Friday 6 December 2013

Christmas Tree Decorations 2013

Second post of the night, you lucky lot! Once again it's not beauty/fashion related but I thought that you would like to see my tree decorations in all their glory!







Not the best quality but I just had to share the cuteness☺
Chloe x

20/11/13 London

Not my usual beauty/fashion stuff but thought I would share a few snaps from my college London Trip last month! there is no swanky editing but then again I don't think that it's always necessary, Enjoy☺


















Chloe x

Wednesday 4 December 2013

Gadget Gift Guide

(image taken from Google Images - www.christmas39.com)

Apologies for the lack of posts these past couple of weeks but college and A-Levels seem to be taking over all of my spare time recently! I thought I would make up for that with a long awaited gadget gift guide to treat your friends and family this Christmas. So here are my top 8 gadget gifts!

1) I've already put this in my last post (Gifts for Him) although I thought it deserved another mention due to the great response I have heard from many owners...*drumroll* The Playstation 4. Great for any age (well obviously depending on game age ratings) or gender! Yes guys women play video games too.

2) Do you know someone needing a new mobile phone? Treat someone or even yourself this Christmas to the snazzy new Iphone 5c. With many different colours I personally think this would be a great gift for anybody! 

3) As a teenager I deal with spots and blemishes and know what a pain in the bum it is to deal with them. The Clarisonic Mia/Mia 2 would be the perfect gift for any self concious teenage girl who constantly covers up with make-up. Using this a couple of times a week (not too often just so that it doesn't harm the skin) would help to clean pores and result in healthier, clearer skin. Places such as House of Fraser and John Lewis stock the Clarisonic range within the UK.

4) So this gadget isn't any specific gadget because I do believe it's all down to preference with certain makes but we have recently been gifted a Blu-ray DVD player and are completely chuffed with the outcome. The picture on pretty much every blu-ray DVD is AMAZING.. no word of a lie! so I couldn't recommend this any more for an obsessive film watcher like myself!

5) For the little ones (or the big kids hahaha) in your family there is nothing better than a games console to keep them occupied on Christmas day. The Nintendo 3DS XL is sure to do just the job!

6) The new Kindle Paperwhite would be a great gift for anybody that enjoys to read a good book but would rather have them all in one convenient space and you can even read in the dark with the new back light technology! perfect!

7)  This one is for any man who likes to keep his beard and 'tash in pristine condition. I must admit its pretty expensive but the new technology that cools the skin after shaving makes splashing the cash that tad bit easier! The 'Braun °CoolTec Shaver CT5cc Wet & Dry Cordless electric shaver with active cooling technology and cleaning center'.

8) Last but not least every woman like to look after their lovely locks so what better way to do that than with the Panasonic Nanoe Hairdryer EH-NA65-K895. The first ever use of nanoe technology helps to keep the hair nourished by adding additional moisture resulting in smooth, shiny, healthy hair! 

And that's my list of gadgets! I hope this helped and I'm definitely going to attempt to post more frequently, maybe not my usual schedule, but a post non the less! Hope you're all having/have had a lovely day☺ 

Chloe x 

Monday 25 November 2013

Gifts For Him

(image taken from Google Images - www.christmas39.com)

Sorry for the lack of post's this weekend but I've had a bit of a busy 2 days! Here I am now finally sitting down to write this long awaited blog post. 

Are you struggling as much as I am with presents to buy for any man in your life? they are a tricky bunch! After a lot of looking around shops I think I have put together a pretty good line up for any budget.

Affordable Products:
1) Breaking Bad Box Set - Series 1-4 £32.00 on Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Breaking-Bad-Season-1-4-DVD/dp/B0084DYMUY/ref=sr_1_3?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1385404266&sr=1-3&keywords=breaking+bad+seasons+1+-+5 I myself have not watched the Breaking Bad tv series although this would be perfect for those who do or are interested in starting to. I have heard many good reviews and for that price why say no?
2) Lynx Apollo Duo - £6.00 Boots. Good ol' Lynx has been around for ages and is an iconic deodorant for men so why not treat whoever you have in mind to one of the Lynx Christmas gift sets from Boots? http://www.boots.com/en/Lynx-Apollo-Duo_1363324/
3) James Bond 007 Eau de Toilette 30ml Gift Set - £19.50 Boots. A decent price for quite a lovely, musky scent. http://www.boots.com/en/James-Bond-007-Eau-de-Toilette-30ml-Gift-Set_1389832/
4) Socks. Every man needs new socks every now and then and I personally think they're a good and practical stocking filler for any ages.

Luxury Products:
(the first two are very 'Luxe' although I decided to include it because it's what I honestly think any guy/boy would be thankful to recieve!)
1) Xbox One with Dead Rising 3, Forza 5, Call of Duty Ghosts, Battlefield 4, Despicable Me 2, The Wolverine & Man of Steel BluRays - £644.93 Game. I'm not much of a gamer so much of this means nothing to me however I know that the new Xbox is on many men's Christmas wishlists and for what you get in this little bundle I think the price is a bit of a bargain! http://www.game.co.uk/en/xbox-one-with-dead-rising-3-forza-5-call-of-duty-ghosts-battlefield-4-despicable-me-2-the-wolverine-man-of-steel-blurays-267293?pageSize=20&categoryIdentifier=607602
2) PlayStation 4 with Killzone Shadow Fall, LEGO Marvel SuperHeroes, FIFA 14, Battlefield 4, Need for Speed: Rivals & Call of Duty - £604.94 Game. Not an Xbox kinda guy? no worries because the preorder for the brand new Playstation is available! With 6 games how could you possibly say no?
3) Paco Rabanne 1 Million Eau de Toilette 50ml Gift Set - £39.50 Boots. A delicious scent and a great price, what more could you possibly want?
4) Whether it's your Dad, Cousin, Boyfriend etc I'm sure they would be grateful to receive a cosy and stylish hoodie for the up coming winter! such as this Superdry hoodie http://www.superdry.com/mens/hoodies/details/39708/vintage-logo-hoodie £49.99 Superdry.

I found this quite the challenge seen as though the only male I have to buy for is my Dad but I do hope that I have chose something for everyone or at least given you readers some ideas! I will hopefully be blogging regularly this weekend coming up and maybe to make up for my absence this past weekend I will post a few during the week! 

Thank you for reading! Any thoughts or tips do feel free to comment or even tweet me @chloecotgrave 

Chloe x




Sunday 17 November 2013

Presents For Her

Struggling for Christmas present inspiration for the 'Her' in your life? Whether that's your Mum, your Best Friends, Girlfriend or other female relatives I have put together a list of affordable and luxury products suitable for any budget!
(image taken from Google Images - www.christmas39.com)

Affordable Products:
*many product's I have included are from Boots due to the 3 for 2 offer they have on recently- saves so much money in the long-run!*
1) Soap & Glory Bright and Bubbly Original Pink Gift Set £10 - Boots.
2) Soap & Glory I'm Your Manicure Gift Set £14.00 - Boots. Ideal for the nail lovers out there!
3) Soap & Glory Loved & Glossed Gift Set £16.00 - Boots. Lovely, rich and moisturising lip gloss/sticks with an amazing vanilla scent! mmm... Slightly more pricey but totally worth every penny!
4) Bayliss and Harding Beauticology Trio in a Tin £8.00 - Boots. Great for Mum's, Auntie's or even Nana's/Grandma's who enjoy a good ol' pampering session.
5) I don't have anything specific to show for this number but I definitely recommend a look on Etsy.com for unique and mostly handmade products (prices will vary depending on what you are looking for).
6) LUSH. That is all I'm going to say. Their products are quite literally lush and make bath time that little more worthwhile! I recommend Snow Fairy scented anything (bath melt, shower gel etc)- It smells like heaven! well at least what I imagine heaven to smell like (have a look on the lush website for exact scent description haha).
7) Put together a few of your favourite high street/ drug store products and wrap them up all prettily. Originality is always nice!
8) How about printing some photo's into a little book as the perfect sentimental, personalised gift? Both printagr.am (it isn't a typo the full stop is actually meant to be there) and www.photobox.co.uk create beautiful personalised gifts with a few clicks of a button. Its that simple!





Luxury Products:
1) Soap & Glory In the Bag Gift Set £35.00 - Boots. S&G is a clear fave of mine so I couldn't not include it! 
2) Soap and Glory The Yule Monty Gift Set £60.00 - Boots. The best of S&G in one perfect gift set!
3) Mini Mani Advent Calendar (which would probably be best as an early Christmas present in my opinion) £42 - Selfridges. A beauty take on the original chocolate advent calendars.
4) Nars Basier de Feu bold lip kit £35.00 - Selfridges. Perfect for those who love the dark lip trend. Contains: Damage lipstick, Como Larger than Life long-wear lip gloss and Damned Velvet Matter lip pencil.
5) Bobbi Brown Smokey Warm Eye Palette £37.50 - Selfridges. Do  you know a neutral eye lover? This could possibly be the gift for them!
6) BaByliss Curl Secret Styler 2667U £119.99 - Boots/Argos/John Lewis. Any one who finds curling their hair a task will love this new ingenious tool that does all the hard work for you!




So there are a few of my picks and ideas for this Christmas. I would have chosen more but then this post would be farrrr to long! I hope this gave you a few more ideas/options for your gifts to the women in your life! I'm going to be doing a 'Presents For Him' and possibly 'Gadgets For Christmas' posts in the very near future so do keep your eyes peeled! any ideas are welcome just leave them in the comments:)

Chloe x

Saturday 16 November 2013

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and Cleaning Your Make-Up Brushes.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.

I recently purchased the Real Techniques version of the raved about Beauty Blender. The bright colour instantly attracted my attention and the unique shape makes it easy to apply foundation to every part of your face evenly.

It claims to give you 'the pixel perfect flawless base' although the foundation you use will obviously receive a different result compared to any other foundation for example: A foundation with a high coverage will make more of a flawless base than that of say a BB cream or tinted moisturiser. This tool does do an amazing job of blending in the product quickly and effectively which gets top marks from me!

When cleaning the sponge I did notice that it was quite difficult to mould the sponge back into its original shape although once dry it did seem to look perfectly normal. Overall I love this product. It was everything I expected and such a good tool for a great price.

As well as the review I thought I would include the routine I learned from beauty guru Michelle Phan (http://www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan) to clean my brushes.


STEP 1- Pour a mixture half of washing up liquid and half of extra virgin olive oil. The washing up liquid will clean the brush whilst the olive oil helps to keep the hairs in good condition.

STEP 2- Take your brush or sponge and mix it into the 2 liquids. You should start to see some of the product coming out of your brush already.

STEP 3- Rinse the brush/sponge under lukewarm water until the water runs clean. Wipe your make-up brush/sponge onto some kitchen roll and then leave them to dry on a towel or some clean kitchen roll.


And voilà! clean brushes. You should clean your face brushes or sponge after every use to reduce the chance of spots/blemishes forming.

I hope this post helped and maybe even enticed you into purchasing the Miracle Complexion Sponge. I recommend all of Sam's (Pixiwoo on YouTube and owner of Real Techniques) collection- good quality brushes and affordable prices! why not?

Leave any suggestions for future blog posts in the comments!
Chloe x 


Sunday 10 November 2013

My Current Favourite Lipsticks

I'm not one to wear lipstick usually but this past year I have been more likely to put on a lipstick whilst doing my make up.

My current favourite nude:
Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick Shade 19.

This is a lovely pinky nude that adds a slight bit of colour to your lips making them seem like your own lip's- but better!
It is very creamy but lasts just as long as a matte lipstick and doesn't leave your lips all dried out.

My current favourite Plum's/Burgundy's:
1) Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick- Glam Plum Fulham.
2) Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick- Shade 107.
3) Collection Gothic Glam Lipstick- Shade 3 Revenge.

1- Glam Plum Fulham is a lovely plum/dark pink shade that is a lighter take on the Autumn/Winter dark lipstick trend. It is extremely moisturising and has quite a good staying power considering it isn't a matte texture.

2- 107 is a similar colour to the Glam Plum Fulham although I believe it is more intense. Despite its matte texture it doesn't really dry the lips out majorly although I definitely wouldn't wear it with chapped lips! not so appealing.

3- Revenge is the darkest colour out of the 3. It is a plum colour colour although if it is applied quite a few times the colour can be used to it's full, intense potential. This too is a matte lipstick- maybe slightly more drying than the others but as long as you apply a good moisturising lip balm before hand it should be perfectly fine!

And last but not least...
My current favourite Red:
Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick- Shade 12.

Much like shade 19 this beautiful orange/red colour it has a creamy texture with long lasting power. Although my love for this product will no last forever as it has seemingly been discontinued :(. After doing my research I do believe that I have found a very similar shade in Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick line called in Love with Ginger. Seen as though I love my Glam Plum Fulham lipstick from the same range I'm sure I will love in Love with Ginger just as much!

And that's it so far! As you can tell from my picks Rimmel seems to be a great make-up line for lipsticks and quite possibly my favourite. I hope you enjoyed this post and I would love any new recommendations you may have (any excuse to splurge on make-up! hahaha).

Chloe x 

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Saturday 9 November 2013

Autumn/Winter Outfits

Personally Autumn and Winter fashion is my absolute favourite! I have a serious jumper/knitwear obsession and the typical UK weather means that warm clothing is a must!
Taking some of the 2013 Autumn/Winter trends and my own favourite's here are a few outfits I have put together:


Jumper- George at Asda.
Leggings- Select.
Doc Martens- Schuh.
Scarf- H&M.

Jumper- Primark.
High Waisted Jeans- New Look.
Converse- Schuh.
Underground Creepers- Schuh (2012 Boxing Day Sale).


Dress- H&M.
Cardigan- New Look.
Tartan Scarf- Given to me by a friend.
Boots- Marks and Spencers.

Top- Primark.
Shorts- Urban Outfitters Sale.
Converse- Schuh.

Dress- HUK (Afflecks).
Shoes- Topshop.

So there you have it! I hope this gave you some inspiration and an idea of what clothes are on the market as we speak!

Chloe x

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The Manchester Light Switch On

Every November most cities will have a Christmas light switch on with tonnes of acts which will generally include 2-3 singers who, you guessed it, switch on the switch to all the Christmas lights. This is then followed by 100's (maybe not literally) of fireworks and that warm christmassy feeling in your stomach (once again- probably not literally).

Here are a few pictures of Manchester's Christmas Light Switch on (all from the warmth of my mum's office window- ahhh!).


Ready for the show with my chica's!


The Rejects Street Dance Crew

Neon Jungle

Warhorse

Cast of Peter Pan






James Arthur

The Switch On!






Hope you enjoyed!
Chloe x


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