Thursday, June 18, 2015

RJ > My new film project

Hey Guys!

You may be wondering why this blog has been a little dead lately. Well i've been working on a really exciting project that involves on of my true passion film making, art, music etc. I unfortunately won't be continuing this blog for the foreseeable future, as I'm excited to see where this new project can take me. If you'd like to follow this journey go to @rj_zine on instagram for further up dates and sneak peeks. Hopefully we'll be launching the site some time after christmas around new years, I will update you then on this platform to inform you of links and the like. Thank you for being so supportive of my endeavours over the last year, you'll see me soon!

. Stay Cool & Thank You! .


Wednesday, June 3, 2015

> A Little Me Time



Express Pedicure 1/2 Hour . $55 .
Soak, cuticle work, file & polish, & massage.

136 Bulcock St, Caloundra. Sunshine Coast.
 PH: 07 5491 2908

Fantastic! Would without a doubt recommend them. 

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation


I've been using the same foundation for the best part of the last 8 or 9 months [Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 115]. However when my latest bottle ran out I wasn't entirely keen to spend another $23 replacing it + I feel like I've settled into the same annoying cycle each morning, where I pour to much foundation onto my hand and then have to scoop it back into the bottle to save the excess because it has no pump. 
Needless to say now that I have experience a pump on my foundation with Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in True Ivory I'm never going back [That's a lie I will go back because I love my usual foundation but it's so damn tricky to get the right amount on my hand every time].
I did get a colour that is a little dark, but I found once I blended the hell out of it, used a BB cream first to even out my skin tone or applied some Maybelline Matte Powder in Ivory I was left with a really flawless finish. I'm probably more inclined to wear this as a weekend foundation because afterwards I'm left looking a little too covered - in other words wearing this to school I wouldn't look as natural as they expect you to be.
If I was going away for a weekend trip this would definitely be the foundation I'd take, it's compact, easy to apply and provides great dewy coverage all day.

Have you tried this foundation? What you recommend any other Rimmel products?


. Stay Cool & Happy :) .

Friday, May 8, 2015

One Year of Blogging!



Today, the 9th of May marks one years of Riley xo. To be honest I never thought this day would actually happen! With it comes with an immense sense of achievement. Over the years I've had a tendency to give up on things if I saw them as challenging, but I persevered with this little space and in my own eyes it's turned out to be a success. I want to thank all the readers who have been there from week one and continue to stop by & leave lovely motivating comments. I can't express the gratitude I have for you! 

When I first started out blogging I was very shy about sharing this space with my friends and family and up until recently still avoided their questions about my blog and it's content. However I've decided that I really enjoy blogging and it has become a major part of my life, so with that said I'm going to try being more open with my family about blogging and how much I get out of making content that I'm proud of.

Unfortunately this year is going to be massive! Whilst completing my final year of school I'm afraid that at times I may fall of the face of the earth, but I promise I'm still here and you will still hear from me every now and then just not as frequently as I would like. 

However I did get a chance around a week ago to give myself a little present. I went into my hairdressers 'Bianca's Hair & Beaty' in Caloundra (which I've mentioned before quite a few times) for a cut and semi-permanent colour. I've had my hair coloured darker once before and really loved it, so this time I thought I'd go for something really similar but a little warmer. I'm so happy with how it turned out and my hair feels so much healthier after a trim - before I got it done I didn't have major split ends but they were very dry and full of knots. My hair is now the longest it's ever been and I'm really happy with it. For a long time I cursed at the curls I have but now that my hair has a little more weight in it they've become more manageable, I really like my hair now as compared to around this time last year.

Again THANK YOU!! to everyone who has supported me and let's hope that this time next year I'm writing a post very similar to this with perhaps better grammar.
. Stay Cool & Celebrate The Little Wins xx .
. French Toast is a great reward if I ever had one .


Listening to: You Don't Own Me ft. G-Eazy By Grace

Sunday, April 26, 2015

The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. | Playlist


A playlist inspired by... “Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” 
- Apple Inc.

. The Phoenix . By Fall Out Boy | . King . By Years and Years | . Money Power Glory . By Lana Del Rey | . Stitches . Shawn Mendes | . The Wolf . By Mumford & Sons | . New Rush . By Gin Wigmore | . The Monster (Explicit) ft. Rihanna . By Eminem | . Big Girls Cry . By Sia | . Trouble ft. Jennifer Hudson . By Iggy Azalea | . Brooklyn Baby . By Lana Del Rey | . Famous . By Charli XCX | . Something Big . By Shawn Mendes

. Stay Cool .



Photos edited on PicMonkey.com . Watercolour background image from tumblr. 

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Taking Photographs For Your Blog | Tips


When I first began writing my blog taking photos was my least favourite thing to do, I felt like the poor photos I was taking didn’t reflect the quality of the content I wanted to create. After a while I realised it was actually quite simple to take photos of a higher quality with a few tips I began to pick up through my reading on the Internet. They’re arguably the most important part of the post because without a clear image that draws the reader in you’re more than likely to get not a lot of traffic to you blog.

In my own experience the most important thing about photography is lighting, take your photos in the morning when the light is the brightest and won’t cast a shadow on your space. Always try and have “white” light instead of “warm” or orange lighting, this will make your photos look fresher and more professional when wanting to showcase products or items. 

Don’t be too lazy to retake photos! If the photos you take the first time end up looking bad and you feel disappointed with them, take a new set. You should never feel pressured that because you have your written portion of a post completed it’s time to finish it immediately.  Often I put down the camera for a while and then come back a little while on, to see if I can then approach the photographing from a different angle

You’re not limited to just a camera, your phone can also be your best friend when taking photos, just remember that learning all the relevant settings and how to use them to there best ability will help you a lot. The camera I use is the Canon Power Shot SX500 IS, which I love because it’s compact and always auto focuses when taking shots in a hurry, unlike my Samsung Galaxy S5’s camera, which takes a little more precision and effort.

Editing your photos is also something that can take a little getting used to but can add so much to the quality of the images. I choose to use iPhoto on my MacBook Pro sometimes, but I’ve found online that PicMonkey (Link HERE) is a really great user-friendly photo editing option. Almost all my photos are edited using this platform and it has both a free and professional option to choose from. I also love that I don't have to create an account and constantly login and out of it.


Readers are often interested by photos that have “layers”, if you’re writing a post about a makeup product for example using props to surround that product in the background gives the reader the impression of how it is either being used, where it is being used or the type of person who may need to use the product. However most of all I try to use them to create an atmosphere or context for what I’ve written. Like lighting the objects or props you use here will influence the audience you bring to your blog. These props in no way have to be expensive or flashy items you can use things around the house like stationary (notebooks, pens etc.), magazines, sunglasses, computers, plants (succulents are big right now), layering of linen or perhaps a plain white quilt, feathers, flowers, drinks, your phone (try having this on one of your social medias or a website/ blog that you’ve liked at the moment), books or maybe your pets (these are always a crowd pleaser). For me it’s really just about experimenting with what looks nice.

Has this helped? Leave a comment sharing your favourite photography tips or a link to similar posts you've written.