High street Dupes for the Chloe bag - chloescorner

The Chloe Faye bag is beautiful: 

Chloe Faye Shoulder Bag Link

If money wasn't a problem omg, I'd have them in every single colour but *sigh* at over £1000 pound a pop a girl just gotta dream... Although if you, like me, have an eye for this stunning accessory I have found some pretty convincing dupes that'll look just as stylish yet save you a hell of a lotta dosh!

MISSGUIDED - 

Thread Through Clutch Bag Tan Link

CAN YOU SEE THE SIMILARITIES?! It is literally almost identical although Missguided has added the snakeskin/crocodile print material to the flap rather than the smooth and sleek one that the Chloe bag has to offer. £25 for this little beaut will save you a massive £1255 on the originals price. Whatta steal! It also comes in black - Link

MANGO - (find image)

Again, a pretty decent dupe. Slightly smaller in size, a suede finish and a little accent detail with the Pearlescent clasp - A sophisticated twist on the original that just adds that little bit of uniqueness. At only £35.99 it'll save you £1244.01 - ridiculous! this also comes in beige and black although both are currently out've stock so just keep your beady eye open for their re-stock and snap them up quick!

NEW LOOK - 

Tan Leather Look Satchel - Link

Not Entirely the same - The satchel size is quite a bit bigger than the Chloe Faye although its very very clear to me that this is Chloe-esqe with the circle accent on the clasp and the flap closing. This bag is an utter bargain at £22.99 and even better news? it comes in both Burgundy and Dark Green for more of a autumn/winter spin. Oh and you save yourself £1257.01... just sayin'.

Black Velvet Chain Shoulder Bag - Link

Velvet is a huge A/W trend so this spin on the Chloe bag is gorgeous! Again with the clasp, you can see the nod to our splashy original although slightly smaller. And at £17.99 you cannot grumble at all! And with a whopping £1262.01 difference I know what my choice would certainly be!

 H&M - 

Shoulder Bag - Link

I LOOOOVE this dupe. Its effortlessly glam and the colour is bang on trend! Again, like the rest, you can see the inspiration taken from the original although the snakeskin flap adds a little bit of edge and a unique twist. £29.99, saving you £1250.01. You;d be crazy to miss out on a deal like that!

And there you have it guys and dolls! My style-steal Dupes of the incredible Chloe Faye Bag. I hope you liked the post, I definitely had fun making it! Let me know which is your fave or if you plan on grabbing any of these bargains for yourself!

All my love,

Chloe xo

Lets talk mental health - chloescorner

I have never been to a doctor/therapist/counsellor so I am not claiming that I am indefinitely a sufferer of any illnesses mentioned although I am going to say having done my research it is clear I suffered and still to this day suffer with certain symptoms of the following. Anxiety - I'm an extremely anxious person. I naturally overthink and pick at situations to the point of it becoming a much bigger problem than it actually is. Simple tasks can be made into such a huge fiasco. For example; leaving to get the bus - 'will I make it on time? Should I leave 10 minutes before it's due or is that not enough time, what if it's early but then again what if it's late and I'm sat waiting for 20 minutes? Then I'll be late for ____' and then cue the massive panic often leading to an increased heart rate, sweaty palms and feeling sick then running for the bus and regretting it because I have to wait almost 15 minutes for one to turn up. Honestly you'd think that aged 20, after travelling by bus for just under half of my life, I'd be able to time a bus properly without panicking but this genuinely occurs more than once a week and that's only one example. Other daily tasks can follow the exact same pattern and anything that challenges my daily routines or hinders my life in any which way can leave me in masses of tears and panic.

BDD aka Body Dysmoephic Disorder: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is an anxiety disorder that causes a person to have a distorted view of how they look and to spend a lot of time worrying about their appearance. For example, they may be convinced that a barely visible scar is a major flaw that everyone is staring at, or that their nose looks abnormal.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) - NHS ...
www.nhs.uk

So touching on anxiety I believe that this has triggered my symptoms of BDD. As I've explained from my fitness post *attach link* I've never felt 100% comfortable in my body and I honesty don't think any female, especially in their teens, can say they have. Although due to my anxious personality traits, this heightened my self-consciousness in terms of my appearance to extreme levels, specifically my body - areas such as my tummy, thighs and bum. I've briefly explained how I would pretty much starve and over-exercise to remain thin but there's so much more to it than just that. It became such a problem to me that all I could think about was how thin I looked. What food I would be able to eat to remain thin. I became obsessed. And this shown in my personality - I'm naturally bubbly, chatty and somewhat outgoing when I'm surrounded by friends and family but when I was struggling with these symptoms I became nothing other than a shadow of myself. I was a recluse. If I met up with people I would often try to avoid situations where we ate, conversation was hard because I was constantly wrapped up in my own thoughts... I just wasn't myself and it didn't take long for people to notice this either. People were worried and had a right to be but I didn't want to accept that it was a problem because then I'd have to face the reality of it...

I've finally seen a light at the end of the tunnel and am now on the 'mend'. I still have my bad days where I feel 'podgy' or 'fat' but tbh I don't think that will ever fully go away and doesn't everyone suffer from bad body image days? - I'm just starting to learn how to change my destructive thought pattern and use my experience to become a healthier, happier person.

If you feel like you too suffer with any of these problems, or any other mental illness, please don't sit and face it alone. It's a hard and dark place and nobody should be left to feel like they're a prisoner of their own mind. I'm not saying you have to go and get proffesional help... I know this is daunting and psych's and counsellors have a bad rep for being condescending (which is not always the case but can definitely be the case), but you have people that love you; friends and family. And I can guarantee that even opening up to someone will make you feel that little bit better.

I'm always here to help if needs be. I'm no expert but having personal experience may be better advice than nothing! My Twitter handle is @chloecotgrave and my email is ca.cotgrave@sky.com - don't be afraid to contact me even if it's anonymously!

I'm hoping that this post will make people realise that mental health should not be treated as a taboo subject - Mental Health problems have such a stigma attached to them yet you'd be surprised at the amount of people that suffer with them. I'll be sure to do more in the future.

All my love,

Chloe xo

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini inspired look - chloescorner

After watching the X-factor auditions this weekend I was completely in awe of Cheryl's make-up looks, Sunday's show in particular, and couldn't wait to re-create it for myself to share with you lovely lot.

As you can see she was sporting a very blown out brown smokey eye, graduating from dark brown on the lid to just golden hues around the crease. The artist paired this eye look with a bronzed complexion, a touch of a pinky/coral blush and a nude lip. Perfection!

Base - 

I firstly moisturised my skin with a nivea moisturising cream and then applied an even layer of Benefit's The Porefessional Primer all over my face, including my eyelids. Then taking the Benefit Erase Paste Concealer in light I covered any red patches (particularly round the sides of my nose) and under my eyes to counteract the dark circles. I then used The Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to evenly apply my Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Light 3 Gobi and then went onto using the Mac Prolongwear Concealer - NC15 to cover any imperfections (further covering up my under eyes for a slightly highlighting effect and any pesky blemishes). To create those sculpted cheekbones that Cheryl is lucky enough to have I then used the contour shade in my Sleek Makeup Face Form in Fair in the hollows of my cheeks, making sure it was well blended to avoid that telltale streak. I then used my Soap and Glory Solar Powder around the perimetre of my face to add a little colour and topped that with the Blush shade from the Sleek palette on the apples of my cheeks. I then used the highlighter from the palette and brushed it along the tops of my cheekbones to add a subtle glow. 

 Eyes-

       

To create a good base for the eyeshadow to adhere to I applied a thin layer of the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze to my eyelid. Shade 1 was then patted on top of the base I applied to intensify the look. I then took the shade numbered 2 in my Nyx Eyeshadow Palette and applied this to my crease in a rounded shape rather than winging it out. I thought that this shade was a little too cool so applied the shade numbered 3 on top, blending everything as I went along. I decided to intensify the lid colour even further and applied a black shade (4) on to the lid also. I applied this close to my bottom lashline too and then blended it out using shade 2 and 3, taking it quite far down. I then used a black eyeliner (Soap and Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen) to add a little bit of definition to my lashline and then used a black pencil liner I had lying around to line my waterline and tightline. I curled my lashes, added lashings of L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Excess Mascara (Waterproof) and filled my brows in with Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil in the shade Love is Blonde keeping to my natural shape. 

Lips- 

I then completed my look with Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in shade 03. I personally didn't feel the need to add a gloss as I'm not the biggest fan of the finish that they leave but do feel free to add a nudey gloss on top to achieve that glossy pout! 

I think that if I were to wear this look out I would have added a pair of fluttery false lashes to open my eye up further and add that little more length and volume to my own lashes.

Et Voila! My interpretation of Cheryl's beautiful, Bronze Goddess-esque makeup look. I'm by no means a 'Makeup Artist' so I know this might look a little rusty, I mean looking at the photos I can spot many things I would like to improve on, but its something I wanted to attempt and share the outcome with those who might be interested in re-creating the look. And like they say; practice makes perfect! Would you like me to make these 'inspired look' type posts more often? feel free to leave suggestions in the comments and I will most definitely be trying some out!

All my love,

Chloe xo

My top 10 picks from Miss Selfridge - chloescorner

After my full week of blogging I've finally decided on posting twice, maybe three times a week at most. As much as I enjoyed getting back into it I just think that I wouldn't be able to keep it going for too long - a smaller number of posts seems so much more manageable! I'm absolutely loving the Autumn/Winter ranges shops are offering us shoppers recently so thought today's post should present what one certain brand in particular has to offer.

Miss Selfridge, in my humble opinion, is KILLING the A/W game this year. I've had to curb myself from buying everything with uni being round the corner but if money weren't an option... Miss S, You'd be mine all mine!

My first pick -

Khaki Hooded Bomber Jacket £59.99 Link

This is one of the things I actually bought for myself considering my tatty old coat is on its last legs. This is the perfect shower proof coat for those colder, wetter Autumn/Winter days. Paired with a casual outfit of jeans, a tee and some converse and voila!

My second pick - 

Camel Toggle Duffle Coat £69.99 Link

Another purchase made - I felt that this would be a perfect dressier option for the colder months although not so much for those days when it's raining. It can be dressed up with a cute little dress and healed boots or dressed down with some ripped jeans, basic tee and some trainers or flats. 

My third pick - 

Silver 3/4 Velvet Body £28 Link

It looks like velvet has made a come back for another year in a row, and this excites me as per! Although this year I love the unusual colours that are being paired with the fabric. This silver bodysuit would be perfect paired with some skinnies for your everyday look or look incredible when paired with some tight black pleather pants and heels for a night out! 

My fourth pick - 

Burgundy Ditsy Lace Shirt £32 Link

I have loved this blouse since I set my eyes on it in work! I've been making outfit ideas in my head ever since. My outfit of choice? paired with some black tights, a black pleather skirt and some plain black Chelsea boots or maybe even some knee highs for a little more of a nod to Winter.

My fifth pick - 

Roll Neck 2 in 1 Knitted Jumper £32 Link

These types of tops were quite popular last year and I have to say I'm still very much a fan. Worn with some blue or black skinnies and some brown knee highs and you've got a very cute, casual outfit.

My sixth pick - 

Blue Denim Pinafore £35 Link

Pinafore dresses are beyond cute and playful. It looks lovely with a jumper as they've styled it here, maybe followed by some trainers such as Adidas Superstars. I could even see it looking good and slightly more sophisticated with the blouse I featured previously!

My seventh pick - 

Khaki Cold Shoulder Dress £28 Link

Khaki is one of my favourite colours when it comes to A/W. The frills on the shoulders add that little bit of detail that makes the cold shoulder trend that little bit cuter and unusual and heyyyy, you can never go wrong with a trusty little body con dress!

My eighth pick - 

Floral Embroidered Denim Skirt £32 Link

Embroidery is a verrrry big trend right now. Some of it can be slightly OTT but patches of embroidery such as the one on this skirt just adds that lil summin' summin' to a plain denim skirt. I'm a very very big fan. With a plain little white blouse and some tan booties - uber cute!

My ninth pick - 

Chiara Embroidered Sandals £65 Link

Another embroidered piece - not something I would usually go for but omg I love them! These would be perfect for adding that little bit of pizzazz to a plain outfit. 

And last but most definitely not least...

My tenth pick - 

Mono Panel Tote Bag £35 Link

Monotone accessories are super easy to style and tend to go with everything so this is perfect for any outfit and the tote style bag never goes outta fashion so this'll last the test of time!

There we have it! My top 10 Miss S picks. Miss Selfridge in general is one of my go to brands - decent prices for good quality and stylish products, what more could a gal ask for? If you've enjoyed this post please do let me know because I'm thinking of making this 'Top 10 picks' a series. Send me some shop suggestions and I'll get my online shopping game on! any excuse😉 

Till next time my lovelies!

All my love,

Chloe xo

The end of an era - chloescorner

Sorry for missing yesterday's post guys - I know I promised one per day for 7 days but hey, sometimes life happens and thats okay! I wanted to enjoy my day yesterday and not have to come home and write a half hearted and rushed post that I wouldn't be fully happy with. To make up for it I've written you two today!

I started HOF on the 20th of August 2014, aged 17. A young, in-experienced girl who had no clue about the behind the scenes of retail. 2 years and a lil bit later, the 10th of September 2016 and I've left to take on my new chapter in life in Leeds!

To say I'm not going to be walking into work first thing on Monday morning as per usual is daunting and surreal - Its been a routine for me for the past two years and now its all done and dusted! It wasn't always easy, there were days where it would stress me out to the high heavens but I wouldn't swap my experience for the world. I've made so many lovely friends and some amazing memories along the way too that I will cherish forever. HOF girls, you gotta piece of my heart for life!

I totally wasn't expecting any gifts but they truly truly spoilt me rotten with this lot! I am a very lucky girl.

What do you buy the biscuit monster? A giant cookie!

My b-e-a-utiful little lucky penny charm to add to my Pandora bracelet!

Onwards and upwards now to new beginnings and bigger adventures - Leeds, I'm more than ready for ya!

All my love,

Chloe xo

My future blogging goals - chloescorner

For my very last post of the week (I still can't believe I kept that up, minus yesterdays blip haha) I thought I would share with you where I aim to get with my little corner of the internet in years to come.

1) Finding my feet and making content that not only my readers love, but content that I love myself. I never want to feel the need to post things just for views.

2) Create some form of a schedule - set certain days of the week to post so that people know when to expect them.

3) Challenge myself! Get out've my comfort zone and make content that I'm happy with - for example: I eventually want to do some fashion posts containing photos of the clothes actually on so that people can see how they look on an actual body because lets be honest that sometimes makes all the difference to loving/hating an item of clothing.

4) Save up to buy a decent compact camera. I LOVE my DSLR but sometimes having to carry that and all of the equipment it comes with can be more effort than it's actually worth. I eventually want to have a smaller camera that has the capability and captures the same amount of detail as my DSLR but in a far smaller package!

5) Attempting to make blogging a little job on the side - as a student a little more income never hurt nobody. It'll definitely come in handy on days that regular wage just ain't making the stretch!

Source of photo: Pinterest.

I have big goals and aspirations in life in general. This blog is just the beginning and I hope for it to blossom and grow with me.

All my love,

Chloe xo

My top 5 LeanIn15 book 1 recipes - chloescorner

Happy fri-yay you lovely lot! hope you've all had a good day. In an attempt to be healthier, as a family, we've been following the recipes in Joe Wicks' (aka The Body Coach) first and second Lean in 15 books. I thought I'd share my top 5 recommendations with you guys for today's blog post!

Recommendation Numero Uno - Turkey Meatballs with Feta (page 93)

We loooove these meatballs *heart eye emoji*. In his book these are under the 'low carb' options which is suggested if you're having a rest day although we find them ever so versatile as you can easily add spaghetti or pasta to make it slightly more carb dense and filling yet just as bloody tasty.

Recommendation Numero Dos - Joes Chicken Pie (page 98)

This recipe is made to serve four so in my little family of three we normally have a leftover portion which is just as tasty for the next days tea/dinner warmed up! just make sure you store it in the fridge. Another incredible recipe from Mr Wicks - Creamy chicken with mushrooms and spinach topped with filo pastry. Quick, easy and tastes amazing.

Recommendation Numero Très - Mighty Duck Noodles (page 134)

Omg I cannot even begin to explain how much this recipe blew me away. It tastes just like a Chinese takeaway but so so much better for you and doesn't leave you with that horrible bloated/'I feel sick' feeling afterwards. To say its healthy it doesn't lack in flavour - I honestly think this has been one of my favourites over the whole couple of months. We've made it on numerous occasions and even made it with meat substitutions such as chicken and beef and it was still just as good!

Recommendation Numero Quatro - Joe's Sweet Potato Cottage Pie (page 163)

Cottage pie with a healthier, and in my opinion much more yummy twist. I've found a love for sweet potatoes since starting to adapt my nutrition so this recipe was a no-brainer and a must try. The use of Worcestershire sauce in this makes it mouth wateringly good and just makes your standard cottage pie that little bit more interesting.

Last but not least, Recommendation Numero Cinco - Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry (page 154)

Another takeaway favourite made healthy - mmmm. I honestly would prefer to prepare this over buying its unhealthy substitute I find it so much more satisfying - he definitely doesn't skimp on the flavour thats for sure!


So there we have it - My top 5. I could've picked so many more to share with you but in all honesty I just think you should all go out and grab the book - I couldn't recommend it enough! I've loved eating and preparing the meals every night, mostly along side my mum although sometimes I've dabled and made it alone. I have to say its improved my simple cooking skills by a mile and I definitely won't be eating boring, unhealthy or bland food at Uni!

Let me know if you've tried this book and what your favourite recipes are!

All my love,

Chloe xo