5 Instagram Obsessions

Out of all of my apps i'd have to say that instagram is probably my favourite of them all. I've always been a lover for all things well photographed so it should come as no surprise that I have a few accounts that have caught my eye and made me fall in completely in love. When following 408 instagram accounts, it gets slightly difficult to keep up with the ever-changing cycle that is my feed but these 5, never seem to fail to make me swoon! So in no particular order, these are my current favourite instagrams: 

@jesslovesfred

New York based Aussie gal, @jesslovesfred has a beautiful instagram with a selection of fashion, knick knacks, food and images of New York/Sydney. She is a total enabler, constantly featuring beautiful jewellery and fashion pieces that make you think 'okay i need that.' I absolutely love her style!

@gh0stparties

Gh0stparties is a fairly recent discovery for me. I originally found her blog which I instantly liked but it was her instagram that I fell head over heels for. Her posts are very interior focused (which I love). Her style is all kinds of dreamy; clean, crisp, white- but a little bit eclectic too. Honestly her apartment is total future inspiration for when I move out!

@kimle__

Sydney based, Kim's instagram is what I would describe to be quite 'blue'. Nearly every second photo involves something to do with water which I love. I think it is partly because she lives near the sea (total envy). She is an avid VSCO lover like myself so her aesthetic is totally up my street. 

@vko______

Vivienne is another Sydney based 'grammer (my nickname for avid instagram users) who also has quite a clean and crisp aesthetic. I'm pretty sure she works in PR so she often features quite a few brands and outfit photos which makes her a total enabler- not a bad thing at all (my bank balance has other thoughts on this). 

@5ftinf

Now I have been following this instagram account for about as long as I have had instagram. I originally found her on tumblr and tracked her back to her instagram and instantly fell in love! Her photos are mostly focused around her infamous wooden table (left) and often carry an array of various knick-knack-y objects from flowers to books, from arts to crafts. And of course, more often than not, one will find a cup of tea or a cat. Are we really surprised how much I love this instagram? 

Back To Basics | Skincare (Part 1)

I have recently changed up my skincare routine, and decided it's time to be a little less spendy and a little more save-y (go with the rhyme okay). I have always believed that it is important to take care of your skin, but I have recently discovered that this doesn't mean you have to spend hundred of dollars on cosmetics from Myer. 'Cause i'm a uni student, and aint' nobody got money for that $55 cleanser. So I have decided to write up this series on how I have cut down my skincare budget and somehow ended up with better results. 

So first off is the cheapest exfoliator you'll ever use. Raw, brown sugar. Most likely sitting in your pantry, this is the kind of sugar you would typically use in say cookie dough or on top of weet-bix. The granules are so fine that they actually end up dissolving after a couple of minutes if you use it with water. You use it just like you would any other exfoliator- applying to freshly cleansed skin that is damp or dry depending on how rough you like it (hehe). It leaves you with the smoothest feeling face without irritating the skin! My face feels like a baby's bottom after using this and my pores even look smaller! 

I definitely recommend going to your kitchen cupboard and trying this magical sugar out on your face.  It can be used for cookies and baby soft skin- what more could I want? I think raw brown sugar just became my favourite pantry item!

Feeling Blue? | Sick Day Edit

Last week I got a bad cold/flu that pretty much left me stuck in bed for the whole week, and seeing as every second person seems to be getting sick lately I thought I would write up a little survival guide to the seemingly endless days in bed napping/coughing/sneezing etc. I think you get the picture. 

Now i'm the kind of person who likes to be constantly busy so after the first two days of being home in bed I tend to go a little crazy! So here are a few of the things that keep me a little sane during the winter blues. 

First and foremost, a fully charged laptop. YouTube, Pretty Little Liars, The Hills and Sex and the City are just a few of the things I enjoy watching whilst curled up in bed feeling sorry for myself. They act as a bit of an escape from my sick boring life. Yes they are crappy sitcoms/reality tv but when one is sick one doesn't really need something that is too intense or heavy (PLL is the exception for me). 

If you have a headache then the first suggestion is going to be useless to you, so I have included a book. A much nicer alternative as screens tend to make head aches worse! Jodi Picoult does some great thought provoking and quite intense stories. I would honestly recommend any of her books (because i've read them all). Post in the comments if you'd like to read an author review with some of my favourite picks from her :)

A cup of tea. Not just any old tea, green tea with lemon and honey. The ultimate cold comfort. Green tea is great for boosting the immune system and although it wont instantly fix your symptoms, it will often speed up the recovery time. The lemon will give you vitamin C, another vital thing for a speedy recovery. The honey has numbing properties which will soothe any sore throat and temporarily ease coughing. I pretty much live off this concoction when i'm sick. 

Water! Hydration! Hydration is key. The more water you drink, the better. Honestly, you need to be drinking water like every half an hour when you are sick, i know its boring and tasteless but it's probably the only thing that will guarantee you recovery (along with sleep and rest of course)

Vicks Vaporub- I love this stuff. If you hate eucalyptus you won't like this but it is the bestttttt! I rub this on my chest, a small amount on the forehead and a teeny bit on the upper lip right before I sleep- this clears the nose and makes it 10x easier to breathe through the nose. You can even take a tiny scoop into the shower and the steam will help to clear the sinus. I even have mini travel sizes of these which I take everywhere when i'm sick. 

Of course I am no doctor, but these are just a few of the things that help me feel a bit better when i'm sick. Do you have any things that help you to feel better?

♥ 

The Nail Edit | Essie

Hello everyone! Today I thought I’d share with you a couple of nail polish picks I have been loving recently! They’re all by Essie because I find Essie to be some of the best quality polishes one can find in the drugstore.

Mint Candy Apple is probably one of the most famous Essie colours out there at the moment, and for good reason. It’s the most perfect blueish, greenish, minty pastel and really looks beautiful on everyone I have ever seen wearing it. Perfect for Spring which is just around the corner!

Mochachino is a beautiful shimmery chocolate browny colour, which I find to be so flattering. It’s the perfect glammed up nude for a night out or even a prom/formal

Fiesta is my favourite out of the three. Which is unusual as I normally stay away from bright pinks or any pink on my nails for that matter. Fiesta is the exception. I love this on my toes for a pop of colour especially in the warmer months.

Of course there are many other beautiful colours in the Essie range, these just happen to be the three that I am currently loving!

What colours/shades/brands of nail polish are you currently loving? 

♥ 

The Dresser Edit | Jewellery Storage

Jewellery can be a tricky thing to organise. I for one have gone through countless jewellery boxes, hangers, etc. All of which tend to either get very messy very quickly, or, I find that it takes too damn long to open your drawer, take out the jewellery box, rummage for that one tiny ring or necklace and then put it all away again. Ain't nobody got time for that! 

Recently I have been loving using these little bowls/shells for keeping my jewellery in. Not only do they look pretty on my dresser, but they also make it so easy to quickly grab something before I head out the door. It's also very easy to chuck my jewellery away into its shell before going to bed that night! 

The bluey-green shells are some very old Paua shells that my family brought home from a trip to New Zealand so they are real shells but I am sure you could find similar shells in many beach-y stores. You can find similar shells here. I find them a great size for little trinkets, small stud-style earrings and also a couple of my most used larger earrings. 

The other two bowls/jars I bought from my local Vinnies. Yep good old Vinnies! I find Vinnies to be great for trinkety things like these, jewellery and ceramics. I'm pretty sure these were both about $5 each (maybe even less) so i'd definitely reccomend checking out your local Vinnies. Never know what treasures you'll come across! 

Hope you enjoyed this different kind of post. Let me know in the comments if you have any different ways of storing your jewellery! I love coming up with different storage ideas and i'd love to hear yours :)

♥

What do YOU want?

So recently i've been MIA. The truth is, I actually have about 3 draft posts sitting waiting to be finished, photographed and published but for some reason i'm feeling a bit uninspired. Which is not okay! 

Google Analytics tell me that my most popular posts were my Lush haul, Uni/handbag essentials and my top 10 apps. I'm not really sure where i'm going with this blog- whether i'm going to go down the make-up path, the lifestyle path or a little bit of everything (i think that's more likely). Basically i'm writing this post to find out what YOU want to read about. Do you want a winter/summer fashion lookbook or a festival guide? A DIY post or a makeup tutorial? More product reviews or a fashion haul? Decorating tips or tips for creating the perfect instagram photo? Top 10 cafes in Sydney or a guide on where to spend and where to save? I'm more than happy/excited to do any of these but i'd really like to know what you guys would enjoy reading about. 

So let me know in the comments or tweet/facebook/instagram me :) 

 ♥
 

New-Found Loves ♥

Hello everybody! I haven't been posting very often as I have been completely bogged down by projects and assignments so I apologise for that. This post is something that I just couldn't wait to write because I am so overwhelmed by how much I am loving these products that I feel like the whole world needs to know about them!

Last night I posted this photo to my instagram , and gave myself a bit of a pamper session using these products and I absolutely loved the way they all worked so well and complemented each other on my skin so I thought I would share them with you.

First up, Frank. Now for those of you who are avid instagram users like myself, there is a high possibility that you will know a lot about Frank and even have ordered some of him for yourself. For those of you who have no idea what i'm talking about, let me break it down for you. Frank is a completely natural body scrub that is made from fresh coffee grinds. This one that I've got contains grapeseed oil, coconut oil, coconut flakes, brown sugar, jojoba seeds and sea salt (omg does that not sounds delicious).

Here's a summary of my overall opinion:

First impression: After ordering, it came within about 3 working days (and free shipping in Australia woo). The packaging is simple and minimal. The information on the back is to the point (and also pretty flirty... Frank knows how to please the ladies, ladies).

Use: The directions say to use 2 handfuls but I found I only needed one handful to successfully scrub my whole body from head to toe.

Be warned: it is extremely messy. I recommend using this only in the shower/bath tub because it literally gets EVERYWHERE.

Results? I am in love. Absolutely and utterly in love with Frank. Firstly, the smell- it smells amaaaazing. I am one of those people who love the smell of coffee but hate the taste of it (weird, i know). Secondly, it works- it really, really works. I have never used a body scrub that is so softening, so smoothing, gently exfoliating and smells fabulous. My whole body felt so soft afterwards I literally wanted everyone to touch my skin because I didn't think anyone would believe how well this works. I have NEVER felt my skin like that. Just trust me. Its $14.95 but I would honestly have paid more for this. Buy it here!

Next up, The Olive Branch by Lush. This is such a gorgeous body wash from Lush. I've actually not been into Lush all year (shock horror, i know) and that is because I still have leftover products from christmas/my birthday! But I definitely will be going back as soon as this baby runs out because I am addicted to it. It's the perfect night time shower gel. It's got a very mediterranean scent to it- made from bergamot oil, olive oil, mandarin oil, vine leaves and lemon oil. The olive oil is fair trade which is great too. Its got such a warm scent to it, yet somehow its also quite fresh. I loooooove this! 

And last but not least, Neutrogena's Light Sesame Body Oil. The bottle says this can be used as a light moisturiser but I personally love using it as a bath oil. It is so smoothing and softening and moisturising and yet somehow light enough to not leave you feeling greasy! I actually got out of the bath and didn't need to moisturise at all (which is huge for me, usually my skin freaks out if I haven't moisturised straight after a bath/shower). 

So I wasn't expecting this post to be long but I really am obsessing over these products. Hopefully you found something you'd like to try (hint: try Frank!!). Are there any products you've been obsessing over? If so, let me know in the comments!