Current Favourite Non Beauty Things

Orange is the New Black
If you've had any kind of conversation with me in the last fortnight, I've probably told you to watch this already, because frankly, I can't shut up about it. There is so much to love about this show - it's mostly women, the guys are jerks, and not in the Don Draper/Tony Soprano "ooh, he's a bad arse" kind of way, almost no one is entirely good or entirely bad (well, not among the women, anyway), it's funny, it's dramatic, it's sad, it's shocking. It's bloody brilliant. Watch it.

Sneaky Pickle
Food trucks have become a thing in Adelaide in the last year or so - I know, I know, only 10 years behind everyone else. It was actually Noodles who spotted this one first a couple of weeks ago, and although I have a rule about not eating food from food trucks (because I am clumsy and food truck food is invariably messy), this one seemed too good to pass up. That there in the picture are brisket sandwiches with sides of coleslaw and a pickle. Top left is onion rings, top right is fried mac and cheese fingers. There were two of us eating this, and we should have gotten one sandwich to share, because this food is SO filling and SO rich we couldn't finish. However, it was worth it - the brisket is cooked in some kind of smoked hickory sauce and the mac and cheese fingers are just ingenious (they do lean salty though so people sensitive to salt might find it's a bit much for them). Note to self: next time either sandwich or sides.

Welcome to Night Vale
This is a podcast that apparently the cool kids are all over, but that I only heard about recently. The premise is that it's a radio news show for a small desert town where a lot of weird things happen. It's hard to describe, but highly addictive. 

Answer Me This
Another podcast I seem to have found years after everyone else, this is a British show with a simple premise - people send in their questions (either specific 'why is X called X kind of questions, or 'problems' requiring advice) and the hosts answer them. The hosts have those charming, easy to listen to BBC kind of voices and they're often hilarious. Short and sharp and well-edited, definitely worth listening to.

Boardwalk Empire
I've been rewatching this with Ben, who FINALLY started watching it a couple of weeks ago after me nagging him for about two years. We marathoned 8 episodes of Season 2 last night, including that episode. Yeah, you know the one. That one. And then the next one. Oh my god. I'm a bit wary of rewatching Season 3 - although it has a satisfying large amount of Richard Harrow (swoon), Bobby Cannavale - whom I usually love - is SO annoying he almost ruined the entire season for me. Let's see if I find him more tolerable the second time around. Season 4 starts in September, and I'm excited!

Finally, not a current favourite but an anticipatory favourite:

EIGHT SLEEPS UNTIL BREAKING BAD YOU GUYS!

I will be preparing myself by listening to Bald Move's Breaking Good podcast next week, where they will discuss fan theories and hopes for the final 8 episodes. Then on the following Monday I'll be coming home from work early, blacking out the interwebs, pouring my champaggen and a bowl of Twisties, and settling in. I can't wait. But I also dread it being gone forever. I AM SO CONFLICTED.

Current Favourites

L'oreal Paris Skin Perfection Cleansing Oil and Micellar Cleansing Water
I talked about these before so I won't say too much except that I'm loving them sick. I use the micellar water on my eyes and the cleansing oil on my face, then follow up with a cream cleanser as a double cleanse (I have several on the go). Noodles uses the micellar water on her eyes and face and loves it.

L'Oreal Revitalift Laser x 3 Anti-Ageing Power Moisturiser
I'm not generally a fan of moisturisers in jars but I really like this one. If I use it at night my skin feels smooth and soft the next morning, and it also makes a nice base under makeup. I was sent this for review from Beauty Heaven and I'm definitely going to buy another jar when it's finished.

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer Neutraliser
This is the yellowish one, and I don't know if you can get it here - I've never seen it. I use it under my eyes and around my nose to reduce redness and dark circles before I put foundation or tinted moisturiser on and it works really well.

Maybelline Age Rewind Foundation in Nude
I didn't think much of this when I first bought it - it's an oddly dry formula and I didn't find it gave great coverage or lasted that well. However, I've found that with a decent primer underneath it does the job and I've been using it a lot lately because it's pretty much weightless and I hate the feeling of heavy foundations on my face.

Maybelline Super Stay 10 Hour Stain Gloss in Mauve Dream, Ruby Indulgence and Pink Plush
I stopped using bright coloured lip products a year or two ago because my teeth have been shifting (apparently I bite down on them and push them out when I sleep, and whatever it will cost to fix that is too expensive at the moment) and creating gaps so I was really conscious of not drawing attention to my mouth. But you know... fuck it. It is what it is. I like coloured lips and I've started wearing them again. These are awesome - they go on like a lip gloss but dry like a stain. I don't find them verydrying (a tinchy bit but not much) and they last for a few hours - though definitely not 10, that's a blatant fib. Again, I've never seen them here - what is up with that?

Prescriptives Lipstick in Azalea
An old lipstick I hauled out - another bright one. I was complimented by some random chick at work who I don't know when I wore this the other day. Noice! It's a really easy to wear reddish coral, and I'm glad it's back in my rotation.

Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream
Another one sent to me by Beauty Heaven. To be honest, I would never have bought this - Benefit is not a brand I particularly like with the exception of one or two products, and I would not think to go there for skin care products. However, I like this a lot - it doesn't really do anything other than have an aesthetic effect in smoothing the skin under the eye while it's on, but it's light and absorbs easily and make the area where it's applied feel soft and smooth. I think I'd actually repurchase this.

Face of Australia Mineral Therapy Illuminator in Angel Mist
Jacquie gave me some of hers, which is why it's in a jar - these things come in massive size packages that would take years to get through, which is actually a bit weird. Anyway, I use a dab right on the top of my cheekbone with a cotton bud and then blend it in with a Real Techniques stippling brush. I apply it before I put any foundation or tinted moisturiser on and it just leaves a really nice, subtle glow without that crazy I'M WEARING HIGHLIGHTER look. I have one of the darker ones of this range that I bought ages ago but I hardly ever wear it.

Revlon ColorStay 12 Hour Eyeshadow Quad in Lavender Meadow
I'm not a big fan of these eyeshadows generally - I don't think they have a lot of pigment and they're not easy to blend. However, I'm a sucker for a purple shadow so when I saw this for $5 at a chemist I had to grab it. There's a really pretty green, a dark purple and two lighter purple/lavender colours. Surprisingly they are quite pigmented and not at all chalky, though still a bit of a palaver to blend. I'm all about purple eyes at the moment so I'm making good use of this.

Silk Naturals Blush in Petal
I have a feeling this is a dupe for something MAC, but I can't remember exactly. I'm trying to use up face samples at the moment - blush, bronzer/contour, highlighter, etc. I've used this a few times lately and I really like it. It's a super pretty light pink matte that just leaves a nice flush without making it look like I have COLOUR on my face. And I've just looked it up. It's a clone of Benefit Dandelion. I really, really want a full size of this, but I have so many blushes I don't know if I can justify it. But I really, really want it...

NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Taupe/Ash
This is all I've been using on my eyebrows for months. I use the lighter colour, and I love it because it has no red in it. I never use the darker one or the wax, so I wish I could just buy that lighter colour on its own. Still, it's lasting forever so I'm getting my money's worth out of it. I apply it with the Real Techniques angled brush and it takes seconds. Lerve. <3

2012 Favourites

Although I did use a lot of old tried-and-true stuff in 2012, I wanted to narrow this end of year post into just the favourites I discovered this year. It was a good year for new products, especially drugstore, so there are a few things that I suspect will crop up on pretty much everyone's list.

Real Techniques Brushes
There's not much to say about these - everyone has them, everyone loves them. I just grabbed the two cleanest ones for my picture but honestly I love almost all the ones I have (there are a couple of eye ones I don't really use much but they came in a set). These brushes seem to have (rightly) overshadowed the ubiquitous and highly over-rated Sigma somewhat this year. More power to them.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Light Medium
I think this cropped up in my last 3 or so monthly favourites. It's been my go to powder for months now and I just love it. It doesn't cake, it doesn't feel dry, it doesn't look 'powdery'. Awesome stuff.

Revlon Lip Butters
Again, I just grabbed a couple out of the fridge but if I had to pin down favourite colours I'd probably say Berry Smoothie and Pink Truffle. These are probably my all time favourite lip products - so easy to wear, nice colour without being OTT, moisturising. LOVE.

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector for Oily to Combination Skin
I've said many times I hated the original version of this with a passion, but this one is fan-freakin'-tastic. It's not a BB Cream - we all know that. But it's good stuff, and I love it teamed with the MAC MSF for a quick and easy face.

Echolife Rose Hip Oil
I use it as a night moisturiser 4 or 5 times a week and it makes my skin soft and smooth, and tones down any redness I might have gotten from messing about with too many products. Love this stuff. I still have about half a bottle left and I've been using it for months so a teeny bit really goes a long way.

Maybelline Color Tattoos
Oh, Maybelline. You really pulled a rabbit out of a hat with these! Fantastic cream shadows that I use both as a base for powder shadows or on their own if I'm being lazy and still want to look like I made a bit of an effort. I can't get enough of them. My most used is probably Tough as Taupe, but that would be closely followed by Bad to the Bronze.

Favourite Books for 2012

I did read a lot of books this year (and surpassed my 50 Book Challenge - woo), but most of them were pretty trashy, and not that many of them were much good. However, there was the occasional gem, so in no particular order, here are my favourites of the ones I read in 2012 (not necessarily released in 2012).

After The Wreck I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings and Flew Away - Joyce Carol Oates
I didn't actually realise that this was a YA novel until after I'd finished it and I was reading reviews (I never read reviews beforehand because there are always idiots out there who give away major spoilers). It's about a girl who wakes up in hospital at the beginning of the story, having been in a car accident that has killed her mother. She has little to no relationship with her father and goes to live with an aunt. It's a beautifully written story about how she deals with her grief, her guilt and her new surroundings. I think I'm going to get Noodles to read this one.

Shit My Dad Says - Justin Halpern
Considering this is based on a Twitter account, it's a surprisingly sweet, funny book of stories about the relationship between the author and his father. I laughed so much reading this, and there were times I found it quite touching.

The Middlesteins - Jami Attenberg
There is a certain genre of books that tend to just be a meandering story of a quirky, dysfunctional family who more often than not are Jewish. Not a lot usually happens in these stories, but I generally love them. This one is no exception. It's about a woman with an eating disorder whose obesity and food-hoarding worries her family, who fear she is heading to an early grave. The other family members all have their own issues going on as well.

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
I don't remember how I heard about this - I feel like maybe I just read a blurb about it in a Dymocks catalogue or something. I know that I knew nothing at all about it when I started it, and it's one of those books that definitely benefits from that. The less you know, the better it is. I loved it - it's twisty and turny and keeps you turning the pages to find out what's happening next. At first I didn't like the ending, but when I was explaining it aloud to Noodles I realised it was actually perfect for the story. I don't want to tell you anything more than that. Just read it.

Dark Places - Gillian Flynn
After devouring Gone Girl, I went back and dug up the author's earlier two novels. The first one, Sharp Objects, is a good story, but a little clunky and quite obviously a first novel, but this one is more accomplished. Again, it's best to not know much about it - the basic story is that of a woman whose mother and siblings were murdered by her brother when she was a child.

Things I'm Currently Loving

Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Fine Fragrance Mist
This was on my last favourites list, but I'm still loving it to death. It's the best kind of vanilla, warm and delicious. Om nom nom. I have taken to occasionally spraying it on my pillow a couple of hours before I go to bed so I can wallow in it.

MAC MSF Natural in Medium
Again, this was on my last list, and again, still loving it. I use it almost every day - either to add a bit of oomph to tinted moisturisers, or to set under eye concealer.

Queen Helene Grape Seed Extract Peel Off Masque
I love peel off masks generally, but this one is especially good - it leaves my face feeling soft and non-wrinkly at least for a while after. And it's as cheap as chips, less than $4US on iHerb.

The Garden Bath Fresh Roses Perfume Oil
A true rose scent with a touch of a sharp green note in the background. So pretty and girly, I just love it.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe and Bad to the Bronze
I've been doing the old swipe-and-go on the eyes a fair bit of late, and these two colours are just fool proof. I wear one or the other depending on whether I feel like matte or a bit of shimmer. The only problem I have with them is that I have to apply them exactly where I want them to be because they dry almost immediately, making them virtually impossible to blend.

Coastal Scents Shadow Worx Matte Eyeshadow Primer
I have never really been a fan of UDPP, so when I finally used up all the little freebies that come with palettes I had lying around, I went looking for something else, and decided to try this one and the NYX HD primer. The NYX is pretty much a dupe for UDPP, which I guess is okay from a cost point of view, because it's way cheaper, but for keeping my eyeshadow in place all day, this Coastal Scents one has it in spades. Love it.

Real Techniques Brow Brush
When I first bought the Real Techniques eye brush set, I thought this one was kind of rubbish - it seemed way too thick to be a good brow brush, and nowhere near as stiff and precise as my beloved company-that-shall-no-longer-be-mentioned-due-to-hideous-unapologetic-racism one, but I have found that it is actually perfect for filling in brows and making them look really natural rather than 'done'. It's also super super quick to use.

NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Taupe/Ash
This is a little set that comes with two brow powders and a wax, as well as an application brush and a spoolie. The application brush is a bit useless, though I do occasionally use the little spoolie. I don't really use the wax either as it's quite soft - I much prefer NYX's Eyebrow Shaper. However, the lighter of the two powders is perfect for me - a lightish medium brown with absolutely no red in it. I use the Real Techniques brush to apply and only takes a few seconds.

Also....

Etsy
I have been Etsy bingeing of late, though in my defence, it's mostly samples. Perfume oils, loose eyeshadows, skincare products, lip balms, etc. I just love Etsy, and the 99.9% of good experiences I've had far outweigh the one or two bad ones. I love that I can buy something from a creative person doing their own thing. Mind you, I feel like they are getting a bit lax in their definition of 'handmade'. I was looking for bracelets for Noodles recently and there are a hell of a lot of mass-produced little crap things coming out of Hong Kong and China on there. Not cool, Etsy. That's what eBay is for.

The Because Show
This is a podcast that I only heard about very recently, and it's three women who are probably in their mid to late 30s. There are elements of their cast that don't grab me (a tendency to chat a bit too much about farting - I'm not a 12 year old boy and that really doesn't interest me), but on the other hand, there's enough there that I do like and I've been listening to their back catalogue most of the weekend. They talk about loads of things, including makeup and books. MAKEUP AND BOOKS. Yay for chicks!

Parks and Recreation
I've loved this show for lo these many years (and again, this is the second time in a row it's been on my favourites list), but it has come up in conversation more often of late because I FINALLY have some other people to talk to about it. Natalie has been a fan for quite a while, but fairly recently we managed to cajole Jessica into watching, and now she is up to Season 4 and thoroughly hooked. Hurrah! I've just converted a bunch of episodes to MP4 and put them on my phone so I can just watch them randomly whenever I feel the need for a P&R fix. Oh, and a girl I work with texted me yesterday to say she had just watched all of Season 1 (which is only 6 episodes) and loved it. The word is getting out there!

Nacho Saturday
This kind of speaks for itself. It involves eating nachos. On a Saturday. And it's awesome.

Stuff I Love At The Moment

COSMETICAL WOTSITS

Garnier BB Cream in Light, or Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser in Nude, set with MAC MSF Natural Medium.
I absolutely detested the original Garnier 'BB cream' (it's not - it's a tinted moisturiser, and not a very good one), but this one (also not really a BB cream) is awesome. It gives a nice coverage and smooths out general redness and uneven tones. It doesn't disappear in minutes like the original one, either. My only complaint about it is that it's very thin so it's hard to get out of the tube without getting way too much. My other favourite face coverage at the moment is the Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser, which actually reminds me a lot of the Garnier one but is thicker. Regardless of which one I use, I set it with MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural buffed in with one of those soft Coastal Scents brushes (since my Everyday Minerals flat kabuki carked it recently). The MSF holds it all in place without looking cakey or powdery.

MAC Studio Finish concealer in NW20
I'm not a big MAC fan, so it's odd that two of my current favourite things are theirs. I bought this yonks ago, didn't like it, threw it in a drawer and forgot about it. I hauled it out a couple of weeks ago and decided to give it a go, and I really like it now. I use it under the eyes very lightly, as it's really thick, and around the nose and any other small red areas, then smooth out with an Everyday Minerals Eye Kabuki brush. I set it with a bit of MSF and I'm good to go.

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Blush and Petal
Weird confession time - over the past couple of years, my teeth have shifted a lot. They used to be pretty tightly together, and now they are gappy and the top ones are starting to protrude. I'm not gonna lie - it's heading towards hillbilly territory. Apparently it's something to do with my bite pushing them out, but I can't afford whatever it would cost to fix them at the moment so I tend to concentrate on making sure Noodles' teeth are looked after and ignore my own. It's made me self-conscious though, I've always had slightly crooked teeth and I kind of liked them, but these are just not a good look. Anyway, as a consequence, I have been steering clear of any bright lipsticks or glosses that will draw attention to my mouth. I wouldn't wear any lip colours at all except that I don't think faces look quite finished unless there's something on the lips. Enter Blush, a nude beige, and Petal, a nude pink. These are both very unassuming, easy to wear colours and I've been using them almost exclusively for the last few weeks.

Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Fragrance Mist
Jacquie brought this back from the US for me and I love it to death - it's one of those wintery vanillas that smells really foodie and delicious (in contrast, Dreamy Vanilla Woods, which I bought on eBay, smells like toilet spray). It doesn't have huge staying power, but I'm going to decant some into a smaller bottle (the one she brought back was huge) so I can carry it around with me and respray regularly. I don't even care that it's more of a cold weather perfume - I'm wearing it anyway.

NON-COSMETICAL WOTSITS

Bean and Asparagus Salad
Asparagus is my favourite vegetable, so I love it when Spring rolls around (Ha! See what I did there?) and it's everywhere. I make this salad at least a couple of times a week at this time of year, and I never tire of it. It's not even really a recipe, you're just assembling a couple of ingredients.
 

1. Top and tail some fresh stringless green beans, and chop the bottoms off some asparagus (I like the thin stalks, but you can use whatever you like).  
2. In a big pot of rapidly boiling water, blanche the vegetables for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then fish them out with a spider and plunge them into a big bowl of iced water.
3. Drain well and spread them out in a shallow bowl. Drizzle over a really good quality olive oil (use your best for this, as the TV chefs would say), fresh cracked black pepper, and fancy salt flakes or fresh ground salt. Toss a little bit with tongs to get it all coated and then eat. SO GOOD.

The Walking Dead/Watching Dead
It's that time of the year again! Haters to the left, I love this show, and I don't care about the dodgy writing or bad accents, or the supposed realism or otherwise of what people would or wouldn't do in a zombie apocalypse (Seriously? It's a ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE). I've read all the comics, so I have a fair idea of where everything is headed, even though the show deviates considerably at times. And then a couple of days after each episode I listen to The Watching Dead podcast for an entertaining recap, discussion on each episode, and audience feedback. If you're a fan of The Walking Dead, I highly recommend this podcast as a side dish. The two guys are big fans, but not above critiquing the show when it needs it, and they are both funny and entertaining without trying to sound like morning radio DJs, as podcasters are often wont to do. 

Nashville
My newest obsession, which has sparked off several other new obsessions, as listed below. This TV show is not on Australian TV yet (WHY?), but the US is about 4 episodes into it. Set in Nashville (der). it's about a fading country superstar (Connie Britton) and an up and coming pop/country crossover starlet (Hayden Panettiere) battling it out. There's also political intrigue going on with Connie's dad, a dodgy business man, trying to make her sort-of-useless husband the new Mayor of Nashville, and a bit of a bone thrown to those who just want to hear gorgeous love songs sung by ridiculously pretty people in a side plot about two plucky young'uns being discovered. It's glitzy and fun and has some awesome music, as well as Connie Britton's hair. Which leads me to...

Sam Palladio and Clare Bowen
The previously mentioned ridiculously pretty people singing gorgeous love songs. Like this one. 

And this one.

 

And that leads me to...

The Civil Wars
Apparently I'm the only person in the world who had not heard this band. This is what happens when you don't have a radio or television and you work with people who are mostly middle-aged. I thought it was Jessica who introduced me as she mentioned them on Twitter, and when I looked them up I found that they had written one of the above duets, but as it turns out, Natalie had pimped them to me in an email a couple of weeks ago, AND I had written them on my 'to download' list on my phone. I just didn't make the connection, until she huffily informed me that she was the one who had originally put me on to them. 

So, vindication and apologies to Natalie, and thank you to both her and Jess, because this band is AHMAAAHZING. Such gorgeous, gorgeous voices and beautiful, sparse music. I downloaded their album Barton Hollow on Friday morning before work and after the first 30 seconds I was completely in love, then proceeded to play it continually over and over all day, as well as most of Saturday (you're welcome, neighbours). And speaking of gorgeous duets...

Lennon and Maisy
Again, I seem to be the only person who didn't know about these girls. They play Connie Britton's daughters on Nashville and in the third episode they do an acoustic version of one of Hayden Panettiere's songs from the show which is crazy good. I was telling Noodles about it (living vicariously through other people's talented children since mine inherited her complete lack of musical ability from me), and she says, "You mean Lennon and Maisy? Everyone knows them!", and then she showed me this video. 

I'm usually pretty up on virals so I don't know how this one passed me by, but regardless, the song is on iTunes so I downloaded it and it's another one I've been playing to death. I hope they let them sing more on Nashville, they're so good. And check out their real life parents - is this the coolest family alive or what? I wonder if they would adopt me. 

Parks and Recreation
Look, I have been on at everyone I know to watch this for years, and if you haven't succumbed by now, I just don't know if we can be friends anymore. If you're a regular viewer, you'll know that the most recent episode was amazing and touching and oh my god I'm choking up again just thinking about it. The show is hilarious, the cast is perfect, Amy Poehler is the most flawless human being who ever walked the earth. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED, PEOPLE?   TREAT YO' SELF.

 

Random Things I Have Been Enjoying Lately

1. Coconut Water
Coconut is the buzz word in the world of healthifying these days - everyone and his dog is preaching the miracle properties of coconut water and coconut oil. I'm not sold on the supposed benefits of coconut oil but that's a rant for another day. However, coconut water is my new favourite thing. I've only tried a few brands and this one is really the only one I enjoy so far - the others are tetra paks and have some weird aftertaste. I haven't tried a fresh one as yet - it's on my to do list.

2. Watching Dead podcast
I'm years behind everyone with the podcast thing, for several reasons. Firstly, I absolutely detest radio - it makes me super ragey and one of the things that drives me nuts at work is people who have radios on their desks. IT'S 2012, GET A DAMN IPOD. I have always put podcasts in the same basket as radio and therefore never bothered with them much aside from Ricky Gervais, who can do no wrong. However, lately I've been checking out some movie and TV podcasts. Most of them are kind of crap - it's like radio where no one is getting paid. A couple of people who fancy themselves as comedians sit around cacking themselves at their own crappy jokes. I have a rule of 3 minutes. If it's 3 minutes into the podcast and the hosts are still making stupid jokes and talking random garbage that no one cares about like what what they did on the weekend I'm out.

I stumbled across Watching Dead accidentally when I was just looking for general TV podcasts, and loved it immediately. It's hosted by two guys who like The Walking Dead but are not total fanboys, so they are quite critical of a lot of elements. I don't necessarily agree with all of their criticisms, but I think it's refreshing to hear honest points of view rather than just OMG YOU GUYS THIS SHOW IS SO AWESOME, as is inclined to happen when people who obsessively love a particular show start doing a podcast about it. They are entertaining and quite funny at times, though it's organic rather than the 'how can I squeeze a joke in here?' sort of forced humour. I'm a bit confused though - they talk about being from Indiana but they have Southern accents - one of them in particular quite a heavy one. Isn't Indiana in the mid-West? Or am I showing my complete ignorance of American geography? Anyway, this podcast has inspired me to go back and rewatch The Walking Dead (just in time for when it comes back in a week or so - woo!), and I'm picking up quite a few things I missed the first time around.




3. aLoveTart on YouTube
Mary is rapidly becoming my favourite YouTuber for reviews and comparisons. She is pleasant and easy to listen to, with good lighting so you can see the products clearly, and a confident manner in front of a camera. Unlike some of the more well-known reviewers she isn't snarky or dismissive and doesn't spend the first five minutes banging on about how she came to be in front of a camera that day. Her reviews are really informative and thorough. Well worth checking out if you're the type to be watching beauty vloggers.




4. Ron Swanson
If you've seen Parks and Recreation this needs no eplanation. And if you haven't seen it, you're missing out on comedy gold.

5. Perfume oils
This is an old picture and I no longer have many of these, but I still have enough perfume oils to keep me smelling nice for quite some time. I went off them for a while, preferring the ease of a quick spritz of a commercial fragrance, but I've recently come back to my little brown and green bottles of deliciousness, especially since I finally whittled down my stash to the ones I really liked and got rid of everything else. A lot of these have been sorely neglected so I'm doing a bit of a 'use it or lose it' project with them at the moment.

So that's me. What are you enjoying lately?

Top 11 of 2011

I was hard-pressed to find 11 products I wore this year, let alone 11 favourites. 2011 wasn't a big beauty product year for me, for a number of reasons - I went months without wearing any makeup when I wasn't feeling well, and after realising how much I had accumulated I spent most of the year trying to get rid of a huge chunk of it one way or another. However, when I started digging around I did come across some things that I just loved this year. Quite a few of these are not new, though.

Wet'n'Wild 8 Color Icon Palette in Comfort Zone This is an amazingly good palette of neutrals. WnW really picked up their game when they reformulated their eyeshadows and brought out new ranges. I loved many of their shadows this year, but this palette was my favourite. Reviewed here.

Wet'n'Wild Single Color Icon Eyeshadow in Nutty I was all about taupes this year. This was the one I probably reached for most often. It cost me about $2US, you can't do better than that.

Silk Naturals Oatmeal Serum I am loving almost all of the Silk Naturals skin care products I've been trying lately, but this little beauty is my absolute favourite. It's a beautifully hydrating serum that I like to use under makeup in the mornings.

Shadow Worx Eye Primer This is from Coastal Scents, an online store I generally avoid for various reasons. They had a sale on brushes a while ago and I wanted to get some #217 dupes, but I figured I should buy something else to make the shipping worthwhile, and this was the something else. It's surprisingly good - I think better on me than UDPP. I intend to do a comparison with the two while I'm on holidays so we'll see if I'm right or if I'm just imagining it.

Joey New York blush in Faith I have had this for at least 2 or 3 years, and I use it frequently but I haven't even made a dent in it. It's just a pretty matte light pink shade, exactly the kind of blush shade I like.

Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Born With It Perfect, perfect neutral pink. I love these lipsticks generally but this one is by far my favourite.

Lecora lipstick in... Something Rose? Soft Rose? This is an Aldi lipstick that Jade kindly bought for me as we don't have Aldi in Adelaide. Again, it's just a lovely neutral pink. I have a lot of neutral pink lipsticks...

Flourish Bath and Body Perfume Oil in Almond Milk Gorgeous. I reviewed it here.

Everyday Minerals Junior Eye Kabuki brushes These are the brushes that come with their eyeshadow sets and I never bothered using them before, and in fact I almost threw them out. But a while ago I discovered that they're perfect for blending in concealer and my Touche Éclat. Since then I've been using them every day.

NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Citrine I have a few of these NYX lip pencils and they're great. So cheap too - about $3US on Cherry Culture, I think. This one is my favourite because it goes well with all my neutral pinks. A while ago I was buying something on Makeupgeek and they had this colour only on sale for $0.99, so I hope they're not discontinuing it! I stocked up on a couple of back ups anyway. Swatched here.

Illamasqua Angled Brow Brush This brush is all kinds of awesome. It's very stiff so you can be super precise with your brow powder or cream. I have a MAC #266 but it's too floppy and a bit useless. This is probably my all time favourite brush, I love it to death. Reviewed here.

If you want to see more Top 11s, check out Jessica, Sarah, Lilit, Natalie, Suzanne and Jade.