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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Bloglovin: here
SHOP TARYN K: here

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19 January 2012, 8:56 AM

i bought some stuff..

I'd like to start today's post with a bit of an announcement. In case you haven't worked it out yet, I'm pregnant! I'm about five months along now and yes, this is why I've been so sick and less inclined to post Outfit Of The Days. All is coming along nicely inside my ever-expanding womb, but I've not been having too much fun here on the outside. Although most of my all-day sickness has subsided in recent weeks, I'm still not feeling the best, hence the slacking in my blog posts. I'm sure you'll understand :)

Today, however, my husband managed to drag me off the couch and out to Perth for a spot of shopping. The main goal was to spend a David Jones gift voucher that was given to us as a wedding present almost two years ago. Which we did. I also managed to purchase a whole new maternity wardrobe and a few beauty products. Yay me!

I decided to film this haul rather than take a bunch of mediocre photos since I thought it would be a little more efficient. So below you will find my very first haul video. What excitement.

As promised in the video, here is a more detailed list of everything I purchased:

Charlie Brown Black Lover CB058919 (it's not faulty! found it online and it's meant to be like that!!) - $64.50 at David Jones marked down from $129 - available online
Bebe Baby Comforter - $9.95 - not available online

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW25 (I always fancied myself an NW25 girl, so I was quite pleased when that was the colour she matched me with) - $32 via David Jones RRP$36 - available online
Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Makeup in 03 Fresh Neutral - $50 - available online
The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Cleanser - $17.95 - not available online, similar product available here
The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner - $16.95 - available online
Typo Flask/Thermos - $12.95 - available online
Temt - all items $9.95 - not available online

All links are Australian where possible :) and all prices are in AUD. As stated in the video, most of this stuff was purchased using gift cards from our wedding and Christmas, so I didn't go as quite as crazy as it sounds.

I'm quite excited to try out my new "maternity wardrobe" so hopefully I remember to take some OOTD photos in the coming weeks. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I'll make sure to get back to you :)

Labels: Blah blah blah, Charlie Brown, Clinique, Fashion, Foundation, Hauls, MAC, Skin Care, Temt, The Body Shop

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14 January 2012, 2:39 PM

Brunette again...

Just a quick update since I finally remembered to take a photo of my new-old hair colour. I'll take some proper photos in the next few days, but I felt a bit silly since I was all "I'm gonna post aaall the time over the next couple of weeks" and then *silence*

About to run out and have a Saturday afternoon coffee with Joe and my friend Ruby, so all very casz. Spent the morning watching the final season of Friday Night Lights, just have a couple of episodes to go (yes, that's how awesome my Saturday night is going to be), then I'll have to find another show to move on to. Any suggestions?

Labels: Blah blah blah, Hair

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09 January 2012, 11:05 AM

Ramble

Shocking Taryn, just shocking.

I haven't blogged in almost a month and I really have no excuse, besides the regular old Christmas one, which I'm not going to use. I've actually got quite a few things to show you, since I've been doing a fair bit of online shopping (I've found a new sales website, which I'll tell you about in the next post or two), but I haven't felt the inclination to sit down and write.

Once again though, I am on annual leave from work - I know, I know, girl when are you not on annual leave?? - so as is my way, I will be blogging a bit more consistently for the next couple of weeks. Hell, you might even get a few tweets out of me ;)

The plan for today is to colour my hair. I suppose this means I'm over the ombre. I was looking through my old profile photos on facebook (how narcissistic of me) and decided that after a year and a half of having lighter hair it was time to go back to my roots, as they say. So a trip to Priceline is on the cards once I manage to drag myself out of bed. I'll be sure to take before and after shots *pinky swear* although my face has recently faced a bit of an apocalypse - ie. all hell has broken loose. You'll see what I mean.

Hmm, what else, what else?

This time last year I posted a bunch of resolutions of sorts. I just had a quick look back to see what they are and, lo and behold, I didn't accomplish any of them. I don't really have any this year. The main one I make every single year is to stop biting my nails, but since I did manage to break my habit in 2011 *cheers*, even though it wasn't an official resolution, I've got nothing.

Oh - I watched Juicystar07's "Boyfriend did my makeup" video last night. I don't generally watch her videos anymore because I don't find I ever really get anything out of them, so it was kind of a last resort, but it was hilarious. I am now inspired to get my husband to try his hand at doing my makeup, just out of curiosity. I might film it, I don't know. I'm not the most camera-friendly person, so it would probably just be awkward. He did get me a tripod for Christmas to encourage more blogging/vlogging. So that's a maybe.

Okay, that's enough rambling for one day. I guess I'd better get up and get my butt down to Priceline or I'm just going to procrastinate and I'll have another six months of caramel coloured hair.

Oh yeah! Happy new year!

Labels: Blah blah blah

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16 December 2011, 12:37 PM

THE ICONIC CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY - INTERNATIONAL - CLOSED

Hurray for my very first blog giveaway! The lovely people at THE ICONIC have been generous enough to offer a $50 gift voucher code for me to give away to one lucky reader of my blog. If you haven't already checked out the site, or missed my post a couple of weeks ago, THE ICONIC is a new Australian online shopping mecca, stocking some great brands like Ksubi, Peeptoe, All About Eve, Ellery, RMK, Cooper St, True Religion, Ladakh, Le Specs - and heaps more - and offers free shipping anywhere in Australia.

All you have to do to enter is be subscribed to my blog via Google Friend Connect (underneath my favourite reads on the left hand side) or Bloglovin and leave me a comment below letting me know some of your favourite blogs (I need some new reading material over the summer, so this is purely for my own benefit!). Easy as that! As THE ICONIC is unable to ship internationally at this stage, if you are an international winner, I'll arrange to have your chosen item sent to me and I'll forward it on. Just to be fair :)

I'll leave the competition open until midnight, Tuesday 20th December then pick a winner on Wednesday randomly.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

Labels: Giveaway, Online Shopping, THE ICONIC

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13 December 2011, 12:25 PM

Spring Cleaning

Just cleaned out my wardrobe. Man I had a lot of old Valleygirl crap left over from my teenage years.

I feel better now.

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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: ACW, Bobbi Brown, CottonOn, Fashion, Lipstick, MAC, NARS, Valleygirl

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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: Coveting, Fashion, Online Shopping, THE ICONIC

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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: Butter LONDON, Nail Polish

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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: Clinique, Hauls, Online Shopping, Perfume, Skin Care

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