February Roundup
2/28/2014

February Roundup


February was a busy month on Nana Wintour so I decided to gather up some of the most popular posts this month for your perusal. If you didn't catch any of these the first time around, now's your chance to catch up!

1. The Best Of The Fashion Instagrammers-So it turns out that I actually follow more fashion-centred accounts on Instagram than I do beauty. These fashion accounts are all inspiring, and have me reaching for the heart button on the daily.

2. A Skincare Update-A few new skincare items made their way into the stash over the last month and they're all brilliant. I'm particularly loving the Bobbi Brown eye cream for dark circles and the Dior lip balm for saving damaged lips.

3. Surfs Up-Tousled, beachy waves without having to enter the ocean-it sounds ideal right? Here's how you can cheat beach hair with three of my favourite surf sprays from Bumble and Bumble, Wella Professional and Lush.

4. Novel Style-Fashion books are one of the first things I scout out in any bookstore. This post featured my most-recommended and the books that deserve a place on your coffee table for everyone to see.

5. Candle Discoveries-Who said candles are just for Winter? These ones are brilliant and have been burnt regularly this month. I highly recommend that Bath and Body Works one. It smells divine.

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The Week #94
2/28/2014

The Week #94


The Week in Instagrams @nanawintour: *The beautiful new Hourglass blushes, post coming Monday. *An afternoon with the new Frankie magazine and the prettiest Valentine I ever did see from this lovely lady. *The results of my cupcake decorating class. Surprisingly it wasn't too much of a fail-just don't ask me about my piping skills or lack thereof. *Blog Photography Tips and Tricks. *Mail from Feel Unique-mail day is always a good day. *Fashion 'grammers that have me reaching for the heart button.

Must-Watch of the Week: Brush Cleaning 101 care of Nic from Pixiwoo. When one of my friends was quizzed recently on how they clean their brushes their response was holding it under running water and leaving it to dry. My horrified face said it all really. If you've ever been unsure about how to clean your makeup brushes and how to let them dry properly then you definitely need to watch this video. Side note: Does anyone own/use the Mac brush cleaner? Is it worth the splurge?

Product of the Week: I'm not much of a lipgloss person but since the Tanya Burr lip gloss in Afternoon Tea arrived I've been wearing little else on my lips. Heck-I've even been putting it on when I'm just around the house. There is a post coming up on this little gem but here's what I love about it in a nutshell: lightweight, pigmented colour that is not sticky and is actually pretty darn long lasting. Aurora, the shade my giveaway winner is getting, and Picnic in the Park are tempting me also.

Must-Read of the Week: Anna's promise of a story about her tales with Mac lipsticks had me hooked this week. From the concealer lip nudes to the statement reds, a lot of ground is covered! I felt better to know I was not the only one who made the mistake of buying Creme D'Nude which is long gone from my collection. My 16 year-old self didn't believe in swatching or trying on anything. The result? Lips that look like they've been rubbed in a heavy layer of concealer. Cringe. She also mentions the collaboration with Liberty which has to have been the prettiest Mac packaging I ever did see. Lipstick junkies, go have a read.

Added to the Wishlist: Last week I had a good old swatch and swoon session over the aforementioned Hourglass blushes. Definitely go have a look at them in person because the photos online do not do them justice. Anyway, the shades Ethereal Glow and Diffused Heat had me writing down their names in the wishlist section of my phone. The former is a cool pink, best worn on lighter complexions. Diffused Heat is a vibrant poppy that seems to be the standout shade. I ended up picking up Mood Exposure but those other shades were just as tempting. Lock up your cards..

*Have an amazing Friday and weekend everyone-more so if this is your last weekend before University starts on Monday. This week seems to have gone ridiculously fast so hopefully the first week back does as well. Today I am just dashing between appointments before coming home for a movie night and Saturday I'm going to the Bruce Springsteen concert which will be brilliant no doubt. My posting schedule will probably be a bit iffy for the next month or so but I'll try to keep it fairly consistent x

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The Best Of The Fashion Instagrammers
2/26/2014

The Best Of The Fashion Instagrammers


There are so many inspiring fashion bloggers, designers and creatives on Instagram. It was difficult for me to narrow this list down. As I've been writing this post more names have come to mind but we'd be here all day if I included everyone-if you follow me on Instagram you'll be able to see who they are though. I follow more fashion 'grammers than beauty ones actually. Here's the fashion ones that have me inspired and, you guessed it, reaching for that heart button-if they have blogs too then I highly recommend having a look at those as well..

Shop Style Conquer+Tardaeda-Ellen and Tara are the masterminds behind Shop Style Conquer. Expect to see regular outfit posts, cute Starbucks snaps and more pretty pictures. Side note: A lot of these girls post stunning photos so you'll begin to notice a theme. Shop Style Conquer is one of my favourite local blogs at the moment and it's well worth the browsing session if you're unfamiliar with it.

What Olivia Did-I accidentally stumbled upon Olivia's Instagram when I was searching for photos of a beauty product. I'm so glad I found it though! Her style pays tribute to times gone by like the sixties and it's so pretty and girly. I love it!


Alexa Chung-The style icon for many a women-Alexa has the whole effortless chic thing down. You'll see front row snaps, designer clothing, selfies and artsy shots aplenty. The day is always better with an Alexa 'gram or two.



Teen Vogue-This is so cliched but I've loved Teen Vogue for so long. The work they do inspires me so much, so naturally it'd make sense for me to be following their Instagram. You'll see plenty of behind the scenes photos from editorials, events, even backstage at fashion week. Editor in Chief Amy Astley's Instagram is worth the follow too.


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February Favourites
2/25/2014

February Favourites


It's February favourites time! This month I gave my makeup bag a good old reshuffle and even did a bit of a cull in the packaging, perfume and lip product departments. In fact, every month from here on in I've decided to shuffle products around a lot more-variety is the spice of life after all! Anyway, here's what I've been loving during February..

NYX Powder Blush, pictured are Mocha, Summer Peach and Taupe-These blushers are great quality given how inexpensive they are. They're pigmented, long-wearing and such flattering shades. All of these haven't left my makeup bag this month-Summer Peach is my current favourite and Taupe is great for contouring if you've got a fairer complexion.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara-Mascaras don't tend to smudge on my lashes but during the day mascara on my bottom lashes tends to which is frustrating if like me you don't carry mascara around with you. Bottom Lash will solve your problems. It has a tiny mascara wand, perfect for getting in close to the root of your lower lashes. It stays put and there's no black spots under my eyes by the end of the day. 

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream*-I love this eye cream from Bobbi Brown. It has a lightweight, gel-like formula but it is still incredibly creamy so you know it's going to be hydrating. I'm prone to getting dark circles, more so if I've not been sleeping. Using this nightly makes those much less obvious. You can also wear this underneath makeup as well because it is so lightweight. Love.
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Blog Photography-Tips and Tricks
2/23/2014

Blog Photography-Tips and Tricks


One of my favourite parts of putting together a blog post is taking the photos to go alongside it. Today I thought I'd share with you some things you can consider when taking your own photos, and what goes into my photos when I'm working on them. Side note-I am by no means a professional photographer, nor am I claiming to be one. I studied Photography at A-Level in the last two years of high school and that is all the education I have had. The rest is purely what I've learnt myself. This is currently what works for me, but there's definitely some equipment I'd like to invest in one day. Feel free to leave any questions down below or tweet me and I'll answer them. 

The Tools-I use a Canon 450D for virtually all my photos, aside from the Instagram grids you see in Friday posts, which are taken with an iPhone. A good quality camera can make all the difference, but if you're new to SLR's they can be quite complicated machines. I've been using SLRs for five years or so, and I'm more familiar with how they work. If you're not ready to make the investment, a decent point and shoot will do just as good a job. A lot of bloggers and vloggers like the Canon EOS M both for filming and taking pictures on the go. I don't have any other equipment in terms of lighting or tripods, and usually use a step to stand on when I'm taking photos overhead. Tres glamorous... 

Props-Odds and ends in the background of photos add a unique touch to your images and make a change from the standard, plain background shots. I like to use things like my room decor, a pile of books, perfume bottles (both new and old), beauty products that are in stunning packaging and more to jazz up an otherwise plain photo. Get creative, if you're in a new space, take advantage of the unique bits and pieces around you to see how you could work them in to your pictures.

Some of the items I typically use in the background of photos/alongside whatever it is I am photographing.

Here's an example of a setup using some of those items.
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The Week #93
2/21/2014

The Week #93


The Week in Instagrams @nanawintour: Side note: Thank you so much for 400 followers! I know that won't mean much to most of you but to me it means so much! *The Valentines Day beauty heart. *Tanya Burr was in the January Company magazine. It's a great issue on things like blogging+vlogging as well. *A Skincare Update. *Wednesday's beauty essentials. *My view over the weekend out at a friend's place by the beach. *Summer Favourites.

Must-Watch of the Week: Lily Melrose's channel. I'll be honest, I don't watch a lot of fashion videos on YouTube aside from the odd Alexa+Leandra interview, and of course Vogue's channel. Anyway, Lily's channel is an extension of her fashion and beauty blogs. She regularly vlogs fashion hauls, lookbooks and the odd tag or two. Her channel is a lovely little refresher from the beauty videos I often religiously watch and if you're looking for some style inspiration then you're sure to love it too.

Product of the Week: My Mac Eyeshadow Quad, pictured above. #1 I love personalised things and this eye palette is made up almost entirely of colours I selected myself. Mac's quads are great because you can swap out eyeshadows when you want something different and move the colours around. This week in particular I've been a bit time poor so I've been reaching for this quad rather than fussing about looking for individual eyeshadows. I'm loving the shade Tempting, bottom left all over the lids with Handwritten, top left in the crease.
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Candle Discoveries
2/20/2014

Candle Discoveries


There's something about candles that makes them so enchanting and enticing. When met with a good one, you'll be quickly handing over your money and rushing home to burn its exquisite scent straight away. Not only do great candles often come with delicious scents, they have a relaxing quality to them too. Over Christmas these two candles came into my possession. I've ignored the seasonal rules about when candles can be burned and have been lighting these on the regular..

Bath and Body Works Marshmallow Fireside Candle, purchased here-Bath and Body Works products are ridiculously hard to come by in New Zealand. eBay is often the best bet and when I heard Rachael mentioning these candles in her candle video, well I headed to eBay rather quickly. This candle has a sweet scent but it isn't sickly as the woody elements make it that little bit more musky. I really like this candle as its scent is not too overpowering. After it's finished burning the scent lingers for a few hours as well. These candles are pretty affordable too so I'll probably pick up some more closer to Winter time.

Diptyque Figuier Candle-Figuier is essentially Philosykos in candle form. As the name would suggest it is very figgy, the scent reminds me of pine needles actually. This candle is one that you have to burn for a little while to get the full scent payoff-I usually have it going for one to two hours and can really notice its scent around the hour mark. As you can see I've not burnt this down too much and I've used it quite a bit so there's a fair few burns left in it! 

*Which candles do you love? The Jo Malone Sweet Almond and Macaroon is still safely atop my wishlist. xo

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Summer Giveaway
2/18/2014

Summer Giveaway


Hi everyone! Here's the giveaway as promised in my last post. This giveaway is open internationally from 12pm today until 12pm next Tuesday, the 25th of February. One person will win everything pictured as well as a Tanya Burr lipgloss. To enter, scroll down to the Rafflecopter widget below and fill in your details. It's that simple! Good luck xx.









a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Summer Favourites
2/18/2014

Summer Favourites



Summer is drawing to a close, although it certainly doesn't feel like it in Auckland. The days seem to just be starting to warm up now. Summer is my favourite time of the year-the fashion, the fruit, visiting the beaches when they're at their best. I love it all. Here's what I've been loving over the Summer from beauty to fashion accessories and some miscellaneous extras. Be sure to check back later on as you'll be able to win some of these products.

Beauty

Neutrogena Beach Defense Sun Spray*-Pictured is the sunscreen version of this product as I've now used the sun spray up. You spray this directly on to the skin and can leave it to dry on its own or rub it in yourself, either way it dries pretty fast. You aren't left with the sticky, sunscreen feeling either-major bonus! The spray and sunscreen both have a lovely tropical scent. It is an SPF50 product too so I've not been badly burnt at all this Summer. 

Essie Nail Colour in Watermelon and Set in Stones-When it comes to nails in Summer we all want something fuss free, which usually means it'll dry faster and last longer on the nails. Well, Essie's polishes do a pretty good job in both those departments. They have such an array of fun Summer brights but it's these two polishes above that I've been wearing the most. Honourable mention has to go to Mint Candy Apple as well. 

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayons in Peach On The Beach and Orange Punch-Like nails, in Summer lips call for something fuss-free. Bring in the lip crayons which are super easy to apply. These Bourjois offerings are creamy, pigmented and fairly long-wearing. Orange Punch leaves a subtle stain behind once it wears away so you don't need to touch this up as often. 

Tangle Teezer Compact Styler-If you've got longer hair and it's prone to become knotty or tangled in Summer (thanks sea), then you need one of these in your lives. I like to use this after washing my hair too to get all the tangles out pre blow-wave. This compact styler in particular is great as it comes with a cover so the bristles don't get caught on things in your handbag. It's not as bulky as the original tangle teezers too so it will take up less space in your bag. I'd highly recommend picking up one of these if you don't already own one.
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A Skincare Update
2/17/2014

A Skincare Update


When it comes to my skincare, once I get comfortable with my routine I tend to not change it up too much. Repetition is boring though, let's be honest so I welcomed these new products in to the daily regime with open arms..

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream*-Don't let the lightweight feel of this eye cream put you off, it is incredibly hydrating. The area under my eyes is prone to being dry so I love how moisturising this eye cream is whilst not being overly heavy. My dark circles are less noticeable in the mornings as well. What's great about this eye cream is that you can use it underneath correctors and concealers so those apply a lot more smoothly and don't settle in any fine lines. While this may be a luxe purchase it is so worth it. I use the smallest amount per application so this pot seems like it's going to last a rather long time.

Dior Creme De Rose Lip Balm, a gift-There are probably far more enticing things at the Dior counters than a pot of lip balm, but believe it or not that is often what I have been drawn to on browsing sessions. I've also looked at Baume De Rose from By Terry in Mecca but that is crazy expensive stuff. Anyway, this lip balm is very lightweight. It's not a particularly heavy formula and it feels super moisturising and smoothing on the lips. It claims to be plumping as well but to be honest I haven't noticed much of a difference in that regard. I've used this a few times now in the last week and it has been great for clearing up some dry patches on my lips. So far, so good.
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The Week #92
2/14/2014

The Week #92


The Week in Instagrams @nanawintour: *Wednesday delights including some delightful cards from the lovely Lauren of Someone Like You. You can't beat handwritten cards. *Get beach hair without having to enter the sea. *Bluebells Cakery on Wednesday. I decided to break tradition and had some of their Coconut Ice instead. It was so good and not ridiculously sugary either. *Unwinding with the Weekend issue of Kinfolk magazine. It's a good 'un. *What was on my eyes one day towards the end of last week. I'm loving the Groundwork paint pot from Mac at the moment. *Britney came to visit! She bought me one of Sophie Dahl's cookbooks which I'm so excited about! I love Sophie's cooking show and her blog. We also had chocolate which is always a good thing.

Must-Watch of the Week: This week I sat down & spent some time watching Lisa Eldridge's brilliant videos. I particularly liked this one she did with Sophie Dahl. The look she creates is so simple and perfect to conceal the fact that you've had one too many sleepless nights. Lisa has the best tips and tricks too. I highly regret not looking at her channel until this week!
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Surfs Up
2/13/2014

Surfs Up


When it comes to hair products I keep things relatively simple in terms of styling. This, surf sprays, a set of GHD's and my fingers are basically all I use. Surf sprays are brilliant if you're like me and love the wavy, tousled beach hair look. You don't even need to go to a beach anymore to achieve this as I've found three of the best surf sprays. Read on..

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray-I've only owned Surf Spray for about a month but it's definitely my favourite of the three I have tried. I spritz this from the midsection of my hair downwards and then work it in with my fingers. Cue instant, beachy waves. This spray is the most lightweight, it doesn't weigh your hair down or leave it feeling gritty if that makes sense. Its scent is not too overpowering either and this even makes your hair look shinier. Wins all round.

Lush Sea Spray-Sea Spray was well loved by me last Summer, I probably only have a couple of uses left out of it actually. This spray is scented with oils like grapefruit, neroli and rosewood so it smells divine. You're left with hair that looks a lot more fuller and voluminous after using this. I think this spray might contain the most sea salt which can be a bit drying on the hair so if you're using something like this frequently, a hair mask or oil will become your best friend. If you're after an affordable sea spray then you should head to Lush to try this one out, or you could wait until next week to win one. #seewhatididthere

Wella Professional Ocean Spritz Beach Texture Spray*-The Ocean Spritz spray is a texturising spray that is suitable for all hair types. You apply this to dry hair and it creates waves and texture in the hair. Like Surf Spray, this is another lightweight spray and this one gives the best faux-beach hair, think Alexa Chung's tousled waves. 

*Have you tried any of these Surf sprays? Which is your favourite?

*PR Sample

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Benefit Lollitint
2/11/2014

Benefit Lollitint


It may be sheer coincidence that the latest cheek tint from Benefit happens to be in line with Pantone's colour of the year, Radiant Orchid. Whatever it is, Benefit's newest lip and cheek stain may just be their prettiest yet. A few weeks ago I was invited to preview Lollitint*. The Benefit girls applied the stain to all the blogger's cheeks and lips, and it suited everyone. Seriously, there wasn't a single person in the room who didn't suit the tint. Impressive stuff! I've been playing around with Lollitint for the past couple of weeks and was surprisingly impressed by it. I've tried Benetint before which I'm not a fan of so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this tint. Anyway, here is what I thought..

Lollitint is a girly, candy-orchid lip and cheek stain. As it is a liquid you can apply the colour quite sheerly to your lips and cheeks or build up the colour as you wish. One thing to note is that Benefit's stains set really fast once you apply them. It's best to apply the product to one cheek at a time so you can blend it properly. You can use either your fingertips or a brush to apply this. I like the Mac #188 duofibre brush as it means you can gently press the colour in without moving it around too much. You can also wear it on your lips but whenever I applied Lollitint to my lips they begun to sting so I had to remove it, which is a shame because it's a gorgeous lip colour!

Despite my experiences with Lollitint on the lips I was really impressed with it as a cheek tint. The colour is long-wearing and lasts for hours with the colour fading slightly as the day goes by.

*Lollitint lands on counters this Saturday. Will you be heading in to try the cheek and lip stain?

*PR Sample

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Novel Style
2/10/2014

Novel Style



One of my aims this year was to get back into posting a bit more fashion content on Nana Wintour. Fashion was my first love and makeup didn't really get a look in, until I discovered Mac eyeliner. Anyway, back to fashion. Whenever I head to bookstores, the fashion book selection is one of the first I seek out, so it's hardly surprising I have a collection of fashion reads of my own. Today I thought I'd share with you the best of the bunch-the ones I recommend on a regular basis and the ones I reach for to read again and again..

Influence by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen-When I think back ten or so years ago I remember how much I loved Mary Kate and Ashley. The movies, the books, even the dolls. Nowadays I'm still just as obsessed with them, but it's their activities in the fashion world that take my fancy. Influence is like a sophisticated scrapbook. There are interviews with the girl's favourite artists and designers, from Karl Lagerfeld to Lauren Hutton. There's also snapshots of the girls most treasured mementoes, some gorgeous editorial shots of each sister and personal interviews that they conducted with one another. If you're a fan of Mary Kate and Ashley then you're bound to love this book. 

Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty-I was always sad this exhibition never traveled to the Southern Hemisphere, but there's no need to fret when this book exists. Savage Beauty was released alongside the exhibition and contains the most stunning images of his designs. I love this dress in particular. There are also his words of wisdom throughout and interviews with those who knew him best, including Sarah Burton. This book would make the perfect gift for a fashionista or fashion design student. Alexander's attention to detail and innovative design was incredible.

Tim Walker Pictures-The best forty pounds I've spent was on this book. I even carried it all over London during the day, that's how determined I was to take it home. As expected it contains many of Tim's finest editorial photographs from many of the Vogue publications. There are also unseen photos, pages from his journals which chart his inspirations and more. This is one of those books you'll find yourself constantly revisiting. There's always something new to see or rediscover. This is definitely not a book you'll want to hide away, keep it out on the coffee table as a point of reference and inspiration for your guests too.
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The Week #91
2/07/2014

The Week #91


The Week in Instagrams @nanawintour: *A successful trip to Farmers. Revlon lipsticks and mascara were on buy one, get one free and Maybelline was 25% off. *February inspiration for my updated mood board. *Weekend reads. *Face of the day on Tuesday. *Good mail day with deliveries from iHerb and Bobbi Brown. *Monday's Posts: February Wishlist and a review of Saving Mr Banks

Must-Watch of the Week: I do love a good haul, you all know that by now. Sometimes it can get a bit tedious watching all of the beauty hauls, not to mention the frustration that comes with knowing that we have nothing like Boots in these parts of the world. Anyway, Zoe posted this video recently of a home haul. I love Zoe's style both fashion and decor-wise so it was inspiring to see what she purchased to deck out her new home. It also made me want to move to a pretty house, by the seaside. Yes, really..

Product(s) of the Week: Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts-Sleep in a jar, you know the drill. These really do work though. I've been sleeping terribly lately so I sprinkled a hefty amount of these into my bath. As I gradually got drowsier I took myself off to bed and bam, decent night's sleep. I have a feeling these will get a ton of use once Uni starts back. I have also been loving the Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream* lately. It's creamy, luxurious and makes the world of difference. Eye bags, begone! 

Must-Read of the Week: If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I've loved Tanya Burr's beauty videos for a long time. Over the weekend Anna shared an insight into what exactly Tanya has in her beauty bag. You'll like that post if you're a fan of Tanya's. Side note: How gorgeous are her new nail polishes and lipsticks? I'll have one of each, please.

Added to the Wishlist: Pretty much everything that was in Monday's post, see link above. If I had to narrow it down to just three of those items though I'd choose; Tarte Blushers, Lonely Lingerie, and a Zara Citybag. That just about covers it I think..

*I hope you've all had fabulous weeks. My highlights were probably going to see August Osange County on the weekend and a delicious lunch at Mexico Britomart on Wednesday. 

*PR Sample
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American Beauty, February
2/05/2014

American Beauty, February


So it's that time of the month again! I've been putting the above American beauty products that Hannah so kindly sent me to the test. It's been so much fun trialling all these products and I have to say NYX in particular has taken me by surprise. Their blushers are brilliant. Stay tuned for the final installment of these posts next month, and if you missed part one you can catch up here

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer, sample size-I'm pretty loyal to the Nars eye primer so when I spied this Too Faced primer in my package I was interested to see how it compared. I've already mentioned this primer here so you can read up on it. If you have drier eyelids you'll like this primer as it is incredibly creamy to apply. I did like this primer and found it really enhanced the colours of my eyeshadows. Unfortunately though my eyeshadows did crease a bit when using this underneath so that was a bit disappointing.

NYX Powder Blush in Mocha and Summer Peach-Along with their lip products, NYX are known for their great blushers. Mocha is a matte pink, pictured on the right. It looks a lot more red in the pan than how it does once applied. Summer Peach is more of a peachy pink shot through with flecks of gold glitter. It's similar to Orgasm by Nars but the shimmer is a lot more subtle. These blushers deposit a fairly light wash of colour so I think it'd be hard to overdo it with these. Whether you apply these lightly or build the colour up though they look stunning.
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The Review: Saving Mr Banks
2/03/2014

The Review: Saving Mr Banks


It must have been about a year or so ago that the announcements of Saving Mr Banks, a film chronicling the story of PL Travers and Walt Disney during the pre-production phases of Mary Poppins was made. Suffice to say I was quite excited about this film. It combines three of my favourite things; Emma Thompson, Disney and Mary Poppins. When I got around to seeing this in the cinema I was not disappointed and to be honest I had very high expectations. This film is brilliant and the story within a story was not what I expected at all. It really changes your perspective on Mary Poppins and her humble beginnings.

Saving Mr Banks takes place in two different time periods. The first is set in Australia in the early 1900s with a young PL Travers and her family. It centres around her childhood and you see where some of her early inspirations for Mary Poppins originated and where her imagination and creativity stem from. The second takes place around 1960-61 in Los Angeles. PL Travers was flown in by Disney where she attended a series of meetings with the Mary Poppins creative team and Disney himself. It was not only an opportunity for Disney to hopefully secure the rights to the film, but also for Travers to offer creative input to the scripting, songwriting and even in some cases the casting. 


Having a movie within a movie can often work against films but in this case it really works in its favour. This seems to be because the blending of the two stories is done so seamlessly. There are also subtleties you'll notice between the two time periods and the final film which are all really cleverly done. For instance, PL Travers' character arrives in Los Angeles with a floral carpet bag, Mary Poppins has a carpet bag in the Disney film and then her Aunt back in Australia arrives at their homestead with a carpet bag as well. Minor plot points are introduced in the Los Angeles scenes which are then expanded upon in the backstory set in Australia as well. 



In case it wasn't obvious I think this film is brilliant on many levels. The casting is fantastic firstly. Emma Thompson is amazing as PL Travers. While she's playing such a cold woman she brings a lightness to the role which makes you really connect with the character more. Colin Farrell as PL Travers' father in the childhood story was fantastic as well. The script is really well written also. You will laugh, you will cry, and you'll definitely change the way you next watch Mary Poppins. Side note-If you're prone to getting a bit teary in films, wear waterproof mascara before seeing this and pack some tissues. You will thank me later.

Saving Mr Banks is still playing in some countries overseas but if you're in New Zealand it opens this Thursday.
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February Wishlist
2/03/2014

February Wishlist


We probably all have a list of things we need to buy. Lately for me that's been skincare (side note: why does everything run out at the same time?) and new running shoes. However it's always fun to make another list of the things you'd like to buy if money were no obstacle. I even have a board on Pinterest devoted to the very concept. Well, here's what's taking my fancy in February..

Zara Suede Combination Citybag-Zara's citybags have been on my wishlist for a while. If you know me you'll know I never carry big enough bags and this one is the perfect size from what I have heard and seen. I could only find them in garish colours when I was in Melbourne *sheds tear*. I love the combination of suede and leather in this style, it just adds a little bit more character to this bag. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes, pictured are Blissful and Exposed-My new favourite term is the 'blogger effect' wherein a blogger raves about a product (any product) and you feel compelled to try it yourself. The Essie Button effect is certainly at play here with my desire to own Tarte blushes. These blushes are highly pigmented and evidently super long-wearing. I like that the shade range is mostly matte as well. These colours in particular look so pretty. PS-Tarte, you should set up shop in Auckland xo.

Topshop Nina Mid Heels-Sequined, sky high heels sure are fun to look at but not so much to walk in. These simple, elegant heels look stunning. I love that they have a mid-length heel as well so you don't have to walk cautiously in them. Wins all round.

Ted Baker Medium Wash Bag-If you've ever been to a Ted Baker store you'll know that they have gorgeous bags, shoes, and dresses-girly heaven basically. These makeup bags are what take my fancy though and they are stunners in person. The ones with the rose gold hardware are particularly luxe. They're silk lined too. Who wouldn't feel special taking this traveling or rifling through it in the morning?
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The Notes: Mac SS14 Trends
2/01/2014

The Notes: Mac SS14 Trends



Backstage Photos c/o Mac Cosmetics


Tuesday was an exciting day for me as I went along to a Mac Spring-Summer '14 trends presentation. It was set inside a yet to be refurbished loft-style space in the Britomart precinct, think brick walls and high ceilings. Nicole Thompson, Australia's senior artist, talked us through all the trends from New York and London's fashion weeks and then showed us how we can incorporate those into our own makeup looks. We also got to play with the products (see below) and were given a mammoth book on the trends themselves**. I also had a bit of a fangirl moment when I got to meet+chat with Leonie of The Style Insider as I love her blog. Can you tell that I enjoyed myself?

Anyway, today I thought I'd share some of Nicole's beauty tips and tricks as well as key products from the SS14 beauty looks. I'll be posting reviews of all the products mentioned at some stage so do keep an eye out for that.
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