Grape Seed Oil - a Miracle for skin!

September has been soooo SLOW.... work-wise anyway. After hitting my target last month, I truly thought that the economy was fine, but this month.... well, I'm not too sure at the moment. I'm miles away from my target, and with one day to go until the month closes off there's no chance to redeem myself! Sales have slowed down, and everyone seems to be shying away from finance options and are paying cash for everything - which I suppose is a good thing, but it doesn't help me out! Lol, oh well. What can I do? Well I'm looking forward to a busy, action-packed October! (Who says I can't be optimistic?)

So with the free time on my hand, I've realised there's a MIRACLE skincare product that I want everyone to know about. It's 100% natural, very easy to obtain, and it only costs around $5.00 for 500ml. So what is it?

100% GRAPE SEED OIL.


Yes, you heard me right - Grape Seed Oil. Bought directly from Woolworth's supermarket shelves for $5.00. The stuff they use for cooking oil. Sounds gross doesn't it? I thought so too at first, but a wise woman once said to me:

"If I can't eat it, why would I put it on my skin?"

Her words stopped me in my tracks - she had a point. In recent times people are becoming more aware of what they are eating and putting INTO their bodies - why aren't we also concerned with what we are putting ON our bodies? After all, skin is the human bodies largest organ. - shouldn't we be more aware of what we are putting into it? And so, it was with the principle of "If I can't eat it, I won't put it on my skin" that I made my foray into Grape Seed Oil.

So how is it a miracle oil?

It's a miracle oil for me because:

1. It is light and easily absorbed into my skin
2. My skins stays moisturised throughout the day
3. My skins oil stays in CONTROL and doesn't get to that 3pm oiliness stage
4. My pores have decreased in size
5. My skin is tighter and more supple, and above all CLEARER

All of these things in just four weeks of using it!

Mind you, I don't use it during the day, as it does leave a light sheen on your face if you don't blot it away with tissue paper. I use it at night after my cleansing and toning routine. During the day I use a natural moisturiser with an avocado oil base. Before using the grape seed oil I noticed that my skin would get an oily sheen by the end of the day, however since using the grape seed oil the sheen has dissappeared!

Now, I can still hear your objections - how can Grape Seed Oil CONTROL the oil in your skin? Wouldn't oil make your skin oilier? But after doing some research, I realised that all moisturisers have some form of oil in their product, whether it be olive oil, soybean oil, avocado oil, or - you guessed it - good old Grape Seed Oil.

I have always had fairly oily skin, and as such I have always been prone to breakouts and blackheads. Going through puberty was a nightmare - my pores were HUGE, my blackheads were dark and menacing, and at one stage my youngest sister (who was seven at the time) dubbed me "Pizza Face". It was the stuff teenage nightmares are made of. Because of this I was always drawn to the "Oil-Free" moisturising products, and as I grew older and started earning money, I began to spend my money on more expensive skincare brands in the vain hope that they had the 'technology' to control my skin.

However it is only now that I come to understand that my skin NEEDS oil - we all do. Moisturisation is achieved when we replenish the oils that we have lost in our skin. So it would make sense that we would use natural oils, wouldn't it? Not only that, but Grape Seed oil is rich with antioxidants and Vitamin E, all of which help the skin keep healthy.

If you're still in doubt, check out some of the links below, which outline the benefits of grape seed oil. Otherwise, for only $5.00 a bottle it's a pretty good punt! If you don't like it on your skin, fry some chips with it instead.

The Oil Cleansing Method
Grapeseed oil - Promoting Health Within and Without
Grape seed benefits in skin care cosmetics

All I know is - it works for me and I LOVE it!

xx Mich :)

Clothes my boyfriend has banned me from wearing

Shaine has banned me from wearing certain clothes.

Yes. That's right, you heard it here first. There are certain things he has banned me from wearing.

Do I listen to him?

HELL NO. After all, where would the fun be in that?!

So what has he banned me from wearing?

"Nothing frilly or with ruffles, or tassles (tossles??)... (yes, his words exactly!

Black frilly bib necklace from Kookai

...and DEFINITELY no Skorts, or polka dots!!"

White Kookai top with lace pleated shoulders;  High-waisted skort from Sportsgirl.

So, can I wear pleats then?

"What are pleats??"

I show him my new white Kookai tank top which has pleated lace shoulder accents.

"But they're frilly! NO FRILLS."


Maybe I should wear this pleated skirt next time I see him!

Black tank top from Kookai; Black skinny belt from Sportsgirl; Pink pleated skirt from Sportsgirl.

Hahaha - poor, silly Shaine. Doesn't he know that his protest is futile? After all - he knows my wardrobe is made up of everything he has banned!!

Happy Friday!!

Lots of Love,
Mich :) xox

Bad Blogger

First things first. I have been a terrible blogger this week. I have broken the cardinal rule of blogging, which is "Write REGULARLY". Oops.

Anyway, to recap my week - last weekend Shaine was in Sydney for a conference - lucky me! Well, lucky if you don't count the fact that I was working all weekend. I did have Monday off though, and I trekked into the City to have breakfast with Shaine in Darling Harbour. And guess what - I wore my trusty Bright Red Capri Pants again! I'm really beginning to fall in love with these pants, and so I thought I'd better share a picture with you - please don't mind the fact that it looks like I'm gripping on for dear life:

This time around, Shaine didn't say anything... but I did get a full frontal stare from a woman waiting at the bus stop! Was it positive or negative? Hmm... I don't know, but at least I'm making an impression!(?)

After breakfast, I made my way back home to visit my local hairdresser for a few highlights. From there I then walked down to the beach to get my tan on while reading  "The Girl Who Played With Fire" by Stieg Larsson. Have I mentioned to you just how much I love my Kindle?!

Later that evening I got dressed to meet Shaine in town again - this time to have dinner before heading out on a river cruise as part of the Convention he was attending. The river cruise was lovely - I love cruising in Sydney Harbour, the views are always so beautiful, and it was nice to be out with Shaine talking to strangers! It's quite funny - in social situations (particularly those that involve alcohol), Shaine and I get into our little routine of witty repertoire, whereby we take the piss and insult each other endlessly. It starts out quite funny at first, but towards the latter part of the evening (i.e. after several more glasses of alcohol had been consumed), we may have offended someone - unintentionally of course! But that's another blog update for another time.

Darling Harbour - right before we boarded the boat

Other than that, life has been pretty 'ho-hum'. I've been at work.... not doing much work.....although it's through no fault of my own! I work in a sales/finance/insurance role, and the economy has really seemed to slow down.... believe me, I want to be working - after all, no work = no money. Eek!

So I guess I really don't have an excuse for being a bad blogger, do I?

xx Mich

Bright Red Capri Pants

Friday. While the rest of the world rejoices the advent of the weekend, I find myself sulking at my desk. Why? because I work pretty much every weekend. And it's quiet at work. Which means I'm bored, and I'm daydreaming about being outside in the sun. Arrghh!! Damn you Sydney and your seven day trading laws!

*Sigh*. So far I've been checking out some fashion blogs to pass the time. One such blog, titled 'The Man Repeller'  had me chuckling to myself all morning! Written by Leandra Medine, her blog highlights the various fashion trends that women (or more accurately, the fashion industry) find (or promote shamelessly as) 'attractive', but are 'repellant' to men - think harem pants, boyfriend jeans, etc. Leandra's writing is sharp, witty, and very tongue in cheek, with just the right amount of crass. I find her absolutely hilarious! She has an incredible sense of humour, but she's also just plain RIGHT. It's like what I've said to friends before - generally, women dress for women, not necessarily for men. After all - it's us 'sheilas' that understand fashion, right?

An example of this actually occurred on my Gold Coast/Birthday weekend. Prior to my short trip, I spent about a week trying to plan my outfits for my weekend away. In my desperate attempt to find outfits which were
         a) light to pack (carry-on luggage only)
         b) stylish, and
         c) catered to any possible change in the weather,
I managed to turn my wardrobe inside out and came across a pair of BRIGHT RED low rise capri pants. I'd bought these pants about six years ago for around $20, but never wore them because of how bright they were.... or in other words, because I was a complete chicken s***. And for the simple fact that I'd forgotten I'd even had them! Fast forward to the present, and all I could think was "How STYLISH and fashion forward am I going to look in these?!?" Since I had that thought in my head, and the capri's ticked all the above requirements, they were packed.

Anyway, Sunday morning on the Gold Coast rolls around. Shaine and I wake up with surprisingly minimal hangovers (see my last post), and decide to go out for breakfast. Friday and Saturday were much cooler than I had anticipated, and so I thought that perhaps a pair of pants were the way to go for the day. I didn't want to wear my black skinny leg jeans because the sun was shining and I wanted something more colourful AND Spring-like. Then I thought to myself - wouldn't the red capri pants just be PERFECT!? So while Shaine is getting dressed and telling me where he is taking me for brekky, I start to put on my red capris.

It is then that I notice his talking dwindles. I look up at him. He is silent.... yet I know what he is thinking. His mind is screaming out to me
       "RED?",
       "Pants that end BETWEEN the knee and the ankle?!?", and most simply
       "WTF?!?!"

So what did I do? Well to be honest, I had anticipated this moment. Situations like this have happened before with previous guys. So before Shaine said anything I met his gaze and simply said:
"Babe -they're red pants. I KNOW what you're thinking. But I'm wearing them anyway."

Hmm. So there! Plain and simple. Besides - I'm not wearing them for him. I'm wearing them for me.... and all the other fashionable ladies out there!
(says she who is currently sporting a semi-mullet because her pixie haircut has grown out, and she's too lazy to see a hairdresser for a trim because she's trying to grow her hair to shoulder length again - i.e. man repeller!!)


Mullet-haired Man-repeller Michelle! Don't believe it?? Check below:

Normal Michelle

MULLET-HAIRED MAN-REPELLER MICHELLE!

I'm REALLY going to have to do something about my hair, aren't I??


Happy friday!!

Lots of love,
Mich :) xoxo

A birthday in Dreamworld plus a stein to remember!

Saturday was my birthday (hello 27!!), and I celebrated it at Dreamworld. It was here that I have since rediscovered that I am a complete and utter wuss - I screamed like a banshee and held on for dear life on all the rides! Luckily for me the 'Tower of Terror' was shut for annual maintenance, and Shaine felt a bit queasy after we rode 'The Claw', so I managed to get out of most of the scary rides. I did however get sucked into going on the 'Cyclone'. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't until I was strapped into the ride that the attendant announced that we would be upside down..... TWICE. Terrified much? ABSOLUTELY. The picture below was taken right after I got off the ride...

Suffice to say, I tried to spend the majority of the day doing nice, simple things, such as view the tigers and pet the kangaroos. How cute is the picture with Shaine and the joey? Aww!! :)

Later that evening, Shaine and I went to the Bavarian Beer House for Pork Knuckle and Steins.... nom nom nom. By the way - check out my Pink Flamenco nails! They go perfectly with my new pink Boyfriend Blazer, don't they? And yes - I did finish off the stein all by myself. You can see my inebriation in the second photo haha :)

To make things worse, after dinner Shaine and I both made a visit to the liquor store to purchase some supplies for Margaritas.... Uh-Oh!! Yes, we both ate the worms, and Shaine polished off the scorpion.

Surprisingly enough, I didn't have much of a hangover the next day!

With Love,
Mich xxx

A flight, a Kindle, and Oskars

So my Gold Coast weekend has come and gone.... and I had a fantastic time! It all started on Friday, when Shaine picked me up from the Gold Coast airport and took me back to his apartment in Surfers Paradise, where he surprised me with a Kindle for my birthday. I was absolutely stoked!

I've wanted a Kindle ever since both my best friend Jasmine and my previous housemate got one earlier this year. I'm a bit of a born-again book nerd, particularly since Shaine moved up to the Gold Coast for work and I needed some distraction! What I love about the Kindle is how you can download books on the go in under one minute, and I love how small and compact the device is. One of my pet hates when travelling is having to narrow down which book to take with you on the plane/bus/train - it not only comes down to what you want to read, but how big and heavy the book is! The Kindle solves that conundrum by being compact and light - as you can see from the picture above, with the protective leather case on the Kindle is as small as an A5 notebook. I'm in LOVE.

After getting my pressie, Shaine and I got ready to have dinner at Oskars in Burleigh Beach. Oskars is perfectly positioned, overlooking Burleigh Beach, and offers spectacular views of the Surfers Paradise skyline. Unfortunately for us, the weather in the Gold Coast on Friday night was noticeably cooler and quiet windy, so sitting outside to take in the views was not an option. The food was good, and the service was AMAZING. The waiter serving us was friendly, polite, and very attentive. Having lived in Sydney for over 12 months now I must admit that I find the quality of food in the restaurants here is better, however the service can be lacking at times, and this guy from Oskars just about blew the service levels I've become accustomed to out of the water. Half the point to dining out is the experience, and our waiter helped make the experience enjoyable through his great service.

All in all, Friday was a great night!

With Love, Mich :) xox

Bright Idea!

My best friend Jasmine sent me this gorgeous O.P.I. Gift Set for my Birthday.... how cute is it!? Thanks Jasmine! :) xx

I have heard a number of great reviews from friends over the years in regards to O.P.I., and I'm ashamed to admit that my first foray into O.P.I. nail polish was only just last week when I purchased a bottle of their Pink Flamenco. I'd previously used other brands as they were quiet inexpensive, but after using O.P.I., I don't think I could go back! The colours in their range are so diverse, and the quality of the polish is outstanding. I'm usually quiet rough with my hands and I constantly chip my polish, however my Pink Flamenco nails are holding up spectacularly!

Pink Flamenco is very similar to the bottle of That's Hot! Pink pictured above. I'm wearing it today, and I absolutely LOVE IT. The colour is perfect for Spring/Summer, and it is certainly lifting my mood today, as it's looking quite overcast outside. I've only just gotten back into wearing nail polish in the last few months, and it's amazing how something as simple as different coloured nails can brighten up my day. I'm looking forward to trying out my new colours as soon as I can!

Thanks again to Jasmine, my beautiful friend - your bright idea certainly has brightened my day!

Lots of love,
Mich :) xx

Daydreaming

I've been daydreaming about Spring ever since Autumn set in. However, now that Spring is finally here, I'm still daydreaming! I'm at work, which really, I don't mind because I enjoy working here. But I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin! I'm sick of looking beige - and it doesn't help that Shaine reckons I look like Casper the friendly ghost with my pale skin! Cheeky bugger, hahaha :)

Aside from Spring, I've been daydreaming about this weekend. Shaine is currently living in the Gold Coast and I'll be flying up there on Friday for my birthday weekend. I'm so excited! It's been over a month since I last saw him, and I can't wait to be with him again. Friday night we're planning to go out for a nice dinner, and then on Saturday we'll be going to Dreamworld to celebrate my birthday. Sunday I'm planning to chill, and then maybe hit up some of the Sunday Sessions on the Goldy. I've come to the point where I simply cannot wait anymore - I want to be there NOW. Oh well, at least it's only two more days of waiting now! The picture below was taken  from the Q1 Observation Desk on the Gold Coast when I saw Shaine last month - pretty cool huh?

I've also been daydreaming about finally wearing my Spring/Summer clothes. I came across this fantastic website a few months ago, Polyvore, and it was this website that set off my Spring daydreaming. This website brings fashionistas from around the globe together in sharing up-to-date fashion advice and creating their own stylish fashion sets. This website has become my absolute addiction! Despite the fact that the website is predominantly targeted to the northern hemisphere, the style advice is relevant and timely, and I have seen a few Aussie members. I love to see the different senses of style out there. It is an absolute inspiration!

Time to daydream again.... :)

With love,
Mich

The beginning...

Spring - oh, how I adore thee!

It's the fourth day of Spring today, and I couldn't be happier. Despite the fact that I'm working today, it's sunny and beautiful in Sydney.... all of which translates into a brighter and happier me! I've been counting down to Spring ever since the cold weather began, which is the norm for me. Having grown up in Perth, I relish the hot, endless summer days that only Perth seems to have on offer. Alas! Enough reminiscing for now. Onto a quick introduction to me!

My name is Michelle, and I am a 26 year old Perth girl (woman?) who now lives across the great yonder in Sydney. I've been living in Sydney's beautiful Eastern suburbs for over 12 months now, and although my job is quite demanding (and my social life suffers dramatically because of it!) I do love living here. I'm near the beach, and the coast is absolutely beautiful. It's also wonderful to be able to see the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House regularly!

 

So why did I move? I moved here for a number of reasons, but ultimately the great deciding factor was the end of a bad relationship. I won't go into it in any depth - at least not now, anyway - but I can say that the beauty that came out of the ending of this relationship was that it gave me the much needed kick up the backside to finally take a risk and move forward with my life. As much as I love Perth, and I love LOVE my friends there, I knew that if I stayed in Perth my life would continue on it's lazy, aimless path.... which granted, was quite an enjoyable path at times!

Since moving to Sydney I've been blessed to meet an amazing man. I have a wonderful relationship with my boyfriend, whom I've nicknamed "Shaine". I call him Shaine because he's shallow and vain, but I love him to bits! Haha :) He's not really that bad, I just love to take the piss with him whenever I can - it's our thing :)

Now, what will this blog be about? To be honest, I'm not too sure yet. I'm starting this blog primarily as a creative outlet for my thoughts and opinions. I work in a predominantly male environment and as such, any form of 'girly talk' is extremely scarce to me! So expect some posts on fashion and beauty, as well as the occasional rantings and ravings of my life in general.

So I guess that concludes my first post!

With Love,
Mich xx