WORLDWIDE WARDROBE COMPETITION

I am quite excited to finally post my entry for the Worldwide Wardrobe Competition!

TravelSupermarket have launched this competition which combines their love of travel with fashion bloggers' love of fashion, challenging fashion bloggers to put together five outfits to wear in five different destinations enjoying various activities, with a budget of £200 per outfit. The destinations are: sightseeing in Paris, clubbing in Ibiza, shopping in London, cocktails in New York and partying at a Full Moon party in Thailand.

The winner of each category wins a dream trip to the destination their outfit was inspired by plus £200 to buy the outfit! You can enter all five categories or just one or two, or as many as you like.

How to enter - create a blog post showcasing your destination inspired look by pulling together the images that you think would go well together, and state why you chose each outfit.

Make sure you check out the full details at www.travelsupermarket.com/c/holidays/worldwide-wardrobe/ 

All you have to do is follow the above instructions and...

 - Email your entries to worldwidewardrobe@travelsupermarket.com, and/or

 - Tweet your blog post to @travelsupermkt with #worldwidewardrobe, and/or

 - Tag the TravelSupermarket.com Facebook page

 - Nominate 5 fellow bloggers you think will be up for the challenge and let them know via Twitter or   Facebook

I have decided to pull together outfits for all five destinations so let me know what you think of my entries! :)

COCKTAILS IN NEW YORK

Dress - Zara £39.99 | Jacket - River Island £45 | Shoes - Zara £39.99 | Bag - Whistles £75

“Now you’re in New York, these streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York”.

If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be New York. I've never been, but there’s something about the fast paced, New York City life that draws me to it like a bee to honey! When I think of New York, I think of girls nights out, cocktails, swanky bars and Carrie Bradshaw meeting her Mr Big.

I chose to keep my outfit quite sophisticated and chic with a monochrome theme and let the dress and shoes do the talking. I absolutely love this dress from Zara – white leather effect at the front with a thick stretch black fabric to the sides and to the back. I love the eye trickery that’s created too with the silhouette shape at the front to give a perfect hourglass body shape. The strappy sandals from Zara with the mixture of studs and black spikes give the outfit a more edgy feel and I’d probably keep jewellery simple – stud earrings and a statement ring. In warmer evenings I’d wear this structured blazer from River Island, and would finish the look with this croc effect leather bag from Whistles. I love the gold chain and logo detail. Carrie Bradshaw, eat your heart out!

FULL MOON PARTY IN THAILAND

Kaftan - ASOS £55 | Bikini top - ASOS £17.99 | Bikini bottoms - ASOS £15.99 | Sandals - Zara £39.99 | Sunglasses - ASOS £12 | Anklet - River Island £6 | Necklace - River Island £10 | Bag - Topshop £35

When I think of Thailand and the full moon party, I think of white sandy beaches, thousands of tiny lamps lit along the beach, a gorgeous full moon, music, dancing and releasing my inner hippie! Of course, this is just how I imagine it to be as I have never been to Thailand, nor a full moon party but I’m sure this is pretty close! :)

As with any beach party, I think a kaftan would probably win every time – something airy and light that you are going to be comfortable in for the whole night. From what I know, 10-30 thousand travellers attend the full moon party in Thailand every month so think of this, along with the fact that it is already going to be very warm...I think you know where I’m going with this! Flat sandals are also a must especially if there is going to be loads of dancing involved. I love the ethnic print of these Zara sandals and the fabric at the front makes me think that they will be super comfy. For accessories, I don’t think any holiday outfit is complete without an anklet. I also chose a simple long gold charm necklace and a pair of round gold/tortoiseshell framed sunnies. A small cross body bag would also be my bag of choice, and this tan one from Topshop is a perfect size. Let’s also not forget to throw on a bikini underneath our kaftan, just in case we decide to go for a dip under the full moon! ;)

SIGHTSEEING IN PARIS

Blazer - River Island £39.99 | Top - Zara £15.99 | Jeans - River Island £30 |  Loafers - Zara £49.99 |  Gold necklace - Topshop £12.50 | Sunglasses - ASOS £10 | Shopper bag - Zara £22.99

There’s something about Paris that makes me want to smarten myself up a bit, sport a bold red lip and throw on some huge Jackie O sunglasses! I have never been to Paris, but it has been in my top 5 ‘Places to Go’ since forever. I imagine everyone walking the streets of Paris to look well put together, sophisticated and chic so I tried to keep this in mind when putting my outfit together...

For sightseeing, I would want to make sure I am comfy as well as looking put together so I opted for this loose fitting striped top from Zara. I love how it has a little bit of leather detailing around the collar and dips quite low at the back. As the top is quite loose fitting, these super skinny ankle grazer jeans from River Island would look great with this. Moccasins would keep my feet comfy for a day walking around Paris, and also look great with ankle grazer jeans. I love how these patent loafers from Zara have a little bit of animal print to clash with the striped top too.

I would throw on a loose fitting blazer and finish off the look with some gold accessories and sunglasses. A good sized shopper would be essential for homing my camera, tour books and pamphlets and also for any little souvenirs I might pick up on my travels ;) 

CLUBBING IN IBIZA

Fringe top - Topshop £32 | Denim shorts - River Island £30 | Gladiator heeled sandals - Topshop £50 | Necklace - River Island £19.99 | Sunglasses - ASOS £12 | Anklet - River Island £6 | Bag - Zara £19.99

For clubbing in Ibiza, I chose to go for something quite simple with a splash of neon and gold accessories. The fringed top and high waisted shorts scream Ibiza to me (take me now please!!) I was torn between flats and heels but decided to go for these gladiator heels from Topshop as they look like they’d be really comfy as well as dressing the outfit up a bit (and if I’m being honest, I need a bit of height!) I love how the tan colour ties in with the round framed sunnies and gold jewellery too. No holiday outfit is complete without an anklet, and the gold spike necklace gives a bit of an edge to the outfit and makes it a bit more clubwear! To finish the outfit off, I chose this neon orange clear plastic bag from Zara which has a long chain so it can be worn as a cross body bag – it’s just the right size for all of the essentials: phone, money and lipgloss :)

SHOPPING IN LONDON

Top - Missguided £12.99 | Jeans - Topshop £40 | Belt - Missguided £8.99 | Duffle Bag - Boohoo £25 | Bracelet - ASOS £8 | Midi rings - River Island £2 | Boots - Topshop £85 | Sunglasses - ASOS £15 | 

For shopping in London, I chose something quite similar to what I’d wear for shopping in Glasgow. I’m obsessed with Topshop Mom jeans at the moment so chose these black ones from with a dip dyed top from Missguided. These jeans are so easy to wear and so versatile. As the jeans are high waisted I would tuck the top in at the front and would finish off with this black and gold plate belt. The whole look I’m going for is everyday effortless casual so to complete the look I’d go for these cutout boots from Topshop (comfort is essential if I’m going to be shopping in London) and these give an edgier feel to the whole look. I’d complete the look with a chunky gold bracelet, some above knuckle rings, some round framed sunnies and this studded duffle bag. I’ve based this look around a dry/sunny day but if London is anything like Glasgow I would probably carry along my leather jacket or chunky cardi just in case there was a downpour! :)

I now get to nominate 5 lovely bloggers to have a go at the competition, remember you don't need to do all 5 outfits! I nominate...

 - Mia at Mia Alice In Wonderland
 - Claire at Indigo Girl
 - Kylie at Lazy To Lovely
 - Sarah Nunn
 - Claire at Swigdigs

I love all of your blogs so can't wait to see your entries if you decide to give it a go! Good luck to everyone who decides to enter :)

I hope you enjoyed reading my entries for the competition, what do you think of my outfits?? :)

Chantelle xx

Images sourced from: www.zara.co.uk, www.riverisland.co.uk, www.topshop.co.uk, www.missguided.co.uk, www.boohoo.com, www.asos.com

THE NUDE LIP EDIT

Pure Zen | Creme Cup | Creme d'nude

Something I haven’t been able to get enough of lately is nude lipsticks...Mac nude lipsticks to be precise.  Once used to downplay the rest of the face when a dramatic smoky eye or blush moment is taking place, the nude lip has now turned into a kind of classic when it comes to everyday chic. The great thing about nude lipsticks is that they are universally flattering...all you have to do is get the shade right!

My top 3 nude picks are all by Mac and are part of the crèmesheen range which I think is the perfect texture for a nude lip and give that plumped, polished appearance (no night of the living dead here!)

The contestants:

1. Pure Zen
2. Crème Cup
3. Crème d’nude

Swatch from left to right - Pure Zen, Creme Cup, Creme d'nude

Pure Zen:

I bought this on a whim a few weeks back when I was initially looking to swatch crème cup. I am naturally drawn to more coral toned shades so when I saw this and compared it to crème cup I decided that Pure Zen  would probably look better with my skin tone so opted for this instead and I am so glad that I bought it as I love it. As you can see from the photos, this is a gorgeous muted coral and looks great with a tan. I love wearing this on nights out if I am going for full on dramatic eyes and want to keep my lips simple but still with a little ‘somethin somethin’ on.

Crème Cup:

So in true Chantelle style, after buying Pure Zen I couldn’t stop thinking about Crème Cup and whilst on a work trip to London, decided to pick this up at duty free. Crème cup seems to be a favourite amongst beauty bloggers and I can totally see why. It is a gorgeous neutral pink ‘my lips only better’ colour which I imagine would suit a wide range of skin tones and is a perfect everyday shade. It has been in my makeup bag ever since I got it and I can see this being a new staple lip colour in my collection, LOVE IT!!

Creme d’nude:

This is the first nude lipstick I ever bought, and it is a true nude. I tend to only wear this on nights out, when I have slathered on a fair amount of Xen tan to avoid looking like a walking, breathing, zombie! I also tend to put a lipgloss on top of this to avoid the dreaded foundation lips look (shudder at the thought) and the result is amazing plumped up lips, without the need for any cosmetic surgery, result! :) Out of the 3, I would say this one should maybe be avoided by paler skinned gals as this can easily wash me out if my skin is due a dose or two of fake tan!

Some tips...

• Exfoliate lips first to avoid setting into lines or dry areas on lips (I recommend Lush sugar lip scrubs as they are reasonably priced, last forever, do the job and TASTE AMAZING).
• With Mac crème sheen lipsticks, I do feel that despite giving a gorgeous sheen-filled pout, these can dry my lips out a little so I always carry a little mini tube of my Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour cream which I apply on top after an hour or so and gives a lovely glossy finish (any lip balm would do the trick though).
• For a more evening look, apply a layer of gloss for a full on plumped up pout (my favourite which works well over all 3 is Mac Pro Longwear lipglass in Boundlessly Beige – swatches below).

Mac Boundlessly Beige Pro Longwear Lipglass

Swatches with Mac Boundlessly Beige lipglass on top from L to R - Pure Zen, Creme Cup, Creme D'nude

The great thing about all three of these shades is that they are so wearable, easy to apply on the go, and so versatile! And with summer approaching I can see me wearing these a lot for that everyday effortless ‘my lips always look this good’ au natural look!

Do you have any of these Mac lipsticks? What are your favourite nude lipsticks?

Chantelle xx

OUTFIT OF THE NIGHT...MAD OVER MONOCHROME

There's something I find just so chic when it comes to monochrome. However, some monochrome prints just don't look right on me, particularly large blocky or geometric prints (if that makes sense?!) I absolutely love them on other people but I just don't think bold monochrome patterns look right on me. So when browsing Missguided's website a couple of weeks ago I spotted this little crop top and new I had to have it. The print is perfect, not too bold, just right! 

I was on a night out with some friends last weekend so decided to team this with my high waisted leather skirt from Oasis (I don't think Oasis stock this anymore but Missguided have a similar one here), Peace belt and flatforms. I love crop tops with high waisted skirts because they bear just enough flesh but not too much...this is as much flesh as I can brave haha!

I let the top do the talking with this outfit so decided to keep jewellery minimal and opted for a bold red lip (Diva by Mac). I was planning on painting my nails either black or a burgundy colour but I didn't have time to remove my glitter gel nail polish!

What do you think of this outfit? What is your favourite crop top and what do you team it with? 

Chantelle xx

What I'm wearing: Leather skirt - Oasis | Crop Top - Missguided | Flatforms - Missguided | Peace Belt - Urban Outfitters |

MODEL IN A BOTTLE MAKEUP SETTING SPRAY

Model In A Bottle Makeup Setting Spray - £18.75

Happy Bank Holiday Monday everyone! Today I’ve decided to do a quick review on the makeup setting spray, Model In A Bottle. I bought this a couple of months ago and have enjoyed using this on days where I know I’m going to be out all day and need my makeup to last without worrying about touch-ups half way through the day.

This is actually the first makeup setting spray I’ve ever used – I don’t know why, I think I was always just really dubious about spraying something wet onto my skin after spending time doing my makeup, afraid that it would just ruin it! However ,after watching one of Nicole Guerriero’s videos where she used this, I was intrigued to try it out. I could easily have picked up one of the Urban Decay or Mac makeup setting sprays but you know that way when you get something into your head and you need to buy it...NOW? Well that’s how I felt, so after discovering that it is made in the USA and isn't easily available in the UK, I ordered it from Amazon. The supplier is based in the UK and it only took 2-3 days to arrive (delivery was also free).

What Model In A  Bottle say: “...seals your makeup and will last as long as you do. No more touch ups...resistant to smudging, humidity, water and tears.”

How to apply: apply makeup as usual, allow mascara to fully dry then spray evenly (I usually use about 3 sprays) around 10-12 inches from my face, then allow 20-30 secs to dry before opening eyes.

As I had never used a makeup setting spray until now, I was worried this was going to feel like hairspray and make my face feel stiff but it is actually surprisingly light. On initial application I can definitely feel it setting my makeup but it’s not an unpleasant feeling and once dry it doesn't make my face feel stiff or anything. It is said to “last as long as you do”...typically my makeup is only on for around 10-12 hours maximum and usually by lunchtime I want to check my makeup to make sure I don’t have any oily patches around my t-zone but I definitely think this setting spray reduces shine and the need for touch ups. When using it I actually don’t feel the need to touch up my makeup at all during the day.

One thing I’d say with this setting spray, is I think it is important to note that foundation is key to the finish. The finish of the setting spray is matte, and when I first tried this out I was wearing NarsSheer Glow foundation. Model In A Bottle works a treat with this foundation, and doesn’t dull down the glow factor I get with this foundation. However, when used alongside Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation, something just didn't work, it’s hard to describe but I think it was due to this foundation being quite dewy? I’m not quite sure but something just didn't mix well with both of them and after an hour or so I felt like my makeup was rubbing off...not a good look! I don’t have any other setting sprays I can compare Model In A Bottle to, but I do enjoy using it and if you do prefer a matte finish I recommend trying this.

All in all I do think this is a good addition to my makeup collection but it’s not a ‘suitable for all’ type of setting spray as I don’t think it works particularly well with dewy finish foundations (or maybe just Laura Mercier silk crème?), so it has made me more eager to try out other setting sprays such as the Urban Decay All Nighter and Mac Fix+.

Do you use makeup setting sprays? Have you tried Model In A Bottle? What setting sprays would you recommend?

OOTD - SPRING HAS SPRUNG

So I know this might not look very Spring but I think I'm almost there, do you? Recently the weather has just been so unpredictable (not uncommon for Glasgow to be honest!) so although I've been seeing loads of gorgeous Spring wear clothing, I've been putting off buying anything until the weather cheers up a bit! With that said, this is my take on an 'almost Spring' look as we were lucky enough to get some lovely weather on Saturday, yippeeee! I was out and about for most of the day so I wanted to be practical and comfy so opted for these new 'Mom' jeans I recently bought from Topshop. I really love acid wash jeans at the moment - I have the Topshop Leigh acid wash skinny jeans which are quite stretchy and soft, but the Mom jeans are proper jean material (if you know what I mean), quite thick with no stretch in them and are high waisted which I think are the most flattering style of jeans. I teamed these with my white 3D floral jumper and white Vans, with some simple gold/rose gold jewellery.

What do you think of this outfit? :)

What I'm wearing: Jeans - Topshop | 3D floral top - Ebay | Vans - Office | Gold cross necklace - River Island | Rose gold/gold bracelet - Topshop |

ESTEE LAUDER BRONZE GODDESS PERFUME AND BODY OIL SPRAY

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Perfume - £45 | Body Oil Spray - £35

New Bottle Vs Old

ESTEE LAUDER BRONZE GODDESS IS BACK IN STOCK!!!

This weekend, I allowed a little bit of the ‘crazy’ in me to rise to the surface and bought 3 Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess fragrances...if you haven’t sniffed this perfume you are probably thinking at this moment in time that I am mad, however if you have, then I’m guessing you know why I did it!

This perfume has to be my ultimate favourite perfume of all time. It is the most gorgeous, ‘holiday in a bottle’ scent and I can hand on heart say that I don’t think I will ever find another perfume out there that can beat it. It has a citrusy, coconuty, vanilla, floral scent to it and whenever I have it on it makes me think about luxurious holidays, laying on a deserted beach somewhere or private pool with a cocktail in hand, huge floppy sun hat and designer bikini (a girl can dream!)

I think the price has slightly gone up (from £40 I think last year, to £45) but for 100mls I wouldn’t really grumble about this as it is so gorgeous. The bottle has also changed from a clear, glittery bottle as you can see in the picture (yes I still have one of last year’s bottles left...naughty) to an all gold shiny bottle which in my opinion is quite chic.

What Estee Lauder say: “Inspired by the warmth of the Mediterranean, a citrus floral blend with notes of Bergamot and Orange Blossom”

Top Notes

Sicilian Citron

Calabrese Bergamot

Blood Orange

Sweet Tangerine

Provencal Lavender Flowers

Lemon Tree Leaves (Petitgrain)

Middle Notes

Pittosporum

Neroli from Tunisia ORPUR™ Moroccan Orange Blossom ORPUR™

Indian Sambac

Grapefruit Tree Blossoms

Pink Lily Nectar

Base Notes

Blond Woods

Iris Accord

Ambrette Seeds

Crystalline Musks

This is a limited edition fragrance which only comes out once per year, usually around April/May time. I caught wind that this hit shelves in Boots on the 27^th so I sneakily called up my local Boots and asked the sales assistant if she could put 2 aside for me. These are always a quick sellout, I've learned the hard way from past experiences so didn’t want to leave anything to chance this year! When I popped into Boots today to collect, the sales assistant said she only had 14 bottles of the fragrance left and 2 of the body oils! There’s nothing that gets me more than these two lines...“limited edition” and “there’s only X left”. I've never tried the body oil so I gave it a go in the shop and was immediately hooked. Not only does it have the same gorgeous sent but it absorbs into the skin so quickly, leaving a gorgeous shine and feels so soft and non-greasy. It also has a spray applicator so there's no mess when applying. I imagined how good this would look slathered on my legs and arms on holiday, combined with the fragrance and immediately snapped it up...to be fair though I bought the body oil with my Advantage card points so I don’t feel too bad about my excessive purchase!

If there’s one thing I could recommend, it is to pop into your local Boots or anywhere that has an Estee Lauder counter and try this fragrance.

Have any of you tried Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess perfume or body oil? What do you think of it?

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my post, I really do appreciate it and love hearing your thoughts :)

Chantelle xx

WHATS ON MY FACE #1

It dawned on me the other day whilst I was doing an OOTD post that I’ve never actually done a ‘What’s on my face’ post, and to be honest my makeup routine has changed quite a bit in the past couple of months. I’ve gone through a bit of a foundation phase where I've been trying to find the perfect foundation. You know when you think you've found the right one then a month or so later, you’re wondering what you ever saw in it? Well that’s the way I've been feeling lately. I’m not saying that I will never go back to using my old favourite but I think it’s about time I got out of my makeup rut and started trying some new bases...without further ado, let’s get onto what I am currently loving...

FACE:

Primer: Smashbox oil free Photo Finish primer, to mattify skin and reduce appearance of pores (full review here) & Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector (review here) to give my skin a little bit of ja ja juuu ;) (aka glow).

Foundation: Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation...

Oh.My.Goodness. This stuff is amazing. I have heard quite a lot about this foundation over the blogosphere and wanted to try it out for myself to see what all the hype was about. It’s quite an expensive one but worth it in my books (see my full review on this here).

Concealer: Estee Lauder Stay In Place Flawless Wear Concealer (on any blemishes) & Estee Lauder Ideal Light Brush on Illuminator to brighten around eye area (review coming soon).

The stay in pace concealer is my favourite ‘heavy duty’ concealer which is great if you’re having any bad skin days or in general, just to cover up any little blemishes. I only need the tiniest amount of this on good skin days so it lasts me ages and the Brush on Illuminator is a recent addition to my makeup bag and is amazing at brightening eyes.

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (iridescent) to keep shine at bay on my t-zone and Nars Laguna Bronzer for contouring.

Blush: Topshop cream blush in Head Over Heels. I must say this little blush bargain has been adorning my cheeks for the past month, while my slightly more expensive blushes (I’m looking at you Nars Orgasm) are in time out.

EYES: Bobby Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Copper all over my lids, Barry M Waterproof Precision Eyeliner, Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara.

Brows: Benefit Brow Zings in Light.

I realise this might seem like quite a lot of makeup but this isn't my traditional everyday makeup look! I was meeting up with some friends for a little dinner date a couple of weekends ago so this is the look I would tend to go for if I’m going out but not clubbing :)

What do you think of this look? Do you use any of these products? What do you think of them?

As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog, I really do appreciate it and love hearing your thoughts on any posts I've done :)

Chantelle xx