on the brink of summer

 Element Eden x Daydream Lily dress, bag c/o Oasap, Rubi shoes, Forever New belt

Hello, hello! I'm back from my inevitable hiatus! Last week was extremely busy -- full of exams, oral presentations and various assignments, and to be honest, it was killing me not to blog. I really missed it and am so excited about posting more regularly during the Christmas holidays (which are only a day away for me!). Anyway, I recently discovered this dress in the back of my closet. It's so light and easy to wear; something that's essential in the summer time. I paired it with my favourite bag of all time, some cute flats and the loveliest nail polish combination ever (minty green and silver sparkle). 

And, onto some exciting news: my year 10 dance is tomorrow night! I'm really excited about it. My two friends Lauren and Sarah will be coming over to my house before the event for a few picture then we'll head off. I can't wait to show you guys the photos and what my dress looks like! It should be a wonderful night ♥ 

I hope you guys have all been doing wonderfully, and I'll be back again soon xoxo
P.S: I'm on Twitter, to see my tweetings, click here 

currently into... (pretty & colourful things in review)

The Body Shop Mango body butter: This stuff is really wonderful, especially after a hot shower. It's great for dry skin and smells uber summery and tropical. It's one of my bedside table essentials!

Covergirl Trublend foundation: I bought this about a week ago and think it scores about 3.5/5. It's not an amazing product but does a pretty good job for the money you pay for it (this one was $12). I really wouldn't recommend it for oily skin though as it doesn't support that at all. I think it would be perfect on dry/normal skin with minimal blemishes. The coverage is quite sheer and feels quite fresh to wear. It blends beautifully. 

Lush Snow Fairy Shower gel: This was my first Lush product and was gifted to me by the amazing Sophie from Nana Wintour. She sent me the most ah-mazing package last week and I'm completely smitten with this shower gel. It smells like cotton candy and even has a subtle glimmer to it. A real treat!

Bourjois Neutral eyeshadow: This is one of my favourite products of all time. The amazing quality and versatility of this product (not to mention the packaging) has made this an essential. It's the perfect everyday eyeshadow and instantly brightens things up :) 

Mode glitter nail polishes: These costed me less than five dollars for the both of them! The lasting power of these are what instantly made them a winner. They're super affordable too! (I couldn't find a link to buy them directly online, but Australian chemists should stock them). 

Mode eyeliner: I purchased these for about $1.50 for so my hopes weren't too high. The good thing about this product is that it washes off easily and doesn't leave me looking like I've been punched in the face, haha. The applicator isn't the best for beginners (*ahem* me!) but overall it's a great eyeliner if your money is tight and you're relatively familiar with applying liquid eyeliner. 

Revlon Colorstay eyeliner and CustomEyes mascara: I was overall disappointed with these products.

The mascara gives little to no volume to my barely there lashes, then clumps them all together like a black triangle (yuck!). The eyeliner smudges easily, (beware: racoon effect ahead!) and once the crayon looses it's sharp end, you can't sharpen it -- making it super hard to apply. Revlon is really expensive here in Australia so I wouldn't recommend these products. 

Hope you enjoyed this little collection of reviews! I'm sorry things have been quiet 'round here. By the end of this week I'll be back into the swing of things with some fabtabulous new post for you to enjoy :) Oh, and before I forget; I just joined Twitter so if you'd like to keep up to date with my interesting life and this blog, feel free to follow me! 

P.S: I can't stop listening to Delta Goodrem's latest album! I have been a fan since the beginning of her career and just adore her. This is my favourite song right now ♥

P.S.S: The winner of my Iconemesis giveaway was Valeria! Congrats and thank you so very much to everyone who entered!

latest discovery: the hiding tree

"Tucked in the garden, buried by thickets and flowers, is a hidden tree that holds all the secrets and treasures of one girl's heart..."

This has got to be one of the prettiest labels I've ever encountered. Ruffles and lace? Check. Floral prints and flowers? Check. Pastels galore? Check! I would definitely like to add a few treasures from 'The Hiding Tree' to my wardrobe. You can check out creator, Rachel's website here, it's very beautiful... perfect girlie girl eye candy ♥ and check out the facebook page too!

wakiki florals

 Asos dress, Target shoes, bag c/o Oasap, Forever New belt, Revlon Lip butter in Cherry Tart

Hey everyone! I took these pictures a little while ago after receiving this gorgeous dress, but hadn't gotten around to editing until now. I really like this little summer number, it was on sale, has a really cool back bow detail and full skirt that's fun to twirl in. The fabric is light and airy -- perfect for the humid weather we've been experiencing here! The only thing though: I think this dress runs quite large. I had to alter it quite drastically due to the fact that when I first tried it on it hung off of me like a potato sack. It's on sale here if you'd like a little look, though :)

Assessment and assignment week (or exam block for the seniors) is coming up within this two weeks and to be honest, I'm a little frightened as to whether I will make it out alive or not. I may or may not be scarce in the blogging world, depending on whether I can find the time to put together some scheduled posts for you guys. I'm so, so, so excited about the Christmas holidays though! I'll be blogging so much more, have a new camera and it's just going to be wonderful. Only 23 days to do ♥

retro lady

 Valleygirl blouse, Asos skirt, Miss Shop booties, thrifted bag (not sure if it's vintage or not) 

Happy Sunday, friends! I know, I know. You've seen this top plenty of times but I may or may not be in love with it. It goes with absolutely everything and it's so light and breezy -- the ideal for spring. Speaking of clothing love, I received this retro car print skirt from ASOS they other week in the mail. It was a measly $13, (plus free shipping), was available in my size (quite rare) and, lastly, I was having a bad run and this little retail fix was exactly what I needed. I'm pretty proud of myself actually; I've barely spent any money over the course of this month and am well on my way to my dream camera.
I would actually have it by now but decided to save a little bit more and get a camera that was a step up from the Canon 1100d.
I feel I might outgrow that one quite quickly, so I'm now switching to the Nikon D5000, a more professional alternative that will take a bit longer to achieve, but worth it. The lovely Lily from Red Brick Lipstick uses this particular one and her photos are just beautiful.

Anyway, I need you guys' (terrible grammar...) advice: should I dye my hair darker? My hair is slowly starting to turn red and I'm not sure if I want to keep it or dye it darker. What do you guys think? Do I suit a lighter hue? I really would like to switch up my appearance a little bit ♥

P.S: Don't forget to enter my giveaway below! Who can resist a Fifi phone case?!
P.P.S: This bag, these glasses and this dress are on my current wishlist :)

pretty phone case giveaway! *closed*

Happy November everyone! (One of my favourite months solely because it's the preparation month before Christmas, yay!).Why not celebrate with a giveaway? Iconemesis has kindly offered to give away an iphone case of your choice (for either the third or fourth generation iphone). I received a case earlier in the year and they are incredibly cute and excellent quality :) Plus, there's a huge variety of colours and designs to choose from... the Fifi Lapin cases above are a few of my favourites. 

To enter: 

Like Iconemesis on Facebook here

Like Avenue M on Facebook here

Leave a comment below with contact details 

Bonus entries (leave a separate comment for each one)

Follow Avenue M on GFC or Bloglovin

Follow me on Pinterest,
Tumblr or Instagram

Follow Iconemesis on Twitter

This giveaway is now closed! 

This giveaway is international, so everyone can enter! It closes on the 15th of November. When the winner has been drawn I will send Iconemesis an email with your email and your favourite phone case and they'll send it to you ♥

DIY house & home

I've been busily collecting DIY room ideas more than usual lately as we are moving house in mid-December. I'm very happy and excited as we are moving to a much bigger space to accommodate my large (and frequently visiting) family. My room will also be a bit bigger too so I'l have room for a new bed and a white rolling clothes rack (something I've been wanting for a while now).
These are a few collages of images I've found inspiring. I love the idea of storing toiletries and makeup on tiered plates. I think it would also look very lovely if  had a pretty basket next to the clothes rack full of teen vogue, wrapping paper and artificial flowers (just like the picture above).

This is a great way to recycle old tea cups from the op-shop or from the china cabinet and give them a new life and usage. I'd love to be able to store my jewellery this way. It's not too girlie and not too edgy -- the perfect balance! The tutorial for this project can be found on Emily's beautiful blog, Yesterday's Sweetheart. 

I've seen plenty of the wooden inspirational block words in my friends rooms... but they always seemed a little plain for me. I love colour and patterns, and covering them with maps is such an awesome idea! I'd also love to make this BFF embroidery set from Scathingly Brilliant to represent Izzy and I's friendship. It's such and adorable idea. Last but not least, who wouldn't want to pull back there curtains with a pretty teacup?

How have you guys made your room unique? Have you got any cool ideas to share? I'd love to hear them! ♥

credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (not sure for this one!)