Life. The Insta Eight

1. To quote a friend 'Autumn, you sexy bitch'.
2. Amazing day but freezing cold!
3. This alarm clock is calling my name. 
4. Nicest student painted this for me. Awww
5. I shopped! (outfit posts forth coming I promise!)
6. Had the loveliest day shopping on saturday. This was taken whilst waiting for my lunch.
7. Cute as fair isle knit and faux fur ear muffs at Sportsgirl. Seriously considering buying these and stashing them for when I leave.
8. Was so tempted by all these lovely blue shades of polish. 

xx Samantha Alice

Style. 2 Broke Girls: Max Black.

I am a bit obsessed with this show at the moment. I think it could be easily dismissed as a lame sitcom, but upon watching it is pretty clever. And hilarious. AND snarky. ANNNDDD a little bit rude. I think it is a great show for 20 something women who say what they want and aren't prepared to take any crap from anyone. If you haven't seen it yet, basically it is about 2 broke girls, Max and Caroline, who are trying to start a cupcake making business. It is filled with anti-hipster jokes, social media cracks, and enough puns to make any modern lady happy. The writers must be clever 20 something women and trust me it will make you laugh.

Kat Dennings plays Max; I've been a fan of hers since Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Charlie Bartlett. I love the way the costume department has dressed her. She always looks amazing and all her outfits complement her shape so well. I thought I'd bring together a few things inspired by Max, so here they are.

ASOS // Topshop // ASOS

ASOS // ASOS // ASOS // ASOS

xx Samantha Alice

Pretty. June Featured Bloggers #1.

I'd like you all to meet three lovely blogger ladies. If you'd like to be featured next week, or know of someone who fits the bill, contact me via email or twitter!

#1 

Name: Zie Campbell

Blog Name and link: Darling Dear 

Twitter handle: @ziedarling

1. Tell us about your blog? 

Darling Dear is a little slice of blogland that is completely dedicated to giggles, glitter and something else really cool that starts with 'g'. Darling Dear is also a documentation of the life graphic design student who lives in Nashville, TN and loves tea time and making lists.  

2. What made you want to start blogging? 

Originally, I started blogging to document my life & keep track of things. So I could look back and see what I did even just a year before. Kind of like a fun little way of seeing how I grow and develop.

3. What makes blogging so fun and worthwhile for you?

The people. Since I started blogging, I found a bunch of really awesome, half-crazed folks. And they're beautiful in their madness & without all of them, blogging wouldn't be anywhere near as fun. 

4. What 5 blogs do you read regularly?

1. boys with banjos  
2. once upon a time in war... 
3. girls and doll houses 
4. petitevanou
5. goffgough

Why should you check it out?

Zie is an amazeballs illustrator (yes that is a very technical term I know) and her blog is super pretty and super lovely to read. 

#2

Name: Alexa Curtis

Blog Name and link: A Life in the Fashion Lane 

Twitter handle: @FashionLaneBlog

1. Tell us about your blog? 

My blog is a diary of my personal style as a teenager in high school. I try to influence people to be comfortable in what they wear and always be willing to take risks. I try to take the average sweater and leggings attire and turn it into something totally unique.

2. What made you want to start blogging? 

I always had an interest in fashion but until I was given the idea of starting a blog never knew how to get my ideas out there. Once I started blogging I was hooked and had to keep doing it!

3. What makes blogging so fun and worthwhile for you? 

I think the fact that you may be changing someones life by helping them feel more fabulous. Everyone has a little bit of creativity inside them, and if I can keep blogging and making people feel comfortable to let their ideas flow is what makes it all worth my time. Not to mention I love to write so communicating to the world through a blog makes me feel like I am doing something closer to being an editor at a top magazine, which is my dream.

4. What 5 blogs do you read regularly?

1. Sincerely, Jules
2. Natalie Off Duty
3. Color Me Nana
4. Flashes of Style
5. The Man Repeller

Why should you check it out?

Alexa is a super confident young lady who makes me wish I had even a small dose of her confidence when I was in high school! 

#3
Name: Made Stuchbery
Blog name: 365 Days of Made 
Twitter handle: @madestuchbery 

Why should you check it out? 
I happen to think Miss Made is pretty rad AND she is also moving to England around the same time as me AND if you watch this space we might just have a collaboration in the works. (But ssshhhhh, it's a secret!)

Made is a journalism student from Melbourne who blogs about her life and studies. She writes really well so definitely pay her blog a visit!

xx Samantha Alice

Life. Brit Bloggers.

I am stuck in Australia for another 6 or so months, a thought which both excites and depresses me. I am beyond ready for  an adventure and hopeless at waiting. I want to be in the UK now. Immediately if not sooner. But I have things to do before I go; just small little things, like save loads of cash and get my British Passport sorted. You know, just basic errands.

So in the meantime, I will add fuel to my fire by obsessively reading Brit Blogs and swooning and lusting over all things English. It is fun and frustrating at the same time. Some of these blogs I have read for a while, others are brand newbies in my daily reading list. But they are all brilliant and all add a little sunshine to my day. Thanks to Jazzy Elizabeth from Hivenn and Kat from Jemima.and.Ted for putting me on to some amazing blogs!

My Top Ten Favourite Brit Blogs

1. Jemima.and.Ted
2. Hivenn
3. London Last Night 
4. Becky Bedbug 
5. Daily Rubbish
6. Shiny Thoughts 
7. The Little Magpie
8. Vivianna Does Makeup
9. FleurDeForce
10. She Loves Mixtapes 

If you know of any others I must see let me know!

xx Samantha Alice 

Pretty. May Empties.

My idea of a good time? Watching beauty videos on YouTube. Slightly lame, but I don't really mind. Some of my fav videos are those featuring 'empties', or the products they have used up in the previous month.  I'm going to do a roundup of my fav videos soon but for now check out Essie Button and her April Empties. I'm not keen on blogging yet (maybe one day?) so instead of a snazzy video, you can all look at these lovely pics and read my not so lovely words.

Last month I finished loads of products, some great, some not so great. Here they are along with some very brief thoughts.

Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes purple Shampoo

Love it. Will purchase again. Does its job and keeps brassy tones out of my balayage hair. One nit pick? I hate (HATE!) the toggled font on the packaging. Goes for around $12 AUD

Sheer Cover Nourishing Moisturiser (sample size)

Didn't love this, but it does the job fine I guess. Not great for my sensitive skin. There is NO WAY it is worth the $29.95 AUD price tag for the full-size. 

Models Prefer Lengthening Mascara

This was my absolute favourite mascara for so long. It is awesome and very cheap. I have moved on to loving more natural brushes (this one is plastic) but I am sure I will come back to this. I think this was around a tenner. 

Formula 10.0.6 So Totally Clean Deep Pore Cleanser (more like a toner than a cleanser)

I loved this when I first got it but about halfway through I decided it was too harsh and drying. This bottle is enormous and it took me forever to finish it, but I didn't want to waste it. Don't think I will buy this again.

Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Face Wash for Acne

This. is. AMAZING. I have really oily skin and this self foaming wash helps so much. It leaves my skin feeling so incredibly soft unlike any face wash I have tried. Seriously, if you have problem skin and can find this, give it a go. Randomly, the tea tree that goes into this product is grown right up the road from my Dad's place in the middle of the bush. Retails for around $16 AUD. 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

This foundation is excellent for the price, goes on like a dream and I am sure it would last all day on those ladies with normal to dry skin. I have since switched to the more expensive Healthy Mix Serum and am hooked. It has a bit more staying power on my skin, especially when it is set with powder. Also, the packaging on this is annoying! I am sure there is loads of product left but the top can't be removed so it is impossible to get to the remnants. 

Klorane Extra Gentle Dry Shampoo

I don't really need to say much about this except it is a miracle product. I repurchase this all the time. And I don't cope without it on hand always. 

xx Samantha Alice

P.S do you like my new header? 

Life. Seven Questions Tag #13.

1. If you were to start your own business, what would it be?
This is easy because I fantasise about this all the time! I would have a coffee shop slash book store slash vintage camera store slash clothing store with a drop in sewing room upstairs where lovely ladies who love to stitch can come and use sewing machines and other rad things. I'd also run sewing/craft classes and basically live at this place. Oh and  I'd also have a gallery space showing fabbo art from my favourite young artists. I'd call it The Bird Nest. (please don't steal my amazing idea internets!)

2. You wake up on the wrong side of the bed, do you embrace your grumpiness or try to fight it?
Embrace it...sometimes I even manage to make myself grumpier by sheer force of will. Not sure this is all that healthy though...

3. What's the very first memory you have?
This is tough, but it would either be searching the house for my can 'Roughy' and finding him under the pillow on my Mum's bed or pretending our backdoor was a stable door (it basically was one of those two part doors with a top and a bottom-my sister and I loved it so much!)

4. The world is ending, what do you do? Allow yourself to die? Fight? Hide? Etc.
Probably sit in the corner and cry. I watched Meloncholia recently (freaked me out completely) and I would definitely not be as accepting as the Kirsten Dunst character. 

5. What is your favorite meal of the day?
On weekends it's gotta be breakfast, but weekdays probably afternoon tea when I get home from work. I love that feeling of relaxing with a cuppa and a snack after a long day. 

6. How do you best learn? Visual? Listening? Hands on?
I learn by doing. If I am told or shown how to do something then left along to 'figure it out' myself I tend to do better.


7. What is your favorite joke? 

It's too rude for this blog! I do love the whole 'why did so and so fall off the so and so' themed jokes. 

Q: Why did Timmy fall off the swing?

A: Because Timmy had no arms

Q: What is big and yellow and if it fell out of a tree would kill you?

A: A tractor 

xx Samantha Alice