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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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: BeautyBox, GlossyBox, Hauls, Perfume

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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: Blah blah blah

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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: Music

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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: ACW, Bobbi Brown, Hauls, Japonesque, MAC, Online Shopping, Stila

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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: Hair, Hauls, LustHaveIt, Nail Polish, OPI

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24 September 2011, 7:19 PM

you got a fast car, i wanna take it to anywhere

Today was a proper spring day - a bit warmer than 20C, light breeze, sunshine all day. Loved it. Joe and I went to breakfast at a nearby restuarant (where I had an amazing gourmet Eggs Benedict but questionable service), then ran some errands, watched the football at my parents', then came home.

I got to pull out a dress and bare legs. Some iPhone snaps I took while waiting for Joe in the car during the errands portion of the day. Excuse the scratches on my hand - my cat and I had a minor disagreement.

Nothing new here, but I don't think I've shown you the anorak of the booties before. Anorak is from Cotton On at the beginning of winter - I've barely worn it since it is quite light, but today was perfect for it. The boots are some of my favourites, but I hardly ever wear them either. They somehow don't seem to fit into my wardrobe as well as I thought they would. I got them as a birthday present to myself last year.

Labels: CottonOn, Fashion, Jewellery, OOTD

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23 September 2011, 9:50 PM

Better than Cosmo.

I've been waiting so long for this. If you're like me and a bit of a regular around the youtube beauty community, you'll have heard of BirchBox or GlossyBox, US & UK based companies that provide a subscription service to a monthly parcel of high-end beauty samples delivered right to your door. Living in Australia, we haven't had anything of the sort - until now. Well, let's be honest, I am a smidge late on the bandwagon. Lust Have It! opened in July, and Beauty Box opened in August.

But I am now subscribed to both!

Oh, happy days!

Each company charges $14.95 per month (including shipping), so I opted for monthly payments, rather than the yearly option, in case I decide to cancel one or both. Both companies have quite a few brands that excite me.

Lust Have It!: OPI, Keratase, Burt's Bees, Dermalogica, Lancome, Nougat London, Naked Tan, Mirenesse, Urban Rituelle, Lash Republic, Bio Effect, Pure Fiji, I Love My Muff, Laura Mercier, Taut, Lush and Lime Lilly.

Beauty Box: Bio Oil, Biotherm, Bobbi Brown, Essie, Garnier, John Frieda, Jurlique, Marc Jacobs Fragrances, Playboy Fragrances, Sally Hansen, Shiseido, Shu Uemeua, Thalgo and YSL.

I want it all.

Of course I'll do a post as soon as I receive my first boxes. If you want to sign up, head to

www.beauty-box.com.au

www.lusthaveit.com.au

Just so we're clear, I'm sadly in no way affiliated with any company mentioned and am not being compensated for this post. Just very excited :)

Labels: BeautyBox, LustHaveIt, Online Shopping

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21 September 2011, 9:53 PM

Ombre

I ombred my hair last week - and I'm absolutely loving it. This is just a quick sneak peek, I'll post shortly on how I did it (although you could just YouTube it like I did *yay YouTube*).

Labels: Hair

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13 September 2011, 11:01 PM

Ooh new iPhone app for blogger. How convenient :)

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