Whats on my desk.

The simple answer? alot.. so I cut it into sections for you. (:

Along the back

To start with I have a mismatching cup and saucer filed with all my rings, its an easy was to hunt through and find the one I want to wear that day. I have a big rustic candle I light almost every night. And a little photo frame my cousin brought be about five years ago with a four leaf clover inside and two little china pigs iv had since I was about eight sitting on top. Next to that I have a cupcake money box that's full of notes from my best friends. I also have a little wooden box my mum brought back from Morocco for me, it holds all my earrings nicely. then a TGIF, ''thank god its Friday ' quote a friend brought me for my birthday one year. Then two recent opi nail polish purchases that iv been wearing heaps. My current perfumes, sex and the city (a nice fresh scent) Gucci by Gucci (My go to scent) and two Brittany spears (both summer floral scents). then on the end are my recent magazines and fashion books.

In the front

My laptop as you would probably expect. my cell phone usually stays up their too. and one of my favourite quotes is stuck to the top of the desk too.

Back wall

A dream-catcher. A signed happy birthday from frank turner my cousin sent me. A collage on inspirational photos and quotes and just beautiful things I find on the internet. Chalkboard, always has whatever im looking forward to written on it and things I need to remember stuck on it. Next to that is a photo from when I was in primary of my and my sister.

So what do you keep on your desk? What cant you live without at arms reach? 
I would love to hear your opinions, feel free to comment or link me to your own photos

Ink.

My first tattoo has been a long time coming, it has alot of meaning to me and is very close to my heart.

I haven't shared alot with you on this blog but here goes nothing...

 On the 12th of  August 2009 a best friend of mine passed away of cancer.

It took a massive toll on my life and I can honestly say I am a completely different person because of it.

The reasoning behind my tattoo is because his name was Curtis Tui, therefore the tui bird seemed a nice subtle reminder. I actually got it done on the 5th of October but didn't want to post any photos until it was completely healed because as any of you who have had tattoos would know it does get a bit scabby and things for the first week or so.

I got it done at Globus Tattoo Gallery in Rotorua  and my tattooist was Elton Buchanan.

He was amazing and the staff really helped me through the whole process.

In total it cost approx $220.00

I would love to hear your opinions (:

D.I.Y dip dyed shorts.

I brought the dye on ebay for around ten dollars

Enjoy!

OOTD pastels

Spring is almost here so I thought it was about time to go out and enjoy the sun. 

Im really getting into pastels at the mo so thought id do something a bit brighter.

Here's what I wore

Blazer, earrings and dress are all from pagani..
check it out: www.pagani.co.nz
Picked the dress up off the sale racks for $25.00.. Bargain right!

Do you love pastels this spring?
Thanks for reading another everyday girl xx

Mascara addiction

Mascara is one of my all time favourite products. It completely changes your look and can be feminine or sexy depending on what one you use. 

So today im showing you some of my favourites. 

From Left to right: Maybelline the collossal volum' express, Maybelline lash stiletto, Maybelline define-a-lash, Designer brand black mascara, Loreal extra volume lashes.

Under are the before and after photos of each mascara.

Ps: I dye my eyelashes blue black every three months

Starting from the top and working down..

Maybelline define-a-lash,

I have owned this one for about six months. its great on my bottom lashes and I love the curved brush and is a great everyday mascara, but I am a fan of the thicker more stunning mascaras. I love the green packaging too!

Designer brand black mascara,

This is a cheep easy fix. I brought this one when I was going out for a night on the town and forgot to put mascara on. its been well used and often comes with me when I go out so I don't risk losing the more expensive ones. As you could guess its pretty average. But not bad for the price.

Loreal extra volume lashes,

Simply love it. Gives you big thick stunning lashes. The packaging is classy but has a solid heavy feel.

only downside is your eyelashes tend to stick together alot if you don't separate them with a different brush.

Maybelline lash stiletto,

The picture didn't come up as clear as I would like but this is a great mascara. its thick and dark but your lashes come out all fluttery and light. Just lengthens them alot. I often use this on my bottom lashes and I thicker bolder mascara on the tops.

Maybelline the collossal volum' express,My absolute favourite. probably going to keep repurchasing this one till I cant anymore.

Thick, bold, black, sparkly, stays on all day.. what more can you ask for right? love the bright yellow packaging, my lashes just sit perfectly with this one on. And I love that theirs bits of glitter in it.

Let me know your favourites.. I love trying new ones and I hope this helped you find your next mascara.

xoxo

Just another everyday girl.

10 random facts tag.

The rules around this one are to give 10 random facts about me,
So..
Here goes:

• I can't stand the sound of people eating, I literally have to get up and move away if their too loud. I have actually lied and said I needed to use the loo so I could move away from a friend without hurting their feelings. I know it sounds totally nuts but I just can't stand it.
• Iv never had alot of friends, ever since I was around eleven Iv always just had a couple of close friends. I do get on with almost everybody I meet but find it hard to keep up with more then five or six people. I always feel like im neglecting my friends these days because im always working or spending to much time with Ben. I can't wait till my birthday because I can get them all together again and really catch up.
• Im scared of heights. Im ok in a plane or anything that's really secure but I really don't do well on ladders or water swing jump things or anything that I can see the bottom off.
• I have had a grand total of four jobs in my life. I love working in retail and helping people feel good about themselves but I definitely don't want to do it forever.
• None of my friends currently know I have a blog, I just started it to help me relax really.
  Just really wanted to be able to let off steam, write whatever I wanted and not have to worry about who reads it.
• I try not to spend much money on make-up and clothes but I almost always end up spending way too much. when it comes to clothes I just fall in love and totally have to have it. I always try and shop around to get the best deals and raid the sale racks but tend to splurge for the right item.
• I have had four different piercings done since I was thirteen, but I only have my ears done now.
  I took all the others out because of work or a just no longer liked them.
•  Im vegetarian, I wont eat nuts, fish, mushrooms and heaps of other things. Whenever ben wants to go out to dinner we struggle to find somewhere to eat because theirs hardly anything I eat at most restaurants. we spent our four month anniversary eating pizza in bed and watching movies because we couldnt decide where to go to dinner. Im crazy fussy.
• I over think to much, whenever im alone for a long time by brain just goes crazy and I start to over think everything. Mainly silly little things Ben says and I actually have to catch myself doing it and make myself stop or distract myself with Facebook or something or I get really stressed out. Ben's really good at reassuring me its all okey and im just thinking too much thou.
• Finally.. I know im only seventeen but I think about the future all the time. About having kids, buying a house, getting married, having an awesome career in interior design. sometimes I feel like I'll never achieve anything a really want to. I sometimes feel like what I want is way out of my reach and wonder how I'll ever manage to achieve it.

Well their you go!I TAG anyone who reads this and wants to do it! (:

Always wanted to look flawless?

As you all probably know photo-shopping is a common thing these days. 

But how easy is it really? and will I look overdone if I use it?  will everybody be able to tell?

Yes it is easy, that's why everyone's doing it and chances are yes, people will know if you'v covered your face in a thick layer of airbrushing. its like saying your wearing no makeup when you clearly have bright red lipstick on. see what im saying? all in moderation ladies.
 If your only trying to hide a spot or something it wont be so,obvious. 

Just don't lie about it, If somebody asks if you Photoshopped that, be honest and say yeah, chances are they already know the answer.

If you just want to look fresh faced try using the wrinkle remover effect on www.picmonkey.com on any spots or patches on your skin, I find it works better then the airbrush effect personally.

Then try the eye brighten effect (one of my favourites) it makes you look really awake.
Maybe have a little play with the other effects too, its going to take you a while to get used to them all.

In the below photo I changed it to black & white because it looked a bit too fake in colour. Sometimes this is a good option if you feel you look a little too Photoshopped.

A little more in depth 

The next one is a bad photo to start with, my eye-liner is all wrong and I just look like a walking mess but you can still see what Im trying to show you.

To start with I smoothed my skin out and got rid of all the little flaws, I then used eye brighten and mascara effects to make my eyes stand out.
I then smoothed out my lips a little because I naturally have very damaged lips as you can see in picture one.
A little hint, you do not ever want to change your eyebrows, trust me it wont work out right.
In a photo like this you must remember to also smooth the skin on your neck. nobody has a flawless face and a reddish neck do they? but again don't go overboard, you still want to look real.

Then I just changed the colour scheme to one I liked and thought suited the photo.

I would always say you should play around with colour schemes as you never really know what will look good until you try it on.

What not to do!

Never use all the effects just because you can.

Never add writing, tacky pictures or a border unless you have a good reason.. eg Christmas, invitations or before and after shots.

Never airbrush over your lips, eyebrows, clothes or hair in one straight line, you dont want it all to blend into each other.

Never change your eye colour to anything crazy like pink or purple, its just not realistic.

Never add fake tan if your pale like me. It will look orange. I don't care how you'v always wanted to be tan. if the sun cant give it to you neither can Photoshop.. people will notice straight away, especially if your arms don't match.

Most importantly!!
Never post a photo before comparing it to the original. If the original is better, post it instead.

That's my tips on Photoshopping, hope it helped!

Now it's you'r turn

www.picmonkey.com

M.A.C, is it really worth it?

Is m.a.c really as good as everybody says it is? but what about that price tag?

Honestly ladies looking good is crazy expensive today isn't it? Iv spent my whole life assuming all make-up is pretty similar and they put some crazy price tags on the stuff sometimes.. right? well a few weeks ago I put that theory to the test, I splurged out and brought my first ever m.a.c product, I know a bit flash huh? 

But honestly I think it really is worth the extra penny's. Underneath I have included some before and after photos, In the before photo I have nothing on my skin. Onatural as they say ..fresh out the shower. I am only wearing m.a.c NC15 in the after photo, no primer, nothing so you can really see the difference. I always feel fresh in this powder and my breakouts seem to be slowly fading away. my skin can really breath while im wearing it. and it seems to stay on pretty well all day. although it does have more staying power if you put a liquid underneath but what powder doesn't? . 

So you wanna see these photos huh? 

As you can see it covers redness, dark circles a the little spots we all have and hate really well.
Obviously I don't have any real major problems with my skin but were all self-conscious aren't we?  

Well I know I am anyway. Id say at least give it a go! or pop into a m.a.c stores and check it out. most of the girls iv seen in the stores are crazy helpful and will probably give you a little demonstration if you asked.

Hope this helped make the decision for you (: x

Oh mr Klein

Recently I purchased three Calvin Klein Lipsticks which I'v never really heard much about before so it was just a whim thing..
hey his perfumes good, why not try the lipstick right?? 

And ever since I have just been dying to tell all you Followers about them. 

Simply Amazing!!!

They are really pigmented and the colour lasts the whole day, yeah I know alot does end up on the coffee cup (for me anyway) but it also stays strong on your lips.
I brought three very different pinks because I only really had nice reds (till now) and thought a change might be nice.

The three I brought are called Fusion, A deep berry toned pink. Mesmerise, a bright stunning pink and lastly Delightful, a baby pink which iv never owned (and wasn't to sure about) before but actually love.

Heres some photos..

Below colours from left to right: Fusion, Mesmerise, Delightful

The packaging is simple but sturdy, the lids stay on well after a day in the handbag unlike some cheaper lippy I own. No names of course..

But all round i love this product. would definitely recommend it as a first lipstick or even to those of you who just want a pop of colour.

Honestly a great long wearing lipstick.

Tell me what your favourite lipstick brand is..?

some feedback would be great!

A year in the life..

A quick instagram style post, of twenty five of my favourite photos taken over the last year.

they are in no particular order.

From left to right
Line one: trying new false eyelashes, my best-friend Kayla and Sam, Selfie, Myself and friend Lucy before a night out, Me and Jimmy, more false eyelashes, Myself and Kayla after a few drinks, Me and Lucy again, Hannah, Myself and Tj after at a birthday do, Red lipstick, Everyday girl, Myself and Kayla having a laugh one morning, Selfie, Myself and fluffy, SMILE!!, Shots, Barry and his ball, Grandpa, Beno and Me, New shoes, Ben doing his creepy face, Out and about, Shots on the beach, Myself and Troy, Too many drinks..

oh how things have changed.

Enjoy (:

Cute little things

How sweet are these? 

Saw these on weheartit.com and thought it was rather sweet.

How do you think you would react if somebody handed you one of these? 

June reading

The Intimate Adventures Of A London Call Cirl - Belle De Jour.

I have in the past read about half of this book after watching the series based on it staring Billie Piper. I know the title will put some people off but I did enjoy the style of writing and that it is based on a true story. 

Booky Wook 2 This Time It's Personal - Russell Brand.

I purchased this just after it came out but never got around to reading it. A few of my friends have read the first one and have told me it's good. im looking forward to this.

True Red - Tuhoe Issac with Bradford Haami.

Again I have read the first three quarters of this book before getting distracted by life. It honestly is a life changing book. It describes how he went through his life in a gang before changing his life for the better. 

Novel About My Wife - Emily Perkins.

I picked this up in a sale and it just kinda jumped out at me. It has won a few awards and looks like a nice simple read.

Game Of Thrones - George R.R Martin.

After watching and falling in love with the series I thought it was about time to give the book a go.. Hope it lives up to my expectations.

Nightlight, a parody - The Harvard Lampoon.

I actually picked this up whilst wondering around the library. Its basically just takes the piss out of the famous twilight saga. As you may of guessed its not the sort of thing id normally pick up but it looks like it could be a laugh.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green and David Levithan.

Iv been meaning to grab a copy of this for months ever since reading my new favourite book: A Fault In Our Stars. Cannot wait to start this one!

The Twisted Heart - Rebecca Gowers.

I honestly have no idea what this is about. I kinda just picked it up on a whim but it looks okay so may as well see how it goes.

If you'd like to read a review on any of these books let me know or if theirs anything you would suggest for next month you can get hold of me at catherinelouisef@yahoo.co.nz

All opinions in this blog are my own. I do not get paid by anyone to write on this blog... blah blah blah you know the deal.

That's all Folks

x

The weekend..

Good morning everyone.

Just thought today I would post a few photos of my weekend as I had such a great time! 

On the left, Me and my friend Troy pre drinking and watching the sunset. On the right is Hannah, Myself and Tee Jay having a few wines for her birthday before heading off to town.

Hope you all had a great weekend too

x

My Piercings...

So im in a bit of a writing mood but don't have anything a really need to talk about so I thought why not talk you through all the piercings iv had and how much they hurt ect..

So we'l start with my bellybutton. which cost me about $40.00 I had it done when I was 13 after hours of begging my parents. It didn't really hurt much at all and I had it done with numbing spray so that probably helped. it was really easy to look after and never really got infected or anything. I had it till I was 14 and went on a school camp and I lost it their. it did leave a scar which I really hate and kinda regret it now cause I hate going swimming in bikinis and showing off the scar. 

Next is my neck (surface piercing), which cost me $45.00 and I know how this sounds but it really isn't that bad. It's one of those things you either love it or you hate it and I wont be offended if you hate it. It didn't really hurt much either but did bleed a fair bit. It was fairly easy to look after and i totally forgot about it at times. I had it done for over a year and it never grew out or anything like some peoples do I just took it out cause I needed a change. 

Then I got my Lip done... twice. I believe it cost $40.00 both times on the bottom left side. the first time it fell out and I didn't have a spare and the second I took out because work wasn't too happy with it. you cant get you'r lips numbed so they hurt a wee bit more. and the swelling was alot worse too. They are a very easy piercing to look after as you can easily see/clean it.

I'v also had my ears pierced when I was around seven and I don't remember how much they hurt but my mother did say I cried. I have  stretched my left ear to about an 8mm bit after I took it out it shrunk back to almost normal (as it is now). stretching did hurt ALOT!! but it's way easier in the shower.

And that's pretty much it. I got all my piercings done at Skingraft in Rotorua (http://www.facebook.com/Legalhighs) and the were real good about it all.

It's all about me tag

Me: Catherine

Nicknames: Kat, Moggie

Birthday: 22nd September 1994

Place of Birth: Harlow, Uk

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Male or Female: Female

Occupation: Retail Assistant

Residence: Taupo

Screen Name: CatherineCupcake

Appearance:

Hair Colour: Brown

Hair Length: Short

Eye colour: Blue

Best Feature: Eyes

Height: 5ft something...

Braces?: Nope!

Glasses?: Nope!

Piercing: Only ears at the mo

Tattoos: None.

Righty or Lefty: Righty

Your 'Firsts':

First best friend: I have loads of besties

First Award: A sports award in primary

First Sport You Joined: Ballet - But i hated it

First Real Vacation: Back home to the Uk

First Concert: How sad.. I still havn't

First Love: Jamie Bonnet

Favourites:

Movie: Notebook

TV Show: Friends

Colours: Cream & red/pink 

Song: You're song by Elle Goulding or A team by Ed Sheeran

Candy: Choccy

Restaurant: Domino's tbh

Store: Glassons, Cotton on, Pagani

School: Shh

Book: Anything with a good plot

Magazine: Cosmo 

Shoes: Anything with a nice heel

Currently:

Feeling: Tired

Single or Taken: Taken

Eating: Nothing

Typing: This

Online: You'r kidding right? 

Listening To: Nothing..im watching tv

Thinking About: Plans for tomorrow.

Wanting: Jamie to finish work early.

Watching: The computer screen

Wearing: Singlet and black shorts.

Future:

Want Children?: Of course. I'm excited to have them one day :)

Want to be Married: Yes!

Careers in Mind: Interior Designer.  

Where do you want to live?: Not sure yet.

Have you ever:

Kissed a Stranger: Probably yes.

Had Alcohol: Yea

Smoked: Yes, but only to see what it was like...never again. ew

Ran Away From Home: Don't think so.

Broken a bone: Nope!

Got an X-ray: Yes

Broken Someone's Heart: Yes

Broke Up With Someone: Yes

Cried When Someone Died: Yes

Cried At School: Yes

Do You Believe In:

God: No

Miracles: Yes

Love At First sight: No

Ghosts: No

Aliens: No

Soul Mates: Yes

Heaven: No

Hell: No

Kissing on The First Date: Why not?

Yourself: Not really