Soap & Glory SUGAR CRUSH

Lemonade. That's what I though when I first gave 'sugar crush' a sniff. 

Soap & Glory are fabulously well known for deliciously sweet-smellling bath products. I have never had the privilege to try any of said products in the past, so when I ran out of my Victoria's Secret 'Pure Seduction' scent (which I LOVED by the way) I knew I had to give them a crack.

The Sugar Crush scent is described as a blend of lime, kiwi, vanilla and sweet-almond, and is considered a cult favourite. I bought both the body wash and butter hoping to be smelling like sprite all through the day.

Formulaically, these products are fantastic. The wash lathered beautifully and the butter sank right into my skin leaving it feeling richly moisturised, but non-greasy. And the scent did definitely last all day, so the staying power is strong.

Unfortunately, my quibble with these products lies within the scent itself. DISCLAIMER: scent is an incredibly personal preference and so really this probably wouldn't be an issue for anybody else. That being said, I found the sweetness of 'sugar crush' to be waaayyyyy too much. Now, I love a good, sweet scent, but having eau-de-lemonade lingering on me all day long made me feel physically sick and to be honest I'm scared to even re-try these products because of how ill I felt the first time I used them.

So, all in all, I wasn't over the moon with this purchase, however I do think that maybe it was just the wrong scent for me. Like I said, the formulations of the products themselves were outstanding. I just couldn't deal with the sweetness. So maybe next time I'll give another scent a go? I don't want to rule Soap & Glory out as a possible love just yet...

Any recommendations for great bath and body products? As you can tell, I need some new ones:P

~Risa~

Hourglass Ambient lighting- Luminous Light

On my restricted budget, I've allowed myself one major beauty purchase each month, and this month I took a hop, skip and a jump onto the Hourglass Ambient Lighting bandwagon.

Beautiful. Isn't it?

I purchased the shade 'luminous light' from Mecca Cosmetica, purely on a whim (alliteration gets me every time:P). To paraphrase from the website description, the Ambient Lighting Powders are quite simply meant to be setting powders which imitate the effects of certain types of lighting. They claim to 'Brighten the skin's appearance and conceal imperfections, pores and wrinkles', and they retail for a whopping $59. 

Luckily for me, I'm only a youngin' and I don't have many pores'n wrinkles to be hiding. I do have imperfections a'plenty however and was kinda excited to see how this would work on my skin.

First things first: THIS IS NOT A SETTING POWDER

'Luminous light' has insubordinate amounts of glitter and frankly if used as an all-over-the-face setting powder, it will transform you into a disco ball. If you like that look, go for it, if not, stick to highlighter-esque usage. 

A simple swatch

And a slightly-more-blended-in swatch

Now I know what you're thinking. From the above photos, it doesn't really seem to be super glittery. BUT that is because these photos were taken in natural lighting. So I suppose on a warm sunny day this may work as a subtle, slightly glowy all over dusting of goodness, but in my bathroom mirror, all I see is the sheen of sunlight-exposed vampiric skin. Serious Cullen flashbacks.

Personally, I do like to use this as a eyebrow/cheekbone highlight, and I find that on these parts of the face the 'luminous lighting' aspect can really be a helpful boost to your skin's appearance, but applying this on blemished or 'imperfect' areas to me seems entirely counterproductive, because it just kinda draws them into focus.

All in all, I can't say that I'm ecstatic about this purchase, but it definitely does add a lovely radiance to the high-points of my face. I think maybe I went for the wrong shade in this range, but to be terribly honest I can't see myself shelling out another $59 for one of these babies:P

Have you tried any of the ambient lighting powders? If so, which ones, and would you recommend them?

Let me know xx

~Risa~

Blue Jean Baby

After moving to Melbourne, I've found a million-and-one new ways to (unwisely) dispense my money, but the biggest purchases I made were at a vintage stall in Melbourne Central called 'Grandma Funk' (instagram: @grandmafunk_).

The item that drew me into the store was this gorgeous pair of vintage Doc Martens. At the time, I didn't own a single pair of Docs, (a statement which frankly shocked my helpful shop assistant), and I thought these would be a perfect way to venture experiment into the world of grunge fashion.

After being successfully convinced to part with $250, I was directed to this lovely specimen.

Having survived the first few weeks of autumn with the thinnest of duster coats, it didn't take much for me to be swayed into the idea of being swathed in heavy, warm, vintage Levi's denim. Plus it looked super cool with the Docs :P

All up, this little trip cost me $350, which to be honest is more than unhealthy considering the state of my bank account (I am crying internally), but I've definitely gotten good use out of the denim jacket at least in the last few weeks. Unfortunately, I'm not sure whether the Docs were a justified purchase. I haven't really worn them out yet, and I'm struggling to find the right pieces to wear them with.

Here's a sneaky post I made on my instagram (@risa_marie_) the day I bought them:P

What unnecessary splurges have you made recently? (Surely I'm not the only one:P)

~Risa~

THE YOUTOOBS

Hey!

I hope that you're having a wonderful Monday, wherever you may be:)

This is just a little post to let you know that I've started a youtube channel to complement this blog:P

Here is my first video:

And here is a link to my channel should you wish to subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1jSWGG5DF61Owaiw9UGUcg

Hit like/subscribe if you think you'd like what I have to offer, but if you don't, that's fine too:P

Enjoy,

~Risa~

The Importance of Journal-Keeping

So I keep a journal. It's a very embarrassing fact about myself which is often met with smirks and snickers. (At least in my head:P). Today I'm going to make a case for myself and other journal writers. The pros (and maybe cons) of journal-keeping. I would say 'having a diary' but that sounds very primary school does it not?

I kept a diary when I was younger and everything about it, including the 'bratz' doll emblazoned front cover and flimsy lock, is so utterly cringeworthy. But I liked having it. There aren't really too many earth-shattering secrets that one can have in grade 3, but it felt good to have an item which was 'for my eyes only', and I liked to pretend that, given the chance, people would die to glimpse into my secret world. Of course, all that 'secret world' really contained was a bunch of agonizingly childish complaints and various reflections on what was had for dinner, but what else can you expect from an 8 year old?

I like to think that the 'journal' (and I feel that the distinction between a diary and a journal is quite important) that I keep now is far more sophisticated than the aforementioned monstrosity, but to be honest, I'll probably look back in about 3 years and want to burn it. However, I did not regret writing into my journal when I was 8 and I think, no matter how cringeworthy, I will not regret my current journal-keeping tendencies.

And here is why.

Having a journal is therapeutic in so many ways. To be able to express your 'inner turmoil' without any filters or worries is a blessing. We all have irrational feelings about people and life in general. A journal is a safe output for those emotions; a way to say what's on our mind without being judged or being forced to acknowledge your shortsightedness on the matter. It's a way to drone on and on about the same problems or annoyances without annoying your friends.

Sleep is a thing which I often have trouble acquiring, and on those late nights, when your brain just will not shut up, a journal is your absolute best friend. Not kidding, I would say about 90% of the words in my journal have been written between 12am and 5am. when you get everything out of your mind and on to paper, your mind is cleared. You feel tired from having bared your soul. The indents in the back of the pages are proof of having accomplished a task. And you can sleep. (Or at least I can. I'm not promising a breakthrough cure for insomnia haha:P ).

Last year, being a very stressful final year of high-achool, I found myself feeling down a lot. My favourite way to pass the time during these mood swings was by sitting inside my wardrbe (Absolutely 100% accurate) blasting depressing music through my headphones and doodling random sketches and song lyrics in the pages at the back of my journal. It was a place to dream. Lists of all the places I would travel to, all the things I would do.

A use which I only recently discovered is self-reflection. At the end of 2014, I read back over my entries and was appalled with their negativity. Using what I saw in my midnight ramblings, I was able to construct goals for myself this year which have all been centered around the overarching theme of positivity. It's going pretty well so far:)

This is her. She is red and squishy with gold edged pages and a bookmark with an eiffel tower hanging off the end. If anyone is interested, I bought her from typo.

So maybe keeping a diary is only for loners or self-obsessed children (It certainly sounds that way from everything I've said). But I like it. Besides, what is a blog if not a public diary?

~Risa~

MOVING HOME

This is my first post since officially becoming a Melbournian (!!!!).

In case you're wondering why, I've moved here for uni. That's all. So far, I am absolutely loving it here. The people are great, the city is constantly buzzing and there is good food EVERYWHERE. After finally settling into my apartment and getting into the swing of 'going to uni', I've finally decided to sit back down at my desk and write a blogpost. I must say, I have missed this feeling.

After about a week of living here, some old family friends invited me round for the weekend. You have no idea how nice a good, home-cooked meal can taste until you've experienced yoghurt as your only dietary consumption for  4 days straight. One of the girls who I stayed with is a trainee make-up artist (@conchitaf_mua), and was cool enough to do my make-up, and even a little photoshoot for fun.

Afterwards, I was sorely tempted to rush into MECCA and buy all the products she used on me! In particular, there were some Inglot products that looked fabulous (some eyeshadows and a bronzer), which is awesome because I've never tried that brand before, but the product that stunned me most was by far 'Albatross' which is a highlighter by NARS. I think I'm fairly late on the bandwagon with that one, but it's definitely going to become part of my collection very soon:P

Has anyone reading this ever been/lived in Melbourne? Let me know all the cool places to adventure to and explore. I'm so exited for this new chapter:)

~Risa~

A moment of weakness... (Haul post)

After my last payday, I decided to treat myself to some new skincare. My skin has been acting up lately, and I figured maybe it was time to try some new products. However, things are never that simple, and in the heat of the moment, I managed to come away with a much heavier haul than initially anticipated, as well as a far lighter wallet:(

Yeah... Just a tad more than expected

I bought most of these items from priceline. I blame them for my gross overspending. I always get swindled into their '3 for 2' deals and free gifts with purchase. It's practically criminal. Not that I'm complaining:P

First off, I picked up some deodorant. Everybody needs deodorant, and at $2.79, there is no way that I can feel guilty about this one. In fact, it would be a disservice to the general public if I didn't buy it. A smelly Risa is not a fun Risa.

Next was this dry shampoo. I'm a huge fan of dry shampoo for one main reason: I'm way too lazy to wash my hair every other day. Dry shampoo sort of freshens it up without me having to worry about the arduous task of coating every strand in many many layers of product. I saw that Batiste was on sale and made a beeline for the dry shampoo shelf, but this brand ('Polished London') was at full price and still cheaper than Batiste (it was $4.95). I thought I'd give it ago. I bought the scent 'Cornwall Coconut'. 

I've seen the new Kate Moss mascara hyped up on a few youtube channels, so I jumped on the bandwagon too:) (It's got to be that sleek packaging). Considering that this is a fairly new product, I was thrilled to see it on sale for $10 :O While at the Rimmel stand, I also grabbed these two nail polishes (there was a 2 for $10 deal) in 323, don't be shy (the pink), and 507, round and round in circles (the yellow). Keen to try them! Most of my nail varnishes are darker colours so I thought these'd be cute additions for summer.

Now onto actual skincare. I picked up the Garnier Micellar cleansing water, which seems to be a clear copycat of the similar product from bioderma. I've used and loved bioderma before, but it is just so expensive! I'm hoping this stuff (which was only $11.99) will be just as good (and from what I've seen online, my hopes may be fulfilled). Recently, I've been using a cleansing oil by MAC as a make-up remover, but I'm nearly out, and I don't think I will be repurchasing that one. Here's hoping I've found a new staple skincare product:)

I don't have much to say about this product except that I needed a new moisturiser, and this one fit the bill with the added bonus of being super inexpensive at just $10. I think I've tried a haircare product from this brand before and liked it, but I suppose we will see. 

This product was recommended to me by a friend. It claims to help stop breakouts before they appear.  St Ives is a fairly popular Australian scrub brand so I hope that it lives up to its name. They were sold out of the full-size at Priceline, but I still bought the little 30ml tube for $3.49 to test out the product. We'll see how we go:)

I bought the Avene 'Cleanance' purifying, mattifying toner for $30, and received a 50ml thermal spring water (valued at $9.99) as a gift with purchase. The toner was more expensive than the skincare that I generally use but I thought that maybe this was the time to invest in slightly higher quality products. I just hope it wasn't a waste of money:/ I'm not sure what the exact purpose of the thermal water is, but I've read online that it makes for a good make-up setting spray? Anyways, I'll give it a go and see what happens...

Moving on to non Priceline goodies! I got my hands on an Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream. This cost me $25 from Terry White, and I hope it lives up to all the stellar recommendations. I bought this because although my skin seems to be as oily as Severus Snape's hair, somehow my lips are eternally parched. Tanya Burrs new book lists it as a must have, and therefore I decided, I must have it :P

And the final things I bought were some NYX products from Target. I bought a brow crayon in the colour 'Charcoal' which was reduced to $6.71 and the 'Golden Horizons' gift set which was on sale for $13.50. I thought it was a great bargain as it comes with quite a few products and a very handy little makeup pouch. Inside the pouch, there was a butter gloss in the shade 'Tiramisu' a lipstick in 'Violet Ray', a blusher in 'Apricot', a black eye pencil, a mascara and a 10 colour eyeshadow palette. I'm super keen to try these out:O!

Wow that was a long post! Hahaha let me know if you've tried any of the products mentioned above, or if you had any thought on the post in general.

~Risa~

#Salem

Lime Crime. It's an absolute phenomenon and I am so excited to finally be a part of it. I bought the Salem velveteen, which is essentially a brown, and I love it. 

First of all it smells AMAZING. Sometimes I am very much tempted to stick my tongue in the tube, even though I know that there is no way it tastes like a caramel milkshake. The formula is not at all thick and once it has dried, this baby will not budge. I can't see any reason why you would ever have to touch up your lips unless you were actively trying to cause friction-damage to your mouth. 

I wore these fab lips with extreme-contouring and a simple winged liner. I do wish I had been a little more careful with the application, but YOLO ammiright?

The January Bookshelf

*Decides to actually start posting*

I've always loved reading, and this month I've done a lot of just that. At the beginning of 2015, I set a goal to read 25 books during this year (which doesn't sound all that impressive, but trust me it's hard). Having travelled quite a bit during January, I managed to bite off of a sizeable chunk of that goal. I thought I'd do a little mini review of each of the books I've read this month. This might end up being a recurring post, or it might not. We will see:o

1. The Great Gatsby

I was really excited about this book. Obviously it's a classic, and some people have gone so far as to say it's the 'greatest American novel'. Personally, I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped to, but I can certainly see the appeal. There are parts where the grandeur and mystery of Gatsby's lifestyle can leave you in awe, but for the most part I was pretty bored. Don't leave it off your 'to read' list though, I think I might be the outlier in terms of opinion here.

2. it

This book isn't a novel; it's a coffee table book. It's a style guide, written by Alexa Chung, filled with anecdotes, tips and intriguing photography. I quite enjoyed flipping through the pages and dog-earing the ones I thought I'd come back to.

3. Eleanor and Park

Eleanor and park is the second novel I've read by Rainbow Rowell and I absolutely adored it. I'm a huge sucker for teenage romance and this is one of those slightly unconventional, but completely adorable parings. I loved this novel, and I think Rainbow Rowell is slowly becoming one of my favourite authors.

4. The Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau Banks

Great. Book. I though this one was a huge eyeopener to the ways in which girls, particularly teenagers, are seen by others and themselves in a relationship. True, there are times where Frankie, the main character, can be a little annoying to the reader, but I think that this book is something which every teenage girl NEEDS to read. 

5. Confessions of a Sociopath

Not gonna lie, the cover drew me in on this one. I didn't realise that this book was more or less the memoirs of the author; I kind of assumed it would have a plot. It didn't. I started it, and at first It was really quite interesting; a fascinating glimpse into an alternatively wired brain, but the book got really repetitive, really fast. And I got bored just as fast. It didn't help that the underlying message of the entire thing was essentially that sociopath's are far superior to normal people (or as we are named in the book, 'empaths'). I'm still plonking my way through the last chapter, but really, you could read the first two and get the point.

And those are all the books I read in January! As I said, this was quite a heavy month and hopefully these 'bookshelf' posts won't be as long as this one on a regular basis. Let me know what you've read this month as I'd love to add more books to my 'to read' list. Also, let me know what you think if you've read any of these. I really like to discuss books:o

Risa xx

OH HI THERE

Good day to you, lovely reader!

How fortunate for me that you would stumble upon my humble and (for the moment) completely sparse corner of the inter-webs. This being my very first post, I’d love to tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Risa (pronounced REE-SA for those of you who care) and I am a 17 year-old high school graduate who is currently spending her time avoiding all thoughts of the future and very pointedly focusing on ‘the now’.

I’m sure you’ve guessed that this blog is the product of gallons of free time and a negligible social life, however, I do enjoy writing and giving my (often unwanted) opinions on various things, and I suppose that’s what I hope to achieve as ‘Risa Marie’. Look forward to posts about food, books, films, clothes, makeup and pretty much anything I want to talk about.

I do appreciate that you’ve read to the end of this post. Please go ahead and comment, especially if you have a blog that I could read.

~Risa~