Cacti

Witchery Pullover, Chanel Brooch, Alice Mccall Shorts, Tristan Blair Boots, Amber Sceats Bangles and ring.

Another of my favourite places in Adelaide is the Botanical gardens and specifically the glasshouse and Cactus Garden. On this morning we were blessed with a very prominent sun, very welcome in Autumn. I am wearing clothes here that I had left behind in boxes, after I had gone through them and compiled a mass (aka five or six big boxes) of clothes to give away. Not having time to get in touch with anyone my size in Adelaide I left this pile for my Mum to distribute (thanks Mum!) - donate to the Op shop or to anyone she thinks might want them. My tastes had changed so much, that the bright, colourful and heavily patterned things didn't seem very 'me' anymore. So, someone out there is going to end up with brand new clothes from all sorts of designers (unworn D&G, Alice Mccall, Zimmermann etc). It feels good to let these go.

This week we got approved for a new place, so I will finally have a home of my own! No moving every three months! Yay! So now to find homewares, pack and move. Excuse me if I am absent for a few days. I have some cool projects coming up to share soon, so stick around.

Photos taken by Mario Recchia (edited by me).
xx Jenelle

Beauty: Chanel Paris x Dallas

When my friend Heidy recently invited me to her Western themed Birthday party, I could not wait to go. My love for all things Mid-western took over. With the recent Chanel Dallas show and subsequent Kristen Stewart Chanel campaign, browsing through inspiration images was all too easy. The makeup looks for the show created by Peter Philips featured silver and gold metallic strokes on the cheekbones (not unlike a tweed) with nude lips and neutral eyes. So here is my little pre-party makeup planning.

For an easy quick foundation, I am using the Mac BB cream, Maybelline Colour Show Kohl pencil in black, Maybelline Matte lips in nude, Gwen Stefani for OPI nail polish, silver and gold eye pencils and Mac Mineralize Skinfinish powder. Also on a slightly unrelated note- I was stoked to find this Led Zeppelin t-shirt at Westfield the other day, via Cotton On of all places. How much I love them. A whole lotta love.
Jewels via Amber Sceats (gold pieces), Kailis (pearl). Mag image via this months Russh Mag.
xx Jenelle

Spring Beauty

She's at it again... here is a little beauty update to share what I have been trailing and using lately. 

I am still trying to use organic products where I can, but have been using a few other things as well, so it is not all organic but a bit of a mixture. 

Since I last spoke of it all, I have used up all of my Kora Organics Foam Cleanser, which I LOVED, and this time thought I would try the Kora Organics Cream Cleanser for something different. While I have never really used a cream cleanser before and I probably prefer the foam cleanser, it is really nice. It is very gentle, with Rosehip, Avacado and Macadamia Nut oils to nourish the skin, I feel as though it would be best for someone who tends to have sensitive or dry skin. The smell is really nice, but subtler than the Foam Cleanser. Also for something different I decided to try the Calming Lavender Mist. I love lavender (actually some may say I have a thing) it is just as nice as the Energising Citrus Mist, and I can see I will get through it just as fast. One thing I have tried is spraying some onto a makeup disposable pad, holding it to my eye, then wiping it off to remove the mascara that cleansing misses. The same goes for my MAC Matte lipsticks- which tend to be tough to remove, but using the Mist as a toner is perfect. 

Finally I use the SKII Facial Treatment Essence to retain moisture and balance throughout the day (happily got this small bottle from the Marie Claire last month just as I had ran out!) before the Kora Organics Soothing Day and Night Cream. The cream is beautiful, with Evening Primrose Oil, Pomegranate, Chamomile, Olive Leaf and Lavender. You can tell it smells good from that list! I find that after a long day my forehead can get a little on the oily side, but not using this. Hoorah! I have tried a LOT of moisturisers, and this is a definite favourite. 

When I visited Alison Jade she set me up with this brow kit, to perfectly fill in my brows without being too heavy or unnatural. I love it, the colours are light, and the wax (used lightly) keeps them in place. 

Finally I went in and got a blush from the Chanel counter, as I had only a bronzing powder with me. I decided on this lighter pink shade Rose Initiale #72 for something different. It has a light sheen finish, and the pigments are subtle, so it doesn't stain or scream PINK from the second it hits your cheeks, but can be built up more in layers. The best part is the rose smell. While these are a bit more pricey, they last such a long time so I think of it along the lines of cost per use, and the smell won me over. 

I never got around to talking about haircare products, and I am still trying some new products from the health food shop, so I will let you know eventually.

xx Jenelle

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Makeup Essentials

Left to Right: 

Lucas' Paw Paw Ointment

Chanel Lip Gloss Scintillantes

MAC Matte Lipstick in So Chaud

MAC Matte Lipstick  Ruby Woo

Lancome Juicy Tubes in Fraise 

MAC blush pot in Pink Swoon

Napoleon Bronzer Powder Compact

MAC Fluid Fix SPF15+ Foundation

O.P.I nail varnish in Brights Power

Chanel Eye Shadow Pallet in Raffinement

O.P.I nail varnish in Matte Top Coat

Chanel brow pencil

Nutrimetics nc Vitamin Oil

Chanel Intimitable Intense Mascara

Chanel nail varnish 

Chanel nail varnish 

Chanel Eye Shadow Pallet in Smoky Eyes

The fun stuff! 

As a girl, I could not wait to play with lipstick, nail polish, eye shadow and the like. Colour! 

These days I like to keep things pretty simple, natural and fresh. 

To learn new tricks I go and get my make up done often and ask a lot of questions, everyone has a different tip, trick and method. I guess since I grew up painting from an early age, I am confident with a brush, contouring and colours. Someone once commented on my portraits, and I had to point out that I paint a 3D canvas almost everyday... my face. I don't think I am all that flash with make up, but I have trained in makeup courses, so I have some idea of what I am doing. 

So the process is this... after moisturising and priming, if I am wearing foundation (I often don't- or instead use a tinted moisturiser with an spf) I paint on a small amount of foundation, the MAC SPF 15+ Studio Fix Fluid is my favourite for special occasions- fashion shows etc (I always use brushes and clean them often to keep them germ and oil free). I use a touch of concealer on my eyelids as a primer (never foundation as it is too heavy), conceal under the eyes, and a tiny bit above the lip, and blend this in. Only put concealer over foundation and make sure it is blended in correctly. I didn't add it to the collage above, but I find that Yves Saint Laurent's famous Touche Eclat is good. One is sold every ten seconds around the world, and there really is no comparison. It is illuminating and beautiful.

I tend to use bronzer, to sculpt the face and because it is flattering to my skin tone/ hair. I have used a Napoleon one for so long, but I just dropped the compact and it is mostly gone now, so I need a new one. I was happy with that one, but I might shop around before I get a new one. If you can recommend any let me know. Sometimes I will add a touch of blush to the apples of my cheeks as well. 

I always tap the brush before applying so that I do not get a heap of concentrated colour on the first touch.

Next I will shadow my eyes, I tend to use a light colour across the lid and work a dark shade along the lash line and right hand side of the crease- like a v-shape. Then I will use a third colour on the centre of the lid, blend it all in, and add a white illuminating shadow under my eye in the centre to open them up a little more and under the brows. If I am going out to some thing I will illuminate the eye bone, and the top of my cheeks too. I love the Chanel eye pallets, they are so good.

I am not really into liquid liner, I trust a sharp pencil instead- sharpen pre-use every time. I pull back the eye lid (to the side! That sounds so weird!) and draw little lines one way, starting with up, then go back the other way flicking the pencil down. There is usually a few tiny gaps, so I come back across to fill those in. I fill in my eye-brows because I plucked them as a teenager, and they never came back, (plus I watch The Blue Lagoon all the time so am constantly envious of Brooke Shield's brows). Then I prime my lashes, then coat with mascara- I really don't need to curl them as they already are so long and curly that they sometimes reach back and touch my eye lids, so curling them just feels like overkill.

An interviewer once commented that upon meeting Mary-Kate Olsen, that she was tiny, but her eyelashes felt like they took up half the room. I loved that. 

A good mascara can work wonders, I have tried so many, and while mine are naturally long, I love the Chanel Intimitable Mascara range the most. 

For lips, I prime them first, to ensure the colour lasts as long as possible, then pencil across the lip, just using feathery strokes. Finally I will line the lips, and using a brush fill them in with lipstick. I think the brush is the best tip. You can control the colour more, as the shape of the stick changes so much, sweats in summer and can break upon impact too easily. The better lipsticks I have found are MAC, Chanel, Tom Ford and Yves Saint Laurent. I love all of those, and I wear a lot of reds. Bright reds. 

I am not really into shine or sticky gloss, so I will only add a touch to the centre of the lips, not all over. I have used the Lancome Juicy Tubes glosses for years, so I have a ton of them. 

I know some manufacturers cram glosses with chemicals which dry out the lips, so you apply more, and in turn buy more. That blows. The skin on your lips is delicate, and deserves care. Over night a lip treatment works wonders as you sleep, I apply an Aesop lip treatment or even the trusty paw paw ointment (or Burts Bees). 

Nails... Use a sapphire file, to prevent chipping, a good quality one will last you forever. Push back the cuticles, massage in some vitamin oil, I use a Nutrimetics one, but Bio Oil is also good. The apply a base coat, two coats of colour and a top coat. I prefer a matte finish to gloss and hate pearly nails so the O.P.I. top coat is perfect. I like the range of O.P.I. colours, and the brush is a good size. Chanel always produce key colours each season, some that are so covetable that they sell out.
I love to pick one up as a little treat. 

Finally a smile and that is it. Phew, that was a long post! Thanks for baring with me if you read this far. 

Would you believe I can be done in minutes? Yep, makeup takes me as little as a few minutes from A to Z if I want it to, but at other times, I take my time and play. It is fun.
That is it for my Beauty Essentials posts, but I loved writing them, so I may do a few more Beauty posts down the track. Possibly with more of a natural product focus.
xx Nell.

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Beauty Essentials

Left to Right: SK-II Facial Treatment Essence 

Aesop Reverence Hand Cream

Nutrimetics Hydrafinity Refreshing Cleansing Gel

Nutrimetics Hydrafinity Hydrator Moisturiser

Aesop Resurection Hand Cream

Aesop Rosehip Seed Lip Cream

Nutrimetics Ultra Care+ Microdermabrasion Kit

Aesop A Rose By Any Other Name Body Cleanser

Chanel Chance Parfum 

Chanel Chance Body Moisture

I have a confession to make... this year I am turning 30! Eek! Yep, no longer a twenty-something, I am heading into my 30s, which I am actually excited about. Whenever I meet people and they ask how old I am, there usually comes an exclamation of surprise when they find out I am not somewhere between 22 to 24. 

Ah, not so much. 

I sometimes wonder if they think it is a little sad for me to have a blog, even as a hobby, I mean, I would have loved to have began one as a teenager, I certainly had a large box of floppy disks with fashion photos and costume pictures, much to my media teachers horror. "That is such waste and excess!" He said to me. I remember telling him, 'they just need to make bigger floppy disks'. I made my first 'blog' not knowing what it was way back then at 16, it had pages for movie costumes, paintings, stills from Daria the cartoon and more. Who knew?

 But I digress...

I thought about this 'mystery' age I have been portraying, people often comment that I do not look 30, (I am the same age as Miranda Kerr and Jennifer Hawkins, do they look 30? just saying) and ask what beauty and skin care I use. So I thought I would post a series on my Beauty, Hair and Makeup Essentials.

Starting with Beauty/ Skin Care for face and body. 

From an early age (12ish) I started my cleanse-tone-moisturise routine, and used mostly Nutrimetics then and ever since. I did digress during my early 20s and try a few other brands, only to spend a year with mass breakouts. (I could dig out photo evidence of this, but, ew, just trust me on that). I think the Nutrimetics brand comes down to achieving the same results as other brands while being cheaper and easy to order online without having to go into stores. I never have any need to go into Priceline and those sorts of stores, which saves a lot of time. 

My cleanse-tone-premoisturise-moisturise routine has to be followed morning and night or else I lose balance. At night these days I swap to a night cream, and sometimes dab on a little eye cream, either from SK-II or Nutrimetics. 

I also use the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence as a pre-moisturiser to help maintain balanced moisture throughout the day. 

If I am not going into work, or to an event I do not wear makeup. This means my skin can breathe and rest a little. I don't always need to use a foundation, so I often skip that anyway. My skin is much happier when I am traveling and I do away with foundation altogether, for several months at a time. 

Once a week I make sure to to a microdermabrasion treatment, which is like a proper deep scrub to remove dead skin cells and achieve a fresher glow. The Nutrimetics Ultra Care Microdermabrasion Kit is $85 which has lasted me years, as compared to spending that in a salon at $80+ per session. I do mud masks every now and again, and if I can set aside time to pop on some eye pillows and relax for 20 minutes, I add this in too. 

I don't go anywhere without at least one Aesop hand balm as they are divine and make me happy. It also means I sniff my hands a lot and probably weird people out. 

I use the Aesop lip cream, body cleanser, body balm and hand wash religiously. 

These products are mostly plant based, smell amazing, make me smile and I can not get enough. 

I do not tend to use much else, I use conditioner when shaving rather than a gel, as they all irritate my skin and I have had bad allergic reactions to waxing so I pretty well steer clear of that.    

Diet probably comes down to some skin care factors and I am pretty fussy. I don't eat fatty foods, or a lot of breads etc and prefer vegetables, fruit, berries, lean meats, fish, legumes, nuts, seeds and so on. I drink water like a camel, it is my favourite! I don't like 'fast food' and a few years ago banned my self from anything with artificial sugars. It meant that sugar had the same affect for me as a bitter taste- I naturally recoil. These days I have an occasional treat, but I am not so into it, and hate things with cream/ icing. I have a rule to never buy chocolate unless it is dark and fair trade, same with coffee if I can. I drink a lot of herbal tea, fresh smoothies or juices, coconut water and never more than one cup of coffee per day. I think smoking is gross and I have never tried that or any other drugs. During events or special occasions I will drink one or two glasses of alcohol based drinks but I am not some one who will get drunk, like ever. This may sound pretty boring, but I don't like loosing control. I use a lot of coconut oil in my cooking, and tend to use this on my skin/ hair as well. I get that at a health food store and put it on my skin, lips and hair as a treatment. (I'll touch more on hair next time). Admittedly I do need to up my exercise, as it is not routine and I definitely feel better when it is. 

Hello yoga, pilates and dancing. (Gym's weird me out). 

My signature scent is Chanel Chance parfum- I love that it is by chance how it will smell on each person, and that it is designed for a woman who takes a chance on life and who know that in order to be lucky, you have to believe in chance.

So that is about it. A long post I know. Now you know my age secret!

Would love to know what beauty care products/ tricks you use. 

Hair and Makeup to come. 

Much love, Nell xx

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Insta-week, Chanel and Musical Frogs

1. Painting in the afternoon. The first girl turned out looking cold, so I made sure to give the next one a wool-y jumper.

2. Karen Walker rings to replace my now dead wear everyday horseshoe ring. A ring rant to follow!

3. My house sitting entertainment pack.

4. Time to hang up my Cabaret lanyard. Sad.

5. The first ever art purchase I made back in 1996. Dragged my parents to an art exhibition at age 13 have been inspired by these water colours ever since.

6. Rocking out at lunch (?) with Emma Craig in Alice McCall and Zac Posen. Perth cafes. Le Sigh.

7. Emma and I discovering the new Chanel store being kitted out in Perth. King Street... oh. Emma in Lisa Ho (and Chanel glasses. Snap!)

8. Irene at Zest, keeping me grounded on a Sunday. x

9. Talon Moss's install at Zekka, big love woman!

10. 8 something in the morning on King Street. Wearing Zac Posen Blazer, Sass and Bide T, Camilla and Marc jeans, Sass and Bide clutch and Windsor and Smith brogues from Littlest Vintage.

11, 12, 13. Up to the usual antics of two ex- actors, with Reece Scott at Cantina. Cheeky grin.