Nails Of The Week: Navy Is The New Black......

(Please excuse how dry my hands look- Dam autumn!)

Navy is the new black. There I said it. Let's move on.

With Navy nails sweeping the beauty bloggersphere like crazy last month thanks to a little polish called 'After School Boy Blazer', I thought I would jump onto the navy cheer team & preach to you all about my favourite navy nail polish. 

Motcomb Street is a gorgeous darker then navy boarding on black shade, which reminds me of my much loved & worn Zara skinny jeans. The consistency is the reason why I buy Nails inc polishes- glossy, thick & super shinny I love how you can see your reflection on your nails, which I amp up using my Kensington Caviar topcoat as a base (so my nails don't get stained) & as a topcoat to make it chip resistant. 

If there is one thing I would urge you beauty lovers out there to buy this autumn season it would be a navy polish- better then black & more unpredictable then plum or berry red, I find it adds a touch of 'something something' to an everyday casual outfit & looks great when paired with oxblood or caramel.  

What has been your most reached for shade this week?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥

Bumble & Bumble 'Sunday' Shampoo......

When it comes to my hair I am always a little bit wary of trying out new things. 

It's not that I'm not intrigued or don't want to break out of my routine, my hair just does not react well to new products! For years my hair has always been the 'greasy at the roots' kind, as well as, & this may be tmi, having quiet a dry scalp (queue dandruff) which means that trusty Head & Shoulders has been my go to shampoo for a very long time. However since the discovery of a good dry shampoo (thank you treseeme!) I feel like I can branch out a little more & sample a few different shampoo's. 

Bumble & Bumble products have always intrigued me- I don't know why (maybe because they smell so god dam good!) but I always have a little browse of them whenever I'm in Boots, but firmly put them back as always in the back of my mind my head tell me I would be crazy for spending £17+ on a shampoo! But, as you can tell by this post I finally caved in & after a little uh-ming & ah-ing I am now the proud owner of the 'Sunday' shampoo *jumps for joy!*

'Sunday' is a clarifying shampoo, meaning that you should use it once a week or every other week your preference, (as the name suggests on a Sunday) to remove all the product build up, grease & gunk that your hair accumulates in between washes. It promises to leave your hair feeling & smelling fresh, as well as looking healthier & fuller as it will remove all of the yuck & nasties!

Well I can tell you I am totally sold by this shampoo & here's why- shall we start with the smell? Lord it smells like fresh linen or a spring breeze, fresh & clean which when I apply I swear I can feel my hair & scalp breath!! It lathers up so beautifully & after washing out it has that squeaky clean feeling to it, which means you must follow through with a good conditioner so that you hair can get some added moisture back to it. What has sold me the most is that my hair feels so soft, fluffy as well as fuller looking instead of it looking a little limp & sad (which shouldn't really happen after washing!). For all of these pluses, I feel that the £17 price tag is definitely worth it because my hair feels so good & healthier after use & when used once a week, the bottle should last you for a good few months.

What is your favourite Bumble & Bumble Product?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥

Baking With Elle: Homemade Pumpkin & Pecan Pie.......

Pumpkin Pie is one of those American recipe's that us Brit's are a little bit baffled by. 

Firstly Pumpkin in a Pie (!!?) but secondly because we are not familiar with the texture or taste that this pie has to offer. Now I love America & feel a little bit American deep down inside, so therefore I like to make things that are not available here in the Uk & enjoy cooking food that tastes so dam good! This recipe I have adapted from a very basic recipe I found on Pinterest & it is my favourite that I have made so far! So if you have never made a Pumpkin Pie or want to try a new recipe, then take a little look over this one..... side note: look how good it looks!!

Ingredients:
+ 1 Can of Libby's Unsweetened Pumpkin Solids
+ 1 Cup of Caster Sugar
+ 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
+ 2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
+ 2 Teaspoon of Ginger
+ 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Essence
+ 1/2 Pint of Semi Skimmed Milk
+ 2 Medium Eggs
+ Pecans (For Decoration)
+ 1 Sheet of Short Crust Pastry ( For Pie Case)

Tools:
+ 9 Inch Pie Tin
+ Mixing Bowl
+ Fork
+ Measuring Cups
+ Measuring Spoons
+ Measuring Jug
+ Rolling Pin
+ Hand Held Blender
+ Grease Proof Paper 
+ Baking Beans
+ Cooling Rack
+ Small Sandwich Bag

1. As always you have to start with the basics- Pre-heat your oven to 220c ready to cook your pie case. Next grease your pie tin with either butter or oil (I personally use oil as I find it tends to grease the tin better then Butter!) so that your pie will slide out nicely & not get stuck- worst thing ever!

2. Next is the most complex part of the whole recipe- rolling out your pastry to be the correct size of your pie tin. Now for some reason I always struggle with this part as my pastry rolling skills are not the most professional or pleasing to the eye!! All I can say is just make sure it covers the whole of you Pie Tin, leaving plenty hanging over the sides as you want a nice crust as it will shrink once cooked- I always prefer to have more then none! Once you have smooshed it into the tin with your hands & you have gone along the top of the tin making sure to push it into the crust part (how technical does that sound!?), you can then cut all of the excess pastry off & prick the base of the case with a Fork.

3. Now I never knew what the term 'Baking your base blind' meant(face- palm!), so for all of you out there who are screaming at your screens "Me too" let me talk you through what the hell this process is, & just for the record you don't need to be blindfolded to do this step! The term basically means pre-baking your base so that the crust is a lot stronger to enable it to hold a more softer moist filling, without it getting soggy. So for this you need to grab your Baking Paper & cut out a circle the same size as the inside of your shell (where you would place the filling) & then place it in the middle of the base. Next add your Baking Beans, or if you don't own any then another alternative is using some copper coins to add on top of the Baking Paper- just make sure to keep them away from the crust as no one wants the taste of coins in a pie!! Pack them into the whole base of the pie so that it is pretty much filled all in with beans & then place in the oven for 10-15 mins to cook.

4. Whilst your base is cooking you can now start to prepare the filling. Firstly measure out all of your dry ingredients into your Mixing Bowl (Sugar, Ginger & Cinnamon), remember it doesn't matter how messy or lumpy it looks as we will blended it all together later.

5. Now prepare your wet ingredients- in a separate cup or small bowl, break your Two Eggs & give them a little beat together, then in a Measuring Jug measure out your Milk & add your Vanilla Essence to the Milk.

6. Add your prepare wet ingredients to your dry ingredients & give it a little stir together to mix it up. Lastly grab your Tin of Pumpkin & using the Fork add it into your running looking filling, making sure you scrape out every single bit of Pumpkin Puree. At this point I began to panic as the mixture would not combine together & looked like it was separated, but our trusty Blender makes everything ok in the end!

7. Grab your Hand Held Blender & start blending it all together, you will see that it all starts to get thicker & creamier as you keep mixing & blending away, making all of the lumps disappear to leave you with a lovely thick, rich looking filling. Now there is no given time limit as to how long you should do this for, you just want a nice smooth, thick looking filling.

8. Your Pie Crust should now be cooked so take it out of the oven & allow it to cool on a Cooling Rack for about 5 mins before you pour in your filling. Remove your Beans & Baking Paper from the base & carefully tip in your filling.

9. This last part is optional, but for me I love the taste of Pecans & Pumpkin together so I decided to add some crushed Pecans to the top of my pie! All you need to do is grab a Rolling Pin & a Small Sandwich Bag & add a few Pecans into the bag to start crushing. Seal up the top of the Sandwich Bag & using the Rolling Pin gently tap/crush the Pecans. Once your happy with how they look, sprinkle them onto the top of the filling adding a few whole ones if you wish.

10. Cooking time!! Carefully place (I say carefully as I have previously managed to slosh half of the filling onto the kitchen floor!) your pie into the oven & allow to cook for 30-45 mins or until your knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the pie. 

11. After enough time has passed take your Pie out of the oven & let it cool on the Cooling Rack & there you have it!! Serve with lashings of Whipped Cream & a cheeky Chi Latte for the full autumn effect!!!

If you give this recipe a go, make sure to let me know how yours turned out or even better Tweet Me or Instagram Me a picture of it!

Much Love,

Elle

xoxoxo

♥

Face Of The Day: Autumn Neutrals......

The smell of autumn is in the air & with that means a change in my everyday makeup routine, swapping out lighter based products in favour of a little bit more coverage with a touch of autumn glow & warmer shades of autumn.

*****

So as autumn is getting into full swing, I have reverted back to my much loved Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation. It has a good coverage for autumn without looking heavy & adds a really lovely glow to my skin, which is a big must for the autumn & winter months. Next as always I conceal my under eye circles (which are ridiculous at the mo!) & blemishes/acne scarring with my trusty Make-Up Academy Palette & powder with Rimmel's Stay Matte Pressed Powder. 

Now three newbies that have recently jumped into my makeup bag are now firm favourites in my everyday makeup routine- the first being Boujois Poudre de Riz de Java, which adds a lovely highlight a glow when applied to the tops of my cheek bones. Next up to get a lovely autumnal blush I apply Rimmel's Blusher in 'Santa Rose', which is lovely dusky rose pink colour that adds a nice flush of colour to my cheeks. 

My last newbie is a firm favourite of mine & its probably no surprise to you all that its a Makeup Academy Eye Shadow Palette! As a neutrals girl through & through, I of course gravitated towards the 'Ever After' palette which has a ten matte eye shadows all calling out to be used. Today I used 'Taffeta' all over the lid with 'Fade' in the crease, to create a natural soft smokey eye with a super thin line on my upper lash line created with my Collection 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner & two coats of Maybelline's The Rocket Mascara to complete the eye look.

Chintz of course was my chosen lip colour today, (of course it is most days) as the gorgeous rose pink colour complemented the cheeks & eyes, adding a soft & easy look to the whole face.

Hair wise I'm keeping it really simple, first day hair all sweeky clean which was left to air dry for an hour & then roughly blow dried. I love how much texture & movement my hair has today (I feel a little bit like a Victoria Secret's model minus the banging body & stunning good looks!!), which was very hassle free to do. Oh & those lens flares were such an added bonus from me perching on the window sill! 

©VintageELLE09

What has been your most worn autumn look so far this season?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥

My 'Go-To Autumn Nail Polish Shades......

L-R: Topshop Polish in 'Country Bumpkin' & 'Treasure', Revlon Colorstay Polish in 'Spanish Moss', Urban Outfitters Polish in 'Doll', Topshop Polish in 'Moving House', Essie Polishes in 'Wrapped in Rubies', 'Leading Lady' & 'Luxedo'. 

I've said it before & I'll say it again, when it comes to makeup I am a nail polish junkie! 

Nothing else in my makeup collection do I own more of then my polishes- there's just something about polishes that I am instantly drawn to, which may explain why I have found in my collection four red nail polishes, all from different brands in the same identical red shade! Who says you can never have too many reds?! Anywho, as a lover of polish I have pulled together my favourite autumn shades I am addicted to for this time of the year- expect rusty reds, bronze golds, blackcurrant purples & mossy greens. 

'Leading Lady': Glitter polish to the max! This polish reminds me of Dorothy's ruby red slippers & is perfect for those rainy autumn days or for the fast approaching Christmas time. For me I like to apply three coats to amp up the sparkles- you could just leave it at two coats, but sometimes you might want a little bit more sparkle to cheer up yourself up.

'Wrapped in Rubies': This is the perfect autumn nail polish for me combining two of my favourite autumn colours (burgundy & gold) in one polish. I love the multidimensional tones this polish offers, giving you a different flash of colour in different lights & movements.

'Country Bumpkin': Firstly how cute is this name!!? Bumpkin *squeals* This is a lovely shade for those pink polish lovers out there who want to wear pink in autumn but want to tone it down a notch. Its got a slight terracotta/pumpkin orange shade to it, but is very subtle & rich which looks even more fabulous if you still have a remainder of a summer glow! 

'Luxdeo': Vamp, Vamp.... Vamp it up!!! This polish means business, a cross between blackcurrant purple & black this polish is a great alternative for a dark red nail perfect for autumn date nights or if your attending Halloween parties. Whenever I see this polish blackcurrant corduroy always springs to mind! If your feeling creative add some gold 'half moons' to your nails to add a chic & edgy look. Blackcurrant nails anyone? 

'Moving House': Again another great autumn alternative to a bright or pale pink, this is a darker version of 'Country Bumpkin' but has a little bit more of a blue undertone to it. Again, I love this colour as its really rich & rusty looking which I love to rock during the leaves changing colour.

'Treasure': Did you just hear Bruno Mars singing that to you!!? This is a gorgeous bronzy-gold colour with a metallic base, which is just the colour that sums up autumn for me. Imagine curled up in front of the fire reading a book or eating a Sunday roast with this polish on. If you want to add a pop of colour, use 'Moving house' on your other nails to make it even more autumnal. 

'Spanish Moss': If you love your aqua's & mint greens from summer than this is a great alternative for autumn, khaki green is a huge colour trend always for this time of the year. This polish is perfect for those of you who like their polishes to last a really long time without chipping, I could get away with using just one coat of this as it is really thick & glossy- but I like it to be long wearing so apply two! Teamed with some high wasted acid wash jeans, army boots & Parker jacket, you have yourself a very trendy & autumn appropriate outfit. 

'Doll':  Yes you can still wear your favourite nude, taupe polish in autumn! For me there is nothing more chic & simple then to wear a polish that looks like your wearing makeup on your nails. I love everything about this Urban Outfitters polish, its cheaper then my Nails inc one & lasts way longer too, the colour is just perfect for those casual days & its great if wore along side burgundy or carmel (two colours I rock in autumn). 

*****

What's your favourite nail shades for autumn? 

Much Love,
Elle
xoxoxo
♥

Elle's Style: Distressed Denim.....

Top: Urban Outfitters, Levi Distressed Shorts: Beyond Retro, Wedges: Newlook, Bag: Zara 

©VintageELLE09

This has been my 'go to' summer outfit so far this year- comfortable & relaxed with a hint of chicness with the wedges & bag thrown in, which has been perfect for strolling around the cobbled french streets.

What is your everyday 'go to' casual look?

Much Love,
Elle
xoxoxo
♥

Autumn Preview: Zara A/W Launch.......

Images via Zara.com

This makes me excited for autumn!

♥

Clean silohettes, tailoring, Masculine vs Feminin, Erdem-esque florals, school girl tartan, power dressing. 

This is the best new season launch I have seen from Zara ever- & I worked for them for three years! The rest of the high street had better watch out, as this looks more high fashion than high street. Just look at the photography, styling & videography for this promotion shoot which seriously shows off the effortless yet chic look of 'Zara Women'.

There is not one thing that I dislike from the new collection so far & I have all ready amounted a great deal of 'needs' on my wish list-my local store had better watch out, because I will be going on a major shopping spree when I return!

^^^ MUST Watch! ^^^

Hands up if this has made you love Zara even more?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxoxo

♥