My MAC Palette tour!

Hey Beauts,

Coming in as my all time favourite products is a three way for me - Lip Stick, Mascara and Eye shadow, concealer a close 4th (or 2nd, whichever way you look at it). Just these products is all I really need on an everyday basis. But one of my favourite things is seeing what palettes people have. There is something so satisfying about lusting over eye shadows. So here is my MAC palette tour! 

Shroom - All That Glitters - WoodWinked - Amber Lights - Antiqued

Honey Lust - Mulch 

Cork - Texture - Embark

Whilst my palette isn't complete yet, I am still in love with it and I think it will be some time before it is actually complete but for now, I find myself reaching for some shades on an almost everyday basis. We all know how great MAC eye shadows are (pigmented, long lasting and an incredible colour selection), but I find that these shadows are only great if you use a primer - NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk being sufficient enough. Without that, they are a bit lifeless with dull colours being barely visible.

My favourite shade in this palette has to be without a doubt Amber Lights, It is absolutely stunning in my eyes, and the orange in it really brings out my blues eyes and just makes them pop. To go along with Amber Lights, I really like adding WoodWinked into the outer corner to deepen to the look a little, but on it's own it has a lovely golden sheen that really is stunning to wear just on its own. How can I mention my favourites in this palette without mentioning All That Glitters?! I'm sure everyone has heard of this shade and it is lovely for a light eye look, requiring no effort what so ever. Honey Lust, Another beautiful shade is basically All That Glitters with slightly more orange in it, again to make blue eyes pop. I think from these favourites you can tell that I am not much of a matte fan and love my shimmers, however the bottom layer are all mattes just for the eye sockets and for a little bit of variety in the palette.

Whilst I do love this palette, I think my INGLOT palette is still my favourite - What do you think? Are there any shades here that you have never seen before? And what shades do you think should fill the remaining spaces? Do you own a MAC palette? I would love to see yours so leave links down below to your MAC palette tours! If you would like to but aren't already, remember to follow on GFC and Blog Lovin' so you don't miss out on any future posts! 

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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The Underdog!

Hey Beauts,

When hearing about MAC red lipsticks Russian Red and Ruby Woo are shouted about here, there and everywhere! But one lipstick I have never once heard being spoken about is Brave Red - My most favourite MAC lipstick. Let me tell you why...

As I am sure you can see from the above images, I have used this lipstick to nearly the end of it's life. The colour is fantastic. Who doesn't love a great red? The pigmentation is beautiful, but comes off a little lighter than in the tube (which I appreciate) and leaves my teeth looking really white. The formula is a cremesheen and so packs a lot of moisture. Never once has it left my lips feeling dry and chapped, It even leaves my lips looking slightly glossy and healthy. However because of the moisture filled properties, it isn't the best at staying put - especially after eating a meal.

At £15.50 MAC lipsticks are getting more and more expensive, but as soon as I get to a MAC counter, I will most definatly be repurchasing this, just to have a back-up. Have you ever tried Brave Red? Which is your favourite MAC red? Or do you have another brand red lipstick that you're in love with? I would love to know so leave a comment down below letting me know! If you liked this post remember to follow on BlogLovin' and GFC so you don't miss out on any future posts.

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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Boxing day sale purchases!

Hey beauts,

OH NO! I've done it again! I've been shopping! Don't judge me! Okay, well maybe you can. But in all fairness, I overcame a fear. I usually get really agitated in very busy shopping environments, to the point where I have just stood there and cried before, but I decided to go into the boxing day sales. I'm not sure if it was just not busy, or if I was just brave - but it wasn't that bad and I had a blast!

Mulch - Embarked - Antiqued

First stop - Boots, to see if they had any good offers on Ghost Cherish (A perfume which I am running out of) and they did, this gift set was originally £25 but I paid £16.66. Winner! I then had an absolute field day in LUSH! Mainly because when I lived at home, I wasn't allowed to use bath products as they stained the bath. However now I have moved out - that problem isn't there anymore! As ever LUSH had an amzing 50% off anything Christmassy turning my bill for all of this from £95.55 to a nicer £47.74. Next up HMV. I don't think this was on sale at £49.99, but I've never seen it before. For the past two Christmas' I have asked for the complete box set of Desperate Housewives and have never received it. Following this, I had a £25 gift voucher for MAC - that obviously was not going to last long. I picked up three eye shadows (from left to right) Mulch - Embarked - Antiqued. All such stunning shades, especially if you love bronze and deep cranberry shades.

Lastly I picked up this gorgeous Ted Baker hand bag. My first ever big girl grown up hand bag (and I am nearly 22). It was £101 down from £169 AND I LOVE IT! This inside has a beautiful black and white floral detail and is stunning. Finally we put a deposit down on Florida 2015 as it was 10% off and we keep putting it off. Eep! I am super excited though and cannot wait as I have never been before.

So what did you pick up in the sale? What was your first grown up hand bag? And have you ever been to Florida?! Do you have any tips and tricks for me? I can't wait to hear, so don't forget to comment down below and tell me! If you aren't already and would like to be, remember to follow on GFC and BlogLovin' so you don't miss out on any future posts.

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick 001 - Review!

Hey Beauts,

So I'm back and thought I would write a little review on my favourite lip stick at the moment, the Kate Moss lipstick in 001 by Rimmel. Why is this my favourite lip stick at the moment you may ask? Firstly, I love a good red lip and secondly, if I get compliments about looking great with a red lip, I will continue to wear that same red lip that receives compliments! Who doesn't love a good compliment?! I certainly do! And lastly, this colour is a perfect dupe for my favourite red MAC lipstick in Brave Red. As much as I love feeling special when wearing my MAC lipsticks, I really don't want them to run out! This lipstick definatly serves well for an everyday lip! 

So what is it about this lipstick that I love? Well to begin, the price isn't arm breakingly bad, at only £5.49. I could buy nearly three of these for the same price as my beloved MAC Brave Red. On top of that, this lipstick really is 'lasting perfection'. From 7am in the morning when I first apply this lippy to about 3-4pm in the afternoon when I look in a mirror and this will still be on my lips, the same deep rich colour, even after eating and drinking. and to top it off, I'm talking to people all day where I work, so it isn't as though my lips don't move all day! When this colour does start to wear off (finally) it leaves a lovely (it's not that lovely) red line around my lips, almost as if I would be wearing lip liner. But as long as you reapply at the right time, it really isn't a problem.
As for application of this lipstick, it glides on smoothly and is such a creamy formula meaning it does not dry your lips out and you don't really need to put gloss on top for a shiny finish as it really is good enough on its own! The lipstick itself also has a very pleasant smell and is just an all round amazing red lipstick. 

I hope you enjoy a red lip as much as I do, and I really suggest trying this colour out if you don't know where to start when it comes to red lips as it definatly won't break your bank balance! Comment down below of any other great red lipsticks that you think I should try out? and if you did or didn't get along with this lipstick? I'd love to hear your opinions! If you enjoyed this post, or any others that you have read, please remember to follow on GFC and Blog Lovin' and I will speak to you again soon! <3

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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Face of the Night! 25/01/2014

Hey Beauts,

So today I bring you a photo from a couple of nights ago before I went out clubbing!

On my skin I have used MAC Mineralize foundation SPF15 in NW15, MAC Prolongwear concealer in NW20, Rimmel Stay Matte powder in 003 Peach Glow and the blush I used is by No7 and is one from a make-up palette that doesn't tell the shades of things, but any soft pink would give the same look.

On my lips is MAC Brave Red (As always).

On my eyes I started by using sellotape on the outer edge of my eyes to create a straight edge on the outside of my eyes. I have used the Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze as a base, I then used Black-Out from the Naked 2 palette on the outer edge of my eyes and brought it through my crease. I then blended a little bit of Half-Baked into the center of my eye and put Stange from the Naked 3 palette into the the inner corner of my eye and under my brows as a highlight. I smudged a bit of this under my inner lower lash line and then Black-Out under the outer lower lash line. I finished my eyes by using the Rimmel Scandaleyes Precision Micro eyeliner on my lid as close to the lashes as possible to thicken my lash line and used L'oreal Telescopic mascara on my top and bottom lashes.

My hair is just curled using the Remmington Pearl Hair Wand and then sprayed with L'oreal Elnett Extra Strength Flexible Hold hairspray (What a mouthful) and finished off by running my hands through to loosen the curls and soften them up a bit.

I hope you enjoyed this look/photo! It was the first time I've ever incorporated sellotape into a make-up look and I think it turned out alright. I never really wear my make-up this bold either so for one of the first attempts at trying something like this out, I'm quite proud of myself! Do you usually wear bold make-up like this? If so, write a blog post and show me! I'd love to see what you create and remember as always to follow on GFC so you don't miss out on any of my posts! <3

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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Mid-Month Must Haves January 2014

Hey Beauts,

Usually 'favourite' posts are done at the end of the month and don't get me wrong - I love reading them - It's just by the twentieth one, I usually get a tad bored. So I thought I'd do mine half way through the month to keep you going! 

First off I'll mention my make-up picks. Just because I'm so excited to! I've discovered some great products since Christmas! :D 

Brave Red - MAC Lipstick! (RRP: £15) This is my favourite, favourite, favourite red lipstick by far! I love the creamy-ness it has, I love the shine it gives off and it just applies really well like any other MAC lipstick does. It stays on for quite a while too considering how creamy it is and for that I love it! Perfect for winter time too.

Strawberry Shortcake - Revlon Lip Butter! (RRP:£ 7.99) The Revlon lip butters are a new discovery for me this month. I finally decided to jump on the band wagon. They are great formulas that apply to the lips so well and last a really long time for the price. I don't really like the nude lip and it washes me out so I picked up this colour that has a little bit of pink to it.

Sorbet - Revlon Lip Butter! (RRP: £7.99) Same as before! I wanted to try a bright pink shade and picked up this! I'm working towards being confident enough to wear it on it's own but I do like to add a bit of Strawberry shortcake on top to dull the brightness down slightly and have been loving this combination.

Telescopic - L'oreal Mascara! (RRP: £10.99) This is just an all time favourite. I haven't worn this in easily five years and bought it on a whim for nostalgic reasons a couple of weeks ago and I have been loving it. I've even forgotten about wearing my other mascaras!

NC20 - MAC Prolongwear Concealer! (RRP: £15.50) I'd heard so many great reviews on this product online so I just popped into a MAC store, asked them to pair me up and somehow I ended up walking out with this. I don't know how it happened, but it did...And now my bank balance hates me. It applies so well, it covers blemishes easily and it hides the bags under my eyes!

Coconut - The Body Shop Lip Butter! (RRP: £4.00) I've loved this product forever and ever and I rediscovered it this month. It soaks into your lips so easily, tastes good, smells good and leaves my lips soft.

Stippling Brush - Real Techniques! (RRP :£11.99) So I splurged on some real techniques brushes this month and this has been by far my favourite to apply foundation. It leaves foundation looking natural and smooth and I just think it's great

So now we move on to face, body and hair products! 

BIG Seat Salt Shampoo - LUSH! (RRP: £11.50) Review here I do have a full review on this product, but I really am in love with it. I don't have to wash my hair for four days when using this and it smells of sweets. It does tangle and dry my hair out quite a bit but when it's dry it is so soft and silky. Miracle product. 

Korres Pomegranate Moisturising Cream Gel! (RRP: £19.00) Review here Again I have done a full review on this too. It leaves my skin feeling fresh and hydrated without leaving my skin oily!

Coconut Body Butter - The Body Shop! (RRP: £13.00) I was given this as a Christmas present a couple of years ago and never used it as I don't really like the feeling that cream leaves on your skin. So the other night I just decided to try it! I didn't leave the creamy feeling on my skin at all and my skin soaked it all up lovely. The smell lingered for quite a while too which is very pleasant when I'm wearing coconut body spray that day too! 

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Ceanser Starter Kit! (RRP: £14.75) This stuff is amazing. Seriously. I was sceptical after the buzz that surrounds this product online and within the blogging community and one day I took the plunge and purchased it. I do not regret it. It makes my skin feel lovely and clean, it doesn't sting my eyes at all (and I have quite sensitive eyes), it foams up lovely, doesn't dry my skin out, reduces redness, reduces break outs and cleans up blackheads quite well. Miracle product indeed! 

Agadir Argan Oil! (RRP: £17.50) It makes my hair shiney and soft and just smells nice! Not much to say except that!

Soap & Glory Smoothie Star The Breakfast Scrub! (RRP: £8.00) My mouth waters every time I open this product. It just smells like maple syrup and pancakes, it's gorgeous! I don't have to use much either and it goes a long way! My skin is left beautifully soft and my mouth waters every time I use it. Did I mention that my mouth waters every time I use it? Well it does! Yum!

How about some fun random little Mid-Month Must Haves?

Favourite Song: Pitbull Ft. Ke$ha - Timber! This song just gives me energy and makes me happy! I love how it's got a hoedown feel to it too! It really does make me happy though! Great song!

Favourite Film: Iron Man 3! I watched the whole Iron Man series a week ago and I love it! He's the best super hero by far and I really love the third one in the series - Although I think the first one maybe my all time favourite Iron Man film.

Favourite App: Tiny Tower! I'm addicted. Currently on floor 136. You can get it on iPhone and Android. It's addictive. But get it, it's awesome! 

Favourite Blog: Chelsea Leigh Beauty! I'm really loving this girls blog! She started back in 2012 and deserves a lot more followers so check her out! Her posts are really easy to read and I get that added excitement when a new blog post pops up from her on Bloglovin'.

If you like the idea of 'Mid-Month Must Haves' leave your opinions down below! I thought It was a good idea but we know I'm crazy! Are there any products here that you are in love with too? Or any that you really don't get along with? Tell me! I love to hear your opinions and remember to follow on GFC so you don't miss out on anything!

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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Face of the Day! 15/01/2014

Hey Beauts,

So today I'm bringing you another little FOTD! I did an all-nighter last night so hopefully you can't tell with this make-up.

On my skin I have used MAC Mineralize foundation SPF15 in NW15, MAC Prolongwear concealer in NW20, Rimmel Stay Matte powder in 003 Peach Glow and 17 Blusher in First Kiss.

On my eyes I primed with Urban Decay's Primer potion and the eyeshadows are all from the Naked 3 palette. Strange as an inner corner and brow bone highlight, Burnout on the lid, A dash of Dust on the middle of the lid, Nooner in the crease and factory in the outer corner. I also used factory to smudge across the bottom lash line, BeautyUK's White shadow stick to line the water line and L'oreal's Telescopic mascara on both top and bottom lashes.

On my lips is A mix of Revlon Lip Butters in 053 - Sorbet with 080 - Strawberry Shortcake on top.

Finally my hair is just straightened from last night.

It's not the best, but this is what happens when I'm in a rush to get ready! :)]

So here are the mandatory 'LOL I'M TAKING PHOTO'S OF MYSELF, LET'S GET CARRIED AWAY HAHAHAHA......' Photo's that really do make me smile! 

So yeah! I'm really bad at applying blush so If you have any tips or tricks please tell me down below or link me to your blog posts explaining easy techniques! I can never get it right! If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, remember to follow on GFC! :)

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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A little FOTD! 10/01/2014

Hey Beauts,

So today I just thought I'd give you a little FOTD!

On my skin I have used MAC Mineralize foundation SPF15 in NW15, MAC Prolongwear concealer in NW20, Rimmel Stay Matte powder in 003 Peach Glow and Sleek blush in Pomegranate.

On my eyes I primed with Urban Decay's Primer potion and the eyeshadows are all from the Naked 3 palette. Strange as an inner corner and brow bone highlight, Trick on the lid, Nooner in the crease and factory in the outer corner. I also used Blackheart to lightly line the lash line on the lid. I used the Naked 3 pencil in Blackheart to smudge across the bottom lash line, BeautyUK's White shadow stick to line the water line and L'oreal's Telescopic mascara on both top and bottom lashes.

On my lips is MAC Brave Red.

Finally my hair is natural, just blow drying it when I got out of the shower last night.

We're all guilty of taking way too many photo's to try and find the 'perfect' one and then you start laughing at yourself and take some funny ones. So enjoy the fails and the funnies!

Have you come up with any looks with the Naked 3 palette yet? What are your favourite shades? Comment down below - I love to hear your opinions & don't forget to follow on GFC and Bloglovin! :)

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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Beauty haulin'

Hey Beauts, 

So today I've got all the  beauty bits of the haul from yesterday's post. Seen as how I'm quite new to this blogging sphere I thought I would pick up a few cult favourites that I've seen quite a few reviews on! So first up, I headed to the best place to have fun - Boots! 

I went in specifically to get the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. I think I've only ever read one bad review about this product and that was because it made their skin dry, but she had dry skin anyway so this cleanser wouldn't be useful for her. Every other review has been fantastic, so why not pick it up? It came with two muslin cloths all in a cute little bag which could easily be used as a travel make-up bag (RRP: £14.75). Whilst there I needed some heat spray so I picked up the one I always buy, the TRESemme heat defence! I Love this stuff. After using is, my hair is always so soft and protected from all the heat tools I put my hair through. It was on offer 'Two TRESemme products for £7' I would have got another heat defence spray excepft this was the last one and there wasn't much choice left on the shelve, so I just picked up this mousse. I've used it once already and to be honest with you, I'm not really a fan of it. So following this, I went to check out the make-up.

The reason I picked up the Telescopic mascara (RRP: £10.99) was pretty much for nostalgic purposes. This was the first ever mascara I 'borrowed' off of my mummabear on a daily basis before school. I absolutely loved this stuff, so I bought it again to see if it is still as good as I remember it being.

I then decided to jump on the bandwagon (very late I might add) and purchase a few Revlon lip butters. These are great! On offer at 2 for £10 I bought the shades 080 - Strawberry Shortcake which is a beautiful soft pink shade and 053 - Sorbet which is a bright pink shade. The best thing about these is because they are so creamy they don't go on as bright as they look. If you are a little timid towards brighter shades, you think you're wearing a brighter shade than what it looks like on your lips, slowly helping you on your way to brighter lip confidence! As for the nail polishes, they were £5.99 on offer for buy one get one half price. The beige one is in the shade 60 - Midnight Bronze and the pink one is in the shade 105 - Dusky Rose. I haven't tried these out yet so I can't give a proper review, but the shades are stunning in the bottle and I really hope the colour transfers well to the nail.

Next up; Superdrug

I went in specifically to pick up a sleek blush. Doing just that, I picked up 923 - Pomegranate (RRP: £4.49), A beautiful dusky rose colour which would be perfect for the Autumn/Winter months. It's a bit late now so hopefully I can get some use out of it before winters over. Whilst in Boots I was suppose to pick up a nail buffer but forgot so I just picked this one up instead. And lastly I thought I'd try the BeautyUK eye liner and shadow in black and white because I'm on the hunt for some drugstore eye liners that work really well! 

Here are some swatches from left to right;

BeautyUK eye liner in Black

BeautyUK eye shadow in White

Revlon lip butter in 053 Sorbet

Revlon lip butter in 080 Strawberry Shortcake

Sleek blush in 923 Pomegranate

Following this I thought I'd check out the Victoria's Secret body Sprays. 3 for £24 or 5 for £30. Being a sucker for scents I chose the 5 for £30 option! 

Pure Seduction! 

A fruity, floral fragrance. Entice in Pure Seduction, a passionate romance of succulent red plum and sweet freesia.

Vanilla Lace! 

A seductive warm fragrance. Feel sensual in Vanilla Lace, a seductive veil of warm vanilla and sultry musk

Midnight Dare! 

Be bold in Midnight Dare, A vivacious blend of juicy raspberry and tempting sandalwood. 

Coconut Passion! 

A seductive warm fragrance. Seduce with Coconut Passion, a rendezvous of rich vanilla and warm coconut.

Mango Temptation! 

Now this fragrance is by far my favourite scent.

A tempting, fuity fragrance. Tease in Mango Temptation, an exotic kiss of mango nectar and sexy hibiscus.

Some little treats there if I do say so myself. I recommenced these fully based on the wide range on scents Victoria's Secret do, there is something for everyone! 

I went into TK MAXX next to see if I could stumble upon any little treasures and I think I did! I picked up the staple Agadir Argan oil hair treatment for £10 and a pot of Korres Pomegranate Moisturising Cream-Gel for £9.99! 

Now for my favourite part of the trip (After lunch at Nando's) I went into LUSH! I love LUSH, the scent, the products, the scent (and did I mention the scent?). I Picked up these four things after originally only going in to pick up Ocean Salt. The people in the shop weren't that helpful for once so I just sauntered around picking up everything and trying it out for myself. The bee (Named Fred) was the first thing I picked up. He was £8.55 and contains a bar of Honey I Washed the Kids soap (the best soap) and a Honey Bee Bath Ballstic which I've never tried before but only heard good things about! I then went over and picked up the Ocean Salt seen as though that's what I went in for when a sales assistant tried to talk me into something cheaper! Following the salty theme I picked up BIG. My hair is quite limp at the moment and doesn't really hold much volume so I thought why not? And popped it into my basket. On the way to the till I picked up Whoosh, smelt it and popped that to into my basket without knowing how much it was. Afterwards I was thinking 'why did I pay £6,95 for some shower gel' But I used it last night and hardly any was used, so I think that will take ages to use up and will definatly be worth the money, especially with the beautiful citrusy scent it gives off! 

Now for the final part of the trip. MAC.

This for me was an absolute achievement. I actually asked one of the ladies to match my skin to a foundation shade (Hallelujah!) I'm always so nervous in MAC. I ended up being NC15 in the mineralize foundation (RRP: £27) and NC20 in the pro longwear concealer (RRP: £15.50).

I'm so happy with the purchases I made, as I never go out and shop like this. My student loan came in this day and that's how I managed to pay for all this. Living at home has it's advantages sometimes!

In the next few weeks I will bring you reviews of some of these products if I discover that there worth mentioning! Untill next time,

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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