Monthly Round-Up | May

Eat and Drink

Mount Zero Olives

I didn't make it to many new venues this month but I did discover a new stockist of my favourite brand of olives. As a child my father dubbed me The Olive Queen and I have maintained that status ever since. Mount Zero is a Victorian estate that grows and produces a plethora of different gourmet ingredients, including olives, olive oil, condiments, grains etc. My favourite of their line is the olives, of course. In the past it has been hard to find their product in Brisbane but I have been hearing and finding more and more places that stock it; and now, one that I can actually get to with ease in Paddington. 

If you see these babies out and about, treat yourself because they are totally worth it. 

Nails | A Different Nail Enamel For Sensitive Skins by Clinique

In a recent restock of my much loved foundation, Clinique's Anti-Blemish Solutions, I was once again enticed by the "spend $60 to receive our free gift" shenanigan. It is always a great gift so I picked the A Different Nail Enamel For Sensitive Skins in Red Red Red to push me over the mark. 

Skin | Loved in Spring

Clinique Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturiser - available here

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Concentrated Cream - available here

L'Occitane Shea Buter Lip Balm - available here

After participating in Buy Nothing New Month during October I made a decision. Being a beauty blogger who purchases enough products throughout the month to be able to select favourites is not something that I want to be. It isn't sustainable for the environment or my wallet. And so, once a season (probably towards the end) I will let you know products I have really been enjoying in their own categories. Headed towards the end of November (and Spring) I thought I'd share the cream of the skin care crop for this season. 

Clinique Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturiser: after acne treatments as a teenager my skin was left incredibly dry and the part of my face that has noticeably never recovered is the skin surrounding my eyebrows. Since the medication, I haven't been able to wax my eyebrows without fear of losing skin in the process; this may be explanation for my brow obsession. This product has totally helped with adding moisture back into my skin. I apply it liberally to my brows, brow bone and under eye area every night and wake up with super soft skin. I still haven't felt confident enough to get my brows waxed again but I'm thinking when the pot runs dry it is a definite sign that they are ready. 

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Concentrated Cream: as October came to an end so did my supply of Heel Genius from Soap and Glory. I was on the hunt for a new heavy duty night cream that could double for both my hands and feet. When I stumbled across this in Coles I had no hesitation in trying it out. Palmer's is well known for super hydrating moisturisers and this product is no different. It really is a concentrated product and I only need a small squeeze that easily covers each foot and both hands. If I have enough time in the morning I like to put it on under my socks as well. 

L'Occitane Shea Buter Lip Balm: as the most expensive lip balm I own I save the use of this beautiful product for once a day use and station it with the rest of my makeup products that I apply in the morning. I have been a long time user of Blistex Lip Conditioning Balm (and will continue to be) but the shea butter in this product is such a nice way for my lips to start the day. As I don't wear anything but Blistex at work and because I work in an air-conditioned environment the small addition of this heavily moisturising L'Occitane product into my daily routine has been very beneficial. I received this balm as a gift and am unsure as to whether or not I will repurchase but if I can, I will. 

Thats all of my skin favourites for Spring. I'm noticing as we venture through this blogging journey that I am expanding my collection of skin products a lot more than I thought I would. Summer will probably see my SPF collection expanding. If anyone knows of a good oil free (non-comedogenic) high SPF moisturiser please let me know! 

Erin xx
PS. Cheers to Jess for posting on Wednesday as I have been fairly under the weather of late.  

OOTD | Fancy Free Florals

Grey V-Neck - BONDS / Pastel Floral Maxi Skirt - Thrifted / Brown Leather Waist Belt - Thrifted / Crochet Sun Hat - Woolgoolga Markets / Sunglasses - Sportsgirl / Boots - R.M. Williams / White Socks - Target / Name Plate Necklace - Gift / Lips - Clinique Chubby Stick in Watermelon

As the days warm up and the sun beats down you're beginning to see a lot more of my favourite pieces. The paler and floral-er colours are my favourite to wear and it is this time of year that allows for such feminine looks. I took this weekend date with Jess to don one of my 'cuter' outfits for a little while so I thought I'd share it with you. 

About Face | Faintly Pink

I don't often do anything too interesting or colourful with colour in my makeup but I thought my outfit for my cousins wedding (see outfit here) needed a touch of pink on my face to brighten everything up. I've not done one of these posts before because my makeup is fairly plain and unexciting but this is an exciting look for me (maybe not anyone else). 

OOTD | Not a Newspaper

Red Anorak - Barkins / I Heart NY Shirt - Gift / Black High-Waisted Shorts - thrifted / Holographic 'Foreal' Flatforms - Wittner / Sunglasses - Sportsgirl / High Impact 12 Red-y to Wear Lipstick - Clinique / Raspberry Nail Polish - Barry M

Who didn't want an 'I heart NY' shirt after the Olsen twin's sassy adventure flick "New York Minute." In a recent wardrobe clean out I rediscovered this bright anorak and thought they'd make a super duo. Embarrassingly, I have never actually been to New York but it was purchased by a super great friend on a trip she took there in high school. 

Desires: Autumn Winter

Down here in the Southern Hemisphere we're headed into our 'cooler' (inverted commas because it's still fairly tropical) months. It's also been a long while since I've craved many items or been in a position to purchase them. Soon enough I shall be looking for extra items to add to my Autumn/Winter wardrobe and I've laid out a few for you here. Like most winter wardrobes there aren't a whole lot of colours to be seen but my staple clothing is normally fairly colourful and will be mixed in throughout the season.

Makeup #1: Staples

I've been going to a lot of job interviews lately and they require a certain style of makeup: clean, conservative and 'barely there'. It's also very handy that that is the easiest and my most preferred method of doing my face. In this post you will find the products that are my 'makeup staples', a bit of a review and a bit of a comparison with products I wish I had. 

This may not come as a surprise but in case you hadn't noticed already, I am a big, big fan of Clinique makeup and skin products. There is something about the brand that, initially, made me place my trust in their fine products. I've had problem skin since a young age and have always felt wary about straying away from what I know works and doesn't cause any unnecessary issues for me.  I think it was about two years ago that I converted to Clinique and it will take a heck of a lot of persuading for me to try anything different.

Travel Essentials

As you may have read in previous posts, I am back in Brisbane. Even though Brisbane is my home town I am staying with relatives and have only a limited amount of belongings with me. Everything else is either in Melbourne or storage. I thought that I would share some of the items I have found essential during my two weeks (going to be four or more weeks) in minimalism-traveler mode. 

OOTD Life's More Fun in a Maxi

Pink Floral Maxi Dress - Thrifted, Green Socks - ASOS, Boots, R. M. Williams, Sunglasses - Sportsgirl, Lips - Over by Illamasqua and Raspberry (02) Superbalm Moisturising Gloss by Clinique

Wow! Two OOTD posts in a row! It probably (definitely) has something to do with being back in Brisbane near my photography-loving-friend Tara (she took all these photos by the way). Today we took up a trip up to Mount Cootha, near her home, for some lovely scenic shots at the look-out and in the Botanic Gardens.