Update~ ^^

A super cute kitty to brighten up my day~ =w=

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Once again sitting at Starbucks... just chilling, taking a bit of time for myself :) Despite what I said in an earlier post, I've currently more or less discontinued my internship; given that I haven't gotten my licence to practice yet, the stuff that I've been doing (drafting contracts/ drafting pleadings/ drafting affidavits/ etc) can be construed as unqualified practice under the Law Institute of Victoria Ethical Guidelines =.= Don't really feel like getting into trouble for doing what I'm told, but my boss said I could come back for my practical placement towards the end of the course, so that's pretty awesome~ :) and given that I'll be starting my Practical Training Course at Leo Cussens in July, I think i'll just take it easy for the next few weeks :) 

Hopefully that won't mean being at home all the time... really, I find it more stressful being at home than being anywhere else because my parents -- being super traditional Asians -- are always on my back about one thing or another. Sometimes I just want to sit and do my own thing; blog, read/ write my novels, play some video games (Dishonored is SO. FRICKING.AWESOME!!!), watch tv, etcetc, but I can never really do these things at home. As a result, I end up spending a small fortune on coffee and public transport because Starbucks has pretty much become my second home =/

...And then my parents complain about that... =.=

Anyhoo, on the bright side, I actually managed to get a lot of writing done the other day (by which I mean I got about half a page done :P). My plot is slowly coming together and I'm actually largely happy with the stuff that i'm writing now. I think this largely has to do with the writing course that I did earlier this year with Lilliane Grace. Basically, in 'busting the talent myth', she taught us that the only thing that really prevents anyone from writing well (you know, aside from actually having a good grasp of English...) is our inner critic. And the only thing that can help us to deal with that critic is an attitude of trust and acceptance.

I've since found that this outlook is applicable to life in general, and it has certainly helped me go after what I want, both professionally and in my personal life. In terms of writing, I'm finding that I have more confidence in my ability to write something decent because I'm not always thinking "well that sounds stupid".  Oh, that reminds me! I got Derick to read over some of my story the other day and after perusing the prologue, he was like "...this sounds familiar..." then proceeded to give me a synopsis of my own writing from when he read it three years ago :P (Yes, this has been a masively long work in progress :P)

The funny thing is that I don't actually remember sending him my story, but I was really touched that he actually remembered everything so clearly ^^ And that's just another example of why I like him; I can't think of an exact English equivalent, but in Chinese I would describe him as "细心" (?? xi xin?? - cannot chinese :P) which I guess is a combination of attentive/ thoughtful/ considerate :)

Anyway, on that topic, I went clothes shopping with Scott the other day~ ^^ We were all supposed to meet up in the city at 1:30 after Scott's exam but Derick and I both slept in so we ended up meeting up at about 3 for lunch :P It was a pretty good day, not in the least because I got to watch in amazement as Scott wolfed down TWO Simply Grill'd burgers, PLUS chips, PLUS a large Mango Magic Boost Juice :P Anyway, we ended up going to Jay Jays where Scoot bought a couple of t-shirts, a shirt and a hoodie-shirt~ ^^ They all looked really good, so I think that despite the time constraints, we did pretty well for ourselves :P Although I actually think that Derick was a lot more helpful than I was... =/ Which really just makes me wonder...

IS IT THAT HE'S REALLY GIRLY OR THAT I'M NOT GIRLY ENOUGH?!?!?!?! ;A;

Anyway, in the end, I also bought a couple of skirts, a pair of shorts and a t-shirt~ ^^ Probably the most random of all were Derick's purchases... a Mickey Mouse cap (which I picked out~ :D *proud*), random badges and a super cute panda pluggy that lights up when his phone rings (also me~ :P *pride x2*)~ :3

Derick with his hat~ :D
He looks like he's about to go beat up someone =.=
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU REFUSE TO SMILE AT THE CAMERAAA~

Nail art with the Natio nail polish that I got in my June Bellabox~ ^^
(Shade: 'Valentine')

Later, we met up with Seb for coffee which was great~ ^^ It had been a while since he and I had been able to have a good old fashioned bitch session without having to worry about social niceties so it was really good to be able to talk openly with him instead of having him act as a mediator between me and my other equally opinionated friends =.= In any case, it's really good to know that we're all on the same page now~ ^^ and as usual, Seb gave his opinion in his fabulously bitchy way~ :P

Probably the only bad thing that has happened in the last week or so is that I burned my hand at Starbucks :( My cup of green tea essentially exploded and scalding hot water managed to soak through my glove. Apparently Starbucks doesn't have anything to make into a makeshift ice pack (i don't believe it for a second, stingy bastards... and if they really don't then... really?? OHS people!!! >.<) so I had to hightail to the pharmacy to get some burn cream =.= It's slowly getting better now, although I still have it bandaged up.............

...............and it makes me feel like a ninja~ >:D

Anyway, this seems like a good place to leave off for now :)

Once again, I've unfortunately been too busy to test out many of the beauty samples from my Bellabox, Violet Box or Lust Have It box... although what I have tried (Natio nail polish in 'Valentine', Street Star (?) lipgloss in 'Transparent Baby Pink' [this sample was expired but I tried it before I realised, lol~], and the Seacret Body Lotion in 'Ocean Mist'), I've been quite happy with :)

I have, however,unsubscribed from Lust Have It. I had my doubts about the quality of their boxes earlier in the year, but after seeing their great January 2013 box, I decided to give them a go. I have since been more often disappointed with their boxes than I have been happy, especiall last month's box which, aside from being incredibly empty, just looked like a bunch of left overs =/

I'm still looking forward to receiving my Bellabox every month though~ ^^ and, as I haven't made up my mind about them yet, I can't wait to see how Violet Box fares in their second month :)

♥

A notebook that I made for Derick~ :D may have gone overboard with the aging/ antiquing~ ^^;

And a seal for the finishing touch~ ^^
........ I WANNA KEEP IT NOW~!!! ;A;

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My Life of Late~ Plus March Bellabox and LHI~!!! ^^

So my life has been a bit up in the air lately… complicated friendships, difficulty sleeping and being completely overworked by one of my employers means that for the last few weeks I've essentially been living off caffeine.  Even more than usual =.=

In terms of friendships, I don’t suppose it’s anything overly major; just that an imbalance in the dynamic between me and my friend is making things incredibly awkward =.=

I guess the problem is that I don’t really feel like I can be normal around him anymore because certain events from the last couple of months have raised a boundary between us that wasn’t there before.  And without both sides making a conscious effort to overcome it, it just feels like there is a massive elephant in the room.  As a result, I don’t feel like I can really be myself without accidentally overstepping that boundary and making things even more awkward =/ I’m not really sure what to do about all this but I suppose that giving things time might help... If only I were a patient person~ >.<

On the work front, things have been pretty blergh lately.  I mentioned in a previous post that I’m an English tutor. Generally this is a pretty fun and rewarding job -- it definitely is at Quantum~ ♪ ^^ -- but one of the other places that I work (let's call it 'Company E' for privacy's sake) at has been dumping mountains of work on me at the very last minute and expecting me to drop all of my other, equally important commitments to get everything done.

Given that I also tutor English, English Language and Legal Studies at Quantum, it would be completely unfair to my students there if my quality of teaching suffered as a result of having to put all my effort into picking up after my co-workers at Company E >.< 

In any case, I guess this isn’t such a big problem anymore because, after putting up with their terrible worksheets and poor organisation for three terms, I’m pretty intent on quitting that job.

They just don’t really seem to take their students’ education seriously IMO… =.=

Anyhoo~ enough of my whinging~ ^^  I was super happy that I received both my Bellabox and my LHI subscriptions really early this month~ I haven’t blogged until now tho coz I’ve been pretty swamped (*cough* lazy~! *cough* ;P).  So without further ado…

~BELLABOX – MARCH 2013~

March Bellabox~ ♥

 I'm always super excited to receive my Bellabox each month and the March box was definitely not a disappointment, although now that I look at it, I think I got more items in my LHI box this month :P In any case, I was still much happier with my Bellabox~

Ocean Essence: Summer Breeze Shower Gel --  I haven't gotten around to trying this product yet as I've already got shower gel in my shower and I keep forgetting to take this one into the shower with me :P  In any case it seems to smell alright so I'll give it a go as soon as I remember~ :P

I know some people got a Coconut Moisturiser instead which seems like a nice, convenient 'chuck-in-ur-purse-and-go' sort of product~ hehe that would have been great for me since I'm so forgetful =.=;

Anyway, moving on~

Suigo: Ultimate Control Shampoo and Conditioner -- I loooooove getting shampoo samples in my Bellabox~ they're always so decently sized, making my Bellabox super heavy which makes me feel extra special~ :P (don't judge me~ XD)

They even came in a pretty bag~ ♪

Anyway, I was really excited to try the Suigo shampoo because it smells absolutely awesome (kind of fruity and sweet) ~ :3  It lathers really, really well and leaves my hair feeling super nice and moisturised~ ^^ I've been having a bit of trouble with really dry hair of late (since I dyed it last December =/ ) but in the last week that I've been using this product, my hair has regained some of it's sleekness~ :D

As I mentioned in a previous post, I don't use conditioner because it makes my hair feel kinda greasy so I think I'll give away the conditioner sample :)

Designer Brands: Lip Pencil (Pink) -- I've tried a few DB products before and even though I know that a lot of people think that it's a cheap brand, I've never been disappointed.  This lip pencil was no exception~ ^^ I got one in 'Pink' which is a really nice colour and suits my skintone perfectly :) It's got a creamy texture, is easy to apply and blends really well~ I would definitely recommend this product~ :3

Yes to Carrots: C Me Shine Lip Gloss (Flirty Pink) -- So Bellabox said that they were going to include two colour products in this month's box and I must say that I have absolutely not been disappointed even though I didn't receive the Clinique lipstick.  As my lips aren't particularly pale or anything, I definitely prefer lip glosses for a more natural (if somewhat shiny~ :P ) look.

I'd never tried anything from the 'Yes to' range so I wasn't sure what to expect.  That said, I was definitely impressed with the lip gloss which has a lovely minty smell and leaves a cool, refreshing sensation on the lips. In terms of colour, it's quite sheer and un-intrusive although it has a little bit of glitter which actually adds rather than detracts from the overall effect of the gloss.

I tried it over the DB lip pencil and was very happy with the result~ ^^

TOP: DB Lip Pencil (Pink)
BOTTOM: Yes to Carrots Lip Gloss (Flirty Pink)

Swisse: Active Energy Bar -- I'd been looking into these bars recently as I have decided that I should perhaps get more exercise so I was pleasantly surprised when I received this in my box.  That said, I haven't actually gotten around to doing that exercise so I might give this to my brother =/  I'll get round to it eventually (maybe...)~!!! >.<

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My favourite part of the March Bellabox hehe~ :P
♥ Strawberries~!!!

So overall, another good month from Bellabox~ I loved the items that I received and I'm looking forward to the April Box~ ^^ My birthday is around the time of the month that I usually receive my box too so it'll be like getting a prezzie in the mail~ :P

~ LustHaveIt! MARCH 2013~

March LustHaveIt box~

 As I mentioned before, I was much happier with my Bellabox this month despite getting more products in my LHI box, largely because Bellabox never fails to send me products that I will be able to make at least some use of.

This is what I got in my March LHI:

Goldwell: Dualsenses Rich Repair -- I haven't actually gotten around to trying this product and I probably won't any time soon.  While I have been having a problem with unusually dry hair of late, my lifestyle and my general lack of patience means that I rarely get the time to actually go out of my way to treat damaged hair.  That's why I find that products such as the Suigo Shampoo that I got in my Bellabox are much more suitable in terms of hair treatment as they don't require extra effort.

I think I'll give this sample to my mum who actually has a nightly beauty regime beyond teeth brushing and face washing ~ :P

BioElixia: BodyShaper Cellulite Contour Creme -- I have absolutely no idea why LHI decided that this would be the best product to include in every single box this month.  Given that they already don't do beauty profiling and merely divide their customers according to age catagory, in my opinion they really don't have much excuse for dropping the ball with this product.

While I understand that there are some young people out there who will find this product useful, I think that it is fairly safe to say that most 23 year olds like me don't suffer from cellulite.  As a result I think that it was a complete waste to send us cellulite cream which we will probably never use, not to mention that it was sure to (and has done) spark a lot of complaints.

In any case, rant aside, I did actually give this product a try because I thought 'what the hey'...

On top of being a bit sticky after application, it really smells =.= I can't quite put my finger on exactly what it smells like, but it's nothing pleasant.  It is an overwhelming smell and the worst part is that it stank up my entire box to the point that I could smell it even though the lid was closed =/

Definitely won't be trying this product again, largely because I really don't need to, but I'm sure that other ladies out there might have had a more positive experience :)

Ocean Essence: Strawberry Rose Rubber Mask -- I don't generally use masks as they tend to dry out or sting my sensitive skin, but I must admit that I am intrigued this the idea of a mask that can be peeled off like rubber :)

The promise of  a strawberry and rose scented half hour as well as being able to relive my childhood memories of peeling PVA glue off my fingers means that I will definitely be trying this product~ ^^

...when I get the time =/

Keratase Paris Nectar Thermique -- Hmmm... like a lot of other LHI subscribers, I have a hard time believing that a 10ml sachet would have pushed the February LHI box over the weight limit but I can understand that it was better safe than sorry.  In any case, I dislike sachets with a passion (except makeup sachets that u can just empty into a tub) so I'm not particularly enthused by this sample.  I think I'll shelf it for now.

Alash: False Lashes in 'After Work Drinks' -- This is perhaps the most exciting product for me in this month's box and even then it's a bit underwhelming, all things considered.  Anyway, I've been meaning to try false lashes for a while now but have never gotten around to buying them so I'll definitely enjoy giving these a go the next time I go out :)

The Natural Source: Camouflage Colour Skin Crayons in '044' and '038'-- According to the little card that I got from LHI, these skin crayons "can be used anywhere on the face or body to create your own individual look".  I received one crayon in nude and another in a sort of plum colour.  I think that I might have been a little more excited about these crayons when I was in high school and could have used them to show what little school/ house spirit that I had :P (yes, I was the girl sitting in the corner reading while everyone else competed in the sports carnivals :P)

Still, I suppose that I can at least use the plum colour as an eyeliner now :)

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So in summary, while I was super happy with my March Bellabox, it was another disappointing month from LHI.  Aside from several coupons that I'm never going to use (that includes the one from The Iconic... although I am more inclined to use that one than the others, I would have much preferred to have gotten the Buy 1 Get 1 Free voucher for Warm Bodies coz I actually go to the movies a fair bit) LHI's continual inclusion of full products that are so incompatible with my beauty needs -- Summer Tan last month, Cellulite cream this month -- is quickly making me consider unsubscribing.

This is especially the case since they're implementing a price hike from next month.  While an increase of $5 isn't particularly drastic, their lack of beauty profiling and the inclusion of incompatible full size products every month continues to get my goat... and I only have so many goats =.=

I'll give them one more month (my birthday month!!!) but if the products prove again to be a disappointment, I'm going to have to unsubscribe as I would prefer to spend $15-$20 per month on things that I will actually use and enjoy.

And while I was happy to see the lovely packaging, I don't think I'm going to spend $20/month on a pretty box.

Were you happy with the products in your March beauty boxes?

What would you do if you had friend troubles?

Valentine's Day 2013, Blogging at Work... plus Bellabox January 2013~

So it's been about two weeks since I last posted an update.  I had been hoping to post about my February Bellabox which should have arrived on Thursday (Valentine's Day!) but unfortunately it appears that there has been a delay with Australia Post and I will be (hopefully) getting it next week *fingers crossed* >.<

In the meantime, I thought I would spend this lovely Saturday afternoon at work (test week~ huzzah~!!) finally getting around to writing that looooooooooooong overdue post about my January Bellabox :P

So the January Bellabox was my first ever Bellabox............. and I must say, I was absolutely not disappointed~ ^^  Of the 5 items that I got, I've tried every single one and bought one of them for a friend~ ^^  This is a pic of my box~ :3

My January Bellabox with lots of awesome goodies~ :D

So from left to right, we have:

• You, Me & Everybody Cool It Aloe Vera Gel --  This was without a doubt my favourite product in the January box.  Aloe vera is so good for your skin and the cooling effect of the gel makes it perfect for summer~ ^^ I happen to have incredibly sensitive skin which can be prone to heat rash a lot so this product is great for me~ at the first sign of itchiness, I just put it on and my skin is fine within a few minutes~ :D  I loved this product so much that I bought a tube for my friend~ ^^ Definitely recommend this product~ ^^

• Natio Pure Mineral Skin Perfecting BB Cream -- So as I mentioned in an earlier post, I absolutely adore BB creams............ but I absolutely hate sachets~ >.< I trick that I learned from another blogger is to empty out the sachet into one of those cute little travel makeup jars so that u can get more than one or two uses out of them~ ^^  Anyway, this BB cream by Natio is quite nice in that it's quite light and doesn't make my face feel all mudgy (yes, mudgy) after application.  Decent coverage but I try not to use too much anyway, once again because of sensitive skin =.=

I'm not 100% about the smell of this cream though.  That's not to say that it smells bad in any way... the smell just doesn't particularly appeal to me =/  After much consideration, I think I prefer Garnier's BB Cream better but this is a good back up~ ^^

• Jurlique Replenishing Cleansing Lotion -- This was a really decent sized sample of a really great product that has definitely made it onto my 'to buy' list~ :D The cleansing lotion is gentle and non-abrasive to the skin and leaves it feeling instantly clean, smooth and springy~ ^^ It also smells absolutely fantastic with its combination of rose and lavender essential oils.  With approximately a $45 price tag for the full size product, it is a little on the pricey side but it's SO worth it~ ^^ Hopefully I'lkl be getting paid soon so I can go and splurge on this~ hehehe~ X3

• Jurlique Purely Age-Defying Ultra Firm and Lift Cream -- I wasn't really sure exactly what this product was supposed to do or why I got it since I'm only 23... >.> (I'M NOT OLD~!!!!!!!! ;A;) But I tried it anyway jsut for funsies~ ^^ I put a bit under my eyes and pretty much instantly felt my skin tighten.  I gather that it would be pretty good for eye bags and panda eyes but since I don't really get either and I wear glasses anyway, I might just give this to my mum or my brother~ :P

And last but not least...

• Face of Australia Mineral Therapy Lip Shine Lip Gloss -- First of all........ IT TASTES LIKE CHERRIES~!!!!!! XD Plus, it smells great~ ^^ It is a little bit sticky when you put it on but it does leave ur lips feeling incredibly moisturised.  I highly recommend this for anyone who suffers from chronic chapped lips or anyone who just wants their lips to taste super kissable~ ;) hehe~ ♪

Anyhoo, that's it for the January Bellabox~ ^^ I can't wait for my February box to arrive~ I also subscribed to Lust Have It! this month so I'm super excited about comparing the two boxes~ ^^

In other news, Valentine's Day was last Thursday~ ^^ I had to work for some of the day -- marking tests and such -- but I ended up going to the movies with Spiffy and Derick~ :D We watched Flight, a movie that came out at the end of January in Australia starring Denzel Washington~ ^^

I actually wanted to watch Anna Karenina which came out that day but I was totally outvoted... those bullies! XP But I suppose that's what you get for going to the movies with guys~ =.=;

Hehe~ in all honesty it was actually quite a good movie~ ^^ I think it was a bit cliche in some places but not so much so that it made you face palm~ :P The cast was pretty great too, no weak links there, and there was a great moment of suspense towards the end with a bottle of alcohol~ but I won't give anything away~ :P  Definitely worth watching~ ^^

Dinner was once again a guy-dominated affair... I guess I can now say that I've had chicken at Nando's now :P  Anyway, overall it was a pretty fun day~ ^^ Oh! And I had a raw tuna salad at Gaijin before the movie~ ^^  I also found out that Derick doesn't like raw fish @.@ Who doesn't like raw fish? :O

In terms of presents, my sudden over-enthusiasm for make up and skincare products led me to get Spiffy a range of skincare products including the Kosmea Skin Clinic Rescue Balm and the You, Me & Everybody Cool It Aloe Vera Gel~ ^^  Unfortunately, the rescue balm makes him smell like watermelon... =/ I hate watermelon~ >.<  Anyhoo, Spiffy got me a super cute Guess bracelet with locks and keys on it~ ^^  He also gave me a pair of awesome boots that I haven't taken a picture of yet~

My Valentine's Day present from Spiffy~ :3 He gave me a pair of boots too but I haven't taken a picture of them yet >.<

Hmmmmmmm... that pretty much wraps up the last two weeks~ ^^ I won't bore you with details about work (which has been pretty hectic of late)~ :P

How was your Valentine's Day?

Did you spend it with someone special or just go out with friends? ^^