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Skin Update
2007-07-02 02:38:00
Right. I didn't use any products last night and now my skin is drier than it's ever been. In 6 days it's developed some sort of Lush dependency. My cheeks feel like dried glue.Argh!
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It's OVER
2007-07-01 08:47:00
O-V-E-R. My brief, bittersweet love affair with Lush has ended. It's crashed and burned. Oh, it's so over, girlfriend. And for good this time.Was it an amicable break-up? Will we remain friends? The short answer is no.The long answer is this: After less than a week of using Aqua Marina cleanser and Breath of Fresh Air toner (a dab of Ultralight moisturiser occasionally making an appearance also), the endemic of spots which, for the past few years, has been a stable and not unwelcome part of my face, has suddenly become an epidemic. My blemishes have bloomed. My spots have spread. I have pullulating pustules. In short: a breakout caused my breakup.LOOK AT THIS (click on the image to get a larger version of it, right-clicking and selecting 'open in new window' is best).OK, admittedly a few of those spots would have been there anyway, and some of the contours are due to old acne scarring, but most of those spots only appeared once I started using Aqua Marina and Breath of Fresh Air...

Tip #8: Go It Alone
2007-06-27 04:10:00
When I'm shopping for me, I'm shopping alone.In my opinion, if you want a shopping trip to be as successful, fruitful and rewarding as possible, nothing beats going it alone. You can set your own pace, you don't get distracted by other people's shopping needs, and you can focus entirely on you and your list.I know that many people have trouble going out alone. Several people have told me that they would never even consider going out to a movie or a restaurant by themselves, and in many cases this dislike of being alone in public places extends to shopping. I must say I don't really understand this, as I have always enjoyed my own company, but I do see where they are coming from.However, I believe that the merits of going shopping alone far outweigh any fears you might have about what other people are thinking about you. In most cases, if they think about you at all, they're probably thinking "Oh good, another customer", "She looks interesting" or "Nice shoes". Maybe one in a t...
More About: Lone , Alone

Fabulous! Festvial for 25/06/07
2007-06-25 19:53:00
Here it is! The latest edition of the Fabulous! Festival. Full of advice, rants and interesting observations by talented bloggers, these articles will be sure to leave you with something fashion-related to think about. Enjoy!ShoppingAt Money Walks, Andy debates the issue of Frugal vs Cheap; one is not the other.Tracee at So Sioux Me discusses the subject of school fashion in Kindergarten Fashion Show. How much money should you spend on kids' clothing which will get ruined or grown out of anyway? She describes the attitude she takes with her daughter in this interesting article.In Destination Shoe York,Travel Gretta shares an article about the new Saks New York shoe department, and tells us of a Saks celebrity encounter she had while in New York.FashionFitBuff gives us the latest scoop on men's fashion: Women Say Baggy isn't Cool. Apparently "over 55% of women say, "Out with the bag, in with the new!"I happen to agree with that sentiment!In her article The 90s Series: Aerosmith Si...

Things I learned while shopping last week
2007-06-24 02:24:00
Last week I went to DFO Southern Cross. My shopping usually goes like this: I hit up DFO, then a month or so later (or when I feel rich again) I go to Bridge Rd. Then I visit the city, usually for accessories and to see what's doing at Target, Kikki K, Officeworks and so on. Occasionally I make it to Chadstone for some half-hearted shopping, but that doesn't happen very often, plus the whole experience is so overwhelming since there are so many shops. After that, I start again at DFO, and so on. This hopping around means that when I go back to one place their stock is quite different, which is great.What never changes is that every time I go shopping I learn something new and different about how to dress myself. Here are some things I learned at DFO the other day:My body can't be summed up by 'small', 'medium', or 'large'.When you have it in your head that you're a certain size, it can be difficult to depart from that. For example, at David Lawrence I tried on this lovely ...
More About: Shopping , Week , Things , While , Thing

Tip #7: Get to Know Your Body Shape
2007-06-20 04:23:00
Why is it that the latest styles, which look fabulous on catalogue models and on your friends, don't suit you? Why is it that a bias-cut dress, which looks divine on the mannequin, looks like an overstretched sack when you put it on?The answer to these questions is simple: body shape. Individual difference.When you know your body shape, you'll be able (after doing a little bit of research) to easily determine what shapes suit you. Shopping for clothes then becomes easy. You make fewer mistakes and have less clothes to consider -- you cut down the potential purchases in a shop from 30 items that you like, to 5 items that you like that will suit you.There are already many treatises on how to dress for your body shape, so I'm not going to add this article to the pile. Other people have already covered how to determine whether you're a pear, a rectangle, or a circle. Or they show you how to dress particular parts of your body, the goal being to push and pull it towards an hourglass ...
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Fabulous! Festival 25/6/07 - Call for Submissions
2007-06-19 01:34:00
I'm very happy to announce that I am hosting next Monday's Fabulous! Festival of fashion, beauty, shopping and style.The Fabulous! Festival runs every Monday and is hosted by a different fashion/shopping blogger each week. The current issue can be found over at Thriftyspend, and there are some excellent articles there.You can submit here. Submissions are due this Friday 22nd at midnight GMT, and they can be on any topic related to fashion, beauty and style.More information about the carnival can be found at its BlogCarnival homepage.I look forward to seeing your entries!
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Top 5 Ways to Treat Your Curly Hair
2007-06-17 06:40:00
1. Throw out your brushBrushing only destroys your curls, turning them into frizz. Instead, gently finger-comb your hair when it's wet, taking care not to break up any naturally formed curls.2. Pat dry your hairOnce out of the shower, do not vigorously towel dry your hair. This will break up your curls and cause frizz. Instead, wrap the towel around your hair and pat and squeeze very gently. This will get it just as dry, without doing damage to your hair.3. Make curls with your fingersAfter you've washed your hair and added your products, turn sections of your hair into curls by wrapping them around your finger. Choose sections that look like they want to curl together but need a little help. To do this, wrap a section of hair around the first segment of your index finger, holding the ends against your finger with your thumb. Keep winding the hair around your finger until you get as close to the roots as you can. Then pull your finger out, leaving a lovely curl.4. Let your hair dr...
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Tip #6: Depilate all and wear comfy shoes
2007-06-13 00:49:00
Today's tip is a two-parter, but it's only going to be as long as my attention span. So be prepared for a bite-sized nugget of what I hope is shopping wisdom!1. Depilate everything you would normally depilateThere is nothing worse (in terms of shopping, at least!) than taking a bunch of skirts and dresses to the fitting rooms, then realising a) you haven't shaved and b) there is only a communal mirror.This situation has been known to lead me to hide in my cubicle and try to work out whether a dress suits me by looking down at it. Not very effective, I assure you. Plus it leaves you feeling just a bit ridiculous.I've also been known to carry black stockings around with me. I used to do this because seeing your hairy legs when you're trying on a dress can easily put you off that dress, even if it's perfect. This is because, no matter how lovely and feminine you and the dress are, your hairy legs will make you look like a man. A man in a dress. And not a lovely, androgynous, cros...
More About: Shoes , Wear , Shoe , Late , Pilate

How I Keep My Curls Looking Great
2007-06-11 02:52:00
I hadn't actually realised how many products I use on my hair until I started on this article. I use six different products! Six! Admittedly I use one out of the six only occasionally, but five still sounds excessive. I used to be low-maintenance hair girl. What happened?Even though I'm fairly shocked at the number of products I put on my hair, I couldn't do without any of them. They've turned my hair from hated frizz into gorgeous curls, and for that, I will sing their praises. Here I go...KMS Moistrepair Shampoo and KMS Moistrepair ConditionerMy journey to hair happiness begins in the shower, with KMS Moistrepair Shampoo and Conditioner. Even though I've only put one picture to the left there, this isn't a two-in-one.These are divine-smelling hair products that really put the moisture back into your hair. The scent is called 'rainforest' but it definitely doesn't smell like a rainforest -- though I don't actually know what a rainforest smells like, so maybe it does! Thes...
More About: Great , Look , Curl

Not a real post.
2007-06-10 07:51:00
Although it's Sunday and a That Dress is Divine updating day, I'm going to have to postpone the curly hair product post for a few days. This is because last night I tried the Clinique rinse off eye makeup remover and although many people have sung its praises, it's apparently not for people with eyes as sensitive as mine. Oh dear. So I'm in a fair bit of discomfort today and thus unable to look at the screen for too long. Apologies. It should be up by Tuesday, I'll try and do some work on it tomorrow.
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Curly update
2007-06-07 15:24:00
When I made that last post about curly hair, I had meant to take a picture of my hair as it is now, but I was having an ugly day so it didn't work out. But I managed to take a picture tonight, so here it is, belatedly.That's the left side, which is the long side. So it has grown out a fair bit, and the longest part is collar-length. But I've still got a way to go!
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Tip #5: Wear realistic underwear and make-up
2007-06-06 19:37:00
Imagine this. You're in the fitting rooms and you've just discovered the perfect dress. It hugs your waist just so, skims gently over your hips, cups your butt and shows off your beautiful back. And, as if that weren't enough, the colour really brings out the flecks of sea green in your eyes. Of course you gleefully buy it (perhaps after doing a private little dance of joy); it's the ideal sundress for your picnic date tomorrow.Tomorrow comes around, as it always does, and it's time to get ready for your date. You take a shower, moisturise, put on some perfume and a touch of mascara and blush. Then, with great joy, you put on the dress.Something's off. It fits OK and the colour's fine, but it's just not fabulous. It clings a bit too much to your hips, and bunches around your waist. And it makes you look a little washed out. How could you have thought it was perfect? What went wrong?Perhaps you weren't wearing realistic underwear or make-up when you first tried it on. Perhap...
More About: Make Up , Make , Underwear , Make-up , Wear

Is naturally curly hair a blessing...
2007-06-04 03:42:00
...or some sort of sadistic torture dreamed up by a psychotic, vindictive, vengeful god?Yeah, I know. It's a tough one.If you're lucky enough to have been 'blessed' with naturally curly hair, you've probably hated it at some point. You've probably stood in front of the mirror staring at the frizzy corkscrews that refuse to be tamed, looked at your friends with their sleek, shiny, straight hair, and thought to yourself "Why? Why me? What did I do to deserve this?"Can you tell I've been there.When I was in my teens, all the advice I ever read about curly hair, most of it in magazines like Dolly and Girlfriend, went something like this:Dear Boof-head,Like you, I have naturally curly hair, so think of this as some girl-to-girl, curl-to-curl advice. Your curly hair may seem like a nightmare right now, but one day you'll grow to love it. Curly hair is unique and beautiful, and so many girls out there would kill to have it. In the meantime, be sure to keep your hair clean, stay hea...
More About: Hair , Blessing , Naturally , Natur , Natura

Tip #4: You have a wishlist, now you need a shopping list
2007-05-29 18:05:00
Last week you read about the importance of writing a great wishlist. Wishlist s give your shopping direction, give you something to aim for, and prevent you from buying things you don't want or need. What I didn't tell you is that wishlists aren't enough.If you're like me, your wishlist is more than 20 items long. Now, if you've set aside, say, three hours to shop, how are you going to look for everything on your wishlist, or even just the asterisked items? You can't, or you can try, and end up frustrated and in a tizzy.The solution? You need to set out a brilliant shopping list every single time you go shopping.Yeah, yeah, you say. I know how to do that. But do you really? Answer the questions below to find out.Are you spending a good 15 minutes writing your shopping list, before you even leave the house?Do you prioritise the items on your list?Do you write down the right number of items for your budget?Do you write your budget at the top of the list?Do you write your budget a...
More About: Shopping , List , Ping

BlogCatalog Fundraiser: Public Schools
2007-05-28 03:12:00
Due to the success of the BlogCatalog Community Mass Buzz, which I took part in last week, the bloggers at BlogCatalog have decided to use their powers for good.This week, bloggers around the world (not just BlogCataloggers) are posting about DonorsChoose.org, a site where you can donate to specific classroom learning projects and specific schools in need around America.Bloggers have been given a 'challenge' containing 9 proposals made by real teachers. We have been asked to raise awareness about our challenge and invite readers to donate. Should you choose to donate, you can help fund specific proposals, such as Woodlake Elementary school 's call for help to replace computers that were damaged or lost in hurricaine Katrina. In fact, many of the proposals come from Woodlake. You can fund one teacher's need to buy the LeapFrog series of books to help the autistic children in her class learn to read. And so on. Or you can donate to the challenge as a whole, it's up to you.There ...
More About: Schools , Public , Fundraiser

Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot
2007-05-27 02:56:00
A card game of skill, daring, strategy, cheating, bribery, extortion, and the murder of bunnies in horrible ways.What's not to like, really?The object of the game is simple. To win, you must a) hold the Magic Carro t and b) have at least one bunny alive when all 12 carrots have been distributed. C) is technically optional, but greatly encouraged -- try and kill as many of your opponents' bunnies as you can.You do this by launching weapons at them.Oh yes. Attack their bunnies with a kitchen whisk, a cauldron of boiling tar or the Cyber Bunny -- a killing machine sent to Earth by the Beyea aliens to destroy all bunnykind. Attack them with a food processor, by starving them out, with a flame thrower and a pair of scissors. The possibilities are endless (or at least only limited by the number of Booster Packs you can buy, and the number of Bunny Blanks you turn into custom cards of your own invention).If your opponents attack you, roll the black die and hope you roll a number less tha...
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Tip #3: Make a wishlist
2007-05-22 07:54:00
Have you ever had the experience of wandering aimlessly around the shops because you're not quite sure what you're looking for? Have you ever overspent on things you don't really need, or even want? If you answered 'no' to either of those questions, you probably dislike shopping, have freakish amounts of self-control, or you've got a really great wishlist.If you answered 'yes', chances are you don't have a wishlist. My advice? Get started on one immediately. This simple document could save you an enormous amount of time, money, and effort.How? Well, it's simple. When you have a wishlist, you'll know what you're looking for. You'll never again wander aimlessly, feeling depressed and exhausted from directionless, fruitless shopping.Once you have a wishlist, you'll refer to it often. You'll use it to plan your shopping trips. You'll pore over it, add to it, and generally get more enjoyment out of it than you thought was possible.Getting startedThe best way to get start...
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Discover Which Shoe is Right for You
2007-05-18 10:40:00
You've already agonised over your body shape and pain-stakingly determined which clothes suit you, and which clothes really, really don't. You know that you are busty and look best in v-necked tops. You know that you are flat-chested and can't wear fine-knit jumpers. You have saddlebags, so you need to wear wide-leg pants or a slash-neck top. You have all of that stuff down-pat.But did you know that the type of shoe you wear can also make or break your outfit?You may have achieved the perfect hourglass figure with the right clothes, but have you ever looked at what your shoes are doing to you? If they are making your legs look anything less than long and shapely, it's time to re-evaluate.Ask yourself this simple question:Are your ankles thick or thin?If you're not sure, ask an honest friend. Or make a polite one tell you the truth by bribing them with chocolate.Got your answer? Now you're ready to find out which shoes suit you.Thick ankles and calves? These are the shoes for y...
More About: Disco , Shoe , Discover , Disc

Tip #2: Make shopping a priority in your budget
2007-05-16 01:53:00
I know, it's hard to think of shopping as an essential that should be factored into your regular budget. Won't making room for shopping encourage you to go on regular binges where you buy all kinds of things you don't really need? Maybe. But think about the number of times you didn't budget for it, and ended up spending money that you needed for other things. Factoring shopping into your regular budget will actually help you to avoid major budget blow-outs or credit card binges. When you are generous with yourself and allow yourself treats, you are more likely to enjoy your budget and to stick to it. And if you're concerned about buying stuff you don't need, you can always practice some restraint! Instead of blowing it all at once, save up your regular shopping budget for that expensive item you're just dying to have.How to arrange your budgetThere is no right way to budget, and shopping can usually be factored into any existing budget by shifting funds around a little. For e...
More About: Shopping , Budget , Make , Ping , Priority

BlogCatalog Mass Buzz
2007-05-14 03:50:00
Gasp. Here I am posting an entry on a day which is neither a Wednesday or a Sunday! Shock. Amazement.Today is the day of the BlogCatalog Mass Buzz where BlogCatalog members who love the site post a message about what they love about it. So here I go:BlogCatalog is a social networking site for bloggers and blog readers. It's very easily navigable and through it I found blogs that are now my favourites. You don't need to become a member to discover many interesting blogs, but if you do join, you are able to friend your favourite bloggers and join their blogs' 'neighbourhood'. This makes reading your favourite blogs very easy. You can rate blogs, and write reviews about them. You can also submit your own blog, and publicise it through the site in various ways.The staff at BlogCatalog are very responsive and friendly, which is something that I value highly. So much so that I may not have participated in the Mass Buzz if not for the experience I had the other day. What happened was ...

Kikki K Wood Notebooks and Lichen Cloth Diary
2007-05-13 02:02:00
I’ve recently become remarkably anal about the colours I allow in my room. I may still have purple and orange blankets on my bed, but everything that I’ve bought in the past year or so (with the exception of clothes and make-up) has been either black, white, brown, dove grey, or lichen green. And yes, this includes notebooks. When I ‘grow up’, I will probably have one of those eerie homes where everything matches and the dining table is always set. I can’t help it, there’s something calming and orderly about matching colours, especially when lichen green is involved. If you think I’m mad, you’re probably right. Just make sure the padded walls of my cell fit in with my colour scheme. I believe I bought these colour scheme-friendly pieces of stationery almost a month ago. It may have been even more than a month, actually. In any case it was so long ago now that I can't remember when exactly (though, granted, my memory is not the best. My ex and I used to refer...
More About: Diary , Wood , Notebooks , Chen , Cloth

10 Tips for Shopping Success
2007-05-08 00:48:00
I used to be an abysmal shopper."How hard can it be?" I hear you ask, "Isn't shopping just the simple exchange of money for pretty, pretty things?" Technically yes, but a lot can get in the way.For example: Have you ever felt just too ugly to buy anything? Have you ever gone into the fitting rooms with an armful of gorgeous clothes, only to find that every single one of them makes you feel awful? I've been there.Have you ever bought something that you think is stunning, only to realise later that it makes you look lumpy in places you didn't think you could? I've been there, too. I've been there so often I could draw you a map.But I won't. Instead, I'll draw you a kind of anti-map, a way to avoid going to those awful, dark places.This anti-map will take the form of 10 tips over 10 weeks, one per Wednesday. So be sure to swing by next Wednesday and check it out. Your wardrobe and your sanity will thank you for it.And after you're done reading, why not try them out and let me k...
More About: Shopping , Tips , Success , Ping

Angels, miracles & maraschino cherries
2007-04-24 01:25:00
As winter beings to threaten, I've become paralysed by the fear of not having enough warm clothes, so much so that I find myself unable to shop for them. Instead I've been spending my time and money at Lush, where there is nothing that will be even remotely helpful to me in winter. (Except maybe to keep my skin moist, but who cares about that when you're dying of hypothermia.)Here's what I've bought so far.Item 1: Angels on Bare Skin CleanserOh my word. The heavenly lavender scent, the almond pieces that massage you and exfoliate even the most stubborn dead skin, the gentle cleanser that sinks into your face... basically, this stuff is my friend. After only one use, my skin felt like a combination of doves, silk and fog. Only softer.It's a really beautiful, really gentle, all-natural cleanser, which, according to the label, is based on a 'simple medieval recipe'. Although you'd be forgiven for looking at the picture and thinking the stuff comes in a bar, it is actually squi...
More About: Miracles , Mira , Aras , Mara

Shoes + Drool = Shool? Or Droes?
2007-04-15 14:28:00
I've been unforgivably lax in updating this blog, mostly because I haven't had much time to shop. Instead I've been doing relatively grown-up things with my time, like working and writing and taking a short course and having relationship talk and hanging out with friends. Admittedly the hanging out with friends part has involved a lot of very un-adult activities such as getting lost on the freeway and playing a bizarre card game called 'Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot'. But let's just pretend I've been doing adult things, adult things which have afforded me new shoes. Specifically, new shoes that aren't so new any more as they have a bit of drool on them. This is because I can't help salivating every time I look at my feet -- it's like one o' them Pavlovian response things.It is late, yes.So! My shoe tale begins with a doctor's appointment, right next to Bridge road. I had, of course, in the interests of getting home to do some writing while the time wa...
More About: Shoes , Shoe

The search continues, and other stories
2007-03-22 11:34:00
Well. This lip stain search is making me obnoxious.I went to Nando's last night to buy dinner for my good friend Eliza, who I met up with for girlie indulgence in the form of 'Music and Lyrics' (better than expected, incidentally*). Upon reaching the counter I noticed that the girl behind it was wearing, you guessed it, RED LIP STAIN. I didn't say anything at first, not wanting to betray my secret identity as crazed lip stain fiend, either to her or to the boyfriend-creature. I tried not to stare. I held off saying anything at all about it, to anyone. I went to the toilet. I sat down and tried to listen to what the boyfriend creature was saying. I tapped my feet. I chewed my nail. Finally I couldn't take it any longer."Excuse me!" I exploded, "I'm sorry to bother you, but your lipstick is FABULOUS. Where did you get it?"She recoiled slightly from my desperation -- at least I assume she did, I was a bit too preoccupied by my embarrassment to pay attention to anything else. What...
More About: Stories , Search , Tori , Conti

Search for the perfect lip stain
2007-03-18 01:54:00
Ergh. Ergh, I say.I have been searching for a really vampy, blood red lip stain for far too long now. I've tried Mac, I've tried Bobbi Brown, I've tried Aveda... OK, so I haven't tried that many places, but you'd think that one of those stores would have something. Unfortunately not. Everything I've tried on is either too orange or too pink, too matte or too gliterry. I want a lip stain that will look wet wet wet, but will stay on, something that will make me look like, well... a vampire. I'm starting to feel that the situation is quite hopeless.Last night I decided to google lip stain and compile a list of possible candidates, so next time I'm at Myer I don't get lost, demoralised or overwhelmed. Here is that list.1. Estee Lauder Pure Colour Lip Tint in Cherry KissThat looks sort of like blood in a bottle, doesn't it? It looks like it could be quite orange and a bit too light, but the other choice, Berry Kiss, is definitely way too pink. Cherry Kiss will have to be tried ...
More About: Search , Perfect

Ah, autumn
2007-03-17 08:38:00
Even though the weather here in Melbourne is still warm, I can feel autumn coming. Whether it's the slight chill in the air, or the autumn fashions tumbling into shops by the box load, something has triggered within me an almost primal urge to stock up on clothes for the winter.For the past month I have been compiling my winter shopping list (seen at the bottom of this page). Determined not to let poor planning leave me shabby and frozen this winter, I have been tearing through my favourite shopping haunts searching for the ultimate winter wardrobe. Like an animal storing food for the impending cold months, I have been buying up suitable winter clothes like my life depends on it. While clothes may not feed me this winter, they will provide the warmth and sartorial nourishment that has been so elusive during winter months past.My lack of nourishment where winter clothes are concerned stems from a combination of a need for warmth and the tendency to find it in the form of long, dark ...
More About: Autumn , Autum