Opshop Book Haul!

I went to the Salvation Army the other day after a client meeting in town, and thought I may check out their book selection seen as I was passing by and I found my favourite book there last week. It was lucky I did as I managed to grab four books off my to read list and one of my favourite books, all for under $15!

Matilda - Roald Dahl
Of all the books I read in my childhood I've never actually read Matilda! I love the movie so much as I used to have a VCR tape that had both Matilda and Madeline on it and I watched that tape over and over again. I haven't actually seen Madeline since moving to DVDs however I'm always watching Matilda if it's on TV.

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
My Dad borrowed this book from his work colleague in January and both him, Mum, and myself took it in turns reading it before giving it back. I love it so much, as much as the ending makes me cry it's just an amazing story, the movie is just as good! I don't know what it is about war stories but I love them!

Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi
Ever since seeing this book mentioned on Emily's YouTube channel I've seen it everywhere and wanted to read it. She actually didn't like it but that hasn't stopped me, I have it on my kindle waiting to be read but for $2 I thought I may as well get the actual book to read!

The Help - Kathryn Stockett
Another recommended book, Mum loved it and told me to read it so I'm going to! I did like the movie although it wasn't a favourite but I'm not going to let that ruin the book for me, books are always better than movies.

Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
Again another book I've been wanting to read for ages and another that has been sat on my kindle for ages. I've tried twice to read this before but I just couldn't get into it, thought maybe a physical book might help me concentrate and $3 for a very new hardcover book was hard to pass up really.

I'm planning to have a recently read post out next week so after I finish the last book for that I can start on these beauties and I can't wait. You just know that feeling when you're reading a really hard to read book that's taking ages and you have all these nice pretty books waiting for you? Yeah that.

Til next week! Also I'm going to WOW tomorrow and I can't wait, it's going to be amazing!

iHerb Haul #3 ft. some extras

Basically this haul was mainly to acquire more brushes seen as I don't have a huge range of brushes and some are getting rather shabby and my spoolie brush just really needed replacing. But before that I got a few little things as a bonus for myself, as well as iHerb including a nail file for free which I actually really did need!

E.L.F Eyebrow Kit in Light $3.00
Of course I had to get this, everyone and their cat has this eyebrow kit so I just had to try it out. Unfortunately the last time I tried on iHerb and in store in Kmart neither had the light version so I just had to wait until it was back in stock. I have it now though and I'm loving it, especially as I got complimented on my brows the other week I've finally began to accept my slightly bushier brows.

Madre Labs Unscented Hand Cream 10c originally $7.95
I didn't know anything about this product at all apart from the fact that it was on sale at an incredible discounted price that I just had to throw it in my basket, you always need hand creams though right? Since then I've seen a few good things about it and have enjoyed using it so far. Although does anyone else think it smells weird? It's meant to be unscented but it just smells weird to me... still works nicely though!

E.L.F Angled Contour Brush  $3.00
I was wanting some smaller brushes as the only ones I really had were face brushes, a liner brush, and one average eyeshadow brush so before finding the ones below on ebay I thought this ELF one seemed pretty good! I read up on the reviews and found it was more of an eyeshadow brush size than a bigger contouring brush so thought it could have a few uses! It's not as soft as the below ones so I'd totally recommend them more.

Spoolie Brush 14p
I needed a new one and for 14p with free shipping how could I say no? Plus it's actually a nicer quality than my previous one and much much cheaper. You can probably see some brow product in there already, I couldn't wait to use it after seeing how bad my old one looked next to this new one.

Eyeshadow Brushes $2.84
You never know with Ebay but I've only had one bad product before and these aren't it! They're a really nice quality for the price, seem much nicer than the ELF one, but I guess only time will tell which will outshine the other. A nice range of shapes to suit a range of tasks for only a couple of dollars, why not?

If any of the products are total winners I guess you'll have to wait and see in a upcoming favourites post, when I get round to having enough things to do one! Let me know if you've got anything good recently, I'm itching to go buy more. Also use CTP518 to get $10 off your first order!

April Catch Up

So my birthday month is finally over and it truly was a birthday month I celebrated from Easter weekend all the way til last weekend it was great! Lets have a catch up and see what else happened.

The beginning of the month was Easter weekend and the start of my two week mid semester break. Due to not being able to go home for the holidays as I live so far away from my uni that it's slightly pointless paying over $300 to go home for around 10 days, my parents came down to Wellington instead and brought my brother along. We didn't do too many exciting things just spent some good quality time with them seen as I hadn't seen them since January it was nice to chill with them and celebrate my birthday seen as Brad was in Australia at a Brass Band competition which he won by the way. The following week his brothers came down and we saw Ed Sheeran!!!!! I can't contain my excitement it was amazing and I already have my tickets to see him again in December my gosh! I spent the rest of the holidays with Brads family in Wanganui enjoying the free time I had before uni started again and Brad started his busy Anzac week with Air Force, also celebrated my birthday again. Hallelujah the actual birthday happened! It was a fab day spent with friends and making memories; now I remember why I don't drink on weekdays anymore...  

Hands down I've been loving cake oh my god I feel like I've had enough cake last month to make me never want cake again but hey if you're offering? I've also been loving the apple products I kindly got gifted for my birthday - being a special 21st I got an Apple TV and an Apple Trackpad, golly gosh they're amazing I can't wait til our internet is reconnected this week so I can permanently watch Netflix while doing uni work.

Unfortunately due to giving myself a few days off here and there over April because of holidays etc there have been less posts than usual however there's still enough to compete for top three and here they are: 

iHerb Haul

I made a sneaky order over on iherb.com and this is what I hauled, also including a few more items from local shops. Check it out here.

Artist Attraction: Jasmine Dowling

Have a look at one of my favourite artists/designers at the moment, she creates gorgeous type designs and I just want to buy all of them. See here.

MSN, McFly & Myspace

Following Sarah-Elizabeth's post I flipped out my wallet and with a coin I looked back into my past. Look at what I'm talking about here.

Top of my Topshop shopping list

1. Moto Black Short Dungarees - £32.00 2. Kitten Ankle Socks - £3.50 3. Margot Pinstud Boots - £75.00 4. Contrast Bobble Beanie Hat - £14.00 5. Lipstick in Wicked - £8.00 6. Lipstick in The Damned - £8.00 7. Velvet Lace Shorts - £20.00 8. Cat Print Pyjama Set - £28.00

While lying in bed sick with the flu and avoiding the coursework looming over me I took to internet shopping, I did actually make an order on iHerb oops but it was mainly window shopping. Now if you're not from New Zealand or if you've been hiding under a rock you may not know that we recently got ourselves our own Topshop. However seen as it's in Auckland I'm still stuck online shopping so here's some of my favourite things on their site. (Prices in Pounds although the NZ pricing is a little bit more expensive than Glassons for you wondering). 

Following the NZBloggers chat two weeks ago I mentioned I was going to try wear things a little more out of my comfort zone so a few of these items are inspired by that. Now I do love everything on this list but damn those studded boots I need them like seriously need them even though I don't know if they'd suit me and they're hella expensive! 

1. Crepe Sweetheart Crop Top - £20.00 2. Moto Super Ripped Jamie Jeans - £45.00 3. Nail Varnish in Bound - £6.00 4. Nail Varnish in Snow Cone - £6.00 5. Desire Jumper by Religion - £95.00 6. Blanche Ankle Boots - £45.00

Of course I've got me some Jamie jeans on there, they are a Topshop must have! As well as all the Topshop beauty, I've got a few lip products of theirs already and they're excellent so I know I'm going to pick up some more for sure when I get the chance! If anyone can let me know how much the lipsticks are in dollars that would be great! Hopefully I'm in Auckland soon and get a chance to have a look around but otherwise I'll be stuck online for a while. But hey it saves money right? 

We're hauling makeup by the boxful

After having some extra money left over from Christmas I thought I should really spend it on something I wanted and didn't really need as otherwise I'd just spend it on food and then it wouldn't seem special. So I went shopping for some make up products I'd been wanting for a while.  

First of all I went to the local make up sale which happens randomly throughout the year. I specifically went as early as I could seen as most of the good stuff gets sold quickly, most importantly the EOS Lipbalms which was top of my wishlist. I've heard so many good things about them and being in NZ they're either found at these sales or online for millions of dollars. I got mine in Lemon Drop as Lemon is my favourite flavour in like anything. I also got the new Maybelline Falsies Big Eyes as I went looking for the regular The Falsies but decided to try something new. The Revlon Colourstay Moisture Stain in Barcelona Nights is another on the top of my wishlist however I didn't prepare enough before going and actually got the wrong shade (I wanted Parisian Passion) although the more I've been using it the more I like it. 

As I hadn't spent as much as I thought I would I went online to Feel Unique and splurged a bit on some new lip products. Rimmel Apocalips lip lacquers have been around for a while and I've been longing for one since then and I finally have one, in Stellar to be specific. I've also really been longing after some Topshop makeup and with their recent Christmas products on sale I lept at the chance. I picked up a Mini Lip Bullet in Joyride, and a regular Lipstick in Beguiled which I got after a recommendation from Kate (DollyBowBow) on YouTube. I also got a Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Coral In Gold which is more sheer than the others and for a more laid back make up day. 

I also popped onto the Xtras website and got myself a W7 Eyeliner pen to try out as I've recently been trying to get back into liquid eyeliner. I've been finding this easier to use than my regular liquid brush liner being able to use it as a felt tip and use the thin tip or thick full nib. 

That's all that I hauled in, I may do more of a review of some of the products at some stage once I've properly tried them, if you want any specific ones let me know in the comments. So far my favourites include the Revlon Moisture Stain and the Topshop Lipstick in Beguiled which I totally recommend! 

'Cause we got the fire, and we're burning one hell of a something

That part of the year where Summer and Autumn fade together and it's too hot for jeans but too cold for shorts is hard enough let alone having hot university classrooms shoved into the mix. I've gotten into the habit of surfing the Womens Fashion Pinterest boards and find myself pining over the Autumn/Winter outfits while lying on my bed with the fan on full blast in as little clothing as possible. It's not a secret that I hate summer, no matter how many years I spend in this country my body is not used to the heat, I am used to the pathetic glorious English weather and forever will be. I just really want to be able to wear proper shoes again, my wardrobe full of boots and my beloved converse are screaming at me to be worn again and I wont even start on the clothing that's more than a few millimeters thick. But in the meantime I'll just pin and pin until the fan can finally penetrate the heat and cool my body. Check out my board!  

Sometimes wishes do comes true!

After looking back at my wishlist from last Christmas I realised I'd bought myself two of the items off it without even realising. So I thought I'd feature another wish list this year but make it a bit more affordable! I've compiled a stack of 13 items from the brand shop Cotton On, I know this brands in Australia and New Zealand and I'm pretty sure it's in some parts of America also but for others there is online shopping woop! All prices are in Australian Dollars. 

1. Disney 2015 Calendar - $9.95 2. Nail Varnish in Mint - $4.95 3. Lipstick in Blood Plum - $6.95 4. Bermuda Heel - $39.95 5. Pen Holder in Fox - $12.95 6. Walk the Plank towel in Big Melon - $29.95 7. Scrabble Cushion in S - $24.95

1. Letter Marquee Light in S - $59.95 2. Hanging Planter - $19.95 3. Poster 40x50 in Sparkle - $14.99 4. Vicki Lace Crop Top in Ditzy Palm Tree - $12.95 5. Freedom Sock in Pineapple - $4.95 6. Nice Cushy in Hamburger - $24.95 7. Squared Stud in Turquoise - $6.95 8. Active Yoga Mat in Summer Red - $29.95

Norma-lly I don't carry something this expensive.

Hola I finally have a proper blog post, one I've been planning since I won this little baby! I'd completely forgotten entering a competition for this cute wallet and honestly at the time I wasn't even that fond of it I've just gotten into the student habit of entering everything that has free stuff. But checking my emails at 10pm one night on the way to a party and seeing I'd won a competition that I didn't even remember entering was a very big plus. Now having received the Norma wallet from Madame Fancy Pants I can tell I was harsh to judge it so early, in fact it's not as bright a pink as I was expecting and it's can store a huge amount of stuff for how big it is. There's a large compartment at the back that can fit an iPhone 5s or below, a large compartment for cash and cards with 4 slots for your handy cards, and a zipped coin section at the front. Frankly I can't get over having just an expensive wallet especially as I'm currently storing it in a um $14 backpack... no Ted Baker to be seen here ladies! Now if you do happen to be in Wellington strolling down Cuba Street make sure to step into this little store and have a look around, they have everything from bags, clothes, and jewellery to prints and other trinkets. My favourite necklace is actually from here so if you have some spending money, go hit this shop! 

the art essentials

With uni over and the moving things slowly coming together I've been spending a lot of time indoors having caught a pretty decent flu. I haven't got the greatest luck at the moment oops hopefully things turn out good once this flu is over seen as I've had it for a week now. Anyways while chilling at the new house I've been doing some arty things of my own now uni's over and thought I'd share my favourite products at the moment. 

Pens: Copic Multiliner / ZIG Drawing Pen / Artline / Uniball 

I get a variety of brands for various different tasks however I make sure to get waterproof inks so I can use them alongside the watercolour. I tend to use 0.3 and 0.1 points a lot however I do also use a variety of .1 .2 .3 .5 and .8's. 

Brush Pens: Tombow Dual Pen

Seriously this is the best pen for lettering and I've been hunting my local art shops for ages for the Black one to return to stock! I've used a fair few brands of brush pens but Tombow has got to be the best, I really recommend it. 

Pencils:  Uni Shalaku 0.5 / WHSmiths basic pencil 4B

I normally prefer 2B's to be perfectly honest but this little WHS 4B has come a long way with me, I've had it for years as you can probably tell from the bite marks... 

Erasers: Uni Auto Eraser 

I love this pencil type eraser as it's great for getting rid of small extra lines in lettering and illustrations. I do also use a large regular eraser if needed but mostly this one. 

Brushes: Winsor and Newton portable paintbrush / Royal Langnickel Aqua-Flo brush

I love the brush included in the palette it's perfect and portable. The waterbrush I've only had for a week or so but so far am liking it enough to include in here. I may do a review further down the line once I've used it enough as it's not a common art product really.  

Palettes: Winsor and Newton watercolours 

These beauties are amazing I highly recommend them over the cheaper brands, they're a little bit more expensive but worth it. I do have one block of a Pebeo watercolour purely as I wasn't keen on one of the yellows included and thought I would use another blue much more. It's not as good as it's fellow blocks but at least I use it. (I even cleaned it for you guys, feel special). 

Beauty is sugar coated.

With moving, the last hand ins for uni, and Brads family coming down to visit I've hardly been able to read a blog post let alone write one. I have a few posts in mind from now but forgive me a tiny bit. We've been busy unpacking boxes, arranging furniture, and buying things like a microwave. If things weren't expensive and I wasn't paying rent for two places this would be so much fun but ya know with all that it's just a normal amount of fun! With all this going on we've hardly had anytime for ourselves but I did manage to drag Brad along to the Make-Up Clearance pop up store the other day. I picked up a few things and I'm pretty happy with most of them. The one thing I love about these popup shops is that Sally Hansen nail polishes are only $3 each and it's so bloody worth it. Of course there's only a select amount of colours but I normally manage to pick up a few I like. I walked out with SH Sugar Coat in Sour Apple, Xtreme Wear in Chocolate Nut, and Insta-Dri in Lightning. I'm excited to try out the sugar coat as I've seen a bit about it and I'm not sure how it'll work out but I'll be sure to do a review soon with my thoughts. I also grabbed a new Baby Lips in Quenched mainly cuz it was in the American packaging and I have a thing for packaging oops but it also was only $3. However I wasn't as pleased getting home with the ColourSensational Popstick in Orange Crush as I thought it was a nice pigmented lipstick due to the fact you're not allowed to open them to have a look and you're shoved in every direction by other women. I will find use for it though as it's nice to have a sheer lip product to use on its own occasionally or to use with cheaper branded lipstick to keep it nice and moist and for only $5 and about 3/4 of the price it'll do. Another fiver deal was the shampoo, not that much of a deal as I can get this deal other places but while I was there I thought I would shove it in my basket! 

Santa baby slip a sable under the tree for me x

Day 10 ~

I'm not really sure what I want for Christmas this year to be quite honest. The things I do want are either quite expensive or I cant get in New Zealand. Pity... 

Let's start off with those fab Reindeer Knitted Leggings from Topshop. For one thing I hate shipping another I hate summer Christmasses that mean I cant wear cute Christmassey things like these. I still want them though look how cute they are! Another really cute thing that although I can actually get in NZ it's really expensive for what it is, I'm sorry mr Ollie Owl Jar you're not cute enough for 30 bucks. Something I can however afford is this Rabbit Print from Typo also and I may buy it for myself for Christmas if I don't receive it from Santa. 

On the tippity top of my Santa wish list is a new laptop, I've been dying for a mac for years and have always convinced myself I don't need one and they're not worth the price tag but it hasn't stopped me pining after one. If Santa gifted me a lovely MacBook Pro for Christmas I think I may just break down and cry.. but that won't happen. I've also been pining after the BarryM Gelly nail paints having seen them everywhere but unfortunately everywhere but stores here in NZ and nail polish does not ship where ever I've looked. All the cries.  

Also ever since coming home from England this time last year and finishing my giant stash of chocolate and sweets I have been craving more and more English food. That is the like sole thing I miss from living in England and I wish we had a lovely Tesco just round the corner full of Maoams and Galaxy and gah just everything x

Beauty Haul

LA Colours Moisturising Lipgloss in Rose Petals $2 | Maybelline the Falsies volume express mascara $12 | Maybelline Great Lash mascara $9 | Lucas Pawpaw Ointment $7 | Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle in White Tip $4 | Sally Hansen Salon Manicure in Honey Whip $4 | Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in Black Heart $4 | Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in Sturdy Sapphire $4

Mariah Carey's Lollipop Bling - 'Honey' $25

Today I went out to buy batteries for my mouse so I could continue doing my work on my computer but as what happens most times I go out for one thing I end up getting a few things. What was meant to be a $5 shopping trip ended up being a over $100 shopping trip... oops!  There was an imported make up and beauty sale happening so of course I may have spent a wee bit too much thinking 'oh it's cheap sophie you can treat yourself' I ended up treating myself a bit and buying a few make up items and the large size of my Mariah Carey perfume that I'd almost ran out of. I'm really excited to try out the falsies mascara as everyone seems to rave about it! I bought a few other things at other shops but they were a little less interesting but if you want me to blog about a lamp I can hehe x