with and so I only paid around $3 for it. Weird that, I guess the first lady must not have registered that I used it? Oh wells, like I say, free moneeeyy! [Gawd I'm so Asian]

Clutch bags from Ruby&Kit and Forever New

Both gifts from my lovely friends. I was actually in need of a clutch so these were perfect! The black one is a great size, and I'm sure I'll be using it heaps as it will basically go with anything! The Forever New one is so pretty, a light pastel blue and white. Very mod and sweet I think.

I did leave out a couple of things which I didn't think were worth sharing on here, or I forgot, or I'd already put them away, but this is the majority, and I'm very thankful :)! I also got a voucher to a cosmetics store so no doubt the aftermath of that will be cropping up soon. My fambam mainly bought me a ticket to see Katy Perry at the end of the year (YAY!), especially since tix are RIDONK expensive, like whoah dere. The Prismatic tour looks like it's going to be SO good though. Any other Bday money is going to my New Zealand trip at the end of the year as well.

I hope you guys found this post somewhat interesting, and I just thought I'd share the new things that have come my way :)