Alt: 1. Wintour: 0.

As if I couldn't love Emmanuelle Alt any more!

Spiff.

I find myself coveting men's outfits as much as I do women's outfits when I'm walking down the street. I also find that by doing this, I am often giving off the wrong impression.

Must. Practice. Stealth.

Until I get it right, I'll look online for some male style inspiration.

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Lately.

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Dear Hollywood...

When you've hired someone to host an awards ceremony who has built his career by writing comedy that makes people cringe, what more do you expect?

It's ok Ricky, I still love you.

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Yes.

I received one of the best compliments from one of my workmates the other day. She said she couldn't tell I was wearing makeup, even though I was wearing foundation, concealer, powder, blush and mascara. For someone who has only been wearing makeup for the past couple of months, it felt pretty good hearing that.

Anyway, just wanted to boast. I shall now leave you with grumpy Christmas cat.

My life lately...

It's, uh, Spring...?

I hate the cold. And by cold I mean Melbourne cold, which I realise that it really isn't that cold on the cold scale but it's just as miserable and annoying nonetheless. The start of September is supposed to mean the start of Spring but alas, none of the trees have blossomed, nor have any flowers bloomed and my allergies have not yet made an appearance.

I'm not going to lie. I am one of the laziest people you will ever meet (ask my boyfriend, he'll vouch for me). I hate getting dressed. I mean, I love clothes and fashion, but at the moment I'm totally over layering and thinking about how many tops I should be wearing thinking about every little miserable element of the weather - the chill, the wind, the cloud cover...

Don't get me wrong - I love coats and my leather jacket is one of my favourite things that I own and sometimes, adding more and more things to your outfit can be fun. But I long for the sun when I can slip on no more than 3 garments at once and be out the door. When you wake up every morning to gloom it starts to get a little uninspiring. That's what seasons are for - to break things up so that by the time you get sick of one thing it all changes and you can start afresh.

Mostly, I'm annoyed because I want to break out these shoes I got from ModCloth a couple of weeks ago. I've been dying to wear them and got excited about Spring only to find that it's starting a little later this year...


I love these shoes so much I got a similar Chelsea Crew pair in black from Lulu's. I've just ordered them and can't wait until they get here! Hopefully it'll be warm enough to wear them by then but being a lifelong Melbourne resident, I know better than to expect that the weather will be predictable.

Say NO to plastic surgery...

...unless you want to look like this:


It's so horrific, I can't stop staring.

IQQU Beauty International Product Review - one person's honest opinion.

I have something to admit that I'm a tiny bit embarrassed about. I watch Michelle Phan YouTube videos religiously. Lame, seeing as how I can barely wear makeup because A) I can't be bothered and B) I have stupidly shaped eyes which means I can't be creative with it even if I wanted to.

That said, I try to take really good care of my skin so I don't have to cover anything up. I will be completely honest. I never knew how to take care of my skin until I turned 18. My skin was terrible, especially in my T-zone. When I finished high school, my mum decided that enough was enough and made me go to the doctor to get advice about my skin. This was pretty embarrassing as I hated talking about my acne problem and because I hate going to the doctor anyway. He prescribed antibiotics which cleared my skin up pretty much right away. While I was on this course of antibiotics I did heaps of research as to how to look after my skin so I never had to go through all that again. I never let it effect me outwardly but it was something that I was always secretly upset about.

After years of trying out different things, I decided to try IQQU. I figured I should try everything once. I was a bit of a skeptic at first but after a few weeks... well, here are my thoughts. Oh and before you jump on your sassy horses, I am not affiliated with Michelle Phan (though I wish I was!) or IQQU and I am simply a paying customer with an opinion. So here goes...

Advance Sunscreen.
This product seemed to be the one she was the most excited about. It's SPF 35 and protects against UVA and UVB rays. As far as a sun protector goes, it is great. It is also really light on the skin and evens out the skin tone really well. However, I would not recommend this for dry skin. My skin is on the dry side so it's not so bad for me but I do find that I need to use a little more moisturiser before using this. Reapplying is no problem and does not ruin and makeup that you're already wearing. I did let one of my friends use this who has really oily skin and she loved it. Food for thought...

Acne Serum.
I use this in the morning after applying my toner and before my moisturiser. The first thing that strikes me is the smell, which is very pleasant. The texture again, is very light. I really love this stuff! It is really great for preventing acne and treating existing blemishes. That isn't to say that I still don't get zits because at certain times of the month, nothing you slather on your face can change the tide. Still, this stuff is great.

Skin Rejuvenator.
This is the day moisturiser that I use after the Acne Serum in my morning routine. As far as my skin is concerned, I thought the gel texture might have been too light for me but it still does really well at restoring moisture to my face. It is winter so I have to use a little more than I did during the summer. Light, inoffensive and does the job great, especially if you plan to wear primer and foundation and the lot on top!

Replenishing Cream.
This is the night cream in the IQQU line up and is definitely my favourite skincare product from the brand. Like all the other IQQU products, a little goes a long way. I use just one pump of all of these and it is enough for my entire face. I started using these in January and I've got heaps of it left. The night cream is a great way to treat your skin after a long day of tediousness or a fun night out. It's not too heavy but still luxurious.

And last but not least, the new Eyeliner Brush.
I was so excited about receiving this brush in the mail that I tried it out when I got home at 11pm that night. When seeing Michelle Phan using the brush in her videos, I thought that the precision in her execution was because of her own skill. And half of it is. The other half is the brush. I'm NOT kidding. The bristles aren't synthetic, which normally doesn't work with a cream texture but the IQQU brush is still amazing. The hairs are so soft that it doesn't hurt to line your water line and it is great at getting accurate lines and details. My only complaint is the handle which is unfinished ebony wood. While it looks great, you're not supposed to get it wet which is a little tough when you go to wash it afterwards. Otherwise, this is my favourite IQQU product to date.



So that's my review of the IQQU products that I've tried to date. The customer service was also excellent. After ordering both packages, I received an email from Michelle Phan warning me of a 2 week wait (which I normally don't care about) but both times I got my packages the week I bought them only having to wait 7 days. All in all, I loved Michelle Phan before and after buying her products... I love her more!

Also, be mindful of the fact that not everyone's skin is the same. There are also negative reviews of some of the IQQU products out there so just because these products worked for me, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all remedy or we'd all have perfect skin!

Oh, and in other news - I'm SO happy that Krista won ANTM over Raina. I can't stand overly happy people. GROW UP.

Cold drinks, hot days...

Christmas 2009!

I've just spent a wonderful Christmas lunch with boyfriend and his wonderful family today and HAD to show off some of my gifts! The first 2 were from my boyfriend's gorgeous mum, Jenn, who is helping me to embrace my love of baking...

I had seen this set of measuring cups on ModCloth and fell in love with them and was going to buy them for a girlfriend for Christmas (I think I still will) but didn't think I would get a set of my own! Jenn got these from Zinc on Toorak Road.









Aren't they adorable?!

She also got me a cookie press and icing set from Avanti. I had bought a really crappy icing set from Woolies for really cheap - used it once and never again because it was pretty painful. Needless to say, I was uber excited to finally have a proper one of my own!



Not only did I get a beautiful charmed set ring from Matt's wonderful grandma, Wendy, but she also gave me an old bag that she doesn't use anymore. She noticed a bag that I started using after saving it from becoming mum's trash and realised that she had one that looked really similar that she didn't use... and now it's mine! It's a bit bigger than my other one which is really great because it's size got a bit annoying at times.



New and old.



I sincerely hope you and your loved ones had a great Christmas as well, and that Santa was as good to you as he was to me!

A Wholesome 1950s Picnic!

A very good friend of mine, Brittany, turned 21 a couple of weeks ago, and Saturday was the party! Much to my delight, she decided to have a '50s themed picnic, suitable for grownups and kiddies alike. As soon as the invites were sent out, careful planning for my outfit ensued. I was doubly-stoked when she asked me to do the cupcakes. I'm no Martha Stewart (though I try) but I do like to put my baking "skills" to the test whenever I get the chance... and I pounced at this!

Here I am in my wonderful new, '50s inspired dress (which I plan on wearing again and again)...


The birthday girl...


And my cupcakes with my terrible camera...


It was a beautiful day and the rain managed to stay for most of it. I hope our Brittany had a wonderful 21st birthday - she very much deserves it!

We are saved...

...from the wrath that was the McCain/Palin onslaught!



This was a speech for the ages, one that not only African Americans will look to as the epitome of hope and courage, but the rest of the world will look to this historic moment as the start of a new beginning - free from the shackles of old bigotry that was the Bush administration. As I sat on the floor of my boyfriend's lounge room, I knew that this was a moment that I would be proud to tell my grandchildren about years from now; as a time that the world stopped to see that faith and hope was blind to race, gender, religion and sexual orientation. As a proud Australian and world citizen, I cannot find the words to express how happy I am that so many dreams were realised yesterday, and that the best man for the job won.

The world is and will be a step closer to being a better place now. Obama/Biden is the dawn of a new, bright and hopeful day.

WAG night of nights.

I don't follow the footy nearly as closely as I used to. After the Ben Cousin melodrama and the Chris Judd feeding frenzy I can't watch it the same way I used to. However, I always make time for the Grand Final and Brownlow night - where the wives and girlfriends (WAGs) of footballers strut their stuff, proving that when it comes to clothing, less is more.

There were, however, a few girls that did manage to leave some things sacred. Jonathan Brown's date, Kylie Adams, as well as Paul Medhurst's date, Hayley Moxon, looked beautiful and proved that you don't need to show cleavage to look feminine and glamourous, even if it does make you a disgrace to the WAG way of life.

And if I have to hear about how Rebecca Twigley (girlfriend of Chris Judd) stole the show one more time, I think I might scream. Her dress, made of two cut up bedsheets cinched at the waist by a god awful Roman inspired monstrosity of a belt and shoes gave her the "I can wear all the latest trends at once and make them all look shit and cheap" prize, whilst also making me think twice about the Roman sandals I bought a few seasons ago that I've been eager to dust off for summer. How dare you make me doubt my vintage prowess! And I don't think we need to talk about the dress that Brent Harvey's wife wore... let's just leave it behind us.

On the other hand, I probably should thank the ladies of football, for reminding me that you don't need to be rich to stop you from looking like a terracotta-tinted tart. Following the latest trends make you look stupid and are nothing to classic, long lasting style and glamour, and WAGs would never be able to tell the difference if it locked them in a sun bed. If anything, I should take comfort in the fact that in 10 years time, the WAGs will look back on their red carpet photos thinking "What in the name of arse was I thinking?" and if they don't, they leave all the tasteful and classic stuff for the rest of us who actually have style.

I wish the girls from Go Fug Yourself could've seen the Brownlow. OH, they'd have a field day.

In other news, I wish I had an occasion to wear this dress to. It is EXACTLY my size. This will probably the only time I'll ever say "I wish I were a WAG", or, "I wish I had an invite to the ARIAs".