All The Things!

just some pretty things i've picked up recently. the little dishes were bought while op-shopping this weekend for $2 each and while i don't need to buy any more knick-knacks for the rest of my life, they were too pretty to leave behind. the cardigan came to me at a $5 vintage sale in a warehouse in melbourne when i was there a few weekends ago. the stars aligned for me and the sale just happened to be on the weekend i'd already booked my flights for, and while you'd better believe i walked away with more than just that cardigan, it's my favourite thing from the trip. the little hedgehog candles are from modcloth, which i picked up along with a few other things in their black friday sale.

indeed labs pepta-bright / estee lauder advanced night repair / estee lauder perfectionist CP+ wrinkle lifting serum / clinique super city block SPF40

mac ice parade snowglobe palette in warm / mac 187se brush / mac 286se brush / mac 282se brush / mac 130se brush

mac paint pot in bare study / mac ice parade palette, shades from left to right: winterscape, magical mist, patina, 
buckwheat, gaelic gold, midnight flurry / estee lauder pure colour stay-on shadow paint in pink zinc

clinique chubby sticks in pudgy peony and voluptuous violet / mac matte lipstick in diva / clinique bottom lash mascara

above are some (mostly) high end skincare and makeup products i've been using recently. i got the majority of them from the estee lauder corporate store which i've talked aboout before, so i can tell you right now almost everything was majorly discounted. i believe both estee lauder serums have been reformulated very recently and i was lucky enough to visit while they were selling the discontinued formula for about a third less than the retail price. the mac brushes were also an amazing buy, i believe they're from an old limited edition collection (as is the palette) because the handle is smaller than full size, and obviously it's glittery too. given that the retail price of the full size brushes is about US$150 i got a pretty great deal, scoring the four of them with a makeup bag for $25.

if you're looking for a cheaper alternative to the mac paint pot, the maybelline colour tattoo in barely branded is a really similar shade that looks a bit darker in the pot but actually applies a bit lighter. i've found the mac, maybelline and estee lauder cream shadows all have different textures. the mac offering is the thinnest of the three and it feels a bit watery in consistency; it also applies quite sheer but it's easy to build up. the maybelline colour tattoo is a thicker cream that is quite heavily pigmented, i've found it a little harder to blend but i still think it's a great alternative and i use both of them regularly. the estee lauder shadow paint has more of a mousse texture and it applies the smoothest of the bunch. i don't hear a lot about these in the blogging world but i really recommend them as they have quite a few nice neutral shades.

also a few photos i thought i'd throw in from when i went whale watching recently. i apologise that they're not the best shots but it's pretty difficult to take decent photos of whales when you're on a boat in the open sea that's rocking around all over the place with the waves. it was a really fun experience and we were so lucky to see two adult whales swimming with a calf on one side of the boat and then a little later on we saw another mother and calf breaching! my parents have been whale watching before and haven't seen anything so we were really lucky to be in the right place at the right time and to get to experience that.

i also had to share the fact that i've been to four leonard cohen shows in the last few weeks. he's one of my all time favourite musicians and poets (he's actually tied with nick cave) and his music and the things he has created mean so, so much to me, i can't even really put it into words. i'd only seen him play once before in 2009 so for this tour i decided i was going to go to as many shows as was reasonable (by my standards, obviously). i was also incredibly fortunate in that the greater group of companies i work for includes the touring company presenting his australian tour. in fact, we all work in the same building so i was able to give them my copy of his book (called book of longing) to have him sign for me! my favourite of the four shows was the smallest one at the sydney opera house; every show i've seen there has had an incredible atmosphere, and on top of that i was in the second row so i could see absolutely everything that was happening on stage. the memories i have from that show especially, along with my signed book are things i will cherish every day for the rest of my life.