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Tuesday 31 March 2015

Monthly Favourites: March 2015


samsung tabS, samsung tablet

meadowlark hexagon cocktail ring, rose quartz ring


I've not written a monthly favourites post in a while and the last few weeks I've found a few new things I really love. It's a lot less beauty oriented this month but I always love seeing miscellaneous bits people enjoy too. I'm expecting the next couple of months will be pretty hectic (I can disclose why in a few weeks) so if I go MIA for a while you'll all know why. I'll do a full disclosure closer to the time - long story short some very exciting things are in the works. Anyway, as always I ramble too long so I'll shut up and get on with the important stuff.

Anastasia Beverley Hills Brow Wiz in Taupe
If you've been following me a while you'll know I've been a fan of the Anastasia brow products a while. You can see my first impressions of the dip-brow here. I've been using the brow wiz for a while now and it's gradually taken over my brow territory fromy its waxy brother. The little spoolie at one end is great for getting brows into shape then the wind up nib at the other end is very fine meaning you can get a great looking shape and create very natural "hair like" strokes rather than a general washboard colour like the pomade provides. I've just bought it in a darker shade as well because I always love a more intense brow in the cooler months.

LUSH Mask of Magnaminty
This mask in short is heaven for problematic and high maintenance skin. This is the self preserving version and it's absolutely gorgeous. I've just about finished the large tub and have got about 10 full (very generous) masks out of it. The mint is very cooling and refreshing, the honey is calming and antiseptic for spotty skin in a very gentle way. The smell is super fresh and even though it's quite scrubby it's mild enough to use frequently. My skin hasn't looked so clear in years and I put at least part of it down to this mask. I'll definitely be repurchasing.

Samsung Tab S - 10.5 inch 32gig
This is my new baby, I'm writing this very post on it right now. I wanted something small and portable that was good for editing photos on in a basic way on the run as well. A few if my favourite features include the photo editing program, super easy to follow and it saves a copy of each edit you do in case you change your mind. The Playlist generating software is amazing too - there's little grid keypad that you swipe over to decide your mood and it creates a Playlist for you just from that. The image quality is amazing and of course it's very light and user friendly. I'll need a laptop again in the future but in the mean time this is more than adequate - in the very least I can keep up with my blog posts much more easily.

Panasonic RP-DJS200 headphones
I love listening to music, it's on when I'm in the car, going to sleep,  in the office - just all the time really. Because of that and listening to it with ear buds that sit right in your ears which in the long run isn't fantastic. Years ago I had some great Sony headphones similar to these so thought it was about time I replaced them. Short of spending 500 bucks on some Beats by Dre (my budget is not oriented that way...) these were a great alternative.

Meadowlark Hexagon Cocktail Ring
I'd had my eye on this ring for a while and finally purchased it about a month ago. The rose quartz is so muted but beautiful and is quite understated for such a bold design. I had to order it especially due to my tiny fingers and it was well worth the wait. Meadowlark is hands down my favourite jewelery brand and this is one of my most loved pieces by them.

Claire x
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Tuesday 24 March 2015

NailHür Nails - Try Ons and Review

nail hur, samantha, batalash nails

nail hur, glamazon, stiletto nails

Up until recently I had always been dubious about sticking acrylic nails to my fingers. I knew the glue and removal process could sometimes be quite damaging and given my propensity to be a bit *ahem* rough I thought it was also quite likely I'd end up snapping my nail off and taking my real nail with it. I had heard Samantha from Batalash mention she had done a collaboration to get a set of acrylics of her signature style made.  Naturally I investigated that because who doesn't want some black Sam talons? I bought my first two sets on sale - yes you need to pay for shipping but even to New Zealand it's pretty minimal and the nail sets claim to be reusable - for $15 ND I thought even if I only got one use it was still cheaper than getting a set done here.aside from that shipping was super quick too.

For my first order I bought the Samantha and the Glamazon sets - both are stiletto nail styles and each set comes with 24 nails in various sizes. I was a little worried given my miniscule pinky finger they might not fit but there are extras inside each box for stupidly small fingers if you're like me too. They also come with glue, instructions and a nail file to shape your nails after you've applied them.

In terms of the nails themselves I loved them - I repurchased again before I'd even removed my first set. I've since also tried the Cosmo Chic set but found they didn't wear as well as the stiletto counterparts did. They're incredibly easy to apply - I just picked out which nail was going where, lined them all up in a row and then glued them on. The instructions tell you to apply a drop and then stick them on, I found if I spread the glue out a little more they applied better, we're less prone to popping off and the edges didn't peel or separate as quickly.

nail hur,  snap on nails


Both sets wore fantastcically but I especially liked the Samantha set, they were easier to file, felt like real nails and are quite flexible meaning they sit on top of your natural nail quite nicely.  The Glamazon was great too though a little harder to shape and the matte pink nails were showing a bit of wear around the edges after a week. However from normal nail observation distance (do you all get what I mean by that...?) they still got plenty of compliments.

In terms if removal it's very easy to get them off - I would recommend not being too heavy handed with the glue though as its better to have to reapply sooner rather than having to rip the nail off because it's growing out. All you need to do is soak your hands in hot water for a minute or two and gently pry the nail off with a cuticle stick. I usually did this after a week of wear, often the top of my natural nail was a little rougher than usual but again this really depends on how I aplied the glue and how long I'd been using acrylics for already. After about 5 weeks of continual use my nails are a bit weaker but all I needed to do was buff the top layer gently to get rid if any rough bits. I don't think I would recommend these to people with very brittle nails but if you are keen for acrylics I'd say these gems are the way to go. On the odd occasion that I did knock a nail about it usually just popped off leaving no real damage to my natural nail at all for those of you as clumsy as me.

I've got two sets of these nails waiting for me now - all up they create a very strong statement and are super fun to wear (who needs a tea spoon to get my tea bag out of my tea when I essential have tweezers on the end of my hands?!).

Would you try these? (For more photos of these nails check my instagram)

Claire x


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Monday 9 March 2015

Focus On : Peppermint

Thought it was about time I did the next installment of my "Focus On" series - this time I went for mint. Peppermint is such a refreshing scent and has a bunch of benefits both for the skin and for your insides if you use it in your diet.

peppermint frank, mask of magnaminty, fair trade, burts bees, lush cosmetics


Mint is great for pepping you up - using a shower gel or soap with mint in it in the morning is a lovely way to get yourself going without a coffee the size of a small keg first thing. An old favourite of mine is Dirty shower gel from Lush - it's bright blue, super fresh and leaves you feeling squeaky clean. Lovely post-workout if you're a morning gym bunny too (or just a "slow-riser" like myself...)

Mint is also great for problematic skin, it soothes redness and spots and is mildly antiseptic due to the menthol content. A favourite mask of mine is Mask of Magnaminty, I prefer the self-preserving version as it's a little more gentle on sensitive skin. It's very refreshing and leaves a lovely cooling feeling on your skin even when you wash it off with hot water.

I've always found minty products to be great for brightening dull skin as well - again I feel like it might have to do with the menthol encouraging blood flow but a particularly wonderful product for this that incorporates mint is of course Peppermint Frank (I'll stop raving about this product one day but today is not that day). Wonderfully invigorating and cooling, like Dirty shower gel it's great post-work out to soothe muscles and makes you feel super clean (bit like that post-tooth brush clean feeling except on your whole body). I love to follow up post-workout with Fair Trade Foot Lotion too - this combination is soothing and restorative for tired muscles and feet.

Because mint encourages circulation and blood-flow it can act as a lip-plumper when used in lip products. A lovely one for this is Burt's Bees beeswax lip balm. Scrubbed smooth lips with a generous layer of balm is a must for me - great during makeup application too to get the best lipstick application and wear possible.

As for your insides, mint is great for digestion - there's a reason "After 8 mints" are a thing. I personally prefer my post-dinner mint in tea form. Steeped for a few minutes it's a nice way to wind down for the evening and if you suffer from travel sickness a great way to alleviate some of those problems too. If tea is a pain there's always good old Extra Spearmint gum (sugar free of course...) - I chewed my way through a lot during the windy parts of a recent South Island road trip.

Claire x
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Tuesday 3 March 2015

Favourite Bloggers


After reading Zoe's post here on blog love I decided it was about damn time to post about my absolute favourites - they all have top notch writing, photography and a real presence on social media.

ZoeLondon - The lovely woman that inspired this post in the first place. Her style is entirely different from mine but I love how she presents herself both physically and in her online presence. She's a very real and genuine writer and posts on such a variety of topics (and so frequently) there's always something new to read from her. She has such an energetic and wonderful presence on her blog and social media. Incidentally she also just celebrated her blogs 5th birthday - an inspiration in itself when I struggle at times to keep posting (can you tell...?).

Gh0stparties - Kate is another Kiwi with a blog and photography skills I can only dream of. Her photography is always impeccable and she has such a fantastic sense of humour I frequently find myself laughing at her little aside comments on her blog posts and on instagram/twitter. Not to mention she also has a seriously cute and photogenic cat who frequents her blog and instagram.

HelloOctober - Suzie is the person who really kick started me into finally making a go of blogging again. She's so down to earth, puts huge amounts of effort into her work and it really shows. I've been following her blog/youtube channel for a few years now (eeek how time flies) and have always enjoyed both.

BeautyCrush I think Sam was the first youtuber I ever started watched - a great number of years ago now. Her blog and channel are so beautifully presented, her photos are gorgeous and she's got such a down to earth personality. I adore her style and have makeup envy when she does her winged eye-liner - how does she get it perfect every time?!

Who are your favourite bloggers/youtubers?

Claire x

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