Online Shopping Aussie Style

Since arriving in Australia almost 18 months ago, I've really embraced online shopping. Perhaps it's my loyalty to the Dundrum Town Centre that keeps me out of the Westfield Malls, but I think it has more to do with not wanting to miss the glorious sunshine at the weekends, and the fact that there's only one evening of late night shopping a week in Sydney. I've been a fan of SaboSkirt since before I made the move to the other side of the world; but I've discovered a few more gems over the past year. Here are my picks for fantastic online shopping in Oz - with casual & night out outfits covered.

www.saboskirt.com

Bright colours, gorgeous prints, cute dresses & shorts, as well as nice tailored blazers, SaboSkirt is the perfect place to update your Summer wardrobe. They deliver internationally too.

www.shilla.com.au

Cool seperates in great fabrics, minimalistic shift dresses & a brilliant sale every few months, the majority of dresses in my wardrobe are from Shilla. I'll more than likely be wearing one out in Dublin town this weekend! They also ship internationally.

www.mintymeetsmunt.com

Minty Meets Munt is a like a combination of the above two online stores. I love their prints & simple shapes; with jackets & playsuits being their forté. My favourite shoes are also from MMM - their footwear selection is funky yet glam. They only ship within Australia at present.

www.zeitgeistsydney.com

Lovely seperates that can be combined as suits, and statement items such as jackets & smart trousers, Zeitgeist provides stand out wardrobe staples with a twist. Love their selection of skirts too. They deliver worldwide.

Of course, there will always be a huge place in my heart (and bank account) for ASOS, but I'm a big fan of unique, boutique buys, as I'm sure you will be too.

Enjoy the online shops, ladies!

Rachel x

Making my Room my Own

When moving to a new city, country, or even house, it can feel a bit lonely and strange for the first while. One of the things that I've focussed on doing since I've moved into a (wonderful) new house is picking up a few bits and pieces to make my room feel more cosy and more like my own. Some items were purchased from a market and some from different shops in Sydney. The best part is that none of them were above $25, and even a few simple additions such as some candles or a unique notebook can make you feel very much at home or make your room feel more like you. Take a look at some of the things I've put in my room recently and let me know if you'd like to find out where to get them (or something similar).

 

 

Rachel x

The Cup of Truth

I bought a few things in the coolest stationary/gift shop called Typo yesterday, and as I'd spent over $25, I got a free cup! So of course... I had to pick this one :)

Check out Typo's website to see the cute and funky items that they have: http://shop.cottonon.com/shop/typo/

Rachel x

YSL Got It In One...

Rachel xxx

Terrific Tokyo!

I'm just back from a conference in Kyoto, which was excellent. Japan is a beautiful country, we were lucky enough to visit both Kyoto & Tokyo, with Kyoto being brilliant for culture & sight seeing, and Tokyo amazing for shopping & just buzzing with activity. Every single woman in Japan was so stylish, whether we saw them on the subway, in Starbucks or just walking down the street, they had the most beautiful, trendy outfits, and gave me a lot of inspiration!

On our first day in Tokyo, we ventured down to Harajuku in the Shinjuku district (the entrance to one of the streets is shown above - so cool!). It was a shopaholics dream! So many shops with gorgeous things, my favourite was a tiny place called Culture Medium which stocked mostly dresses & tops that can be worn both for work & nights out. Some items were really cheap, others worked out at a little less than what you'd pay for them on the Irish High Street, but they were worth it; brilliant quality & super flattering shapes. Now if only I could find a stockist for them in Dublin!

Where's the most exotic place that you've bought clothes?

Rachel xxx

Clash of the Titans...

I've gone a little crazy for print clashing recently - I'm not brave enough to go for a whole outfit though, so at the moment it's just little touches like belts & accessories. I've attached some pictures of the most recent clashes, it's surprising what ends up going together when you try it all on! This summer it seems anything goes, long/short, bright/neutral, flats/sky scrapers... so there's plenty of opportunities to try something a bit different!

Hope everyone is enjoying the sporadic sunshine we've been having & that you're taking the opportunity to wear something fabulous in the beer garden when the sun comes out :)

Rachel xxx

Summer Conferences, an excuse for a Whole New Wardrobe?!

I recently attended a conference in the South of Italy, which is such a beautiful place & obviously has a warmer climate than dreary old Dublin! And I'm going to Japan soon, which is going to be significantly warmer than Ireland too. So this posed a bit of a wardrobe problem for me...all of my conference type clothes are wintery & dark, as I can get away with them all year round in Ireland. But for a warm climate, these heavy, lined trousers & long sleeve black/grey caridgans I have just won't cut it. So I decided to invest in some key pieces that will translate from conference to night out, and also to recycle some of the clothes I already have in my wardrobe, that I once would never have considered to be suitable to wear to work or work based events!

Zara have the most amazing work wear tops & skirts that can also be worn out at the weekend. Similarly, Topshop, ASOS and FCUK all have minimal pieces that aren't too revealing or eye catching, and so can double up as dressy/casual Sunday best, or office/meeting attire. Just change smart, skinny leg trousers for skinny jeans, or a blouse/shirt for a sheer loose vest, and you have a recycled work outfit that is suitable for many occasions! Rachel Bilson looks gorgeous in a white shirt & navy trousers that can be worn both at meetings, and also while shopping (right).

Now if only my feet didn't hurt so much, I'd so wear my 5 inch Aldo heels in the lab... ;)

Rachel xxx

Time To Say Goodbye...

Science is one of those areas in which you constantly learn, and also try to teach others about what you're doing & how to do it. This is one of the best parts of the job, as it keeps things fresh, it also keeps your mind active, plus it makes sure every day is different, and a challenge.

I've been so lucky to make some wonderful friends in the lab over the past few years - and recently I supervised a masters student, who turned out to be one of the sweetest girls I know! Not only is it great to meet someone in the lab that you can work with, but we also had so much in common when it came to fashion, hair & makeup, and of course the Kardashians!

Today is her last day & she brought me in this gorgeous surprise, I love it! I've never tried any Inglot makeup before, so I'm super excited to wear both the nail varnish & lipstick out tonight.

Thanks so much Zee! Xxx

Full Length & Fabulous!

So many beautiful full length dresses were adorning the stars this week, my favourites are Gisele's Oscar de la Renta, Rosie's Stella McCartney & Kate's Jenny Packham, all stunning! If only we all had red carpet events to go to, sigh...



Let me know which one is your favourite!

Rachel xxx

Write it all down...

When it comes to writing up your PhD thesis (or any other thesis for that matter) it can seem a very overwhelming & daunting task. "Where do I start", "how do I start" & "how do I put off actually starting" are common threads that enter your mind.

I have a simple piece of advice for all PhD students, write up your results as if you're writing a paper BEFORE you start writing your thesis (i.e. within the first 2-3 years of your PhD). Take a few hours every couple of weeks to put together your results, be they positive or negative, into the same format you would use for submission to a journal. Not only does this save time when it comes to putting your thesis together, it makes sense of your results, can help you to see where you need to go next experiment-wise, and is great practise for paper writing. I mentioned this to a few of the girls in the lab, who are currently about half way through their studentships & they looked at me like I'd told an offensive joke. "Why would we put ourselves through the torture of writing now, when we don't have to start for another year?" they asked. All I can draw from is my own experience; and I found the pages I had put together as a potential review invaluable for my introduction section. Not only was all of the information I needed right there (including the time consuming references) but it was in the correct format, suitable for a dissertation. I had also attempted to write a paper based on some of my results, this ended up turning into chapter 6 of my thesis. Of course more work was needed, I had to change a few things around & add more to it, but the bones of it were there, and I had a few nice paragraphs that I could literally copy & paste in.

Take it from me, writing up a research thesis is one of the toughest & most draining things you have to do in science, especially at the start of your career. Anything that makes it a little easier can only be a good thing! Let me know if you've had a similar experience when you were writing up or going through your PhD.

Rachel xxx

Balayage Hair Colouring

I had no idea what Balayage hair colouring was until a recent girls night out, where it seemed hard to explain exactly how they dye your hair, but much easier to name a celebrity & say "Oh yeah, I love her hair, I always wondered why it looks so nice!".

So in short, Balayage is a technique where colour is applied to the hair by hand and not using meche packets or foil. The highlights are strongest at the tip of the hair and are applied very lightly at the roots. It's most suitable for natural light brunette or dark blonde shades, which is great for us Irish ladies, as a lot of us naturally have this hair colour. It results in really natural highlights, with the beauty of less obvious regrowth & roots.

The Irish Independent recently did a short feature on Balayage online: http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/beauty/trendwatch-balayage-2627146.html

I've attached some pictures below of celebs with gorgeous Balayage type hair colour, definitely worth bringing to the hairdressers for inspiration!



Let me know what you think of this style, or if you've had it done before.

Rachel xxx

My New Favourite High Street Store...Zara!

The Spanish giant, Zara, had never really been on my fashion radar, until a few weeks ago. I'm not really sure why that is; I guess I was comfortable in the Topshop/River Island/ASOS bubble I'd become used to, but when I couldn't find anything nice to wear in any of those shops for weeks on end, I decided to try something different. And I'm so glad that I did!

Zara have the most amazing tops in at the minute, simple shapes in cool, soft fabrics, with block colours, stripes & just the right amount of ruffles to look sexy. Either long or short sleeved, each of these beauties can be worn with jeans, trousers or skirts, making them perfect for work wear, meeting the girls for a drink, or date nights. Plus, they're very reasonably priced; with the average cost of most things about €30. I've attached a selection from their website below.



Happy shopping girls!

Rachel xxx

Who Wears The Trousers?

Recently, I've had such a thing for trousers. I can't get enough of them, especially on nights out! They're stylish, versatile, comfortable, keep you warm, and are quite sexy yet also understated. Trousers can double up as work wear too, which eliminates some of the guilt from purchasing! There are plenty of versions on the high street in all colours & cuts; my favourite are silky/satin pairs with skinny or straight legs in neutral colours (greys, browns, nudes, black). Teamed with a tucked in loose sheer top & a classic blazer, this look will never get old! Abstract prints are huge at the minute, with palazzo pants also being a top trend, I prefer a sleeker finish but floral patterns & wide legs are perfect for the summer. I've attached a few of my favourites from the high street below (left to right: River Island, Topshop, ASOS). Happy shopping!

Rachel xxx

PhD...Plenty of Huge Decisions

You've reached the summit, surpassed your own expectations, the final hurdle has been cleared...and now what. It’s almost an anticlimax (and a huge relief) to be finished your PhD. Thesis is done & dusted, the ordeal that is your viva wasn’t as hellish as you’d imagined it would be, and the graduation ceremony was quite pleasant (apart from the silly hat). So, where to next? The obvious choice is to Post Doc. Yet in the current economic climate, where once there may have been 15 post doctoral positions, there are now perhaps 3. And as budding researchers, is bench work really our only option?

I finished my PhD about 6 months ago and since then I’ve been having quite a professional identity crisis. I love the lab, however, more frequently I’m finding myself frustrated with the limitations of my work. When experiments go right, there’s no better feeling. Chances are though; you’ll spend months on optimisation & heart breaking preliminary work, which can sometimes lead to no real results at all. Another drawback of the Post Doc route is the lack of stability or permanency; 2 or 3 year contracts don’t make the bank manager happy, nor do they put your mind at ease in terms of job security and making solid future plans. So I asked myself 2 questions; what do I really want to do for the rest of my life, and what are my options?

Surprisingly, there are many avenues that one can travel down after you’ve received your PhD. The most exciting and interesting to me were in the areas of management consultancy, science journalism, and even patent law. I confess that I did buy a book on this topic: Alternative Careers in Science by Cynthia Robbins-Roth. It has many helpful tips and over 20 different categories of jobs that are available to new PhD graduates. While I’m not ready to delve into industry just yet, nor to sever all of my academic ties, I’m tempted to use the skills I’ve acquired that don’t necessarily translate on the bench; communication, investigation & management.

Most of all, like everyone, I want job satisfaction, a career that's challenging, while also rewarding & provides stability. This may indeed be via the academic career track, but it's reassuring to know there are plenty of other options out there; in case I decide to hang up the pipette once & for all.

Rachel xxx

Oscars 2011

So the stars were out in force last night at the 83rd Academy awards. My favourite part of the ceremony by far is the red carpet, who's wearing what, who looks great, and who looks not so great. This year, the top 3 dressed ladies in my opinion were:

3. Cate Blanchett in Givenchy

2. Mila Kunis in Elie Saab Haute Couture

1. Michelle Williams in Chanel Haute Couture

Who were your favourites & disappointments?

Rachel xxx

eBay Bargains-What You Give Is What You Receive...

I've purchased several things from eBay over the past few years including phones, handbags, books - mostly functional stuff. I've never bought clothes as I prefer new items rather than used, plus trying to search through the thousands of items up for sale can be a little overwhelming! Recently my wardrobe has been fit to burst - I keep buying new clothes but there's no where to put them, as I'm quite reluctant to throw anything out. Usually most of my old/unwanted clothes will go to charity shops, unfortunately I've no younger sisters to donate them to. Then I saw a friends post on FaceBook, she'd decided to sell a few of her unwanted items online & I said I'd give it a go too!

It's not too expensive to list items on eBay, with insertion fees of usually around 25c per item. You can post 3 or 4 pictures which is handy, plus you can set a price that has to be paid for postage, on top of the cost of the item. It's a slow business though; I've listed 10 things over the past 2 weeks & only one has sold, a pair of Diesel jeans that I held onto in the hope that one day I'd fit into them...sadly my bum is never going to shrink to the required proportions ever again. I made a small profit & this weekend listing was free, so I posted a few purses & handbags that I no longer use. It's great to think someone else might enjoy them, instead of them sitting in the bottom of my wardrobe, plus the extra cash is handy these days!

If you've any tips or stories about eBay selling, let me know.

Rachel xxx

MAC Lipstick!

Makeup itself is a type of fashion these days. Also, the style of makeup you wear can perfectly compliment or emphasise the look you're going for.

My favourite lipsticks are by MAC, I have a lot of different shades but a strong lip is my particular favourite. I'm currently wearing Lustre in Lustering, but also wear Lustre Flashtronic, Lustre Syrup, Lustre Cockney, plus Frost Creme De La Femme is a great shade for nights out.

MAC lipsticks are quite expensive compared to other brands, by in my opinion they are well worth splashing out on. Plus if you bring 6 empty containers back to MAC, you get a free lipstick, which is a great deal!

Follow the link below to see all of the wonderful shades & finishes that are available:

http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/168/310/Lipstick/index.tmpl

Let me know your favourites,

Rachel xxx

My no shopping vow...can I do it?!

It's a new year & we have new tax rates. Which means everyone is pretty much broke. If I'm to continue seeing my friends & going out as much as I'd like to, while still paying all of my bills, then something has to change. I don't wanna live in overdraft land anymore!

So I've set myself a challenge...no shopping for 3 months. Whatsoever.

That means outfit recycling on every night out for the next while. Which actually shouldn't be a tough thing to do as I have plenty of dresses that I've only worn once. But...how will I resist temptation?! Will I have to avoid shopping centres altogether? Go out, but not bring my laser card with me? Become a hermit? Time will tell if I can make it, but with the hottest trends of this season being florals, 70's, bold colour blocking, blue & tan...hopefully there's enough in my wardrobe to carry me through.

So, can I challenge you to a no shopping resolution? Are you woman enough? ;)

Rachel xxx

Stella McCartney Blazer

Blazers are perfect cover ups for any time of year, smart, sexy & sophisticated, they can dress up an outfit or play down a party dress. The most amazing designer blazers have to be Stella McCartney's, they're impeccably tailored & cut, plus the colours are fabulous; nudes, whites, blacks & greys. Every stylish celeb has one, see the photos below.

As Stella McCartney is out of my price range, I've had my eye on a nice blazer that looks similar on the high street. And this weekend I was in luck, I snapped up this fabulous jacket from H&M.

http://shop.hm.com/gb/shoppingwindow?dept=DAM_YTT_KAV&shoptype=S

Designer style on a high street budget, now that's my kind of shopping!

Rachel xxx

When Experiments Fail...And Keep On Failing

We've all been there. You've followed the protocol to a T, you've made sure you've bought all the reagents from the exact same suppliers, you've tried it at different temperatures, for different time periods, even gotten other students/lab staff to look over what you're doing coz you're fearful that you're losing your mind. Troublesome experiments are easily the worst part of working in a lab. It's unbelieveably frustrating when it just will not go right, especially when you know you're doing everything in your power to ensure that it does!

The best advice I can give is try to keep your head up, we've ALL been there, some of us more than others, but there's no one who has done a PhD or who's working in a lab now that will tell you it's plain sailing, and if they do it's a big fat fib. If possible, talk to your peers or supervisors as much as you can, having support of others is essential, helpful tips and even an ear to moan in can make all the difference sometimes. Read lots of papers or try to get information on protocols online. Try not to get overwhelmed or stuck doing the same thing over and over, it's great to have side projects to turn to when things aren't working. Take a break from it completely for a few days, don't think about it, look at it or research it at all, sometimes a fresh look at things can make a big difference. And if all else fails, just go shopping instead! ;)

Share your tips on surviving the bad times in labs here; any advice for us scientists when we're struggling to make things work will be much appreciated!

Rachel xxx