taryn k.
Profile

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.

Layout: vehemency
Email: here
Twitter: here
Bloglovin: here
SHOP TARYN K: here



Archives
Reads

15 Steps, Then A Beauty Blog
A Cup Of Style
A Knuckle Sandwich Is Not Edible
All That Exists For Me
Autilia
Buy Now, Blog Later
Dania On The Street
Fashion Toast
Goss Makeup Artist
HRH Collection
Jessica.Hart/Blog
Leflassh
Lisa Eldridge
Little Bits Of Lovely
Llymlrs
Mariannann
ML 3.0
Natasha's Soiree
The Oatmeal
Pink Is The New Blog
Raspberry Jam
Sprinkle Of Glitter
The Sartorialist
Stylizimo
Whitney Port
Who What Wear
Xsparkage
Yellow Brick Home
Zoella
12 December 2011, 4:23 PM
Haul: I was meant to be Christmas Shopping :|

I tweeted last week that I was going to be putting this haul up last Saturday, but all kinds of things came up and my computer was taking so long to upload the photos, I never ended up finishing writing the post. So here we are now.
My husband was dying to get out of the house last Saturday for  some reason, so I said I'd go with him to our nearest shopping centre for some lunch and a spot of Christmas shopping. Yeah, so didn't buy a single Christmas present -smacks hand- but I did get a couple things for myself :)

I have just noticed that these photos are pretty shitty quality - not sure what's wrong with my camera (because it's clearly the camera's fault, not the photographers!).




Dress from Valleygirl, on sale for $14.95 - bargain. The camera didn't really pick up the texture of the fabric very well, but it almost has a velvet finish to it with a gold sheen.  The belt it came with is very cheap and tacky, I want to find a bright fuchsia one to pair with it, so I'll be on the hunt.  I'm planning on wearing this Christmas day since its a little bit casual but still a little bit fancy :)  



Top from CottonOn for $20 - I love the colour blocking trend, but hadn't really had a chance to try it since it's been winter here, so now's my chance.  I got this in a size too big so I could wear it off the shoulder and with leggings if I wanted to.  Again, the camera hasn't quite picked up on the brightness of the pick, but you get the idea.  I'm going to wear this out to the pub tonight if I can find some shorts to wear it with.

Next few items are from AllCosmeticsWholesale.com - I was meant to do a post ages ago, but completely forgot, so I have used all these products (besides the Bobbi Brown) and love them all. ACW has recently revamped their site, and I really think it's for the better - it looks so much more professional and is easier to navigate and seems to have an even more extensive product range. I placed this order purely because MAC's Satin Taupe was available - it's always out of stock whenever I try to put it in my basket - but I was so happy with everything I ordered.





I was really hoping to get my hands on little-miss-everybody's-favourite "Orgasm" but they didn't have any in stock, so I went for Gilda, which is quite a bright peachy-pink.  I'm glad I did because I love it.  Like all Nars blushes (apparently, this is my first), it is incredibly pigmented and needs to be applied with a light hand to avoid looking like clown make-up.  I love the fact that there is no shimmer at all in this blush, one of the reasons I was so drawn to it in the first place since I need no extra help looking like a shiny disco ball, thanks to my annoyingly active oil glands.




Ah, the reason I placed this order in the first place - the much coveted (by me) Satin Taupe.  I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally own this shadow.  I know it's part of MACs permanent line, but a single shadow in Australia costs $32 and I could never justify spending that kind of money on such a small, little pan full of coloured powder.  I haven't been disappointed either - I love the plum undertones and the wear that MAC shadows give (more on that below).

I also ordered Tempting, since I felt like "hey, I ordered one, I might as well get two!" and it has also been on my list for a while.  I actually surprised me, I think I've ended up liking it as much as Satin Taupe.  I quite like coppers, golds and bronzes on my skin tone, so this was right up my alley.  The wear is fantastic and I love that it can be worn all over the lid as a sheer wash of colour or be intensified as a crease colour (and bottom lash liner).



I thought I'd also include a comparison of Satin Taupe and SMH's Warm & Fuzzy, since W&F is referred to as a dupe on the ACW site.  Colour-wise, I'd say it's a damn good match as you can see from the swatches. Quality-wise, MAC lasts a lot longer before it starts to crease and I found it is slightly easier to blend, but the pigment is also comparable.  I'd say if you haven't got your hands on Satin Taupe, don't want to spend the money and don't have a problem with creasing, the SMH option should do you well.



My first MAC lipstick - Speak Louder Creamsheen.  I opted for a brighter colour than I would usually go for since I already own a lot of neutral lipsticks and wanted this for the party season.  So far I haven't strayed.  It's definitely not a daytime colour for me - a lot of people I see on a day to day basis already think I'm crazy for loving makeup so much, I think a bright pink lipstick at work would make them think I've gone ape-shizz.  Maybe in the winter.  I'm excited to try more lipsticks from MAC now - any suggestions to what I should look for next?




Bobbi Brown Metallic Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Starry Purple.  I haven't tried this on my eyes yet, so I haven't go much to say as far as a review on quality, but the swatch is gorgeous.  I had visions of wearing this subtly as a liner for the upper lashline, but I can tell it's going to be a go to dramatic lid colour for any night out.



And lastly, the Coffee Eye Pencil from MAC - probably my favourite product of the bunch.  I tend to prefer a brown liner on a day-to-day basis as I find black liner can be a little harsh on me and close up my eye.   I've never had a brown liner this dark before, and I'm loving so much more than anything else I have ever tried (ie. Clinique, Max Factor, Almay, Loreal). It's so easy to blend across the lashline, yet doesn't bleed down my face after a few hours.  I can honestly say I have worn this every day I've applied make-up since it came in the post a few weeks ago. I heart it forever.

That's it for now, but I am on holidays this week, so I wouldn't be surprised if you hear from me again soon - you know how I get when I'm off work :)



Labels: , , , , , , ,

Leave A Comment


05 December 2011, 10:48 AM
Coveting: THE ICONIC

A slightly different Coveting post today.  Since you know I've been sick the past few weeks (on the mend now, thanks for asking) I've been doing my fair share of online shopping/window shopping.  Most of my Christmas shopping this year has been done from the comfort of my bed, although I'm probably going to have to venture out into the wild during my week's holidays in a fortnight's time to get a few final things.  The main problem I have with online shopping is the shipping costs/freight times - I know they have to have them, but it always puts a dampener on things when you total your cart and have to add another $20 plus weeks worth of waiting before you even get your longed for items.

Happily, the lovely people at new Australian online store, THE ICONIC, contacted me last week to let me know that they launched recently - and I thought you fellow Aussies would most likely be interested, if you haven't already heard of them.

The store stocks a huge array of fantastic Aussie brands for men and women, from Ladakh and All About Eve to Ellery and Therese Rawsthorne, Minty Meets Munt and Cooper St to Ginger & Smart and Manning Cartell, I Love Billy to Peeptoe, plus a few international labels, like True Religion, Wrangler and Ben Sherman.  You've got your high-street and high-end all in one place, the way it should be.

The best part of the whole thing? Free shipping Australia wide - and if you live in Sydney (which I don't, but can still appreciate the awesome-ness here) there's a 3 hour delivery option. THREE HOURS PEOPLE.  Standard delivery is only a couple days, so I can't be too jealous of Sydney this time ;)

Now for the coveting part - since all the Christmas shopping is in abundance at the moment, I haven't had the budget to just go selfish-shopping willy-nilly.  So everything on my wishlist will be staying on my wishlist until after Christmas :( Hence I don't have any personal customer service experience to share today.  I will say though, I'd really like to see THE ICONIC stock more accessories - just seems like something is missing at the moment - and I'd love to see Minkpink on the site - but that's just because they're a personal favourite of mine and I haven't found anywhere else online that stocks them with free shipping.

UPDATE: Accessories have arrived! At the moment it's just watches and sunglasses, but I can sense the start of something beautiful.

My picks from the site:


All About Eve - Starcrossed Lover Tee


Diavolina - Willie Flats


Ellery - Mr Fox Dress


Jorge - Above The Horizon Short


Ladakh - Illusionist Romper

Lipstik - Shimmer Booties


Millie Loves Min - Flutter Top


RMK - Suzey Flats


Sass - Paige Blazer


Shone Joy - Black Russian Tie Short


White Suede - Lace Mini Dress

Labels: , , ,

Leave A Comment


01 December 2011, 1:24 PM
The Nail Files #18

Just a quick nail polish post - I bought the Madison Australia December 2011 Magazine yesterday, which comes with a free Butter LONDON polish, and wanted to post while it was still available.  You can choose between Trout Pout, a bright, coral-y salmon colour that I picked so you can see below and a taupe-y/sandy beige colour that I didn't look at the name of.  I opted for Trout Pout as it has a cream finish, whereas the beige colour had a bit of shimmer - which I hate in pale polishes.  Butter LONDON polished are usually $22 in Australia, so for the price of one of my favourite magazines at $8.95 this was quite the steal.  I must admit - I'm quite glad I didn't fork out any more of my hard earned cash for it because I don't think the quality is all that great - it took three coats to get it opaque and streak free - and the colour isn't really one I will reach for regularly.  But can't complain, it was a freebie after all! 

The magazine issue is quite good actually - I love the true crime section that Madison always has, I have a morbid fascination with that kind of thing.  Jessica Gomes looks gorgeous on the cover - she actually went to the same highschool as my husband, I think she was in the grade above him and had a locker just down from him, and he always tells me he had a crush on her. I can see why! How can I get my hair to look like that? 

Anyway, on with the polish.





Every time I see the name of this polish I get "Trouty Mouth" from Glee stuck in my head - haha!  Sidenote: Glee came back for like five episodes then went off the air for the Christmas break - grr Channel Ten, grr!

Labels: ,

Leave A Comment


06 November 2011, 1:12 PM
Cheap Smells Haul: October 2011

Hello ladies - as promised, here is my recent perfume haul from cheapsmells.co.uk.  This is the second or third time I've ordered from them, and although my parcel took weeks to get here, I spent enough to get free shipping and their prices are so good it feels kind of wrong to complain.  I mostly placed this order because my SJP - NYC ran out about when I did my last perfume collection, so I mainly wanted to replace that and my much loved Christina Aguilera scents.   So everything here I've owned before, bar the Escada Taj Sunset.




Like I said, Taj Sunset by Escada is the only fragrance from this batch that I haven't owned before.  It's limited edition, so if you like light, fruity, sweet scents that remind you of summer cocktails I suggest you go out and grab it while you can.  I am absolutely in love with it and have been wearing it most days. 

I still find the Christina Aguilera scents incredibly sexy, so I tend to save them for a night out.  I suppose now that I have a larger collection of perfumes I'm likely to save these two for more wintery weather, rather than warm summer nights.  I'm so glad I got them again though, I felt like my collection was incomplete with out them (oh, the problems we face).




I also remember to pick up this Clinique cleanser.  I first owned this a couple of years ago when I started really trying to fix up my skin.  I've always meant to repurchase, but it is so pricey here in Australia.  I remember seeing if for a bargain price on cheapsmells and practically rejoicing.  This is my makeup remover of choice - I find it gets off every stitch of makeup with little effort and leaves the skin squeaky clean.  I'd recommend another cleanser to actually cleanse the skin afterwards though.

So basically, that's it!  I was really happy with this particular order and would recommend every item in a heartbeat.  I'm off to get ready for high tea now - I think I might try and wear the bright pink pleated skirt from Sportsgirl I got a few months ago.  The weather is finally warm enough for it, but still looks a little overcast. Perfect.

Labels: , , , ,

Leave A Comment


05 November 2011, 7:23 PM
Beauty Box: October 2011

I know this is pretty much a month late, but please see my previous post for my reasons (ie. excuses) as to why I am so late.

So this was my first BeautyBox from the month of October - and I suppose my last, since the brand has now been franchised to the Glossybox company.  I haven't bothered to renew my subscription with Glossybox, because to be honest, I'm a little bored already. And I was so excited haha.  It's not that I'm disappointed with any of the products or service, but the novelty has worn off already and it seems so much effort to sign up again - read: I'm a lazy so and so.  I might sign up again in the future, we'll see.

I was absolutely stoked to receive this box, mostly because the packaging was so much better than LustHaveIt.  It's actually pink and pretty.  Just how I like it. The box was much better quality as well.  It's nice enough to use for jewellery or makeup storage.  I'm using mine to keep all my sachet samples from magazines and these sample boxes.




The product samples sit in the box very nicely - it looks full and generous.  The box included John Frieda Full Repair Full Body shampoo and conditioner, CK one Shock fragrance for him and her, Shiseido Compact Foundation, Garnier Body Ultra-Softening lotion and Biothem Aquasource Non-Stop moisturiser.


Hands down favourite product this box is the CK one Shock fragrances. I love the female scent. Love it. I may even suggest it as a Christmas gift for myself :) The thing that  really impressed me as well was that instead of just getting one little baby sample, the box had two vials of both the his and hers! Well done BeautyBox!  I'm not even going to attempt to describe this scent, but the feminine version is very girly and sweet, just how I like it.  I'll direct you to this link for a better description beautyhaven.com.au.  The male version is also great - my husband really likes it and says he wouldn't mind the full size version once he runs out of hiss Joop Jump and Beckham Intimately. He doesn't do scent depending on mood like I do, he generally will use one scent until it's all gone then purchase another.  It's a miracle he has two at the moment, but that is because he got them as gifts.



I've not got too much to say about the body lotion.  I'm not really a fan of body lotions in general - not matter how non-greasy they are, I always feel just icky after applying.  I tried this one night after my shower and found it okay.  Certainly not terrible or anything, but I'm not likely to go out and buy it.  But again, that's just me and my aversion to lotions, nothing to do with the actual product itself.




I've never tried anything by Shiseido before, so I was quite intrigued by this foundation sample.  I haven't had a chance to properly test this out as, like I said in my previous post, I haven't really been wearing makeup the past few weeks.  This product can be applied wet or dry, which I find interesting as I've never tried a powder foundation before.  The colour looks like it's not a bad colour match for me, which is good since I may actually end up getting some use out of it.  I'll let you know how I go.  It's also worth noting that this is quite a good sample size - I can imagine you'd get several uses out of it.





I haven't even touched this product yet, but it does look nice!  Again, the sample size is very generous - I'd say at least a few weeks worth if you were to use it every day.  It seems like it would be quite cooling on the skin and has an okay scent.   I'll probably use it when the weather starts getting warmer and they start cranking up the air conditioner at work - which always dries my skin out.


And lastly, the John Frieda Full Repair shampoo and conditioner.  I'm not a fan of John Frieda shampoos and conditioners usually (I am a fan of their styling products though, just to be clear), and this range is no exception.  I found it did nothing of any note to my hair.  It was just the same as always.  I didn't notice any extra body, in fact quite the opposite - my hair felt a little limp after two uses.   So not a product I'll be purchasing in the full size - I'm glad I got to try it though, since I do like to give things a go before I declare if I like it or not, especially since I don't like the other similar products from this brand.
All in all, I thought the BeautyBox had very generous and interesting samples.  I figure with these boxes if there is a least one product you would buy full size then they have done their job.  That product for me is the fragrance, so big tick to BeautyBox. 

Labels: , , ,

Leave A Comment


6:34 PM
long time, no see



Hello lovelies - it sure has been a while!  I don't think I've posted in about a month, which feels like forever.  I've being really ill the past few weeks, pretty much bed ridden when I'm at home - there's certainly been no shopping or pretty clothes and make up to be shown.  I've still be going to work, but with my hair in a high messy bun or long plait, since I can;t be bothered, and just foundation and mascara - bronzer if I've been feeling particularly healthy.  I'm okay, but I just haven't had the energy (or inspiration) to blog about anything.

Wow, excuses excuses.

I've had a random burst of energy though, so I thought I'd get something down quickly.  I've got a BeautyBox haul (is that what you call them?) to do this evening and I might try and do a cheapsmells.co.uk haul tomorrow if I feel up to it.  I also placed an order at allwholesalecosmetics.com the other day, so that'll be up once I receive my beautiful package - I finally ordered Satin Taupe! So excited for that!

What else? Oh!  I can officially say that I have broken my horrible nail biting habit.  I attribute my success entirely to this blog.  I started trying to grow my nails about two or three months before my wedding - so January 09 - I wanted to have my nails long enough to have a classic French manicure on the day, but when it came to it, I had nibbled and ended up getting acrylics - or did I get gels? I can't remember.  I still wanted to try to break the habit, so I kept painting my nails to try and distract me from biting.  I hate the look of chipped polish, so I thought that might help deter me.  Then when I started blogging and taking nail of the day pictures I obviously didn't want readers to be looking at ugly, bitten down to the skin nails, so that was another reason to stop.  And it's worked! Last week I painted my very own nails with a French polish - and they have been long enough and strong enough to look good and last without the tips tearing or breaking.  The thought of biting my nails absolutely freaks me out now, so - success!!  I'm still working on chewing on my cuticles, but one step at a time.

I'm going out for high tea tomorrow afternoon, if I'm well enough, so hopefully I'll have a fun spring ensemble to show you.  Although it's almost Summer now.  I can't believe we're well into November already.  I haven't even started my Christmas shopping yet - ugh.  I can't even think about dragging myself down to the shops.  Maybe I can get everything online. That's gonna take some major thought and planning though.

So that catches us up a little bit I think.  I'll try and get back to regular blogging, coz I do really enjoy it and have missed it these past couple of weeks. Just depends on if my body will allow it I guess! 

Enjoy your weekend, keep well, and I'll talk to you soon. xx

Labels:

Leave A Comment


09 October 2011, 1:38 PM
Lykke Li - Unchained Melody



Did anyone else catch Lykke Li on Triple J on Friday morning.  I haven't listened to too much of Lykke before, but this cover of Unchained Melody blew me away - I'll have to check out more of her stuff.

Labels:

Leave A Comment


1:34 PM
ACW Haulin'

So here's an itty-bitty haul for this lovely Sunday.  I ordered these products from ACW a few weeks back, but I tweeted that I would post bout them, so here we are.


I got Japonesque lashes, which I believe were blems (so the product name is incorrect), the Bobbi Brown Sultry Eye Palette (which is amazing), MAC Plushglass in Ample Pink and Stila Lip Enamel in Giggle.  Last I checked all these items were still available.


Sorry for the blurriness in some of these swatch photos - my camera is on its last legs methinks.


"Bone" - Eyeshadow. I must admit, I haven't really tried this colour yet, as I don't often use such a white highlight - I much prefer something gold.  It's good to have in the collection, since I don't have a matte off-white.


Antique Gold - Metallic Eyeshadow.  This is a gorgeous all over eye colour.  I've been wearing this most days to work, sometimes alone, sometimes with a darker colour in the crease.  Either way, stunning.  I've even used it a cheekbone highlighter on a night out.


Caviar - Eyeshadow.  A dark, matte black.  This is fantastic as a liner, pushed into the upper lash line, or used to set waterline kohl.  I've only used this a handful of times, but it hasn't disappointed yet.


Brandy - Long-Wear Eye Paint.  I was expecting this to be, I don't know, creamier?  But it feels just like a powder eyeshadow.  Again, an amazing colour, fantastic in the crease or blended all over the eye for a subtle smokey effect.

Overall, I love this palette and would recommend it to anyone that prefers a neutral look.  I prefer the quality of these shadows to those of the MAC shadows I own (not that I own too many MAC shadows, mind you).  I haven't tried out the brush, but it looks like good quality to me, which I expect from a Bobbi Brown product.


Try as I might, I couldn't capture just how bright this lip enamel is.  It's thick, creamy and opaque.  Not sure how I'm going to manage to rock this colour, since it's practically neon, but if I figure it out, I'll be sure to show you.  I probably wouldn't purchase this again given the chance, but only because it probably isn't the most flattering colour for my skin tone.

I haven't had the chance to try out the lashes yet, so I'm can't really say too much about them, besides the fact they look pretty in the box :)

The MAC plushglass has been my gloss of choice ever since it arrived.  I love the dusty pink tones, and the texture on the lips - not sticky, but moisturising.  This will probably be a repurchase when it runs out.

I'm off to window-shop ACW a little more. 

Labels: , , , , , ,

Leave A Comment


08 October 2011, 2:37 PM
Lust Have It!: September 2011

Ooh, my first Lust Have It! box arrived last week.  I snuck in with my order, just in time to receive the September box, so I was very excited since I thought I'd have to wait until October for my first set of samples.





I've managed to try everything except the silver nail polish - it's not really to my taste, but would probably come in handy, so I'm happy to have it.  So far, I'm quite the fan on the Lancome Doll Eyes mascara.  I don't necessarily think its revolutionary, but it's one of the better mascara's I've tried.  The brush has a conical shape, which I like since you can get pretty much all you lashes with the smaller end, but brush through with the larger end.  The formula is quite nice, although I did notice a little smudging on my crease on Tuesday, which never happens to me, so that was a little annoying.  


Even though shimmery nail polishes aren't really my thing, I've actually enjoyed this Nicole by OPI colour.  Perhaps because the shimmer is very subtle, but it is there.  I've tried a Nicole polish before, it's definitely inferior to OPI, formula-wise (this particular shade, anyway).  It took me three coats to get this opacity, and even so it's still a little see through in bright light.   It's worn well though, day three and no chips, so that's a big plus.  The applied colour is also true the the bottle, so that's great too.  The only thing I find frustrating is that the colour names aren't on the bottles, or listed on the product guide.  I think the silver might be "Imagine If" and the purple possibly "Make A Change".


I wasn't sure about the Urban Rituelle hand cream, but it's really grown on me.  I wouldn't recommend if you don't like the smell of lemongrass as it is quite strong.  It doesn't leave your hands greasy, and is quite think and luxurious feeling.  I'll definitely use this one up.  I used the shower gel for the first time this morning - nothing overwhelmingly special, in my opinion.  The scent is nice and quite subtle, not at all what I was expecting.  Probably not something I would purchase (especially at $27.95 for a full size), but I'll have no problems using up the sample.


I've only used the Keratase Elixir Ultime once this week, and I was pleased with the results, but I did use it in conjunction with my regular MoroccanOil.  I'll have to try it alone before I form a proper opinion on it, but it does contain Argan oil, so I imagine it will give very similar results to the MoroccanOil.  The price point is very similar at $48.50 for 125mL (MoroccanOil is $52 for 100mL).   


Overall, I've loved my first experience with Lust Have It! and will continue to renew my subscription for at least another few months.  I've loved testing out products I probably never would've tried otherwise, and the price point fits nicely into my budget.  I feel like this box was worth it for the mascara alone. 

And excitingly, I received email notification from the company that my next box is already on it's way (which, by the way, I love the email notifications, gives you an idea for when to expect the package).  Can't wait to see what's in my next box! 


Labels: , , , ,

Leave A Comment


Newer Posts Older Posts