September Favourites 2018

September 24, 2018September 24, 201811 Comments

September has been a bit of an odd month if I’m honest. After a mostly positive August, my mood slipped again around the middle of the month and I reached a very low point. It’s a reminder that I still have bad days and to be gentle with myself. The feelings became magnified again because it would have been the two year anniversaries for everything for my ex and I: talking to each other, meeting each other, kissing for the first time and I am an incredibly sentimental person. I keep going and try to move on because I hope one day it won’t hurt anymore.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. MAC – Hug Me – I received Hug Me for free as part of MAC’s National Lipstick Day and it is such a beautiful shade. I will admit I hadn’t heard of it before, maybe because it’s not a hyped up shade that’s often talked about. MAC describe Hug Me as a warm pink with pearl finish but on me the colour has hints of brown as well. Hug Me is a lustre finish which is one of my favourites from MAC, it’s very comfortable to wear and lasts on my lips just as well as other formulas to be honest. A fellow blogging friend, Katie bought the lipstick after seeing me wear it and it’s stunning on her too!

2. xoBeauty Tulip Powder Brush – Before I bought this brush I only had one big, fluffy brush – the Real Techniques Blush Brush – and I tend to use that for bronzer. I really wanted to invest in another one that I can use to sweep blush and highlighter over my cheeks when I want a glowy look or set my face with powder, basically a great multitasking brush that has more than one function. The bristles on this brush are so soft and the tapered end helps to disperse a light wash of product. I love this to apply Soft & Gentle by MAC all over the face or even using it just to apply Soft & Gentle to the tops of my cheeks.

3. Sophie Hannah – The Mystery of Three Quarters – I finished this book in two days and I always think you can tell how much you enjoy a book by how quickly you read it. This is the third ‘new’ Hercule Poirot mystery from Sophie Hannah and she captures the character wonderfully and in a way Agatha Christie would be proud of. I really really hope Sophie Hannah writes more of these!

4. Miss Selfridge Check Scarf – I picked up this scarf on a whim when I placed an ASOS order at the beginning of the month. I ended up sending the item I originally wanted back and keeping the scarf. The scarf is black and bright pink and it is so beautifully warm and soft. My other scarves are neutral, plain colours and this one really pops against black clothing. This scarf is quite long so it can be tied in numerous ways or even worn as a wrap/shawl. It’s good scarf weather in New Zealand at the moment with spring upon us.

5. Goodreads – After almost completing my challenge to read 50 books in a year and sharing blog posts of what I finished, I still wanted to document and keep track of what I read. I’ve heard Goodreads talked about in the blogging community and decided to jump on board and join up. It’s relatively easy to use and I like the organisational component and sorting books into categories/shelves. You can also include the dates you start and finish each book and the website gives you stats about your reading habits. If you have a Goodreads account and want to be friends, add me: https://www.goodreads.com/chanellehayley

September’s Spotify Playlist:

What were your favourite things in September?

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Redhead Rambles #33

September 14, 2018September 16, 20189 Comments

Hello everyone and welcome to ‘Redhead Rambles’. The series does what it says on the tin, it is a redhead (me) rambling about her week. I share what I’ve been up to each week, how I’ve been feeling and what I’ve been listening to or watching. Occasionally I will my share favourite blog posts and links I’ve found useful or interesting.

If you know how much I love the number 3 you’ll understand how satisfying it is that this is ramble #33!
Last Friday I got called into work. It was so windy outside and sitting at the traffic lights on the way in I could see them shaking in the wind.
I saw Sophie Hannah’s new Poirot mystery on the New Release shelf at work and issued it instantly. I finished it over the weekend and absolutely loved it! I’m hoping for more!
After work on Friday mum and I went to the mall and I found a brand new book for only $3.00! It’s called Match Me If You Can by Michele Gorman and it sounds like it will be a good laugh with a hint of romance.
I applied for Annual Leave at work during the last week of October which is the same week Harry and Meghan are in New Zealand. They will even be visiting my city which is pretty cool!
On Monday evening I placed a MECCA Beauty order which arrived less than 48 hours later on Wednesday afternoon. I created a makeup look with the three makeup items on Thursday and absolutely loved it. A blog post will be up sharing which products I used next Monday but I shared an image on Instagram if you want to see in advance how the look turned out. Spoiler: I love the products and I’m super happy with how they looked on my skin!
On Tuesday my ASOS order arrived and sadly the dress was a disappointment. It was big around the shoulders as mine are quite narrow but the elasticated waist didn’t fall in the right place on me and it wasn’t flattering. I posted the dress back on Thursday. The scarf is amazing though! The colour and pattern are really pretty and I’ve worn it already!
For most of this week I’ve had a sad feeling and I think it’s mostly hormone related but I’ve felt really uneasy. I’ve been missing my ex again as around this time two years ago we met for the first time and everything was new and exciting and I remember being so happy at that point in my life. I don’t know if this is TMI but the idea of physical touching, kissing and hugging makes me feel sick and like it’s dirty/wrong to think of that now. Maybe it’s because I’m associating it with the person who hurt me but I don’t want it to be a hurdle in the future. Let me know if you’d like a post exploring that a bit further, I think it could be interesting and honest, personal stories and experiences are what I do well on this blog. It could even turn into a Hey, It’s Okay…
Alongside the uneasy feelings and sadness there have been moments of anger and confusion relating to online dating this week too. I’ve never slammed dating apps in the past as that’s how I met my first boyfriend (so it can work) but this time round I have had a different experience. I didn’t expect it would be the same as before and I was going to get a boyfriend quickly and we’d meet and hit it off and that would be it. I can barely have a conversation, let alone get to the point of actually meeting up with somebody. I’m not afraid to ask what kind of thing they’re looking for or ask questions to try and get to know the person better but 90% of them only seem to want one thing, unmatch me or just stop responding. I see it as an indication that they aren’t worth getting to know but in today’s digital, online world it can be frustrating. Everything is done behind a screen and they would rather message on Facebook than meet for a bite to eat or see a movie. I’m a bit more traditional and prefer to get to know someone in person. I feel like I could write a whole post on this subject too so again, let me know if you’d like one.

What I’ve been listening to:

Silk City and Dua Lipa – Electricity – Dua Lipa is like Ellie Goulding 2.0 for me. Nearly every song she makes I love, her tone is distinctive and she’s British! Dua teams up with Silk City and Mark Ronson for this catchy house offering.

How was your week?

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Redhead Rambles #32

September 7, 2018September 6, 201820 Comments

The weather last Friday was absolutely stunning!
I tidied my room, rearranged my desk and got rid of some clutter.
Saturday marked the first day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere and I created a simple, pretty makeup look which I shared on Instagram.
On Saturday afternoon mum and I went into town. I had a craving for Burger King and then we looked in a couple of shops. I bought a pair of pyjama pants, a shirt and some earrings.
After being in town I went for a drive in a new spot that enables me to go straight for a decent amount of time and there’s also a couple of roundabouts which is good to start getting used to those. I drove my car and I didn’t panic this time.
I was very tired on Saturday night and Sunday night. (Not sure why).
My nail split at work on Monday and I had to pull a chunk of it off. Luckily it wasn’t too far down and didn’t hurt.
Mum cut my fringe and it always takes a week or so after it’s cut before I like how it looks again.
On Monday evening I ordered two things from ASOS – this dress and this scarf. I saw the dress in one of Fleur De Force’s recent videos and I commented on a photo of her wearing it on Instagram saying how pretty it looked. The scarf was a bit of an impulse buy but I really like the red-pink colour of it. A couple of my other scarves are dark so the colour will pop against black clothing. Coincidentally both items are from Miss Selfridge which is a brand I have never purchased from before.
On Tuesday I texted a school friend for her birthday and we both agreed to catch up soon.
I entered Rachael’s 500K Views Giveaway. Rachael is one of my favourite bloggers, not only is she beautiful and creates stunning makeup looks, she is a machine at finishing up products and is one of the hardest working bloggers.
On Wednesday I felt like sparkle so I wore Fuchsia Fusion by NYX from their Cosmic Metals range on my lips. I’m still adamant this is the prettiest lip colour I’ve ever seen!
I sang along to some of my favourite Delta Goodrem tracks and caught up with YouTube videos on Wednesday evening.
Thursday I spent chilling, and most of the day consisted of reading. I finished an eBook and started my next novel.
I joined Goodreads. My challenge to read 50 books in a year ended last Friday (I managed 45 books btw) and I want to try recording what I read on the site so myself and others can see what I enjoy or what I don’t finish. It’ll take a bit of learning to get used to how the site works but it’s an easy way to track things.
Thursday’s dinner was Chicken Kiev with boiled potatoes. I don’t have Chicken Kiev very often but I do enjoy garlic and felt like one when I saw them in the supermarket a couple of days earlier.