Colourpop is having free international shipping when you spend over $50usd from now until September 26th. Under $50 the shipping is $5. So if you have always wanted to try Colourpop but have been turned off by the ridiculous shipping costs..then now is your time to shine.

One thing I didn't consider when becoming a nurse was the horrid early mornings I would have to endure. For the first few months I barely survived. My body was like "no, NO, don't wake up this early it's unnatural, please just go back to sleep K?!".

I've now been doing nursing for well over a year and I've been able to find some things which make waking up SO much easier. I hope these tips are actually practical/useful!

1. Leave your curtains open
I have found sleeping with my curtains open make it a lot easier to wake up in the morning as some natural light is already being let in and my body has it's chance to naturally wake up. In winter this doesn't work so well as it's usually pitch black but in the warmer months this is very helpful. Waking up naturally is the goal because it means you are less likely to end up the stingy tired eyes from waking up by an alarm.

2. Give yourself a lot of time 
Don't be that person who thinks it's achievable to shower, apply make-up, pack your lunch, get into a uniform, have breakfast in 15 minutes. The key is to give yourself a decent time so you're able to slowly wake up as the morning gets on, rather than having to leave in a hurried rush. I usually leave myself 45 minutes - 1 hour to get ready as it gives my time to get into a good zone before work/commitments.

3. Get into a routine
This is key. I wake up at 4.45am, go on my phone for 15 minutes to check emails, news etc, at 5am I go and make myself a coffee and toast and then I go on my laptop and watch either an episode of something (like Brooklyn Nine Nine) or youtube. At 5.20 I shower, then apply my make-up and get changed. By 5.50 I am set to leave for work. Now you don't have to do this exact thing but by giving yourself a lot of time and establishing a routine it means you can effectively manage time in the morning thereby making it more bearable.

4. *Try* to get to bed earlier 
Don't roll your eyes at me, I know this is an obvious one haha. But yeah, go to bed earlier so you don't wake up tired in the morning with sore eyes. You'll never be a morning person if you wake up feeling tired every day. Try and get your eight hours cause sleep is goooood. 

5. Music
Now I don't know if there's any research for this but personally I find listening to music in the morning puts me in a good mood for the day and makes the morning feel a lot nicer. So make yourself a playlist which will brighten your day.

6. COFFEE
Enough said.

NARS is that brand I had never heard about until about two years ago. I had assumed that all the make-up brands out there were the ones being sold in my local department store (Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancome etc). Oh...how wrong I was! I started hearing the words "Nars" "Urban Decay" "Too Faced" "Hourglass" mentioned time and time again on youtube/blog posts that I realized I was missing out on another world of make-up! Now two years later I feel like I am in the loop, owning quite a few products from each brand. Today I am focusing on my  NARS collection.

1. 'Radiant Creamy Concealer' in Vanilla
This is a concealer which has been very hyped up in the blogger world - but I do think that it's justified. It glides on easily, is full coverage, and doesn't crease harshly throughout the day. My under eyes can get really dry so this is perfect for providing a coverage that doesn't look dull. I wouldn't say this a holy grail product (yet) but I would recommend it if you have the budget for a high end concealer. I have loved it enough to mention it in my August favourites post.

2. 'Sheer Glow' Foundation in Mont Blanc
I bought this sucker a year ago and it's finally coming to the end, y'know the stage when you are whacking the bottle on your hand to try and get out every little ounce? Yes, that stage :(. I would consider this to be my favourite foundation ever. I go into detail of its greatness in this review but basically I just like it because it gives a natural dewy finish without looking cakey or going weird. I will be re-purchasing this for myself verrry soon.

3. 'Copacabana' Liquid Illuminator
After watching a favourite blogger (Hannah Maggs) use this in an everyday make-up tutorial I was like "GOTTA HAVE THAT". What I liked about this product was that you can use it as a highlighter but you can also mix it into foundation to give it a glowy effect. It's verrry pigmented and is also the perfect shade for fair skin as it's  described as a "glistening pearl" colour. I have used this product loads and yet still have so much left. It's one of those "a little goes a long, long way" so I would say that its great value for money.
4. 'Copacabana' Illuminating Stick 
Even though I love the liquid illuminator sometimes it takes a little bit to tap into the skin, which can be kinda annoying if you're in a rush. So when Nars recently brought out their illumating sticks it was the perfect solution. This shade is supposed to be the same but it is slightly darker (I don't mind though). This is a great fix for those days when you're late to work and are doing the quick-job at applying make-up.
5. Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in 'Never Say Never' & 'Roman Holiday'
I am so blooming impressed with these lip pencils. They are SO quick and easy to apply and have incredible staying power. I only have two shades so far but will definitely be adding to the collection over time as I just think they are fabulous.

August was a busy month filled with many 5am wake-ups for my internship: so you can bet I had a good makeup routine down. For a regular job I probably wouldn't bother with makeup so much (sticking with bare minimal - powder, brows and mascara) but I was in the operating theatre surrounded by many surgeons, doctors, and health professionals that I wanted to look nice. Is that so wrong?
So here are my top picks that got me through eight hour days.

1. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in 'Vanilla' - After convincing my mum to purchase this for herself I have snuck into her room many times this month to use it for myself. This concealer is easy to apply, provides a decent coverage, and doesn't dry out my under-eyes like other concealers do. I don't know if I would give it HG status yet (my Collection 'lasting perfection' IS the bomb diggity) buuut I am liking it a lot. 
2. MAC '217' Blending Brush - I feel like every beauty blogger and their dog owns this brush. I have now hopped on that bandwagon and agree that: why yes, it is great. I mainly use this in my crease and it does a damn good job. If you don't have the budget to splurge on this brush (it is $37 like THAT IS EXPENSIVE FOR ONE TINY BRUSH) I would reccomend trying Elfs blending brush which is like $3 and does an excellent job as well. 
3. Nivea Post Shave Balm - Another hyped up product but as it was only $8 on sale in my local grocery store I thought I would give it a try. This product is known for being an excellent primer despite being obviously marketed for mens shaving care. I have used this every day this month and I do notice a difference in the longevity of my make-up. One thing I love about it is the smell - it smells like a mens aftershave. But don't worry the smell fades once it's on your face. If you are someone who wants to get into the primer world I would say this is a good start  as it's super cheap, quite glowy, and gives longevity to your makeup. 
4. NYX Wonder Pencil - 5am wake ups = red eyes. To cancel that out I pop some of this on and it was makes me instantly look more awake. I actually prefer this over the Rimmel Nude liner, I find this one gives a less harsh line and lasts longer. 
5. Urban Decay eyeshadows in 'Sin' and 'Naked' - I've worn these eye shadows to internship most days and they last soo well. Usually I use my maybelline colour tattoo pot to prime my eyelid and then pop these on top - this combination is a winner. Sin (on the left) is a beautiful shimmery champagne-pale pink shade which provides excellent pigment. Naked (on the right) is a neutral crease colour perfect for every day wear. Together they are the dream team. 

'How to be Parisian', a book written by four Parisian woman, lets you in on the secrets of how to become like them. And that's what I want. Ever since I visited Paris in 2013 I have wanted to know more and more of what it is to be Parisian. As they fluttered past me in the streets looking ever so cool yet incredibly chic, I just wanted to know: what is their secret?! This book came into my hands almost a year ago and ever since then I have used it as a reference time and time again. After reading it for like the 500th time I thought "I NEED TO SHARE THIS TO WORLD. WAIT, I HAVE A BLOG!". So here I am giving you the best advice I got from this brilliant book!
On style...
It's all about the simple chic. No shirts with big logos on them, no ugg boots, no blingy jeans, no fake designer bags, no sweatpants. Caroline De Maigret (one of the authors) states in an interview that it's very Parisian to have a basic outfit with one, and one only, statement piece. The book also states "if a Parisian could just wear a Burberry trench and nothing under she would be in heaven".
It's important to invest in a signature item (one you wear all the time or when you need to feel powerful), a plain white shirt, a small silk scarf, good quality jeans, a long trench, and oversized sunglasses. Voila, now you look the part.
On Make-Up/Beauty..
Similar to their views on style, make-up/beauty should look effortless always (even if you put a lot of effort in - they shouldn't know that). Hair should be kept natural coloured, air-dryed, and never too sleek. When it comes to make-up the skin should look natural, so freckles can peak through in the summertime (so say goodbye to full coverage foundations and contouring). Frenchwomen apparently avoid foundation but rather stick with lighter things such as a good moisturizer, concealer, or even a BB cream. Once your skin is looking fresh add quite a lot of coats of mascara to the top and bottom lashes. For a night out add a bright red lipstick.
One thing I like most about Parisians is that they seem to embrace their flaws ~ in the book it states that cherishing imperfections are "signs of a certain strength of character and allow her to feel beautiful without being perfect". Now I don't know about you but that's extremely uplifting seeing as the 21st century is getting even better at masking flaws with the likes of extreme contouring, overlined lips, knife sharp eyebrows etc. I  much prefer the Parisian route.

How To Act At A Party...
When invited to a party be the last to arrive and leave a party when it is pumping. It's okay to leave on your own. Never get too drunk. Avoid questions about asking what someone does for a living or how much money they make. Look aloof and distant, as if you have somewhere better to be.

How To Be Sexy...
Less is more. Showing too much cleavage or wearing skintight dresses should be avoided as they leave little to the imagination. Instead give small doses inadvertently - such as a wide necked t-shirt that slides down the shoulder, a bra peaking through in-between the buttons on a blouse, a skirt that rides up slightly when sitting down etc. Basically it is much sexier to not be obvious but rather show little hints that will spark interest. The book says" showing too much cleavage is like serving dessert before anyone has even touched their appetizer". PREACH IT.

My Favourite Quote From The Book...
"Always be fuckable: when standing in line at the bakery on a Sunday morning, buying champagne in the middle of the night or even picking the kids up from school. You never know."

Don't think I have written one of these in awhile so I thought it'd be a nice idea to write a life update seeing as a lot of exciting things are happening at the moment.

Three weeks ago I went on my annual Melbourne trip with my mum. We got to stay at The Langham (a.k.a a gorgeous 5-star hotel) as we had free nights to use up seeing as hotels.com gives you a free night for every 9 you book. As we have traveled quite a bit we had four nights we could spend at this beautiful place. The photo above is from the pool which overlooks South Bank river and all the city lights. One of my favourite things about the hotel was the spa! It had a sauna, steam room, spa and pool. It felt so luxurious. I really had to rally myself to actually leave the hotel as it was too lovely.

After getting back I took a week off work as the following week I would have internship starting. For those of you who don't know - i'm currently studying nursing and in your final semester you have to do internship which is two months full time working at a hospital (well..not really "working" as you don't get paid but hey ho). I'm now in my second week of placement and am loving it. Usually I dread internship but this time I am enjoying it as I am in the operating theatre. And yes, it does kinda feel like Grey's Anatomy ;) Except less drama of course. It's nice being here because I have realized it's where I want to be...so hopefully next year I can get a job in the operating theatres. Fingers crossed.