taryn k.

taryn k.

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My name is Taryn. I'm in my twenties. I come from the land down under. I'm married. I work full time. I like pretty things. My favourite food is watermelon. I hate dancing. I like to talk. I tend to contradict myself. I hate snails. I like you for reading my blog.

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Email: here
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12 January 2011, 9:48 PM

Having An Emo Moment

Excuse me while I go a bit teenage-hipster-emo on you for a moment and post a bunch on pretty pictures.

Thanks for indulging me :)

All images from weheartit.com

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8:55 PM

All Cosmetics Wholesale Haul

Yay - haul time!

I did a whoooooole lot of online-window-shopping during my week off after Christmas and New Years. A whooooooooooole lot. The only place I really caved and actually bought from though was allcosmeticswholesale.com. And with the Aussie dollar as strong as it is, can you really blame me? No, you can't.

I've bought from them before, I find their shipping costs and times to Australia to be quite reasonable, as long as you get a few items. I find their range quite good, I've picked up thing their that I never would've tried, had it not been for their Clearance bin.

This haul is quite special though, because it contained my first MAC eye products.

GLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I got the 6 Dashing Lassies palette from the 2010 holiday collection. Isn't it preeeeeeeeeeeetty? Look how it sparkles! Look at those beautiful, neutral colours! This palette contains (clockwise from top left) A Dashing Lassie, Once Upon A Time, Magical Mist (this is gorgeous), Showstopper, Buckwheat and Bronze (also gorgeous), along with a 213 SE Brush. I've worn combinations of these colours to work the past two days. Let the MAC love affair begin.

Swatches, same order as above. Sorry, I just can't get my camera to focus for these swatch shots. I'm learning though, I'm sure I'll get better.

I also grabbed my first Paintpot - Painterly is just a nice flesh colour (well, my flesh colour). I've used it the past two days as my eyeshadow base and my shadow hasn't budged. All day. That's a win on the Painterly Paint Pot :)

I also threw a Urban Decay Shadow in Goddess into my cart, because it was really cheap (I can't remember how much exactly). I haven't tried it on my lids yet, but just from swatching it on my arm, it seems a little chunky and flaky, albeit a beautiful colour. Ah well, we'll see how we go, I suppose.

Lastly, I'm pretty sure you get a free gift if you spend over $40, not including shipping. I was given a Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Cream Shadow...can't remember the name of it offhand, or if it even has a name, but it's pink.

I think it would work better on me as a blush. I might have a play around with it and see how I go. My last order came with a POP lipgloss, which was kind of a copper colour. I thought it looked cheap and disgusting, but tried it anyway, and I LOVE it. The smell leaves a little to be desired, but a great gloss none the less. Hopefully this will turn out to be a happy free gift as well.

Overall, I'm pretty excited to try out everything over the next few days. I'm gonna wear the Magical Mist shadow to work tomorrow, in some kind of subtle smokey eye combo. Is it weird that I'm really excited? Small things, I suppose.

Labels: Hauls

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09 January 2011, 12:44 PM

NP Set Lipsticks

Ah, Sunday morning. My blogging time of choice :)

Today I have some swatches of a few of the NP Set Lipsticks that I have purchased over the past year or so. NP Set is the more accessible line created by Australian make-up mogul Napoleon Perdis, which was created in 2008. NP Set is sold primarily through Target US and Target Aus stores, as well as online and at Napoleon Perdis makeup counters and stores.

Hong Kong, Athens, Minneapolis and Denver

Hong Kong

Athens

Minneapolis

Denver

Wow, you can really see my freckles in these photographs.

Now, granted they all do look quite similar when on the lips - this is because all these shade are quite sheer, as you can see in the hand swatch. The consistency between the four however is quite different. Denver is by far the creamiest, but I find it the hardest to work with. It can be quite...goopy. Definitely not a colour you can apply by just swiping it on, but I do love the colour with a smoky eye, so I find it worth the extra effort. Denver is probably my overall favourite - consistency is easy to apply (probably wouldn't need a mirror for this one), the colour is a "my-lips-but-better" colour, and feels quite moisturising. Athens is another very creamy consistency, but I find it less goopy than Denver. It tends to feel almost like a lip balm. I like that. Hong Kong is another 'lip balm', but probably my least favourite colour (although it did photograph quite nicely).

Overall I do generally like these lipsticks - they are a good price for the quality. I would definitely recommend checking these out next time you're in Target. Have you tried anything else from the NP Set range?

Labels: Lipstick

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08 January 2011, 5:21 PM

The Nail Files

Hehe, do you see what I did there?

I've decided I should be doing a regular Nail Polish post, since they are so easy to do and I tend to change my polish two or three times a week. These posts are going to be called "The Nail Files". I still haven't quite gotten the hang of this swatch photography, but hopefully I'll get lighting sorted soon so I can show you some more high quality photos.

So this is Chi Chi's "High Heeled Housewife". This is one of the first nail colours I bought when I started trying to grow my nails late 2009 and I wore it to death back then. I gave it a rest for most of 2010, since I was really building my collection and had so many others I wanted to try. But I've brought it out of retirement this week and I remembering just how much I love it. It amuses me, because it is pretty much the same colour as my cat Rosie.

So without further ado...High Heeled Housewife.

As a comparison, I've included Sportsgirl "Milkshake" and OPI "You Don't Know Jacques" although these polishes are a little more brown than High Heeled Housewife.

I'll probably post again tomorrow - the weekend always brings it out in me :)

For now I'm going to go enjoy a Chinese food and DVD night with my lovely husband :) Happy Saturday!

Labels: Chi Chi, Nail Polish

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03 January 2011, 5:06 PM

Marit Larsen - Fuel

I mentioned Marit Larsen a few posts ago, in my Conical Iron post. This a performance of her song Fuel from 2009 on a Norwegian talk show. Enjoy.

Labels: Marit Larsen, Music

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02 January 2011, 10:17 PM

Coveting: Elizabeth and James

I have a strange obsession with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen that probably stems back to watching their straight-to-video movies as a child. I remember watching Holiday In The Sun and When In Rome and loving all their clothes. Licence To Drive was a terrible, TERRIBLE movie, but seeing all the casual outfits they were wearing made it tolerable - for me anyways. Ashley has always been my favourite - I think she is stunningly beautiful, with a fantastic eye for style and has always conducted herself in a classy and professional manner in the media.

I love that the twins have made their way from child stars to the fashion darlings they are today, without all the dramatics of young Hollywood and with their dignity still in tact. I believe they have built a brand integral to todays market, collections of luxury staple pieces made with beautiful fabrics and cuts. To be taken seriously in the industry is no mean feat, and I admire them for that.

I have long admired The Row and Elizabeth and James clothing lines - from afar. It's all a little bit pricey for me at this stage, but I can see myself wanting to save for a couple of their basic pieces - I just need a little discipline ;)

Lately I've been loving the collaboration with Robert Lee Morris on the shoe and jewellery range for Elizabeth and James, especially the shoes. I find that these are piece that are timeless, that will be an excellent addition to a classic, on trend wardrobe - something that I am trying to build now that I'm well and truely out of my teens.

These are my favourite picks from Elizabeth and James, available on Shopbop.com at the moment:

All images courtesy of Shopbop.com

Labels: Ashley Olsen, Coveting, Fashion, Mary-Kate Olsen

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12:24 PM

Twenty Questions

1. Things you cannot leave the house without: Car keys, phone, wallet, my agenda. The rest I can survive without. Actually, I lie. I could probably live without the phone, but it seems safer to have some form of communication.

2. Favourite brand of Make Up: To be honest, I still have a baby beauty collection, most of which is drugstore brand makeup. From what I own at the moment, it'd probably have to be Red Earth. Just from research I've been doing of the net, I think I like Nars shadow and blush colours best, once I get my hands on them, we'll get a confirmation.

3. Favourite flower: Peonies and tulips. I wanted a white tulip and green hydrangea bouquet for my wedding, but it was the wrong time of year for the tulips. In the end, we went for a faux flower bouquet, which I now have in vases around the house. SO practical.

4. Favourite clothing store: I have a couple - Myer and Sportsgirl are the regular "highstreet" stores I love. There are a few boutiques in Leederville I love going to, although I don't tend to make the trip that often (maybe that's why they feel so special) - Varga Girl, Atlas Divine and Urban Records (I think that's what it's called, I tend to get it wrong every time).

5. Favourite perfume: All time is Christina Aguilera's original scent, I'm loving Sarah Jessica Parker NYC at the moment and am coveting Hugo Boss Orange like nobodies business.

6. Heels or Flats: Tends to be flats during the day, heels at night (always) and most of my boots are heeled.

7. Do you make good grades: I haven't done any further study since high school, but back then I did always test well.

8. Favourite colours: Lemon to look at; white, greys, black and navy blue for clothes; plums, neutral browns and whites for home decor; muddy greiges and deep reds for nail lacquer.

9. Do you drink energy drinks: No I think they are awful, makes me feel sick just thinking about them.

10. Do you drink juice: I love orange juice, I could drink it forever. But it has to be full strength, no added sugar.

11. Do you like swimming: I hate swimming. As soon as I'm immersed in water I get freezing cold, no matter how hot I am before I get in. And I hate to be cold. I also hate getting my hair wet. And the ocean scares me because of the sharks!

12. Do you eat fries with a fork: Sometimes, depends on the serving situation I suppose. I like to douse my chips in tomato sauce, so sometimes it's less messy to use a fork.

13. Favourite moisturiser: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel probably. I don't really love moisturiser, as I already have oily skin.

14. Do you want to get married later on in life: Haha, I'm already married, so I suppose the answer would be, I'd like to STAY married for the rest of my life.

15. Do you get mad easily: Depends on the situation. At work, not really. At home I can get a bit testy.

16. Are you into ghost hunting: No. I stayed in some old houses when I travelled Europe and I was scared to death that there might be ghosts around. My husbands auntie took us to the most haunted pub in the district where they live and I did not enjoy that experience.

17. Any phobias: Terrified of snails. I know, it's ridiculous. Also not really a fan of anything in the ocean. Spiders don't bother me though.

18. Do you bite your nails: I'm getting out of the habit. I still chew on my cuticles, which I hate (no, I love to do it, but I hate the look of it). One day I'll overcome it.

19. Have you ever had a near death experience: No, not really. My car crash was really quite tame, only got a bruise on my left knee. Apparently as a baby I choked on an orange, but I don't remember that, so it doesn't count.

20. Do you drink coffee: Yep, but certainly not everyday, or even every week. I drink it more as a luxury, never as a pick me up. When I do, I tend to opt for a vanilla latte. I'm far more into green tea than anything else.

Labels: Tags

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11:05 AM

Right Now

I'm reading: Influence by Ashley Olsen & Mary-Kate Olsen, Frostbite (Vampire Academy Series) by Rochelle Mead

I'm listening to: The Pretty Reckless, Lisa Mitchell, Marit Larsen, everything by the Glee cast

I'm watching: About to start on Season 6 of LOST, have been watching old DVDs of The Hills and The City during my holidays

I'm dreading: Nothing really. I'd say going back to work, but I'm only back for a couple of weeks, then I have another two weeks of annual leave planned. So not so bad!
I'm excited about: My sister's baby arriving in February (not long now!), planning her baby shower, all the new blogs I've discovered, spending the gift vouchers we got for Christmas on decor for our home.

I'm craving: Not much really. I really want to finish painting our house and putting the finishing touches on (hence the excitement about the gift vouchers). Oh, and for the weather to cool down just a smidgen - it's been 10 days of pretty much 40 degrees celcius. I love the heat, but this is just getting ridiculous.

I'm wanting: A whole bunch of new MAC shadows - I've made a list and am checking it twice before I do any ordering to make sure I get exactly what I want. Also wanting to get back into the fitness routine I was starting before I had my car accident.

I'm hoping: For this year to be as fantastic as the last!

Labels: Tags

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01 January 2011, 5:29 PM

Happy New Year!

Hello 2011, how do you do?

Just a quick post, as I'm feeling quite lazy today - still recovering from last night's festivities. I just wanted to share my make-up look from the party. I found this tutorial from the gorgeous Lisa Eldridge on youtube and have been dying to try it myself. This is what I came up with:

The lashes are not quite the same that Lisa wears - I found the exact same Eylure Girls Aloud ones but they did not suit the shape of my eye - they looked quite terrible really. I ended up using some from 1000 Hour in Wild Damsel that I've had for a little while. They seem to fit my eye shape better.

Clockwise from top left. You can click the picture to get an up close look.

Red Earth Eyeshadow in Burnt Caramel (the brown one, bottom right - I made the quad myself by depotting the Red Earth shadows into a Beauty Style palette)

Physicians Formula Bronzer in Bordeaux Bronze

Red Earth Absolute Brows Brow Perfecting Kit in Blonde (I use the middle shade)

Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Foundation in 03 Fresh Neutral

Face Of Australia Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Loreal Telescopic Clean in Black

Loreal Studio Secrets Lipliner in 022 Pink

Bourjois Kohl & Contour Pencil in 72 Noir Expert

MAC Dazzleglass in Smile

Rimmel London Lipstick in 110 Pink Gossip

MAC Mineralised Blush in Cheek & Cheerful

So that's it today - first blogpost of the year, what excitement. Here's to a successful and busy 2011!

Labels: FOTD

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