> Girls Get Back to Nature

The rain this year put a stop to us going camping over the Easter weekend, so we decided to go camping the following weekend after the weather improved so much. I'm not a overly enthusiastic camper. I like a soft warm bed and all the warm comforts of home, however I don't mind being slightly uncomfortable and in return going on an fun trip. I am with that said no stranger to the outdoors with a few school camps out in the Australian bush up my sleeve. The best camping trip with school was by far in year 10 where we spent 2 weeks canoeing and hiking in the NSW bush with no showers or working toilets for most of the time. 

My parents and I aren't at that level of extreme camping yet so we headed off to Kenilworth Homestead about 2 hours away from where we live on the Sunshine Coast. The following is a collection of photographs and musings from my camping experience.

. Beauty . 

Make up is not needed, in my own opinion. The most I wore was a tinted moisturiser or BB cream to help keep my skin looking fresh. I think that the only beauty products you really need are face creams or a moisturiser, I also took my proactiv cleanser and other blemish control products because if I miss to many days not using proactiv my skin breaks out real bad! 
I also bought my Tinted Burt's Bee's Lip Balm in Red Dahlia because I can't stand my lips being chapped or cracked, in fact when I see other peoples lips that are chapped I feel like I need to recommend them a product.

. The Dress Code .

In the last couple of days it's gone from warm summer days to colder Autumn ones, so my wardrobe has mainly consisted of 

. Jeans . Loose T-shirts . Woolens . Old Calf & Ankle Boots . Jackets . Denim Shorts . Loose Long Cardigans . Floppy Hats . Beanies . Converse . Swimmers .

Wearing your older clothes is generally the best option, you might not look tumblr worthy but you then don't have to be frightened if anything gets ruined or comes back smelling like campfire smoke. 

. 3 Wick Candles . From Bath & Body Works | . Global Travels Printed Dress . From Threadsence . | . Crochet-Trimmed Woven Blouse . From Forever 21 | . Abigail TeePee . From Sugar Shacks Teepee | . Executive Brown Record Player . From Crosley | . Mother's Little Helper Studs . From  Free People | . Happy Glamper Enamel Cup . From Cotton On | . Hot/ Cold Pack . From Cotton On | . Blue Moon Ankle Boot . From Free People |. Beige Floppy Oversized Fedora . From River Island | . Black Fedora . From River Island | . OTK Country Sock . in grey From Sportsgirl |. Blue Bell Beanie . From Sportsgirl |. OTK Country Sock . in burgundy From Sportsgirl | . Canvas Utility Sling . From Sportsgirl | . Long Cable Knitted Scarf . in grey From Ally 

. No Tech Please .

One of the biggest things that disappoints me about my generation is that we can't just disconnect from technology. I'm so guilty of this 10 times over, but at least i'm able to recognise it. One example I've used in the past it  that you're sitting at a bus stop waiting for the next bus to come, who pulls out their phone? *raises hand* You automatically put a barrier up between those around you in the physical world. It's like Gen Z has lost that chance to make awkward conversation with random people or space out and stare at their feet for 5 minutes because there is nothing else to do. It's not a waste of time or slowing in productivity, it's nice to watch the world go by. You can take my word for it.
So when camping I think you could live without your phone or at least your 4G for a few days.

. Stay Cool and Happy Beautiful Readers . 

Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

When it comes to my everyday makeup I tend to neglect my lips. I always have a lot of foundation and eyeshadows products but when it comes to lipsticks my collection falls short. As we move into the Autumn/ Winter month's I often pick up warmer toned makeup supplies in colours like burgundy, dark greens, neutral browns or purples, I went hunting this time though for a classic red lipstick and came back with Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (in shade 045 Romantic).

I've always loved Revlon as a brand, I feel as though I'm always buying a quality product especially when it comes to their nail polishes, which I have several of. Until now I haven't tried any of their lip products, so I was really happy when I found that I liked this balm stain just a much as their other products.

The balm is beautifully pigmented in a classic warm rosy red shade and doesn't wear away to a thin line around the lips after eating, drinking or rubbing your lips together. The stain lasts and lasts through out the day, with only one application it went from a bright glossy red for the first few hours to a light rosy touch on the lips in the afternoon. I only have to reapply it once or twice through out the day to keep it looking fresh, which is good since I always forget to reapply any lipsticks! I hate it when lipsticks or lacquers become dry and flaky after 10 minutes of use, making your lips feel cracked. Again I didn't have that problem with this Revlon balm instead they felt silky smooth and moisturised all day long.

I'm also obsessed with the smell! They smell like peppermint and that is one of my all time favourite scents for any makeup product. Other shades I'll be picking up in the Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain range are Adore, Smitten and Charm. Are you already a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

. Stay Cool and Happy .

Have We Let The Internet Replace The Streets For Fashion Inspiration & Creativity?

Fashion has always been defined by the decades culture influences such as music, political events, art movements, role models or idols for teens, controversial pieces of literature and photographs. These are the things that street fashion have come to encompass and I believe that we will always continue to dress in accordance with the music we like or what our friends find cool and the “it” thing of the moment. This is because we surround ourselves with people of similar interests and values. If you look close enough I think you can see through the use of social media we've been able to create online communities that allow the concept of “street fashion” to become more expressive and more widely seen, but less physical, actually out in view of the public.

I can think of a few examples where street fashion has developed our perception of events through out history, the most prevalent I can think of that I have a connection with is the birth place of peace and free love on the streets of Haight Ashbury in San Francisco. If there is one place on earth where tie dye is the appropriate dress code this is it. If you haven't been there it's definitely a place stuck in a different time, a lot different from any street I've seen in Australia. It's a little rough around the edges but you can picture Jimmy Hendrix or Janis Joplin walking down the street smoking a joint. 

. Source . 

On a different note I myself am a great example of the minimalist trends that has set down it's roots, on the Sunshine Coast streets its kind of an unwritten dress code where girls my age you will see often wearing a white t-shirt, light blue denim shorts and white converse as the "safe" option – this look is originally inspired my Scandinavian minimalist fashion trends. Let’s be honest who ever really likes choosing the safe option. I admire people who stand out because I myself am not always willing to do the same. Those of you who wear timeless classic wardrobes or vintage pieces not recycled trends everyone has seen before a million times are the people who are noticed. In reality I could go all “As an artists who respects creative integrity and intellectual property I am disgusted… Do you not have any value of respect for individuality?” on you, but seriously that lady is the definition of a twat. 

As we allow the Internet to fully expose street culture through social media, I believe the street has begun to shrink, as the Internet grows bigger. This is probably one of the reasons I personally admire professional Vlogger's on YouTube because we as the viewer are able to glimpse that little be extra into their likes and dislikes than a simple “sit down” video each week can provide. This also raises that question if we take to much inspiration from bloggers about what our day-to-day lives should look like. I think I can confidently say no we don’t, nobody is a carbon copy of another person we've just been exposed to people with similar interests. I find interesting that a lot of Youtuber's dress nicely from the waist up because they’re on camera at home. I've seen a lot of mixed reactions from people on this subject such as (and I’m paraphrasing from memory)  “It’s not a fair representation of themselves” or “It’s deceitful”. My own personal opinion is that the Internet it’s self is the world put through a camera lens it’s never going to be 100% accurate or as reliable as the “street” we once took inspiration from but it’s given us the opportunity to connect with so many like minded people, that maybe this concept of ‘how the people around you dress must be how you dress’ was only holding us back until now.

Sorry I began to ramble but I had so many things I wanted to include. I'd love to know your thoughts on this subjects so feel free to leave a comment below.

. Stay Cool and Dress In Whatever The Hell You Want To .

Just Do it to Make YOU Happy!

So your list of problems has gotten so long they've started taking numbers like customers in a supermarket deli line...

. my inspiration wall above my desk .

Not going to lie I had a pretty crappy week. Usually I’m all smiles and positivity but this week several things just happened and as a result I got a case of the mid week blues. I always try to not let my mood dictate my manners and I hope I still succeeded to be a nice person to be around. When I think about all the people and things that make be happy everyday I realize how blessed I am. So to the down trodden out there after a week from hell, get up and don’t wallow because I promise one of the things conveniently listed below will get you back on your way to feeling your gorgeous self again.

Choose to let things go! You have to make the choice to be happy, holding onto negative conversations or situations will only ever bring you down.

Stop and smell the roses. Relax! Take a break and have a nice warm bath or go for a walk along the seaside.

Listen to some music and read yen magazine. yen always inspires me to write blog posts and get creative, even better paired with some of my favourite artists. You can find my latest playlist HERE for any inspiration of your own.

One thing that always makes me happy is the scent of petrichor. Petrichor is the earthy smell of rain settling the dust on dry ground.

Purchasing a new dress. Most of my wardrobe is made up of dresses. What can I say some girls love diamonds others shoes, I happen to have a weakness when it comes to dresses. (Post Publish Edit: I've just returned from the shops and you'll never guess what I bought...)

Buy a tumblr worthy bouquet of flowers and place them somewhere you can always see and smell them.

Wear a classic rouge lipstick. Red lips has been the iconic symbol for female strength and femininity for years, walk with confidence sporting this colour!

Turn off the technology! Put down your phone and become disconnected from the rest of the world. It feels strangely extricating.

Change up your hairstyle. My locks are currently in a state of disarray. I need a trim and maybe a colour? I'm planning on changing it up a bit for the coming winter and going for a chocolate dark brown.

Eat some cake. I’m personally a coffee cake kind of girl (anything to feed my caffeine addiction) but I’ve been told chocolate is a great alternative ;)

Get your nails done. I feel like I’m ready to take on the world when I have a fresh coat of mint green, crimson red or deep purple on my finger and toes.

Sit down at your local coffee shop and order your favourite drink (skinny flat white – no sugar or maybe a freshly squeezed juice), then just relax and people watch, sometimes other peoples everyday antics can brighten your day immensely. Here's another opportunity to turn off the technology - pick up a book at an op shop for $2 and when your finished donate it back again.

Give up something that’s been weighing you down. This is by far the most difficult, but sometimes it’s absolutely liberating to let go of a person, pass time or bad habit that keeps bringing out the negative things.

. Stay Cool and Utterly Ecstatic Friends! .

. sun shower as the sun sets .

Muse, Create & Remain Constantly Happy | Playlist

A playlist inspired by “You don’t make art out of good intentions.” . Gustave Flaubert .

. Hold Back the River . James Bay

. Lay Me Down .  Sam Smith

. Believe .  Mumford & Sons

. Blame It on Me . George Ezra

. Someday . The Strokes

. Someone New . Hozier

. Dreams . The Cranberries

. Numb . LINKIN PARK (Acoustic) 

. Shots . Imagine Dragons

. Shut Up and Dance . WALK THE MOON

. Don't Wanna Fight . Alabama Shakes

. Naive .  The Kooks

. Mrs. Robinson . Simon & Garfunkel

. Hold My Hand .  Jess Glynne

. Jealous . By Labrinth (cover by Mia Carson)


. Stay Cool and Don't Think - Just Do, Be, Create .