Style – earl grey aesthetic

Birthday Trip to Cambridge

November 29, 2021January 20, 2022 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.

Whiskey and Cedarwood

March 9, 2017March 9, 2017 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

Sephora Haul

October 10, 2016October 11, 2016 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.

sephora haul

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!

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.

park park 2 park 3

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.

Pyjama style jacket – Zara

Similar Dress- Boohoo

Dubrovnik | Croatia

June 6, 2016June 7, 2016 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.

Old Town Parrot Old Town 2

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.

Kayak 2 Kayak 3 jpg

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

May 28, 2016May 28, 2016 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.

Haircare 4 Haircare 5

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

April 28, 2016 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 Casual Smart Casual 1 Smart Casual 2 Smart Casual 3

Shop the look:

Blue Shirt: H&M

Blazer Jacket: Missguided

Black Floppy Hat: ASOS

Necklace: Topshop

Festival Shooting in the Forest

April 24, 2016April 24, 2016 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!

April 14, 2016April 14, 2016 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!

floral floral1 floral2

Turtle Neck and Camouflage Combo

April 1, 2016April 1, 2016 by CharlRose, posted in Fashion, Style

The transitional period is upon us! It’s not quite warm enough to ditch the jumpers, but its not cold enough to wear our parkas and fur jackets. This green affair seemed appropriate to tackle the British weather. A chunky turtle neck from Topshop and an over sized army camouflage jacket from Urban Outfitters.

I’m a little tomboy at heart and love anything oversized or chunky. When I seen this jacket it seemed the perfect statement piece I have been looking for and was screaming “Charl!” So I had to get it!

This is a perfect look for hanging out with friends, going into town shopping or maybe a few chilled out drinks in a bar or pub. The jacket gives an edge to the cutesy roll neck jumper peeping underneath.