Ciao UK Blog

Create the perfect Halloween with Ciao

Halloween is one of the most exciting and fun-filled days of the year. Whether you’re arranging a spooky party with your favourite horror movies, going on a ghost walk or knocking on doors trick-or-treating, a scary outfit is a must! And with the 31st just around the corner, if you haven’t already planned your costume it’s time to get cracking!

There are lots of different characters you can dress-up as on Halloween and with a few tips and tricks and a little creative flair you can be sure to ward off any evil spirits that come out to play when the night draws in. To help you get started we’ve included our favourite ideas for scary Halloween outfits below, just click on the links for some inspiration!

Witches
• Every witch needs a classic big black hat and the assistance of a broomstick to help them make a speedy getaway and fly into the darkness. And for that extra ounce of scariness why not add a mask or some green face paint to really add to the effect?
Wizards
• Magic is at the heart of Halloween and every party needs a magician! The top priority for all wizards is a wonderful wizardry cape, so to make sure you stand proud on the 31st don’t forget to have a look at the selection on ciao.co.uk. To complete your outfit and to help you conjure up spells on the night a magic wand may come in handy too.
Vampires
• Vampires are the most frightening of all Halloween characters and if you’re planning to play the part this year you’ll need a long black cape, big white fangs and of course lots of fake blood for added dramatic effect!
Super heroes
• If you fancy saving the day and protecting your friends this Halloween you might want to go dressed as your favourite superhero! There are all sorts of costumes available on Ciao, from Superman to Spiderman and from Wonder Woman to Cat Woman. But if you’re short of ideas Ciao’s fancy dress section is a great place to start.

And finally, to get you in the mood for Halloween, there’s nothing quite like a scary film! Don’t forget to check out Ciao’s range for the perfect spine chilling watch before heading out for the evening!  From Scream to Blade and from Saw to The Shining we have a great selection on Ciao for you to enjoy. You may also want to check out reviews of the films to see what people thought before deciding on the ideal horror movie. If you’re staying a home and want to plan the ideal Halloween party have a look on Ciao for ideas and inspiration – from how to carve the perfect pumpkin to decorating your house with a spooky theme.

So, what’s your favourite scary movie and how are you spending your Halloween this year? We’d love to know what you’re up to and if you have any tips or tricks for creating the perfect outfit please get in touch and post a comment below.

Don’t forget there are just a few days left to enter Ciao’s End of Summer competition and there are still some great prizes to be won including a Nintendo DSi, a Mircorsoft Xbox and Amazon vouchers. What’s more, until the end of the month every new member to Ciao will receive £1 as a reward for writing their first review. Don’t miss out, check out the competition page and enter for chance to win now!

Fun ideas to help you enjoy your weekends this Winter with Ciao

With the football season well underway, scores of women as well men across the county might be preparing for lonely weekends ahead as their other halves desert them in favour of following the trials and tribulations of their favourite team. So if you happen to be stepping out with a football fanatic, now’s your opportunity to make the most of your free time. With a little help from ciao.co.uk you can find the perfect way to relax and pamper yourself when your Mr. Or Mrs. Right’s not around.

Books
When it’s cold and wet outside, there’s nothing better than curling up on the sofa in the warm with a great read. Whether you’re into crime or romance, poetry or comedy, there’s something to suit everyone’s tastes on Ciao. If you’d like to find out what other members think of the books featured before deciding what to buy, why not check out the range of reviews available to help you make up your mind.

Film
If you’re into film, there is a whole host of DVDs to choose from to suit everyone’s interests. Whether you like watching timeless classics such as Sex and the City and 24 or you prefer comedies such as Little Britain, by taking a few minutes to explore the DVD section you’ll be sure to find a movie which takes your fancy.

Kitchen care
Many enthusiastic cooks pride themselves on having the perfect kitchen and spending time catching up with their closest friends. If you’re one of them why not make the most of it by inviting a couple of friends over to whip up a storm or just to chat over coffee? If you like getting creative in the kitchen there are plenty of recipe books and cooking DVDs on Ciao to give you ideas for what to prepare too.

Music
Whether you’re looking for songs to get you in the mood for a big night out or just want some great music to sing along or relax to, Ciao has a perfect catalogue to choose from.  It doesn’t matter if you like pop or rock or prefer classical or county, there’s something to suit everyone’s musical tastes.

And last but not least….fashion!
There’s no denying that many of us (ladies especially) love clothes shopping! And with more and more shops making their ranges available online, Ciao is the number one destination to find the best deals and to make sure you’re kitted out in the season’s must  have items! To keep looking chic as winter sets in, we suggest checking out Ciao's fashion pages for the hottest trench coats, jumpers, winter boots and scarves that money can buy!

How do you usually spend your weekends as “football widow or widower”? We’d love to know your favourite hobbies and suggestions for having fun and relaxing – please share your ideas with us by commenting on this post.

It’s almost the end of the End of Summer Competition…another week left!

Congratulations to all the winners of the “End of Summer” competition!

It’s the seventh week in and the Special “End of Summer Bonus” is still receiving more and more reviews every day, helping millions of other people who are looking for the best product. Some inspiration and great advice when leading up to Christmas isn’t a bad idea!

This week’s winners are:

• Xbox: Tumblewheel   
• Amazon Voucher: Oldchem   
• Amazon Voucher: Deru 
• Amazon Voucher: Gingergirly
• Amazon Voucher: Prosser13   
• Amazon Voucher: Mogdred1  
• Experience Voucher: Wendz86    
• Amazon Voucher: Atlantis140
• Spa Voucher: Diamond08    
• Spa Voucher:  Ring_of_roses  
  
Don’t forget we are still running a competition with www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, where all reviews posted on MyVoucherCodes will be entered into a draw to win a series of great prizes such as 4 x £100 House of Fraser vouchers, a Sony Notebook and a Nintendo DSi.

We look forward to receiving more reviews, welcoming new members and give away more prizes. Every new member gets £1 for the first review. Check out the competition page and start winning now!

New Windows 7 launch

The day has finally arrived: The all new Windows 7 is now available in 14 languages. The long awaited Microsoft operating system is ready to set new standards regarding usability, capability, speed and security. Additionally Windows 7 comes with a rage of multimedia tools, which is sure to delight all gadget fans. And in stores now, you can choose between three different versions to suit your individual needs:

• Windows 7 Home Premium offers a broad range of home entertainment tools - like the Windows Media Center or home network it has capabilities to jointly use and share photos, videos and music with one another
• Windows 7 Professional includes all essential features for professional users
• Windows 7 Ultimate comes with additional security features and gives you the flexibility to work in various languages

Windows 7 Enterprise is also available for use in larger companies through volume licensing channels. 

 

For those of you who have you just bought yourselves new computers, don’t worry!, updates are available for existing editions of Windows XP and Vista. Furthermore, Microsoft offers special bargains for families and students. Have a look at the company’s webpage to find out more. Or if you’re happy to wait a few days the first user reviews will be available at ciao.co.uk before long.
 

First reviews of the Ultimate edition are already uploaded onto Ciao and we are looking forward to hearing more from you soon.
 

Ps: If 14 languages aren’t enough to suit you, this shouldn’t be a problem because 20 additional languages will be available by October 31.
 

Wrapping up E-Commerce Expo 2009

Tom Hyde welcomes visitors to Ciao's Stand 336 at E-Commerce expo

Ciao at E-Commerce Expo 20th – 21st October

Our reviews drive your sales! This is the message for this year’s stand of Ciao at E-Commerce Expo on 20th – 21st October 2009 at Earls Court where Ciao will be presenting the latest developments in the field of online advertising and e-commerce.

Tom Hyde, Teamleader of e-commerce and Alexander Miller Teamleader of Advertising in the UK will be attending the both where visitors can speak directly with the Ciao experts.

Since October 2008, when Ciao was taken over by Microsoft Corporation, we have been advancing with Microsoft’s European business as the Shopping Commerce Division. The initial steps in the integration process have been completed successfully: as a new broad European shopping platform of the new Microsoft search engine Bing.com and MSN portals, Ciao now also supports consumers who launch their searches on the Microsoft platforms in making personal purchase decisions for their products.
 
Merchants and advertisers will receive an overview on how they can keep benefiting from the accustomed high quality service which Ciao has stood for as a shopping and advertising platform for over ten years, reaching additional target groups who are searching for information and looking to make purchases.
We would like to cordially invite you to join us at the Stand No. 336 where we will give you our latest updates, news and much more.

As always, we’re all ears when it comes to improving the quality of your experience on Ciao, so if you have any suggestions or thoughts we’d love to hear them. Add your comments to this post and let us know what you think!

We look forward to seeing you at E-Commerce Expo!

Week 6-2 weeks left and 20 more prizes to give away! You do the math…

Oh yes its Friday! We know that keeping you happy isn’t easy but with today’s announcement we hope to cheer you up….

Six weeks in and the Special “End of Summer Bonus” is still receiving more and more reviews every day, allowing to help millions of other people who are looking for the best product. Some inspiration and great advice when leading up to Christmas isn’t a bad idea!

Today we would also like to thank everyone who has so far contributed and participated. Remember there are just two weeks left and still 20 more great prizes to give away.

No more suspense…here this week’s winners:

• Digital Camera: Amy69  
• Amazon Voucher: M.Newcastle
• Amazon Voucher: Autarkis  
• Amazon Voucher: carl.mcqueen    
• Amazon Voucher: anwar   
• Amazon Voucher: Jo-1976
• Experience Voucher: Sarahbarrow  
• Sony VAIO: Grandchamp    
• Spa voucher: Xdonzx    
• Spa voucher: Ailran
  
Remember Ciao will also be selecting 10 members who have written a review at random to win one of a range of great prizes, including a Microsoft Xbox, a Sony VAIO, game consoles, digital cameras and much more. Click here for more info.

We will also double every remuneration for positive ratings to reviews with at least one £ symbol. We will also double the special bonus for writing the first review of a product and give an extra bonus of £1 to the first review written by a new member.

Don’t forget we are still running a partnership with www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, where all reviews posted on MyVoucherCodes will be entered into a draw to win a series of great prizes such as 4 x £100 House of Fraser vouchers, a Sony Notebook and a Nintendo DSi.

We look forward to receiving more reviews, welcoming new members and give away more prizes. Every new member gets £1 for the first review. Check out the competition page and start winning now!

Fashion tips for stylish spring brides to be!

Everyone knows that a wedding day is one of the most hotly anticipated and exciting day of any girl’s life. And if you’re one of the lucky ladies planning to say “I do” this spring, there’s no better time than now to start planning your look ahead of your big day.

The long list of things you need to think about to make the occasion extra special might seem endless and knowing where to start can be a daunting task. But with a steer in the right direction and a little help from Ciao, you can make sure you are well prepared to shine for your other half as you say your vows.

One of the most important things is of course finding the dream dress. Whether you’re planning to go all out with a fabulous traditional white number, or you’re looking for something a little more conservative, why not check out the great range available through Ciao. Whether you’re tall or short, petite or curvy, there’s the perfect dress ready and waiting to make sure every bride looks their best as they walk up the aisle.

Hair and make-up  are also important considerations for brides to be. If you’re not sure what’s hot and what’s not, there are a great range of tips from the Ciao community to browse through to make sure you wow your guests when the spotlight’s on you. Tiaras and headbands are really in vogue right now and there are many different types to check out on our site, and for that extra special touch you might want to consider adding diamond hair clips and grips for another ounce of glamour.

Another important accessory is bridal flowers. The choice of the perfect bouquet, whether roses or something more extravagant is not easy. Do you want your bouquet to be red to symbolize love for your other half? Or simply a distinct colour? What matters most is that everything fits together and that you are happy about your decision and in Ciao we are able to help you find the best tips for your flower arrangements.

And last but not least are shoes! If you want to dance the night away in style on your big day, you’ll need a pair that not only look wonderful but feel great too. Why not have a browse through the wedding shoe collection on Ciao and if you’re still stuck for ideas, don’t forget the Ciao community is a great place to get advice to give you the helping hand you need!

We’d love to hear your stories about your big day and if you have any tips for Ciao’s brides to be please add a comment to this post and share your thought with us!

End of Summer Competition- 5th week in and more prizes to give away!

What better that announcing the winners of week 5 on a Friday-it feels like Christmas already over here! 
As you know by now, the Special “End of Summer Bonus” has been extended until 31st October and we are today announcing this week’s winners:

• Xbox:Brittle1906
• Nintendo DSi: rojm
• Amazon Voucher: kevindye  
• Amazon Voucher: debmercury
• Amazon Voucher:Rhiana
• Amazon Voucher:stephbond89    
• Spa Voucher:Violet1278
• Spa Voucher:Xxfoxyredxx    
• Experience Voucher:NemoDog  
• Experience Voucher:Sewbizzie    

As in September, we will double every remuneration for positive ratings to reviews with at least one £ symbol. We will also double the special bonus for writing the first review of a product and give an extra bonus of £1 to the first review written by a new member.

Ciao will also be selecting 10 members who have written a review at random to win one of a range of great prizes, including a Microsoft Xbox, a Sony VAIO, game consoles, digital cameras and much more. Click here for more info.

Don’t forget we are running a partnership with www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, where all reviews posted on MyVoucherCodes will be entered into a draw to win a series of great prizes such as 4 x £100 House of Fraser vouchers, a Sony Notebook and a Nintendo DSi.

We look forward to receiving more reviews, welcoming new members and give away more prizes. Every new member gets £1 for the first review. Check out the competition page and start winning now!