Being Elle: The Sunday Catch-Up Week 013.....

1. Monday was the day from hell. Starting work at six thirty am is by no means thrilling at all, but throw into that mix all trains to Brighton being cancelled till eight at the very earliest, waiting at the station for a bus replacement to get into work for over half an hour & then fast walking it out of the station so fast that you end up going round a corner too quickly & sliding over onto your side avoiding a face planting moment- that was even before I started work! There's a reason why I don't like Mondays.

2. Happier note- I had a very tasty dinner at Wagamama's to numb the pain!! Service as always was very speedy & the food was great- opted for the Yasai Katsu Curry(aubergine, sweet potato & butternut squash in breadcrumbs) which was AMAZING!!! Put a smile on my face.

3. Starbucks Peppermint Signature Hot Chocolate with Soya Milk is the bomb.com!!

4. I have been enjoying using my Origin's Highly Potent Night Cream & this week I have really started to notice a difference in the way my skin is looking a feeling- acne scars are fading, my pores have shrunk a little & my skin feels a lot more softer & hydrated. Updated skin care routine post I feel is in order.

5. I currently have the New York itch meaning that a trip will be booked in the next few weeks!!!! Let the count down begin!

6. My day off on Thursday was spent lusting after everything online at Zara- must resist till after Christmas!!!

7. Saturday was again a very busy day at work- unfortunately when you work in retail, its inevitable that the nearer you get to Christmas the busier you get! Finished work at four & then had a lovely evening in front of the fire with a glass of chilled Chardonnay, watching the Doctor Who fiftieth anniversary special. Very calm & chilled out, just how I like to spend my Saturday evenings. 

8. Saturday also saw my cousin give birth to a cute, bundle of pinkness, a lovely girl called Ava. Can't wait to meet her at the family gathering before Christmas ♥

9. Highlight on the blog this week |Face of The Day- Blush Pink

How has your week been?

Much Love,

Elle 

xoxo

♥

Face Of The Day: Blush Pink......

Blush pink is a firm fashion favourite this season.
It started off with a Marks & Spencer's coat & now all I can think about is how gorgeous blush looks during this time of the year. For me, even in make up blush can look extremely beautiful when paired with pale skin & gives a very delicate contrast to the changing landscape around us.

******

So to start I have again use my trusty Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation, as it gives such a lovely healthy look to the skin without it looking cakey. Next its time to conceal those horrible dark circles under my eyes that have cropped up from working too hard! As always my Makeup Academy Conceal & Brighten Palette comes to the rescue, firstly I use the peachier coloured conceal under my eyes to hid those pesky dark circles & then using the lighter conceal, I apply that to any blemishes or redness that the foundation has not covered. Get rid of any shine with a good pressed powder- my powder of choice is of course Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder in 'Translucent' which I apply all over my face. 

Onto the cheeks & I wanted to create a defined Glowy English Rose look to them to contrast with my pale skin. For this I used Rimmel's Blusher in 'Santa Rose' to the apples of my cheeks, which adds the perfect flush of colour to your cheeks & creates a nice amount of definition to your cheek bones. For the healthy glow, I used Bourjois' Poudre de Ritz all over my cheek bones & the centre of my nose to make my cheek bones stand out & for my nose to look slimmer.

Onto the main part of this look, the eyes- using Benefit's Creaseless Eyeshadow in 'Flying Down To' I apply it using my ring finger all over my eye lid focusing on applying most of the colour to the outer corner & crease to add a little more definition to the eye. Now you can stop at this step if you feel you have enough definition to eye but for me I want just a little more definition to the crease, so taking the taupe colour out of my  Makeup Academy 'Ever After' Palette onto a Front Cover Pencil Brush I added literally a tiny amount & then blended out with a Front Cover Blending Brush. Lastly I applied a thin line of Eye Liner to my upper lash line using Collection 2000 Felt Tip Liner & to create voluminous lashes, a couple of coats of Maybelline 'The Rocket' Mascara is  a must! 

For a pout that lasts I would recommend using Revlon's Colour Stay Lipsticks as they have great durability & staying power- my favourite by far is 025 'Socialite' which is a great dupe for my beloved Chitz though a tone darker. As I didn't want the colour to be too intense, I applied one coat & bloated my lips with a tissue afterwards to take off a little of colour & then repeated. With this I felt it gave a nice natural look, with a 'model off duty, not trying to hard' vibe.

©VintageELLE09

& there you have it! A blush pink obsessives dream!!

Have you got a blush obsession?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxoxo

♥

Being Elle: The Sunday Catch- Up Week 012....

*Yay for the weekly catch up being on a Monday!!*

1. Monday saw me complete an over night merchandising move at work ready for the Christmas Collections launch. Absolutely knackering as I finished at six thirty in the morning, but completely worth it as the store looks beautiful *smiles* 

2. Nothing says autumn then sitting on the sofa, tucked up in a knitted blanket with a mug of earl grey & a Gilmore Girls boxset- yes that is all I have been doing every evening this week... well that & dreaming of Milo Ventimiglia!

3. On the topic of hot guys, who saw the sizzling promo pictures of the '50 Shades of Grey' leads in Entertainment Weekly? One word. Excited. 

4. Christmas music started playing in the store on Thursday & a tin on Roses also may have been opened along the way, yes it is safe to say Christmas is looming & I am really excited!!!!

5. Spent a little too much in good old Primark again this week- Expect a cheeky haul video up on Friday!

6. It was my day off & Daddy's birthday on which meant my whole family ventured down to the local pub for lunch. I indulged in a yummy Chicken Tikka Wrap with Chips & a cheeky Coke or two to wash it all down with! It was a lovely & relaxing day spent celebrating with my family. 

7. It's autumn which means it's that time of the year again- that's right, it's bus replacement season which unfortunately means it takes me twice as long to get into work on the weekends (joy!) & this whole weekend was no exception. Sometimes I just wish that they just didn't run buses in replacement of trains so that I could just simply stay in bed the whole weekend!

8. Sunday was spent having a little lie in till ten, before I then had to go to leave for work at one (yes on a Sunday! Joys of retail!) until ten. Needless to say I pretty much crashed into bed as soon as I got home!

9. Highlights on the blog this week include: Want Hair Like Kate Middleton? | Origins Morning To Midnight Gift Set. 

How was your week? Are you looking forward to this week?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥

Christmas Gift Idea: Origins Morning To Midnight Gift Set.....

So many bloggers rave about Origins products.

For me two in particular have always stood out every time I would walk through my local Boots (Drink Me Up Face Mask & GinZig Eye Cream) & every time I would look & try them out but would not purchase. However during a little late night trip after work a month ago, I was drawn into buying one of their Christmas Gift Sets. The reason why I brought the gift set & not the two products I had been eyeing up, was because it was much more cheaper for me to buy the set then the two products alone especially when nearly all of them are full sized & because I am a products junkie, gave me an excuse to test out a couple more products I would not have brought otherwise! 

Here is what I thought about each product available in this set.

GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream:
If you read my Sunday Catch-Up post, then you would know that I had a really bad week in the old sleep department last week & because my under eye circles were out of control I really needed to use a good eye cream. Now one of the reasons why I picked up this gift set was because I wanted to try out this eye cream & the face mask below & I'm so glad because this eye cream is holy grail material! I swear my under eye circles looked a lot better after application & on one of the days when my eyes were looking particularly puffy, after applying this they looked & felt a lot better.      

Drink-Up Intensive Overnight Face Mask:
When it comes to autumn a good face mask is essential, especially to lock in all of the moisture & aid cell repair over night. Again I was really intrigued to use a mask that was designed for use over night, as well as seeing whether my skin looked & felt different afterwards. Like the eye cream, I really feel like this is such a great product, especially for autumn because my skin looks & feels so much more softer & healthier after use. The smell is really really amazing- a cross between peaches & mango which is a big plus for me because anything that smells that good draws me into using it again! I use it once a week to give my skin a little treat after a long week braving all the elements & I really think that this mask is worth the hype. Thank you for making my skin look & feel better!

High Potency Night-A-Mins Overnight Face Cream:
I cannot believe how much I love this facial cream- smelling like a Terry's Chocolate Orange with a little more herbiness to it, the scent makes me feel very calm & refreshed. It feels dreamy when applying it to the skin & a little goes a long way, because as it is very thick in texture it just glides onto the skin & makes my skin feel really soft & moisturised. Since using this for the last month, it is safe to stay that I have definitely noticed a change in the way my skin looks- a lot more fresher & healthier, as well as the acne scarring on my face looking a little more faded then before. 

GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer:

Out of all of the products, this is the only one that I have yet to try! The only little bit of info I can give you all is that again it smells like a Terry's Chocolate Orange, but the texture is a lot thinner then the Overnight Cream meaning that it wouldn't be so heavy as a daily moisturiser.

If you are looking for a good present for Christmas for your mum/sister/aunt/friend, or even for yourself, give this gift set ago because on value for money alone this is a ridiculous good deal!

Have you tried any Origin products before? If so, what is your favourite?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥

For Hair Like Kate Middleton: Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse.......

I am one of those people who gets jealous every time I see a picture of Kate Middleton's hair. 

Smooth, glossy & probably silky to touch (with a slight resemblance to a Galaxy chocolate bar), I have made it my mission to get hair that looks as health & silky as Kate's.

This mission started nearly a couple of years ago when everyone was raving about the VO5 Miracle Concentrate Conditioner, ever since it has been my go to oil to use when my hair is damp after washing. But through time I felt the urge to try something new & a little more high end to have a comparison to & so this year when on holiday in France whilst have a browse in one of the Pharmacies, I came across this all purpose dry oil by Nuxe & thought I must try this!

As I said before, Nuxe is a very well known brand in France & again whilst doing some research on what I should try when over there this little beauty came up. One of the first things I must say is that it is marketed as an all purpose oil- meaning you can use it on your body, face, hair, nails where ever you want! Me, I like to keep things simple & as I am not a lover of using body or face oils, my hair is the only place I have been putting the oil. This oil boasts in having thirty percent natural plant oils, as well as Vitamin E to help nourish & repair your body & hair.

Firstly lets talk about the scent, now I am not a lover of how this smells- for me its a little too 'old lady-esque' with it being very floral & what I would describe as a very french smelling perfume smell. With that being said I can look past the smell as it does disappear after about half hour after you have applied it to your hair (it probably would stick around for a lot longer if you used it on your body!) & after I have applied it to the ends & let it absorb for a good twenty minutes, I either leave it to air dry or rough blow dry it & the feeling of my hair after is just wowzers! So super soft & shiny looking this stuff makes my hair feels healthier, as well as the added bonus that my hair is looking a little bit like a Galaxy Chocolate Bar! It does not make my hair look greasy & nor does it feel greasy on my hands after application, the only downside for me is the price- at £22 it has a hefty price tag & honestly would put me off repurchase it. The reasons? Well if I used it as a multi purpose oil on my hair & body I could justify parting with that amount of money, but with using it on just my hair & with my VO5 baby doing more or less the same job with the same results, it feels a little too extravagant! Honestly I do love this product but not so much the price tag.

What's your favourite hair oil to use to get Kate Middleton-esque hair?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥ 

Being Elle: The Sunday Catch Up Week 011.....

1. Monday saw me return back to work after taking a lovely, well deserved week off. Needless to say starting your first shift back by getting up at five in the morning was absolutely thrilling (sarcasm!), but to make things even better messed up my body clock so much that I managed to sleep three hours a night for three days!!

2. So leading on from that, I was pretty much an emotional zombie for the week as running on no sleep (I have to have eight hours or more a night to feel human) made me feel & look horrible, as well as wanting to breakdown in tears when talking to my mum or Adam on the phone! Needless to say I was ecstatic when on Thursday night I managed to sleep for nine hours & enjoyed a much needed day off on Friday *smiles all round!*

3. Caught up on Made in Chelsea for this week on Wednesday (yes two days late) & it was again a beaut! The ever decedent Mark Francis scene where he is surrounded in Cartier & talking in a very serious tone about sleeping bags just had me giggling! As well as the usual- Jamie/Phoebe/Lucy triangle, Francis jumping out of a bush, Louise making it through a whole episode without crying, finding out Andy could sing & finishing in a drink throw! Good episode all round I'd say! 

4. As the weathers got a lot colder recently, I have really been loving soup & my two favourites are Sainsbury's Tomato & Red Pepper as well as Tescos Tuscan Bean.   

5. Could not stop smiling when my favourite Internet family- The Saccone-Joly's found out the gender of their new baby (watch the video HERE)!! The moment when Anna told her mum just gave me goosebumps & it makes me really excited for them.

6. Pulled out of storage the first Christmas jumper on Friday & to make things even more Christmasy, John Lewis released their Christmas Advert for this year & of course I did cry a little at it- Lily Allen singing Keane featuring a cute Bear & Hare, who wouldn't?! 

7. Yesterday was a mixture of running around & chilling out- I spent the morning at work, which it being the weekend was super busy & stressful, but as I finished at three I then spent the evening snuggled up in bed with Adam watching Strictly Come Dancing, eating chocolate & chilling after a ridiculously tiring week!  

8. Products I couldn't live without this week: Origins GinZig Refreshing Eye Cream & Benefit Eye Bright Pencil

9. Highlights on VE this week | Bumble & Bumble 'Sunday' Shampoo, Nails Of The Week, November Moodboard, Review of Nuxe Reve de Meil & Inspiration of the Week. 

What have you been up to this week?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥

Sometimes You Need A Little Inspiration......

Image from laurenconrad.com

Sometimes even the most strongest positive thinker needs to give themselves a little bit of encouragement. 

This week for me was one of those weeks where I just wanted to stay in bed, cry & feel sorry for myself- this very rarely happens, but sometimes you have to let yourself fall to be able to build yourself up again. This quote has got me through this week. 

Negative part over, who's looking forward to the weekend & the beginning of a new week?

Have a great weekend everyone!

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo

♥

Say Goodbye To Dry Lips: Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm......

Hand's up if one of your pet hates about autumn is the fact that the curse of the dry lips returns?

Not just me? I thought not. When the days turn colder & the shops turn their heating higher, we can only wait until the unfortunate dry lip problem returns. During summer I find that I can get away with apply either good old Vaseline or one of Maybelline's Baby Lips, however autumn is a whole new ball game with my pout craving even more moisture & nourishment. Thank god I went to France this summer & picked up a fancy pantcy lip balm!

Nuxe is a very very well know brand in France,(mainly for their skincare items but their cosmetics are becoming just as popular!) & has quickly been getting some recognition over her in England with Space NK & Selfridges both stocking it. Now before I went over to France, I did a little research into what products french women could not live without & every page I saw mentioned this little lip balm- so I thought god it must be good!

What I love most about this product is the way it feels when you apply it- unlike Vaseline or Baby Lips this balm is waxy in texture as well as thick which means a little can go a long way! As well as the texture, it goes on completely matte with no shine or gloss to it making it perfect to go underneath a lipstick or lipgloss, as the colour will not just slide off as soon as you apply it! I have been applying this religiously every night for a week & have definitely noticed a change in the way my lipstick applies- the colour no longer clings to any dry spots or lines in my lips, leaving an even application where my lips look healthy & soft. You can feel how nourishing it is on application & there is also little delicate exfolients built in that scrubs away all the dead skin cells as you go. What more is there not to love..... oh the fact it smells like a fresh lemon?! 

What have you been grabbing to maintain a healthy pout now the weather has turned chilly?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥

Inspiration: Autumn........

All photographs found on Pinterest

What does your November Moodboard look like?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥