August Favourites 2017

As you may have read in my Life Lately #2 post August has brought about some changes. I left my job and started a new one a couple of days later so most of the month has been preparing for and leading up to that. August has gone very fast and been a bit emotional. I am looking forward to getting stuck in to my new job and getting into a new routine though.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Black Chenille Cardigan – I mentioned this cardigan in my Boohoo & Glassons Haul but wasn’t able to show it to you in black. I could only find an image of the blue online but the black cardigan acts as the backdrop for this month’s photo. Chenille is beautiful material and the cardigan looks lovely on. I intend to wear this a lot over the next couple of months before summer kicks in!

2. My Filoax/Stationery – Fun fact, Filofaxes and planners are what inspired me to start my blog! I have had my Hot Pink Domino in personal size for three years now and I still use it all the time. I have weekly and monthly layouts and normally plan at the beginning of each week, appointments, paydays etc. I find it useful to record my hours of work each day and on the monthly pages I record my blog views each week. I incorporated stationery into this favourite as I have been enjoying decorating my pages lately (I always used to) and personalising them with stickers and washi tape. I have a lot of washi tape!

3. Nescafé Vanilla Latte – I’m not usually a coffee girl but on a whim I decided to get a box of vanilla latte sachets from the supermarket. I tried and adored the Tahitian Vanilla Latte from Starbucks when it was out and I was reminded of that when I tasted these sachets from Nescafé. The aroma and taste isn’t as strong as other types of coffee and the coffee is nice and fluffy and smooth. I will repurchase these for sure.

4. Canon 700D DSLR – I purchased the Canon 700D in July and I have been using it for blog photographs as well as test shots and personal images. I started on Auto Mode and through watching tutorials and reading articles online I quickly switched to Manual Mode. I have a better understanding of what the numbers for aperture, shutter speed and ISO mean now. Manual Mode does make a difference, if something’s not right it might only be one setting that needs changing and experimentation helps you learn and develop your style of photography. I really want to go on a day trip or outing with my camera and get some beautiful nature/scenery shots, that’s the next step.

5. The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter – This was a Christmas present from my boyfriend last year and I began using it in February. I was convinced I had mentioned this body butter in a favourites post already but checked back and saw I hadn’t. The texture of this body butter is soft but firm and is very moisturising on the skin. It has a lovely chocolate/cocoa scent which is quite natural, not artificial or overly sweet. I imagine it would work for males and females. The Body Shop has discontinued the Cocoa Butter range but if they bring it back I would repurchase the body butter in a heartbeat. I highly recommend it!

August’s Spotify Playlist:

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What were your favourite things in August?

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January Favourites 2017

Hey everybody! Can you believe we are already one twelfth of the way through 2017?! This year will be my third doing monthly favourites but it feels like yesterday since my first favourites post. This month has been eventful to say the least and as a result I only have a few new favourites. I’m hoping to get back into more regular beauty blogging in February and I’ve already got post ideas in mind.

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. kikki.K Gratitude Journal – I purchased this little journal in 2015 to record my happiness highlights in. It has three sections to a page so I plan to record my highlight of the day for the next three years. It’s compact in size and it will be lovely to look back on and read over in the years to come. The fact it’s pink totally didn’t influence me to buy it at all…

2. The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick in Passionate Pink – I mentioned this lipstick earlier in the month as part of my HUGE birthday haul from The Body Shop. Pinks make up the bulk of my lipstick collection but this one is most certainly the brightest! I like the simple packaging with the bright coloured lid and the quality of the lipstick. The formula is not drying at all, the pigmentation is outstanding and the lipstick has a nice, subtle scent to it. This has been popped into my favourite things makeup bag as I see myself reaching for this a lot.

3. Britney Spears Private Show Perfume – This was a Christmas present from my mum and it smells absolutely delicious – I even got told that by a work colleague! I like the circular shape of the bottle and how you can clearly see how much perfume is left. I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is my favourite Britney Spears perfume out of the ones I’ve owned. This is quite sweet and girly, but it still feels sophisticated.

4. The Body Shop Honey Bronzer – 01 Light Matte – This bronzer is a bit of a rediscovery. I purchased it around this time last year and I forgot how much I like it until a couple of weeks ago. I hadn’t been using bronzer throughout spring and summer but I was doing my makeup and felt like my face was missing something, this was it! I use the lightest shade but it gives the prettiest sheen to my skin and never makes me look orange or muddy. Oh Honey Bronzer, how I’ve missed you!

January’s Spotify Playlist:

This playlist has uptempo tracks as well as a little country, folky vibe.

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What were your favourite things in January?

BIG Body Shop Haul: Birthday Edition

Hello, how are you all doing?

I have been a member of The Body Shop’s Love Your Body scheme for almost two years now and this is the second time I’ve been able to take advantage of the one time 20% off discount during my birthday month (January). I absolutely adore The Body Shop and sometimes I shudder to think how much I have spent in the past 24 months! This haul is even bigger than last year’s but I have been so good lately and haven’t bought any makeup/beauty products. This is a real treat to myself!

I made an online order but also purchased a couple of things in store as I had a $10 off voucher to use and they can’t be used online.

A quick side note: The makeup ban was broken! I haven’t really gone into The Body Shop’s cosmetic territory (apart from a bronzer last year) so I’m interested to see how it fares.

In store items:

1. Vanilla Chai Scented Candle

You can’t go wrong with a classic vanilla scent! I like the subtlety of vanilla and I have a few vanilla based perfumes so I know I don’t get sick of the smell. I don’t know that I will burn this candle straight away as I have another one to burn first but I wanted to pick this up while I had the chance.

 

2. Colour Crush Lipstick 205 Passionate Pink

My name’s Chanelle and I’m a pink lipstick addict. There’s something about bright pink lipstick that draws me in and I couldn’t say no to this beautiful shade. Passionate Pink is brighter than fuchsia but darker than coral, I have shades similar to this but not exactly the same. I tried out this lipstick as soon as I got home and the formula feels very moisturising. The lipstick also has a beautiful soft rose scent.

Wearing Passionate Pink.

3. Mango Hand Cream

The Body Shop’s hand creams have become a staple in my nightly routine and I know they work well for me and don’t irritate my skin which is why I continue to buy them. I haven’t tried anything from the Mango range before but I wanted a more tropical, fruity scent. If I enjoy this scent I’m sure I will try more from the Mango range.

Online Order:

1. Eye Palette Swinging Silver

I really don’t own a lot of eyeshadow palettes and the ones I do have mostly contain neutrals. This quad eyeshadow palette was released in 2015 as part of the Christmas range and it has caught my eye on numerous occasions. I haven’t seen the palette in person but it was still available online and the swatches I’ve seen look super pretty! Swinging Silver combines metallic silver tones, smoky blues and coral hues. The palette comes with it’s own mirror and brush which will be handy for going away or traveling.

2. Vitamin C Energising Face Mist

I purchased this to replace the Vitamin E Hydrating Face Mist I currently have. The Vitamin E mist featured in Project Pan and I now realise I was harsh on the product. It wasn’t until regular use I began to like it and really discovered it’s purpose. I like to spritz my face to add extra moisture before applying foundation and the rest of my makeup. I thought I’d give the Vitamin C spray a go to see if I like it any better and if my skin has more of a glow.

3. Vanilla Chai Softening Body Gel-Lotion

Now I know when I purchased the Vanilla Chai hand cream I commented it wasn’t my favourite vanilla scent and I wouldn’t purchase anything else from the range but after using it more and my boyfriend telling me, “it smells like milk chocolate,” I’ve really come to like it. It’s more of a spicy vanilla due to the cinnamon, cardamom and brown sugar. I imagine this body lotion will be lovely to use in winter as the warm, spiciness of the scent will shine.

4. Cocoa Butter Body Lotion

Body lotion is one thing The Body Shop does extremely well in my opinion. I use their body lotions as a daily moisturiser for my arms and they normally last a good few months. I picked up the Cocoa Butter as well as Vanilla Chai because the Cocoa Butter range is being discontinued and I want to try it while I have the chance. I am nearly finished my White Musk body lotion and I plan to use this one next. I got the Cocoa Butter body butter for Christmas which I will also be starting soon. I use body lotion in the morning and body butter after I shower. It will be a VERY cocoa buttery few months!

5. Vanilla Chai Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub

We’re breaking boundaries with this haul, three Vanilla Chai items and my first ever body scrub! The lovely Rachael seems to be a fan of The Body Shop scrubs and I can’t wait to see what all the fuss is about. I have stared clear of body scrubs in the past because I have sensitive skin but I’ve read sugar is a much more gentle exfoliant so my skin might be fine. This doesn’t have SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) in the ingredients list which I have reacted to in the past so I’m quietly confident I will be ok. I can always pass this on to my mum or a friend.

6. Honey & Oat 3-in-1 Moisturising Scrub Mask

This product is one I have seen mentioned in the blogosphere before and the reviews I’ve read have been favourable. Honey does wonders for the skin but I’ve actually never tried anything with honey in before. My current Natio face mask is on it’s last legs and I purchased this mask as a replacement.

7. Colour Crush Nails 680 Blue Abyss

Navy is one of those colours that goes with everything. I’ve been curious to try one of the nail polishes from The Body Shop after seeing different shades on Stashy’s blog. When someone owns as many polishes as she does and says something is decent, you trust her! This colour choice was inspired after seeing Rachael review an OPI shade called Russian Navy on her blog. I don’t own a lot of dark nail colours but I’m excited to wear this one! In pictures I’ve Googled it seems the polish contains hints of glitter making it even more stunning.

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So, that’s everything I got! What do you think of the items I purchased? Have you tried any of them yourself?

Project Pan Week 2: The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Hand Cream

Happy Monday and welcome to the second of my reviews as part of Project Pan! Project Pan follows Stash Matters, A Brash Attitude, Curly Spring Blossom and I as we pick 12 products to try and hit pan on/empty over 12 weeks (11 in my case).

This week’s product is a hand cream from The Body Shop. The Body Shop has become one of my favourite places to shop over the past two years and a good hand cream is one of my staple products. This is the third tube of hand cream I have tried from The Body Shop  – my first Wild Argan Oil.

About

I received this particular hand cream as part of a trio at Christmas time and I began using it about a month and a half ago. 30ml hand creams from The Body Shop usually last me a couple of months with daily use so the cost works out to around $4 (NZD) a month which isn’t too bad. The Body Shop hand creams don’t irritate my skin and there is a good balance between quality and scent. The scents aren’t overpowering and the product works well and keeps my hands moisturised which is the most important thing.

Hand cream is one of those products I always try to incorporate into my daily beauty routine. Having soft, nourished hands is a nice feeling especially when you’re at work and people are looking at your hands and taking notice of them. Hand cream helps keep the skin supple and helps prevent little bits of dry skin around your nails and cuticles.

From the website:

Indulge your hands with this rich hand cream, enriched with organic Community Trade argan oil from Morocco to help soften and protect hands and cuticles.

• Non-greasy moisture

• Leaves hands feeling soft and smooth

• Absorbs instantly

pros

• A little goes a long way
• Good size to pop in your handbag
• Durable packaging that is also eye-catching
• Moisturising and non-greasy

Cons

• The scent. I like it now but when I first started using this hand cream it reminded me of medicine.

Chanelle’s rating: 8.5/10 – this hand cream is good but I don’t think it’s the best one I have ever tried or my most favourite that I’ve used. I would probably buy this again in future though.

The Remaining products – Progress

1. Nivea Pearly Shine Lip Balm – Used 1x.
2. Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation in 101 Ivory Beige – Used only once again this week.
3. Britney Spears Curious – In Control – Used 2x.
4. Fudge Urban Miracle Ends Tropical Cocktail – Used 1x. I’m so used to doing nothing to my hair and wearing it naturally.
5. The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist – Used 1x.
6. Natio Clay and Plant Face Mask Purifier – Used 1x. This had it’s weekly outing on Sunday.
7. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – 1 Fair – Used 5x, again everytime I wore makeup this week. This is the only concealer I have so I don’t have much choice! (I do love it though).
8. Rimmel Match Perfection Translucent Setting Powder – I went from not using this at all last week to wearing it twice this week.
9. The Body Shop Strawberry Lip Butter – Used 5x.
10. Cutex Strengthening Nail Polish Remover – Used 1x to prepare for my new weekly manicure.

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Don’t forget to check out this week’s posts from my collaboration partners:

• A Brash Attitude
• Curly Spring Blossom

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