It seems to be I have gotten into a semi-strict routine with my makeup. I owe this all to rushed mornings trying to get off to work or realising i'm late for meeting up with a friend so I quickly just pull out what I know it good and works. So I thought I would share for you the no-fuss products that i'm loving.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation
This is such an easy base. So, so easy. I apply this either with my beauty blender or my real techniques face brush and it just looks good either way. I don't want to be using a high end foundation everyday so this is the perfect solution as it gives me a slightly dewy, medium coverage which lasts a decent amount of time.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
I actually got a sample pot of this bad boy a few months ago and LOVED IT. Then I forgot to purchase it, forgot how good it was, got another sample pot and realised "okay yes need to buy this asap". It's probably the most long-wearing concealer i've ever owned. It apparently sets on it's own but most days I will still add a bit of loose setting powder to really lock it in. It's very full coverage so I just build it up slowly. Definitely go get a sample pot of this to test it out because it's reallyyyy good!
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
I had a moment in MAC a few weeks ago where I went in with next-to-no makeup and the lady was treating me like a complete makeup novice. She asked if I knew about setting powders and I ever-so-cooly slipped out "oh yeah I have the Laura Mercier translucent setting powder for that" and it was then she realised I actually knew a bit about makeup and totally changed. I just found that funny. This setting powder is great for locking in your base. It's neverrr made my skin go cakey.

Essence Make Me Brow gel mascara
This is a great dupe for Benefit gimme brow. I've used both and i'd say these are pretty much the same, if not this one being slightly better! This is fabulous for when you're running out the door and you just want your brows to be combed through and a bit more defined.

Truthfully 2017 was a fantastic year for me - I started my job as an operating theatre nurse, I got a little niece who is the cutest thing ever, I went travelling around some parts of Australia, started an actual savings account (uni was rough on ye ole bank account), and had many adventures with my friends.

But 2018 is going to be better.

Cause there are so many more adventures to go on and things to do.

So these are my things i'm going to start doing in 2018 to make myself a better person and get the most out of the year.

1. Stop being late - I've gotten into such a bad habit of being late to everything except work. And it's actually a really selfish thing to do to make people wait for you because you didn't have the ambition to get there on time. So i'm going to try and make it a general rule in my head to leave 10 minutes earlier than I usually would.
2. Start doing more volunteering - 2017 was the year I became a little more relaxed on the volunteering side of things, I began working full time and it got tricky to fit around my schedule. This year I want to start doing more things again like helping out at my local church and other organisations. 
3. Embrace my makeup free face a little more - This is easier said than done but this year I was to relax a little more on makeup. I love the stuff and wear it everyday but I want to get to a stage where I feel okay popping out of the house with no makeup and not feel this need to be like "I NEED CONCEALER, MASCARA, ANYTHING...STAT.
4. Get more adventurous in cooking/baking - This year I want to master making croissants! I've made them a few times and they've always turned out okay..but not great. So this year i'm going to boss them.
5. Schedule in regular catch ups with my friends - As a lot of you know when you grow up everyone gets busier so catch ups can feel a bit of a struggle sometimes. This year i'd love to really put in more effort to do things with my friends more often rather than have a day off and last minutely ask "are you free?!"
6. READ MORE - At the end of 2017 I started getting into reading again which is fab. Then of course Christmas came and then..you get the picture. So i'm going to make an actual reading list and get through them.
7. Attempt to have my room tidy - "attempt" is the key word in all of this. My room is rather messy..ahem...a LOT of the time. So perhaps this year I could become a slightly cleaner version of myself?
8. Chill out on the blog side of things - I absolutely love blogging but it's been getting a lot more difficult lately with finding the time. So I want to stop putting pressure on myself and just go with the flow of blogging when I can.

 This Christmas I scored on the makeup front. My siblings and parents just know me too well. I'm probably the easiest person to buy for because you can just get me makeup and i'll be happy as larry.

Why ramble when I can just show you what I got?

 *struggles to breathe*
guys, just.....look...it's sooo pretty. My sister and brothers went in together to get me this. It was a total surprise but I was speechless when I got it. As you can see it includes an eyeliner, lipstick, mascara, eyeshadow palette, 2 blushers, a highlighter, and 2 bronzers. It's a whole look in a box minus foundation, concealer and bows. I've used this a few times now and the quality of the products are amazing and last sooo well. The other day my sister asked if I had just applied it but I already had my makeup on for over 3 hours. Amazinggg.

I just find these products fun! They are green but when you apply them they change colour. It makes me feel like a 12 year old with a mood ring haha. The blush is a beautiful colour - it's very rosy.
My sister got me this brush as she knows I was a ton of YouTube and this is the brush so many of them use. I've used it a few times and it's fantastic!

This Nars lipstick is a dream McDream. The packaging looks very expensive and the actual lipstick shade is gorgeous...it would be a flattering colour on everyone. I can definitely tell it will become a go-to.

My sister and brothers got me the studio-to-go lips cause they thought it would be fun, it includes a rd lipstick and a product which makes any lipstick matte. I can't wait to try out the matte product on different lipsticks..will be fun.

The SK-II was given by my mum. I just love SK-II, it's a lil pricey but my skin responds so well to their products.

Helloooo my friends!

I'll come right out and say it: I have sucked at blogging in December. I mean, on the bright-side..hopefully due to bloggers ramping up their content during December (blogmas) hopefully my absence went unnoticed? In fact, i'm sure no one actually noticed at all so I think i'm off the hook.

The last few weeks have been crazy busy. This month I put all my energy into my job and tried to devote a lot of time to going the extra mile. I'm first year out of university and this year was lucky enough to score a grad position as an operating theatre nurse. It's been challenging in many ways but I feel like I have learnt so much. Basically it's been awesome! So that's why this last month I have quite M.I.A.

Last weekend I volunteered for my churches Christmas Production to do makeup on the singers. I was quite nervous at first..suuure I absolutely love makeup and applying it on myself - but could I actually do a good job on other people? It was quite funny because anytime I would do someones makeup i'd quickly do the disclaimer saying I wasn't a makeup artist (to prepare them it may not be a 10/10 job). Well I ended up getting a lot of great feedback! So many people said I did an awesome job, some were even surprised that I wasn't a makeup artist. I feel like all of my years being a loser staying up until 2am watching YouTube makeup tutorials have paid off haha. Due to getting such nice feedback and really enjoying doing makeup on people I have decided I would like to find a makeup course. Perhaps it could be something I do on the side? Operating theatre nurse by day, makeup artist by night. Who knows! I'm excited at this possibility though.

And lastly - CHRISTMAS IS SO SOON. I AM SO EXCITED. Due to working lots I feel like I haven't been able to get into the full festive mood but last night I had my two best mates over and we gave presents to each other, made mulled wine, and played a drinking game to Home Alone. It was so fun.

A year ago I would have laughed at myself for thinking i'd ever be in the position to give self tanning tips and tricks BUT HERE I AM. In recent months I have become a big fake tanner. Being completely honest: I do it every week now. I just love the way it looks and because I do it so often it's become quite a fuss-free process. These days I feel so much more confident wearing shorts and shorter skits because my legs actually look okay rather than looking like milk bottles.

WILL ADD: This post is not sponsored at all. Yes, I use pretty much alll Le Tan but that's because i've tried a few things out and I find their products have been most consistent and work best. :)

If I have pre-existing fake tan on: The Bondi Sands self tan eraser is the easiest way to remove tan. I used to try and get rid of my existing tan but madly scrubbing myself but I found there would always be areas that just wouldn't fade. So I purchased this and it's fabulousss. I just put a few pumps onto each area and wait about 10 minutes before hopping into the shower to scrub it off with an exfoliating mitt. I always have to have a bottle of this around now as nothing removes my fake tan as good as this does.

If I don't have pre-existing fake tan on: Of course i'll skip the self tan eraser and just go for a good ole' exfoliating mitt. I moisturise after the shower only if I will be applying fake tan later that day/the next day. I once moisturised right before applying fake tan and it just didn't apply well, so i'd avoid that.

I use the Self Tanning Foam (coconut water) by Le Tan. What I really like about this product is that it's green based so my tan never ever goes orange. I like this product as I find it lasts about a week and fades nicely. You leave it for 1 hour for a light tan, 2 hours for a medium tan, and 3+ hours for a deep tan. Also it doesn't smell like fake tan!

I apply this is the evening before bed using the Le Tan application mitt. It doesn't matter what brand it is but make sure you have a tanning mitt, they're essential. They keep your tan from applying patchy and you don't get fake tan all over your hands. I put about 2 pumps onto each section on my body, sometimes I put a little extra on my legs.

I then let the tan dry for a few minutes before hopping into bed and sleeping in my tan overnight. This used to freak me out as I thought "oh my goodness 8 hours of having a tan on!! It'll go so dark!" but it actually doesn't go that dark. It seems a tan only will get to a certain point where it can't develop any further. I wake up, rinse off my tan, and then get on with the day. And voila - i'm not a ghost anymore.

Tips + Tricks:

• If new to self tanning I recommend starting out slow and working your way up to leaving the tan on for longer. Perhaps starting out with only leaving it on for an hour is a good way to asses how much darker you want to go
• To not stain your sheets this is something genius I came up with: sleep in a duvet cover! I sound absolutely crazy but a duvet cover is great to sleep in as you're not touching any of your actual sheets so you won't stain them brown. It makes life so much easier trust me. 
• Gently go over any bony premises (like elbow, knees, hands, feet) as fake tan loves to make them look a lot darker than anywhere else. Usually with the mitt i'll buff out an area and then what little bit is left over on the mitt i'll go over those areas. 
• Don't do your face with it. It's too risky and it's harder to cover up if anything goes wrong. Instead if you want your face to be darker invest in some self tanning drops specifically for your face. I've used a le tan one and it was great.

1. Know your limits. If you've had a lot of socialization and it's beginning to drain you then be intentional about your plans. Don't keep saying yes to everything if you know that you won't enjoy it and will drain you further. 
2. If you're a busy person then get your alone time when you can. One thing i've started doing recently is having my lunch breaks on my own reading a book. I used to just go find a seat with a work colleague and chat about general things but now I enjoy it SO much more just sitting on my own reading. 
3. Plan your "ME" time. This tip sounds lame but I actually think it's so important. It's easy to get caught up in constantly doing things but make sure you fit in time on your own to recharge. What I like to do is either read, have a bath, watch Netflix, watch YouTube videos, do face masks, or do some baking. 
4. Don't book up too many social things in a week. I'm guilty of this, sometimes at the start of the week i'll end up making plans every day with different friends and by the end of the week i'm so tired and grow bitter at having too much on. So to combat this I just plan only a few things, giving myself plenty of time to myself but still socializing. 
5. BUY MORE BOOKS! Well, this point is more for me because i've gotten obsessed with reading. Books are the best way to unwind though. No technology but just yourself getting lost in another world. Reading is the best.

Flashback to 2013 and I was an 18 year old girl with a raging social life. I used to have plenty of friends, more than I could count on my fingers. I went from being quite a low-key girl in school with not a large friendship group to becoming a lot more confident and having slightly improved social skills (I used to be very awkward, still am a bit haha).

I remember being 18 and having plans almost every night of the week. I used to have a night each week appropriately titled "board game night" where I would get together with close mates to play games or watch movies. Sunday night was church (a cool one with lots of young people) and after the service we'd all go get coffees and hang out. Other nights of the week i'd find friends to hang out with. When I started uni my social calendar got even fuller adding uni friends into the mix.

Flash forward to 2017 and being now 22 years old my social life has completely changed. I went from being such a socialite to being someone who spends most nights in and with less friends.

You know what though..I actually like it better this way. Sure, I had a great few years always being busy and having lots of friends but I much prefer having more close friends. The 20's are where people start to really go in different directions. Sometimes it sucks when you aren't as close to some friends but it's important to learn that some friendships are just for a season and it's only natural for us all to do different things.

In your early 20's it'll become more "quality over quantity". You'll find it's better to have less friends than to have lots of friends. You'll find people you genuinely connect with and bring out the best of you.