Shaaanxo The Remix Palette

Shannon Harris more commonly known as Shaaanxo is one of New Zealand’s biggest YouTube stars. Shannon also has her own makeup line called xoBeauty and in June I placed an order. I had been eyeing up The Remix Palette as I wanted to incorporate more colour into my eyeshadow looks. Shannon and BH Cosmetics teamed up to bring together nine earth toned mattes and shimmers as well as nine new neutrals and pops of colour.

I don’t own many eyeshadow palettes and the reason is all the different shades confuse me and I don’t have time for 10 different neutral palettes. If there’s an eyeshadow palette I like and use regularly I don’t feel the need to own dozens of palettes. Many eye looks go with my lip colours so I’d rather stick to tried and tested combinations and switch up my lip colour every day.

I have been using this palette almost non-stop for a month now and my first impressions haven’t changed. The texture of the shadows and the pigmentation on the eyes is lovely. The palette didn’t swatch well (I’m putting that down to the palette being new at the time) but the shadows apply well with brushes and fingers on the eyes. Personally, I feel this palette has it all, a mix of mattes and shimmers, neutrals and colour. The shadows blend like a dream, they last throughout the day without creasing and I don’t experience fallout. The double sided palette is good for someone like me who doesn’t like to feel overwhelmed and both sides work in conjunction with each other. This palette suits a range of people from beginners through to avid makeup collectors.

In short, I love this palette and I see this quickly becoming one of my favourites! I was lucky enough to received a palette signed by Shannon in my order which is even more special. The palette is currently SOLD OUT on xoBeauty. I am not sure if it will be restocked.

About the palette:

• Vegan
• Cruelty free
• Gluten free
• Dermatologist tested
• 18 colours – nine on each side
• Mirror on each side

Shades:

‘The Original’:

Row 1

Clarity – matte ivory

Holy Grail – champagne shimmer

Glow Baby – rose gold shimmer

Row 2

Buttercup – warm, matte yellow

Beach Babe – bronze shimmer

Terracotta – matte red-brown

Row 3

Toasted – taupe shimmer

Avocado – duochrome shimmer with flecks of blue-green and brown

Silhouette – charcoal matte

‘The Remix’:

Row 1

Island Glow – light golden shimmer

Need U – medium brown perfect for the crease

Dark Horse – cool toned matte brown

Row 2

Dream Girl – duochrome peach-pink

Stalker – matte maroon

Vampette – matte purple-brown

Row 3

Bestie – matte muted pink

Lover – matte lilac

Baby Girl – matte hot pink

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Eye Looks

Look 1: Moody Grunge

I applied Clarity as a base shade before running Terracotta through the crease. Using a flat eyeshadow brush (also from xoBeauty) I patted the darker duochrome shade, Avocado, all over the lid.

Look 2: Love Is Pink

Again using Clarity as a base shade, I then ran Baby Girl through the socket and crease and buffed out any harsh edges. Using my ring finger I patted Glow Baby over the lid.

Look 3: Ruby Sparkle

Clarity was applied first as a base. Stalker was blended through the crease and the first layer of Holy Grail was patted onto the eyelids. I added a smidge of Glow Baby over the top before going in with a second layer of Holy Grail to brighten things up. Vampette was the final step to deepen the crease and take away some of the redness of Stalker.

Look 4: Gilded

Surprise, Clarity is the base shade once again! Buttercup was blended into the crease before a light application of Island Glow was smattered over the lid.

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As you can gather I’m usually a three or four shadow girl – I don’t like complicated looks that take 20 minutes to blend out. I have experimented with all of the shadows in this palette but I picked my favourite looks to show you. Ironically they all feature a base shade, a matte crease shade and shimmer on the main part of the eyelid. The four looks were applied without primer, I wanted to test the longevity of the shadows on their own. Let me know your favourite look from the ones I created!

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I hope you enjoyed this review, I don’t often review products in depth on the blog but I loved writing this post and sharing my new favourite palette with you!

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Sunshine Blogger Award

Hi everyone! Last month the lovely Pamela over at Starring Pamela tagged me to do the Sunshine Blogger Award. Thinking back briefly over my four years of blogging, I don’t think I’ve done this one before which is exciting! Make sure you visit Pamela’s blog if you haven’t already and I hope you enjoy this post!

Rules:

1. Thank blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.

2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.

3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.

4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

Pamela’s Questions:

1. What is your main goal of 2018?

To read 50 books in a year. I started in September 2017 and I’ve got until September 2018 to achieve it. I think it will be close but I might not hit 50.

2. Do you believe in any conspiracy theories?

No but I find some of them interesting.

3. What is your favorite organizational style?

Minimalistic.

4. Do you have any hidden talents?

I can sing. I did a talent quest at school and sang in front of strangers so it’s not just my mum who’s told me I’m good.

5. If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

England/The UK; until I have visited this answer won’t change!

6. What is one touristy thing in your hometown that you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t?

Relax in the hot pools. I live in a very geothermic city with geysers and lots of natural hot springs.

7. Do you have any surprising hobbies?

I like to watch ODI cricket when NZ play and it’s on free to air television.

8. Favorite type of socks?

Ankle socks.

9. Do you have one go-to handbag or change them up often?

I tend to stick with the same handbag unless I need a bigger one for a certain day or want my bag to match my outfit.

10. What is something you’re looking forward to this week?

Seeing my boyfriend, I look forward to that every week 😛

11. What is the most recent song you’ve listened to?

Natalie Bassingthwaighte  – Alive (at the time of writing this post).

My Nominees:

• Caitlin
• Reeva
• Gwawr
• Ella
• Amy
• Britney
• Chloe
• Rachel
• Sangeetha
• Sophie
• You!

My Questions:

1. What is the most recent song you’ve listened to?
2. Summer or winter? Why?
3. Do you have any pets?
4. What’s your favourite comfort food?
5. Apple or Samsung?
6. Why did you start blogging?
7. Is there something you haven’t done before but would like to?
8. What are your most visited websites?
9. Do you believe in soulmates?
10. Best piece of life advice you’ve received?
11. What was the last book you read?

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If you do participate I can’t wait to read your answers!

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30 By 30

Ever since my 23rd birthday in January I have had this post in the back of my mind and finally committed to writing it up and making myself accountable for these goals. Some people write bucket lists and come up with things they want to do before they die but I wanted to be a little different and share 30 things I want to do before turning 30. I am giving myself seven years so let’s see how many of these I can achieve!

1. Own an item of makeup from Chanel

2. Hold my full driver’s license

3. Travel outside of New Zealand

4. Write a book – (doesn’t have to be published, right?!)

5. Find my perfect foundation

6. Watch all of the Harry Potter movies

7. Take a hot air balloon ride

8. Add a lock to the Love Lock Bridge in Paris

9. Go skinny dipping

10. Learn how to curl my lashes with an eyelash curler

11. Stay in a hotel and have a romantic weekend away

12. Learn how to do French/Dutch braids

13. Get married – (this doesn’t have to happen before 30 but it seems these days a lot of people marry before 30).

14. Have a spa day with a massage and manicure

15. Send a postcard

16. Solve a Rubik’s Cube

17. Go to the races and bet money on a horse

18. Watch every episode of Poirot (the TV series running from 1989 to 2013 starring David Suchet)

19. Play pool (billiards)

20. Get invited to a hen party – (I don’t have many friends so this could be a challenge and I wouldn’t know what to expect but they seem like fun).

21. Meet someone famous

22. Ride on a double decker bus in London

23. Go for a bra fitting and get properly measured

24. Expand my cooking knowledge

25. Explore my own city

26. Attempt to make homemade pizza dough – (I always get bases from the supermarket and add my own toppings so I’d like to try making my own dough at least once).

27. Finish a book series 

28. See snow – (I have seen snow in New Zealand but we don’t get much and I’d like to experience proper snowfall).

29. Visit a castle

30. Go on a picnic – (I probably went on one when I was little but it would be nice to go on one as an adult and make the most of the weather and the day out).

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Do you have a bucket list or something similar? Let me know one thing you’d like to achieve within the next year in the comments below!

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Boyfriend’s Birthday Surprise!

This past weekend it was my boyfriend’s 25th birthday! I was super excited to celebrate and spend the entire day with him. I had plans for his birthday for a long time (that he didn’t know about) and I finally got to put them in place. A few times I mentioned a secret project on the blog and his birthday surprise was it. As he was turning 25 the first idea that came to mind was to give him 25 presents. I combined sentimental handmade gifts, with humorous ones as well as some of his favourite sweet treats. The gifts are unique and not what you’d automatically think to buy. I had so much fun buying all of these gifts and putting everything together and I wanted to share how things turned out!

Each present was numbered from 1 – 25 and given a sticker. There was no particular order apart from a few presents; #1 was a birthday card and #25 was a list of ’25 Reasons You’re Amazing’.

I blew up 25 silver balloons and tied them into bunches of 5. They were present #2.

Most of the presents are in this collage. The consumable presents hadn’t been purchased yet. They included Skittles, chocolate and fizzy drink.

All wrapped and boxed up!

I wrote a list of reasons why I chose each present which was the final thing I gifted to my boyfriend after he opened the presents.

The presents all unwrapped and my boyfriend opening a gift from his parents.

My outfit and makeup of the day.

Outfit Details:

• Jacket – Postie
• Top – Glassons
• Jeans – Dannii For Target

Makeup Products Used:

• Simple Radiance Brightening Moisturiser
• Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 002 Hazel
• Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation in 101 Ivory Beige
• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – 1 Fair
• Maybelline ‘The Nudes’
• Max Factor Excess Shimmer – Copper
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Lycra Flex Mascara
• Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector – Opal
• MAC – Show Orchid

We went for an outing to Orakei Korako which is a geothermal area roughly an hour from where we live. There is a short boat ride which takes you to the guided path area where you can walk around the geysers and hot springs. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking and the weather couldn’t have been more beautiful. The temperature was warm without being too hot and it was also the first time I’d been on a boat. I only wish the boat ride had been longer.

After the trip we drove back and I had fish and chips for lunch – they were delicious! My boyfriend had Subway using the gift card I got him as one of his presents. After lunch I had a nap and we chilled for the rest of the evening.

It was such a lovely day and my boyfriend was very grateful for all the effort I had gone to to surprise him. I almost made him cry after reading the card and that was only present #1!

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What did you buy your significant other for their last birthday?

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VNZMAs

(Image: Google.com)

The annual Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards were held on Thursday night and to say I was appalled is an understatement.

To be fair I didn’t watch the entire awards ceremony, only the last half hour or so, but if that was an indication of what had come before it doesn’t seem like I missed much. I’ve never been a huge fan of New Zealand artists and their music but I couldn’t get over how unprofessional everything was.

Example number one:
New Zealand netball player and Silver Fern, Maria Tutaia, presented the award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year dressed in rather high heels (she’s already tall) and a low cut dress. The microphones weren’t adjustable so she had to bend over to speak. She then exclaimed, “If I bend over my boobs are going to fall out of my dress.” Wardrobe should have prepared for this eventuality and the presenters should have known the microphones weren’t adjustable or had microphones that were. When the winners were announced as Nelson brother and sister duo, Broods, Maria made a joke reading the winner out as ‘boobs’ before correcting herself.

Example number two:
Lorde walked away with the most wins on the night (six) but I hate how false she is. The way she struts on stage and tries to speak with an American accent further proves this point. During one of her acceptance speeches she said something along the lines of, “This album [Pure Heroine] is like a diary for me from ages 12-16.” Newsflash: Lorde is not the first artist to write her own music and use songwriting as a form self expression.

Personally I feel like certain lyrics in her songs slag New Zealand off. New Zealand is a beautiful country well known for it’s wide open spaces, farming industry and geographical features. I am incredibly proud of where I come from and the fact that I’m one of 4 million – some cities have that number of people alone. I have analysed some of Lorde’s lyrics below; it’s the Media Studies student in me!

“And I’m not proud of my address” – Lorde perhaps explaining she’s not proud of her background and where she comes from or she’s ashamed of the area she grew up in.

“We live in cities you’ll never see on the screen / not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things” – She wants to make a ‘better’ life somewhere she considers beautiful.

Example number three:
Live tweets were being shown on screen throughout the ceremony and one tweet in particular angered me. “Can’t wait to win an award so I can swear on live TV.” All I can say is if that’s your life goal and what you’re aiming towards then that’s pretty sad.

There was one shining moment in amongst all this mess. The presenter for the final award spoke about music with such passion and beauty that none of the previous guests had. That’s what these awards should be about, celebrating achievements not trying to make the funniest speech or act the coolest.

This line from Royals does sum up my feelings about the VNZMAs perfectly though, “We don’t care, we’re not caught up in your love affair.”

Chanelle x