Happy 2015 & New Years Resolutions!

Hey Beauts,

So it is the first of the year again and it is time for everyone to make new year resolutions that won't be kept up (unless very lucky) and will fall to pieces after the second week of the year! I am no exception. However, like every year, the new year brings with it a handful of positivity. So here I am to tell you my New Years Resolutions! 

1. To lose weight! I actually started this one at the beginning of December as the pain of remaining the same was greater than the pain of change. Because of this I have managed to stay the same weight over Christmas (Thankfully) and eaten to my hearts content! But now Christmas is over, it's time to step it up a gear and actually lose some extra fat. I'm surrounding myself with inspiration of a summer bikini body for when I go to Florida in September. 

2. To blog more! I love blogging. Not only to communicate with you beauts, but to look back on my thoughts of products or memories that I would have written down. I could come up with infinite excuses to what happened to my blogging streak last year (lots of work hours, broken computer, moving out and laziness) but now it is just about starting over and trying again with more willpower! 

3. To have fun! Again, like last year, I just want to have fun! With Florida on the cards (for the first time ever) It is already set to be one of the best years ever.

4. To save more! Last year I just spent my money willy nilly as part of me felt as though it gave me more freedom. Almost as if 'I've earned this money so I can buy all the nice things'. However I have learnt that to grow up, I need to learn to save money, for financial security and whatnot.

5. To start learning to drive! I had two driving lessons last year and really enjoyed them. Driving comes with it much freedom too. Not having to rely on public transport or others to give you lifts. Whilst I am not planning on getting a driving license this year, I can at least attempt to get better at driving.

So what are your beauts resolutions for 2015? And how has your 2014 been? What was your favourite memory of 2014? I would love to know so leave a comment down below. If you loved reading this and want to stick by me throughout the 2015 year, follow on GFC and BlogLovin' so you don't miss out on future posts!

Have an absolutely amazing 2015 beauts, here's to 2015! :D

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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What I got for Christmas 2014!

Hey beauts!

So my favourite posts to read or watch are room tours, make-up storage tours, hauls, what I got for my birthday and finally what I got for Christmas posts. Now for some strange reason girls love to gossip and find out things about other people, what they buy, how much they have and how much they can afford or get spoilt. I for one am no exception and it doesn't change my opinions of people. I just merely like to watch in awe! So without further ado, here is my what I got for Christmas 2014.

As you can see there are a lot of toiletries and that is because in our household, you get useful things in your stocking like a new toothbrush, shampoo, shower gel and mouthwash etc. I love getting perfume at Christmas, it is just really easy to ask for, same with nail polishes and No7 nail polishes are one of my favourites. I also got the Naked 3 palette but as you can see here, I ended up with the Naked palette as I already own the Naked 3. One thing I have learnt though is Debenhams are brilliant with exchanges around Christmas time and didn't ask any questions nor needed a receipt. The three Travolo bottes were a brilliant surprise! I knew I had asked for one but my boyfriend said 'what is the point in only using one perfume at a time' so he bought three. As for the hair dryer, mine blew up in my hands at the beginning of December and since then has been running my life on how quickly it will take my hair to dry, Funny, I know. It's tradition for my dad to buy me the Christmas Harrods bear every year, and this one doesn't disappoint. His name is Jasper and he looks super cute in his Barbour-esque coat. I just love him. It is also tradition to get a Pandora charm every year, and this festive teddy bear is super adorable!
Two things a got that aren't here are a ShayTards Malachi Tee because I'm wearing it and and little lamb that smells of lavender and you put him in the microwave to warm him up - but he is still in bed!

I hope you all had great Christmases and as I stated before, I would love to read your 'What I got for Christmas' posts!' Please leave links below so I can read them all or just simply comment down below and let me know a few of your favourite gifts. If you aren't already and you are enjoying reading my blog, you can follow on BlogLovin' and GFC so you don't miss out on future posts!

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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That 'On a whim' haul!

Hey Beauts,

So it's about time we got a bit festive around here and what better way to do that than to buy a few early gifts for myself? Last week I went out and bought a lot of nail polish and a lot of candles (haul coming soon) so I thought I would share these with you as there are some great deals going on at the moment within Boots and Superdrug!

Huckleberry - Green Berry - Cancun

Raspberry - Black - Matt White - Mustard

Atlantis - Rockstar - Jingle Bells - Christmas Tree

So I went a bit crazy with the Barry M nail paints, They were 3 for 2 in Superdrug and I just couldn't pass up on the Christmas glitters. The nail paints were £2.99 each and the Glitters/Gelly/Matte paints were £3.99 each, which you really cannot go wrong with. Especially with prices like this! Following that, Sally Hansen had a great deal on my favourite top coat - Insta Dri - at £3.99 and I decided to pick up the Hard as Nails at £3.30 too, which is also a great base coat! Finally from Superdrug the Garnier Micellar Water was £3.32 and I thought I would try this out to see if it is as good as the L'oreal version which again, I love.
On the way home I popped into Boots as it was 3 for 2 on all cosmetics so I picked up the L'oreal Telescopic mascara (£10.99) and Maybelline The Falsies Waterproof mascara (£7.99) as I had just run out of these and together they work great! As it was 3 for 2 I decided to pick up the Boujois Healthy Mix Foundation (£9.99) because there are so many positive reviews out there and I will discover if it is worth the hype.
Finally, I decided to add in a recent pick up of this trio of Origins face masks from Boots -  Out of Trouble, Clear Improvement and Drink Up Intensive. All of these are 75ml and it came to £23!! What a bargain! I will try to get reviews up of these products as soon as possible, but all I can say is I tried the Drink Up Intensive mask once and loved it.

Have you tried any of these products out? What did you think? And what do you think of the Barry M Nail Paints?! I would love to hear your opinions in the comments down below and if you aren't already and you are enjoying my blog, remember to follow on Blog Lovin' and GFC so you don't miss out on future posts! 

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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Let the Good Times Roll - Review!

Hey Beauts,

Let the Good Times Roll is definatly one of those products that is like Marmite - You either love it, or you hate it. According to LUSH it is supposed to scrub and soften your skin, but today I'm here to give you my opinions!

A lot of the beauty world (and the people that hate this product) believe it to be very gimmicky in terms of the popped pop corn layered within the product and whilst this is quite gimmicky and takes up space where product could be - I didn't actually find that much popcorn within my pot of Let the Good Times Roll, so it really didn't bother me. I did try to use the popcorn as exfoliator but as soon as I put it to my face, it fell in the bath. I also feel as though this product was breaking me out (Which I have heard it has done in other reviews) as after every time I use this product I would end up with one or two more spots, which really isn't great.

Onto a few pros though. First off - It smells amazing! Like vanilla cake mix! It literally makes my mouth water every time I use it, especially when applying it under the nose area. It also feels super lovely on the skin and would definatly agree that it is a gentle exfoliator as you can feel something rubbing against the skin, but it is no where near as harsh as say Ocean Salt. It does also leave the skin super soft to touch and super clean, it even have this lovely squeaky clean feel as well which I love. A little bit of the product goes a long way so at £6.75 for 100g, it lasts a while and is well worth the money, especially for a product like this (If it doesn't break you out).

This is a great product if it doesn't break you out and so I would definatly recommend getting a sample size of this before buying the full size, but it is lovely nonetheless. Have you ever tried Let the Good Times Roll? What did you think? Did it break you out? and doesn't it smell amazing?! Leave a comment down below to let me know and remember to follow on GFC or Blog Lovin' if you aren't already. Until next time, 

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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An empties post to be proud of!

Hey beauts,

Today I'm back with an empties post! I love these posts because you can give brief but solid reviews of each of the products having actually used the entire product up. I've been collecting these for a while now so I thought it was about time to let my thoughts fly free...!

So I don't repeat myself constantly, I will start off by linking full reviews that I have already done of a few of the products here including the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish, BIG Shampoo from LUSH, Ocean Salt from LUSH, Soap and Glory - The Breakfast Scrub, The Body Shop Body Butters and The Body Shop Lip Butters! I absolutely love these products and highly recommend that you go and read them in full if you have a spare minute!

We'll start off with hair. I completely finished off the Aussie Miracle Shine Shampoo and Conditioner duo (£4.99 each). I picked these up because I'd never heard a bad word about either of these products and have only ever heard good things about the brand as a whole, But to be honest, I was highly disappointed. Don't get me wrong, they did the job. But that's just it. They didn't do the job well, they didn't give my hair any extra shine than normal, they didn't make my hair smell nice, They just cleaned my hair. The scent in the bottle was lovely, but once lathered up it went a bit well...off, especially in the conditioner. Whilst on the conditioner, It still left my hair quite dry and I really wasn't impressed Overall, I won't be repurchasing. Next up I finished the LO'real Paris Elnett Satin hairspray in supreme hold (£6.99). I don't know what to say about this product! I've never tried any other brand of hair spray, so all I can really say is I like it. It holds my hair, It doesn't smell that bad, it keeps my hair shiny. The only bad thing I can say (kind of) is that it brushes away. That is fine for the end of the night, but when I'm constantly touching up my hair throughout the night - it just doesn't last as long as I would like it too. Either way I Purchased the Extra Hold Elnett hairspray just to try something different.

Next up; Face. I finished up the LO'real Age Perfect Smoothing Cleansing Wipes (£4.79). I know I don't need age perfecting products yet, but they were on offer for £2.19 when I purchased them and I really needed some. I was very impressed! Smoothing is definatly the word I would use for these wipes. They were so soft, smelt lovely and didn't sting my eyes. They removed all of my make-up easily and I would repurchase these if I saw them on sale again or I wanted to treat myself a little. The reason I needed wipes so much was because I had bought the Simple Exfoliating Face Wipes (£3.99) and they were horrible. I didn't notice I had picked up the exfoliating kind at the time, but no - never again. They were rough on my skin and left my face all blotchy and red. NOTICE: Do not use on eyes, you will regret it. Would I repurchase? No. I also finished off the Simple Spotless Anti-Blemish Moisturiser (£4.59). This was nice. Not too greasy, smoothed straight on, kept my face moisturised. I didn't notice anything anti-blemishing about this product but that was because I didn't have any spots, so it probably did help in having no blemishes. Would I repurchase? Probably not as I'd want to try out other moisturisers, especially to review for you! Finlly for face is the St.Ives Blemish Fighting Facial Scrub (£4.29). I love this stuff. It's great for exfoliating the face. Reduces redness of spots, keeps my skin clean, gets rid of blackheads, helps get rid of blemishes and just feels like it's doing good! Would I repurchase? Yes, and I already have!

Make-up and lips! I finished a Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder (£3.99). This is great! As a setting powder, or used in conjunction with concealer or just simply on it's own dependant on which coverage I am looking for - It works great....And I have already repurchased. Next up, two Nivea Lip Balms. One in Pearly Shine (£2.29) That leaves a pink tint to your lips but does not really moisturise, for which I wouldn't repurchase, And the other Hydro Lip Protection (£1.58) which is super moisturising and absolutely lovely - a dream on the lips. I have already repurcashed this - A Lip Saver on any winters day.

Finally; Body. The Body Shop Shea Body Scrub (£13.00) was a product that I was not expecting to love, but I did. It smelt amazing, but did a really great job at leaving my skin smooth and soft and did not leave an oily layer on my skin. For that, I would repurchase and next time I go into The Body shop, I will be buying it. Soap & Glory The Daily Smooth Body Butter (£9.00) was next to be finished. Smelt amazing! But I really do not like body moisturisers/butters. I finished it, it left my skin soft and if I did like moisturisers/butters I would repurchase, but I try my hardest not to use body moisturisers. Next was a cheap body moisturiser that you get in a gift set. It smelt of lovely lavender, but I just wrapped my feet in it to try and soften them up because I have to wear huge Dr.Martens every day for work, leaving my feet in pieces. I do not know where it was from, but I wouldn't repurchase it anyway. Next my mums friend bought me this Boots reviving foot spray (£3.49). It was lovely and refreshing to spray on my feet for when I got home after work, but I didn't notice it do much other than make my feet feel cleaner again. I would not repurchase but it was nice to own whilst I did. Penultimately is the Boots No 7 Protect and Perfect Day Hand Cream (£10.50). This was really greasy when first applied, but quickly soaked into my skin without leaving my skin greasy. I really enjoyed this, but wouldn't repurchase due to not liking creams and there being more out there that I would like to try. Last but certainly not least is the Sure Women Crystal Anti-Perspirent (£3.39). The grey bottle, with the blue tick in the biggest bottle and I am set. I love this Anti-Perspirent and it is the only one I will use. I have gotten through so many of these and yes I would repurchase!

Are you beauts still here? If you made it all the way through this essay, Well done! If you have just scrolled to the bottom - I don't blame you! Haha. Have you tried any of these products that I had finished? What did you think? And did you have any contradicting opinions to mine? I would love to know so let me know in a little comment down below. If you aren't already and you would like to, remember to follow on GFC and Blog Lovin' so you don't miss out on future posts.

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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Barry M Glitter Nail Paints - Review!

Hey Beauts,

So today I am bringing you a review of the Barry M Glitter Nail Paints. With so many different nail polish brands on the street, why do I choose the £2.99 versions over the high end versions?

    

So one thing I struggle with finding along the shelves of the very small Boots nearest to me is the perfect glitter nail polish that lays down a beautiful glittered layer without having to have a billion layers of nail polish on my finger nails. Today I have the answer to all of my issues - Barry M  Glitter Nail Paints! From top to bottom we have shades Aqua glitter, Silver multi glitter, Masquerade and Pink Sapphire glitter. Whilst these are all I own at the moment, at £2.99, I am sure my collection will grow very quickly! 

So not only are these nail polishes very cheap, the quality is beautiful! The opacity is stunning, the formula amazing and all I need is two thin layers and the outcome is perfect. The only issue with these polishes being is that the brush is very skinny which would be perfect if you have small nails, but for me, especially my thumbs, it takes a good few strokes to get across. It is worth it though for the amazing finish they give. I just can't wait to go out and pick up a few more, especially with the amazing colour range Barry M have.

So do you beauts own any of the Barry M Glitter Nail Paints? Have you tried any of them out? If so, which shades and what do you think? I would love to hear your opinions, so comment down below and let me know! As ever, if you aren't already, remember to follow on GFC and Blog Lovin' if you enjoyed this post and so you don't miss out on future posts.

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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LUSH haul!

Hey Beauts,

A couple of weeks ago I ventured into a shop that smelt delicious! My nostrils were filled with the unique scent of everything. I'm sure you can guess where I was...Yep, that's right - LUSH! I couldn't resist not picking up a few products to try and I thought I would show you just what I got. 

As you can can tell, I only picked up a few items this visit. I first picked up a 250g pot of Ocean Salt at £13.95. If you have been with me for a while, you will know how much I love this product (Review here), how soft it makes my skin and how refreshingly lovely the scent is as soon as you lift the lid. Next up I picked up a cleanser that literally smells like a baking cupcake. It contains real popped popcorn to exfoliate and cinnamon to leave your skin feeling revived and that combination alone leaves your mouth watering. At £6.75 for 100g, I could not leave Let the Good Times Roll behind. Finally, I wanted to give my feet a little pamper session so I decided to pick up a foot mask called Volcano at £6.50 for 125g. It contains Potatoes, tomatoes and papaya and really doesn't smell that good at all. It also contains Pumice to exfoliate, so if it does soften my feet, I can definatly forgive the scent. The lovely lady at LUSH also threw in a sample of the FairTrade foot lotion that smells of melted candy canes to use in line with volcano.  

I cannot wait to try these products out and get back to you with my thoughts! Have you ever tried any of these products? How well did they work for you? And have you ever smelt Volcano? Isn't is horrid, haha! Comment down below as I love reading all of your lovely comments and remember to follow on GFC and Blog Lovin' if you aren't already so you don't miss out on future posts. 

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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Victoria's Secret Body Mists - Review!

Hey Beauts,

Today I thought I would give you a review of something that has genuinely surprised me in the past few weeks. Something that provides me with comments like 'I like if when you're in work, because the green room always smells nice', 'Where is that amazing smell coming from' and 'Who's baking cookies, they smell awesome'. I don't want to brag (yes I do) but that's all about me, and these scents from Victoria's Secret. 

To begin with, what Victoria Secret say; 

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

What I say;
These are actually really good, especially for the price - 3 for £24 or 5 for £30. I'm not going to pretend that I know what I am talking about when it comes to scents and whatnot but I will tell you my thoughts. These are as good as perfume, if not - BETTER! The scent lingers on my skin and clothing for hours, and it stays as strong as if I had just sprayed. The scents are beautiful, and lather you with compliments if you're around the right people. The packaging is average, but at least they have tried to make them look pretty. They don't leak, and I have had no problems with the packaging breaking what so ever. Even the plastic lids haven't been lost. The only con I can think of is they are quite big bottles to carry around with you everyday, but then I feel bad for complaining about all that product. 

Unfortunately I am coming to the end of them now, with only one or two more uses in each bottle, but at the same time I am glad that I get to go and treat myself to five new bottles! Do any of you have a favourite scent that I should pick out next? What compliments have you received when wearing these sprays? Let me know down below, I'd love to hear your experience with these & don't forget to follow on GFC and Bloglovin! :) 

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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Nail Polish Haul!

Hey Beauts,

So I'm not quite sure if every university has this, but at Derby they have little stalls in the main hub of the building and from time to time they have a make-up / nail polish stall. Being a sucker for reduced priced products I always get dragged over and end up with a little something in my hands. So here is a mini haul of what I picked up this time! 

Now there is a slight story behind Mavala nail polish as when I was younger and my mum used to buy them, she would always tell me that I wasn't allowed to use that brand of her nail polish as it was super expensive and a treat for herself. So obviously it is now stuck in my head as being a very high end product. So when I saw Mavala nail polishes on this stand for £2 each I thought 'get in!' and picked up these three shades in 335 Pacific Blue, 176 Racing Green and 202 Music Hall which was especially for my mum as she loves a good red nail polish. I also picked up this beautiful red Revlon nail polish for mummabear too, but unfortunatly the writing had all been rubbed off, so I don't exactly know what colour it is, but when I opened it, there was no nail polish around the lid of the bottle so I could tell it hadn't been used before. It has super fine gold shimmers in though and was especially gorgeous knowing it was only £3!

Next up I picked some Rimmel polishes (from left to right) Space Dust - Shooting Star, 60 Seconds - Out of the Blue, Precious Stones - Diamond Dust and 60 Seconds - Green with Envy. I love anything blue or glittery and sparkling on my finger nails as it is such a pretty colour to look at :) Green with Envy was actually bought for nostalgia purposes as it was the first nail polish I purchased with my own money. These again were £2 each and such a bargain! I just couldn't resist!

I hope you all enjoyed this mini nail polish haul. What kind of colours do you like to wear on your nails and what makes you smile when you glance at them? Comment below to let me know and I will customise future nail polish tutorials to your favourite colours. Remember to follow on GFC and Blog Lovin' so you don't miss out on future posts and I will speak to you again soon! 

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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Aqua Blue Glittery Nails!

Hey Beauts,

Now in a recent post about nail polishes, I mentioned how much I love it when my nails are blue and glittery and have sparkles all over. Some may say it is a bit over the top, but from time to time everyone loves to go a bit over the top, almost like wearing a red lip in the day time (which I do most days). Following this, I thought I would show you how I'm loving wearing my nails at the moment!

So I started by applying my favourite base coat, after that I placed two coats of OPI Fly from the Nicki Minaj collection on every nail and let it dry for a good hour as a lot of glitter polish is about to come. On my ring finger I placed a coat of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Mermaid's Tale (my all time favourite polish) and on every other nail I painted a coat of Barry M - 340 Aqua Glitter. As if this wasn't enough glitter I then put a layer of Rimmel Lasting Perfection 500 - Disco Ball on my ring nail and thumb nail for that extra sparkle! Finish with a super shiny top coat for extra shine and you're done! The perfect glittery nail manicure that looks beautiful in any colour you choose!

Remember to comment down below on what colour/style manicure or nail art you would like to see next, I love a challenge and to give a couple of tips to help out with nail polish art to make it easier. Did you enjoy this post and would you wear your nails as glittery as this on a daily basis? Don't forget 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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Cute & Dainty Bracelets!

Hey Beauts,

So the other day I saw someone post on Facebook about these bracelets that you tie on and eventually they fall off and in return you are granted a wish or good luck or something along those lines. Whilst you might be thinking I am crazy for thinking myths like that are true, you are wrong! The reason I purchased a couple are because the bracelets are absolutely adorable.  

So obviously I had to pick up an elephant because it's an elephant and I picked the red colour because it matched the red string on the dinosaur, which again is absolutely adorable! The idea behind the bracelet is cute, however quite bonkers if you don't mind me saying. The reason I purchased them though is because I am really bad when it comes to throwing things away or losing things, especially things I really like. Since purchasing these, I have lost the dinosaur and the elephant broke. For once though, I am happy about it, because I got a little bit of happiness from them and whilst I owned them, they were of course - adorable. 

To top it off, when purchasing these, in the notes to the buyer I wrote 'Do you consider these notes? If so, draw a smiley face' and when I received the package in the post, there was indeed a smiley face in the package which completely made my day! Have you ever purchased anything from TinyWishes? Don't you think these bracelets are super cute? Tell me below what you think of them, I'd love to hear your opinions and remember to follow on GFC and BlogLovin' if you aren't already! Speak to you next time :) <3 

Be happy, Be beautiful and Be YOU!

Ellie, xx

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