Sunday, April 26, 2015

The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. | Playlist


A playlist inspired by... “Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” 
- Apple Inc.

. The Phoenix . By Fall Out Boy | . King . By Years and Years | . Money Power Glory . By Lana Del Rey | . Stitches . Shawn Mendes | . The Wolf . By Mumford & Sons | . New Rush . By Gin Wigmore | . The Monster (Explicit) ft. Rihanna . By Eminem | . Big Girls Cry . By Sia | . Trouble ft. Jennifer Hudson . By Iggy Azalea | . Brooklyn Baby . By Lana Del Rey | . Famous . By Charli XCX | . Something Big . By Shawn Mendes

. Stay Cool .



Photos edited on PicMonkey.com . Watercolour background image from tumblr. 

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Taking Photographs For Your Blog | Tips


When I first began writing my blog taking photos was my least favourite thing to do, I felt like the poor photos I was taking didn’t reflect the quality of the content I wanted to create. After a while I realised it was actually quite simple to take photos of a higher quality with a few tips I began to pick up through my reading on the Internet. They’re arguably the most important part of the post because without a clear image that draws the reader in you’re more than likely to get not a lot of traffic to you blog.

In my own experience the most important thing about photography is lighting, take your photos in the morning when the light is the brightest and won’t cast a shadow on your space. Always try and have “white” light instead of “warm” or orange lighting, this will make your photos look fresher and more professional when wanting to showcase products or items. 

Don’t be too lazy to retake photos! If the photos you take the first time end up looking bad and you feel disappointed with them, take a new set. You should never feel pressured that because you have your written portion of a post completed it’s time to finish it immediately.  Often I put down the camera for a while and then come back a little while on, to see if I can then approach the photographing from a different angle

You’re not limited to just a camera, your phone can also be your best friend when taking photos, just remember that learning all the relevant settings and how to use them to there best ability will help you a lot. The camera I use is the Canon Power Shot SX500 IS, which I love because it’s compact and always auto focuses when taking shots in a hurry, unlike my Samsung Galaxy S5’s camera, which takes a little more precision and effort.

Editing your photos is also something that can take a little getting used to but can add so much to the quality of the images. I choose to use iPhoto on my MacBook Pro sometimes, but I’ve found online that PicMonkey (Link HERE) is a really great user-friendly photo editing option. Almost all my photos are edited using this platform and it has both a free and professional option to choose from. I also love that I don't have to create an account and constantly login and out of it.


Readers are often interested by photos that have “layers”, if you’re writing a post about a makeup product for example using props to surround that product in the background gives the reader the impression of how it is either being used, where it is being used or the type of person who may need to use the product. However most of all I try to use them to create an atmosphere or context for what I’ve written. Like lighting the objects or props you use here will influence the audience you bring to your blog. These props in no way have to be expensive or flashy items you can use things around the house like stationary (notebooks, pens etc.), magazines, sunglasses, computers, plants (succulents are big right now), layering of linen or perhaps a plain white quilt, feathers, flowers, drinks, your phone (try having this on one of your social medias or a website/ blog that you’ve liked at the moment), books or maybe your pets (these are always a crowd pleaser). For me it’s really just about experimenting with what looks nice.

Has this helped? Leave a comment sharing your favourite photography tips or a link to similar posts you've written.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

After A Day Out In The City ...


I thought you'd enjoy a little look into some purchases I made over the weekend whilst wandering around Brisbane's Queen Street Mall and South Bank.

Lipstick: I've been looking for a dark lipstick mixed between a burgundy and purple for a while. I've seen the Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate Moss Lipsticks popping up everywhere so I decided to give them a go. I bought mine in shade 31 and was so disappointed that they weren't given names instead of numbers, one of my favourite things is when companies given there products interesting names. Anyhow It's a beautiful lipstick with amazing pigmented colour and it felt smooth and silky. Next time I'm out I'll be keen to pick up other lipsticks from the range in shades 10 & 38
 $9.95 at Priceline Pharmacy 

The Time Machine By H G Wells: I've always been drawn to Penguin Books, I think it's because the covers give nothing away about the actual content of the novel and every time I then pick one up it's like a little hidden surprise inside. When I stumbled upon this little novel it was on the bottom shelf next to some CD's and records of a small music/ bookstore located in Brisbane (South Bank). I picked it up one because it was the slimmest there (I seem to have commit issues at the moment with reading thick pieces of literature) and because after reading the blurb it sounded like the most odd and weird novel I've seen in a long time. I'll update you on instagram about how I'm finding it in the future, so remember to keep an eye out for that (instagram @rileyjxo).
 $10.00 at Title - Link HERE

Sunglasses: These cat eye styled sunglasses from Factorie are just what I've been looking for! I've been on the hunt for glasses with a classic and versatile shape that can be worn to many different occasions from the beaches to the city centre. They are definitely on trend with their 60's/ 70's retro shape. I was surprised how much I did like them since in the past glasses with a circular lens have made my face look overly angular and insect like. I feel very Audrey Hepburn sporting this little gem.
 $12.95 at Factorie 

I hope you enjoyed this little look into some purchases I made on my day out in Brisbane city. It's so great to be able to check out brands that I wouldn't normally be able to see because their stores aren't yet on the Sunshine Coast, but I guess thats what online shopping is for... 

. Stay Cool and Remember To Always Find Something To Smile About .

Saturday, April 11, 2015

> Girls Get Back to Nature





The rain this year put a stop to us going camping over the Easter weekend, so we decided to go camping the following weekend after the weather improved so much. I'm not a overly enthusiastic camper. I like a soft warm bed and all the warm comforts of home, however I don't mind being slightly uncomfortable and in return going on an fun trip. I am with that said no stranger to the outdoors with a few school camps out in the Australian bush up my sleeve. The best camping trip with school was by far in year 10 where we spent 2 weeks canoeing and hiking in the NSW bush with no showers or working toilets for most of the time. 

My parents and I aren't at that level of extreme camping yet so we headed off to Kenilworth Homestead about 2 hours away from where we live on the Sunshine Coast. The following is a collection of photographs and musings from my camping experience.



. Beauty . 
Make up is not needed, in my own opinion. The most I wore was a tinted moisturiser or BB cream to help keep my skin looking fresh. I think that the only beauty products you really need are face creams or a moisturiser, I also took my proactiv cleanser and other blemish control products because if I miss to many days not using proactiv my skin breaks out real bad! 
I also bought my Tinted Burt's Bee's Lip Balm in Red Dahlia because I can't stand my lips being chapped or cracked, in fact when I see other peoples lips that are chapped I feel like I need to recommend them a product.

. The Dress Code .
In the last couple of days it's gone from warm summer days to colder Autumn ones, so my wardrobe has mainly consisted of 
. Jeans . Loose T-shirts . Woolens . Old Calf & Ankle Boots . Jackets . Denim Shorts . Loose Long Cardigans . Floppy Hats . Beanies . Converse . Swimmers .
Wearing your older clothes is generally the best option, you might not look tumblr worthy but you then don't have to be frightened if anything gets ruined or comes back smelling like campfire smoke. 




. No Tech Please .
One of the biggest things that disappoints me about my generation is that we can't just disconnect from technology. I'm so guilty of this 10 times over, but at least i'm able to recognise it. One example I've used in the past it  that you're sitting at a bus stop waiting for the next bus to come, who pulls out their phone? *raises hand* You automatically put a barrier up between those around you in the physical world. It's like Gen Z has lost that chance to make awkward conversation with random people or space out and stare at their feet for 5 minutes because there is nothing else to do. It's not a waste of time or slowing in productivity, it's nice to watch the world go by. You can take my word for it.
So when camping I think you could live without your phone or at least your 4G for a few days.

. Stay Cool and Happy Beautiful Readers .