ElectroCat

Today I got up nice and early so I could beat the mad rush and get to the boxing sales early. I wasn't brave enough to go to my local shopping centre as the parking over there would be nearly impossible to find so Brisbane CBD seemed like a better idea. I scored a parking spot only 10 minute walk to the shopping precinct and arrived to the shops at 9 20 am. David Jones was my first stop and let me tell you it was already packed. I quickly made my way to Guerlain counter and the perfume selection and there was nothing that grabbed my attention. On my way out I've spotted Kiehl's Midnight recovery 15ml reduced to $28 so I grabbed all three. I've used this oil before and I love the way it makes my skin feel and look. After DJ I went downstirs to Kikki K and picked up a Cute Diary pack for $20.97 reduced from $34.95 and Bucket List journal from $17.47 reduced from $24.95. I have only discovered Kikki K recently and think it is very cute store. On the way to the ...

I was very impressed with the early delivery of The Parcel this time round. It is all about summer and has everything to make you more tanned, protect you from the sun, rehydrate your hair and get rid of the unwanted body hair. Upon closer inspection "Chemist Warehouse" came to mind as the majority of the brands on offer can be found at the discount pharmacies and Priceline. Nevertheless I am keen to try them out. 1. Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturiser...$10.99 This product caught my eye the other day when I was browsing my local supermarket. It is a gradual tanner that supposed to keep your skin nicely moisturised and not have that fake tan smell. To me it smells very similar to Dove gradual tanner, lets just hope that the formula gets absorbed nicely unlike Dove that likes to sit on my skin. 2. Avene Micellar Lotion...$30.95 I get a new bottle of Micellar water in nearly every box which I don't mind as I do use it (takes me ages to go through a bottle ...

Another lot of ten products done and dusted. I must say I did enjoy most of them and I think it is a good place to be as I no longer tend to buy many products I don't particularly like. The exception would be the products I get from my subscription boxes or sampler totes but that's what they are for in the first place. 1. Nesti Dante Dolce Viviere Portofino Soap My overall impression - Gorgeously scented Italian soap that has been manufactured for over 70 years in Tuscany. It is the best soap I have ever used! It doesn't go soggy, leathers up like a dream and doesn't dry my skin out too much. Plus it comes in a lot of different scents but the Dolce Viviere line that has been inspired by Italian cities is my favorite. And they come wrapped in luxurious paper. Would I buy it again? Definitely, I am currently obsessed with the line and got probably two kilos worth from Strawberrynet the other day. I have also seem them at small florist shops and upmarket homeware...

A week after my delayed Winter parcel I got my hands on the Spring'16 edition. From the first glance I knew I was going to like it. It contains a lot of goodies to prepare you for the coming warmer season and achieve that glowing bronzed skin, revive hair after winter and inspire you to get a new scent. So here is what I got... 1. Essano Argain Oil Shampoo and Conditioner...value$15.99 They are 50 mls each so they are perfect for a prolonged overseas trip or enough for you to try out the product. They are supposed to be professional quality but at the same time they don't contain any "harmful chemicals". 2. St Tropez Tanning Glove...value $11.99 Tanning gloves changed my world! No more stained hands and patchy application. I will definitely use this one a lot once my current tanning glove dies. 3. St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse...value $12.50 Cult tanning foam that has been around for many many years. This one is supposed to have new scent. I love t...

My review for winter edition of The Parcel was long overdue. No, I haven't been slack, in fact I only received it the other day after writing them several emails and making inquiries at my local post office. Turns out it was delivered to a completely wrong person who signed for it. I was initially told to chase it myself but it resulted in nothing. So I have demanded a tracking number for my spring parcel outlining the whole situation and finally got an apology and the parcel was delivered to me.  My initial thought when I opened this box was "Priceline's finest selection". I don't have anything against Priceline, in fact I love getting some products from them but this is supposed to be a higher end box and I can't see any high-end products in here. 1. Colgate Optic White Toothpaste...value $2.50 I work in a dental office so I get the abundance of samples. Plus I know that this products doesn't really work and is likely to make my teeth se...

Groomed eye brows been in the spotlight for a number of years now. They went from being well-defined, to fill and bold to full and natural. Gone are the days when I could limit my eye brow routine just to penciling them in and maybe brushing them once in a while. Now I have several pencils, powders, gel with fibre and now this BDB Best Sellers Kit. I picked it up from Mecca couple of days ago. The web-site version had a sharpener but mine didn't...perhaps it was a bonus offer...  It came brow grooming gel, universal brow pencil, duo concealer pencil and concealer brush...all for $52 which is a great value considering they retail for $26-29 alone! 1. Brow gel holds them in place and gives them a nice sheen. 2. Universal pencil is very pigmented and soft so it lets you create a good shape without drugging your skin. The shade is pretty nice too - reddish taupe brown. 3. Duo concealer. Probably my favorite product as it really helps you to create perfect brow a...

As you may know I love getting bi-annual David Jones sampler tote as they are excellent value and you get to try a lot of products. Today I popped in to get a make-up brush cleanser and picked up one of the totes containing nine beauty products. 1. St Tropez Self-tan Express. This product is similar to their original foam, except you can shower after one hour. The tan is supposed to still develop after that. Perfect if you don't want to ruin sheets or have to be tanned asap. This one would be perfect for traveling. 2. StriVectin Intensive Concentrate for Wrinkles and Stretch Marks. It retails for a lot of money so it is nice to try it out before splurging on a full sized tube. 3. Molton Brown Shower Gel. This one is lily of the valley and star anise. Gorgeous gorgeous scent, pity they are so expensive with fairly average ingredients. I love putting those mini shower gels into my gym bag. 4. MOR Mon Amie Hand Cream It smells like their candied alm...

Warm weather hot Brisbane suddenly and I wore shorts for the first time to get a bit of sun on my super pale legs. I don't tan naturally very well so I have to rely on a self-tanners to give me a bit of summery glow. These are the products I've been loving lately. 1. J by Jennifer Hawkins tanning glove. I find that it is the sturdiest tanning glove I've used (other fell apart after few washes). It has been going strong for me for over 10 tans giving me a smooth and even application each time.  2. 1000 Hour little black after tan dress. Two things went through my head when I saw it - where have you been all my life and why haven't I thought of it first. This dress is perfect for tanning - loose, soft, features a shelf bra that doesn't dig in and has a high-low hem so you don't leave tan marks when you sit down. Comes with a bonus hair tie too.  3. Bondi Sands foam in dark. Very very good tanning foam that it often very reasonably priced. It has ...

                            I had fair few changes in the last couple of months. Such as finding a new job and going from having three months off to working full time. Hence why I can finally spend some money on little luxuries.  I do wear prescription glasses and have a health cover so when it rolled over on the first of July I decided to treat myself to a new pair. I stopped at  Laubman & Pank at Carindale and fell in love with Ray-Ban Erika sunglasses. A week later they got fitted with my prescription and viola I have a new pair of awesome sunglasses.  I have been shopping on Strawberrynet again and picked up new Guerlain Allegoria fragrance - Limon Verde who his a refreshing sweet green citrus. Plus I couldn't resist another Nesti Dante soap. I've discovered them few months ago and they are my favourite soaps right now. They are all beautifully scented and have a huge var...

Today was like my second birthday. Everything arrived at once, two parcels, passport and a new mattress! As well as the phone call to attend an interview tomorrow :) I have been looking for a nice black leather backpack and wasn't quite satisfied with the offering you find in department and chain stores. Until I saw this backpack from Rebecca Minkoff! I managed to find it on gilt.com (US site that has amazing deals on designer items) and patiently waited for a discount code. When 30% off promo popped up in my mail box I snapped it up. It has perfect size and shape, made from sturdy leather and can be worn with casual as well as work attire. I wanted a new concealer as I find my current one is a but too sheer so I went back to Lancome Effacernes. Myer and David Jones didn't have any promotions and Lancome official site was out of stock so I turned to Strawberrynet. They had it in a shade lighter to my usual 02 Beige Sable but quick google image search indicated it will ...

Five weeks ago I suddenly lost my job and it was the first time in twelve years when I didn't have to get up and go to work or uni (not counting holidays). First couple of weeks were a bit distressing as I was worried about my future but then I really started to embrace my current situation. I don't get any government payments and been living off my redundancy payout and a bit of money that has been trickling in through temping and eBay.  Since I have a bit of time up my sleeve I can be assertive with the potential employers and really would like to find an ideal workplace as opposed to jumping on any opportunity given to me. At the end I would like to stay there for a while and be happy with my workplace. I found so many ways to unitize my time apart from just sitting around and job searching. So this is what I've done without spending no or very little money to keep myself entertained: Started playing some games I had lying around (mainly Nintendo). Embraced o...

I remember browsing my local department store last year and coming across Lancome sale. This foundation was reduced from $59 to $39 so it was a pretty good deal for a high-end product.  It had light to medium coverage and claimed to be a "perfecting fluid and matte glow creator".  I used to use medium to heavy coverage products even though my skin was good apart from occasional breakout (believing I was creating a good canvas for my make-up). I've tried it on my hand and never looked back! It had very appealing glass bottle with a dropper and the foundation itself felt like serum on my skin. There was no heaviness, drying or tingling. It was very easy to work with and despite its very light texture and coverage it gave my skin very polished finish yet still let my natural freckles come through. Best of all my skin improved dramatically after using this foundation for a few months (I am on my second or third bottle). I had congested skin for ages and...

Do you remember that  Orchid I've rescued back in January? It produced a secondary spike and a new leaf! Isn't it gorgeous? :) I keep my Phalaenopsis orchids downstairs in my garage on the windowsill. My plan is to bring them upstairs once they are in bloom so I can enjoy them more. at the moment they stay mostly in water but as it gets cooler I am planning to go back to semi-water culture (letting them stand without water for couple of days). It seems to work well so far and I haven't lost an orchid in a long-long time. In terms of personal updates it has been almost two weeks of me not working. I am somewhat enjoying it as I find myself to be less stressed and more healthy as I have been exercising more and cooking mostly at home. As a bonus my house is extra clean and I've been seeing my friends a lot more. On the other side I do feel like I am lacking a structure to my week and I wish I had more certainty. I have been proactive with my job search and l...

Couple of week ago I got an email advising me that I can go and pick up my parcel from Marie Claire. I went there with my card but instead was handed a huge parcel from The Catch of the Day. I never shop with them so I've suspected that something went wrong. It turned out that the sticker from my parcel peeled off at the warehouse and got stuck to the wrong parcel and mine was apparently sitting at the warehouse without any identification. Australia Post and Marie Claire were contacted, few days later I was informed that the new parcel will be mailed to me and today it was waiting for me in my letterbox. I am so glad I received this parcel because I love every single thing! 1. Gilded Cage Unleashed Lipstick in 117...value $40 Luxury orange red lipstick that comes in a gorgeous dark green container and it is made in Italy! I don't tend to spend a lot of money on lipsticks so I love the fact that I will get to try a premium product that I probably wouldn't buy myself....

St. Patrick's Day to me is all things Irish and Green. I am not even remotely Irish but I do have a shared passion of beer and potatoes. So I want to present to you all my favorite green things! Amouage Epic Woman  This fragrance is indeed epic! Smoky, woody, spicy layered with rose. I guarantee you haven't smelled anything like it before. It smells expensive, timeless and divine. Easily one of my favorite scents and I have a lot of perfumes! I use it sparingly and it lasts all day. Korres Water Lily shower gel My Korres obsession started with their famous lip butter. All their stuff has the most gorgeous natural scents. Water Lily smells like fresh and delicate blossoms that fills your whole bathroom. Illamasqua Nail Polish in Viridian Illamasqua makes one of the best nail polishes hands down! They do take slightly longer to dry but last for several days without chipping. Viridian is a gorgeous shade of peacock green that is infused with blue and silver glass flec...

Couple of years ago I was very very stressed for a long time. I've reached a point where I had to seek professional help and it did pay off. I came up with plans A, B and C, sorted my finances and other aspects of my life... Everything was sailing smoothly and I just returned from a ten day holiday where I took this beautiful photo.   So yesterday was just another Monday, I returned to work and was warmly welcomed back by my colleagues. I was happy to see everyone and actually didn't mind being there. I suspected nothing until all three members of our department was asked to attend a meeting. I saw a senior management there and an Angel of Death from HR, I knew something was up. We got informed that our whole department is being made redundant. WOW! I was never made redundant before but have a lot of friends and family who have. Surprisingly, even for myself, I took the news well. I think it helped stressing about it a long time ago and realizing that it ...

The party season is officially over, life is back to normal and it is a good time of the year to start managing and planning your finances. I did Frugal February for couple of years now and it helped me to achieve my goals. Last year my goal was to get rid of credit cards and get a better home loan. Those goals were achieved and I have gained more freedom and happiness while stress and anxiety reduced in a lot of aspects of my life. Throughout the year I have also referred to a lot of articles, videos and books on more streamlined, minimalistic and simplified way of living. I've read The Joy of Less by Francine Jay, listened to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up audiobook by Marie Kondo and found this great post on Apartment Therapy blog. I did improve in many ways but I am still not perfect. My apartment doesn't resemble a minimalistic display home but it is much tidier. My wardrobe has way more than 30 items of clothing but I am more assertive with my choices. ...

I haven't done empties post for a while now and in that time I've finished more than 30 items. So here is the list of most recent ones that I finished since October. 1. Guerlain Terracotta Light Bronzer in  02 Blondes My overall impression - I did a review of this bronzer back in 2013 and you can read it  here . I did enjoy using it and never got sick of it. It lasted me over two years as well and it was used several times per week. It was super sheer yet it gave my complexion a nice glow without making my skin look too shimmery or dirty. Gorgeous compact however broke at the hinge after few months so I couldn't take it anywhere with me. Would I buy it again? - Yes, definitely! It is one of the most natural-looking bronzers I've used. I hope Guerlain won't discontinue it but I wish that packaging would be a bit sturdier. 2 + 3. MAC Brow Pencil in Fling and Lingering   My overall impression - Precise and long-lasting brow pencil that doesn...

You probably have seen Phalaenopsis orchids that look a bit sad at you local supermarket. People buy them when they are in bloom to enjoy beautiful flowers for months and after that they usually get abandoned or discarded. I always feel sorry for heavily discounted orchids as they can be rescued.   So I got this pink beauty from Woolworth and it completely lost all its flowers. It was packed tightly Sphagnum moss and was very very dry. As a bonus it came in cute ceramic pot. You can see how wrinkly and dehydrated leaves are. I soaked it in water for about 10 minutes. Then I gently removed Sphagnum moss. I used sharp scissors sterilized with rubbing alcohol to cut the spike off just above the first nodule. I sprayed roots with Hydrogen Peroxide to prevent mould and inhibit bacterial growth. ...and left it sit in water. It is called Full Water Culture method. Note that water shouldn't touch the base of the plant, just tips of the roots. I change water week...