Everyday Skincare Routine

Ever since I was young I have always had a specific skincare routine. My Mum always taught me to look after my skin from a young age and I have had that ingrained in my life ever since. I always start the day with a cleanser, followed by a moisturiser with SPF 30+. These products are essential in your skincare routine and will help with the ageing process. 

On my face I use...

Neutrogena Naturals // Purifying Facial Cleanser

Ultraceuticals Profressional // Protective Daily Moisturiser SPF 30+

Trilogy // Eye Contour Cream

Garnier // BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector in Light

Neutrogena Naturals // Lip Balm

I use these products each morning during my skincare routine. Often I will leave out the BB Cream and instead apply foundation if I am going out and want a full coverage. 

On my body I use...

Vaseline // Total Moisture Cocoa Glow

Bondi Sands // Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk

I moisturise my body each day, which keeps my skin feeling soft and glowing. Each night (sometimes every second night) I like to apply the Bondi Sands gradual tanning milk, to build up a subtle golden colour. 

Do you use any of these products?

E x

Nail It!

I love changing my nail polish colour on a regular basis and experimenting with different colours. I think it gives a finished look and allows you to be creative. There are so many ways you can experiment with your nails, including nail art and different patterns of colour. 

Sometimes I prefer a bold colour, while at other times I opt for a nude/natural finish. There are always some guidelines I follow when doing my nail care routine.

It is essential to take off your old nail polish and start with a fresh base. I always try and take my nail polish off as soon as it starts to chip (which seems to happen so quickly), as chipped nail polish never looks great. 

Once there is a fresh base, I will trim my nails and file any rough edges. I prefer to keep my nails short, as they are very weak and often break. I like to keep the shape of my nails very natural by rounding off the edges. Remember to file in one direction, as it helps prevent the nail from splitting. 

I then apply a base coat. I have been using the Sally Hansen Hard as Nails nail hardener as a base coat. I find that my nails always break and this has been helping to build up the hardness in the nails. 

I then apply a colour once the base has dried. This week I used an orange shade from the brand Hema, which I bought when I was holidaying in Amsterdam. I normally apply 2 coats of the colour, followed by a top coat. I have been using the Cutex Quick N Go top coat, which dries very quickly. It also gives a lovely shine to the nail.

One of my favourite things to do is paint my nails while watching tv. I love to sit back, relax and watch a show while I paint my nails. This also gives me enough time to sit still and let my nails dry! I was watching Revenge while I painted my nails this week! 

Do you do the same thing when painting your nails?

E x

Everyday Essentials

Here is a glimpse into some of my everyday essentials. I cannot live without these items on a daily basis and normally they live in my handbag.

MinkPink Sunglasses // After Party Snow Leopard - I cannot function without a pair of sunglasses! Normally in Sydney its fairly sunny and I am always wearing them driving, walking to uni or on the train. They are essential!

Mimco Wallet // Black Leather - This is my everyday wallet where I store most of my cards and money. It is about 3 years old now but the leather is still in such good condition and I love it. It was the first big present that my boyfriend bought me! How sweet. 

Mac Studio Fix Powder // Shade NC35 - I have always gone back to this powder throughout the years. It has a smooth finish and gives quite a full coverage. It is great for covering up any redness or spots throughout the day.

Michael Kors Watch // Nude Leather Runway Watch in Rose Gold - I recently bought this watch from my work and I am in love! I have been wearing it non-stop and love the leather band.

Bare Minerals // Mirror - I got this little compact mirror has a Christmas present and I love how easily it slips into my bag.

Swarovski Crystal Pen // Amethyst - I love the Swarovski pens and they come in so many beautiful colours. I have the Amethyst which is a lovely purple/lavender colour. This is always in my bag so I can write down essential bits and bobs! They are great for gifts too.

Perfume // Daisy by Marc Jacobs - This is my go-to perfume. It is light, fresh, fruity and delicious. The packaging is adorable too.

iPad // iPad Mini 16gb - I purchased the iPad Mini solely for the purpose of typing my uni notes, as it was so compact and easy to transport. Now I am in love. It is such a cute and perfect size for me! I cannot imagine having the full size iPad. I am on my iPad everyday, whether it be for uni, reading blogs and everything else!

What are your everyday essentials?

E x

Sweet Scents

We all love the smell of a burning candle and a spritz of perfume, so why not blog about my favourites! I love being at home and lighting a candle, with the aroma filling the whole house. It feels warm, inviting and homely especially when you find a scent that you love. 

I am always a fan of vanilla candles, with my favourite being by the brand Ecoya. They do a delicious Vanilla Bean fragrance, which warms the house with a a rich vanilla and slighty butterscotch smell. They are natural soy wax candles and burn for up to 55 hours!

Glasshouse also do a lovely range of fragrances, my favourite being the Montego Bay. This is also a sweet scent, which has tones of coconut and lime. Smells so good I could almost eat it (please don't eat your candles!)

I am yet to buy any of the Diptyque fragrances but I definitely have my eyes on them. I love the packaging and have heard a lot of good things about the scents! What are your favourite Diptyque candles?

Perfume is also a necessity and I feel that it completes me! Rarely do I step out of the house without spraying on one of my favourite fragrances. I think it is really important to have your own personal scent. It all depends on personal preference and what suits your skin, but go with a scent that you love and feel comfortable with. 

I have always liked quite light and sweet fragrances, like Daisy by Marc Jacobs or Miss Dior Cherie by Dior. One of my first perfumes that I wore was Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle and I think I have gone through 4 or 5 bottles over the years. It is richer than Daisy, but it also has a distinct floral scent. I find it is suitable for day or night, which makes it very versatile. 

I recently received Intimately Beckham, Victoria Beckham's perfume, and have been loving it as it has a mostly white floral scent. This fragrance is full of life and has a rich, luxurious feel about it. It is more of a sophisticated fragrance and I prefer to wear this at night. 

What are your favourite fragrances?

E x

To Buy Or Not To Buy

I have been thinking about buying a new camera recently. Photography is always something I have been interested in, but I never really got into it properly. I always used to get cameras for birthday/christmas presents and was always encouraged to take photographs. About 4 years ago I bought a vintage lomography camera, the Diana F and loved it. I bought heaps of film and took photos of anything I could. The only thing that turned me off doing this was the price of developing film. Yes it is old school and looks pretty cool, but I was spending about $70 to get 2 rolls of film developed. Crazy! 

Now that I have started blogging, I want to be able to take photos that look professional (iPhones are not good enough!) I am not a photographer and am no means talented in taking photos or knowing how to use a proper SLR camera, so I want something that is easy to use. The canon EOS M seems like a good option, as it is a compact camera that comes with DSLR quality. Definitely considering this option.

I am also loving this style of boot. These ones are from Windsor Smith and are called 'Bronte'. They are an essential, black winter boot that is easy to style with any piece of clothing. I would love a pair of these, but I have 2 black boots already that are similar. But, I might have to look through my shoe closest and find room for an extra pair!

Rose Gold is my favourite colour for jewellery this year! I have a ring and a watch, and now earrings! I bought these drop rose gold earrings from Witchery and I am loving this sleek and fine look in jewellery at the moment. Definitely going to start wearing some more drop earrings!

 ♡ Some Extra Bits ♡

These are the lip product I am loving this week. The Maybelline Baby Lips are a moisturising lip balm that are perfect for dry lips. I love how nourishing this feels and reminds me of Lip Smackers from when I was a kid!

Revlon Colour Stay Matte Balm in Unapologetic is a great shade for a night out. This colour really pops and looks great with a basic makeup look. 

Maybelline Colour Sensational lipstick in Tantalizing Taupe is a new shade for me. I very rarely wear lipstick on a daily basic, as I normally wear a bright colour when I am going out at night. I wanted a lipstick colour that was everyday and wearable anytime, anywhere. So, I went for a nude colour for something different. 

What camera do you use? And what are some of your lip favourites at the moment?

E x