Author: CharlRose

Whiskey and Cedarwood

by CharlRose, posted in Beauty
Starting the Spring season with a beautiful new scent. Despite the pretty rose in my images and the fact I mentioned it was a ‘Spring’ scent, it is far from a traditional floral affair.
I have always been a fan of the Jo Malone fragrances, I think their wide range of products encourages indulgence. I for one, love applying a particular scent to suit the occasion.
When I came across this Limited Edition ‘Whiskey and Cedarwood’ fragrance I was simply browsing and in no financial state to splurge. Regardless,  I continued to spritz my wrists. The fragrance was of a complete luxury, it was spicy and sexy. In a similar way to Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle, it was rich and womanly. Ofcourse under pressure I buckled and purchased a bottle. I am truly heartbroken this is a limited edition product, as this would have been a long term favourite of mine.

whiskey

Cosy Homeware Haul

by CharlRose, posted in Homeware, Lifestyle
The festive season is upon us! I love the winter season for its dark nights lit with candle light, cuddly throws and warm woolies. It is no secret that I love Christmas and all the bells and bows to go with it. I thought I would do a haul of a few homeware bits that I have picked up to get me ready for the wintery months ahead, which will be spent predominantly indoors.
Firstly I picked up this cute wooden star decoration from Paperchase. I love anything that is handcrafted or recycled-up into home decor. This Sparkly star decoration is rustic,  quirky and sprinkled in glitter, perfect piece for the season.

 

winter-star

I picked up three beautiful decorative pillows, one from Marks and Spencer and the other from ASDA (yes ASDA!). The first one is a winter wonderland pillow, with a cute reindeer on it and snowflakes falling from the sky. I amazingly later discovered that it also lights up! The second pillow has a  stunning robin red breast on it, simple yet effective. The Last, was a cute little red pillow with a big ‘C’ embossed on the front.

cushions

The next homeware piece is more of a present from me to me. I have wanted one of these for quite a while now and when I saw this particular one on the Urban Outfitters website I had to snatch it up
Its a Record Player!
The moment it arrived in the post, I quickly set it up,  grabbed a bunch of my dads 80s records and got to listening. Undoubtedly the sound isn’t as clear as a CD but I think that a what gives it so much character and makes it an authentic sound.

record-player

The final piece I picked up was this Scandinavian style, rose gold candle holder. I love the simplicity of Scandinavian design and wanted to try and incorporate some of this into my home. This is again a piece homeware that is so minimalistic but so effective. I picked this beauty up from a local coffee house/ gift shop called Nonsense.

candle-holder

Sephora Haul

by CharlRose, posted in Beauty
During my trip to Barcelona I stopped off in Sephora, naturally. I only planned on picking up a liquid lipstick but of course I got slightly carried away. This was my first time ever visiting Sephora so I was beyond excited to see/buy products that are unavailable to buy in the UK.

sephorahaul

I have wanted the Make Up Forever HD Cover stick for ages, so that was the first item I picked up. Kat Von D makeup has just recently launched over here in the UK exclusive to Debenhams (hallelujah!!), however I was completely unaware of this glorious launch at the time and purchased two everlasting liquid lipsticks and a tattoo liner. Sephora’s own products has been raved about forever all over the beautysphere and I was in need of a new concealer, so of course I popped one of those in my basket. I was just about to checkout when I was tempted by the Sephora Masks. I suffer with dry skin on my hands during the fall season and thought a hand mask would be perfect for the cold months ahead.
Although it is only a miniature haul, the excitement of visiting Sephora for the first time demanded a blog post!
Kat Von D in the UK!
Make Up Forever

Last Minute Trip to Barcelona

by CharlRose, posted in Travel
First of all I want to start this blog post with an apology. Recently, I have been lacking in motivation and inspiration, hence the lack of blog posts I have been uploading. I am happy to say I have recharged my batteries and now eagar to dive back into blogging. So I should have more content coming a little more regularly.
I’ve wanted to visit Barcelona for a while now, not just for the renowned shopping attractions but to see the cultural sights, so me and my friend Naomi booked a last minute flight for 3 days. Before we travelled to Barcelona I looked up a few tourist attractions that I particularly wanted to visit, we unfortunately didn’t have the time to see all of them but we crammed in as much as we could.
The stayed at the Barcelona Princess Hotel, it had spectacular views of the city and a rooftop pool.

Rooftops

pool

We went to the main beach in Barcelona where the sand ran all the way down to the marina. The marina was particularly upmarket with expensive bars, restaurants and clubs.
The next day we decided to go into Barcelona centre and visit the ‘Gothic Quarter’ and ‘La Rambla’ to do a little shopping. We saw Barcelona Cathedral which was incredible, yet to be finished but recognised for its architectural beauty.
Of course when we got to La Rambla we did a little shopping! Our first port of call was Sephora, me and Naomi well and truly took advantage of being able to buy Sephora products (seen as we don’t have one at home).
Sephora haul coming soon!

sephora

On our last full day we went to Park Güell, I had seen pictures of this place on Instagram before and thought it looked beautiful. When we arrived we were disappointed to discover you can only enter the main park between 8am-9am and 8pm-9pm. We quickly realised it wasn’t completely necessary to buy a ticket to see the beautiful ornament creations, there was a public park that overlooked the premises with glorious scenery.

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I loved my mini break to Barcelona and would advise anyone to take a trip there, whether it is to see the sights or do some shopping its a beautiful location. If I was to go again I would probably stay for 4 days, I felt there was so much more we could have seen but simply didn’t have the time.
shoot
Pyjama style jacket – Zara
Similar Dress- Boohoo

Dubrovnik | Croatia

by CharlRose, posted in Travel

Overview Croatia

 I’ve needed a little holiday for a while. A trip somewhere that i’d never visited. Croatia seemed to be the place to go this year, so me and my friend Naomi booked a last minute getaway to Dubrovnik for five days. We stayed at the Hilton Imperial Hotel, which seemed, when we arrived to be the only hotel in the old town. Without knowing we managed to book ourselves the best room in the  hotel, with the most amazing view of Dubrovnik old town.

Holiday

We strolled around the glorious Old Town of Dubrovnik. It was engulfed with tourists from all around the world, hoping to get a photograph that resembles the very setting of Game of Thrones, which was famously shot in Dubrovnik.

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On out second day, we decided to walk the high walls of the Old Town which was incredibly exhausting in 25 degree heat, but somehow we managed to complete the entire perimeter of the old city before lunch.
Naomi and I both love Watersports, so when we found out there was an opportunity to kayak around the Croatian Island of Locrum and visit it’s caved beaches we jumped at the chance.

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On our last full day sadly the weather wasn’t as pleasant,  however we had an Island Cruise pre-booked which allowed us to explore the different Islands around Dubrovnik. So we packed day bag and boarded the boat for a day of sight seeing.

Islands 1

My personal favourite island was Koločep. There were cute little coffee shops and bakeries along the coast, locals were sitting along the shore licking ice creams and drinking wine (living the dream).
Whilst exploring we discovered a park that featured an enchanting botanical garden that appeared tropical and untouched.

 

I loved my trip to Croatia, It was everything I had hoped for and more!
Our hotel location and room itself couldn’t have been better and the staff were extremely friendly and polite. We were never stuck with what to do or see, if anything we only scratched the surface on what Dubrovnik had to offer.
I’m itching to go back already!

 

Frizz Control

by CharlRose, posted in Beauty
Unfortunately, I inherited my crazy curly/frizzy hair from my mum. Ever since I was little I have always struggled to keep it under control. I have used sooo many different products on the market to relax the fizz, but none have seemed to do the job. On a shopping trip I decided to pick up a few products recommended by friends and my hairdresser and decided to give them a try.

Haircare

The first product I used was Aussie’s ‘Miracle Hair Insurance Lightweight Conditioning Spray’. I was sold on this product as it wass advertised as a detangling and protecting spray. Having frizzy hair it is a painful and annoying experience having to brush wet hair. This spray however softens the hair like a conditioner and allows me to comb through my hair with ease. It also smells amazing!

Haircare 1

I then used  John Frieda’s ‘Fizz Ease, Perfect Finish’ serum. This serum is honestly the dream! Not only does it nourish my hair to give it a gleaming shine, but it also reduces my hairs natural fizz immensely. I simply rubbed the product in my hands for a few seconds then spread evenly through the ends of my hair, avoiding the roots.

Haircare 2

Once I had styled my hair I used the ‘Fix Anti-Frizz, Strong-Hold Spray’ from the ‘L’Oreal Professionnel’ range.  It really does have a Strong hold so spray it at least 35cm away from your hair and use sparingly.

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Last but not least, I sprayed the Mark Hill ‘Taming Anti Humidity’ spray all over my hair. This spray is designed to give your hair an instant shine and it also has anti humidity qualities to keep your pesky fly aways at bay!

Haircare 3

 

 

Road Trip to Lyme Park

by CharlRose, posted in Travel
I am personally not the most confident of girls to drive afar. I tend to stick to familiar routes or drive locally. However for a while now I have been plumping up the courage to drive out of my comfort zone.
My Australian friend Casey is over in the UK for two years and is determined to see all the beautiful places Britain has to offer. I suppose she somewhat gave me the push to jump in my car and take a little road trip. I had heard of  Lyme Park through my parents, they sold me on its beautiful gardens and enchanting forests that are usually roamed by wild deer. I thought for my first road trip it would be ideal as it would only take an hour to get there by car.
We picked the perfect day for it! It was the hottest day of the year so far! So we hopped in my little Aygo and we was on our way.
Car
We arrived safely, a few Satnav confusions along the way but we made it!
The first thing we wanted to do was go deer spotting, but there were ‘no entry’ signs surrounding the ‘Deer Sanctuary’. We respected the boundaries and decided to walk around the Sanctuary instead of going through it, but I don’t think either of us were prepared for what we was about to find!

Forestno entryCaseyDeer 2Deer

A whole heard of them! At first we both froze with fear, but after a few deep breaths we managed to creep a little closer to take a cheeky picture or two. They were just basking in the sunshine, enjoying the weather just like ourselves.
To get to the Deer Sanctuary we had to climb a huuuuuge hill, and on top of the hill was a building called ‘The Cage’. The views from The Cage were amazing, the wind from the top on the other hand was brutal!

 

The CageView

We then headed to the Lyme Mansion which over the centuries has been a popular setting for hunting parties, plotting and royal visits.  It was so beautiful, surrounded by stunning gardens and a picturesque lake.

Lyme

Overall our trip to Lyme Park was fabulous! I would recommend anyone to take a trip there! I have always admired the National Trust and all the work they do to look after our natural environment.
Visit Lyme Park – National Trust 

Smart Casual

by CharlRose, posted in Fashion, Style
My outfit is for a day of running errands and meeting up with friends for lunch. I’m a big fan of basic staples, like a comfy flowy blouse, smartened up with a blazer coat, black statement floppy hat and a quirky blue stone necklace. This is such a simple, minimalistic outfit that can be easily put together to pull off the ‘smart casual’ look.  Im not ready to ditch the jacket yet so this light and trendy blazer alternative seems weather appropriate.
For my makeup I have done a simple smokey eye paired up with a muted brown lip.
Face: Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation in Light Beige 
Contour: Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit in Light to Medium
Eyes: Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette 
Lip: Whirl by MAC

Smart CasualSmart Casual 1Smart Casual 2Smart Casual 3

Shop the look:
Blue Shirt: H&M
Blazer Jacket: Missguided 
Black Floppy Hat: ASOS
Necklace: Topshop 

Festival Shooting in the Forest

by CharlRose, posted in Fashion, Style
What a fabulous weekend I have had! I was kindly invited to a Festival inspired photoshoot, organised by the makeup artist Jen Eachus. Festival season is swiftly approaching and being a festival lover myself, I was instantly interested in this event.
The photoshoot itself not only highlighted Jen’s astounding talent for makeup but also showcased the beautiful and dynamic ‘Soul Junkie’ clothing.  Soul Junkie is a Bohemian inspired bespoke boutique launched by Vanessa Mitchinson. Her aim was to create a contemporary selection of diverse looks from a range of cultures that can be worn particularly during festival season.  She expressed her love for spiritualism and wanted to interpret this through her Mystic collection. The bold and vibrant colours in these looks inspired me to mix up my summer wardrobe and dare to try something new!
The photoshoot was made up of three different looks:
1.) The Western Girl

 

2.) African Tribal
3.) Mystic
Behind the scenes
Soul Junkie Boutique
Makeup Artists: Jen Eachus ,Emma Yih & Jess Kehoe

Spring Loving Style!

by CharlRose, posted in Fashion, Style
The dungarees craze is my kind of trend!
I love this Pinny/Dungarees style dress teamed up with a white collared shirt underneath. Florals are renowned to be associated with spring. I wanted to collaborate the spring florals into an effortlessly styleish outfit that would also be fit to face the Manchester chills.
After thoroughly rising my wardrobe of all its dark coloured knits and heavily insulated jackets, I thought it was about time to add a splash of colour! My HUGE spring clean was exactly what I needed, out with the old and in with the new.
Floral Dress now on Sale!

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