December Empties

\ Leave a Comment \ by

 

Dove Go Fresh Deodorant in Pear & Aloe Vera – Two deodorant empties in a row, that must be some kind of record. As I said last month, I tend to not include deodorants unless I think they’re something worth mentioning and this is another winner from Dove. This has a delightfully fresh and summery scent and as an added bonus on top of that it does a really good job as a deodorant in general.

Longvitalite Collagen Firming & Moisturising Silk Sheet Mask – I have a bunch of these in my cupboard because they’re a really easy go-to hydrating sheet mask that work well with my sensitive skin. I still prefer the Garnier masks to these, but they are an easy mask to slap on my face on a Sunday morning if I’m feeling like I need a bit of a hydration boost.

Pantene Pro V 3 Minute Miracle – I recently repurchased a few of my old-school hair favourites (Kerastase Bain Satin and Terax Crema), and remembered how much I loved using these little miracle workers in conjunction with those products. It does a wonderful job of smoothing fly-aways and noticeably enhances the shine of my hair. I love this product, and I’m glad to have reintroduced it into my hair care routine.

[sample] Josie Maran Pure Argan Milk Intensive Hydrating Treatment – I wasn’t a huge fan of this treatment because it seemed to leave a bit of an oily residue on my skin. Sadly, this didn’t have enough of an impact for me to consider purchasing a full size.

Posted in: empties \ Tagged:

January TBR

\ Leave a Comment \ by

 

The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey – “A hot summer. A shocking murder. A town of secrets, waiting to explode… A beautiful young teacher has been murdered, her body found in the lake, strewn with red roses. Local policewoman Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock pushes to be assigned to the case, concealing the fact that she knew the murdered woman in high school years before. But that’s not all Gemma’s trying to hide. As the investigation digs deeper into the victim’s past, other secrets threaten to come to light, secrets that were supposed to remain buried. The lake holds the key to solving the murder, but it also has the power to drag Gemma down into its dark depths…”

People Like Us by Dana Mele – “Kay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet, but the past is past, and she’s reinvented herself entirely. Now she’s a star soccer player whose group of gorgeous friends run their private school with effortless popularity and acerbic wit. But when a girl’s body is found in the lake, Kay’s carefully constructed life begins to topple. The dead girl has left Kay a computer-coded scavenger hunt, which, as it unravels, begins to implicate suspect after suspect, until Kay herself is in the crosshairs of a murder investigation. But if Kay’s finally backed into a corner, she’ll do what it takes to survive. Because at Bates Academy, the truth is something you make… not something that happened.”

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – “Blue has spent the majority of her sixteen years being told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. When Blue meets Gansey’s spirit on the corpse road she knows there is only one reason why – either he is her true love or she has killed him. Determined to find out the truth, Blue becomes involved with the Raven Boys, four boys from the local private school (lead by Gansey) who are on a quest to discover Glendower – a lost ancient Welsh King who is buried somewhere along the Virginia ley line. Whoever finds him will be granted a supernatural favour. Never before has Blue felt such magic around her. But is Gansey her true love? She can’t imagine a time she would feel like that, and she is adamant not to be the reason for his death. Where will fate lead them?”

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – “Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the `80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.”

Posted in: books, TBR \ Tagged: ,

2019 Bucket List

\ Leave a Comment \ by

 

2018 was a big year for me. Moving interstate was probably one of the biggest life challenges I have faced to date but it was definitely a worthwhile experience. I think 2019 is going to be mainly about establishing myself in Adelaide, branching out a bit more and trying new things.

Here is what is on my bucket list for the new year –

Get a new job
The end of February will mark one year of living in Adelaide, and unfortunately that is as long as my current employer will allow me to work remotely. I’m grateful for the opportunity I was given to continue to work from another state because I know exceptions were made for me which is amazing and I am so thankful. That being said, the time has come for me to find something here in Adelaide so I am officially on the hunt for the right opportunity.

Go on a holiday
It’s been over a year since Sebastian and I went on a holiday, so one of my goals for this year is for us to go away somewhere together. It doesn’t have to be a big trip or anything overseas (he has a lot of international travel coming up for work), even just a weekend away up the coast somewhere would be nice.

Return to Perth for a visit
A dear friend of mine is getting married in Perth in April so I’m hoping to return for a visit around that time. Ideally I would like to take an extended break and go down south to spend some time with my family as well, but this will all be dependent on my job situation.

Read 52 Books & Watch 52 Movies
My reading goal for 2019 is to read 52 books. Normally I aim for around 50, but I beat that challenge by quite a bit in 2019 and I think a book a week is a reasonable goal for me. I’ve been trying to watch more movies lately too, so I’ve tacked on a 52 movie challenge as well.

Finish writing my novella
One of my favourite ways to spend my free time is writing, but this has fallen by the wayside recently. I have two works in progress at the moment that I am excited about and I’m looking forward to spending time working on them both and spending more time interacting with my writing community.

Explore and get to know Adelaide
Because I’ve been working from home for most of the year, and because Sebastian is originally from Adelaide and is so familiar with the city, I haven’t done a lot of driving or exploring by myself. I think a key to me feeling more at home here is getting more familiar with my surroundings, so I hope to work on that a bit more this year.

Posted in: bucket list, goals \ Tagged: ,

December Book Haul

\ Leave a Comment \ by

 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – “Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the `80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.”

People Like Us by Dana Mele – “Kay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet, but the past is past, and she’s reinvented herself entirely. Now she’s a star soccer player whose group of gorgeous friends run their private school with effortless popularity and acerbic wit. But when a girl’s body is found in the lake, Kay’s carefully constructed life begins to topple. The dead girl has left Kay a computer-coded scavenger hunt, which, as it unravels, begins to implicate suspect after suspect, until Kay herself is in the crosshairs of a murder investigation. But if Kay’s finally backed into a corner, she’ll do what it takes to survive. Because at Bates Academy, the truth is something you make… not something that happened.”

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy – “We all want different things. Francie wants to be the perfect mother. Nell wants to escape the past. Collette wants to spend more time with her family. All Winnie wants is to have her baby back. When Nell suggests a night out in Brooklyn to her new mums club, the others jump at the chance. But the evening takes a tragic turn when single mother Winnie learns that her six-week-old son Midas has been kidnapped. As the investigation hits a dead end, Nell, Collette and Francie make it their mission to succeed where the police are failing and bring baby Midas home. But as Winnie and those around her come under scrutiny from the media, damaging secrets come to light and friendships are pushed to the limit. Because people will do almost anything to protect the ones they love…”

Posted in: books, haul \ Tagged: ,

November Empties

\ Leave a Comment \ by

 

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser – November was apparently a month of finishing up favourite products, starting with this one. We always have a bottle of this in our shower because we both use it every day as an all-over body cleanser. It’s gotten to the point where I’ve started buying this in bulk sets from Costco because it’s such a staple in our house.

Paula’s Choice Hydralight One-Step Face Cleanser – Yet another staple in our house, this is my favourite and is now something Sebastian is using every day as well. If you’re in the market for a gentle cleanser that will work well with sensitive skin and keep your skin clear — look no further.

Dove Deodorant in Pomegranate and Lemon Verbena Scent – I don’t always post my deodorant empties because it seems weirder than other empties, but I do like to share this one because it smells incredible. If you haven’t stopped to give this a sniff, do so next time you’re at the shops because once you’ve smelled this you probably won’t want to wear anything else.

Hourglass Brow Arch in Dark Brunette – I’m pretty lucky in the eyebrow department because my brows are thick and dark but they do need some help with shaping. This is my go-to brow product because it matches the shade of my brows perfectly and it fills in the gaps where I need it to. It’s also easy enough to remove if I’m a bit clumsy with my application, which is a win for me.

[sample] Kate Somerville Quench Oil Free Hydrating Face Serum – I went through a phase a few years ago where I purchased a whole bunch of Kate Somerville products, purely because Lauren Conrad used them. I was pretty happy with the products at the time, but they weren’t good enough to knock Paula’s Choice off the top of my list. This is the first sample I’ve tried in a while that I would seriously consider buying a full-sized version of. This did a good job of hydrating my skin, and the results were almost immediately noticeable. I’m not in a position to be purchasing any expensive serums at the moment, but when I am this will be something I will be looking at getting.

[sample] Dove Daily Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner – This was a ‘neither here nor there’ sort of product for me. It did the job of cleaning my hair well enough but it wasn’t something I would rush out to purchase.

Posted in: empties \ Tagged: