The Actual Diary Bit Vol. 5 | 16th Jan to 22nd Jan

Monday, January 16th || I had my interview today! I had to drive for about half an hour or so to get to the place, but I don't mind this because it's far enough from where I live that I shouldn't be running into anyone outside of work hours. It's awkward when it happens. I think the interview went as well as it could have, all things considered -- I'm not confident that I'll get the job by any means, but I don't think I completely tanked. I went to the library afterwards, met up with my brothers there and kept reading Brooklyn, which has been the next book on my Reading Challenge list. That ending. :| Another little piece of info: I was asked by another place to come in for an interview! Even if I'm unsuccessful at all these places, it'll be great experience.

Post-interview ramen.

Tuesday, January 17th || Wanted to blog, but was just not feeling it! I did some laundry, made some chocolate croissants again -- only eight this time, though -- and, despite the 38 degree heat, huddled up on the couch with a blanket because the air con was turned up so high. I've been watching cop shows lately on Netflix, and I ended up napping while one of them was on. What is it with me and napping lately? I should find out tomorrow whether or not I've gotten the job that I had an interview for yesterday. I don't think I have, because one of my referees told me she'd message me if anyone called her, and I haven't heard a peep.

Oh well!

Look at that warm, chocolatey, croissanty goodness.

Wednesday, January 18th || Didn't end up hearing anything about the job, but I guess that's to be expected to a degree. They always take a long time at these things. I was also hoping that some of my stickers from Etsy might arrive -- two orders were shipped out on the same day last week, but I only got one yesterday. Even so, no luck for me!

Etsy goodness!

Thursday, January 19th || It was another uneventful day for me. I did a whole lot of housework and I prepared for the interview I have tomorrow. I had cop shows playing throughout the day again, but at least I didn't nap as well! I had work as well that evening, so I couldn't afford to sleep and be late. To include a little makeup talk (because I really have nothing else!), I used the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. I'm getting a little bored of the palettes that are in my rotation so I'll have to change it up soon.

Friday, January 20th || The day of my second interview! I thought it went alright, and I was told that they wanted to make a decision by the end of the day, possibly early next week if things slowed down. I figured I might hear back next week, considering I haven't heard back from the first place, but I found out two hours after my interview that I didn't get the job. That being said, they gave me really good feedback, and I think the experience will just make me better prepared for future interviews, you know?

Post-interview karaage.

Saturday, January 21st || Today marked a momentous occasion! I introduced my mother to How to Get Away with Murder and she absolutely loves it. I haven't finished the first season yet, but we binge-watched the first half and the only reason why we didn't keep going after midnight was that I have work at 8am tomorrow! Hopefully we'll get to watch some more tomorrow after my shift ends.

Sunday, January 22nd || Had a long, uneventful shift at work today. I've begun thinking that I might need to cut down on the length of my Sunday shifts. It will mean needing to pick up another shift in order to keep my contract, but my back seems to get worse after so long on my feet. It can take a day or two to clear up, so it's something that I have to think about.

Some kind of delicious chicken pasta dish Mum made from leftovers!

Anyway, that's what I got up to in the previous week! I want to know: Have you watched any good TV shows lately? I'll run out of things on Netflix eventually!

This post was brought to you by a woman who ate a lot of tasty food.

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The Actual Diary Bit, Vol. 4 | 9th Jan to 15th Jan

Monday, January 9th || Monday was a good, busy day, blogwise. I'd spent the night before making a To Do list, at the top of which was editing a whole heap of photos. I got that done, and managed to fix up a couple of posts, but I forgot to hit "Publish"! Oh well. I didn't get as much social networking done as I'd wanted, as we had someone come round to the house to fix our aircon system.

I won a giveaway over Christmas and I received my goods!

Tuesday, January 10th || What a day! It was so hot overnight that I couldn't sleep, so by 4am I decided to just stay up and maybe nap at lunchtime. As it happened, I passed out at 7.30am and was forced awake at 10.30am by my phone ringing. Man oh man, was I tired! I then had to make up a shopping list and go grocery shopping -- the whole thing took three hours to do, and I was not happy. I've offered to cook tomorrow, which I hope will kind of lift my spirits a little bit!

Wednesday, January 11th || I feel like I didn't achieve very much today! I wasn't exactly feeling 100% great, and it turned into light nausea by the afternoon. I don't know what's causing it -- perhaps all the yoghurt I've been eating lately? I had a nap around noon. I love napping, honestly, but I get so mad when I do because then I feel like I've wasted time, which I do not love. I crocheted a little bit, and I decided to make "American-style" burgers for dinner. What. A. Failure. They tasted good, but they fell apart. Le sigh.

A delicious, delicious fail.

Thursday, January 12th || Today I woke up at 5am, made breakfast for myself at 7, and then promptly went back to sleep for a few hours. It was another one of those days where I didn't achieve a great number of things but was still productive. The weather is beginning to turn; it was nice enough, sunny and all, but not hot by any means. My family ordered pizza for dinner while I went to work -- which is odd, because I thought my brother was supposed to be cooking? Also, I did a bad thing: I ordered the Violet Voss Ride or Die eyeshadow palette. $140. Sheeeeez.

I did a bad thing.

Friday, January 13th || Went to the doctor today! That sounds so much more exciting than it was, but the doctor gave me some medicine for some reflux I've had lately. I also found out that some stickers I ordered from Black Wombat AU on Etsy had arrived yesterday, so I spent today putting them into my diary! The stickers I ordered were for public holidays, as well as school term weeks -- just cute, handy stickers to have!

Cute, adorable planner stickers!

Saturday, January 14th || Today I was meant to prepare for an interview that I have next week. I did a little preparation, but then I went back to what seems to be a favourite past time lately -- napping. I also started watching A Series of Unfortunate Events with my family. I've enjoyed it so far; I was worried that Neil Patrick Harris wouldn't make for a convincing Count Olaf, but he's done a decent job.

Sunday, January 15th || Work again today! Had my regular long shift, and afterwards I got to see my grandparents -- always nice -- and then I began preparing for my interview tomorrow. I'm not sure that I did as much as I should have. There is only so much I can do, considering that I've only had one interview in the past. Even if I don't get this job, however, I still have work lined up for me once the school year starts, so there's plenty for me to be thankful for.

Actual photo of me checking my bank account after the events of this week.
Source: Kanahei Account phone app.

That's all that I got up to in the last week! I want to know: What was the tastiest thing you ate over the last week? Maybe it was something bought, maybe it was at a restaurant, or perhaps you made it yourself! I'm getting hungry.

This post was brought to you by a woman who has almost zero kitchen finesse.

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Lip Monthly | December 2016 (The Final One)

Here it is, guys: my final Lip Monthly post ever. Granted, I've not been the best at posting about my deliveries, what with the hectic year I had last year, but as I'm pretty happy with what I received in my final bag, I may as well give a service overview too, right?

The December bag for Lip Monthly was a deep blue with sky blue scribbly stars smattered across it. To me, it kind of gives the impression of a wintery cold evening, which fits with US weather at the moment. It has a kind of plastic-y scent, and the product card was kind of stuck to the inside, but that's been pretty typical of the last few bags I've received.

Inside the December bag was:

• City Color Cosmetics Lip Gloss with Argan Oil - "Girl Next Door" || This looks like a peachy nude gloss which may contain just the slightest amount of shimmer in it. I think it's a great shade for both summer and winter.
• Cougar Beauty Mineral Lipstick - "Sangria" || What looks like a deeper mulberry-toned lipstick, it's actually more of a raspberry that I think a lot of people with different skin tones will find wearable. This type of shade is a typical choice for the spring, but I'll probably wear it all year round. It seems you can't buy these lipsticks individually, but in a full set of 5 shades.
• Crazy Rumours Hibiskiss - "Tropical" || I kind of don't know what to make of this! To me, it's your standard lip balm, but it's marketed as a "lip colour" -- and one that's hibiscus flavoured at that. When was the last time someone ate a hibiscus? If Google is to be believed, it's eaten quite often in China and India, so surely it's gotta be tasty. It has a bit of a medicinal scent that I find off-putting, like whenever I receive anything "cherry flavoured", but it doesn't linger on the lips.
• Chapstick Total Hydration Conditioning Lip Scrub || Make no bones about it, I love Chapstick. Other than Maybelline Baby Lips, I have not found a more reliable lip balm on the market. I'm particularly excited about this lip scrub because my lips do like to dry out if I don't have a balm handy, even in the summertime -- and it's peppermint flavoured, which I cannot get enough of!

Price: $12.95 US
Lip Monthly Bag Value: $25.57 US

Overall, I'm happy with December's bag. This was the first month where all the products I received were lip products -- there's usually one that marketed as being lip and/or blush item, typically -- so it makes me a happy camper. Checking out their Facebook page, apparently they had some issues with this bag where they had to change products quickly; perhaps that explains why the bag value is so low, as in the past they've been worth twice as much.

Service Overview
From memory, I think September's bag was the only one that left me feeling unhappy; excepting that month, I've been really happy with everything I've received! The December 2016 is, however, my last Lip Monthly bag. I received a twelve month subscription for Christmas in 2015, and I chose not to receive another. While I have really enjoyed Lip Monthly and the products I've received, I have an insane number of lip products now -- I really don't need more! Being in Australia, the bags usually got their way to my towards the end of the month; this one made it to me just after New Year's.

If you're a hoarder lover of lip products like me, Lip Monthly is a fantastic service and you'll love it. If you're getting into makeup and want to build your lip collection, or if, like me, you live in Australia and want to get your paws on a few different brands, it's also for you. There are so many brands out there that I didn't know existed, and it's been fun trying them out!

Do you have any beauty box subscriptions? Are there any you're thinking of trying out? Let me know!

This post was brought to you by a woman who has over 300 lip products. Seriously, it's a problem.

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The Actual Diary Bit, Vol. 3 | 2nd Jan to 8th Jan

Monday, January 2nd || What a way to kick off the new year!! I decided at 12.30am that it would be a great idea to look for some stickers on Etsy for my planner -- and I kept browsing and adding stuff to my cart until almost 5am. I knew it was time to shut the laptop and go to sleep when I heard my brother's work alarm go off. It was also Mama Bear's birthday today, so my stepdad cooked everyone a nice breakfast and we all gave our gifts to her throughout the day. I bought her a few Korean skincare items that I recently introduced her to -- essence and sheet masks -- from a Korean beauty shop in the city, as well as a Sephora voucher. Mama Bear tried her first sheet mask yesterday, and I'm so glad that she enjoyed it -- although, if she hadn't, I just would've kept the masks for myself!

My new desk calendar!

Tuesday, January 3rd || I feel like I had one of those days where I didn't do very much. I woke up with a cold, so it really slowed me down. I worked on a couple of posts for a little bit, but mostly I think I played Kim Kardashian: Hollywood on my phone. I re-downloaded it, after having played it for months and lost my save progress -- twice. First world problems, y'know?

Wednesday, January 4th || Today was another day where I achieved much without doing too much -- if that makes sense! I went out and picked up some really cheap yoghurt, did four loads of washing and folded it all, and I worked more on the blog! I'm trying to be a little more active in my writing, so that I can hopefully have a few posts banked up for when school goes back and I begin to get more work.

When you're sick, watching Pokémon YouTube videos is the way to go.

Thursday, January 5th || I made chocolate croissants for the first time today! I cheated, of course, by using ready-made puff pastry, but I experimented with different kinds of chocolate -- some were dark, some were milk, and some were Nutella! A sheet of pastry yielded about four croissants; I think I made about 40 all up! They were really delicious, but oh boy were they filling. With three brothers and a stepfather, though, I don't think they'll see the end of tomorrow. I also ordered a whole heap of stickers from Etsy to decorate my planner with!

CROISSANTS FOR DAYS.

Friday, January 6th || As predicted yesterday, only three croissants remained when I got up this morning. What in the what? Unless I'm working, Friday tends to be Library Day, where I go and hang out for a few hours to work on whatever it is that needs my attention -- today it was the blog! One of the reasons I enjoy going to the library is because it's a prime spot for Pokémon GO. The GPS can't quite pin down where I am, so I can sit at a desk for a few hours and my little avatar just walks around while it tries to find exactly where I am! I know, I know, it's cheating -- but I wanna find a Pichu, and soon, dangit!

Look at Pichu! IT'S SO CUTE! (Source.)

Saturday, January 7th || Today was a pretty relaxed day. I wrote out a job application, and went to work on a few more blog posts, and I napped -- a lot. I think I must have had three or four naps throughout the day! Not even 25 yet, and I'm already like my grandpa.

Sunday, January 8th || I had work today! It wasn't too bad, honestly; it was really hot outside but my work is always really cold, so it was pretty nice -- I wore a jumper! I started reading Jane Austen's Persuasion, which is causing me to try and work out if a Reading Challenge I found recently is worth attempting... Perhaps it is! I also made a wonderful, wonderful discovery: I discovered Pentatonix's cover of "Jolene" featuring Dolly Parton, and I love it. It's magic in my ears, I tell you!

A few of the Kylie Cosmetics holiday collection items.

That's all I got up to in the past week! I want to know: What was your greatest achievement in the last week? Perhaps you marathonned a TV show, tried a new recipe that really worked -- or maybe you just bought yourself some cool socks! Who doesn't love socks, am I right?

This post was brought to you by a woman who just really, REALLY wants a Pichu.

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That Personal Update | A Check-in on my 2016 Goals

It's been really busy over here in my personal world.

I finished my Masters degree in June. I was completely mentally burnt out, so I went on holiday for a while. I started working two jobs in October, and it got to the point where I was working six days a week, sometimes both day and night.  There wasn't a whole lot of time for so much as thinking about Diary of a Beauty Padawan, let alone planning posts and taking photos.

Yes, I got the date wrong. Shhh.

I made the following goals at the start of last year:

1. Vary the content that I churn out
2. Post regularly -- ideally, at least twice a week
3. Participate in regular blog chats on Twitter
4. Inject more personality into my Facebook page
5. Increase my viewership

Honestly speaking, I didn't achieve any of these.

In some respects, it's been kinda hard: my 2016 blogging goals had already been thrown out of the window by the end of March, so the struggle to try and stay relevant recently has felt like a bit of a futile task. It got to the point where I seriously considered shutting the blog down, because what was the point of keeping it around if I couldn't write anything?

After a long, hard chat with myself, I've decided to keep the blog around, but I'm going to take it really easy. I don't have the time or energy to keep up with all the blogs that are out there, and I'm not very aggressive in promoting my own, either. As long as I don't lose sight of why I began to blog in the first place, and ensure that it doesn't turn into a chore, I should be able to have some fun no matter what the future throws in my way.

That's essentially what blogging is all about, isn't it?

This blog post was brought to you by a grown woman who spent the day in her PJs.

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