Wake me up - Part 1

Entwined amongst the fulfilling moments of our lives, are the sly vines of fatigue and dreariness. Be it school or work, from time to time I will have a somewhat startling moment where I catch myself in the mirror and think ‘Oh my lord, she needs to sleep.’ Settle down self, she’s been working hard! But lately, I’ve discovered a rather delightful optical illusion that helps the girl in the mirror look just that tad bit more lively – enough to trick my mind and body into waking up. Perky lashes.

Apart from those of you who are genetically blessed with perfect doll-like lashes, an eyelash curler and a good long lasting mascara is the perfect way to open up your eyes when exhaustion is trying to drag you to the Land of Nod. And yes, my little trick is easy enough to do whilst sitting on a crowded train to school or work:

Step 1. Curl your lashes as close to the base as possible to lift every strand

Step 2. Brush through with a long lasting mascara...

…preferably one that has stiff bristles on its brush to separate the lashes well e.g. every Covergirl LashBlast mascara. Just remember that if your overload your eye lashes with too much product they will simply droop back down again.

I’ve been rather infatuated with the COVERGIRL LashBlast mascaras for quite some time now and I find that their new ‘24 Hour’ mascara has the most impressive volume and long lasting qualities in the entire LashBlast range (use the Clump Crusher version if your lashes are already thick enough). For someone with thin Asian eyelashes that grow very straight, I feel nothing but lively satisfaction when they are still ever so perky after very long and very rainy day.

Though I am not one to wear my makeup for 24 hours at a time (Note: please don’t harass your skin to that extent!), this mascara’s shift started at 8am and it is now almost 10pm. Yes it’s been a long day but you have to admit, that curl is pretty impressive.

So they say your eyes are the windows to your soul… Then surely adorning your sleepy soul with a charming frame should help with feeling a little more lively. That, and a smile always works for me!

Love,

Julie T.

Avoiding Mental Scoffs.

On Friday afternoon, I was asked a very basic question: ‘What are the components of composite resin?’ Anyone who has never studied, or is not studying dentistry or oral health, would have no clue how to answer such a question. But if you have, you would understand that not knowing the answer to this question would be quite like not knowing how the water cycle works, what the first month of the year is, or the number of letters in the English alphabet. I searched my mind for the answer, as my clinical educator continued shuffling through her flashcards. Her mental scoff was far from subtle. I don’t blame her.

            Organic resin matrix. Inorganic filler particles. Initiators and accelerators. Inhibitors and stabilisers. Coupling agents. Pigment. Six very simple components that make up the material we often use to fill the cavities in your teeth. I knew the answer. Honestly, I did!

            What worries me the most, was how completely blank my mind was when I went to search for this answer at that moment in time. I’m sure at least half of the most intoxicated beings at the craziest party you’ve been to could easily burp out something about evaporation or clouds, tell you that the year usually starts off with January or something, and that 25 letters in the alphabet sounds about right (close enough). The answers we need are right there in our minds or at the very least, still hanging on by a thread. But how long does it take for that thread to break?

           The extensive capacities of our minds are so incredibly vast – an infinite organic matrix that begins as empty pockets. The ideas and concepts that we discover in school, in university and in general life, become the particles that fill these pockets; the two notions coupled by constant consideration and practice. The inspirations that we encounter along the way initiate more and more pockets to be filled, which become stabilised in our minds over time. Our inner consciousness and sense of existence grows, pigmented by our individual personalities and characteristics.

            The consequences of being complacent become more severe as time goes on and I’ve recently rediscovered a greater respect for time and our human capabilities. No matter where you are in life, I hope that you’ll be able to feel more optimistic about the incredible mind that you were born with. And to those of you who are about to begin or have just begun a new school year, I wish you all the very best with your hopes and goals. I've decided that now is a pretty good time for me to come back down to Earth. On that note, don’t be the delusional drunk who forgot how clouds are made.

Love,

Julie T.

Whisk Away.

It’s like sipping on rose tea whilst unwinding in a sea of bubbles. And at the end of it all your waterproof mascara isn’t still smudged across your under-eyes…

I’ve never believed any cleanser that claims it ‘removes waterproof makeup’. It’s just never happened for me. Waterproof mascara or eyeliner is more stubborn than a five year old and a bowl of greens. And I’ve accepted that. But being the ever-curious person that I am, I thought I’d give this cleanser a try... Panda eyes, be gone. It works. Well done, Puretopia.

Again, being the curious person that I am, I’ve always had a bad habit of purchasing many (okay fine, excessive amounts of…) different skincare products – most definitely not excluding cleansers. Now you know that dry and slightly parched feeling on your skin after cleansing and before moisturizing? After cleansing with the Puretopia Whisk Away Creamy Face Cleanser, I actually feel like I’ve already moisturized. Almost like, I’m Cate Blanchett on a glossy SK-II ad page in Vogue. At the same time, my skin is left far from greasy. This cleanser leaves my skin quite shine free throughout the day too (which is beyond impressive, when you factor in Australia’s ridiculously hot summers).

It’s bad enough that we consciously apply so many toxins onto our faces each and everyday in the form of makeup; right before we step out and into the pollution hanging about in the atmosphere. And it’s even worse to have such residues marinating in our pores at the end of the day and throughout the night. So despite the beautiful (not to mention natural) fragrances of rose and grape, and the nourishing shea butter in this cleanser, I would have to say that I appreciate it’s deeply cleansing properties the most. The way it simply whisks away any impurities. 

Do something nice for your skin. Try it out.

Julie T.

Two. Zero. One. Four.

Two. Zero. One. Three. Four numbers that when placed together embody the year has so rapidly reached its end. Once again, we’ve come to that point in the year that is so densely enriched with every emotion and inevitable reflection.

            Firstly there’s nervousness, anxiety, an unsettling feeling of dread… In other words: fear. Fear of removing oneself from the warm and familiar folds of the past year. It is so easy for us to place comfort beside satisfaction and often we find ourselves clinging onto thoughts and habits that our minds have been so instinctively repeating over the past 356 days (or in some cases, many days more).

            But there’s also excitement. Not the fear, but the exhilarating thrills of the unknown. The start of a new year is like opening a present – tearing away the colourful layers of experience to reveal the gift of new opportunities. If you’ve had a few too many all-nighters to cram for an exam or meet a deadline, then how are you going to put aside those 3am caffeine doses and give yourself time to perform at your very best? (I’m working on that one…)

            If there’s one thing I learnt during 2013, it is to take things one step at a time. Perhaps you want the body of a Victoria’s Secret Angel or a set of rock hard abs. Perhaps you want to ace all your exams or score that dream job. Find a new energy source to replace fuel. Cure cancer. End world poverty. But until you ditch your midnight snacking and procrastination habits, and delete that addictive game and your ex's number from your phone, how will you be able to get to where you need to go?

            You know how there are 365 days in a year? Well one of them is already ending. We’ve all made mistakes and that only makes us human. We learn from the past to become better people in the future. So tonight before I fall asleep, I will skim over the four simple resolutions that I’ve made and rethink the steps I’ll take each day to achieve them.

            In the wise words of a man who achieved so much in his time:

‘I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.’

Nelson Mandela

Have a happy new year my dearest readers and I wish all the best to you on whatever it is your plan to achieve this year.

Love,

Julie T.