☠ October's Favourites ☠

Bonjour

Long time no see ! I am back again with this month's favourites. I have been sooooo busy with my school work, plus my exam is just a week away from now. It's time for me to burry my face in school books and study hard, but before that I thought I would share with you guys some of my favourites things in October.

As you may know, October is the month of Halloween ~~~ ooooooh spooky and it's also only about a month away before summer officially begins ! Even though I have been loaded with work, I cannot help but get exhilarated & hyped up about the upcoming Halloween. To satisfy the horror side of mine, I have managed to find some time to binge watch a couple of horror films every night since the month began. Yet get scared every time when the films are over. I have listed some of my all time favourite horror films down below. If you are in to this kind of movie as well, let me know how you feel about my list, and if you have any suggestion of what movie I should watch then definitely let me know !!

From Left to Right: The Blair Witch Project (1999), The Babadook (2014), Would You Rather (2012)
Dark Water (2005), Orphan (2009), The Exorcism of Molly Harty (2015)

Another thing I have been obsessing over is 'The Girls Next Door' - A reality TV show aired on E! from 2005-2010, starring Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, Kendra Wilkinson, and the master himself Hugh Hefner. 
This show is surpassingly about "Hef's World, Hef, his girlfriends and friends contrasted with the staff". I find the Playboy world very fascinating after watching the show. Hef and his three girlfriends travelling around the world, walking the red carpet, partying it up with A-list celebrities and lounging around the infamous Playboy Mansion. 

What could be better, right ? Engrossed by the glamorous lifestyles on the show, I came across a (tell all) book written by Holly Madison AKA Hef's main girlfriend back in 2005. The book is called 'Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny'. She told her side of the story about how she got involved in Playboy business, what life was ACTUALLY like at the Playboy mansion and her experience while dating the notorious Hugh Hefner. I got to admit that I have not read a good book in years but after purchasing this book I literally could not put it down ! I finished reading the whole thing in less than two days, that's how great it is. 

If this is something you are fascinated by as much as I do and you have not read it yet, I highly recommend grabbing yourself one. If you don't like reading ? No problem, you can now purchase an audible version narrated by Holly herself for free with your audile trial. And if you want to know more about the book before purchasing one, feel free to check out all the reviews at Amazon.com. 

The Girls Next Door (2005-2010)

Holly Madison: Down the Rabbit Hole (Released in 2015)

Last but not least for October's favourites, I had recently stumbled upon an amazing community called 'Hand to Hand' where unwanted clothes are being collected and given to families in need within Bay of Plenty NZ as well as being donated to 'Under the Starts - Homeless in Tauranga'. Since I have so many clothes that have not been worn in awhile, I decided to donated some to the organisation along with some blankets too. 

Photo credit by Hand to Hand

In the past 20 years, I have been given so many good things in life and I appreciate every part of it. Having a chance to be in a different country on my own has definitely opened my eyes to see things differently. All the years I thought were difficult had been nothing but experience and helped me grow into a genuine person I am today. However, no matter how hard I may think things were, I know I always have love & support from my family in every single way. Sadly, not everyone is as fortunate. I learned that some people are having a hard time struggling with their day-to-day lives, emotionally, physically and even financially. This is just a little thing I believe I could do to help and I encourage everyone else do so too. It is truly a great feeling knowing that something which is no longer benefit you can be rewarding to someone else. Contact the organisation today to make your donation and don't forget to leave a comment/suggestion below. I hope you guys have a blast on this spooky holiday, and till next time.

AU REVOIR

♡♡♡

Recipe 1: Mum's Chicken Soup

Mum's Chicken Soup

Easy, Affordable, Comfort food, 

 Just like Mum used to make it 

Going back to when I was living in Thailand, my Mum used to make me this beautiful chicken soup which I absolutely loved ! I came across this dish the other day while I was watching a Thai cooking show. This broght back all the memories reminding me of how good this soup was, so I picked up my phone and rang Mum, asking for her recipe. In all honesty I did not think I will be able to find the ingredients easily, but I went to the supermarket and got everything for just under $15 ! Surprisingly I got a huge pot out of it which can feed up to 4-6 people. Another plus side is that it's very easy to make and I am sure everyone can make it !

All you need are:

Thai Chicken Soup 

• 450g  Chicken Nibbles
• 3  Average size Potatoes 
• 2  Carrots
• 1/2  Onion
• 2  Tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup  Soy Sauce
• 3 tsp Salt
• 8 cups Water

Method:

1. Make sure the potatoes and carrots are washed, peeled and chopped into small bite sized pieces.
2. Chop up tomatoes and onion. 
3. Pour water into a large stock pot, add salt and bring to boil.
4. Once the water is boiled, add chicken. Keep spooning out coagulated protein (white foamy stuff) on top of the water as it makes the soup cloudy.
5. Add in the soy sauce followed by potatoes and carrots, leave boiling for 10 minutes. 
6. Add chopped onion and tomato, put element on low heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. 
7. The soup is ready to go, you can add salt and pepper to taste if you like. My mum usually added some special ingredients to give it a kick which makes it taste very authentic. This is entirely up to you whether you want to do it or not but I hight recommend as it brings out more flavours and make it very sensational & delectable. 

** Here's the special ingredients (Mmmh...yummy!) **:

Sugar syrup, Fish sauce, Freshly squeezed Lime juice, Fried Shallots and Chilli (or dry chilli flakes). The cool thing about this is that you can add as little or as much of everything as you like. When I made this, I put in about 3tbs of fish sauce, 2tbs of sugar syrup, 1/4 of a lime, a bunch of fried shallots and a sprinkle of chilli flakes. The key to the deliciousness is to add in these ingredients separately in a bowl when served, not to mix it all in the big pot and to taste heaps !

There you go, to top this off I suggest having it with hot rice. It is not hard at all, everything is easy enough if you put your heart in to it. If you have tried this recipe and like it, make sure to share it to your friends and family. Don't forget to give me a feed back on the recipe. My stomach is rumbling right now so I might have to ask to be excused & grab a bowl of this for dinner, see you later. Bye Bye. 

ENJOY & Bon appétit

♡♡♡

❀ My Foundation Routine ❀

Hi guys, hope it's all going well for all of you. Summer is just around the corner for us in New Zealand, and I cannot wait for it !

Today I have done a mini tutorial on how I contour my face and my foundation routine. I will also show you guys all the products I currently use and which are the must haves ! Are you ready ?? Let's get started :) 

First I applied my all time favourite lip balm from 

Christian Dior. This product helps moisturising and protecting the skin while enhancing my natural lip colour which I absolutely love ♥

Dior Addict Lip Glow ($33 USD ~ $51 NZD)

I like to use Estée Lauder Clear Difference Advanced Blemish serum to reduce any flaws on the skin before I moisturised my face with Biotherm Aquasource Gel (I highly recommend!) to keep my skin hydrated all day long. I would suggest you try these two products out if you have 
sensitive, normal-combination skin like me. 
Remember that the key of having a good make up that is always on point and lasts all day is to have a great base to start with !

Estée Lauder Clear Difference Advanced Blemish Serum ($82 USD ~ $126.5 NZD)
Biotherm Aquasource 48H Continuous Release Hydration Gel  ($80 NZD)

The problem I deal with a lot is the dark circles I get under my eyes from late night sleep which I find MAC Pro Longwear concealer (NW25) works like a treat to conceal my under eyes with. I used a damp Beauty Blender to apply my concealer as it gives more natural effect on my skin rather than cakey  

( Cakey make up = No No !!) 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer ($21 USD ~$40 NZD)
Beauty Blender ($32 NZD) 

For Foundation in this everyday look, I used Double Wear 

Stay-in-Place Makeup foundation by Esteé Lauder in the shade 'Tawny' (3W1) which is equivalent to MAC foundation in NC30. It feels very light and breathable on the skin but definitely is build-able. 
Again, I applied my foundation using the same Beauty Blender. 
I like to make sure I blend everything well, 

we don't want any harsh foundation line on our faces do we girls ??

'Double Wear' Stay-in-Place Liquid Makeup ($69 NZD)

I ♥ ♥ ♥ using my Mac Prep + Prime highlighter in 'Light Boost' to enhance/highlight where it's needed. This product helps brighten areas on your face in a very settle way which makes you look youthful and fresh. I usually start from my forehead and drag it down on my nose, as well as my chin and my cheek bones then blend it all out with my Beauty Blender.   

Mac Prep + Prime Highlighter ($26 USD ~ $40.10 NZD)


After applying all of the above ✓ I set my foundation with a mixture of the famous Laura Mercier translucent powder and Ben Nye Banana Luxury powder. With the Beauty Blender, I pressed in the products where I highlighted before to accentuate those areas even more. I will go on and do my eyes and eyebrows make up while I let the powder kind sit nicely on my skin. 
This is called "Baking" technique.

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder ($37 USD ~ $57 NZD)

Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder ($39.90)

These are products I used to do my eyebrows. 

If you want to know how I fill in my eyebrows and do my eye makeup, 

just drop a comment below or give me a message from the links in bio ! 

I will make sure to check them & do tutorials for you guys ☺☺☺

After doing my eyes makeup, I dusted off any excess powder on my face from baking before with a kabuki brush. I then contoured the side of my face (the hollow part of my cheeks), on the side & the top of my forehead, and also under my jaw line to enhance facial structure and even make my face appear a little thinner. To do this, I used MAC Bronzing powder in 'Golden' with Nars Yachiyo Kabuki brush which is excellent for defining cheekbones, highlighting the complexion, and blending and diffusing colour on or around the eye area.

MAC Bronzing Powder ($26 USD ~ $40.10 NZD)
Nars Yachiyo Kabuki Brush ($55 USD ~ $85 NZD)


Lastly to finish off the look and to add some colours, I lightly applied MAC Powder Blush in Pinch O' Peach just above the contouring on my cheeks.

MAC Powder Blush ($22 USD ~ $34 NZD)

And here you go, this is the finial look, easy right ? I know !
This is my to go everyday look which I normally wear and love. 
It usually takes me about 30 minutes to achieve this make up look, 
so if you wanna try it out I do suggest you leave about 30 minutes to an hour before you go out. This look can also easily be transformed into a night look, all you need are darker eye makeup and your favourite lipstick ! 


Before I go I hope you enjoy my tutorial, leave any question or comment down below. I hope spring treats you well and I will see you guys again real soon, mwah xx

AU REVOIR

♡♡♡

♡ Welcome to my life ♡

Hello and welcome to my first blog ! 

My name is Nirada,
a twenty years old ordinary girl 
living in a beautiful city of Tauranga, New Zealand. 
I have recently just moved into my little two bedrooms house. 
I am inspired to make a blog based on my everyday lifestyle.

So, here's a little something something about me: 

I moved from Bangkok, Thailand when i was 15 (5 years ago!) and currently doing a business management studies here in Tauranga . I have a lot of passion for culinary arts, fashion, make up, and anything pretty haha. This blog is going to be about my casual lifestyle, things like my make up routine, how I decorate my home, yummy recipes are just examples of what you can expect to see from this little blog of mine (Oh ! and don't forget boy talk hehe).

Now that ya'll know more about me, don't forget to stay post it, as I will try to update as much as I can. If you have any question, comment or request, 
feel free to drop me a mail at 
nirada-s@hotmail.com

Enjoy & Au Revoir

♡♡♡