Pout About It! in 'Pretty Please' by Sportsgirl | Review

For a long time I've been strictly a gloss & balm kinda girl, always feeling that any kind of lipstick was just 'too much' for me. Well, recently I've had a change of heart. I've been really getting into lipstick lately, especially pink and nude colours.

Enter this Pout About It! lipstick in 'Pretty Please' pink from Sportsgirl. I found this recently while having a bit of a wander around Sportsgirl - I love the clothes, but the prices at this store are a bit out of my reach. However, when I spotted this lipstick I just knew I had to have it, and at $9.95, it was definitely worth it!

I'm a sucker for anything pink, and this soft, dusky pink is exactly what I like to use on my lips. The lipstick is quite smooth and hydrating on the lips, however after about 4 or 5 hours it drys a little and starts sticking to dry skin, so it'll need a bit of re-applying throughout the day. It's not too bright that it looks tacky, and it's not too dark that it makes my face look even more washed out than it already is. I do think that if you've got a more tan/olive complexion or darker that this may be a bit too light for you and wash you out a bit, but it's perfect for the pale faces!

This isn't the very best lipstick I've used, but it most certainly isn't the worst! It's definitely a nice everyday lipstick for a simple look, and at only $9.95, it's better than I expected! 

Have you tried this lipstick - or any other - in the Pout About It! range? Let me know below!

xx Chontelle Louise

OOTD: Grunge Chic

My Outfit:

Denim jacket - Alcott (Italy)

Shoulderless crop - ICE

Plaid skort - ICE

Black leather style boots - Famous Footwear

Depending on how long you've been reading my blog, or how far back in my post history you've been, you may have already seen a couple of these photos in my post on My Photoshoot with Christopher Robert Photography. 

Well here's a few more! I actually hand picked this outfit for the shoot because I really love how it looks - casual, fun, with a bit of a rocker chic edge to it. I guess you could even say it borders on grunge, possibly!

I bought the jacket last October when I was in Rome for only €30, or $45AUD. I'd been wanting to get myself a denim jacket to add to my staple closet items for a long time, but when I want something so much I can be really picky - nothing back home was right for me! When I saw this in the shop window on the walk back to the hotel I just knew I'd found what I was looking for!

The shoulderless crop and plaid skort are from ICE, I tried them on together and fell in love with the pair. They're both really comfy and at only $15 each (pretty sure the skort was reduced, mind me you) definitely value for money. I've really been loving plaid lately, I have a sort of on-again off-again love affair with the print!

The boots I've had for about 2 years already, and they're beginning to look a bit worn but they're so comfy and I just adore them! They can bring some attitude to the simplest or girliest of looks, or add to the grunge rocker look as they've done with this look!

So yeah, that's my OOTD. I actually wore it today but didn't get any pictures, and then I remembered these and - problem solved!

What do you think of my outfit - what's your favourite piece?

xx Chontelle Louise

Nails of the Day: Easter Edition!

I picked up this cute nail colour today for only a dollar in the sale bin at Target. I really love the soft, creamy light green colour of this polish, it really reminds me of all the bright colours of Easter so I figured my finding this polish was perfect timing! I almost hesitated at the check out, thinking 'I won't really be wearing this much for a while now that it's Autumn'. But at only $1 I figured it was totally worth it for the weekend, and it would look cute with some softer colours over winter if I feel like brightening things up for the day!

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from a dollar nail polish, usually they're clumpy or overly watery. Well, this one is the complete opposite! The Ulta 3 Kiwi Chaos nail polish was a whole lot better than I expected! There wasn't a clump in site, but still quite a thick and smooth texture to it. I found that it was still a bit too transparent for my liking with only one coat, so I added a second, which gave it a thick block colour that I adore!

Tomorrow is Good Friday, meaning the official start of the Easter long weekend (meaning the official start of having a valid excuse to eat lots of chocolate)! I'm gonna be spending the day at home, eating chocolate and other yummy Easter treats - what else?!

What are your plans for the Easter long weekend? And what do you think of my choice for Easter nails? Leave a comment below, I love hearing from you all!

Have a very Happy Easter! <3

xx Chontelle Louise

5 Tips for Looking Good on a Budget

Growing up, I've never had much money. However, I've always had an interest in fashion, make up & accessories (along with many other bank-draining activities). This is quite clearly a conflicting matter, but being the stubborn, hard-headed girl that I am, I was never going to let the issue of 'not having enough money' bring me down.

I learnt (over time) how to be able to indulge my love for shopping and all things pretty without breaking the bank, and still manage to look great (well, I hope so anyway)!

Here are my five helpful tips for looking good on a budget!

1. You don't need to buy all of the latest trends! The latest trends come and go, and if you're spending all your cash on a passing fad, you're gonna run out of money - fast.

2. Have a wardrobe of basic pieces that you can wear with just about anything! I have basic pieces from several years ago that I still wear to this day. A black cardigan, for example, can be added to just about any outfit. A simple white crop can be dressed down with some jeans or shorts, or dressed up with a colourful bodycon skirt.

3. Buy things when they go on sale! Things go on sale a lot more often than you may think. I recently found a gorgeous scarf in Cotton On for $20, new in for the Fall season. Despite absolutely loving it, I decided to pass on it as I only had the $20 and still needed to pick up some other things. Well, whaddaya' know? This scarf was now only $10. That's a 50% reduction on new stock, two days after seeing it full price. This wasn't an advertised sale either, but trust me, stores randomly mark down their products a heck of a lot more than they're willing to share! And the leftover $10 meant I was able to grab some lip gloss to go with my new scarf!

4. Get creative with your old clothes! Do you have a bunch of now out-of-fashion items? Have you lost or gained some weight? Do you have old clothes that are ready to go into retirement? Why not pull out your scissors and get creative! An old pair of jeans, for example, could be turned into a pair of shorts and a purse with a bit of D.I.Y! You'll still be making good use of your old clothing, and have something totally one of a kind to show off!

5. Shop around! If you see something you absolutely love, then by all means you should be able to get it! But before purchasing it (love at first sight, aye?), it's always a good idea to check out other stores to see if they have the same thing at a better price, or of a higher quality. You should always try to get your moneys worth!

I hope my tips for looking good on a budget were helpful to you! If you have any of your own tips you'd like to add, let me know in the comments below!

xx Chontelle Louise

My Photoshoot With Christopher Robert Photography

A couple of weeks ago Chris and I met up in the city to shoot together. I had seen (and loved) Chris' photography on Instagram and contacted him about setting up a time to shoot. The plan was to spend some time shooting in the city before heading back to the studio, where the fun would begin.

Well, the city aspect of our shoot didn't last too long as somebody (read: me) is a bit of a wimp and not too good at dealing with the cold and windy weather. I was literally freezing, and getting a runny nose... not the best look (even post-editing)!

So we made our way over to the studio (me, thankful to be out of the cold/wind). From there, I began to relax a bit more and Chris started to work his photo-magic and take some great shots of yours truly. These are some of my favourites from the shoot, however there were over 500 really great unedited photos in total, which made picking the few that made the final cut was incredibly difficult. 

I had an awesome time shooting with Chris, so if there's anyone in the Melbourne area interested in shooting with him, or if you just like looking at seriously great photos, you can check his work out at Christopher Robert Photography!

xx Chontelle Louise