My Feelings on Alcohol

Hello gang. 

I haven't written in ages because I've been on placement and I haven't really felt like blogging because it's all hectic and I'm all stressed and a bit mizzy. Just having one of those sad patches really. So to have a bit of a vent I thought I would write a little piece on something I really wanted to vocalize my thoughts on - Alcohol. So here goes.

As a university student, it is pretty much expected that I should drink excessively, become very drunk and chunder everywah. That is an accepted part of the culture in our country. And to a certain extent I can see why; I've had a barrel of laughs whilst being a bit tipsy. You can feel a bit more relaxed and able to let things go. The issue is when that feeling stops, or that isn't quite the way you react.

For example, I'm an extreme lightweight. I don't know if it's because I've had CFS which can give you an intolerance or I was just born that way but that's how I am. So it does not take a lot at all for me to be drunk. And sometimes, like I said, I can be happy and giggly and loving life. But when I have a bad reaction and end up having a panic attack, or crying my eyes out, or having a horrible hangover throwing up for the day it really doesn't seem worth it. So after having that panic attack a few times or feeling really anxious in a club or social situation I have really wanted to avoid alcohol. If I could just choose to have the happy giggly reaction that would be fine - but to me it's not worth the risk anymore.

That's my personal reaction to alcohol, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Now some people will be thinking "She goes out, I've seen her, and she's fine." Well yes. Often I am, and often I have a fab time. But to be honest, a lot of the time, I feel like I ought to be 'going out'. If I don't go out and get drunk, I'm boring and a bit of a weirdo. Why can't I 'go out' to the cinema and that be equally as cool and trendy? I hate that phrase 'going out'. I go out to lots of places. I go out to the library - I'm not sure that's the same.

So what I'm trying to say is, I know I can't change this attitude to alcohol but I just want to get my feelings out there - and see if people feel the same. Some people, I know, are just too afraid to admit that actually, sometimes they can't be bothered to go out and get drunk, they'd rather stay in and watch a nice chick flick. I enjoy an occasional party, but you won't see me out four nights a week. And I'll only drink alcohol that I actually like the taste of. There is no logic in forcing a minging beverage. When I didn't drink at all for a few months my drink of choice was orange juice - ever so refreshing at 2am. I thoroughly recommend it.

The moral of this story is; do whatever you want to do. If you would rather go to the pictures and eat popcorn, you do that. If you would rather go to a chess tournament, go crazy. If your preference is watch every episode of Kardashians (about 100 episodes) that you've record in the space of about two days that's fine.

Love you millions.

Chloe
xxx

Not drunk - but still hilarious.

How I Feel Now About Life and Stuff

Howdy gang,

So today I have a bit of a life-type post. Don't get all emosh with it, it's going to be a positive post. So stop getting stressed. Goodness me.

Okay so, what I want to talk about is my opinions of life and how I feel about stuff. I was in a very serious car accident over a year ago, the details of which I won't go into, but it made me think about life and what's important to me. All a bit stressful and the last year certainly has been but in this post I am going to talk about the positive effects that this experience has had on me.

YOLO

It's true y'know. YOLO (You Only Live Once) is a thing. It's my new motto. If you go on my twitter (@ChloeFrench93) you'll see that my bio is simply 'YOLO'. My near-death experience just made me think about how life can be very short and could be taken away from you at any time which isn't nice at all. You never think that it could happen to you. So, now, I'm taking opportunities that I probably wouldn't have considered before. For example, when Ash (my boyfriend) and I went to Turkey I didn't want to get into the swimming pool because it was jolly cold and I would be frozen. But I told myself 'YOLO' and knew I'd regret not getting in that pool because I wasn't going to have that experience again. So I did it. In my head I went "1...2...3...YOLO!". And it was blooming freezing and in hindsight that probably wasn't a good idea. Maybe this wasn't the best example...ahem. Some other things that I've done that I probably wouldn't have done before:

• Spontaneously went to London to meet Kandee Johnson (one of my favourite YouTubers) with my best Irish buddy Ciara. 
• Started a nail technician course.
• Got a last minute ticket to see Hairspray that a friend was offering.
• Ate a lot of noodles from my fave restaurant in Worcester (probably would have done that anyway)

They are just a few things. I had the courage to do what I wanted because life is short and you gotta do what you wanna do.

The simple things in life

Ooh I do appreciate the little things now. I'll go to Lush, get myself a bath bomb, buy a candle from TK Maxx, come home, run a bath and read a book. And I'll appreciate that hour that I'll have to relax and do what I want to do, because things could be a lot worse. I could be at the hospital or whatever, something else equally rubbish or even worse. It just makes me feel good that I can have this time just to do little things. My best buddy Hannah and I spend hours watching one of our fave TV programmes (House) because we can, and we enjoy it. We're just chillin'. And I love times like that.

Family

Well this goes without saying really. I cherish every single moment that I have with my famalam. And I am so grateful that we are all still here. Every day I think about people who have lost someone close to them and my heart aches for them. I pray for those people to be strong and think about how I appreciate who I have here with me.

In conclusion

So basically, I appreciate stuff in life now. I'm not saying that it's not hard and life is wonderful all the time, I'm just saying that it's important not to take things for granted. And that's all I gotta say.

Don't worry. Be happy.

Chloe

xoxo

Flipping freezing it was. YOLO

What's In My Glossybox? - December 2013 Christmas Edition

Hello folks. It's so nice to be able to sit and write a blog post all about pretty things rather than an assignment for my degree. Feels like a nice reward.

An even nicer reward was my glossybox that arrived this morning. If you don't know what glossybox is, it's a beauty box that you subscribe to and receive once a month. It contains five beauty samples, some of them full-sized and it means you can get some little treats every so often and try something from a brand you might never have heard of! You can order glossyboxes here: http://www.glossybox.co.uk/ . I ordered a 6 month subscription which meant it was £8.33 a box; really good value for money as the price of the products in the shops is way above this.

I came back from work to see the very gorgeous box sitting there and I was jolly pleased. I sat down with mom (she likes to see me open it) and opened my lovely box. I have to say, I think it's the best one so far. I've had glossybox for about 6 months and this one is definitely my favourite. So let's hop to it and I'll show you what I got. If you get glossybox, please let me know what you got too so I can either be jealous or think "ha ha!".

I really liked the packaging for this box, all Christmassy and cute! The cardboard packaging that the box came in was also red and pretty. Love it.

My box full of surprises!

This month every glossybox will come with a product from Maybelline. I was absolutely blooming chuffed with getting a Color Tattoo 24 Hours Eyeshadow in 65 - Pink Gold. I was well happy because I've had one of these before in a different shade and I really loved it so I wanted another one anyway! Only problem is they're a bit of a pain to get off but if you use your cleansing water as I have recommended many times you'll be golden. Full size, RRP £4.99.

Next one is a little bit random, my sister was very confused why I received this but I am actually really happy with it. It's a Intuition Naturals Razor from Wilkinson Sword. Its really groovy because its got a holder which means you can stick it on the wall which is jolly useful. As you can see in the picture below it has soapy stuff around the razor which apparently foams up and means you don't need shaving cream which is nice and easy. I love the minty green colour too. Full size- £6.49.

Next up is this perfume from Lipsy called Glam. Not gonna lie, I had a bit of a mare trying to pump it out, it just wouldn't come out so I wasn't very impressed with that but I suppose it's just a bit of a dud bottle. I managed to get some out, and it smelt alright but I wasn't wowed by it. Not nearly as nice as the Katy Perry Roar perfume in the last box. Sample size - 5ml. Full size RRP £25

Ooh I love a nail varnish me. Especially a hot pink one called Rendevous. It's from Seche which I've never heard of but I'm always happy to try a new nail varnish brand as it supports my obsession. Lavly. Full size - RRP £9.95

This was an absolute devil to take a picture of, I was having a nightmare because it wouldn't focus. It's a nice nude lipgloss from Beautiful Movements Cosmetics who I also had never heard of but it's been nice to give them a try. It's just a normal lipgloss - nothing cray about it, just does the job which is good. It's a really nice nude shade, not too pale. Check out my dodgy swatch below. 

So there you have it, my glossybox this month. I hope you enjoyed seeing my nice treats.

In a bit,

Chloe

xoxo

Tip Top Autumn Bargains

Hello gang,

How are you all this afternoon? Well, I hope. I'm pretty shattered from work but I'm having a nice relaxing afternoon working on my blog, so I hope you all enjoy. I went to TK Maxx this morning in the little break I had and found an amazing bargain which I will talk about, and it inspired me to make this post. I'm a sucker for a discount or a BOGOF (not being rude- buy one get one free) or anything like that. So here are my tip top bargains that are around at the moment:

Boots have their 3 for 2 on any cosmetics deal at the moment, which can save you SO much. I didn't use it on these three products but these are some examples of what you could get, and I thought these were really nice Autumn colours. From L-R: Essie A-List, Rimmel Caramel Cupcake and No7 Totally Teal.

I've shown you this tip-top super bananas make-up remover/cleanser before, and I ran out again but couldn't justify spending £4.99 (their normal price in Boots, Sainsbury's etc.) on a bottle of what is essentially posh water. But, at the moment in Boots you get any 2 L'Oreal Paris cleansing products for £6. Which made these bad boys £3 each - BOOYEAH!

Okay, here's the big-un. I needed a new purse because my silly New Look one broke (not impressed) so I went into TK Maxx and had a ganders. I never really shop there, but I went in and was amazed at the bargains! The purse I got was a Paul Costelloe (ooer, get me) leather purse in the shade Oxblood (ew). It is normally 90 Great British Pounds, and I got it for £19.99!! Chuffed!!!

As always, if you want a bargain, Primark is the place to go. This necklace and jumper has been my favourite outfit of Autumn and I've work this combo loads. I've wanted to try out a statement necklace because I'm normally very rubbish with accessories but I took the plunge and got this one. I love it even more because it was just 3 Great British Pounds! What a bargain! I reckon it looks like could have been from Accessorize or Topshop, and probably would have been about £15! And the jumper which you can't see fully, but it's long sleeved and very snuggly was just £8. I've washed it loads already and it's still super quality which admittedly you don't always get from Primark.

So there are you folks, my tip-top top bananas super-duper bargains. I sincerely hope this hasn't encouraged you to go and spend your dollar. Okay maybe I do a little bit.

I'm off to relax now and watch Netflix. (Currently watching 16 and Pregnant. I just love TV that melts my brain a little bit)

Let me know of your top bargains or if you fancy any of this stuff now!

Ta-ra

Chloe

xxx

Living With An Invisible Illness - ME/CFS

Hi gang,

Well you might have been wondering where I've been, I said I would be back blogging then I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. Well, I've been feeling pretty rotten and it all came to a head on Monday where I was rather poorly! Luckily I have lovely jubbly housemates and they all looked after me like the lovely people they are.

I've had ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) or CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) since I was about 14. I had glandular fever which developed into Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome which then developed into ME/CFS. The main symptoms of ME/CFS are:

• Exercise intolerance and exhaustion after physical activity
• Pain/myalgia (mine is mostly in my ankles and wrists)
• Fasciculations; visible twitching over the muscles. (I hate this)
• Cognitive problems such as clumsiness (I think I was like that before anyway!!) and word finding ability
• Problems with immune system such as frequent colds and headaches
• Alcohol intolerance (I'm the world's biggest lightweight, I don't drink now!)
• Sleep disturbance

Sounds like a barrel of laughs doesn't it? Well, I recovered really well when I had it bad in my teens. My Mom was amazing it did loads of research and we got me through it. But I think after a very difficult year, things have started to calm down and my body has gone "Aaaaah...." and let go! I've been feeling under the weather for a couple of weeks and like I said it all came to head on Monday when I pretty much collapsed on my friends and had to go to A&E! Since then I've been absolutely exhausted, breathless and twitchy with achey ankles. I didn't click that it could have been a relapse until my boyfriend did some research. So I'm not too happy with it but I know how to cope with it.

The thing with having an illness like ME/CFS is that it's an 'invisible illness'. It's ruddy awful. On my worst days, I'll look a bit pale. That's it. I won't have a mark on me, you can't see it, it's not a broken leg where I'll wear a cast and everyone will immediately notice. But inside I'm absolutely exhausted, not just a bit tired, more like when you've been out on a night out until 3 in the morning and you get up for a lecture at 9, but all the time. I'm not at that stage yet, but if I don't act now it'll get that way. So I've got to pace myself. But hey-ho; I've been through worse.

So the point I'm trying to make with this post is that if you know someone with an 'invisible illness' - and there's absolutely loads of them - just be there for them, be that bit of support that they need. Let them know that you know that they are not well, because sometimes you just think that you're being silly because there's nothing visible. 

So that's me up-to-date. I'll try and post something a bit more cheerful soon if I can muster the energy. I've discovered Netflix though so I might be a bit distracted. 

Chloe

xo

Pumpkin Carving Ideas

Alright kids,

Hope you're well. It's a tad early but my housemates and I decided that we would do some pumpkin carving last night as we wouldn't be at uni when it was Halloween. Mine was called Barry, and his design was being in the sun/having a moustache. I even gave him ears. My housemates, however, did a much better job and actually did clever ones. So feel free to use our excellent ideas.

Happy Early Halloween!

Chloe

X

Rimmel Wake Me Up - Best Drugstore Foundation?

Howdy gang,

How are you? Good, fabulous. I'm fine thank you. Today on Chloesparkles I bring you a little review on a highly talked about foundation; the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation Anti-Fatigue Effect + Radiant Glow SPF 15. Blimey what a title, try saying that with a bag of crisps in your mouth.

I watch a lot of beauty YouTube videos, and this foundation was cropping up a lot in tutorials and hauls, so I thought I'd give it a go myself. I have to be honest, it really is amazing. I was quite surprised because I'd had foundations before from Clinique, No7 etc and I must say that they beat all of the ones I've tried before hands down. 

It's really smooth and makes your skin feel hydrated, some foundations can make your skin feel dry but this really doesn't. It blends in really well with a good coverage; I put on one pumps worth for day-to-day but if I'm going out for a wild party or whatever I'll slap on two for good measure, and it makes your skin look fab. I usually feel like I have to put a powder on top of my foundation to make it even and not too oily but this foundation gives you the perfect amount of dewy-ness.

Overall I really recommend this, it'll change your life. Well, it'll definitely help you with your foundation choices.

Tip-top Tip: This foundation is priced in Boots for £8.99. But I got it from ASDA for £4.98! They only do three shades, Classic Beige (my shade), True Ivory and Ivory; but if that's one of yours, winner winner chicken dinner!

Ta-ra!

x