viva glam – Chanelle Hayley

Let me start by asking how everyone’s quarantine/lockdown/isolaton life is going? Whilst each country has different measures and restrictions in place we are all in this together. As mentioned in my March Favourites, I’m here if anyone would like a chat!

Over the past month I have adapted well to working from home, I am pretty much able to do my job as usual which keeps me in a good routine. Like so many other people I am using Zoom to connect with work colleagues and I’m really enjoying doing my makeup on the days there’s video calls and making myself that little bit more glam. I am also proud to say I haven’t worked in my pyjamas once (no shame if you do) and have gotten dressed each work day. This month has been relatively quiet but I have enjoyed the calm peacefulness. I am eating less than I would if I was going to work and I’m back into an exercise routine. I feel like I’ve been singing better as a result too and I’m not as stressed which is huge!

Onto this month’s favourites:

1. Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia – I have been a fan of Dua for a while now and ever since she released Don’t Start Now as the first single from this album I was excited! The vibe, the beats and the lyrics really stood out to me and it’s probably my favourite track Dua has released to date. Dua puts so much personality into her music and I love the deep, raspy element to her voice. The songs on this album are personal but still radio friendly and whilst she’s undoubtedly pop she adds in her own unique touches. This album is very cohesive and by the time it’s over you want to go right back to the start and press play again. Standout Tracks: Don’t Start Now, Physical, Levitating, Hallucinate and Break My Heart.

2. MAC Viva Glam III Lipstick – I purchased this alongside another MAC lipstick in March and over the past month I have already worn it a handful of times. I saw pictures of this shade online and was unsure whether it would suit me and be too dark but I really don’t have anything like this in my collection. Viva Glam III is described as a muted brownish-plum and is a matte finish. This lipstick has a very comfortable matte finish that doesn’t dry out the lips and despite the dark shade I don’t need to wear a lip liner with this. I wore Viva Glam III when I tried false lashes for the first time – CLICK HERE to see.

3. The Guest List by Lucy Foley – I have been smashing my Goodreads target during lockdown and I finished this particular book last week. It is one of my favourite reads of 2020 so far and the second book I’ve read by Lucy Foley in a matter of weeks. Set on a remote island off the Irish coast, guests are invited to the glamorous wedding between Will and Jules. Lives unravel whilst on the island and secrets from the past are revealed. Everything comes to a head when someone is murdered on the night of the wedding. I won’t spoil who is murdered as we don’t find out until the last quarter of the book but it was obvious to me who the victim would be and I was right. The reveal of the murderer wasn’t as easy to guess but it definitely makes sense. If you’re an Agatha Christie fan or enjoy reading books with plenty of twists you will enjoy this!

4. Glassons Cropped Stretch Skinny Jean – I picked up these jeans in a mid blue wash at the beginning of March when I was out shopping with a friend. This is the fourth pair of these jeans I have bought as the cropped length is the perfect full length on me. I also have these jeans in white, black and a light blue wash. The jeans are comfortable, have a slight stretch to them so they are the good kind of tight and won’t lose their shape but still allow you to move. These are probably my favourite pair as they are that classic blue denim and don’t attract cat hairs like my black pair.

April Highlights

I have completed a few jigsaw puzzles this month.
I treated myself to a couple of luxury lockdown purchases: YSL Black Opium perfume and Hourglass Veil Mineral face primer. I have sampled both of these in the past and loved them!
My Future Nostalgia CD arrived in the post.

April’s Spotify Playlist

How was your month? Share one of your highlights in the comments!

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One thing I want to be more conscious of in 2019 is how much I buy makeup. Not only have I set a goal to try not to buy any lipsticks this year but I want to use up what I have before buying more and only buy something if I run out. In the last week of 2018 I took advantage of Boxing Day sales and used up a few gift cards before the low buy/no lipstick buy began.

1. xoBeauty Luxe Liquid Lipstick – Nam Jai – xoBeauty was most definitely my favourite brand discovery of 2018! I have two other liquid lipstick shades and if all liquid lipsticks had this formula I would be a happy girl! Nam Jai is described as a muted warm pink and in pictures I’ve seen it looks like a lovely watermelon pink. In the last xoBeauty order I made I was tossing up between Nam Jai and Kairos. I knew if I didn’t buy this shade it would have been tempting me all year.

2. xoBeauty Tulip Crease Brush – A standard Chanelle eye look usually involves a base shade, a transition shade in the crease and a shimmer all over the lid. I know the importance of blending and having a small enough brush to fit in my crease so the transition shade stays where it is supposed to. This brush reminds me of the Pointed Crease Brush by Real Techniques but this one can also be used to buff base shadows all over the lid.

3. Face Halo 3 Pack (White) – I have seen Shannon use these a lot in her vlogs and while they aren’t made by xoBeauty they are available to buy through the website. Each pack comes with three makeup removers that can simply be used with water. These pads are made up of extremely fine fibres to ensure a deep clean and they are also machine washable. I plan to use these instead of a facecloth to wipe my face after I have applied Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm. A black Pro version of the Face Halo was released recently but the pads didn’t look as soft and with the white you can easily see when they need a clean.

4. Britney Spears Prerogative EDP 30ml – Britney Spears fragrances have been a staple in my collection for the past 10 years. I have tried a handful of different ones in that time and when a new one is released I always pop in store to see if I like it. I didn’t do that with Prerogative so I took a bit of a risk ordering online without smelling it first. I bought the smallest size to be on the safe side but it smells amazing and I can already imagine myself repurchasing this scent.

5. MAC – Velvet Teddy (Little Mac) – Ever since Cleia used the mini version of Velvet Teddy in this makeup tutorial I knew I wanted to try it for myself. I think it’s a great idea that MAC do smaller versions of some of their popular shades, it means it won’t take as long to use up and if for some reason a shade is not right for me I haven’t spent as much money on the full size.

6. MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ 30ml – I like the idea of Fix+’s versatility. I’m interested to try it as a setting spray (especially with the hot summer we’re having) and to spray it on my eye brushes to get a foiled/metallic eye look. I got the 30ml size because I figure it will take a while for me to use based on the rate I go through products – I’m like a snail.

7. MAC Strobe Cream 30ml – I have been looking at the Strobe Cream ever since I made my MECCA Beauty Wishlist. I have now managed to pick up everything on the list except Too Faced’s Better Than Sex mascara which I’m no longer worried about trying. My plan for the Strobe Cream is to use it on top of my moisturiser like a primer for a natural glow. The travel size comes in the shade Pinklite.

8. Max Factor Smooth Miracle Primer – I kind of picked this up on a whim but seeing as Max Factor Lasting Performance is my favourite foundation and there are a few other Max Factor products I enjoy I thought I’d try this to see if I like it. I got it as a back up in case the MAC Strobe Cream doesn’t work for me as a primer and because I am almost out of my current primer. I like how you can see exactly how much product is left and it has a pump.

9. Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation – 010 Light Porcelain – Last month I finished up a bottle of Rimmel’s Match Perfection foundation and after falling out of love with it for a while, using it in conjunction with a good primer and concealer made me realise why I loved it in the first place. It has good coverage for everyday wear and it caters for my fair skin. A couple of years ago Rimmel discontinued some shades of Match Perfection (including the one I used) but in 2018 they released a few new ones. I have never tried the Wake Me Up foundation before but I have seen it in New Zealand, albeit not in the Light Porcelain shade. From what I have seen online the Light Porcelain shade of Wake Me Up is slightly darker than the Light Porcelain of Match Perfection, which isn’t a bad thing. I actually find the Match Perfection version of Light Porcelain can look pale if I don’t use bronzer – another reason I’m glad new shades of Match Perfection were released. I’m excited to try Wake Me Up to see how it compares and if it becomes my everyday foundation.

10. MAC Viva Glam II – I actually didn’t realise until after I bought this lipstick that it wasn’t what I thought it was! Six months ago I saw a swatch of Viva Glam V online and thought it looked so pretty, when I saw this Viva Glam lipstick on Fragrance Direct I thought this was it. I’m not completely disappointed, Viva Glam II (originally released in 1997) is still a nice shade, a pink-mauve beige brown and it has one of my favourite MAC finishes, satin.

Did you buy anything in the sales after Christmas?

Have you tried any of these products? Would you like to see some of these in a makeup tutorial or first impressions soon? Let me know which products I should use!

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