Coming from a teaching background, as well as having my partner, Jake, working in childcare - we've received our fair share of lovely gifts from our students at the end of the year. While this lovely little surprise is certainly not expected, it's something that a lot of parents and carers like to do, to show appreciation to their child's educators. However, I must be honest with you now - we do see a lot of gifts: the good, the bad, and the 'straight-to-the-charity-shop'. So, I figured I'd use my insight to recommend gift ideas for teachers - and everything is from Kmart (score!).

What to buy:

• Stationery bits-and-bobs.

I think this goes without saying, too, that teachers go through stationery like no-ones business! I couldn't even tell you how many paper clips, pins, rulers, and bulldog clamps that I went through when I was a teacher. So, why not buy some for them? I've especially been loving the rose gold stationery that Kmart has at the moment, so it adds a special little flare to these normally boring items. Plus - they're cheap, and you know they'll definitely be used!

• A framed quote or picture.

There's something special about receiving a quote or a picture from someone - it's a sign of "this is how I feel about you", or "this is how you made me feel". For a teacher, it doesn't get much better than that! Get creative with it, and find something special that shows how you feel - even a lovely little drawing from your child can add a real special touch.

What NOT to buy:

So, what do you need to do to get out?

• Your initial term is the period of time you must serve when you first signed the contract. So, for example, if you signed in January 2016 and the initial term was 12 months, then the initial term expires on January 2017.
• Your renewal term is the period of time that you will serve if you decide to renew your contract. This comes after the initial term has finished. It's pretty self explanatory - but the decision to "renew" isn't always obvious, which brings us to our next term.
• The rollover period. Now, this is the one that normally clinches people. A rollover period is simply a period of time that you must give the network notice that you want to leave. It's like giving notice when you leave your job. If you don't let them know within this period of time, then the contract is renewed automatically. You won't necessarily re-sign along a dotted line, but for all intents and purposes, you would have renewed your contract without even knowing. On my contract, for example, this was outlined in the fine print amidst a bank of words, so it was hard to spot. My rollover period was 90 days, so if my contract was due for renewal in January, then I had to contact my network by the end of September (90 days). Makes sense?

Jurlique is a well-known Australian brand with a true focus on creating pure and natural skin care for everyone. Their Rosewater Balancing Mist will soften the skin with its antioxidant properties. Rosewater is a very gentle ingredient on the skin and a perfect hydrator especially throughout Winter.


A French perfume, cosmetics and skincare brand, among one of the oldest in the World since 1828. Their lotion has exceptional repairing power from bee products as it infuses skin with nutrients, leaving it hydrated and soothed.
Clinique is a high-end brand with top sellers in skin care. Their Smart Custom-Repair Serum targets mutiple concerns and is an all round anti-ageing product. It works to improves radiance and texture and repairs skin from free radical damage.
Benefit is all about fast and fabulous beauty. Their Porefessional range is all the talk at the moment, with their newly launched products. The porefessional primer can be used as an all over makeup tool to stop shiny skin and disguise any large pores.
Elizabeth Arden is a cosmetic empire in the US, Elizabeth herself helped establish makeup as proper and appropriate for woman. Her Essence is designed to infuse the skin with antioxidants and boost the skins natural hydration levels.
Neon & Co are a Melbourne based salon who have developed a line of sleek hair care products that are high quality and accessible to the modern day hair enthusiast. Their Treatment Oil is a lightweight and hydrating oil that can be used on wet or dry hair. It will help maintain the perfect blow dry.
Chella Beauty has all the tools and colour cosmetics you need for that everyday look. Their highlighing pencil is highly pigmented and can be used on dark circles and spots to brighten the face. It can also help to prevent lipstick from feathering when used along the lipline.
Bobbi Brown started with a simple idea of natural looking makeup, so that you could be who you are. Their kohl-pigmented mascara delivers full, bold looking lashes and is perfect to finish off that smokey eye.

A little over a month ago, I was asked to try out the BaByliss Paris Homelight Connected IPL Hair Removal System. Being someone who has had experience using IPL, I was both intrigued and excited to try this little device out!

For those of you who prefer to watch, rather than read, I have a full first impression video on my channel. You can see it here.
So what is the Homelight Connected? Well, like I mentioned earlier, it is an IPL system. IPL stands for 'Intense Pulsed Light', and the way that it works as a hair removal method is the light transforms into heat, which puts hair into a 'resting phase', and then it eventually falls out.

This device, though, really is one of a kind, and the name gives it a hint. Connected. This device is the first intelligently connected hair removal device, and it connects to your phone via Bluetooth! BaByliss have an app, which is downloadable by most phones, and it's called the Homelight Connected App. This app tells you when and how to treat each area, so it's like a personalised treatment coach, helping you along the way. I go into more detail about the app in my video, so be sure to check it out.

As for some of the other features of this device, I've annotated everything on the picture below.
I think that shot speaks for itself (and sorry for showing my unshaved legs... I just can't believe this result so far!). So that's where I am on my journey with the BaByliss Homelight Connected system. In owning it for just one month, and using it only two times, I'm over the moon with the device, and I cannot wait to see how my results will go in the future.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! I've tried to keep this quite brief, as I went into a lot of detail in my video, so be sure to check it out too if you haven't already.




Extra details:
RRP $750
2 Year Warranty
Stockists: 1800 650 263
For more information, visit: http://www.BaBylissHairRemoval.com.au

Today's 'Quick Pick' is the Physicians Formula Natural Nude Shimmer Strip. I received this little beauty as a PR sample a little while ago, and I have really been impressed by the quality and diversity of this little palette.

It's marketed as an eye and face palette, however, I have been using it primarily as a face highlighter. Each row has a different tone, ranging from champagne, to pinks/corals, and finally to golds and bronzes. Each swipe that you make has a different tone, and so it's really quite a fun product to use.
You can pick it up for $24.95 from Priceline, as well as some chemists and supermarkets. If I had to rate it out of 5, I would give it a 4 (the bulky packaging was a bit much, in my opinion).

I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to abandon or forget about something that I enjoy so much - but I did.

The last time that I posted on this website was back in April, and it's now June. The fact that those two months slipped by kind of scares me really, because I don't really have an excuse as to why. I mean, I wanted to be active online and keep pushing through, making posts and videos. I really did. I just couldn't get there for some reason - motivation slipped through my fingers.

So what has happened since I last posted here? Well, a few things really, but when I look back at it, it doesn't really seem that much. It's a weird way to see things. I know there has been big, important things happening, but inside my head I just think "Meh...". Anyways, I'll get to it.

• I finished my Certificate III in Business Administration. I wish I was more excited about this, because it's another thing I can add to my resume to make me more employable, but the experience of it was so degrading. Now, I want to be careful when I explain this, and I don't want to offend anyone - but I could have finished that certificate in a week. The assignments were so simple and obvious that I was able to finish most of them within an hour or two. It honestly doesn't even feel like a qualification to me now - and again, I don't want to be offensive or degrading to those who have the certificate or who have had to work hard at it. Don't get me wrong, it's great to have it and I'm sure it'll help me get a job (more on that later), but I definitely have this feeling of "Oh, that was it?".
• I left my retail job of 5 years. This one was a biggie for me. I got this job at the end of high school, literally a week or so after I finished my year 12 exams. At the time, I just really needed money, and I didn't even know much about the business or what they sold. I still remember my first shift, feeling completely lost and out of my element. I didn't hate the job, but I certainly wasn't comfortable or enjoying it. I remember barely talking during my shift, and feeling like I was in the way of everyone. As time went by, though, I started making friendships with the people working there. I started talking to people more, and I really came out of my shell and became comfortable with not only the job, but myself. The more I learned from that job, the better I became as a person - as a friend, partner, employee... everything. When I finished my degree last year, though, I felt this strong urge to move on - to take on more responsibility, and make my mark elsewhere. This was an internal struggle that I had for quite some time. "I'm bored of this job, but I love the people and I know what I'm doing". Eventually, as you already know, I left this job, and I cried the whole way through it. I couldn't even fathom a goodbye speech, because I didn't feel like it would ever be enough. While I reached the end of my journey with this job, I am extremely grateful for the things that it has done for me, and a lot of it has to do with the people I worked with. There hasn't been a day since where I think "Screw it, I'll just go back". But I can't. I needed to move on, and I am - sort of.
• I started my first full-time job. I'm not super proud to admit that, at 23 years of age, I've only just gotten a full-time job. However, I always have to remind myself that I focused my life on my degree. I worked hard at it, and I finished, so now it's my turn for a real job. Notice I said job, though - not career. Without going into it too much, for the past three weeks I have been working at a call centre in customer service. It is not something I wanted, but here I am now. A lot of people have said to me "Oh, wow, why are you doing that?", and honestly, it comes down to money. This was the best paying job at the time that I could get, and I figured it was worth a shot. This is my new internal struggle. You see, the reason I took this job was to make some money, and finally look into buying a house with my partner. That's the only reason. I don't believe people should work for money - they should work for something they love, and right now, this isn't me. I'm not comfortable, I'm not happy, and I barely talk (other than when I'm on the phone, of course). But I need to remind myself of that girl who first started her retail job - she was uncomfortable and unhappy too, and in the end it became such an amazing part of my life, so why won't this job too?

The Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Mask has been the latest buzz on social media, and after seeing so many shots of people with grey, bubbly faces, I decided I wanted in on this too! I purchased mine from eBay for around $12, which I was very comfortable in paying. I hate when companies put on supreme prices for new products, but for $12, you definitely get your money's worth.

So what exactly is this product? Well, it's a carbonated clay mask, which means that it foams or 'bubbles' when it exposed to air. The consistency from the jar originally feels quite thick, and it's very cool to the touch, which is really nice on the face. They give you a small spatula to apply it, which I'd recommend, as it takes a fair amount of effort to wash it off while it's still in it's thick form. The smell is quite nice too - it almost smells like perfume, despite it's not-so-attractive colour.
Once it's applied to the face, you'll start to hear a bubbling noise, which is the carbonation process. The following picture is after about 3 minutes.
After around 10 minutes, the foam had grown to about 1cm deep, which is a very weird sight to see. You seriously start to look like a green marshmallow. Aside from this, the mask doesn't feel stiff or dry at all, which was a nice surprise from my other masks. While I do like my tightening masks, the Carbonated Bubble Mask was a nice change of pace, because it felt very soft on the skin. Washing it off was a bit of a task - the bubbles were easy to remove, but the under-layer of thick product took a little more work to remove. Once it's all gone, my skin feels very smooth and moisturised, but it doesn't feel clogged with product. My pores even appear smaller, which was a pleasant bonus!

Overall, I've really enjoyed this mask. I've used it three times over the past few weeks, and I've even had my boyfriend Jake into it - though, I think he just enjoys sticking his finger into the bubbles to see how deep it is.

If you're in the market for a cheap, gentle and innovative product to try - give this one a go! If you're not a fan of the product itself, you'll at least be amused by your bubble face, haha.

Oh - and it's also worth noting that there is no English on the jar except for the product name, so the ingredients are a mystery to me.

Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte Liquid Lipstick - 'Cher'

You may have already seen this on my website, as I just did a post all about the Hydra Mattes. You can see it here.
This particular shade is why it has made it to my favourites. As mentioned in my first impression, 'Cher' had my attention from the start. It is a deep mauve shade with brown undertones, and it's the perfect shade that I've been hunting down for months. Typically, for this shade, I'd use my Essence Lip Liner in 'Soft Berry', which is almost identical to this. However, I'm not a fan of wearing pencil all the time, as it dries out your lips. So, when this product came along, it was love at first sight. Definitely a new staple!

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Gerard Cosmetics Star Powder - 'Sophia'

This product was actually a bonus with my order of the Hydra Matte Liquid Lipsticks - and it's a bonus that I actually loved! The colour of this highlighter is a sheer yellowy-champagne, which is a nice change from my usual frosty colours. The formula is my favourite part though. The powder in this is so finely milled, that it sits on the skin smoothly and evenly, without looking like a streak of glitter on your face. I've been loving this for every day!

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Eye of Horus Dynasty Dual Brow Perfect - 'Brown'

I'll be honest - I did not like this product at all when I first received it. I found the pencil end to be too chunky, and I felt like I had to work with it a lot to get the shape that I want. However, throughout March I figured I'd put more effort into learning how to use it, and now I love it! One side has a flat, broad pencil that is nicely pigmented, but stiff enough to hold its shape. The other side has a brow gel, which is very, very good! It holds everything in place, and has the perfect sized spoolie. Definitely a major comeback this month!

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Sleek Contour Kit

I particularly loved the contour shade in this palette - the highlighter, I'm not a fan of. The contour is a nice, deep chocolate brown, that does well to warm up the skin. I hate contours that are too ashy or grey, so this has been a nice discovery - even though it's sat in my collection for a few years!

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Maybelline SuperStay Waterproof Powder

I started using this powder during March, mainly because I'd ran out of my other powders. I have enjoyed using it with liquid foundations and BB creams, as it doesn't set too cakey, and doesn't oxidise, which is a huge plus in my books. The product claims to be waterproof, which I haven't tested too much, but it definitely does last on the skin until you remove it. It would be great for those of you who are out for most of the day, and need your makeup to stay put.

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Juicy Couture 'I Am Juicy Couture' Eau De Parfum

This perfume has been a regular in my daily routine for quite some time now. I love the sweet floral scent, which lingers on throughout the day. It is a very young perfume, and it's not too overpowering which is a nice surprise. If you're out and about and you see this perfume, give it a test - I think it's a fragrance that a lot of people will love!


So there we have it - my March favourites! If you'd like to see the video version of my favourites, you can check it out on my channel.

Graduation is just around the corner, and what's more daunting than standing on stage in front of academics, leaders, and hundreds upon hundreds of family members, all with their eyes on you? Deciding what to wear!

When I attended my graduation last year, I found myself immensely stressed out as to what to wear. Being the first person in my family to graduate with a degree, I had absolutely no idea what was appropriate. Long dress? Short dress? Skirt? Pants? Colour? Monochrome? All of the above?! So, I decided to make this post for those of you who are feeling this same stress.

For a point of reference, the following picture is what I wore to my graduation. It was a watercolour, fitted dress that had a really cool cross-over hem in the front. I wanted something that was young, because - well, I am young, but I wanted something that was put-together and mature... all without being too boring. I think I succeeded, and I was very happy with my decision.

Remember - you'll be photographed this day, and it's a moment you'll cherish and look back on in the future. Be 100% happy with your choice!

All of these outfits are from Showpo, and come with FREE express delivery, which means you'll have your clothes the next day. Perfect for last minute choices! Click here: Showpo.com

(and enter the code 'KATRINA' for 10% off - you're welcome!)

Simply White

Basic Blacks

 

Pretty in Patterns

 

Sultry Skirts

These are just a few of my recommendations. Remember - go with something you are comfortable with. Here are some classic DO's and DON'T's...

DO'S:

• Pick something that is YOUR style! Make a statement about who you are as a person.
• Feel comfortable and confident. There's no use in wearing a short dress if you hate your legs, or a style or cut that makes you feel uncomfortable. You should be able to walk around feeling great about how you look.
• Loosen the purse strings - be prepared to invest in this outfit. You don't want to buy something that's cheap in quality, such as being see-through, loose, crooked or uncomfortable. Around $50 is a good target, but it's all dependant on your budget.
• Wear your outfit before the day - as soon as you've bought your outfit, wear it around the house. This may seem like silly advice, but you'll thank me. Wear your shoes too! Why? This is where you'll be able to tell if there are any issues. Walk around, sit down, and climb some stairs if possible - these are all the things you'll be doing on the day. If the waist is too tight, or your shoes are killing you, do something about it now! Ceremonies can go for hours, so you don't want to be counting down the seconds to get out of your dress because it's suffocating you.
• Take some photos wearing it - things can look different to how you see them in a mirror. Perhaps the mirror isn't showing off the back cleavage your dress is giving you, or the crooked hem in the front.
• Enjoy your time! It's not all about what you wear - be proud of this massive achievement, and celebrate your success.

DON'T'S:

• Midriffs/Two pieces - showing your stomach is far too casual for this type of event. You don't want to be that girl that everyone remembers for the wrong reason.
• Plunging necklines - place your hand at the bottom of your collarbones. The top of your dress should not start below your hand. Keep those puppies covered, and show respect to the academics and family members who have come to see you.
• Strapless tops or dresses - I mean, you can if you want, but take my advice. The academic gown is super heavy, and heavy things tend to pull things down - if you catch my drift. You don't want to spend all ceremony pulling your top up, and adjusting yourself.
• Super high, unstable or slippery heels - odds are, there's a set of stairs that you'll need to walk on to receive your award. You want to be in shoes that are stable, and that are comfortable to walk in. I remember at least three girls almost falling off the stairs/stage because their heels weren't stable enough.
• Spend too much on a clutch or bag - you won't have much time to be holding it, so save your money here.
• Forget to smile when on stage!

CONGRATULATIONS!

• Ecstasy - A medium-toned, cool purple. It has grey undertone, which really makes your skin look pale (I don't mind that, though). The formula was nice and velvet-y, which applied on the lips nice and smoothly. The pigmentation was great, and it didn't sheer out in any areas. It takes a couple of minutes to dry, and once it is dry, it has a velvet feeling on the lips.
• Cher - A medium-toned, warm mauve. It is the perfect mixture between brown and purple, and it is by far my favourite shade. Again, it has the velvet texture, and went on very nicely. This colour is actually the perfect dupe for my favourite lip liner, the Essence 'Soft Berry' liner. It has a really rich colour, but it isn't too dark and off-putting for day wear. Love this!
• Serenity - A pure, peachy-toned lipstick. It has all of the same qualities as the other shades, and I think it would look great with a tan. This one is the most wearable shade out of all of them, but Cher is still my favourite!

YouTube networks are a relatively new concept within the digital media world - and when I say "relatively new", I mean within the past 10 years. A YouTube network is:

"...an organization that works with video platforms such as YouTube, to offer assistance in areas such as "product, programming, funding, cross-promotion, partner management, digital rights management, monetization/sales, and/or audience development" in exchange for a percentage of the ad revenue from the channel."

As it stands today, there are well over 100 YouTube networks out there for people to sign up to. The reason that there are so many, is because anyone can start one up. All it takes is a simple email to potential YouTubers, and they've got their business running. However, there definitely are a number of king-pins in this industry who dominate the market, and have a lot of YouTubers signed to their networks. For example, the following is a list of the top networks and their current member count (as of 21st March, 2016).



This list could go on for another 100+ entries, but you get the point. These guys are BIG! Now, with member counts so large, how on earth do they manage all of these people's careers? Answer - they don't, but more on that a little later.

First, let's cut to the good part: money. When a YouTuber first monetises their videos, they are enabling a thing called 'adsense'. Adsense is owned by Google (so is YouTube, by the way), and it's their way of paying people as per the views and clicks they receive on a video. The way this works is Google will place an ad next to your video once you have monetised it. These ads are paid to be put there by the advertiser (so for example, if it's a Coca Cola ad, then Coca Cola have paid Google to put it there). These ads can appear in all sorts of forms, as shown below.