On Christmas day last year I opened my emails to find something really exciting. I had been reached out to by a company I'd seen on Instagram. They were offering me the opportunity to work alongside their Instagram account and blog. The deal was that I promote their products on my blog/Instagram using a discount code so that my followers can get money off their order and in return, if they like what I'm doing, I may get the opportunity to do closer work with them. This was the first time a company had reached out to me for this kind of work and I am still so excited to be working with them.
You guys can use the code chloehanks20 to recieve 20% of your orders at coconut-lane.com!
Today I want to share with you some of their products that I have been using and loving. I would love to do a giveaway in the near future of some coconut-lane products, if you would be interested in entering, let me know in the comments so that I know if it's worth the investment or not!
So lets get started.
The first thing I was drawn to when exploring their website was, of course, the stationary section. You can never have enough notebooks, especially as a blogger/creative writing student. I absolutely loved all of their designs and it was really hard to pick just one so I'm sure I will be collecting loads over the next few months. I decided upon this one because of the galaxy print. I love cosmic themed things and I just loved the colour scheme. I use this to plan my blog posts. The pages are completely blank white which is really useful for mind mapping or planning things. It's come in really handy over the last month because it fits in my college bag really easily so any time I get an idea I can grab it and write it down. The notebooks cost £4.50 so it's amazing value for money and, as I said, I would definitely spend money on more!
The next thing I wanted to try out was their jewellery. Again because of my love of the cosmic theme I was drawn to this moon and stars necklace. I know so many friends who would love this too. It's so cute against a plain black top and, again, it was really great value for money at £12. I have received so many compliments about this and they have loads of really cute designs on their website so be sure to check that out!
I upgraded my phone earlier this month and so I was in need of a new phone case. Seeing as I was working with this company anyway I decided to use it as an opportunity to check out their phone cases too. Again, they had so many lovely designs that it was hard to choose so I see myself getting loads in the future! The one I chose was this lovely pink marble design to go with my rose gold phone and it's so pretty. I absolutely love it. Like most of their phone cases, this one cost £16.
The last product I want to share with you is probably my favourite. I saw the slogan on it and found it so funny how much it relates to me! I knew I had to have it. I was so happy with it when it arrived because it is super comfortable and true to size. I was worried that, being a petite size, it would drown me when I tried it on but I got the smallest size and it fits really well. They have some amazing designs in their clothing tab and I'm sure there's something there for everyone and with 20% off, why not head over and have a look. The hoodies all cost around £28 and they are so worth the price!
Make sure you use the code chloehanks20 to get your discount. Currently on the website they're offering free shipping for orders over £30 so head on over to check out a few things. If you would be interested in a possible giveaway or want to see more of these products, head over to my Instagram ChloeHanks23 or leave a comment below and let me know! Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week!
As winter closed in around 2016, ready to take it with both hands and sweep us all into the cold, tragedy befell my wardrobe. My beloved khaki parka was sick; dying. It all began with a temperamental zip, sometimes closing effortlessly; others, sticking, failing and protesting against the harsh November chill. I was heartbroken. That coat served me almost two years. I adored it! The pockets were still stuffed with confetti from the night I took it to see Taylor Swift. It had traces of the various perfumes I had worn over the years. It was my coat. I didn't want to replace it, not really.
Christmas was vast approaching and I gave into the fact that I needed a new coat. I could no longer walk around hugging each opposing side around my body. By this point, various parts of the coat had ripped or come loose including the buttons holding my fur trim into place. It was slowly failing to keep me warm and each day we got closer to losing each other. I tried on many coats with my Mum looking for a potential Christmas present. Most were too long, too big, the wrong shade of camel for my skin tone. Truth be told, I just didn't want a new coat. I settled for one I liked a little from TopShop. A grey number that cost around the £70 mark. Much over what my parents had left of their budget for Christmas and much beneath my expectations of what I wanted my new coat to be. In the end, I decided to go without.
Have you ever had an image in your head of something you desperately want but it doesn't actually exist?
Since early secondary school I've had a picture in my head of a khaki trench coat. I didn't know the name of the shade or style back then, it was just an image in my imagination. But early on Christmas morning, I found myself waiting for sisters to wake up and I journeyed onto the MissSelfridge website to see about getting myself a coat for Christmas.
There it was. £53 in the sale and in a size 4.
It was fate. The exact coat I had created years before was a real item on a real model and it was really there for me to buy! The fact that it was in my exact size (which no shop ever seems able to stock very well) seemed to me like a sign. I bought myself the coat and said a tearful goodbye to my parka.
(just kidding, it's still in the coat cupboard in case it ever magically fixes itself)
I adore my new coat. It will never match up to the memories I made with my parka but I'm sure I will make lots of new ones. It fits me perfectly. I find that when having to shop in a petite section, MissSelfridge is the most accurate with smaller sizes. Everything I buy from them fits perfectly, including this coat. It's very thick fabric so it keeps me warm and it looks really smart. It's perfect for wearing to sixth form if you want to look smart and also out and about to perfect your winter look.
There are still plenty of days left of the January sales so it's never too late to treat yourself to a new coat!
Over the last year I have tried to be more adventurous when it comes to choosing makeup. I had always stuck to the cheaper brands, splashing out occasionally on a fancy pallet or mascara. I fell in love with the Bourjois liquid satin lipsticks last winter and have been desperate to try more of their products since. I was stocking up on powder when I came across this little pallet. It juxtaposes everything I would usually go for in a nudes pallet; but it was so cute and compact and the colours looked so gorgeous that I couldn't resist.
You can get hold of this little jem for £11.99 at Boots. The first thing I have to point out about it is it isn't really what I would call a nudes pallet despite the name. It's more pastel colours from the look of the pallet. However, they are really well pigmented so you don't have to apply too much and worry that it looks too bright. It's a really lovely pallet to wake your eyes up a little in the winter. Eye shadow pallets are my weakness and I usually stick to golds and browns. That tends to be what I look for in a pallet so using this one has been a little different for me. I wear a lot of khaki and so the pale turquoise shade has been used a lot! I also absolutely love the rose gold shade.
I have already mentioned the pigmentation which is one of the best I have found in a drugstore pallet. In fact, it almost feels like a cream eye shadow when I apply it which I love! The colours blend beautifully. The glittery colours do transfer a lot of glitter to your face when applying which I often find with Bourjois glitter eye shadows; I don't mind this too much but I understand some people wouldn't like that at all. That's the only real issue with this product. The eye shadow wears really well. I never reapply eye shadow throughout the day and when wearing this, I can still tell its there when I go to take off my makeup in the evening.
The actual packaging of this product was really intriguing for me as well. It's very small and compact, perfect to fit into a handbag, small makeup bag or overnight bag. Also, the lid can twist so that the mirror faces different angles which is actually really useful when blending. I always use my eco-tools brushes to apply and blend eye shadow so I haven't tested the applicator provided.
Overall, I am loving this product! It's definitely worth the price and it's fun if you're not used to wearing brighter colours on your eyes. I can't wait to try more Bourjois eye shadows now!
Let me know in the comment section what your favourite pallets are so I can give them a try. See you back here next week!
Magic is a concept that as limited beings, we find fascinating. I grew up reading Harry Potter and being totally captivated by the idea of anything being possible via magic. The only real magic I have ever experienced is the cliche idea of being transported to another world through words. I always comment on the power of words and the complex construction process that goes behind writing something magical enough to take you away from your bedroom and carry you into another universe. I have never experienced that magic more literally than I did when reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
This book is a book that followed me for over a year before I got around to reading it. I came across it firstly on Instagram. I follow a lot of accounts that share what they're reading because it's a good way of discovering texts that I wouldn't normally come across. I saw this book and the cover caught my eye immediately. It felt magical. A black cover covered in metallic stars and flashes of red. I almost instantly added it to my 'to be read' list. A few weeks later I was messaging a friend (another book lover) about other books I had enjoyed and without me mentioning it first, she told me about The Night Circus. I felt like it was fate. I ordered the book that night and I remember being so excited to read it. The next day I was in my Creative Writing lesson and my lecturer was telling us about a student who bought him a book for Christmas. She bought him a hardback edition of his favourite book, The Night Circus. It was like this book was chasing me, begging to be read. When it arrived, I added it to my box of books patiently awaiting my attention. It went unread for months.
With so much to read for my A Levels and so many books catching my attention, it's hard to get everything I want to read read. The book sat there until about a week before Christmas. I had just finished my first Agatha Christie, Murder On The Orient Express, and I wanted something fun and magical to read that I could really get into. I knew I should probably be re-reading a literature texts or reading something about Communist Russia; but I just couldn't resist the sparkling cover any longer. It was a Saturday night and I got about 50 pages in before I had to go to sleep to wake up and do the breakfast shift.
I woke the next morning feeling awful. I had a cold and my head felt stuffed with cotton-wool. I went to work at 8am and served everyone breakfast. The housekeeper arrives at about 8:30 and when she arrived we had a quick chat. I told her I wasn't feeling too well and that I couldn't wait to go home and curl up with my book. When I told her what I was reading she turned to me and said, "No way!"
It turns out the day I started reading The Night Circus was the day she finished reading it herself. She said to me, "Chlo, you will love it!"
I did.
I have never read anything so full of enchantment and colour. Every single page is just laced with imagination. I feel as though this book was written for me. Every aspect of my personality, my imagination, my creativity is just put into a story within these pages. I have never been so happy reading. With every page I turned I just wanted to read it again and again. The story is captivating but it's even more than that. When you read this book, it's genuinely as if there is magic dancing around you, following you to work, begging you to keep reading the book. It interrupts your dreams, telling you to wake up and keep reading the book. I just wanted to live in that world. I didn't want the book to end. Nothing will ever compare to the feeling of this book.
What makes it so strikingly magical is the use of second person in between chapters. The intersecting of second person monologues draws you into the world of the circus; it makes you feel involved. It's such a wonderful use of structure and it has really inspired me to do more with my writing.
Despite the wonderful use of structure, it isn't at all a complicated book. The plot has the perfect balance of ambiguity and imagery. You know exactly what is going on while at the same time, nothing is really what you think it is! It's such an easy book to read because it grips you from the first page. You're constantly discovering. Morgenstern has a wonderful style of writing. It's the way she draws you in; heartbreak, magic, empathy etc. This book has everything. I have never felt so many emotions from reading one story.
You can probably tell by the tone of this post how happy this book makes me. I just want to read it over and over again; it's wonderful!
If you're looking for a substantial book to really get your teeth into, this is the one. I couldn't recommend it enough. I can't wait for you to read it. If you have read it yourself, let me know what you thought of it in the comment section below! Also, if you have read anything with a similarly magical touch to it, please let me know because nothing I read compares.
Thank you for reading!
It has been well documented that 2016 was a tough year for everybody... While it was a year of loss, political tension and intense change, it was also a year of new beginnings, history in the making and my own personal triumphs. I too had a tough year. I experienced my first death in my family that I have been old enough to understand and with that attended my first funeral... closely followed by my second. I have felt an array of new emotions; not all pleasant ones. I've watched friendships die and I've felt, at times, levels of loneliness I haven't felt for a long time. I've been emotional and I've been isolated. I have felt under immense pressure with my a levels and immense stress. I had to give up driving because of my anxiety levels. I've overworked myself and experienced enough health problems for a little while. (please and thank you!)
But when taking the time to reflect I don't want to jump onto the 'hate 2016' bandwagon. So many amazing things happened to me this year and have inspired me to make 2017 an even better year for myself and for the people I love.
Firstly, I started dating my boyfriend in April 2016. We have had the most amazing 9 months together and I loved seeing in the New Year with him. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to play loads of gigs at some wonderful music venues and events including Witney Music Festival and at a regular charity fund raiser in Stratford raising money for the Brain Tumor Charity. It was an honor to be a part of these events and to be able to share new music. My music is something I feel was neglected a lot in 2016; my goal is to spend a lot more time writing and hopefully recording next summer. I sat my first AS exams and got grades I was really proud of! I also completed my University application and have received conditional offers. I visited my second choice university, fell in love with it and it's now my first choice! I am again in that period of coming change that I remember writing about two years ago. Leaving school was the best decision I have ever made. Leaving the college that I love is going to be scary; however, University is a whole new adventure that I can't wait to embark upon. I want to make sure that this change is as good as the last which brings me to my new years resolutions and plans.
First and foremost, I need to get myself into a much healthier lifestyle. Due to health problems, I have given up red meat and I am still considering going vegetarian. I want to try to eat much healthier in 2017 and get fitter. To do this, I need to distribute my time more fairly. 2016 felt like a year of all work, no play. I gave up 99.9% of my weekends to my job and a few of my evenings too. I have been exhausted trying to balance my A Levels, my relationship and try to have time to myself. Hence why my hobbies have been neglected. I have struggled this year mentally and physically as a result. I have invested in a new weekly planner. I want to get back one day off per week to either study, rest or spend time with my boyfriend. Whichever I need most that week. I am going to set myself a list of things to complete each week and distribute my time evenly. This will include some ambitious goals that I will really try to stick to. I want to be uploading one blog post a week and one YouTube video per month. I know this is going to be difficult for me to keep up; I want to give more time to the things that I do for myself. I feel as though I give away too much of my time to other people. In addition to this, I want to try and get a chunk of revision done every day, be it 20 minutes or a few hours. I feel like I have worked my whole life to get into University and I hate the thought of it slipping through my fingers because I felt like I had to overwork myself. I want to try to exercise more, either at home or at a gym. All of these goals will be planned out at the beginning of each week or month and I will regularly write about how I'm doing either here, or, you can follow my instagram (ChloeHanks23) where I will post regularly about what I'm doing/reading etc.
2017 is going to be the year I move out of my home town into what I believe will be a much better living space. I want to be motivated, healthy and happy to start a new life with my family. I want to regain somewhat of a social life and I want to feel ready and prepared to start University. I am excited for the projects I have planned for this year. I have just began a partnership with Coconut-lane.com. Using the code ChloeHanks20, you can get a 20% discount on your order. They have some lovely products including phone cases, macbook skins and some gorgeous notebooks that I have found perfect for planning blogposts! I have some exciting posts coming up including book and makeup reviews. As I have previously mentioned, I want to write weekly which will include some more auto-biographical posts as well as any Creative Writing I feel like sharing. Some may just be updates on how I'm feeling etc. If you have any requests for posts you would like to read, leave them in the comments section and please have a wonderful 2017.
It's that time of year again. As I snuggle down in my favourite jumper to write this post, I am accompanied by the soothing sound of the November rain on my window. It's cold and it's dark- but it always feels quite festive from the comfort of inside doesn't it? I've recently read some books that have got me into the Christmas spirit (of which you are about to read) and so I wanted to write something to help anybody stuck on the Christmas shopping. If one of your loved ones is a book lover, pay attention. Here is my list of my top 10 books that I've read this year that I think any bookworm would love! They're in no particular order, they're all fab; I couldn't possibly rank out a favourite.
1. All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr.
Some of you may remember my post from a few months ago reviewing this captivating novel. I put it on my Christmas list last year with no real idea of what it was about. I knew I wanted to get back into reading, and so I went onto amazon and wrote down random titles and this happened to be one. Still to this day, it is my favourite book. It's articulately written and just phenomenal. Never have I been so heart warmed by a story line or touched by characters. Whenever anyone asks me to recommend a book, this is the title on my tongue. Always. It is a work of pure art. Beautiful. If you know somebody who is interested in History, or drawn to emotional stories, this is the book for them. If you want to know more, click here. It will forever be my favourite and the story stays with you.
2. The Bloody Chamber - Angela Carter.
This book is for somebody who is still attached to Fairy-tales. If you love writing that is carefully crafted and shows abundant skill, this is the book for you. I didn't think I was going to like it. I had to read it for my A Level Creative Writing and fell in love with it after the first sentence. It's a series of short stories. It's not time consuming or difficult to read. It's beautiful and honest and real. It's not for the fainthearted, and if you're drawn to disney-like fairy stories with happy endings, this isn't your book. But if you appreciate honesty and genuine talent in what you read, you'll love this. She has quickly become one of my favourite writers and I am drawn to read more of her work.
3. The Girl on the Train -Paula Hawkins.
Read it before you watch the movie. If you know someone who enjoyed 'Gone Girl,' they will love this. Hawkins use of Byronic-heros captures your attention from the beginning and it's not a book you can put down easily. I read it over the summer in about 2 days. It's wonderful in it's ambiguity and draws you in to the real lives of several characters, none of whom you really like that much. It's a way of story-telling I had never before experienced and it's perfect for somebody who enjoys thrillers- or someone who likes to know what everyone is raving about! I haven't yet seen the movie but I always recommend book first.
4. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak.
This is such a touching story. It's a children's book, so if you have a child who enjoys history or is learning about the war, this would be perfect. It's an easy read but will challenge younger readers into learning new words. I loved it as a Creative Writing student because it encouraged me to consider different narrative styles. However, it can be appreciated from a non-academic view. If you love a story that will pull on your heartstrings, this is for you. It's touching, beautifully written and unlike anything I have read before or since.
5. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn.
Another book that I got for Christmas last year, this time not on so much of a whim. I had been told about it by so many different people and just not had the time to pick it up. At that point, I really wanted to get back into reading because I hadn't had much time for it over the few years preceding. This book managed to draw me back into stories. It's brilliant. It keeps you hooked, it frustrates you but entertains you at the same time. I found it really inspiring when writing my coursework last winter. Anyone who has a passion for good story-telling will really enjoy this book.
6. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald.
This choice may seem a little odd considering my vast majority of new releases. However, I include this for people who are beginning to become more curious about classic literature. It's one thing to love reading, but it's another thing to love literature. Often, classic novels can be tough to read if they were written in different time periods. It's harder to understand the messages or to relate with the characters. The Great Gatsby is the book that changed that for me. I fell in love with it from the moment we started studying it in my English Literature group. Since then, I've found myself drawn to classic literature. I am in the process of collecting the work of Fitzgerald. I've also found myself exploring the classic literature sections in book shops and familiarising myself with the works of Steinbeck, Agatha Christie and even Hawthorne and Hemingway. It's good as a literature student to stretch your knowledge of classic novels, but it's also brilliant to be able to enjoy them for the brilliant story telling and skill. Gatsby inspired me to read a wider range of books and to be more ambitious when choosing what to read. I think any book-lover would enjoy reading a classic!
7. The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey.
I finished reading this the other day. I can't seem to shake off that feeling of nostalgia from finishing a good book; when you know you wont be following those characters anymore or know what happens next. This story not only got me feeling Christmasy with the cohesive setting of a harsh winter with snow and ice skating etc, but the story was so heart warming, I want everyone to read this book. It's so beautifully written. It's like nothing I have ever read before. I was led to it through Angela Carter and the theme of retelling fairy-tales, but Ivey really made the story her own. You could feel how much she loved the characters bleeding through each page. It's a stunning read. I would recommend anyone who likes reading to read this. It's truly stunning.
8. Milk & Honey - Rapi Kaur.
This quirky but emotional collection of poetry is one of my favourites I've read this year. The structure and meaning behind each poem is captivating as a Creative Writing student. I feel that writers themselves will love this, someone who can appreciate the craftsmanship behind it. You have to love poetry, you have to be in touch with emotion. It's not a story of characters but it's a story of feelings and the progression of emotions. It's beautifully written and a perfect gift for someone who loves words.
9. Norwegian Wood - Murakami.
This was my first experience of Japanese fiction recommended to me by a work colleague. Despite being a truly sad story, it leaves you feeling touched and almost comforted. It's completely raw in it's honesty and definitely for a mature reader. If someone loves a simple story line and complex characters, this is a great book for them. It's easy to read, gripping and well translated. It's just a lovely story, despite the tragedies behind it. I have been inspired to read more of this writer's work; it's a book that will definitely make you want to read more.
10. Me Before You - Jojo Moyes.
A story that has driven me to tears more than once, this is a book that I feel everyone should read. Despite being a truly sad story, this book made me laugh, cry and everything in between. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a story as much for the pure content. It's a book that every book lover should read. I couldn't imagine anyone not enjoying this story. My mum and I have began collecting Jojo's work since reading it, just wanting to read more stories like this. The sequel, 'After You,' is also wonderful! If you love a good story, this is a book for you.
Thank you for reading this post. I hope this has been helpful to anyone looking for new books to read or looking to buy someone a Christmas present. Please follow my blog and keep up with future posts!
It feels like ages since I've been able to write here. A lot has changed. A lot hasn't really changed at all.
I turned Eighteen a couple of weeks ago. Nobody likes change but change likes everyone. So on the 23rd September 2016, I waved goodbye to my childhood and ever since I've been trying to think of something interesting to say about it.
Aside from taking a liking to Disaronno and creating a list of vinyl records I want to collect for my new record player, not much has changed.
My second year of A levels is moving a long quickly and I know it will be over before I know it. At the minute, I have more coursework than I care to document but the prospects of the future are as prominant as ever. I have new books to learn about, new things to write and i'm constantly looking forwards. I need to finish my university application, before Christmas I'll have finished 3 subjects worth of coursework and I'll have read more books than I can anticipate. It's scary how much is riding on this year and how mch will change in the next 12 months.
I will be moving house, finishing A levels, applying to uni, starting uni, leaving college, leaving my friends, leaving Stratford. I'll hopefully be driving. I'll hopefully have a new job. It's a lot to process and a lot will change that I can't anticipate.
But I think the main thing that is changing and will change further is my blog. Mainly because i struggle to find the time to write like I used to be able to and my interests are shifting. I'd still love to be able to share my favourite beauty products with you but I'd also like to write more about what I'm reading and what I'm doing with my music. I've found myself being less angry about things as I've grown and this has leaved me unsure as to what to write.
I still advocate feminism, I still dissaprove of media attention and I am still passionate about these things; it's not that I've run out of things to say but sometimes I miss the context in which I should talk about them because at the moment, I'm too busy.
I want to tell you about so many books I've read that have enlightened me as a reader. Hopefully that'll be coming up soon. If you have any requests on what I could write about, please leave them in the comments section below.
I upgraded my phone earlier this month and so I was in need of a new phone case. Seeing as I was working with this company anyway I decided to use it as an opportunity to check out their phone cases too. Again, they had so many lovely designs that it was hard to choose so I see myself getting loads in the future! The one I chose was this lovely pink marble design to go with my rose gold phone and it's so pretty. I absolutely love it. Like most of their phone cases, this one cost £16.
The last product I want to share with you is probably my favourite. I saw the slogan on it and found it so funny how much it relates to me! I knew I had to have it. I was so happy with it when it arrived because it is super comfortable and true to size. I was worried that, being a petite size, it would drown me when I tried it on but I got the smallest size and it fits really well. They have some amazing designs in their clothing tab and I'm sure there's something there for everyone and with 20% off, why not head over and have a look. The hoodies all cost around £28 and they are so worth the price! 
