No Eye-dea

Hi everyone! Today’s post comes to you in the form of a semi-rant and sees me rambling about eyebrows (if you hadn’t guessed from the title of the post).

Eyebrows are not only used to channel sweat, rain and moisture away from the eyes but they’re essential for nonverbal communication and expressing emotion.

Lately it seems eyebrows have become a major part of people’s makeup routines and beauty regimes. At the moment the trend seems to be big, bushy brows and I feel like sometimes eyebrow shaming goes on. If your eyebrows aren’t shaped a certain way or don’t look a certain way it’s almost like you’re judged because of it. There can be so much pressure to conform and some people even go as far as dying their eyebrows or getting them tattooed on.

Personally, I don’t do a lot with my brows at all. They’re naturally quite dark and bushy but there’s no real shape to them and don’t even talk to me about filling them in because I have absolutely no idea what to do where that’s concerned! Over the past year or so I have been taking more notice of my eyebrows and trying to keep them tame. I pluck them and don’t find the pain too bad.

My philosophy when it comes to brows is to wear them how you want (thin, bushy, filled in, natural) or find a style that suits your face shape. There are plenty of grooming options out there and you shouldn’t feel pressured into something you find painful or do it because ‘everyone else does’. In a lot of ways I’m proud of my individuality and the fact I don’t follow a lot of beauty trends. (Most of the time it’s because I have no clue what I’m doing).

I would love to be like thousands of other girls who have perfect eyebrows and I admit I do get brow envy and feel a pang of jealousy. I also want to point out that I don’t have a problem with people who enjoy doing their brows and people who put effort into doing them. This post is aimed at those of us who are more brow challenged.

If you’re as clueless as me about your brows, read this article. I came across it while writing this post and some of the tips are really useful!

How do you style your brows and what are your go-to products?

My Jewellery and Me

Hey lovelies!

I’m super excited to share this post with you! I was recently inspired by a company called Invaluable. They wanted to know more about my jewellery; my favourite pieces, any stories behind them etc. This is also my first collaboration which makes it even more exciting!!!

If you’re unaware of what Invaluable does, they are the world’s premiere online auction marketplace. Their website features a range of items for sale including art, antiques, collectibles and jewellery, of course. Check out the current jewellery items up for auction and perhaps nab a piece of your own!

I don’t have a lot of jewellery and don’t wear it all that often but the pieces I do have I love and some of them are gifts so they’re even more special. With my jewellery I like it to be simple and elegant to suit my small features. That being said I love people who can effortlessly rock any accessory, no matter what the size.

I only own three necklaces but they’re equally as beautiful as each other. The necklace with the snowflake pendant I received as a Christmas gift from my mum – the snowflake is sooo sparkly!

The other two necklaces are made by By Gioia, a company that manufactures jewellery for various artists and bands. These are both from The Saturdays line (launched in 2010) and they cost me £1 each. I only managed to get my hands on these necklaces last year as shipping to New Zealand wasn’t an option before that. I’m so glad I did though, because they glam up any outfit and if I hadn’t had to wait so long I probably wouldn’t have got them for £1.

When it comes to bracelets it’s incredibly hard for me to find something that fits correctly and looks right. My wrists are freakishly small and I have to double loop the clasps to wear them. A jeweler suggested getting links taken out but that can be costly and if the size of my wrist changes it won’t be as easy to add links back in.

The top bracelet was another present my mum bought me, this time for graduating. It is the most special of all my pieces of jewellery as we picked it out together and while it wasn’t too expensive, it’s also the most expensive piece I own. In contrast, the bottom bracelet is another £1 bargain from The Saturdays collection. All the pieces come with the cutest little leather pouches. This bracelet features the first initial of each of the girls.

Do watches count as jewellery? I’m not the biggest fan of watches as I feel they make my wrist look bulky but this pink one from Swatch isn’t like that. It’s light, hasn’t ever needed to have the battery replaced and the jelly strap means it’s comfortable to wear.

Normally when it comes to jewellery I’m a silver girl (as you will have seen in the previous images) but the gold three piece set of rings is so beautiful and makes a nice change. The set can be worn altogether or sometimes I wear the gold jewelled ring on it’s own. I love wearing the infinity ring as it’s so light and it’s my favourite ring to wear on an index finger as I think that’s where it looks best. The moment I first saw the gold coiled ring I fell in love, it’s so dainty and elegant yet a bit unusual at the same time.

Do let me know if you have a favourite piece of jewellery! I’ve loved sharing my stories with you and I’d love to hear if you have any of your own! ❤

Chanelle x

March Favourites

It’s hard to believe we’re already at the end of March, each month seems to be whizzing by even quicker than the last. This month for me in particular I’ve had a constant worry on my mind job-wise. Early on in the month I had testing for a processing role and following that landed myself a job interview. I got told by numerous people I did very well in the testing but yesterday (Monday) I received an email saying I wasn’t successful enough to land one of the nine positions available. Waiting for two weeks to hear back from them was stressful enough. What really upset me was that people told me I did so well and made me think I could be in with a chance and then I find out I didn’t make it. Surprisingly, I’m not letting it get to me and that job obviously wasn’t meant to be.

Onto the things that have been making me happy and I’ve been loving this March:

Beauty/Fashion

1. Dannii Minogue – My Style – I picked this book up a year or so ago for only £0.96 from Amazon.co.uk and decided to re-read this month. In this book Dannii shares her fashion wisdom and personal style secrets alongside stunning photos of herself; images from photoshoots, events etc. This style bible helps you learn to love the way you are, focus on accentuating the positives and covers everything from great hair and glowing skin to make-up and healthy eating. Dannii shares tips on red carpet looks and what to wear for every occasion, and offers advice on dressing for your shape and choosing the right accessories. My Style is an inspirational guide to making the most of what you’ve got and looking your best.

2. Banks & Co. Hand Cream 120ml – I received this hand cream as a birthday present a couple of months ago. It is made by New Zealand company Banks & Co. and the scent I received is Peach & Pomegranate. This is a beautiful rich hand cream containing deliciously fruity fragrances of green accord, apricot, pomegranate and peach and aims to keep hands soft to the touch and smelling fresh. The first time I used this I wasn’t a huge fan of the scent but I think I might’ve used too much. Now I really like the scent and a little bit of this cream goes a long way. What I love most about this is how quickly it soaks into my skin and doesn’t leave my hands sticky/greasy afterwards.

3. Rosebud Earrings – The day I went on my Body Shop Haul (see post *here*) I picked up some new earrings and this was one of the pairs on the card. These pink rosebuds are my favourites and I’ve been wearing them since I purchased them. I love the bright pink colour and how delicate and light they are – some earrings can really weigh your ears down. (Apologies about the quality of this photo, I tried to get as close as I could without making the image blurry).

4. Manicare Eyebrow Tweezers – I picked these tweezers up back in January and have been using them to pluck my eyebrows for the last two months now. These are fluro pink (is it obvious to tell I like pink?!) and really good quality. The tweezers themselves are chrome plated and feature slants on the scissor ends to make plucking easier and gentler.

I plucked my eyebrows myself for the first time last Monday (normally my mum does them) and I was especially proud as I did it without my glasses on. Excuse my bare face!

Music

1. Markus Feehily – Love Is a Drug

2. Dannii Minogue – Summer of Love

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What have you been loving this month? ❤

Chanelle x

9 Simple Fashion & Beauty Tips

I have been working on this post for the best part of a month now and I finally felt ready to hit the publish button and get it out there today! The inspiration for this post comes from something Karen (Confetti and Curves) suggested to me in a comment on her blog. She suggested I put together a post with tips for colour-phobics (people afraid of colour). I loved the idea but at first I was unsure how to turn it into a post and what I wanted to say. After much deliberation I have come up with nine pretty simple tips for all you fashion/beauty lovers! These are things to hopefully help you as well as a combination of things I do personally when I’m thinking about my style.

Tips:

1. Never be afraid of a red lip!

2. If you’re not ready to take the plunge with a bright red lip, try experimenting with both ends of the spectrum; darker wines and plums or coral, pinky-reds. This will also help you identify your skin’s undertone and what types of shades will suit you.

3. If you feel like your lipstick is too bold on its own try wearing items of clothing in a similar colour. If you don’t have clothing the same colour accessorise with bags, scarves or even your nails!

4. Take time to ask people behind make-up counters for help, recommendations, samples and tips, that’s their job.

5. When you consider buying make-up scour the internet for reviews, swatches and even watch YouTube videos. This really opens your eyes to a product and may make you think twice before buying it.

6. If your wardrobe consists of mostly dark colours and neutrals inject a bit of colour with a subtle print or pattern. Start with pastels then work your way up to a solid colour.

7. Dress for your shape and what you feel comfortable in as opposed to what’s on trend.

8. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so why not jump on Google and find someone whose style you admire and try to put together a similar look. (Make-up or fashion).

9. Experiment. Don’t be afraid to try different styles and looks to see what works for you.

Do you have any tips of your own? Feel free to share them in the comments below!

Thanks for reading! 🙂

Chanelle x

Style Crush: Monochrome & Red Lips

One of my favourite looks is monochrome with a red lip. This look transforms itself easily from day to night and is timeless in my opinion – it will never go out of style!

Dress casually in the day, think black leggings and a plain white tee, and simply add a red lip to make it look like you’ve made a real effort with your outfit. For a more glamourous nighttime look opt for a nice white blouse and black trousers (see Frankie Sandford on the right) or rock the classic LBD and bold red lip!

Tips for getting the right red lipstick:

If you’re a redhead (like me) don’t match your hair colour with your lipstick. Women with bright red hair look beautiful in blue-reds and women with deeper auburn tones look gorgeous in warmer reds.

Skin tone:

Cool or pink undertones – plum, wine or blue-red lipstick shades will suit you best.

Yellow undertones – go for red-oranges, corals or red-browns.

Neutral tones – can usually go either way but cherry reds, scarlets and true reds are the most flattering.

Shades to try:

• MAC Ruby Woo and Russian Red
• Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Red Dragon
• Bobbi Brown Red Carpet
• Chanel Rouge Allure

Do you have a signature red that you always wear?

Chanelle x

My Top Picks: Petites by Dannii Minogue

Earlier this year Dannii Minogue launched Petites as part of Target Australia’s Designers For Target collaboration. Designed with all petite body shapes in mind, the range reflects affordable, perfectly proportioned pieces that look stunning off the rack.

“Petite doesn’t just mean small, it’s all kinds of shapes and sizes. That’s why you’ll find my range in sizes 4-16, because I think all women should be able to look and feel amazing.” – Dannii Minogue

1. Sequin Mini Skirt – Target Black (also available in Astral Aura) – $59

Stand out in a crowd in this stunning sequin mini skirt from the Dannii Minogue Petites range. Designed for your petite proportions that shows off your silhouette. Features all over sequins and zip up at the back. Simply wear back with statement heels for a standout look.

2. Blue Indigo Jeans – $59

Refresh your denim with a style that looks and feels great with these blue indigo 7/8 jeans. The jeans are a skinny fit from hip to hem with a mid rise. They are made with stretch for comfort and feature a classic button and zip fastening and front and back pockets. Finished with exposed zips at the hems, dress them up or down with simple tweaks to your outfit made possible by the versatile styles from the Dannii Minogue Petites range.

3. Black Jumpsuit – $59

Adapting an on-trend style and especially tailoring it for our petite customer, this black jumpsuit will become a wardrobe piece you can wear with confidence. Made from a beautifully soft hammered satin fabric this light weight jumpsuit features a shirred waist, side pockets, U-neckline and the full length pants have been tapered for a flattering fit. Simply wear on its own or finish off with a waisted belt.

4. Rose Pleated Shorts (also available in Black) – $49

A vibrant update to a statement style that is perfect for the warmer weather. These pleated shorts feature a high waist, zip fastening, single pleat front and turned up cuffs. This on-trend style is made from a lightweight fabric and is finished with a removable fabric belt. A versatile style you can wear dressed up or down with the well thought out pieces from the Dannii Minogue Petites range.

All prices shown are in Australian Dollars. Images courtesy of Target.com.au.

Petites is now in its third drop since the launch in August but currently the range can only be shipped to addresses in Australia and The UK.

Fashion Fix: Scarves

Whether you’re using a scarf to compliment an outfit, rug up against the cold or create the illusion of height they are a great staple to have in your wardrobe. Scarves are a perfect way to keep warm in Winter and between seasons if there’s a cold snap.

I already own a black knitted scarf and light blue snood – both ideal for those really cold days but I wanted something that can be worn all year round. Last week I purchased a Pascale Print Scarf in ‘Border Leopard’ from Cotton On.

Material: 100% polyester
Measurements: 40 inches by 72 inches
Price: NZD $14.95 (I got it for $7 as part of a special offer. Ka-ching!)

As you can see the scarf has a leopard print pattern with black border.

This picture gives you a better view of the leopard print. I never used to be a fan but now I LOVE it. Some of the hems are frayed giving your outfit a casual, playful edge while still looking stylish.

Rocking ‘The Classy Knot’

Me wearing the scarf for the first time yesterday.

There are so many ways to wear your scarf. Here are two videos demonstrating over 40 possibilities. Handy or handy?

 

Don’t feel bad if you can’t master these techniques the first time. I had a go yesterday using the ‘4 Scarves 16 Ways’ video and felt like I was getting nowhere.

Practice makes perfect, enjoy!

Chanelle x