Getting personal with new years resolutions

I am one of those people who get all reflective when the new year comes around, so much so that I think less about starting afresh like most people and more about what happened the year before.

2014 was a shocking year, one of more bad than good. Undertaking year 12 whilst struggling immensely with severe depression was a recipe for disaster and had a heavy impact on so many close to me. It has been a year of struggle and suffering but one of learning too, and I am in a position where I couldn't be more ready for change.

I considered making resolutions, I really did, but coming from a place where some days I literally cannot get myself out of bed, I wasn't terribly hopeful about my chances of upholding legitimate resolutions. Instead there is one thing that I would like to work towards with no expectation of fully achieving it, and that is simply working towards happiness.

Ugh, so cliche, so broad. But it means a lot to me, and I hope to maintain a mindset whereby each day, each decision, each moment, I will consider if it will allow me to work towards happiness. Perhaps this will give me more direction whilst also allowing me complete freedom. Each opportunity presented will be assessed solely by one criterion: will this make me happy? Who knows where this idea could take me, or if I can attempt to live this way because I certainly haven't been doing so thus far.

It applies to everything in my life. For instance with my blog, I want to place no more expectations on myself concerning posting. If posting four times a week makes me happy then I shall, if it is once a month that makes me happier I will do that instead.

I look forward to a year of getting better and recovering, and there is even a little hint of excitement about what University might hold.

Health How To: Drink more water everyday

This blog has always been a beauty blog through and through, but just lately I have felt the need for a wider variety of posts, namely some health and lifestyle related ones. Having blogged for a couple of years now I have realised that, the purpose of a blog is to post what you enjoy, so I shall do that! I hope you enjoy these lifestyle based posts too.

Drinking more water was a New Years Resolution of mine, and in order to actually achieve it as opposed to saying it and never following through, I came up with some strategies that would help get that water in me! I know this is a common goal for others to improve too, so maybe it might help you!

Boredom is a blessing
Funnily enough, I have found that the times when I am most bored (like when I am studying for a test, sitting in a maths class or attending a boring lunch time school meeting) are the times where I drink the most. This is because I am literally so bored that I have nothing else to do and play around with my water bottle to pass the time. If you carry a bottle around with you, when boredom strikes you will drink a whole heap and you won't even be aware that you are doing it.

Play with flavour
I never really thought about adding flavours to your water, but there are so many blog posts out there discussing healthy additions that you can make to your water to make them taste a little more exciting. From cucumber and mint to berries and lemons, there are so many cool things you can use to change an otherwise boring drink into something more exciting.

Take advantage of strange novelty bottles and cups
I'm not going to lie, it's a bit sad that this is actually an effective technique that makes me drink more water, but if I'm drinking out of an interesting and usually shaped water bottle or a pretty cup then I am more likely to drink more water. This is mainly because I want to use that cool container and the only way to do so is to, well, actually use it. My favourite is this ridiculous cup and curly straw that my Grandparents brought back from a cruise they went on. Whenever I use it I drink so much more because it is just so fun!

Drink with every meal
This is probably the easiest way to drink water, and that is by simply having a drink with every one of your meals. It is an easy and natural kind of habit to establish that really increases your water intake.

Set goals
This sounds a little strange, but at the start of the day I set goals about how much I want to drink by allocated times. This gets me thinking about drinking water and makes me remember to actually drink. At school I'll often aim to drink 750ml (the entire bottle) every two lessons because this gives me an opportunity to go to the toilet during the breaks as opposed to in class time.

So there are my water drinking tips. I actually find these really effective, and so far I've managed not to fail my New Years Resolution just yet, a definite improvement compared to what happens in other years! I hope you find them helpful too!

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway here.

2013's Most Loved part 2

The second installment of 2013's most loved includes all my non-beauty favourites. There are quite a few, and as was the case with almost all my beauty favourites, it was remarkably difficult trying to narrow it down to just one or two items!

My favourites for 2013 were...

Music: Florence & the Machine, Of Monsters and Men and Red Hot Chili Peppers
Anyone who knows me is so very tired of hearing me play songs by Florence and the Machine on repeat, everyday, all day. I can't help it, I'm obsessed! Of Monsters and Men was another favourite of mine in the middle of the year, and I re-discovered the Red Hot Chili Peppers which was my Mum's favourite when I was really young and therefore has sentimental value from my younger years!

Books: Looking for Alaska by John Green and Unwind by Neil Schusterman
I read many of my old favourites over and over this year but didn't include them because they've been my favourites long before 2013! Instead I've included two standouts that I only discovered this year, Looking for Alaska and Unwind. I loved the characters in Looking for Alaska, and the concept of the novel in Unwind.

Food: Homemade Pizzas
This was actually the easiest category to determine as I practically inhaled homemade pizzas in 2013. You can purchase little bases from the supermarket and then I simply topped them with tomato paste, ham and cheese and grilled them in no time. I ate so many of these it's really unhealthy but my god they are good!

Activity: Blogging and Learning to drive
Blogging was without a doubt my most favourite activity this year. It was a much needed break from hectic school work and I loved reading everyone else's blogs too. Learning to drive was another favourite, though a challenging one at that!

Blog post: EOTD: Olive Garden
Why on Earth was this my favourite post? It certainly wasn't my most popular one, nor was it the most humorous or well written. The reason I like it is because I was so scared to do it and the photographs turned out so well. It took me such a long time to create and I put in so much effort, so that is why it is my favourite for 2013.

School subject: Biology
It was a close call between Biology and English but in the end I had to go with Bio because it never fails to capture my attention and feed my hunger for learning about science and the human body.

Travel: Mission trip to Cambodia
This was the highlight of my year, and easily the most important and life changing thing I've ever worked towards in my life. I was so blessed to travel to Cambodia to build houses for underprivileged families in remote communities and it is an experience that I know will never leave me.

Celebrity: Emma Watson and Florence Welch
I don't read up on celebrities or follow their lives, but I think Emma and Florence are just about the most beautiful and admirable celebrities out there in a world that is full of craziness (*ahem Miley Cyrus*).

TV Show: The Big Bang Theory and Call the Midwife
When I could afford a moment from study, it was Big Bang Theory and Call the Midwife that I dedicated my time to. For lots of laughing and a good science fix, who could go past the most wonderful show on earth, Big Bang. For a little more seriousness, I tuned into ABC's Call the Midwife. I can't wait for the new seasons for both shows in 2014.

Drink: Hot Chocolate
Another easy choice, Hot Chocolate always accompanied me in my maths test revision and Engligh essay writing. I don't know what I would have done without it.

Fashion Item: Black Skater Skirt and Maroon Jeans
2013 was the year of the Skater Skirt for many, myself included. I also grabbed a pair of maroon jeans (having never worn coloured jeans in my life) when they were on sale and fell in love with them.

Jewellery: Rings
Considering the amount of jewellery that I own, I really don't wear a lot of it, however I could always be found wearing a pretty ring in 2013. My favourite ring, you ask? Well I could never choose just one...

Accessories: Scarves
I love scarves and I wish that they weren't so limited to the cooler weather because I would wear them everyday if I could. I typically wore black and white scarves in every style with every outfit.

Shoes: Rubi Shoes Black Bow Flats
I mentioned these in many posts, but if you go through about three or four pairs of the exact same shoe you know it's a winner.

Bargain: $8 dress from the Op Shop that I saw on a website for $250
I don't believe I spoke about this bargain of the century, but I was Op-shopping (as always) and found an unusual kind of dress for $8. I tried it on and quite liked it, purchased it and went home content. I was then browsing formal dresses on various websites and, in the most amazing coincidence ever, saw my Op-shop dress for $250. Heck yeah!

Candle: Skittles Candle from Cheap as Chips!
Another bargain, my favourite candle was a $3 skittle flavoured candle that smelled like green skittles (although always made me hungry when I burned it!). Along with a Hot Chocolate it helped me survive my maths revision time and time again!

Movie: No movies stand out to me that I watched in 2013
Next is my favourite movie...of which I could not decide. I rarely watch movies to be honest and therefore I just don't recall a movie that stood out to me. Maybe in 2014 I'll find one.

Photograph: 2 from Cambodia
I just simply could not narrow my favourite photograph that I took in 2013 down to 1...maybe you could help me decide!

So there it is, 2013 in a nutshell. To those of you who have written similar posts, I have loved reading about what captured your heart in the year that just passed and I look forward to what 2014 will bring.

2013's Most Loved: Part 1

I'm a little bit late on this post, but I couldn't transition from 2013 to 2014 without wrapping up the year through a favourites post (or two - my non-beauty related favourites will be posted tomorrow). I've absolutely loved reading everyone else's favourites and thought I'd do my own for those who were interested.

Skincare: Arbonne RE9 Advanced Generating Toner
It astounds me that of all my skincare, a toner was my favourite. I've never shown any interest in a toner in my life (primarily due to the fact that all past experiences with them have been bad ones) but when I was given the opportunity to try this out, I fell in love with it. It is the best.

Hair care: Batiste Dry Shampoo - Fresh
I can be lazy at the best of times, but when it comes to my hair I am lazy to the extreme. It is for this reason that my favourite hair care product was easily a dry shampoo, in particular one by Batiste. Maybe I'll have a hair product that is a little classier in 2014, say a lovely hair oil or serum or something, but for now I'm content to rely on the lazy girl's hair wash.

Fragrance: DKNY Be Delicious
I was given a tiny little bottle of DKNY's Be Delicious perfume for Christmas in 2012 and wore it non stop in 2013. Along with Marc Jacob's Daisy Eau So Fresh, I think it will be a perfume I continue to use for a long time into the future.

Body: My New Skin Multipurpose Balm
A super late addition to the family, the My New Skin Multipurpose Balm practically saved my life. Okay, perhaps not my life but certainly my horribly dry skin around my feet and elbows. I has a super heavy duty formula and works like a charm.

Brush: Real Techniques Stippling Brush
I had heard so many magical things about Real Techniques brushes and took the plunge myself, purchasing a face set and Stippling brush. Then came my obsession with cream blushes, and in turn I came to use the Stippling brush everyday thus appreciating how darn amazing it is.

Tool: Eyelash curler
It was a toss up between the humble Q-tip and eyelash curler, but in the end I realised it is the eyelash curler that has the truly magical touch.

Nails: Red Nail Polish
I have no overall favourite polish, but my most worn shade was most definitely red. Red, red, red, I acquired so many gorgeous polishes all in...red.

Shower product: Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel
Though this is the most sugary, intense flavour I have ever come across, I did use this regularly in the shower and I came to love this more than when I had first received it as a gift. Some days it is too sweet, but most of the time I am a big fan.

Base makeup: Garnier BB cream for oily skin
I rave about this all.the.time. so I'm not going to make you endure yet another ramble. Just take my word that for light, everyday coverage this is the best of its kind.

Foundation: Rimmel Wake me up foundation
For a cheap foundation (in comparison to both other 'drugstore' foundations like Revlon and higher end ones too) this is pretty impressive. It's glowy and youthful, healthy looking and easy to work with. My only complaint is its shimmer which can, at times, be a little too much, but other than that it's excellent.

Setting powder: Maybelline Dream Matte Powder
I hit pan on this in 2013 which shows you just how much I loved it. If there weren't so many cheaper options out there I would get it again, but I'm currently in the middle of three other adequate powders and (sadly) won't be purchasing this anytime soon.

Concealer: Face of Australia Stick Concealer in Neutral
I played around with a couple of concealers in 2013 but the best all rounder and the one I turned to most often was the cheap little stick concealer by Face of Australia.

Bronzer: Maybelline Bronzer in Forever Warm
I'm not really a bronzer person, nor do I have that many in my collection. Though I wouldn't purchase this bronzer if it disappeared from collection due to the fact that, well, it's just not that good, I did use it often in 2013.

Blush: Australis Creme Blush in Flirtatious Pink 
Choosing my favourite blush for the year just about killed me. Honestly, I am such a blush junkie that I have enough to use a different one everyday for two weeks...which is basically what I do. In the end I had to give the award to a cream blush, specifically Australis' Flirtatious Pink. Perfect in every way, it is the gorgeous colour that pulled it over the line and onto the winner's podium.

Highlighter: Essence Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 Shimmer Powder in Bella's Secret
Despite that it has the most awful name I have ever heard of, this is stunning. It's a warm toned golden powder highlight that catches the light exactly how I want it, looks subtle enough not to make me resemble a disco ball but not too subtle that you can't even see it. Oh my, it's so frustrating that it was a limited edition product (like all of Essence's best products have been!)

Eyeshadow: Bloom Eyeshadow Duo in Waikiki
Like blush, this category was very near impossible to narrow down to a single shadow. In the end I had to recognise the incredible champagne golden shade from the Bloom duo that accompanied me on every trip and was the base shade for every eyeshadow look I wore. It really does deserve to win 2013's best shadow although it does pain me to leave out my much loved Inglot Shadows...

Eyeliner: Face of Australia Liquid Liner in Black
This liner is the best, no doubt about it. It's jet black, sticks like glue and easy to use for even the most useless eyeliner appliers. I turned to it time and time again and even wore a cat eye look for the first time in my life. Thank you FOA!

Mascara: Covergirl Lashblast length waterproof
The tube of this mascara that I own is honestly a magic mascara - there is no other explanation for the fact that I have used this every.single.day. for two years and it has still not yet run out. It lengthens like crazy, defines every lash and gives a gorgeous natural look. Sure, it's not at all suitable for you if you want a bit of drama but for me it is just perfect.

Eyebrows: Essence Clear lash and brow gel
I had many empties of this and raved about it all the time. It's super cheap and makes my brows somewhat acceptable, so who could ask for anything more?

Lipbalm: Blistex lip conditioner
I share the most complicated love/hate relationship with this product, but the bottom line is that it saves my chapped lips and works better than anything I've ever tried. I apply this every night and at the rate I'm going it will be a 2014 empty for sure.

Lipstick: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic
I deliberated about this for twenty minutes, no exaggeration. I narrowed it down to ten lip products, then five, then three, then two and final to one. Lip products are my favourite makeup products so it's no surprise that I own about ten billion of them. 2013 was the year of the lip crayon, and I wore this red beauty non stop.

Overall makeup brand: Face of Australia
Face of Australia is affordable, Australian (obviously) and comes out with some incredible products. Their lip crayons, nail polishes and face products were all favourites of mine throughout the year and it was an obvious choice to nominate Face of Australia as my overall brand winner for 2013!

Phew...that is a lot of products for one year! I'd be amazed if you actually made it to the end of this post! My makeup collection certainly expanded significantly throughout 2013 but I had a lovely time, and it was all in the name of blog reviews...right?!

What was your overall favourite makeup brand for 2013?

New Years Resolutions

Happy New Year, and welcome 2014!

So I'm really not a Christmas kind of person. Sure, it's nice to see the family and all of that, but we tend to do that fairly often anyway and it is considerably less stressful seeing the family when it isn't Christmas and everyone is calm and peaceful! Nevertheless, I may not be a Christmas fan but I do love New Year.

Something about fresh starts and exciting new opportunities just appeals to me so much, and of course I am one of those people who every year make wild resolutions that I really have no intention of keeping. However, this year is going to be different and I know everyone always says that but I'm serious, this year is going to be different because I'm going to make 4 resolutions that I'm actually capable of achieving.

1. Read more books
I love reading, it's honestly one of my most favourite things in the world. I'm going to be in year 12 this year which means I'll be stressed and busy all the time, so I really want to schedule in some time - even if it is just on the weekends - to simply read a good book. I've already gotten off to a great start, having read 11 books since I first started my holidays in December so hopefully this continues.

2. Drink more water
When it comes to water I swear I'm like a camel. I can honestly go a whole day without drinking a single thing with no real problems. Winter is the worst because I just do not drink. I know this is absolutely terrible so I'm going to make a huge effort to drink up. Everyone at school carries a drink bottle around with them, so I shall begin doing that too, but it's just so annoying having to go to the toilet all the time!

3. Blog, blog, blog
This one is easy - carry on blogging. Blogging is such an enjoyable activity for me, and despite the fact that this is going to be a huge year, I intend to continue doing my best to post as often as possible, and read everyone else's wonderful blogs.

4. Be content with less than perfection
This might actually be the most difficult one to work on, but the most important too. As I've mentioned, I'm going to be a year 12 this year which is absolutely terrifying in every way! School and study is really a number 1 priority in my life and I dedicate so much time to it to do really well in my studies. I've always been a perfectionist and it can be challenging when I get grades that aren't what I consider to be perfect. This is of course, not sustainable, and I want to be able to finish the year knowing that whatever grade (ATAR) I get is okay because I've worked hard and done my best. I need to change my thinking which will be hard, but worth it.

So there are my 3 big resolutions for the year, and I really do hope that I stick to them. I might even include my progress in every Monthly Favourites post so I don't simply forget them and stop working towards them.

I would love love love to hear your resolutions for 2014!