Party Season Make Up Must Haves

Hello lovelies,
Hope you're all well.
Party season is almost upon us! well for me, it is here already! November is a packed month for me. I have my cousin's birthday, my older sister's birthday (this year it's a big one, her 21st), and my mum's birthday over three weeks. Thrown in there is end of semester parties and some friend's birthdays and then we roll into Christmas parties and finally New Year's Eve! The party season is a time to get dressed up and have a little fun. Through all the drinking and eating and dancing the last thing you want to think about is "omg is my make up still ok?!" So I've decided to write a post about my make up must haves over the holiday season. Hope you all enjoy :)

1. Lips
I think it is essential to have a go-to lip stain over the holiday season. Like I said, there's a lot of eating and drinking involved and it just gets painful having to reapply lipstick. Outdoor entertaining is big in Australia but wind, curls and lipgloss are just a bad combination. So that leaves a stain! It'll last you the longest with the least amount of hassle.
Two which I really like are the Covergirl Outlast Lip Stain in the colour 435 and the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in the colour 9 Rouge Laque. Both of these are very Christmas-y colours, the Covergirl one is slightly more subtle, and both last forever!

2. Face
Christmas is over summer here in Australia so I'm not too fussed about having a very heavy coverage foundation. But to go with your freshly tan bodies, I think a good bronzer and concealer/highlighter is essential to keep shape and give glow to your face.
Since I'm very pale, bronzer doesn't quite suit me. So instead I use a red toned blush from the Napolean Perdis Cheek to Chic Blush Duo in the colour Sand. And as I've mentioned before, my favourite concealer/highlighter is the Rimmel London Match Perfection 2-in-1 Concealer and Highlighter in the colour 010 Ivory. I think the contrast between the two as well as my foundation gives me a bright and glowing look.

3. Eyes
Heavy eye makeup is not essential in summer. I think it's important to have one or two shimmery colours that you like to use on a night out but for the day time, I often like to just wear super natural, matte browns and a good coat of mascara.
I recommend the Maybelline Eye Studio palette in the colour 80 Pink Persuasion for a night look. The colours are gorgeous and make a beautiful classic smokey eye. For the day, the Models Prefer Beauty to Go Colour Palette has such a wide range of matte browns that you can create a very natural look no matter your skin tone. And for mascara I simply cannot go past the Maybelline Falsies Big Eyes mascara. It is perfection

4. Hair
A big trend in summer is textured hair. I think the best way to get texture is with either dry shampoo or sea salt spray. If you are heading out at night and need your hair to hold a particular style, you can even try something stronger like a hair mousse which you simple comb through damp hair after a shower and then blow dry for heaps of volume and a slightly tacky feeling to your hair
I love the Polished London Dry Shampoon and the Lee Stafford Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray. I use Taft Styling Mousse for extra hold.

5. Body
Over summer, no one wants burnt skin. Nor do we want dry skin. A good quality sunscreen is absolutely necessary every day in Australia. After a day at the beach I think an after sun spray is really great too or perhaps even a body mist. To moisturise, of course you can use your regular cream but I think a tinted moisturiser helps to bring out your tan and keep your glowing. It gets quite hot here in Sydney and we all get quite sweaty (ew) so I think now is the time to find a proper deodorant that really works. Finally, finish off with a gorgeous summery perfume!
I recommend using any Cancer Council Sunscreen. They are the best because they are designed to protect your skin from cancer by those who know most about it. My favourite after sun spray is by Nivea. I use the Dove Summer Glow moisturiser. And I use a Rexona Invisible Dry Diamond Deodorant because it doesn't leave white stains on black clothes or yellow stains on white clothes making it the perfect deodorant throughout the entire holiday season. For perfume I love the Juicy Couture 'Couture Couture' perfume. It's so fresh smelling.

And that's it!!! Hope you got some nice tips from this,
Happy Holidays,

Get Ready With Me: Melbourne Cup

Hello Lovelies,
So my last blog post was a little dark and personal so I thought I should come back with a brighter and happier one. So this one is going to be about my Melbourne Cup experience! I unfortunately missed out on accompanying my sister on a cruise down to the Melbourne Cup due to exams however that didn't stop me celebrating with one of my best friends Bernadette at The Star in Sydney. We took  the opportunity to dress up and eat and drink and gamble and have a girls day out. We had a wonderful day!

This post is about my face of the day.

So I went for quite a simple look on the eyes with bright pink lips and really flawless, glowing skin.
The night before I exfoliated my face using Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub. I also shaved my legs and moisturised with Dove Summer Glow Body Lotion in the colour Fair/Medium. I reapplied this in the morning as well. I painted my nails using Rimmel London I Love Lasting Finish in the colour 275 Electric!.

Face:
I began by prepping my face with moisturiser and primer and filled in any fine lines with my skin smoothing cream

• Nivea Daily Essentials Light Moisturising Day Cream for normal to combination skin SPF30+
• NP Auto Pilot Pre Foundation Skin Primer with vitamin E and chammomile
• NP Auto Pilot re-touch skin smoothing cream
• NP Auto Pilot eye primer eye hydrating cream

I then mixed two foundations and blended that all over my face and slightly down my neck until it reached my dress

• Rimmel London Lasting Finish Foundation 102 Light Nude
• Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation 100 Ivory

Before I did my concealer, I did my eyes (see below) but after that I concealed and highlighted under my eyes, down my nose, on my chin and on my cupid's bow.

• Rimmel London Match Perfection 2 In 1 Concealer and Highligher in 010 Ivory

I then applied a cream blush to my cheeks, blending backwards up towards my ear. I set my whole face by pressing powder onto my skin rather than brushing it on (I find brushing it on tends to swipe it straight back off ). I sucked in my cheeks to apply the darker colour of the NP Cheek to Chic Blush as a contour and the applied the Mosaic powder to my cheek bones for a highlight

• Models Prefer Cream Blush in Tickled Pink
• Essence Mattifying Compact Powder 10 Light Beige
• NP Cheek to Chic Blush duo in Sand (darker colour)
• NP Mosaic in Gleamer

Eyes:
I started by filling in my eyebrows using the darker brown shade in my palette and an angled brush. Then taking the champagne colour in the NP quad, I covered my whole lid. I lightly applied the Metal Glam eyeshadow over my whole lid with a flat brush. Then taking the dusty pink colour from the Models Prefer palette, I used a fluffy brush to blend it through the crease. I then took a medium brown colour to blend into the outer corner of my eye. Using the white colour, apply a small amount on the inner corner and also on the brow bone to highlight and brighten. Use it to blend out the dark colours to keep it smooth and soft. I used the liquid liner to create a thin line on my top lashes, with a slight flick. Then lined my waterline with the white end of the Big Eyes eye pencil. I curled my lashes and applied a coat of the YSL Shocking mascara to the top lashes and a coat of the Big Eyes mascara to the bottom lashes. I then applied false lashes and another coat of the Big Eyes mascara to the top lashes.

• Arezia Eyebrow powder
• NP Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad in Sand
• Essence Metal Glam Eyeshadow
• Models Prefer eyeshadow (beauty to go colour palette)
• Maybelline The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara (lower lash only)
• YSL Shocking Mascara (Top lashes)
• Maybelline Hyper Glossy Liquid Liner in Black
• Maybelline Big Eyes Liner (white only)
• Eylure Pre-Glued Lashes number 070

Lips
I prepped my lips with Paw Paw cream at the start of the process. Then I patted that off and applied the Ulta 3 Lipstick all over my lips. I used a lip brush to line the lips with the colour first and then filled them in straight from the stick. I then put a top coat of The Elixir to make my lips nice and glossy

• Ulta3 Lipstick in 009 Orchid
• Maybelline Colour Sensations The Elixir in 090 Rose Redefined (not in photo)

And that's the finished look! Below are photos of the final look, all the products I used, and the specific eyeshadow colours I used too

I hope you enjoyed this look,

Let me know in the comments below or on my social media. Keep an eye out for the next installment of my Race Day experience- My Outfit of the Day

Toodles

Middle Child Syndrome

Middle Child Syndrome is an actual thing.

In my family, being the middle child means having less time and resources and effort dedicated to you. It also means receiving less sympathy.

I especially noticed this recently when I saw my parents dedicate so much time to helping both my sisters out with their school/uni work when I receive nothing. Especially my older sister. My older sister just won a cruise. Good for her I hope she enjoys her trip. BUT, this cruise overlaps with the due dates of many of her final uni assignments. It just so happens that there are two parties in the two nights before the cruise too. So instead of my parents telling her that the only way she can go on the cruise or to the parties is if she finishes and submits her assignments, they've already told her she can go and are then wasting their time and mine to get these assignments done and handed in for her. So while she celebrates and enjoys herself, everyone else is working. My mum especially gets so used by my sister I feel bad for the woman. Instead of letting her daughter learn her lesson and fail an assessment for once in her life because she was too immature to prioritize her life correctly and left things until the last minute, my mum fusses about making sure her beloved first born gets everything. My sister is a grown adult. She should be accountable for her own actions. She is never going to learn the consequences of her immaturity and disorganization if my mum is there to save her every single time.

I think in my entire 14 years of schooling to date, I have asked for help about 10 times. That's less than once a year. And it would only ever be for minor things, like further explanation of a question, or assistance using a function on my computer. Never have I made my parents submit an entire assignment for me because I've been on holidays that's for sure. They take such an interest in my sister's education, and celebrate her results excessively. Why? Because those results are a reflection of their effort too. Whereas my achievements (which for the record trump my sister's) get pushed aside because I keep quiet about my academics, never asking for help, and getting by on my own. In fact, I often get asked why I don't tell my parents my results and quite frankly, it's because it's got nothing to do with them. It's my education and I do not need their help for it. When I do tell them, I'll get a brief "oh that's good" or "I didn't even realise you had an assignment" or worst of all "why didn't you do better?".

Then there's my younger sister. Who no matter how wrong she is, gets given the benefit of the doubt every single time. I won't lie, I am harsh with her. But if what she says or does is fundamentally wrong, I am no afraid to tell her so that she can learn. Apparently that is "rude" and I "bully" her. I get told off for trying to help the girl out. My parents refuse to let her lose in anything, if she is wrong in an answer, they change the question to make her right. If she did something to get in trouble, they get mad at me for letting her be in that situation in the first place. They take her word over mine. Nothing I do will ever come first over her because she is their precious baby who must be protected from the big bad world at all costs.

So where does that leave me? Stuck in the middle. Not important enough. Never right. Permanently in trouble. Always on the outside. My mum wonders why I don't get along with her, well it's because she has two other daughters who she treats as her angels and leaves me to be on my own. That and the fact we don't have much in common. We don't have much in common because my mum was always better friends with my older sister, her beloved first born, or focusing on her gorgeous baby girl. Meaning I went out and found other friends. Got into football. Kinda connected with Dad over that which was good but when it comes down to it, he'd leave me to go on my own if one of his other daughters needed his help.

I am a product of their neglect and whilst they give me everything I need physically to survive, and never leave me struggling, it just isn't the same. And yet even though I am what they made me to be, they still don't seem to like it. My parents are fair for a lot of things, but if their efforts need to be divided, I know that I will ALWAYS be the last choice.

Maybe I bring it on myself. Maybe my success and independence makes them believe I am capable of surviving on my own. Which came first- the chicken (my independence) or the egg (their polite methods of ignoring me)?

If you are a first born or baby of the family, none of this will make sense to you. You will be blind to the effects of the order of your birth. But if you are a middle child, all of this makes sense and you'll agree that middle child syndrome is real, and affects a person in more ways that you can imagine.

Pre-Season Training

Hello Lovelies,
I hope you've all been well. I apologize for not writing in ages but I've been so caught up with university exams, the sudden passing of my dear grandmother and my weekend in Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final. But I'm back!

This post is a written commitment to myself and my new lifestyle choices. I've labelled it pre-season training because most of my poor habits form during the football season, when I dedicate more hours to being a good fan rather than being good to myself. In the six months that is the football season, I tend to gain weight. So now during the off season (which eventually hits the turning point and becomes the pre season), I have a lot of weight to lose and a body to regain.

Tomorrow I begin the Kayla Itsines 12 Bikini Body Program. I'm excited because I know a few people who have done it and it's really worked and also for the first time ever I'm embarking on this journey with a friend. Unfortunately, I can't undertake the nutrition program too. Living at home means that I often have to eat whatever my parents prepare for me because we live on a budget and they have a family of 5 to feed. So for me, the nutrition aspect of the program will involve portion control and healthy eating when I'm out at uni and limited unhealthy snacking. As long as I'm not eating badly, it shouldn't affect the progress too much. On top of that, I am iron deficient so a lot of my diet revolves around trying to eat red meat, despite the fact it may not be as lean as other options.

I'm very unhappy with my body. Not only the way it looks, but the way it feels. This last month especially has left me feeling bloated, sick, heavy and tired. I look forward to regaining my energy, my figure and my confidence.

With this comes a lifestyle change that involves training myself out of the habit of turning to Twitter to say every little thing I think of, sleeping consistent hours, enjoying more sunlight to soak up more vitamin D, keeping my room tidier to minimize my allergies to dust, and going to the effort to keep my hair, skin and nails much healthier. Altogether, by the time it's the week before Christmas (12 weeks from now), I should be a much better version of myself and thus a much happier person.

The reason I'm posting all of this on the internet is because I want you to help keep me on track. Should you see a tweet or a blog post about a lapse in my control, I beg you to encourage me, help pick me up off the ground and get me back on track because I know for a fact that I cannot do this alone. I need you guys, my internet family and friends, to help me achieve my goal.

If you too are on a weight loss/ healthy living journey, let me know and we can help each other out!

Until next time,

My Chloe Morello/YSL experience

Hello lovelies,
I hope you're all having a wonderful day because I know I certainly am!
Today I went to an event at Myer hosted by the wonderful youtube extraordinaire, Chloe Morello. It was in conjunction with Yves Saint Laurent and was based all around their new red glossy lip stains. It was quite fantastic. I learnt so much and Chloe was so wonderful and helpful and kind. It was an honour to meet the lady who taught me basically all I know about make up.

The event cost $50 which was then redeemable on products at the YSL counter. We were also given a voucher for $30 off if we spent over $150. On arrival, two men dressed in suits greeted us with sparkling water and macarons. We got the opportunity to meet Chloe and take some photos before sitting down and being given a gift bag featuring all the YSL brochure, a sample of their yet to be released Black Opium perfume (which smells amazing btw), their Forever Youth Liberator Serum and also the Shocking Volume Mascara. Chloe then greeted us and began her make up tutorial on her beautiful model. It was a simple but useful tutorial on a classic winged liner and red lip look. I loved it because it's something I like to wear regularly. After that was finished, all the wonderful workers and make up artists, including the model and Chloe herself, assisted us in purchasing our products. It was crowded but they went to the effort to help everyone which was super kind.

I came away with three lipsticks. For buying three lipsticks I was also given a lipstick stand to showcase them. So what I bought was this:

• Rouge Pur Couture in the colour 9 Rose Stiletto
• Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in the colour 9 Rouge Laque. This is the one that featured in the tutorial but unfortunately I didn't realize that I didn't pick up the limited edition version and just got the standard version.
• Rouge Volumpté in the colour 1 Beige Charnel (nude beige)

I am so satisfied with the experience and the help and expertise of the Yves Saint Laurent team at Myer. They are truly amazing and this ended up being one of the best days. It was even better that I got to share it with one of my best friends, Stacia. I strongly recommend booking one of the many Couture Services YSL offers because for all of them you get to redeem the booking fee in product. It's really good value. I think it would be great if other youtube gurus teamed up with other high end brands to run the same kind of event. 

Finally, on a personal note, a huge thank you to Chloe Morello. Over the years she has given me the confidence to do my own make up and feel fabulous and look fabulous and I owe so much to her. 

Much love guys,

Monday Rants: Save Jubilee Oval

Hello Lovelies,
I hope you've all been well. Before I start ranting, I'd like to say I've finally hit 550 page views and I'm so grateful to know that someone somewhere enjoys reading my blog so thank you very much.

Today's rant is an NRL post about the proposed changes made to suburban grounds as home grounds. To put it simply, I AM OUTRAGED. Of all my rants, this one definitely means the most to me.

The NRL just can't get rid of Kogarah Oval as the Dragons home ground. There are a number of reasons why crowds were down this year at Kogarah and Wollongong. Firstly, they've already reduced home games to 4 instead of 6 which obviously angered people and turned them off going to the game. Also, not one all Sydney game as played at WIN Jubliee Oval this year. This obviously contributed to the lower crowds in comparison to our games at ANZ or Allianz where we played another Sydney team and so their fans helped boost the crowd. It's been speculated that this is a ploy to make the suburban grounds look worthless as the NRL hopes to cut these stadiums out of the picture. I can guarantee you if the Dragons played local opposition at Kogarah, they'd get bigger crowds than what they got this year and you'd see just how great a suburban ground could be. Furthermore, low crowds are partly caused by poor performance. It doesn't matter what ground you play it, if the team isn't performing, people won't show up. It doesn't help that the games at Kogarah were against other poor performing teams. The games were quite non-eventful. And those that were against quality opposition were at poor times. For example, Dragons played Cowboys at Kogarah on a freezing cold saturday night without origin stars there. They also played the Warriors at Kogarah only a few weeks after they played then in New Zealand making the game less exciting. I also think it was a big mistake to play the local derby between Cronulla and St George Illawarra in Wollongong because Kogarah and Cronulla are far more local than Cronulla and Wollongong and on top of that, there actually is a rivalry between the people on my side of the bridge and those in the Shire.

So why shouldn't they get rid of Kogarah?

• It is the hallowed turf of one of the most traditional and proudest clubs in the comp. St George won 11 premierships in a row using Kogarah as their home ground. There is a legends walk dedicated to the superstars of those teams including three (of only eight) Immortals. To stop using this ground for its sole purpose would be losing a piece of NRL history. It won't be long before it becomes a development site and apartments are build. I couldn't imagine anything sadder.
• Kogarah is as close to home as you can get. I find it quite ridiculous to play our home games at ANZ which is close to Parramatta and Bankstown Territory than it is to St George. Allianz is more Souths and Sydney territory than it is St George. How can you say that is our home stadium when it is nowhere near our home territory? Furthermore, the Dragons will still have to hold their fan days at either Kogarah or Wollongong making it so contradictory to say this is our home ground on some occasions but we play our home games at ANZ. 
• Consider fans in the Illawarra. It is a hard enough trip to go from Wollongong to Kogarah for a home game. Given we only have 8 true home games a season now, it makes it even tougher knowing that you only get four in Wollongong so you have to travel extra to get your regular NRL fix. Could you imagine the extra effort it would take for Illawarra fans to travel the extra distance to Homebush or Moore Park? They'll stop showing up because it takes too much time out of their day. Especially night games. A 7:50pm kick off on a Friday Night means the game finishes near 10pm. Then an hour and half at least to get home. No one will go because they won't be able to bring their children. So much for attracting families. If kids aren't going to games because it's too much effort for their parents to take them, less kids will play NRL and then the league is in all sorts of trouble.
• NRL is supposed to be a working class game yet they aren't accommodating for the working class. The parking and the food at the big stadiums is more expensive than at suburban grounds. Not to mention the extra traffic and the extra petrol it takes. Especially from Wollongong. Moving out of the grass roots area into the big stadiums contradicts the whole NRL philosophy that you have to look after the true base of your fans- the working class, the country and the suburbs. 
• You lose the atmosphere. 18,000 at Kogarah trumps 19000 at ANZ. You need at least 30,000 to make ANZ an interesting atmosphere. You are far away from the action, the crowd is spread out, voices fade before they are even heard. I do not care if you can get an extra 1000 people at ANZ because of the people who go, more will leave satisfied with the experience walking out of a suburban ground than out of ANZ. 

If you think moving to big grounds and getting rid of suburban grounds are a good idea let me know why in the comments below! 

Thanks for listening my dears,

St George Illawarra Dragons: A season in review

Hello Lovelies,

So the home and away season is almost over for the St George Illawarra Dragons so I thought I would write a season in review post. Overall, I think our season hasn't been too bad. Now I know I'm biased because I am a supporter of the club but there are plenty of dragons supporters who have been very negative about our season when they really don't need to be. I'm going to try put things into perspective and explain with reason why our season wasn't a failure.

It was an improvement from last year. I think as long as we move upwards on the ladder, then the season has been ok. Fans need to be patient. Finals will come in due time if you relax the pressure and let the team build at their own speed. Especially since our team has been changing a lot over the past couple of years. Until there is a consistent roster, it will be difficult to see rapid improvements.

We sacked a coach. So there are two points from this. Firstly, as much as I liked Price, and was happy to give him a chance, his time was up and he needed to move on. Secondly, under McGregor, we've been a completely different team, showing new energy and passion. It was a good move from the club to get rid of Steve Price and I think a positive turn for our club.

We signed a coach. Sacking Price left room for Mary to show his stuff and I think he did enough to prove he deserves a proper shot at the job. With a full preseason under his belt and a chance to sign some players he wants to sign. I know some people believe three years is too long but you must understand that the club needs to show stability with its coaching staff if they are to attract players on long term deals.I think McGregor will do a pretty good job next year and if we make the top 8 or even fall just short then I think he would have proven himself worthy of the position.

Injuries. Lets put our injuries into perspective. Sure, it wasn't as bad as other teams. But our superstar winger, Brett Morris, missed plenty of games after his origin injury, Merrin wasn't ever 100% the same post origin, one of our big signings in Dylan Farrell (who we surely based many plays off during pre season planning) suffered a double pec tear. Michael Witt who we signed for the halves also suffered a season ending injury. It was unfortunate but I feel like a lot of the planning we did in the pre season went to waste with injuries.Hopefully things work out better next year. I know injuries is hardly an excuse but when you are trying to rebuild a club, you need everything to work in your favour.

Poor list management. One of the negatives of our season was our poor list management. I put a lot of this on Steve Price  as well as CEO Peter Doust who failed to recruit smartly. We signed Witt and Williams and Widdop. That's three halves. We wasted so much time messing around with halves pairings at the start of the year, in the end we lost one of the best young players coming through in Sam Williams. We then signed Benji Marshall and had to start all over again with our halves pairing. We also have an over abundance of centres. Beale, Farrell, Dugan, Green, Runciman (and Thompson if we need him there) have all played there this year. There's only two centres on the field at once. The same goes for fullbacks. There is one fullback yet Beale, Dugan and Quinlan can all play there. And yet somehow I cannot list a forward pack full of stars. How that happened is beyond me. I love our forwards and am so proud of their effort this year but the fact of the matter is they just physically are not big enough to go head to head with the likes of Burgess, Graham, Gallen, Taylor... At what point did management think this was ok?

We broke the hoodoo. If anything, Dragons fans can walk away this season and say 'praise The Lord, we beat the raiders at home!' That for us, is actually a pretty big achievement given we won 2 minor premierships, a grand final and a world cup challenge before we could beat canberra. So I think that was a great part of the season.

We were top of the table. It didn't last long but it was wonderful to be able to chant 'we are number one, we are number one' to the boys at Cronulla. They looked happier than ever and it was a feeling we hadn't felt in a really long time so that was another highlight of the season.

Home games are an issue. I'm going to expand on this for next Monday's rant but just quickly, I cannot believe there was only 4 games at kogarah and 4 and wollongong. And not one kogarah game was against another Sydney team. no wonder the crowds were rubbish. No wonder we didnt crack 20000 in our membership. We are a proud club. kogarah is our home (more so that wollongong in my opinion just because of the club history). To only play four games there is outrageous and a big let down for the season. And to think they are considering scrapping kogarah altogether! To think they play local derby's between us and the sharks at Wollongong when Kogarah is closer for both clubs and there is actually a rivalry between Shire and St George rather than Shire and Illawarra! this really angers me and you'll get the full rant next monday so stay tuned.

In conclusion: I don't have too much of a problem with this season. Improvement, effort, change, hope. What is there to complain about?

How do you think we went?

Monday Rants: personal motivation

Hello lovelies,

Today's rant is in fact an attack on myself and my lack of motivation. In particular, when it comes to my health. My laziness is getting out of hand. I am actually so disappointed in myself for letting myself crack 60kg. Shame on me. Since my university timetable ruined my dance schedule, I never really found a replacement activity. Then I took on longer hours at my work and extra curricular uni activities and just cannot be bothered to find time to exercise. I look at photos from 2 years ago and it's sad how much bigger I've gotten. I no longer like wearing bikini tops. I wear one piece swimmers. Board shorts are an essential.

On top of that I've lost all self control with my eating. I'm eating whatever I feel like, whenever I feel like. It's an awful shame because I think I have a pretty enough face, I just don't have the body to match. Admittedly, I will never be stick thin, never be a column like figure because I naturally have wide hips (yay for having babies) and wide-ish shoulders. But I am definitely not the smallest version of myself I can be and that's really upsetting.

I'm 18 with stretch marks. Let that sink in. Any remaining muscle tone is fading. Particularly in my arms and back. I used to have a sexy back from tennis and dancing. Now it's just a bit meh. I have a big butt which looks ok in tight jeans but strip it down to mini shorts and you'll see it's fat, not muscle.

I think I'm letting myself down by not having personal motivation. And not having discipline or self control. It's a shame really. also hate gyms. Everyone I know goes to a gym so there isn't a single one in my area that isn't already taken by someone I know. Also I don't agree with paying to do things that you can do for free if you just step outside (paying to run on a treadmill? no thanks, I'd rather run outdoors).

Does anyone have any tips for me to stay on track?


Thanks for listening lovelies,

Monday Rants: Public Transport

Hello lovelies!
Hope you've all been well,

Today's rant is about public transport. In short  I am so sick of buses. Today I was stuck at a shopping centre for an hour because my bus came early and left before scheduled time and so when I got to the stop, it had already left. If you get there early, you are supposed to wait until the scheduled time to leave!

And then there's the rude bus drivers who think they have some right to not be polite. Without sounding racist, it is often the chinese bus drivers who seem to yell in my face and show zero manners. It's as if they are doing me a favour and I owe them when in fact they are doing their job and if they work in public service they should treat the public with respect.

And finally, there's the fact that the government keeps changing the fare structure every two seconds. Not only is it hard to keep up, but it's very inconvenient especially since when they introduce a new system, they don't always introduce concession fares straight away. As someone who doesn't pay full fair it's really annoying to always be behind on the system because the government hasn't updated it for concession.

Ok, I think that's all. Gosh I do not like public transport.

Monday Rants: Mind your own damn business

Hello lovelies,
Today marks a new series I have decided to undertake called "Monday Rants" in which I basically slam society in potentially hypocritical ways because I need to release the negative energy that builds up during the week.

Today I am ranting about people who fail to mind their own business. Basically, there are certain things I say or do that do not require other people to chime in. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. BUT when I state mine, you have no right to hammer me for what I think, feel or believe. If you do not agree, I am happy to hear your counterarguments however merely saying "you're stupid" or "hahah lol who even thinks that" or "im better than you" isn't really helping your case. See, until you present logical arguments that can be backed up with relevant examples, I really do not care what you say to me. On top of that, if we have had a past clash and we end it on okay terms, I tend to try cut you out of my life. SO DO NOT COME BACK. It is generally clear if I have no interest in your comments so please don't even bother making them to me in the first place. I get that when I put my opinions on social media, I open myself up to interrogation, "hate" and harassment. I will defend myself and my thought but you aren't going to get the response you want out of me. I will not erupt with anger. You are in no way harming my life. So save your time and mine and mind your own damn business.

It also really annoys me when people cannot accept that certain things simply do not involve them. If I am talking to a friend and another friend tries to find out what's happening, I will change the conversation topic. People need to understand that if I want you to know something, I will tell you. If I do not tell you, I do not want you to know so please do not go searching. Do not ask my other friends and put them in a position where they may have to start spreading things. I will hate you for putting them in a situation where they have to choose which friend to please. It also shows that you are no true friend of mine if you cannot respect the fact that I may have secrets. Don't ruin the relationship, just mind your own damn business.

And finally, there are the people who cannot for two seconds live their life without gossip or rumors. When I see you, there is no need to ask about every little detail of my life in the hope of finding out some drama. Again, if there is something important you should know, I will tell you. I will not speak just to fuel your need to be the centre know it all queen B and so that you can then go around telling other people. This is not year 8 anymore. We are not 14 (mind you I turned 14 in year 10...). Grow up and mind your own damn business.

Ok I think that rant is over. Go on, hammer me for being a bitch about it. I dare you.

Back to Uni: Academics

Hello Lovelies,

Hope you've all been well! Today's blog post in my Back to Uni series is going to be about the academic side. The real reason we all attend uni is to walk out with a piece of fancy paper that we show to other people with fancier papers (or plaques) to get ourselves jobs. We all want a bunch of letters and abbreviations under our name on our office door to give us credibility. But with so many new jobs these days, and so many fading jobs, and so many jobs you don't even know exist, how do you pick what you want to do?

Well I'm going to begin by explaining what I study and why I chose to study it. I'm currently doing a double degree. I study a Bachelor of Business with a major in Marketing Communications and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with a country major in France. I will soon begin a second business major in Sports Management. I chose this because my passion is sport and I thought the best way to pursue a career in sport was to team it up with business. This works out well for me because I am quite business minded. I have a dream to increase fan involvement, commitment and passion in various sports around Australia and gaining these qualifications will definitely help me secure a job that will allow me to do this. I want people all around Australia to feel as connected to their team and sport as I do. Hopefully an education in marketing and sport will help me do this. Furthermore, I'd love to increase female participation in sports around Australia. This is partly the reason I applied for a double degree. A second degree, which gives me language and global cultural experience, puts me a step ahead of other graduates and gives me a greater chance of being awarded the position. Getting myself in the industry is the first step to getting more women in the industry.

So how are you going to decide what to study? Well, you have to find your passion. I don't expect you to be passionate in accounting, or nano engineering or macroeconomics. But think of a big picture and narrow it down to what degree you need to gain a career in that sector. If you are passionate about helping people, you can look at whether your prefer working with adults or children, then see if you prefer education or medicine and keep narrowing it down until you find your perfect degree. Perhaps you may be a passionate foodie. Think about what you like about food. Is it the preparation? The experience? Talking about your adventures? The health side? Choose your area and decide if you are going to become a chef, a journalist, a nutritionist or a restaurant owner. You need to find something you love and think of what careers may branch off that. And then what degree you need to get that career.

Chances are there won't be a degree that suits your career exactly. You may need masters or PhDs or a side diploma or even simply on the job experience. But, if you are going after something you are proper passionate about, you will do what it takes.

DO NOT EVER, EVER, EVER ENTER A FIELD BECAUSE OF EXTERNAL PRESSURES TO DO SO. Never let your parents, siblings, friends, teachers tell you what you should study. Study what you are passionate about, not what is safe or what is expected. And I can guarantee you, you will find university much more enjoyable.

So I hope you get some guidance out of this. If you have any questions or want further advice, comment below or contact me on my social media!

Happy studying lovelies,

Back to Uni: OOTD

Hello lovelies,

So to continue my little series on going back to university, I'm posting my Outfit of the Day for the first day back. Today is my first day back and it's a long day. My first class is at 9am, then I have a break from 11am to 5pm before having my final classes ending at 8pm. So I need to dress for the cold mornings and night but also be prepared for the warmer temperatures during the day. This is what I came up with!

The pants are from Glassons, the jumper is from Jay Jays and my shoes are just from Big W. Underneath the jumper I'm actually wearing a plain black long sleeve top from Myer just for extra warmth. The scarf is from Tree of Life. As I said in my last post, my bag is from Equip and my sunglasses are from Valleygirl. I'm wearing very simple jewellery- my usual Armani Exchange watch, some simple diamond looking studs from Lovisa and an assortment of stacked rings also from Lovisa.

I think first impressions are really important so I want to look somewhere in between dressy and casual as not to look sloppy but not pretentious either. I think this outfit finds that balance with the casual shoes and top but the dress pants and bag.

What did you wear on your first day back to school or university? Let me know!

Have a wonderful week lovelies,

Back to Uni: What's In My Bag?

Hello lovelies,

This week, thousands of people in NSW are heading back to university to begin their Spring Semester. So I thought I would take the chance to do a couple of posts on university: life, style, academics etc. I'm beginning with a post on what I take to university each day.

I recently bought this bag: It is from Equip and I think I paid $37.50 which was 25% off. It's a plain black faux leather bag with beautiful gold detailing and the inside lining is actually leopard print. There are a couple of inside pockets too which is handy. What I really like about this bag is the flat bottom and studs which help the bag sit up on its own, not fall over, and the flat straps as opposed to those rounded ones, which I find sit much more comfortably on my shoulder.

So now, what's in my bag? Well of course, firstly I'll have to put my books in. I have exercise books from Typo and of course my textbooks. I also bring a 2014 planner or diary to record my homework or any catch ups or events I plan. This is also from Typo. I then have a small pencil case. Mine is just a black tube pencil case from A Brand Called Ed at Officeworks. I also like to bring a bottle of water, sunglasses and chewing gum or mints. Of course I carry my wallet. Mine is from Strandbags. I also take a makeup bag (mine is a gold sequined bag from Napoleon Perdis) with my lipstick of the day, some tissues and sanitary items, a chapstick and sometimes a powder. I'll also bring bobby pins and a spare hair elastic. Finally I bring my phone, iPod, headphones, USB key and house keys.

One thing I don't take with me to university is my laptop. I have a rather old laptop and it is quite heavy. On top of that, the battery doesn't last nearly as long as it needs to for me to use it all day at university so I'd have to carry extra weight by taking the charger. In my mind, it just is not worth it.

But that's basically it! Sometimes I'll bring a spare jumper or a hat or scarf depending on the weather but otherwise I try to keep it pretty simple. My buildings are very spread out at uni so I do a lot of walking and want to keep my bag as light as possible.

Do you take anything else important to uni? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a wonderful semester lovelies,

Priceline Haul!

Hello Lovelies,

Priceline has been having all kinds of amazing sales lately and so here are a few things I've picked up recently:

• Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation in the colour 100 Ivory ($17.95 however I paid half price). For a full review see my last blog post http://misskristeenee.blogspot.com/2014/07/product-review-rimmel-london-match.html
• Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer in the colour 010 Ivory ($13.95 however I paid half price). For a full review see my last blog post http://misskristeenee.blogspot.com/2014/07/product-review-rimmel-london-match.html
• Rimmel London I Love Lasting Finish Nail Polish in the colour 030 Double Decker Red ($5.95 however I paid half price)
• Essence XXXL Longlasting Lipgloss in the colour 07 Silky Red ($4.10)
• Essence All About Nude Eyeshadow Palette in the colour 01 Nude ($7.10)
• Covergirl Lashblast Bombshell Volume Mascara in the colour 800 Very Black ($21.95)
• Maybelline Hyper Glossy Liquid Eyeliner in the colour Black ($9.95)

So that's all I got. If you would like more reviews on these products let me know!

Happy reading Lovelies,

Product Review: Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation

Hello Lovelies,
Hope you've all been well!
Today's blog post is a review of a product I recently bought, the Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation. Firstly, some facts about the foundation:

• I bought the colour 100 Ivory
• It's SPF 18
• It has "light perfecting radiance" particles
• price: AU$17.95 at priceline.

I really like this foundation! It's quite light on the skin and blends really well. When it says it is designed to match the colour of your skin and thus look natural, it really does achieve this. In saying that, it only gives a medium coverage but I think it can be built up to a fuller coverage. Maybe it will be better when I have less blemishes on my face. It lasts with a good primer and powder just like most foundations. I'm yet to try it on its own.

The colour range overall seems quite comprehensive. There were three or four colours lighter than mine which I found strange because I'm usually the lightest colour. The lighter tones seemed to be far more pink toned than this one. I think this was the lightest yellow toned colour. Now I'm not really pink or yellow based, I'm pretty neutral and I think this is a very good neutral based foundation. 

I quite like the packaging as well. It comes in a sturdy glass bottle with a plastic pump which to me, is essential for liquid foundation.

I bought the complementary Rimmel London Match Perfection Skin Tone Adapting Concealer. It's a 2-in-1 Concealer and Highlighter in the colour 010 Ivory. I think this is fantastic. Better than the foundation to be honest. It gives great coverage and the colour is perfect against the the foundation. I don't really like how the tube is topped with a brush. It's supposed to be for easy application but I find it difficult to get the product out of the tube and onto my face so I can then use my own concealer brushes but that is just me. I can see what they were trying to do with it. Price AU$13.95

hope you enjoyed this!

Those Who do not Read are Lost

Hello Lovelies!

Today's blog post is a short compilation of lists of my favourite books in various categories. I love to read, I find it enlightening, relaxing and entertaining. I have learnt so much from the characters and stories of the books I've read, not to mention improving my vocabulary and English skills tenfold. I truly believe that those who do not read and missing out on so much in life and if you claim you do not enjoy reading, then you simply haven't found the right material!

In these lists, I've tried to avoid listing entire series and so for circumstances where I love the entire series, I've listed only my favourite book out of the set. They are also in no particular order. So without further ado, here are my favourite books!

Fiction: I found it incredibly hard to create this list because I've read so many fiction books of all different genres so I tried to think of which ones influenced me the most, excited me the most and that I simply could not put down as opposed to those which I enjoyed but was hardly phased by.
1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3. Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden (shout out for being Australian!)
4. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
5. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Special mention to Richelle Mead and her wonderful series, Vampire Academy and to Louise Rennison for making me laugh with the adventures of Georgia Nicolson.

Children's: Children's tales are oddly rewarding to read. They often tell the most powerful messages in the simplest and clearest ways.
1. Once by Morris Gleitzman
2. The Red Tree by Shaun Tan
3. The Violin Man by Colin Thompson (thank you Mr Thompson for so kindly replying to my email of questions regarding the story whilst I was studying it for school. It was greatly appreciated)
4. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
5. Belonging by Jeannie Baker
Special mention to Dr Suess and Roald Dahl for the pleasure their stories gave me throughout my childhood. Are You My Mother and The BFG always made me smile when I was down.

Non-Fiction: I don't read too many non-fiction books unless they are required textbooks for my studies. This section is mainly comprised of biographies or autobiographies which have had a profound affect on my view on the world. However there are two books, at the end of the list, which are pure non-fiction thus explaining the heading of this section. You will notice they are mainly sport novel, reflecting my interest.
1. Open by Andre Agassi
2. Mickey O by Michael O'Loughlin
3. The Blind Side by Michael Lewis
4. The Rise of the Swans by Martin Blake
5. Who Moved my Cheese? by Spencer Johnson.
Special mention to Andrew Johns and his book, The Two of Me, which I am in the process of reading now and very much enjoying, and to Mark Gasnier for his autobiography, Gaz. Also a little note on Who Moved my Cheese: this is a non-sport book about managing change and uses a cute little tale of two mice and two little men to do so. It's adorable with a powerful message.

Classics: Classics is the last category. I find it difficult to read classics because the old English language makes them harder to understand and so I cannot read them when I'm tired or not fully concentrating. But there have been some which have been amazing.
1. As You Like It by William Shakespeare
2. Little Women by Louise May Alcott
3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Special mention to JD Salinger for the odd yet interesting tale of Catcher in the Rye, and to L.Frank Baum for the excellent tale of The Wizard of Oz.

I hope you take the time to read these stories one day, if you have not read them already that is. If you would like to know more about any story, comment below or ask me on twitter!

Happy reading lovelies,

The Power of Sport

Hello Lovelies! Hope you've all been well. As you may be aware, I am quite the sports fanatic. Whilst I'm only dedicated and loyal to a few specific sports, teams and players, I find myself willing and able to watch any sport in front of me, engage in discussion about it and learn all I can. Sport is the best entertainment I could ever ask for.

This winter (in Australia anyway), we've been blessed with an abundance of sport all at once. The French Open blurred into the Australia v France Rugby Series which blurred into the Fifa World Cup which blurred into Wimbledon which will blur into the Tour de France  which will blur into the Rugby Four Nations and Bledisloe Cup, all while our regular AFL and NRL seasons run in the background as well as the pinnacle of league, State of Origin (and a beautiful series win by New South Wales!!!!). And hasn't it been magical!

I've never realized the power of sport until our country was hit with it on such a mass level. Obviously personally it always meant something to me and I found such joy in supporting a team. The adrenaline rush of a close win, the excitement of extreme skill, the pain of a loss... it all comes together to make sport an emotional rollercoaster that I want to ride time and time again. It makes me so glad that Australia got the opportunity to feel this with me over the past few weeks and the few weeks ahead of us. To see a nation stand united, to see a nation stand proud of our representatives, to see a nation smile simultaneously as magic  (I'm looking at you Tim Cahill!) happened before us gives me hope that the world is not as sour as we all think it is. It felt so refreshing to turn on the news program and hear about success, triumph and pride rather than another murder trial, rape charges, lying politician, car crash or drug overdose. I understand those things are newsworthy and it is important that society is aware of it, but in my opinion, it's turned us all bitter towards the communities we live in. Sport has had the power to reverse that and for the first time in a long time, I walked past my local park and saw children running to join in a game of soccer rather than being told to walk away because of the danger of strangers or other children. Sport has returned a light-hearted, jovial atmosphere to our nation, and whilst it may only be temporary, it is definitely good while it lasts.

I think that the idols sport presents us with gives children role models to look up to and while there are those bad eggs, yes Todd Carney that is you, the elite group that remind the rest of the world what Australians are truly made of provide foundations for children to build on in their own lives. They are admirable and inspirational and portray the dedication, persistence and burning desire to succeed and improve that all Australians should emulate in their own lives.

Sport is powerful and when it comes all at once the change in society is clear. It may not be your primary interest but everyone gets behind the Aussies when it matters. We are united. We are proud. And above all we are smiling and things are peaceful.

Think about the power of sport through your own rose coloured glasses and tell me what you think of it in the comments below! Would love to hear perhaps a less biased view on the matter (I love sport so obviously I think it is powerful and special and important!)

Happy reading lovelies,

Outfit of the Day: Sunday Mornings

Hello Lovelies!

Today's post is an outfit of the day post. This morning I went and had breakfast at this wonderful little cheese cafe called The Stinking Bishops in Enmore. For those not from Sydney, Enmore is an inner city suburb that is very chic and hipster and I thought I should dress to match that. It was also freezing this morning! About 12 degrees Celsius  so very cold.

Anyway, here's my depiction of my Sunday Morning outfit of the day! Note that the items shown in the set are NOT the exact items I am wearing but merely depictions. The only exact same things are the watch and the perfume.

So what I was wearing was:

• Black skinny jeans from Valleygirl
• A khaki coloured long sleeved t-shirt from K-Mart
• A black parka jacket with a faux fur lined hood from Myer
• Black sneaker wedges from Big W
• A cream scarf from Cotton On
• Earrings from Lovisa
• Watch from Armani Exchange at Goldmark.

I know a lot of people don't like sneaker wedges and I hardly wear mine (hence why they are from Big W) but I think it really adds to this look. My bag (not in the picture) was a gift from Serbia. I pulled my hair back into a high pony tail to show off my make up which was a contoured cheek, peachy cheeks and coral lips, with a light brown smokey eye and big lashes.

I hope you like this outfit! Give your feedback below!

Happy reading lovelies,

Top 10 Lip Products

Hello Lovelies!
In my last post I mentioned that I'm a fashion and beauty enthusiast. I particularly have an obsession with lipsticks and lip glosses!

So today I'm going to take you through my top 10 lip products that I own (in no particular order). I'll attach a photo of my collection and one of the swatches at the bottom of the post.

1. Calvin Klein One Lipstick- 200 Rush 

This lipstick is a shiny coral colour that is perfect for Summer. It's quite moisturizing but the colour is quite thing which i like because it doesn't over power my pale face. AU$35.00 at Myer

2. MAC Cremesheen Lipstick- Brave Red

This deep, bold red lipstick is perfect for a winged liner look (or for the football- my team's colour is red!). It's creamy and the colour is strong but I find it sometimes bleeds out of the lines of my lips. Any suggestions to fix that? AU$36.00 at MAC Australia.

3. Covergirl Smoochies Lipslicks- 215

I have this lip balm in all three colours but this is my favourite. It is so moisturizing and give just enough colour to be interesting without looking like a lipstick. AU$4.95 at Priceline Australia

4. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick- Pearl 430 Softsilver Rose

This is probably m favourite pink lipstick. The colour is bright but the pearl shimmers stop it from being a block colour and so doesn't make my lips look like a blob on my face. It's very flattering with my skin tone and is super long lasting. AU$21.95 at Target Australia

5. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick- 155 Party Pink

I would say that this lipstick is more purple than pink but nevertheless I still love it. It's a great Fall/Winter colour particularly if I go for a porcelain finish to my skin. It lasts fairly long but looks very patchy as it starts to fade. AU$16.95 at Priceline Australia

6. Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss- 16 Berrylicious

This is definitely my favourite lip gloss. It was a gift from my Dad (what good taste!). It is a light berry shade with gold undertones that just slides on my lips so smoothly and gives a solid colour so there is no need for lipstick underneath. It doesn't bleed off my lips and lasts a while too. Since it was a gift, I thought it would be rude to search for the price.

7. Essence Long Lasting Lipstick- 06 Barely There.

This is my favourite nude toned lipstick. It's moisturizing and reasonably long lasting. It is very good for it's price but the colour is a bit dark for my skin tone so I usually apply it lightly with a lip brush. AU$4.10 at Priceline Australia

8. Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suade Lipstick- 10 Womenswear

This is your most basic pink lipstick that is jazzed up with a bit of shimmer (it may be hard to see in the swatches). It is definitely long lasting but as it fades it tends to leave a ring around your lips so do be careful. AU$25.95 at David Jones Australia

9. Napoleon Perdis Coral Island Lip Gloss- Strawberry

The colour pay off on this lip gloss is phenomenal. It's bright and shiny but without the glitter that usually comes with overly shiny lip glosses. Unfortunately it is a bit sticky but over lipstick it is generally ok. It's definitely best worn with your hair up though. This is an older product so I could not find the price.

10. Face of Australia Lip Quenching Lipstick- 029 Peaches and Cream

This is a matte finish, moisturizing lipstick in a real ballerina pink type colour. It is beautiful for a bronze Summer make up look and is SPF30+ which is even better for those sunny days. AU$9.45 at Priceline Australia.

So they're my top 10 lip products! My next beauty post will be another favourite items post so keep an eye out for that. Leave comments below on what your favourite lipsticks are and if you have any recommendations for me. If you've tried any of these, let me know what you think!

Happy reading,

All About Me

Hello Lovelies!

My name is Kristine and welcome to my new blog. I used to have a blog but I was hardly dedicated to the cause but with renewed motivation, here is a new start.

I'm 18, studying a Bachelor of Business (Marketing Communications and Sports Management majors), and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (Country Major: France). I am a beauty and fashion enthusiast with a major sports fanatic side and a love for books and films. I have the travel bug and have a love affair with Europe (particularly all things French! C'est une belle pays!). You will see these things reflected in my regular blog posts.

I will try to post as often as I can and evenly spread the topics, including some which are highly personal so that you can learn more about me.

You can find me on twitter (@Kristeenee), tumblr (stars-willshine.tumblr.com.au) and instagram (@misskristeenee). Please note that Kristeenee is just an appropriation of my name for URL purposes, it's actually spelled Kristine.

Happy reading lovelies! I hope you enjoy,

Disclaimer: The views and opinions are truly my own. You are entitled to disagree but argument is unlikely to change my thoughts.