Travel: Guernsey, The Three R's......

©VintageELLE09

Guernsey is one of those places which makes me feel a number of emotions. Nostalgic, peaceful, grounded, relaxed, blessed, careless.

For years we have visited this small island & every time we come back feeling refreshed, reconnected & relaxed. It's nice to visit family & reconnect with them, shrug off the stress you have at home & become grounded again. I love waking up to the view of the sea, driving along the coast with the windows down, smelling the salty air, listening to the crashing of the waves on jagged rocks & most importantly, finding myself. Guernsey is such a humble, breath taking & laid back island & is fair to say, my utopia. 

Where is your favourite place to travel?  

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo

♥

My Weekly Must Haves 002 .....

L-R: Vanilla Frangipani Eau de Toilette, Essie Nail Polish in 'Bikini So Teeny', Newlook Limited Edition Necklace, Revlon Colorburst Matte Lipbalm in 'Complex', Zoopla & Zara Mint Green Sweat Top.

The clocks go forward next week, the evenings are getting lighter & after last weeks sunshine & warm weather, I am definatly ready to retire my winter wardrobe & embrace Spring!

I am in love with wearing Sweat Tops at the moment, especially ones with slogans on- they are much lighter then wearing a knitted jumper but still keep you warm enough during the day, as layering is still key during this 'in between' stage. My favourite are the ones by Zara which, I think resemble the ones Whistles have on offer but for more then half the price! Layer over the top of a crisp white shirt with a pair of ripped jeans & a classic pair of heels- your good to go! Alternatively you could also throw on a statement necklace to peek out from underneath the collar, mine is from New Look & I love how the turquoise gems compliment the mint green of the sweat top, making it look a little more put together & chic. At the moment I am loving a nude or barely there lip shade to compliment a more peachier complexion, Revlon's Matte Lipbalms are my 'go to' of the moment & this one in the shade 'Complex' does not disappoint- glides on beautifully & has a very moisturising feel to it, makes that effortless beauty days a dream. Nails, Nails, Nails- I am all about the Spring shades at the moment & the Essie shades are always my favourite. 'Bikini So Teeny' is a lovely lavender blue, which looks great when wearing mint green & adds a pop of colour to your outfit. My house hunt continues after the disappointment of last week & like most savvy house hunters, Zoopla is a godsend- I check this more then Zara on my lunch break! & finally my Spring/Summer scent is back in action after being in hibernation for six months *yay!* I got this in France last year & smells sweet & summery, which reminds me of my summer holiday & how summer is not too far away!

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What are your favourite items that will keep you going through the week?

Much Love,
Elle
xoxo
♥

Being Elle: The Sunday Catch-Up 016......

1. This week me & Adam had off from work together & so we decided to take some time out to focus on ourselves, as well as visit family & relax way from life & work.

2. Tuesday we visited the Champney's spa in Forest Mere, which was such a great & calming experience for both of us. We got our nails done, had an amazing message, ate super healthy & yummy food, pumped some iron in the gym & chilled out by the pool. It was (in my eyes) such a relaxing atmosphere with the spa situated within the New Forest & our room over looking a beautiful lake, which made me feel even more calm & able to switch off. It gave me & Adam the perfect time to just reconnect & focus on ourselves, that for my first spa experience made me feel very alive & peaceful.   

3. To follow on from the spa break, I have perfected my bare face makeup routine using four products & a very light base. One of these products being my current obsession- Revlon Colourburst Matte Lipbalm in 'Complex', it is perfection.

4. I have really been getting back into watching daily Vloggers on Youtube. Over the last four months, I haven't really been watching these types of videos for some reason but now I can't stop watching itsJudysLife & TheSacconeJoly's!

5. My scalp has been feeling a little itchy recently & I'm not sure why, is it because of the change in weather? Is it because I'm not rising out my shampoo properly? Have I got a lot of product building up? Who knows! So I'm currently trying out a little cheap shampoo from Boots, which fingers crossed should help sooth my barnett! 

6. Thursday saw us jet setting off again, but this time to somewhere a little nearer- Guernsey. For those of you who don't perhaps know, Adam's mums side of the family live over there & we love to go visit them over there. So we went over for a couple of nights to catch up with everyone- my passport now needs a little break!

7. Picked up a few cheeky pieces in Zara at the airport. What can I say... I have an addiction & no willpower- added plus is you guys will get a haul out of it!

8. On the house front, we found an amazing house this week that both of us fell in love with, which led to us putting in an offer for on Friday. However there was a lot of interest in it & we sadly lost it to a cash buyer. We feel really upset about it & disheartened, for me its purely down to the fact that I feel frustrated at how difficult it is for first time buyers to get what they want, when we are constantly competing with a vast number of property developers who just have money on their minds. But I'm sure we will scrap ourselves up off the floor & battle on- third time lucky?!

9. Saturday was a pretty chilled last day in Guernsey- we took a drive along the coast with the windows down, listening to Radio One, stopped off in town at our favourite restaurant Dix Neuf for lunch & then drove to the airport to catch our flight back home. Was honestly such a lovely trip to see Adam's family & just being on the island is so calming & nostalgic for both of us, it just rounded off the week so nicely. 

10. Highlight on VE & Youtube | What's In My Bag: Work Edition

Have you had a good week?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥

The Video: What's In My Bag | Work Edition.......

Like most people who watch Youtube videos, I am a sucker for tag videos especially my favourite-'What's In My Bag'. Yes, I am one of those nosey few who love to see what other like minded women like to haul around with them every single day. In a way it makes me feel relieved that it's not just me who likes to carry around over five lip products, has multiple trains tickets littering the bottom of my bag & has a spare pair of shoes for those non-practical 'shoe days'. 

As five out of the seven days a week, I work full time & use a completely different bag then I do on my days off, I thought it would be a fun idea to show you all what I lug around with me on my way to work! Note: I was in London the day before I filmed this video, so some items I don't typically carry around with me every day to work, but you get the rough idea!

What do you need to take with you to work on a regular basis?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo

♥

The Video: New York VLOG Part Two.....

Two Days worth of New York fun!

We grab a quick Starbucks before heading downtown to The Meatpacking District to have a wonder round Chelsea Market, grab some lunch at Hale & Hearty & discover the joys of crackers in soup (!?) before heading out to walk along The High Line, spot some crazy Fashion Week shiz going on outside Milk Studio's, headed back to the hotel stopping off to get dinner at Shack Shake & finally end up watching TV in bed!

The next day we woke up to snow overnight & don't leave the hotel till late morning as its still snowing, head over to The Time Warner Centre, had a look around H&M before visiting 5th Avenue's Apple Store & FAO Swartz, brought a cheeky slice of Chocolate Moose Cake from Grand Central Station Market before getting caught in a snow blizzard before returning to the hotel!

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo

♥

The Lazy Girls Hair: Messy Ponytail.....

I remember as a seven year old sitting at my mum's dressing table, grimacing as she swirled my hair into a high pony tail on top of my little head. In those days I had a thick, blunt fringe & hair that was so thick that it hated being kept up there with only a scrunchy & gravity to hold it in place- I used to love how after playtime it would have slipped down to be positioned at the side of my face! 

Its funny how a memories like that stick with you.

Nowhere days I love to rock a high, messy ponytail on days when I  can't really be bothered to do anything with my hair but I still want to look put together, or on 'day three' hair which has plenty more texture & grit to it- it's so simple & only takes me two minuets! I start off by spray my favourite dry shampoo (Tresemme Instant Fresh) to the roots to give it a little more life & get rid of the grease. I hold the can a whole can away from my head & message in to the roots. Now reading that back your probably think 'what does she mean by one can away from her head?' well, basically all you do is put the can on your head & that's how far away you should hold it when you apply your spray! I then brush through my hair with a hair brush, then I brush my side fringe out, gather all my hair into a pony tail right on the top of my head, use my brush to pull out any hair I want to frame my face & make it look even messier & then finally secure with a black hair tie. Lastly I pull with my fingers at sections of my hair (normally at the top & sides) to give it a little more volume & added mess so it looks something like this! I also love doing this on day three hair when I have done heatless waves to it overnight- it has such a crazy amount of texture & wave to it which makes me happy & has such a model off duty look to it!

How do you rock a ponytail?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo

♥

The Oscar's 2014: My Pick Of The Best......

All Images found via Vogue.co.uk

I wish I could swish around everyday in one of these dresses! 

Who was your favourite?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥

My Weekly Must Haves 001......

L-R: Avene Eau Thermale Spray, Bourjois Blusher in 'Rose Frisson', Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in 'Get Figgy', Revlon Colourbrust Matte Lip Balm in 'Elusive', Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Volumising Masacara & Bath & Bodyworks Hand Sanitizer in 'Fresh Picked Apples'.

There are some weeks when you feel like certain products make your day that little bit better. Whether a certain foundation makes your skin that little bit more flawless or a specific smell makes you feel happy, these small things really can impact on your week.

Enter my Weekly Must Haves that bring a smile to my face!

Now let's start with this amazing clutch that I snatched up from Zara, it pretty much sums me up in a sentence- "Stressed, But Well Dressed..." so much love for it! The newest addition to my skincare routine is this little travel size Avene Eau Thermale which I am obsessed with, as when teamed with my Hydralyron Gel adds some much needed moisture & glow back into my tired skin. To add a little flush to my cheeks, Bourjois 'Rose Frisson' gives a really subtle blush flush without looking too obvious that I'm wearing blusher! & I'm really into one shade on the eyes at the moment & nothing looks better then 'Get Figgy' by Benefit, especially when paired with my newest favourite mascara by Soap & Glory (did someone say volume!?) that gives that 'model off duty' kind of vibe. Now I'm not the only one who's raving about the Revlon Matte Lip Balms & my favourite shade at the moment is 'Elusive', which is a cross between blush pink & candy floss perfect for a dash of colour to your everyday face. Lastly theres something about the smell of apples that makes me long for Spring & Summer- Thank you Bath & Bodyworks for inventing such an amazing smelling hand sanitiser!

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What are your current 'go to' items that get you through the week?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo

♥

Being Elle: The Sunday Catch Up 015.....

1. The week started off with a bang by doing an over night at work- yay! 

2. My body could no longer fight it. It was inevitable- I was struck with a sneaky cold! Thankfully it is my only cold of the year & as I have a pretty good immune system, it should be gone soon. Although for the time being I have a voice that resembles Macy Greys!

3. Being the bargain hunter that I am & my hair dryer being on the brink of retirement, I ventured into Boots & snapped up the Remington Silk Dryer that I had been eyeing up since November. I missed out on it when it was on offer before Christmas, due to the fact it was at a ridiculously low price of twenty five pounds & selling out instantly! But when I spied it back on offer from £54 to £34 I couldn't let it go again & ran to the cash desk.

4. This week I have been obsessed with Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills. It's cringy with over the top, spoilt rich (I wanna say kids as that is the way they behave, but they are all grown adults of twenty four plus!) twenty-somethings who have a ridiculous lifestyle. It's my guilty pleasure of the moment!

5. Started practising for Pancake Day by cooking some mean American style pancakes mid week. Mine was served with Cherry Pie filling, Adam's was with Vanilla Ice Cream- yums!

6. My purse is now officially on lock down since Friday as I spent way too much money in New York. So no venturing into Boots to indulge in the notorious three for two offer for me *powts*

7. Saturday was a pretty hectic day on the old work front, thanks to it being pay weekend & the launch of our mid-season sale. My legs are not thanking me today! Also both mine & Adam's parents went to look around a potential house (cross fingers!) that we may be putting in an offer for on Monday! That sentence just felt far too grown up!

8. Highlights on VE for the week include: The first VLOG from our trip to New York & Nails of The Week

What's been the highlight of your week?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo

♥