90's Vibes

It's been a long time since I last posted an outfit on the blog, hasn't it? I've really been all over the place lately (which you may know if you've seen my Life Update video over on my YouTube channel *hint hint*). From a huge pipe burst/flooding in my old place, moving house, packing & unpacking, going back to uni, a lack of motivation, and some personal stuff too - it's been overwhelming to say the least.

However, there's good news! Things have settled down and while I've got quite a busy schedule ahead of me, it's more organised than 'all over the place', which means I can set aside time to work on these side projects. Those of you who have been around for a while might have noticed my blog has had a bit of an overhaul - I purchased a new, more sleek & professional looking blog template that I'm absolutely loving, along with a few other updates. I hit 1,000 subscribers over on my YouTube channel back in December as well which was a milestone I'd been hoping to reach for a while! I'm planning to upload 1-2 times a week over there and 1-2 time a fortnight here on the blog - so make sure you're subscribed and following me because there's a lot of content coming your way!

Anyway, on to the outfit!

Outfit Details:

Scrunchie - Supre

Choker - Bardot

Off Shoulder Crop - Melrose Avenue

Mom Jeans - ASOS (farleigh)

Boots - Famous Footwear

Let's be honest, was I really going to make a comeback outfit post that wasn't black and denim? No, no I was not. I love this outfit, it's super cute yet simple and casual which is what I'm all about. I really love that trends from the 90's (and 80's and 70's) are in again which is evident in this outfit. An off the shoulder crop, a tie up choker, scrunchies (!!! my childhood obsession !!!) and a pair of light wash mom jeans from ASOS (seriously, these are the best mom jeans I've found), albeit a slim fitting pair because I just find them much more flattering. Keeping with the 90's vibes I've gone for one of my newer favourite lipsticks, MAC's Whirl, which is the ultimate 90's rosy brown lipstick that despite my initial reservations, actually looks amazing on paler skin.

Let me know what you've been up to lately, and if you're loving the popularity of 90's inspired fashion right now as much as I am!

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

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

New Hair at Trendz Studio Brisbane

Back in August, I was the unfortunate victim of a hair disaster after giving a new, too-affordable hairdresser in the city permission to colour my hair. While the condition of my hair wasn't affected much, I was left with a super dark, ashy brown hair colour with choppy ashy-to-grey blonde highlights throughout the top. Needless to say, it was a huge knock to my confidence and I found myself desperately searching for a good hairdresser that could fix the mess.

I discovered Trendz Studio, a salon well-known for their blonde and balayage with studios in Cleveland (Brisbane's Southern Suburbs) and the Gold Coast. I went to the Cleveland studio as it was the closest to me of the two. If you're thinking of booking with them, be warned - you need to book in advance, or be able to drop in at a day's notice (or even the same day) as they are so popular that they are often booked out for several weeks in advance and the only way to nab an earlier appointment is by taking over a cancellation. It's totally worth it though! Personally, I booked around mid to late September for my appointment on the 26th of October, which was one of the earliest available.

I arrived with a few pictures of my ultimate goal colour in hand, knowing I'd probably need to come back for a second appointment to reach the exact colour I want (and knowing me and my indecisive-ness, I'll probably keep wanting to change something anyway). The girl doing my hair was lovely and we discussed what I was wanting and what we were going to do, I felt pretty confident with everything by the time we started on my hair.

The appointment took approximately three and a half hours, and I've gotta say I was pretty darn pleased with the end result! I went from drab and dull ashy brown, to a gorgeous neutral-toned brown to blonde balayage! I really didn't think my hair would lighten so much in one go, and it was so healthy afterwards (possibly more so than before - and likely thanks to the Olaplex treatment they used). It only cost me $320 including a root colour to diffuse the previous choppy highlights, which was cheaper than some of the mainstream and popular options around Brisbane which was great!

I did end up going back a week later to have a warmer toner run through my hair to resemble the tones I had wanted, as my hair had a few too many ashy tones the first time around. The toner was complimentary, and gave me the warmth I needed!

I'm really happy with my new hair, just in time for my upcoming trip to London and Europe, and then summer back home straight afterwards!

Check out Trendz Studio's amazing Instagram feed here!

What do you think of my new hair? Have you had any big hair changes lately, or any salon horror stories you'd like to share? Let me know with a comment below!

x Chontelle