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Saturday, December 24, 2016

Merry Christmas + My Favourite Posts of 2016.


And just like that, we're at the tail end of the year, scratching our heads and thinking 'what the fuck happened to 2016?' I think we can all agree that it absolutely flew by. This will be my last post of 2016, and I just wanted to say a quick Merry Christmas and a huge thank you to all of my readers. Of all the little spaces on the internet, you've chosen to become a part of mine, and I truly appreciate every single one of you, from the regular commenters, to the silent lurkers (yes, I see you too). I feel as though I've grown so much as a both a blogger and a person over the space of a year and I'm so glad to have the friendly and supportive community of readers that I do.


Enjoy the last few days of 2016, all. It’s been quite an incredible year for me; I've grown in so many different ways and I reached goals that I'd only ever dreamed were possible. I look forward to contentedly closing this chapter and reaching even higher in the new year for an even more remarkable 2017.


I'll be back in full force come mid(ish) January 2017. Until then, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a safe and happy new year.



An infinite amount of love,

If you're concerned that you'll miss me too much over the holiday break (I would miss me, too *insert sassy emoji here*), here are my favourite posts of 2016 to fill the void that my absence will leave in your collective hearts:

Christmas LUSH haul

watermelon 'ice'

Friday, December 23, 2016

Friday Finds.

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



\\  White chocolate candy cane cocktail: I know what I'm making for Christmas dinner.  //

\\  I'm going to wrap my whole entire life in DIY marble gift wrapping.  //
\\  Stop everything you're doing, because smoky vanilla bourbon pretzels.  //
\\  Have you ever seen something as magical as this DIY marbled clock?!  //
\\  I cannot get enough of these DIY dessert ornaments.  //
\\  This braided flower hair tutorial is super simple, yet super chic.  //


Happy Friday, and Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

My Month on Instagram - November.

If you've been following Christie's Take on Life for any amount of time, you'd surely know by now that I'm a major lover of Instagram! It's the perfect outlet for posting inspiration and little snippets of life, and seeing what my favourite bloggers and friends are up to.

There are so many times that my Instagram posts never make it to my blog, and that's a damn shame because I consider myself to be quite the photographer..

..Not really, but it's a shame nonetheless!

Instalife over the past month looked something like this:



Oh my lawd, you guys. Tarts Café in Northbridge is adorable and delicious and you need to go.



I treated myself to a sneaky Body Shop haul. You can read the full post and see a breakdown of what I got here.



I read so many good (and pretty looking) books in the space of a month. You can read my full post/review here.



Although we missed out on attending the Wanneroo Show itself, I would never miss an opportunity to watch the fireworks from a distance.


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

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Friday Finds.

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


\\  Guys! A DIY Chanel ribbon choker! I'm dead.  //
\\  This DIY whipped peppermint cream hand scrub would make a fantastic gift.  //
\\  Yes x100 to DIY ornament pillows!  //

\\  I can't get enough of these DIY copper ornaments.  //
\\  This DIY asymmetrical wreath is absolutely gorgeous.  //
\\  Somebody please make me logs upon logs of DIY flamingo slice 'n bake cookies.  //

Happy Friday!

Monday, December 12, 2016

November Beauty Favourites.



Holy moly, you guys. I'm so incredibly late to the party with this one, but man am I glad that I'm finally here. I got my hands on this palette for my birthday in October when it finally became available again and my contour life hasn't been the same since. I'm sure you've all ready a zillion reviews on this baby by now, so I won't go in to too much detail, but this is absolutely amazing. Natural-looking and non-muddy bronzers that blend out beautifully, shimmery and flat highlighters that do not appear chalky at all, a chocolate smell.. you can't go wrong. I even prefer this over my beloved Hoola Bronzer.

Two: The Body Shop Vitamin E  Moisture Cream
I picked this little beauty up in my Body Shop birthday haul. Vitamin E has soooo many amazing benefits that are good for the skin, Google it if you're not informed (do it!), so I'm a huge fan. It's especially wonderful for drier skin types. I mix this in with my various face lotions and potions both day and night, and I've noticed a huuugggeee improvement in the condition of my dry skin patches. It's just so damn moisturising, just want I need in my life.

Three: Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer
Oh, how I love this packaging - it looks so dang luxurious. This primer has a thin consistency and spreads easily. I do feel as though it's better for drier skin types than majority of other primers. It absorbs quite quickly and leaves no tacky, greasy or siliconey feeling on the skin, it just feels soft, smooth, supple and hydrated, leaving my skin with not dewy yet not exactly matte finish, which to me is the perfect natural-looking in between. It helps to smooth out the skin and helps my foundation glide on, as well as prolonging it's wear, of course. Finally, the part I know you're all curious about: Does it smell like coconut? Well, yes. Subtly. The scent is light and pleasant and lingers on the skin for a short while. So.. there's that.

Four: The Body Shop Oils Of Life Sleeping Cream
Yet another win from last month's Body Shop haul. I decided to pick myself up a pot of goodness after reading glowing reviews from a few of my favourite beauty bloggers. It does have a very (and I mean very) strong scent, but it also does a whollllleeee lot of good to your skin while you sleep. Although it's a cream, it has an almost gel-like texture which soaks into skin, which far outweighs an overpowering scent in my book. If you don't like the feeling of heavy creams or sticking to your pillow, then this is definitely one for you. It's light enough to layer over my heavier nighttime moisturisers (yes, plural) and rosehip oil combination for an overnight boost without feeling sticky, heavy or congested and I wake up with such soft, supple skin.

Five: Pureology Colour Fanatic Multi-Tasking Hair Beautifier
I mentioned L'Oréal's 10-in-1 Perfecting Spray in September's beauty favourites, and I basically feel the same way (in love, obvs) about this product, the only difference being that I'll use this on wet hair in the evening, as opposed to dry hair in the morning, which is where I'll use L'Oreal. This multi-tasking treatment provides 21 amazing benefits to the hair. I won't list them all here but basically, it all works together to prime, protect, and perfect your locks in a multitude of different ways. Like the L'Oréal offering, this is for colour-treated hair (which I do not have), but my natural light blonde locks really love this stuff. My hair is noticeably smooth and soft and the appearance of split ends has reduced drastically. It has a pleasant smell, is non-greasy, waxy, or heavy, and really works to fix my frizzy, dry hair.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Friday Finds.

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


\\  Look at how adorable these DIY balloon holly gift toppers are!  //
\\  DIY cassette tape gift wrap. Oh the nostalgia.  //

\\  Somebody help me make DIY ice cream cone ornaments.  //
\\  I'm loving this Lip Kit-esque nail art.  //
\\  Can you even deal with this moon garland? Because I can't.  //
\\  STOP EVERYTHING! Pine cone cheese balls! Whatttt?!  //


Happy Friday!

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Summer Christmas Themed Date Ideas.

Australian Edition.

And by Australian edition, I mean Any-Country-Where-Christmas-Is-In-Summer Edition.
Because we don't get snow, we don't get to cuddle by the fire and we sure as hell don't get to wear cosy sweaters. No, Sir. Instead, we get temperatures upwards of 35 degrees Celsius, a bad case of heatstroke and a hangover to boot. But! Just because it's hotter than the third level of hell come December, doesn't mean that we can't do cute and festive couple-y things in the lead up to Christmas, right, guys? RIGHT?!

Below is a list of a few of my personal favourite fun (and cheap) Christmas date ideas appropriate for the Summer months:


Will you be doing any of these with your partner this Christmas season? What are your traditions? I'd love to know!

Sunday, December 4, 2016

November Look Back and December Goals.

A look back at November's goals:


Plan blogging schedule for the rest of the year
"My September and October were hectic and my poor little blog had to take a back seat for a while, but now that I have all this time freed up, I can (hopefully) begin posting 2-3 times a week again. I have so many ideas floating around in my head that I wanted to post over the past few months, but didn't have the time for all the writing, photo taking and editing, proof reading, yadda yadda yadda. I really want to sit down and sort out my content schedule for the rest of the year before the holiday season gobbles up my 2016."
Tick: I'm so very surprised, yet so very proud that my "leave-it-to-the-last-minute self actually planned all of December's content and drafted about 90%.

Christmas presents 
"I'm a terrible gift buyer. I panic, I cry, and I end up with a bunch of totally random knick-knacks for everyone that are in no way what they want nor need. I want to have a proper plan of my Christmas gifts this year and at least have an idea of what gifts I'm getting everyone (10 points to Gryffindor if I physically have said gifts on my person and ready to give)."
Tick: I really didn't have high hopes for this one, BUT it turns out that I've physically brought Jesse's present, and have figured out exactly what to get my mum and my best friend. Yay me.

Create a Christie's Take on Life board on Pinterest
"I don't know how many times that I've made this a goal and failed miserably, but I'm hoping that with my freed-up-time, I'll finally get around to updating old posts with "pinable" images and creating this damned board."
Tick: HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS AFTER A WHOLE YEAR OF PUTTING IT OFF I FINALLY CREATED A DAMN BOARD. Sure, it's pretty lackluster at this stage - about 95% of photos need to be retaken and I think I need a serious lesson in SEO, but I did set up rich pins, so that's a thing.

Cook a new dish
"I've been lazy in my cooking lately. By lazy, I mean I haven't cooked a meal for Jesse and I for months. I'm talking months. I'd like to get back in to the kitchen and cook us up newly discovered recipe for dinner at least once this month."
Cross: I'm the most mad because if I'd just gotten off of my ass and cooked a damn meal, I would have completed all of my goals for November. Sigh.


December's Goals:

Meal Prep
I've been taking my fitness super seriously over the past few weeks. I'm exercising like crazy, but it's not doing me any good without a solid meal plan. By the time I've finished work and left the gym, the last thing I want to do is cook a wholesome meal. It's so easy to pick something up on the way home, or heat up an oh-so-nutritious bowl of instant noodles which isn't doing me any favours. I'm dedicated to making Sunday "meal prep day" where I'll create a week's worth of healthy dinners to curb late night eating and 'easy' unhealthy dinners.

Re-take old blog photos
I went though a few of my very old posts whilst attempting the whole Pinterest thing mentioned above, and boy would I'd like to re-take a lot all of my (horrible) blog photos and create pinable images during my five week Christmas break.

Enjoy the holidays without going too far (as usual)
By too far, I mean eating double my weight in food every day for a month. I'm going to enjoy the food, fun and festivities, but I'm still going to attempt to keep it under control. If I can get to the gym even once a week over my break, I'll be a happy girl. 

Declutter
I've got a whole stash of stuff that I no longer want, use or need and I've been meaning to have a giant Spring clean for such a long time, but I keep putting it off to when I "have more time" (read: when I can be bothered (never)), but there's truly nothing better than starting a new year with a decluttered space and being able to fit Christmas your presents in your damn house.

Friday, December 2, 2016

Friday Finds.

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


\\  Let's get Christmassy with some iced eggnog lattes up in here.  //
\\  A balloon ornament centerpiece - so simple, so fun, so festive.  //
\\  LOOK at how fun this snow globe cake is!  //
\\  Speaking of cakes, can you even deal with this LUSH Intergalactic bath bomb cake?!?!  //
\\  I think that these DIY pearled ripped jeans are the best thing since sliced bread.  //
\\  Please make me some roasted butternut squash pancakes every morning.  //


Happy Friday!

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Christmas Wishlist

Holy 2016, guys! Can you believe it's December? I'm unsure when exactly I lost my bearings, probably mid January, and now here I am compiling a damn Christmas wishlist on December 1.



One - A tripod for my camera | Two - Urban Decay's all nighter foundation
Three - This gym tank, except in pink.. or blue.. or yellow
Four - LUSH Shoot For The Stars, Monsters' Ball and Intergalactic bath bombs
Five - As always, the Louis Vuitton Monogram Neverfull GM. A girl can dream
Six - Sigma's brush cleaning mat | Seven -  The watermelon and music charms from Pandora
Eight - This oversized scarf. I don't care that it's the middle of Summer.
Nine - The Fitbit Surge | Ten - This oh-so-fun makeup bag


I'll be accepting presents all throughout December. ;)
What's on your Christmas wishlist?

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Thoughts on (Finally) Completing my Studies.


That's right! I have officially completed my course! I have obtained my Double Diploma of Events Management and I can't event begin to describe the feeling that I have right now.

Actually, I can. Pride. Pride is the feeling. See, I was never a good "classroom learner". I floated through school with "so much potential", doing only the bare minimum required of me. I graduated with 'good' grades, but was never the one to apply myself, which is why I am sososo glad that I did the one thing my lazy high-school self swore she would never do, and took up tertiary studies, because the fact that I managed not only to self-motivate, but to 100% apply myself and put my heart and soul in to my work on top of everything else that I juggle makes me feel the most proud.

I finished three months early. I feel so accomplished when I think about the leaps and bounds that I've made since school (or even since last year). I also feel not quite right. Empty, in a way, because my studies were all consuming over the past year. I would get to work, make progress on my assessments all day, then rush through all of my
actual job's tasks from 4-5pm. But now.. Now I feel as though I have so much free time. I've forgotten what it was like to have breaks during the day. I'm relieved, though. So many things that were a huge part of my life prior to beginning my studies had to take a back seat while I was focusing on my course. This blog, for example, has been increasingly neglected as I progressed, and I am beyond excited to get back in to it.

I learnt a lot about myself during the course of my studies. I learnt that I'm far more motivated than I had ever imagined, I learnt that I really can do something when I put my mind to it, and I learnt that good things don't come easy. You've got to work towards your dreams without fear of failure, because things only happen when you make them.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

High-End Highlighter Comparison: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish vs Mary-Lou Manizer.


I'm not sure about you, but a few years ago I never really heard much about highlighters, so upon the trends rise in popularity, I was completely overwhelmed by the multitude of offerings available in both the drugstore and on the high street when I first looked to up my glow game - a skill that I'm now rather proud of. I began with the drugstore brands - you know, the ones with the chunks of glitter and chalky formulas? Yep. They worked fine in the beginning, helping me to learn how and where to apply highlight, working out how subtle or intense I like it but I quickly grew dissatisfied with the cheap offerings of 2015 and that was when I purchased my first high-end highlighter. After about 4,687,076 years of researching and umm-ing and ahh-ing, I settled upon MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish in the shade 'Lightscapade' and it basically changed my life. It was amazing compared to the products I had been using and about a month later I purchased my first Mary-Lou Manizer compact. Oh lawd. I vowed to never go back to the drugstore offerings after the religious experience that was my first "proper" highlighter application. I became a complete snob when it came to my highlighter brands, and that vow still holds true today.. for the most part. Highlighters have come a long way since then, and I know for a fact that many drugstore products are just as good, and in some cases better than the high-end offerings. I've tried a few here and there, and thoroughly enjoyed them all, but I find myself going back to my high-end babies time and time again. I'm still a snob, what can I say?

After such a long-winded intro (why, tho), it's time to get down to the point of this whole damn post - and that is the comparing of arguably the two most talked about, and my absolute favourite highlighters: TheBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer and M.A.C.'s Mineralize Skinfinish in the shade 'Lightscapade'. Now, I don’t wear highlighter every day. I'm lazy and perpetually running late for work so if I do wear highlighter, it's for a special occasion, and I’ll pair it with a bad-ass contour and big ol' lashes. I like to use it on the highest point of my cheekbones, on my nose and in my cupid's bow. I feel it gives the prettiest glow - a sort of angelic effect.

Starting with the similarities, both highlighters are nicely pigmented and neither have harsh chunks of glitter in their formulas. Both are finely milled, meaning they have a luxurious texture and are easy to work with, and they both have amazing staying power. I have heard complaints that MAC fades from the skin after a few hours but honestly, I would have to disagree based on my personal experience, but that all depends on the foundation, primer and setting spray you do or do not use, the oiliness of your skin and what sort of weather conditions you experience when wearing it. I don't find it fades much, if at all throughout the day, as is also true with Mary-Lou.

The biggest difference between the two is the tone of the highlight.
Lightscapade is leans more towards a silvery tone - it's a very light, soft beige making it ideal for fair skin tones, while the Mary-Lou Manizer is of a more golden champagne tone, making it ideal for a more tanned complexion. I don't necessarily feel as though those "rules" should be strictly adhered to, however. I've used Mary-Lou Manizer on my pale Winter face, and Lightscapade in the Summer, and either way, they still look fantastic.











The second difference is the subtlety between the two formulas. MAC is definitely softer, which works really well if you're going for a natural-looking, low-key glow. It can still be built up to a more obvious highlight, however, as multiple layers won't leave you looking chalky. Mary-Lou Manizer is far more noticeable, whilst still remaining as natural looking as a luminescent face can, so long as you're quite light with your hand, Mary is perfect for those who like a strong glow or a nighttime look.

The one comment that I feel I should make, is the fact that buying MAC's Skinfinish 
can be a bit of a guessing game since you don't really know what veining you could end up with. I personally feel as though the powder is light and subtle enough that the veining doesn't matter too much - they're all going to be mainly beige with some blue and coral running through, but exactly how much of the blue and coral will be in your individual pan will differ.


All in all, both products are great and I love them both too much to choose a specific favourite; The only deciding factor that goes in to picking which offering I reach for is the type of look that I'm after that day. On days that I want a really stand-out highlight, I’d definitely go for Mary-Lou Manizer. For a more subtle, natural look, the Skinfinish is the way to go.


What do you think? Have you tried one, or even both, of these highlighters? Would you agree? I'd love to know your personal favourite brand of highlighter!


Friday, November 25, 2016

Friday Finds.

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


\\  This lace nail art: Insert heart eyes emoji here.  //
\\  These DIY gold twig hair pins are so delicate looking. I can't deal.  //
\\  Smashed potatoes with rosemary and burrata are giving me life.  //
\\  Quinoa with caramelized butternut squash and-roasted brussels sprouts - get in me!  //
\\  How perfect does DIY candy cane sugar scrub sound?  //
\\  This half up fishtail topknot is a combination of all 3 of my favourite hairstyles. Dead.  //


Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Recent Reads



This was such a fun read! I basically devoured it in a week's worth of lunch breaks. A cross between Sex in the City and Bridget Jones, Bryony finds herself fumbling (and fucking up) her way through her twenties, a plot that was all too relatable to me.

Everything, Everything
by Nicola Yoon
This is such an easy-to-read book; I finished it within a 4 lunch breaks. I quickly fell in love with Maddy, a young girl stuck to the confines of her house due to her deadly allergy to the world (literally). An adorable "forbidden love" story which sort of reminded me of The Fault in Our Stars. The book comes complete with diary entries and illustrations, which added to the sense of authenticity and made it seem that much more real to me. Perhaps a little too "teen" for my liking nowadays (when did I start sounding old?) but an unexpected plot twist kept me hooked and I ended up thoroughly enjoying the book.

After You
by Jojo Moyes
This, I think, would have to be the only disappointing read of the lot. I actually finished it a while back, but I didn't really know how I felt about it until recently. Sure, it was nice to see what became of Lou A.W. (After Will). I fell in love with her dorky personality in Me Before You, I just  don't feel as though the sequel was strong enough.. Or needed. The grief portrayed in many scenes did still manage to hit me in the feels, but nothing comparable to it's predecessor (which left me in tears in the middle of a park like a weirdo). It's probably not right to judge this book based off on Me Before You, because at the end of the day, this isn't Me Before You, I was just left feeling somewhat disappointed upon finishing it.

How to be Parisian Wherever You Are
by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline De Maigret and Sophie Mas

Every woman and her dentist are talking about How to be Parisian Wherever You Are, and I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but whatever I got wasn't it. In all honesty, I brought it as a pretty coffee table/Instagram prop but upon actually reading it, I found it to be a lighthearted and quite funny. If you don't take it too seriously, it truly is a fun satirical read.


What have you read lately?

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