Bloggers United AU Adelaide Event 2017

Hey Everyone,

Last weekend (Sunday 5th) was the 2nd Bloggers United Event to be held in Adelaide! I was super excited about it because I knew it would be chance to catch up with fellow bloggers and learn new things. It was also my first time vlogging an event and I found it brought a whole new level of fun to the day.

The way that this event was ran was totally different from last time, which added an air of mystery and excitement that lasted throughout the day. We had three speakers, who set out to teach us how to improve our blog as a brand (something I still struggle to grasp the idea of). It didn’t matter if we only wanted to use our bloggers as hobbies or to build them up into full blown brands. We were taught some amazing tricks and I am so glad that we had those chats.

We were also lucky enough to talk to a talk directly to people from PR companies and ask them questions and learn about what they actually want to see when we give out our media kits. To me this was the most beneficial part of the day as I have always been curious at how, as a blogger, I should talk to companies! Now I just need to build the confidence to actually send out my media kit hehe.

The highlight for me was being taught tricks and tips for making an eye catching flat lay. But more importantly, how to do it easily, as doing flat lays and making them interesting is something I always struggle with. To help all of us put our new skills into practice we were given a flat lay challenge! There were 6 categories and to follow that 6 amazing prizes!

Amazingly I was lucky enough to win one of the prizes and I was so surprised when I did!

If you want to see some behind the scenes of the event, be sure to check out my video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AROBIjrEew&t=178s

We also received lovely gift bags, and I am already using some of the products so be sure to keep an eye out for those reviews in the future!

Overall I had a great day, learning important information for my blog and re-connecting with fellow bloggers.

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Ja-ne~

I’m Vlogging?!

Hey Everyone,

How have you all been? I know I have not been very active on here lately and I am so sorry for that! But I have some exciting this coming up, like the event that I am at the day this post goes live! So be sure to stick around to see all the gossip about that in the weeks to come.

While University has been kicking my butt in regards to being a good blogger, I seem to have found myself finally getting the courage to vlog! I have been wanting to do it for such a long time and what better time is there then the present!

I honestly feel nervous sharing this with you guys, but seeing as I am always being nosey and wanting to know what other people are up to, I thought it only fair that I let you do the same!

Currently I am doing weekly vlogs, and they are super fun to do, I am still learning how to edit my videos and what is good content so be sure to let me know what you think! My channel is:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpAjat7xiujuAVQExMBaXhA

My vlog name is totally different to my blog name and I did that on purpose. My vlogs are my life, whereas my blog has a beauty/ lifestyle focus. If you have any questions in regards to my channel name don’t hesitate to get into contact with me!

There will be overlap with some content, as what happens when you vlog and blog, so if you are subscribed to both you will probably get sneak peaks into future posts and also a look into what goes on in your average Adelaide Bloggers life!

I hope to see you there!

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Ja~ne!

 

Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil

Hey Everyone,

After all the hype I wanted to give this product a serious go before giving it a review. I have now had this product for over a month and have been using it solidly at work. So here are my thoughts on this raved about product!

Positives:
There are many positives about this product, for starters that you need very little to cover your lips. Remember that this is an oil product, so it is thicker than your normal lip balm, which I have found that I prefer for work as I am less inclined to bite my lips. While using this I have found that my lips have never really flaked or dried out as they used to.
The scent is not strong and after a few moments I completely forget that this even had a scent to begin with. I have found that there is no shade to this, so wearing this all day everyday isn’t a problem. The packaging on this is amazing, I have dropped it many times on concrete and there isn’t even a ding in it.
The doe foot applicator is soooo soft and thankfully has stayed that way throughout its use. It is a big doe foot, which did take a little bit to get used to, but I think I prefer it this way as its so much easier and quicker to apply.

Negatives:
I have found that I talk and joke around a lot of work, meaning this wears off pretty quickly. Because of this I normally have to re-apply 2-3 times in an 8 hour work day and sometimes I am pushing it out until I feel uncomfortable before reapplying. While there is a lot of product, I feel like I am powering through this pretty well, which is a bit upsetting considering how much these cost.
Thankfully I had a gift card and 10% off when I bought mine and I am really glad that I did that. One problem I had was deciding which one I wanted, I didn’t really want any of the scents that they have available and only really settled for Mint because I knew it would bother me the least. Ideally a bigger shade/ scent range would be available.

Overall I enjoy this product and I am glad that I have it with me while working. I do think how quickly I am going through it does affect my opinion on it a lot as I am unsure if I want to get another one when I finish this one. That being said, that might change when I actually finish it up and see how long it has lasted.

Let me know your experience with the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil!

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Ja-ne~

Recent Favourites – 1

Hey Everyone,

I’m sorry its been a while since my last post, but I am going to be changing my posting schedule to Sundays! I work a Monday-Friday job and so changing the day of posting hopefully means I will have more time to dedicate to my blog. Rather then trying to get something posted on a Wednesday.

Onto the post! I have found that I am not a huge fan (for myself) to make monthly favourite posts, so instead I am just going to wait until I have a few things I just HAVE to share with you before making a post!

These are the items that I have been loving recently! A bit if a mix of items which is always refreshing.

Essence I ❤ Extreme
I picked this up because I had been recommended it by a friend! I am not a fan of using this on the top lashes, as I feel it doesn’t do much for my lashes. On my lower lashes though I love it! The brush has short bristles making it easy to get all of my lashes and give them an even coat. I have had no problems with transferring on my lower lashes so its a winner in my books!

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea
I picked this up as apart of my last Mecca order because I was in serious need of a new toner and I forget how cheap Mario Badescu actually is! So I picked up this bad boy and I have no regrets. I think I am forever converted to this bad boy. At the start I had a little trouble with the spritzer but it seems to have worked itself out and now works perfectly. The spritz gets all of my face and a bit of my neck easily which I am thankful for as it means this product will last me a long time.

Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil
After all the hype from friends I had to get this and I am so glad that I did. I use this at work and my lips are loving it! I am worried I am going through it a little too quickly but either way I am glad that I have this. The doefoot applicator is still in good condition, which is something I was worried about. I have also dropped this many times and it hasn’t smashed so that is also a win. Wearing this oil has also stopped me from biting my lips so much. So overall, a good product and I am so glad that I have it.

Travellers Notebook Cover – Harry Potter Style (Created by Paper Flower Design as a custom cover)
I AM SO IN LOVE. I got this custom cover made for my LT 1917 Bullet Journal and it is perfect and just what I wanted. On the back is the Hufflepuff crest because I am a proud Hufflepuff! For those curious, this is also the same size as the Hobonichi Techo Cousin and the cover has been designed the same way that they are. The notebook slips into pockets on either cover meaning that the cover is easily interchangeable with notebooks of the same size. I have wiggle room in this cover which is awesome! So if my next Bujo gets really junkie it wont really matter. If you want to see more of whats inside either my Bujo or more of the cover in the future, check out my planner Instagram: Casually Planning

These are the things that I have been loving recently! Let me know what you have been loving or if there is anything you want a more in-depth review on.

Let me know what you think about the schedule change as well.

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Ja-ne~

OOTD Bride’s Maids Day

Hey Everyone,

I have been asked to be a Brides Maid for one of my best friends, so that means many occasions where we go out and look at different things and discus what the Bride wants. Recently we went out as a group to the venue that they have picked. We hadn’t seen it before and the weather was perfect for a venture out to the site.

The lighting was just too perfect and so I asked Caitlan from Sass Social to take photos (she is also the beautiful Bride to be ❤ )

I tend to have a pretty casual style of dress, the ‘Queen of Casual’ as I have been called by my mother (too many times). So today was no exception.

 

Outfit:
Jacket: Brave Soul Biker Pu Jacket (Purchased on ASOS)
Shirt: Target Mens V-neck Black
Scarf: Princess Highway
Jeans: Jeans West Curve Hugging Skinny Leg Black
Sunglass: Ray Bans Aviators

I only recently got this jacket and I am so in love with it. It was on sale when I purchased it so I am unsure whether or not you will still be able to get this jacket if you are interested in it. Also I could not resist taking a photo in front of a woolie bush! I miss my photo background bush at my parents place!

Of course, this wouldn’t be a post by me without a goofy photo, so queue for a ‘in action’ shot:

Because I can never take myself seriously while trying to pose.

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Ja~ne!

Amie Deep Pore Exfoliating Polish*

Hey Everyone,

For the last 5 months I have been using the Amie Deep Pore Exfoliating Polish as my in shower and only facial exfoliator.

The Amie Deep Pore Exfoliating Polish should be used when your face is damp, which instantly gets brownie points with me as it means I can include it as apart of my shower routine.

I want to say straight away, that if you have sensitive skin, you probably are not going to enjoying using this product. That is only because of the fact that the exfoliator is actually very harsh. I would not use this more than once a week because you would then be damaging your skin. I only tend to use this when I feel like my face is in need of a real deep clean. Which is generally after a hard day of work or I am in the mood to pamper myself. While this is a harsh exfoliator I have never had any issues with my skin from it. My skin did not break out, nor did the texture change after using it for 3+ months.

Another bonus I find with this product is that you do not need a lot of product to cover your face. I generally find with skin products I need to use a little extra then advertised to actually cover my face and get full use of the product. With the Amie Deep Pore Exfoliating Polish I find that less is generally more. The size of a small-ish grape is all I use, and I am glad as it means that the product lasts longer.

One aspect that I did have a little trouble dealing with was the smell, if smell is important to you, or it affects your skin, sadly you probably should stay away from this product. There is a strong fake smell to the product, not bad, at least to me, but it is something to keep in mind. Over time I have noticed it less, but it is still a strong smell and something to keep in mind.

When I first received this product, it was as a PR sample, but during the most recent Priceline Sale I found myself picking up a backup. I know the one in my shower is finally starting to run low and the idea of being without it shocked me.

Overall I really do enjoy this exfoliator, and I am so glad that I tried this and that it has become a part of my weekly pamper session in the shower.

What exfoliator should I try next?

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Ja-ne~

*Disclaimer, this product was sent to me by the company, but no expectation was on me to write a post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and from my experience using the product. Remember that your experience with the same product can/will be different.

18 before 2018 – Update 2

Hey Everyone,

It’s been a long while since I updated my progress on my Project Pan. Sadly, I do not have much to report, and that is simply because I have not been wearing makeup, let alone the ones I was targeting.

Recently I have been feeling very flat and that is why I do not have any progress photos. I have made progress on some products though! Through work I have still been working on my lip balm collection and recently finished another Maybelline Baby lips. I have also been working on some of my nude lipsticks as I apply them when I leave for work in the morning.

I honestly feel that at the end of this year, some of these products I am just going to remove from my collection, I don’t use them or need them so why should I have them?

Hopefully as my mental health improves so does my enthusiasm in doing full-face of makeup! I do miss playing with makeup so I think that is a start, which I’m thankful for.

How have you been progressing with your project pans?

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Ja-ne~

 

Happy Board

Hey Everyone,

Recently I have found that I have been in serious need of a constant pick-me-up in my life. Of course, after looking around the internet I stumbled upon the the brilliant idea of a Happy/ Memory board.

First off, this board is obviously going to be targeted towards me and my needs, so what you need will be different to what I have. Overall, the idea is to put pictures and other things that cheer you up or bring back happy memories. This image just shows some of the things that I will be putting on my board! Pictures, art, post cards and prints! Plus of course, the tacks that I am using on my cork board!

The board I have is huge, and I love it because some of the pieces I wanted to use are large, plus I want to use lots of photos!

This was where I had started with my board as I had no idea what I was going to do with the bottom of the board. It was an area that wouldn’t been seen as often as this board lives on top of my tall boy, and in front of this is my perfumes. To try and save the board and to also make my life a little easier, I tucked a fair few of these pieces into the board itself.

For art that I want to keep looking pretty and un-punctured for future use, I washi taped cut up pieces of paper to the back. This both leaves the art undamaged and also stabiles the picture to the board. With nearly all the images I have used this and then hidden them behind other pieces.

Here is a perfect example!

I honestly thought that this project would take me a long time to do, but in reality, it took less than an hour. That time frame also includes me taking many breaks and getting distracted. Something I was constantly worried about was space, but in the end it didn’t matter because I can easily change images whenever I want.

In the end, I made 4 mini sections on my board, a photos section, art section, memory section and an anime section. Neither area has priority over another, they developed as I went along. The biggest area is the photo area, which I love because they are memories of precious people in my life.

My photo area! All of these photos are from Printiki*, who kindly got into contact with me after seeing my photos of my trip to Japan. They are a printing site that offers many different styles and sizes. I chose the M size and retro style because I love the polaroid picture look. For your own board you can use which ever style of picture, after-all it’ll be your happy board and not mine! I chose pictures from the last 5 years, the earliest photos are from my 18th birthday. The most recent photo on here would be from my trip to Japan this year! All of the people in these photos are important to me, hence why they are on my board.

The art section! Sadly I cannot say where the Miraculous Ladybug and Toothless print are from as they were a gift. The eyes are from a beautiful artist called Lighanes Clay Art from Etsy. These pieces are in the top right and I put them up here to save on space, these over hang the board while still having enough room to support them so they don’t flop over.

Anime corner! Ah, I adore this section, even though there isn’t a lot here, it represents some of my favourite manga and anime. Sailor Moon is a huge part of my life, I have watched it since I was little and when in Japan I bought all of the 20th anniversary manga (which are beautiful btw). I knew I needed these reminders on my board, anime and manga shape my life and the messages they share are incredibly important to me. So here is my little nod towards that love.

Memory section, which is the overflow of all things in my life, post cards from friends and etsy shops, the card Caitlan gave me when she asked me to be a brides maid, and purikura from my many trips to Japan, which are the main source of photos of my international friends. Making this area look good was so important to me, as I knew this would be the least organised section of the board. I had a bit of a hard time deciding what exactly I wanted here, so a lot of the things that I had originally thought would be on here didn’t make the cut. Maybe in the future they will be switched out.

The moral of this post is that a Happy Board doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to function for what you need. I could have easily left out my anime section for this post, but I would have been lying to myself and to you if it wasn’t on there. My happy board lives in my room, I see it all the time and I love it. Since having it back I have noticed I am lot more comfortable in my room. The board is a constant reminder of how lucky I am to have had these experiences and to know all of these amazing people! A happy board doesn’t have to be this big either, it would simply be an A4 frame that you have filled with a collage, or even a post you have attached pictures to. Make the board to fit your needs!

If you love the look of the Printiki photos I recommend using them! I will be getting more photos from them in the future, the quality of the photos are amazing and they shipped super quickly. The service is reasonably priced and you can pull photos from multiple sources. I grabbed photos from my computer and directly from Facebook! If you are interested in using Printiki, I have a code that gives you FREE shipping, the code is 7HHEZZJJ. I do believe you can get your own code when you sign up as well!

If you have a board like this of your own I would love to see it! Be sure to tag me on social media.

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Ja-ne~

*Disclaimer = Printiki contacted me about doing a post using their photos. My opinion on the photos and recommendation has not been affected by their contact. 

Bullet Journalling

Hey Everyone,

Since the start of the year I decided to try a new style of planning, the Bullet Journal system (link provided will take you to the creators website which provides a run down of the system). Its a very simple system that can be adapted to met individual needs. I have personally found that since changing to this system I am better organised, more productive and even in a better mental state as I have learnt to lean on my journal.

This post is about my progress in learning what does and does not work for me. It is also to show that you don’t have to make an artistic flashy journal like what is common on social media. Or that it even has to be neat, as long as it make sense to you, thats all that matters.

This spread is how I first stated in my Bujo (Bullet Journal), I wanted it to be minimalistic because to me, if I couldn’t use it at a drop of a hat, it wasn’t worth my time. I didn’t want my Bujo to be something I had to work at with washi, coloured pens and be super arty. I just wanted it to function. I used washi on the side of the page on monthly spreads to make them easier to find. When I started, this was about as colourful as it got.

One of my favourite pages in my Bujo, this is from when my partner and I were at a shrine in Japan earlier this year. I was doing daily pages and so could fill a whole page just about what we were doing and where we went. I adore this page, because it is something I would normally have lost, but now, its forever in this journal and I will remember how nervous I was about going up to get it written in my book.

Ahh, trackers, something that works for a lot of people, and at the time, was working for me! I have been struggling with my general state of mind, hence why the tacker on the right and then general health and spending on the left! I have now found that I am just hopeless at tracking and that it doesn’t really affect my habits. Does this bother me? Not in the slightest! All it means is that I don’t have to worry about ruling up these pages in my next monthly spread. You can also see all of my mistakes on the left with trying to seperate weeks. I didn’t realise when looking at my phone that the week started on a Sunday, whereas I mentally start weeks on a Monday. At the time I was angry with myself because I couldn’t get it right, but now it doesn’t mater! This is what makes the Bujo so flexible and easy, it doesn’t matter if you make a mistake, because only you see it and it will only bother you if you let it.

Ahh, colour, stickers and change! I have found that as I have grown more comfortable with relying on my Bujo, I am both taking more pride in it, as well as trying new things, so adding colour to my monthly pages is a no brainer. I set it up once, use colour, and thats that! No need to take 10+ pens with me on the daily because its all done for me. At the end of this post I will link the Etsy stores for the stickers used in case you are interested.

Now, July, and I could not be happier with how much my Bujo is coming along. I am now using themes! Which feels a little crazy, but I am loving it. You will also see that I am now doing a monthly page, J for July, I started this in June and found that it worked well with how I wanted to set out my pages. For the next 3 months my Bujo will follow the theme of Hogwarts houses, July having been Gryffindor for Harry Potters birthday! August will be Slytherin, September Hufflepuff (start of Hogwarts school year and my house) followed by Ravenclaw. Throughout my daily pages I merely write the date in house colour, otherwise everything is still in black pen. Meaning I only need 2 pens max on me if I’m out and travelling.

Recently as apart of one of the many facebook groups I’m apart of, someone suggested a travelling Bullet Journal and I jumped on the idea to be apart of something so cool! I wanted my journal to go international because I really wanted mine to have different languages in it. On the 20th of July the rotation started, but before that we all had to set up our travelling bujo! Below are some of my pages, mostly in-complete because I don’t want sneaky eyes to see the completed look before they receive it! It was interesting for me to see how much effort I put into these pages, and also how I did things differently.

Overall, I adore this style of planning and I am so glad that I tried it and have committed to it. You can use any book that you feel comfortable for this style of planning, I prefer dotted but a lot of other people preferred lined, squared or even blank pages! I personally use the Leuchtturm 1917 for my Bujo. My first bullet journal was the offical one made by Leuchtturm (which I am still working through), but my next one will just be one of their generic dotted journals.

What journals/ dairy systems have you tried? I would love to know!

Etsy Stores:
Fox and Cactus – Australian Store
Tamashi Prints – Canadian Store

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Ja-ne~

1 Year Later…

Hey Everyone,

After reading Pastel Sparkles post about removing her contraceptive implant I knew I wanted to make an update regardong my two posts, My life with Endometriosis and 6 Week Check-up. Sarah mentions how little information there is on implants and because mine is different, I felt like it was a good time to talk about my own experiences.

1 year later and it has been a bit of a roller coaster. I quickly got used to the idea of not needing a pill everyday to keep me protected from getting pregnant and helping with my pain levels. It DID take me a bit to get used to the idea of feeling a piece of string inside me during intimate moments.  But alas, I am no longer bothered by the Mirenas presence in my life.

If you have not looked back before reading this post (and I don’t blame you) I have Endometriosis and to help delay the symptoms I had the Mirena IUD (US site) implanted during my most recent surgery. I was made aware of a lot of things before going into the surgery, and decided it was the best thing for me at this moment in my life.

How has it affected me?

Overall, for the better, most days I do not feel pain, which is amazing and I am so thankful for that.

Do I still get my period?

Yes, its similar to how it was while on the pill, but the pain is like before the pill. Painful to the point where I feel sick and don’t want to move. I am still coming to terms with the fact that I have to deal with that pain. I am taking pain meds when needed, but otherwise, yea. 

I have since had a check up and have been encouraged to see a specalist, as being in that much pain during a period while on the Merina is not normal. So I shall report back on that when I have had the chance to experiment.

Did I gain any weight?

Maybe, but I also feel like if I did gain weight, it wasn’t much, as all of my clothes still fit. I do look at myself a bit differently in the mirror though.

Mood swings?

Hell. Yes. But as I have been going through a lot on the last few months, so I do not think I can fully place the blame on the Mirena. No one has outright said something to me, but there have been times where I have apologised to my BF for my wild moods.

How is that libido?

So. Much. Better.

Overall?

I am happy that I switched to the Mirena, I do not think the Pill was best for me anymore. While I still think that my body is adapting to the Mierna, I am happy with how I feel in general because of it. I am in less pain, feel better as a person and am enjoying not having to take a pill everyday. Although I really wish my period pain wasn’t so intense.

If you have any questions, never hesitate to ask in the comments below. If you feel uncomfortable asking on such a public forum, find me on:

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Ja~ne!