Merry Christmas ya filthy animals!!

Merry Christmas!!! I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with happiness, family and most importantly lots of food!

Festive Look

So Christmas is just around the corner and although the hot Australian weather has much stopped me from feeling remotely festive, I still thought I would try and get into the spirit with some sparkly festive make up. I tried to keep it very affordable as Christmas is expensive enough. 

I think I'll be spending my Christmas makeup free on a beach but I'll definitely be wearing something like this in the few days left running up to the big day. 

Face

-Precious Mineral Blooming Fit BB cream

-Revlon colour stay concealer

-YSL touche celait

-Bourjois Maxi bronzing powder

Eyes

-Elf beautiful browns palette

Australia Metalix guns and rose petals eye shadow 

-Maybelline the falsies mascara

-Maybeline master precise liquid eyeliner

--Maybeline brow satin in dark brown

Lips

-Maybeline colour drama in Light It Up

The perfect bargain Christmas palette

Elf was a brand that I used to love and would always place huge orders on there website. I loved how affordable the products where while still being really high quality. It recently seemed to disappear from the Uk, I think they had a problem with distributers or something which means that I haven't tried any of there products for a while. However, a couple of weeks ago now we popped into K-Mart for a bargain spree (travelling makes you poor) and I found an elf stand. I've never actually seen it in stores before so couldn't resist having a little browse.
I managed to find the beautiful browns palette which as well as filling the void my Naked palette has left (why I decided to leave that in England I'll never know) it also has all the perfect shades for a beautiful Christmas look. Now Christmas in Australia is definitely going to be different but that doesn't stop me paying tribute to an English Christmas with my makeup. I can't remember the exact price of this but I think it was around $4 mark. 
Despite the bargainous price range I've always found elf eye shadows to be very good quality, they're very highly pigmented and soft, similar to Urban Decay. I've used it most days (that I've decided to wear makeup) since buying it and I love it. If they haven't already I say bring back elf to the UK. 

Crazy cat lady paradise

On one of my first days in Melbourne I was told there was a cat cafe. This is what told me Melbourne was going to be one of my favourite places. I've recently learn that lots of cities have cat cafes but I've never ad the chance to go to one before and since leaving my own fluffy babies at home I couldn't wait to go and have a cat cuddle.
The Melbourne Cat Cafe is home to 14 lovely cats who have all been re-homed from shelters. They are all based in the cafe permanently now so they don't have to be re-homed again which is great news. The Cafe is basically in a converted house so you just feel like your sitting in a living room. The cats have the run of place with loads of rooms to explore and cat beds and climbing frames in every room. They also have a separate room that visitors aren't allowed in where the cats eat and can get away from every one if they chose to. I think I managed to see all 14 of the cats during my time there and they all seemed very happy and very sleepy. 
The Cafe does serve some food and drinks but it's definitely more about chilling with the cats than the dining experience. There is an entry fee which is common in most cat cafes, this goes towards food and maintenance of the cats which I certainly didn't mind paying.

If you live in or near a big city I would definitely give it a google and see if you have a cat cafe near you. I had such a lovely time and think I'll definitely go back before we leave. It definitely still miss my own little cats a lot but it helped fill the void for a while.

Sheet masks make you look CREEPY

I'd never tried sheet masks before so when I spotted a whole shelf full in a little shop in Sydney I was very excited to try them.  I picked up two that aimed to hydrate the skin, after a lot of travelling, air conditioned rooms and *cough alcohol my skin has been feeling very thirsty so I'm desperate to find a way to lock a bit of moisture back into it. They come in a pack with a plastic sheet on one side which you peel off, the other side feels like cotton and is soaked in the product, you then place this side on your face and immediately look like a serial killer! I mean look at my face!
In spite of how you look during, they feel incredible. They're so soothing I know it would be the perfect treat after a day in the sun. My skin has been feeling a lot better after using it too. It'w worth looking like a creep for 20 minutes.

My favourite BB cream

So I'd set off on my travels with my bare minerals foundation at the ready. I'd done the classic holiday move of bringing a paler shade and a darker shade for when I inevitably turn into a tanned goddess. One day however, my paler shade ran out and I hadn't yet blossomed into a goddess.....to be honest I'm still waiting. I was in need of an in-between foundation so when we were moving from one place to another I hit the duty free. 
I was looking at all the brands I know and love when I spotted this beauty. The cute and oh so feminine packaging definitely caught my eye. If you've been reading my latest posts you will know I've been dabbling in Asian skin care and loving it so I was really excited to have a look at some make up too. This is the Precious Mineral BB cream, blooming fit. I don't normally like BB creams and find that they normally feel really greasy and don't do much for my skin but I have been really pleased with this one. It feels more like a light coverage foundation than a BB cream and gives a really sheer and glowy finish which is perfect for when your in a hotter climate.
It only came in two shades and I went for the darker of the two as the product aims to whiten the skin,  I know this is quite a big feature in Asian cosmetics but I actually find it gives a really luminous effect which I really like. It also claims to be anti-wrinkle which I am all about.

I'm currently in Australia and thought that my days of rummaging through Asian skin care goodies are gone but I've already spotted a few specialist shops that I can't wait to have a look at.

A little catch up...

So due to a lack of Internet and a little bit of hostel living it's been a while since I've last blogged. I thought I would do a bit of a picture heavy catch up so you can all see what I've been up to since I first landed in Australia.

Sydney

Sydney was the first place we landed in Australia. I think it's probably one of the first places every one thinks about when you think about Oz but to be honest I'd heard very mixed things about it and really didn't know what to expect. I was also feeling a little bit nervous about my first shared dorm, hostel experience. I really had nothing to worry about with the hostel, it was a real mix of people in my room but everyone was so nice and we were chatting with every one straight away. 

For me big parts of Sydney were just like any other big city. That's not necessarily a bad thing, I really like big cities but it wasn't anything really exciting that I hadn't seen before, it actually reminded me of Glasgow. A part of the city I absolutely loved was Darling harbour, this was the part that felt really special. I sent my birthday evening sat at the harbour eating pizza and it was simply lovely. 

Camper vanning

After our week in Sydney we decided to head to Melbourne. We booked a camper van for a week and decided to head along the coast so we could take our time. We stopped off at loads of amazing places on the way. It was literally beach after beach. We also met some really interesting people, all of the people that ran the camp sites seemed so passionate about where they lived and couldn't  of had more recommendations on what to see and do.  One of the places we stopped at was Jervis Bay, it's known for having the whitest sands and bluest sea, the best place for a picnic. This is where we went to watch the dolphins. We managed to see quite a few and some had babies with them, they were incredible, it was definitely a highlight for me. We had missed the wales by a few weeks but we're planning on going to see them next year when they start to come back, I can only imagine how amazing that will be. 

Melbourne

We're planning to stay in Melbourne for a while, we'd already decided this before getting here but it just so happens to be a pretty amazing place. We started off staying in a hostel for a few days, it was actually the same chain of hostels we'd stayed at in Sydney called Base, I would definitely recommend them. This was in a place called St Kilda which is right by the beach and has some amazingly quirky cafes and bars. We've since moved into the CBD (basically just the centre, I've no idea what it actually means) which is very different from St Kilda but is equally great. It has amazing shops and restaurants and again seems to have lots of quirky and different areas. I'm currently looking for work here and I'm having lots of fun exploring the city during the process. There's a cat cafe round the corner from where I live and I can see me spending most Sunday afternoons eating cake and stroking a moggy.

So, so far so good. I'm feeling very lucky at the moment and I know I have so much more to see and do. I' already feeling like a year just won't be enough.....

The deep cleansing face mask that makes you look weird

So on my search for new and strange skin care whilst journeying around the globe I found this freaky looking thing. This is from Real Joy Korea but as I am an idiot I threw the packet away and have lost the name. I'm sorry! It's a deep cleansing peel off mask which is quite thick to apply but once it's on it sets and can feel a little bit tight. I left mine on way too long and my oh my was it difficult to take off! It was so stuck to my face I nearly gave my brows a wax. I eventually gave up and applied some water which made it much easier to take off.  My skin afterwards felt very clean and around my nose felt very smooth and fresh so I knew it had really got to work on my pores. Steven even commented that my skin looked good after!  I'm still keeping an eye out for some different products to try. There seems to be a lot of snail based products and I can't help thinking that some snails have been dying for face masks so I'll be avoiding those ones. I'm sure there's lots of snail free products to try too so keep checking back to see what I think.

5 things to do in Bangkok

I am currently on my travels, I've definitely mentioned it once or twice! Bangkok was our first stopping point so I thought I would share my thoughts in a 'Things to do' stylee. This is obviously just my opinion and I know there are lots of other things to do too but this is what I loved most about it.

1. Take a water taxi. 

Bangkok is built around a river which means one of the easiest ways to get around is by water taxi. Now I bloody love boats so I was always going to enjoy these. The majority of the ones we got were slightly bigger boats and were quite smooth and chilled. One morning we hopped on a smaller one and it was literally like being on a theme park ride minus the reassurance that it was tried and tested and safe. I found it was easier never to think about the health and safety of Bangkok.....it's simpler that way. Still really fun though and a great way to see and explore the city. I would also add a ride in a tuk tuk to this, equally fun and terrifying!

2. Cabbages and Condoms.  One of Steven's friend's lives in Bangkok and was full of great recommendations. One of these was Cabbages and Condoms. It's a restaurant which I agree is questionably named. I didn't know what to expect but it was surprisingly traditional and just happened to be decorated with condoms. There was a Santa model.....made of condoms!! The food was incredible though, possibly one of the best meals I've ever had in my life! I had the most amazing cream of mushroom soup which was made with coconut milk and had just the right amount of chili. the whole experience was amazing and really reasonably priced.

3.Street food. Before I went to Bangkok I had heard people say that some of the best food available was street food. I'm sure they're are plenty of dodgey ones but the street food we tried was amazing. I just had vegetable spring rolls as a lot of it was meat and fish but Steven had some other things which he loved as well. They also have lots and lots of fresh fruit and fruit drinks. It's all very cheap as well so if you were a traveler on a budget you could live off this stuff!

4. Cabaret.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks of lady boys when they think of Bangkok. I'm sure that's not the p.c. term and I'm very sorry if that's at all offensive but going to a cabaret show featuring these ladies should definitely on your list of things to do in Bangkok. I wasn't sure what to expect but I love a good show so knew that I definitely wanted to experience one. It was the most random thing I've ever seen, there are no words to describe it to you properly but if you're in the area then do it! 

5.Visit a temple.  This is something very traditional and slightly more cultural than some of the other things I've suggested. We visited the Wat Poh temple which is home to the Reclining Buddah. This was honestly such a beautiful place and even though it was quite busy with tourists, like me, it still felt very peaceful. It's best to try and cover up when you go to be respectful but they do offer you robes if they feel your not covered enough. I'm sure other temples would be amazing to see too but we only had the chance to see one. 

As I said earlier this is just my opinion and the things that I really enjoyed during my time in Bangkok. Bangkok really exceeded my expectations and it's somewhere I'd love to spend more time exploring at some point. 

 

Jet lag fighting eye masks

  So today is my first post coming at you from the Southern hemisphere. I am planning on filling you all in on my adventures very soon but first wanted to tell you how I attempted to save my tired and jet lagged eyes.    I was excited to find some Asian skin care goodies and I have been more than pleased with what I've found so far. These strange and golden things are the Real joy Korea gold collagen eye masks. My boyfriend told me I looked like a power ranger with them on! I've tried eye masks before and they always feel amazing even if they don't seem like they're doing much. These ones were kind of similar. They are on a gel like pad soaked in the fluid so they feel cool and refreshing on the eye, after being on a plane for close to 15 hours that was very nice indeed.    I didn't notice a massive difference to my dark circles or lines but I'm sure after regular use you would. They were two in the set so I gave the other pair to Steven, he liked them too. They only cost about £2 which is a total bargain, other eye masks I've used have normally been quite expensive and have been of similar quality.   I'll definitely try and fond some more of these to take on my travels for a post flight pick me up! I've really enjoyed scouring the shelves looking for some different products to try out and I've found a few good ones so far. Make sure to check back to see what I find! I'll be posting more travel related things soon too, just slightly more pictures to go through before then!

And we're off!

 

 

So we are officially off on our travels! As this post goes up I will most likely be wondering round the duty free pining over the mac lipsticks that I have no reason to buy whilst wetting myself with excitement! I'm currently feeling all the emotions. After packing up my room and waving good-bye to my little car it suddenly all feels very real! Which it is....eek!

 

Our first port of call is Bangkok, which I am expecting to be a massive culture shock, I also keep thinking about "The hangover" but I have been assured that it's incredible! I'm planning on keeping up with my blog as much as I can and ideally want to do an update on each place we visit. Plus I'm excited to sample a Thai massage and some Eastern beauty products and will keep you posted on my findings. I'm even pondering over the idea of filming my travels and youtubing as well.... I’m not promising anything though ha!

We will eventually be arriving in Australia (hence the hats) where we have a year's working visa, again I'll keep you up to date with everything that's going on!!

 

It's definitely time for adventure and I can't wait!

 

My travel make up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn't seem like 5 minutes since I announced my travelling plans and now suddenly it's a few days until I fly. It's an exciting and terrifying feeling! After packing up the majority of my makeup collection yesterday (sobs) I thought I would share with you a few of the things that will be accompanying me down under. I was sat on the train back from London whilst making the tough decision of what to take, my friend I was with was studying for her final accounting exams and pointed out that it really wasn't that hard......mine was more of a Sophie's choice scenario....sort of.   I've tried to chose multi-purpose products so I didn't take too much and I think I'm happy with what I've chosen....ask me in 6 months when I'm pining over the totally impractical Mac heroine.

Skin care:

 

-Bliss fabulous foaming face wash. This is a 2 in 1 cleanser and exfoliator (multi-purpose!) This smells like bubblegum and it means I don't have to take a separate exfoliator.

-Soap and Glory sunshield spf 50. This is kind to skin as it is intended for the face so doesn't clog my skin up.

-Simple rich moisturiser. I've been using this a lot recently and really like it. It's a real no frills moisturiser that gets the job done. Simple!

 

Body:

 

-Loccitane almond shower oil. I love this product and it's great for showering as well as shaving and hydrating the skin.

 

 

Face:

 

-Bare minerals original in golden medium (way too dark but I'm predicting a tan) This is so buildable and versatile that I thought it would be perfect for taking away.

 

-Bourjois maxi delight bronzer....because, bronzer.

 

 

Eyes:

 

-Maybelline colour tattoos in pink gold and on and on bronze. These are really easy to work with and don't budge once they're on.

 

-Maybelline the falsies, waterproof. It's simply my favourite mascara.

 

 

Lips:

 

-Maybelline baby lips. These have an spf which is essential.

 

-Maybelline colour drama in Light it up, you have to have a red lipstick.

 

-Revlon lip butter in Creme brule, a lovely gold nude that's so easy to wear and great with a tan.

 

-Mac coral bliss. This is also easy to wear and nice and summery....yes I am heading to summer!! Whoop!

      I'm using a Cath Kidston case for my products. I've tried to find it online but could only find this one. I absolutely love it as it can fit so much in and had 3 seprate compartments. 2 of the sections can be taken out and used separately too, they're see through so can be used for flights which is perfect.   I hope you enjoyed today's post, things will be changing slightly around here soon but I will try and be as consistant as I can, keep posted.