Link Loving #2

I spend a fair portion of my life on my computer (sometimes productively, I promise!) and I often come across some really great things which are too good not to share so here is the second instalment of my link loving series.

Nouvelle Daily posted a really great DIY for a jewellery display which is simple but very classy with easily accessible materials. I loved it so much that I'm keen to do my own when I get the opportunity. It's also very customisable to match your style and needs, you can change the hook set up or paint it a different colour with ease to make it your own.

Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup has recently started doing weekly vlogs (I say recently, this has been going on for ten weeks) and I absolutely love them! Her and her boyfriend Mark document the best bits of their weeks and wrap it up into a nice little weekly Tuesday upload. A part of the problem with daily vlogging is that sometimes it feels like people are trying to fill them out to make them more of a substantial video instead of being great content but making them weekly eliminates that and these have quickly become one of my favourites videos to see in my subscriptions feed.

Lewis Watson has been one of my favourite singer-songwriters for over two years now and he recently went back to his youtube cover roots and uploaded a beautiful cover of Oceans by Coldplay. I can't even begin to explain how much I love this cover so all I can say is click here, close your eyes and listen.

I've confessed my crush on Alexa Chung a fair bit on the internet and just when I thought I couldn't love her any more (I mean seriously, she used puns to name her eyeko range) she collaborated with Lisa Eldridge for a tutorial of her own signature look. Not only is her eyeliner applying skill incredible (she does it herself in this video) but she is also really interesting and I love the her laid back attitude in this video.

My handwriting is something I'm weirdly proud of, I personally think mine is neat but effortless at the same time and I have spent a lot of time making it how I want it to be (there was a time back in primary school where I spent weeks getting myself into the habit of doing normal f's instead of the really curly ones I'd been doing before). Cupcakes & Cashmere recently shared her faux calligraphy tips and not only is the writing beautiful but it is a very simple technique which I have loved learning how to do.

And last but not least is a bit of news that interests the Australian beauty lovers who read my blog. Somehow I missed the news that Australia was getting Sephora at the end of this year (right in time for my birthday, it's going to be grand) but they have revealed they intend to "price match the US on a portion of it's range" creating a new level of competition in the Australian market (you can read the article about it here). For those who don't know, makeup and skincare is incredibly overpriced in Australia with up to a 200% mark up so if Sephora do this well and stray true to their word this is just the right shake up that will make my bank account very happy.

What have you been loving on the internet recently? Anything that has managed to slip past my very watchful eyes?

The Want List

Part of the problem with being very active in the beauty/fashion blogger community is that the wants accumulate and for a girl who is trying to save her pennies, the temptation is painful. I try not to have too many impulse buys and go shopping with a plan to make the most of what I buy. The best way I've found to keep track is to have a running list and to check back on it so I only but what I really really want and have done for a while. What's on this list you may ask?

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask - This has been on my list for over six months now and after my first dabble into Origins with the charcoal mask I think this is the next progression. It's a no fuss mask that has rave reviews and just fits in with the budget. I see it as the more I invest in looking after my skin the less I have to in covering it.

Marc Jacobs Baker watch in gold - I almost caved for this at Christmas but just couldn't quite bring myself to spend so much money on a watch but I think it's going to happen as my gap year survival present to myself at the end of the year. My wrists are childlike so I can't even find a bracelet that fits nicely but I think this watch will be the best investment my wrist will ever have.

Urban Decay Naked 2 palette - I have mentioned this previously on my blog before and the want still stands. It's on the back burner right now because I'm quite content with my no fuss concealer, brows and mascara look that's my go to at the moment but I'm keeping an eye out for it to go on sale on Beauty Bay so I can snap it up.

See by Chloe - Spotted on the vlog channel of Estee from EssieButton, this perfume is most likely my next buy in the scent department. I've been wearing Dot by Marc Jacobs almost exclusively since I got it in December which I still adore but it's half gone and I think it's time for a switch up. I smelt this once and loved it (it even got the mum tick of approval), a few more swatches are in order for my final conclusion but it's looking hopeful.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Hot Pepper- I swatched this on my hand and I kid you not it lasted two days of showers and handwashing before it was all gone. It's a perfect red and the formula has gotten the tick of approval from the bold lip goddess Anna from ViviannaDoesMakeup so I'm sold. In Australia it's not exactly cheap so I'm waiting for it to go on sale before I pick it up but expect a review on here soon after I do.

Black brogues - I did have my eye on some from Wittner but they are out of my price range so I am going to hunt through the end of financial year sales to find the perfect pair. I love the masculinity of the brogue, I think they definitely fall into the 'tom-boy chic' category and they are also really versatile, downplaying feminine cuts and can replace heels for the right occasion (my brown pair already do). Shoe shopping for me is quite hard and it's a godsend for me to find a pair I actually like.

What is on your want list? Actually, don't tell me. I don't need any more ideas.

An Ode To: Mens Loungewear

So as much as I like to keep up some sort of glamorous persona on here, the reality is that I spend most of my down time makeup-less and in some very comfy attire. But a recent discovery has made this time all that much more comfortable.

Girls have been stealing guys clothes for a while, from the old fashioned blazer over the shoulders as you walk home hand in hand (a gesture I think is very sweet) to borrowing a hoodie for a lazy Sunday together. But as a girl with no boyfriend (not really fussed to have one right at this point is my life either) I decided I'd do the next best thing.

I'm a big lover of loungewear, the comfier and cosier the better to the point where I was fed up with the thin track pants and jumpers from the women's section and decided to screw the judgement and just buy from the men's section. Not only are my new track pants thicker, cheaper and longer but they also have pockets! The whole 'drop crotch' thing was weird at first but it was a fast adaption and I don't half mind it now.

I am one very comfortably lady and I keep thinking of ways I can get away with wearing my trackies in public just so I don't have to take them off! Can't quite bring myself to yet in fear I'll see someone I know but I'm working on it.

The Best Of Instagram

Hi my name is Holly and I am an Instagram addict. I wish I could insert an 'I'm kidding' line in there but I really can't. Instagram is one of my favourite forms of social media, it's simple, it requires a certain level of creativity and it's primarily the best bits of peoples lives (unlike facebook and twitter).

I follow 363 accounts, a lot of which are personal accounts of friends but a fair few are bloggers, photographers and creative types of various forms who have beautiful Instagram feeds (is that even the term for it?). It took a lot of effort and some serious deliberation but I managed to summarise my top 5 accounts that most people won't know about.

m_i_s_o_ - Run by a tattoo artist (if you're a tumblr user you've probably come across some of her work at some point)/artist/photographer/damn cool person, this account is a compilation of drawings, tattoos and workspace shots stunningly photographed. It's a private account but with over 50 000 followers I think all requests are accepted.

tamaraloo - A mix of fashion, food and beauty shots, Tamara's simplistic but chic pictures are some of my favourites and I love seeking inspiration from her posts. With a very clean, crisp and occasionally tropical theme going on her feed is one I really enjoy viewing.

meganisobel - The Instagram account of the fabulous blogger behind lipssofacto is one of those feeds where I get an instant life envy, even just from a shot of her messy topknot. I'll forgive the Birkenstocks for her fashion, lifestyle and beauty posts which step away from the blogger photo cliches (which I fall into all too frequently) and are perfectly understated.

madewell1937 - Admittedly this account is a form of advertisement but when the photos are so beautiful (and I can't actually buy anything because of the whole living in Australia thing) I can excuse that fact. With a collection of more earthier but still very crisp photos that are mainly fashion related, this feed is one of the best around for clothing stores and the advertising portion isn't as obnoxious as other accounts.

phoebe__darcy - This amazing feed is created by someone very close to home, Phoebe is a fashion and textiles student and also one of my oldest friends who I knew as a toddler and then was reunited with in high school. Her style is impeccable and her photography is stunning, a definite hidden gem amongst Instagram and one I look at with the pride of 'I know that girl'.

What are your favourite hidden gems on Instagram? Any I should be following? Let me know in the comments.

Pastel Paint Palette Nail Art

A while back I read Lily Pebbles' post on paint palette nail art and loved it, promptly recreated it and uploaded a very low quality to instagram. Months later I am bringing what was a quite simple technique (no odd tools required) back but in pastel.

I love pastel polish year round, my nails are the only place I really wear much colour and I think it's a gentle pop amongst my primarily monochrome outfit choices. I'm not big on 'nail trends' so my colour choices are rarely influenced by season but this would be more of a summer choice for some but I'm wearing it in Autumn right now.

With a simple white base (a shade that if you're into a little bit of nail art, you need to have and I recommend buying a decent one, not just the cheapest one from the supermarket like I did) paint over the nail as many coats as required until fully opaque. I used Sally Hanses Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear polish in White On. I did this step the night before so it was fully dry but either use a quick dry top coat to shorten the process or wait an hour so the polish won't move when you paint over it.

I'd personally go with four or five shades but use what you have. I went for Essie's Go Ginza (pastel pink), Essie's Bikini So Teeny (darkest blue), Maybelline Color Show in Green With Envy (the deeper green), L'Oreal Color Riche in French Riviera (very pale blue) and Covergirl's Outlast Stay Brilliant polish in Lav-Endure (pastel purple).

Wipe the majority of polish off the brush so it's going to be slightly streaky and uneven, and gently do a small stroke over the nail. You can place this randomly or strategically depending if you want the art to be uniform on all nails or different. If the colour didn't show up as much as you'd wanted, you can easily go over it again with the same process. It's better to have less and add because you can't take any away without starting over.

Repeat this on every nail, one colour at a time to make it simpler. Because the strokes are thin they'll dry quite quickly and some of the colours don't overlap at all so you can do those at the same time. Repeat this process for all colours on all nails and finish off with a topcoat after a few hours so the colours don't blend together and you're finished!

It's a simple introduction into the nail art world and I really loved the results. Let me know in the comments if you'll be trying the paint palette look.

Height Advantage

It's hard to tell across the internet but I am in fact a very tall girl. I don't mean that I'm 5'7 and I am just enough above average height to follow @tallgirlproblems on twitter. No by tall I mean I am taller than the majority of the population, both male and female.

I am 6ft.

Which leads to the obvious questions. Do you model? Do you play basketball? How are you going to find a boyfriend tall enough for you? (the last one was asked in spite by a guy who I rejected in high school)

It took me a long time to accept how tall I was. It's odd not wanting to accept something you can't change but at 14 years old when the majority of guys in my grade hadn't even had their growths spurt yet, it really sucked. And I was reminded of this because my height became the first thing people noticed about me, still is.

But after a lot of time hating the most obvious thing about me I am gradually learning to love it. Gradually should be emphasised there. I don't slouch as much in photos anymore, I wear heels if the occasion calls for it and I show of the killer legs which are one of the saving graces for being so tall.

My advice to the tall girl reading this post?

Go to as many concerts as you can. Being a head above the rest in a mosh pit may annoy the people behind you but don't let yourself care. Embrace being able to see the artist without looking up at the big screens and brag to yourself a little as your short friends struggle to even see those (self bragging is ok and if you've got a best friend who won't take it personally, brag aloud if it makes you feel better about yourself).

Show off those pins. Girl (did I just say that??), you've got what others envy so embrace them. Wear playsuits and high waisted shorts, anything that just emphasises the blessing that height can be.

Don't slouch. Confidence is key, even if it's fake. People who thrive on negativity are less likely to make you their target if you look confident and over time faking confidence won't be so difficult anymore.

You're a small fish in a big pond. For those cruel people who critique how you're going to find a boyfriend/girlfriend because you're so tall just remember there are 7 billion people in this world and although you'll never meet all of them, there is most certainly someone for you. Also who says you have to date a guy taller than you? It's 2014, do what you want.

Unfortunately I don't have a solution for finding jeans that fit without it costing a fortune or for maxi dresses coming up to your shins yet but I'm working on it.

Any other advice? If you're a tall girl let me know in the comments and tell me about how you accepted it?

Playing Favourites

I've always been very unmotivated to do a favourites post on this blog, choosing instead to wrap it into my quarterly mood boards. But for once I had a selection of things that I truly loved, rather than a few I loved and a few I liked that would fill out the post.

I had my eye on this little notebook for weeks before I caved and let myself buy it. Made by The New York Times this notebook is a really practical size with plenty of room to write as many lists as the heart desires (and my heart desires a lot). Online I couldn't find the single paperback version I bought from my newsagent but you can buy a set on the New York Times Store here.

Essie Lilacism has to be on of my favourite nail polishes of all time, it's the perfect not too in your face pastel purple which depending on the lighting sometimes looks blue and other times grey. It goes with my mainly monochrome wardrobe a treat and somehow I think is quite a mature pastel, not to mention the amount of compliments I get on the colour at work is unprecedented out of any of the other colours that I wear (and there is a lot).

Up until now I've never worn a nude lip, as a fair skinned girl I think it's harder to find a great nude to suit me and whenever I go to buy one I always change my mind because they always look like such an older woman's colour when I swatch them. The first one I bought out of excitement for the launch of the Rimmel Moisture Renew lipsticks in Australia. Nottinghill Nude is quite a brown colour but lightly blended over the lip, it looks less like it belongs in the early 2000's and much more like a modern nude. The second is Clarins Rouge Prodige lipstick in Nude, a lighter colour which I blend lightly once again and has the most beautiful packaging out of any other product I own. The downside is the scent, not my taste at all.

These rings have been popping up everywhere recently and I really like them. They're a simple statement piece and quite practical, you can buy them in sets with other rings quite cheaply as well which is the bonus if you want to give one a go without committing to something more expensive.

Washi tape has to go on my list of #essiemademebuyit items. It's overpriced and a complete waste of money but it's pretty and I couldn't resist. I got a set of five but the patterned ones were my favourite and I can't wait to be able to use them (for what, I'm not sure but I'll find something).

What have you been loving of recent? Anything amazing I should be tempted to buy?