Tuesday 31 March 2015

NEW IN: FASHION

Hi lovelies! Another week has flown by with no posts, arggh! I am definitely going to have to start some serious scheduling as my blog has definitely felt very unloved with all the puppy and salon distractions right now! Update, the puppy is on the mend but still not 100% unfortunately! She's getting there bless her but she's just taking a while because she's so teeny tiny! She's definitely getting back to herself a little more with lots of cuddles and tummy tickles so hopefully we'll have our crazy playful puppy back very soon! Anyway, for this post I wanted to share a few bits that I've been buying lately, for a long time I'd felt very uninspired in the fashion department and hadn't bought clothes in a really long time. Maybe the odd skirt or jumper but this time I wanted to get a good few bits to kick-start my Spring wardrobe!

 The white off shoulder top, ripped jeans, wedges and small silver necklace are all from Primark. I find Primark to be really hit and miss most of the time but it was a serious miss for me all winter. So I was really excited for the spring/ summer ranges to come in to see if there was anything that took my fancy! I've wanted to try out some ripped knee jeans for ages but wasn't too sure how I'd feel about them, so when I spotted these for just £10 I had to give them a go! I'm pleased to report that I absolutely love them and may even buy another pair as I got these in a size 6 and they fit really nicely now, but Primark jeans can so a little baggy fairly quickly so I'd quite like a backup (or two!) for when that happens! The top is self explanatory, I love the style as it's just a little more interesting than wearing a regular white tee. The only issue I have with this is the material is a little thin so you can see the outline of the top of my jeans when I wear it, but for £3, who can complain?! The white wedges were just £12 and probably my favourite purchase of the little Primark trip. I love smaller, casual heels for wearing day to day and these are just perfect for Spring. I can't wait to wear these with the ripped jeans when the weather finally warms up a bit. The final thing I got from Primark was this cute dainty silver necklace. I love this as it's delicate, but also kind of like a statement necklace, so when you want to keep an outfit simple but still want noticeable jewellery, this it perfect. It was only £1.50, so that's obviously a massive bonus!

From H&M I got this adorable vertical striped skirt, I've seen the horizontal stripes everywhere lately, which I absolutely love but I thought this was quite different so I thought for £12.99 I'd give it a go! It fits really nicely and look fab with a simple t-shirt tucked in, again, it's a fab alternative to a plain black or white bodycon skirt. Also H&M is the other necklace and my only other jewellery purchase of the day. I don't know how well you can see but this is a fairly thick silver chain with rose gold spikes on the bottom. I thought this was fab because it has both metals so you can wear either colour jewellery with it. This was just £3 in the sale, so even better! The striped dress is from Topshop and I absolutely love it. It's a size 6 from the petites section and usually that's good for me as I like my dresses fairly short, but the split at the front of this does come up very short! While it's still 'decent' I think this does require some little shorts underneath. This was £26 which for Topshop I didn't think was too bad so I was pleased with that.

This 'Nothing To Wear' T-shirt was only £7.99 from New Look and I literally had to buy it. I am always complaining about having nothing to wear, so now I can present that fact to the general public and I think that's kind of cool. The good thing about t-shirts like this is that when you really go have bong to wear, a simple tee paired with jeans or tucked into a skirt can be a life saver. Love it! The top/ dress was from a local boutique type shop, but I've seen them everywhere and I know they have similar in River Island. This was only £8.99 which is fab. It's quite odd as it's the length of a dress, but has slits up each side that go up to my waist, so I just wear a plain black bodycon skirt underneath, as it's too long to wear with jeans for me, but I do think if you like to wear long tops, this would look fab with a pair of white ripped skinny jeans. Again, this is just really easy to wear and makes a great casual 'nothing to wear' outfit.

Finally I picked up this beaut from ASOS. It was on sale for only £12.50 which I think is amazing, as it's such fab quality and hangs beautifully. I'm a huge sucker for leopard print and when it's pink, I can't say no. This will be a love it or hate it dress for many people but I bloody love it! It's got a deep v cutout at the back which I think looks gorgeous. It's high enough that you can wear a bra no problem, but I think a black lace bralet peeking out the top would look fab too.

What do you think of my recent purchases? What shops have you been loving for spring fashion? 

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Tuesday 24 March 2015

BEAUTY WISHLIST


Hi lovelies! Sorry for the long gap between posts again, it's been a crazy few days! My poor little Chihuahua, Belle, got spayed on Friday, but has now got a little infection, nothing serious but enough to make her feel very sorry for herself. Hopefully a course of antibiotics and lots of cuddles will get her back to her cheeky self very soon! On top of that, the salon has been very busy, which is absolutely fab but very time consuming, so anything that isn't work or puppy has unfortunately taken a bit of a backseat! However, with the pup on the mend and getting to grips with my time management, I'm hoping to get back into regular blogging as I really miss it!

Today, I thought I'd come back with a beauty wishlist, as there are so many things that I have my eye on lately. I really want to try the new Marc Jacobs Daisy Sorbet perfume as I've read so many rave reviews. The original Daisy/ Eau So Fresh aren't my cup of tea, but I loved the adaptations such as Daisy Sunshine and Delight, so I'm sure I'd love this - definitely let me know if you've tried this as I'd love to know! Another thing I've seen a few blog posts on is this Bobbi Brown Hot Nudes palette, I don't think I've ever tried anything Bobbi Brown before, so I'd love to give this a go. I love the look of all the shades and think it'd make a fab everyday palette. I'm definitely going to pick up the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara, I was sent a sample of this from Benefit and I am absolutely in love with it. In fact, you can guarantee this will come home with me after I finish work (and have a sneaky midday trip to Boots) tomorrow.

I usually use my GHDs to curl my hair, but for ages now I've wanted a proper curling wand. This one is fairly cheap but the reviews look pretty good and it comes with three attachments to do different types of curls which I think looks really cool. My boyfriend turned to the laptop when I was looking at this and looked slightly horrified as it does look slightly like an 'adult toy'!! Dodgy shape aside, this does look really interesting and I'd definitely love to give it a go! Finally, I've heard so much about Lip Voltage and while some reviews say it's painful, the fab before and afters of lovely full looking lips are definitely tempting me! I desperately want to get my lips done as I'd love very slightly fuller lips, but I'd prefer a more temporary solution first to give me an idea of how they'd look. Let me know if you've tried Lip Voltage as I'd love to her your thoughts.

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know your thoughts on any of the products I've mentioned!

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Wednesday 18 March 2015

HOME OR SALON? SHELLAC/ GEL NAILS


Hi lovelies! As many of you will know, I work as a Beauty Therapist - now in my own salon (M Spa in Bishop's Stortford, if any of you are close enough to pop in!!) and I get a lot of clients, friends and other bloggers asking me this question very often, 'do I need to go to a salon for gel nails when I can buy a lamp myself?'. I thought I'd answer this on here as I feel it needs a little more explanation than a simple yes or no! First things first, there are now tons of gel lamps on the market on sites like Wowcher, in Boots and available to buy on eBay, Amazon etc... but this doesn't mean everyone should use them. I'm going to put it out there, I disagree with UV and LED lamps being marketed to the general public as something suitable for home use. 

While it is okay to do the odd set of gel nails yourself at home, there really is a reason that professionals go on training courses to qualify in treatments like Shellac nails. Despite looking very easy and appearing no different to applying regular nail polish, there really is a specific way to do gel nails that comes with proper training and practise. Obviously gel nails can be done with a lamp you purchased in Boots and of course, you will get a longer lasting mani than if you just painted them with regular polish, but when it comes to removal, you can damaged your natural nails if this isn't done properly, you also won't get the professional finish to your mani that you'd get in a salon. These polishes that you get on these sites may also appear to be the same as the ones you'd get in a salon, but they are absolutely not. Unless a brand is a 'salon brand', chances are the quality won't be the same. I'm a firm believer in professional brands when it comes to nails, as they are so easily damaged, you want to know you're using products that are definitely safe and recommended by professionals.

I'm not completely shunning the idea of home gel kits, as obviously for those who can't afford or don't like to go to a salon they're good, as they'll always provide you with a slightly longer lasting mani, albeit not as long as the one you'd get in a salon! The one thing I have seen though and completely disagree with, is girls buying these lamps and offering gel manicures to 'clients' with no qualifications whatsoever. For one thing, these girls are not trained and are in no way insured should something go wrong. While doing this for friends and family may be fine, I definitely disagree with anyone charging the general public for services they aren't qualified to do.

So, in conclusion, as a professional, my advice would be to always go to a salon, or have a mobile beautician come to your house to have a gel mani, but if you must do it yourself, do your research, be careful and definitely don't offer services you aren't qualified to do! 

What do you think? Do you do at home gel manis? What do you think about people offering these services outside of the salon?

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Wednesday 11 March 2015

LAST MINUTE MOTHERS DAY GIFT IDEAS FROM ROBERT GATWARD JEWELLERS


Hi lovelies! Today, I wanted to share another Mother's Day Gift Guide with you all, as I did an affordable luxury one already, I thought I'd do another, all jewellery and all luxury! Most of this is still affordable, but I feel like jewellery often just looks that little bit more special and personal, particularly when you pick a bracelet and add charms. You could get her own initials, your initials, her favourite animal etc. All of these Charms from Robert Gatward Jewellers are less than £30, which is fab! They are all Thomas Sabo, but can be added to any charm bracelet.

I also love the Tresor Paris Earrings, if you fancied something a bit different and very inexpensive. For an special treat, this Tresor Paris Rose Gold Bracelet is just gorgeous and for £69, it's a little cheaper than some other brands. For a super special, luxury gift, this Michael Kors Watch, (or anything Michael Kors for that matter!) is just incredible, I think my Mum would burst with excitement at a gift like this! 

What do you think? Would you buy your Mum jewellery for Mother's Day?
Robert Gatward is fab as they use Royal Mail First Class and Special Delivery, so your pressie is pretty much guaranteed to arrive in time!

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THE RED DRESS EFFECT: WHY IT MAKES WOMEN SEXY AND ALLURING

Red almost always symbolizes power, allure an sexiness from the power of the red carpet to the way you're perceived by others.

Image by Disney via Flickr

The color Red symbolizes power and sexiness. Every year, at infamous awards ceremonies the "red carpet" is used and only the finest celebrities are allowed to walk on it. In fact, many of them wear radiant red gowns since it symbolizes not only power but sexual allure. Both men and women that wear red are often perceived to be in superior or powerful status. If you're hoping for that powerful Prom Queen status, wearing a gorgeous red prom dress may help.

The Allure of Red Dresses

The Red Dress effect or the "Lady in Red," phenomenon has been around for years. In fact, Chris de Burgh wrote a love song titled Lady in Red in 1986, explaining the allure. In addition, designer Vicky Tiel created one of the most infamous red dresses in the movies – the red gown that Julia Roberts wore in Pretty Woman as she receives a sparkly diamond and ruby necklace from Richard Gere's character. Nearly 30 years later, men are still taken with the "Lady in Red."

Why do women look so alluring and sexy in red? While typically the "Lady in Red" refers to a bold statement or dramatic silhouette of a formal red gown, often young men will be drawn and find you alluring in any type of bold red attire. While wearing the appropriate red prom dress is important so is actually feeling radiant and sexy.

The "Lady in Red" symbolizes a more exciting life therefore you'll draw attention the second you walk into the room. As noted, colors may really impact your life choices and the perfect red prom dress could either empower you or unfortunately, objectify you. As young men often perceive red prom dresses 2015 trend to mean sexy and an escape from real life, it's important to choose a tasteful but sexy gown as well as select the proper accessories.

Hairstyle

Choose tried and true hairstyles like natural tousled curls or an easy French twist that you won't have to mess with much. In addition, keep your accessories simple like nude-toned pantyhose and silver pumps and just a touch of red lipstick and nail polish so you keep it sweet and alluring without looking promiscuous at a school dance.

Options for that Perfect Dress

Looking for some options to become the next "Lady in Red"? For a sexy and alluring option perfect for Prom, consider a strapless gown from Mori Lee in Bright Red. The fitted satin gown features a mermaid skirt that flares at the bottom, as well as a strapless bodice with intricate beading around the bust line. Other options include a long chiffon dress by Sherri Hill, which features a higher neckline, a bodice covered in appliqués and sequins, and a satin ribbon around the waistline, as well as a long pleated chiffon skirt. If you prefer something shorter, try this Sweetheart Prom Dress from Blush. It features a sweetheart neckline with intricate floral designs, a natural waistline, and a flirty chiffon skirt in Valentine Red.


If you want to feel sexy and alluring on prom night, then red is your best color as you will make a statement the minute you glide down the staircase. You'll take everyone's breath away as the next "Lady in Red."

Tuesday 10 March 2015

AFFORDABLE LUXURY: MOTHER'S DAY GIFT GUIDE £30 AND UNDER


Hi lovelies! Are you still stuck for a Mother's Day present? With just 5 days to go, I thought I'd put together a little gift guide of some items that I think would be perfect for Mother's Day. You have just about enough time to order these online (next day Delivery could be your best bet!) or pop out to the shops to pick these up if you see something your Mum will love, so get moving! I wanted to put together a list of luxury items that are reasonably priced, so you can give your Mum something special without spending a fortune. All the items on this list are £30 or less, putting them in an idea price range for Mother's Day.

This Washbag from Ted Baker is just gorgeous, it's £27, so not the cheapest Make up bag around, but it's certainly something a little more special than a £3 Primark one! My Mum loves Ted Baker so I know she'd absolutely love this for Mother's Day. If you wanted to do something really special, you could pop her favourite lippie or a face cream inside as an extra treat. For a glam Mum, this Rose Gold Bangle from Kate Spade is just beautiful. At just £25, I think this is super inexpensive for a piece of designer jewellery. I'm pretty sure these come packaged really beautifully as well, so this would be a seriously special gift for your lovely Mum!

Another glam Mum present is this stunning Michael Kors Keyring from Selfridges, pretty much any lady out there would be thrilled to receive anything Michael Kors and a keyring is just something a little different without being too expensive! This is £30, so a lot of money for a keyring, but it's totally worth it and as a gift, it's definitely very special. If your Mum is a beauty addict, this Bobbi Brown Gloss trio from Selfridges would make a fab gift. At £29, it's affordable and she gets three brand new lip glosses to try - perfect! 

If homeware is more your Mum's thing, this super cute Emma Bridgewater Mug from John Lewis is a very cute gift. For £17.95, it's definitely a luxury mug, but your Mum will remember her gorgeous Mother's Day gift every time she drinks from it! Another homeware gift that I particularly love is this Lily Flame trio, also from John Lewis. I burn Lily Flame candles in the salon and almost every client that comes in comments on how lovely it smells. These are some of the best candles ever in my opinion as the scent really fills the room, but isn't overpowering. Most Mums love candles so for £18, she can have three stunning scents to try before buying one bigger one.

So that's it! Let me know what you think!
What are you getting your Mum for Mother's Day?

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Sunday 8 March 2015

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRLS BEST FRIEND


Hi lovelies! Lately, I've been drooling over looking at lots of sites like Simon Wright Jewellery at very special pieces of jewellery, as my 21st Birthday is coming up and I'm still unsure of exactly what I want to ask for. One thing I was thinking of asking for was a piece of diamond jewellery. These exact pieces may be a bit of a dream due to the price tag, but a girl can dream right?

I absolutely love these simple Diamond Stud Earrings, I don't really do big earrings so simple studs like this are just perfect for me. I always wear little fairly plain studs so that they go with everything I wear, but these would just be that little bit more special than usual!This Solitaire Diamond Necklace is another super simple piece and I think it's beautiful. Again, this something you could wear every single day and it would just go with everything. 

This Diamond Line Bracelet seriously reminds me of something one of the 'Upper East Siders' would wear on Gossip Girl. It's like a super fancy version of those little stretchy crystal bracelets that were so cool in the naughties (who remembers?!), I'd literally never want to take this off if I owned it!! Finally, I am obsessed with this Halo Engagement Ring - no I'm not getting engaged and I'm aware that there's absolutely no need for me to have this, but how beautiful is it? For me, I actually wear more rose gold, so if I were to get engaged, I'd want a rose gold ring, but wouldn't it be fab to have a diamond right for no reason? 

What do you think? Do you dream of diamond jewellery like I do?

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Friday 6 March 2015

NEW IN: PRETTY IN PINK

Hi lovelies! Today, I wanted to share a few of my current favourite things that I've bought/ received lately. You may notice a bit of a theme with this little haul.. see if you can spot it!

First off and definitely the most exciting, my incredible boyfriend Darren got me this stunning Hot Pink and Rose Gold Michael Kors watch as a 'Salon Opening' present. I have honestly never been so excited about a present in my life. I pretty much only wear Rose Gold jewellery and Hot Pink is my absolute favourite colour and the colour of my salon, so this literally could not have been more perfect for me. The absolute beauty in the second picture is a Ted Baker portfolio case c/o of the lovely people at Flamingo Gifts, they stock a huge range of incredible gifts at very affordable prices. This case is fab for work as it includes a notebook as well as a phone slot, spaces for cards and a pocket for papers and things. I absolutely adore this and definitely recommend checking out Flamingo Gifts if you have any gifts to buy right now (or just fancy treating yourself!). The Pink Glitter Champagne Flutes were an ebay find and I'm obsessed with them, they paired perfectly with the pink bubbles given to me as a Salon Opening present from my Aunt, Uncle and Cousins! The Fuschia Michael Kors Purse was a very naughty present to myself and I am obsessed with it. I got the last one online at John Lewis and can't find it elsewhere online, but you may be able to get this in stores. I'm desperate to get the matching Saffiano Tote now, it's super Barbie and I don't even care.

Gelish Let's Go To The Hop is officially my new favourite nail colour. It's the perfect bright pink without being a neon, which I'm still not quite ready for, maybe next month! My gorgeous new phone case was an absolute bargain at just £3.45 on eBay! I'm aware that the all over glitz is a little bit tacky but I kind of love it. For eBay too, this is really good quality, I've had so many cases like this that fall apart after a couple of days but this one has been fab and super sturdy. Another eBay bargain, this gorgeous iPad mini case was only £9.15 and I'm in love with it. I like the cases that cover the screen, as I carry my iPad in my handbag a lot and use it at the salon, so it needs all the protection it can get! This one is very sturdy and great quality for the price and how pretty is the design? Finally, these little beauties were some little gifts Darren gave me for Valentines day. Obviously there was a mostly Chihuahua theme to the gifts, but he also got me two bottles of my new absolute favourite perfume, 'Victoria's Secret, Fabulous', it's great to have two as I think this may be limited edition, but I think you can get this on websites like All Beauty, but don't hold me to that as I'm not sure exactly which site he got it from!

So that's it! What's your favourite thing in my mini haul?
What have you been buying lately? 

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Wednesday 4 March 2015

BARKBEATS: DOGGIE LOVERS GIVEAWAY!


Hi lovelies! I have an excting post for you all today! I have teamed up with Barkbeats to giveaway not one, not two but three Bark Beats Boxes for your dog! Belle has had a BarkBeats Box before and she absolutely loved it, they include doggie treats, toys and care items, perfect for every dog lover! So, let's get into how you enter!


Barkbeats wants to welcome spring by giving away 3 pawsome boxes.

How to participate: 
1. Follow Barkbeats on facebook and Chloe's Way on bloglovin'
2. Answer a 3 question survey: http://goo.gl/forms/OmMuVyDrcR


The 3 winners will get a Barkbeats box!!!

The deadline to participate is March 20th

That's not all! If you enter the code SPRING on the BarkBeats website, you can get £5 off your first box! 

That's it! Get entering and good luck!

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Tuesday 3 March 2015

THE IMPORTANCE OF LOOKING GOOD FOR AN INTERVIEW



Hi lovelies! Today, I have a bit of a different post for you all today, as I thought it'd be something a lot of you would be interested in. I'm going to be talking about the importance of choosing the right look for an interview. As someone who is currently interviewing at the moment, I know the importance of dressing appropriately for your interview. As you all know, the industry I'm in is Beauty and with this industry, it's very important to look the part. 

In Beauty, particularly if you're going for a job where you'll be working on clients such as Beauty Therapy, Make-up or hair, it's important that you come to the interview as you would for work. This doesn't necessarily mean wearing a beauty uniform - though this can be a good idea if you're going to be doing a trade test - but come neat, tidy and well presented. As it's not the kind of job where you'd be suited and booted every day, you don't need to dig out the collared shirts and pencil skirts, but looking put together and stylish is definitely a bonus. 

For me, I'm looking for someone who clearly knows what they're doing, so if someone were to come to me for a beauty interview with unkept eyebrows, chipped nails and patchy tan doesn't give the best impression. You don't have to be tanned with acrylic nails and lash extensions to look the part, but looking tidy and well groomed gives a good impression to clients and therefore gives a good impression in an interview. Personally, I'm not overly fussed what the girls I interview are wearing, as long as it's clean, tidy and somewhat stylish. I think coming to an inteview straight from the gym or in the same sloppy sweatshirt you've worn all day smacks of a bad attitude. You could be the hardest worker in the world and while clothes and looks aren't the be all and end all, the truth of the matter is they do give a strong first impression and if one person looks as though they've made an effort with their look, it gives the impression that they're going to make an effort at work too.

The examples above are from Pertemps, I think these are fab as they show two very different examples, both from industries that I'm definitely not experienced in, so if you're going for a more office based role, this may be helpful for you! I figured as a lot of you reading will be interested in Beauty and Fashion, so my experience with this may be helpful to those of you going for jobs in this industry, but if you're not, hopefully the ideas above may be of some use to you! Obviously, you'd need to judge this on the job you're going for a retail job in Topshop, you're going to dress very differently to if you're going for a managerial position in a Bank in Central London!

I hope this has helped you all somewhat, particularly if you're going for a job in the Beauty industry!
Let me know your thoughts, do you think dressing for an interview is important?

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