...but for a good reason.
I've been working really hard to get myself into my nail tech course which starts on the 12th May, so I'm going to do a weekly "what I learnt in course" post.
I've been making some nail polishes to send, to test, to try. One of my thoughts is to open a "nail bar" where people can come and make their own polishes. But I need to know that its going to be a viable option before I just jump into it. Unfortunately, glitters, pigments, bottles and base takes a LONG time to save up for and to get shipped over.
There will still be beauty box updates. I've been a little slack with blogging about them, but that will get better. I might not catch up on the last two months boxes, but I'll make sure to keep going. Most of the time I'm doing unboxings on youtube.
Sample Bar stopped and Violet Box started. Goodie box has been consistently good the whole time.
I've started my little shop on facebook - Olliepop & Luci - so go like it and buy something from me. I'll be putting up new polishes and things as they happen. Most of them will be a once-off or will be customs.
There are also polish making parties in the works, and all these ideas are just pouring out of my head and into my work.
So sorry for delays and a bit of an absence. I'll try to post more.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
Fake Nails!!!
My lovely friend Lisa gave me a bag of fake nails!
I've tried some good ones, I've tried some bad ones.
Some of these are going to be far too long for my fingers, so I'll be able to use them for special events or long weekends, then clip them down for work.
Shall we begin?
I got two packs of the Fashion Diva nails, so I used one.
I HATE GEL GLUE! Just putting it out there. It went bubbly, and my nails literally popped off within a night.
I used Fing'rs brush on glue to re-stick my blue fashion diva ones after the gel glue failed miserably, and they've held up well at work so far. None lost, none pulling, I don't even have lifting issues yet.
Other than the totally shocking application by myself, they almost look, dare I say it, natural. Not too long, not too short, I can still type, bag goods at the checkout, change reams of paper, etc.
Other than being more careful around heavy things that like to break nails off (I'm looking at you, boxes of paper...) they've lasted Friday night (sans one which fell off while I was asleep) and most of Saturday night with gel (they started falling off in the nightclub, so I picked them all off and reapplied new ones the next day - the sizing isn't too bad, the differences between them are great enough to differentiate but not big enough to make a massive difference between say, a 6 and a 7.), Sunday, Monday and now coming into Tuesday with brush-on.
More gel glue.... *grrrrrrr*
These pink ones look ultra cute. My only regret is that I might have to trim them for work.
Assuming that the GEL GLUE will hold them on long enough to NEED trimming...
Pink frenches are adorable, and without any other pattern, I could stamp them or paint them.
Yep. More gel glue.
NON GEL GLUE!!! And Glue Tabs for one-night-wear. These are what I would call "glamour" length - too long for me to get away with on a regular basis, but something that might make my hands look longer.
These might actually be too small. I have pretty average nail beds, but really short nails.
I think these will go to someone who will use them, when they come over and want their nails done (but they have no nails).
Same with these. Lets NOT use the gel glue. Ok?
I'll let ya's know just how long the Diva's last. So far, 3 full days (and counting!).
I've tried some good ones, I've tried some bad ones.
Some of these are going to be far too long for my fingers, so I'll be able to use them for special events or long weekends, then clip them down for work.
Shall we begin?
I got two packs of the Fashion Diva nails, so I used one.
I HATE GEL GLUE! Just putting it out there. It went bubbly, and my nails literally popped off within a night.
I used Fing'rs brush on glue to re-stick my blue fashion diva ones after the gel glue failed miserably, and they've held up well at work so far. None lost, none pulling, I don't even have lifting issues yet.
Other than the totally shocking application by myself, they almost look, dare I say it, natural. Not too long, not too short, I can still type, bag goods at the checkout, change reams of paper, etc.
Other than being more careful around heavy things that like to break nails off (I'm looking at you, boxes of paper...) they've lasted Friday night (sans one which fell off while I was asleep) and most of Saturday night with gel (they started falling off in the nightclub, so I picked them all off and reapplied new ones the next day - the sizing isn't too bad, the differences between them are great enough to differentiate but not big enough to make a massive difference between say, a 6 and a 7.), Sunday, Monday and now coming into Tuesday with brush-on.
More gel glue.... *grrrrrrr*
These pink ones look ultra cute. My only regret is that I might have to trim them for work.
Assuming that the GEL GLUE will hold them on long enough to NEED trimming...
Pink frenches are adorable, and without any other pattern, I could stamp them or paint them.
Yep. More gel glue.
NON GEL GLUE!!! And Glue Tabs for one-night-wear. These are what I would call "glamour" length - too long for me to get away with on a regular basis, but something that might make my hands look longer.
These might actually be too small. I have pretty average nail beds, but really short nails.
I think these will go to someone who will use them, when they come over and want their nails done (but they have no nails).
Same with these. Lets NOT use the gel glue. Ok?
I'll let ya's know just how long the Diva's last. So far, 3 full days (and counting!).
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Goodie Box January
This is very very late.
I got this box on the first weekday of Febuary, and I did a youtube video... and it failed.
So it sat there, and I glared at it for a while. Eventually I realised that it wasn't going to fix itself if it just sat there, so I took the photos and watermarked, and sat on them for another week.
It's now halfway through Febuary, so I guess I should do a posty-post.
First box of 2014!!
Benefits They're Real Mascara.
Full Size $43 (85g). Sample: $1.50 (3g).
This stuff is amazing. That brush will get even the tiniest lashes. Its thick and juicy and makes your lashes look fake.
Dermalogica After Sun Repair.
Full Size $52 (100ml). Sample: $7.80 (15ml).
I gave some of this to a friend of mine - she managed to burn BOTH her knees. Just her knees.
She said it felt really good. It smells really nice too.
Blistex Five Way Lip Protection.
Full Size $7.80 (4.25g). Sample: $5.20 (2.8g).
As a huge blistex fan, this stuff is pretty nifty.
It smells good, it feels good, and it survived being put through the washer and dryer (yes, it melted, but no, it didn't leak!)
It tastes ok too. Compared to the Carmex, its pretty good.
Chillax.
Full Size $5 (90ml).
I offered this to my boyfriend because he has trouble sleeping. He didn't take me up on it, but the offer is still there should he need it.
NS8 Heel Balm Complex.
Full Size $25 (100ml). Sample: $5 (20ml).
It has a pleasant smell, and it works well. I used it a couple of times and it smoothed some of my more rougher spots on my soles. My heels will still need a tonne of work.
Scholl Party Feet.
Full Size $13 (1 pair).
They're used to make your shoes less achey in the balls of your feet. I have some that are a bit thicker, and they take up some of the space in your shoes. These take up less space in the shoe, so would work well for those slinkier shoes.
Palmers Eventone Tone Perfecting Cream.
Full Size $16 (75g). Sample: $1.06 (5g).
I love Palmers stuff. I have cocoa butter products everywhere. I'm wondering how well this will work, but I'm not a huge fan of foil packets! If I can find an empty jar to decant it into, I'll use it.
Total value this month: $38.56. Not great, to be honest.
The products were mostly samples, and the whole thing is a little disjointed. I guess its a pre-valentines box (skin cream, mascara, shoe gels) but its a little bit of a post-new years party box (sleep aid, heel balm, sun repair).
This is the only box I have received so far with a value less than twice what I paid. Mostly they're really good.
I'm hoping now that Sample Bar has finished its course, that Goodiebox will pick up its game - its now the ONLY beauty box available in NZ, without trying to get imports from overseas.
I got this box on the first weekday of Febuary, and I did a youtube video... and it failed.
So it sat there, and I glared at it for a while. Eventually I realised that it wasn't going to fix itself if it just sat there, so I took the photos and watermarked, and sat on them for another week.
It's now halfway through Febuary, so I guess I should do a posty-post.
First box of 2014!!
Benefits They're Real Mascara.
Full Size $43 (85g). Sample: $1.50 (3g).
This stuff is amazing. That brush will get even the tiniest lashes. Its thick and juicy and makes your lashes look fake.
Dermalogica After Sun Repair.
Full Size $52 (100ml). Sample: $7.80 (15ml).
I gave some of this to a friend of mine - she managed to burn BOTH her knees. Just her knees.
She said it felt really good. It smells really nice too.
Blistex Five Way Lip Protection.
Full Size $7.80 (4.25g). Sample: $5.20 (2.8g).
As a huge blistex fan, this stuff is pretty nifty.
It smells good, it feels good, and it survived being put through the washer and dryer (yes, it melted, but no, it didn't leak!)
It tastes ok too. Compared to the Carmex, its pretty good.
Chillax.
Full Size $5 (90ml).
I offered this to my boyfriend because he has trouble sleeping. He didn't take me up on it, but the offer is still there should he need it.
NS8 Heel Balm Complex.
Full Size $25 (100ml). Sample: $5 (20ml).
It has a pleasant smell, and it works well. I used it a couple of times and it smoothed some of my more rougher spots on my soles. My heels will still need a tonne of work.
Scholl Party Feet.
Full Size $13 (1 pair).
They're used to make your shoes less achey in the balls of your feet. I have some that are a bit thicker, and they take up some of the space in your shoes. These take up less space in the shoe, so would work well for those slinkier shoes.
Palmers Eventone Tone Perfecting Cream.
Full Size $16 (75g). Sample: $1.06 (5g).
I love Palmers stuff. I have cocoa butter products everywhere. I'm wondering how well this will work, but I'm not a huge fan of foil packets! If I can find an empty jar to decant it into, I'll use it.
Total value this month: $38.56. Not great, to be honest.
The products were mostly samples, and the whole thing is a little disjointed. I guess its a pre-valentines box (skin cream, mascara, shoe gels) but its a little bit of a post-new years party box (sleep aid, heel balm, sun repair).
This is the only box I have received so far with a value less than twice what I paid. Mostly they're really good.
I'm hoping now that Sample Bar has finished its course, that Goodiebox will pick up its game - its now the ONLY beauty box available in NZ, without trying to get imports from overseas.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Pretzel bites with 3 ingredients!
I was inspired by this website to make pretzel bites for Christmas. I didn't like the fact there was so much sugar in the mix, so I went without.
Ingredients!
Scoop out a generous 1/3 tsp of peanut butter.
Roll between two spoons to make a lovely little ball of yum.
Smush between two pretzels.
Place on a baking tray until you've finished all your pretzels.
Melt equal parts of milk and dark chocolate using a double boiler... or in my case, a metal bowl over a pan of water.
Drop your prezel bites in and roll them around a bit till they're totally covered.
The pretzel bites look like little hearts! So cute. So sassy. So incredibly delicious.
Lay your little bites on some tin foil to set.
Throw the broken ones into the remainder of the chocolate and make pretzel crunch bark!
While everything is still soft and melty, sprinkle the remainder of the crumbs and salt from the pretzel bag over the bites. Or just stick with rocksalt.
These were so good. And so easy.
Om nom nom.
You totally don't need the extra sugar.
You could try it with crunchy peanut butter.
You could try it with white chocolate.
You could add sprinkles or maybe a layer of caramel before chocolate dipping... the options are endless!
Make some today! Make some tomorrow! Take some to work and impress your co-workers.
Ingredients!
- Milk and dark chocolate buttons (the milk chocolate adds sweetness while the dark chocolate adds that layer of intense flavour, but you could totally just use one instead of both.)
- Pretzels (well, duh!)
- Peanut butter. I went with smooth because it would contrast the crunch of the pretzels. I think I chose the reduced fat/reduced salt version because the chocolate and pretzels would fill that requirement.
Scoop out a generous 1/3 tsp of peanut butter.
Roll between two spoons to make a lovely little ball of yum.
Smush between two pretzels.
Place on a baking tray until you've finished all your pretzels.
Melt equal parts of milk and dark chocolate using a double boiler... or in my case, a metal bowl over a pan of water.
Drop your prezel bites in and roll them around a bit till they're totally covered.
The pretzel bites look like little hearts! So cute. So sassy. So incredibly delicious.
Lay your little bites on some tin foil to set.
Throw the broken ones into the remainder of the chocolate and make pretzel crunch bark!
While everything is still soft and melty, sprinkle the remainder of the crumbs and salt from the pretzel bag over the bites. Or just stick with rocksalt.
These were so good. And so easy.
Om nom nom.
You totally don't need the extra sugar.
You could try it with crunchy peanut butter.
You could try it with white chocolate.
You could add sprinkles or maybe a layer of caramel before chocolate dipping... the options are endless!
Make some today! Make some tomorrow! Take some to work and impress your co-workers.
Friday, January 17, 2014
BIG DAY OUT 2014!!! (Pic heavy)
THE BIG DAY OUT!!!!!!!
The one-day festival of music, colour, and sunburn.
Doors opened at 11am, we got there around 1pm after having a casual breakfast/brunch, waiting for people to arrive and just chilling.
Walking down to the event was fun.
Bubbles!!
Went for a wander around, saw a couple bands and generally took my time to enjoy the venue.
I've tried to put the photos in gig order.
Grouplove:
I love that body suit!
Concord Dawn:
New Zealand DnB at its finest.
The Hives:
Beady Eye:
This is how far back I was from the stage.
Makes those photos all the more impressive, huh!
Arcade Fire:
Before I moved into the "D", I had to sneak photos between people.
Oh the life of a short person.
Confetti cannon? CONFETTI CANNON!!
Arcade Fire on stage left, Pearl Jam setting up on stage right.
Wonky camera action courtesy of me trying to hold my camera above my head.
Pearl Jam:
Stage set up
Cool lighting rigs!
They're people operated!
Too high up for my liking. Worst job ever?
Deftones:
Major Lazer:
Art In The Park:
Nails for the day:
Who's That Girl Pistachio & Lavender Haze
Festivals are all about being sensible. Clothing and shoes should reflect that you'll be standing and walking all day.
Heels = bad.
Heels = bad.
Flats, all good.
Some people had really a really bad day. Apparently this person was trying to jump a fence and failed.
Ooops.
Police were out to make sure we all stayed safe and had someone we could talk to if we needed them.
Not entirely sure what these guys were doing. If you thought being a lighting guy for Pearl Jam was the worst job, I'm sure standing this far away from the actual concert beats it.
BDO 2014 is done and dusted... time to start preparing for next year!
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