August 31, 2014

#7daysoflipstick

August 31, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Putting my lips to good use for a great cause

This week I'll be taking part in the #7daysoflipstick challenge as part of Look Good... Feel Better's Dream Week Campaign. Look Good... Feel Better supports and educates Australian women in the midst of cancer treatment. These intense treatments while beneficial, rob women of their hair (a crown jewel/security blanket for many, believe me) and torture their skin's health. Even on the darkest days, it might help a handful of women to experience some sense of normalcy by painting in their pout, fake glow-y skin, sport a new 'do or tie on a colourful silk scarf.

If you're an Instagram addict like yours truly, be sure to follow @bagfulofnotions (hey, that's me!). I'll be wearing a different colour lipstick every day this week, which just so happen to be chosen by my good sport of a husband, Scott. And if you're not into wearing lipstick, there are plenty of other ways to show your support.

Here's another wickedly, awesome bit..

During Dream Week $1 from every lipstick or lip gloss sold at David Jones and Myer stores nationwide will be donated to Look Good...Feel Better.

Look Good... Feel Better is a beacon of hope for thousands of women.

Pucker your pretty pout in solidarity and be sure to tag your posts with #7daysoflipstick during the week of 31 August - 6 September, 2014.

September is also Liptember, an initiative which raises awareness for women's mental health. Another 21 days filled with lipstick can't be so bad, amiright?

Mwah! 💄💋💋💋💋💋💋💋

July 03, 2014

Travelling abroad: Preparing for the unexpected

July 03, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Scott and I are both planners, but sometimes we overlook packing some of the smallest, yet vital necessities.

In Italy the mosquitoes turned Scott's legs into Swiss cheese, the insect repellent we borrowed on the eleventh hour was in reality hours too late. One visit to a hospital and several vials of blood drawn determined poor Scott had an infection from all the bites. If only we had packed a bottle of bug spray – did I mention we didn't have screens on the windows (minor detail)?

Before leaving for Singapore I remembered to pack my razor and never thought to grab my shaving cream. Ten Singaporean dollars later I was good to go, but the expensive, albeit unnecessary, purchase still stings.

Sun blisters, you can get those (I did). Unfortunately, I applied my sunscreen with a light hand on our first day in Kauai – my pasty winter skin was well and truly shocked and went into overdrive. A bottle of aloe from the Hyatt's sundry shop, a tube of hydrocortisone cream and a day spent indoors helped calm things down.

So, where am I going with this? You can't plan for the unexpected, especially when new surroundings can sometimes be unkind to us and even put a damper on our adventures. For these "oh, crap I forgot the thing-a-ma-bob" moments or times when you don't feel like packing your whole entire bathroom, pick up travel size toiletries – perhaps, even, purchase a couple of products that’ll push you out of your comfort zone.

Here are the places I hit up to get most of my travel essentials:

Sephora – I always buy brands I’ve never tried before
Priceline in Australia or Target in the US – for the basics (shampoo, lotion, wipes, etc.)
MiniBarCo – It’s the sort of site you’ll hit back up for seconds and thirds and they’re currently having a month-long sale. Simply enter EOFY14 when you’re ready to checkout!

Bonus: leftover products often make their way into my gym bag, which oftentimes bring back memories from the amazing places I’ve visited.

Good things really do come in small packages and TSA will never be compelled to snatch them away from you!

Where do you go for your must-have travel essentials?

Got any travel oh nos?

March 16, 2014

The outtakes

March 16, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Recently, I've had a few people compliment my photography skills via Bagful and Instagram and even ask about the equipment I use to capture the images used on this very blog. About two years ago Scott purchased a Canon EOS 650D a.k.a. the Rebel T4i (with a flip out screen), a very trust macro lens, as well as the EF-S 18-135mm lens.

A year later we acquired a remote so I could easily take my own photos instead of having Scott remain behind the lens. Then in June I bought a Canon Speedlite to enhance the image quality with better lighting. Now you get to really see me, warts and all.

Sometimes, I must admit, it gets pretty boring vogueing for the camera. My eyes also get pretty tired from squinting at the screen from reviewing what I shot -- yeah, I wear glasses, but you didn't know that until now. To help pass the time I'll throw in a funny face; more often than not I'll forget what I'd done and will find myself laughing at, well, myself amidst the editing process.

Here are some outtakes. I hope they bring a smile to your face.