I believe in Positivity

I am a huge believer in positive thinking and I like to consider myself a positive person. Why surround yourself with negative thoughts and feelings when you do not have to?

If you have not already discovered Jessica Ainscough's website The Wellness Warrior check it out as it is a great source of various information from healthy lifestyle choices, to natural diet and juice options, to detox in mind, body and spirit. She has a great website which I encourage you all to have a look through.

This morning she shared on her facebook and twitter page's exciting news about a new transformational film called The Cure Is. Now while some of you sceptics may not believe in all this new age information such as The Secret and other films alike. I urge you to just watch it because no matter what you believe, you can still receive valuable information about the power of your own self and what you think.

The hour long film shares real life stories of people who have healed themselves of illness and are now living healthy and happy lifestyles. You do not have to be sick to understand the messages however. It does not have to get to that stage. If you change yourself now you will live long fulfilled lives that burst with happiness and health.

I know I might sound a bit like a broken record or a whack but an open mind can do wonders. Things that jumped out at me when I was watching the film were;

Love yourself. The most important thing to me. I believe everyone should LOVE who they are.
Do what makes you happy. Whether that may be bushwalking, going to the beach, yoga or other things.
Eat items that you enjoy. Don't make a healthy diet be a chore but a learning and experiencing process.
Forgive. Do not hold on to any past anger.

The video goes through a number of other things so if you want to know more I strongly urge you to make the time to sit down, relax and really watch this video.

Believe in yourself!

Sending out positive vibes to you all today lovelies,
Xx

What is more important?

Over at my little blog, the sound of crickets chirping has become a regular occurrence these past few months. Something I am not proud of but have not had the chance to correct.

The question of the day stands; How do you maintain a balance in your life and manage your affairs equally?

It is often a common goal for us to strive for some kind of balance between all aspects of our life. Whether that may include; work life, personal life, blogging life, social calendar, personal research and health & fitness.
The career side of my life has gotten a serious workout these past few months hence the lack of blog posts and all-round lack of time spent socialising on beauty sites etc. I am not complaining because as I am a third year university student I am coming up to major components within my entire degree and things are just starting to get seriously interesting. Also I have a brand new casual job (which I love) to earn a little extra cash and I am about to start a summer internship that directly relates to my uni degree. All of this has kept me quite the busy little bee.

I wish I had more time and structure in my life but I am slowly learning what to put first and not to attempt to do everything myself otherwise I will crash and burn.

So a few little tips to help you manage your calender:

- It is okay to have a day off where you literally do nothing but laundry and watch bad tv. You will never stay sane trying to have busy schedules every single day.

- Eat a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. No matter how busy you are, you still need to eat otherwise you will lose all your energy and feel tired.

- Relax before bed time. Calm your mind by doing meditation for 30 minutes prior to going to bed. You will sleep better and not be cluttered with too many thoughts.

- Do not alienate the people that matter to you. Go out after work and have one or two drinks with your friends away from work and your house and don't focus the talk too much on work life.

It is sometimes very difficult to keep a balance in your life but you will learn your own strengths and weaknesses as you go along. Eventually you will feel more confident with your structure and your goals.

Do not give up and try to maintain a level head at all times.

Life is what you make it, so do what makes you happy.

Foundation Exchange

Last week Elizabeth Arden was hosting a foundation exchange program where you could bring any brand of old foundation in the an Elizabeth Arden counter and receive a personalised skin consultation and 30% your new Elizabeth Arden foundation.

I decided to take advantage of this offer on the very last day and trade in one very mismatched L'Oreal infallible foundation and get a new perfectly matched liquid foundation.

Firstly, I have to mention that I walked into David Jones initially and there was no one in sight of the Elizabeth Arden counter and after waiting around foolishly for five minutes I left and went to the Myer counter where the lady greeted me straight away with a friendly smile. It really plays a big difference when the sales assistants are, present for one thing, but friendly as well.
The David Jones sales assistant sat me down and talked about what I wanted in my foundation and what my skin concerns were.

What I look for: full coverage to hide any acne scars yet foundation that still breathes.

She then took all my previous makeup off and applied a thin coverage of EA Ceramide Ultra Lift and Firm Makeup (colour; vanilla shell 51). It was a perfect colour match yet when I looked at the bottle it threw me a little. It comes in a tub and I honestly prefer a pump bottle as it seems more hygienic. So I ended up purchasing the EA Flawless Finish Bare Perfection Makeup (vanilla shell 51) which is the exact same colour yet comes in a pump bottle and has medium-full coverage.

With trading in my old foundation I received it for $42, which is what I would pay normally for my Max Factor foundation. All-in-all, a great deal!

What exactly do they do with the old foundations; well its a marketing strategy so Elizabeth Arden can get a sense of their competitors and what their target audience is purchasing and using.

These types of offer are a great way to get a new foundation for your daily routine as you get to rid yourself of any mismatched tubes you have lying around and you try a great brand at a fraction of the retail price.

Great Barrier Reef, Heron Island

Once again I have neglected my little blog as I was away on a university field trip to Heron Island without any phone or internet access.

Heron Island is a small coral cay located in the Great Barrier Reef about a 2 hour boat trip off the port of Gladstone. I just thought I would share a few of my photos with you all as it is just the most beautiful place with amazing snorkelling and if you ever get the chance to visit this unique island then I would highly recommend it.

I was there for a week staying at the research station on the island which is owned by the university of Queensland. It is just the most beautiful place and there is so much to see and do there.

 Shipwreck on the reef. Snorkelling around here is pretty cool.

Jetty and shipwreck. 

 Resort rooms. We stayed at the research station however.

 Resort.

 Just the most spectacular colours in the water.

 Beautiful sunsets everyday.

There are tens of thousands of these Black Noddy's on the island.

 The resort takes guests on a guided tour of the reef flats at low tide.

You will see heaps of cool things on the reef, this starfish was just one of the hundreds of species you encounter.

 You will not be disappointed with your trip to Heron.

I had such a great time on Heron and I will for sure go back some time soon!

Are you planning a holiday anywhere?

Beautorium Beauty Haul

If we didn't absolutely love beautyheaven before, then with their grand efforts in the second ever beautorium event we are guaranteed to love love LOVE them for many more years to come.

I missed out on the first beautorium event so I decided to cash in big in the next one. For just $9.95 P&H I got all this, I would say that's reason enough to jump for joy. :)

- TIGI Salt Spray RRP$29.95
- John Frieda Precision Foam Colour RRP$22.99
- La Biosthetique Volume Powder RRP$34.50

- Clearasil Ultra pimples + marks lotion RRP$13.99
- Dove Invisible Dry anti-white marks roll-on RRP$5.47

- Maybelline Fit me foundation RRP$18.95
- Maybelline Fit me concealer RRP$14.95
- SAX sheer lipstick RRP$14.95
- Revlon colour burst lipgloss RRP$21.95
- Revlon colour stay eyeshadow RRP$24.95
- Physicians Formula eyeliner trio for green eyes RRP$24.95

And plenty of samples too!!

Beautyheaven, you have out-done yourselves this time. Thank you so much.

The Golden Girl Strikes Again

Our all time favourite country-turned-pop star has announced the release of her 4th studio album this morning in a live web chat.
I am not a die-hard fan of Taylor Swift but I did bop along to her concert when she was down under and I admire how she has stayed so grounded in light of her booming success. She honestly seems like a wholesome person who has everything going for her yet she has not let the hype go to her head.

This morning I sat down with a cup of peppermint tea and tuned in to her live web chat which she presented to a small audience in her Nashville house as well as 65,000-odd others who were eagerly watching and listening to her as she answered fan questions and spoke about her upcoming album.

RED will be officially released on October 22 so be on the look out for that. On the live web cast she also debuted her amazing new single 'We are never ever getting back together'. The song is really upbeat and very catchy, you can watch it on the web cast I linked below. This new single will also be live to download from iTunes later tonight.

If you are interested in the live chat that just occurred I uploaded it below.

Taylor is one dashing lady and I think it's only fitting that she named her new studio album RED. She is one girl who knows how to rock a mean red lip.

My beauty picks so you too can rock a mean red lip like Taylor:

ELES MicroRed Micro Bubble Lipstick 

Lancome Rouge in Love 159B. See my full review here.

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Lipstick 1A3 Maraschino.

Frock Up and Stock Up

Over the weekend I visited the Frock Up Vintage Fair in Brisbane. Imagine racks and tables full of shoes, bags, jewellery, dresses, clothing and everything in between. It was a lot of fun finding great one-of-a-kind items of clothing and seeing the transformation of fashion through the ages.

My tips on finding a bargain:
- Be prepared to dig! The racks are choc-full of clothes and sometimes the best pieces are hidden under another skirt or caught on a different coat-hanger. Sort through each individual item so you don't miss out on that one treasure.

- Size doesn't matter! Just because the tag says 16 doesn't mean it won't look good as an over-sized top/dress or with a belt. Remember sizes have changed over the years so something that is a higher size than you would normally wear could very well be your perfect fit. If you love something then try it on and see if it works.

- Alter to perfect! If a dress is too long or a top is a little bit off there is such thing as a sewing machine. You can cut and hem anything to make it more modern and alter sleeves similarly.

- Don't be afraid to haggle! Sometimes that perfect skirt might have a slight stain so ask if there is a better price that can be done or ask if you can get two items at a reduced cost.

- Have fun and happy hunting! Take it the environment and all the different clothes, if something looks ridiculous on the rack, try it on and have a laugh. We all know that there are vintage pieces that should stay in the past.

What I picked up from the fair:

 Wool and suede vest $20

 Love the style of this top.

 Gorgeous summer dress with a tied bow back $40.

 Vintage short sleeved blouse $5

 Vintage print top $5

Love the print on this top. It's oversized and looks great with skinny jeans or a high waisted skirt.

Love a good vintage bargain? Check out The Way We Wear website to see dates and events.

Is eco really best?

After using the L'oreal Infallible 24hour brush foundation, I found the wonders of using a foundation brush to apply liquid foundation. I was always one to use my fingers or a sponge to apply my base but now I am fully converted to a brush application. 

Being a novice beauty, I had no idea where to start with using a brush or which brand to buy whether it be MAC, Australis, NP or from the Body Shop. Honestly, there are just so many brushes out there that you may never be satisfied with your choice and everyone has their own personal tastes so you cannot rely on another person's review.

I decided on trying out the EcoTools brand as I am a big fan of going green where I can and I love the bamboo look of the brushes.

From Priceline:

EcoTools Foundation brush RRP $10.99

EcoTools Deluxe Concealer brush RRP $7.99

Why choose to go green?

So many reasons...

My thoughts on the brushes:

Foundation brush; 

-very dense bristles 

-a little bit scratchy 

-decent sized brush head and comfortable handle

Deluxe concealer brush;

-small brush head which allows you to get into hard to reach areas and allows for extra precision when applying concealer

These brushes are synthetic so they do not feel as soft as some other brushes and the bristles tend to feel scratchy at times so make sure you apply gentle strokes especially around delicate areas like your eyes. Some people love these brushes and go on about how soft they are but I do not feel these particular brushes are that soft or flexible. These two brushes are the only ones I have used from the EcoTools range so I am not commenting on the overall appeal of all EcoTools brushes. I do adore the look of them and thickness of the brush handle.

When applying foundation I had no problems getting a flawless finish. They don't leave you with a streaky look and that's a huge plus, they are also really simple to clean and maintain. I will continue to use these brushes as I find them adequate but I would be interested in comparing them to other brands.

What do you think? Do you apply your foundation with a brush?