If you love music you would of heard of the curse of the third album. It usually results from a good or great debut album then followed by an amazing second album. Lots of artists go through this phase in their careers because it's usually easier to top their first album as when they start to write and produce for the second album they would of had more experiences to write about and also they learn how to refine their own particular sound however it's difficult to beat that success which is where the struggle comes in. One artist who I feel has recently beaten the curse of the third album is Harry Styles. In late May Harry released his third album called Harry's House which is the album I feel like we've all been waiting for! You can't deny that even if you're not a fan of Harry's music he possess sheer power and magnetism both on the music industry and on the whole world. If you're young, good looking, can sing and can write songs then you are sure to do well however Harry's on another level and has been for years since the One Direction days. When he sings live in front of 80,000 people at Wembley Stadium (I was there at the Capital Summertime Ball!) he commands the stage like no one else, even making the crowd shush until As It Was started! Now that he's a little older and more experienced I feel that he's really come into his own and this album shows that and I'll tell you why.
As you expect Harry’s House is one hell of a treat. After 3 years apart from his second album, he’s had a lot of time to explore different musical styles which is why this album sounds so great! Music For A Sushi Restaurant starts out as an electro instrumental for a good 15 seconds of the song until that echo of Harry’s voice enters the record. With an 80s sound that’s followed by a catchy chorus (which is now used for the new Apple Air Pods ad) it’s a great introduction to the album that sticks in your head for the rest of the day (or week!).
Late Night Talking is my favourite song on the album! This one has been on repeat the most and there are many reasons for this. As soon as the track starts you can tell that there is a retro feel to this song as it sounds like it’s from the 1970s as it has real soul to it that not many songs have nowadays. Harry’s voice gradually gets louder until it reaches the chorus when you get the full impact of the song, particularly when he sings ‘Now you’re in my life, I can’t get you off my mind’, that line resonates with literally everyone on this planet, whether you just have a crush on someone or you’re in love this them. I also love the title of the track as it really does represent a deep connection you have with someone so much that you can't stop talking to them until the early hours, whether that is a lover or even a friend.
Grapejuice takes the record into chilled summer vibes with it's mid tempo beat and Harry's relaxed use of his vocals. I love the relaxed sounding synth section near the end of the track which does sound like it comes straight out of 1982, which is actually the year that Harry mentions in the song, so this track is definitely inspired by 80s music.
AS It Was which you could argue is the biggest song of the year so far (and rightly so!) was Harry's debut song released from Harry's House and what a breakout song it is. Everyone I've talked to loves this song and whenever I tell them it's by Harry they are shocked to say the least! This is the most Pop sounding song on the album as it's your typical upbeat summer anthem with lyrics that anyone can learn in the same day. I love that the message can be interpret in different ways, either in regards to changes in a relationship or changes to the world in general as the world is definitely not the same as it was years ago for many different reasons. If he doesn't win any awards for this song in particular next year I'll be shocked to say the least!
Daylight is another song that fits into the chilled summer vibes section of the album however this one has more of a dreamy quality to it than Grapefruit. Fun fact about this video, it was actually directed by his friend James Corden while Harry was on the Late Late Show and they knocked on people's doors in New York asking if they could borrow their flat to film the video. Imagine finding out that both you and your apartment are going to be in a Harry Styles video, to say I'd be excited would be a huge understatement! One of my favourite parts of the behind the scenes video for the music video is when James Corden is holding up these fake blue birds that Harry's meant to pretend are not there however he keeps laughing every time they play the line 'If I was a blue bird I would fly to you' . It's very funny and I recommend you watch the making of it as well as the video itself.
Little Freak is where the album gets slower and more sentimental in meaning as Harry mentions that he keeps thinking about someone, which now we know is Olivia Wilde as that fits to the time frame of when he wrote this album and when they first got together. This is a great track to play when you just need to unwind from the busy world around you and those relaxing notes played on the acoustic guitar will surely help you do that.
Cinema brings the album back up to an upbeat sound and it's one of the coolest songs on the album for sure. It's got that funk genre sound to it again taking references from the 1970s. I love the electric guitar solo as it really brings soul to the track that the previous songs don't have as much of as they have more of a Pop sound in general.
Daydreaming like As It Was is a very summery pop song filled with a great use of harmonies going on from just taking different elements of Harry's vocals and putting them together, it's a clever trick which works well in this song. I also love the piano solo at the end which fades away towards to end of the song.
Keep Driving is another one of my favourites on the album as it sounds one of the most sophisticated songs on it which makes sense as Harry's maturing, so he'll want to show more of this side to him. I love the use of the metaphor of Keep Driving used to portray a relationship to ask should we keep this thing going or stop?
Satellite starts with a space age intro turning into a poptastic dance track which then turns into a rock song, so it's definitely the most eclectic song on the album. The lyrics in this one are a tad on the repetitive side as it's mostly him saying that he's waiting for someone over and over however it's still good to play in the background.
Boyfriends has a very relatable message unfortunately as it talks about them taking advantage of their girlfriends which many people have experienced. It's a relaxing ballad played mostly on an acoustic guitar and backing vocals which adds to how raw and poignant the meaning of the song actually is.
Love Of My Life opens to a haunted base sound getting faster as the song progresses. I'm not sure if the haunted aspect of this song is meant to represent a past love as that's what the lyrics suggest however it gives the song a strong instrumental punch. It then ends with a few keys played on the piano before the album is then completed.
I think this is Harry's best album to date which as I previously mentioned for a third album to be the best one is very rare indeed, but what can I say, he's a talented man! What are your thoughts on Harry's House, I'd love to know!
Thanks for reading
Chantal x
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I couldn't resist one of Charlotte Tilbury's latest offerings, her new Quick & Easy Makeup in Super Chic. This is not a new concept for the brand as back in 2016 (or around that time) Charlotte released her first concept of the Quick & Easy makeup kits. Back then all the products were cased in a transparent makeup bag which you could take with you wherever you went from the office to the bar. However for this new incarnation the products are now cased in a reusable plastic box that flips upwards to show a mirror and 3 products inside- a cream eyeshadow stick, a cream blush & lip stick and a cream highlighter stick. These products are meant to be multi purpose, for example you can use the cream blush as a lipstick and the highlighter can always be used on the eyes as an inner corner eyeshadow or on the brow bone to make that area pop more. The only product that isn't really multi- purpose is the eyeshadow, especially this particular one as it's a matte brown which you think may be great as a contour shade however in my opinion it doesn't blend well enough to do this.
Lets go in order of how the products are presented. First we have the cream eyeshadow which is a matte mid tone brown shade, which is not too cool toned or too warm toned, it is the perfect shade for everyone in my opinion! This for me is actually the weakest product in the kit as you have to work really quickly to blend it before it sets and this could be because none of the products have lids as you simply click them back into the main case for them to be protected, unfortunately though I think the eyeshadow does dry out a bit because of this. The positive of this is that once you do have it on your eyes it stays put quite literally all day, or at least between 8 & 12 hours, but in all honesty who wears their makeup more than that anyway? Another positive is that it looks good when used around the lower lash line to add impact to the eyes without making the look over dramatic.
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Two months ago I was able to eat what I liked without food having any affect on me. With the exception of meat I would eat anything- cheese, crisps, chocolate, pasta, pizza, you name it I'd eat it. That was until I noticed that I started feeling really ill and sometimes sick after everything I ate. Even after eating a snack my stomach would bloat and become so painful that I felt like I had to lie down every time constantly in a state of bewilderment.
Then after two phone appointments, one face to face appointment and finally a blood test where the nurse had to fill 3 valves of blood (ugh!) the results finally came back as nothing serious however I was lacking in both folic acid and vitamin D. One week during this time I had an idea to switch to non- dairy foods as I thought maybe I've suddenly become intolerant to dairy. When my experimental week was up I had my second phone appointment and I told the doctor that while trying that diet I had no pain or bloating at all. She said it did sound like I was lactose (basically dairy) intolerant if this was the case, so she recommended me to keep it up. Now that it's been a month I want to talk about what it's like eating a plant based/vegan diet which is what I have to do now. So read on for the good bits, the bad bits and the downright annoying parts of living like a vegan.
At first you will become moody
Any time someone decides to go on a diet or completely cut out certain food groups people will always become both moody and tired for no apparent reason. Or at least you think it's for no reason however what you don't know is that your body is no longer receiving some vital vitamins and minerals that it usually gets, for example calcium and B12 from dairy products. To support your vegan/plant based diet you need to take vitamin B12 tablets or even better eat more greens including spinach, kale, and broccoli. I'm still getting used to this as I'm usually terrible at eating any veg really however having to eat salads more really gets you accustomed to this!
You get used to the lack of choice
Nowadays we have so much variety when it comes to food that we forget that years ago you could only buy particular foods if they were in season. We can only imagine that now! Luckily supermarkets do a great job now at categorising foods so you know exactly where you need to go to look for vegan meals or snacks. That being said there's still limited choice when it comes to vegan food unlike with vegetarian food where there's always a vegetarian version of each dish, e.g a vegetable pizza or quiche when us vegans can't even eat those as they both have cheese in them! My favourite store to buy vegan dinner from is Marks & Spencer and my favourite for snacks is actually Sainsbury's as they sell my favourite Cadbury Plant Bar which is chocolate with almonds instead of milk, it's delicious! The Plant Kitchen range from M&S is amazing, my favourite meals are the Sweet 'N' Sour No Chicken and the No Chicken Southern Fried Tenders. The choice is getting better however there's still a way to go.
You Start To Feel And Look Healthier
The thing that surprised me the most when it came to changing to a lactose free diet was that once my body became used to the change, I actually started to feel lighter as I wasn't sluggish anymore as I suddenly had more energy again. Also my skin has improved dramatically since cutting out dairy as my face hasn't had any spots for almost a month and my skin looks and feels a lot smoother than it did before. It's a nice result as it makes you feel confident to go out without makeup on, which is not something I'm always happy to do as I know I look better with makeup on unlike some people.
Thanks for taking the time to read about my experience of eating a plant based diet. Let me know if you're on the same path as me and we can discuss more in the comments.
Chantal
After a 6 year break being on our tv screens finally BBC Three is returning as a channel today (1st February) at 7pm. It's also my birthday today, so this is a very exciting day. BBC Three originally launched on 9th February 2003 however it closed as a channel on 16th February 2016 when the organisation stupidly decided it should only be an online channel to be viewed on iPlayer. The main motivation why the BBC did this was to save money of course however I have a feeling that they also did it because they could sense that young people nowadays mainly watch shows via streaming services and not linear tv, (which is true) however the shows they produced were so popular that even that reason made no sense six years ago.
But then why is it coming back you ask? Due to the popularity of shows such as RuPaul's Drag Race UK and Normal People the online channel received millions of viewers tune in which hasn't happened in a long time. Also these shows were on during lockdown of course, so this gave the service a massive boost that it hadn't seen in years. To celebrate this exciting and historic moment I'm going to talk about the channel's both past and present shows that made and still makes the platform iconic today. Over the years BBC Three has been one of the very few platforms that has purely represented the youth, whether that was the youth of the noughties or the youth of now, it still talks about issues that we can relate to, which other channels and streaming platforms can't do. So let's take a dive into the televisual portal that is BBC Three...
Gavin & Stacey
Being Welsh myself, Gavin & Stacey will always hold a special place in my heart. The story of two young love birds who work for the same company in different parts of the country, Gavin in Essex and Stacey in Barry Island who talk to each other over the phone until they finally meet for the first time on a trip to London where Gavin brings his friend Smithy and Stacey brings Nessa. Their friends don't see eye to eye at first however that quickly changes and then the story unfolds as Gavin & Stacey get engaged which then means we see a lot more of their families. With legendary characters including Pam, Bryn, Mick, I could go on and on this show really captured the audience and it helped put Barry Island on the map which is something I don't think it could of ever predicted in a million years! When they came back with a Christmas Special in 2019 it had millions of us hooked and we are still begging them to make at least one more special as we all want to know whether Smithy said yes to Nessa's proposal.
It's always big news in the beauty world when Charlotte Tilbury releases a new product, especially a new foundation. Everyone wants fabulous looking skin, whether you prefer a glowy finish or a matte finish and this is something that Charlotte's other foundations can certainly do. So how does the new Beautiful Skin Foundation compare to her previous foundations? I'll tell you all about it in this post.
It's been a while since a new foundation has come from Team Tilbury which is probably why everyone is getting so excited. The Beautiful Skin Foundation has a range of claims including 'Skin Looks More Radiant By Up To 285%, Long Lasting, Pollution Defence, Improves The Look Of Skin With Each Wear' the list goes on. The foundation gives a soft glow, as if you have a filter on your face but in real life. Once powdered of course it gives you more of a matte finish however there's still a muted glow left underneath.
Foundation before it's powdered
Foundation after it's been powdered
As you can see it leaves a lovely soft focus radiance to the skin which looks great in both real life and photos. I think it works well applied using a brush- ideally a buffering brush or a kabuki brush. Also I love the packaging as it's in a tube with a pump on it, so it's perfect for throwing in your bag and taking with you on the go.
There are 30 shades to choose from, I was recommended shade 2 Warm which is a great match for me right now as my skin is so pale from not going on holiday for 4 years due to covid and other stuff. I think 30 shades is a good amount, so you should be able to find one that suits you. I've worn it all week and I'm very impressed with it! Firstly because the consistency is light, it means that it's very easy to blend into your skin, so you don't get any harsh blending lines, especially when you use a brush. The lasting power (at least after you've set it) is between 7 to 8 hours which is pretty good as it'll last a whole working day or evening out. In terms of the skincare ingredients in the foundation, I don't know how much it helps the look of your skin however my skin has been looking slightly better than usual, so maybe it is doing something to help? Another thing I'm very impressed with is that it covers my under eye circles surprisingly well considering I have very dark circles! Of course it won't cover as well as an actual concealer however if you're in a rush and you need to get your makeup on quickly then it'll more than do.
The first contestant who went out on Saturday was Chandelier who turned out to be the 90s legend Heather Small from the band M People. The problem with this performance however was that for some reason she disguised her iconic voice from the judges and audiences which confused us all. The voice that she put on made her sound a lot older than she was, so I was thinking of a singer from the 1960s or 70s. I was so shocked when she lifted up the mask however I'm glad that Mo guessed her right as it shows that he's a true Heather Small fan!
Mushroom has to be one of the most theatrical performers out of the cast. This is someone who can clearly both sing and act and I think this person has done both throughout her career. She's also very comfortable on stage which makes me feel very confident that she has performed in plays and musicals before. One person who fits all of these credentials is Jessie Buckley. Jessie is a well known Irish singer and actress and last year she played Juliet in the National Theatre's production of Rome and Juliet. This version was filmed on stage however it was seen both in cinemas and on the National Theatre at home service which is their online platform to watch their previous shows due to covid. This all connects perfectly to mushroom.
For the next three performers I'm not as confident with working out who they may be. Bagpipes sounds like a rock and roll or maybe a punk legend, so it could be Johnny Rotton from The Sex Pistols who has previously been on the American version of the show however whether he has Scottish heritage I honestly don't know? My sister thinks he sounds like Dalmon Albarn who of course actually sang Song 2, the song that Bagpipes performed as he sang it with his band Blur. Whether he would go on the show and sing his own song is the question though, however it is a very punk thing to do, so maybe he chose to do it to shock people?
Firework has one of the best costumes out of all of them because it's fun, bright yet the celebrity can easily move around as only their head, hands and feet are completely covered. From her frame we can tell that she's tall and very slim. I don't recognise the voice at all however she gave some clues about Coronation Street. One person who's been in the soap for a while is Alison King who plays Carla. She would match the description as she used to be a model before she became an actress. Whoever she is I just love her energy!
To quote everyone else, I can't believe that 2021 is almost over. Even though this year hasn't been the best for most people it has still somehow gone by very quickly compared to last year. Bring on 2022! For my last post of the year I wanted to write a review of the first and only beauty advent calendar that I bought which was the MAC 2021 Box of Tricks Advent Calendar which contains £340 worth of products however it only cost me £135 to buy, which I think was a pretty good deal if you ask me. I know the calendar has sold out now however I wanted to talk about some of my favourite products from the calendar that I want to recommend to you lovely lot.
Going from left to right we have the Brow Set in Clear, Strobe Cream in Pinklite, Powder Kiss Lipstick in Mull It Over, Extra Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara, lipstick in Taupe, Lipglass in Spite, Eyeshadow in Brun, Prep + Prime Natural Radiance in Radient Yellow, Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul, Powder Kiss Soft Matte Eyeshadow in It's Vintage, Eyeshadow in Omega and the Cleanse off oil.
Out of this group of products my favourites are the Powder Kiss lipstick in Mull It Over which is a great everyday warm nude shade that'll suit lots of people, Taupe lipstick as it's a gorgeous reddish brown shade that really goes with the whole 90s beauty trends that are going on right now and the eyeshadow in Brun has that same feel to it. My last favourite out of these lot would be the eyeshadow in Omega as it's a beige colour that can both be a great base for eyeshadow however you can also use it all over as a simple one eyeshadow look which is something I do a lot of!
Now for the right hand side, going from left to right we have the mini lipstick in Velvet Teddy, Lipglass in Clear, Prep + Prime Essential Oils, Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Bougie, Prep+ Prime lip, Powder Kiss Soft Matte Eyeshadow in Devoted to Chili, mini lipstick in Ruby Woo, Pigment Colour in Tan, lipstick in Mehr, mini lipstick in Chili, Veluxe Pearl Eyeshadow in Expensive Pink and finally the mini Fix+.
My favourites from this side of the calendar are the mini lipstick in Velvet Teddy because it's so iconic, it suits everyone so therefore you can never have enough of it! The Lipglass in Clear is so simple yet so effective and one product I don't have is a clear lip gloss, so this is something I actually need in my life! The Devoted to Chili eyeshadow looks very exciting as it's a colour that sits right in the middle of red and orange, so I can't wait to create a look using this product next year and my last pick has to be the Pigment Colour Powder in Tan because I've never created a look with a pigment before (unless you count the Barry M Dazzle Dusts which we all tried when we were 12!). This pigment will look beautiful over a bronze smokey eye or maybe over a sunset eye look in the summer.
I hope you discovered some fun and interesting products that you may want to try next year.
Wishing you all the best for 2022
Chantal x
We are finally in December and I couldn't be more excited, the count down to Christmas has begun!! I have wanted a beauty advent calendar for years however I never had the opportunity to buy one until now. There were so many on offer this year however the MAC one stood out to me the most as it was one of the only ones that had predominantly makeup inside it and more to the point great quality makeup! I'm going to try to remember to post regularly as I'm so excited to tell you what's behind each door. So let's see what's behind day 1.
Day 1: Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour in Mull It Over
Behind day 1 we have one of the Powder Kiss liquid lipsticks. Mull It Over is a terracotta nude shade which I think would suit all skin tones as even though it's a warm toned nude it's not too warm for people who are used to cooler toned shades. The formula is one of the softest and most comfortable that I've tried from a liquid lipstick as it glides on really smoothly however it then sets down. Like any liquid lipstick I would recommend exfoliating your lips first and putting lip balm on before as this formula may exaggerate dryness. Once set though it does feel very comfortable to wear and it looks great on.
Here it is swatched
I can't wait to see what's inside the other days!
Thanks for reading
Chantal x
It's not often I want to try a new base product as once I really love a product I usually stick with it for a long time. This new L'Oreal Paris True Match Tinted Serum Foundation caught my eye however because it contains hyaluronic acid which is amazing for your skin as it provides instant hydration which makes your skin look youthful and healthy. This latest product provides an incredible hybrid formula of skincare and makeup which I feel will be a new trend in beauty going forward. That being said let's see how I've been getting on with it so far.
I purchased shade 2-3 Light. There are 9 shades in total however it's important to stress that the foundation blends into your skin extremely easily which means as long as you buy the bottle that's 3 shades closest to your skin tone then it will work for you. The consistency is ever so slightly watery than a traditional foundation however it's not so slippery that as soon as you put it on your hands it drips all over the place.
The foundation is contained within a pipette which is great as it means that you can gradually add the exact amount of product you want which means you can never go overboard with it. Because it has hyaluronic acid in it, the foundation glides onto the skin so smoothly which means it blends into the skin incredible well and very quickly too. It's for this reason why one shade can work across a couple of skin tones which a normal foundation couldn't do.
As you can see at first once you put it on my hand the shade looks slightly too light for me.
However once blended in you can see that it almost disappears into my skin which means that this particular shade is the right one for me. So if there are testers available to use then I would use this test to determine which shade would be the best for you.
So the consistency it right, the shade is right and it blends beautifully however how well does it perform you ask? Well I was very surprised because for a serum foundation it actually lasted a good 8 or 9 hours on my skin before it started getting a bit shiny. I of course set it with my trusted Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in shade 1 Fair as I have combination oily skin however if you have drier skin then it may last a good amount of time on you even without setting it. The finish it gives before you set it is a natural satin finish, so it's not a product if you want something that's very glowy looking on the skin. Another thing I noticed is the first day after I wore this my skin did look better than the day before I started wearing it, so perhaps it already helped to improve my skin from day one! Coverage wise it covers redness, marks from old spots and very small blemishes however if you have any major spots or anything else you'd like to cover up then I would suggest using a concealer with it however for a serum foundation the coverage it pretty decent in my opinion.
Have you tried the new L'Oreal Paris True Match Tinted Serum Foundation? If you have I'd love to know your thoughts. Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon.
Chantal x