Katrina Maree: March 2016

What To Wear To Graduation

Monday, March 28, 2016

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!

So, with my experience over with, here are a couple of recommendations for graduation dresses/outfits.

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

White is a great colour to wear if you're going for a classy look. It photographs nicely against the black academic gown, and can be a really nice way to go for an understated style, without blending in to the crowd. Team it with neutral accessories to finish it off, or add a pop of colour in your shoes or jewellery.

Basic Blacks

Black is an even more understated way to dress for graduation day. If you just want to look professional and put-together, this is an easy way to go. Textures and layers can really help add dimension to the outfit, and don't be afraid to go short - it'll look best against the long, black academic gown.

Pretty in Patterns

Patterns are a great way to express your style in a formal setting. This is the route I chose, as I wanted to have fun and show that I like colour and design. If your dress has a really loud and out-there pattern, pull your hair back to show it off!

Sultry Skirts

Not everyone loves wearing a dress - especially me! I like having the flexibility of separates, and a skirt is the perfect way to do this at graduation. Long, a-line skirts are always a hit, as they are flattering on most body types, and show just the right amount of leg.

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!

So that's it for my advice on what to wear to graduation. Please feel free to contact me if you have any more questions, but above all...

CONGRATULATIONS!

First Impression: Gerard Cosmetics Hydra-Matte Liquid Lipsticks

Friday, March 25, 2016

The Gerard Cosmetics Hydra-Matte Liquid Lipsticks are widely popular on YouTube and social media. It's a rare occasion where I don't see one of these in an Instagram post or makeup tutorial on YouTube. So, I was intrigued - are these really worth the hype?

You can buy the Hydra-Matte Liquid Lipsticks from GerardCosmetics.com for $20 each. Originally, I was put off by the price, because that's double the price of the Australis Velour Lips, and they are seemingly the same product. However, I saw a discount code of 40% on their Instagram, so I figured I'd give them a shot at this new discounted price ($12.00 each). Shipping was also free, which is a massive bonus for those of us who live in Australia! So, with all of this in tow, I added 'Serenity', 'Cher', and 'Ecstasy' to my shopping cart.

The lipsticks took a little over two weeks to arrive, which isn't a massive surprise, as most international packages tend to take that long. I will say, though, it was a little weird not to receive an invoice directly to my email or anything. The only way you can access an invoice is by logging into the Gerard Cosmetics website - something that they could work on. I like having my own copy of an invoice directly to my emails, because it's what I access the most.

The box that they shipped it in, too, could use a little work. It was a flimsy, white cardboard box, which had obviously been crushed during shipment. Obviously, they cannot control what happens to their packages once they have been sent, but a more sturdy (and perhaps branded) box would suffice.

Upon opening the box, everything was packaged in bubble wrap (thank God, or who knows what condition they could have been in!). Upon unwrapping the liquid lipsticks, I noticed there was a bonus product thrown in. It was one of their Star Powders in 'Sophia', which is a nice, sheer gold highlighter. I'll discuss that product in another post, but it was a lovely bonus.

The liquid lipsticks, as you can see in the first picture, are packaged in a frosted plastic tube, with a gold lid. It may be hard to see, but the gold lid is where the branding is, and the plastic has nothing on it at all, which makes it easy to see the colours. However, I did find it a little hard to distinguish the colours, but that is largely due to the fact that they are so close in colour. The shades are best described as follows:

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!

Overall, I am largely impressed by these shades. I am interested in trying more - 'Iced Mocha' and 'Everything Nice' in particular. I think that the discounted price of $12 does suit them a lot better than the normal $20 - I think that it's just too expensive, and I'd be more inclined to try a higher-end brand at that price range.

If you'd like to try them out, you can see them here. Make sure to add the code 'Gerard40' for 40% off your total (though I'm not sure how long this will be valid).

This post is not sponsored, in case you were wondering. I purchased these products myself under my full name, and so Gerard Cosmetics did not know who I was or whether I was reviewing them or not. Just wanted to clear that up!

YouTube Networks: The Dirty Truth

Monday, March 21, 2016

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.

However, once you have enabled monetisation on your videos, YouTube will give you a share of the money they were paid to have that ad there. This share is a split of 55% to you, and 45% to Google. This is a short way of explaining how YouTubers get paid.

Now, back to YouTube networks. As stated in my definition of a YouTube network, the network will sign on a YouTube "in exchange for a percentage of the ad revenue from the channel." This is referring to their Google Adsense. Each network will write up a contract for their YouTuber, stating how much of this revenue they will take. This figure varies between network to network, and even YouTuber to YouTuber. Most commonly, it is a 60/40% split, with the YouTuber keeping 60%. What most people don't realise, though, is that that is a split of the figure that Google has already split. I know that was hard to read, so let me break this down:

Makes sense now? So as YouTuber, you are giving a large portion away to networks if you sign to them. So, are they worth it? Well, it depends who you are. If you're a person with 1 000 000+ subscribers, and a substantial amount of views per video, then yeah sure. You will probably get a lot of fringe benefits, such as invites to large events, accommodation or travel assistance, large campaigns, branding, etc. However, those people account for a very small percent (3% to be exact) of the amount of content creators on YouTube. The most of us don't have those numbers, and so networks will often put all of their focus on the big guys, because they make big money (big money for a YouTuber, means big money for a network). That leaves the rest of us with what, then? Well, nothing, to be honest. Essentially, if you're a small YouTuber signed to a network, you're just signing money away for nothing. Networks, unless it's explicitly stated in your contact, do not have to do anything to promote you. They may promise that you will make more money because they'll offer higher RPMs (pay per 1000 clicks) or higher ranking in videos, but more often than not they will fall flat on these offers.

You will pay money for nothing.

So, those are my two cents. I was signed to a network for two years. Around four months ago, I left mine, and I am now earning 50% more through Google Adsense alone. Why? Because I'm not paying someone to do nothing for me.

Be wise. Read the contracts. If it doesn't say it will do something, THEY WON'T DO IT!

Check out my video for more details...