Oh, I also got a hair cut. For some reason I like to document these relatively trivial things on my blog.

Mind my creepy stare. I have a thing for top hats these days !

This post relates to goal #10. 

I know, I know. Everyone has already posted theirs and I’m two weeks late ! Here is a list of beauty-related things I discovered or embraced in the year of the rabbit.

1. Nars velvet matte lip pencil

I discovered these gems on a family trip in Hawaii. Many hours were spent in Sephora swatching pretty eye shadows, blushes, and lipsticks and other girly items. Although, the fun was not just had by the girls. Even dad tried some foot cream .. I know right – who samples foot cream ?! (I have a polaroid as proof !). Pity I don’t work in a less conservative environment (although I’m thankful that I have a job !) as Nars has some of the most gorgeous shades of lip colour I’ve ever set my eyes upon ! Moreover, a wonderful matte lip colour range. I’ve always prefer matte textures over glossier finishes, maybe because it draws less attention to my lips.

Wearing Nars velvet matte lip pencil in Red Square. And yes, I am wearing a scarf over my head.

2. 1969 & Tobacco Vanille

I have gone on and on about 1969 by Histoires de Parfums in the past so I shan’t again but this has to be my most used fragrance of 2011. And not only by me (Thom !) ! It has a strong vanilla scent and is considered a unisex fragrance which seems to be the theme of my collection. So I suppose it’s no surprise that the next perfume I lusted after was Tom Ford’s tobacco vanille. I just love gourmands mixed with woody scents ! Plus it came in this beautiful diffuser which the shop assistant gave to my mum as a freebie. It’s nice to look at. Just don’t ask how much it costs !

3. MAC face and body foundation

Honestly, I hate looking like I’m wearing tonnes of makeup unless I’m going to a drag themed party so this second-skin foundation is great for me. And it does not accentuate dry patches on my face. Since my skin has improved in the latter part of last year and beginning of this year I can wear this more often as it is unsuitable if you require higher coverage. I love how I can just use my fingers as it blends and slips on easily since I don’t want to spend more than 5 minutes getting ready — I prefer sleeping in !!

4. Shu Uemura #18 & Becca #18 brush

I came across the Shu Uemura 18 goat hair brush at David Jones after hearing so much about it perusing through forums on how to best apply Shu Uemura nobara stick foundation. The lady at the counter asked me if I was a makeup artist and I remember feeling extremely flattered but then later realised that she had probably deduced that I was a makeup artist due to the steep price of the brush rather than the quality of my makeup that day. It is definitely not an inexpensive brush but I believe that the quality in craftsmanship shows and it is my favourite by far (you only really need a handful of good brushes). It does the best job with blending foundation into your skin and giving a flawless, streak-free finish. You can see me using it in this video.

5. Revlon ColorStay liquid liner

To answer Nicole’s question to “how do you get your eye liner on so smoothly ?”, this is the trick ! The sponge tip applicator does wonders in applying liquid liner smoothly and you can easily create thick or thin lines. And I’m saying this a someone who is quite clumsy and doesn’t have the steadiest of hands !

6. Urban Decay eyeshadow primer potion in sin

Sorry no swatches but the colour of this primer looks like the colour of the packaging ! It’s a gorgeous bronze/gold colour which I actually like to wear alone like cream eyeshadow on my eyelid without any eyeshadow. Of course, if you want to use it as an eyelid primer is does a great job at that too !

Honourable mentions: Shu Uemura hard formula eyebrow pencil in stone grey, Becca shimmering skin perfector in pearl (makes the skin look soooo smooth), Philosophy supernatural coloring book, Eyeko big eyes mascara, Helena Rubenstein lash queen feline blacks, and the no-brainer, Nars orgasm/laguna blush bronzer duo.

I really could go on and on. 2011 was definitely a year of discovery and there are so many amazing products that I would love to share with you. I’ll have more disposable income in 2012 (most of which I plan to save towards traveling and possibly other assets) so it’ll be interesting to see what other discoveries there are to be made !

One year ago: Blog’s first giveaway
Two years ago: Visited 26 countries
Four years ago: Snail mailed my friends

Story behind the title –

I’ve finally gotten the time to pack as I have this week off before I fly off to Japan. Goodbye horrible hot weather !!! My body was made for the cold. All that insulating fat will come in handy. I’m also looking forward to being able to hibernate in my favourite green coat — the one that you’ve probably seen so many times within this blog — and beanies, scarves, and gloves ! I have to try my best not to go over the 20kg limit though (always a challenge !). Doesn’t help that I have to carry that big bag (next to the suitcase) into customs to claim tax !!

Thom wearing my beanie X-D.

Sorry I’m incoherent when I talk in front of a video camera. Skip forward to 1:52 for the ukulele-ing ;-)

On a completely different note, here’s what I’ve been doing in 2012 so far..

1. Making pie !

Of course Thom took the liberty of putting pastry spelt as his name on MY pie.

I had lots of amusing photos of Thom but have restrained from putting them up here as I don’t think he’d like it because he pulls very funny/ugly-though-endearing faces ! 

2. Trying out new looks with these bad boys ..

I don’t often wear eyeshadow though simply because I prefer quick & easy looks I can do in 2 minutes. I will experiment this on my sister & friends most likely !

3. Photos in front of cow in tree

This photo amuses me. Also, look how tall I am ! :-P It was with great enthusiasm that we were ushered into getting this photo taken of us !

Silly me forgot to post flyers -.-”

1. The present that kept us guessing. “Everyone needs one“, Nicole said !
2. My French mum’s mini village. How she manages to find room in her trinket-full house to store it astounds me.
3.  Fruit bomb = SO AMAZINGLY GOOD ! (Basically fruit drowsed in cream & alcohol and all things good)
4. A very sweet present from Thom. Yes, I was trying to hold back tears !
5-6. Cherry picking at Red Hill Cherry farm
7. Thom being a risk taker.
8. Thom & I.
9. Of all the (very few) photos of Thom & I this one is my favourite X-D !
10. Japanese style shoes to boost my height to a new 165cm ~ sugoi ! 

I hope you’re all amazing !

..

Obviously I still need practice putting falsies on but I think they look rather fab if I do say so myself !

I’m probably not going to post an awful lot between now and the 31st of December so if you don’t hear anything from me it’s because I’m having too much fun and eating way too much. I hope you all my best wishes for end of 2011. Let’s enjoy it while it’s still here !

As such I hope you’re all having as festive a season as I ! This month is flying by very quickly filled with Christmas dinners & experimental cooking, surprise 21sts, and gift shopping ! We’re nearly there public holidays :-)

I also crossed of goal #34. My sister had no idea .. so oblivious was she (and still is).

My sister loves hugs & physical affection .. secretly ..

This is basically all the stationary I have accumulated within the past fortnight. That is: 34 pens, a variety of 30 notepads, 3 diary/journals, and 8 filing folders. These stats do not include the stationary I have recently given away. Haha.. but I just can’t resist a bargin, or a pretty coloured, nice-smelling notepad. Some people collect perfume or tatts, I collect more than enough stationary to last me a lifetime !

In any case, if you have the same addiction as me, All Books 4 Less on corner of Bourke St & Elizabeth St is selling / giving away stationary for $1 per item. Also, Notemaker will be at Design Market as per usual this December 3rd at Fed Square market from 10am – 5pm with lots & lots of discounts on diaries, writing instruments and other stationary accessories. Really worth checking out !

Story behind the title —

Still wavy but 2.5 inches shorter ! It feels very short now but I had so many split ends from colouring and perming my hair that I decided to put my trust in Charlie and let her chop the ratty bits off. The trauma my hair puts up with ! On a much more exciting note, I’m going to Japan in January ! Whoop whoop. We booked tickets a couple of day ago and I just hope that the months fly by quickly so that I can go on holiday already. I feel like I haven’t been airborne in awhile (well, it has been awhile).  I am also attempting to learn Japanese because it will help us get around & also because I think it’s such pretty language to listen to .. nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu ! Land of robots, space-age toilets, cosplay, & purikura — here we come !!

Kind of a boring cut compared to my last hair cut. I’m definitely going to do a digital perm again before I go travelling. Believe it or not, I find wavy hair so much easier to take care of ! Just run your hands through your hair while you condition it in the shower and when you’re done, just leave curl serum in it and towel dry ! Plus it lasts up to 6-8 months as long as your hair is malleable and not dead-straight (then it’s supposed to last up to 3 months).

This post relates to goal #10.

For the artist / architect ..

1.  Palomino Artist Colour Pencils – Set of 12 / Set of 24
These are such stunning pencils. Highly pigmented and come in a very presentable, sleek wooden box. The Palomino Blackwing graphite pencil looks good too. NB. If anyone wants 20% discount at Notemaker, type in ‘popupsale’. The code is valid until December 31st 2011.

2. Pantone mugs set (Red & Pink)
I’ve been eyeing these for awhile. I think they look great in a set with all the different shades of pantone colours. I’m attracted to the beautiful colour choices and simple design. You can find them online at various sites and I’ve seen them in-store at Magnation too.

3. Terry Fan prints
I recently discovered Terry Fan’s artwork and I love how whimsical they are. 

For the traveller ..

1. Monocle 12 issue special subscription
I’m not a huge magazine reader but I was hooked as soon as I picked up my first issue of Monocle in 2007. I’ve since been an avid fan & reader, and I think this would be a great gift for someone who likes to travel. I remember someone on youtube saying “if this magazine was human, it would be 007″ haha ! It is sleek, sexy, and is packed full of information about current affairs, design, and lots & lots of stuff on traveling, with regular travel guide inserts to many different locations around the world such as Taiwan, Tokyo, and Madrid. 

2. Snapfish luggage tag
My whole family uses Snapfish these days for ordering prints (as well as creating a family mug which we regret only ordering one since mum & I fight over it !) just because it’s so convenient and in terms of quality, it’s not bad at all. I recently found out that they’re doing luggage tags as well and while you might think it’s a lame idea, someone like my mum would love it as a frequent flyer !

3. Soaper Heroes – Travel Gift Box
I love love love Soap & Glory. Smells great & lingers after showering, plus the packaging is cute (although pink..).

For the inner girly girl (or your gf) ..

1. Christmas In My Kitchen Kit
Which girl doesn’t like to smell good ? And you can never have enough yummy smelling body wash for that matter.

2. Diptyque – Feuille de Lavande
I’m not really huge on candles but they are good for getting rid of nasty smells in the house (sometimes my cooking is the cause of this). You can find a fair selection at Mecca Cosmetica even if they are rather overpriced ..

3. Folklore plate set
Okay so my mum would probably prefer Spode or Alessi branded plates but I think these are rather cute.

4. Nars Limited Edition Sweet Disposition Mini Multiple set
You can’t really go wrong with Nars. High quality stuff & sucker for the packaging. Other favourites from Mecca include Escentric Molecules, Smashbox Photo Finish Primer or this Smashbox set, and Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

What are you getting your loved ones for Christmas ? (Hopefully they don’t read this blog).

1. My favourite cupcake store – Joy Cupcakes (I have nearly tried all the flavours X-D)
2. Limited edition Melbourne Cup Day cupcake ^^
3. Mamie monster noodle chip ! (Available at Big W)
4. A storm’s a’ brewin’ !
5. Thom & his new sleek glasses.
6. Thom & I = 8 eyes.
7. Wearing Nars matte lip in Train Bleu. It’s a new favourite bold lip of mine. Click here for swatches. I bought it here because it’s not available in Australia as yet.
8. My nerdy sister. 

]]> http://mookxi.com/2011/11/14/the-day-i-jumped-on-the-instagram-bandwagon/feed/ 7 mookxi photo (3) photo (4) photo (2) photo (5) photo (7) photo (10) photo (11) photo (9) train bleu nars matte lip pencil http://mookxi.com/2011/11/12/the-day-the-turntable-played-beethoven/ http://mookxi.com/2011/11/12/the-day-the-turntable-played-beethoven/#comments Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:01:41 +0000 mookxi http://mookxi.com/?p=6042 ]]> One of my absolute favourite animation pieces by one of my favourite artists, Salvador Dalí !

Story behind the title –

My mum bought me a stack of old, heavy Beethoven vinyls after stopping at an antique store during a road trip with relatives off of Great Ocean Road. The casings are just so beautiful.