WHY EVERYONE IS USING ADLET TO MONETISE THEIR BLOG

Today's topic is all about monetising your blog by accepting advertising! This can be a daunting thought as there's often quite a lot of confusion surrounding the topic. For example, a common question is "how do I advertise on my blog?" or "how can I turn my hobby into my full-time job?" 

Well, let me introduce you to Adlet.

Adlet is a UK ad based platform which provides a service to bloggers and businesses to allow advertising on their blogs and websites or allow them to put an ad on someone else's site to advertise their blog or business.

It's actually really simple to set up and it doesn't cost you a penny, which is awesome. Unlike other sites that provide this sort of service, for example Passionfruit, Google Ads and many more, Adlet doesn't charge a thing for creating your account, nor does it keep you to a contract so you have total freedom. 

You also have total freedom in what ads you allow on your blog/website whereas other sites don't tend to give you the option to choose whether you approve them or not. This is great because you don't necessarily want an advert on your blog that doesn't fit with your blog's theme.

Adlet charges 10% of whatever ad you sell, which is tiny compared to, again, other advertising services. No money comes out of your bank account at all (unless you are paying for an ad to be shown on someone else's site), it is taken before it enters your bank account. For example, if you have a jewellery boutique wanting to advertise their necklaces on your blog and you decide to sell an ad space for £10, Adlet will take 10% of this so £9 will enter your bank account. I know you probably guessed that after the first sentence but it's worth explaining it a bit more just for you to be sure!

When you sign up though, make sure you complete all steps of the process as you'll want to set up your profile on their site so that you're put on their Marketplace which is how brands will find your blog! The installation process is really simple and straightforward and help is always at hand if you ever get stuck or have any questions - you can contact them by email but they also have Twitter!

Do you use Adlet? What do you think? 

Thanks for reading!

Chloe x

PRIMARK PURSE HAUL

I usually love a good sturdy purse but I've come to realise I end up filling it with loads of junk, like receipts and generally things I don't need to carry with me on a daily basis. I also hate talking all of my cards with me everywhere I go in case I lose them so when I go to university, I usually take a different purse than when I'm going into town shopping or whatever.

Currently I'm using the white and black stripe purse as my uni purse but the one I take everywhere else, with my cards in it, recently broke so I thought I'd take a trip to Primark to see what others they had to offer as I love the stripe one so much! The stripe on this reminds me of a Chanel purse... it must be because of the stripes and also the fact that it's round. To me it looks more expensive than a Primark purse, which I love! I think this one was about £2 but I can't be certain, it was very inexpensive anyways!

While I was at Primark, I found this polka dot cream and black purse with a little black bow on it. I think it was £4 so for a sturdy purse like this one, I think that's a great price. It has two compartments - one for change and the other for cards so that's perfect for me as there's nothing worse than when you've got everything going on inside your purse and you drop money out when you're scrambling looking for a certain card or note. 

Finally, when I saw this last purse which is a stone grey colour with what looks like a Koala on it, I had to buy it. I didn't need it but I couldn't leave it there! I just think it's a really cute purse which will come in handy if you're only taking some notes or change out with you that day! This was so inexpensive at only £2!

What do you think of these purses?

Thanks for reading!

Chloe x

'TALK ABOUT YOUR MEDICINES' MONTH WITH THE AMERICAN RECALL CENTRE

Transitioning From Daily Injections To An Insulin Pump

I was contacted by the American Recall Centre to write about and bring awareness to the medication I take due to having diabetes for their October campaign 'Talk About Your Medicines' month!

It was a privilege to write this post to help them with their great campaign to bring awareness and to outline the importance of taking your medicines and looking after your illness. I tend to steer away from the word "illness" when referring to my diabetes but essentially that's what it is! Don't worry though, this isn't going to be a "feel sorry for me" post because I don't feel sorry for myself and there's no need for me to feel sorry for myself! Everyone has their issues and this is mine and that's perfectly okay. 

As you might have guessed by the title above, I'll be talking about the medicines I take but unlike the assumed method of administering insulin, via multiple injections a day (which I did for years!) I now administer my insulin via an insulin pump. I hope this post is of help to you and if you have any questions, please get in touch! :)

Let's get on with it...

I've been diabetic for 10 years, going from injecting 4 times a day to now administering my insulin via a Medtronic Insulin Pump. Over the past 10 years, I've gone through highs and lows and not just in regards to my glucose levels - mentally too!

I was 11 when I was diagnosed and didn't really understand how it would impact my life other than knowing I now had to inject myself up to 4 times a day, which I remember thinking “how am I going to inject myself 4 days every single day for the rest of my life?” It was definitely a frightening experience for an 11 year old to deal with, heck, for anyone to deal with!

The doctors couldn't pinpoint what made my pancreas stop working but I have quite a good idea. Whether this is what caused it or not, I believe that the stress of starting secondary school only a couple of months prior brought on my diabetes. I hated school so much that I would cry constantly and refuse to go in which obviously didn't help my health condition any!

Injecting 4 times a day would wear anyone down so when I heard about the opportunity to go on a trial of a Medtronic Insulin Pump in 2008, I immediately put my name down and began an intense training course which taught me all about the insulin pump, how to count my carbohydrates (which is an extremely important aspect to using a pump!) and how to adjust to a lifestyle on an insulin pump instead of injections.

Being only 15 at the time, this was challenging and difficult to wrap my head around so I'm so glad my family were there to support me and take some of the weight off my shoulders when it all got a bit much. After many weeks and months training about the insulin pump, I was finally given one of my own I felt a sense of relief that I could finally see what life would be like without injecting 4 times a day. With this insulin pump, I need to change the set (inject myself) every 2/3 days which is, as you can imagine, a great change to injecting 4 times a day!

At first, it took awhile for me to get used to, making sure I was following all the “new rules” and in a way, it kind of felt like I was being diagnosed with diabetes all over again. I have to say though, it was so worth it.

The insulin pump has allowed me to do so much more and have so much more flexibility in my daily life than I could have ever imagined having. Growing up with diabetes, I had to obviously put my diabetes first which used to hinder a lot of the plans I used to make with friends, family, holidays, outings etc., but the pump completely changed that for me. The flexibility of being on an insulin pump allowed me to do things like learn to drive as soon as I turned 17 (I know diabetes does NOT stop you from learning to drive, however arranging driving lessons around my injection times would be awkward!), I got my first part-time job, I went to California with my school - something that still amazes me as it gave me so much independence! I also went onto university (currently in my last year!), I'm interning for an advertising company and I'm also running my own campaign on my blog called 'Take Back What's Yours' which provides support for people who are going through bullying, low self-esteem, mental health issues and medical issues such as diabetes. As well as that, I have recently become a Youth Ambassador for JDRF UK! I have many posts on diabetes on my blog, one including all about my pump and more in-depth about how it works.

Of course, everyone has their good days and bad days, no matter which way you administer your insulin. In fact sometimes on the odd occasion when the insulin pump decides it wants to frustrate me and stop working until I change the set again, it will send my glucose levels rocketing and makes me feel like I want to go back to injections but once it starts working again, I realise it was only a moment of anger and that I don't think I could go back to injecting unless I had to.

The message of this article is not only to let you know about the freedom and flexibility an insulin pump gives you, but to let you know that diabetes doesn't have to hinder you from doing anything you want to do in life! I know that because the insulin pump has given me the freedom I needed to reach my goals and lead as normal life as possible and I wouldn't change it for the world!

Be sure to check out American Recall Centre's latest post about the dangerous side effects of the medicine Xarelto. The post ensures you know about the side effects of the medicine you take before you take them, so please check that out here.

If you'd like to check out my campaign, here's a link to explain it all a bit better!

Thank you for reading!

Get in touch! 

Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com

Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Chloe x

HOLY GRAIL DRUGSTORE FOUNDATION

Now you may or may not already know but Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation is my all time favourite drugstore foundations. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying that it's probably one of my all time foundations in general, it's that good! My favourite high end foundation is Nars Sheer Glow and I'd say this is on par with it!

The reason I love this foundation so much is because of the fantastic coverage it gives. If you're looking for a light, sheer, natural coverage then this is for you. If you're looking for a medium coverage, this is for you. If you're looking for a fuller coverage...you've guessed it, this is for you and I'll explain why...

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation adjusts to whichever coverage you want. With some foundations, if you want to build to get a fuller coverage, sometimes it can look cakey and thick but not with this product. By the way, I'm not in any way sponsored by Bourjois, I just purely love this foundation so much. So anyways, the coverage here is totally up to you!

What I love more than the coverage is the effect it gives. This foundation provides a sort of pearlescent effect, if you like, on the skin, giving an instantaneous glow and radiance boost. Due to the fact that it does provide a glowy/dewy look, if you have oily skin, as long as you set it with powder you should be fine! I always set mine with a bit of powder even though I have more dry skin - it just keeps it in place better and prolongs the longevity of the look! The information on the bottle even claims to give you hydrated and luminous skin, and I definitely agree that it does!

The price of this product is £9.99 from places like Boots and Superdrug but I try and wait until there's a good deal on before I stock up! I also use the colour shade 52 as I find this isn't too pale like shade 51 and it isn't too dark like shade 53!

Finally, as you may or may not know, Bourjois is owned by Chanel and is a fantastic dupe for Chanel foundations like Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua so I love how the Bourjois Health Mix has similarities to that! 

This was more of a basic post and the reason for that was because I just wanted to highlight how much I love this product and share with you a really great, affordable foundation!

Have you ever tried this product? What do you think of it? 

Thanks for reading!

Chloe x

WRAPPING UP FOR WINTER DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BORING

As winter is rapidly approaching and those icy, biting nights are drawing in, we all need that coat that will see us through this frosty season!

I have a bought a few coats recently (I just love winter coats!) which my purse isn't exactly thrilled about but everyone needs a good quality coat and that's my excuse... good enough, right?

I'll be doing a couple of these posts showing you my recent winter coat buys and some of them, including this one below, had discounts on them and that is why I'm showing you them so even if you don't like the exact coats I'm posting, you can have a look at the shop that's offering these deals and see if there's something else you like!

I was extremely excited about buying this green parka because years ago I had a coat from Red Herring which looked exactly like this! I loved it so much but over time it obviously worn and got a bit worse for wear! I clung onto it for dear life but eventually had to give it up a couple of months ago when I was moving house and clearing my wardrobe.

 This coat is from Peacocks and cost £45. I think this is a great price for a high quality parka with faux fur around the hood. Many times I see parkas which have either too little faux fur, which can make it look a little cheap or too much faux fur which can give it that O.T.T look but I think this coat has the right amount! It's probably me just being fussy and my OCD talking but there you go!

The fantastic deal I had on this coat was 10% student discount from Peacocks but there was also there was an additional promotion on so I had this 'perfectly fit for winter' parka for £36!

This is why I love winter outfits and why winter is one of my favourite seasons to dress for. I love wrapping up warm with a cozy, patterned (usually some form of tartan) scarf and winter boots! If you haven't seen my 'Transitioning to Winter Wear' footwear post, you should check that out!

PS! Sorry if the lighting is a bit dodgy in these pictures, the sun kept going in and out!

Keep an eye out for my next post on the perfect winter coat! 

Have you bought any winter outfits yet or are you still clinging onto what little mild weather we have left?

Don't forget to get in touch! 

Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com

Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Chloe x

'TAKE BACK WHAT'S YOURS' - CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Hi everyone!

So as you may or may not be aware, my blog was set up primarily to provide a place for people who are going through anything that worries or upsets them or even if they just want to talk to someone about something and to come and feel safe, they can do so here. My campaign 'Take Back What's Yours' started officially in June and in the meantime I've covered topics such as bullying, anxiety, self-esteem, low confidence, motivation and diabetes.

So far, my campaign journey has led me to conduct interviews on bullying and self-esteem with Lucy Kay who came runner up on this year's Britain's Got Talent, interviews with bullying organisations and foundations, blogger interviews and also featuring guest posts from bloggers who have also had firsthand experiences with issues on all topics mentioned above.

As well as this, I also regularly post on all of the topics I've mentioned. I post about my own experiences and any advice & motivation to help empower you to believe you don't have to stand for what you have been standing for. I've named my campaign 'Take Back What's Yours' because I want everyone to believe you can take back what's yours and live the life you're entitled to, no matter what a bully says and no matter what anxiety, self-esteem, low confidence, diabetes or any other mental health or medical problem tries to hinder you from believing.

Currently I'm working on ways in which I can organise events which will bring everyone involved in my campaign together so we can all socialise, get to know each other and build a community so we know that whatever you're going through, there will be people there who are going through the exact same thing.

Being a university student in my final year, I have low source of funding so it's obviously difficult to provide everything a campaign should have, but I'm sure you'll find lots of posts on my blog which will motivate and empower you, which is one of my main goals of this campaign! I've been doing lots of research on turning this into a nonprofit organisation so will bring you news as soon as I know something for sure!

I'd like to make a little plea here to any brands who would like to get involved as sponsors of my campaign - please get in touch if this is something you would be interested in! My email is ChloesConcept@gmail.com!

I'm really, really excited about this campaign. I've done lots of planning, lots of research and dedicated a lot of time to this so I'm determined to keep going with it as the feedback I've had has made it all worthwhile and that in itself motivates me, knowing that it is helping people.

I thought I'd use this post as a little update for you to know what's been going on and to keep you informed as you've all been so great with supporting me!

If you'd be interested in a meet up event like the one I spoke about above, please let me know by tweeting me @ChloesConcept!

Additionally, if you want to be involved in my campaign (the more the merrier!) please do get in touch with me and we can discuss in which ways you can get involved!!

Thank you for reading!!

Get in touch! 

Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com

Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Chloe x

THE BEST BASE FOUNDATION

Hi readers!

I've only recently tried this product after buying it weeks ago when I was in America. I went a little O.T.T on buying makeup products (as you do) so I'm only now getting round to testing this one out.

I tried this product and at first, wasn't overly keen. I have dry skin, especially in the colder weather (which it is now!) and so I was a bit disappointed to find that it left more of a matte finish on my skin as I prefer more of a satin/dewy look. Now, I know so far I'm making it sounds like I don't like the product - which I didn't... at first. However when I gave up after applying it and applied my normal makeup routine over it - Bourjois Healthy Mix finished with a dab of Nars Sheer Glow, I was pleasantly surprised.

I felt my makeup stayed on much long, with more of a natural look - rather than it being a bit cakey or thick. Somehow, it also enhanced that dewy look, which I find confusing as I previously mentioned - it appeared quite matte when I first applied it!

This foundation cost me roughly $8 which is a great price, even if I just use this as a sort of base foundation! It's a standard size of 30ml which is great as a little goes a long way.

Have you tried this product? What do you think of it?

I know this review is shorter than the usual reviews I do, but I wanted to give you a quicker, shorter and to the point review rather than blab on about it as I usually do in reviews!

Thanks for reading!

Chloe x

WHAT EVERYONE WANTS IN A BLOG POST: BOOST YOUR TRAFFIC

Everyone is definitely different so what you consider to be a great blog post, someone else may think that it's mediocre. That doesn't mean that it is mediocre as someone else could think that it is the best blog post they've read in awhile.

I'm no professional in this sort of thing at all, I'm purely going from my own experiences so what may work for me, may not work for you. The truth is, I could do the exact same type of post that had a great amount of traffic on, but then only get a quarter of views on it. I think I'm only just starting to realise you have to work really hard to get the amount of traffic you desire. 

By the way, a great amount of views and a hike in traffic isn't the be all and end all of blogging. Blogging should be about having fun with writing about your interests and hobbies, reading other blogs, learning something and applying it to your life - whether that's learning about a new product, a DIY post, a health post, an advice post, a school/university post, a career post... whatever it is, you get the idea!

                                                                                                                                                     

CONTENT IDEAS

However, in my opinion to create something that everyone will want to click on, it's a good idea to create content about a topic that will apply to a wide range of people but by still managing to keep your target audience priority. Here are some ideas:

• A topic that is personal to you - Make sure you know why you're talking about it though. Are you wanting to change something? Discuss something? Get opinions on something? 
• A post on blogging; blog tips, tricks, things you've learned through your experience of blogging
• Bucket List
• Interesting and helpful facts - an infographic is a good option!
• A film/TV review
• To-do list for going on holiday or moving house

                                                                                                                                                      

     CONTENT ACCURACY

The most important thing is to make sure you know what you're writing about. Whatever it is you choose to write about make sure you have a good amount of knowledge on the topic so you feel you can write about it with confidence. Not only that though, you want to make sure the content you're writing is correct and accurate - you don't want to mislead your readers in any way, shape or form. 

                                                                                                                                                           

IMAGES

I probably don't have to include this section because it is common knowledge how important good photography is for bloggers. When I first started my blog, my photography was awful and I'm still learning. I haven't got the most expensive or professional camera, when I first started I used my iPhone but then moved onto my camera which is a Samsung... but I don't think I could give you the exact name of it because I don't know it. Being a student in university, I can't really afford to go out and buy a top of the range camera so I do my best with what I have. Just make sure you learn the basics of photography, try and incorporate the rule of thirds, make sure the background isn't busy and ensure that it doesn't feel uncomfortable to look at - for example, make sure you don't cut a corner off what you're taking a picture of unless it's intentional - the image below is a prime example of intentional adjustment to make it a bit more fancy, if you like! Everything I've mentioned is basic stuff, I know, but very important!

                                                                                                                                                     

PROMOTION

It is also common knowledge that promoting your post is essential and a great way to drive traffic. Social media, social media, social media. It should be the first thing you go to when you've published your post. You can't assume people will just randomly go to your blog a couple of times a day to keep checking if you'd published a post. You need to tell them but without coming across to forceful. Twitter chats are a great way to network with other bloggers and spread the word about your blog. If you struggle to keep up with all the different chats that go on, check out this Twitter calender made by Elaine from XOMISSE! 

Have you got any tips on how you can boost your traffic?

Thanks for reading!

Get in touch! 

Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com

Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Chloe x

. 

Dealing with Anxiety - Featured on The Style Lane

Interview I conducted with Lucy Kay from Britain's Got Talent

An Inspirational Interview with Lucy Kay from Britain's Got Talent: Exclusive!

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to talk to Lucy all about her experience with bullying and how she managed to overcome it and achieve her dreams. Lucy impressed and made an emotional connection with the Britain's Got Talent audience, coming runner up earlier this year. Lucy's magical, operatic style voice and her positive attitude to life had her signed to Sony Classical, her debut album 'Fantasia' released in September and touring next year with Collabro, Lucy has first hand experience of what it's like to go from feeling so low to feeling like the impossible is now possible after managing to achieve her dreams and live the life she's always dreamed about. 

I think it's extremely difficult to stop bullying altogether as there is always someone who will want to involve themselves in business that's not theirs, so I feel there should be more support provided to help how victims deal with bullying and help motivate and empower them.

So let's get started, we hope this helps you feel like you can achieve your dreams, no matter what a bully says. 

Hi Lucy, can you tell me about your experience with bullying when growing up?

Mine was pretty long and drawn out. It started when I was around the age of 7/8 and carried on into my teens, I was subject to mental and physical abuse due to my love for classical singing - it wasn't the norm and my peers found it very difficult to accept as they were brought up to appreciate more mainstream pop and techno music. I failed all but one of my GCSE's because I was so badly bullied I was very rarely in lessons due to hiding in the girls toilets or skipping school in order to get away from the bad people.

How did it impact your self-esteem and motivation in life?

It really took a lot of my confidence away and subsequently made me go into my shell and not wanting to come out. However having said that my motivation only got stronger - I knew my passion for signing and classical music was so strong I was not going to let them take the one thing I loved the most, away from me. It made me work harder to regain my GCSE's and A Levels. I was determined to move away and start a new life - a new me.

I think it's great that in light in all of this, your passion kept you motivated and kept you strong. How else did you cope with it?

I transferred all the pain hate and sorrow into my music, I surrounded myself with things that made me happy - that was singing operatically. Every time I opened my mouth to sing I was completely lost and transported to a different world. I joined a girls choir Cantamus way back when I was 8 and spent 13 years of my life singing as a hobby  and I have now managed to make it a reality.

Apart from your passion of singing to keep you positive and motivated in life, what do you do to increase your happiness and positivity when you're feeling down?

I think about how lucky I am in all of this. There are people in the world who would give anything to have a little bit of what I do. I mean I have a roof over my head, I have a loving family and wonderful friends, I have money, clothes, food and fresh water. That's how I keep positive because I am so grateful to be blessed with such an incredible life and really, I shouldn't have anything to complain about. I make sure I do a lot for charities too, I believe we can all do a lot more than is currently being done today.

I think that is a great mindset to obtain. On the subject of doing more for charities, do you think the media are doing enough to provide support to victims of bullying?

I think it's getting there but we are still a long way from where we should be with it. The Anti-bullying Pro organisation are doing a fantastic job and it's really becoming effective within schools.

Finally, what is your advice to anyone going through bullying right now?

Don't let them win and don't stay silent. Speak out and be heard - remember a lot of  bullying goes on because of the bully's background - they can usually be experiencing a lot of bad things at home. They then target someone that is more likely to back down to them - it gives them the power and strength they feel they need to cope with their life back at home. It's the only way they feel they can channel that negative energy. I'm not making excuses for bullying at all but I believe a lot of what goes on it due to parental up bringing or friendship groups - no one is born with hate - it's a feeling that has developed.

So what I would say to coping with that is surround yourself with supportive people and a hobby you enjoy and are passionate about - let that guide you through the bad times but whatever you do, do not keep bullying a secret - you need to share what is happening in order to receive help.

I just want to thank Lucy for answering these questions! It really means a lot to me and I'm sure you, my readers will love this and feel inspired and motivated to be able to feel like there really is hope and a light at the end of the tunnel...you just have to believe and stay focused on what you love and surround yourself with positivity.

The main reason I started this campaign was to provide a place for people to come and feel safe, get advice, have a chat and feel better about whatever is on your mind, so please do not hesitate to contact me!

If you would like to know a bit more about my campaign, which involves anxiety, bullying, self-esteem, diabetes and many more issues, you can read about it here and if you'd like to get involved, all the information on how you can do that is in that post, or you can just email me if you have any questions!!

Thanks for reading!

Get in touch! 

Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com

Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Chloe x

Images via Digital Spy.

THE TINTED MOISTURISER THAT WON'T DISAPPOINT

If you're anything like me, tinted moisturisers just never work on me. I've mentioned in a couple of posts before, my face is quite pink, I don't think it's rosacea and I've tried endless amounts of creams, gels, tablets - you name it, I've tried it, so if anyone has any suggestions to get rid of that, I'd love to hear them.

As I was saying, along with having quite pigmented skin, I feel extremely self conscious if I don't have makeup on, so I tend to wear a full face every day (I'm not talking false eyelashes and the whole Kim Kardashian contour process - although I do like a good contour!) I mean just making sure I have a great foundation with good coverage and long lasting power. Whenever I've tried tinted moisturisers in the past, with the intention of "Yes, finally I don't have to put my usual amount of makeup on every single day" but results in me thinking "When will I learn, tinted moisturisers just don't work with my skin!" so when I debated on buying the Sonia Kashuk Tinted Moisturiser, the only thing that swayed me was how much I like Sonia Kashuk products in general so I thought that was a good enough reason as any! 

It cost me roughly $13 which is at the top end of my drugstore product budget however, again because I love Sonia Kashuk products, I was quite easily swayed! Side note: if you're looking for a new makeup brand to try, try this one because she makes amazing quality products - especially her Illuminiser Foundation which I've got a post on here and her Undetectable Cream Bronzer which I have a post on here! Anyways, getting back to what I was saying - the price was quite a hike but it is most definitely worth it. If you manage to purchase it from the UK (I stock up when I go to Florida!) then $13 is approximately £8 depending on the exchange rate. 

The colour I bought was "Beige" as I was on holiday at the time and my face was quite freckly and tanned, unlike the rest of me, so I always find it quite difficult to get a shade that matches my face and the rest of my body. If you're fair/medium skin tone then this will be a great shade for you, obviously test it first if you can just to make sure! Also, even though it's a tinted moisturiser and the concept of it is supposed to be a very thin, light consistency, I'd definitely say you can manipulate this one. Keep it light with one layer for a fresh look or double it up with a couple of layers to give more of a medium but still fresh and flawless finish! 

Another great plus about this product is that it goes against the usual 30ml foundations - this product has nearly 52ml which I think makes up for the price! Therefore I rate this one 9/10. The extra mark could have been achieved if it was a tiny bit cheaper but like I said, the 52ml gives it that extra advantage!

Have you tried this product? Do you have any tinted moisturisers that you recommend? Let me know!

Thanks for reading!

Get in touch! 

Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com

Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Chloe x

Diabetes Series: Turning Your Disability Into An Ability!

Hi readers!

You might have read my previous post about my experience with a Medtronic Insulin Pump and going from injecting 4 times a day to using this pump which requires changing every 2 to 3 days.

Although I talked about how much I prefer it to injecting every day and how much more flexible my diabetes is, everyone has their off days with their medical conditions and that's what I'm going to talk about today and how you can turn your disability into an ability! This is by no means a pity post, it is in fact the complete opposite and my main aim of this post is to help you look at your disability in a different, more positive light!

I mostly experience my little gripes and moans about my diabetes when my pump decides to malfunction, so here's a little bit about what happens:

In my previous post I explain exactly how to change your pump (every 2 to 3 days) but if you don't know what I mean by "changing your pump" I'll briefly explain:

When I talk about changing my pump I don't mean changing the whole pump machine every couple of days, I mean renewing the insulin reservoir. The reservoir is a little tube that holds the insulin inside the pump machine which the pump then dispenses into wire connected to the reservoir that is attached to my stomach, allowing the insulin to flow into me. Each reservoir only holds a certain amount of insulin which is why I need to go through the process of changing it every couple of days! And so, this is where some of the gripes and moans come in:

When I've gone through this process, inserted the cannula (a tiny tube that is embedded in my stomach) and I've carried on with my day and I've just had some food I obviously need to bolus, so when I type in on my pump to bolus, the pump bleeps back at me telling me there is "No Delivery" which means I have to do this process all over again, including re-injecting myself to insert the new cannula!

This has happened quite a lot over the years I've had the pump (6 years) but in the last few weeks (including today!) it has become more frequent. This could and probably is just a fluke but when you're glucose levels rise to an extremely high level and you feel the symptoms of high glucose levels, it's very frustrating and inconvenient. Like I mentioned earlier, this is not a "pity me" post at all, it's the opposite because in the previous post I linked to, I talked about how I try to turn my experience into a positive one and how I don't let it negatively impact my life, so please do have a read of that post and I hope it helps you!

The actual main reason for writing this post is just to let you know that whether you're on injections or a pump, diabetes can be a frustration, again no pity or sympathy here, it's just a fact. Similarly to many other disabilities and medical conditions; they're all an inconvenience, a struggle, a different way of life, a hindrance sometimes and definitely frustrating, however if you let negativity set in permanently then you're fighting a losing battle. Yes, be angered and upset at your medical condition for an hour or so, but try and look on the positive side and realise how lucky you are in other ways. Try to keep focusing on all the great things you have in life and keep reminding yourself of these things.

Yes, your medical condition makes you different, but different is great!! Above all, remember, you are not alone. I've had diabetes for 10 years and I can honestly say it hasn't stopped me from doing anything I want to do (I talk about all the different things I've achieved in my other post! In fact, I've benefited from it in more ways than I've been hindered by it, for example I am now a Type 1 Youth Ambassador for JDRF which I'm extremely happy and excited about and I wouldn't have been able to do this if I wasn't diabetic! See? It's not all bad!

As this is part of my campaign as well as my diabetes series, I'll include some info below on how you can contact me if you'd like to talk about anything, ask me anything or vent about anything - I'm so happy to listen and help! The main reason I started this campaign was to provide a place for people to come and feel safe, get advice, have a chat and feel better about whatever is on your mind, so please do not hesitate to contact me!

Get in touch: 

Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com

Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Chloe x

I hope you found this post helpful!

If you would like to know a bit more about my campaign, which involves anxiety, bullying, self-esteem, diabetes and more issues, you can read about it here and if you'd like to get involved, all the info on how you can do that is in that post, or you can just email me if you have any questions!!

Thank you for reading!

Chloe x

Transitioning To Winter Wear - Winter '14

So winter is most definitely upon us. Have you noticed how bitter it's getting lately? Especially first thing in the morning and late at night.

Part of me hates the thought of dark, freezing mornings, getting ready with the light on in my room but another part of me loves the thought of late night Christmas shopping and Costa's Black Forest hot chocolate to warm me up. Another reason I look forward to the winter season is because where there is the cold, biting weather there's always a cosy, stylish winter coat to wear. I also have an obsession with scarves (I have a scary amount of them), thick black tights and winter boots.

On the topic of winter boots, I find it difficult to go from autumn footware to winter. As autumn sort of merged with summer this year (in the UK) and we kind of went from summer, straight into winter, I've been managing to just about get away with still wearing dolly shoes and of course my loyal converses. However, now it is far too cold to get away with dollies (as I learned yesterday when I went out wearing dollies and felt the consequences not long after - I couldn't wait to swap them for some fluffy socks!) so I'm trying to find a way to incorporate boots into my outfits without them being too "wintery". That's where these boots come in:

I bought these boots from Forever 21 when I went to America over the summer and I completely love them. I feel that ankle boots are a great way to ease yourself into wearing more of an acceptable shoe for winter without looking like you're gearing up for an outing in the Antarctic.

As well as them being ankle boots, the colour isn't dark, as you can see (obviously) so you don't immediately link wearing dark boots with being in the dead of winter. As they are a light fawn/tan (but not orange!) boot, you can easily get away with wearing these on milder days as well as when it does turn to that icy weather we all love (not!).

I think I paid about $24 which is about £15/16 depending on the exchange rate at the moment so I think these are a great bargain!

As you can see I've got jeans on with them here but I can't wait to wear them with thick black tights too!

Let me know what you think and what type of boots you love to wear in the milder winter weather!

Thanks for reading this post!

Get in touch: 

Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com

Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Chloe x

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: Dupe edition!

Hi readers!

I've got a dupe post for you today which features the W7 range eye shadow palette called 'In The Buff Eyeshadow Palette'.

First of all, the colours within this palette are completely up my street. I always wear a bronzed/gold-ish eye shadow and love how this palette has every bronzed shade you could possibly want. From light golds to deep metallic browns, I love the colour range and feel you can create as great a smokey bronzed eye as if you were using something like Urban Decay's 'Naked 2 Palette'. 

I do love the colour range in the 'Naked 2 Palette' but I feel like paying £37 (approx) for an eye shadow palette, isn't for me so this W7 palette which cost me £5.99 was a definite bargain and one of my must buys! It also has fantastic staying power. It lasts all day long and I don't ever wear an eye shadow primer or anything, so keep that in mind also!

Here's a close up of the colours:

I purchased this product in my local independent makeup shop where I live, but you can buy this anywhere that stocks the W7 range. I've found a website (which I've not used so I'm not sponsored!) where you can get it a bit cheaper for £4.45 here!

I really do recommend you try out this product as it'll save you money and works just as great as any high end product, in my opinion!

Have you tried this product? What did you think?

Thanks for reading this post!

Get in touch: 

Twitter: @ChloesConcept

Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com

Tumblr Ask: http://ChloesConcept.tumblr.com/ask

Chloe x