Tag: Blog

Birthday Trip to Cambridge

by CharlRose, posted in Lifestyle, Places, Travel

This blog post is highly overdue, considering my birthday was in August. However, since our trip to Cambridge, a lot has happened. I went back to work, my partner and I decided to move in together, and then I caught COVID. So a very busy/hectic few months.

I am so happy to finally get the chance to sit down and write about our trip. It was a lovely surprise to find out that we were going to Cambridge because I have always wanted to go. Dan booked a room for us at Fellows House, which is part of the Curio Collection by The Hilton. The building itself was gorgeous and the interiors were very plush with stylish marbled floors and an exquisite bar and lounge area.

Punting

The highlight of the trip for me had to be our romantic punting along the River Cam. Dan used a company called Rutherford’s Punting which he booked in advance. We chose the ‘romantic experience’ which included a little bottle of champagne. It was such a relaxing experience, floating along the calm waters, taking in all of the beautiful architecture and history. It was a great opportunity to take in the cities heritage and monumental university buildings, I felt like a young Sylvia Plath (literacy/poetry nerd reference).

Food

On the first night, we went to a restaurant called The Old Bicycle Shop. It was a quirky little place with a lovely, relaxed dinner vibe. I have included a picture of the menu below for a sneak peek of what delicious food they have to offer.

The next day, we went to The Giggling Squid, which we didn’t realise at the time was part of a chain. The food they served was Asian cuisine but what was even more impressive was the building. I felt entranced by its fabulous glass dome and botanical interior.

On the last evening, after our punting on the river we went to a fantastic restaurant on the water called The River Bar Steakhouse. We had a stunning view of the river from our table and the service and staff were fantastic.

Exploring the city

I loved exploring the beautiful city of Cambridge, it was a little bit like stepping back in time as a student, although I can only wish I went to the University of Cambridge.

It was a wonderful trip, with lots to see and do. Hopefully this blog post encourages you to visit and experience the magic of Cambridge.

The Cosy Cotswolds pt 1

by CharlRose, posted in Travel

I’m back with another UK travel blog post, this time in the Cotswolds. I have wanted to visit the Cotswolds for as long as a can remember. Everyone that I have spoke to have said that it would be my idea of a dream location. The oldie worldie stone brick houses, toy town villages and the sprightly country air , what more could I ask for?

A few months ago, my boyfriend and I decided to book a little weekend away together. We was both feeling a little bit stressed with work and we needed a break, a change of scenery to relax and escape reality. We set off on a Friday afternoon expecting to hit some traffic, but luckily we completely sailed through and made it to Burford in 2 hours.

We arrived at our hotel The Lambs Inn, it was in a lovely quiet area 2 miles from Bourton-on-the-Water. After the journey, we wanted to freshen up and eat, so we booked a table in the hotel’s restaurant. I was ready for a glass of red wine and some hearty, wholesome food. I had a sirloin steak and Dan went for a traditional fish and chips. The food was very tasty but the great quality red wine was even tastier.

The next day, we came up with a rough agenda of the places that we wanted to visit so that we could fit in as much sightseeing as we could. Bibury was the first place on the agenda. Bibury is a quaint little village with gorgeous scenery and lots of sleepy cottages dotted around the outskirts.

We discovered that we could get free parking for the day if we visited The Trout Farm. The Trout farm was a lovely little spot where you can feed, catch and buy fresh fish from the farmers market every Saturday and Sunday. BBQ’s are available to book and you can have a gathering of up to 12 people. I thought this was a great concept, now that restrictions are lifting, I think it would be a perfect social setting for a warm, sunny day.

After having a little look around The Tout Farm, we wandered into Bibury to have a browse around the village. The cottages were so cute and picturesque, I was ready to pack my bags and move to the country.

We hadn’t eaten breakfast and was feeling a little peckish so we decided to find a little coffee shop/post office to pick up a coffee and a homemade sausage roll, it was delicious!

The market town of Stow-on-the-Wold is one of the best places to visit in the Cotswolds. When we arrived it was very busy so we sat and enjoyed a lovely refreshing drink at the The Bell pub. We sat in these adorable little pods with cushions and blankets, it created the perfect cosy atmosphere for an afternoon tipple.

Stow-on-the-Wold is a great place to do a spot of window shopping there are lots of bakeries, butchers, clothing stores, antique shops and little quirky cosmetics stores.

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We followed our walk with an afternoon tea at Lucy’s Tea Room. The tea room can also get very busy so you might have to be prepared to wait for a table, but the warm scones and extensive choice of cakes are to die for!

Cotswolds blog post part 2 coming soon.

Bonjour de Lyon!

by CharlRose, posted in Travel

I have been slightly nervous to make this post, as it has been a good year since logging onto my blog. However, after a nudge from my supportive other half I decided to get behind the keyboard. I wanted to share some pictures from a recent trip to Lyon. I have missed writing about my trips and travels. I managed to capture some lovely shots of the city and views from Chessy,  the area in which we stayed.

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I was a little apprehensive about going back to France, having not had the best experience in Paris. I was reassured the cities were completely different and I was sure to have a pleasant stay. After visiting the city for myself, I can confirm both cities are vastly different. Lyon is a combination of both cosmopolitan and quaintly cultural.

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I am embarrassed but also not at all sorry to say my first protocol of the trip was a visit Sephora to do some shopping. After spending a decent proportion of my euros, we went to find a local place to eat.  I love to try local cuisine whenever I am travelling to get a feel for the city and their culture. We went to a traditional Lyonnaise restaurant and had a three course meal in the middle of the day because that’s what you do on your holidays.  I of course had two glasses of wine with my meal because why on earth would I not make the most of the beautiful french grapes. We had a strange pork dish in a sweet and sour sauce placed on top of a garlic and cheese cream. It was surprisingly delicious despite the unlikely combination.  Restaurant Le Comptoir des Marronniers.

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We visited the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere on a funicular ( a word I could never remember until now). It was all very scenic and the perfect opportunity for a few photographs.

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We wandered around the old town. Sadly on this day the weather wasn’t as picturesque but I still managed capture a couple of nice shots of the cobbled side streets.

On the final night we were kindly treated to a Michilen star meal at L’Embarcadère. It was lovely food and the perfect end to a relaxing trip away.

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So, here’s to many more travels *wine clink* and hopefully a few more blog posts to come.

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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

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

 

 

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

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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

Product Review: Elizabeth Arden’s Peel and Reveal Revitalising Mask

by CharlRose, posted in Beauty
Elizabeth Arden is a brand I have never been particularly drawn to, I always placed it in the ‘older women’ category for makeup and skincare. Around two weeks ago I was endlessly ploughing through the web to find a peel mask that would help tighten my pesky pores and leave my skin looking radiant. It was then on feelunique.com I found the answers to my prayers! I read the description and the words ‘tighten’, ‘retexturing’ and ‘brighten’ sucked me in.
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The product came with a little spatular to apply the mask and an information leaflet. To start with I cleansed my face thoroughly and pat dry with a soft hand towel. I then applied a thin layer of the gel-like product all over my face using the applicator and left to dry for 20 minutes. After a few seconds my face began to tingle, it wasn’t a burning sensation or anything intense, it was actually quite soothing. Once the peel had dried it was easy enough to remove, I simple gripped onto the edges of the mask and peeled upward. I don’t know what it is, but there is always something satisfying about peeling off a mask, like you are almost peeling away your dead skin to reveal your new face. I washed away any product that was still stuck to my face with cold water.
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After examining my face in detail, I noticed a massive difference. My pores looked noticably smaller and my skin looked smooth and felt tighter. I was personally massively impressed by this product. I have always been pretty sceptical about products that claim they can reduce pore size, but this has changed my opinion completely and made me feel way more comfortable in my own skin!
Buy this product!