Chlobo's Closet Travel: Beauty

Manuka Doctor Rejuvenating Face Mask, bee venom and UMF 18+ Manuka.


A purchase from England I have used quite frequently, that I had to bring in my cosmetics bag.

It has been my skin saviour so far on my journey. India is highly polluted and incredibly dusty, therefore my skin has been acting up. With the addition of the sheer heat from the sun, I would quite like to keep those pesky wrinkles at bay for as long as possible.

It is a light weight creamy mask, that smells delightful. It says to apply on the area for 15-30 minutes but I leave it on for as long as I like because it feels so amazing on my skin. Sometimes I even sleep in it, although it does not look too good in the morning when it has flaked off.

After using the product, my skin feels cleaner and brighter. Plus even some of my tiny little crinkles above my nose, near my forehead look slightly fuller. I always feel better for using it as my skin is so soft at the touch and feels, much more hydrated.

I am not going to tell you that it is a miracle worker and gives you a Botox effect because no product in the world can do that, without you actually having Botox but it does give you a boost.

Please note that this does not contain bee venom, more just a replicant.

This pot has lasted my really well, for a few months and you do not need to go over board with the application.

The best part is that it comes at a reasonable price. Originally it was £49.99 but I believe it is now on offer on Amazon for £26.66. It is also the perfect compact size for travelling around with you too - which is an added bonus for me right now with backpacking.

Let me know if you have used Manuka Doctor products and tell me your thoughts.

Love and peace

Chlobo's Closet x

Location:Alleppey,India

Chlobo's Closet Fashion: Jewellery Pieces

As you know I am touring Asia at the moment and I wanted to share a little treasure I found. This was two days ago, at a quaint bizarre set in the village Hampi, South India. Hampi is a beautiful place and the only way I can describe it, is that it looks like Bedrock from the Flinstones. As mentioned in my blog I will be putting my journey in order when I return back to England, so you will read all the information on Hampi.

I have been in seventh heaven with all the jewels here in India, throughout. I am not a standard girl who likes dainty jewellery such as solitaire rings and small chained pendant necklaces. Not that I judge anyone who wears these but in my case, it is big beads, massive rings with precious stones - the bigger the better.

At the bizarre I found a woven gold necklace, which I intentionally brought to wear as a headpiece. I will wear it as necklace too but I love to play with accessories in different ways. I think this piece was originally 350 rupees but with the joys and art of haggling, I got him down to 150, which is £1.50 in British Pounds.

Have a look below to see what I have done with it so far.

Location:Hospet,India

Chlobo's Closet; Travel

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to inform you all, that I will be continuing with the blog when I return to the UK. My sincere apologies but due to lack of resources in the technological department in Asia,it is rather difficult. I wanted so very much to blog each place in order, so you could follow our trail but with the best images on the SD card it is quite hard to obtain a computer to upload them onto here. Therefore I shall be putting my journey up in order, that we have travelled, when I return home. 

Should I find any good make up finds or accessories, I will make sure to blog them, to keep you interested. Alternatively you can find some fun images on my Instagram account in the meantime; Chloe Mercer.

Stay safe, have fun and I will hopefully blog soon!

Lots of love and if not before :- Have a very Merry Christmas and New Year (that feels very odd to say when I am sat in a climate with full sunshine and temperatures of up to 38 degrees) 

Love and peace

Chlobo's Closet x

Chlobo's Closet Travel: Agra, India

Taj Mahal, Agra

So having spent two hectic but enjoyable days exploring Delhi, we embarked upon a good three hour drive to Agra. The home to the famous Taj Mahal, we were very excited-especially having spent years seeing wonderful photos of the famous monument.

We only spent one day in Agra, which I am not going to lie was probably the best thing, as it is very poverty stricken (well most of India is but this seemed to be very bad) and incredibly dusty. After the car journey took a fair chunk out of our visit to Agra , the Taj Mahal was the only attraction we got to view and it didn't disappoint.

Believe me when I say, whatever picture or video footage you have seen of the place, it will not do it justice. It is huge! I couldn't quite get over how big it actually was, of course I knew it would be big but not quite as so. 

It was absolutely stunning, the whole building is made from marble and when the light catches it, the shimmering white colours are incredible. Apparently if you view it at sunset or on a full moon it is even more breath taking but viewing it in the afternoon for us, was just as satisfying. 

The gardens are a joy to walk around and are complimented with beautifully crafted ponds and water features. It must take a lot of work in the heat to keep up the maintenance. It was even more special to share this moment with Josh (look out slight soppiness coming here) as it is the monument of love. The building was built by the Emporer Shah Jahan in loving memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. 

The detailing on the building is spectacular and screams romance with its beauty. It is regarded as one of the finest peaces of architecture in India and this hits the nail on the head here. The Taj Mahal combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman, Turkish and Indian architectural styles. The building was started in 1632 and was completed in 1653, taking around twelve years to complete. Over 1,000 elephants were used for transporting the materials! The remianing parts of the building and courtyards, took another ten years for completion, so you can understand why it is so detailed and what craftsmanship went into it.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous tourist spots in India and I am sure you can see why. We had a wonderful time there and it truly is a spectacularly, romantic place to visit. I am just waiting for Joshua to build me a monument of love now - no pressure. Hope you enjoy our pictures, like I have said before more higher quality images will be posted when we return to the UK.

Love 

Chlobo's Closet x

Chlobo's Closet Travel: Delhi, India

So some of you might have known that Josh and I (that is my other half incase you were wondering) have been planning for the past twelve months to go travelling through Asia. So here I am starting the journey in Delhi, India. I am not going to lie, for the first day and perhaps a couple of days before leaving home I was very sad to leave and really, really scared because let's face it it is a tad different to going on an all inclusive holiday, where you know you have your flight companies rep to hand. After many emotional goodbyes between ourselves, friends and our families I honestly thought that after all this time and effort with organising the trip, I wouldn't be able to even get on the plane. I did get on the plane though, through tears throughout the whole journey and told myself that as soon as I got into the adventure I would love it. After a decent nights sleep at our first hotel in New Delhi - The Connaught hotel, based funnily enough in Connaught Place I woke up excited with no tears. 

When we first arrived in Delhi, I did not know what to expect. I think everyone we spoke to about doing India on our own told us horror stories; that it would smell awful, look awful and would be incredibly dangerous - especially me with my blonde hair. However from what we saw from the forty minute taxi ride to our hotel it was not at all bad, with pretty lush green parks and a couple of cute monkeys running around as if they were dogs (perhaps not so cute if they bite you and give you rabies). Today we have had a day trying to fit in as many popular sights within New Delhi and Old Delhi. I will try my best to keep you all on the road with Chlobo's Closet throughout our journey. Firstly I am going to tell you that any pictures I post on here may not be to the best quality, as I will be unfortunately using images taken from my iPhone but when I get back to the UK I will upload the better digital SLR photos so they can blow your minds. So shall we get started? At least you won't be as tired as my legs reading this.

Old Delhi: The Red Fort

A spectacular piece of Mughal architecture known as the Lal Quila or the Red Fort to us English. The building is made from a vibrant red sandstone, which was built on a western bank of the River Yamuna. The Red Fort is one of the largest monuments in Old Delhi, with its thick bulging torrents and bastions that have withstood the vagaries of time and nature. The fort is set above a wide, dry moat in the northeast corner of the original city Shahjahanabad. The walls extend from two kilometres and vary in height from eighteen metres on the river side to thirty-three on the city side. 

Babar who was the first of the Mughal rulers (Emperor to you and me) set Delhi as the seat of his empire back in 1526. Babar had a son called Humayun who decided to build his own city, Din Panah (remember these names if you can because they will crop up again as we go through). However trouble was at bay and in 1540 Sher Shah Suri drove Humayun out of India, bringing Din Panah to the ground and building a sixth city of Delhi called Sher Shahi. The Purana Quila (Old Fort) was the building he created. The Mughals then reestablished themselves and Delhi was no longer the capital of the city. The emperors son, Shah Jahan after reigning in Agra for eleven years decided to transfer his capital to Delhi again and build the Red Fort as a royal residence within the new capital - Shahjahanabad.

The reign of the emperor was the golden period of architecture and the abilities of local craftsmen and builders produced some of the best works in Mughal architecture. The detailing on the walls is outstanding, with its colourful marbled walls, which were cut and fitted with precious and semi-precious stones with care to form patterns such as flowers. The history behind this building is magical and a wonderful fulfilment of information. On leaving the sight and walking back to the main entrance to go onto our next destination, a group of young school girls found us very curious. With big beaming smiles, they approached us with a lot of hellos and hand shakes. The next thing I knew I was thrusted into a paparazzi session having a flock of girls having pictures with me. It was really, really sweet and you will come across this a lot in India because it is not very common to see blonde hair and they are generally interested in where you have come from and learning from you.

Old Delhi: Raj Ghat

At this peaceful and quiet location lies the remains of the greatly famous historic leader of India - Mahatma Gandhi. This is where one of the worlds greatest man was sadly cremated on 31st January, 1948. The marbled bed on which Ghandi was cremated is called the Samadhi, which has beautifully coloured flowers symbolically placed on top with constant burning candles surrounding it. There is huge, luscious green gardens and stunning bright flowers that surround the Samadhi and it really is a tranquil spot in Delhi to come and sit and take in the grounds.

Old Delhi: Humayun's Tomb

This was one of my favourite places to visit in Delhi, I thought the whole grounds and architecture were more than breathtaking. I could have spent countless hours just strolling around here day dreaming. Apparently the famous monument, the Taj Mahal was modelled on this Emperors tomb. The tomb was built in 1565AD and was commissioned by Humayun's wife, Bega. Humayun if you recall from earlier was the son of the emperor Babar. This was one of the first garden tombs in India and was designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas who was a Persoan architect. The tomb was strategically placed near one of the sites Humayun founded in 1533 called Purana Quila (Old Fort), which we touched upon earlier. It was also the first building to use red sandstone on such a grand scale. Besides this main tomb there are several smaller sites that dot the pathway kneading up to it. The detailing here contrasting with the colours is simply magical and in all honesty I am slightly lost on words on how best to describe it, it is certainly a place you need to see for yourself to believe it.

Thank you for taking the time to read my experience thus far on my exciting journey, there is much more to come and I hope to keep you on the road with us, providing we have wifi. Please again remember that posts will be updated with more substantial photographs and editing for page layouts will be tweaked. I shall also be uploading a post when I return home on what to pack, should you be going on a back packing experience too and are querying on what to take to travel light.

Lots of love 

Chlobo xxx

Chlobo's Closet Beauty: Number Xleven

My monthly piece of heaven, where I can come, pamper myself and leave feeling me again, just ten times better! Number Xleven, located in the hustle and bustle of the popular centre of Stow-on-the-Wold, a very big Cotswold favourite amongst tourists and locals.

Stow is my nearest local town, it is quite small but for necessities it is perfect, especially when I get to come to my little corner of peace. Obviously I do not just venture to the salon out of easy access for myself but having had so many trials and errors along the path of beauty go so incredibly wrong, I was constantly trying to find the best salon with the best professionals to give me what I was looking for. Number Xleven came to me through recommendation and in my disastifaction and pain from my the last place I had visited, I was incredibly eager to come and try the treatments and put them to the test. To my absolute delight everything I have ever receieved has been beyond fabulous, so in a small way I am  quite pleased that my previous experiences were so disasterous. In finding Number Xleven I have never looked back, being a happy customer of theirs for almost a year now - how time flies!!

The salon is stunning, I love the way they have styled the salon with the colour schemes and décor, inside and out. It really fits in with the Cotswold stone and country vibe of the town, whilst making you feel very cosy and at home. Inside you will find the team of girls, not are they just wonder women in the beauty treatment department but they offer such a large range of treatments, haircuts and styling, plus a variety of skin and haircare products. This is one reason why I love it here so much because you have such a diversity in products and treatments on offer, it is fantastic. The girls are really clever with years of experience and are so friendly, they will make you feel like a member of their family , as you can see that they all get on marvellously. The minute you walk in you absorb the enthusiasm they all have for doing their jobs and working together as a great team. You are always greeted with warm, gorgeous smiles and immediately you feel like you are in safe hands. I shall just give you a brief introduction on the lovely ladies we have, that are making woman around the Cotswolds look stunning; Nicky the talented owner of Number Xleven and master of hair, Kate the whiz with her hands at tattooing, who gives defined cuts and styling,plus she is great at gents cuts too boys!! We then have Chrissie and Bubbles, experienced hair dressers and beauticians who are equally charming and  gifted with their work. With any of the girls you are in safe hands and all of them are fantastic at what they do, they are all kind, friendly and nothing is too much for them so they will try to cater to any need you might have. 

The treatments I usually come in for are monthly waxes including bikini, legs and eyebrows. Recently though due to my awful skin I have started to have facials done here and Bubbles (my beautcian) and I have been working together to try and build up a useful skincare regime that compliments my skin type, to try and correct the evil little red blighters that seem to pop up like daisies onto my skin sometimes. I shall discuss the facials in further detail below. 

Wax Treatments

Going up to the cosy, tranquil treatment room is bliss. Lightly lit with soothing tones and comforting sounds you are in a place of relaxation. This is where I slip myself onto the comfy bed and could easily fall asleep for a very long time. 

Speaking for myself I prefer to have waxes, purely because the effects last longer, you have smoother skin and it saves me time and energy on doing it myself. I would much rather have a professional do it for me, where I can appreciate that it looks neat and tidy. If  I did it myself I would be in an awful mess, perhaps some of you who have tried at home waxing kits might have an inkling to what I am referring to. Here at Number Xleven they offer a range of waxing treatments, I have put the list of what they offer below should you require further information, price done to the Great British Pound.

WAXING TREATMENTS

THE BIKINI                                             20 
CALIFORNIAN/MOHICAN                          35         
BRAZILIAN                                             40
HALF LEG WAX                                       20
3/4 LEG WAX                                         22
FULL LEG WAX                                       26
UNDERARM WAX                                    15
FACIAL WAX                                          15
BIKINI & FULL LEG                                 38
HALF LEG BIKINI & U/ARM                      48

I have a half leg wax done every month. Just above my knees as my hairs are fairly light towards the top, so I am quite lucky as I do not need to touch this area. Please arrange for a consultation anywhere you go, as everyone is different and this treatment may not suit your needs. Following my leg wax, we then usually move on to the bikini area. I often have a standard bikini wax, just as this is what suits me. The waxes for leg and bikini are performed with hot wax, therefore this technique should be far less painful than strip waxing. It is quick and effective, I do not find any discomfort with any of my waxes but like I previously mentioned everyone is different. I find the process of it all very relaxing and I thoroughly enjoy having a good catch up with my beautician Bubbles and finding out all the fun and exciting things she has been getting  up to. 

We then move onto my eyebrow waxing, which does not usually take too long. Again using the soothing hot wax, it goes on as easily as it comes off. Quick, painless and simple. I get mine waxed to the natural shape of my brow, so it looks chic, stylish and not over the top. All in all I am probably in the treatment room roughly an hour so told for waxes, this is hard to pin point as I am such a chatter box in there I get carried away. Below you can see the before and after shots of my brows, excuse my face and the slight redness - this is to be expected when you have any  form of brow wax treatment.

Facials

Beauty Express  35 mins  £40     
To reduce fine lines and wrinkles after only one treatment, Pores are opened to enable specialised anti-ageing ingredients to penetrated deep into the skin.

Above is the facial I tend to opt for and does exactly what is says on the tin! At Number Xleven they offer a couple of facial treatments, using the best products on the market - Dermosthetique. This is how I discovered LA Biosthetique, which I discussed with you in a previous post. Since having facials here I have started a serious love affair with the products of Dermosthetique and the difference made already in my skin is unbelievable. 

So we begin with Bubbles taking out three very cute glass bottles in very bright daring shades, which get placed in front of me. This looks very scientific and I can't help but get drawn in by the bottles which look like witches potions. With these bottles they are going to tell me how dehydrated my skin is, how high my oils are and just how my skin is behaving at the present moment. It is all very clever and what you see is very interesting. Firstly you cleanse a small area on the face with a cotton wool ball, you follow this with the oil lotion. With the cotton wool ball, a small application of the second bottle goes on. It starts one colour and then you can see it gradually changing, when it stops you match it to a colour chart which tells you how high or low your oil levels are. This procedure is followed again for hydration levels. Very clever indeed, if only I knew about this years ago and some of the damage may have been prevented. From my skin test I learnt that I have oily skin that is also dehydrated. Now I thought that if you have oily skin the worst thing to do was to moisturise and I thought in some odd way the skin was sort of moist from the oils. Wrong, your skin can still be dehydrated with oil and finding the right moisturiser will justify and do wonders, as I found. So having had our skin test and realising what is wrong, Bubbles can now decide which products are going to work with my skin type and correct some of the damage. For the next thirty-five minutes I lightly doze in pure ecstasy and relaxation at having my face gently massaged, and inhaling delicate notes of scrumptious scents of products that caress my skin. When Bubbles comes to the end of the facial, I gently come to and quickly ponder whether it is safe to drive being this relaxed. We go through again what I need to be doing in my skin care routine and what to avoid, whilst I start scanning the products with my eyes - I can never resist buying myself some treats when leaving here. When booking in for a facial you will automatically have a consultation, where they can determine your skin type and find what products you need to be using. I leave the salon looking gorgeously glowing and feeling a million dollars. On my way back to the car I cannot help looking in as many mirrors as possible, checking my healthy glow. To my delight I even get complimented through the afternoon on how wonderful my skin looks and asked what make up am I using? I get to respond by saying, I am not wearing any make up. it is just a very good facial!!

If you are local or are visiting the area and need some you time, pampering or even if you are looking to treat a loved one, then I highly recommend this salon. With the best of the best under one roof, with a wonderful team of pros, what can be better? I have had the best experiences here and will long be a customer of their's for a very long time, keep up the wonderful work girls you are doing some fabulous, great things and we love you!!

For further information, details and promotions on Number Xleven please visit;

www.number11stow.com or alternatively you can find them on Facebook. 

Please keep your eyes peeled on the blog, as there will be lots more exciting things with Number Xleven coming your way. Including more information on facials and a very scientific approach with a special camera to investigate the standards of your scalp. We all should know that a healthy scalp, means healthy growing hair, so I am very excited to be coming back to see what sort of state my hair is in with this magical camera. 

Chlobo's Closet looks forward to another visit to Number Xleven and thank you girls for all you do.

Chlobo's Closet Beauty: Scissors of Campden

Nestled in the heart of the popular old sheep market town, Chipping Campden, you will find the treasure that is Scissors of Campden. An amazing hair salon that will transform your look in an instance, making you feel fantastic and fabulous.

The staff here are highly recommended, this shows with the high amounts of bookings they often take. They provide a truly friendly service and cater to your every need, making you feel at home, relaxed and in good hands. Josie has done my hair numerous times and is a fantastic hair colourist and stylist amongst the girls at the salon, she also makes me incredibly envious every time I see her because one she is drop dead gorgeous and her hair is always flawless.

When I had shorter hair I was at a bit of a loose end on what to do with it. I am not keen on myself having a short hair do, as they don't suit me. Therefore she created the most chicest braid on me. I don't know how she did it but she was a whizz with her hands and hey presto fifteen minutes later.... Voila.

Of course the girls cover pretty much anything you can think of, up do's for a special occasion or just a treat, fancy blow outs and colouring. Take a peak below to see one of my personal favourite blow dries.

Now let's talk about some colour! As we all know, for the past year or so hair colour has had a major overhaul, with ombré styles and balayage coming into play, to mention a few. You will see here some of the wonderful changes on some drop dead gorgeous girls.

The natural looking ombré style this client has had below, was breathtaking! The client had come in with box dyed hair and Josie pre-lightened and toned it. As ombré styles are meant to look natural with the colours blending into each other, Josie then put through a full head of foils and added a golden toner to finish.

There are also some amazing ombré and coloured styles the girls have done, which can be viewed below, finished off with flirty blow-dries and styling.

Also having had a bit of a browse on their page, please visit and have a look for yourself! I have to get Josie to do this for me! I am totally in love with this style, which can be worn anyway, anytime for any event or function. You can see that they are very creative with hair! Absolutely stunning, I cannot wait to get this tried out on myself!

Now let's talk boys, yes there is no sexism here ladies and gents. They do very stylish, on trend mens cuts. My partner frequently visits the salon and quotes, "It is the only salon I have visited in the past decade where they have done what I wanted and better." What more can I say. Take a look at my friends brother who had his hair cut and styled to perfection.

I really do recommend a visit to the salon, professional treatment with great results and at reasonable prices! What is not to love here? Also the salon is set in one of the most beautiful parts of the Cotswolds, so why not enjoy the quaint country shops, pubs and tea shops in Chipping Campden and show off that brand new do!!

Please visit Scissors Campden on Facebook or alternatively pop in for a consultation.

Enjoy everyone, love Chlobo xxx