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Friday, December 22, 2017

A Huge, Christmas-sy Friday Finds

Here are a few (more than usual) of my (Christmas-sy) finds (and loves) from over the past week (brackets high score):

^
\\  How fresh would this mandarin wreath look hanging on your door?  //
\\  Make-your-own swan stocking: Queue Billy Madison "STOP LOOKING AT ME, SWAN!"  //
\\  I really, really like this upcycled eos lip balm ornament.  //
\\  SO much yes to these eggnog jell-o shots!  //
\\  This giant peppermint candy cake would be a perfect Christmas dinner dessert.  //
\\  How cute is this no sew DIY glitter star tree skirt?!  //


^
\\  Can we please talk about how cute these funfetti reindeer cookie sandwiches are?  //
\\  These gingerbread snowglobe place settings are so cool!  //
\\  I'm too unco to make something this good, but look at these DIY holiday light pillows!  //
\\  My mum would appreciate these DIY reindeer wine labels.  //
\\  Ooooh, I could eat all of the eggnog frosted chai snickerdoodle snowmen.  //
\\  A gingerbread present stack would be so cute as an edible table centrepiece.  //


Happy Friday! I that hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas. 

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

How to Unwind on Christmas Eve

As magical as the lead up to Christmas is, December is also a stressful month. Probably the most stressful. By the time Christmas Eve comes around, I'm pretty much spent. That's why I savour the night of the 23rd: It's my chance to let go of all the stresses of the month and relax before all of my preparations come to the glorious head that is Christmas day.

Guys. Hands up who is over the age of 21 and still gets so excited for Christmas that they can't get to sleep the night before? You can bet your ass that my 24 year old hand is raised high. I think about all of the food and the presents and I toss and I turn and I make myself sick with excitement. These are a few of my tried and true methods that I've adapted and perfected over the years to help me relax, unwind and get to sleep that little bit easier on Christmas Eve:

Take A Bath
A little bit of festive pampering is an absolute must and the number one way to have a pamper session, is in the bath. I love to melt in to the warm water and feel all of the stress and tension leech out of me. Light some candles, drop a bath bomb, pour in some bubble bath - go crazy. I absolutely love LUSH bath bombs, especially for Christmas time. Anything with a sweet, yet somewhat spicy scent is perfect for this time of year. Luxury Lush Pud and Golden Wonder are both great Christmassy bombs and the spicy Magic of Christmas is a must for bubbles. Your bathroom is going to smell all kinds of festive.

Of course, no bath is complete without a face mask. My favourite face masks at the moment all also happen to be from LUSH (I swear this post isn't sponsored) I have dry skin so I use Oatifix the most often to add some much needed moisture to my face. Mask of Magnaminty is my favourite to use on congested skin and I just love Cup O' Coffee to exfoliate and brighten.

After a bath, I love to slather on a body lotion before slipping into a fresh pair of (Christmassy) PJ's. LUSH's Sleepy is my absolute favourite lotion as the subtle lavender scent helps to further relax me and help me to drift off to sleep.

Spritz Some Pillow Spray
Pillow, bedding and sleep sprays have risen to popularity seemingly out of nowhere this year. They're so extra if you ask me, but it's always fun to be a little extra every now and then (read: always). The brand This Works does a Deep Sleep Pillow Spray which is lovely. The lavender scent really helps to calm my mind, relax my body and ease my anxiety, helping me to get to sleep faster and more peacefully.



Switch Off
We all have that one overly excited friend or family member who will send out a group "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" message to all of their contacts at a ridiculous time in the morning. It's always either right as you've managed to drift off, or well before the sun is even close to coming up. I don't know about you, but once I've woken in up, it's difficult for me to fall back to sleep. Especially when you've just been reminded that hey! It's Christmas! Turn off your phone, or at least put it on silent an hour or so before bed. Not only will not burning your retinas with the harsh light of your screen help you to get to sleep more peacefully, but it also ensures that you will get a night of uninterrupted sleep.

Love, Actually
This could be any Christmas movie, yes, but Love Actually is my #1 Christmas movie of all time (and should be yours, too. Closely followed by The Grinch). Whatever you end up watching, a funny, heartwarming Christmas themed movie with a cup of (boozy) hot chocolate in hand before bed is always a good thing.

Utilize The Out of Office Feature
There’s a reason that the out-of-office auto-reply feature exists. Use it! I understand that this isn't feasible for all jobs, but for the most case, the work (or blog) related emails can be put on the backburner for at least a couple of days. Most requests can wait and most senders will understand. I don't even check my blog's email account over the holidays; I find that it's practically impossible for me to relax if I do.

Treat Yo'self to a Festive Mani
I adore painting my nails with sparkles over Christmas; I actually like to do it whilst watching Love Actually. I've been using F.U.N. Lacquer's polishes a whole lot lately (how cute is Jingle Bells?!) and this year, I'm thinking of painting my nails a sparkly rose gold/copper shade.




I hope that you all have a very merry Christmas, whatever you do.














As always, this post has not been sponsored in any way, meaning that none of the products mentioned have been sent to me, endorsed or paid for by anyone other than me, myself and I.


Monday, December 18, 2017

An Instagram Round-up

In case you hadn't noticed, it's been a hot minute (read: 6 months!) since I've published a "My Month on Instagram" post and the reason for that would be because I HAVEN'T TAKEN ANY PHOTOS IN ABOUT THAT LONG, which is absolutely shameful. I even ended up setting myself a "post to Instagram" goal last month. Hint: I failed.

Don't get me wrong, I use Instagram every single day. I scroll through my feed religiously. I like photos, I watch stories and I stalk comment but I just don't have any content to publish anymore.

So, I thought I would post the pitiful amount of photos that I did publish over the past 6 months as a last ditch effort to motivate me to get back in to the swing of posting, or even just taking photos to begin with, at least semi-regularly:

 My daily, "work face" products. You can read the full post, tallying up the cost of said face here.


I also did the same with my "night out" (higher end) make-up and skincare too. Full post here for you to judge read.


I was so excited to get this kitchen dรฉcor up on the wall when we first moved in to our new house. It added a much needed hit of "life" to our then impersonal house. To this day, I still get a whiff of the coffee beans as I was past.


Perth has an annual event called Kaleidoscope, in which a bunch of light installations and features are set up and free for the public to peruse. This is my favourite shot from the event and it wasn't even a display piece, just an arty lantern, lighting the path.


If you didn't know that I think turmeric lattes are the bees knees, did you even know me at all?


I do enjoy me a good flatlay or two. This particular one showcases all I got in my collective birthday beauty haul.


I'm not one for New Year resolutions, but I'd definitely like to make the effort to be more active on Instagram in 2018.

I love finding pretty new feeds to follow on Instagram; leave your account deets in the comments, or come find me: @christieee__x

Friday, December 15, 2017

Friday Finds

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:


\\  This DIY balloon Christmas tree is so fun!  //
\\  How elegant are these DIY gold leaf ornaments?!  //
\\  Santa's little helper shots - the little boot glasses kill me!  //
\\  A jar of homemade rosemary and lavender sugar scrub would make a great gift.  //
\\  I love this DIY ice skate pillow. Perfect for a cosy Winter in.  //
\\  These simple 3-D holly napkin rings would be great on the Christmas dinner table.  //


Friday Finds




Monday, December 11, 2017

November 2017 Beauty Favourites


I forgot how much I love this particular shade from MAC. It is definitely more suited to Winter looks (think: I've just come in from the cold) but I've never been much of a follower of "beauty rules" (it's currently Summer here in Australia), anyways. It's definitely a more sheer formula, which I have actually been loving lately because it leaves a much more subtle, natural-looking flush to the cheeks.

I have thin hair that just loves to frizz up when the weather gets hot. I will admit that I skip mousse more often than not when styling my hair, but I definitely do notice a difference when I do use it (and regret all the times that I chose not to use it) and since it's now Summer, I've been using this mousse a lot. It's lightweight and makes hair look naturally thicker, taming my frizziness and defining my natural waves beautifully, leaving my hair feeling soft to the touch and looking shiny. It has a luxuriously thick texture and a little bit really does go a long way. It also gives a nice amount of lift from the roots if I use it prior to blow drying (I finish off my blow dry with my head upside down for the last minute or so and then use the cool setting to set the volume whilst still holding my head upside down).

This lipstick is amazing! You may have seen that I picked it up in my birthday haul. This lipstick has barely left my lips since I've gotten it. Lolita II is an amazing terra cotta nude (my favourite lip shade), as opposed to the original Lolita which is a much more rosy pink nude. The formula dries fast and doesn't budge throughout the day. I've found that it does make the lips feel pretty dry, as do most long-wearing liquid lipsticks, but nothing a good lip balm can't remedy.

Four: Swisse Deep Sea Hydrating Mist Toner
The weather has really warmed up, so I've been loving this spray lately. It contains an impressive list of natural ingredients that work to nourish and tone the skin. A quick spritz over the face is sososososo refreshing, especially on a hot day. The nozzle sprays such a fine, evenly dispersed mist meaning that my whole face is covered in 1-2 pumps and I'm not left drenched in product.

Five: Too Faced Born This Way Loose Setting Powder*
I also got my hands on this stuff in my birthday haul and I'm already obsessed. The powder is so finely milled, meaning it feels silky and light on the skin. I have dry skin, so I don't like to use a lot of powder products but this sets my foundation and concealer beautifully and blurs the skin in such a gorgeous way. My skin feels so soft and smooth when I use this. Definitely the best "translucent" powder that I've tried.












As always, this post has not been sponsored in any way, meaning that none of the items mentioned have been sent to me, endorsed or paid for by anyone other than me, myself and I. This post does, however, contain affiliate links. I will always disclose such information with an asterisk (*) for full disclosure to my readers.
Feel free to find and purchase these products elsewhere if you don't get down like that. :)

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Friday Finds

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:


\\  I love the idea of a DIY scratch-off advent calendar!  //
\\  This mermaid shell sweatshirt DIY is a cute way to add a Summery vibe to your Winter outfit.  //
\\  I'm dying over these adorable no bake Rudolph cupcakes!  //
\\  This DIY giant pink ornament cake would be awesome to serve while wrapping gifts.  //
\\  An essential oil based lavender lemon dish soap DIY? Yes, please!  //
\\  I could definitely devour a few of these rumball snowmen.  //


Happy Friday!

Monday, December 4, 2017

November Look Back and December 2017 Goals


A look back at November's goals:

Practise self-love
"In case you hadn't noticed by my horrid attempt at my goals, October was a pretty shitty month for me. Some things have come to a head and I have realised that I am unhappy in my current state. I need to focus more on myself (something I rarely do) and take some time out to really focus on loving myself again."

Cross: Yeahhh, I don't think that I really took the time out to look after myself a whole lot last month (or any month). I did have a bubble bath once, though. Does that count?


Sort out a herb garden
"We got a hanging planter kit for our housewarming, which is adorable buuuutttt the kitchen window, which is the place that I want to hang, looks out on to a fence (no drilling) - go figure. I want to figure out a way to get that damn thing on my fence and fill it with all the herbs while the weather is warming up."

Cross: The search continues.

Spend a day out in the sunshine
"I've realized that since moving in to our house I have not spent a single day out in the sun. Yes, the weather has been pretty average, but even on the nice, warm days (we're getting a few of them now) I've found myself sitting inside in the dark like a mushroom. I'd definitely like to spend a day at the beach or at a park, walking around town or exploring somewhere new, getting out of the house, having fun and just enjoying the sunshine."

Tick: I didn't do any exploring as such, but I did spend a good few days out in the sunshine (and got a nice tan, too).

Instagram
"Photography used to be such a huge part of my life so that fact that I've barely taken any photos recently truly saddens me. The fact that it has been a good 2-3 months since I've posted anything to Instagram is just downright shameful, especially as a blogger. I still scroll through my feed religiously, but I would definitely like to start posting at least somewhat regularly again."

Tick: I still need to work on the consistency thing, but I managed to upload a few shots over the course of the month.

Goals for December:

Spend less money
I've spent a lot of money that I shouldn't have over the past couple of months. Oops. With my Christmas shopping finished (I KNOW! I've never been so organized!), I have every intention of reining in my spending, even though there are SO MANY things that I want to buy for myself. #TreatYoself.

Get to the gym at least three times a week
I keep setting fitness goals and I keep falling short. December is always the month that I fall off of the fitness train hard, with all the festivities and all. I want this month to be as healthy as it can be, giving me a head start on the new year. Hitting the gym three times a week isn't as often as the four times that I used to commit to, but I think three is realistic over the holiday season.

Visit the city at night.
Perth city is quite magical on a December night; they've put up big, beautiful Christmas light installations, organize free entertainment and events, and of course, the night markets. It's so easy to get in to the Christmas spirit after a stroll through the city on a warm night.

Decorate!
I never was one to really get in to the Christmas spirit. I like Christmas and all, but I've never bought in to the pre-Christmas hype. This year, being the first Christmas living out of home, I think that it's time we made out our little traditions. It might be fun to make a night of putting up the tree, decorating the house, wrapping presents and drinking eggnog. Throw a post-decorating Christmas movie (The Grinch, obviously) and you're set.

Bake something sweet
I have been craving baked apple for weeks now and in the name of cozy Christmas spirit, I think I'd like to make a baked apple-something myself. I'm thinking something like this, or this. Or I could get fancy with this one. I love the way the house smells when I bake, and it would be perfect to snack on as we're doing our Christmas decorating!


What are you hoping to achieve this month?

Friday, December 1, 2017

Friday Finds

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from over the past week:


\\  Okay, how cool is this DIY fringe jean jacket?!  //
\\  Prepare for all of the Christmas DIYs, starting with this Christmas ornament advent calendar.  //
\\  What a lovely gift these DIY personalised lavender sachets would make.  //
\\  I'm dying over this DIY pom-pom Christmas tree!  //
\\  I know we've passed Thanksgiving, but sweet potato pie with boozy marshmallows?!  //
\\  Well, these DIY gumball machine ornaments are seriously cute.  //


Happy Friday!

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Summer Inspiration Board

If you didn't know that Summer was my favourite season, did you really know me at all? Short answer: no, but I'll forgive you.

At the start of every new season, I like to create a sort of mood board, and I think that my Summer instalment would have to be one that excites me the most. Summer, to me, means freedom: adventures with friends, long days and warm nights, sunshine and sea salt, wavy hair and tanned skin..




What's inspiring you this new season?

Friday, November 24, 2017

Friday Finds

Here are a few of my internet finds (and loves) from the past week:


\\  How cute are these homemade pizza wreaths? The capsicum bow kills me.  //
\\  A budget-friendly way to make a fluffy gold stool?! I'm in!  //
\\  How fun is this DIY terrarium coffee table? So cool!  //
\\  I can't handle how adorable these melted snowmen holiday doughnuts are.  //
\\  I'm going to fill my house with all of the DIY hanging holiday lanterns!  //
\\  A glass of vanilla chai tea white Russian sounds so comforting.  //


Happy Friday!

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

A Collective Beauty Haul

It's been a good while since I treated myself to a good old fashioned haul, and with my birthday just gone, I had the perfect excuse. I picked up a few items that I'd been meaning to repurchase as well as some others that I've had my eye on for quite a while.


I'd actually never purchased from Sephora online before but even if I hadn't been given a Sephora e-gift card for my birthday (thanks, Jesse), I still had a trusty $10 birthday voucher, plus the chance to accumulate 2x Beauty Pass Points on my next order courtesy of Sephora. It was the perfect excuse.

Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipsticks in "Trendsetter" and "Cheerleader"
I'm such a fan of these lipsticks! The formula is lovely if not a little too liquid-y for my liking; they still dry down fairly quickly to a matte finish, however, and only one coat is needed for fully opaque coverage. The shades I picked up are gorgeous! Cheerleader is a pretty muted red and Trendsetter is a lovely brown nude (it looks MUCH more brown in my (terrible) swatch photo below).
On a somewhat related note, is the Huda's Desert Dusk Palette worth getting?

This lipstick, you guys! It has barely left my lips since I've gotten it. Lolita II is an amazing terra cotta nude as opposed to the original Lolita which is a much more rosy pink nude. We all know that I'm all about terra cotta shades. The formula dries fast and doesn't budge throughout the day - it took me 2 showers and the removal of my entire forearm's worth of skin to completely get rid of the swatch. I've found that it does make the lips feel pretty dry, but nothing a good lip balm can't remedy.

Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream
This is my favourite eye cream. I've tried many-a-product and I just keep coming back to this. I've found nothing that matches this in terms of moisturizing my dry lids, which get flaky if they are not moisturised liberally enough (gross), which is my main concern at the ripe old age of 23. I have noticed that with daily use, the few small fine lines that I do have underneath my eyes are visibly reduced, which is not something that I've noticed with any other eye creams I've tried.

BECCA x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in "Champagne Pop"
I'm a terrible beauty blogger in that I'd not yet tried Champagne Pop until now. Gold highlighters don't usually look amazing on me, but this one somehow manages to give me the most beautiful warm, sun-kissed glow. The formula is lovely - it's so finely milled and "creamy" and a little bit really does go a long way.


MECCA
I didn't have any vouchers or gift cards for MECCA but it just so happened that MECCA's beauty loop box (I was level 1 at the time) came out right before my birthday.. and then there's the free birthday gift, so of course, I had to have a sneaky MECCA shop.

I'm already obsessed with this powder! I've always been a pressed powder kind of girl (on the rare occasion that my dry skinned self even uses a powder) but this really is amazing. It's a silky translucent powder that works wonders to set my face. It leaves my skin feeling so very smooth and looking flawless.

I'm such a fan of the Sweet Peach Palette so I had to pick up the same-smelling blush from the collection. The colour is amazing but be warned that it is a shimmery (not chunky and glittery - shimmery) formula if that's not what you're in to. It gives off a beautiful, luminous, peachy, glow that leaves me looking lightly flushed and healthy looking.

I have "Diffused Heat" (a more pink hue) in my collection already but I was after something a little more subtle and "Dim Infusion" is exactly that - it's a lovely muted coral colour that compliments my blue eyes beautifully. The quality of these blushes are amazing; The powder is very finely milled; I love how smooth and silky it feels, while still remaining incredibly pigmented and it also has a luminescent finish, giving off a beautifully soft, gentle glow without being sparkly.

NARS Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer in "Laguna"
This one was actually a repurchase for me (I mentioned it back in June's beauty favourites). It is the most natural looking bronzer that I've used with a purposely sheer (but definitely buildable if desired) formula. It's perfect for those who, like me, prefer a more minimalistic approach to bronzer. The colour is almost identical to the original (much loved) Laguna, minus the shimmer.

Mecca Cosmetica Enlightened Illuminating Balm (Free birthday gift)
I haven't had the chance to play around with this a whole lot yet, but I did wear it to a daytime Melbourne Cup event. It is a warm pinkish beige colour that is quite subtle. It did feel a little sticky on my face as many cream products do but even so, it did not budge throughout the whole day. I think it would be lovely as an inner corner highlight.

MECCA Cosmetica Lip De-Luscious in "Peach Shimmer" (Free beauty loop gift)
"Peach Shimmer" was a limited edition shade for MECCA's 20th birthday, but you can still purchase from the original Lip De-Luscious line. This is such a nourishing lip balm! It works to condition my lips leaving them soft and hydrated while giving off a beautiful shiny peach tint. This balm is also rated SPF25 - which I can always appreciate.


My Priceline haul consisted of all  tried and true, re-purchased products. Plus I had a $5 birthday voucher to spend. Every penny counts, my friend.

This mist is my new favourite thing now that the weather is warming up. It sprays such a fine, evenly dispersed mist that is so refreshing on a hot day. It also contains an impressive list of natural ingredients that nourish and tone the skin, leaving me with a healthy-looking radiance.

Reef Dark Tanning Oil
Now that we're actually getting some sunshine, I've been using this almost every day on my lunch break. The formulation helps to promote a natural tan whilst also hydrating and leaving your skin smelling all coconut-y and delicious. I chose to purchase the "dark" offering, which contains no SPF (because YOLO), but they have oils of all different SPF ratings.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 x2 (no longer available online)
These things sell out fast, so I picked up two. I use it before my usual moisturiser, basically how you would use a serum, and let me tell you: the hype is real! It has quite a thick consistency but the product quickly absorbs in to the skin without leaving any sticky or unpleasant residue behind. It just leaves my face feeling soft, moisturised and plump. This has honestly been a life saver for my dry, flaky skin. I ran out and couldn't repurchase for about 2 weeks (again, ALWAYS sold out) and my skin really did notice it's absence.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
I love, love, LOVE this moisturizer - I will forever repurchase. It's got such a clever gel formula that continuously releases moisture throughout the day without going too far and leaving the skin looking oily. It has such a refreshingly light and non-sticky texture that my skin slurps right up. My dry patches have been getting the nourishment they need and my skin looks supple.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+
I absolutely love rosehip oil. It's the ultimate skincare ingredient if you ask me! I apply 3-4 drops after my shower, before moisturiser every night and mix 2-3 drops in to Neutrogena's Hydro Boost every morning. The improvement to my skin since using rosehip oil is insane! It works to moisturise dry skin without leaving any oily trance of its existence and it leaves my skin feeling so soft and healthy. If I skip the rosehip oil for any reason, I can always notice it's absence. I always pay extra for the Antioxidant+ version of Trilogy's rosehip oil - it's more than worth it, trust me.


Left to right
Mecca Cosmetica Enlightened Illuminating Balm, Too Faced Papa Don't Peach, BECCA Champagne Pop,
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Diffused Heat, NARS Laguna, Kat Von D Lollita II, MECCA Cosmetica Lip De Luscious,
Huda Beauty Trendsetter, Huda Beauty Cheerleader



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