August was a busy month filled with many 5am wake-ups for my internship: so you can bet I had a good makeup routine down. For a regular job I probably wouldn't bother with makeup so much (sticking with bare minimal - powder, brows and mascara) but I was in the operating theatre surrounded by many surgeons, doctors, and health professionals that I wanted to look nice. Is that so wrong?
So here are my top picks that got me through eight hour days.

1. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in 'Vanilla' - After convincing my mum to purchase this for herself I have snuck into her room many times this month to use it for myself. This concealer is easy to apply, provides a decent coverage, and doesn't dry out my under-eyes like other concealers do. I don't know if I would give it HG status yet (my Collection 'lasting perfection' IS the bomb diggity) buuut I am liking it a lot. 
2. MAC '217' Blending Brush - I feel like every beauty blogger and their dog owns this brush. I have now hopped on that bandwagon and agree that: why yes, it is great. I mainly use this in my crease and it does a damn good job. If you don't have the budget to splurge on this brush (it is $37 like THAT IS EXPENSIVE FOR ONE TINY BRUSH) I would reccomend trying Elfs blending brush which is like $3 and does an excellent job as well. 
3. Nivea Post Shave Balm - Another hyped up product but as it was only $8 on sale in my local grocery store I thought I would give it a try. This product is known for being an excellent primer despite being obviously marketed for mens shaving care. I have used this every day this month and I do notice a difference in the longevity of my make-up. One thing I love about it is the smell - it smells like a mens aftershave. But don't worry the smell fades once it's on your face. If you are someone who wants to get into the primer world I would say this is a good start  as it's super cheap, quite glowy, and gives longevity to your makeup. 
4. NYX Wonder Pencil - 5am wake ups = red eyes. To cancel that out I pop some of this on and it was makes me instantly look more awake. I actually prefer this over the Rimmel Nude liner, I find this one gives a less harsh line and lasts longer. 
5. Urban Decay eyeshadows in 'Sin' and 'Naked' - I've worn these eye shadows to internship most days and they last soo well. Usually I use my maybelline colour tattoo pot to prime my eyelid and then pop these on top - this combination is a winner. Sin (on the left) is a beautiful shimmery champagne-pale pink shade which provides excellent pigment. Naked (on the right) is a neutral crease colour perfect for every day wear. Together they are the dream team. 

'How to be Parisian', a book written by four Parisian woman, lets you in on the secrets of how to become like them. And that's what I want. Ever since I visited Paris in 2013 I have wanted to know more and more of what it is to be Parisian. As they fluttered past me in the streets looking ever so cool yet incredibly chic, I just wanted to know: what is their secret?! This book came into my hands almost a year ago and ever since then I have used it as a reference time and time again. After reading it for like the 500th time I thought "I NEED TO SHARE THIS TO WORLD. WAIT, I HAVE A BLOG!". So here I am giving you the best advice I got from this brilliant book!
On style...
It's all about the simple chic. No shirts with big logos on them, no ugg boots, no blingy jeans, no fake designer bags, no sweatpants. Caroline De Maigret (one of the authors) states in an interview that it's very Parisian to have a basic outfit with one, and one only, statement piece. The book also states "if a Parisian could just wear a Burberry trench and nothing under she would be in heaven".
It's important to invest in a signature item (one you wear all the time or when you need to feel powerful), a plain white shirt, a small silk scarf, good quality jeans, a long trench, and oversized sunglasses. Voila, now you look the part.
On Make-Up/Beauty..
Similar to their views on style, make-up/beauty should look effortless always (even if you put a lot of effort in - they shouldn't know that). Hair should be kept natural coloured, air-dryed, and never too sleek. When it comes to make-up the skin should look natural, so freckles can peak through in the summertime (so say goodbye to full coverage foundations and contouring). Frenchwomen apparently avoid foundation but rather stick with lighter things such as a good moisturizer, concealer, or even a BB cream. Once your skin is looking fresh add quite a lot of coats of mascara to the top and bottom lashes. For a night out add a bright red lipstick.
One thing I like most about Parisians is that they seem to embrace their flaws ~ in the book it states that cherishing imperfections are "signs of a certain strength of character and allow her to feel beautiful without being perfect". Now I don't know about you but that's extremely uplifting seeing as the 21st century is getting even better at masking flaws with the likes of extreme contouring, overlined lips, knife sharp eyebrows etc. I  much prefer the Parisian route.

How To Act At A Party...
When invited to a party be the last to arrive and leave a party when it is pumping. It's okay to leave on your own. Never get too drunk. Avoid questions about asking what someone does for a living or how much money they make. Look aloof and distant, as if you have somewhere better to be.

How To Be Sexy...
Less is more. Showing too much cleavage or wearing skintight dresses should be avoided as they leave little to the imagination. Instead give small doses inadvertently - such as a wide necked t-shirt that slides down the shoulder, a bra peaking through in-between the buttons on a blouse, a skirt that rides up slightly when sitting down etc. Basically it is much sexier to not be obvious but rather show little hints that will spark interest. The book says" showing too much cleavage is like serving dessert before anyone has even touched their appetizer". PREACH IT.

My Favourite Quote From The Book...
"Always be fuckable: when standing in line at the bakery on a Sunday morning, buying champagne in the middle of the night or even picking the kids up from school. You never know."

Don't think I have written one of these in awhile so I thought it'd be a nice idea to write a life update seeing as a lot of exciting things are happening at the moment.

Three weeks ago I went on my annual Melbourne trip with my mum. We got to stay at The Langham (a.k.a a gorgeous 5-star hotel) as we had free nights to use up seeing as hotels.com gives you a free night for every 9 you book. As we have traveled quite a bit we had four nights we could spend at this beautiful place. The photo above is from the pool which overlooks South Bank river and all the city lights. One of my favourite things about the hotel was the spa! It had a sauna, steam room, spa and pool. It felt so luxurious. I really had to rally myself to actually leave the hotel as it was too lovely.

After getting back I took a week off work as the following week I would have internship starting. For those of you who don't know - i'm currently studying nursing and in your final semester you have to do internship which is two months full time working at a hospital (well..not really "working" as you don't get paid but hey ho). I'm now in my second week of placement and am loving it. Usually I dread internship but this time I am enjoying it as I am in the operating theatre. And yes, it does kinda feel like Grey's Anatomy ;) Except less drama of course. It's nice being here because I have realized it's where I want to be...so hopefully next year I can get a job in the operating theatres. Fingers crossed.

Hiya! Today I thought I would do an empty products post as it is the type of post I like to read myself. I find that these can be a lot more reliable than regular "favourites" posts because if someone has used a whole product then they have a better idea of how a product is. I'll just get right into it.

1. Dove deodorant in the scent 'pomegranate': I feel odd putting a deodorant into this buuut everyone wears it so I don't know..maybe someone wants to know a nice one? Gosh I have no clue. ANYWAY. This was a lovely deodorant which smelt nice and lasted alll day.
   Will it be repurchased? Yes.
2. Narciso Rodriguez perfume 'For Her': I think this is my scent, it's very classic yet doesn't smell like an old lady's perfume.
   Will it be repurchased? Yes.
3. NYX soft matte lip cream in 'Istanbul': The soft matte creams are a little drying but overall I think they are a great drugstore product and a good start if you want to get into liquid lipsticks. This shade was beautiful and I wore it a ton in summer.
   Will it be repurchased? Yes and it already has been! Plus a few more shades.
4. M.A.C 'Waterproof lash' mascara: Once I figured out that curling my lashes then applying a waterproof mascara straight away was the key to curled eyelashes I began using this almost everyday. I haven't tried a lot of waterproof mascaras but this did a great job at holding the curl and not smudging. Was a pain to remove but hey, was worth it.
   Will it be repurchased? Maybe. I will probably go back to it but I think i'll try a drugstore waterproof mascara first to see if it's similar. 
5. Revlon eyebrow liner: This. was. amazing. I loved using the little brush at the end to brush my brows into shape and then using the liner end to fill in the lil gaps.
   Will it be repurchased? Yes! When it's on sale because I never buy drugstore full priced..
6. Bumble & Bumble 'surf' conditioner: At a DFO in Portsmouth they had an offer "buy anything bumble & bumble and receive a free surf conditioner". Mum and I realised this was a GREAT deal as we could buy the cheapest product (an $8 mini hair spray) and get this $40 product for free. Um, YES. I've really liked using this conditioner and i've luckily got another spare. I don't like my hair to be too sleek so I feel this gives the right amount of softness without making it look freshly washed.
   Will it be repurchased? Nah. Not for full price. I'd pay $20 for it but not $40. It does a great job but I can't really justify spending that much on a conditioner. 

Overall it was such a great weekend away! The first day we went out for dinner and then out to a club called Cheeky Monkey's where the dance floor is a bunch of tables so you're literally dancing on tables haha. Not much of a clubber (at all) but it was fun being with a bunch of my gal pals dancing on tables. The second day we rented out these vintage white bicycles and we all rode from the apartment to the Byron Bay lighthouse. Afterwards we drove into a cute little town nearby (Bungalow) for lunch and then came back to the house to make a hearty pesto pasta for dinner, The next day we went to "The Farm" for breakfast and then wandered around the farm looking at the animals and taking lots of photos under the macadamia and pecan trees.

I am a complete self-tan novice which makes me the best person to recommend products that I (an idiot) am able to use without turning orange. Last year in September I tried my hand at fake tanning and it went HORRID (you can read all about the saga here), It went so bad that only until a few months ago I have been brave enough to give it another go. Since then I have tried out a few different products and have finally found the one which is idiot-proof and gives a pristine "tan". Read on to hear about the ones you need to try and the ones you must avoid at all costs.


 I'm a little on the fence with the one as you can probably tell by the heading. My sister gave me this one upon my return from England (THANKS CHLOE) and originally told me it was a gradual tanner. Well, she accidentally bought the one which is wash off rather than gradual but I decided to give it a go anyway. This applies really nicely and gives a beautiful bronze finish which isn't orange (hooray). It also doesn't have that foul fake tanner odour and smells quite pleasant. Unfortunately as soon as I jumped in the shower it allllll so easily washed off. I mean sure - it is a wash off - but I at least expected it to leave a little tan. So this leaves me with the question..where would you wear it? Because you couldn't wear it to the beach as it would instantly wash off in the ocean. You could potentially wear it on a night out but what if someone spills a drink on you and you're left with an awful dripping mark down your leg? What if it starts raining?? I feel like this tan, although how lovely it is, is a real liability and I would be too concerned of something happening and my legs being left noticeably patchy.

So I'd recommend this to those who are brave and aren't too worried about it washing off easily. Also to those who don't want to commitment of a long lasting tanner. But in my opinion I would much prefer a tan that is going to last!

 SHOUT OUT TO THIS TAN. My sister recommended it to me and it lives up to the hype! This is basically an instant tan which you spray on and blend out. It does develop over a couple of hours and after about six hours i'll wash off the excess and am left with a subtle bronze tan. Before I used it I youtubed how to best apply it and Chloe Morello does an excellent video explaining how to use it and make it last 7+ days, watch it here. I like it because you can choose how much you want to add. It will go on quite light but you can also spray more to deepen it up.

Would recommend this to anymore who is new to tanning or has been scarred from a bad self-tanner *cough* Dove *cough*. I feel like it's definitely the most fool proof!