Winter just got a whole lot sweeter thanks to B&L

The Beauty and Lace Winter Box has finally arrived. If you are not sure what I am talking about then let me explain. This is the first time I have taken part in Beauty and Lace's goodie boxes but basically for around $30 you can get a little something special sent to you in the mail and all the products (samples and full sized ones) will be a surprise. 

What's so good about Beauty and Lace's goodie boxes? 

Well there is a variety of brands that may be new to you and products are a mix of both beauty and lifestyle. That was a huge draw for me because a girl can only own so many tubes of mascara!

Here is a look inside the box:

A closer look at the products:

Beautiful stationary from Earth Greetings.

Farmstyle Pickle chutney from Anathoth which I thought I would totally hate but I had a quick walk round their website and found some tasty looking recipes. Plus I love their jams so I am excited to try this one out.

 Keane's new studio album. I have heard some of his other songs which I don't mind. It is a very laid back sound perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

Alfaparf Milano illuminating sculpting spray. I have plenty of hairspray already but I love a non-aerosol bottle.

Manicare false lashes- Kelly

 Vani-T Mineral liquid radiance in Sun RRP$40.10. I am most excited about trying out this product!

 Wotnot facial wipes. I love these wipes! Wotnot is a great natural brand and the wipes do not leave my face stripped dry like other wipes do.

Baby mum-mum rice rusks. I honestly do not know what I will do with these as I certainly do not have a kid. 

 Two pocket-sized books.

 Beauty and the bees soap.

 Bel Ami double season pass. However, it has stopped showing in cinemas so that is really disappointing. 

Plus numerous small samples.

Overall thoughts about B&L's goodie box:

To be honest, I was expecting a little more beauty-related items but these boxes never claim to be about beauty so that was just my own thought. One lipstick and this box would have been superb.

I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of stuff we got for our money and it is a good way to introduce you to some brands that you may never have know about. For me, the Earth Greetings stationary is something I will be looking into and purchasing again as they do some lovely greeting cards. 

Another positive is the fact that the majority of these products and companies are Australian and eco-friendly.

Delivery does take about 8 weeks for your goodies to get to your door but I guess it is a lot of work to organise and it is well worth the wait.

Final words:

Thank you so much Beauty and Lace for the wonderful treat! And if you get the chance to sign up for one of these boxes in the future then I would recommend it, who doesn't love to get parcels in the mail.

:)

Xx

Effectively Brushed

A major lust-worthy brush set in the makeup world has long been the stunning brushes by Rae Morris. I myself have just marvelled at their beauty time and time again but that hefty little price tag always stopped me from being impulsive. 

The full set of 27 brushes will set you back $700. However, now these works of art are finally being sold individually. Hooray! 

One individual brush ranges in price from about $8- $80 but the average brush for a fellow beauty lover is no more expensive then the MAC brushes. 

The personal appeal I have with these brushes is all to do with that look and style. These brushes are all handmade to the highest quality and precision, made with grey squirrel hair and beautiful bamboo handles. (Seriously love the look of these brushes) They are all PETA approved and no animals are harmed in the making of these brushes.

 I am seriously frothing over Brush 7: the Deluxe Precision Shader.

The woman behind it all, Rae Morris is a Brisbane girl (hey that's something we have in common) but quickly rose to greater things and is now rapidly conquering the global beauty world. Ever beautiful, Rae is the make-up director for L'Oreal Paris and has released 4 successful books.

I am in absolute awe of this girls zest for beauty and vast success. I am yet to read her books but I think I better hop to it so I can share in her knowledge and learn her secrets.  

Individual brushes can be purchased from her website here. 

Do you think you will be purchasing any?

Stress-less and Rejuvenate

My study week tips and tricks continues with easy ways to take a moment to yourself (without any text books) and relax.
Relax- now that's a word you don't hear much of when you're a uni student. I generally feel like I am always on edge and when I take a break, I feel guilty and my mind is always elsewhere constantly thinking on rotation 'I should be studying', 'Only 3 days till my first exam', 'What are the 5 stages of IDAS again?', 'Panic Panic PANIC'.

Well like I said in my first post, study is not everything and you are not expected to hit the books 24/7. Here are a few of my ideas to help you break from your routine and forget about the world for a while.

- Kick up your feet and get away from your desk while watching a classic tv show or a feel good movie.
My picks: The beautiful 'Gilmore Girls' or a recent favourite movie of mine 'We Bought a Zoo'.

- At the end of a long day how about a glass of white, a glass of red or perhaps one of Rose instead.
Just remember: A glass or two, NOT the whole bottle. It will help you unwind at the end of the day and send you off to a blissful sleep. However, I would not recommend any wine (no matter how good it is) the day before your exam.

- Take a soak in the tub while burning a candle.
I'm burning: MOR Lychee Flower candle (RRP $39.95). It fills the whole house with a heavenly scent and will surely get you out of a study funk.

- Quick study break time. Get moving around the house while doing some vacuuming and blasting your ipod as you go. It's a good way to burn off some energy, gain some perspective and continue being productive at the same time.

- The power of meditation should be lost on no-one. Take a moment to do some yoga or meditate to calm your nerves, mind and whole body. You will feel more at peace and ready to tackle the next step.

And finally, get a good nights sleep every night. It is never worth cramming the night before and to ensure you drift off peacefully, let your bed be a place of rest and rest alone. Your desk is for study and your bed is for sleeping. 

Xx

Woe is me

In light of study week for university students I find myself getting worked up thinking about study but when I just sat and focused on individual tasks that need to be done, my workload did not seem as bad.

So a foreword piece of advice to anyone going through exams right now is; Don't get overwhelmed looking at the big picture. Take a step back and proceed one foot at a time.

It is humanly impossible for an individual to be studied all day everyday for 3 weeks straight so do not feel like you have to. An important initial step is to plan out the coming weeks and schedule in any large breaks eg. if you have a concert or a friends 21st, and then work your study around that. This way you should feel better knowing you have a break coming up and when you get sufficient study done a time out will reward your hard efforts.

Even during the day you are allowed to take a break from study, just make sure you are actually doing some study though.

Surviving study tips:

- Force yourself to get up early ahead of time. Your body will get a shock if you have to be at an 8am exam when it's used to sleeping in till 10pm each day. Set yourself a wakeup time such as 7am and do NOT go back into bed just because it's warmer there.

- Physically write down what needs to be done and allocate days to specific tasks. Plan your weeks wisely and stick to it!
- Switch subjects half way through the day so your mind gets a break and a change in focus will spark more interest rather than being lugged down by Tort Law all day.

- When taking notes, use different coloured pens for certain topics.

- Read over past exams and practice writing out responses in set times, just as in the real exam.

- If you need to study on your computer, do not take a break on your computer. By that I mean stay off those websites like 'Damn you autocorrect' as you will lose track of time and not get to stretch your legs. Also online shopping is a big no-no. I am guilty of this, just wasted hours shopping at the Iconic. :(

- Sit at your desk with a hot cup of green tea. It will help to focus your mind and give you a nice break from just sitting and staring at the books.

- Keep your goal in mind. Knowing what you want to get out of this at the end will help keep you motivated in the back of your mind.

Stay positive. No one got anywhere thinking they couldn't do it. So for all those studying right now, you can do it and I wish you the best of luck!

Got any other great tips, I would love to hear them?

Xx

And if any of this doesn't motivate you, this study song sure will! :)

Shoes of LUST

Is it any wonder that women have an obsession with shoes when you come across such beauties as the shoes found at Shoes of Prey?  

Shoes of Prey are a Sydney based business that hand make quality designs tailored to your deserving feet. What does this mean? Well you can create your own shoe just the way you want. You choose the design, heel height, heel type, material, toe type... anything. You are the designer of your own shoe and let me tell you it is a lot of fun to see the variations in just one shoe. 

Each order is individually hand-made so you are getting the highest of quality and detail. There are so many sizing charts available as well and if the sizing is still not right they will remake it free of charge. How good is that?

Here are a few of the gorgeous heels in their gallery I am seriously falling; starting in the gallery will give you a feel for the shoes and you can buy any of them or tweak it to suit your needs:

Theses ones are my ultimate favourite! I am already saving up. :)

And of course a strappy sandal to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee;

Images from shoesofprey.com

There is sure to be something in the gallery that will tickle your fancy or you can simply start completely from scratch. 

These heels are priced at around $300 and come with a $25 flat shipping rate, this means you can choose as many heels as you want for the single price. So why not get a few pairs among friends and family.

Check out their youtube channel here, there are some very interesting videos on how the shoes are made.

It is clear to tell that I have just fallen in love.

:)

Xx