Sunday 28 April 2013

BEHIND THE SCENES: My flower crowns are in a photo shoot!

There's nothing quite like seeing your designs come to life when worn by someone else. It's jumping-up-and-down-while-clapping-ly exciting, heartwarming and even a little bit tear-jerking. That isn't a joke! So to have some of my CrownedByFlowers flower crowns in the Melbourne University Australasian Association Fashion Show is really, REEEEEEEEEEEALLY cool.

Seeing some of the models at the shoot in my crowns gave me such a lovely dose of the warm and fuzzies and I'm sure the other student designers at the shoot felt the same way about their clothes. Speaking of the other designers, I'm very excited to be collaborating with some rad-as-rad-gets student designers - Melissa Tidah Him, KIM SHU, Thao Bee Nguyen and Sue Xia - for both the photo shoot and the upcoming runway show in May. Want to come along and see some amazing designs? Stay tuned til the end of the post for the event details!

So, I bet all of you would love to see a little sneak peek of what goes on behind the scenes of a fashion shoot, so if you want a garner at off-duty models, the fabulous work of the hair and makeup team and some previews of the designs in action, then scroll on!

Styling and putting together crowns and outfits...

Makeup for the shoot was created by a talented team from the Academy of Makeup. As a beauty blogger, I love this neutral autumn-time look!






Mel doing what she does best - being a cutie pie!

Model: Jessica Muller
Flower Crown: "Sweet Like Sugar (Skull)" flower crown, CrownedByFlowers
Collar: KIM SHU
Kimono: Melissa Tidah Him


Model: Jiin Kim
Flower Crown: "Age of Innocence" flower crown, CrownedByFlowers
Dress: Melissa Tidah Him




Models: Rona Nguyen and Mackie Tang
Flower Crowns: "Strawberries and Cream" and "White Nights Gerbera" flower crown, CrownedByFlowers
Dresses: both by Thao Bee Nguyen

The fashion show is on May 9 at the Royal Melbourne Hotel and if you would like to buy a ticket to see some awesome student design and do some seriously fun networking, visit their Facebook page for more details.

If you come along, be sure to say hello!
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Sunday 21 April 2013

Easy Fishtail Braid Tutorial

The fishtail braid is one of those hairstyles that look absolutely gorgeous and ridiculously difficult at the same time.

BUT. It's not! (Ridiculously difficult, anyway. It is, in fact, absolutely gorgeous.)

Okay, granted it did take me approximately 894,567 times to teach myself how to do it (over many, many years), but NOW I FINALLY CAN! I'm not one of those beauty bloggers that can just do anything beauty-related perfectly the first time. There are a whole list of things I CAN'T do. But it just goes to show that if you really love to learn, practice really does make perfect. 

And now that I have the fishtail braid down pat, I can help teach you wonderful readers how to do it too!

*Thank you to my beautiful cousin who taught me how to do it. You're a star!


Taken By Surprise Tutorial: The Fishtail Braid


You will need a hairbrush/comb and a hair tie. That's it!
(And bobby pins if you have layers to help keep it neat)

1. So your hair is giving you grief this morning? Put those strands in order! Stop stressing and tame your locks with a good brush until your hair is smooth and knot-free.





2. This is the hard part. But once you get the hang of it, it's easy as pie! Fishtail braids are pretty much just the result of a lot of weaving strands of hair, in a very specific way. I've given each photo little arrows, so hopefully it helps!

First up, gather your hair onto the side you want your braid to be and split your hair into a front and back section.

Take a small piece of hair from the back section and...

...pull it OVER the back section and add it to the front section. 

Then take a piece from the front section...

...and pull it OVER the front section and add it to the back section. 

3. Repeat this weaving process (it becomes automatic after a while) until you run out of hair. Then secure that fishtail with a hair tie!



4. To give the look a soft, undone (let's be honest, a cute hipster vibe), gently loosen the braid by pulling at sections. Be gentle, and the braid will look bigger and "effortless" (even though it totally wasn't).

And we're done!


Cast me in the Finding Dory? 
Hmm, something smells fishy...
What has your go-to hairstyle been lately? Let me know in the comments below!
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Thursday 11 April 2013

Shopping Haul Autumn 2013

I'm not going to sugar coat it, I'm a summer person. Through and through. I don't like having to peel off layers of clothing whenever I go inside, I don't like being caught in the rain (though I do love sitting inside while it pours) and I don't like having to redo my hair because the wind decided to get up close and personal with my locks. #ughautumnandwinter #firstworldproblems #rantover #yesiamhashtagginginablogpost

BUT there is one thing that makes the colder months more bearable to me, and that is using the chilly weather as an excuse to go shopping to buy a bunch of things to prep for winter. Almost all of the items in today's haul post are winter-related, and I might even be starting to look forward to June. #maybe #stopwiththehashtagging #imtalkingtomyselfagain

Anyway, here are the cosy couple of items that I bought, plus a few tips here and there on how to get ready to face the cold! 


Kigurumi Pikachu Onesie - Ebay ($20.59)
Before I start, I just have to say I LOVE THIS ONESIE SO MUCH! I have wanted this for months and months now, and after an online order fiasco late last year where the first Pikachu onesie I ordered got lost in the mail, I finally have my fluffy little baby! It's super soft and cosy, and even though I bought it for my friend's Twenty-Onesie (clever birthday theme, hey!) and it'll be a snug addition come winter, if we're honest, I really didn't need an excuse to buy this. I wanted to be Pikachu when I was a kid. DREAMACHIEVEDILOVEITSOMUCH.


Black velvet dress - A shop whose name I can't remember haha ($34.99)
I originally bought this to wear at my friend's Easter party because I had black bunny ears and thought it would be fun to go in a soft, fur-like dress. Like a rabbit. Yep. Anyway, this dress is super comfy and would look great in winter with coloured tights and a woolen coat. Plus velvet is such a winter fabric, don't you think?


Tights & Socks - Basque, Sportsgirl and Rubi Shoes (around $10-$20)
Okay, so I went a little crazy. But if you're anything like me, tights seem to run and tear SO EASILY and my washing machine eats socks. So I thought I'd better stock up. I'm especially excited to wear the colourful Sportsgirl tights - how cute are they! I'm a little hesitant to wear the over the knee socks from Sportsgirl, but I've seen so many amazing fashion bloggers do it that I decided I am going to give it a try! Sometime...


TreSemme Heat Tamer Protective Spray - Priceline ($7.99 on special)
Since Melbourne is renowned for its windy weather (my university is like a wind tunnel), my hair can look like a banshee's sometimes. And now that I straighten my fringe everyday, I thought I'd better invest in a heat protectant so I don't burn my bangs off, like that poor girl in that viral video did.

Schwarzkopf Instant Volume Powder - Coles (around $8)
Having straight hair, sometimes it can fall flat in the wet weather and look limp. No fun. So I thought that a volumizing powder would be a great quick pick-me-up for my locks to inject some life back into it when the weather has wrecked havoc with it.


Rimmel London Stay Matte Foundation in "201 Classic Beige" - Priceline ($15.50)
I have been searching for a foundation with no SPF in it forever, because it's a little known fact that if you wear a foundation with sunscreen in it and you have your picture taken with a flash, THAT'S why your face looks super white compared to your body! SPF reflects light, it makes sense, doesn't it? So this is my new night time pick. Plus this foundation is good for oily skin like mine, bonus.


Revlon Lip Butter in "060 Gumdrop" - Priceline ($21.95)
Baby pinky lilac lip colours are really having a thing with me at the moment, I love that doll-like effect such a cute colour creates. I feel like I don't need to say to much about the Lip Butters as pretty much every beauty blogger I know absolutely adores them (myself included). This colour in particular though is super sweet, and not a crazy 90s purple. It's a lot easier to wear than you might think!


Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain in "Cherish" - Priceline ($17.95)
You can probably tell by the photo that I've already used this. A lot. But I just love it so muuuuuuuuuuch! Most pink lip shades don't suit me, so I was super pleased when I discovered that this absolutely adorable dolly pink suited me really well! Because it's a crayon-like product (think the Clinique Chubby Sticks) it's really easy to apply on the go. And being a stain, the staying power is great, so there'll be no colour loss on my lips due to the rain for me!


Rimmel London Scandaleyes Water Proof Eyeliner Pencil in "Black" - Priceline ($9.95)
I wanted to wear a black liner on my waterline the other day (I normally wear white) and discovered that it was well and truly time to chuck that old black liner out. And after trying this one, I'm baffled why I never bought it earlier! It's super pigmented and lasts all day, and I don't think I can go back to wearing white liner after discovering this one!


Garnier Clean Sensitive Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover - Priceline ($7.99)
I've started using the Schwing liquid eyeliner by TheBalm, and it is a super pain to take off! Think of panda eyes and multiply that by 10 and that is what I look like when I try to use makeup wipes on my peepers. So I thought it was about time that I invested in a eye makeup remover to do all the hard work for me. Cha-ching!

What can't you live without in the cold weather? Let me know in the comments below!
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Wednesday 10 April 2013

Outfit of the Day Video: Garden Fairy + 10% off MsDressy Dresses!

Sometimes, you just want to feel like a princess. And I certainly did while making this video wearing my flower crown and Dressestylist gown! 


I loved this dress so much that I not only created a photo story about a runaway princess (see the photo shoot here), but I couldn't help myself and decided to do a garden fairy-themed Outfit of the Day video too!


I've never made an OOTD video before, but it was a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy watching it. Thank you to my gorgeous best friend Jess for letting me film in her backyard, all my love to you <3

If you have a formal event coming up, or would simply love a new dress to dance around in (who wouldn't!), Msdressy is offering a $10 coupon redeemable on their site to anyone who likes their Facebook page! Plus, all dresses on their site have free shipping so get on it ladies!
Visit Dressestylist 
where I got my dress!
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Sunday 7 April 2013

Beauty Products I've Recently Used Up & Would I Repurchase Them?

In today's post I will be showing you all of the beauty products I have recently used up (or hit pan on) and whether or not I would go back and buy another one.

I figure that if you don't like something, why in the world would you keep using it? If you ordered a dish at a restaurant that you didn't like the taste of, I bet you would struggle to finish your plate, if that. 

The same goes for beauty products. So if you like something enough to finish the whole bottle, tube, stick, whatever, then that product must have been doing something right!

So what have I used up?


St. Ives Fresh Skin Invigorating Apricot Scrub
This is probably the third or fourth one that I have bought; I keep seeming to come back to it! This scrub has a sandy texture which really buffs away any dead skin or dirt on the skin, and it always leaves my face feeling buttery soft. If you're ever peeling or getting that "tortoiseshell skin" look, this is great for buffing it away. Plus it can be used on the body too! Just be careful that you don't overuse it because the grainy texture could potentially be rough on the skin.
Would I Buy It Again? Yes!


Nivea Visage Stay Clear Purifying Toner
Confession - I don't cleanse my face in the morning. OH MY GOD, BUT YOU'RE A BEAUTY BLOGGER, WHAT?! I know, I know, but it's because I use this in place of a cleanser in the morning. It does a great job of getting rid of any oil that has built up in my skin while I've been sleeping and it leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean. I've been using this baby for years, and I don't plan on switching brands any time soon!
Would I Buy It Again? Yes!


Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation in "200 Soft Beige"
I only started wearing foundation daily AFTER GETTING THIS FOUNDATION. It's light, easy to blend, has great medium coverage and lasts all day. In short, I really love this product! My only gripe is that while in the photo it looks like I haven't used it up, I literally can't get any more product out of it unless I remove the pump and stick a brush in there, which is super messy. Annoying. 
Would I Buy It Again? Yes!

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in "10 Light"
This concealer lasted for such a long time, and I was pretty devo when I couldn't get anymore product out of it. It's creamy, easy to blend and is super opaque, making for great coverage. It did leak around the cap so it was hard to travel with, but I loved it so I didn't mind too much. 
Would I Buy It Again? No, but only because this shade wouldn't suit my skin tone anymore.


Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder in "005 Silky Beige"
For someone with oily skin, this is great for mopping up any shine and setting my foundation. It definitely keeps my skin matte and after a few hours I can reapply it without it looking cakey. I wish that it had a translucent finish however, as all the shades in this collection are rather light and can look a bit pale on the skin. 
Would I Buy It Again? Yes, but I think I'll look for a translucent one to try first.

I know there is still quite a bit of product in there, but I thought if I had finished it ALL up, then you guys wouldn't know what the product looked like! I find I finish powder products soon after hitting pan anyway.


The Body Shop All In One Face Base in "04"
This was a staple in my makeup bag in high school when I didn't wear much makeup. I really only use this nowadays on little-makeup days over concealer or BB cream as I'm well and truly on the liquid foundation train now, so I barely use this anymore anyway.
Would I Buy It Again? No.


Maybelline Baby Lips in "Pink Glow"
I have seriously bought almost every flavour of Baby Lips, but I keep seeming to lose them! Like bobby pins and socks, chapsticks always go missing at my house. But I have actually managed to finish this one, which is a first for my chapsticks! This one actually tints your lips too - it goes on clear but then stains your lips a really pretty pink.
Would I Buy It Again? No, but only because I like trying new chapsticks.

Sportsgirl To The Point Liquid Eye Liner
This liner is great for beginners and I used a bunch of them for a good two years as I was teaching myself liquid liner. It's a marker style so it's really easy and quick to use, but now I prefer using dip-style felt tips as I get a blacker and more opaque result. 
Would I Buy It Again? No, but I recommend it for liquid liner newbies.

Lancome Artliner Liquid Eye Liner
I use liquid liner almost everyday, so this one only lasted me a few months (translate: I'm just obsessed with liquid liner). It's definitely worth the money as Lancome products can be quite expensive, but the result is so stunning. It's easy to use, very black, and has a shiny/glossy finish which I'm a fan of. 
Would I Buy It Again? Yes, but I'm going to try drugstore brands until I can afford this kind of product again.




Anna Sui Secret Wish Perfume in "Magic Romance"
I got this as a Christmas present two years ago and it is the loveliest fragrance for those who like soft and sweet fruity scents. The stay power isn't fantastic and neither is it easy to travel with, but the scent and gorgeous bottle more than makes up for it.
Would I Buy It Again? No, I now use the original Secret Wish perfume and love it even more!


What is the last beauty product that you used up and would you repurchase it? Let me know in the comments!
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