When In Melbourne

I apologize for the lack of posts recently, I've actually been away these last few weeks. I went down to Victoria to visit my Nanna, and I was lucky enough to visit Melbourne for a day. One of the things I was most excited about were the amount of Asian cosmetic stores they have there. Brisbane, as far as I know, have nothing. So the first thing I did was make my way towards Bourke Street. Here's what I picked up in my travels:

Why You Cosmetics were the first store I went into, just down Russel Street. I picked up a Holika Holika's Pig Nose Clear sheet and the Etude House Wonder Pore Cleansing Brush. Next stop was Yuki House, where I bought the Iope CC cream for a very pricy $60. They did give me a free bottle of a Fancl collagen drink though, which I've heard is huge in Japan. And last but not least, a giant 300ml can of Avene's Thermal Spring Water which I picked up at a Chemist Warehouse for $17! Okay, so it wasn't exactly a cheap trip in the end. To be honest, I could have bought all these items much cheaper online. Oh well, I really wanted to bring something back home for myself. No regrets!

Some New Zealand Goodies

It wouldn't have been right if I had returned to Australia empty handed. A holiday just wouldn't feel like a proper holiday if I didn't splurge a little on myself, especially when skincare is concerned.

From left: Antipodes Organic Lip Balm with lime & cocoa butter, Antipodes divine face oil, Trilogy Eye Contour Cream

Being in New Zealand, I felt it would be nice to purchase some of their own brands. Antipodes and Trilogy in particular had been on my radar for a while, and luckily with the mid year sales on, picked these up cheaper than I would have at Myer and David Jones back home. When I first spotted Antipodes at a chemist in Auckland I went straight for the Divine Face Oil, and with my lips in disarray, the lip balm was a no brainer. I also picked up Trilogy's Eye Contour Cream, which really helped with my dark circles. Yeah, we didn't get much sleep.

Oroton 'Elysian' Wallet

Oh, and we might have gone to Oroton too. This was the Elysian wallet they had on sale at their store in Auckland. It was love at first sight, and didn't leave my side for the entire trip. I was just asking to get robbed with this one. Luckily that didn't happen!

I'm Baack! | Vacation Post |

Hello everyone, apologies for the lack of updates but I have just returned from vacation!  Last week my best friend and I packed our bags and went on a little trip to that great island across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand. I was overdue for a vacation like this, and to be honest, four years of uni without a proper holiday really got the best of me.

Photo of me overlooking the Wakatipu Lake in Queenstown, Otago.

For the first few days we stayed in Auckland. After exploring the city we took a ferry across to Devonport, an old colonial suburb, and walked up Mount Victoria to see the stunning views of the city and Rangitoto Island. 

Also, being Lord of the Rings fans we went to the Hobbiton set, which was massive. The hobbit houses were so adorable, and I’m pretty sure I took over a hundred photos of their little doors and windows. The amount of detail that has gone into this set is mind boggling! Apparently they even hired people to put washing on the clothes lines just so there would be footprints in the ground. (Whaa-?!)

Yes, even the mold is real.

Afterwards, our group was taken to into the warmth of The Green Dragon Inn where we indulged in a few jugs of cider. I also sat on Samwise Gamgee’s chair (soz Sam).

On the fourth day we put on our thermals and flew down to Queenstown. I saw snow for the first time ever and learnt how to (kinda) ski up at The Remarkables. Seriously, skiing was probably the most painfully frustrating experience ever, and the next day we woke up with aching muscles, bruises all along our shins and ankles, and a new found respect for the sport. I can't wait to do it again.

Watching the sun set from the Skyline, Queenstown.

Queenstown was definitely the highlight of the trip. It's such a beautiful, quiet town, surrounded by water and mountains, I really didn't want to leave. But now that I'm home, I feel as refreshed and energized as ever and ready to take on the next semester (sort of, haha).