Now I'm living back in the big city... well actually, still by the beach but Sydney nonetheless, it's neccessary to look at least half presentable again! 

I definitely got in to the no makeup habit and it's crazy how normal it became. In England I would rarely leave the house without a flick of mascara at the very least! 

My skin definitely appreciated the welcome change and I can see such an improvement after giving it a much needed breather.

In fact, now I feel better without wearing so much makeup, which is a complete 180 from my winter skin in England! 

Just a touch of powder and blush, a smudge of eyeliner and a flick of mascara is now my go to makeup look. So much quicker, easier and better for my skin... and much easier to remove at the end of the day too... happy days!

Loving the Australian sky

.... just perfect!

xxx

Byron Bay

This week was my last week in Byron Bay.

 It was definitely bittersweet as I have had some fantastic times there and made friends for life. It was always going to be temporay living in Byron though and it was time to head back to Sydney. 

To celebrate my last few days I booked a luxury hotel to make the most of it. 

Luckily it was great weather too so I got to enjoy Wategos Beach, my favourite Byron beach for the last time.... at least for a while.

xxx

Surfers Paradise

Last month I visited Surfers Paradise. It was my first time out of New South Wales and into Queensland!

I wasn't sure what to expect as I'd heard very mixed reviews about Surfers Paradise but I loved it! I must admit it doesn't have the same 'charm' as Byron Bay, there's no quirkiness or laid back Australian vibe, but it's not trying to be that type of place either. Yes it is touristy but you just have to embrace it... enjoy the holiday feeling!

If you know what to expect you won't be disappointed... great beaches, great shopping, great entertainment and great nightlife! What's not to love?!

xxx

Addicted to Vinylux

At the moment I'm really loving CND's Vinylux... It gives the same effect as a gel manicure but no UV/LED light needed! It's applied in the same way as regular nail polish, you don't even need a base coat, 2 layers of colour and one layer of top coat and you're good to go. It lasts for at least a week and in my experience much longer, especially on your toes! It actually even strengthens when exposed to natural light.

What I love the most is that it looks identical to a gel manicure with a perfect high gloss effect but is removed with just regular nail polish remover, so no damage to your nails at all!

As you can see pink is my preferred colour.... of which I have many shades :-)

xxx

Turning 24...

So yesterday was my 24th birthday... one year away from a quarter of a century! I celebrated in beautiful Byron Bay and can't think of anywhere I'd rather have been! 

I went to check out Byrons famous lighthouse... so pretty!! What made it even more special was the many wild dolphins and whales I saw jumping out of the ocean on the walk up!

.....and of course I had some of the famous 'in the pink' ice cream which they make daily :-)

Then I visited the fabulous Kiva Spa which was incredible, so so relaxing. A day of saunas, spas, plunge pools and massages, really perfect! 

If you're in the Byron Bay area I highly recommend a visit!

.... and my favourite birthday card from my sister... sums me up perfectly!!

xxx

New toy... Macbook Air

So this weekend I invested in a brand new toy for myself! 

I've always wanted a MacBook but at university with so much work to do, sticking to Windows made life much easier as it was also used on campus.... also the huge cost was definitely a factor! But to my surprise Apple products in Australia are SO much cheaper than in the UK! Literally almost half the price which made investing a no brainer! 

Initially I bought a MacBook Pro but soon realised it was built for much more than I needed and I felt that a MacBook Air would be much more suited to me.... which it is :-) 

I already loved apple and have an iPhone and iPad which I use daily so now I feel I have the complete set :-) I've already found life much easier as I can iMessage straight from my Macbook and having all my pictures from Photo Stream straight on my Macbook is so handy. An amazing camera for FaceTime is great too as I often FaceTime the UK to keep in touch with family and friends.

I'm enjoying playing around, discovering how Mac works and hopefully it will make blogging much easier too :-)

xxx