Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Years Resolutions....oh no, not other one

2011 was a huge year, full of highs and lows and I am happy this is over.  I started the year with the tightest group of girl friends that would be my friends till the end of time.  A silly (and never talked about) misunderstanding threw the group into disarray.  As tough as this was, it has made me realise what true friends really are.

More importantly, I made me think about who I am and who I want to be. I don't want to waste time on petty, jealous or trivial people but I really need to be more patient, forgiving and accepting.  I don't like gossips or trouble makers but I should talk more to people that are outside my comfort zone.  I am time efficient but I need to slow down and enjoy the moment.

My new years resolutions are:
1. Step out of my comfort zone and talk to new people (in person);
2. Find two new things on the Peninsula each week;
3. See people for who they are, not who I think they should be;
4. Use the correct makeup brushes;
5. Spell and grammar check; and
6. Don't drink and post.

See you next year!!!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Black Gunk

This post is really for my own enjoyment.  Please feel free to ignore it and me and come back tomorrow.

A reader and friend told me about a mask you can order on line. I love an intense and fun mask, make it cheap and a gross colour and I'll like it even more.  This was about $5 on ebay, Daiso black mask.  I realise that isn't very informative, but it does say it's a natural pack.  Imagine a black, gooey, pore pack that you can paint over your entire face, then peel off.  Awesome, I know.  So the moment it arrived by posts, I washed my face and applied.  Both my girls were giggling the whole time.  I couldn't read the instructions, so I went by my gut.  Once it was dry, I thought it was time to peeled off.  It probably dried in about 5 mins, but then I played with my camera for another 10mins.  As you can see, I put some pink gloss on to make it look more appealing (notice the pun?)
 Super hero

 Fresh as a daisy, well slightly red
Thank you Gladys de Leon, this was extremely rewarding.  I do think I'll try it again tomorrow but I'll paint it on thicker and try to take it off in one piece.  I hope the instructions that I can't read don't say "Whatever you do, never, ever use two days in a row"

Guest Post- The Best Beauty Blog

I have the honor of guest posting at www.thebestbeautyblog.com today.  Ling is one of my favourite bloggers.  She is so funny, you'll laugh at everything she writes.  I am thrilled that she let me guest post.  Have a great holiday Ling.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Mild to wild

Occasionally, you come across something so great you wonder how you couldn't possibly already know about it.  While doing my usual trawling the internet for beauty/fashion/blogging/shoes, I came across a new cosmetics page.
I loved the look of the products, so crisp and clean, the playful names, the fantastic colours of eyeshadows and lip products. These are quality mineral products, formulated and hand crafted. I placed many, many items in my cart before realising that I was meant to be Christmas shopping for others and not myself. So after 30 minutes of dreaming and drooling, I decided to drop this company a little email.  They replied and we bounced our messages back and forth and then I discovered that they were located on the PENINSULA!! Only 5 minutes away from me.  Fate brought us together.

Not only are these gorgeous products they are also gluten free and not tested on animals. Gladys, you can test your products on me.  I would be a very happy little guinea pig.

I'll be posting again soon with photos of the gorgeous, fun products on the not so gorgeous but still fun me.
In the meantime, visit this site www.deleoncosmetics.com.au and like them on www.facebook.com/deLeonCosmetics

de Leon Cosmetics
PO Box 4, Margate Beach, Qld, 4019
www.deleoncosmetics.com.au
info@deleon.com.au

PS: The Best Beauty blog, one of my favourite bloggers recently wrote a small piece about de Leon, www.thebestbeautyblog.com/the-shenanigans-of-a-make-up-minx

Product Review - Clinique turnaround overnight moisturiser

I received a sample of this to review. I am always a little wary of night time creams. I love a nice light night gel that smells great and performs miracles while I am sleeping (like reversing time and longer legs). This was a little heavier than I usually like and didn't smell like I was skipping through a field of roses with a handsome besotted prince. The clinique write up mentions the miracles it should perform while I sleep "Instantly replaces dull, worn-out surface cells with livelier, more luminous ones. Skin breathes. Accepts moister better. Then, it optimizes up-an-coming cells to help the best and brightest emerge". Wow, that's a lot to live up to, I even feel a little sorry for dull worn-out cells.
I can't confirm that it will optimize your up-and-coming cells, nor confirm it will it search and destroy dull surface cells and find the livelier, more luminous ones (until it's time for their death too). My jar is only small, I did wake up looking fresher, it could be because of sleep but I think the cream was nice, not too heavy and maybe took a few dull, underactive cells and replaced them with not so dull ones. This jar may last two weeks. I'll update up and confirm the status of my luminous cells.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

My Cost-per-wear rule

In early 1990, I purchased my first Country Road suit (navy) and gold Ray-Ban Signet sunglasses on the same day. I knew these would look very LA Law with my Oroton faux pearl necklace as I headed to the office and I would be able to wear them for the rest of my life. A classic suit never goes out of style and who wouldn't want to wear heavy, gold sunglasses every day. This was the first time I used the cost-per-wear rule (CPW). It turned out that besides the fact that I looked terrible in navy, the suit did in fact go out of style and the glasses were worn daily until I couldn't bear the headaches and deep grooves the ridiculously heavy glasses left on each side of my nose. I have made a hundred more mistakes and miscalculated the CPW many times but I am much, much wiser now. There are a few item that receive an automatic CPW pass, they are:
  • Amazing jeans that magically make my butt look awesome;
  • Unusual but beautiful belts, scarf or other accessories (to distract the eyes if the jeans are in the wash);
  • Good running shoes;
  • Technology equipment.
I also have the ability to convince myself that any shoe I really love falls within the boundaries too. I have no problem dragging those delicious, ridiculous, heeled, towers of sexiness out everyday of the week if necessary.


If there is a person on the planet unaware of the Cost-per-wear rule, here is my breakdown of it;
A pair of heels cost $290 and you wear them once. CPW = $290
Wear them once a week (even for half an hour) for one year. CPW = $5.576 (or $2.788 each) 
Continue wearing them for another two years. CPW = $1.858 (or $0.929 each, which is as good as free)
I am currently doing an end of year review of my shoe wardrobe and have found a number of pairs that are struggling to achieve CPW. I am heading out for cocktails at Mon Komo in Redcliffe tonight I have decided that these babies are getting an outing.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Brazilian Bracelets

Early this month one of my favourite blogs, Styling You, ran a summer competition and I was lucky enough to win some jewellery by Kiki Joias.  Kiki Joias is a local company that specialises in Brazilian jewellery.

I generously thinking I might gift them to someone for Christmas but I received the pieces the day before Christmas and there was no way I could give them away. Look at them!! This gorgeous piece is called 10 Commandments.  The ten brown leather bands with gold looks fantastic with summer dresses and brown wedged heels. They have other colours too. I have been wearing it everyday since and people have been stopping me to comment.

These bracelets also have the honor of being the first items photographed in my new light box with my new Nikon micro lens.  The quality of the pictures are awesome, I wish I could take credit but Nikon deserves it. Thank you Styling You and Kiki Joias for my lovely Christmas present.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

I must have been a very good girl, or a very bad girl

Santa has been and gone and we where also lucky enough to have the tooth fairy visit on the same night. My girls were delighted with the snow trail showing that Santa used our toilet and read my NW magazine in there (bad manners, at least he didn't take his milk and cookies in there too).  There were snowy foot and hand prints everywhere as evidence.

We left mounds of ripped paper, empty boxes, metal twists, battery wraps and piles of homeless presents EVERYWHERE!!! to go to church at Clontarf Beach Baptist Church and then to my Aunt and Uncle's home in Scarborough for fantastic day with family, filled with food, laughter, and waterfights.

Santa was very generous to me and you will be lucky to reap the benefits. Not only will my photos improve by leaps and bounds but I am writing this post on my new Chrome book. Pretty awesome. Any woo, it's now 7pm Christmas day which means I am nearly ready for bed.  The only thing that would make my day perfect would be a glass of Amaretto to sip after my lovely girls go to bed.

But, before I go to bed I will have a little bonfire with the NW Santa took to the toilet.

I hope your day was great too.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Strange Christmas Weather!!

It's hard to believe it's the middle of summer. I am wearing my comfortable fur lined boots. These are usually reserved for the wee hours in the dark of winter, not noon Christmas Eve. I am so glad that Santa is bring pool toys for my children. At least they will be able to use them in the river that use to be the road outside my house.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas and a relaxing boxing day.  I am planning on stepping away from the computer, iPad, iPhone, lap top etc for the day.  Unless I receive a new computer toy, then I'll be posting all day.

Friday, December 23, 2011

A Vegetarian's nightmare?

My Peninsula eyes and ears, also know as Lisa van der Zalm (from Car Bizz, Margate), told me to check out Rene's Fine European Smallgoods in Clontarf. Being vegetarian, the idea of wood smoked ham, gourmet sausages and hot salami is not appealing, but Lisa insisted. So like a good little girl, I grabbed my meatitarian 6yo and trotted off across the Peninsula to Clontarf and came across Lisa's husband exiting as I entered. "Hello kind Sir" "Good day 'mam".

I will admit that I wasn't too excited, but this was so much better than I anticipated. I did purchase some meaty products for my husband but I also got some yummy cheeses and they have an awesome selection of jams, german products, etc. Rene uses premium products and is gluten free, their motto is 'Lean, Gourmet, Everyday'

Rene offered my littlie a piece of sausage as we were leaving. She has been raving about it ever since, she thinks it was so good, even I would like it (She is probably right too, but I won't tell her). After three hours of listening to her no-stop drooling about the sausage, I have agreed to take her back tomorrow. What have I raised?

Rene's Fine European Smallgoods
41 Tubbs Street, Clontarf
07 3283 7711



Working with my feet up and eyes closed.

I feel so tired and lazy lately and I am finding it hard to do anything. My housework, gym attendance and dinner making are all suffering. Which means my family is also suffering due to my lethargy.
When I was at a children's party in Margate recently and I met a lovely lady called Margaret.  She was telling me about a movie I should watch called Julie and Julia staring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. You probably know this movie, but incase you don't, it's about Julia Child and a blogger that cooks and blogs her way through Julia Child's cookbook in a year. Margaret thought it was a great movie and due to the blogging theme I should watch it. Well, it was perfect timing. Under the guise of research, I ordered it on Apple TV, put on some comfy clothes, stretched out on the couch and watched it yesterday. Well, I watched until my eyelids got in the way and I watched the rest this morning.

Some of this hit home, like the narcissistic way of writing about myself everyday. I bore myself, I wonder how anyone else can bare it. It made me glad I am not writing about food and cooking. I hate to admit it, but I found Meryl Streep a little annoying, but that was just her character.

Thanks for your suggestion Margy!

I wonder what other 'Blogging' movies there are? Let me know if you think of any, I think I need one more day of research on the couch.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Step back in time

I had heard along the grape vine of a new barber in Margate called  '5 o'clock Shadow'. I had visited their facebook page and the photos looked awesome. I had to visit and I had to bring someone with barber experience.  My husband was my intel on this one.  The place has a older theme and is run by Simon who is young, interesting and, as my husband told me, an excellent conversationalist.

He cuts swiftly and confidently, it sounded like Edward Scissor hands was in the shop. He used the razor to shave the back of my husband neck, this is a big plus. He sell razors too. I have been watching Razor Underbelly on my iPad and really wanted to buy one for protection and carry it in my suspender belt, but he didn't sell suspender belts too so I put that plan on hold.

My husband liked the barber and he even said he is switching from his usual Racecourse Road barber.  Score one for Redcliffe. More importantly, I liked his hair cut. My uncle was so impressed that he stopped by yesterday for a makeover by Simon.

5 o'clock Shadow Barber Shop
0431 392 274
325 Oxley Avenue, Margate
http://www.facebook.com/pages/5-oclock-Shadow-Barbershop




A Ray of Sunshine at Inglots

Yesterday I found myself at North Lakes Westfield AGAIN. You think I would be more organised.  Probably if I stepped away from my computer I would be. I as passed by the Inglot counter for the 20th time this month and called for my girls to get their little fingers out of the colourful pots for the 20th time, I paused and really noticed this shop. Within minutes my fingers were in the colourful pots too. The sales lady spotted me, I dropped my eyes but she came over anyway. I am glad she did.

This lovely ray of sunshine was so lovely and helpful.  She is passionate about the products and I love anyone that is passionate about anything.  So, then there was four of us playing with the colourful pots.  Amy, the delightful make-up lady is a Vlogger, a video blogger and has fantastic helpful make-up tutorials on utube. When we got home, my daughters goggled her and watched a number of her vlogs.  They are so excited to know someone so famous.  Hahaha.

Next time I am at North Lakes (I hope it's not today), Amy is going to be kind enough to help me put together my own Magnetic eyeshadow palette.

You too can find Amy at the Inglot counter, or on utube (search amysass7) and on facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amysass7

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Christmas Effects


My last Christmas polish effect was both disappointing and boring and these are not words I think you should use when describing Christmas anything. My second attempt is so much better. Think exciting, colourful and joyous. This OPI nail polish is so decorative, you could just stick it on the tree like this.  
If you would like to duplicate the effect, I used Napoleon 'Ritzy' (red) on the all the nails but OPI Nicole 'Give me the first dance' (silver) on the ring fingers. Then OPI 'Rainbow Connection' on the tips expect for the ring fingers that were completely covered. Finished off with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-chip Top coat.
I am going to casually point at things all day just so people can see my nails and ohh and ahh over them. See how casually I am pointing at my equally sparkly iPhone. So casual, yet so cool. I am off to the gym now to point at some weights.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Smoke and Mirrors

I unashamedly think of myself as make-up tart, foundation floozy, product junkie, lipstick addict, etc etc.   What I didn't know, was how much I didn't know. I have been so wrapped up in the beauty of the packaging, the scent of the products, the unattainable dream of perfection, the romance of hiding the years and completely missed the skill of application, the knowledge of products.

I have a friend, Rebecca Kate, who is a makeup artist.  I have known Rebecca for a few years and she always looks gorgeous.  I have seen work she has done and her clients are always happy and look amazing. So, I dug deep and worked up the guts to asked if she would drop by and give me a few hints.  She readily agreed.  Now, I could take this two ways:

1. She was tired of looking at my face with great products, poorly applied; or
2. She thought it would be really cool to hang out for an afternoon and talk makeup.

I have decided to go with the second choice because the other one is too painful and embarrassing to contemplate for too long.

Rebecca placed a stool in front of a mirror and over the course of an hour, educated me about products and application.  She would show me her product and then find a similar one in my stash, then show me a way to apply it.  The idea was that at the end of our lesson, I would be able to achieve a similar look with practice within 30 minutes and this time will reduce in time.  I do feel confident that I can achieve this.  But, that's not unusual, sometimes my confidence level exceeds my skill level.
There are not many people that I would place unflattering before photos up for, but the lesson was completely worth it.  Thank you Rebecca you are talented, awesome and I had a wonderful afternoon.

You can find Rebecca on facebook at  www.facebook.com/profile.rebeccakate