The RR Christmas Guide - FOR HER

Today's gift pick is for the fashionista slash bookworm in your family and/or circle of friends.

Who: Girlfriend, Cousin, BFF

Category: Book

You know the one, she opts for the tangible copy of a book inside of the electronic read, not just because she loves to collect books but also because it will look oh-so chic on the coffee table next to the vase of peony roses in bloom.

The picks in this category are endless but I wanted to include two favourites of mine and one newish release.

1. Grace: a memoir by Grace Coddington - it was the it present last Christmas, but if your fashionista is fashionably late to the party, this should swiftly move to the top of your shopping list. A beautifully put together book, all about the life of one of the world's top fashion and publishing icons, with juicy anecdotes along the way, this will be a much loved edition to her book collection.

2. Irreverent by Carine Roitfeld - this is the definition of a perfect coffee table book in my opinion - heavy, meaty and filled with endless pages of beauty. I was lucky enough to receive this as present myself last year and I was blown away, so I can safely say your gal pal will be too. 

3. IT by Alexa Chung - a new release for 2013 and though smaller than the previous two options, this book can still hold its own on the coffee table. Filled with pages of photos and drawings from Alexa's own collection, this book gives a great insight into a fashion it-girl that rarely shares such personal details. And it's also damn pretty to hold and look at.

My tip, add a little merry Christmas message on the inside cover - it's something she can look back on in years to come.

If you have a fashionista in your life, she will unquestionably love these three picks!

ajarose xo

The RR Christmas Gift Guide - FOR HIM

Welcome back to Blogmas ladies and gents. Sorry for the lapse of posts over the weekend, you know that thing called work? Well I had it and when I got home I was sleepy. Soz.

Back to it and this week I'm excited to tell you the Rosie Recommends Gift Guide is taking over and I've decided to feature not only gifts for her but also for him. 

Five ideas for both the ladies and the fellas in your life, from different price points and categories. 

Let's crack into it with the dudes shall we?

Who: Dad, Brother, Boyfriend

Category: Beauty

Unfortunately my boyfriend isn't into the whole manscaping thing (I'm slowly chipping away though), so if your fella is anything like mine he'd look at a tube of moisturiser like a foreign object. 

BUT the one product he will delve into that falls under the beauty category is, fragrance. 

I have to admit he has taste when it comes to cologne, damn expensive taste to be exact.

The fragrance he sports and the one I recommend as the perfect luxe gift is Tom Ford, Tobacco Vanille.

The idea behind the fragrance was to modernise the old-world men's clubs and the result is a smooth blend of aromatic spice notes including ginger, anise, tobacco flower, clove and vanilla. 

As my boyfriend puts it ''it's one of the best smells, ever.''

This is the gift for the masculine man in your life, that can also appreciate the finer things. 

Tom Ford can be found in David Jones in Australia.

Until tomorrow,

ajarose xo

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A makeup collection worthy home 

Bourjois Happy Light collection review

Home is where the heart is

Christmas party beauty essentials

A Makeup Collection Worthy Home

Today I had the conundrum of having the day off, a boyfriend at work and an ikea box that housed my soon-to-be dressing table. I thought I could take the challenge on, but after struggling to even get the cardboard box open, I knew it was a bad idea. 

I pressed on and whad'ya know, I got the bloody thing completed.

I'm pretty chuffed with myself, so I thought I'd share with you the new home to all my beauty bits. The decor is a work in progress and I haven't started to fill the draws of my new acrylic storage or the draw in the dresser, which I will go into more detail with once completed.  

But for now, I think it's coming together nicely.

Want to know where my storage bits are from?

1. Malm dresser - Ikea

2. Mini Glamour Makeup Box and Deluxe brush holder - The Makeup Box Shop

3. Makeup mirror - Kmart 

I hope you have had just as a productive day 

Talk tomorrow,

ajarose xo

Bourjois Happy Light Collection Review

Today's post is all about one of the best drug store releases I've come across in a while - Bourjois' Happy Light collection. The trio is made up of three perfect base partners, featuring a primer, foundation and a concealer.

Bourjois constantly bring it with their affordable offerings and maybe it's due to their French heritage, but their formulations are spot on and this collection is no exception.

Let's tackle this in order of application, shall we?

First up - primer. I'm not the most loyal when it comes to primers. I like the idea of their purpose but to be quite frank, I usually can't be bothered. This particular one drew me in for its illuminating properties and thankfully it doesn't turn your face into a disco ball. The result is a subtle glow under your foundation and also holds everything in place that little bit longer. No complaints here.

Foundation time. Ahh, this foundation is such a winner. A gel like formula that simply glides onto the skin and blends seamlessly, this offering may even trump the Bourjois cult favourite, Healthy Mix (another personal fav). The only downside is the lack of colour range. I do find it runs darker than other Bourjois bases, so for pasty white gals like myself, you will need to pick up shade 51 and blend, blend, blend. Everyone else, you'll be fine.

Last up, concealer. Boy, this stuff hides it all. My skin has decided to have a slight freak out lately and this has been my saviour. The thick, but not cakey formula has worked really well when dabbed on top of the direct area I've wanted to cover, blend out with a fluffy brush to hide harsh edges and voila, pimple gone!

If you are in the market for any base products, I highly recommend checking these options out at your local Priceline.

Until tomorrow,

ajarose xo

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Day #3

Day #2 

Day #1

Home is where the heart is...

There is nothing like decorating your home for Christmas and from as long as I can remember, it has always been something special my mum and I did together. Now I have my own apartment, it's a tradition I still love to carry on.

As we have just moved into a bigger place - AKA an apartment that actually has a separate lounge and bedroom (mind-blowing I know), I feel like I have free range on the decorating front. Lucky for me, the BF has given the green light to deck out the place to my hearts content.

Today I wanted to share with you not so much around my home (that will come later in December!) but a magazine that is the source to all my ideas and inspiration, Real Living Magazine.

Now, for those of you who are already into home decor, this magazine is probably one of your staples, but if your pennies are spent on the latest MAC release before your house (or bedroom for those of you who live at home) gets a second thought, picking up a copy has probably never crossed your mind.

I'm here to tell you it should.

Filled with pieces from budget to luxe price ranges, there is something for everyone. Even if you don't pick up the exact item featured, each page is a styling, visual feast and sparks so many ideas for freshening up things you already own or simple ways to add to your existing decor.

December is also the perfect month to experiment with pops of colour, feature pieces and novelty trinkets that you might want to dabble in without giving it a permanent place in your home. 

So why not ditch the Allure Magazine (for one night), grab a cup of tea, get cosy on the couch and flick through the pages of something a little bit different.

Ciate day #3 nail find was a hot orange called, Hopscotch...

ajarose xo

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Check out Blogmas...

Day #2 

Day #1

Christmas Party Beauty Essentials

I'm sure you have all started to receive the flood of Christmas party invitations that come with the territory this time of year. So today's post is all about the festive essentials, beauty edition.

A Christmas party is the perfect excuse to bust out the glitter and the brighter shades of lippy in your stash that might not be on regular rotation in your everyday wardrobe. 

You've probably heard the makeup 'rule' - either have your eyes the feature, or your lips, not both. December rolls around and I say throw that out the window!

Now ladies I don't mean run to your vanities and swipe on a bright blue shadow and a neon pink lip, but I am saying there is a way of making both work. 

In my opinion there is nothing more festive than a golden sheen across the eyes and a bright pop on the lips. It's all about picking shades that enhance the other, as opposed to the blue shadow and neon lipstick opinion, that will only fight each other for attention. 

So what are my picks for the festive partay season? A higher end and a budget option follow...

(Top left to right - Woodwinked, Sepia Sparkle, Lady Danger, Who Wore it Red-er)

1. MAC, 'Woodwinked' eyeshadow - This was one of my first MAC shadows and boy is it a beauty. Perfect for all over the lid, in the inner corner or used as a highlight in the middle of lid, this shade has Christmas written all over it. 

2. L'Oreal, 'Sepia Sparkle' eyeshadow - A much loved edition in my collection, this shadow gives the most perfect golden goddess gloss to your lids, with minimal fuss. My tip? Dip your brush in a little bit of water before packing the colour on, applying this eyeshadow wet gives an even more intense colour payoff. 

3. MAC, 'Lady Danger' lipstick - One of MAC's most popular shades, this lipstick has some serious punch. It is a matte formula so it's a much better pick than a high shine lipstick if you will be eating and drinking at your Chrissie party (nothing will transfer throughout the night). But matte formulas mean you need to exfoliate your lips before application so not to enhance any nasty dry bits. If you want to make a statement this season, this is the colour for you.

4. Maybelline Colour Whisper, 'Who Wore it Red-er' lip balm - A new release from Maybelline and I have to say I am very impressed. The application on this lip balm/lipstick/lipgloss hybrid makes it a dream to apply and feel like you have nothing on the lips at all. Don't want to worry if you have lippy on your teeth all night? This is the pick for you!

This is your opportunity to have fun with your makeup if you are a little more reserved all year, so throw the makeup manual out the window and go for it!

Want to know what today's Ciate pick was? A very fitting red for today's post call called, Boudoir...

Until tomorrow,

ajarose xo

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Check out yesterday's Blogmas post here! 

Counting down to Christmas with Ciate

Counting down to Christmas and beauty bits would be two of my favourite things, combine the two and you have the Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar. Mind blown? Mine too.

How does it work? It's just like your average advent calendar, minus the chocolate and plus a whole lot of nail polish, 24 polishes to be exact.

I couldn't even handle how cute this idea was and failed to resist the novelty when I crumbled walking past Mecca Cosmetica - AKA my second home.

Ciate release their advent calendars annually and I was told by the ladies at Mecca that there is actually two or three different variations in the limited edition sets this year, so you may open a different polish to a friend one day or get a completely new shade all together.

You can pick this bad boy up for $89 at Mecca Cosmetica or KIT Cosmetics. It sounds like a lot but when you break it down, the price per polish works out to be only $3.70 per pot - bargain! The great quality you are getting from Ciate alone is justification enough, however.

I've decided to open and share my beautified Christmas countdown with you, so look out for that in each Blogpost post!

Today I opened door number one and found Snow Globe hiding behind it... 

This is THE dream gift for any nail junky or beauty buff out there, and though you will need to gift it before Christmas Day, I can bet you will be a hit for all of December!

See ya tomorrow,

ajarose xo