Back to School: Supplies Haul

Hey guys, 

So, most of the people who read this (if anyone even does) will probably be at secondary school age, or going into secondary school, and going back at some point in the upcoming week.

My school terms are odd, and we only get a 4 week summer break unless we are going into Year 7 (the first year), where we still get 6 as it's not what they're used to. 

So I started school 2 weeks ago, and carried on using the same supplies, but new timetables were given out on friday, and as of monday, i am one academic year older, which means i need new supplies!

I dont have everything you could possibly want, because over the 5 years of secondary school (im now in my 5th year) you realise that most of the stuff that you bought in year 7 really isnt needed, and just becomes a hassle to have all the time.

Mints and chewing gum are two of the most important parts of my school day. You never want to be speaking to a friend (especially if youre making new friends) or asking a teacher for help, and them to sit there thinking 'ew, their breath is stinking!' So its always handy to keep a packet of chewing gum in your pocket (although its not allowed, oo) and a bag of mints in your schoolbag! 

Dont just go and buy one packet of pens. You will go through them SO quickly, you will leave them in classrooms, lend them out and forget about it, or (most of the time) they tend to just disappear over the weekend, so always stock up on loads! Black pens are more convenient because 1) i think they look better on paper 2) exams always have to be completed in black pen, so its a good habit to get into buying black pens. 

One coloured pen is always handy as sometimes work needs to be colour coded, or it can just be used to highlight and underline key information. I like the BIC one with two colours - light pink and light blue.

Something that will probably be more needed at GCSE level is spare Exercise books. These were 5 for £1 at HomeBargains and come in really handy for revision. I bought mine for french, as we get 20 words to learn a week (to give us a wide range of vocabulary incase it comes up in our reading or listening exams) and i find that the easiest way to learn a list of words and their translation is to copy each word like 'french word - english translation' 10 times, so these books will be useful for that. 

Another thing that i bought for french but depending on your school ways, could be used for anything is a ringbinder folder, as in our languages lessons we get lots of booklets - past paper booklets, translation exercise booklets, vocabulary booklets, program of study etc. and they're all seperate. School provides ugly green ones so i like to buy my own. I got this cute leopard print pink one from poundland.

This also came with topic separators.

 

And a pad of hole punched lined paper.

Obviously a lunch box!

You can get convinient lunch boxes for about £3.50 with little compartments to separate everything. This one comes with a little bottle too which i probably will just take out and use the compartment as another place to store my lunch. 

We looked in loads of shops for a handy little lunch box like this, as it is really tedious carrying loads of little tubs/bags with you.

A drinks bottle is essential, even if you're getting your lunch in the canteen it's always handy to have a drink in your bag just incase you feel dehydrated, especially on days where you have P.E. i have a non leak one which you twist to secure it closed. 

The final thing (which i didnt take a photo of) is a padlock. Some schools are very secure and you'll probably stop using it after a while. I havent used one for 3 years but we're moving locker areas this year so there will be a race and a fuss to get a good locker, and im not going to lie, at my school, if someone doesnt like you and you got the locker they want, they will take your stuff out and put it in a rubbish one, so for the first few weeks i'm going to use a padlock. Most tutors will allocate your lockers themselves so i wouldnt need it, but my tutor does it on a first come first served basis, and i get to school first, so i'll get the best one, and i want to keep it :)

Thanks for reading, i appreciate that it was lengthy! 

Chloe xx

Mini Poundland Haul

Aloha! 

Some of you may know that the shops 'Poundland' and 'Poundworld' sell makeup from decent brands for £1, for many reasons, such as if the product/line has been discontinued, if the packaging is wrongly printed or if theres something missing (for example a mirror inside a palette).

I havent really bought the makeup before, only the nail varnishes but today i decided to break that habit.

I bought two of the Calvin Klein tempting glimmer sheer creme eyeshadows in 'Bare Silk' (top) and 'Vintage Metal' (middle) these are so good and so pigmented, despite being called 'sheer' cream eyeshadows. I reckon i will use the white for a browbone and inner corner highlight and vintage metal on the outer third and crease. 

I also bought a dainty doll shadow in 'jungle green 008' which i was really excited about. It is in top notch condition but is a vibrant green, which is something i wouldnt usually opt for, but im sure i will make it work.

This is not true to colour, but the swatch is, this photo was just to show the mirror inside. This line was discontinued which is why they were on sale at a massive discount.

Will you be venturing into poundland to look at what your local stocks? Xx

First Impressions: Sleek Brow Kit

Hola,

I have recently received an order from amazon which included a Sleek Brow Kit. I've used it, and decided to do a first impressions video.

 

    The matt black packaging has marks 

    on it already, which isnt too good as

    it looks dirty.

    I got the shade 'Extra Dark' which is 

   perfect on my brows, as i have 

    black-brown hair.

The 'palette' comes with a wax (on the left) and a powder (on the right), some cute small tweezers, and 2 small brushes. 

This is really easy to apply to the brows, i've been using the wax which goes on smoothly and is really pigmented, so you dont need a lot to cover your brows.

 

As the brushes are really small and thin, it isreally easy to create a square shape, especially with the angled shaped brush. 

 

I absolutely love this kit, and the colour is so good for me, overall rating would be 5/5! 

Will you be purchasing one of these?

Love Chloe xx

Random Photo Collection!

Hi, i have loads of photos just stored up that i never use so i thought i'd just fling them into a blog post 'cuz yolo!' *cringe*

Some of them are REALLY old, (like 8 months old but oh well i like them)! 

     My Mum Sharon and step dad Ollie 

     at Ollie's cousins wedding.

     Me and my cousin Molly at the 

     wedding.

    Ollie's cousin David and his new wife 

    Kirsteen.

     (Left to right: Me, my little sister Tilly

      and my cousins Niamh and Molly)

     Me and my cousin Sara (pronounced

     sarah) - My little treasure!

          My cousin Marleigh and my 

           grandad.

     Me on holiday with my old best

     friend Hannah in Spain - we dont talk

     anymore but i love this photo.

    When in spain, i got to visit the real-

    Madrid Bernabeu stadium! Wow!

               Me at the stadium.

     I love this photo, because you can 

    see the land and the coast where the 

      sea starts!

    My bestest bestest friend EVER Alice 

    and I in spain, i love her SOO much 

                            <3

    The view from the balcony at our hotel.

         It was so pretty.

     Below the balcony. We were in one 

     of the busiest areas of Madrid, the 

     city was so alive, i really loved sitting

     out on the balcony in the evenings.

     My favourite little girl in the entire

     world, my niece Tiarna. This was 

     when she was 10 months old, now

    she's 1. I dont see my other niece 

    Kaydee at all ( my brothers both have 

    one daughter each ) so when Tiarna

    was born i was determined to see her

    regularly and create a good bond with 

    her. I love her so much she is my

    everything!

Love you all xx

FOTD: Gold and Olive Green

Salut!

Today i went out for dinner to celebrate my GCSE results, and i done a green and gold eye look. 

Im not going to write about my whole routine, because its the same as i did the other day but different on the eyes. (Above is the finished look of my whole face).

As a base, i used a multi use crayon in a neutral shade (from savers) all over my lid to help my maybelline colour tattoo's apply more easily.

I then covered the lid with maybelline colour tattoo in Eternal Gold. I used my MUA shadow on the middle of my lid and blended it out so that the colour wasnt bold but it was more shimmery. Using the eyeshadow 'box' i mentioned previously, i took a khaki/olive green with a hint of gold reflex in it, and dabbed that onto my outer corner to make it as pigmented as possible on the lid, then blended that through my crease. I finally applied more of the maybelline colour tattoo onto my inner third of my lid to bring back the gold, as it had been hidden slightly by the other shadows and wasnt as bold.

I absolutely love this look, but it takes a bit longer, and is more bold and slightly more dramatic than my normal look, so i only wear this on an occasion or when i have more time. I have nothing on my lips because i took these photos when i got back from the meal so my lip gloss had come off.

Will you be recreating this look? Xx

UPDATE

Bonjour, Salut, Hi

I have something big and important going on tomorrow and it could change my life forever - theres a 90% chance it will.

I dont know whether i will be able to post so tonight i am going to top you up with 2 new posts ( i dont think many people read my blog anyway ) incase i cant post tomorrow. 

Also, i have nothing to do right now i'm just watching the Celebrity Big Brother Launch which is quite boring so i've got time on my hands to write some amazing-ness! Also, i transferred some photos from my camera so hell-looo good quality photos (for a few posts) 

Au revoir xx

OOTD: GCSE Celebration Meal!

Bonjour! 

Todays Outfit is a simple, casual one, to go out for a meal with my family as a celebration of my GCSE results. 

I decided to pair a Mickey Mouse crop top with dark blue high waisted shorts and tights. The crop top is a nice one which kind of looks vintage as the cartoon of mickey is an older one. I think that high waisted shorts really compliment my large figure as they hide the 'rolls' -ew

The shorts with a crop top means i can wear tops i like without having to show any of my stomach!

If people are wondering, because i am year 10 (going into 11 after the summer) I only did two exams so far, first was my English Language 'info & ideas' exam which i got a B in :-) i am pleased as that is what i was aiming for.

I also did the Maths Methods 1 and Maths Methods 2 , the grade comes as a combined 'maths methods' score for both papers. I got an A in this, and i know that an A is good and most people would be pleased, and i am pleased, but i was aiming for an A*, i am capable of an A* and when i did the exam i thought i'd get an A*. Nevertheless an A is amazing and i am thoroughly pleased :)

**CAMERA - i dont currently have my laptop (i am using the iPod app to blog) so i cant transfer photos from my bridge camera to my iPod. This explains the poor quality of photos but it will be better soon!**

Thanks for reading! If you got your GCSE results today, let me know in the comments what you got? Xx

Inspiration & Motivation: Katie Piper

Hello beautifuls!

As i want this blog to be a mixture of beauty and lifestyle, i decided to do weekly blog posts about things that can inspire and motivate you. I thought the best way to start this little series was to do a blog post on someone who inspires me the most, and gives me the motivation to get through everything. This person is Katie Piper, and i admire her a lot! 

If you dont already know, Katie Piper was the victim of an awful attack in 2007, in which her 'boyfriend' raped her and then set up a plan with his friend in which they threw a cup full of acid into her face, which also ran down her chest, leaving her with terrible burns. 

Before her attack, Katie had the dream of becoming famous, and worked as a TV presenter. She was beautiful!

After the attack, she no longer felt beautiful, she was constantly scared, she even had visions that the medical professionals working with her would do the same as her boyfriend had done, so screamed at them and told everyone to go away - even her mum and dad. 

She had to wear these plastic masks 23 hours a day for a year, which you can imagine would be a horrible experience, and helps the bad memories live on.

Once recovered, Katie decided that she wanted to help others who had been through similar things to her. She put together the Katie Piper Foundation which 'makes it easier to live with scars and burns' which is sponsored by Simon Cowell, who says 'Katie is one of the most inspirational people I have ever met'.

I have read two of Katies books, 'Beautiful' and 'Things get better' and also watched her TV series, and after learning so much about her, and seeing how she helps others has made me obsessed with her. She is truly amazing. 

In her book, 'Things Get Better' she talks about how to deal with problems, and it is almost like a 'question and answer' book, but she also includes stories she has heard from people and advice. One of the parts in the book which had a huge impact on me were the lines 'Just because someone lets you down once, it doesnt mean that all people will let you down, or that the same things will go wrong again, or that you cant ever trust again. It would've been very easy for me to say I would never trust another man after my rape and attack, but in order to have faith when i was ill i had to accept and trust those around me. Like Mr Jawad, for example. If i had refused his help just because he was a man, i wouldnt be who i am today.'

Mr Jawad was Katies doctor but now he is a good friend. Recently my trust has been completely betrayed by multiple people, in the worst way possible. I decided i would never talk to anyone at school again, and isolate myself, and fell out with all of my friends because i told them i couldnt trust them anymore and didnt want to talk to them anymore. This was a mistake, as i found from Katies book. Just because 3 people betrayed my trust didnt mean that i should fall out with my other friends and stop trusting them, because not everybody is low and nasty like that. 

The entire book is so inspirational, even if your problems are tiny i reccomend all of her work, and books to EVERYONE. Honestly she gives you such a better outlook on life and a positive view towards everything, just like she developed a positive view towards herself after her attack. 

Although her previous beauty was scarred, i think that now she is more beautiful than she ever was, purely because of her personality, motivation and optimistic mind. 

Katie Piper is my biggest inspiration!

Thank you for reading, i hope you take something from this post, or go out and buy the book. Will you be changing your outlook on life and being more positive about things? Are you already an optimistic person? Xx

Savings!

Hi guys! 

On 12th October, I am going on holiday to Orlando, Florida with my parents and sister. I've been there three times before but i was 11 or younger all 3 times, so i didnt really realise the novelty of buying things in another continent (the USA!) and bringing them back to the UK to keep as souvenirs, or to try out something new. 

A key problem I identified when i was planning the holiday with Mum was that previously, me and my sister have been given about $40 on the trip to spend on what we want, and then we've often been disappointed that we cant buy everything we see and want.

To resolve this problem, instead of making our parents bankrupt, i decided to save. Previously, when saving, i have found that using my bank as a way to not spend money doesnt work, because instead of having the money in my hand and wasting it, i waste it online! 

My sister Chantelle had the idea to create a savings pot, so thats what we did. 

I got an old tub, one that used to contain pens, and added a lid made from card, then secured it WELL with sellotape, so i cant access the money. Considering i only made this last week, and have spent £25 getting my hair done, i think that over £4 is a lot to have in the tub already, purely from doing voluntary jobs. Today my dad owes me another £20 for doing spontaneous things such as mowing the lawn, cleaning the kitchen, mopping the floor etc, and for doing jobs he asks for, like getting music onto his iPod from youtube (£4 per album is my rate, he doesnt know im ripping him off a little since it's free and easy to do!) and i get £20 a week for ironing the clothes for all 4 of us (you may think thats a lot, but when nobody brings their laundry down for two weeks, the pile is HUGE.

I'm hoping that by the time we go i will have at least £100 in my tub, and i will do a blog post just before i go letting you know whether it was successful and how much i saved.

Are you going to be using this idea to save your moolas (money)? Xx

My Top 5 Lip Products

Ello girls! (And boys?) 

Today i thought i'd show you my favourite lip products. I love all my lip products and wear all of them but i narrowed my favourites down to five for you. Swatches are included!

     So these are the 5 that made it into

     my favourites!

Firstly I have the body shop lip butters. I have three of these which came in a cute heart shaped tin - which i love. I believe this was meant to be either £10 or £15 for the trio but i got it in the sale for £3. I love applying the Shea Butter before i apply my makeup, and by the time i go to apply colour at the end, my lips are so soft and moisturised, and any cracks are almost completely healed! This works a miracle! At the moment i have only used the Shea Butter as i dont want to have all 3 on the go at once, but when it's gone i'll do the same with the others. They smell awesome too!

Next up is my Sally Hansen Lip Inflation in 'Sheer Blush'. This beautiful shiny nude lip gloss is perfect for plumping up your lips, and you feel the tingle of it getting to work almost immediately. I dont like the brush as it is really easy to put too much on but the product itself is really nice and not sticky. I like to wear this with a dramatic eye look to balance it out.

One of my all time favourite lip balms has to be the maybelline baby lips in Pink Punch, it's the perfect cross between a lipstick and a balm. The soft pink tint adds a small pop of colour but isnt too bold, so it's good if you want a natural kind of look! It's only £2.99, so in my opinion, its an absolute bargain, and it smells wonderful too :)!

I'm a big fan of Orange lipsticks so when i found the colour 'Electric Orange' of the Maybelline Colour Sensational lipsticks online, i was eager to put it in my basket. As expected, when it came i fell in love with it completely, and have worn it nearly everyday. It's not the creamiest of all but with pre-moisturised lips, this one's a winner. 

Finally, i have been really loving the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers. I have three of these, in the shades 'Nova' 'Celestial' and 'Stellar'. In the swatch i am wearing 'Stellar' and you can see how pigmented these are. It's amazing, it goes on exactly as it looks in the tube. The only fault with these is that if you smudge it outside your lips it's hard to get the stain away, but that doesnt put down the product as it is just so nice! They arent sticky and they go on really smooth, so at £5.99, you cant go wrong!

Thank you for reading this, i noticed that i included a range of products so there is something for everyone here. A butter, a gloss, a balm, a lipstick, and a lacquer. Which do you prefer? Xx