Rachel McAlley - House Of Coco Magazine

Beauty November 9, 2023

#CocoBeauty: Blusher Love

Who doesn’t love a little cheeky action? We’re a nation of blush lovers, we just slick a little on our cheekbones and we’re off. All we need is blusher to instantly given our face a lift from looking dull and pale.

#TeamCoco are all about the blush, we’re into rose tones, golden tones, and some serious corals, and one thing is for sure we all have our go to shades. We’re guessing you know which suits your skin tone best, but here’s the thing, let us take you on a trip through our 4 current cheeky faves.

English Mineral Make Up

We are cheekbone gushing over EMM’s Matte Blush in Soft, with it’s addition of a complimentary mini kabuki brush. This shade is ideal when dusted lightly during the day for work, then adding more in the evening for a deeper colour. It sits on the skin like silk, feels smooth and gives the cheekbone a little definition.

Priced at £25, available online from English Mineral Make Up. There are 8 shades to choose from, we’re simply head over heels with the shade Soft.

Lavera

For a great addition to any cheekbone look no further than Lavera So Fresh Mineral Rouge Powder in Plum Blossom, it screams autumn. Lavera Mineral Rouge Powder provides a natural blush colour that is essential for a healthy looking complexion. Special minerals create a soft shimmer on the cheekbones, leaving skin looking healthy and fresh.

Priced at £12.90, available online from Pravera. There are 4 shades to choose from and we love Plum Blossom, and Pink Harmony comes a close second.

PÜR Cosmetics

The outstanding earthy pigments of PÜR Cosmetics Universal Marble Powder in Spice are another level. For instant cheek appeal this rich powder can be used as an all over bronzer as just as a blush. Shea Butter and Vitamin E give added nourishment to the skin.

Priced at £22.95, available online from PÜR Cosmetics UK. There are 3 shades of Marble Powder, and we covet all of them!

W7 Cosmetics

For a super on-the-go blush we’re into W7 Cosmetics Matte Me Blush in Up Above for it’s all round fresh look. This soft light pink shade is a definite daytime staple, ideal for complimenting a shimmering highlighter.

Priced at £6.95, available online from W7 Cosmetics. There are 4 shades to this collection and we heart Up Above.

Beauty November 9, 2023

#CocoBeauty: Amika Lands on British Soil

Brooklyn-based haircare brand amika is now available in the UK, bringing its range of professional hair products that encourage creativity and promote healthier hair to British shores for the first time.

The brand, founded in 2007 in America for its vibrant signature pattern, has an ongoing mission for a lifestyle of self-expression and hair rebellion against conformity and the mundane.

While the brand’s signature pattern and existing formulas remain throughout the line, the custom created packaging on the cylindrical bottles, all designed in-house by amika’s Creative Director, Vita Raykhman, are now separated into nine collections designated by primary usage – Signature, Curl, Repair, Color, Blonde, Smooth, Texture, Volume and Hold.

Each amika product goes through rounds of naming, which involves the entire amika staff of beauty junkies coming up with ranges including Normcore (the signature shampoo and conditioner), Burst Your Brass (blonde haircare range) and The Wizard (a detangling primer) – this is one brand which believes in a totally individual version of beauty. The result is a culture of inclusion and positivity. amika boasts a strong female-lead team, with 86% of the overall team and 57% senior management.

All haircare products are powered by properties of the “super fruit” Sea Buckthorn Berry. Native to Siberia, Sea Buckthorn Berry – also known as Obliphica – faces some of the harshest environmental conditions on Earth and must fortify itself against the elements with an arsenal of powerful nutrients. Sea Buckthorn Berry contains Omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9, as well as a powerful concentration of vitamin C, and over 190 biologically active compounds that work to nourish and protect the hair.

Each product has been infused with the signature amika fragrance – an intoxicating blend of warm vanilla, fresh citrus and spicy sweet clover.

Products are individually priced between £10 – £21.95 each. Available in amika salons nationwide and online at Birchbox.

Hotels & Spas November 9, 2023

#CocoCountryside : Barton Grange Hotel

A relaxing night away in the middle of December was just what the doctor ordered for House of Coco’s UK Travel Writer, Rachel McAlley.

Barton Grange Hotel was the destination for a mid-week night of luxurious relaxation, located just outside Preston, Lancashire, where this charming family owned hotel could be found, full of Christmas cheer and plenty of character.

Check-in was simple and easy, and after dropping bags in the hotel room, swimming attire was grabbed and the pool was the destination for an hour of swimming, plus time for chilling out in the sauna, and a short trip to check out the mini gym.

Back in the deluxe room post-swim, and it was time to have a leisurely Nespresso coffee with biscuits whilst watching the music channel on the flat screen TV before having a power shower in the super contemporary bathroom. The bathroom with its very own ‘powder room’ lighting around the mirror (the perfect makeup mirror), had a great selection of bathroom essentials including the usual shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and shower cap, which sat perfectly alongside a shoe shine mitt, an unusual yet brilliant addition!

It was time to head for a festive dinner in the lovely Walled Garden Restaurant, decorated beautifully with Christmas trees, twinkly lights, and plenty of wreaths, tinsel and baubles. The menu was hearty, homely, and filled with classic dishes. The House of Coco team, feeling very festive, opted for the special Christmas seasonal menu of white onion soup with thyme, followed by roast Lancashire turkey dinner, and cherry & chocolate roulade. Then it was time to retreat to the bar lounge area of the Walled Garden where local cheese and biscuits were served with coffee.

After doing some serious people watching in the bar and lounge bed was calling, and a few tweets and instagram updates needed to be done whilst laying on the soft mattress swathed in linen and throws. Sweet slumber was fast approaching and the alarm was set, it was definitely time to enter the land of nod!

Morning arrived with gusto and breakfast beckoned in The Grange Room, and as expected the breakfast lived up to expectations. Excellent service just the same as the evening before, with a full range of continental and hot breakfast to choose from. Eggs Benedict (with a side of mushrooms) were the preferred choice for the morning plus a hot cup of tea. The perfect end to a wonderful stay Barton Grange Hotel.

The hotel is around 25 minutes drive from Blackpool, which means it’s great for a girls weekend away, and just 45 minutes from the Trafford Centre, another fabulous reason for a night away (this was our destination for a spot of Christmas shopping after check-out)!

Rooms are priced from £70 for a double and rise to £130 for an executive. Nothing is too much for the team at Barton Grange to organise for their guests (including free wifi), and a special shout out to Hannah on reception who looked after our check-in and check-out, as she was super helpful with all our requests.

We will definitely be returning to Barton Grange Hotel in the future.

www.bartongrangehotel.co.uk

Accessories November 9, 2023

Girl Bosses of Great Britain: Q&A with Tia Roqaa Beauty Box Queen

Tia Roqaa, acclaimed as the “Beauty Box Queen,” reigns supreme in the realm of beauty subscription services. Through her pioneering venture, Roccabox, she curates an exquisite array of beauty products, captivating the hearts of enthusiasts worldwide. Tia Roqaa’s meticulous selection process and unwavering commitment to excellence have solidified her reputation as the foremost authority in the beauty box industry. With her innovative approach and unparalleled expertise, she continues to set the standard for beauty discovery, earning her the esteemed title of Tia Roqaa Beauty Box Queen.

Our resident beauty worshipper Rachel McAlley recently interviewed beauty box subscription queen Tia Roqaa for House of Coco. Rachel delved deep into the world of the beauty box and into the future plans of Tia Roqaa’s business Roccabox.

Q1. What made you go into the subscription beauty box industry?

I liked the idea of giving women a little treat delivered to their door every month, a little surprise present for themselves – who doesn’t love presents or surprises? I had seen a few subscription-based models pop up here and there and the whole concept really interested me, and with my background being in beauty PR I had some good beauty contacts so it just all made sense.

Q2. How long have you been running Rockbox?

We launched on March 1st 2017, although I started working on it behind the scenes in November 2016. I did everything myself in the beginning alongside my full-time job, I even taught myself how to build websites and all the social media!

Q3. Do you have a team of beauty experts that source all the products for each Roccabox?

Each month myself and my team scour Instagram for new beauty launches and exciting brands that our audience would love. Sometimes we work with bloggers to curate their box of fave beauty finds, but if i’m honest, I prefer doing it myself!

Q4. Do you have a favourite Roccabox that has been produced and if so what were the products inside that the subscribers received?

I really loved working on our first limited edition box, it was such an exciting time thinking of how far we had come from our first box. When I look back now that first flyer was awful, although the products have always been great. Our limited edition boxes are more premium and run alongside our monthly boxes, they’ll usually contain more lifestyle products like a gorgeous Katie Loxton pouch, a full-size candle and notebook as well as the usual skincare and make-up. I love working with big brands such as St Tropez, L’oreal, Pixi and Nails Inc.

Q5. Are you happy with Roccabox as it stands or will you look at other beauty avenues in the future?

Funnily enough, I have just done a successful pop-up in my hometown of Leeds, I am thinking of doing a tour of events so I can meet our subscribers as well as get the brand out there more. But I am also looking to do collaborations with big brands, we have just started doing corporate gift boxes in collaboration with a big travel brand. I am open to pretty much anything as long as it’s products beautifully put together in one of our boxes that will make someone feel great, I am all over it!

Q6. Do you like any other beauty subscription boxes that you think are good quality and value for money?

My main competitors, Glossybox and Birchbox are huge international companies, so they just don’t have that love and care that we put in. There have been lots of other boxes pop up over the last couple of years but unfortunately they haven’t lasted long. It’s a really competitive market and you’ve always got to stay ahead of the curve.

Q7. You work with some excellent beauty brands for each Roccabox, are there any beauty brands you are looking to work with in the future?

I’d love to work with more of the bigger brands such as Nars, Charlotte Tilbury, YSL etc, so watch this space for a possible premium quarterly version of what we do.

Q8. Can we delve into the December 2018 box, and are you able to tell us what subscribers can expect in their Christmas edition?

Oh now that will be a surprise! We are looking to add in a couple of little extra bits outside of your usual skincare and make-up, but you’ll have to sign up and see.

Huge thanks to Tia Roqaa for taking the time to be part of a #TeamCoco #GBOGB Q&A session.

Search online for Roccabox to find out more about this wonderful subscription service.

Beauty November 9, 2023

#CocoBeauty: Male Grooming Must Have

Forget what you thought was sexy in the world of male grooming, because you ain’t seen anything until you have had the pleasure of experiencing the pure luxury that is the R1 Jack by Bolin Webb.

When you think of a razor, you don’t necessarily think of style and design, but with the Bolin Webb collection of razors that’s exactly what you are going to get in abundance.

#TeamCoco are imagining the world’s most handsome men using the R1 Jack, but we guess that us girls can use them too, we may just need to get used to the closeness of the shave, because that’s what the R1 Jack will give.

Made in Birmingham and cast from Zinc alloy, every razor is inspected and polished by hand, then fitted with world-famous Gillette blades for precision.

We are totally into the quirky design of the award-winning R1 Jack, which is covered with the iconic British Union Jack flag in all-its splendor, and when added to the award-winning Razor Travel Case also by Bolin Webb, we can’t help but think it’s a match made in heaven and perfect for those travel junkies like us at House of Coco.

Priced at £95 for the set (R1 Jack Razor and R1 Razor Travel Case), alternatively to buy separately £75 for the R1 Jack Razor, and £25 for the R1 Razor Travel Case. Available from Bolin Webb online.

Beauty November 9, 2023

#CocoBeauty: Marc Jacobs Beauty Launches in UK

Exclusively in the UK at Harvey Nichols, Marc Jacobs Beauty and the Leopard Frost Limited Edition Collection officially launched last week amidst much acclaim. #TeamCoco were invited to the launch in Leeds to experience the wonders of this makeup brand.

We were treated to breakfast in The Bottle Room at Harvey Nichols Leeds where a number of journalists, bloggers, and makeup artists could enjoy playing with the collection by Marc Jacobs Beauty.

Once we all arrived we heard from one of the brand ambassadors who enlightened us to what Marc Jacobs Beauty was about and how it dared to be different, which is a strong motto of Marc himself as he believes that everyone should be able to be whoever they want to be without apology.

Bring out the lipstick at the dinner table, have the biggest mirror in your handbag to top up your makeup, and make a statement. This was the story behind the new brand to arrive in the UK.

The full collection holds many different products ranging from Eye-Conic Frost Eye Palette, Le Marc Lip Frost Lipstick, Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara, See-Quins Glam Glitter Eyeshadow, Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter and so much more.

Search online for Marc Jacobs Beauty via the Harvey Nichols website. Makeup products priced from £11 to £79.

Food & Drink November 9, 2023

#CocoFood: It’s all about the fibre

We put our bodies through so much pain don’t we? From not doing enough exercise to not eating the right foods, from not drinking enough water to drinking way too much alcohol, from not getting enough sleep to not relaxing our mind and body correctly.

We’re Millennials, we’re wanderers, and we live for the moment, but we need to start taking better care of ourselves from the inside out. This applies to #TeamCoco too, were are so busy finding beautiful places and things to write about that we sometimes forget that we should be kinder to ourselves.

Let’s start with fibre, a recent survey of 2,000 UK adults by Nairn’s, the UK’s leading producer of oatcakes and second largest gluten free brand has found that 54% of Brits lack fibre in their diet. Yes, 54% lack fibre!

Nairn’s Fine Milled Oatcakes are a great source of soluble fibre, and the addition of extra oat bran – the most fibre rich part of the oat helps to boost the benefits, aiding digestion lowering cholesterol and releasing energy slowly to make you feel fuller for longer. Their light texture and creamy taste makes them perfect to eat with delicately flavoured toppings from smoked salmon and scrambled eggs to homemade soup, plus of course the obligatory cheese topping. And, guess what…they use a wheat free recipe, ideal for anyone limiting wheat in their diets.

More fibre and no wheat, a total win win, it’s the small changes that count!

Nairn’s Fine Milled Oatcakes, priced at £1, available from Sainsbury’s.

Nairn’s Gluten Free Flatbreads, priced at £1.75, available from Sainsbury’s plus Waitrose and Partners.

Nairn’s Gluten Free Super Seeded Oatcakes, priced at £1.80, available from Ocado, Sainsbury’s, plus Waitrose and Partners.

Food & Drink November 9, 2023

#CocoKitchen : Chocolate Dream

Afternoon Tea at Hotel Chocolat

One of #TeamCoco’s absolute favourite things to do is enjoy Afternoon Tea with friends, it’s a luxury that we simply adore. Such a leisurely treat, and for once it’s not about grabbing lunch and heading back to the office, it’s also not about rushing round the city, it’s entirely about being decadent and chilling over quaint sandwiches, extravagant cakes, mouth watering nibbles, pots of the British favourite ‘tea’, and a glass (or two) of something fabulously fizzy.

Our writer Rachel McAlley recently experienced the wondrous Afternoon Tea at Hotel Chocolat on Boar Lane in Leeds city centre, where she sat next to the giant glass windows while busy shoppers passed by. Feeling like she was in a slow motion film, she watched the world pass by at one hundred miles an hour.

As soon as the Afternoon Tea menu arrived so did a traditional champagne glass filled with bubbly Prosecco. This was going to be good!

The Afternoon Tea arrived to much ‘oohing’ and ‘aahhing’ from Rachel and her guest, because not only did the cake stand have rare beef with white chocolate horseradish sandwiches, and cocoa gin cured salmon and avocado sandwiches (yes, that was gin in a sandwich), plus chicken with cocoa nib aioli sandwiches, and cucumber, dill, cream cheese and cocoa nib sandwiches, it also had house made banana bread, chocolate and orange scones with divine chocolate cream, caramelized white chocolate banana cheesecake, and caramel slices. It didn’t stop there, as it also had a top tier filled with ‘made in Leeds’ chocolates, fudge and cocoa nibs…wow!

It was an afternoon of total and utter chocolate heaven, and our stand out faves of the Afternoon Tea included the super moreish rare beef with white chocolate horseradish sandwiches, gin salmon sandwiches, house made banana bread, cheesecake, and of course the chocolatier’s very own fudge.

If you’re looking for something beyond special, then Hotel Chocolat may just be the perfect place to visit. Priced at £25 per person, plus £5 for a glass of Prosecco, this is a very special treat for serious chocolate lovers.

Available from Hotel Chocolat on Boar Lane Leeds.

Beauty November 9, 2023

Lord & Berry

Lord & Berry the makeup atelier specialist from Italy is proving to be everything we expected it to be and more. Full of style, typical Italian beauty, and chic packaging, the makeup collections from Lord & Berry are simply stunning.

House of Coco beauty specialists have been keeping a keen eye on Lord & Berry since the Italian brand landed on UK soil, and they can honestly say it arrived with gusto, big time!

Taking over beauty bloggers web pages, lifestyle magazine column inches, and street style icons wish lists, Lord & Berry is a much sought after makeup brand.

Some of our favourite products include; Inkglam Eyeliner, Seta Eyeshadows, Magic Brow Pencil, High Definition Mascara, 20100 Shiny Lipstick, Cream Foundation, and 2Phases Makeup Remover.

Also in the Lord & Berry range there are concealers, luminizers, powders, lip-glosses, lip-liners, kajals and pigments plus a range of kits, pallets, brush sets, and makeup sponges.

Prices vary between products, starting with individual makeup pieces at £10 up to £22, with kits and brush sets starting at £25 and rising to £50.

Search online to shop with Lord & Berry.

Beauty November 9, 2023

#CocoBeauty: Sparkle This Autumn

We’re taking all our summer feels from #TeamCoco straight into autumn, with a giant sparkle theme. Brighten your beauty wardrobe with a few new additions to make your skin and hair sparkle like the star that you are.

Our favourite hair products are from the Fudge Professional Paintbox collection, every colour is seriously sexy, and we absolutely love Purple People.

Priced at £9.25 each, the 10 creative semi-permanent conditioning colours by Fudge Professional can be purchased from Feel Unique and Look Fantastic online.

The only sparkle we are looking to cover our body with is the Absolute Aromas Relaxation Salt Scrub. This scrub contains a soothing aromatherapy blend to deep cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise the skin, whilst also comforting the mind. It cleanses the skin until it naturally sparkles.

Priced at £15.50, the addition of pure Himalayan salt, known for its detoxifying properties, and moisturising oils such as Sweet Almond oil, Jojoba oil and Evening Primrose oil are ideal to replenish the skin. Available online from Absolute Aromas.

The only makeup brushes we want to use this autumn are from the EcoTools Start The Day Beautifully Kit. The kit holds all the essentials in one little storage tray, perfect for early morning beauty regimes.

Priced at £5.99 for the kit, it includes an angled foundation brush, blurring brush, defined crease brush, angled liner, and a full blush brush. Available from 1st November at EcoTools online.

For your lips this autumn we’re into some proper sparkle by Beauty BLVD with their perfect Glitter Lips. With 19 colours to choose from there’s almost certainly a glitter for you!

Priced at £12.50 each, this innovative product will revolutionise lip colour as you know it. Available from BeautyBLVD online.

For some serious added sparkle to your gorgeous face this season you need to try WUNDER2 Cosmetics Glitter Gelly, with it’s effortless application this little treat is sure to add something rather sparkly to your makeup.

Priced at £14.95 each, Glitter Gelly offers five distinctively different shades to choose from including; amethyst, aquamarine, citrine, diamond, and 24 karat. Available online from Wunder2.

The highlighter to beat all highlighters this autumn can only be Fenty Beauty Killawatt Highlighter CLF Edition. It will definitely add a sublime shimmer to your makeup routine this season.

Priced at £26, 100% of every purchase of the highlighter will benefit the Clara Lionel Foundation to help those in need. The foundation was set up by Rihanna in honour of her grandparents, it supports education, health and emergency responses worldwide. Available from Harvey Nichols stores and online from Fenty Beauty.