Oh my friends, I am sorry it has been a hot minute. The Week Latte is not dead! Impromptu hiatus, but it’s backkkkkkk.
Enjoy the links!
Sand & Sky have launched a brand new body product – Smoothing body Sand! I was very lucky to attend the launch of this product and met the S&S team. I thin k that has definitely made my love the brand more- having known the thought process behind the new product. Also, seriously fangirling because my face and my review of the product features on the website- EKKK!
Daisy shared this brand with me and oh em geeeeeeee I’ve been lusting over this design. She cuuuuuute!
Speaking of Daisy, she shared this amazing post about Aussie beauty babes and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy!!
I did a mass-binge watch of Anna’s videos and particularly enjoyed how she used one eyeshadow palette for a week and made so many creative looks.
Although this was shared in the context of parenting, I really appreciated this perspective on ‘choice’.
Similarly, I’ve been sick this week and took a day off work. I felt soooooo guilty. And since starting uni, in any pockets of free time, I’ve felt guilty for not studying or working etc. This is a great reminder.
Mco Beauty is currently half price at Woolies – I picked up these two lip and cheek tints after being #influenced by @beauteiya !!
How epic is Amy’s Bybi Beauty collection! Love the packaging of this brand too.
Innisfree have a new Cherry Blossom collection which is absolutely stunning – I went in store to buy the finishing powder, I just love the packaging agh!! Shanice has captured it so well!
Welcome to my new series, ‘Uni Mag’ (that was as creative as I could get – I’m open to suggestions!)
I want to blog about my uni experience as it’s content I myself would love to consume but find it hard to relate to uni bloggers who aren’t from Aus as the system is so different.
Let’s begin!
This week has been massive for me – I started uni (again!)!
Quick recap, last year, as a fresh Year 12 grad, I started uni doing a communications degree. I went for a week and *hated* it, so I deferred my place. This decision was very hard to make and I worried that if I left uni then, I’d never go back.
But having started a speech pathology degree at uni this week, I have a whole new outlook.
It honestly feels right.
And it made me realise that choosing to leave uni last year was the right decision to make.
It’s also made me realise a heap of other things that I wanted to share with new uni students, because no one tells you these things.
Understand that your life is about to change
When I started uni last year, I was not prepared to make uni my number one priority. So I started my course with a LOT of resistance. I didn’t want to dedicate any more time to it than what I was spending in class. Looking back, I realise that the root of this resistance is I wasn’t ready for my life to change. Or at least, I didn’t anticipate how big the change would be. My wake up time, morning routine, transportation etc etc all of that is different now that I’m at uni. But I think this year I understood the changes that were about to occur, I could anticipate them, and I was ready for them.
Remain committed to what’s important to you
Let me just give you a quick rundown of what my life look like this week…
Monday: Uni
Tuesday: Uni
Wednesday: Work (8-4:30 at one job then 5-10 at the other)
Thursday: Uni
Friday: Work
Saturday: Work
Sunday: Day off!
Fair to say my calendar was pretty booked. But something I did, without much conscious effort really, was still make time for the gym.
Now, I am no gym-junkie by any means, however, it’s something that has become a regular part of my routine and so just because I was at uni, didn’t make me think to forego my gym time.
My uni classes are in the morning, and my gym classes are at night. With daily 5:30am wakeup calls, no I’m not exactly bouncing off the walls come 6pm to go the gym. BUT! I honestly think that by going to the gym on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday this week – I’ve kept myself sane.
Not only for the physical benefits, but the fact that it is something so familiar- which is nice considering there has been lots of ‘newness’ in my life thanks to uni. So, whatever is familiar and important to you – maybe work, gym, a club, dog walks etc, make sure you still do this activity with as much normality as possible. By that I mean, try to do it on the same days as usual, at the same time with the same people.
When I realised the gym has kept me on track this week, I nearly fell over. I’m not that kind of person. But breaking down the fact that it’s regular and normal to me, made me realise how important these sorts of things are, by way of giving us a sense of comfort.
Last year when I started uni, I took the whole week off work and socialising just so I could focus entirely on uni. It gave me false reality- and I felt like I was missing out on other parts of my life.
Uni is a new priority
I mentioned *the resistance* I felt towards uni last year, and to be honest, I still felt a bit of that this year. I didn’t know how much extra study time I’d be able to fit into my days.
But, I think the fact that I’m enjoying my course so much more is making it easier for me to allow time to do my readings and stuff, even when I’d prefer to be doing other things.
I’m not a very academically motivated person, I tend to procrastinate. So I am scared when it comes time to do a different subject, that if I don’t like it, I won’t study for it.
But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it haha
For now, I dedicate my train rides home from uni to doing uni work. I connect to my phone’s hotspot and finish off class notes, or do my pre/post class activities. It’s a 40 minute train journey, and often I take some time to eat too.
But it’s one habit I’m trying to implement whilst my brain is still in ‘uni mode’ to try and get uni stuff done, rather than just scroll my phone.
Every uni day this week, however, I’ve still had to do more work once I’ve got home, but getting into on the train makes it seem less daunting, and I have a clear direction for the work I need to get done once I’m home.
Due to my work schedule this week too, I’ve had no time to get uni work done of Wednesday or Friday. So I had these time constraints on me to make sure I did get all my uni work done so I didn’t have to focus on it then.
I guess my point here is find out how to manage your new priority of uni, alongside your other existing priorities. You may not find an even balance. You can only do so much. But realising that you have to make some changes is a good thing to face before you actually start, so it’s not so much of a shock to the system!
Understand your fears
I was scared to defer my place at uni last year because I felt like it would put me one year behind my peers. I was also scared that I was just ‘giving up’ on uni, because it’s actually not supposed to be easy- and I was scared by how hard it was.
And to be honest, it’s only been the fact that I have now started a new course that I was able to finally let go of these fears.
Am I behind my peers? NO! Not only is every single person on their own path and journey in life and that should be reason enough not to compare, but also because of this – only one person in my course is straight out of high school. It is more common than I realised, to NOT go straight to uni.
Is uni hard? YES! I can’t gloss over that… but I was not ‘giving up’ on my course because I thought it was hard. I gave up on it because I wasn’t happy. In just one week, it made me miserable. When I decided to defer, I felt like all this weight lifted off my shoulders and in 2019 I was the happiest I’d ever been.
But now in 2020, I am even happier!
Because I’m doing a course that I love, after only one week.
If it doesn’t feel right, it isn’t.
** And I just want to clarify too, that whilst I’ve found this experience to be mostly positive, I’ve actually cried a few times this week. I’m tired, overwhelmed and stressed. I’m not perfect and I’m still getting used to this new aspect of my life.
So, wide-eyed-new-uni-student, my advice to you, is TRUST YOURSELF!!!!!
Good luck, I believe in you… to make the best decision for you at this moment.
Since being at uni, time spent creating content has been seriously compromised, so I’m giving a brief description for my fave’s this month in this post rather than on the blog.
The Innisfree body wash is part of their limited edition Disney collection and I absolutely adore this scent, but the packaging is super cute and also very practical as well!
I found this brush at Kmart for $10 and it’s the answer to the perfectly rounded buffing brush I’ve been looking for! The right balance between soft yet firm, I’m so impressed. They also feature a few other brush designs in the range!
Good molecules priming moisturiser is seriously so good guys!!!! I personally enjoy using primers and look for ones that have a hydrating effect. Because this is also a moisturiser it can literally achieve all my nourished skin dreams. Perfect base for makeup but also works well as a lightweight moisturiser on it’s own.
I talked a lot about these ‘Raising the bar’ soaps but this lavender one is the best thing at the end of a long day- I adore the scent.
No surprises here, I’m actually obsessed with the BYS Hydra Gloss formula. The fact that you get the juiciest, glossy lips in a bullet application is actually mind blowing to me. AND THE COLOUR! No joke, this is me in a lippie.
Also loving the super thing eyebrow pencil by BYS. The formula is a little bit on the drier side which I really like because it means it’s not messy and sticky to use, and the size means you can create hair-like strokes with ease.
And finally, my early morning wakeups mean my makeup needs to last from 5:30am to sometimes 10pm… whilst this is a true test of time that not many products will withstand, I’ve noticed that using the ulta3 eyeshadow primer on my eyelids and my nose is changing the game. My makeup is lasting hourssssss and the makeup on my nose doesn’t magically disappear. It stays on!! If you’re like me and no matter what powder or product you use to set your nose, nothing else works, then I highly suggest using eyeshadow primer instead.
A little while ago, I put a questions box up on Instagram, with the intention of answering all of them in a blog post together. I got a lot of Q’s that I thought would make good stand alone posts and so I’m starting my “Ask Me Anything” series today prompted by this question…
‘Would love to know more about how to get beauty PR :)’
This question brings me back to the point that I always make- there is no rulebook when it comes to blogging. That is why I am so open to sharing about my experience. Occasionally, I’ve asked for advice, or learnt simply by observing how my fave bloggers operate, but most of my learning on IG has come from trial and error myself.
Unfortunately, there is no ‘one and done’ rule for getting PR… however I want to share things that I’ve learnt in my own blogging journey.
Fake it til you make it
I wish I could remember when I first got gifted PR, and whilst I don’t remember exactly, I would say it was a few months into my blogging journey.
What I realised, is that I literally had my IG and blog, and that was it. My work hadn’t been featured anywhere, I had never had experience working with brands and so had no references. I had nothing that I could show brands. And so, I made a Media Kit. Well, technically, Makeup With Cortney made my media kit (tysm xo).
When I would offer to send brands my media kit, they would often respond ‘sorry we don’t have the budget for that.’ This is when I learnt that media kits often have fees on them that the influencer charges the brand. I didn’t know this was a thing. At this stage, I don’t charge to work with brands. But see how having a media kit can make you appear to be waaaay more professional than you feel? Lol. So what do I have on my media kit?
brief description of who I am, what ROLLY Mag is, and what ‘services’ I provide
Like most things in life, you can’t sit around and expect good things (ie. PR) to fall into your lap (ie. DMs). You have to hustle. I have pitched myself to brands from the very start of my blogging journey. I didn’t realise it was so controversial. But I would have to say, 80% of my brand partnerships started because I approached the brand first.
It sounds scary… but the brand doesn’t know you in real life. So just remember, if they say ‘no, sorry’ it’s their loss. Plus, you’ve *learnt* from that experience.
If I approach a brand, it is because I genuinely like, follow and engage with their content and products. From there, I send them a DM. This may sound ‘unprofessional’ but it is honestly the most effective way to get a response in most cases. In my DM, I introduce myself, express my interest in working with them, and then I offer to email them my media kit.
Sometimes, I send through my media kit via email and I don’t get a response back from that.
Or sometimes, the brand leaves me on read.
And sometimes, they say ‘yes, let’s see what you’ve got!’
For example, my collaboration with BYS, Good Molecules and Bella Box all stemmed from a DM. Just sayin’!
Engagement, engagement, engagement
Make yourself known to the brand. If you want to work with a brand, make sure you view and react to their stories, share their content on your own page, comment on their pictures. The brand’s social media people are likely to remember- or at least recognise- your username when you do eventually approach them for PR. That element of rapport is probably my top tip- like they say, ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’
Be gracious
Beauty PR is a massive, indulgent luxury. When brand’s send PR, they are putting a lot of trust in you. Just think, they send free products and cover the shipping fee themselves. This doesn’t mean you should feign a positive review (because your audience ALSO puts a lot of trust in you) but you (and me) truly are lucky to receive PR. There are times that I look at other influencers and think ‘damn I’m jealous of that PR package’ – think Lush, Colourpop and Mecca- but, more so, I think ‘yesss queen you rock’ to the influencer who’s effort is being rewarded with PR. Blogging and IG is a lot of work with often no tangible reward. But we do it because we love it! Just wanted to put that here too.
I’m happy to answer any other questions, shot me a DM/email or leave a comment!
And if you have any other tips, be sure to leave them in the comments. Sharing is caring. xx
This is the most effective yet gentle cleanser I’ve used, and would recommend it to everyone, of any skin type tbh. Whilst it’s available at ASOS and Sephora, it’s only $22 and almost always included in a sale of some sort.
Depends on how oily you are, but I would say this is nourishing enough to be used as a night cream but is also super light weight. This also did wonders for my eczema. Cera Ve also have a cleanser which I’ve not tried myself but have heard great things about – see here and here.
I really enjoyed using this stick on my spots because it’s gentle but also works really well at reducing the redness of my spots. I’m yet to find a miracle solution for pimples, but this one does pretty well.
This is the only brand of these I’ve used but I wanted to include them because I do find them super effective at ‘regenerating’ my skin. They’re quite pricey for the drugstore so wait for a sale. You could use any form of glycolic peel, such as these Sephora collection or Nip + Fab.
I’ve only ever used the face and body variation of this sunscreen, and even then I only use it on my face. It gives a matte finish which is perfect for us oily ones, and is honestly just a really fab everyday SPF. It also comes in a spray application which is great for reapplying.
Just to reiterate, what works for me may not work for you!
I like to use this Weleda once or twice a week as the last step in my night time skincare routine. I put it on at least half an hour before bed because it is quite sticky. Then, I sleep in it! It’s called ‘slugging.’ My skin drinks this stuff up and the next day my skin is smoothes and nourished. I know this isn’t typical of an oily skin routine, but I’m also dry so this stuff works for me. I recommend you try it, you could use any barrier cream.
Oils
I know putting oils on oily skin doesn’t sound right, but it can be beneficial. I’d suggest doing your own research, but I enjoy using one of these two oils as the last step in my night time routine – Beach Way Aromatics Midnight Repair Serum or Sukin Hydration Elixir. I have also heard nothing but good things about jojoba oil, as it works to balance oily skin (and numerous other benefits, read more here.) I am yet to use a pure jojoba on my skin, however.
Like jojoba, bakuchiol has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties (and tricky to say!!!). Because of this, it can be good for oily skin types, or for those with young skin and looking for a retinol alternative. I have only ever used this one by The Inkey list but I really enjoy it. It’s got no added fragrance and is very gentle and lightweight.
And there we have it! A few of my oily skin recokmmendations. I cannot stress htis enough- I am not an expert and these are just simply products that have worked well for me. I would encourag eyou to do your own research and seek professinal advice.
With that being said, I’d love to hear your oily skin product recommendation int he comments below!
We all know we should be wearing SPF every.single.day.
But it doesn’t stop there! We should be applying our SPF multiple times per day.
And this, for me at least, is where it gets tricky.
@ms_hannah_e shared this genius hack, that involves reapplying your sunscreen with a Juno beauty sponge (yes, this one specifically)- you can read all about that here.
Personally, I use this Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist sunscreen for my reapplication.
Yes, the coverage is probably sheer and so I’m not likely to get the full SPF50+, however, something is better than nothing and I find this works really well over the top of makeup.
But, in addition to this I wear sunglasses and a hat when I go outside for extended periods of time (say, for a walk, not just to run out to the letterbox).
I also keep a lightweight linen button down shirt in my car that I wear when driving on days that I’m not wearing any other protective clothing (ie, if I’m in a gym singlet).
Furthermore, I also keep a small bottle of sunscreen in my car and in my handbag, so that i can reapply sunscreen to my hands when driving, as well as to the rest of my body if I happen to be outside for longer than expected.
I hope you’ve found some of my sun safety tips helpful.
Applying sunscreen in the mornings is second nature for me, but repplaying is something I’m still leanirng to do.
If you have any other blogging or non blogging related Qs please leave them in the comments below! Enjoy xx
How long have you been blogging/had your IG?
I officially started ROLLY Mag on Decembers 28th 2018!
What was the first item you were ever ‘hashtag gifted’?
I’m pretty sure the first product I was offered for free was my Aria necklace from V&Me Custom Designs. That’s such a special piece to me because of that. However, between that initial offer and receiving the necklace, I was sent a PR package from Du’it and the Sweaty Betty PR team. That’s when I told my family about my blog, before then I had kept it a total secret. I knew they wouldn’t believe I had bought foot cream online for myself haha.
Do you reach out to brands to collaborate? Or do you wait for them to approach you?
This is kind of the whole reason I started my Blogging BTS series, because I wanted to hear more about this side of blogging that is often clouded in secrecy. Yes, I reach out to brands to collaborate. This is how majority of my collaborations come about. Occasionally, brand reach out to me. I wrote a post here about how to contact brands.
Have you ever been rejected by a brand for a collaboration?
Yes, plenty of times! Sometimes a brand with read but not reply to my message. Or they’ll decline me because of my following size. Whatever- their loss ha!
I recently was declined work with brand because of my ‘cluttered’ feed. The brand was very professional and provided constructive criticism but it definitely still knocked my confidence a bit as I had never seen this competitive side of the industry before. This event was quickly forgotten however because the next day I was accepted onto Bobbi Brown’s PR list soooooo… *happy dance*
Have you had a ‘pinch me’ blogging moment?
YES! So many! My top three are probably:
getting a Palmer’s PR package. It was enormous. It was the kind of package you see big name influencers receiving. I felt so lucky to get that- especially so early on in my blogging life too.
my invite to the BYS Halloween Party! SUCH a pinch me moment. I was there among some incredible bloggers and makeup influencers- I was so starstruck!
Meeting my blogger friends in real life, like Amy, Daisy, Shanice and Sonia …. it sounds weird to say but I can’t believe they exist behind a screen? Haha. They are honestly some of my best friends. That’s the best part about blogging/IG- the connections you make with others.
Can you think of a time when your following (as in, the number of followers you have) has ever disadvantaged or benefitted you?
I have had numerous brands encourage me to reach out again once my following grew to 5K+. But I don’t really see that as a ‘disadvantage’ per se, because on the other hand, I would assume that most of the brands I work with now have chosen me based off my 2K+ follower count. I know this is important to brands, but I honestly don’t pay any attention to my follower count. I only look at it if I’m updating my media kit haha.
Who is your dream brand to collaborate with?
Take a guess… PRICELINE! Of course! I feel like I make sooooo much Priceline related content and they don’t even like my posts lol. (Although my fave store always does hehe @pricelinepharmacy.bsm).
My content literally wouldn’t change if I did collaborate with them- because it would still be me updating you on sales and new items etc. It would just mean I could try more because I had more money to spend! So yeah, Priceline, holler at me. 😉
Is it your goal to make blogging a full time job?
Yes and no. On one hand, I would love to be able to work from home and be with my dog all the time. But the uncertainty of the industry puts me off. And there is also the fact that I’m a serial procrastinator. So if I ever had the pressure of using blogging to pay my bills, rather than just be a hobby, I’d probably freak out haha. @the.life.of.laura is one of my blogging inspirations, because she is a teacher by trade, but does that alongside blogging both part time. I think that’s a nice balance that I aspire to reach.
What’s one PR package you wish you received?
I used to think Innisfree, but I’m now on their PR list which is just actual goals. So now I’d say that Opallac do incredible PR packages, and of course, Mecca. I don’t often buy high end beauty so that would be an absolute treat! Or Colourpop. OMG!!!
If someone said ‘what do you do?’ would you say ‘I’m a blogger?’ Why/why not?
My friends don’t even know that I had this blog, so the answer is no! Haha. I’m never really in a situation where this question would arise either. If I’m amongst other influencers, then yes I say I’m a blogger, because you can be a Youtuber or Instagrammer or combination of things so it’s appropriate to specify.
Do you have an issue with the algorithm?
No, because like with my follower count, I don’t pay attention to likes or engagement. If I have followers who want to see my content, I know they’ll actively seek it out if it hasn’t come up in their feed. At least, that’s what I do with my fave bloggers! Because my IG account was disabled for a short while, I’ve really learnt to be waaaaay more chill about Instagram as a whole…. what will be will be!
What’s one condition you would never agree to with a gifted or sponsored post?
This has never happened to me before, but if a brand wanted me to give a positive/generic review regardless of my own opinion- I’d say no. Or if they needed my face to be in the content I produced. When I worked with Naked Bean, they needed a body part in the image but gave the choice of face/arm/leg etc.
What is one of your conditions that a brand must agree to in order to collaborate with you?
The opposite of the above, really! The review has to be completely my own, unbiased opinion and I won’t often show my face in photos!
Why don’t you show your face?
A couple of reasons; this blog is a secret from my real life friends haha so it would be kind awkward for them to accidentally scroll IG and discover my face haha and also, I work two jobs where I value my privacy. I would not want to be recognised at work from my blog. It’s just a safety precaution, I guess.
For the sake of this question, we are calling you an ‘influencer’ (or micro-influencer’):
Can you give us just a general overview of your opinion on the whole ‘influencer’ space? Do you trust ‘influencers’ opinions?
All the beauty bloggers I follow on Instagram I would call ‘influencers’- I know people don’t like that term but I personally don’t mind it. It’s just a term of classification, I don’t read into it. And so if I look at those ‘influencers’ yes, I trust them! That’s why my beauty collection is so extensive, because if Leigh or Cortney or Kim etc etc recommend something, chances are I’m ordering it asap!
But then you have another category of influencers, I guess. The LA-based Youtubers, ex reality TV personalities and such. And heck no- I don’t trust a word they say. I’m sorry. I can enjoy their content, but I would likely wait until a trusted blogger reviews their product, rather than take the influencers own word for it. A perfect example of this is Bangn Body or Tribe Skincare.
Amy, Morgan and Kelly all reviewed the famous yellow tube of goodness and sang its praises. So I bought it! A few days later, ex Bachie contestant Abbie Chatfield was modelling with the product and endorsing it. One of my followers said that a beauty product isn’t like a t-shirt that you wear it once and instantly like it. You need to test a beauty product for weeks, if not months, before forming a reliable review. It especially upsets me that there are so many authentic bloggers that review brands like this, and would make incredible brand representatives, yet the big names get chosen instead.
It’s the same with Tribe Skincare and Brittney Lee Saunders and Lauren Curtis. I guess they are big names in the Aussie beauty world, but I personally don’t have a rapport with either of those women to be influenced by them. At the same time, I’m a regular customer of Tribe thanks once again to Amy and Cortney!
Take us behind the camera, do you use natural or artificial light? Phone or DSLR? How do you edit pictures?
I use my iPhone 8 phone camera to take pictures using the ‘square’ setting. The back of my 2019 calendar is my white card backdrop, or occasionally the floor tiles in my house lol. I use natural light, and try to shoot when it’s sunny, and then I do a tiny bit of editing once I’ve added the picture to IG. I just up the brightness and play with the shadows! Simple but effective.
Are you fussy with your feed or do you just wing it? If you are particular and intentional, tell us about the planning process.
I’m not very intentionally with any post except my Week Latte post. Even then, that’s pretty easy to put together, just a grid of four photos in the Pic Collage app. I don’t edit those photos. Everything else I do is often spur of the moment. Sometimes I’ll be eating dinner and golden hour hits so I drop everything to get a quick shot haha.
She had been gifted some products from them, and loved them so much she’d bought more products herself.
As both a blogger and a consumer myself, when someone purchase a product they’ve been gifted before, you know it’s a true testament of how much they truly loved the product.
So, when Dirty Skincare Co reached out to me to collaborate, it was a no brainer! Despite the fact that I had never before paid any interest to the type of soap I use; I was excited to try!
I trusted Hiuy, and so I had high hopes that I would enjoy the brand as well.
Dirty Skincare Co sent me their full range of soap bars- Raise The Bar. There are 6 of them in the collection.
I love the smell of lavender, and I’m personally someone who showers at nights so having a calming scent like this is always a nice addition to my ‘wind down’ routine.
The soap had a lovely fragrance, but was gentle on my skin. Nothing bad to report here!
I really want to try to use a coffee scrub more often, and I even have one sitting in my shower, yet I either 1) forget to use it or 2) hesitate when using it because of how harsh it feels on my skin.
Having a scrub in a bar made it super convenient to use on my body, it wasn’t messy in my shower and it wasn’t harsh on my skin.
Soap is nice, but I feel like it is almost all much of a muchness- however this coffee scrub soap was a somewhat revolutionary addition to my shower routine and I would definitely consider repurchasing this.
They were so generous to send me all 6 soaps, but as you can imagine, when using them just once a day and to use up the whole product would take a while. So, for the sake of this review, I’ve only tried three soaps, each for a few days.
The third soap I’ve tried, is the ‘Pink Clay’ soap.
I feel like people are scared when they hear of ‘soap’ – it has connotations of being stripping and unpleasant… but the actual ingredients of these soaps containing nourishing oils such as rose and ylang ylang.
Like with the coffee scrub, I don’t often use clay face masks because they can be messy. (Not that this soap is a mask!)
But being able to use this pink clay in the shower was really convenient.
I’ve never used a soap like this, but I did really enjoy it. The website suggests using it for a gentle skin detox and I feel like that is certainly what was achieved.
Since writing this review, we’ve put the ‘Coconut and oatmeal’ soap in the bathroom to use to wash our hands.
I have eczema prone skin on my hands and so I hate washing my hands because of the tight, uncomfortable feeling it leaves me with.
This soap however feels almost milky and nourishing, rather than stripping, so when combined with warm water, my hands don’t feel dry.
If you’re looking for a new Aussie business to try out, I’d definitely suggest you begin with Dirty Skincare Co. I enjoyed trialling some of their products (and will continue to trial) but they also have other products such as Bath Soaks!
Thank you to Dirty Skincare Co for gifting these products to me – it was my pleasure to support an Aussie biz. Shop here.
Have you tried Dirty Skincare co? Let me know in the comments below…
I have to agree, be less modest! I think an extension to this is believe in yourself- your successes are worth singing about.
The timing of life is funny isn’t it… I saw Leigh share this post in her stories on Thursday, and just a few days before, I had said no to working with a brand. It would’ve have been a massive collaboration for me- but the brief was so strict and I felt so much pressure to perform just reading it, that I declined. The brand emailed back saying they respected me for saying no, when it’s often so easy to say yes. That gave me a lot of perspective.
I adore Jack’s Youtube videos and am soooo excited to read his new book, particular because I’m about to embark on my uni adventure!
More uni related content, Jess shared tips for mindful study!
This made me laugh… and cringe a bit- I promise I’ll wash my brushes this week 😅
@glossco shared this pic on her feed and it’s officially my life mission to hunt down this limited edition bag and make it mine. So so so beautiful- if you happen to be selling yours, hit a girl up!
How creative are these artworks by Arna… I’m truly so in awe! I’m doing a double Bachelors/Masters degree so I will definitely be purchasing one of these.
Absolutely beyond obsessed with this eye look! It makes Maddie’s blue eyes pop!
Danica has so beautifully captured the limited edition Natural Lust palette – again, if you know of anyone selling it, I’m a willing buyer!
Michelle shared this genius makeup bag Bekka May and omg I need it!!! So practical!
Ok friends, big beauty news this week was that Mecca Max released their fourth “eye and cheek” palette, this time “Dream Queen” – apparently the neutral palette people have been asking for. I have the previous palette, “Sugar Queen” and part of the reason I love it so much is because the colours are so unique and unlike anything else I have.
But this one, I have to say I’m torn. Don’t get me wrong it is beautiful and I know I would reach for a lot of these shades. But does it excite me? I’m not sure.
There is no denying however, that at $38 these products are incredible quality for that price.
After all of that, I think I will add this palette to my collection because it is beautiful and practical – but I’d love to know to thoughts too!
Tbh, this incredible capture by @thebeautybloss is doing a lot of convincing 🤤
I celebrated Galentine’s Day with my friends on Thursday, we had delicious food and watched To All The Boys 2 on Netflix. The outfits and decor and that film are beyond stunning – omg!
This Week On Instagram
Cortney and I collaborated again this week with a “Advice For Uni Students” blog post. So many of you guys contributed your advice to my post and I am so so grateful. Thank you!!!
Little life update, guys, I’m officially off to uni this year – again.
To recap super quick:
In 2019, fresh out of year 12, I started a uni course because it was the only thing I’d ever imagined doing. Not the course, but uni. That was just the way of things, or that I knew.
It was a communications course at a city uni- it was very inflexible and difficult for me to travel to. I started off there hating it before it had even began.
I gave it a solid week, before I cried on the phone to my mum in the middle of Bourke St Mall and said ‘I can’t do this.’
So I deferred for a year and worked, hoping time would help me figure out what I actually wanted to do.
Spoiler: I still haven’t figured that out. All I know is I certainly don’t want to go back to that course.
I’ve applied for A LOT of jobs in the beauty industry, but I’m young and have little experience nor expertise and so that avenue did not seem feasible.
VTAC (how you apply to uni if you’re not applying directly) preferences opened and I contemplated what I would do.
Out of the blue, I saw a brand new Speech Pathology course at a uni close-ish to me.
I had always had an interest in speech, but in year 12, 2 universities offered it and they were both far from me and I wasn’t willing to travel.
So the closer uni offering the course was ticking all the boxes for me!
Mid January I was accepted and I’m due to start late February. I’m apprehensive- I still don’t know if it’s what I realllly want to do, I’m scared of the science-y components AND my life is about to get a heck of a lot busier. BUT! I’m trying to be excited!
One of my blogging besties, Cortney, has just graduated from her journalism degree and we’ve collaborated on this ‘uni series’ post – read about Cortney’s uni experience and her advice for new students- like me, HERE.
Cortney and some of my other Instagram faves have generously shared their uni tips and tricks with me and I’m so excited to share them all with you below.
My advice would be to not sweat the small stuff – embrace the environment and if you fail something it’ll be okay! It’s not worth the stress. (And also don’t buy textbooks 🙊 the library is your friend!)
1) try to immerse yourself in as many events as possible, and talk to everyone in class – some of my best friends are friends I made at uni, who were only in my class for a semester!
2) rest! no one can prepare you for uni, prioritise your health because you literally won’t even realise yourself burning out until you’ve literally burnt yourself out!
3) uni lunches cost an arm and a leg – scope out cafes and restaurants nearby or on campus that are a little out of reach because chances are, they’ll be cheaper!
Don’t let people get into your head. Meaning, ignore any negative comments or doubt from others about your decision to study. You know your capabilities better than anyone.
Some teachers can be quite rude. Don’t take their feedback as gospel and if it’s rude and not constructive – pull them up on it!
@beautystyletravelblog, Bachelor of Science (major is microbiology and minor in ancient history). Currently works in Environmental Protection.
Hmmm I had a real love/hate with uni tbh. I found it quite isolating to begin with and wish I had gone to more of the social things on campus. Possibly the best piece of advice I might be able to give is follow the subjects that really interest you, even if that sets you on a completely different path to what you initially thought you wanted to study. I started at one uni where I was determined to get a degree in Molecular Biotechnology and hated every minute of it. I ended up changing unis and didn’t decide on a major until the end of my 2nd year when I found my passion in Microbiology (never in my mind did I think I’d end up graduating with that!!). It has led me to an incredibly interesting and varied career!
1. Join a club. I know this sounds cliché, but it really is a great way to meet people, and even if you don’t become close friends, it’s nice to have some familiar faces around campus. I know stepping it of ones comfort zone isn’t the best feeling initially, but if I can do it, you can too lovelies, hehe! Plus, they’re usually fun activities!
2. Try and go to your lectures when possible. It’s really easy (and convenient) to just do them all online, but getting dressed in the morning and going into your lectures is more fun and good for socialising too. When I did watch the occasional lecture online, I found them so boring to listen to, and often got distracted looking at other things when I should have been concentrating (oops!). Plus, it’s great to know at least a handful of people from your lectures because when you attend your tutorials and labs for the same units, you’ll know people, and it makes it a lot easier when it’s group project time too.
3. Pack lots of snacks and food. Okay so this one might sound a bit like a ‘no brainer’, but honestly, you’ll be surprised how hungry you get on campus (or maybe it’s just me haha!) but #brainfood, right? And it will also save you more money, because buying little snacks and drinks from the uni cafes occasionally is lovely, but it adds up over the semester (trust me, I know 🙊). I’m also going to try and do more ‘meal prep’ this year with my uni lunches, fingers crossed haha!
Happy Valentine’s Day! 
