beautification tools aka MAKEUP

Remember when I used to have all the time in the world to look up random shit I wanted to buy on the internet and post them in a blog?! Well now I have more time than ever on my hands and I fear this will mean a barrage of new posts. Sorry. Kind of. Lately I've become slightly obsessed with finding the perfect beauty products - hah! Ok, not 'lately'. I've always been obsessed with makeup but I just keep buying more and more now and discovering things that I absolutely NEED. I don't even have them yet but apparently I cannot do without them.

I mean, I barely have any room in my closet as most of it is crammed with beauty products but STILL. In my everyday makeup case which is always in my handbag I have:
- 9 x lipsticks (4 of which are in the coral family)
- 2 x lip treatments (Kiehls and Kit - see, it is very important to take care of the lips when one wears lipstick all the time. You absolutely must have soft, healthy lookin' lips to carry off such a look)
- 1 x lip brush (some lipsticks just look better when applied with a brush)
- 1 x matte lipgloss (trust me on this - it is from the Poppy King Lipstick Queen collection and it feels creamy and nice like lipgloss but is not glossy and icky)
- 1 x lipgloss (this is shocking for me as only a couple of years ago I would tote at least 8 with me everywhere and never once contemplated wearing lipstick. How times change)
- 1 x lip pencil
- 1 concealer for emergencies (generally don't need it as my foundation stays on all day - hello Napoleon China Doll)
- 2 x roll-on perfumes
- 1 x Marc Jacobs compact mirror which Jessie sent me from New York
- 1 x packet of blotting paper
- 1 x NP Set coral cream blush
- 1 x pack of blotting tissues (vital for Summer to blot away any shine)

So that's just what I have in my handbag. You can imagine what I have in my bedroom. Nevertheless, I MUST HAVE THESE THINGS:


Innoxa Matte Orange lipstick (in the middle). I know you're all like "Whaaaat? Didn't you just say you carry 9 lipsticks around with you on a daily basis? Are you high gurl?" To which I say "I WISH!" Seriously though, this lippy is like, perfect. Zoe Foster said so. And it's a shade of orange I do not yet have. Lalala I love this new colour palette I'm working with. Oh and also, it's $14.95 from Priceline. Winnerrrr!


I have this illuminator by Benefit...


But I really want this one now. Moon Beam is great and all but it's very subtle and looks better when mixed with foundation for an all-over dewy glow. High Beam on the other hand works more as an illuminator and is more visible. Maybe you haven't picked up on this, but I'm not exactly a subtle person. I WANT A DRAMATIC GLOW THX.


Nars highlighter in Orgasm (aka Nars' signature shade - I still need the blush version of this too...hmm). Also, must note that I have since received my Nars Love Devotion lipstick - IT IS DIVINE. Actually the best lipstick on the planet. The very best. On my trip to New York next year I will absolutely be dropping in on the VERY FIRST Nars flagship store which is due to open in a few months and stocking up on this (it is $58 in Australia pfft).


Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick. You can probably sense a theme here. I am now all about highlighting! I like the idea of this one to use over my foundation because sometimes using liquid illuminator (like Moon Beam) over liquid foundation like mine which goes matte can get a bit streaky. And Shimmer Bricks are like the quintessential BB product.


Body Shop cheek and lip stain. I have had a bottle of this for a hundred years (feels like) and it is now running dangerously low as I've recently rediscovered it. It is pretty great. Also, I know how to apply it properly now so it doesn't dry quickly and splotchy. I'll show you sometime. Seriously, makes you look flushed like you just came in from the cold.


Was thinking about maybe getting the Benefit 'original' cheek and lip stain but I have heard some pretty bad reviews online. Thoughts?


I DID want this Smashbox Paradise blush for a very long time, and now I finally have it. So if you too want peachy slightly shimmery cheeks to match your coral lips, this is your product. So gorgeous.


I also have this one but I think everybody else should get it also. It's part of the NP Set range (cheaper Napoleon range which is actually pretty spectacular) and I got it for free when I bought two other products. IT IS SUBLIME. It goes on like a dream, you only need a little bit and it is creamy and a gorgeous colour. Also goes nicely with coral lips and brown mascara. Swoon.


If you are looking for a fabulous bronzer that is easy to apply, not too expensive and actually quite subtle, try NP Set Liquid Veil in Buenos Aires. I have this and apply it just under the cheekbones. I also got this for free and every day I thank Napoleon Perdis for such great giveaways. Also, you only need a teensy bit so it should last foreverz.


Benefit Eye Bright pencil. While some idiots have recommended that you use white eyeliner on the insider of your eyeline to make you look more fresh and awake, this is a LIE. White is just too dramatic. Zoe Foster (my hero, obv) recommends this instead as it erases the hangover and redness of early mornings while blending in with your own skin colour. I start work at 7am most mornings and cannot sleep until after 12am. So I want this. Nay, need this.


Bobby Brown gel eyeliner. I am hellz into liquid eyeliners again (because I can apply them properly now) as my fave current 'look' is a simple lined upper eyeline which wings out, peachy cheeks and natural/coral lippy. It's pretty cute. And apparently this eyeliner is great as it does not smudge. Like, ever.


However, if it's cheaper I might consider getting the Smashbox gel eyeliner instead. My friend Maca tried this out once while we were shopping and I swear to god it didn't move all day. At all. And she looked like a sexy bitch. Truth bomb.


MAC Pigment in Copper Sparkle. Dying to get my hands on some of these tubs of highly pigmented eye shimmer. I have heard great things and apparently they never run out. Also, bronze and copper is so in right now, didn't you know? It's the new smoky eye. Trust.


MAC Pigment in Mauvement. However, regarding my above statements, the traditional smoky eye is kind of a classic so I might stick with it. This is why I want this pigment too. I know, I'm greedy.


Here's a better pic so you can see what it looks like. And I CAN'T BELIEVE I'm sharing this with you, but I am going to show you my favourite (easiest) trick to get the perfect smoky eye. No more hours of layering dark eyeshadows on top of each other, all you need is a black eyeliner pencil and a shimmery eye shadow like Mauvement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhUmWSzddAg Amazing, right?


Duh must also have the right blush to apply everything.


And can you believe I don't even have a foundation brush? Must. Rectify.

What else should I get? Any recs for a good, lightweight (slightly sheer maybe) foundation? I fear Napoleon might be a bit heavy-duty for Summer.

peace and fucking quiet

I don't know if you've heard, but I wrote my Honours thesis this year. it's kind of a big deal. A 20,000-word big deal. A 90-page big deal. A no sleep, no peace, no relaxing, all-absorbing big deal. RIGHT HONOURS PEEPS? Or was that just me?

And forgive me for sounding self indulgent (for a change...) but I would like some fucking recognition for it. Not from you lovely kind people who I see ocassionally (actually, you have all been pretty great in making me feel like I did something significant - thanks) but from my bloody parents. Why hello again 14-year-old me from livejournal. It's been a while since we've seen you.

Anyway, I don't expect to be wrapped in cotton wool and applauded every time I enter the goddamn room but maybe a "Good job Aph! So glad you made it through without dying you were pretty stressed for a while there! That was a Big. Deal." And then some celebratory drinks. Many drinks. Drinks are good.

But if I am asked about my future one more time I might lose it. My parents are already on my case as soon as they see me watching tv or getting out of bed after 9am. 9am!!!! When else in my lifetime will it be appropriate for me to get out of bed at 11am and either stay in my pjs all day watching dvd boxsets or going to the movies alone and shopping for makeup I don't need? When else will I get to be just finishing uni with no responsibilities in my life??

This is a warning to all y'all. Please don't ask me what this degree 'makes' me, or what I am doing now and what kind of job I will start looking for. Or when I am going to start driving 'because it's really important'. All of these questions are infuriating to me (take note Mum and Dad). But in case you too are wondering, here are some answers for you:
- Nothing, it's just an Arts degree not a doctorate.
- Nothing. I'm an ex-student who is now casually employed. I am trying to enjoy this brief period of my life thanks very much.
- Nothing in particular, just menial shit so that I can save money for lots of travelling. I have not been anywhere and I don't want a proper job because then I won't be able to leave it. I know you're thinking "What are you talking about Aph?! Just get a job and take leave for a few weeks or quit if you have to so you can travel!" Problems with this: I want way more than a few weeks to travel. I'm talking MONTHS. What employer would give me that after such a short time? Also, if I WAS miraculously given a proper job I would not have the guts to quit IN THIS ECONOMY* for fear of never getting another job. So that's out.
- I know driving is a pretty handy skill. I know it's convenient. However my life is not insufferable because I have to take public transport. To people who drive: it is possible to easily get around with public transport, trust me. Also, we only have one car (shock! horror!) and I can't afford to buy my own (see above, travel).

So now that you know can everyone PLEASE back off? Again, mainly talking to Mum and Dad. Can someone please teach my dad about the internet so he sees this.

P.S. I hope you're now aware of the recurring theme of what I want from this post: I WANT TO DO NOTHING. I am chilling. Deal with it.

*DListed fans that one's for you.

this needs to stop

I admit that I am a celebrity-obsessed whore. I love gossip, I love trash mags, I love entertainment websites, I live for it. I enjoy gossip in all mediums. It's just me.

However I think there comes a point where the media begins to cross a line. Obviously, we've seen it before (see: Princess Diana) but even I think it should be toned down a little. I'm not talking about random paparazzi shots from across the street, or simply talking about celebrities in magazines and speculating about their lives - I think that's mainly harmless as it generally has no truth and it's not exactly considered a legitimate source of news.

These two following articles particularly concerned me. I am not going to post the the pics or anything because I find them pretty disturbing and don't want them to be further purported throughout the interwebz but if you really want to see them I'm pretty sure you can easily find them somewhere in cyberspace.

Last week I stumbled across a link to an article and series of pictures depicting Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the backyard with their children playing and having breakfast one morning. If a family cannot even be ensured privacy in their own backyard where the hell can they go? I understand that they are in the public eye and they asked for it and the upsides of being famous are better than the downsides and blah blah but I think there is a LINE when it comes to paparazzi and this time they crossed it. After all, Brad and Angelina's kids did not sign up to getting their pictures taken on a daily basis. I'm pretty sure France some  strict privacy laws and I can't understand why other countries won't do it. Especially when it comes to kids and private residences. Not even I want to see celeb families chilling in their own backyard. I felt uncomfortable even looking at the pics for a minute.

The second story I came across that I have an issue with was about John Travolta and a possible sex tape depicting him with another male. First of all, I don't give a shit if it's a man or a woman but the theme of the article is to 'out' him more than anything. Again, I KNOW John Travolta is in the public eye but this was not only a PRIVATE act but it was also filmed without him knowing (allegedly - if the tape exists). Isn't this exactly the same thing that happened to Tyler Clementi (the American teenager who was filmed having sex which his roommate then streamed online, eventually causing him to commit suicide)? I don't think this situation is any different. It is bullying and it is unfair and I really hope this tape doesn't exist and is not made public.

Okay, that's mainly all I wanted to say. I know this doesn't fit into the general theme of the blog (read: shoes and clothes and makeup oh my!) but I've become increasingly aware of how celebrity gossip and paparazzi activity is changing and in my opinion, getting worse. I think guidelines and policies need to be established so that privacy is not one day totally eradicated.

Also, as I will one day be married to Jake Gyllenhaal this could become a real problem for us. I want our babies to be able to play freely in the backyard without a stranger's lens peeking out over the back fence.

dried mangoes

Holy craps, it's all I can think about. I have a packet of dried mangoes next to me and it's taking all my willpower not to scoff the entire thing. I pretty much already have, though. The only thing that's stopping me from polishing it off completely is the thought that then I won't have any at all tonight. Hmm. They are so perfect though. So chewy, so sweet, so chewy...mmm. Did I mention they were chewy?

They are like nature's roll-ups! Someone get me a lifetime supply, stat.

Relax time?

So, a few minutes ago I just finished my thesis. Like, all of it. Down to the page numbers, I am finished. Done. Dunzo. Forever. It was an awful, horrendous, torturous experience and I am writing this now so that I can never glamourise it in my head and possibly conceive of studying again in the future. Ever. I am ready to go out into the big, bad world and start working and be a real person.

Last year when I finished my three-year degree I was decidedly not ready to leave uni. So I did an extra year of honours, conducted my research and wrote a 21,000 thesis. This was the worse year of my life, and I truly thought nothing would be harder than the HSC. In the last few weeks I have been feeling like I am in labour (without an epidural), about to give birth to a twenty-pound baby that just refuses to leave me (theoretically, obviously, as I have never been pregnant and certainly not to a twenty-pound baby).

However this baby is now DONE. I have not had alcohol in about six months. I have not seen many of my friends in this same time period. I have not eaten a meal, watched a half-hour television show, worked a shift at work, or had a conversation where my thesis is not constantly at the forefront of my mind. I seriously cannot imagine what it must be like to do a PhD (Jessie, how?!). But you know what I missed most throughout the year (apart from booze, obviously)? Watching a DVD and being totally relaxed. Even right now as I'm typing this I'm wondering whether I should still be editing. Fuck it. Here is what I have most been looking forward to doing all year:

Just bought season 1!!!

Duh have seen it all, but have been dying to go back and watch all the Chuck/Blair

Again, revisiting old faves.

Can't believe I've never seen this. Sorry bb Ryan <3

You may have noticed a recurring theme of Jakey G. It's true, I espouse stories of what a huge fan I am but I'm generally more of an admirer of his interviews and abs and laugh and beard and interviews and smile, etc. I think it's time I educate myself properly. Also, my hot piece of male ass feat. JG never happened, I know. It will. Ditto for the movie couples pt 2. I'm a bad blogger. BUT I'm a good honours student!

OH AND I HAVE BARELY EVEN GONE TO THE MOVIES. Going to the movies is my favourite thing. It is what I do as soon as I need to relax/am bored. I fucken love it. Nothing makes me happier than being at the movies mid-week with barely any people in the theatre. Sigh. I want to go to there.

LOOK WHAT I HAVE BEEN MISSING OUT ON!!!