Beauty Buys

I'm headed off to the beach today, but before I left I thought I'd share my recent beauty purchases with you all. 

Head and Shoulders Sensitive Scalp Care Shampoo and Conditioner
I don't suffer from dandruff, however my skin is liable to react to anything and everything. I thought I'd share this hair combo with you because this is the first shampoo and conditioner my scalp is able to tolerate. For any sensitive skinned girls out there I'd really recommend giving this one a go, and it won't break the bank either. Besides being very gentle the conditioner is very thick and works a treat at moisturising my blonde hair. 

Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss
Although 'precision ink' is really just a fancy term for liquid eyeliner, this is a fantastic product. I am no stranger to liquid eyeliner, wearing it on a very nearly everyday basis. I've always been a big advocate of the L'Oreal Super Liner, but was always annoyed that it tended to get a bit flaky at the end of a long day. This liner checks all the boxes: it's easy to apply when half-asleep in the morning, super black, and doesn't budge. Also with Illamasqua reducing their prices in Australia there isn't a big price gap in between the L'Oreal and this anymore. 

Sleek Lipstick in Amped
This is a properly nice lipstick. I never thought I would be a huge fan of such a cool pink on my skintone, but I love how this looks and have worn it regularly since its arrival. That's why I purchased a cheaper alternative to give the colour a test. The quality of the product surprised me though. Sleek's matte formula is up there with the likes of Illamasqua and MAC, pigmented and very long wearing. Although Sleek can be a bit difficult to get your hands on in Australia, their website ships internationally and their shipping rates are really reasonable. 

Australis Double Decker Eyeshadow in Supernova Casanova
I picked this last one up on a whim when it was on offer in Priceline. I love copper eyeshadows and thought this would be great for a sparkly bronze-y eye. The concept of this product is that they give you a cream eyeshadow to use as a base and then a pigment to press over the top. My advice? Just forget about using the cream eyeshadow, it creased on me within 5 minutes. The pigment however is fab. Super sparkly and pretty. As with any loose eyeshadow it's a bit of a fiddle to apply and some glitter will end up on your cheeks. But once that's cleared away you're left with a sparkly eye that wears really well. Loverly. 

What have you been buying beauty wise?

Jess xx

Vegetable Tempura Lovin'

I've been pretty bored of late, being unemployed and in a city without my friends, and so have been taking to cooking a lot more than usual. I love Japanese food and have never made Tempura before, or deep-fried anything for that matter. So, I gave this a go and thought you'd all like to see how I went. It's a really tasty, grease-crave-fulfilling, yet healthy option. Don't be frightened by deep-frying if you've never done it but definitely proceed with caution. Good luck!

Ingredients

Various chopped vegetables eg. carrot, zucchini, mushrooms, sweet potato, capsicum (see image for ideas and desirable size of mentioned vegetables)

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Tempura Batter

1/2 cup (75g) cornflour (cornstarch), sifted

1/2 cup (75g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted

1 tsp sea salt falkes

1 cup (250ml) cold soda water or beer

1 egg white

Tempura Dipping Sauce

1 cup (250ml) dashi 

1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce

1/4 cup (60ml) mirin

To get it out of the way, and to ensure time between pan, plate and eating is as quick as possible, its best to make the dipping sauce first. Combine all the dipping sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, remove it from the heat, let it cool and set aside for use later when serving.

To make the batter combine the flours (cornflour and plain), salt and soda water/beer in a bowl and whisk until just combined. Whisk your egg white in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form (just like when making a pavlova) and fold gently through the batter. 

In a large deep saucepan (I used a wok), heat the oil until you can see it just starting to smoke (approx. 180°C/350°F if you have a cooking thermometer). Dip the vegetables in the batter, shaking to remove any excess, and deep-fry, in batches, for 3-4 minutes or until light golden and the vegetable is at your preferred eating consistency. Drain on absorbent paper and serve immediately with the dipping sauce. 

I served mine with some chicken thighs I had baking in the oven after marinating in honey, soy and sesame - but thats another recipe for another Sunday afternoon. 

Please let me know if you try any of these recipes or if I could write them in a more helpful way. So far I feel they're alright but I would love some feedback.

Erin xx

UNIF Grim Creepers

 As promised in Monday's OOTD (link here) here are my thoughts on my latest pair of shoes from UNIF. I am a huge UNIF fangirl their designs always impress me and always manage to deplete my bank balance. This isn't the first time I've blogged about creepers (link here), but I feel these shoes are more like oxfords than creepers with the much subtler platform. This means that they'll outlast the creeper fad and remain very wearable for a long, long time. 

I bought these babies from an online store called Dolls Kill. I cannot recommend this website highly enough, particularly for my Australian readers. Four day express shipping for $20? Yes please!

These shoes like all my UNIF pieces are exceptionally well made. The leather is fantastic quality and the spikes are very securely fitted. There is also a packet of spare spikes should you ever need. Like all leather shoes they were a bit stiff for the first couple wears, but now they're broken in there's no rubbing to speak of and they're super comfy. One thing I definitely prefer about this set of creepers is how much lighter they are than my T.U.K. pair.

I got these in a US 8. I prefer to get my flats in 8s and already owning the Hellraisers (link here) I figured that would be the best option. Annoyingly UNIF don't do half-sizes in their shoes, but I would say that if you're between sizes to opt up rather than down as the shoes are fairly narrow at the front. Also good news these shoes are also made in men's sizes, so you and your bf can wander round in matching footwear, infinitely cooler than matching t-shirts. 

Although I was not a fan of them initially the quality of both my UNIF shoes has me contemplating a pair of Hellbounds.

Any suggestions as to colour?

Jess xx

OOTD - Pretty in Pink and Shoulder Pads

Blouse - Thrifted, Skirt - Barkins, Shoes - Christian di Riccio, Nail Polish - Sportsgirl Nailit "Tomato"

There is something strangely enticing about a super femme looking shirt that decides to throw in a surprise pair of shoulder pads. I'm not keen on it everyday but on the days that I feel like my knocked-about boots are too much but I need something to tone down the girly-ness - I love shoulder pads. I found this top in Lifeline during a sneaky shop before last years Laneway Festival with Jess and our delightful friend Honor (who then purchased this top for me as a gift, bless her soul). I've never been quite sure what it was about the top that I had to have. I adore lace, intricate prints that aren't floral, and buttons make me gaga. Most other thrifted garments that come with shoulder pads I remove before I wear but this piece just wouldn't be the same. Not only does it tuck nicely into high-waisted skirts but it also falls really pleasantly over pants and fitted garments. The buttons are also a huge draw for me. The top one was missing when I got it so I dug into my huge thrifted button collection and thought the one you see at the top fitted the aesthetic nicely. 

Also in this OOTD I'm wear two of my all time favourite items. A) the hot pink skirt and B) my flatform sandals. For the last five years I worked at Barkins (an Australian retailer of fashionable women's corporate wear) and have to say it is definitely not my style. But every  now and again some garments would come in out of the blue that I just had to have - and it was conveniently cheap compared to other stores (plus a generous staff discount). This skirt was one of those items. It came in black and hot pink and I had to have both in my hands. I have plans to take them to a tailor and have it remade in every colour on the spectrum, I love it that much. 

The shoes are Christian di Riccio which I purchased from ZOMP in Brisbane partway through last year. I had been searching for a plain yet attractive pair of flatforms (and obviously well made) for quite sometime and hence I was willing to fork out the $140 that I did. They've been worn full-time almost all of Spring and Summer and I hope so much that they last me another few seasons because replacing them will be next to impossible. 

Erin xx

OOTD - Tropical Creep

 Shirt - UNIF 'Acid' Tank, Jeans - NastyGal 'Tropicana' Jeans, Watch - Seiko, Leather Cuff - eBay, Shoes - UNIF 'Grim Creepers'

Hi lovelies, hope you all had a fab weekend. I'm back today with an outfit that I wore round to a friend's place on Saturday night. 

It's no secret that I love UNIF. Some may consider their clothes overpriced, but if you're patient enough you can usually score a deal on them. The shirt was bought from DollsKill, an online store that I cannot recommend highly enough, for a bargainous $30. Although UNIF is expensive the quality is top notch and the shirt is crazy soft and comfy. The Aussie in me also likes how it's a bit like an AC/DC t-shirt. 

The jeans were a NastyGal buy from a while back. I featured the matching jacket in an outfit post here. Unfortunately it has been far too hot to wear the two together and I am eagerly anticipating some cooler weather. The jeans are perfectly high waisted and hit right above my belly button. In terms of "high-waisted-ness" Nasty Gal are up there with American Apparel and I really recommend their denim pieces. 

I kept accessories minimal with my standard watch and a leather cuff from eBay. Since I've started wearing a watch regularly I find I now can't be without one. 

The shoes are another sneaky UNIF buy, but you'll have to check back in on Friday to hear my thoughts on those. 

Jess xx

A Trip to Gewürzhaus

My family loves gourmet food. Like, really loves. It's something nurtured by my mother, unknowingly enjoyed by my father, and something my brother and I have never lived without. Whilst Christmas shopping, my mother and I came across this amazing spice shop in The Block Arcade (which is an amazing place to visit if you're ever in Melbourne) called Gewürzhaus. We bought a few gifts for different people, and for my brother, Liam. When he came down for the holidays and received his gift he insisted we return to the shop so he could absorb some more spice goodness. Aaaand, just recently, he requested some more. 

So, today my parents and I trekked into the city to get my far away brother some delicious spices from this magnificent store. Well described on their website: “think of the lolly shop of your childhood dreams, substitute herbs and spices and you’re at Gewürzhaus”. Like I said before, my family gets around the gourmet food circle and this store really is unique - at least in Australia. We bought my brother a delicious array of herbs and spices including a Guacamole blend which smells like Mexican powder form. 

They also stock a rather large range of cute, kitch and incredibly useful kitchenware. If I had any money or a place to put things, I could exit this store with an awfully large armful of goodies. For lovers of cooking fine foods, Gewürzhaus is an unexpected heaven in the middle of the city. Unfortunately, they're only in Melbourne (in three different locations) but they do ship all over Australia and the world. 

According to their website they also run cooking classes to educate people on the beautiful complexity of herbs and spices. Now that would be one nice smelling cooking class.

Erin xx

DIY Distressed Denim Vest

I have had this denim jacket for years. I think from memory since I was about twelve. However, as of late it has been languishing in the back of my cupboards forgotten about. One of my favourite things to do with oversized t-shirts is hack the sleeves off and I figured I could use the same principles here. So to make your very own denim vest you'll need - a jacket (duh), sharp scissors, a cheese grater and a quick unpick.

When it comes to cutting through denim it is a thick fabric and you'll need some sharp scissors in order to get through the seams. I opted to cut my sleeves just before the seam of the fabric, because although I want some fraying on the sleeves I do want that fraying to stop at some point. The cutting doesn't need to be neat or precise, personally I think it looks nicer a bit uneven.

Now to the fun part: the distressing. There is something very satisfying about hacking up a denim jacket so proceed with caution in case you let yourself get carried away. There are many ways to distress your denim. You can score the denim with scissors and then use a quick unpick to pull the threads out. The easiest way I find is to use the finest side of a cheese grater against the grain of the fabric. I like the effect this gives the most. The final step is to throw your jacket in the wash and then the dryer. This will get the fraying process on the sleeves started and emphasise any other distressing.


The rest is up to you. Personally I think this vest may end up covered in badges and patches, rather than studs and spikes. I think the badges will be a touch more personal than some shoulder studs. Anyways I am off to watch the post for the patches I picked up on eBay.

I'll be sure to show the vest in an upcoming OOTD.

Jess xx