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Ghosthunting at Jarrow Hall

Last week I went Ghosthunting at Jarrow Hall with @GhostNorthEast and loved every minute of it. If you're looking for something a bit different I highly recommend! #NEBloggers #NEFollowers #BloggersHutRT @BloggersHut @allthoseblogs @thebloggerpost

After years of watching paranormal investigations on the TV, Youtube and of course, film, I decided it was time to try ghosthunting for myself.

Researching events in the local area, I came across GHOSTNorth East. A team of investigators who after years of hunting spirits across the country, invited the public to take part in vigils.

GHOSTNorth East use no special effects, gimmicks or…

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My Skincare Routine

I've finally written a post on 'My Skincare Routine'. I've finally found the perfect routine to keep away my acne and reduce scarring. Click the link to read! #bbloggers @BBlogRT @LovingBlogs #TheClqRT #ukbloggers #influencerrt @allthoseblogs

If you know me or have followed some of my previous posts (you can read here) then you’ll know how much I’ve struggled with my skincare. From cystic acne to heavy scarring and sensitivity, my skin can be a living nightmare to cope with.

As of right now, I would class myself as combination with occasional hormonal cystic breakouts. I also have pretty sensitive skin, so anything too harsh is…

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The Best Drugstore False EyeLashes 2019 [#gifted]

I'm always being asked what lashes I'm wearing in my insta pics so I've compiled a list of all my favourite falsies including @EylureOfficial @welovelashes @KissProducts @ArdellBeauty [#GIFTED] #bblogger #BloggersTribe #GRLPOWR @TheBloggersPost

This post includes gifted content however all opinions are completely my own.

Hello!

Whenever I post a piccy of my makeup and I’m donning some of my favourite falsies, I always get people asking me what lashes I’m wearing and where to get them from.

So to save myself the embarrassment of telling people the wrong information because I threw the box out MONTHS ago and I’m scruffy and been…

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Mother's Day 2019 in the North East

Mother's Day is just around the corner (March 31st) so I've compiled a list of things to do on Mother's Day 2019 in the North East! #nebloggers #nefollowers #BloggersTribe #GRLPOWR

Mother’s Day is just around the corner (March 31st to be exact) and this year there’s a bunch of offers on dinners, teas and staycations in the North East.

Instead of leaving it last minute to try and book up a delicious roast or rushing to the shop the night before to grab a card and a bunch of flowers, why not treat your Mam’s, Grandmother’s, Aunt’s or even a special friend to a spa break…

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Kendall Jenner and Proactiv: How Not to Pick a Spokesperson

I wrote an entire rant on the Kendall Jenner x Proactiv campaign as someone who suffers from adult acne and has strong opinions. Read it here! #bbloggers #BloggersTribe #InfluencerRT #BloggingGals #BBlogRT #GRLPOWR

Kendall Jenner, the supermodel star of the Kardashian/Jenner clan and the new face of…Proactiv. Yep, you heard right. Proactiv, the company that sells skincare which claims to aid in the fight against pesky breakouts and acne have hired a globally recognised beautiful, multi-millionaire for their newest spokeswoman. How…relatable?!

Let me start off by saying, Kendall Jenner, can literally not…

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Hello? Is this thing on?

It’s me, Chanel, the girl who used to write on this blog quite a lot. Yep, that’s the one. Well I’m back and before you all think I’ve given up completely on blogging, I haven’t. In fact, I’m really inspired to take my blog to new levels in the new year, especially now I have a car and a bucket load of new found freedom!

At the start of the month, me and a few of my gal pals took a trip to Liverpool to get into the Christmas spirit and scope out the markets. We did Edinburgh in 2017, so it was only fair we tried a new city to see what they had to offer.

Albert Docks

Christmas lights in Liverpool

CHRISTMAS MARKETS

First thing I will say about Liverpool’s Christmas Market is…if you’re going specifically for the markets, choose a different city. Although, Liverpool does offer a handful of stalls and two mini bars, the scale of the market was tiny in comparison to Edinburgh, Manchester and London’s Winter Wonderland. However, if you live near the area it’s probably worth a pop in to see all the independent sellers for one-off gifts.

Liverpool Christmas Market

ACCOMODATION 

We found the most perfect little apartment on the docks of Liverpool to house the 5 of us during our stay and I couldn’t recommend it more. Located right next door to the Echo Arena (perfect if you’ve got a gig lined up) and a stones throw away from Albert Docks, the apartment had everything we needed and more. An amazingly charming host, Dave, who greeted us on arrival to show us about and the fridge stocked with essentials all for or own use. The tv even had Netflix if you decided on a cosy night in. I’ll leave the link here for anyone who’s searching for the perfect place to stay.

FOOD

As we were self catering we were searching all the time for great places to eat. However, Liverpool, especially in December gets VERY busy at night and you may want to reserve your table in advance to avoid any let downs. On the first night, we ate at a restaurant on the Albert Docks called What’s Cooking? which we all found did a fab range of foods to suit even the fussiest members of the group. The food was delicious and we all left feeling well fed and looked after!

We also ate breakfast at the cutest little cafe next to the Liverpool Lime Street station called Key Lime Coffee, which again served an assortment of meals from breakfast, brunch and lunch. If you have a chance, pop in and try their breakfast fully loaded omelette it’s the bee’s knees!

  Cocktails at What’s Cooking?

DRINK AND PARTY

As pretty much newbies to Liverpool, we really had no idea where to start looking for places to dance the night away. We had a few recommendations from friends and as Liverpool has so many options for clubs and bars we felt a tad overwhelmed.

On the first night, we decided to keep it lowkey and stick to bars rather than full on clubs. From the get-go we wanted to visit the Peaky Blinders bar. As fans of the show we were pretty excited about all the hype we’d seen online earlier in the year. However, if you’re going to go to the PB bar…don’t expect Cillian Murphy to be there to greet you with his finest G+T. The bar was ok, there was some live music which was good but the decor was a bit sparse if anything. It’s the type of place which felt like it had been rushed and not much thought had been put into it and really only for the purpose of making a bit of money of the back of a popular TV show. It was a completely different experience to the Breaking Bad bar I wrote about in July. Although, the area which the bar was set had quite a few novelty bars, including a Yellow Submarine which might be fun for someone looking to take their mates somewhere a bit different!

When we were all dolled up on the second night and ready for something a bit more dancey, we hit the city centre. We went to a tiny little tequila bar called Bar CaVa where they sell assorted and wacky flavours of tequila for only £1 a shot. The perfect place for pre drinking, and to prank your mates into drinking baked bean flavoured tequila (sorry for telling you it was passionfruit, Ellen).

A short stumble from Bar CaVa is Concert Square, a place we had all been told about from other friends who’d visited the city before. Here, you can choose between a number of different bars/clubs in the square and if you fancy a sit down, they have a huge outdoor seating area where you can hire shisha.

Peaky Blinders Bar

THINGS TO DO

For the longest time, I wanted to go to the British Music Experience after I’d heard about the installment at The O2 in London. When I was searching for things to do in Liverpool, I seen the Experience had now moved to Liverpool and immediately notified my friends that I’d be going to see it whether they wanted to or not. To my suprise, they all wanted to come and we had the best time looking around the museum at the history of British music, admiring genuine costumes worn by the likes of Freddie Mercury and the Spice Girls. To top it all off, we even had a go at playing our own musical instruments and had a whirl in a recording booth. We sounded horrific but the Experience was great and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in music.

Shopping. Shopping. Shopping. If there’s one place that’s an absolute gold mine for finding everything you need for Christmas it’s the sheer amount of shops available to browse in Liverpool.

Of course, there’s the typical tourist Beatles experiences such as the Cavern Club, which is well worth a look if you’ve never been, and the plethora of Beatles museums dotted around the city.

Stage Costumes of T-Rex, Suzy Quatro and others

Stage Costumes of The Who and Elton John

Kimono of Freddie Mercury

Brit Pop display

Spice Girls BRITs outfit

That’s all I have for you on Liverpool,

If you’ve never been then it’s definitely worth a visit and the locals are very welcoming and helpful if you need advice or directions!

Thanks for reading,

Chanel

  Ive written a new blog post eventually, What to do in Liverpool during December, covering some of the little gems Liverpool has to offer! #InfluencerRT #BloggersTribe #GRLPOWR #UKBloggers Hello? Is this thing on? It's me, Chanel, the girl who used to write on this blog quite a lot.

[gingechanel]

Why be the dancing queen when you can be the killer queen, gunpowder gelatine, dynamite with a laser beam, guaranteed to blow your mind

[gingechanel]

The Ultimate Halloween Film and TV Guide

If you've not got a clue what to watch for Halloween tomorrow, I've set up 'The Ultimate Halloween Film and TV Guide' to help you to choose some great spooky movies! @FemaleBloggerRT #BloggersTribe #GRLPOWR #InfluencerRT

Hello and Happy Spooky Season,

With Halloween falling mid week this year, not many of us will be out partying the night away in our costumes. Instead, it’s more likely that you’ll be cuddled up, nice and toasty eating some spooky snacks and flipping through the TV channels to find something decent to watch. If that sounds like you, or if you’re having a few pals over for a movie marathon then let…

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Caturday

[gingechanel]

“i don’t wanna die, i sometimes wish i’d never been born at all” remains the rawest fucking lyric in the history of music thanks freddie

[gingechanel]

Top tips for passing your driving test

I've got a new post up all about driving and my top tips for passing your driving test. I passed last month and thought I'd share some of the things I did to prepare! @FemaleBloggerRT #BloggersTribe #GRLPOWR

Hi,

I haven’t written anything for quite sometime now because I’ve hit a bit of a wall with blogging, which I’m sure every person who owns a blog has had and I hope to get over it as soon as possible. (Praying to the blog gods)

One thing that has happened in the last month is that I passed my driving test after 13 months of learning! I found driving a struggle for the longest time, gears and…

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The Reasons Why I Blog.

New post up about The Reasons Why I Blog which might be a little more than what meets the eye! I always love hearing why people blog and decided to share my own story. @FemaleBloggerRT #GRLPOWR #BloggersTribe #NEBloggers

Hi,

It’s been a good few months since I sat down and wrote a blog post that was more on the chatty side rather than all planned out in my notebook. As this one is a little more personal I thought it would be better to do from the mind > fingers > blog post and speak a bit more from the heart.

I’ve been reflecting lately on the beginnings of my adventures into the blogging world and although it’s…

[gingechanel]

Happy Friday,

I hope you’re all well!

Firstly, before I get into this weeks post, I am THRILLED to announce that after almost three months of being locked out of my Twitter account, I have regained access! (*cue the audience cheers*) Hopefully, this means I’ll be more motivated to get back into the full swing of blogging without feeling completely out of the bloggers loop, like I have been these past months.

Yesterday, I was very kindly invited to another North East blogging event, this time ran by the lovely people of giffgaff: gameplan, at the Hilton Gateshead and I thought I’d give you a little run down of how it went!

You probably know giffgaff as the popular mobile network. However the company have started on another venture into the world of personal financing! The network have launched a saving money website, which allows you to compare energy prices, car insurance, loans and credit card providers. The site also offers a free credit report so you can be on your way to building your dreams and budgeting to keep on top of it all! You can find giffgaff:gameplan website here.

The event revolved around finances and money management, a topic which I think most of us tend to just assume we know enough about to breeze by in life. However, since finishing university and being shoved into the real world, I’ve found that I need to know a lot more than just the basics of how to understand financing. It’s all so adult.

Upon arrival to the event, we were welcomed warmly with a glass of wine and had time to mingle and enjoy the view of the Tyne Bridge before being ushered into our workshops.

WORKSHOP ONE: Everyday Savings

Eileen Adamson of Yourmoneysorted.co.uk

The first workshop was based on ‘Everyday Savings’ and was ran by the charming Eileen Adamson of Your Money Sorted. Eileen talked about ways of saving on interest through paying just that little more than the minimum on credit cards paybacks and mortgages, meaning you are not only saving yourself a nice bit of money to spend how you like but can pay it off even earlier! I honestly would never even think to pay back more than the minimum, I sort of just go with the flow but I’ll 100% be taking Eileen’s advice on board.

We then enjoyed some interactive activities, including spending habits bingo, Jenga (which encouraged us to mingle and feel more comfortable discussing money), scheduling a meal plan for the month to aid in stopping the need to buy more than the essentials, which I am very guilty of! We then shared websites and apps that would help to both make money and save money, including Plum and Chip, two apps that work with your bank to save a small amount from your current account and build up savings.

Money Jenga

Apps for earning and saving money

Ranks of best companies for haggling success

Monthly meal plan

By the end of the workshop, I really felt like I’d not only learned new ways to save and find great deals but also felt more confident about discussing money around my peers. I’ve always sort of shied away from the topic completely, when, like Eileen said, we don’t talk about money enough and it should be a more comfortable social discussion. Hey, with my new found confidence I might even try haggling!

–

We then stopped for a little buffet break and enjoyed some of the food that Hilton had to offer. This is always the part of any event where I feel like I’ve been so lucky with the opportunities my blog has given me, especially with not even having it a whole year yet! I had a lovely little chat with Yasmina, Kate and Becka about all things rom coms and snacks before making my way to the last workshop of the night.

WORKSHOP TWO: Bad Credit/Credit Score Advice

Karyn Fleeting of Miss Thrifty

The second workshop was ran by the expert of credit, Karyn Fleeting of The Miss Thrifty Blog. If I’m being completely truthful, I went into this workshop only know the bare minimum about credit and most of my knowledge came from passing conversations with friends. Being only 22, I thought that credit would only affect me when I get a little bit older but Karyn has put me in a much better relationship with understanding that credit should be given more attention, no matter what age.

Karyn talked us through how to check our credit score, using Experian, Equifax and CallCredit, what each rating would mean for future referencing and the importance of a high credit score when applying for a loan or a mortgage. Karyn then went on to advise us on how to inflate our credit score through paying bills on time and avoiding payday loans, before demonstrating how to repair a credit score if it’s all looking a bit downhill, with a credit rebuild card and a smidge of patience.

As I said previously, I had such a small amount of understanding on what credit truly was and how it would affect the way I spend, loan and prepare for my future. Thankfully, after Karyn’s incredibly helpful workshop, I’ll now be more wary of my credit score and keep top tip on making sure it’s as high as possible. I even checked my score as soon as I got back to the house! Keen bean.

To round up the event, I had a great evening and loved being in the company of other bloggers once more. It’s so nice to feel part of your local blogging community and put real life faces to blog names!

Thanks to the workshop speakers, giffgaff:gameplan, Jennie and Alice for organising the event and inviting me and the staff at the Hilton Gateshead for making us all feel very welcome.

Cheers for reading,

Chanel

x

          TGIF! Last night I was lucky to attend another NE blogging event with @giffgaffgplan at the Lifegoals Workshop Event. I wrote all about it and even shared some of the advice from @YourMoneyCoachx & @Miss_Thrifty #gameplanlifegoals Happy Friday, I hope you're all well! Firstly, before I get into this weeks post, I am THRILLED to announce that after almost three months of being locked out of my Twitter account, I have regained access!

[gingechanel]

Ariana Grande: 'Sweetener' Album Review

Ariana Grande: ‘Sweetener’ Album Review

Hello,

It’s been a while since I posted an album review and I’m beside myself with excitement to be returning with a hugely anticipated record, Sweetener, by pop princess, Ariana Grande.

Released on 17th August 2018, Sweetener, Ariana’s fourth studio album has been long awaited since her last record, Dangerous Woman, which dropped in 2016 and gained mass global success.

Tracks from Sweetener that…

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Things you might be missing on Netflix

If you're bored of scrolling through Netflix and not knowing what to watch, why not read my new post 'Things you might be missing on Netflix' for some of my recs

Hi,

At this point, I’m pretty sure almost every man, woman and dog has used Netflix at some part of their life. Whether it’s been for just the free trial or as a dedicated subscriber, the streaming site is a blessing when it comes to avoiding boring Saturday night TV and annoying adverts every 5 minutes.

As we already know, Netflix stream hugely popular television and films from Hollywood…

[gingechanel]

Hello,

If you’re a TV show fan like myself then you would have definitely seen or if not, heard of the television king that is Breaking Bad. A show all about a chemistry professor on his mission to pay for his own cancer treatment through the production and distribution of crystal meth, which leads to some… interesting scenarios.

I watched the show about 3 years ago and was completely blown away with the quality of the production, script writing and the performances by the actors on the show. Who doesn’t love Bryan Cranston?

As me and my best friend, Ellen, are both huge fans of the show we decided that whilst we were in London for a short break, we’d visit the Breaking Bad bar which we’d seen a friend post photos of a few years ago.

The bar is located in Cambridge Heath, close to the Cambridge Heath overground. Although we found it easier to just hop on the tube, get off at Bethnal Green and do the 10-15 minute walk to the bar. Make sure you leave plenty of time to get to the bar, we ended up having to run in 21 degree heat to make our time slot!

Once we arrived, we found the infamous RV, which was already blasting music and were greeted by energetic staff who were hyping the energy up. After we clambered inside our yellow jumpsuits and felt like true cooks, we stepped inside the RV to be greeted by insane decor. A array of little tables with metal drums to sit on, a massive Heisenberg wall feature, mood lighting and scientific apparatus. Fitting in about 25 people into one RV, they made fantastic use of the space they had.

Outside of the RV

On arrival, we were met by Z and Becks who, along with the rest of the staff were always in character and helped us feel at ease and made sure we were making our drinks correctly.

We were given two Mojito’s with an extra twist as a welcome drink as the drink list and mixing were explained. We then got a choice of what drink we wanted to make for ourselves first. Being prosecco lovers, the Wendy Martini was a certain pick for us.

Welcome mojito cocktails

With the Wendy Martini, we first had to infuse the alcohol through funnels and beakers. Possibly the most fun/tastiest part of the whole night was then creating white chocolate bubbles by blowing into a beaker filled with a concoction of food science goodness. After, we served up the drinks and maybe overdid it with the amount of bubbles we scooped on!

Preparing to mix

Starting of the nitrogen ice

Infusing our vodka

Creating the white chocolate bubbles

The final product!

By this point we were already pretty tipsy (hence the bad photography, I’m sorry im incapable of using my camera at the best of times and a few drinks don’t help).

Our second choice of drink experiment was ‘Blow’. We asked which drink was the strongest and that’s how we came to pick this particular mix. When the ingredients arrived, Ellen and I gave each other a suspicious look…we were definitely in a Breaking Bad bar. But don’t worry it’s just sugar and all part of the fun.

Making ‘Blow’ cocktail

The ABQ Breaking Bad cocktail menu. Image belongs to ABQ London.

Once we’d finished our drinks, we took a few pictures, had a quick chat to the staff and the lovely couple we were sat opposite too before taking off our jumpsuits and heading off into the night (onto another bar…and then another…and then my head was down the toilet bowl).

We had an absolutely fantastic time at ABQ London and I’d highly, HIGHLY recommend the experience, especially if you’re a fan of the show! Great atmosphere, lovely staff and a whole lot of fun making the drinks. It’s definitely amazing value for money!

You can find the link to their site and more information here.

Thanks for reading,

Chanel

x

      I went to the ABQ London- Breaking Bad Bar Experience and wrote all about it right here. #UKBlogger #London #LDN #GRLPOWR #BloggersTribe Hello, If you're a TV show fan like myself then you would have definitely seen or if not, heard of the television king that is Breaking Bad.

[gingechanel]

Hello,

In a week full of firsts: England winning their first ever penalty shootout at a World Cup, the first ever successful double hand transplant in the UK and the first time Georgia had her heartbroken on national TV show, Love Island (we love you gal!). I attended my first ever blogging event!

With only starting my blog at the beginning of the year, I was absolutely overjoyed when I received an email inviting me to a bloggers event in Newcastle. Me? Little Nel? Getting an invite to mingle with other bloggers and learn useful tips? I’m there!

I’m not going to lie…I was bricking it. I spent the week running up to the event worrying about feeling the odd one out, panicking that no one would like me and the biggie, I knew no one on a personal/friendly level. However, when I arrived at the venue, I bumped into Ruby and Helena, who were more than lovely and allowed me to tag along with them.

The lovely team at Viking teamed up with professional photographer Elouisa Georgiou to create a Digital Photography Masterclass at The Botanist. A gorgeous venue, that was ideal for us bloggers who love a good picturesque environment! The masterclass was based around teaching us how to look more carefully at camera settings, lighting and the ways we can alter aspects of a set up to get the prime shot.

Firstly, as we all sat with complimentary prosecco in hand (massive brownie points to the genius behind the free booze), Elouisa talked us through some of the basics of manual photography, an area that was completely alien to me as I usually just stick my camera on auto and hope for the best. Talking about ISO, aperture and shutter speed, it allowed us to get a sense of how to change our settings depending on the light, the motion of the subject and shooting products in the foreground and background.

After the talk, we were encouraged to try some of the things we’d been taught for ourselves. Chatting to fellow bloggers Niamh, Rachael, and Cat, we soon found out that none of us really had any idea how to use our cameras or where to even begin.

The first task we had were flatlays. I think most bloggers dream of having dreamy flat lays of beautiful products and food but the reality is, it’s a faff if you don’t know what you’re doing and can’t get a nice result. Elouise really helped with understanding how to frame the photos and how to use my camera to increase the quality of the shot. I’ll definitely be giving flatlays for of a go with my newfound flatlaying confidence!

We also played about with bounce boards and prisms to manipulate light and eradicate shadows. I’d honestly never thought about adding different textures and light flares to my images to make them more interesting, but after having seeing some of the other bloggers photography with the use of prisms, I’ll be trying it out!

Practising flatlay photography

Manipulating light to get the perfect shot

Reflecting images to create pattern and texture

Once we’d had our fun, we all sat down for some delicious food and a cocktail on the house whilst our photos were being printed for Elouisa to judge. I loved hearing all the different conversations of how varied people’s lives are but we all found our way to blogging as a hobby and outlet.

Elouisa then chose her winner of the photography competition, it was time to say goodbye! We were all given a tips and tricks sheet running over everything that had been said so we could practise at home and we even got given a tripod as a pressie!

Thank you to Viking and Elouisa for the invite and being so welcoming.

I had the best night with lovely people in a gorgeous surrounding and learned so much about photography and camera settings that I hope and pray can help me improve my photos. Watch this space!

Thanks for reading,

Chanel

x

            I went to my first ever blogging event - Viking Digital Photography Masterclass with Elouisa Georgiou Hello, In a week full of firsts: England winning their first ever penalty shootout at a World Cup, the first ever successful double hand transplant in the UK and the first time Georgia had her heartbroken on national TV show, Love Island (we love you gal!).