2014 Favourites

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Soundtrack To My Life Tag

When I came across this tag on YouTube, I knew I had to do it. This tag was created by Zoe London and Lily Melrose. Music is a major part of my life; it's what I study at university, it's something I can bond over with my parents, and not a day goes by when my stereo isn't blasting something. So I hope you enjoy reading this and I'd love to see your answers for this, so if you do it, let me know in the comments!

Song you listen to when you're happy? Je Vais Tres Bien - Twin Twin. The title literally translates to I'm very well, so it's all about being happy. It's the perfect song to dance around your room to and never fails to make me happy every time!

Song you listen to when you're sad? Untitled - Matt Corby. This is just a beautiful song. When I'm sad I like to listen to slow music, then once I've convinced to stop myself from being so caught up on something, then I'll move the uplifting songs. But this one is just so beautiful that it helps to calm me and think clearly.

What song will you have at your wedding? Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran. Or any other slow Ed Sheeran song. Seriously, I think in the next 10 years, 90% of first dances at weddings will be a song by Ed Sheeran. This song is just so beautiful and intimate, and would be perfect for the first dance at your wedding.

What song do you dance around the house to? Waterloo - ABBA. I have inherited my love of ABBA from my mother, and to be honest, her whole family. When I was little, at almost every family dinner at my house, we would put on an ABBA record, and we would all turn into some ABBA tribute group. I think the neighbours used to think we were the weirdest family. 

Song you play on your headphones when out and about? Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys. Or anything by them! Whenever I listen to this song or there music, it makes me feel like I'm strutting along, not having to think about anyone else. It makes me feel slightly cooler! Ha!

Song you listen to when you're angry? To be honest, I don't really get angry. My friends are still baffled by this. If I was angry, I would want something to cheer me up so something by Mika or Vampire Weekend.

Song you'd have at your funeral? Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles. When I die, my funeral will not be a depressing affair! This song is just a sweet song, saying that everything is going to be alright. Also, at the end of the funeral, I want You Can Call Me Al, to be playing. No one will be crying, only laughing!

Song that makes you lose your shit at a party? Magic Fountain - Art Vs. Science. This song is my jam! I remember at my year 12 ball, me and a few of my friends were waiting in line for photos and then we heard this. We just looked at each other and then ran in our dresses and heels to the dance floor and flung our arms around like maniacs. If you want to see me dance like an idiot, put this on.

The last song you listened to? Lost on Me - Peace. This is probably my favourite song at the moment. It's so catchy and groovy. Who says groovy anymore? Also, the video clip is genius.

Your karaoke song? Uptown Girl - Billy Joel. This was on singstar and the song is literally broken on the disc because of the amount of times I played this. It was one of the only songs I could get full marks for other than Video Killed The Radio Star.

What song do you work out/exercise to?  You Make My Dreams Come True - Hall & Oates. I don't exercise a lot but I love listening to this! It's so up beat and easy to get me in a good mood to exercise. 

Song with the most memories attached? Euphoria - Loreen. I went to Europe in 2011, and my favourite place was Paris. One night I couldn't sleep, so I sat in front of our huge window over looking a busy intersection. I stayed up all night just watching, and I felt so happy.  Even though the song wasn't out at the time of the memories, the song just fits it perfectly. 

Song that makes you cry? Beth/Rest -  Bon Iver. When I'm sad, I usually listen to slow, calming songs like this. This is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Sometimes, it even makes me cry if I'm listening to it and not doing anything else. But not cry in a sad way, in a happy way!

Song you hate the most? Baby - Justin Bieber. This song is so irritating! For the first few weeks I thought it was a girl, honestly! It just annoys me so much, please never play it near me!

Your favourite song of all time? You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon. This song makes me so happy, and it's so catchy. I will never ever get sick of this song, and I'm always singing it in my car!

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Zara Oriental Perfume

Did you know Zara did perfumes? Because I didn't! I stumbled across a bunch of shelfs filled with different Zara perfumes. And they are reasonably priced too. They have a great range of scents, but this one caught my eye, or should I say, nose.

I'm definitely more of a fruity-floral perfume kind of gal, so for me to be drawn to this was strange. This has a more sweet smell to it, and it's also very similar to the Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb which I have been lusting over for ages. I know this will become a staple for me during the winter because it is richer than all my other perfumes.

So if your looking for a cheap alternative for Flowerbomb, give this one a bit of a whiff next time your in Zara.

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My 2 Favourite Christmas Movies

December means digging out all my Christmas movies and binge watching them on my days off. They enhance the festive mood leading up to Christmas and get me in the Christmas spirit. A lot of the time, watching these movies are a bit confusing because you're watching all these scenes with snow and people wearing woolly jumpers. But here we are lying on the couch, in a singlet and shorts with the air conditioner blasting. So here are my 2 favourite festive movies to watch during this period!

Elf

I think is on on a lot of people's Christmas movie hit list. It's just such a good, funny, Christmas film. People either love or hate Will Ferrell, but I'm a big fan. Also, Zooey Deschanel is in it, so why wouldn't you want to watch it. If your looking for something light hearted and funny to watch, then this is the perfect movie!

Love Actually 

This would have to be my favourite Christmas movie and one of my all time favourites ever! It combines my love of British things and Christmas, and features so many well known British actors such as Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, and Keira Knightly. It features many stories that intertwine with each other, revolving around love and Christmas. It never fails to make me laugh or cry, even though I've seen it so many times. The Americans tried to recreate the same magic with movies like Valentines Day and New Years Ever, but they don't make the cut. They just don't feel the same as Love Actually, just like a lot of TV shows they try to recreate from British shows.

What are your favourite festive movies?

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I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas | Pinterest Inspiration

In Australia, there really is no such thing as white Christmas. Christmas day is usually in the mid 30's temperature wise, I've had some over 40, where you spend from about 10am to 10pm in the pool with a few food breaks and a present opening break in-between. For someone who hates the warm weather, I've been longing for a white Christmas. The closest I'm going to get to it for now is spending hours scrolling through Pinterest, pinning these pictures on to my Christmas board. A girl can dream!

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Images via Pinterest here, here, here, here, and here.

Lush Roots Hair Treatment

This year, my hair had been getting thinner and falling out slightly. Nothing major enough to go to the doctors about but enough to notice. I also noticed my hair was just getting really limp and I wanted to have a bit more volume. I went to Lush to seek out a shampoo or treatment that would help with fine hair. The lady recommend this to me. I've never used a hair treatment before so I was intrigued. 

It has a real peppermint smell to it and the lady at Lush said this was to stimulate the scalp. You massage this into the roots of your hair for about 20 minutes before you hop into the shower. It does feel and look like you've popped a tub of gel on your hair, so if you don't want to look like one of the T-Birds, you can pop a shower cap over the top. When you get in the shower, massage your head while you rinse it out then follow up with your usual shampoo and conditioner. 

When I got out of the shower, I could notice the difference straight away. My hair felt thicker and a lot stronger. I feel like this last for a few day before needing to use it again. I can notice when I don't use it for a while as my hair doesn't feel as thick. I have found though that the more you use it, the more days you can space between uses. I find it's good for me if I use it once, maybe even twice a week.

Have you used this before and what are your thoughts?

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Empties #4

 Empties are one of my favourite posts to read and watch on YouTube. I think once a person has finished a product completely, they have good opinion on the product rather than just after a few uses. I'll keep the reviews short and sweet, because who wants to read about my trash for hours?

Skincare

REN Rosa Centafolia Cleansing Gel Sample: I got this in one of my Mecca Beauty Loop boxes and it was super great. I found this gel cleanser so soothing on my skin and caused no irritation or redness like some can. Would I repurchase: Already have.

Simple Cleansing Wipes: What can I say. Good wipes that don't irritate, and remove my makeup when needed. Would I repurchase: Of course!

Swisspers Spa Pomegranate Wipes: These were terrible! The wipes were quite dry, they irritated my skin and only took of patches of my makeup. Would I repurchase: Never!

Clean & Clear Fast Clearing Spot Gel: I found this didn't work at all. I noticed no differences after using this daily for about a month. Would I repurchase: No. 

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo +: I wasn't sure if this was a moisturiser or some kind of treatment but I used it as a moisturiser. I found it was quite good at fading my acne scars. It didn't get rid of them but they were less noticeable. Would I repurchase: Yes.

Lush Catastrophic Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask: This is a good calming face mask for me, as I have a lot of redness and acne. I think the consistency was a bit hard so it made it difficult to spread over the face. Overall a good mask though. Would I repurchase: Yes.

Lush Let The Good Times Roll Facial Cleanser: This would have to be my favourite cleanser from Lush. It smells amazing, and I used it a few times a week as it is a exfoliating cleanser. I felt my skin was a lot smoother and brighter after using this. Would I repurchase: Yes.

MAC Cleanse Off Oil: This did such a good job at removing my makeup. It left a white residue that was hard to get off with water sometimes which is my only complaint. It was good first go at a cleansing oil for me! Would I repurchase: Yes.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion: This was good for drying out my pimples and to stop myself from touching them. The calamine helps to soothe the pimple. Would I repurchase: Yes.

The Body Shop Born Lippy Watermelon Lip Balm: This is just a good standard lip balm. I used it every night before bed and it leaves my lips feeling a lot more hydrating. Would I repurchase: Yes.

Biore Steam Activated Cleanser: I used to love this but now I fell it does nothing to my skin. Some days it almost stung which was not good. Would I repurchase: No.

Haircare

Batiste Dry Shampoo for Medium to Brunette: I love Batiste and this is a good one for people with darker hair and it doesn't have a white colour so you don't have to worry about white patches. Would I repurchase: Yes.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Original: Just the standard dry shampoo. Good, readily available, and never fails me. Would I repurchase: Yes.

Lush Cynthia Silvia Stout Shampoo Sample: At first, the smell put me off, but once you get over that, it's a great shampoo! I dry my hair naturally so it gets pretty frizzy but with this it dries a lot smoother. Would I repurchase: Yes.

Lush Roots Hair Treatment Sample: Lately my hair has been thinner so an assistant at Lush gave me this to try. I find after using this my hair feels a lot thicker and healthier. Would I repurchase: Yes.

Lush Rehab Liquid Shampoo Sample: This makes your hair feel so refreshed and cleanses it off all those products you put in in-between washes. Would I repurchase: Yes.
Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo and Conditioner: I got this in my Marie Clare parcel. I thought it would add moisture but I found it did the opposite. Would I repurchase: No.

 Makeup

Revlon Lash Potion Mascara: This mascara I found was a great everyday one. It gave the lashes length but not to much volume to give them that natural look. Would I repurchase:Yes.

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm: Just my standard trusty lip balm, always in my handbag. Usually I lose these before I finish them but I actually finished one. Yay me! Would I repurchase: Yes.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinsh Natural in Light: Probably the best powder I have ever used. It gives a light coverage that helps me keep matte all day. Definitely of holy grail state for me. Would I repurchase: Yes, I already have!

Sportsgirl Delashous False Eyelashes in Luscious: I never buy false lashes because I can never apply them properly or feel the need to wear them. I won these along with other things in a competition and I used them for a costume party. They were easy to apply and I didn't find any problems with them. Would I repurchase: No.

Bodycare

DKNY Be Delicious Perfume: I adore this perfume. I wore this while in Europe and wearing it now brings back memories. I think this would be my favourite perfume, a perfect fresh summery perfume. Would I repurchase: Yes.

Dirty Works Buttery Salt Scrub: I did not like this scrub at all. It smelt funny, the scrub was too fine and it was a bit too runny for my liking. Would I repurchase: No.

Lush Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub: This scrub was great, it wasn't to fine which I don't like. It also lathered up which I think is great as it makes it multiple products in one. Would I repurchase: Yes.

Lush So White Shower Gel: I love the smell of this! It's such a fresh shower gel and I love the shimmer in it. Not the best lather though but better than others. This is Christmas stock so make sure to get it before it runs out. Would I repurchase: Yes.

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My Christmas Wishlist

Making my Christmas wishlist was one of the most exciting things to do as a kid. And I still do get excited! So I'm giving you a peak at what's on my list this year!

Dr Martens | Glasshouse Rio De Janeiro Candle | The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel

Mim Pouch | Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette | Real Techniques Core Collection

Too Faced Under The Mistletoe Set | Kikki-K Leather Time Planner Medium | Bobbi Brown Book

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The Ultimate Christmas Playlist

I present to you the ultimate Christmas playlist! Christmas is my favourite time of year and it's not complete until I bring out the Christmas music. Michael Buble is a staple during the festive season and so is Mariah Carey. There is something so special about this music and the all the ones on this playlist hold special memories. The Mariah Carey tracks remind me of when I was young because I cannot remember a Christmas when this wasn't on constant rotation in my house. The Pouges' Fairytale of New York would have to be my favourite Christmas song. Bruce Springsteen's Santa Claus is Comin' to Town reminds me of my Dad because he is a massive Bruce Springsteen. Also, Christmas is All Around Me from Love Actually is there because Love Actually is my favourite Christmas movie of all time! And lastly, two versions of All I Want For Christmas Is You. the Mariah Carey album is what is in our car if we're going to another family members house for Christmas and when this song comes on, we all belt it out, wether the windows are down or up!

Let me know what your favourite Christmas songs are!

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200 Follower & 1 Year Blogiversary Giveaway

Formula 10.0.6 No Time To Shine Mud Mask, Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Mud Mask, Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Vintage Pink, Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment, Revlon Matte Balm in Standout, Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Pop in Oh Orange, Maybelline Baby Lips, Chi Chi Nude Eyeshadow Palette.

So finally the giveaway is here! I just want to say thanks to all the people that have been supporting my blog for the last year. This giveaway is a bunch of some of my favourite things on a budget. All the details for the giveaway will be down below. Enjoy!

Giveaway Details

• The giveaway is only open to Australian residents (Sorry! Hopefully the next one will be international)
• It ends on the 23rd of December
• I will contact the winner through email, or other social media forms
• If they do not reply in 48 hours, I will pick another winner

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Christmas Tag

Image via Pinterest

24 sleeps till Christmas! I put the tree up this morning with Christmas music blaring so the house is feeling very festive at the moment. I get so excited around this time of year but Christmas is just so magical and I love the atmosphere surrounding this time of year. I saw the Christmas tag floating around the blogosphere so I thought this would be the perfect thing to do on the first day of blogmas.

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?Definitely Love Actually! I watched this so many times and it never fails to make me laugh and cry like a madman. I love British movies and tis has some of my favourites actors in it. Honourable mentions go to Elf and The Santa Clause.

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?Always on Christmas morning. We used to open them first thing when we were little because we were so eager, but now the first thing I do when I get up is eat breakfast so we have breakfast first, then open the gifts.

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?Going Christmas shopping in the city at night or at Karrinyup. Just seeing all those decorations is just so special, like your in a movie. Also, any water fights we had in the pool! (Just reminding you I live in Australia, we don't get a white Christmas)

4. Favourite festive food?
Seafood! Prawns, octopus, squid, . . the list goes on! Also, the ice-cream cake!

5. Favourite Christmas gift?Probably my first iPod. I'm really into music so this was the best thing ever.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?The Christmas tree! You know it's Christmas when you get the tree out.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?My mum, sister, and I watch Carols by Candlelight on TV while painting our nails!

8. What tops your tree?A gold star. When I was little, I wouldn't be able to reach the top, so Dad would always lift me up. As I was getting older, I always would ask if the tree was shrinking but I was just growing. Now, I can just reach the top on my tip toes. Though last year, my dad had to get me out of the tree, because as I was putting the star up, I lost my balance and fell into the tree!

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?I was never ungrateful for what I got at Christmas, but there were always so many things on my wishlist that I never got.  Those diaries that were opened by voice activation, those robot puppies, gameboys, and puppies. I loved everything I got from my parents, and I'm so grateful for everything in my life.

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?Spending time with my family, listening to Christmas music, eating Christmas lunch, the list goes on! I just love Christmas so much!

Let me know if you do this tag and I'd love to see your answers.

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