Gift Haul - Stella McCartney, MAC & Handmade Goodies!

Hey everyone :)


TGIF! It still blows me away how quickly each Friday comes around again. And I hate to be the one to bring it up, but February has well and truly started! I'm in denial still, I think.


I finally had the chance to do some filming on Wednesday, so I've decided to make a blog post to accompany my latest Youtube video. This Gift Haul (yes, another one... I am incredibly spoilt lately!) shows a recent contest prize that I won, some MAC pigments and some gorgeous handmade goodies too...


Check it out if you haven't already!

Recently I entered a giveaway on another Youtube channel, and actually won the prize! It was the 'LOVE' bangle from the Stella McCartney for Target Collection, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be wearing it as I write this post. The bangle is now worth about AU$180 to purchase online, so I'm taking very, very good care of it as you can imagine!

The channel is fallenangel7431, and Danielle has become a great friend of mine through Youtube! She is a trained makeup artist and posts some incredible videos; I definitely recommend checking out her channel if you haven't already. She is originally from the US, living in Australia, and is a real inspiration to me when it comes to all things makeup & skincare.

She was also incredibly kind to send me a set of MAC Pigments (5 Sexpot Smoky Mini Pigments/Glitter) that hadn't been getting much love in her makeup collection. I was so surprised to discover this extra box when opening my package from her! Thank you SO much Danielle; it was incredibly kind to do that, and I absolutely adore the pigments :)

MAC Sexpot Smoky Mini Pigments/Glitter

MAC Sexpot Smoky Mini Pigments/Glitter

From L to R - Reflects Antique Gold, Dark Soul, Chocolate Brown, Sunnydaze, Naked

My friend Heather was also kind enough to send me the most gorgeous handmade goodies! She is incredibly creative and talented. As well as being in high school and running her multiple Youtube channels, she likes to experiment with different crafts. The things she made for me are just gorgeous, and I'm so appreciative.


You can check out Heather's beauty channel by clicking on the link above!

Gorgeous handmade card from Heather!

I love the three-dimensional aspect and the contrasting textures!

All the goodies that Heather handmade for me!

Twin brush holders, made from tins covered with black & white felt.
The ribbon and button detailing is so cute, and I love all things personalised!

A gorgeous pair of handmade earrings!

A handmade necklace! I'm really loving this purple jewellery box, too :)

A handmade necklace. Love the design!

All in all, I think we can agree that I am extremely lucky to have such wonderful friends! A HUGE thank you, again, to both Danielle and Heather for being such fantastic human beings.


Have a great weekend everyone!

xoxo Megs

MIA just doesn't cover it!

Hey everyone!

I hope 2011 is off to a happy, healthy and productive start for you! It's quite dizzying to think how quickly the days, weeks and months go by lately - each year it seems even faster than the one before. I noticed my last blog post was late November last year; oh dear!! I really seem to have lost control of that one ;)

So here I am, to grovel and beg your forgiveness! I am only just catching up on the blogs I follow, and read a fantastic post by my good friend Karlee - things she's been loving in January. I've always enjoyed posts like these, so I thought I would share her blog with you:

Karlee's Blog - aussietiger29

Karlee is amazing with everything nail-related, and her Youtube videos and blog posts provide an amazing wealth of information and ideas on polishes, nail care, storage, swatching and nail art. I have taken much inspiration from her lately! If you enjoy painting your nails, or would like to learn more about it, definitely take a few minutes to check her out. Her Youtube channel also includes great videos on makeup, skincare, organisation and books :)

Karlee's Youtube Channel - aussietiger29

So a big 'thank you' to Karlee for inspiring me to finally make another post! ;)

Things I've Been Loving in January...

1. My babies! - The four little rodent children just get cuter day by day, I swear. I suspect that when my back is turned, they plot ways to overwhelm me with their cuteness.

2. Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream - My Burt's went neglected for many months after I first bought it. No longer! I've been using it an average of four times per day! I'm not tempted to pick at my cuticles when they're hydrated :)

3. Lush Snow Fairy Solid Perfume - I bought several of these just after Christmas 2009, and then never got around to using them. Now I know what I've been missing! Let's just say I've been wearing Snow Fairy daily on my pulse points :)

4. Doing my makeup again, even though I'm working from home - At first I was too lazy to bother with makeup working from home...but, lately, I've found it really boosts my mood, and allows me to start working through my treasure trove of products.

5. Muesli for breakfast - I can't get enough of fruit & muesli lately! 1 cup of Aldi gourmet muesli, chopped fruit, honey & skim milk. Yum! Very filling.

6. Op-shop book buying! - I recently went op-shopping (thrift or second-hand stores) with Karlee, and picked up a huge pile of great fiction books for $1 to $2 each. I think I'm on to an amazing thing, here!

7. Rose rings and black cuffs - My two current jewellery obsessions ;)

8. Colourful cushions - I own two: a gorgeous rainbow cushion, and a striped cushion my Mum made. Seeing them on my bed brightens each and every day!

9. Vampire Diaries is back on this Thursday! - Woot! I've been re-watching the most recent episodes in anticipation of the next one being released. Finally, Damon & Stefan will be visiting my bedroom again ;)

10. All the amazing friends that I'm honoured to have in my life!

(in no particular order) Em, Karlee, Jody, Cindy, Tina, Linda, Shay, Heather...love you all, girls!!

Breakfast of champions - fruit, muesli & skim milk

One of my three, beloved rose rings!

My rainbow cushion

Another gorgeous cushion made by Mum

Bella - My Little, White, Fluffy Angel

Bonkers - Little Man

Alice - Plump Dumpling

Snappy - She's a Lady!

Nap time!

xoxo Megs

My Skincare Routine

Hello again!

Two posts in one week. I bet I know what you're thinking! Schmeggyroo is very ill. She must be, because she's not herself. I would take my temperature myself if I had a thermometer on hand. Strangely enough, I do not. I'll just go with it for now! I've learnt the hard way to take advantage of motivation when it strikes, and quickly before it goes again ;)

My latest Youtube video shows this routine, which has been much requested by friends and subscribers alike over the last few months. I'd just like to say a huge thank you to everyone for their patience! I did get there in the end. The bonus is that I'm very happy with my current products; all of them I can recommend.

If you haven't checked out the video already, now's your chance! It'll put the rest of this blog post into perspective - watch it here!

My Skin

If I could somehow 'harvest' my face at the end of the day, I might just be Australia's next big Oil Tycoon! There is that much. Seriously. Maybe I have two careers, and one of those is Full Time Oil Control Management. With oily skin comes blocked pores and blemishes; I struggle with both.

Thankfully my multitude of freckles does wonders to disguise these things! *silver lining*

My breakouts are not confined to any one area of the face, unfortunately. I need to treat every square centimetre for the potential volcano that lies beneath....and that's where my skincare products come in!

With foundation! Were you really expecting to see me without it? :P

Cleanser

Let me summarise by saying - Natio Young Cleanser is my new love! Along with my Natio Young Oil-Free Moisturiser, I feel it's made the single biggest different to my skin - in particular preventing blemishes. I use it twice daily.

I purchased this cleanser on sale at Priceline for $9.95, which was 20% off the regular price. It's a gel cleanser that foams well, has a nice fragrance and removes all traces of dirt and oil effectively. Please comment on this blog post if you'd like a review. I'll bump it to the front of the queue! It's the very least I can do. My poetry is nothing new ;)

Natio Young Wash It Off Cleanser

Natio Young Wash It Off Cleanser

 

Toner

Sometimes the 'simple' things in life really are the best! This is my third bottle of Simple Soothing Facial Toner, and it's always worked well for me. This gentle toner contains chamomile and is 100% alcohol free. I use it twice daily. Applied with a cotton pad it removes any traces of dirt and makeup left behind after cleansing.

This product also cost under $10 from Priceline. In my opinion it's 'No. 1 in the UK' for a reason!

I've actually done a full-length review of this toner on my YT channel - check it out!

Simple Soothing Facial Toner

Simple Soothing Facial Toner

Moisturiser

You can guess this one I'm sure! My favourite oil-free moisturiser is also from the Natio Young range. Like the cleanser, I picked this one up for $9.95 at Priceline (20% off). Like the cleanser, it also has a lovely fragrance. The texture is light on the skin and it's easily absorbed, and my skin feels nourished without being oily. No small feat, let me tell you!

I use this moisturiser when staying indoors during the day, and at night - otherwise it's replaced by my trusty sunscreen, even in winter. Well....most of the time!

Natio Young Oil Free Moisturiser

Natio Young Oil Free Moisturiser

Pore Strips

Biore Pore Strips have a great reputation, and in my opinion it's well deserved. To be honest, I can't think of a single other brand of pore strips! I'm sure they exist, but I just can't pass up the Biore pack. The Combo pack is my favourite version, with both face and nose strips - 14 in total. I picked up this pack at my local Woolworth's for under $10.

I use these strips once weekly (or when I remember!), and I trim the face strip into two halves for more versatility. The strips apply with water and can be removed after 10 minutes. Let's not even talk about what comes out of my pores! *shudders*

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

Combo Pack - 14 Face & Nose Strips

Masks

I seem to have a serious problem with masks. At one stage I owned four of them! Now the tally is down to two, thankfully, and they are both fantastic products.

My Arbonne Exfoliating Masque with Thermal Fusion was more expensive, but gee does it work! I think this particular one has been discontinued, but Arbonne have plenty of other masks available and I can highly recommend the brand. I won't bore you with the details here, but depending on your budget you may find their ethics and products very tempting!

Here's the Arbonne website, if you're interested - take a peek!

Arbonne Intelligence Exfoliating Masque with Thermal Fusion

Arbonne Intelligence Exfoliating Masque with Thermal Fusion

My Formula 10.0.6 Oil-Absorbing Mud Mask was a steal - under $10, again from Priceline. It has a very smooth application, and does wonders for oily skin. Let's face it - who really does have 'time to shine'?

Not that I'm complaining, but this mask seems to be lasting forever! I'm guessing Mr Potter (or more likely, Miss Granger) has cast some sort of 'extending spell' on it, because no matter how many times I apply it, it never seems to run out :P

Formula 10.0.6 No Time To Shine Oil-Absorbing Mud Mask

Formula 10.0.6 No Time To Shine Oil-Absorbing Mud Mask

Exfoliant
My current scrub is also by Arbonne. The 'Exfoliating New Cell Scrub' is part of their FC5 range, which has the most gorgeous all-natural fragrance. I could sit smelling these products all day. The granules in this scrub are quite fine and small, so it doesn't feel harsh on the skin. I use this two to three times per week; occasionally with the assistance of an electric toothbrush for maximum exfoliation!

Arbonne FC5 Exfoliating New Cell Scrub

Arbonne FC5 Exfoliating New Cell Scrub

Sunscreen
Last but not least (and I mean that!) is my Arbonne SPF30+ Sunscreen. I use this in place of my moisturiser during the day, when I plan to be outside. It absorbs exceptionally well into the skin, and I have no problems wearing makeup over the top. It lacks that typical strong 'sunscreen' smell too, which is great. I use this on my face, neck, hands and any other parts of the body exposed to the sun and UV.

Arbonne Damage Control Water-Resistant Sunscreen SPF30

Arbonne Damage Control Water-Resistant Sunscreen SPF30

So that just about does it for my skincare routine! Apart from my Simple Soothing Toner, all of these products I have yet to review on Youtube. If you have any requests or preferences for reviews, leave a comment below and I can pri-ORI-tise!

Just remember, it's a woman's perogative to change her mind - and I am always on the quest to find something better when it comes to skincare. Heck, I just like trying new things for some variety! I have no doubt that there will be many more skincare routine posts to come.

Now, I'm interested: what are your favourite skincare products? What does your routine involve? Feel free to comment below, or even post a video response to my Youtube video :)

I hope this was interesting to some of you! I hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend. You deserve it!

xoxoxo Schmeggyroo (TGIF!)

My first nail art attempt!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend :)

Good friends, good times!

I spent an amazing Friday night with a good friend Karlee (aussietiger29 on Youtube!) celebrating the end of her uni studies. We'd been looking forward to it for weeks! We shared in some naughty-yet-delicious food and wine, pampered ourselves with facials and pedicures and even managed to fit in some man-candy before bed (in the form of One Tree Hill!).

The next morning we prepared to speak to one of our good friends Emily (4theluvofmakeup on Youtube) on Skype together! Emily lives in the United States, but we would never let that get in the way of a good friendship. Em has been inviting us to visit her all year, and I have to admit I am  very temtped to make that trip my next saving goal! Nothing would make me happier right now than shopping with friends and having a great time in good company.

Em had very generously sent Karlee and I a massive package each, filled with unknown goodies! The plan was to open the packages while on Skype to Em, so she could enjoy watching our faces and our reactions. It was such a fantastic experience! Em has truly spoiled us, and her gifts were thoughtful and gorgeous. I loved absolutely everything she got me, and I'm incredibly grateful and overwhelmed at her generosity!

I've just uploaded a Youtube video showing everything she got me: Check out my gift haul video!

Nail art experiments

Em got me quite a few new polishes, so of course I was quick to try some out on my nails. After my usual Sally Hansen Diamond Shine Base & Top Coat, I applied two coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri polish in 30 'Snappy Sorbet' - more orange than melon to me! The super wide brush was a dream to use, although the formula was very thick. Perhaps the thickness is needed to properly load the wider brush? hmmmm....I think this one will need more trials before I can review it properly.

Em had also sent me two nail art polishes - my very first! They are both L.A. Colors Art Deco Nail Art Lacquers; one in white and one in black, both a creme finish. The thin, tapered brushes worked like a dream. My imagination hasn't yet evolved to the world of nail art, so all I managed were some thing brush strokes on each nail! If you are into nail art, please be kind and don't mock my terrible design :P We all have to start somewhere, right?

 To me, this looks a little like a tiger design - that's my story, anyway :P I finished off with my Sally Hansen Diamond Shine as a top coat too, and so far the design is wearing really well - no chipping after three days.

As some of you may know, I am attempting to work from home at the moment - this is the best solution I can think of to have an income while my back is giving me such grief. My rat babies are of course overjoyed by this turn of events - play time all the time! They absolutely love being out during the day, and leaping around on my bed or the desk. I'm finally becoming a work-at-home mum!

Bonkers, AKA Little Man - although he's not so little anymore!

Talk to you all soon!

xoxo megs <3

My no-spend period!

Hey guys!

I hope everyone's having a great week so far!! I really can't quite believe it's Thursday already, feels like Monday was just yesterday. The end of the year is notorious for speeding up time! The weekends just seem closer and closer together, and the Christmas period starts looming in a really formidable way. I should be more excited about the holiday, but if I'm not ready and organised for it (which, let's face it, I never am!) it's just too stressful to enjoy. Around about this time (mid-November), I always find myself wishing and hoping that time will slow down and somehow things will magically come together.

This year in particular has been a shocker...which naturally means I'm even more frantic now than usual! Due to a pretty painful back condition I haven't been able to work much at my new job, which is at a dental practice about half an hour from home in the city. Finally now I'm driven to work despite the pain and work suddenly won't let me back!!! I won't express my frustration, for fearing of violating your minds with my expletives. Work now seems to think that having me work on-site while injured could lead to serious legal consequences for them. Fair enough - but I neeeeed money!

Don't make me work a suburban corner people, because that will not be pretty :P Anyway, after lengthy discussions and delays, work has agreed to let me work from home in a way that I can deal with the back problems. Thank god for that! I'll hopefully be ready to start that tomorrow or Monday, once the internet connections and passwords are set up. I'm so incredibly grateful that they've given me this option! So while I'm financially dying right now I understand things could be worse if work was unsupportive.

Long story short, my current focus is to use all the products (hair, skincare, makeup, bath & body) that I already have in my collection. Despite all my day-dreaming and chronic wish-list making, I know deep down that I have some great products, and a lot of them need some attention. It's so tough though! Asking a person who buys Shop Til You Drop magazine each month (well, until recently anyway!) to give up buying anything is like asking a ho to give up crack cocaine....

It's been HARD, there's no denying it - but I've been very strict and my friends have been very supportive. They know exactly what to say and when to say it, to stop me in my excited, crazed-shopaholic tracks :P

So in the spirit of acknowledging what great products and other random things I'm loving right now, here are some of my current favourites!

• Natio Young Gel Cleanser and Oil Free Moisturiser - finally, something helping my blemishes!
• New hair care products - Schwarzkopf Extra Care Deep Nutrition Shea Cashmere Shampoo, Conditioner and Leave-In Treatment.
• DKNY Pure fragrance - and wearing it at home, where no one can enjoy it except me.
• My GHD, which I busted out today for the first time in ages.
• Sugarbaby Fairy Gloss Lip Glaze in 'Wizard' (clear with multi-coloured shimmer).
• BYS Lipstick in Champagne Rain (an extremely opaque nude, have to use this sparingly)
• Drinking at least 10 glasses of water per day (and no soft drink for once).
• Avon Footworks Intensive Callus Cream + one pair of fluffy socks :)
• Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, with
• Burt's Bees Beeswax & Banana Hand Creme
• Paramore's album 'Brand New Eye's - STILL!
• Katy Perry's song 'Firework' - literally brings a tear to my eye every time.

I hope you're all having a wonderful week so far! Only one more day until the weekend :D What do you have planned for the 2 days? Have you prepared for Christmas yet? Done your Christmas shopping? I'd love to hear what you've been up to, so don't be shy to comment below ;)

Take care for now!
xoxo Megs

First time blog-ramblings!

Hey everyone! Everyone? :P I can't imagine anyone will be reading this until I put the link out there on YT, but I still have hope! Someone may stumble across this accidentally and be amazing by my literary prowess and advanced html and editing skills (sarcasm).

Don't worry though - I'm totally at peace with updating this for my eyes only! I keep a pretty detailed 'diary' using OpenOffice on my computer, where I jot notes on just about everything:

• Wish list and product obsessions!
• Hauls - I write down everything I purchase, sadly :) Otherwise I forget when, where and how much!
• Commentary on what I've been up to.
• Menu plans (which I seldom stick to!)
• To-do lists (which I TRY to stick to), and
• Any brainstorming from the million-and-one magazines I buy each month!

So it makes sense for me to put everything online, where it may some day be useful to someone else as well as me :) My only concern is how regular I'll be with updating this! Not that I'm trying to sabotage myself, but I just have to look at my history with sticking to tasks to feel some doubt....lol. One of my more challenging personality traits and one that I am trying desperately to change! So I would appreciate ALL the help I can get from you guys - a kind word, a kick in the butt, whatever your motivation-style is!

I'm off work sick again today, soooo frustrating - but that's definitey another story for another time. I've finally been catching up on my YT subscriptions this morning! I'm so, so excited about it, it's one of the few things in life I can always count on to bring me enjoyment, relaxation and inspiration! Sometimes I wonder whether watching beauty videos is superficial, but it only takes two seconds to come to my senses and realise: NO! It's the best thing to know such incredible people and learn so much.

Right now I'm stretching my back out, sitting on my couch in my parents' lounge :) Just had some raisin toast (one of my all time favourite breakfasts!) and a cup of coffee, so I'm feeling pretty smug right now! Back in the day I had a terrible way of coping with stress at my previous job - buying 2 slices of thick-cut raisin toast and a large, skim-milk flat white from McCafe :P Oh dear! I did it way too often, it was a total addication for me. But at the time, getting to work at 6.45am in the morning and not finishing until 6.00pm, it was the little treat that got me through!


My main goal for today is to NOT go the shops - I wonder how long I'll last? Ever since I swatched the Revlon Colorburst lipsticks on the back of my hand at Big W, I've been OBSESSING over them :/ There are probably 5 shades or more that I want to buy! And full price (RRP) in Australia is $22.95 :(

On the Revlon Australia website (http://products.revlon.com.au/lips), they list their 'claims' for these lippies:

• Elasticolor - technology hugs lips with a burst of virtually weightless color
• Innovative formula provides a high-pigment colour release in just one swipe
• Film-forming polymers for longer wear and lip conditioning
• Moisturisers and anti-oxidants, including Sweet Almond Oil to improve lip texture

All I know is that they feel incredible on the skin! They have a gorgeous, creamy texture, great pigmentation and beautiful shades :D Hopefully that will translate just as well on the lips. There are ideally SIX shades I'd love to get (yes, I'm terrible, I know!), but that would mean spending just under $138! Wow! I did some searching on Ebay and there are some shades available, but I'm not sure yet if I want them enough to commit to ordering online.

At the moment, and this is open to frequent change, my most wished-for shades are:

1. Peach
2. Mauve
3. Blush
4. Soft Suede
5. Rosy Nude
6. Hazelnut

Plus the packaging is to DIE for!! A quilted look black bullet, and the shape of the lipstick itself is so refined. So yes, for the rest of the day I will be dreaming of buying them all! lol.

If you've read this far - thank you! Well done! I'm off now to watch more YT and have another coffee, of course. I hope all you lovelies have a wonderful day, evening or night - whatever the case may be!

xoxo Meghan