Long time no post

My oh my I am quite embarrassed. I am ashamed to say that it has been almost 6 months since my last update, that's right 6 long dreary months. Some of you might not have noticed that I was gone (not that I blame you, I abandoned ship before it had even set sail well and truly), but I am back for good!

The last 6 months have been a whirlwind for me in so many ways, I started two new internships, a new job, tried to balance two jobs and two internships, and also finished off my last semester of uni ever (yep, ever). I am now on 'holidays' and I must say I miss this little thing just a tad (or maybe more). So with nothing much left to do in my daily life I have come crawling back to this blog begging that it take me back. I promise this time I am here to stay and I ask that you stick with me. As always, I will post things that will make all you make-up mavens out there sing, served with a side of opinion and some personal entries. So let's FINALLY set sail on this journey!

For the love all things beauty and witty,

Chantalle

Looking for Alaska by John Green | Book Review

I just want to start off by saying (especially as this is my first book review here), this will not be summary of the book, nor will any of my other future reviews be a summary of the book. I'm not here to spoil it for you and tell you what happens, I'm here to tell you if this is a bloody good book or not, and if you should read it or stay the hell away from it.*

I was (or am) a bit late to joining the John Green bandwagon, but I heard so much about him and his work, and thought to myself, gee I better get on with it and read some of this guy's stuff. So before I had started reading  Looking for Alaska I had extremely high expectations of it. I had heard a plethora of great things about it and was itching to get my hands on a copy, settle down and devour it in one go.

Perhaps it was this combination of anticipation and excitement that I built around actually reading the book, that I felt a little let down upon it’s completion. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it overall, and I felt genuinely moved, but I felt that something was missing for me.

Urban Decay Naked vs. Naked 2 Palette | Product Comparison

It's product comparison time again and this time I am comparing the very much loved and very much adored Urban Decay Naked Palettes. I personally love Naked palettes. They're perfect in terms of variety and versatility, having day-to-day colours and those that are also perfect for a night out with a choice between mattes, shimmers or satins. But when I first went to buy a Naked palette, both the original Naked and Naked 2 were available at the time. My biggest problem, WHICH ONE TO BUY FIRST!!!!?? I didn't want to buy both at once (I couldn't justify it to myself) so sadly I spent countless hours googling and searching for advice on which is the better palette. Let's just say I came up short and had to make the drastic decision myself (God forbid). So which one did I buy first, and better yet which is the better palette?

In the end, I went with Naked 2. I choose this bad boy purely based on photos online - it just seemed that I would use the colours from the Naked 2 more than Naked 1. And clearly I did use it a lot, behold my palette below looking quite shabby chic with many colours hitting the pan after almost 6 months usage.

As you can see, the names of the shadows are almost gone and I have used more of the neutral day time colours than the rest. I am a daily eye shadow gal after all. I find the colours in the Naked 2 palette to be how should say, to have a greater range, or perhaps variety? There are some lovely neutral colours, gold, copper bronze and taupe. Then you have some shimmery browns, some greys, silver, a darker shimmery taupe and of course black. The Naked 2 palette is generally my go to when I am in a rush or when I want to create a simple look.

Don't let the lack of 'hitting the pan-ness' fool you, I've simply had Naked 1 for a shorter period of time (note how clean and new it looks). In my opinion, this palette is leans slightly more on the bronzy/golden shadows. Unlike the Naked 2, there is is less variety in colours. There is no black, nor is there a silver or matte taupes. Gunmetal and Creep are the closest to grey/silver/black, and hustle is probably the closest to a taupe colour. I guess you could say that the Naked 1 is 'warmer' in comparison to Naked 2 (I'm probably wrong, but that's my opinion). 

Overall, the packaging of the two is quite similar in terms of layout. Both also come with a mirror and Urban Decay Brush, however Naked 2 is I guess a hard plastic case and is therefore better for travel. Both palettes are quite versatile and you can create so many day to night looks with just the one palette. And of course, the shadows are similar in consistency and apply like a dream.

I am probably biased since I have had Naked 2 longer, and am probably more comfortable in using it, but I prefer the Naked 2. In saying that I do love the original as well.

So should you buy them both or is one enough? I would say that you don't need both, the colours are pretty similar that you don't the two. I think it just comes down to personal preference, but if you're a beauty junkie like me, an extra palette ain't hurting anybody now is it?

How to ... Look like you've had 10 hours sleep

Recently I have become a master, an expert, a guru, a pro (and every other title under sun) at a certain type of sorcery... kinda. After doing several 3 am starts, followed by many night shifts and countless sleepless nights, and just being a uni student in general, I have learned the art of faking it. Yep faking it. Faking that bushy tailed, wide eye, I've just had 10 hours sleep look, when really I would be lucky to have had half of that. I have learned a few neat little tricks to looking well rested and I am going to share some secrets with you guys. So here we go ladies:

Step 1: Prep and Base

So you've managed to pull yourself out of bed, showered and braced your face in the mirror ready to have at it, you go Glen Coco! First step is to prep your bases. I usually start off by spritzing my face with something hydrating, in most cases your skin will be dull and most likely thirsty if you've had a big night, so go for something like Caudalie Beauty Elixer [1] or MAC Fix+ [2].
Next I apply some primer any will do really, you just need a barrier between your skin and make-up or else your thirsty skin will drink up whatever you apply on it with zeal. And lastly, curl your peepers. Nothing says I am awake than opened up eyes, so curl those damn lashes.

Step 2: Foundation

Next is foundation, go for something with full coverage that isn't cakey and in liquid form. I like Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation [3], which also contains some all amounts of shimmer, or my Holy Grail Laura Mercier Silk Creme [4]. Note: Please take care to avoid the eye area, foundation under the eyes is a no-no. 

Step 3: Concealer

With this bad girl I have a love-relationship, but treat her nicely and she will work wonders. So use sparingly. Use a creamy concealer under the eye (different to what you use on blemishes), such as MAC Mineralize Concealer [5] or NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer [6], and say good bye to those ugly dark circles.

Step 4: Eye Illuminator

This is probably my favourite and the most life saving step. Illuminator works wonders to brighten the eye area, however they don't conceal dark circles, so they must be used with concealer first. I like Benefit Ooh La Lift [7] or L'Oreal Lumi Magique Pen [8] but that God Damn YSL Touche Eclat works too. Instead of doing a straight line under your eyes opt for a upside-down triangle in line with your lashline, and pat with a dabbing motion till all gone.

 

Step 5: Water lining, eye-liner and mascara

When tired and lacking sleep I suggest no black liner, especially on the lids. It will make your eyes like smaller and undo all the hard work of illuminating the area. Try lining the lower and upper (if you can) water lines with fleshy pink white eye-liner. This will open up your eyes, making it look brighter and of course more awake. Try Benefit Eye Bright Pencil [9] or Stila Smudge Crayon [10]. With mascara, use sparingly and opt for feather looking lashes.

Step 6: Blush and Bronzer 

The usual drill goes for blush and bronzer, both will add life and colour to your skin. I like to opt for something peachy pink usually of the NARS variety. Remember less is more.

Step 7: Highlighter 

Usually as the finishing touch I will brush some highlighter across my cheek bones or where the light hits eg. brow bone. I usually don't if I have mixed highlighter with my foundation. But I also like to add highlighter to my eyes, because looking awake is all about the eyes! I usually dab a little bit of highlighter in the inner corners of my eyes (dat V) with Urban Decay Naked 2 shade 'Bootycall' to make my eyes look bigger and more awake.

 

Other Neat Tips:  

• If you dare, try no mascara it will make you look younger.
• Also, drink up! Water only, and try to limit the amount of caffeine and sugar.

This isn't by any means the only way to do it, just what I know from personal experience, I am really not an expert despite what I like to think. Feel free to comment your suggestions below!