A Day In The Life: A Walk Through Sydney

I took a trip through Haymarket and other parts of the City of Sydney and I have to say, I live in an amazing city. From the architecture to the people, there is so much to see all around you.
So I decided to show you guys what I saw on my trip around Sydney a couple of days ago, starting with of course Central Station.

I love the look of the Central Station Sandstone Clock Tower with it's beautiful architecture and aura of sophistication.

Next to the station is Belmore Park which provides a bit of an escape from the hustle bustle of the station. 

Arriving in Haymarket on the other side of the park presents a while different vibe with the quirky attractions in the midst of the chaotic streets. One of these is this awesome sculpture just after the Capitol Theatre. 

(I obviously wasn't the only one who thought to take a picture...)

I've never seen anything like this. It's a tree with gold around it, giving it an almost enchanting look. 

Going down Dixon Street into the heart of Chinatown is like entering an alternate universe. Crossing the arch of Chinatown, you're enveloped in the cool and dark illuminated only by the shop and restaurant signs. The canopy of leaves offers shelter from the harsh sunlight, adding to the crisp, autumnal air with their falling leaves. 

Two blocks down, sandwiched between al fresco dining and a Chinese restaurant is N2, a unique ice cream parlour which has been garnering quite a bit of attention in its Sydney and Melbourne locations. It's uniqueness lies in the fact that the icecream is made using liquid nitrogen in unique and adventurous flavours. 

After tasting their Butterscotch Pecan Pie flavour, I have been turned into a believer of the hype. It's intense nuttiness of the pecan brittle, paired with the sweetness of the icecream forms a marriage made in heaven.

Reaching the end of Dixon Street and strolling by the Chinese Garden of Friendship, we come along Tumbalong Park which has become a mecca of entertainment for children as well as adults with a playground as well as restaurants down the side of the walkway. Amongst it all is a very particular and beautiful carousel which I was intensely excited to take a picture of. 

Between the twinkling lights and serene music, one is immediately swept away into the fairy tale of carriages and price Charmings it emulates, and yes I had a ride. 

Only a stone throw away is Darling Harbour in all its simplicity and serenity. 

Strolling along the Pyrmont Bridge on my way back to Town Hall Station for the commute home offers a spectacular view of the city lights, cars bustling as people make their way home at the end of a long day. 

In true Aussie fashion, the day is not complete without being completely soaked in rain after deciding not to bring an umbrella as I leave the train station to go home. Ces la vie, I suppose.

Love,

Gaby xx

Instagram: @gabbiiii_m

Twitter: @gabbiii_m

Pinterest: @oonceuponatime

What's in my handbag!

Hello lovelies!
So have always been a fan of looking at what is inside people's purses so I decided to write one of my own.

This is from Colette Hayman and it's the Danielle metal tip tote in red and white. I absolutely love the size of this bag mainly because of the colours and the size. I am the type of person who needs to carry everything that I may possibly need throughout the day (which is a lot, trust me). Also, what's not to love about red?
Ok, so onto the inside of the bag.
The first thing in my bag is my wallet which is also by Colette Hayman and it's the metal edge fold over wallet.

So inside it's pretty standard. It has a lot of card space, a coin section etc.
Next, I have an eclipse tin with a few mints left. Always need fresh breath.

I have the key to work locker (which I still haven't gotten a keychain for...). It's small so I'm scared of losing it but I need to carry it around so THAT'S something I should add to the shopping list.

My lip products are always scattered across purses and bags but in this particular bag I have two.

The first of these is a Rimmel Lipstick by Kate Moss in the shade 107. It's almost like a matte berry red and I absolutely adore it. 

Since autumn is just starting now in Australia, it's time to bring out the darker lip colours to suit. That's why the second lip product in my purse is the Colour Inject Mineral  Lipstick by Australis in the shade Can Can. 

I have a bunch of other smaller items like earphones in here too. I broke my Apple earphones (the story of my life...) so I'm currently using these pink Sony earphones (yes they are always tangled, no I can't undo them)

I also have a pair of sunglasses in here. These are from Superdry and they're almost like a rounder cat-eyed pair. 

I also have a hand lotion because my hands become like sandpaper ESPECIALLY in winter. I have the Nivea Anti-Wrinkle cream (and no, it's not because I have wrinkly hands). This cream is incredibly good and it leaves you hands feeling like a baby's bottom. 

Water because it's always important to stay hydrated. I swear I have like two of these in my bag because I keep forgetting to throw them out when I leave the house. 

I also have these dabbing oil sheets which are seriously my holy grail because I have very oily skin. They're perfect just for quick touch-ups when you're on the go. 

And last but definitely not least is my copy of Zoella's book, Girl Online!

This is actually the second time I'm reading it and I absolutely love the characters and the story line. I will definitely be looking out for the second book (yay! Congrats, Zoe!) and definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good read. 

That's it guys, I hope you liked it. Let me know in the comments if you guys use any of the things I mentioned (or if you adore Zoe's book as much as I do). 

As usual, you can find me on:

Instagram: gabbiiii_m

Twitter: gabbiii_m

Love,

Gaby xx

Girl Talk: Body Shaming

So recently I've been seeing some things on the internet that I have caught my eye and I have a few things to say so I decided to start sort of a mini series on here called Girl Talk!

A couple of weeks ago I was on Instagram and I came across something that really bothered me. It was this:

I've never been a girl who is exceptionally thin or small so that isn't the reason this offended me. It offended me simply because nowadays we have sunk to body shaming girls whatever type of body shape they have. Curvy girls are labelled 'fat' and now smaller girls are being labelled 'bones'. Real men don't label body shapes. Real men see beyond what's on the outside.
Why is it that we feel the need to comment on each other's bodies?
Why do we have so much trouble being happy with the way we are?
Talking about that girl's makeup or outfit or figure isn't going to make you any prettier, thinner or nicer as a person.
We are constantly comparing ourselves to others and making ourselves feel bad because we aren't as pretty as her or as thin as her. It is not the sum of our parts that makes a person valuable or beautiful. We are not define by what others think of us or how they see us. Our beauty isn't defined by whether that guy is into you are not. It is defined by who you are as a person and how you see yourself. So let's stop pushing each other down for who we are or what we look like.

Aside from the adorable bunny, we need to realise that we are all beautiful in our own way and maybe we won't ever be like that perfect model on Instagram, but you are you and no one can take that from you. So wear what you want to wear, wear as much makeup as you want, totally own that outfit  or talk to that boy you've been eyeing, because you do you the best.

So what do you guys think?
Let me know in the comments below or you can contact me on:
Instagram: gabbiii_m
Twitter: gabbiiii_m
or email me at gabrielam550@gmail.com

Love,
Gaby xo

5 Ways to Stay Motivated in 2015

As we begin a new year we hear a lot of this "New year New me" sort of thing as people make resolutions that only last a couple of days before they are completely abandoned.
I've done it, I'm sure we all have at one stage.
We start off the year with all this enthusiasm to be different, to be better but somehow we lose that motivation further on. How do we avoid this?
Well here are some tips on how to make this year your best year yet.

1. Declutter your space, declutter your life
I am an abysmally messy person, I admit. If I clean my room I guarantee it won't last longer than a week. What I've found though is that if I do clean my room and for the time that it stays that way, I feel almost encouraged to use that space. Whatever room it is that you spend the most time in; a study, bedroom or whatever else, I guarantee that cleaning it will make you want to spend more time there. Even if it just organizing your desk and letting all that nice natural light get in, it will make you feel so much better about using that space.

2. Set small goals to accomplish
Often when we set a goal, we tend to be discouraged after a while once we realize the small progress we've made when compared to the massive goal we have just set. Instead, why don't you set up a timeline? Set small goals and a deadline by which to accomplish each. Maybe even set up a reward once you reach a certain one. Whatever it is that you want to accomplish remember that success is a process that takes time.

3. Go outside
Sometimes everything can just me a little too much for us to handle and we get overwhelmed. The stress can often be overwhelming and we need to escape from it. The answer is not to go online or on your phone. It won't help. Going outside even if it's just for 15 mins to get a breath of fresh air and forget about whatever it is that is stressing you out. This will help to clear your mind and help you find a solution quicker.

4. Get off the couch
It has been repeated to us over and over again that exercise will help make you feel good. BUT IT'S HARD. I admit it. Getting up and deciding to go to the gym or going for a jog around the block is difficult especially when you would much rather sit and watch the next episode of Friends. Once you get past that initial laziness and you finish your run or your workout, it is the best feeling ever. Yes, you hated having to do it but the feeling of accomplishment is worth the struggle.

5. Find a buddy
Anything that you set out to do will be much easier with someone by your side. Choose someone who will encourage you to continue even when you don't want to anymore. Whether your goal is to be fitter, get better grades in school or even just to be happier this year, the support of someone you care about is the key to achieving it.

So guys, here's to 2015 and let's hope this year is a good one.
If you guys want to contact me you can email me at:
gabrielam550@gmail.com

OR you can contact me on social media on:
Twitter: gabbiiii_m
Instagram: gabbiii_m

Review: Nude by Nature Makeup Brushes

I received the set of makeup brushes by Nude by Nature from one of my friends. I was so excited to try these out and I have a few things to say about these brushes. 

1. Kabuki Brush

The first brush in this set is the Kabuki Brush. I am a big fan of this brush. The first time I used it, it gave my foundation such a nice smooth finish without me having to spend too much time trying to blend my makeup in. The bristles are soft so they're not harsh on the skin like some brushes can be.

2. Defining Blush/Powder Brush

This brush is also quite good and you can use it to apply any sort of powder. It is useful to contour your face with blush and bronzer as well as helping you to apply a mattefying powder if that's your thing.

3. Eye Shader

This brush is a wider brush that you can use to apply a base colour to your eyelashes. This gives you a nice smooth finish for you to be able to blend in the colour properly and give your eyes a proper finish. It is useful for both large eyelids and for a more petite crease also. 

4. Eye Blending Brush

This brush is smaller than the eye shader and is useful to blend in the different shades in your eyelids. It is good to blend in the smaller sections like the corners of your eyes. The thinner structure of the brush allows you to be more precise with the colours you want to use on your eyes. 

5. Concealer Brush. 
I think this is my least favourite brush of the entire set. The reason for this is that while it serves to physically put the concealer on your face but I didn't find that it blends it into your face very well. It feels a little like the brush just spreads it bust doesn't really help to make your face look normal and flawless. I ultimately resorted to using the kabuki brush to blend concealer in. This actually gives a much nicer effect.

6. Eye Definer and Lip Brush

This is a dual-headed brush and I am absolutely in love with the eye definer.I found that this helps if you want to use a kohl eyeliner to give you a more smoky effect as well as just helping you blending in any colour you want to apply to your lash line. It is indeed very precise and easy to use so you won't screw up (something I am quite proficient in). The lip brush on the other end is also quite useful if you want to apply a gloss over your lip colour or blend in your lip liner. This brush is quite nice to use also. 

7. Precision Sharpener

The last part of the set is a sharpener for any sort of pencil you have i.e eyeliners, lip liners etc. There really isn't much I can say about this. I mean, it's a sharpener. Full stop. 

Overall, I am quite a fan of this brush set. Most of the brushes do what they're supposed to do and give a very smooth, professional finish. I would give this set a 9/10.

Get Ready With Me: Summer shopping!

Hi guys!

So today I wanted to do a get ready with me and I was going out to finish my Christmas shopping. Here in Australia it's summer at the moment not winter, so I went for a very simple, springtime look.

For my outfit I chose to go with black skinny jeans and a floral blouse. 

I paired it with a pair of black sandals.

I decided to go for a very natural look with my makeup. I started with a colour corrector by Australis in gold. I use this mostly for dark circles, which I happen to permanently possess. 

After this, I use Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer.

Foundation goes over this. I used the FitMe Maybelline Foundation in 120.

I finished my foundation with some powder just to mattify my face a little more. I used a simple powder brush to apply and used a stippling motion rather than sweeping. 

After this, I decided to use a Bourjois blush in shade number 48. I used a small powder brush for this also.

I used the Maybelline Colossal Volum Express. This is my absolute favourite mascara at the moment. I really wanted to emphasise my eyes and this mascara makes your eyelashes look really full and long. I applied on my top and bottom lashes. Also, I closed my eyes and applied on the top of my eyelashes to make them look thicker.

I went for a nude lip just to keep my makeup look natural and make my eyes the emphasis. 

I went for the Beyoncé Heat scent as I was feeling very tropical.

So here's the completed look: