Seasonals | Bright and Bold

From L to R: Mac 'So Chaud', Revlon ColourBurst Lipstick 'Fuchsia', Illamasqua 'Scandal'

Hi lovelies! Today I have hijacked Erin's Seasonals series to chat about my favourite lipsticks for summer. It gets face-meltingly hot in Brisbane over the summer and my day to day makeup is reduced to eyebrows, lashes and a bright lip colour. If it isn't a bold colour chances are I won't be interested.

Recipe | Insalata Caprese

After a big weekend travelling by coach up and down the coast for my cousin's wedding the last thing I wanted to do come Sunday night was cook dinner. Tara was over and suggested bruschetta when this dish (that we love to eat at our favourite Italian restaurant, Vapianos) sprang to mind. It is so simple to put together for those times when you really can't be bothered but can't bring yourself to eat junk OR when you're looking for a quick easy starter dish for a dinner or party. 

OOTD | Blue Wedding Bells

1980s Style Blue Dress - Vintage via Can You Keep a Secret / Silver Blazer by Escada - Vintage via Life Line / White Glow-mesh bag - Thrifted / White Stereo platforms by London Rebel - Famous Footwear

This weekend I took a trip down south, to Woolgoolga, for my cousins wedding and thought I'd share with you what I wore. I've been planning this outfit for a few weeks but as is the case with vintage it depends entirely on what you can find at the time. I knew that I wanted to wear these white sandals a few months back and have purposely not worn them to keep them in their best condition. I did an unboxing post of them here if you want to check them out in more detail. 

OOTD | Converse and Candy Stripes

 Jacket Vintage Levi's / Dress Thrifted via Retro Metro / Shoes Converse via Urban Outfitters

Hi lovelies! Just a quick post from me today. My style lately hasn't been the most exciting as of late as I have been knuckling down for the end of uni. As such I have definitely been opting for comfort over style. 

The Wish List | For The Face

If you haven't noticed that I am an adorer and hoarder make-up products both high and low end you will soon (that is if you continue to read this post). During the month of October, also known as Buy Nothing New Month, I have discovered many products, new and old, that I want to purchase. Not being able to purchase them has really enabled me to be more pragmatic about the products I will splurge on come November and which items will forever remain on the wish list. Below you will see two lists; things I will hopefully soon purchase and things I will purchase only in my imagination. 

Products to Purchase:

Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow

Gimme Brow indeed. I am a self-confessed brow product addict and I can vouch for Jess and say that she is too. When we saw these new 'wonder' products being released and knew we couldn't touch them for a whole month a little bit of us broke inside. I'm always hunting for something that is more perfect than the last with a balanced combination of accurate colouring and waxiness. After seeing reviews of this product I am hoping that this gets me that little bit closer to brow-fection. 

Review | Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick vs Shadow Paint

 Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bulletproof Beige, Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint in Golden Bronze

Hi lovelies! It's been awhile since my last beauty review. With the change in seasons my skin has not been too happy with me, so I have been sticking to mascara and concealer for the most part. To make up for the lack of beauty on the blog I am back with a double review on some new releases from Rimmel.

These have been out in the UK for quite awhile now, but are just now making it into Pricelines in Australia. For any of you who are tossing up between the two I though I would give you a quick rundown on the differences. 

Colour: Day to day I stick to neutral colours on my eyes. I picked up the most neutral in both lines. My one gripe with both products is that the shade range is very limited and features some very out there colours. Hopefully Rimmel will expand the shade selection in the future. 

Bulletproof Beige is very subtle on my eyelids as it is nearly the same shade as my skin. For this reason I prefer to use it as a base for powder eyeshadows, rather than on its own. 

Golden Bronze is a beautiful warm gold. It catches the light beautifully and lately I have been wearing on its own blended all over the lid. 

Application: Here is where the two products are very different. Bulletproof Beige is a chunky pencil which unfortunately is not self-sharpening. Once applied to the eye there is a short window of time to blend the product after which it sets. 

Golden Bronze is a housed in a tube with a doe-foot applicator. This leaves a really thick layer of product that needs to be blended out very quickly before it sets. It took a bit of getting used to as the product dries very quickly, but once you've got the knack of it it becomes very quick and easy. 

Staying Power: I think everyone wants their eyeshadow to stick around, and these two products are definitely great for that. As I mentioned I use Bulletproof Beige predominantly as an eyeshadow base, and I find it definitely extends the wear of my eyeshadow and liner. 

I haven't had any issues with Golden Bronze either and on its own there is no creasing or shifting throughout the day. 

Personally I prefer the colour and ease of Golden Bronze so if I had to pick just one of these products then it would be the Shadow Paint. 

If you fancy either of these products for yourself you can find them at Pricelines Australia wide. Otherwise they're currently on sale on Asos! 

What are your current eyeshadow favourites?

Jess xx

Essentials | The Skater Skirt

A few weeks ago a girl I work with asked me if I had a collection of cute skirts to which I answered, after pondering for a while, why yes, I guess I do. Over the past few years I have been unknowingly building a collection of a-line/skater skirts that have become the most staple item in my wardrobe. In the past few months I have been wearing them more and more as I realised how comfortable and handy they are for wearing to work. Mostly, they are conservative enough in the length department and whilst still being very casual are dressy enough to be paired with comfortable t-shirts and not be underdressed. 

Buy Nothing New Month | Trash or Treasure?

You might remember that at the start of the month Erin and I committed to buying nothing new in the month of October. In case you missed it you can find out about the project in more detail here. 

It probably won't come as much as a surprise to any of you, but I own a lot of clothes. I am also guilty of getting emotionally attached to clothing, even if I no longer wear it. So to avoid being swallowed by my own wardrobe I have recently had a big clean out of my clothing. Here are my steps to letting go of the old and making room for the new.

Recipe | Sustainable Breakfast

It may not be entirely obvious but my diet is incredibly important to me; diet probably isn't the right word either. I like the food that I consume to be the best that it can and not in an overly snobbish way either. I don't see the point in consuming food if I'm not going to enjoy it and if my body isn't going to receive multiple benefits from it. Of course I consume junk food but in the smallest of amounts. A big portion of my days intake is breakfast and I like to stick to the age old phrase: 'eat breakfast like a king.' My dear friend Joanna and I like to joke that we'd rather marry breakfast than any man; we really are pretty obsessed. This is my current breakfast routine.

Ingredients

1 handful of low salt, gluten and wheat free corn flakes

1/2 cup pura veda (a natural blend of buckwheat, sunflower kernels, raisins, sesame seeds, millet, pumpkin seeds, linseed, poppy seeds, chia seeds and amaranth)

2 tbsp of puffed quinoa 

1 banana, sliced

4 - 5 fresh strawberries, sliced

2 tbsp no-fat natural yoghurt

1 tsp honey

This breakfast involves only the most basic of steps: put all the ingredients in a bowl (in that order), mix and enjoy. Feel free to decrease or increase the quantities but I find this to be a fairly large breakfast that gets me through (not hungry) until about 12.30pm when I usually have my lunch at work. I also like to have a glass of Berocca and a cup of green tea with this breakfast as well. For people that don't eat breakfast (I know you exist in the masses) this may seem huge and how could I possibly be that hungry when waking up? I'm not usually hungry but I know I will be if I don't give myself a good head start. These ingredients also offer me a huge amount of nutrition everyday before 7am. 

I highly recommend eating a healthy breakfast like this everyday as an inclusion in a balanced diet. Let me know if you have your own versions as I'm always looking for ways to add and improve on my current combination.

Erin xx

OOTD | Stray

 Vest NastyGal / Dress UNIF Stray Dress via Karmaloop / Stockings eBay / Shoes UNIF Grim Creepers

Hi lovelies! I was doing so well with the colourful outfit posts, but I was always going to revert to black. The UNIF Stray Dress was part of my most recent Karmaloop order and I was so happy when it finally came. I have since worn it to the beach, out shopping and out to lunch. In my mind it is the perfect dress for every occasion. There are some rather racy slits at the side so I tend to wear it over bicycle shorts or a black skirt just to make sure everything stays covered. 

Buy Nothing New Month | Hunting for Vintage

In a month where I've pledged to do buy nothing new I must admit that hunting for and buying second hand and vintage clothing is one of my favourite past times. I often get a lot of questions about where I find my clothes, finding them for the right price and getting the right fit. I thought, in tune with Buy Nothing New Month, that I would bestow some of my own personal methods of hunting down quality vintage as well as sharing with you some of my most beloved and treasured pieces.

Recipe | Summer Sweet Tea

 Hi lovelies! With the hot weather well and truly upon us in Brisbane my obsession with tea has been slightly abated. I am a big tea drinker, but in the middle of summer I find it can often be a little bit much. I haven't shared a recipe on the blog before, Erin is definitely more of a cook, but I thought I would run you through how I have been making my iced tea. 

Makes 1 jug
Ingredients
Your choice of teas
Honey to taste
Variety of fruit 
Plenty of ice
Fresh mint

This isn't so much a recipe as it is some inspiration for the coming summer months. The recipe can be adapted to whatever tea and fruit combination you desire, today I'm just showing you my personal favourite combination. 

For the tea I brewed a mixture of peppermint and green tea. I like my tea quite strong so I allowed it to steep for quite a while. I also added a little honey just to counter the acidity of the citrus fruit. The amount of honey is completely down to personal preference, but it is best to add to the tea whilst it is hot. Once you're happy with your tea strain it into a jug and set it aside to cool. 

Once your tea has cooled it's time to chop up your fruit. I opted for the cooling and refreshing combination of lemon, lime, orange and cucumber. But I can also confirm that peppermint tea with mixed berries is delicious. 

Add the fruit, mint leaves and plenty of ice to a large pitcher and pour the tea over the top. Serve immediately. 

This makes for a great refreshing drink with a lot less sugar than store bought iced teas. If you're looking for a more adult version I highly recommend adding some ginger beer and rum. Delish!

What are your favourite summer drinks?

Jess xx

Seasonals | Beach Essentials

Sorry for the late post today, I've spent the last few days enjoying and remembering a wonderful long weekend mostly spent at the beach. Queenslanders had the pleasure of a long weekend and utilise it I did. Tara and I took two trips up to the beautiful Sunshine coast on Saturday and Monday and I thought I'd share with you how I went about packing the essentials. 

OOTD | In A Daze

Crop Top Supre / Bikini Top All About Eve / Shorts UNIF Dazey Shorts via Karmaloop / Shoes Thrifted

Hi lovelies! I am so glad that it is festival season again. I did a couple of posts early last year on what I wear to festivals, but you can never go wrong with a pair of high waisted shorts and a crop top. 

The shorts are adding to my ever-expanding UNIF collection and they are just about the cutest things ever. They're super loose and comfy and make for a perfect beach or festival outfit. They were a mega bargain on Karmaloop and have since sold out, but it would be worth checking to see if you can find them online elsewhere. 

Now let's address the crop top from Supre. If you aren't from Australia Supre tends to have a reputation of being slightly tacky and almost exclusively sells to young teens. I hadn't even set foot in a store since my final year of high school when I was shopping for a fluorescent dance outfit. 

However I was picking up a few pieces for a Halloween costume and stumbled across this crop top. I've had my eye out for the perfect baggy crops for summer and was so surprised to find them in Supre. I have snapped up the black and the white and have a feeling that they will be paired with everything in my wardrobe. 

The shoes are just a pair I picked up thrifting ages ago. Sadly they are coming to their end of their life, and I think the time has come for me to invest in a pair of white converse. 

I wore this outfit to Listen Out yesterday and had an absolute blast. The weather was perfect and AlunaGeorge and Disclosure were absolutely phenomenal. 

Just finished up my uni break with a day trip to the beach. It was a great way to end the weekend, but I'm now dreading getting up for uni tomorrow morning. 

What are you favourite things to wear to a festival? 

Jess xx

Recipe | Rice Noodle Salad

Weekend lunches growing up were always a bit of pot luck in my household. This isn't to say they weren't always amazing but because she was home my mum would get crafty with whatever was left in the house after the week or with some bits and pieces she had picked up on the weekend grocery shop. One of many dishes she excelled was a healthy vermicelli rice noodle salad with a variety of different ingredients. As it gets hotter here I've been trying to cook dishes that require a lot less cooking and this is one of them. 

Hair | The New Guys

Manic Panic Hair Dyes in Atomic Turqoise, Lie Locks, Mystic Heather and Cotton Candy Pink

L'Oreal Paris EverStrong, EverPure and EverCreme range

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cool & Crisp Fresh, Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Shampoo

Hi Lovelies! So for all of you who saw Erin's post on Sunday, don't freak out. I bought all of these bits in September and have just forgotten to show you until now. I'm a pretty low maintenance girl when it comes to my hair. I don't blow dry it, rarely style it and more often than not happy to let it do what it pleases. Surprisingly over the past few months I seem to have accumulated a fair few new bits and bobs that I thought I would let you know how I'm getting on with.