lilcammo93

Butterfly Wall Art - DIY How To

2012-02-22T15:30:00.002+10:00

I love my butterfly wall, it's dreamy and fun and adds that little something to an otherwise normal room I guess. It was also really really easy to do.

For Christmas I was given an iron wall art piece from Target, it was pretty but I couldn't figure out a way to make it work by itself, it just needed something extra? I tried handing it different ways but it still didn't look 'great'. Then the idea of butterflies came, inspired by a photo on the net from Gossip Girl (no, I don't watch this show) I really liked the look and feel of it although that one is done in metal and designed by the Artist 'Paul Villinski', I wasn't going to go cutting beer cans open in the name of my wall art, hehehe I wanted mine to look different as well because I wanted to incorporate the iron flower wall art.

So, by hanging the iron wall art from the top corner of my wall (thanks dad!! :)) I could work out a way to do the butterflies, I already had my fairy lights hanging so using this as a bit of a guide helped with the direction of the butterflies. I roughly sketched a quick design on paper and then found a butterfly outline I liked online (just google butterfly templates). By copy and pasting the butterfly into a word document I could re-size it how I wanted. My aim was to have three different sized butterflies with the biggest being no more than 10cm across.

Once I had my butterflies printed out and cut out then came the job of cutting them out of cardboard, depending how many '3D' butterflies you want, start with 5 of each size (you can always cut more later). I chose a very dark purple cardboard (like my curtains) and a patterened creamy/brown cardboard (it was double sided) and black cardboard for them. My sister Jessica helped with the cutting out, you will have to trace the different sized butterflies onto the cardboard sheets. My cardboard came from my mum's craft stash but you can get it from any scrapbooking shop, you will need the heavy card, not the large poster card.

cut out butterflies

Ok, butterflies all cut out :) Grab one of your butterflies and a lead pencil and, with your rough sketch close by, start tracing around the butterflies. REMEMBER the more random you place them the better they will look, butterflies are never flying around in an even group, they are always 'scattered' so resist the urge to space them evenly hehehehe every so often take a few steps back and have a look at your design, it looks nice to have a few overlapped occasionally. It's a good idea to have more butterflies at the centre (focal point) of your design and then less butterflies as they fly away, almost like they are 'taking off'. Be sure to mix up the sizes of your butterflies too.

rough sketch

draw butterfly on wall using cutout as a template

After you've traced all your butterflies, and you're happy with your design, it's time to paint. I chose black craft paint because my iron wall art was black, any colour will work it's up to you. It's a good idea to start at the upper left of your whole design if you are right handed and if you are left handed you should start at the upper right corner. This will prevent you dragging your arm over the wet butterflies as you work :) With a small paint brush, paint the edge of the butterfly first and then fill it in, this may look a little rough to start with but don't worry, you will be giving it a second coat of paint so you can fix up any little bits then. Once the first coat is dry, go over all the butterflies again.

a small paint brush

carefully paint edges first

fill in first coat of paint

once dry, add second coat of paint

Remember, if the weather is really hot the paint will dry quickly, even on your brush!!! hahaha Be sure the paint is not too runny because you don't want your butterflies 'running' :(

Butterflies all dry? Now it's time to add some dimension, this step is completely up to you, you may want to leave it with just the painted butterflies but because I had the iron wall art I wanted some balance.

With a good double sided tape cut very thin to fit on the body of the butterfly, randomly place your cardboard butterflies throughout your art work, keep stepping back to have a look and when you're happy, STOP!!! You don't have to use them all :) Keep the left over butterflies and tape in a safe place so you can use them at a later date if you want to.

strong double sided tape

cut tape to fit back of butterfly's body, bend butterfly

store left overs safely :)

I hope this 'how to' was of some help and I hope your art work turns out beautifully!!!

See my Room Tour video HERE

Goodnight Macaroon - Online Store/Fashion Review

2012-02-20T15:55:00.001+10:00

This year I’m really starting to take more of an interest in fashion and styling so when I was asked to try out some clothes from ‘Goodnight Macaroon’ I was pretty excited :)

Crochet/Lace Shorts and Top from Goodnight Macaroon

‘Goodnight Macaroon’ is a fairly new ‘E-Boutique’ that is inspired by celebrity, blogger and street fashion trends. They cater for the budget conscious through to the seasoned spender and have a fairly regular turnover of new clothes.

What did I get?

I was able to choose some garments of my liking from the store which was quite easy to navigate.

Sweetheart Dress – I chose this dress in lilac and in a small size and can honestly say it is exactly as the online picture shows it. It’s very soft and flowing and is a nice fit. The only problem I had with this dress is that the shoulder straps were too long for me but that can happen when you purchase clothes that come in small, medium and large. It’s no big deal to take the straps up a little. All the seams were finished properly and met up and the gathering was even, the buttons were all fixed on securely.

This dress comes with a detachable collar piece which is a cute addition but I think I would have preferred it to be attached on the inside of the dress rather than the outside. I love the colour and think this dress is very pretty and easy to wear :)

Crochet Lace Shorts (high waisted) – I’ve seen these in pictures and was curious about them so thought they would be a fun addition to my wardrobe, I chose black because I’m just not too good with white bottoms, haha :D When I first put them on I wasn’t too sure if I liked them that much :/ but after about half hour wearing them I really liked them, it’s good to try new looks out :D I like how you can dress these shorts up with heels and not look ‘trampy’ and that they look just as good styled casually with flats! :)

Again, the shorts were true to the photo on the site, they fit nicely and would also fit the sizes stated in the description which is sizes 6 to 12 (although I think a 12 would be a tight fit). The seams were finished properly and straight and the elastic waist was made well.

Silky Satin Oversized Tee – I was pretty pleased with this when it arrived because I was half expecting to find loose threads and crooked seams because of the type of fabric it’s made from but apart from a slightly crooked overlocking seam on the inside (which does not affect the outside at all) it was really well finished. The colour on the site said ‘white’ but to me it is more a ‘winter white/cream’ colour. This top is made to be big and is a ‘one size’ garment but honestly I don’t think you would get the same effect on a size 12 figure as you would on a smaller size, I think it may hug a little too much at the hip. I will probably wear this top a lot because it will go with so many other things in my wardrobe, it’s loose and comfy and will dress up a pair of jeans instantly :)

Goognight Macaroon seems to cater more for sizes 6 – 12, you should always check the size charts when shopping online and don’t just presume that sizes will be the same for every country, if you still don’t know if something will fit you then contact the store and ask. The customer service was friendly and helpful and the postage took about a week and is $7.99 for regular post to Australia and $35 for express.

* I have noticed on their site that they are advertising FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE so maybe check this out if you place an order :)

There have been a few changes to the store over the past few months which make it more attractive and easier to look around so I think with time there will be more features and a greater selection of clothes to choose from.

You can see how I styled the shorts and top in my Video HERE and visit Goodnight Macaroon HERE :)

Goodnight Macaroon are offering 10% off discount code : Enter "CM10" at check out to redeem the discount

Skin 79 – mybbcream.com – Korean Cosmetics Review

2012-02-20T11:16:00.003+10:00

I’ve had the Skin79 Hot Pink Super Plus BB Cream Triple Function for quite some time now and really love using it so when I was asked by mybbcream.com if I would like to try out a couple more products from the Skin79 range I was very willing.

Photo property of Public Domain

What is BB Cream?

‘BB stands for "Blemish Balm" and originated from Germany where dermatologists initially used it to help laser surgery patients protect, soothe and regenerate their highly sensitive skin while also providing good coverage for post-laser scars and redness.’ ... extract

With pale flawless skin being such an asset in Asian countries, Korean Actresses found this miracle worker to their liking after having surgery and starting using it on a regular basis. Cosmetic companies took notice and started producing BBCreams for the general public. The public versions are aimed at those with sensitive and acne prone skin, giving coverage to dark blemishes and protection from the sun. You are getting both skincare and makeup in one.

A great reference when trying to choose the right BBCream for your skin type can be found here - http://www.mybbcream.com.au/index.php?route=common/qa02

Just follow the 2 simple steps.

The way to apply BB Cream is after you have cleansed and moisturized your face, apply the bb cream and then allow to sit for a bit, apply a little extra to the areas that might need more coverage. BB Cream will oxidize within about half an hour and take on the look of your own skin tone. In hotter weather you may get some shininess like you do with any other foundation but nothing a little blotting or powder can’t fix.

Skin79

See my review on the Hot Pink BBCream HERE

Mini BB Cream Travel Set

This set is a great way to sample BB Creams and also for those that are travelling and don’t want to take too much with them. This set contains 4 x 5 ml tubes of BB Cream in –

Hot Pink Super Plus BB Triple Function

VIP Gold Super Plus BB Triple Function

Diamond the Prestige

Diamond Luminous Pearl

Mini Travel Set $18.00

Diamond II All Day Sun Powder SPF 30

This product is very prettily packaged in a clear container with metallic pink lid and powder applicator fitted in the top, there is also a sifter to help control powder distribution. The sponge applicator is great for applying the powder to your face but I also use a brush to finish the job.

The powder appears to have a very slight pink colour and shimmer and it’s said to contain ‘Diamond Powder’ and ‘Blooming Jewel Complex’ with 5 jewels which help to make the skin luxurious, shiny and luminous.

I have been using this powder after applying all my makeup to ‘set it’. The powder is not too heavy and only has the slightest shimmer to it. It has added sun protection so that’s a plus, is whitening and anti-wrinkle :)

Although very pretty on top of my makeup trolley, it’s not something that I can carry around in my handbag.

Would I recommend this product, yes I would, especially to those who enjoy using BB Creams.

All Day Powder $32.00

Orange Super Plus Triple Functions BB Vital Cream

This is the newest addition to the Skin79 range, apparently it’s ‘upgraded’ with the addition of a higher sun and all round weather protection and added vitamins. This ‘Hot Orange’ bb cream has an SPF 50!!

I’ve been using it over the past week or so and have found no real difference from the ‘Hot Pink’ one apart from it does look a lot paler on my skin. It works well and I haven’t broken out more than usual but I personally prefer the ‘Hot Pink’ probably because I am a little tanned right now and want my face to blend better with the rest of my upper body area hehe but if you are wanting that 'pale porcelain skin' look then this is a good choice :)

The packaging is the same as the ‘Hot Pink’ but obviously ‘Hot Orange’ which is something I really like, I almost expect to smell citrus whenever I use it, hahaha. Because of the packaging I find there is little to no wastage and it just looks cool :D

Orange Super Plus $45.00

MyBBCream Korean Cosmetics

My BB Cream is an Australian based online Korean Cosmetics store that of course specialises in selling BB Creams and associated products. They have a large selection of brands to choose from including skincare and some makeup. The service is professional and reliable. MyBBCream only ship online orders within Australia with a flat rate of $8.00 and there is free shipping with orders over $50.00 (Australia only)

From my personal experience, I have found other sites that sell BBCreams at a cheaper price than My BB Cream but that being said, they do not have as large a selection of BB Cream products and fast delivery within Australia. 'MyBBCream' have two Sydney Stores and one in Melbourne for that 'hands on' try before you buy experience :)

Where can you buy BB Creams - Price Comparison

My BB Cream – Hot Pink Super Plus BB Cream - $ 39.00 - HERE + $8.00 post (1-2 days delivery)

Hikosen Cara – Hot Pink Super Plus BB Cream - $22.04 - HERE + $3.42 post (7-10 days delivery)

YesStyle – Hot Pink Super Plus BB Cream - $20.52 - HERE + $9.99 (7-10 days delivery)

Likes and Dislikes ...

2012-02-19T15:00:00.000+10:00

What I’m loving right now ...

I haven’t done one of these for a long time and because I’m not really someone who does ‘monthly favs’ regularly I thought I would blog my loves that I’m loving right now :D

First up would have to be my boyfriend hehehe ..... nuff said :D

I’m loving my new room and the freedom that comes with not having to share with someone else, I feel slightly more grown up and a little more creative in my own space.

BB creams are one thing I’m really enjoying right now, I’ve been trying out a couple of new ones and am quite happy with the results.

Fashion is also higher on my list at the moment, I’ve taken a new interest in styling and fashion in general so you may be seeing more videos on that :)

together with photography, you all know I bought the Canon T31100 in December and I’m enjoying getting to know it better, but I’ve just ordered myself a new Instant camera to play with, I can’t wait for it to arrive <3 I think it’ll be so cool to have an instant camera :D cos you know ..... I’m so cool and all :P hehehe

Photo property of Fujifilm

The Aussie Sample boxes were lots of fun this month, out of the four on offer I think I liked the ‘Glossybox’ and ‘ILoveThisBox’ the most, not just because they put lots of effort into the Valentine theme but the samples were pretty darn good this month :)

February Special Edition Glossy Box

February ILovethisBox

What I’m not liking much atm ...

My hair, it’s bleached at the hairline from the sun and I haven’t dyed it since October :( I was trying to leave it to go natural until about June and then do something with it but I don’t think I can !! I’d like to get a really good cut and colour it something different to what I normally do, maybe I’ll go lighter this time around :)

I’m also over the hot and steamy, heat and humidity of Summer, I won’t to feel fresh, clean and dry again, hahaha roll on Autumn :D

Hikosen Cara, Korean Makeup Review

2012-02-11T14:24:00.001+10:00

I've always admired the lovely packaging of the Asian beauty products I've seen used so when I was given the opportunity to try some products from 'Hikosen Cara' I eagerly accepted :D :D

Hikosen Cara is a New Zealand based Korean online store that sells the cutest products, they don't just have cosmetics, but also the cutest cushions, backpacks and slippers :)

The products I received were as follows

Lioele Triple the Solution BB Cream SPF 30

I really like the feel of this BB Cream, it applies nicely and settles well on the skin, the colour is a great match for me and the coverage can be built to suit the individual. The packaging is great, pretty pink with gold touches. The only drawback to this product is the smell, I really do not like the smell which is a bit 'chemical' for me :( but other than that I do like the product.

FacePowder – Peripera ‘I Love Pact’ SPF40 – Shade 21

Not only is this product really pretty to look at with it's silver silver and black compact with rose coloured embossed pattern on top, but it definitely is a great face powder. The compact contains a nice sized mirror and sponge applicator and the product comes with a refill which I absolutely love, what a great idea :) The powder applies well and stays on for quite a long time. The colour I chose was well suited to me. I have no dislikes about this product.

Peripera Smile Fit Blusher – Shade 2 ‘Vanilla Pink’

Very nicely packaged with metallic rose lid embossed with white lace design and black base. This blusher appears to be quite pale but once applied it is simply beautiful, the brush that is in the compact is actually a wonderful quality which surprised me because you don't normally get that. I love this blush :)

Peripera Lip Makeup My Colour Lips - No. 13 'Mandarin Orange'

Haha how pretty is this lipstick!!! With it's pink clear lid that is embossed with a lace design and the metallic base that seems to have a 'pedestal' it is very over the top 'pretty' and the lid itself has a good 'snap' shut sound and feel :) The lipstick is very creamy and of a great quality but unfortunately I think I chose the wrong colour for me so unless I mix it with another lip product I won't really get to use this a lot.

Hikosen Cara

The online store itself has a nice variety of products, it's not huge but they haven't been around for that long. It's based in New Zealand which is great for New Zealanders but unfortunately, although it's close for us Australians, the currency conversion doesn't always work in our favour which is a downside to ordering online because you also have to include the postage costs, so be aware.

The customer service was very nice and the ordering process was very easy to understand and navigate.

Check out my video using these products HERE :)

Valentines Picnic in the Park - on a budget

2012-02-11T10:00:00.000+10:00

This is the first year I have been in a relationship at Valentine's Day and I am super excited about it :) However, over the years my friends and I have always been each other's Valentines in a fun way and I didn't want to loose this tradition, so I decided to hold a little picnic in the park for us girls to enjoy :)

If you're looking for something to do this Valentines and are not sure what, why not have a picnic with your friends!! If you live in a cold climate and you can’t get outside, make it a tea party instead :) Throw some quilts on the floor and set the table just like on a picnic :)

It doesn’t take much to put something like this together, all you need is a handful of friends, some fun food and a bit of creativity.

Theme

Haha, well the theme of course was 'Valentines' but I wanted a bit of a mix for my look, it was to be pretty but not ‘old’ pretty, more a fun thrown together kind of look. I went off to the Op-Shop/Thrift Shop and found some napkins, a bed sheet, an odd cushion and some flowers.

What I used

Lemon coloured bed sheet – thrifted $3.50

Pink and Lemon coloured napkins (damask) - .20c each x 8 - $1.60

Cushion - $2.00 plus some I already had

Blue Glass Water Bottle - $1.99 – Woolworths

Assorted china and glass plates – mum’s

Red check fabric – mum’s

Tablecloth – mum’s

Green Plastic plates for food – Woolworths $1.99

Glass bowls for food – mum’s

Flowers (artificial) – thrifted - $3.50

Lanterns (birthday gift) – hung by wrapping twine – already had

Throw quilts – mum’s

Bubble blowers - $1.00 each x 2 - $2.00 plus some I already had from my 18th

Old picnic basket – mum’s

Old net curtain – mum’s

Food

I asked everyone to bring something ‘pretty’ to eat (no chip bags, hahahaha)

I bought watermelon

Mini Macaroons

Cupcakes

Mini Marshmellows

Bottled drinks

Invites

I invited my friends over Facebook because it was really short notice, a nicer way would be to email designed invites or actually send paper ones!!!! :O haha

Location

We went to a local Park and found a ‘cabana’ over the water, the centre was covered so that if it rained we would be pretty safe. I threw quilts on the ground and some cushions and laid fabric etc on the wooden benches to use like a table. I hung lanterns in one opening of the cabana and the curtain in another opening. Fake flowers were thrown in various places and a scarf hung near the food to add a bit of interest.

*******************

The picnic started around 10.00am and went for a couple of hours and it was a really nice way to spend time with my friends and a great way to celebrate Valentines Day. We had it a few days before Valentines so that those with partners could still have the actual ‘day’ with them.

The picnic was fun to do and everyone seemed to enjoy it :)

I hope you enjoyed this quick post and that it inspires you to do something with your friends :)

Beginner's Guide/Tips to having a YouTube Channel

2012-02-07T10:58:00.006+10:00

Please be aware that I'm writing this from my experience, other's may have different ideas and tips and that's all good too. I get asked quite a lot for help with starting a 'Beauty Channel' so I thought that this may be helpful to those starting out. Most of the tips will work for any type of channel, not just beauty, but remember that's the type of channel I have so of course this information is based on that! :D If you have a comedy or more 'hardcore' type of channel just adjust the information to suit that, who knows, you may like bad comments and trolls, hahaha :)

MY STORY

A lot of you may know that I started my YouTube Channel when I was 15 and bored during the April School Holidays, just for fun I decided to upload a tutorial of my own with no real plan of keeping it up but mainly for something to do and that was it, people started watching and asking for more tutorials and I was amazed that people wanted to watch me so I did ... hehehe i remember how excited i was when i had my first subscriber XD

Back then we were on ‘dial-up’ internet with a very strict limit each month so I could only upload at the end of the month if there was enough downloads left so it was one or two (if I was lucky) videos a month for the first few months. That made it hard for me to get many views but somehow I did, people liked my tutorials and that made me happy.

It was hard at first to feel really comfortable in front of the camera, I had to learn everything myself and hope I was doing things right. I had my mum’s dodgy little camera for the first year or so which made me sound like I had a lisp and I would get a lot of criticism for this too, people still leave negative comments on my older videos about this :(

Back then it was harder to get noticed on YouTube because there weren’t many Australians doing tutorials or even watching them in Australia and the YouTube front page only showcased those that had thousands of views from other countries so you had to really earn your spot if you got there :/ The set up youtube has now is much easier for people to get views which is great for anyone just starting out and for those that have been doing videos for a while :) Australia has it’s own section that showcases Australian channels.

When I got to about 1,000 subscribers which took me about 8 - 9 months I was offered a Partnership (yes they were much stricter back then, you had to have at least 1,000 subs to get partnered and been on youtube for a few months) I was so excited and quickly went about making a banner for my Channel :D

As our internet changed to broadband sometime the next year I was able to start uploading more videos but still restricted to some degree, I was also really restricted on my computer usage as it was a shared computer in the living area so I think I had a time limit of 1 hour a day, this included doing my homework :(

So as you can see, even with quite a few obstacles I kept my Channel going and it grew accordingly :) I love to make videos and really get a buzz when I upload a new one :D

SOME THINGS YOU MIGHT FIND HELPFUL :)

If you are thinking about starting your own Channel and uploading videos there are a few things that are important.

LIGHTING

I know everyone seems to think lighting is easy and they can’t understand when it’s off in one of your videos but honestly, lighting is probably one of the most annoying things when filming, you really do have to try to get the best lighting in your room that you can. You should ideally have lights in front of you, it could be a window (always take advantage of natural lighting when you can) or artificial lamps set up behind your camera but whatever it is try to make sure it’s not casting a yellow glow or that it’s too ‘cool’, you want it to look as natural as possible.

I have a small desktop lamp that I sometimes use with a ‘daylight’ globe (thrifted $2), a taller lamp with two heads (Kmart or Target?? $20) and then another tall lamp with another daylight globe (thrifted $5) and even with these lights my lighting still has problems at times, usually when it’s raining!! :(

CAMERA

Try to use a decent camera, I used my mum’s Canon Powershot A520 to start with, I didn’t update this until I had quite a few thousand subscribers and I bought a Sony Camcorder which worked wonderfully until it died in December 2011, now I use my Canon T31100 which I’m still trying to work out but I love all the same, although I do miss the Auto Focus of my old one hahahaha

Whatever you use or buy, try to make sure it has pretty good quality and good sound. It’s also handy if you have a flip screen that you can see yourself in too. If your camera doesn’t have one of these screens and only has the screen on the back, set up a mirror behind your camera so that you can see yourself in the screen this way, this is how I used to do it when I started and it’s how I do it now because my new camera doesn’t have a flip screen. This method is also good because you’re not tempted to look directly into the screen while you’re talking which can make it appear like you’re ‘looking at yourself’ all the time :) haha

Remember to look into the lens of the camera as much as possible, that is your audience, not the screen.

Camera position is also something you should play with, don’t have the camera so low that people can see up your nose :/ it’s not a good look! If you’re recording from your laptop this is the angle that usually happens, try propping your laptop on a few books or something to get a more flattering angle. Play around with different heights with your camera, use books and boxes and find out what angle makes you look the way you want to appear. I find eye level or a little higher is a good height. If you have a tripod, use it but it’s not a necessity at all.

CHANNEL NAME

Make is something relevant to what your videos will be about, think it through and make it simple to remember if you can. Try not to copy someone else’s name and use simple spelling as well.

I didn’t think this through at all when I made mine, I was 15 and there wasn’t much information on ‘how to start a channel’ back then, but if I was to do it over I definitely would put more thought into it!!

BACKGROUND

I know it’s not always possible, but whenever you can try to be conscious of what’s in your background, it’s amazing how people can be distracted by it. Try to move any bottles and mess from around you and at least tidy up a bit before filming. Always try to keep true to yourself though, a fake background can sometimes seem very ‘unfriendly’. It’s a personal choice really, if you’re a ‘makeup artist’ and just want to do tutorials and that’s it, a plain background is perfect but if you want a more personal channel, then keep it friendly and casual. I know I like to see people’s rooms behind them, it makes them seem more real to me like a friend, but that’s just my opinion :)

RELAX AND BE YOURSELF

Take a few deep breaths before turning the camera on, imagine your camera as your best friend, smile laugh and try to relax as much as you can while you’re filming. Be yourself and have fun with your videos, people will enjoy them much more if they can see the real you and they will also know if you are ‘faking’ your personality so be yourself.

Don’t try to act perfect because everyone knows that ‘no one is perfect’, people will love you for your little imperfections a lot more :) YouTube is about you, it’s not a show like on tv!! You are not ‘famous’ just because you have a few thousand subscribers, there are millions and millions of people on youtube and you are but a speck, so keep it real. :)

BE PREPARED

If you're filming a makeup tutorial or something similar, have all your products ready to use beforehand, it will make things so much easier when filming :) Try and know what you are going to say in your introduction, I'm not saying have a speech ready but more like work out what you're going to say beforehand :) and try to take a stillshot or picture of the finished look, it's great for your for your intro and also if you get partnered at some stage you can use it for a thumbnail too :)

EDITING

Unless you’re vlogging or something, you will probably want to edit your video after you have filmed it, most laptops and PCs come with editing software that will have all the basics to do the job. Windows will have ‘windows movie maker’ and mac will have ‘imovie’. If you have something better then you are very lucky! :)

Be sure to take the time to edit as best you can, this can be very time consuming when you first start out, learning the program and knowing what’s important to leave in and what can be ditched. Try to make your transitions as smooth as you can, cut out footage of you answering phones, looking for products etc and of anyone film/photo bombing unless it’s what you’re going for .... hahahaha

Keep your videos to a suitable length, a quick makeup look doesn’t really need to go for 12 minutes but a TAG video may need to. If your video isn’t entertaining and goes for too long, people will X out.

GETTING VIEWS AND SUBSCRIBERS

To grow your channel takes time and effort, there’s no quick and easy way to do it. You should make videos like the ones you would personally want to watch :) If you are doing the same videos as everyone else then what makes you any different?

Upload videos regularly, start off making one a week or fortnight if you can, people like to see regular content but not every day, this can be a bit annoying seeing the same person uploading all the time and filling up your subscription box :/

Leave nice comments on other’s videos, remember you are representing your channel so if you are rude it will not work in your favour of gaining views and subscribers. Try and make friends with other youtubers, this can be a bit hard for some, I tend to keep to myself because that’s my nature .... but if you are outgoing then make friends with likeminded people and make a twitter account too, a blog and facebook can compliment your channel and give you a place to write things that seem out of place in a video and even formspring for answering questions, but just remember with formspring that you are in total control of what questions you answer so keep in control and delete any that you don’t want to respond to.

Of course you can get heaps of subscribers from shout outs, sub for sub or even go to the extreme and paying for views (just to let you know, I haven't done any of these) but honestly the best kind of views are by the people that really want to watch you. Lots of people ask for shout outs and are given them but then they find they might get lots of negative comments on their videos and trolls etc, the kind of subscribers that genuinely like your videos are the BEST kind :) they are the ones that leave lovely comments and have found your channel and subscribed for that reason hahaha that's not to say if someone sweetly gives you a shoutout that you can't enjoy it though :D :D and if they do, when you have a nice subscriber base, maybe you could do the same for them :)

Don’t go spamming other’s channels trying to promote yourself, leaving a nice comment will get people taking a look at your channel in a better way. Don’t ask for shout outs, you will get so much more pleasure knowing you earned your views and subscribers yourself rather than being given them.

Don’t forget, when you are starting your channel and getting subscribers it’s good manners to thank people for subscribing, a quick thankyou on their profile goes a long way. Once you have a few thousand subbies and are gaining lots each day this is very hard to keep up, I still try to do it every once in a while when I can :)

The same goes for messages, it’s not always possible to answer every message when you get a lot, but I still try to do this as much as possible, it’s good manners.

BEST FRIENDS

That’s exactly how you should treat the people that leave comments, always be nice even when the comment may not be, you don’t need to answer every question, if a comment is vulgar or just plain crude then delete it, I do this because lots of younger girls watch my videos and I don’t want them reading creepy stuff that may sometimes be said. I don’t get a lot of bad stuff at all but if I find something in very bad taste I will delete it. I do not delete negative or constructive comments or even rude comments but I will answer them politely with a smile :) If I find an argument arises in the comments and someone starts to get ‘bullied’ I will also delete all the relevant comments because no one should be bullied. Remember, sometimes it can be hard to 'read' what a person is really trying to say because the internet shows no emotion, they may not be 'hating' on you at all they may just have worded a comment wrong :/ use your best judgement.

Give your faithful subscribers your attention, not the trolls or haters :) Not everyone will like your videos, you just can’t please everyone so don’t let it get to you.

Just remember if you don’t have the time to thank people and answer all the nice comments, don’t bother answering all the negative ones.

Also, ratios on likes and dislikes are not something you should get stuck on, a lot of people will dislike a video for no apparent reason, as you get more views on your videos this is something that may happen. If you know that there is nothing 'wrong' with the video to deserve lots of dislikes just relax.

There's usually a 10% rule for comments, dislikes etc all over the net so if the ratio is within that % there's nothing to worry about :) If however, people are telling you something constructive about your video in the comments, take notice :)

PRIVACY

My mum always said, “If you don’t want it splashed all over the front of the newspaper, then don’t do it” or “if you don’t want your grandparents to see it, then don’t”!!!!! Don’t jump around in a tiny bikini on youtube if you don’t want anyone to comment on it :) what ever you put out there you are going to get comments on – Just remember that :)

In other words, keep your personal and private life just that if you’re going to get upset when people get too curious or personal with their comments.

I always go to youtube to feel happy and uplifted, the last thing I want to see is someone in tears or giving me ‘advice’ all the time. Once in a while it’s ok to do a ‘serious’ kind of video about your personal life but don’t let it take over. I’d much prefer to watch a funny or uplifting video than a sad one and I’m sure I’m not alone.

It’s a good idea not to use your surname on the internet or give out any personal information like your address etc, always be cautious!

IT’S NOT A COMPETITION

It’s exciting when you start getting subscribers and views, each day you will look to see how many you have, yeah it really is exciting :) Once you get to a certain amount however, you really should stop looking so much, some people get obsessed with numbers and their channel goes from being about fun to being about ‘winning’ or something like that :)

When I got to about 5 or 6,000 subscribers I stopped checking my channel page for the numbers, I was so happy to have got that many that I was ok with not looking any more. I still don’t really look, other people tell me from time to time how many I have and it’s a nice little surprise :) Honestly, don’t obsess over your numbers, youtube is not some sort of competition, you can’t compare people’s channels because everyone is different and everyone has something different to offer. As long as you are happy with where you are and what you’re doing, that’s all that counts.

If you loose the fun from youtube, there’s no point in doing it any more :)

I hope this post is helpful, I know I would have enjoyed knowing some of this stuff when I started out. I may add to this post over time if and when I think of anything else :)

K-Gravel Texture Clay - Review

2012-02-07T10:15:00.001+10:00

Photo property of AdoreBeauty

So my boyfriend was playing around with the idea of getting ‘dreads’ for something a little different and I suggested that I give him some ‘fake dreads’ first so he can get an idea of what they might look like :)

I've had the 'K-Gravel Texture Clay' for a few weeks now and have been wanting to try it on someone, my brothers both had their hair cut so my plans for them went out the window!! hahaha :/ So when Tom mentioned the dreadlocks to me I thought I could use the Clay.

I asked him to come walking with 'not so clean hair' and I set about styling his locks. I got about a finger nail amount in my palm and warmed it up so it was easier to work with, I then gathered up small sections of hair (around 2cm) at a time and worked the clay into it. I then twisted the hair from the scalp to the ends and then lightly teased it upwards to give it that ‘dreadie’ look ....... and it didn't work :( hahahha :D

I found the Texture Clay did not work well for this look, yes wax would do the job much better, I'm not sure if it was because of his hair being too short or it's just not 'that' sort of styling clay hahahaha however, I did set about styling it for him in a different way, I found it gave body and texture to his hair and did what it was 'meant' to do.

Please be aware that I am not a hairdresser and have never really had any experience styling boys hair hehehe :P So this is the front of his head and yes I think I may have used a bit too much product but that was from trying to do the dreadies earlier!!! hahaha

The clay is a good styler and does hold to the hair well with the inclusion of ‘pumice’ and it is easy to wash out at the end of the day (or rinse in the park heheheh :P). The smell is noticeable but not offensive.

You can purchase this product in two sizes, either 25g for $12.95 or 100g for $31.95 from ‘adorebeauty.com’, it may also be available from selected hair salons in Australia.

I have a video on fake dreads on my own hair using different products that you can see HERE if you're interested.

GLOSSYBOX Valentines Day Surprise!!!!!

2012-02-02T10:29:00.002+10:00

Do you LOVE surprises? hehe I know I do so I've already ordered my February subscription of Glossybox which will be a very special edition, they are going to have a Valentine’s Day themed surprise – an extra gift that does not ordinarily come in a GLOSSYBOX and I'm excited to find out what it is :) Oh and of course for the beautiful bright PINK box it will come in just for Valentines ... hehehehe :D

Photo property of Glossybox :)

Nb: If you're a guy and still wondering what you can get for your special lady for Valentines, why not get her a Glossybox or even a yearly subscription? I'm pretty sure it may put a smile on her face :D

January Sample Boxes - Australian

2012-02-02T10:28:00.000+10:00

Photo property of Glossybox :)

LustHaveIt

Did not produce a sample box for January and notified all subscribers about this in December, they thought it would be better to let people recover from Christmas/New Year’s and will send the next box out in February. As I need to 'cull' my sample box buying each month, sadly I'm saying goodbye to 'LustHaveIt', not because there is anything wrong with it but I just feel the other boxes are more suited to my tastes :)

I Love This Box

January’s box brought with it five full sized products, as usual the box was packaged lovely and was all green and gold in honour of Australia Day, it arrived in the first half of the month in perfect condition complete with an Australian Flag love heart sticker :D

What I received this time around:

‘I Love This Box’ Angular Eye Shadow Brush

Linden Leaves Shower Creme 85ml

Olive by Langlois Flavoured Lip Balm - Strawberry

Revlon Nail Polish – Jelly 210

Revlon Luxurious Colour Eyeliner – White

The brush looks ok, it works ok too, I've been using it on the outer corner even though it's meant for the inner corner, hahaha and can you really have too many brushes? It’s a new addition to my brush collection. The shower cream with ginseng and orange blossom probably isn’t my kind of scent, I think the smell is for an older woman and it reminds me a bit of my Nanan and I probably wouldn’t buy it. The lip balm is nice, it works well and smells cute. I love the nail polish, the colour I got is lovely, it’s a deep pink called ‘Jelly’ and I really do love it. In fact as soon as I opened the box and saw it I put it on, hahahaha ... this is something different for me because I don’t really do my nails very often. I like the eyeliner too, I don’t really need another white eyeliner but then again I do tend to ‘misplace’ things so it may come in handy.

I love to save and re-use these boxes because they look clean and are nice and sturdy and the perfect size to sit on my shelves on top of each other :) I’ve filled them with ‘Nail Art’, ‘Camera Stuff’ and ‘Dress Jewelry’ so far and just by labeling the front I can find things easy :D

Bellabox

This box arrived in the middle of the month but strangely when I opened the outer box my Bellabox didn’t have a lid on it???? Hahaha ..... very strange me thinks :P It’s funny how many times you can look inside the packaging to see if the lid is there but it isn’t, yet I kept looking ... hehe

On first inspection there didn’t seem to be a lot this month, a few sachets and not a lot else .... but then I looked closer and was pleasantly surprised, apart from perhaps the sunscreen samples which I’ll probably throw in my bag, I hadn’t tried anything in the box before and hadn’t heard of these brands before either!! :) Now to me that’s a pretty good sample box because you actually get to ‘sample’ new things :D There were eight different products this month, two of them were full size.

So here’s what was inside

First Aid Beauty (FAB) Ultra Repair Cream – luxurious emollient and skin hydrator – sachet

Pangea Organics Lip Balm –Egyptian Fennel with Grapefruit & Sweet Orange – full size

Soleo Sunscreen –All natural sunscreen – two sachets

Sparoma Organic Products – Pulse Point Aroma in Peppermint – works a little like aromatherapy – full size

Jesus Del Poza ‘Halloween Kiss’ – Perfume samples 2 x 1.5ml tubes

Violent Lips – Temporary Lip Applique – 1 sample

Herban Essentials Towlette– Lemon – For cleaning hands and killing germs

Qi Tea – Detox Green Tea and Green Tea & Ginkgo – 2 samples

I was happy with Bellabox once again, it’s nice to get perfume samples because it’s a great way to try scents that you may never think to try, this month they are nice but they don’t go ‘WOW’ to me. The tea was a nice treat, I do like normal green tea so it was nice to sample some others. I know a lot of people don’t think of tea as a luxury sample but if it gets you to try something new then that’s pretty good. The Pulse Point Aroma will also be interesting to try, it’s supposed to help with clearing the head and relieving aches and pains so when and if that happens I’ll be ready!!! haha :D

I can’t see myself using the lip appliqué in any hurry, I have seen them used on others, but I will keep it safe because you never know when you might need red ‘fishnet lips’ right!! Hahahaha :D

Glossy Box

January’s Glossy box was actually gifted to me by Glossy Box which was really nice because I forgot to re-subscribe for January!!!! I generally use pre-paid visa cards for some of my subscriptions and online shopping but it ran out in December and with Christmas, New Year and my Birthday all happening I never got around to grabbing a new card :/

Nevertheless just because this box was gifted my opinions are still honest about the product and service.

Glossy Box has had a bit of a rough start here in Australia with a few bad reviews over the three months they’ve been running, remember they took over ‘Beauty Box’ back in October/November. I received the November box which I was very happy with, missed out on the December box like I stated before and now let's see what was in the January Glossy box.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex - 30ml (full size)
Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser
Sheer Cover Nourishing Moisturiser
Sheer Cover Lip Gloss - Pink Praline (full size)
Mirenesse - Tight Liner Hydra Gel Eye Liner - Saphire Blue (full size)
Australia Day Temporary Tattoos (full size)

So I've been using the Estee Lauder Night Repair Complex over the past few days and I must say that I'm liking it, I use an Estee Lauder Moisturiser also so it must agree with my skin :) I haven't got to using the moisturisers yet so I can't really say much about them.

The Sheer Cover Lip Gloss is quite nice, it is very sheer so used over a lipstick is what I like to do, it's not very sticky so that's also good.

I really do like the Mirenesse Eye Liner, I've used it a couple of times now. I used it on Australia Day (which I'm pretty sure that's why we got Saphire Blue colour) along with the temporary Tattoos hahahah I put the Southern Cross on my cheekbone and put some of the other ones on my boyfriend for the day, great idea GlossyBox :D

I also like to save and re-use these boxes because they look clean and are nice and sturdy and sit on my shelves on top of each other :) I already used one to store larger ‘Dress Jewelry’ and I think I'll use this one for my extra ribbons when my vase has flowers in it :) Yeah, I put my ribbons in my tall vase when it's empty so that it looks all pretty :)

Clothes with Soul .. The Power of the T

2012-01-31T14:40:00.001+10:00

Sevenly has brought a soul to online shopping, if you haven’t already heard about it, it’s an organisation that produces limited edition fashion t-shirts to help raise money and awareness for different charities each week, 30% of their profit ($7.00 from each T-Shirt sold) goes to a particular ‘Cause of the Week’ which has a special t-shirt designed for it and is only available for seven days.

This week the t-shirts sold will help give sick children in India vital Medical Care. Each t-shirt sold will give care and assistance to a sick child for a whole year.

1 shirt = medical care for a child for 1 year

Every week Sevenly produces a new ‘fashion T’ for it’s chosen cause, the t-shirts are only available for ONE week and that’s it. These t-shirts are fashion forward and really comfy, come in different colours and are designed to prompt curiosity, people actually come up and ask ‘what does it say?’ which then gives you the opportunity to tell them about the cause which helps spread the word. Most people love T-Shirts so it’s a pretty cool concept, you get a cool T-Shirt and you get to Give as well :)

$22.00 is a pretty good price for a t-shirt, I know in shops where I live t-shirts can range up to and over $100 and I can almost guarantee that the brand isn’t giving any of the profits away, so why not buy a shirt that can change lives?

Now you’re probably wondering ‘where does the other $15.00 go from the sale of the T-Shirt???? Well, like everything, it costs money to make these T-Shirts in the first place, this is a real business with real people working so they all need to be paid. Sure they could just make the T’s and sell them and pocket all the profit but they don’t, they are helping others. Most things you buy to help charities give about 10% on average, Sevenly are giving 30%.

Sevenly helps raise funds for the seven causes around the world – ‘Hunger, Water, Slavery, Aid, Disaster, Medical and Poverty’ and by producing t-shirts for sale for seven days and then donating $7.00 from each one sold, they have already donated over $220,000 in just 7 months.

So if you're a lover of T-Shirts or just want to help out head over to Sevenly and take a look :)

Visit Sevenly HERE

LIttle Black Bandage Dress - Replica Herve Leger

2012-01-29T16:23:00.001+10:00

So many celebrities are wearing gorgeous bandage dresses these days and they are not only for the super skinny people out there either, these wonderful garments actually give most body shapes a very flattering look! :)

Fashioncode.com - http://www.fashioncode.com.au

The Dress I have - http://www.fashioncode.com.au/knee-length-square-neck-dress/

Photo property of fashioncode.com

This particular dress is a ‘bandage’ style black cocktail dress with a square neckline, double shoulder straps with some nice back detailing and a hidden zipper. It’s quite elegant and fashionable yet still ‘young’ without being too short so that it can be styled for events that are more formal to something as casual as shopping and going to the movies.

When you’re choosing a ‘Little Black Dress’ theres a few things to keep in mind:

- Make sure it’s made from a sturdy good quality fabric

- Make sure it’s ‘age appropriate’

- Choose a style that compliments your body shape

- Don’t have all your flesh on show, you need to be able to bend over and sit down in it!

- The less fussy detailing the better as you can wear it to more places

- Keep the fabric fairly matte, a shiny dress will limit your options

Simple styles can be worn more often than ‘fussy’ styles because you can layer them easily.

When I first got this dress I thought it was going to show off every little lump and bump on my body (in a bad way) but I was pleasantly surprised that because the fabric is quite sturdy it actually gives you a more streamlined look than a lighter dress made of flimsy fabric. The dress appears to be very well made with all seams meeting up, straight and finished well. The zipper is nicely attached with a hook and eye closure at the top. The small strap on the back is a double hook and eye closure. The fit is true to size, I was told and it also says on the website that these dresses are very forgiving and easy to fit different sizes. I chose the ‘XS’ but I’m sure the ‘S’ in this particular style would have been fine. If you’re choosing a dress like this, take in to account the bodice style because you don’t want any extra fabric in that section :)

Something else to note about ‘bandage dresses’ is that they may look a good length when you put them on but they do tend to ‘ride’ up a little when you start to move around so don’t go buying the shortest dress you see, it may end up looking like a top!!!! hahahaha

The service I received from http://www.fashioncode.com.au was wonderful and friendly and the shipping was very fast, not only do they stock these beautiful dresses but they also have quality handbags and shoes.

If you’d like to see my Styling video using this dress, you can find it HERE :) I styled it in four different ways.

** Sorry, I forgot to mention that the dress is actually heavy when you are holding it but once it's on you really can't feel it :) and that the price of this dress if $199.00, I know there are other sites and stores that sell 'bandage' dresses cheaper but the quality is not the same, I find this to be a 'quality' garment.

DIY at Home - Teeth Whitening!

2012-01-28T12:33:00.005+10:00

As many of you may or may not know, I used to have braces, in fact I wore them for approx four years! :/ At the time it wasn’t the most fun thing to do but you get used to them and picking the different coloured trims each month was something to look forward too, yeah, I wore red for Christmas hahahaha :D

Anyway, when the time finally arrived to have them removed I had these wonderful visions of my teeth gleaming beautifully from my mouth and people being blinded everywhere :) but the reality was that when they came off and the orthodontist cleaned them up they were actually not very dazzling at all, colour wise that is :(

It didn’t matter how much I cleaned them they still looked quite yellow.

About two years later I was getting annoyed with their colour, people would comment on my videos about how yellow they looked and it was starting to play on my confidence a little too which is never a good thing!

So I started looking around for ways to whiten them.

Firstly I tried Bicarbonate of Soda, an age old method of DIY teeth whitening. It tastes disgusting of course but you’re not eating the stuff and also it is a bit abrasive on your teeth, probably the best way to do this is by mixing it with your toothpaste so it’s not as harsh and powdery on your teeth. Just put your toothpaste on the brush as you normally would and then cover it with a layer of the Bi-carb and brush away. You shouldn’t do this everyday, 2-3 times a week at the most. This is the cheapest method.

I saw a little improvement doing this and would recommend it to those who have naturally whiter teeth that may have stained a little, but my teeth were still very discoloured and nowhere near as clean looking as I wanted them :/

My mum and I enquired at some local dentists and salons and found out professional teeth whitening ranged from $500 up to almost $1,000 ...... WOW that was a lot of money. There was also the option of those booths in the shopping centres where you sit in the ‘pods’ for about an hour, they cost around $200 but I would have felt silly doing that where others could see me, hahaha .... yet I’m on YouTube :/ hehehe

Ok, now we started looking online. Arrrrgh ...... there are so many different brands to choose from :/ YouTube is a great place to start and watch reviews and the one that I decided to go with was ‘Crest Whitening Strips’.

So in September, 2010 I whitened my teeth for the first time using the ‘Crest Whitening Strips’, this was a 14 day program where you applied the strips to the top and bottom of your teeth for 30 minutes twice a day being careful not to put them on your gums. This was easy enough for me to do, I was on school holidays so had plenty of spare time. I didn’t have any problems with this at all but I’ll have to say that my brother did, (not that his teeth were that discoloured, he actually has the best SMILE ever) he got some sensitivity from the strips and he also got some gum burn!!!!

When and if gum burn ever happens you need to remove the strip STRAIGHT AWAY and rinse your mouth out thoroughly with plenty of water. He had to stop using them for a few days until his gum got better and then he was extra careful not to place the strip on his gums, VERY IMPORTANT.

I found these worked really well for me, I didn’t finish the 14 days as I felt my teeth looked white enough after about 10 days and I didn’t want that ‘fake white’ look so I kept the remaining strips for ‘touch ups’ further down the track. Every couple of months I would use a set of strips for a day and it would maintain my teeth to a certain degree. They are very simple to use and attach, you just peel the strips off the backing (the larger one is for your top teeth) and carefully apply to the front of your teeth (not gums) and then fold over the teeth so it’s all flat being careful not to press too hard which could squeeze the gel out onto your gums. Leave the strips on for 30 mins (twice a day) and rinse thoroughly once removed. The easiest way to remove them is by using a tissue to take them off and dispose of properly. As this is a lower percentage of 'hydrogen peroxide' you can purchase this product within Australia.

Photo property of Crest Whitestrips

By October, 2011 I felt I wanted to re-whiten my teeth again because my ‘Year 12 Formal’ was coming up in November and I wanted to look my best.

This time around I purchased the ‘Crest 3D Whitestrips 2 Hr Express’ kit. Now I must say this was so much better than the 14 day course, it was quick and easy and I felt no sensitivity at all. I got 4 upper and 4 lower strips for $65.00 which should last me the year. They are applied exactly the same way as the normal whitening strips but there is only ONE application which is left on for two hours.

Remember, you should ideally be 18 years or over to use these products but if you are younger please have your parent’s permission and have them helping and watching you just in case there are any problems. I definitely wouldn’t recommend anyone under 16 using these products.

Photo property of Crest Whitestrips

Now although my teeth are still nicely whitened, my lower teeth can look quite yellow around the edges over time, the whole tooth doesn’t discolour it’s just the edges so when I was approached last year by an online company to try out their ‘Whitening Pen’ I thought that this may be a great solution.

The ‘Whitening Lightning’ pen is simple to use, I can paint it on the areas that need it without covering the entire tooth. It’s quite gentle and you can just put it on before bed and leave it overnight and it works gradually so you’re not going to get a ‘bright line’ where it’s applied .

70% Discount Code, enter ‘CASSIE70’ at checkout

Photo property of Whitening Lightning

I was also sent the ‘Dial a Smile Professional Whitening Kit’ to try out. It is a ‘blue light’ whitening system similar to what I’ve seen on offer in the large shopping centres (the pods) but in the comfort of your own home.

Easy to follow instructions are enclosed, all you do is clean off your teeth with a special finger cloth, apply the vitamin E cream on your gums and lips to help prevent ‘bleach burns’ and then apply the gel with the brush provided. You then have to insert the special ‘light’ into your mouth for 20 minutes :D yeah this looks lovely :P hehe ... when that’s done just remove the light, rinse your mouth properly and your done! :) I'll have a video on this shortly and will link it then.

In my opinion I found this kit to work about the same as the 3D whitening strips, it was fun and interesting to try a different method and it was quicker to do, only taking 20 minutes. I still need time to find out how long the whitening effect will last so I will post on the results when I need to re-whiten again :)

I'll have a video on teeth whitening up shortly and will link it then :)

Photo property of Whitening Lightning

Note:

If you have naturally white teeth you are very blessed and shouldn’t need to use anything but toothpaste etc to keep them looking good. Everyone is born with different genetics and so their teeth are going to be different too. I would only recommend teeth whitening to those who feel they really need it. My teeth definitely looked discoloured and other people were noticing so I personally wanted to do something about it.

DIY whitening products should not be used by people that have any cracks, damaged enamel, cavities or gum disease so check with your dentist first. Teeth whitening products will not whiten ‘dental caps’ either.

The Australian industry standards as of November, 2011 are LESS than 6% hydrogen peroxide or LESS than 18% carbamide peroxide so you won’t be able to purchase the last three products within Australia or from Australian online stores, they are only available from ebay or overseas sites. A few other countries have guidelines and restrictions like this as well but don’t really enforce them.

Ultimately the decision is your’s, these products are much weaker than what your dentist will use and send you home with (they can use up to 38%) but because these products are DIY at home, the restrictions are in place in Australia.

Long term use of whitening products is never recommended.

UPDATE

* Results using the ‘DIAL A SMILE’ Whitening Kit

So as I mentioned in my post I was quite happy with the results from the whitening kit, they were very similar to using the crest strips. Unfortunately the results did not seem to last very long at all and within the month my teeth were looking dull again. I have to say I’m not a real coffee or tea drinker or do I eat a lot of highly pigmented foods and I don’t smoke so staining wasn’t a factor. For a full whitening treatment, I think I will stick to the crest strips.

** I still recommend the Whitening Pen for a great way to touch up.

*** Whitening Lightning now sell a GREEN ‘all natural’ whitening pen called ‘ZERO White Whitening Pen’ for those who do not like the idea of chemicals, I would love to see the results of it myself.

**** Products from the ‘Whitening Lightning’ range will be on offer at one of the Oscars’ glamorous gifting suites this year :)

70% Discount Code, enter ‘CASSIE70’ at checkout - http://www.whiteninglightning.com/

(please note, I am not making any money from any sales, I was sent the 'Whitening Lightning' products to trial and review if I wanted and that's it :) )

**************

Where I got my whitening products:

Bicarbonate of Soda - http://www.woolworths.com.au

Crest Strips - http://www.whitersmile.com.au (3D no longer available to purchase in Aust)

Whitening Pen - http://www.whiteninglightning.com/

Professional Whitening Kit - http://www.whiteninglightning.com/

My video on Teeth Whitening :)

Maybelline 'Fit Me' Pressed Powder

2012-01-27T16:29:00.001+10:00

I did a blog review on this powder a while ago, which you can find HERE and I have now done a video review which you can find HERE if you are interested :)

My Bedroom Tour - A little bit eclectic ...

2012-01-21T23:04:00.001+10:00

So I recently was lucky enough to get my own room, FINALLY after 10 years of sharing with my sister I have my own bit of space! :D

I said I would never do a Room Tour before because I was always sharing my room but now that everything in it belongs to me I don't feel like I'm exposing someone else's privacy to the world, so here we go.

My room is a complete mix of things, nothing really matches or 'goes together' in the proper sense of the word but I think in the overall 'look' it all comes together very nicely and makes me feel that I'm in a place where I can be comfortable and relax.

As you enter the room you will see that on the back of my door I have a hanging rack, this is where I keep all my scarves and a pair of 'Angel Wings'. Right next to this is my collage wall where I stick random and inspirational pictures, items and quotes with a couple of photos thrown in. This wall has been with me for a couple of years now, I even moved it from my old room to here very carefully :D

The back of my door and part of the collage wall

Part of collage wall and picture wall opp door

When you look into my room on the right you will see a wooden cupboard with two doors, my dad made this a few years ago and I claimed it so that I could store my stuff in. The top shelf has baskets along the shelf that contain face products, larger pallets and perfumes. The lower shelf has two baskets, one for body products and the other for hair products. There is also space for a few boxes, my airless spray and random stuff that I don't want on display. I used to have my products on open shelves but they were getting too dusty and messy all the time so I thought putting them away was a great idea.

On top of this cupboard is my Djembe, random ornaments, paper holder and my indoor/outdoor fireplace. Above the cupboard on the wall I have artwork and photoframes.

Wooden cupboard that my dad made years ago

After the cupboard comes my makeup trolley, I got this for Christmas about two years ago from http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/ and it has served me well. It has 10 shallow drawers and two shelves and is made of metal. I've put a stationery holder from Big W on the second shelf to hold my earrings, pigments, samples etc. This shelf also holds my brushes and heat mat for my hair tools. The top shelf is where I keep my makeup brushes and jewelry.

Next comes my tall bookshelf where you wont really find many books, hehehe :) I keep a few books and files on the high shelf and basically this whole bookshelf is full of ornaments, and boxes with stuff in them :P I try not to put too much on here and leave free space but it seems to be a drop-off centre for bits and pieces so I'm constantly moving stuff :/ The bottom two shelves have boxes that store stuff, I've used empty 'I Love It' sample boxes and a 'Glossy Box' and just glued labels on the front so I know what's in them, a large blue box holds all my wires so they don't get lost and there's a file in the corner with some school stuff I kept and information for future studies.

Makeup trolley, jewelry and bookcase

I then have my drawers under the window where I keep folded clothes. This was a thrift store find, it's a great height and the colour is nicely mellowed with age. I keep my jewerly box, ipod speaker etc here and this is also where I film my videos 90% of the time. On my window I have some deep purple floor length faux suede curtains that came from BigW.

Drawers that hold my folded clothes, leopard box for
bits and bobs, journal, jewelry box that I use the mirror when
I'm filming. Ipod speakers and other random stuff

My bed is next, it's actually my old (I'm talking really really old) bunk bed which my dad converted into a daybed for me. He made the sides and back out of wood and made them nicely curved with a cutout in the center of the back, it almost looks like a love heart. We then covered the wood with some old '1950's Home Journals' (that my mum had collected years and years ago from garage sales), covered them with a coat of clear and then painted a black strip around it and the back posts were left on so that I could hang my lights up :)

My bed has a double sided quilt on, one side has a mini-print which is showing in the photos and the other is a patchword design and there's lots of different pillows and cushions to add some colour and interest to the room. I've got my lil collection of stuffed toys too :D

Above my bed is my butterfly wall. There's an iron art piece from Target coming from the corner and then there's a fluttering of painted black butterflies across the wall. I'll have a blog post 'how to' on this very soon.

Bed converted from bunk bed with back posts left for
hanging lights

The bottom of my bed has wood going across like rails so this is where I hang my extra blanket and a quilt that I made when I was little.

There's an old guitar in the corner, more artwork on the wall, my hat and scarf hanging from a nail and a couple more butterflies before you come to my wardrobe. This is where I keep all my hanging clothes, handbags, keyboards, good shoes etc.

Wardrobe ... not very exciting ;P

Under the bed I have a box of magazines and books, a box for casual everyday shoes and a box to keep all my electrical hair appliances in.

So that's it!! hahaha I hope you enjoyed this little tour, I love the look of it especially at night when I have my fairy lights on :D To me it's a mix of things I love which makes a great, almost eclectic style bedroom, a little bit pretty, a little bit boho and indie and a lot of me. :) :)

You can see the video of the tour HERE

Lost without laptop ......

2012-01-20T15:05:00.002+10:00

Well it seems now that I have my lovely new camera the home computer refuses to accept it's 'fancy' files and my sister had to return her laptop to school this week!!! Which leaves me with no way of uploading my video files to edit and put on youtube :( for the time being anyway!

Photo property of HP

I've ordered a new laptop which I'm really hoping will do the job well but it won't be available until sometime next week and I can only record a certain amount of footage on my camera because the files are large which means I can't pre-record too much :/ So until then I'm having a little break, thinking of new ideas for videos and twiddling my thumbs hahaha :D

The laptop I've ordered is a HP Pavilion G6-1217TU with 500GB Hard Drive and 4GB RAM which will be able to handle the files easily. I would have loved a MAC but it's a bit out of my budget range right now as I'm saving for my course later in the year and I only just bought my new camera so I need to be cautious on what I'm spending.

* Update - I was able to pick up my laptop earlier than expected YAY!!!!!! and it's now in my hot little hands :D

DIY Exfoliating Facial Scrub

2012-01-12T21:19:00.002+10:00

This is a really simple and cheap beauty treatment that anyone can do, I've been a little slack with my skincare lately so I'm trying out some new routines to kick off the New Year.

Did you know that Brown Sugar is a wonderful natural exfoliant that works for all skin types?

Or that the 'Coconut' is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. It is also classified as a 'functional food' because it provides many health benefits?

Apparently the oil of the coconut has healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil and is used in traditional medicine among Asian and Pacific populations extensively and is considered to be the 'healthiest oil' :)

'Coconut Oil' aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother. It penetrates the deeper skin layers and helps strengthen the underlying tisues. 'Coconut Oil' goes solid in cooler temperatures and is a great staple to have around, you can use it to shave and to deep condition the tips of your hair and also to remove your makeup. It is also really yummy in your salads and smoothies (just don't use too much). Coconut Oil is a wonderful moisturiser on it's own for your whole body, the trick is to remember that 'a little goes a long way'

Ingredients:

* 1 tablespjoon Brown Sugar

* approx 1 tsp (more or less, add drops if you need them) of Coconut Oil

Preparation:

Put the brown sugar in the palm of your hand

Add the Coconut Oil

Stir in your palm with your finger or spoon creating a paste (not too thin)

Add more oil or sugar if needed

Massage into clean skin in a circular motion

Rinse off with warm water

Apply a warm (but not hot) washcloth to your face and massage gently for about 2 mins

Moisturise with your favourite moisturiser :)

If you don't have Coconut Oil you can substitute for Cold Pressed Olive Oil instead but just remember that Olive Oil is much thicker than Coconut Oil and is not such a good idea for oily skin.

GIVEAWAY - Circle Lenses from Shoppingholics.com

2012-01-11T17:14:00.000+10:00

Shoppingholics.com have kindly provided a Giveaway to one of my subscribers on YouTube. They will give one person a set of Circle Lens to their prescription and in a style of their choice.

To enter go HERE and simply watch the video and follow the instructions in the butt bar (description box)! :D

Good luck, Giveaway will end on 18th January, 2012 (aussie time)

Fynale 'May Rose' Circle Lenses

2012-01-11T14:09:00.000+10:00

I was recently sent a pair of Fynale soft Circle Lenses from Shoppingholics.com in the ‘May Rose’ style that you can see HERE

As this was my very first time using any sort of Contact Lens I can only give a review from that point of view. When the package first arrived I followed the instructions and carefully opened the secure containers that the lenses were in, being careful not to cut myself. I rinsed and cleaned my animal lens holder and filled with contact solution and then put the lenses in there.

After about 12 hours I attempted to place the lens in my eye with no luck, it just wouldn’t go where I wanted, hehehe. Case rinsed and cleaned again I put them aside to try another day.

Many days passed and then a few weeks!!!! Ooooops! Before I came around to trying them once again :) This time I was determined to get those things in my eyes but of course I had to re-rinse and clean the solution and case properly and let them sit before I could :/

Ok, so finally I’m trying my lenses again :D This time with eye drops in and steely determination I begin. It was so funny, they would go everywhere but in my eyes, they sat so prettily on my lashes, daintily on my cheeks and even precariously on my mirror …… don’t ask ….. hahahaha

So after about 30 minutes I managed to get the first one in, YAYYYYY!!!! Strangely enough the second one went in pretty much straight away after that.

They felt weird at first which I’m sure is normal for someone’s first time using them. My eyes seemed a little blurry but not so much that I couldn’t read or anything. My prescription was 0.0 as I don’t need glasses for anything.

Cirlce lens are supposed to make your eyeball appear larger than it is but I didn’t really see this, I have large eyes to begin with so that’s probably why, it was fun to see my eyes a different colour and the flower effect the lenses give was really cool.

I probably left them in for about 2 hours which I think was long enough for my first try. They were comfortable enough and I was able to see properly while wearing them.

Removing them was quite simple, of course the first eye took longer than the second, I tried a couple of different methods for taking them out, the first being where you pull up the top lid with one finger and pull the lower lid down with another finger and then squeeze the lids together with your other hand causing the lens to pop out, it did work but when I opened my eye the lens strangely enough reattached itself to my pupil!! Hahahaha

The second method worked better for me, opening the lids with one hand and gently pinching the lens off with the other hand using the finger pads, not the nails.

Always be careful with anything around your eyes, check with your eye doctor for your prescription and base curve before ordering any type of lens and if you are under 18 you should have your parent's permission.

The lens I used was the Korean ‘May Rose’ Fynale Circle Lens with a 15.0mm diameter and 8.6mm base curve. It has 42% water content so you need to be sure to use eyedrops or solution with them.

Photo curtesy of Shoppingholics.com

My final opinion on these lenses is that they are a fun accessory to try out, I would not want to be wearing them often but I can definitely see the attraction.

I found Shoppingholics.com to be very helpful and their service was good, their pictures on the site are pretty true to life so I wasn’t disappointed with what I received. They do provide a very cute animal lens case with each set of lenses and the packaging is also really lovely.

Party/New Year's Makeup

2011-12-28T07:57:00.000+10:00

Not everyone goes out partying on New Year's Eve, especially if they are young but even if you spend New Year's at home with your family it can still be a good excuse to put on a bit of makeup and have fun.

I've always loved the 1950's Pinup Girl makeup look but thought it may be a little too 'sexy' for my age so I used it for inspiration for a 'softened' pinup inspired party look! :)

I'm really happy with how it turned out with the paler eyes and bold lips. The eyelashes are really cute too, not full length and complete the look nicely. The lashes are 'accentuate' from Lash Republic and were enclosed in the December 'Lust Have It' box.

Check out my tutorial on how to achieve this look HERE

I hope you liked this look and I hope everyone has a safe and fun New Year's Eve :)

Glittery Sparkles and Christmas ...

2011-12-21T16:54:00.000+10:00

There's just something about Christmas that brings out all the sparkles, glitter and shiny things around the house but why stop there? Sparkle up your makeup a little by adding some cosmetic glitters to your eyes and even your face if you like. You can have a very neutral eyeshadow look and just pop a little glitter on the lids or glitter eyeliner on the outer corners to bring that Christmassy look to life :)

A sprinkle of fine glitter on the higher part of your cheek towards your temples can also look very effective but be careful if you're planning on taking lots of photos because glitter can give a strange look when the flash goes off!

I've found that to get glitter to stick to your eyeshadow you can use special fixatives such as Inglot's Duraline, simple eyedrops or a touch of water but another way is to use a sheer liquid glitter eyeliner such as the NYX 'Crystal Silver' or 'Crystal Hip' (these don't often contain a lot of glitter particles). Pit it over your lid and then before it dries add your glitter of choice and it will stay on for ages once it's dried. So don't throw out those liquid glitter eyeliners you think look too sparse because they can come in useful.

Be careful when using glitter near your eyes, only ever use cosmetic glitter as it's shaped a different way and is very very fine. NEVER use craft or body glitter anywhere near your eyes.

Always be sure to wipe or brush away any fallout, yes you will have fallout with glitter, it's assured :) hahaha

A little silver, gold or clear glitter near your collar bones or shoulders (very little) can give a lovely look for New Years as well.

Take a peek at my 'Sparkly Christmas Makeup' tutorial to see just how easy it is.

Don't be scared of what other's think, it's Christmas and what better way to feel festive than by being just as sparkly and a beautiful glittery ornament ..... well maybe not that sparkly but defs enought to make you feel good :D hehehehe

Modiva Professional Curling Irons

2011-12-18T18:41:00.001+10:00

Modiva Professional 32mm Curling Iron
Photo property of Modiva

Some of you may know that I already had the 25mm Curling Iron from Modiva and that I love it to bits!!

Modiva have now brought out the 32mm and 13mm Professional Curling Irons to add to the range and now they are all in sleek white, the 32mm being more suited to mid to long hair and the 13mm for mid to shorter hair.

The 32mmIron looks exactly the same as the 25mm but bigger, it has the 360 deg swivel cord, heats to 210 deg Celcius, has a 100% tourmaline barrel, clipless barrel, heats quickly and comes with a heat protective glove (bonus).

I have always found the Modiva Curling Irons to create wonderful long lasting curls and highly recommend them.

The only drawbacks are the high heat setting but of course you just don’t leave them on your hair for too long, judge for yourself and your hair thickness, usually between 7 – 10 seconds.

Price - $89.95 (au)

Heat Protective Silicon Mat

Modiva now sell Silicon Heat Protective Mats to set your curling iron on to prevent any surface from overheating and getting burnt. The mat is covered in tiny bumps to prevent your Curling Iron from slipping and can be used with any of your heating products.

Price - $7.95 (au)

You can see my tutorial and review

15% Discount

If you are interested in purchasing one of their Curling Irons for Christmas you can use the coupon code 'lilcammo93' at checkout for a 15% discount and if you order before 2.00 pm on 22nd December, 2011 and live in Australia you will get free overnight express shipping guaranteed to arrive for Christmas.

Visit Modiva Professional for your clipless Curling Irons in Australia :) - http://tinyurl.com/ModivaCurlingIrons

NEW Sigma ‘Extravaganza Face Kit’

2011-12-13T13:32:00.000+10:00

18K Gold Brushes anyone?

Ok, now I know that this kit won’t be for everyone .... but ‘WOW’, isn’t it pretty :)

I think that this face kit would be great for the girl that has almost everything and is wanting some ‘luxury’ in her makeup bag. With four face brushes that have 18k gold plated ferrules and natural bristles they come together with a deluxe carry case which is perfect for travelling and they just scream LUXURY!!! :)

Brushes included:

F90 – Fan Brush

F92 – Blush Brush

F94 – Kabuki Brush

F95 – Powder Brush

Of course you will have to pay for these babies and that price is $210.00 which makes them a little out of reach for the average teenage girl wanting to buy a few good brushes, hehehe but something we can all dream about.

Visit Sigma Beauty HERE for great makeup brushes.

Christmas Gift Ideas

2011-12-10T12:14:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone, I just thought I'd share a few ideas that I think would make excellent gifts for either yourself or someone else this Christmas.

Of course there are many many more great gift ideas out there but sometimes it's hard to come up with something a little different :)

Cute Nail Art for Beginners with Meliney.com incl GIVEAWAY!!

2011-12-08T14:03:00.001+10:00

If your interested in Nail Art then you will love Meliney.com which specialises in the 'Konad Nail Stamping' System and also carries many decorative nail art supplies and tools.

I recently had the chance to play around with the 'Konad Stamp' set and to my surprise it actually works quite well, even for someone like me who's never really had a chance to do my nails very much due to 'school rules' and who also has teeny tiny nails (think 10 year old size!!) hahaha.

A basic set will cost you about $17.99 and includes:

Stamper and Scraper
Special Nail Polish
Image Plate

and then you can build upon this at your leisure and skill level.

So how it works is you...

* Make sure your nails are clean and dry, they can be bare or already have nail polish on.
* Find the image on the plate you want to apply to your nail and paint over it with the 'Special Nailpolish'.
* Quickly scrape the excess off the plate and stamp the image with the stamper.
* Position the stamper on your nail where you wish to apply the image. Roll the stamp across your nail firmly and in one motion and you should have your image on your nail looking lovely :)

You can then decorate the design or just add a topcoat of clear polish to finish it off.

Now there are a couple of things to note here, one is that practice makes perfect!!! Yes it does take a few times to get the hang of it so I'd suggest playing with bare nails to start with until you feel confident in your new found skills. The next is that the positioning and timing are VERY important, if the weather is hot the polish will dry quickly so you won't be able to transfer it as well.

These are very fun kits to play with and I'm hoping to play more now that I'm almost finished school. There are lots of different patterned plates, polishes and accessories available to suit any style. I think these kits would make great gifts for Christmas or Birthdays for your best friends.

Meliney also has a YouTube Channel where you can watch some excellent tutorials for nail art, not only using the Konad Stamp but using other techniques as well.

Check out Meliney's latest tutorial which also includes a great GIVEAWAY

Check out Meliney.com's Store - HERE
and Meliney's YouTube Channel - HERE

NEW Vegan Makeup Brushes - Sigma's 'Mr & Mrs Bunny' Kits

2011-12-06T17:28:00.000+10:00

Many people prefer to use vegan products and makeup brushes are no exception. Sigma has now added to their family of 'Sigmax' brushes by bringing out the 'Mr & Mrs Bunny' Collection. There are two kits, one is a Travel sized kit and the other a full sized Esential Kit. Mr kits are in the classic black colour and Mrs kits are in a pretty pastel blue with pink ferrules.

Brushes included in the Travel Kit are:

E30 - Pencil Brush

E40 - Tapered Blending Brush

E55 - Eye Shading Brush

E65 - Small Angle Brush

F30 - Large Powder Brush

F40 - Large Angled Contour Brush

F60 - Foundation Brush

Travel Kit sells for $59.00

Brushes included in the Essential Kit are:

E05 - Eyeliner Brush

E30 - Pencil Brush

E40 - Tapered Blending Brush

E55 - Eye Shading Brush

E60 - Large Shader Brush

E65 - Small Angle Brush

E70 - Medium Angle Brush

F30 - Large Powder Brush

F40 - Large Angled Contour Brush

F50 - Duo Fibre Brush

F60 - Foundation Brush

F70 - Concealer Brush

Essential Kit sells for $109.00

* All images are the property of SigmaBeauty

Beautiful Wavy Hair with VS Sassoon 'Wave Envy' - Review

2011-12-06T11:16:00.000+10:00

I received the VS Sassoon 'Wave Envy' back in September and have been trialing it over the past couple of months :) You can see how it looks in my 'Let's Illuminate the World Together' video that I made for the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign.

Once again I'm not disappointed by VS Sassoon, I find all their products quite easy to use and well priced. The 'Wave Envy' is NOT a curling tool, it is a WAVING tool and this is exactly what it does. All you do is section off your hair, clamp it in the 'Wave Envy' near the scalp and hold for about 7 seconds, once it is done you move the tool down your hair until you reach the ends, interlocking the waves as you go to get a nice flow of waves!! :)

It does take some time to do all your hair but the results are really worth it, these waves hold beautifully for a long time and all you really have to do is apply a 'heat protector'.

The 'Wave Envy' has a cool tip so it's easy to hold on to, it has three heat settings and a swivel cord so you don't get all tangled up.

I actually love the effect that the 'Wave Envy' gives but as always don't recommend using heat on your hair too often. (I will have a video up shortly using this tool and will link it here)

The VS Sassoon 'Wave Envy' retails for around $52.95 which is pretty good value for money

Maybelline 'Fit Me' Foundation and Pressed Powder

2011-12-03T16:12:00.002+10:00

Recently I've been using the Maybelline 'Fit Me' range Foundation and Pressed Powder in shade 125.

Packaging:

Let's start with the packaging shall we, the foundation is packaged in a glass bottle that looks pretty sleek but I personally find it a bit difficult to get the right amount of foundation out, the formula is quite thin so I tend to tip too much out, a pump would have been a great inclusion for this foundation. The packaging on the pressed powder I found was great, it contains both a mirror and sponge applicator underneath the powder compartment and the lid is 'see through' so you can see what's in there :)

Foundation:

This is a sheer to medium coverage foundation that applies smoothly and I find it doesn't 'cake' over time. It's great for dry to normal skin types and even without using a primer it gives a lovely finish without accentuating large pores or inconsistencies. You can also build up the coverage by layering without it looking 'built up' and it will still feel lightweight. I find it blends really nicely and allows your skin to show through yet still be covered. You can apply it with your fingertips, brush or sponge and still get a nice finish.

There are quite a lot of shades to choose from, I find the shade I chose is a little dark for me right now so I may get the lighter shade as well, that way I can also mix the two shades for when my skin 'tans' a little in the summer. The foundation also contains an SPF 18 which is a great bonus :)

As with most foundations, if you have dry skin you should work on that first by moisturising before applying your foundation and if you have oily tendencies, perhaps a foundation geared towards your skin type would be a better purchase. I have a combination skin so I do find I get a little oily on my T-zone through the day but nothing a little powder can't fix and probably nothing more than I do with some other foundations, although it could be the humid weather we have been having lately too.

I do find that this foundation changes colour slightly in the beginning so if you can 'test' it and let it 'oxidize' for a while before purchasing that would be great so that you get the right shade. It doesn't change too dramatically on me but each person is different.

Pressed Powder:

I have no problems with the pressed powder, I've been using it quite a lot and have found it to be light and easy to use. It applies smoothly and evenly and is a great tool to use for my T-zone when it gets a little oily. As with the foundation, there is a great range of shades to choose from. I do prefer to use a brush with mine instead of the sponge as I like the finish better but the sponge is a good thing to have for touch ups when you're out and don't want to be carrying too much around with you.

**********************

Overall, I think for the price you pay you are getting a pretty good product, these are not marketed as 'high end' or as 'full coverage' and will not suit everyone. Like anything, if you can try it before you buy it you shouldn't be disappointed. This is not my 'favourite' but it does the job :) The only downside would be the size of the product itself, I would have preferred it a little bit bigger.

** Unfortunately I couldn't take my own photos because my camera was being stubborn, the photos in this post are the property of Maybelline.com.au

I'm Back, November Sample Boxes and New Toys :)

2011-11-30T10:55:00.001+10:00

I'm Back

YAY!!!! I returned from Schoolies in one piece, safe and sound :) I had a great time, it was a real 'eye opener' but I'm sooooo glad I went. I think the key to schoolies is having great friends around you and to watch out for each other at all times :) and have FUN!!! I went with my best friend Juanita and another wonderful friend of our's 'Jessie', we all got along great and kept an eye on each other, hehehe :D I think the only disappointing thing about our trip was that we had booked a 'studio' apartment and only had a kettle and fridge!!! There were only cups, saucers and spoons and that's it :( Of course that's what you get in a 'studio' style room but we didn't give that any thought before we went, hahaha ..... take note, if you want to cook get a room with a kitchen!!!! :) We did survive, we bought lots of noodles, sandwich stuff and fruit and also got pizza :))) The resort put on a free BBQ breakfast every day so we filled up on that too.

Snorkeling with the girls ... hehehe :D

New Toys

I'm back now and will be recording and uploading videos again very soon.Unfortunately my video camera lost it's mind over the past week or so (it has been mucking up for a while now) and I finally had to buy a new one when I got home. I bought the JVC GZHM30 High Def camera in red for $249.00. It's a cheap little camera that should do the job quite well, or so I've been told. Yes there are better quality HD cameras out there but when it comes to editing, saving and uploading to youtube you don't need it to take forever which is what the other 'better' cameras will do, the less time it takes me to upload, the better it is and more enjoyable. I guess trial and error and time will see how well it works.

Photo property of WOW Sight and Sound

(* Update *)
I ended up returning this camera because it didn't perform the way I wanted, it also felt a little too flimsy for me. I bought the Canon T31100 instead and so far I'm very happy with it).

My phone was also dying a very slow and painful death lately so I upgraded to the Ipod 4s .......... what can I say, I'm in lurvvvvvvvvvvve :))))))) compared to my old nokia it's a dream although I still need to work some things out.

Photo property of Apple Iphone

November Sample Boxes (Australia)

Because November was so busy and hectic I didn't get a chance to photograph the individual Sample boxes because most arrived just before I went away, so I'll just tell you what was inside them. This month I received the 'I Love This Box', 'Lust Have It', 'GlossyBox' and 'Bellabox' boxes. It was the first month for the 'I Love This Box' and I was quite happy with it, the scent throughout the box was just lovely and I found out it was from the shampoo and conditioner that were sent. It was very moreish, maybe the sample box people should take note that we like 'scented boxes' :))) hahahaha This was also the first month for 'Glossy Box' (formerly 'Beauty Box') and I was not disappointed at all, in fact this was my fav box so far of 'Beauty Box' and was just as good as 'Glossy Box'. I t has to be noted that the box did arrive 'disappointingly late' in the month, the 28th to be exact, but I'm sure when there's a takeover things don't always go smoothly so they are forgiven this month :)))

What was in them?????? Here we go ...

I Love This Box

Caudalie Paris - Set of 3 Facial Care Samples - Moisturiser, Anti-wrinkle serum and nourishing cream
NVEY Eco's Taupe (#172) Eyeshadow
Essie French Affair Collection - Spring 2011 Nail Polish
Keratinology by Sunsilk - Salon Perfection Hair Collection - Shampoo and Conditioner (smells lovely)
POD - Liquid Tan Gradual Tanning Face Serum

Lust Have It

RoC - Complete Lift New Techology Daily Moisturiser
Nude by Nature - Lip Liner in 'Chique Natural'
Lancome - Tresor Midnight Rose - Perfume sample x 2
Hawley International - Miracle Shine 2 Step Miracle Nail Shiner
Kerastase - Nectar Thermique - Heat protectant

Glossy Box

Jurlique - Purely Age Defying Ultra Firm & Lift Cream
Bio Oil - Bio oil for ageing, scars and stretchmarks etc.
Esie - Summer Nail Colour
Bobbi Brown - Cleansing Oil
Mirenesse - 3D Forever Lip Gloss
Bonus - Bag of pink jelly beans ........... yummy :)

Bella Box

Lancome Visionnaire - Cult - Advanced skin corrector
Erborian - 4 x sachet samples - BB Cream, Total Eye, Yuza Sobert, Elixir Au Ginseng
Gatineau Melatogenine Force Collagene - Cult - Anti-wrinkle cream
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC) Lip Tar
Orofluido - Hair Elixir
Twistband - Hair tie

NEW 'Make Me Up' Travel Edition Brushes by Sigma Beauty

2011-11-29T06:04:00.001+10:00

The next new product to be launched by Sigma Beauty is the 'Make Me Up' Travel Edition kit. You may remember the wonderful 'Make Me Up' kit that came out earlier this year that contained 12 full sized brushes in a multifunctional container? Well this is a 'Travel sized' edition of that.

This kit has 7 fun sized brushes chosen from the 'Essentials Kit' and comes in four colour combinations - 'Make Me Blush' (Coral), 'Make Me Classy' (Black), 'Make Me Cool' (Aqua) and 'Make Me Crazy' (Purple).

Brushes included are:

E30 - Pencil Brush

E40 - Tapered Blending Brush

E55 - Eye Shading Brush

E65 - Small Angle Brush

F30 - Large Powder Brush

F40 - Large Angled Contour Brush

F60 - Foundation Brush

You know, I wasn't too sure if I would use travel sized brushes because I really love my original Sigma Brushes and take them wherever I go (just ask my friends, they love me for it, hehehe :)) but after trying out 'The Cities Collection' and enjoying the convenient lightweight size of them I think they are amazing, I find myself using them all the time at home and will definitely be taking them when I sleep away from now on :)

Travel sized brushes are designed to help keep weight down while traveling and they take up less room in your suitcase/bag, the handy container will protect the brushes from damage and also provide a convenient place to put them on arrival. They are also a great 'starting set' for young girls just getting in to makeup, they are easy to hold for small hands and have all the basic brushes you need and it's a super Christmas Gift idea.

Make Me Blush - Coral

Make Me Crazy - Purple

Make Me Classy - Black

Make Me Cool - Aqua

These great kits sell for $59.00 each and you can find all Sigma Brushes HERE

* Photos property of 'Sigma Beauty'

HURRY!!! Black Friday Sales 25th November ...

2011-11-25T05:21:00.001+10:00

So I quickly had a scan around and and found a few sites that were having great 'Black Friday' Sales. If you're not sure what a 'Black Friday' Sale is then I'll quickly explain. In the US, the day after Thanksgiving a lot of Stores have sales to start the 'Christmas Shopping' period and it's supposed to mark the time when retailers are starting to make a profit in their business, like being 'in the black' :)

Here's a few I found:

Sigma Beauty -
Free Shipping Worldwide - 9am - 5pm CST only - 25th Nov, 2011- use Code BF2011

Camera Ready Cosmetics -
20% - 60% of the 'Sale Category' - starting on 24th November, 2011 - 6pm PCT

Cherry Culture -
20% off everything - use Code TGS20 - ends 27th November, 2011

Sedona Lace -
25% off entire order (over $15) - use Code Black25 - ends 25th November, 2011

Luminess Air -
Up to 83% off (while stocks last)

* This is a prescheduled post
* Please note that these dates are in US times

NEW 'The Cities' Travel Collection Brushes by Sigma Beauty

2011-11-22T06:31:00.002+10:00

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, Sigma Beauty are releasing some wonderful new products in the coming weeks and this series is the first to hit the store!! :) Sigma Beauty's Limited Edition Travel Collection is glamorous and fashionable and contains seven travel sized brushes from the 'Essential' and 'Premium' kits.

There are four different kits representing four different Cities.

London - with it's 18k gold ferrules (metal bits) and Chestnut coloured handles ($89)

Paris - having red ferrules and handles to represent the Romance of this City ($59)

Tokyo - in recognition of this trend setting City it has electrifying Pink handles and ferrules ($59)

New York - every stylish and sleek in black with silver ferrules ($59)

Each of these kits contains the following brushes:

E05 Eyeliner

E35 Tapered Blending

E45 Small Tapered Blending

E60 Large Shader

F05 Small Contour

F15 Duo Fibre

F30 Large Powder

The brushes come in a functional travel sized container in the corresponding colour that also converts into two brush holders to keep you organised on your travels.

Visit Sigma Beauty for these and other great brushes and kits!! :)

LONDON

PARIS

TOKYO

NEW YORK

* this is a pre-scheduled post
* photos property of SigmaBeauty

School Formal 2011 - Finally ♡

2011-11-19T15:42:00.000+10:00

If you have been reading my weekly posts, thankyou. It's been fun documenting my preparations over the past three weeks :)

So this last week has been fun, I had my hair trimmed 'just a little' and found some time to pamper my nails. I decided to do my own nails for the day because I preferred to pay $15 for nailpolish rather than much more for a salon to do them!!! I chose 'Serial Dater' by Chi Chi for my fingers and 'Nude Shimmer' by Natio for my toes. I went for a nude toe so that it wouldn't clash with my shoes.

I needed to wash my hair a day or two before my Hair Appointment on the Saturday so that it wasn't 'too clean' for the updo, the only problem was that I was at the beach on Thursday for our last School Excursion and again on Friday morning after 'last rollcall' to do the annual 'School Leavers Beach Run'. If you're not sure what that is, let me enlighten you a little :) It's a tradition in my area that all Year 12 School leavers go to the beach after they have been released from school on the last morning and they all run into the ocean in their uniforms, it's kinda like a 'rite of passage' thing hahahaha, anyway it's fun and it was a hot day so why not!! :)

Back on track ....

So I washed my hair late on Friday after a full day. Also on Friday I was packing my bags for my Schoolies trip which starts on Sunday, bright and early!!! Yeah I will be up at about 4.00am for that one! x___x

Saturday morning -- finished packing, painted my nails, answered a few messages etc and then off to the Hairdresser at about 12.00 noon.

Home about 1.00pm which gives me about 2 hrs to get myself ready for my Formal :) That should be enough ..... hehehehe :D Oh noooooooo, the hairdresser did a terrible job on my hair, I had to re-do the whole front bit myself which really made me upset. The ladies that normally worked at the Salon were not there this day and new people had taken over!!!! I didn't know this when I made the appointment :( Mine was the last appointmet of the day so there was no going back to get it fixed up :/

Anyway, once I fix my hair I feel a little rushed to do my makeup, it's really hot today too so that didn't help much.

By about 2.45pm I'm ready and it's time for a few photos then I'm off to see my Grandparents, more photos and then we drive to my friends house where a large group of us will be picked up by 'The Hummer'!!!! Yay!! we hired a 14 seat Hummer to take us to the Formal in style :) It's a 4.00pm pickup and we should get to our Formal at 5.00pm where I'm sure there will be more photos on the red/black carpet, more photos inside and even more 'official photos' before the actual seating takes place at around 6.00 - 6.30 pm.

I love my dress, I love the 'sunset' type colours in it, the ruffles and the lacing and of course the fit and style. I wanted something a little different from the regular dresses that people wear and when I tried this on It just felt 'right' :) and it was also pretty light and cool for such a hot day!! :)

Back of dress

Earrings and Bracelets

I decided to film a 'Get Ready with Me' video for my Formal but because I ended up being a little rushed and frustrated I'm not sure how it will turn out, so when I get back in about a week I'll upload something to my Channel but in the meantime I hope you've enjoyed these quick photos.

My friends and I in front of the Hummer about to leave

Thank you for taking this journey with me, Year 12 has been a challenging year in many ways. It's been great to share my experience with others and I really hope that someone finds my posts helpful in the future :)

Love Cassie ♡

School Formal 2011 - One Week to go ...

2011-11-12T08:02:00.004+10:00

I really can't believe all my studies for school are now over!!! I had my last Assessment on Friday WOOT WOO!!!! Now for the final week of school, if you can really call it that, I just have to tie things up, you know, return text books, laptop and long lost library books etc. I have my Graduation Ceremony on the Wednesday night, our final senior assembly on Thursday (which the Year 12's get to host) followed by an excursion and then just a safety talk and sign off on Friday morning :D :D :D then that's it!!!! :))))

So my Formal is on the Saturday night, 19th November to be exact which is honestly a stupid day to have it since Schoolies officially starts on the 19th!!!! Only our School Principal could have planned that :/

Hair:

This past week I managed to get the hair dye I was after, it was actually on special for $8.95 and was the last one in that colour (Darkest Chocolate No. 323). It was hiding in a different spot, someone else must have picked it up and put it back in the wrong spot so I thought they didn't have it!! So glad they did. I dyed my hair on Tuesday afternoon so that's something else to check off my list :)

I'm going to try to squeeze in a 'trim' before my Formal just to tidy the ends up.

Outfit:

I got to try on my complete outfit for the Formal and I'm happy to report that I'm very very happy with the overall look. It's fun and young and I really like the way it all came together, it makes me feel like an 'exotic princess' hahahaha :P So for a run down on how much this has cost me ...

Dress $199.00 - I know COMPLETE BARGAIN!!!!!
Shoes $111.00 - on sale
Bag 34.95 - on sale
Jewelry $ 39.95 - Already had some of it
Hair Accessory $ 20.00
Underwear $ 40.00
Hair Dye $ 8.95
Hair Appointment $ 75.00
Car Hire $ 52.00

Total $580.85

I haven't included any makeup costs in this because the only real thing I bought specifically for my Formal was my Estee Lauder Foundation but I probably would have bought it eventually anyway.

I never set out to find things on 'Sale' or anything like that, I went to find something that I really liked. Formal shopping can add up very quickly, even when you get things that are on sale it still gets expensive! I was very lucky to find my dress, we were prepared to pay more than that when we set out but we didn't have to. A few of the other girls in my year also said they ended up going with dresses that were much cheaper than they originally planned because 'they like them', and isn't that what it's all about in the end :)

When you plan your Formal it makes sense to spread the costs out so you don't have to pay for everything in one go. If you start looking for your dress at least 3-4 months before the day then you will have time to find all your accessories etc and pay for them gradually. It's also nice to know you have your outfit ready and you can relax a little in that last week.

I guess my real luxury items were my shoes and getting my hair done on the day.

Makeup:

This week I cleaned all my makeup brushes, I had a little breakout last week which prompted me to do this :/

Nails:

Ok so this is still the one that is eluding me!! :( Maybe it's because I've never been allowed to paint my nails for school or anything that they are always the last to get attention. So this week they are going to be pampered for sure, I don't have much on for school so there really is no excuse. Wish me luck!!! :)))

******************

Because I will be leaving for my Schoolies holiday very early Sunday morning, I will probably just post a picture of the final look on facebook and maybe on here before I leave for my Formal. Once I come back from Schoolies I will put up a video.

Accessorize with SolidRose.com

2011-11-11T17:46:00.002+10:00

About six or seven weeks ago I was sent a box full of goodies from solidrose.com to try out and if I liked them I could do a review or mention them in a video or something but was under no obligation to talk about them at all! Well I liked them, in fact I liked them a lot, I featured them in my very first 'Show & Tell' video, and I find myself grabbing for a lot of the pieces all the time. Now these aren't 'real' jewels, they are what is known as 'dress jewelry' that is usually worn for a season or two and that's it.You can buy the same quality items from places like Diva, Target or Equip here in Australia.

A selection of bracelets and rings

Necklaces

What is different about these pieces is the price, these items sell for at least half the price that the stores in Australia do. Their packaging was adequate and nothing was broken, actually nothing has broken after all these weeks either! It took about a week for the package to arrive as they have a warehouse in Australia which is a bonus and I found their customer service to be great.

This site regularly updates stock, looking there today I see there are quite a few new items available and they also stock makeup.

From the experience I've had with SolidRose.com I can recommend them, obviously the more you buy the better the deal when it comes to postage which in Australia is about $9.00. For young girls it's a great site as they really don't want to be spending lots of money on accessories that they may not wear next year!!!

Another great idea to keep in mind for Christmas and Birthday gifts.

Great variety of earrings

You can visit SolidRose.com HERE

Beyonce 'Pulse' eau de parfum

2011-11-09T21:09:00.001+10:00

Last week on my shopping trip I walked through Myer's perfume department (as you do, always ... :)) and there in it's glory, flashing lights and all, was Beyonce 'Pulse' on display!!! :) Well of course I had to try it didn't I, I then went around sampling numerous other perfumes on the little cards making myself a little light headed, hehehe, sniffed at the coffee beans and continued on :)

I liked it, I kept going back to the swatch and smelling it and I really liked it.

It's described as being a 'citrus, floral gourmand (someone who enjoys gourmet), anchored by Beyonce's favourite flower, the orchid'.

To me it's much more like passion fruit in a way, very sweet and quite tropical. It smells young and fun and is pretty strong to start with but then gets a little bit powdery as the fragrance matures but not too much. I really wanted a new perfume for the warmer weather and it was a toss up between 'Pulse' and 'Sensuous Nude', can you guess which one I decided to buy???? Yeah, I bought 'Pulse' this time around and am pleased with my puchase.

For $89.00 I got

100ml (3.4fl oz) eau de parfum vaporisor - natural spray
15ml (0.5fl oz) eau de parfum vaporisor - natural spray
75ml (2.5fl oz) luminous body milk
75ml (2.5fl oz) luminous hower cream

The 100ml bottle normally sells for $89.00 (in australia). There was a choice between the boxed package I chose or you could get a large tote bag with your purchase instead.

The bottle is designed to stand 'upside down' with the large silver lids, which are inspired by Beyonce's costumes, being removable from the bottles and the body milk has a 'shimmer' to it which I didn't realise until I got outside. I felt a little like a vampire when I went in the sun, hahaha, I guess this would look great for night time partying.

Of course you have to remember this fragrance is not a concentrate so for an all-day scent you may need to reapply a few times, a little disappointing that it looses it's fragrance so quickly. That's one of the reasons I went for the boxed package, so that I could carry the smaller bottle in my handbag!! :)

In my opinion this is a scent for a younger person.

The packaging is pretty flash and I'm sure I'll find a use for the box. My only other real disappointment is that it didn't come with the flashing lights like the ones on the display :P hahaha :) and yes, I did ask! hahahaha :D

Sneak Peek of 'NEW' Sigma products ...

2011-11-09T21:09:00.000+10:00

Sigma always have something new up their sleeve and this time around it's more than one NEW thing!!! In fact there are quite a few new product releases about to take place over November and December. Some of them are in fact brand new releases and some are repackaged into more convenient sets.

As I haven't trialed or even seen these products in real life yet, I can only show you a few pictures of what's in store and update you as they are released for sale so if you're looking for something for Christmas for yourself or as a gift for someone special, you might want to consider Sigma for that special gift.

Also, a little birdie told me that there will be a 'Black Friday Sale' at Sigma, Black Friday is 24th November which is a day I will be away, so I'll arrange to have a post scheduled for this!!!

The Cities Collection (travel size)

Make Me Up Collection (Travel Edition)

The Bunny Collection (Vegan friendly)

The Extravaganza Face Kit (18k gold plated)

The Extravaganza Complete Kit (18k gold plated)

* All photos curtesy of 'SigmaBeauty'

School Formal 2011 - Two Week Countdown ...

2011-11-07T06:46:00.004+10:00

With less than two weeks to go to my Formal I'm pleased to say I managed to cross a few things off my list from last week's post, YAY!!!

Dress:

As I said last week I have my dress already but I wanted to mention that if you do have your dress already or bought it months ago, it's a good idea to put it away where you can't see it all the time, I got my mum to look after mine so I didn't see it all the time, the reason for this is because after a while it may loose it's appeal because you see it a lot! I've only seen mine about 3 times briefly since I got it home and will be trying it on this coming week with all my accessories etc just to make sure everything works! Then it will go away again until my Formal :) It may sound a strange thing to do but I don't want to fall 'out of love' with it.

Accessories:

This week I found the bracelets for my Formal, I already had two 'marilyn monroe' style bracelets which cost me about $20.00 but I wanted to add to them for a bit of variety and found a bundle of three that will work great, they are sparkly with gold accents, they cost $19.95. I've decided to wear a pair of earrings I already had, they are a nice medium length large gems set in silver but they're not 'over the top' so they won't grab too much attention.

Shoes and Clutch:

After weeks of searching and trying shoes on I finally found a pair that will work well, Myer had some new stock in on Wednesday and luckily the pair I found are a great match. They are 'Guess' brand, delicately glittered and very high!! :D ..... some walking practice will be in order before the big event :) The shoes were initially $149.00 but they were on sale and I got them for $111.00 YAY!!

I also found my Clutch for the night, it's satin with sparkles down the centre which match with my 'marilyn monroe' bracelets nicely. It's an 'Arabella' brand and the cost of the clutch was $34.95 down from $59.99 :) :)

Hair:

I've cut back on using heat on my hair as much as I can this week and using a 'Deep Conditioner' to keep it looking and feeling great. I went to get my hair dye but they didn't have the right colour that I want so I will have to keep looking in different stores this coming week and find it, I really want it dyed by the end of the week :/

Nails:

Not much has been done to them as life keeps getting in the way and keeping me busy :/ I haven't broken any so that's a good thing :P

Skin:

I've drank a lot more water this past week and also more green tea. I've had a little breakout on my chin which is a bit annoying but this is what happens sometimes so hopefully it will settle down again by Formal.

Tanning:

So I've decided to go 'natural' for Formal, after being burned last weekend and getting 'strap marks' I'm making an effort to apply lots of suncream and stay out of the sun as much as I can. Wearing different styled tops when out walking will help too so that I don't get a definite line going where my tops are.

Makeup:

I've been practicing different methods of applying my foundation to get a 'flawless' finish this week.

Transport:

Our transport times were finally confirmed by the Company and everyone agrees on everything so that is good know. There are about 14 of us travelling together to the Formal and we get the vehicle for one hour, should be good :D :D

****************

Lately I've noticed quite a bit more stress at school between friendships, with final testing coming up this week, formal arrangements to make, schoolies events to finalise and just generally finishing our education it's such a lot to think about but it's still important to take time out for ourselves in between everything else, no point in making yourself sick with worry and stress, I'm making sure I go for walks with my boyfriend and to socialise with my friends outside of school, it helps keep me relaxed and grounded which helps me to enjoy the end of my schooling :) :) :) Remember to breathe!!!

Schoolies 2011- Almost Here!!!!

2011-11-07T06:46:00.002+10:00

I'm getting so excited now because along with the end of School Graduation and Year 12 Formal comes Schoolies!!!! For anyone not knowing what this is, it's a celebration by all Year 12 School leavers at the end of their schooling :) In some States it's also called 'Leavers'.

It usually goes for about 3 -4 weeks, generally the first week is for Queensland the second for New South Wales and then the third for the other States (although this does change some years) .... but that doesn't mean you can't go whenever you want. It's a week long party for you and your friends and usually the first time you get to go away without your family :D

The most famous place to go is Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in Queensland, it's where 30,000+ school leavers go to party and party hard, so if that is your scene then that's the place for you.

Of course not everyone wants to be part of that 30,000+ crowd so they choose other destinations for their party week. There's Byron Bay in New South Wales, Lorne in Melbourne, Victor Harbour in SA, Rottnest in WA and the Whitsundays in Northern Queensland, just to name a few, that all have planned Schoolies events and security. If that's still not your thing you may want to find your own place to enjoy yourself and just hang with your friends, many choose quieter spots along the coastline or some even go to Bali or Fiji for their celebrations, the choice is yours!! :) Probably best to choose the location that suits your personality and your budget the best.

For a full look at Schoolies and to find out all locations visit 'Schoolies.com'

Wherever you decide to spend your time remember to make it great. Be with friends you can trust and have the time of your life with :) :) Over the years 'Schoolies' has got a lot of bad press because of a handful of incidents, there's so many good news stories come back from schoolies, not everyone goes to get drunk and cause trouble!! It's easy to get a bit nervous about going to Schoolies but If you choose the destination to suit your needs properly you should have a great time :)

Leading up to Schoolies it's easy to forget basic boring stuff such as budgeting, shopping etc etc so take a bit of time to discuss things with your friends before you go, you don't want to find out everyone has twice as much money as you so they can do heaps more stuff than you, that would really suck!!!!! Remember too, you will probably need a 'house budget' for basics like nibblies, coffee, juice, toilet paper etc, you know the stuff you never want to run out of :) Even in a lot of resorts you will only be given the basics for your room so you and your friends will have to buy stuff. Take advantage of free breakfasts and nibblies whenever you can and fill up through the day hahaha that way you wont have to buy as much food each day and may only need to buy your dinner :P

What to take:
yourself :)
your friends ..... hahaha
your Year 12 ID !!!
money - you need enough to buy food, drinks and entertainment every day you are away and extra for emergencies :) different locations call for different costs (check before you go)
clothes - if you're lazy and don't want to wash, take enough for the whole week!!
makeup - of course :)
shoes - comfy ones
mobile and recharger - if you're on pre-paid be sure to have plenty of credit

Don't take:
bad attitude
anything too valuable

**************

The 'Red Frog Crew' is a Schoolies Support Network which has a positive presence in the Schoolies party week, they offer help in many ways from cooking and cleaning to emotional help when it's needed. They also provide entertainment and chill-out zones throughout the week in some destinations :)

Take advantage of the 'Red Frogs' people who are there to help you, they will come and cook you up some frog pancakes if you want them to, they will also walk you back to your accommodation if you get stranded or feel unsafe in any way!! :)

MOST IMPORTANT THING: STAY SAFE!!!, there's a life beyond schoolies!!!!! :D

Be sure to have their number keyed into your mobile - 1300557123

School Formal 2011 - Three Week Countdown ...

2011-10-31T07:22:00.002+10:00

My Year 12 School Formal is in three weeks time so to keep myself on track and maybe help a few others out there I thought I would do a 'Three Week Countdown' to the event :) This is 'Week Three'

Dress:
I have my dress already picked out but if you don't, now is really the time to get that out of the way! When I picked mine I tried to wipe my mind of any 'pre-conceived' ideas and styles and just went for what was available. Luckily for me the very first dress in the very first shop was IT!! :D I just loved it so there was no reason to keep looking, YAY!! I hope you find your perfect dress just as easy.

Accessories:
Picking accessories can be done at the same time as buying the dress but we all know that you don't always find what you're looking for. I purchased some earrings, ring and bracelets but left the dress in the car when I did this and when I got home they just didn't look right with the gown :(

With three weeks to go and my mission is to try to find the perfect accessories for the night. My dress is patterned and strapless so I'm going for some medium length dangly earrings, bracelet and ring and forgetting about a necklace as I want to draw attention to my face. I can either go 'vintage' or 'semi-sparkly' with my dress and have about three colours that would work. Luckily my dress has some extra long laces on it that reach the ground so I'm able to trim a sample of the end to pop in my handbag so I don't forget the colours when out shopping. I also gave my date a sample this way for his suit/accessories.

Shoes and Clutch:
I still need to find the right shoes!!! This is probably the hardest job so far, I've looked at so many shoes in my area and none shout 'PERFECT' to me so I'm still looking and hoping for new stock. I would really love to get them this week because that would give me time to 'play' in them around the house and break them in :) I was also thinking a small clutch bag would be good on the night, one that will do the job but not draw a lot of attention as my dress is patterned so it's probably best to keep a clutch more simple. There's not a lot you need to take with you to Formal but here's a sampling of what to put in your clutch:

Lipstick/Lipgloss
Mirror
Powder
Eyeliner
Mobile Phone
Perfume
Small Camera

Hair:
I booked my hair appointment a couple of days ago, I thought it would be a nice treat and pamper session to have my hair done for the day. I will be getting a trim this coming weekend to tidy it up and may be re-dyeing it 'darkest chocolate' so it doesn't look tired and dull. I haven't settled on the exact style yet but it will probably be an updo of some type :)

Nails:
Let's not forget about our nails!!! I tend to forget about these little things a lot but I'm making a real effort to have them looking nice for Formal. I'll be keeping them well trimmed and filed and using my cuticle cream by Burts Bees to get them looking as nice as I can. I'm still deciding whether to get a new set of Gel Nails or not? I'll let you know :) Toe nails are just as important, if you're wearing a lovely pair of peep toes or sandals you want your toes looking cute so some pampering is recommended for toes too!!

Skin:
I've started to drink more water this week, the weather is warming up and I want my skin looking nice so water can be your best friend. A once a week face mask should help out too. Don't forget the skin on your shoulders, chest and back areas. If you're wearing a strapless dress or even shoestring straps you're going to be showing off the skin in those areas so try a gentle exfoliating scrub on your back and shoulders once a week. Don't use this on your chest as the skin here is quite gentle, a cleanser on this area would probably work better and don't forget your neck :)

Get someone to help you with your back and gently massage the scrub in for you.

Tanning:
To tan or not to tan??? Now may be the right time to think about your tan, if you want a fake self tan or spray tan and have never had one before at least you have three weeks to get it right, do not leave it for the week of the event! For spray tans try to go to a quality salon, recommendations from friends are probably good for this one. Remember some self tanners can rub off in humidity (like sweating when you dance).

If you want a real tan, remember those tan lines!!!! They are not a good look in a strapless dress so be very careful not to get sun burned! :/

Makeup:
Start looking around for ideas for your makeup. Book your makeup appointment now if you haven't already. I'm doing my own makeup for my formal as I feel comfortable about it and if you are too, start trying different looks now so that you know exactly what you want on the night, write down what you use in a book so that you don't forget and even take a photo up close so that you can look at it a couple of days later and see if you still like it and that it works well in photos. Apparently a lot of the SPF foundations don't always turn out well on film/camera so test it out! :) :)

Transport:
By now hopefully you've arranged some sort of transport for the evening. You will need a way of getting to the event and returning. There's a lot of ways you can arrive, helicopter :), motor cycle (watch that dress hahaha), Limo, Hummer, Carriage etc... Car hire can be a bit expensive if you go alone but if you book with a group of friends it will cut the costs down drastically and you can all arrive in style together, remember to allow and confirm time for photos before your formal if you want them. Getting home or to an afterparty etc doesn't need to be as fancy, just be sure to have a safe and reliable ride to get you where you need to go and tell your parents or family exactly where you will be for safety's sake!!! You may want to change out of your formal clothes before partying on so they don't get ruined so arrange some extra clothes for this.

Ok, so this is like my 'Three Week's to Go' list of things to get organised, join me next week and see if I got them done and what still needs to be done!!!! :)

October Lust Have It and Beauty Boxes ...

2011-10-31T07:12:00.000+10:00

October is almost over, where did it go????? So here's a quickie post on the October Lust Have It and Beauty Box (now known as Glossy Box) and what I like in them.

Lust Have It

This month we were treated to five products

1. Genifique Youth Activator by Lancome x 2 Sample tubes

I'm trying out the 'Youth Activator' but it's not really a product I would buy just yet as I'm only young so I don't really think this is a product for me, may even give it to my mum.

2. Cream Blush by Lime Lily Cosmetics, mine was in the colour 'Temptation'

I like this, the colour looks dark but once blended it works well and you can use it on your lips as well, bonus!!

3. 'Honey I washed the kids' soap by Lush

Love this!! It smells so devine :D

4. Collagen Orange Drink by Taut

This was a surprise to get in the box, I would never purchase this product myself but I guess some people would. It's important to read instructions and contents before sampling things like this because you may be allergic. This particular product contains 'shark cartilage' so anyone who has an allergic reaction to seafood should defs stay clear!

5. The 'Resistance' Range by Kerastase x 6 sample sachets (2 of each)

These samples contained 2 each of 'Bain De Force Shampoo', Ciment Anti - Usure Treatment (Conditioner) and 'Ciment Thermique - Reconstructor Milk'. It did take a bit to understand what the last two were exactly but that's no biggie. Love these, especially the 'Reconstructor Milk' which I'm actually considering purchasing.

Beauty Box (now called Glossy Box)

Four samples were in this box along with a 'Beauty Treat'

1. John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo and Conditioner

A good sized sample tube of each, I quite like the feel on these on my hair so there's no complaints here. There was also a $4.00 off voucher with any 'John Frieda' purchase from Priceline.

2. Shiseido Sheer Matifying Compact Foundation

Firstly, this is just so CUTE!!! I love getting samples that look like this :D Haven't really had a chance to trial it and it's not quite my colour so I'll let you know if I love it at a later stage. This also came with a complimentary 'make-over' voucher that can be redeemed from any Shiseido counter.

3. Garnier Body Intensive - 7 Days x 2 sample sachets

A body lotion that's designed for dry skin, this product feels lovely on and does what it says. No problems with this one :)

4. Calvin Klein Frangrance - CK Shock for Her and for Him

We received two sample bottles of each, I can't say I was in love with these at all, unfortunately they are not my kind of scent but nice samples anyway.

Beauty Treat - Biotherm 'Aquasource Moisturiser'

This was a great sample size, I've been using this since I got it and am liking it a lot :D This also came with a 'free sample' voucher redeemable from Myer which I will probably make use of next time I'm there :D

************************************

So this month was pretty good for samples, there were only a couple of disappointments, mainly the orange drink and the youth activator (only because I'm young). I will get both boxes again in November.

Beauty Box is now known as 'Glossy Box' which is an overseas sample box company so hopefully that experience will reflect in the contents of the Australian box, not that I've been disappointed yet. So next month there will be no Beauty Box.

Bella Box also started up this month, I missed the first shipment of this one but will order the November box to see what it is like.

I Love This Box is another sample box starting in November so it should be an interesting month.

As I don't intend getting 4 boxes each month I will decide which of the first two boxes I intend to keep - Lust Have It or Beauty/Glossy Box. I will then narrow my choices between 'Bella Box' and 'I Love This Box' over the following three months - sample city here I come hahaha!! :D

GIVEAWAY - Sigma Beauty ...

2011-10-28T04:48:00.004+10:00

I'm having a Giveaway on my YouTube Channel :D

For a chance to win either:

Your choice of two of the Bare, Flare and Dare eyeshadow pallets
$50.00 Gift Voucher
$20.00 Gift Voucher

From Sigma Beauty, just check out the video and follow the instructions!!!

This Giveaway closes on 1st November, 2011 (Australian time) and you can enter once a day.

GOOD LUCK!!!!! :)

Steampunk 'Inspired' Costume

2011-10-23T16:00:00.000+10:00

This is an ‘inspired’ look, I am not saying it’s exactly ‘Steam Punk’ because I know there are a lot of devoted people out there that would probably cringe looking at my attempt, hehehe I was just having fun getting the ‘look’ on a budget. Things to keep in mind are leather, lace, goggles, gadgetry, chains, clocks, keys, weaponry, victorian, industrial, ripped stockings, boots, bustles, jackets, corsets, nuts and bolts, belts .... once you start looking around it's amazing what you can come up with! :)

Goggles and Hat:

What you need:
Glue - I use 'PVA Wood Glue' for this kind of stuff because it's really strong and dries quick and it's non-toxic.
2 x toilet rolls (inserts)
Paint
Scissors
Decorative pieces eg. nuts, bolts, chains, clock faces etc
Old CD Case
Plastic rims from bottles or similar
Hat

Directions:

By using two toilet roll tubes or something similar you can make your own imitation steam punk goggles quite easily.

From the first roll simply cut out the shape you want for the base of your eye goggle, do this twice, once for each eye.

From the second roll cut off about ¾” and then cut down each side, the reason you cut it down the side is so that it can fit over the top of the inner goggle eye bases you cut out first. Glue a small piece of cardboard in the slit to fill it in, allow to dry.

From an old cd case, carefully cut two circles to fit the outer goggle. Place the outer goggle over the inner goggle eye bases and glue. Glue the cd lenses to the outer goggles.

Find a plastic rim for your goggles, I used the leftover caps threads from cordial bottles for mine and they fit perfectly. Paint them your desired colour.

Paint the inner goggle eye bases and the outer goggles in the colours you want, try and contrast them a bit. Once dry, you can attatch the plastic rims. Allow to dry.

Now you can add all your bits and pieces to give it that ‘steam punk look.

I found a ‘halloween’ hat at spotlight, it was $4.99 less 25%. I peeled of the skeleton badge that was on the front and painted it brown, leaving a band of black to suit the look I was going for.

Once I was happy with the hat I then attached the goggles to the top with glue.

Find some sort of strapping, remember, these are going to go on a hat so it doesn’t have to ‘work’ as a real set of goggles, I just used some faux suede fabric from an old skirt. If you want to use them on your face, you may want to use some elastic at the back so they fit snuggly.

Add more bits and pieces until you're your happy with the look.

Outfit:

My old favourite ‘tulle’ skirt that’s done many of my looks

Old brown skirt tucked up at the side and pinned, I tied an old compass where there was a hole in the skirt

Fishnet stockings

Grey/Brown combat style boots

White shirt

Jacket I bought years ago and really didn’t like but it works with this look

Crochet doily dyed brown placed on shoulder for effect and draped with faux suede strips of fabric and black lace

Elasticated belt – vintage

Glovelet made from faux suede fabric

Gun – Sam’s Warehouse - $2.00
Lantern - Garage Sale
Belt (army style) placed across body
Necklace - Diva
Necklace - Thrifted
Bracelets - Solid Rose and thrifted

I had so much fun putting this look together and was surprised when I started looking around how much I could use to get the right effect. I think the overall look came in under $10.00

You can see my makeup tutorial for this look HERE

NEW Sigmax Synthetic Collection!

2011-10-23T13:46:00.003+10:00

Sigma have added to their range of synthetic brushes recently with five new brushes, it's always nice to hear there are more synthetic brushes abailable. They have released one more large face brush and four small face brushes which you could almost say were miniatures of the larger ones. I am in the process of trialing these new additions for a review which I will have on my Channel shortly. In the meantime you can read what Sigma has to say about their new brushes below.

With its tapered design, the F86 is perfect for application of liquid, cream and powder products to precise areas on the face. The F86 is also an ideal contouring brush. It applies the perfect amount of product to the right areas for that flawless, sculpted look that every woman desires. This brush is revolutionary to the beauty industry and very unique in quality and design. It is the perfect addition to any makeup kit. The F86 will be sold individually for $16 or as part of the Synthetic Kabuki Kit (F80, F82, F84 and F86) sold for $56.

The new Synthetic Precision Kit contains the P80, P82, P84 and P86. The P80 is a small, flat top brush that is ideal to conceal blemishes, sun spots and small imperfections on the skin. It can be used to stipple concealer on defined areas, followed by precise application of setting powder. The rounded P82 brush was designed to mimic your fingertips, making this brush ideal to apply eye shadow primers. It can also be used for the precise application of highlight shades on the bridge of the nose, cheek bones and cupid’s bow. The small angled top of the P84 makes this brush perfect for precise contouring of the sides of the nose and contouring the hollows of the cheek bones. It can also be used to highlight the brow bone. Lastly, the unique tapered shape of the P86 brush is ideal for application of concealer under the eyes and in defined areas such as the sides of the nose, chin and around the mouth. This brush can also be used to perfectly apply concealer around the lips to prevent color bleeding. Each of these brushes will be sold individually for $14 or as the Synthetic Precision Kit (P80, P82, P84 and P86) for $49.

If you want to try out all of the synthetic must haves, the Synthetic Essential Kit is for you! This collection contains all eight face brushes specifically designed for a high definition, flawless makeup application. The shape, density and height of each brush were designed to complement the different areas and shapes of the face. The Synthetic Essential Kit has everything you need to achieve a perfect and flawless look! It is now available from Sigma Beauty for $99.

Mermaid Inspired Tiara ... ☆ ♕ ☆

2011-10-16T08:16:00.001+10:00

With Halloween coming up this month I thought I'd do a 'Mermaid' Hair and Makeup tutorial and I decided the look would be great with a crown or tiara. I went for an easy way for making mine that anyone can do, I'm not claiming to have invented this method, it's very popular in craft circles and has been around for years and years and a lot of people use it.

What you need:
Soft plastic file/folder or similar
PVA craft or wood glue (wood glue is excellent)
Pencil/Pen
Sequins
Glitter
Scissors

Using a piece of paper folded in half, sketch out half the shape of the tiara you want, cut it out then open it up and place it on your forehead to get the right fit. Once you're happy with it, place it on some plastic (I used an old school file) and glue it down. It's better to use a soft plastic file because cardboard will not be as strong and if you have one close to the sequin colour it would be best (I only had black :/).

Fill the paper shape in with glue, maybe do a section at a time so that the glue doesn't start to dry.

Grab yourself some sequins and glitter and start creating your design, it's easier to place the sequins using an old pencil with a tiny spot of glue on the end to pick them up with.

I covered mine all over in blue sequins, leaving a few out just to add interest and then sprinkled glitter over the top to fill in the gaps.

When your design is dry, check to be sure everything is stuck on properly and then go over it with another coat of glue, this will set clear but will give a bit more strength to it. This is also the time you could add more glitter to your design if you want.

Once your tiara is completely dry, carefully cut it out. You will find that because you used a plastic base it's easy to move and attach to your forehead with a little eyelash glue.

You can find my Mermaid Tutorial HERE, I don't adhere the crown to my face but it's easy to do just using a little eyelash glue.

INAZ Cosmetics and How to use Loose Pigments

2011-10-15T13:17:00.001+10:00

I was recently fortunate enough to receive a selection of INAZ Cosmetics eyeshadow pigments. INAZ Cosmetics are known for their bold and vibrant colours and I must admit, I wasn't disappointed!! :D These pigments are beautiful to use and very pigmented :)

They have a beautiful array of colours to choose from both matte and shimmer and also sell blushes and primer. INAZ sell directly from their Facebook Page for the time being because they are still in the 'setting up' stages here in Australia.

Blush

Like any loose powders/pigments they can get a little messy but that's just the way things are, be patient and be careful and they work wonderfully. There was a little 'scoop' enclosed with the package which I found helpful but I still would have preferred a 'sifter style' lid and there were some helpful instructions as well.

Yes you will need to use an eye primer with them as you do with any loose pigment/powder, INAZ do have a primer but I personally found this a little oily on my skin.

These pigments can be used with many mediums so you can have fun playing around with them for different purposes and to acheive different looks. They are ideal for those that love bright colours and they are very reasonably priced.

INAZ AUSTRALIA SPRING PROMOTION...
10 grm pigment pots 3 for $45 (includes p&h)
20grm mineral blushes 2 for $50 (includes p&h)
2.5grm pigment pots 7 for $30 (includes p&h)

Check out their Facebook Page HERE

Using Loose Pigments/Powders:
Pigments and Powders are not just for eyeshadows, they can be mixed with other mediums to make different things.

Some mediums are Inglot's 'Duraline', MAC's 'Mixing Medium' or even make your own using one part glycerine to 3 parts water .... easy!!!

Here is a small list of things you can use them for.

Cream eyeshadow - mix with a drop or two of medium, mix with other colours to make an original colour
Eyeliner - mix with a drop of medium or even water to the right consistency
Blush - mix colours to make an original blush colour add a medium if youwant a cream base
Lipgloss - mix with a clear lipgloss or balm to make your own original colour
Hair Streaks - mix with hair wax and apply to your hair for a temporary effect
Mascara - mix with a clear mascara to make an original colour
Nailpolish - mix with a clear nail polish/varnish and shake really really well to make your own original colour
Tinted Moisturiser or Sunscreen - mix a bronze shade with your fav moisturiser or sun cream for a wonderful soft dewy look

So next time you grab for your pigments or powders, think of all the other possibilities you can use them for :)

I hope you found this post useful.

Wigs and Costumes for Halloween or Fancy Dress ...

2011-10-07T10:04:00.004+10:00

Wigs:

So with Halloween coming up this month I thought I'd do a few fun looks, you know me I love to play dress-ups at any given time :D After looking through the local costume shop I was a little disappointed in the range of their wigs, I already have two and these seem to be the ones that were in the shop!!!! So onto the internet I was, looking for some wigs. The ones I found on Ebay were going to take 1-2 weeks at least to get here so Online Stores were my next option.

Click to view makeup tutorial on this look

There are quite a few out there but the one I settled on was 'The Wig Outlet' which is an Australian based online store that sells a huge variety of both costume and fashion wigs and some accessories and they are reasonably priced too.

Anyway, I ordered and purchased two wigs and a pair of stockings from them, this was on Monday at about 10.30am by Tuesday (yes the following day) I had my items in my hot little hands before 10.00am!!!!!! I was also really happy with the way the wigs looked, they were both true to the picture on the site which is always nice :)

So what do you do when you buy a wig? The first thing you need to do is to take it out of the packaging, give it a good shake and sit it on a wig stand or something similar so that it can rest and resume it's original style, do this for about 24hrs. You may need to re-style it a little and ease out any creases that may have formed from the packaging but this shouldn't be too hard.

Never use a normal brush on your wig, you can get special wig brushes or just use a very large tooth comb, you know, like the ones that are made for combing wet hair.

For straight wigs, you can add some style by lightly spraying with a styling conditioner and then use rollers and a low heat setting dryer.

If your wig is 'pre-styled', just gently get the style back by lightly brushing or combing it.

For curly wigs, never brush or comb them, use your fingers to help resume it's style.

You can purchase wig caps or make your own using a old pair of stockings. Be sure to pin your hair as flat to your head as you can so that the wig sits nicely on your head. To prevent the wig from slipping or moving around if it's a little too big, use some hidden bobby pins around the edges at the front, placing them in a 'x' (crossover) will give added hold.

Costumes:

click picture to see how I put this costume together

I've mentioned this before but I'm going to say it again, thrift stores, op-shops, secondhand stores and garage sales can be your best friends at this time of year. With Halloween at the end of October and also the Christmas season fast approaching there will be more parties around and you may need a costume of some type.

I love putting costumes together, yeah I can easily buy a 'ready made' one but it's so much more fun to make your own. Secondhand stores are the best places to find old clothing that can be recycled into costumes with minimal effort and you get the benefit of having an 'Original' costume that no-one else will have BONUS!! Just google images of the type of 'look' you're after and then make a list of what you will need, you may be surprised to find most of the stuff around your own home! :D I don't like to spend a lot of money on something I may never wear again but I do love to find a 'bargain' from the op-shop that I will be able to use time and time again, like my layered tulle petticote, I've used this skirt so many times for different looks and it only cost me $5.00 a couple of years ago!!! Now that's a 'bargain'. Some things you can also make out of cardboard to give the 'effect' of what you want and don't be scared to dye or paint anything, get creative :)

Be sure to start looking around early, a couple of weeks or so before the event, remember the closer it gets to halloween the more people will be out looking for stuff.

I hope you found this post helpful and if you are in need of a wig, especially if you are Australian, go check out 'The Wig Outlet', I'm sure you won't be disappointed :D and keep your eyes open for my upcoming 'looks' using my wigs and the costumes that I put together myself for next to nothing !!! :)

♡ October is 'Breast Cancer Awareness Month' ♡

2011-10-04T14:07:00.000+10:00

Did you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Yes it is, and as a message of hope from around the world the Estee Lauder Group of Companies will be illuminating approximately 200 global landmarks in bright pink lights to bring focus to this very relevant cause, this year the theme is "TOGETHER.Connect. Communicate.Conquer. For a Future Free of Breast Cancer".

Too many people die each year because of this awful disease which, with early detection can be cured and a long life lived. The Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign hopes to shine a light on Breast Cancer by inviting everyone to share a message of hope and helping to fill the 'Illuminations Map'. By visiting the BCA Campaign Facebook page and writing your own 'Message of Hope' you will be lighting your little part of the world for all to see.

Most families these days have been touched in some way by Breast Cancer and it's not just women, men are affected by Breast Cancer as well. By supporting this wonderful Global Campaign we can all do our 'bit' to raise awareness and save lives, remember, early detection saves lives! Let's illuminate the world with our support!! :D

Sydney Opera House Illuminated in Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Public Domain

How to Light Your Part of the World:

Login to Facebook
Go to BCACampaign Facebook Page and 'LIKE' it
Click on the side 'page' and then share your message of HOPE for the world to see. The App will post it and then light your part of the world a little PINK!!!

Let's illuminate the world together ♡

How Can You Help?

There are so many products now that bear the 'pink ribbon' which means that if you buy that product the company will donate a percentage of money to the 'Breast Cancer Research Foundation' or in some cases all the money. Some of The Estee Lauder Group of Companies most glamorous brands have also joined together to sell pink products to raise awareness and raise funds to make 'October' prettier and more powerful than ever. Please consider next time you purchase a product and try to buy 'Pink' if you can or if you're interested in making a donation to this wonderful cause or buying specific products that may help to raise money, just visit http://www.bcacampaign.com/us/campaign_products.shtml :)

Some of the products available from the BCACampaign website

For those of you who live in Australia not all the products on the BCACampaign site ship down under, I found a few lovely items at Myer from the Estee Lauder counter which were very reasonably priced.

These products are available from the Estee Lauder counter in Myers

Some Useful Links:

Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign - http://www.bcacampaign.com/country_landing.shtml
Connect on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/BCACampaign
Follow on Twitter - http://twitter.com/#%21/bcacampaign
Follow on Foursquare - https://foursquare.com/bcacampaign

You can see my video on Breast Cancer Awareness HERE :)