Monday 30 December 2013

What I got for Christmas

What I got for Christmas- 2013

Hey everyone,

Every year once Christmas has been I always really enjoy looking at peoples blog posts or vlogs showing what they got for Christmas. So I thought this year I would show you guys what I received this Christmas. Just a little disclaimer.. In no way am I intending to brag or show off I just particularly enjoy these posts from other people so I am hoping you enjoy them as well. Here goes.. 




















I would love to know what you guys got for Christmas, if you have also done a blog post leave the link for it in a comment below and I will check it out! 

                                                                               Ell x

Sunday 29 December 2013

My Office Sale Purchases

Office Sale Purchases 

Hey everyone,

The Office sale is definitely one of the best sales out there. Office have such a variety of shoes pleasing everyones different taste and style. I personally love most of Office's shoes, especially the quirky and unique designs they bring out. When I saw that Office had (and still have) 50% off on shoes I ran to my computer and browsed their website like a mad woman. If I had the choice I probably would buy about 40 pairs of shoes but I was sensible and stuck with two pairs. I am so happy with my purchases and absolutely love both of them so much, I know I will be getting a lot of wear out of them. The first pair are called 'Office Loopy Burgundy Leather'. They were originally £60.00 and went all the way down to £27.00 (I think). These shoes are so individual and trendy. Although they make look as if they wouldn't go with a lot of outfits they really do and can be casually worn with jeans or dressed up by being paired with a skirt/dress. Not going to lie they aren't the most comfortable of shoes, especially without tights on. These shoes look great on bare feet or with black tights but socks really don't work with these shoes. The thing I love most about these shoes is that they are different and stand out from the crowd. 

  The second pair of shoes I got are a lot more practical and can be worn on any occasion. They are called 'Office Taboo T Bar Black Leather'. They were originally £60.00 down to £30.00. Straight away you can tell they are made of high quality with the thick, sturdy rubber soles. The soles of these shoes are in the style of Doc Martins which I think is a great feature. These shoes are extremely comfortable and are super cute. They look really nice with little thrill socks from Topshop paired with a little dress. I would pair them with some skinny jeans and an oversized tee. These are the kind of shoes that will last for a while. T-bar shoes are very in at the moment, so a great addition to my shoe collection. 







                                    Have you made any purchases from the Office sale?

                                                                           Ell x

Topshop Fashion- Tartan Trends

Topshop Fashion- Tartan Trends

Hey everyone,

Without question my favourite trend this month is tartan. Tartan has become such a big trend this Autumn/Winter and it can be styled in so many ways. You can find tartan pieces in the shops which can be made to look really casual for every day wear but you can also really customise and dress them up. I recently bought two items from Topshop both in the pattern of tartan but they couldn't be any more different. Both pieces can easily be made to suit every day occasions. The traditional red tartan pencil skirt is a lot more formal and really accentuates the hips and waist. I paired it with this emerald green velvet top which is absolutely gorgeous. I wore this outfit on Christmas Eve and I think it is the perfect festive outfit. The tartan skirt could be dressed down by pairing it with a baggy oversized jumper and a pair of t-bar shoes. The second outfit is very quirky and a lot more funky. I am loving this white and black tight fit trousers. They are in the Topshop sale at the moment.. so girls go get your hands on them! The trousers are very versatile and can be made to look dressy or casual depending on what you wear them with. On this occasion I paired them with a navy 3/4 length sleeve top, my burgundy leather loop shoes from Office and a silver monochrome clutch bag (clutch bag was £3 in the Topshop sale...... £3!!!!). 



                                    What fashion trends are you loving at the moment?

                                                                            Ell x

Alice In Wonderland Cheshire Cat Makeup

Alice In Wonderland Cheshire Cat Makeup 

Hey everyone,

Firstly I would just like to say I hope you all had a lovely and relaxing Christmas. I had such a great few days and got some amazing things, I was truly spoilt. Thank you to all my family who got me some beautiful gifts. So I have always really loved the Tim Burton version of Alice In Wonderland, it's such a magical and unique film. I really wanted to challenge myself and create a makeup look that was not only difficult to achieve but something that was individual. That is when I thought of the Cheshire Cat in Alice In Wonderland. Although the look took a lot of precision and time I really enjoyed creating it and I am happy with how it turned out. This look would be great for halloween or a fancy dress party. If you have any questions on how I achieved this look or what products I used please leave me a comment! 







                                                                            Ell x

Sunday 22 December 2013

Real Techniques Makeup Brushes Review

Real Techniques Makeup Brushes Review 

Hey everyone,

I have been using Real Techniques brushes for quite a while now and can honestly say I love them with all my heart. The quality of them are fantastic and all the time I have had them each brush has only shed about 1 hair. I originally bought the Core Collection which is priced at £21.99. This set includes the Buffing brush, Contour brush, Pointed foundation brush and Detailer brush. I religiously used the Buffing brush to apply my foundation, which at the time was MAC Studio Fix Fluid. This foundation has a very thick consistency and I found that the Buffing brush really worked the foundation well into the skin and gave an even finish. It made my skin look so smooth and flawless, almost giving an 'airbrushed' look. I haven't been using foundation at the moment as my skin is relatively clear so instead I just put my Clinique tinted moisturiser on with my Collection lasting perfection concealer which I then use the Buffing brush to buff the concealer into my skin. 

   The Contour brush has been my little baby, it really is one of my holy grail products. I use my Sleek Contouring and Blush palette a lot and the Real Techniques Contour brush does such an amazing job of giving more structure to my face. For me it is the perfect size as some contour brushes can be a bit on the large side. I use the Detailer brush to apply lipstick. I mainly use this brush on other people when doing their makeup. It gives such a precise and perfect finish. When using this Detailer brush the lipstick applies very easily and the end look is great. The only brush that let me down in this set was the Pointed foundation brush. In my opinion, it is FAR too small for a foundation brush. It is so small it takes a lot longer to put your foundation on and only covers small areas.  It still gives good coverage and acts as a paint brush. It is much more suitable as a concealer brush but if I am being honest I have found myself using it to apply eyeshadow on occasions! 

  I then bought another three brushes which come individually. The Powder brush is a really good size and can take a lot of powder in one go. It applies the powder onto the skin so smoothly and gives the skin a beautiful finish. Powder is a must have to set your makeup and keep it in place and the Real Techniques Powder brush is one to do it. The Blush brush has to be one of the softest brushes I have ever felt. The hairs pick up the blush really well. Some blush brushes leave a really faint tint to the cheeks with no major difference but this brush applies the blusher amazingly. And finally the Stippling brush. Now this was raved about a lot  by beauty gurus on Youtube. I can say now, it deserves the praise. The hairs are much firmer and stiffer than the Buffing brush. The Stippling brush really blends the foundation into the skin and leaves you with such a natural look, as if you are not wearing anything on the skin. After using this brush you will have a even and porcelain complexion. The Powder brush is priced at £12.99, Blush brush is priced at £9.99 and the Stippling brush is priced at £11.99.









I would really recommend any make up lover to purchase some Real Techniques makeup brushes if you haven't already. They are excellent quality and are such reasonable prices compared to other high end brands. MAC charge around £31 per brush so these are a great worthy buy. I am extremely happy I purchased them. 

                                                                               Ell x

Thursday 19 December 2013

The Christmas Tag

The Christmas Tag


Hey everyone,

Christmas is very quicly approaching and I have just got back from a lovely Christmas meal with my good friends at the Cadillac Diner (which I really recommend, a great American themed restaurant). I am now very much in the festive spirit and looking foward to some nice days out leading up towards Christmas day. I am especially excited for Winter Wounderland at Hyde Park. So as you all know Winter is my favourite time of year, purely because of Christmas. I really like reading peoples Christmas Tag's so I thought why not join in and share my answers..


1) What is your favourite Christmas movie?
     In general Christmas movies make me so happy and excited, you will genuinely catch me watching them in July (yes I admit it). I do like a good Christmas comdey such as Elf, although it makes me laugh and I am in love with Buddy it does not reach my all time favourite Christmas movie. Yesterday I watched The Grinch which I honestly had not seen in such a long time. The Grinch is such a unique film and I think Jim Carrey is fantastic. Right so now I am actually going to give my answer to the question. My all time favourite Christmas movie is The Polar Express. Without question it is the most warm, original and festive film I have ever seen. I always watch it on Christmas Eve. I love the very beginning when the little boy is laying in bed on Christmas Eve, pretending to be asleep. It just reminds me of myself when I was a little kid.

2) Do you stay in your PJ's or dress up for Christmas?
    I get up relatively early on Christmas day because of my little brother, but if I am being honest I can never get to sleep and I'm up at the crack of dawn anyway because I am that excited. I stay in my PJ's while opening presents and eating a nice breakfast which is always cooked by my dad. I tend to get changed into something new just before the Christmas dinner is ready. I never tend to get really dressed up or bother with lots of makeup as my family and I don't have friends or further family round. It is just me, my mum, dad, brother and sister. This year I am going to wear my festive themed PJ's, jingle elf hat and santa slippers.

3) Do you and your family open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas day?
    Always on Christmas day. We occasionaly open the odd small gift from a family friend on Christmas Eve but that is it. We wait till 'Santa' comes and delivers the presents. I like waiting till Christmas day itself as my brother and I come down the stairs and feel so excited and full of happiness. Some people save a few presents for the afternoon/evening on Christmas day but my family and I just open them all in the morning.

4) Favourite Holiday song?
    Now lets just say I have a few. I love Merry Christmas by Slade and Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday by Wizard. I am also a massive fan of Do They Know It's Christmas by Bandaid. I definitely prefer the more traditional songs than all these new commercialised ones such as 'Mistletoe' by Justin Bieber.

5) Favourite Christmas meal or treat?
    To be honest I don't like Christmas Dinner that much. I just see it as more of a fancy roast and I have never liked roast dinners. I do like the odd Toby Carvery though. I love a yorkshire pudding filled with gravy, perfect! My favourite treat at Christmas time would definitely be salmon blinis. They are gorgeous! They are not something I eat everyday, I only ever have them on Christmas day or New Year. Smoked salmon is a must at Christmas time.

6) What happens on a typical Christmas Eve night in your house?
     Last year my older sister and her fiance Steve took my brother and I along with Steve's siblings to the Imax in Leicester Square. We went to see Arthur Christmas. It was a really nice night out and got us all very excited for Christmas day. The general atmosphere in London was also very festive with all the lights and music. For previous years my family and I stayed in doors with the fire on, watching TV or christmas films and ordered fish & chips. This year I am having Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve at a beautiful vintage reataurant so my family and I will be out all evening. I am so excited as it is something different.

7) Does it snow where you live?
    Unfortunately it never snows on top of Christmas where I live, I have always loved the thought of a white Christmas. The year before last it snowed quite heavily the week before Christmas which was lovely. And last year it snowed in early January, but never Christmas. It would be so amazing if it snowed gently on Christmas Eve so you could wake up to a winter wounderland for Christmas day.

8) Is your Christmas tree real or fake?
    For many years my family and I had a fake tree in our living room. But for the past few years we have bought a real one. The one we have got this year is so beautiful, very bushy and I love the smell of the pine; a traditional Christmas scent. We decorated it with traditional red and bronze decorations which we bought new for this year. We get our Christmas tree from a family which grow them in a field and all of them are excellent quality.

And that is it! I hope you all enjoyed reading my Christmas Tag, I know I love reading everyone else's. Please leave me a comment letting me know whether you have taken part in The Christmas Tag. 6 days to go!!!
 
                                                                             Ell x

 

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Winter/Christmas Haul- LUSH, Topshop, Superdrug

Winter/Christmas Haul

Hey Everyone,

I actually can't believe it is only a week until Christmas Eve, I am extremely excited. Me and one of my best friends Beth went up to Covent Garden last weekend and it was so christmasy; it made me feel so festive. Because on Christmas Eve I am going out for a nice family meal at a old, vintage restaurant I really wanted to get a nice new outfit for the special occasion. I was looking around Topshop (wishing I owned pretty much everything) and came across this beautiful emerald green velvet top and a red tartan pencil skirt. The top and skirt go great together and really are in trend for this time of year. I am really happy with the choice I made. I will be wearing my Topshop burgundy lace up boots with the outfit. I really love this casual oversized jumper I bought in H&M. I am never usually one to shop in H&M but recently I have really been liking their clothes and accessories. This jumper is very quirky, I think it would look great paired with a leather coat/jacket. I also picked up a Barry M nail varnish, LUSH products and of course I got very much tempted by a chocolate snowman in Thorntons... oops! 















                                             Loving a red lip for winter at the moment! 

                                                                              Ell x