You Deserve It - D&M

There's this reoccurring trend I've been seeing a lot lately, and it made me think pretty hard about the last 9 months of my life.

We all know Facebook can be a plethora of whingeing, but every so often I will see a post dedicated to expressing pride in recognition of a self-achievement.

The only catch is that those posts are, more often than not, accompanied with a statement apologising for the post. Apologising under the notion that it's not okay to be proud of oneself. That it's not okay to share an achievement with our friends & family, without feeling a little braggy and guilty.

"I'm sorry for boring anyone by posting these updates, but after a long 6 months and hard work, I've lost XXkg and I'm really proud of myself"

I will admit that I have done this in the past - but the more I think about it, the more I question the need for apologetic sentiment.

Granted that it's not hurting anyone/thing else, we are all allowed to be proud of our achievements, however big or small. You worked hard for it? GIRL - own it. 

There should not be a nagging feeling of anxiety when we celebrate our positive successes. We should feel comfortable to tell our nearest and dearest the details with excitement and pride, sans guilt. If you put your time, effort and dedication into something, you should feel the freedom to express your self-worth. And further to that, you should not feel ashamed about any positive opportunities and/or rewards that come your way as a result of it.

As the old saying goes:

Source: Google

So what does this have to do with me?

After having these thoughts, I cast my mind to my most recent achievements. Small things that mean so little to others, but so much to me. I got presented with a great opportunity at work; I overcame some personal baggage; I've stepped out of my comfort zone, aimed higher and rose above challenging situations that normally I would have caved under.

So many small wins for myself as a person, so much growth in 9 months time.

And I realised, I am proud of myself.

I worked hard, and though it's not anything major, I am proud of my career opportunity.

It was a massive learning curve for me, and I am proud of gaining the ability to remove toxic people from my life.

It has been a tumultuous roller coaster of emotions over these months, but I am proud of how far I have come, how I've handled situations, and how many times I stepped out of my comfort zone. Deciding to be a better person has allowed for peace of mind.

And through achieving all of these things, the positive ramifications flowed through.

And not only has life rewarded me - I also made a point to reward myself.

Meet my new baby, Alfie (Sony Alpha 5100 or a5100):

In depth info on the Sony Alpha mirror-less range can be found here and here :)

I had hesitations for such an extravagant purchase, but after some careful consideration, I decided to own my achievements. To acknowledge my self-worth, to be excited about my accomplishments, and reward myself for the personal milestones I have reached.

You know what? It's okay to be proud of yourself. It's okay to treat yourself. If it's within reason for you, it's okay to reward yourself for how far you've come. 

Just got into a new relationship after conquering singledom? Be proud.

Got a promotion at your job? Be proud.

Took the first steps for a fresh start? Be proud.

I'm all for supporting each other, lifting each other up, spreading kindness and light, and celebrating each other's happiness.

It's okay to acknowledge you've done something great - get rid of the apologies, say it loud and proud, and go ahead and treat yourself - I felt like I deserved it, and guess what? So do you.

Source: Google

J x

The Chronicles of Bathnia - Winter 2015

Here are my favourites from Lush this Winter!

Baths can be nice year-round, but the cold weather does encourage more frequent use, for obvious reasons.

Nothing like a warm soak to get you through each week! I found that it helped clear my mind on a Sunday night, to let go of troubles from the week prior, and get my head ready for the week to come.

I've chronicled the Lush products I've loved through July, and here they are in a neat little package - I hope this encourages you to take the time to rest, revive, relax, and breathe :)

Relaxation level = 10!

 Creamy Candy Bubble Bar - AU$6.95

My all time favourite bubble bar, I repurchase constantly! I am a sweet scent lover for sure. 

Has little candy scented nibs throughout as well.

The Comforter Bubble Bar - AU$10.95

Massive, and will last you at least 5+ baths!

Think Pink Mini Bath Bomb -AU$5.50 

Scattering of confetti hearts hiding within... so adorable, but you will find them everywhere after!

Pic below of the remenants!

Melting Marshmallow Moment Bath Melt -AU$8.50 

Such a lovely melt, again in a sweet scent, and great to add in addition to using any of the Bubble Bars for a moisturising soak.

Butterball Bath Bomb - AU$5.50

Hands down, favourite bath bomb from Lush. Delicious chocolate scent and my skin LOVES me after using this. A staple in my bath collection! If you only get one thing, ever, from Lush - make it this one.

Thanks for sharing my adventures this Winter - The Chronicles Of Bathnia will return in July 2016!

And don't forget to follow me on Instagram to keep up to date with my latest micro-photo adventures.

Happy bath-ing!

J x

Brisbane Eat Street Markets

[Photoset 31.05.2015]

J x

Autumn OOTD

Zara Trench Raincoat

London Rebel Taupe Microsuede Boots

Forever New Natalie Zip Bag

J x 

Deluxe Samples, Mecca Maxima Beauty Loop, & Newbies

Life is short, Buy the shoes!!! (Get this rose gold & white polka dot quote card from Kikki K here)

Happy Sunday!

Incidentally, it's also Mother's Day! In my adventures purchasing a few of my favourite beauty products for my Mum, I managed to score a few freebie deluxe samples from Revlon and Mecca Maxima.

I'll get into the samples in a sec! But first, pictured above are a few new acquisitions:

Essie Buy Me A Cameo - a metallic nude shade that I've been eyeing for a while;

NARS Audacious Lipstick Natalie - you all already know how much I fell in love with Grace, so this was on my hit list this week! Beautiful rosy pink, and super pigmented;

Colette Off Duty Blogger clutch - gonna use this for travelling, probably put my vlogging camera & Macbook charger etc. in there :)

REVLON BEAUTY BAG

I believe it was a AU$39.95 spend to receive the beauty bag at Myer with 5 full sized samples.

I haven't included the free eyeshadow quad & nail polish in the photo, as I gave them to my Mum along with the makeup bag it all came in!

I did purchase a creme lipstick in Pink Velvet (one of my staples which I gifted to Mumma Bear also), and my daily Colorstay pressed powder, so I was well over the minimum to receive the beauty bag.

I kept the Photoready Skinlights Face Illuminator, Ultra HD Lipstick 830 HD Rose, and Colorstay Brow Fantasy crayon/gel duo in Brunette. Will post an update on how these products go in weeks to come - I already love the Lipstick shade, but it does have a scent to it which I don't know if I love or hate yet! Ha!

You can shop Revlon at Myer here! Hurry in to get your freebie beauty bag, I'm not for sure when the promotion ends.

MECCA MAXMIA BEAUTY LOOP SAMPLE BOX

This is what I love about member rewards at beauty and cosmetics stores! 

I've not tried any of these products before, but super excited to crack them open:

NARS Light Optimising Primer

Ren Micro Polish Cleanser

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder 

The last one is especially intriguing! Hyaluronic acid finishing powder for brushing over night cream or over makeup. Will for sure be updating you guys on that one.

Head on over to Mecca Maxima and join the Beauty Loop - There are 4 sample boxes per year, and a ton of other cool perks.

Last but not least, a sneaky purchase from Forever New, how cool is this! The glitter moves all around - and we know how much I love my sparkles. 

Countess Sophia Fits iPhone 6, and you can find it here.

Let me know if you see any cool promos happening at the moment that I should be jumping on, or any stores doing awesome loyalty perks! 

And as always, I'll be sharing any I see with you guys on here :)

J x

Bittersweet - D&M

Source

Tumultuous times can bring the biggest lessons.

We don't often understand why events occur, or we don't want to.

I feel like there is so much noise and clutter that results when something tough happens, and we can get so overwhelmed with emotions. Whether you experience anxiety or not, it is never easy to make sense of the cards life deals us, alone.

I'm lucky. I have a select few people in my life that will force me to see things in a different perspective. Even when I don't want to. Even when it seems impossible.
They take my mess, and help me find a meaning for why the mess occurred. 

Life isn't always fair. There are so many things we wish we could change. But I'm grateful for the people that show me that hope exists, regardless of the extremity of mess. Regardless of how impossible the situation. You cannot replace the level of care it takes to do that for a person, and I will never take it for granted.


One of the things I have learnt the hard way recently:
We cannot shut people out.
If you're on a train, never let someone ride with you, unless you intend on explaining the sights along the way. Talk about it. Regardless of how daunting the mess is outside the window, be open to communication.
And if you decide to get off, do not leave that person on that train without an explanation. Don't wait until it's too late.

And, harder still, this:
Relationships - romantic, friendly or a simple interaction - exist for one of two reasons:
To fulfil you. Or to teach you.
Whether you win, and ultimately get what you wanted.
Or you lose, and are left to sort through the mess & find meaning for it.
As hard as it is to accept, "to love and to lose" is the next best thing.

People come into your life for a reason. I have always hated this saying. When mess occurs, you hear it from anyone and everyone. It becomes hard to believe.
I still struggle, but it is something I am slowly learning to accept, with help from people that care.
No matter how messy the situation, there is something to be learnt from all who come and go.
A bittersweet exchange.

Whether it's to remind you not to make the same mistakes over again, whether it's to show you that you are worth more than you thought, or whether it's to help you realise how you should be treated.
Whatever it is, the next best thing to fulfilment, the next best thing to winning, is a lesson learnt.


To those without people to push them to find silver linings in life-mess, I say this:
You are not alone. Take what you can from what you've got.
Even if you find one small, seemingly insignificant lesson from the situation, take it. Be grateful for it. Grow from it. Let it influence you, teach you, and give you strength.
Let it be a reminder that your story isn't over yet.

J x

My first Audacious Lipstick & Rose Gold obsession!

Nars have had the Audacious Lipstick Collection out for a while now but I've not had the chance to pick any up - until now! And let me tell you, these are amazing. I'm hooked!

The colour range excites me so much, and when swatched, you can tell they are extremely pigmented. 

The colour payoff is so strong, and the texture is devine! So velvety and a little goes a long way. 

I'm really hoping to try the shade Natalie next - it was more of a light pink tone, which I already own a lot of (but still not quite the exact same shade, and it was so pretty!), so I opted for this electric pink/red Grace instead. 

How beautiful is it?! I could not resist. I feel that although it is a spring/summer shade, it could easily work in autumn/winter if you wanted a pop of colour to brighten your spirits in the colder months :)

It seems I've become a bit obsessed with rose gold!! 

I also picked up this awesome rose gold Alpha Votive Candle Holder from Dusk, which is working well with my rose gold clock I previously got for my room.

These cute bow rose gold & dement earrings at Forever New (you know me and bows, let alone rose gold!)

And this rose gold & white watch from Valley Girl (a bargain and pretty cute!)

Have you seen any rose gold pieces you think I will love?
What's your favourite Audacious Lipstick shade from Nars?
Let me know :)

J x