Thoughts of the week

1. I went back to work for half a day this week. I really love my workmates, it's such a wonderful environment.

2. Two days until the boys are back at school. The crazy has already started. The emails and scheduling for therapy etc. I do not enjoy it.

3. I really want to try some Tower 28 products. I definitely don't need any more make-up.

4. Lemon Butter is one of life's greatest joys.

5. Coffee is another one.

FFS Friday - Scattered

Hello beautiful people. How are you all? I am still here. 

 

I organised our bathroom this week. I really wish I'd taken a before photo. It was so messy, there were things all over the place and it was awful. What really annoyed me is that the boys (including Tiger) would get water and toothpaste all over my skin care. 

Now it's all safely covered so when they splash water everywhere it doesn't get on my skincare. I used storage from Kmart, it was all under $50 (I think I paid $41 or something around there). 

The fridge, pantry and laundry cupboard are next. Not sure when I'll get to them, hopefully this week. If it doesn't happen before school goes back then it won't happen for a while.

The next two weeks are going to be crazy because I'm working full time. What a great way to start the school year off. The $$ will be helpful and I really enjoy working, it's just all the other stuff that I'm not looking forward to. The schedules, having to get up and get going straight away, the meltdowns etc. I love the easy, lazy mornings we have during school holidays.

 

This is going to sound silly but...I've just realised that I live with four males. I am the only female in our household. Well if you count the dog there are two females, but she's more like a boy because she's messy and smelly. 

 

I found an Instagram account that is wonderful for parents of neurodivergent kids. It's called On.The.Hard.Days (link here). She really gets it. It's like she's turned my thoughts in to words. I've spent the last few days scrolling her feed and crying, it's like I finally feel seen. If you too have a neurodivergent child, check her out. She also has a podcast. I'm not a podcast person so haven't listened to it, but it'd probably be awesome. 

That's all of my random thoughts for today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

 

 

My favourite everyday lipsticks

If you've been around here for a while you'll know I have a type, a lipstick type. I'm all about pinky mauve lipsticks, they're my favourite. 

I haven't spoken about lipstick for a while so it's time to chat about my two current favourite lipsticks.

 

MAC Syrup has been a favourite for nearly twenty years now. It's the first MAC lipstick I bought and it's the only lipstick that I've finished more than one tube of. It's always in my collection and I have a back-up. If I could only wear one lipstick for the rest of my life it would by Syrup.

Bobbi Brown Blue Raspberry is a new favourite. It's the Crushed formula which I really like as it's very hydrating and balmy. I'm surprised there isn't more hype about Blue Raspberry because it's gorgeous. If it wasn't for Make-Up Talk I wouldn't have known it existed. 

 

As you can see, they're quite similar, in fact I'd say they are similar enough that I don't need both of them, but I use and love them both. 

 

Syrup is more pink and Blue Raspberry is more brown. They're both great every day lipsticks, they look natural, they're hydrating and wear off evenly. Neither of them are particularly long lasting, they need to be reapplied every hour or two, but that doesn't bother me. 

 

Both lipsticks have a light vanilla fragrance, MAC's fragrance is slightly stronger than Bobbi Brown. The Bobbi Brown formula is longer lasting, I get about two hours wear as opposed to MAC which I get around an hours wear. MAC is glossier, Bobbi Brown is more balmy and hydrating. 

The other Crushed lipstick I love is Lilac, which is almost identical to Syrup. 

Do you have a favourite lipstick?

Thoughts of the week

1. The crazy starts again next week. I am not ready.

 

2. Wouldn't life be lovely if it we had no schedule? Those are the days I like the best.

 

3. I just placed my first order with Ali Express. I'm waiting to see if it arrives, how long it takes and what the product is like. I'm not expecting anything amazing.

 

4. This year I'm setting a strict budget and making sure we stick to it. Tiger is not at all happy about this but it's high time we got our finances sorted and debt paid off.

 

5. I've just read about the ex cricketer and his girlfriend getting into a fight. Violence in a relationship is not okay from either partner.

FFS Friday - Violet

Hello beautiful people. How are you all? It's been a while since we chatted. What's been going on?

 

I'm decluttering at the moment. For the most part I really don't enjoy it. I've done the toy room and now I'm doing the boys room. I enjoy the end result but not the process. The only time I really enjoy decluttering is when I'm decluttering my things, I find it very satisfying. Organising messes that I didn't create just makes me angry. The large majority of the organising and decluttering I do in this house are messes that I didn't create, which is why I don't enjoy it. 

 

This is made worse by the knowledge that within a few months they will have messed it all up again. It's like being stuck in groundhog day. I clean up, they mess it up, I clean up, they mess it up and the cycle continues. Either that or I refuse to clean it up and everything just stays messy and no-one cares about it other than me. Either way, it is very, very annoying. So, right now, instead of sorting the boys room I'm procrastinating on here. Next up I'll make a coffee and have some lunch. Eventually I'll get their room sorted, once I can't put it off any longer. 

 

I would love our life to be less focused on stuff. So much of life is about stuff and I don't like that at all. I want the focus to be on fun and enjoyment, not the acquisition of stuff. I'm constantly telling hubby that I don't want to spend money we don't have on things that we don't need but he just doesn't get it. He's all about spending money. I'm all about not spending money. Makes like interesting. But enough about that. What do I want to whinge about today? I can't think of anything. 

 

Oh yes I can. There was a house fire in our suburb this week. It was arson and the person who did it was the ex partner of the women who lived at the house. Thankfully there was no-one in the house at the time. Police are now looking for the arsonist. I really hope they're protecting the women because her life is clearly in danger. Male violence towards women has to stop. There have already been two deaths this year of women killed by their male partner. That's two deaths in two weeks. What's being done about it? Nothing. Where's the public outrage? Where's the message to men that violence is not okay? I don't see it. I see women being blamed, I see the media phrasing it to make it look like the man deserves sympathy, that he couldn't help it. Bullshit. Men need to take responsibility. They are fully capable of controlling themselves they just choose not to. Men need to call other men out. Everyone needs to stand up and give a very clear message that violence towards women is not ok and will not be tolerated. 

 

I really hope that lady is safe and protected.

 

Have a beautiful weekend and remember you are perfect exactly as you are. 

 

 

What's in my daily make-up bag

Last week I said I'd show you what's in my daily make-up bag. Here it is:

 

These are the products I wear every day when I'm working. When I'm not working I usually just use a brown pencil and that's it. 

Rimmel Insta Fix and Go

I'm not attached to this. I'm just going through using up the setting sprays I have and this is the one that I pulled out. If I don't have another one in my collection I'll probably try the much raved about Charlotte Tilbury one.

 

Maybelline Instant Perfector 4 in 1 Glow in shade 01 light

I'm not attached to this either. I have several other foundations that I like more, however I got this a few months ago and am going through it quickly so I'm using it daily until it's gone. 

Whilst it's a nice product it's not amazing. I need at least two layers to get the coverage that I like. I could use one layer and add concealer but I can't be bothered doing that so I just apply several layers. 

Hourglass Luminous Light Powder

I've had this for so long it needs to go. It's a gorgeous setting powder and I'll happily repurchase. It blurs my fine lines and pores and makes my skin look smooth and lovely. 

 

100% Pure Pink Grapefruit Fruit Pigmented Lip and Cheek Tint

I suspect this may have been discontinued which is a shame because it's a gorgeous product. It smells good, lasts well and can be used on lips as well as cheeks. 

If you like a sheer but buildable blush this is worth checking out. 

 

Designer Brands Loudest Lash Mascara

I love DB Mascara's, they're all I use now. This isn't my favourite of their range because it only comes in black and I prefer brown mascaras. Once I've used this up I'll switch back to my favourite Centre Stage Mascara. 

 

Colour Pop Lumiere Lip Liner

I'm not loyal to any lip liner. As long as it's a soft, creamy, mid toned cool pink I'm happy. I was using a Pixie one that I loved but it's been discontinued so I moved on to the Colour Pop one. I love the shade and would purchase it again if I could buy it locally. Once this has finished I'll replace it with something in the same shade that I can buy locally.  

Physician's Formula Deep Brown Eye Booster

I have been using this for at least ten years. It's my all time favourite eye liner. I use it to tighline as I don't like the look of visible eyeliner on me. I have to buy it from iHerb now as I can't get it locally, but I'll continue to purchase it until it's discontinued. I've tried other brush style eye liners but nothing compares to this one. 

 

By Terry Bronze Moon Ombre Blackstar

I do not love this at all but want to get rid of it. It's not awful, I just don't love it as it creases and I can't be bothered with that. When I'm at work I don't have time to be constantly checking my make-up, I need products that I can put on then forget about. Once this is finished I'll go back to my beloved Rimmel cream eyeshadows.

 

Barry M Deep Rose Cheek and Lip Tint

Oh how I love this. It's a gorgeous rosy pink tint that lasts all day on my lips. I put it on before lip liner so that even when my lip products wear off I've still got colour on my lips. The pink shade is perfect. 

 

Models Prefer Medium Brown Retractable Brow Pencil

I'm not loyal to brow products. I usually use L'oreal or Rimmel but they were out of stock and Models Prefer was on sale so I picked up this one. The pencil is thicker and waxier than I like, but it does the job. 

 

Bobbi Brown Blue Raspberry Crushed Lip Colour

This is true love. I don't know why I haven't heard more about this shade, it's gorgeous. On me it's the perfect every day mlbb shade. If I ever use it up I'll definitely repurchase.

That's it. Basically my every day make-up can be summed up as light foundation, pinky mauve blush and lipstick, dark brown eyeliner, cream eyeshadow, mascara, brow gel, setting spray and setting powder. I don't bother with bronzer, concealer, contour or highlighter. My routine is quick and easy no make-up make-up. 

 

If I had to replace my whole collection I'd just buy the products above with the addition of a clear lip gloss, a blue or grey eyeliner and a red lipstick. That's it. 

Do you have an everyday go to make-up routine?

Thoughts of the week

1. It's all over the news that a diabetes drug is not available at the moment because people on social media have been promoting it as a weight loss drug. What I don't understand is how people who don't have diabetes have been able to access it when it's prescription only. Surely Dr's wouldn't be prescribing it to people for weight loss?

 

2. We went to see The Giants during the week, they were amazing. We've seen three of the five, we'll go back to see the two we missed when the weather is cooler. If you get the chance I highly recommend it.

 

3. Who's ready for school to go back? I am definitely not. I don't want the craziness to start again, I love our relaxed, no schedule days.

 

4. The Body Shop are releasing a whole pile of new make-up soon. The products look lovely. If you want to see what's coming you can check it out in The Body Shop at Home catalogue.

 

5. Rest in Peace Lisa Marie Presley.

 

Thought on no buys, destashing and minimalism.

After last weeks evacuation I've been thinking a lot. These aren't new thoughts, they're things that have been on my mind for a while, brewing away. 

I've known for a while that I don't value most of the things in our house. Most of it is just stuff. Stuff that I want to get rid of. What really struck me last week though is that I don't value most of my beauty collection. It used to be something that I loved and treasured. Last week I realised that I no longer treasure it. As I was packing I looked at everything and didn't chose to take anything other that my every day makeup bag. The rest I was happy to leave behind. It's all just stuff. 

Stuff that sometimes feels like it's holding me back. Stuff that I don't want any more. I don't want the mess, I don't want the clutter, I just don't want so much stuff. 

At the end of last year I did another big clean up of the boys toy room. I've done it countless times before and every single time they've messed it up again within a few days. This time I got rid of almost everything. They barely play with their toys so I got rid of them. I got rid of all the books that they're too old for and a whole pile of rubbish that was floating around the room.

With the things that they wanted to keep I implemented a rule. If they don't play with it for four weeks then it's going. I'm only going to keep things that they play with. 

I need to do the same thing in my room, go through and have a big clean out. I have so much stuff in there and I don't need it all, it can go. 

Clutter annoys me. It makes me feel overwhelmed, frustrated and annoyed. The big problem we have with this house is that there is no storage so all the clutter is visible and I hate it. Plus, every thing in the house cost, so all the clutter is money we spent, money we worked for. Was it worth it?

I've been thinking a lot about my beauty collection and have come to realise that I don't love it any more. I don't get the fun and enjoyment out of it that I used to. It just feels like a habit or an obligation. In the past I loved playing around with my make-up. I had it all organised and would rotate through things as I tried out different looks. I don't have the time or the desire to do that any more.

There are a few things I'd like to normalise this year. I'd like to normalise showing used make-up online. Most the posts show brand new make-up which means that when people get something new they can't try it out until they've taken photos. Doing that means it takes all the excitement out of using a new product and puts the excitement on purchasing the product. To me that seems like a really big problem. If you only get excitement out of buying the product and not using it, then you constantly want to purchase new things. 

If you can use something as soon as you buy it then the excitement switches to being about the new product and you love using it for weeks or months. 

I'd like to normalise not buying all the latest releases. Let's face it, there's not much that we haven't seen before. It might have different packaging or a cool applicator, but chances are if you have a large collection you'll have something very similar already. We seem to be all about having the latest and greatest fad, but fads are so short, they come and go quickly. A few months ago it was Clinique Black Honey, now it's Revlon Glass Shine Rum and Raisin. They're nearly identical. And both of them are very similar to the Nivea lip balms in Blackberry and Pomegranate. 

Even if it is something new and different, will you really use it? I have a daily make-up bag with the products I use every day. They're the same. They've been the same for a long time. I always use the same or similar products so what's the point in having a large variety of products when I won't use them? Pre kids I'd do a different look every day. I don't do that any more and haven't for years, yet I still buy different products thinking I'll use them. If my make-up wearing habits have changed then my purchasing habits need to change too. 

 

I'd also like to normalise having the same favourites all the time. I stopped doing monthly favourites but I'm thinking about doing them again just to show what I'm using and loving. There might be a few changes when the seasons change, but most of the time it'll be the same reliable products. 

I'm not planning on doing a no buy or low buy this year. I'm not going to have a target of how many products I want to use up. I'm just going to use what I love, love what I have and seriously think about my purchasing habits. When I was thinking about what make-up I didn't want to lose it was my daily make-up bag, MAC Not Humble, Just Bragging lipstick and my Bobbi Brown Blue Raspberry lipstick. That's it. Sure, there are other products I'd miss but they can all be easily replaced. In fact, everything in my make-up bag could be easily replaced, it'd just be an inconvenience.

I'll do a post next week showing my every day make-up products. Whilst I don't always buy the same product, I use the same things every day.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Are you on a no buy or low buy or just trying to be a more conscious consumer? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thoughts of the week

1. Some people really like drama. I like to stay away from those people. Just remember that even if they are trying to drag you into their drama, you do not have to respond. You can ignore or block. No explanations, no excuses, just don't respond.

 

2. Lately I've had the chance to spend one on one time with each of the boys and it's been lovely. I'm going to make the effort to do it more often.

 

3. Summer has hit with a vengeance and I'm just not here for it.

 

4. I'm already dreading how busy this year is going to be. I'm trying not to think of all the commitments I have and how I'm going to juggle them. Being a Mum is tough.

 

5. This year I'm determined to get our finances under control. If anyone has a good budgeting app or spreadsheet, please let me know.

FFS Friday - Fire

This year has not got off to the slow start that I was hoping for. Wednesday there was a fire in the bush near our house (about 1 km away). 

 

I was at home doing housework when I heard sirens. The first few I didn't take much notice of but when they kept on going and sounding really close I checked the Emergency WA Warnings website and saw there was a fire right near our house. Then I looked out the window and saw thick black smoke.

 

I straight away called my friend who lives across the road. We met out the front of our houses and she called her mate who's a volunteer firey. He recommended we pack a bag and be prepared to leave so that's what we did.

 

Thankfully the boys were out with their Uncle so I didn't have to worry about them. I called my bff who came home from work, organised for the boys to be taken to her house, arranged for my sister to look after the dog and was able to pack our bags.

 

It didn't take long until there were planes and helicopters flying over our house. That was scary!

For years I've had a bag with all of our important documents and photos in it. Due to that I didn't have to race around trying to get things together but I have realised there's a few areas where my evacuation plan could be improved. The bag with all our things in it is great, but I didn't know what else I needed to pack so had to call Tiger to find out what he needed. Now that I know, I've made a checklist that I'll keep in our evacuation bag so I don't miss anything.

So far my list is:

• Phone chargers
• Tablet chargers
• Watch chargers
• Laptop chord
• Tablets
• Headphones
• Laptops
• Clothes for us all
• Toiletries
• Medications
• Prescriptions
  
• Shut all doors
• Turn off air-conditioner 
• Turn reticulation on
  

The fire was clearly visible from our house and by the time I'd made sure the kids and dog were settled I could see that it was under control. They had 2 planes and 2 helicopters dropping water on it, plus the fire brigade.

 

Three things have stuck with me. 

One, people are stupid. There were so many cars and people, including families with young children, heading towards the fire to check it out. This was despite knowing that it could easily jump from the bush to the residential area in which case they would have been in immediate danger. 

 

Two, my friends and neighbours are awesome. We were all looking out for each other and it was great. 

 

Three, as I was walking around my house looking at what I wanted to save, there wasn't much. It's all just stuff that can be replaced. There's no way I'd stay around to save the house, if there's an emergency I'm out of there.

 

The only concerning thing is that I didn't pack my coffee machine. I think there must be something seriously wrong. 

I hope that your year is off to a less eventful start. Here's hoping we all have a boring and uneventful year.