On the 22nd of December 2013, Gideon and I will celebrate our 1st year married. Where did the year go? Sometimes I think back on how stressful last year was juggling work, university and planning a wedding/honeymoon/life after wedding, and I seriously don't know how I came out alive.

On a happier note, to celebrate this wonderful occasion, Gideon and I will be travelling somewhere... but we don't know where yet. We're leaning towards Hawaii and I hope we can achieve this! To supplement, I thought I'd do a 'Firsts' blog post, detailing memories of our first year married. Gideon is helping too! He doesn't get to touch my blog but I guess i'll let him contribute too, seeing as though he's part of this marriage as well. So enjoy a collection of our most precious moments and some photos through our relationship too. Watch us age! haha.

First Meeting

Clarissa: I remember seeing Gideon at Young Single Adult firesides (church gatherings for 18-30 year olds on Sunday evenings) at Villawood chapel. He was always surrounded by girls and even though I didn't know him, it really annoyed me that everyone was flocking to this tall and skinny boy from Newcastle. I didn't like the way he dressed, or his black hair (he dyed it, eeeeek), and I didn't like how girls seemed to lose their minds when he would talk. Seriously. Anyways, one night, whilst surrounded by girls, Gideon was detailing that his hair was so thick and strong because of the black hair dye. To his dismay I replied with, "it's not the hair dye that's making your hair LOOK thick, it's the fact that the hair colour transferred to your scalp". So mean, but I had to knock this boy off of his high horse somehow, even if I sounded like a mega bitch, haha.

Gideon:I think Clarissa made the story a little more colourful than it really was. I don't remember ever being surrounded by girls. But yes, I did dye my hair in an attempt to  to cover my thinning hair. 

I remember the first time I saw Clarissa was when she was hosting a YSA film festival, she walked on stage full of attitude and I thought she was the coolest/hottest girl I'd ever seen, and I remember thinking to myself "I'm going to marry that girl."

First Date

Clarissa: This was also a very awkward encounter with Gideon. I had never dated a member of the Church before so I wasn't really too date savvy and I was super awkward. I didn't talk much and everything I did say was pretty much negative. We had planned to go on a double date with some friends because I wasn't really allowed to single date boys yet, even though I was 18. I only agreed because it was a double date and a long time friend was part of the other couple. We went to Bondi beach and played some 'getting to know you' games, and of course, Gideon and I won. We used to talk on the phone and text a lot and I guess we really knew each other, but I hadn't really accepted it yet. He tried to put his arm around me and I stealthily avoided all contact. Then on the way home we sang Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap together and it was really fun. We hugged goodnight and that was that.

Gideon: This was awkward indeed. I'd actually asked Clarissa out four times previously, and each time she'd said no. We are the prefect example that persistence pays off. So when she actually DID decide to go on a date I decided not to make any fast moves. 

She found ways to dodge my hand and arm. So I'd have to be more assertive next time. 

First Kiss

Clarissa: Our first kiss was memorable. We were at YSA convention in Brisbane and we were pretty much inseparable. I still thought he was too skinny for my liking but he smelt so good, which was a big factor of attractiveness in my books. On the first night of convention there was a New Years dance where we all partied in 2010. I met Gideon in the big room and we hung out and danced all night. When it was nearly 12:00, Gideon lured me up to some seats, I knew where he was going with this. He was so smooth in asking me for some Chapstick and I happily obliged. At around 11:55 he asked me to be his 'girl' and I said sure! We waited until 11:59 and counted down the New Year. At 12:00 we kissed and it felt as though time stopped. It was the best kiss I have ever received.  

Gideon: See! Didn't I say I would be more assertive? So the New Years day I planned to 'confront' Clarissa and find out if I really had a chance with her or not. So I asked her if she would be my girl just before midnight. We kissed right on the turn of the New Year which was magical, although Clarissa sometimes tells me it was pretty average. I'm pretty sure she's just teasing me. 

First 'I Love You'

Clarissa: A little bit into our relationship we had some turbulent times and we did break up. Going through this heart ache was really hard because Gideon was so cool and he was easily my best friend. We would laugh, joke and converse about anything and everything. Being with him was so easy, unless it was those times that it was just so hard. There were many instances where our relationship was tested, even in marriage there are times, but it's how you recover from them that really defines the relationship and I think that is why I fell in love with him. We were sitting in his car during a rainstorm, talking with the occasional kiss. We looked into each other's eyes and I knew I had to tell him right there and then. And so I did. I told him I loved him and he looked as though he had just won the lottery. He replied quickly after saying that he had been in love with me the moment he met me. It was a very lovely moment, filled with happiness with the background noise of the pitter patter of rain. We still have car dates in the rain. They're our favourite.

Gideon:I was very ready to be the first to say 'I Love You.' But I was trying to find the right time. I didn't want to scare her away by jumping straight to the "L" word! 

But she beat me to it, and I couldn't get the smile off my face :D to this day it's one of my happiest memories.

First Valentine's Day

Clarissa: Gideon is such a generous man and he always knows how to spoil me, no matter the occasion, even when there is no occasion, he spoils me. On our first Valentine's Day he went above and beyond. He bought me a box of long stemmed roses and filled the box with Lindt chocolates. Each Lindt represented a day of our relationship. Safe to say we ate those chocolates extremely fast, haha.

Gideon: What can I say? I'm pretty smooth. 

Clarissa is really sweet too! I wasn't expecting anything in return, but she actually went all out and bought me a shirt and a tie that I still wear now. I thought valentines day was just about giving the girl flowers.

The Proposal

Clarissa: I had been pestering Gideon about the proposal for about 3 months, wondering when it would be our turn. All of our friends were getting engaged, even friends whose meeting, relationship, engagement and marriage spanned the length of our relationship! I was feeling a little left out. When I came to the realisation that it probably wasn't going to happen any time soon, Gideon took me out on a Friday night to the Guylian Cafe in The Rocks for some dessert. After that we drove to my favourite look out in North Sydney, where you can see the entire view of the harbour. He told me to go take a photo and I noticed he was being sneaky. I shook it off until I turned around and there he was on on knee presenting me with cupcakes saying, 'Will You Marry Me' and a Tiffany box. My dream come true! After about 15 mins of asking if Gideon was serious, I said Yes! and we hugged and kissed and it was perfect.

Gideon: This took a lot of preparation. But the cupcake icing matched the tiffany ring box perfectly. I still can't believe she didn't see the proposal coming. When she turned around at the lookout and saw me on my knee, she nearly cried and kept asking 'are you serious?' About 6 times. So I re-iterated 'yes, will you marry me?' And she said yes. The ring was a perfect fit and everything went as planned :)

The Wedding

Clarissa: We had been looking forward to our wedding day for 18 months and even though we planned everything to the T, a lot of things happened to make it less than perfect, but we ignore those parts and only focus on the happy moments of the day. I married Gideon in the Sydney Australia Temple on the 22nd of December 2012 at 11am. When I was opposite him at the alter I couldn't believe that it was really our time. We had worked and fought so long to be there, overcoming obstacles and growing in love more and more each day. I'm not going to lie, I did nearly faint but I composed myself, haha. When we said 'Yes' to accepting each other for time and all eternity in front of our entire families, I felt nothing but joy. Secretly I wished that it was only us two in that room because I don't like crowds and I hate showing affection in front of people, especially family. We kissed, well Gideon pulled me in for a kiss, and we thanked our family for witnessing this moment in our lives. After we got changed, I got to meet Gideon for the first time as my husband and it was the best part of the day. I was in my white dress and he was in his suit and we couldn't believe it. It was amazing and a moment I will cherish in my heart forever. After the stress of the entire wedding day, and all the negative things that has happened, we were exhausted. We ate the best food at The Tea Room at our reception and danced the night away. After a change, we skipped to the Hilton and fell straight to sleep. Our flight for Korea was leaving at 6 in the morning to the most awesome honeymoon ever! Our wedding day wasn't the happiest day of my life, but I had the best moment of my entire life when I walked out and met my husband, waiting for me.

Gideon: I'll never forget our wedding. Clarissa looked like an Angel in her wedding dress and I am so grateful we were sealed in the temple for time and all eternity. 

3 long years of waiting was definitely worth it. Since I first met her I wanted to marry Clarissa and we will be together forever. 

First Year Of Marriage

Clarissa: To say this year has been hard is an understatement. A lot of negative things have happened to us, and we're been in some pretty dark places, but the one thing that brings us back out into the light is our constant optimism toward the future. We've been able to go on weekly dates and go out to dinner, concerts and different events almost monthly & I think that's what has kept this year lively. I'm so glad we have been able to come out of the darkness and fall in love over and over again. I've loved this year, more than i've hated it, & i'm so happy that i had my wonderful and handsome husband by my side. 

Gideon: The first year of marriage has been both fun and tough. We promised to make marriage fun and not to listen to anyone's opinions. So many people had told us how marriage makes life boring, and takes away romance. But Clarissa and I promised each other to make it interesting. So in this first year we've made sure we have a date night each week, we've been to about 4 concerts with one more left at the Opera House in December. We've been on a Valentines Day holiday to the blue mountains and done many more fun things. Unfortunately the apartment we were renting had a leak so we had to leave our first married home quite early. 

We've had stress with uni and trying to get into our dream jobs, but aside from all the ups and downs the best part is that no matter how hard a day is I get to come home to my best friend. 

I loved writing this and reliving these memories that I cherish in my heart. I'm sure Gideon would feel the same way!

Here's to our first year, and an eternity more to come!

-C & G.

✎ ⚛ ☮ Make-Up Haul! ☮ ⚛ ✎

Heeeeey, so I've been shopping.

I have a good husband who fuels my love of spending money on make-up by sending me on my way with his debit card. Thank you Gideon.

1. Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara:

I made a blog post about this AMAZING mascara aaaand the link to purchase a set of 3 here

2. Lorac Pro Palette: Ok, this is my go-to eyeshadow palette. It has a whole row of matte and a whole row of shimmery shades to make ANY look possible. I bought it from Tarazz but they don't stock it anymore :(

3. Make Up Blender Sponges: packet of 4 for approx. $5 eBay ink here

4. Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer: This concealer is the most pigmented thing i've ever bought. Designed to cover up tattoos, this concealer give you 100% coverage using a little pea sized application. eBay link here

5. Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer: I've heard that this concealer is great but I wasn't too happy with it. The coverage is medium and the black ink on the label rubbed off after a day. Lame.

6. Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation: I actually bought this from Priceline today and I'm thinking of reviewing it. It's really lovely and lightweight. Definitely worth a try.

So that's my make-up haul for the month of September and the start of October. I've been incorporating most of these in my daily make-up routine and i've been loving the change.

What have you bought lately & what have you loved?

Bye.

Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumising Mascara || Review time!

I know I haven't done a make-up related post in a while but you can blame uni for that. Seriously, this last semester has been a shocker!

Anyways, Gideon was nice enough to let me buy some make-up on eBay because I did a HUGE clean out of my collection and threw out a whole bunch of really old make-up aaaand he thought I could use some new stuff.

Still on its way is a Collection 2000 concealer which I heard was one of the best concealers out there, Hard Candy concealer aaaaaand... more Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumising Mascara.

Based off of that, I can tell you it is amazing.

Oh also... I bought 3 more tubes to get me through tough times.

Yepp. It's good.

Photo time:

No Mascara

Jordana Mascara

Safe to say this mascara is amazing. It volumizes and lengthens aaaaaand is overall the best for the little price tag.

I would compare this to Imitable Intense Mascara by Chanel which retails (in Australia) for $50 whereas the Jordana mascara (with shipping) cost me $13 which is pretttttttty good considering everything make-up related in Australia is overpriced and that's what I have to compare the price to.

You can buy it in a 3 pack for even better value HERE!

So definitely try it out if you can/want to.

Ok bye.

-C.

Weekend Budget Haul | Make Up ❀ ❁ ❃ ✼

As stated in a previous blog post, Gideon and I have been tight on money due to us trying to save for a house.

Because of this my lavish make up buying ways have come to a halt. This weekend, however, I was able to stretch my dollar further by hitting up the sales and bagging myself some AWESOME make up bargains. Who doesn't love sale time?

1. Revlon Nearly Naked foundation: I've heard some awesome things about this foundation and I really wanted to give it a go but $25 dollars for a foundation seemed a little bit much for our budget right now. Feeling down, I thought I had no hope until I checked my mail box and I had a $9 Priceline voucher through their Sister Club rewards program. I was able to grab this awesome foundation for $16 which pleased both Gideon and I immensely.

2. Maybelline Super Stay 24hr Waterproof Powder: I am a big fan of Maybelline and I think my first make up purchase was an eyeshadow quad by them. I saw this product and I had to have it but again, $20 for a powder was stretching it. Whilst Gideon and I were in Big W looking for some stuff I took a gander down the make up section and to my delight this product was reduced down to $14. Happy Clarissa.

3. Covergirl Outlast Stay Brilliant nail polishes in Black Diamond (325) and Mint Mojito (285): I wrote a blogpost about my love for these nail polishes a while back and explained the fantastic deal of 2 for $7 at Coles. Well, I think that deal has just been replaced with the bargain price of these nail polishes! I picked them up at Big W for $2.40 each. Seriously. The best.

4. Ulta3 Nail Colours in Corsican Rose and Lilac Bloom. Ok, I know the green minty colour is similar to the Covergirl Mint Mojito I bought but I just really love these colours for winter and even for when spring and summer come around too. I think these polishes took the cake at the biggest bargain for this weekend at 70c per bottle. I love Ulta3 polishes too with their thick formula and opaque colours which makes your nails look amazing. I can't wait to paint my nails!

I challenge everyone to look around and tell me about all the make up bargains you find! What has your favourite purchase been so far?

Let me know.

-C.

July Favourites | clarissaxplainsitall

As July is coming to a close (where has the year gone?!) I thought I'd do a July favourites because I've never done one of these posts before.

Nothing beats classic SNL to adequately describe your

feelings. 

Below is a collection of everything I have loved this month and have been reaching for more frequently.

1. Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara: I can't get enough of this product. If you're looking for a mascara that gives you length and volume then you've come to the right place. This is more of a ~high end~ product so it will make a hole in your wallet, but if you want to spoil yourself on a mascara that could replace all of the other 123249822 mascaras in your collection, then give it a go.

Price: Retails at $38 on the Myer website.

2. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream: This has replaced my foundations this month. I bought both the medium shade to contour and the fair shade to highlight and I haven't looked back. This lightweight product stays true to its word by leaving your skin feeling lightweight and flawless with its oil-free formula. It's also available for those who battle with a more oily complexion.

Price: Retails at $15.95 on the Priceline website.

3. Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Base/Flawless, Core Collection Brushes: I believe in having quality make-up brushes above all else in your make-up collection, and this month I've loved using these brushes to apply my make up. They're give you absolute control and they clean easily.

Price: Retails at $17.99 on the iHerb website.

4. Sea Spray by Lush: I'm a pretty low maintenance kind of girl when it comes to my hair. I cut my hair really short once and I vowed never, ever to do it again because of how much maintenance went into keeping it looking cute. For my long hair, I love to just wash it, let it hair dray and spray a couple of pumps of Sea Spray by Lush to make it look like i've put hours of effort into it. It leaves it looking like I have just been to Bondi beach when really I haven't left my room.

Price: Retails at $12.50 on the Lush website.

5. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: Ok, you're crazy if you haven't heard of Urban Decay's Naked palettes. They're pretty much the bee's knees. I've been reaching for Naked 2 this month because the colours allow you to create any smokey or neutral eye look with its highly pigmented shades.

Price: Naked (the original palette) Retails at $59.60 on beautybay.com
Note: Naked 2 is currently out of stock.

6. Clinique 3-Step System: I was fortunate enough to score a 10-day trial of the 3-step system from my local Clinique counter and I think I'm going to buy the full sized system once I get some money. My skin feels refreshed and lovely after following the steps. Definitely worth the extra 3 minutes of my skin care routine.

Price: Retails at $29.00 for the introductory kit from the Clinique website.

Let me know what your July favourites are. I want to know!

-C.

Mini Essence Haul | Make Up ♡

Money has been getting a little tight these days, so my shopping addiction is going into it's withdrawal phase.

I experience these feelings when I can't

buy something I really want.

I literally go online window shopping to take the edge off. You know, fill the cart but never make it through the payment phase of the checkout? Yepp. 

But all is not lost because on Tuesday I finally got to go shopping when I was wondering around Canberra alone while Gideon was in an important interview. What else is a girl to do when her husband gives her his credit card? Seriously. 

I wandered around Canberra Centre which is like... the biggest shopping centre I have ever been do. It went on for days! I visited nearly every store (I liked) and picked out some stuff while I still had time to kill. I even watched a movie alone, which I've never done before. I watched The Heat. It was O K.

I bought some new stuff from the Essence line that recently came out at Priceline and at Target called "50's Girl Reloaded". I LOVE Essence. Their products are of such a high quality and they're so affordable. I couldn't say no to some new stuff from their new line as well as some old favourites which I've been eyeing off for a while.

I bought:

1. I Love Punk Jumbo Eyeliner- I love eyeliner so I always try to go for ones that I've never tried before. I like this product but it wont give you that natural eyeliner look. Use this for a more dramatic and bold winged eye-liner look on your eyes. I used this as a preliminary guide to create my perfect bold eyeliner look.

2. Match2Cover Cream Concealer- I'm so pleased with this product as you can mix the two shades to achieve your natural skin colour to cover up those not so lovely blemishes on your face. I like to layer this product to cover up my dark circles under my eyes.

3.Translucent Loose Powder- I haven't bought translucent powder since I started using a powder foundation to set my liquid foundation, but I'm so pleased with this because it makes my make-up look flawless without it looking cake-y.

4. 02 I'm Sailing Lipstick- An awesome creamy, coral colour. I wear it over my Benetint lipstain to give a salmon-y lip colour, which I love. The consistency of this is like a creamy lipstick, which does need to be touched up throughout the day. The colour is opaque depending on how much you want to smack on your lips. I prefer a subtle application. 

Overall I'm so pleased with the products I picked up and it all totaled to about $18, which is a bargain for quality products. Check out their new line, you wont be disappointed. 

-C.

Magnum Pleasure Store; Best date ever! | Married Life

My husband is good at taking me out on dates. He's pretty cool with his little ideas and things to make it extra special.

But this isn't about him because this date was MY idea. And it was AWESOME.

If you're unfamiliar with Magnum Ice Creams by Streets, you're seriously missing out. My favourite is the Magnum Ego which consists of layers of chocolate and flowing caramel. YUM. My mouth is watering.

So, on Saturday I told Gideon about this magnificent thing I had seen on Facebook. And we both instantly agreed that it would be our date for Sunday (We usually have date night on a Friday evening but this week I had a MASSIVE 3 day migrane and refused to be anywhere other than under my bed sheets in complete darkness).

The magnificent thing I saw was The Streets Pleasure Store located in Westfield Sydney. The idea is to pretty much design your very own unique and customised Magnum ice cream and then naming your creation.

Top: 'The Homer' ft. milk chocolate coating, chocolate flakes, crushed biscuit and honeycomb.

Bottom: 'Untitled' by Gideon ft. milk chocolate coating, coconut flakes, sea salt and crushed biscuit.

The process involved us picking the chocolate to coat our ice cream, choosing 3 toppings from an array of new and interesting flavours, drizzling the ice cream with some more chocolate and then placing a little Magnum 'M' disk to seal it. Awesome.

Gideon was having a relationship

with his ice cream, haha.

I called mine 'The Homer" and I can't remember what Gideon called his :(

Gideon was sick of waiting in line. He just wanted

his ice cream, poor baby.

If you're in Sydney city I would 10000000 % recommend this experience! It was the best ice cream i've ever had. Even better than the ego.

Cost: $7 each.
Preparation: about 10 minutes.
Waiting time: We waited about an hour, zzzz.
Flavour rating: SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO delicious.

-C.

L'Oréal Paris Préférence Wild Ombrés Brush-On Dip Dye | My Results.

The ombré trend has been around for a while now and I've been rocking the look since early last year. It's pretty much a signature look of mine.

I love it.

Saying this, continuously re-dying my hair at the hairdresser was actually becoming quite an expensive hobby, so I looked for some alternative methods to recreate the salon quality look.

I used the one in the middle.

I found L'Oréal Paris Préférence Wild Ombrés on EBay from a seller in the UK and I couldn't say no! It was only $14 after the currency exchange and it was exactly what I was looking for.

After using the amazing brush and the formula in the packet I was able to achieve a flawless ombré look at home. It was awesome.

I re-purchased it recently since it has been launched in Australia (finally) and I thought I'd post my results using it for a second time.

The ends of my hair have remained healthy with my deep conditioning regime even though I re-dyed my hair recently. Even my hairdresser commented on my flawless ombré and even suggested I should become a colourist for their salon.

Please keep in mind I prefer a more intense ombré look, and I kept the product on my hair for about 30-40 minutes. I love the results even though it might not be your cup of tea.

I would recommend this product to anyone who doesn't want to commit themselves to the expensive price tag of a salon ombré styling but who also want those salon results.

-C.

11 Questions Tag | clarissaxplainsitall ☆

I LOVE questionnaires. I don't know why, though.

I guess I just love answering questions and also hearing or reading people's responses.

Feel free to tag yourself in this tag and let me know if and when you answer them :)

The rules are simple and as follows:

Rule 1: Post the rules.

Rule 2: Answer the questions the tagger asked you, then make 11 new ones.

Rule 3: Tag the fellow bloggers you wish.

Rule 4: Let them know you've tagged them.

1. Milk, dark or white chocolate?

Milk chocolate is my favourite. 

2. Imagine you won the lottery. First thing that comes to mind, what would you do with it?

Share it with my family, then buy a house.

3. What was the first makeup product you applied on yourself?

Probably a lipsmacker lipgloss. I was OBSESSED.

4. Fave tv series?

Fresh prince! Or 16 & Pregnant, haha. 

5. 5 makeup items you'd pack for a summer holiday?

Boi-ing concealer, waterproof lash blast mascara, bronzer, waterproof eyeliner and lipbalm.

6. Pink or purple?

Purple. 

7. Most used nail polish from your collection?

A Tiffany Blue colour by Rimmel or just basic black.

8. iPhone or Android? Why?

iPhone because I'm an Apple fan girl.

9. Favourite online shopping store?

Anything with a sale and valid coupon codes, haha.

10. Favourite take away food?

Probably nuggets from maccas or nachos from madmex.

11. What do you look for in a beauty blog?

Variety and humour. I like blogs with personality.

Questions I want to ask:

1. If you had to choose one make up product for the rest of your life, what would it be?
2. Lipgloss or lipstick?
3. What is your all time dream career?
4. What do you want to name your future children?
5. Who are your favourite beauty gurus on YouTube or in the blog world?
6. What beauty rule do you preach but never practice?
7. What is your weakness?
8. Do you like chocolate?
9. Where do you buy your make up from predominately?
10. What is your favourite trend this season?
11. What is the one beauty related skill you wish you had?

I tag:

Carla from Listless-Existence 

And anybody else reading!

-C.

Outfit of the Day | TOPSHOP Anorak.

Topshop Anorak | here

I've been searching for the perfect anorak for what seems like years (it was really about 3 weeks) but still, I spent a great deal of time searching and searching and I finally found it! My perfect anorak. 

Gideon and I went for a little trip to the city to visit topshop to buy this beautiful piece of clothing. I love it and I think it's going to be one of those 'wear it to death' articles of clothing much like my Doc Martens or my Longchamp bag too. 

It's the perfect staple jacket for the winter and it suits any outfit with its versatile colour and gold hardware. The elbow pads are super cute too.

I paired this jacket with a dress I found in Big W, stockings from Myer, Longchamp Le Pliage Shoulder Tote, black Doc Martens and Rayban wayfarers. 

I took some photos of Gideon too. 

-C.