black, lighting, do you know it's christmas time?

Yesterday's outfit. I planned to do today's as well, but with the weather here today - I wasn't wearing much interesting! It was actually one of the worst weather days of my life, boiling hot (around 40 degrees), and humid. Then, thunderstorms... ewww.

Boo blurry!

Wore: Dotti T, Target skirt, Portmans jacket, pearls were my Gran's.

I've also had my hair cut... I'm trying to have it all at the one length, and I had about 3 layers, roughly. Now it's more like 2 and about 6 months til I've got what I want! Then, to grow - getting your hair how you want is such a long and painful process!

I'll have a review up in a few days about some gorgeous lighting I've been sent - very exciting! I fell in love with all the beautiful shapes of the tulip lamps on this site - I know it's strange to say this about a light, but I find them quite sexy!

On a highly unrelated and tangential tnote,

I did a bunch of Christmas shopping today, and just handed mum my wishlist.

I said to my boyfriend, as good as surprises are, it's great to just make a list and get stuff you want - same when everyone else does it as well, so all mums don't end up with gift packs from the Body Shop and kids just get chocolate. All of my family has made lists this year, it makes life a lot easier!

On mine:

September Issue DVD

CD's - regina spektor, tegan and sara, Sarah Blasko

Portmans vouchers or JB hi fi vouchers.

Mum always asks for an extensive list because all the aunts ring around december and ask what my sister and I want, and it's easiest just to give them a shop to get a voucher from, or a book to buy.

What's the Christmas routine with presents like in your family? I find it all very interesting! and what's on your list?

They're really more cream than white.

Got these gorgeous pants for my birthday, I find it hilarious that they're from Ezibuy. I don't know how far ezibuy's reach is, but they're like a mail order sort of thing. Like Avon for clothes. 75% of the stuff you find in there is for middle aged menopausal women, but there are actually quite a few good finds! The beautiful black dress I wore on my birthday is from there as well :)

Wearing ezibuy pants, dotti T and Gran's old pearls.

I've tried passionately to stay away from harem pants, and these are as close as I think I'll get. They taper towards the bottom, so I guess technically they are a harem pant of sorts... but I'm in denial. haha.

Brooke xx

violet tint

Was feeling a bit floaty this morning, so I put this full cotton skirt on under an otherwise very plain black dress, then added the flower as well... quite happy with how this turned out!

The skirt is asymmetric also, so that's another cool little effect.

Wearing: dress for $5 from JayJays (I know), skirt from a little shop somewhere NSW north coast, flower from mum's wardrobe.

Went into sportsgirl today and checked out the lip tint I was talking about in yesterdays post. Sadly it wasnt what I had expected (though I don't think anyone has really created what I want!), it was more of a very sheer, non-sticky but still shiny gloss. Sad face.

Another update, I had 3 recommendations for Maybelline's Lash Stiletto after asking you guys about it, so I think that'll be my next best bet, thanks all!

xx Brooke

swirl + twirl.

It was slightly cold today, so I wore tights with this dress. Even though it's a light jersey material, to me this is a distinctly winter dress, with its grey and black swirls...

Ambra Navy tights (they look black I know), Temt blazer, crossroads dress (stolen from Mum's wardrobe).

In other amazing news, I got myself some good foundation today! I've been putting it off for ages but finally received some that works amazingly - from Avon, no less - and it has inspired me to completely revamp my makeup bag.

Question: What mascara do you use, and is it any good? I'm fed up with useless mascaras and could really use some good recommendations! (Or tell me whats crap, I don't want that either!)

I'm thinking of getting this Sportsgirl lip stain - so long as it is actually a stain. I can't hack the stickiness of gloss, I hate my hair getting stuck in it but I'm craving that "I just ate a punnet of raspberries" stained lips look. Anyone had experience with this?

I've been doing some mucking around in photoshop lately (Indeed, I have a folder on my computer entitled "mucking around on photoshop"), and thought I'd share a couple of the cooler results with you guys...

From the other day.

From my Debutante Ball last year.

What do you think?

xx Brooke

The afternoon dresser.

Around 4pm, I decided I should probably change out of my PJ's... it's hard to be motivated to do much at all when working on assessments!

This dress perfectly fitted the brief of "summery cotton dress" that was written on my shopping list - will be on high rotation for just about everything this summer!

Close up of the cute print - wearing this makes me feel like strawberry shortcake!

Today was warm enough to wear this, but only because I'm locked up inside. The weather has again changed, and turned cold and rainy again. It's so frustrating not being able to plan my outfits the night before, so I've taken to writing down dozens of outfits, fit for all sorts of weather... hehe.

Dress from Myer

Brooke xx

ps, word has just come through about the health care reform in the US - congrats America!

Lovely Outfit, Miss.

I quite don't even know where to start!

Yesterday was mine + boyfriend's 2nd [dating] anniversary and he surprised me big time! We spent the morning together and he told me we were going for dinner and to stay in the city that night! So off we trotted to the Meriton Serviced Apartments at World Square.

This was our view, from the 68th floor! We looked out over darling harbour with the amazing floor-to-ceiling windows.

I wore a dress from a random shop, bought it for New Years last year. It was such a hot day (about 37 degrees apparently) - stifling.

For dinner we went out to Altitude at the Shangri-La, it was SO amazing.

sorry for no full-length shot, didn't even think!

I wore this beautiful dress, I've been waiting ages to wear it. It's this supersoft jersey material and just feels so flowy and lovely. An American guy in the lift (in his 50's, overweight, from Texas - so typical haha) goes "Lovely outfit, Miss" in the elevator. hehe. It was so cute!

This is our 2-part view from Altitude. I see this city every day but am still always stunned by its beauty!

At night we dragged a sofa cushion out onto our little enclosed deck thingy, and watched the city go to sleep - it was incredible.

Oh, how lovely to have a man who sweeps you off to a beautiful apartment in the city, to a gorgeous restaurant... I'm a very happy and lucky girl!

xx Brooke

in the trenches, pt 2

I wore my new trench coat out the other day, and it was wonderful.

There's something inherently mysterious and spy-film-femme-fatale about wearing a trench coat around the city, especially with big dark sunglasses - and I loved it. The swing of the coat, the way you can pull it around you and close yourself off from the weather (and other people) - you get a very different feeling from wearing a bone-coloured trench to any other trench or coat.

Wearing Portmans Jeans and Trench, and a no-name white top. With Payless boots.

I was of course inspired by this simple but amazing look from Alexa Chung which I mentioned in a recent post - doesnt she look wonderful?

xx