Optically Prescription Lens Sunglasses | Review

Hey guys! Today I've got a special product that I want to talk to you guys about, and as you'll have already figured out from the title, it's these prescription lens sunglasses* from Optically Glasses Australia! I'll be honest, maybe I've been living under a rock, but until I checked out Optically, I had no idea that you could get prescription sunglasses! I was definitely glad to discover you could though, and for such a great price as well - the pair I selected retails for just $47! Of course, the glasses can be purchased as is, but for the glasses-wearers of the world like myself, the prescription lens option is a lifesaver!

The pair I went with were the Opium OP1409 C02 Glasses*, which have both a black frame and blackened lenses - perfect for my monochromatic aesthetic! On picking these up out of their case for the first time, it's obvious that they are really nice quality. These glasses are also so comfortable to wear - I love that they don't give me a headache from long-wear either, unlike many others - and they frame my face perfectly - I almost went with one of the more 'on-trend' rounder shaped pairs of sunglasses, but since my face is quite oblong-oval shaped I find sharper shapes and smaller frames flatter me best (but if you prefer the round glasses you'll be spoiled for choice with Optically, they have an awesome selection of womens glasses to choose from).

For those of you with a bit more money to spend or a taste for 'luxury', you can also pick up some lovely designer glasses from Optically. There's a wide selection of glasses in different styles, colours, and price ranges making it easy to find your perfect pair!

If you don't need prescription lenses then you can go ahead and purchase your glasses and they'll reach you pretty quickly, but of course if you need prescription lenses like me then there will be a short wait between ordering and having the glasses ready and sent out to you. In saying that, I received mine in just 10 days - by comparison, when I usually get new glasses after a visit to the optometrist, I'm looking at 2-3 weeks, so this was a happy surprise!

Honestly guys, if you're looking for some new sunglassess or eyeglasses, I'd highly recommend checking Optically out for some of the best value glasses online!

x Chontelle

The Blush Edit

Let's be real - who doesn't love a good blusher? Even if you don't wear blush on the daily, I'm sure you can appreciate the beauty of a good blush, and if you do wear it on the daily like myself, well, you'll probably like this post!

I'll start by pointing out that I have quite a small blush collection - though it's also my largest collection of face products! While there's a heck of a lot more that I'd like to try out, for now, I'm truly happy with my little collection - I love and use all of them - and thought it was a good time to put together this 'blush edit' to share my blush collection and why I love them with you.

If that sounds like something you're interested in, read on!

NARS x Sarah Moon 'Isadora'

NARS blushes hold cult status in the beauty community as some of the most gorgeous, highly pigmented, buttery and cheekily-named blushes on the market. While I've never tried the fan favourite Orgasm (yet, anyway), I definitely wanted to see what all the hype was about, so when this gorgeous shimmery mauve-toned blush was released as part of the NARS x Sarah Moon 2016 holiday collection, I snapped it up. Isadora is totally different to all of the other pinky-nude blushes in my collection, which I love. The product itself definitely lives up to the hype, being as buttery and highly-pigmented as reported - seriously, I looked like a clown the first time I used it (even after tapping off excess)! It only needs the lightest tap and you're good to go! This colour really compliments cool skin tones and as the weather cools down I've found myself using it more and more often! A good NARS alternative from the permanent collection could be Sin - more of a berry colour but just as deep and cool-tone oriented.

Tarte 'Exposed'

I adore this blush. As usual for an everyday blush with me, it's a pinky-nude. I have a type, what can I say? What I really love about this blush is that it's practically fool-proof. Because of the texture of the product (Amazonian Clay) it's quite hard, which means unlike a more buttery powder, you're not going to have to worry about going 'too hard' and picking up too much product. It's easy to build up to the intensity you like, and the product lasts forever!

Rimmel '004 Pink Rose'

I'm 99% certain this was actually my very first blush, and it brings back a whole lotta memories thinking about it. I wore this throughout most, if not all of my high school days! It's the perfect pinky-nude blush, which was great for wearing to school as it helped me achieve that 'no makeup' makeup look. This blush is also super affordable at about $12 full price (however I always wait for sales when buying drugstore products), making it easily accessible for beginners, people on a budget, or anyone who simply likes to have nice and affordable products in their collection.

Nude By Nature 'Virgin Blush'

Another one of my earlier discoveries, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this blush. The shade is gorgeous - a perfect nude for fair skin like mine, and it's highly pigmented and long lasting. However, it's a loose powder, and because of that I rarely use it. I find it's just way too messy and it's hard not to apply too much product. If you're a fan of loose powders you'll love this one, but even if you're not, it's still a lovely perfect nude to have handy in your collection.

Sleek 'Rose Gold'

This blush is said to be the perfect drugstore dupe for the cult favourite NARS Orgasm blush, and at least in the pan they do look pretty much identical. However, I've yet to try Orgasm myself so I can't say anything with certainty. What I do know for sure is that this is such a lovely, shimmery, peachy-pink blush and gives a lovely, healthy flush of colour to my otherwise lifeless complexion. At only $12 (on sale, that is), it's totally worth it!

Tarte 'Exposed', NARS 'Isadora', Nude by Nature 'Virgin', Sleek 'Rose Gold', Rimmel '004 Pink Rose'.

So there we have it - my Blush Edit! I hope you found this post interesting and useful - let me know if you have any of these blushes and what you think of them, or if you have any recommendations of blushes I should check out then I'd love to hear those too!

x Chontelle

SurfStitch Summer Swimwear

With the intense heat of the warmer season here in QLD, I'd been on the lookout for some new swimwear so that I could hit the water and cool down in style. I'd looked at a few local swimwear stores but nothing was quite right, and didn't know of many online stores that I felt I could trust. 

That is, until I was contacted by SurfStitch. I recognised the name, though I still don't know exactly where or how I'd heard of them, just that I had. The SurfStitch team was really friendly and gave me the chance to pick out some cute swimmers and experience their online service and delivery for myself. 

            

I ordered the Rusty Cruise ribbed bikini top and bottom*, which were conveniently on sale at the time and came to a total of $43 along with $5.95 for shipping. I wasn't sure what to expect with shipping times, having experience everything from next day delivery to waiting over a month for a Topshop order once upon a time. Needless to say, when the package was dropped off three days later, I was pleasantly surprised.

The whole process, from searching the website and selecting your favourite items to add to your shopping cart, to checking out and paying and finally receiving your delivery was super straight-forward and easy. I've had some bad luck online shopping in the past which often leaves me cautious of using new online retailers but SurfStitch left me comfortable and confident in my experience. The company is based in Australia, which is big plus for supporting local business, and also guarantees speedy delivery and easy returns.

If you're looking for surf or swimwear, or beachside accessories, then I'd recommend checking out SurfStitch!

x Chontelle

Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike | Book Review

I've decided I'm going to try something new this year by introducing book reviews here on my blog! I love to read, and I've made reading a new book every month one of my goals/resolutions for 2017 so I thought, why not take this opportunity to create a mini blog series reviewing each of the books I read so that you can decided whether or not you'd like to check them out too?

To kick things off, I've got YA novel Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike. This is book one in a series of three sci-fi novels, and follows the story of Tavia Michaels - the sole survivor of a plane crash that begins seeing visions of people she's never met and discovers abilities and a past life that she never knew she had.

The story begins with the plane crash, before fast forwarding to the present where she is hiding from the media and living with relatives she never really knew. The story takes a while to pick up, but if you push through the chapters you'll find an action-packed sci-fi adventure, a blossoming romance, and a love triangle like no other that'll keep you turning to the next page.

I picked up this book for two reasons - the first being that it was written by Aprilynne Pike, who is also the author of the super successful Wings series, which I am a huge fan of; and the second being that the blurb sounded pretty darn interesting.

While I certainly enjoyed this book overall, I've gotta be honest and say that it did take quite a while for the story to pick up - I feel like I was at least a third of the way into the book before things began to make sense and a story appeared. However, from that point onwards it was an interesting, eventful, action-packed story that really drew me in.

One little qualm I had with the book was a bit of misused grammar or sentence structure, such as 'I didn't used to' which, let's be honest, isn't appropriate in a published novel. Other than that, it was well written.

In the end, it was an enjoyable read, and I'm really excited to see what happens next for Tavia - in fact, I dropped by my local bookshop the other day to order in a copy of the sequel, Earthquake.

Have you read Earthbound? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this book, or the series in general!

x Chontelle

2017 Goals & Resolutions

2016 was a big year for me. I moved back to Brisbane from Melbourne, I officially started a degree majoring in Public Relations and Media & Communication, I began decluttering and reinvented my personal style to feel more like myself,  I got much better at doing my makeup (thanks to YouTube, of course!), I scored a PR internship which I loved, I saved up for and went on a holiday over to London, Belgium and Amsterdam, I met some amazing YouTube friends, and I gained a renewed motivation to work hard at blogging and YouTube. 

Last year brought with it many ups and downs, but in the end, I can honestly say it was a year of change that has set me on the path to success in 2017, and beyond. 

You'll probably know by now that I'm a massive list person. I love a good 'to-do' list and the feeling of satisfaction that comes with crossing something off of a list is seriously addictive. So of course, the opportunity that comes with the new year to create a list of things I want to achieve was too tempting to resist. This year, I've chosen some goals and resolutions I feel I can realistically achieve (at least to some degree) in twelve months - here's hoping I can make them happen!

1. Read at least 12 new books this year. 

Ever since I can remember, right through to around year 10 in high school, I would read literally all the time. However, when my senior years of high school got too much with an increased workload and serious stress and personal issues on top of that, reading went on the back-burner. It's still there, and this year I want to change that, starting with a small but manageable goal of one new book every month!

2. Visit a new country - possibly somewhere in Asia or India.

Visiting a new country is always on my to-do list, but surprisingly - other than a few hours stopover in Singapore's International Airport - I've never been anywhere in Asia! Living in Australia, Asia - particularly South-East Asia - is one of the more accessible travel destinations, as is India. I think it's time I explore a place a little closer to home while I'm still living here!

3. Post new content at least once a week.

My motivation has been renewed, and I want to start taking my channel and my blog more seriously this year. A minimum of one new piece of content each week is something manageable and consistent that I'd like to stick to. And if I happen to have additional content, well, the more the merrier, right!?

4. Learn to sing well. 

I love music, and I love to sing along to my favourite songs, but my singing abilities are sub-par at best. I'd love to do a mixture of online at-home lessons, along with maybe some actual lessons, just to improve and learn more about pitch and breathing and all that so that by the end of the year I'll have discovered my voice and actually sound okay when I sing.

5. Write a book.

Or more specifically, begin writing a book and stick to it. Something you mightn't know about me is that I've always wanted to be an author - I remember putting together mini books and magazines made out of folded paper and staples, and slipping them into our class book cupboard for people to read (and getting in a lot of trouble for it, oops)! I've started so many stories, some as short stories and some that could definitely give birth to a novel, and this year I'd really like to work on one that who knows, may actually get published one day!

6. Gain more PR/media/communications experience.

A bit broad, I know, but that's because I've got a bunch of sub-sections within this one. I really want to get another PR or social media related internship this year, I'd like to collaborate with more brands and potentially even get some freelance writing work, and there's a radio station that I'd love to volunteer at as well!

7. Get fitter & healthier.

Of course, it had to fit in here somewhere, didn't it? You'll find something about fitness and health on everyone's list of goals and resolutions for the new year, but most people (myself included) tend to let this one go pretty early. I think this has a lot to do with making the resolution too strict and too exact, which is why I've gone with simply 'getting fitter & healthier'. I'd like to get out and exercise more, at least once or twice a week. I'd like to eat more proper cooked or prepared meals as opposed to take-away, crackers and dip, microwave porridge and all that, and add more variety to my diet.

8. Learn to speak a new language.

This is one I often have on my new year resolutions lists, but I never stick to it past around April. This year, I want to beat that record! I've already self-taught myself some basic French and would love to either expand on that, or learn some basic Italian (or both) as I love both of those languages! I'd also finally like to learn some Afrikaans to understand my family better when they speak/write in it, but it's just not as alluring to me as the Latin languages are - so we'll see!

What are your goals and resolutions for 2017? Leave me a comment down below letting me know, or if you've made a blog post or video about them yourself - let me know about that too! 

Happy New Year!

x Chontelle

NARS x Sarah Moon 'Isadora' Blush Review

If you haven't witnessed the insane hype around NARS products - in particular, their blushers along with the famous 'Laguna Bronzer' - then hello, welcome to the world of beauty blogging, it's nice to meet you!

NARS blushers are frequently referred to as some of the best blushers on the market, but at the hefty price of $44 per a single blush (and they're not huge or anything, either!), it's taken me quite some time to actually splurge on one of these cult classics. What finally convinced me was a combination of having leftover spending money from my trip to Europe at hand, and this particular blush shade being limited edition as part of the NARS x Sarah Moon Holiday Collection.

Isadora is a medium, warm and rosy plum shade with a frosted finish. This is honestly such a gorgeous shade, and perfect for mid-autumn right through winter. It's extremely pigmented - I honestly think this is going to last me for years because you really only need the smallest amount to cover both cheeks. Unfortunately, I learnt that the hard way the first time I tested it out - I'm sure you can imagine some hilarious images of me with a strong, dark pink splotch on my left cheek. *cringe*

I'd definitely suggest being very light-handed with this one, and tapping off the excess. While it's taken some getting used to, I do appreciate the insane pigmentation of this blush.

Once it's on your cheeks, it stays there. This blush lasts all day with little-to-no fading, which I'm certainly pleased about. The colour is super gorgeous, and the interesting mixture of plum colouring (which usually leans cool) with a warm undertone to it is lovely for those of you who, like me, seem to bounce between skin tones.

What do you think of NARS blushers - love them, or hate them? Did you pick up anything from the NARS x Sarah Moon Collection?

Have a lovely day!

x Chontelle

Panic! at the Disco 'Death of a Bachelor' Tour, London 2016 | Concert Review

Panic! at the Disco is one of my all-time favourite bands. I'll admit, in high school I had the biggest crush on Brendon Urie - didn't we all, though? His voice is incredible, he had that perfect 'emo' look that was all the rage, his music sparked emotion and rebellion and was just so good.

Surprisingly though, I'd never been to a Panic! concert before - so when the opportunity presented itself to change that, I jumped at it. I was visiting my Aunt in London at the time, and had planned to meet up with some people I knew through YouTube. As it turned out, they were going to meet up at the concert and encouraged me to find a spare ticket being sold at face value (that's a massive thing in London apparently - no doubt I'd be paying double the retail price or more for a ticket back here in Australia) and meet up with them their. So, I did. Thirty pounds later (so cheap!) and I was off to Alexandra Palace - catching a tube from Covent Garden in peak hour to get there. 

L-R; Me, Lucia, Jon, Marisa, Kyle, Charli, Smay's friend*sorry*, Smay, Trudy.

After picking up my ticket, joining the world's longest queue (literally that thing took forever) and a short wait outside the food hall, I met up with the group and in we went. We got some food during the opening act and then made our way in about 15 minutes before Panic! came out - we obviously weren't front and centre, but it seems like something we all had in common is not wanting to be trapped in the mosh pit (I guess we're all getting too old for that)!

Oh. My. Gosh.

Panic! at the Disco live was amazing. 

Incredible. 

Seriously perfection.

Brendon's voice is flawless, and every song sounded just as good as (if not better than) the studio version. That guy can sing. The set list consisted of a mix of songs from their newest album such as 'Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time', 'Emperor's New Clothes' and 'Death of a Bachelor', to timeless classics like 'Nine in the Afternoon', 'Miss Jackson', and of course 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies', all coming together in the explosive finale performance of 'Victorious'!

I seriously could not fault a thing about the performance. Brendon was full of energy - even doing multiple backflips and fun dance moves throughout while still hitting every note with perfect precision (and showing off a bit with just how high his voice could go). I, along with everyone else at the concert by the looks of it, especially enjoyed their performance of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which is honestly my favourite cover of the song in existence.

In all, it was an incredible night, an incredible performance, and I can promise you that if you get the chance to see Panic! on tour (they'll be in Australia pretty soon too, FYI!) then you should definitely go - you won't be disappointed!

I also vlogged a decent chunk of footage from the night, so if you're interested in seeing that then definitely watch this video (skip to 04:08 for the Panic! footage)!

Have you seen Panic! at the Disco live? What did you think? Let me know!

x Chontelle