Playlist | Hottest 100 Vote 2013

Triple J Hottest 100 2013 from aroseandapeony on 8tracks Radio.

A fairly common thing to partake in once a year is voting in the Triple J (our nation's youth radio station) Hottest 100. I did a playlist of my votes last year and thought that I would once again share with your my favourite songs for the year. The countdown happens every year on Australia Day (today, January 26) and I discovered that some of my favourite songs made it and some of them didn't. For me, its is generally at least half of my favourite tunes that make it into the nations favourites. 

I hope you like my most enjoyed tunes of the year and please share yours with me below. 

Erin xx

Travel | Victoria Checklist

Working in the food industry, you're often bombarded with recommendations of other businesses striving for the highest quality. You also desire to seek them out and recommend them to others. I've spent the first ten days of 2014 in Victoria, visiting my family, and have a list of places I went to under recommendation or sought out. All but one of these locations is food oriented with the exception being a magnificent antique centre.

Review | NYX Highlight & Contour Duo

Hi lovelies! So today is a review of a new NYX product that I have been testing out over the past couple of weeks. You may remember from this review that NYX have recently launched in Target stores Australia wide, so I have been keen to test out the range. 

Review | NYX Matte Lipsticks

 NYX Matte Lipsticks (From L to R) in Merlot, Shocking Pink, Alabama and Indie Flick

Hi lovelies! Another day, another lipstick review. I have resigned myself to a complete lack of control whenever the words matte and lipstick are combined. A website I used to shop on quite frequently was Cherry Culture, and when they sent me a code for 20% off my purchase, I couldn't resist.  

They stock a myriad of American drugstore beauty brands including Jordana, Milani and most excitingly NYX. Target have also recently started stocking the brand so for immediate gratification purposes I would head there. 

I picked up four shades from the Matte Lipstick range. I have heard many postive reviews for these lipsticks over the years and I'm glad to say that they live up to their reputation. Whilst they aren't quite as matte as my favourite Illamasqua or Mac formulas these are very similar in finish to the Kate Moss for Rimmel Matte Lipsticks. I find them very creamy and comfortable to wear, with a good lasting time of around 4 - 5 hours. 

I'm so pleased that NYX is now stocked in stores as I will be able to get a more accurate idea of the shade range. Swatches of these lipsticks can take a bit of searching and the swatches on Cherry Culture are not the most accurate. Hence why I ended up with two shades (Alabama and Merlot) that are very similar. I do wear shades like this a lot during the cooler months however so they wont be going to waste. 

My favourite picks were definitely Indie Flick and Shocking Pink. A vibrant orange-red Indie Flick definitely reminds me of So Chaud by Mac. And Shocking Pink is a great blue-based pink that is almost neon. 

I highly recommend checking out these lipsticks in person as for the price the quality is fantastic. 

NYX Matte lipsticks are available online at Cherry Culture or at selected Targets for $12.95. For a full list of NYX stockists in Australia check out this wonderful graph from Tried and Tested. 

Will you be picking up any of the shades?

Jess xx

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

OOTD | A Rose and A Beanie

 Beanie eBay / Hoodie American Apparel / Jacket Vintage Levi's / Dress Monki via ASOS / Belt American Apparel / Shoes T.U.K. Mondo Creepers

Hi lovelies! Have any of you noticed a pattern in my outfits? My love for beanies has reached new heights, especially as I haven't had my hair coloured in a while. Waking up for an 8am lecture on constitutional law doesn't have me in the best of moods in the morning and I can chuck a beanie on without having to spend any time putting together an outfit. The second photo is a fairly accurate portrayal of me pre-caffeine. 

Review | Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Laquers (L-R) in Galaxy, Phenomenon, Stellar

Hi lovelies! So this is a bit of a first for us, but today we'll both be giving you our thoughts on the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Laquers. If you live in the UK then we're miles behind the times, but it takes a while for new products to work their way onto Australian shelves. Erin and I definitely enable each other when it comes to shopping so often we end up with the same products. We thought it'd be good to get two opinions on the one product. 

Erin: When Jess and I stumbled across these in our favourite Priceline a few weeks back I think we both fell a little in love. My love however was a little misguided as I selected a slightly awkward nude colour, Phenomenon. I loved the colour on the back of my hand but had no idea how it would appear on my face. My first application was too thick and I was instantly sad and slightly unimpressed with my impulsive purchase. 

However, after a few days of fiddling and colour mixing I discovered that a much lighter coverage was needed for a wearable look. It is also really lovely mixed with Rimmel's Lasting Finish lipstick in 103 for a muted but glossy nude. 

Considering my initial disappointment with the product it is quite humorous to think that I would go and buy another. Yet when it popped up on ASOS I couldn't resist and purchased it in a colour much easier to wear, Galaxy. 

Jess: Now it's no secret that I love a bright lip. So when I was tossing up between the shades Stellar leapt out at me. It's one of the strange shades that isn't quite coral and not quite red, but I love it. 

I also generally like my lip products matte. I knew what I was getting into with this product, but it was on special and I figured why not. I love the overall consistency and think it's a great product. That being said I wouldn't reach for this product over my matte lipsticks. 

I prefer being able to swipe on a lipstick and forget it's there. With this product I find myself needing to touch up more frequently and it's much easier to smudge. Like I said I think the product is fantastic quality, especially for the price it just isn't my cup of tea.

So a hit for Erin but a miss for me. Guess it shows how different people have different tastes. To sum up great product but make sure you pick the right colour and like a glossy finish.

Rimmel Apocalips can be bought from Pricelines or on ASOS with free shipping. 

Jess and Erin xx

Who is the Peony?

I woke up this morning and thought "Humph... my new shoes haven't arrived - what on earth am I going to blog about today?" However, this is the perfect excuse for me to introduce myself to you properly. 

My name is Erin and my favourite flower is a Peony (hence our blog's name). I'm a Brisbane (Australia) girl through and through but am spending the summer in Melbourne with my parents, hoping to return to my home town when the season is over. Recently graduated with a degree in Creative Industries, I have a passion for arts, music, and events management, and writing about the arts, fashion, music, and entertainment. 

There are a few things that may have come across in posts already but I'll give you a run down on my style. I wear what I like. "What I like" covers a ridiculous amount of bases.  Be it stylish, comfortable, practical, or "cool", what I like changes on a day to day basis and therefore so does my typical outfit. As much as I would love to dress in vintage atire all the time, the allure of recent fashions and clothes falling under the umbrella of "hippie" is too great. I love the thrill of finding a bargain at a thrift store equally as much as dishing out a small fortune for an immaculately kept one-off from the 1950s. I can't seem to refrain from whipping out my credit-card digits for a sneaky ASOS buy (who can resist the free shipping, seriously?) or a post-Christmas shoe sale. Nor can I hide the fact that I own 8+ pairs of fisherman/harem/dyed pants and live in them during the summer. I love frilly skirts, floral patterns, denim-on-denim, and combat boots. I also, on occasion, have dreams of wearing vintage Chanel suits to a job I am yet to attain. 

My major at university was music, my other passion. Finding and spreading the word of new kids on the music scene and introducing people to genres they wouldn't find in their normal hearing range is something I want to be involved with forever; especially music from Brisbane and Australia. 

So please, lend me your eyes twice a week and read about my post-uni, self-styled, music loving life.

Erin xx