Jewellery Haul: House of Harlow, Samantha Wills, PeepToe Shoes, Dogeared Jewels and Gifts

When I went back to Sydney in May, I found myself going through a total jewellery buying binge.

One part of the reason was that I was completely shopping deprived. I don't find shopping in Wellington very fun when I've been spoiled with all the choices we get in Sydney (Oxford St -- I love you! Westfield Sydney -- just your interiors make me happy).

The other part of the reason was I wanted to keep my luggage relatively light since I had to haul my wedding dress back to New Zealand so I knew I could only buy limited clothing. The solution? Stock up on jewellery!! Light, bright and sparkly!

I don't know how but I ended up buying 5 rings! Too excessive?

One of my more exciting purchases is the House of Harlow Moonstone Cushion Cocktail ring I got from The Dark Horse Jewellery.

House of Harlow Moonstone Cushion Cocktail Ring

Look how gorgeous! I have nothing like it and it puts me right on trend with the Aztec craze that's going on at the moment though that had nothing to do with my wanting to get it. I've had lots of compliments with this ring and I absolutely love it!

House of Harlow Moonstone Cushion Cocktail Ring

I got 3 rings from Peeptoe Shoes.

This one is part of their permanent collection and it comes in 15 colours! There's something for everyone. Of course it meant that I loitered around the check-out counter (where they keep them) forever trying every single colour, trying to decide what I wanted the most (and whether I wanted to splurge on a few as they stack together beautifully!)

PeepToe Shoes Crystal Ring in Peach

And of course when I finally decided on the peach, they didn't have it in my size. Suddenly it made the ring much more important to me (the last-one or sold-out obsession syndrome). I scoured a few more stores and online until I realised that the store can order it in for me. And I was exceptionally happy when it came in -- probably a bit more than I should have been! But how can this ring just not make you smile?

PeepToe Shoes Crystal Ring in Peach

This next one was an ooh-they're-having-an-extra-20-percent-off-on-already-reduced-items buy. Who else gets suckered into those? I won't get to use this one as often as so it's so bling-y but it's a fun ring to wear on a night out to dinner or something.

PeepToe Shoes Oversized Crystal Ring

Yes, yes it's a tad oversized...but it's rose gold. Enough said

PeepToe Shoes Oversized Crystal Ring

My eyes are always drawn towards anything with bows and this ring is so petite and adorable that I knew I had to have it especially after I found it was only $10!

PeepToe Shoes Bow Crystal Ring

When I pulled it out to take a picture of it, I realised that I was missing one of the black crystals :( I still love it though.

PeepToe Shoes Bow Crystal Ring

My fifth and final ring was also from Sydney Fashion Weekend. I don't know what brand it is and there's nothing much to say except that when I saw it, my only thought was "dinosaur egg!" And that cinched the decision for me.

Dinosaur Egg Ring

Dinosaur Egg Ring

Hmm I didn't realise that I got so many things from Peeptoe until I started writing this post! This necklace was from Fashion Weekend as well. Not much thought process went into this one. It's cute, it's sparkly and it was cheap. I've had two guy friends compliment me on this necklace and that always surprises me because boys never notice any jewellery!

PeepToe Shoes Crystal Knot Necklace

These earrings are from the Samantha Wills Bridal Collection (again at the Sydney Fashion Weekend). These were an absolute bargain at AU $50 as the SW Bridal can be quite expensive ranging from around AU $110 - 230. My friend Julia spotted these and pulled me over knowing that I needed earrings for my wedding.
I do love them a lot although they are quite heavy. I may have to scout for lighter earrings as I certainly don't want to be thinking about my ear lobes my entire wedding day. But I will definitely be wearing these at my wedding banquet in HK.

Samantha Wills Bridal Earrings

This necklace was an impulse buy at the registers. It was on sale for $20 when I was paying for my SW earrings and I decided to get it under 5 seconds flat. Luckily I really do like it and it sort of goes with my dinosaur ring.

Samantha Wills Necklace

Last but definitely not least, is the necklace from Dogeared Jewels and Gifts. This was my most recent buy. I have to say that I was a tad disappointed when these arrived (I got them from iconic.com.au). The pictures on the website made the little rose gold balls look like they were about a 1cm in diameter. Imagine my surprise when I realised that they were about 0.3 cm in diameter.
I've grown to love it however and it's the only thing I own that is so petite.

Dogeared Jewels and Gifts 3 Wishes Stardust Bead Necklace in Rose Gold

It also comes in gold and silver if your tastes are a bit different to mine!

Some links:
House of Harlow Moonstone Cushion Cocktail ring - link!
Peeptoe Shoes Crystal Ring in Peach - link!
Dogeared Jewels and Gifts 3 Wishes Stardust Bead Necklace in Rose Gold - link!

I can't find links for the other pieces :(

So do you think I went overboard? It looks like I should be set for a while right?
Hopefully this post will come to mind when I feel my next urge to shop for jewellery!


Yve
<3

Tag: How Much is Your Face Worth?

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Monday Questionaire: 27 August 2012

Monday is around again!

It was extremely windy this morning in Wellington which didn't seem to give a good start to the week but it seems to have cleared up a bit which puts me in a better mood :)

1. Mood: Incredulous that I'm leaving for Hong Kong and Hawaii in 2 weeks!

2. Quick! — what’s the first movie quote that comes to mind?
'You had me at "hello" ' - Jerry Maguire

3. Shower or bath?
Shower - not that I don't enjoy baths but it takes so much time to clean the tub and fill it up before getting in! But after you put in the effort, a bath is lovely :)

4. Are you looking forward to any trips or treats this fall?
Well it's actually Spring coming up for me and of course the most exciting trip I am looking forward to is the one to Hawaii to get married next month!

5. Do you have any special pictures or keepsakes at home?
Not right now, because when we moved to New Zealand it was only meant to be 4 months so I didn't bring much with me.

6. I could spend all day ________.
watching my favourite tv shows.

7. How big is too big for hoop earrings?
I'm not much of a hoop earring wearer, so I don't have a big opinion on this but I guess nothing that hangs beyond the edge of your chin.

8. What’s something your inner diva/drag queen would say?
"Be more confident when meeting new people!"

Yes - I tend to be a bit shy.

9. We’re at your favorite ice cream shoppe! What can I get you?

Mint chocolate ice-cream or cookies and cream!

10. Weekly goals:
Finish off organising the last details for the wedding!

Hope you had a good weekend!
Did you want to do the questionaire? Just copy and paste and away you go!

Yve 
<3

1. Mood:
2. Quick! — what’s the first movie quote that comes to mind?
3. Shower or bath?
4. Are you looking forward to any trips or treats this fall?
5. Do you have any special pictures or keepsakes at home?
6. I could spend all day ________.
7. How big is too big for hoop earrings?
8. What’s something your inner diva/drag queen would say?
9. We’re at your favorite ice cream shoppe! What can I get you?
10. Weekly goals:

NOTD: OPI Every Month Is Oktoberfest

I know that I said that I am staying away from nail polishes until the wedding but when I got this nail polish from my friend Elizabeth, I couldn't resist! (But I WILL abstain after this one! I have to!)

Every Month is Oktoberfest is from the new OPI Germany Collection. It's always a bummer that the seasons here are flipped with the northern hemisphere as there is less time to use the colours! They're launching all the dark autumn-y colours here but there's only about a month left of winter!

Every Month is Oktoberfest is a beautiful dark plum-red colour with shimmer in it.

Under sunlight, the polish in the bottle leans towards red and the shimmer is absolutely gorgeous.

The shimmer consists of some gold, purple and red.

To capture the shimmer on the nails, I had to take some pictures near the sunlight which again photographs more red than plum.

However in real life, the colour on the nails leans more toward dark plum.
As you can see, the shimmer is less evident in the last picture but I would say that would be the most accurate swatch.

Even though the colour came out a little different to the bottle, I do absolutely love this polish. The formula was great and was opaque in two coats.

Did you pick anything up from the OPI Germany Collection?

Yve
<3

Friday Questionaire: 24 August 2012

I saw Allison (Amarixe) do this Monday Questionaire and I thought it might be fun to do! Now I know it's not Monday but I really felt like doing one so I'm taking this week's and making it the "Friday Questionaire". But I'll get back on track and start doing them every Monday just cos it looks like a great way to start off the week :)

1. Mood: Ecstatic that I have some people reading my posts!

2. What was your favourite board game as a kid?
Monopoly! A lot of friends got bored of it quickly though cos it always took so long to finish. But I really liked it when we implemented the "worldwide" rules of dumping all the tax, penalty etc money in the middle of the board and you score the lot when you land on Free Parking. Who else used that rule?

3. Do you like your current hairstyle/colour?
That would be a no. I've been growing it out for the wedding to be sure that the hair/makeup artist has enough hair to do the style that I want. So even though it's pretty healthy at the moment, there's no style, it's getting so long that it's sometimes unmanageable and I can't wait to get a colour and cut after the wedding to freshen up my look.

4. Current nail polish:
OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest from the Germany Collection.

5. When is the last time you went to a theme park?
I think that would be Six Flags Discovery in Vellejo, CA in 2008. Wow that was a long time ago, I need to get to another one - I love them!

6. Current outfit: Lounging around in PJ's - it's still the morning :)

7.You're at a movie theatre - what snack do you get?
If I do get anything, it's almost always popcorn but since we usually go to the movies after dinner, I'm usually stuffed so I end up skipping it a lot of the time.

8. What is the one makeup tip you wish you knew 2 years ago?
I wish I knew that blush doesn't have to be scary. I was very wary of using blush once upon a time cos I was worried I would look like a clown. Now it's definitely one of my favourite makeup items - it can awaken your face so much!

9. What is a really classic/popular movie you have never seen?
I haven't seen Pulp Fiction or Top Gun. I went to a movie quiz last night that was organised by my fiance's workmates and I realised how behind I am on cult classics :/ I was completely useless!

10. Weekly goals:
Well the week is almost over but I do have to organise some visa waiver stuff for the family. So I better get that done!

I'll leave you with this picture of a White Bengal Tiger that I took at the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. The tigers are usually orange but both his parents had recessive white genes and he came out this beautiful colour! He was going for a piece of meat thrown into the pool for a demonstration. They're so smart - they know how to close their ears so water doesn't go in while diving. I wouldn't mind him as a pet if he promises he won't make me his lunch. He's just way too cute!

The picture was taken through a glass wall, so it's not the clearest but I like it!

 Did you want to do this questionaire? Just copy and paste the questions below and away you go!

Yve
<3

1.) Mood:
2.) What was your favourite board game as a kid?
3.) Do you like your current hairstyle/colour?
4.) Current nail polish:
5.) When is the last time you went to a theme park?
6.) Current outfit:
7.) You're at a movie theatre... what snack do you get?
8.) What is one makeup tip you wish you knew 2 years ago?
9.) What is a really classic/popular movie you have never seen?
10.) Weekly goals:

Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

So before I get into the review of Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation, I'm going to go into a bit of a ramble about why I never try drug store makeup and the horrible experience I had with it once. If you want to read this then hit storytime!

Back when I was a teenager and working as a pharmacy assistant, I was sent to a makeup training course for Revlon so I could better sell the products at work. I didn't wear any makeup back then so of course I was the perfect candidate to demonstrate products on.
She put on SO much makeup on me (including dark eyeshadows and eyeliners) that when I was heading home on the train, I got constant stares from passer-bys. And when I got home, my mum took one look at me and asked "Did you get punched in the eye?"

The foundation felt heavy on my skin the moment she put it on me and it took me forever to remove all the makeup. Now, I don't remember what foundation she used on me but I can safely say that that experience put me off trying makeup for a while.

It may be part of the reason that I haven't tried any more drug store makeup. But watching Tanya Burr's makeup tutorials on YouTube convinced me to give it a go because her skin looked amazing after she used the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation.

But I digress:

Here is my review!

Took me forever, but this is a good representation of what the Soft Beige colour looks like

I really like the packaging, the shape of the glass bottle is cute and the bright orange lid is fun and ties in with the "wake me up" theme.
You get 30mL of product and it comes in a pump which is always great because I always like the control the amount of product I put on the back of my hand and it also is a lot more hygienic.

The formula felt heavier and thicker than the foundations that I am currently using (NARS Sheer Glow, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua) and I felt like I had to work it in fairly quickly into the skin. One full pump of the foundation was enough for my entire face.

The coverage is light to medium, I can definitely still see my skin through the foundation which I like. It did a great job at canceling some of the redness I had on my chin from some blemishes coming through.

I've been having trouble lately with my skin being really dry and my regular foundations would cling to my dry skin and I can happily say that this foundation didn't do that at all!!

You can see that there is shimmer in the foundation in the tube and in harsh direct sunlight, I can see faint sparkles across my skin (vampire skin?!) but it definitely doesn't look like you chucked glitter all over your face and in most lighting scenarios you cannot see it at all. In fact it probably helps it give the dewy glow finish.

Left: a small pump of Soft Beige shade Right: foundation blended out

I tried it first without setting powder: about 4 hours after I applied it, a small amount of shine started to come through on my cheeks but it didn't make my face look oily, just a healthy glow (this is with a primer underneath too). It definitely got more glow-y as the day went on but it lasted the 10 hours I had it on.

I also tried it with some setting powder and it lasted the entire day perfectly with practically no shine coming through.

It has SPF 15 in it which isn't the best protection you can get so you probably should still wear sunscreen underneath but it's great that it still provides some cover.

It comes in five (six in the UK) different shades which isn't the greatest colour range and a definite downside, the other would be its price tag at NZ $27.99 from Farmers.

It is widely available in Australia at Big W, Coles, Kmart, Target, Priceline, Woolworths.

Overall I quite like the foundation. The best part of it is that it works with my currently dry skin.


Have you tried this foundation? What did you think?


Yve
<3

Review: Impress Press-on Manicures

I've been trying to avoid nail polish the last two months (it's been torture! I look down at my nails and it makes me sad to see them so bare!) because they've been weak and peeling lately and I need them to be strong for next month when I get married (and I want to get a fab manicure!!)

So when I saw Fleur (FleurdeForce) and Louise (Sprinkle of Glitter) wearing the imPress Press-On Manicure on her YouTube videos, I thought this might be a great alternative for me.

I was skeptical when I found out that they were fake nails, I've never used any before and was worried that they would come across tacky. But I was game to try anyway and I got these from my lovely friend Julia as part of my birthday present. I have them both in Lovestruck and Holla.

The package comes with 24 nails with 12 different sizes and there is a little number on the back of each nail so you can easily match the same size for each hand.

After you decide which size nail to use, it's pretty simple from there. You clean your nails with the little alcohol wipe the kit comes with, peel the sticker from the back of the nail and press straight onto your own nail.

One tip though: if you want shorter nails - cut them down to size before you stick them on! The picture above shows me having them on and then I realised that they were way too long for my liking and I had to cut them down to size while they were stuck on my nails - not the easiest!
You can also file them down to a shape you want using the little file that comes with the kit.

Since I've never worn fake nails before, they did feel weird on my fingers and didn't look too natural to me - they bulged out a little - but that's when I'm examining them closely. When I inspect them a bit further away, they look cute.

I was always aware of their presence though and I realised how important the placing of them were. A couple of nails I stuck too close to the cuticle so when I used those fingers to do things, it would push the nail into my skin and make it uncomfortable. But if you place them too far away from the nail bed, it may leave a small gap where strands of hair get stuck (if you're running your fingers through your hair during the day or washing your hair).

Infact, after one day of using them -- one got caught in my hair while in the shower and came clean off. I couldn't even find it, I kept thinking it was stuck in my hair so I brushed my hair out very carefully to try to get it out - but nothing did! So I guess it fell down the shower drain (either that, or I have a bright pink and orange floral coloured nail stuck to the back of my head right now... hmm fashionable).

By the third day, another nail fell off :(  And I gave up and took them all off. For the record, it is easy to take them off, I didn't even need to soak them in nail polish remover or anything.

The packaging does say it lasts up to a week (with a disclaimer saying "when applied properly") - so maybe it's just my incompetence :)

So while I think they're very cute, I don't think they are for me. Probably useful for a quick on-the-go manicure or a special event (as they're not particularly cheap!)
I suppose you could lower the cost per wear if you buy some nail glue and reuse them.

They're not easy to come by but there is an eBay seller that sells two sets of them for US$17 (not including shipping).

Have you used the imPress Manicures? Did they work for you?

Yve
<3

Review: F.A.B Ultra Repair Cream

In all my life, I've never had dry facial skin. But when I moved to New Zealand about a year and a half ago, the constant windy cold weather brought a problem to me that I never had to deal with before.

I was at a total loss at what to do -- suddenly my foundations wouldn't blend in properly and annoyingly clung to all the dry patches on my face.

So I had to switch up my facial moisterisers to try to find one that would help me. I heard that F.A.B (First Aid Beauty) had come to New Zealand and after seeing Fleur's review, I was very interested in trying it.

F.A.B was launched by Lilli Gordon in 2009 when she realised that all the products in the market "worked but felt like medicine, felt great but were not effective, or smelled wonderful but made her sensitive skin red and irritated". So she created a range that would give all the therapeutic benefits to people with tough skin conditions without having to compromise on luxury.

I gave the F.A.B Ultra Repair Cream a try. And I have to say I really like it.

It feels like a thick formula however it blends fast into the skin without leaving any greasy residue or shine.

It's fragrance-free so it just smells like normal sorbolene cream that you can get at a pharmacy. I feel like my foundations have been blending better into my skin and I haven't broken out while using it. I only use it on my face but it can be used on the body as well.

Basically it does everything it claims and that's the way it should be!

I got it in the 170.1g because it is more economical but it does come in a tube with 56.7g if you wanted to get a smaller one to test out, travel with or to throw in your handbag for convenience.

In New Zealand you can get it at Farmers for $34 (or $19 for the tube) and you can also get it exclusively at David Jones in Australia.

It is also available at Feel Unique which offers free delivery worldwide (whose eyes light up when they see free delivery? *raises hand and waves*)

I'm interested in testing some of the other products in the brand but not sure where to start. Have any tried any? What would you recommend?

Yve
<3

The first post!

Who really knows what to write about when it is the first post?!

Maybe I'll just start with why I am starting this blog:

I just turned 29 a few days ago and I wanted to try something new and since I've been enjoying other people's fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogs recently, I thought I'd try my hand at it!

This blog won't specifically be about one topic, basically it will range from posts of beauty products I love (or not!), fashion and lifestyle - I'll just jump around to things that I love or obsess with at the time.

And no one is probably going to read this but friends so helloooo to who is here reading this.

I'm going to publish this now and get the dreaded first post out of the way and hopefully my first official blog will be up soon!

Yve
<3