Being Elle: Hello London!

This weekend (& Monday) I spent working in London with the Merchandising team prepare one of the stores for the Spring Summer launch. If you guys don't know, I work as a Visual Merchandising Manager & so it is my job to make the store that I work in look pretty so it's appealing to you guys! I had so much fun working up in London that I thought I'd share a little bit of the adventure with you- apologise for the 'not so good' quality of the pictures I only had my iPhone & iPad with me!! 

With the prospect of a two & a half hour commute into London on Sunday, work were kind enough to put me up in a hotel for two nights! Now I was expecting to stay somewhere like a Premier Inn & boy was I surprised when I saw this hotel!! I stayed in The Grange Fitzrovia Hotel which was super posh looking, complete with candeliers & Oxford Street only a stones throw away. The room was very nice complete with flat screen tv & sash windows *squeels!*, the bed was so comfortable I really didn't want to get out of it each morning!

L-R: Simple Facial Wipes, Sainsbury's Dental Floss, Oral B 3D White Toothpaste, Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, Origin's Drink Me Up Overnight Facial Mask, Hydraluron, Origin's Ginzig Eye Cream, Simple Facial Cleanser, The Body Shop Rose Water Facial Mist, Sanex Dermo Invisible Deodrant, Garnier Essentials Hydrating Day Cream & Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins Cream.

Those little babies may have snuck into my bag to go home with me- FYI I did not pull a Ross!

All together it was such a good experience to be able to work with the merchandising team again as I love working in a different environment & travelling to different places. It allows me to see how other stores work, see whats sells for them & get new ideas that I can take back to my store.

Have you travelled anywhere different for work recently?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥ 

Being Elle: 2013, My Year.....

© VintageELLE09

What a year!!

Started off 2013 without a job as I quit my job of three years at the end of 2012, one of my best friends moved to Sweden, travelled to New York during Fashion Week, got engaged, got a part time job, took loads of 'food selfies', discovered some amazing beauty products, saw some great movies, baked a kick ass Red Velvet Cake, saw Green Day live in London, Andy Murray won Wimbledon, my part time job turned into a full time job as a Visual Merchandising Manager, went on an amazing summer holiday to The South of France, turned 23, gave into the hype & enjoyed 'Orange Is The New Black', spent far too much time in bed, took a spontaneous trip to Oxford, enjoyed the babe 'Hey Claire''s videos, took a spontaneous trip to Bluewater, spent three days working in London, enjoyed far too many roast dinners, made a lush Pumpkin Pie, carved some mean Pumpkins, discovered the joys of Starbucks' Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies & Signature Hot Chocolate, Adam brought the new iPad Air, worked together in our joint office, geeked out to the 'Doctor Who' anniversary special, went ice skating (epic fail!), enjoyed far too many Wagamama's, kept Primark in business for the whole of December with my festive purchases, decorated my room for Christmas, detoxed with Bumble & Bumble, got some epic snuggle socks for Christmas, brought my cat a rocking Christmas Bow Tie, enjoyed way too many G&T's, had an amazing Christmas, booked New York & celebrated seven years, as well as the New Year.

Phew, I think I need a years break after that!!

Thank you to each & everyone of you who have read my rambling posts, commented or email me, watched my videos or subscribed to my Blog or Youtube Channel- it honestly means so so much to me & so do you guys. Be sure to stick with me through the next year as it will be even more jam packed then last year... did some say buying a house, planning a wedding as well as doing all this all over again!!?? So come on in, the water is warm & lets make 2014 even better then the last. Hold on as it will be one hell of a ride!!

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥

How To Keep Hydrated During Winter......

December marks the start of winter & for me that means a shake up to the products I use on my skin- as the weather becomes colder & the central heating gets warmer, your skin starts to feel the change! So here are my go to products that make such a difference to the way my skin looks & feels during winter, locking in all that moisture & making me happy! 

The Body Shop Body Butter in Strawberry: Of course you need to keep your body feeling soft & healthy & a good body butter is essential- enter my favourite body butters by The Body Shop. I have confessed my love for their body butters for quiet a while now- super buttery & nourishing for your skin as well as the scents being so yummy smelling & linger for hours, these are the reasons why I keep repurchasing them. Currently I am indulging in the Strawberry scent, which makes me feel like a Strawberry Ice Cream & very reminiscent of summer.

Figs & Rouge Pepper Mint & Green Tea Lip Balm: One of the worst things about Winter is dry, chapped lips. Enter a good lip balm & luckily I have two! This one by Figs & Rouge is my 'during the day top up', always in my bag or coat pocket for those on the go applications & what I love about this particular lip balm is the fact that its texture is thinner then Vaselin, almost like oil that just glides on nicely & seals in all the moisture.

L'Occitane Hand Cream in Coco Butter: Hands must not be neglected during the festive season as you don't want them looking like a desert. In Hand Creams I always look for ones that are not sticky or too oily, sink into the skin really quickly & make my hands feel softer- L'Occitane definitely delivers. I love the scent of this particular hand cream & when messaged into the cuticles makes my nails look a great deal healthier then before. 

Freeman's Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Face Mask: To lock in all the moisture that central heating & the chilly air takes away from your skin during December, a weekly face mask is a necessity. I picked this one up in New York this year & find that it calms my acne prone skin, whilst adding a lot of the moisture my skin has lost back into it. 

Nuxe Bio Tinted Lip Balm in Peach: If you need a lip product that not only keeps them moisturised whilst adding a dash of colour to them, then look no further then this little lady from Nuxe. Smells lovely & peachy whilst adding a peachy tint to your lips, this is my favourite tinted lip balm as it keeps your lips feeling soft for a really long time & with the bonus of the peach taste! 

Origin's Highly Potent Night Cream: Oh my god. This is holy grail material! If your skin is dehydrated or you have bad acne scaring then this stuff will work wonders on your skin. I apply this every night to my neck & face (you don't need a lot as a little goes a long way) & in the morning my skin looks so much healthier it's ridiculous!

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm: Enter my morning & evening lip balm that prepares my lips for the day, as I have said before this is my favourite lip balm by a mile as it keeps them moisturised as well as giving them a little exfoliate with the built in exfoliating bits in it. 

Origins Drink Me Up Hydrating Face Mask: Now a good hydrating, leave on face mask is essential during these cool months because your skin does most of the repairs & rebuilding as you sleep, so therefore if you can lock in all the moisture in your skin whilst you sleep you will have plumper looking, healthier skin in the morning. I really find this Origin's mask leaves my skin feeling softer & plumper after using it overnight, as well as reducing the size of my pesky pores. 

Caudalie Eau de Rasins Facial Spray: There is nothing I like more then spraying this over my clean face right before I apply my Hydraluron & moisturiser- it feels like my skin is drinking it up!! The use of a facial spray like this one helps again add moisture back into the skin, as well as giving it a little refresh before bed. 

V05 Miricle Concentrate: Now let's not forget your hair! With hair driers & styling tools being used more in the winter months, your hair tends to take a battering & you may not realise it but your hair may appear drier with split ends becoming more frequent. This is where I look to my little V05 friend to give me glossy tresses- I always apply it to towel dried hair working it into the ends & then leave my hair to dry a little for a couple of hours before blow drying. Makes my hair feel super soft & healthy.

Origin's GinZing Eye Cream: After a lot of partying & late nights your under eyes may need a little tlc, so a good eye cream is essential. This baby makes my eyes look & feel more awake whilst adding moisture back into the eye area.

Hydraluron: I didn't think my skin was the dehydrated kind- it didn't look it & certainly didn't feel it, but ever since introducing this into my skincare routine last month I can see a difference in the way my skin looks. I think any product that makes your moisturiser absorb into the skin quicker & locks in more moisture is a winner during the cold months. Your skin will love you for it!

What are your good to items for the cooler months?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo

♥

The Video: Christmas Primark Haul......

I went into Primark for socks & ended up with a lot more!!

I realised whilst filming this video that I actually haven't filmed a haul, or even brought anything from Primark since January!!! Am I feeling ok!!?

So as we are now into the festive season, (which is my favourite time of the year!) I always end up getting way more items from Primark then any other season. I love all of their Christmas Pyjamas range, Men's fairisle Jumpers, Bobble Hats & Bedding range. This haul is a collection of two trips & I am also planning on making another trip to my local Primark tomorrow after work, to pick up some more lounge pants so who knows another haul may be on the cards!!?

*WARNING: When it comes to Christmasy items I do get very, very excited, therefore be warned because in places I do start acting like a four year old!* 

Grab a cup of tea & snuggle up in a blanket to enjoy this little festive treat!

Much Love,

Elle

xoxox

♥

Being Elle: The Sunday Catch-Up Week 014.......

1. My day off on Monday proved very productive- cleaned, filmed & edited a couple of videos & trying to organise general bits & bobs. 

2. I had another disastrous day at work & had a little cry on my lunch break on the phone to Adam. It basically involved me finding out my Christmas rota which included twelve over nights in a month & the rest of my shifts starting at seven am. Would I see Adam or my family over the Christmas period? With this rota not a great deal (sad face) but watch this space.

3. This whole week I have been contemplating whether or not it is too early to put up the Christmas Decorations... needless to say logic took over & they are still in the loft calling out to me.

4. Have been lusting over far too many things from Topshop! Must resist till after Christmas.

5. This week I discovered something amazing..... M&S Turkey & Cranberry Pastry Roll!! Writing that just makes me salivate (lol) it is just ten times better then a sausage roll & tastes like Christmas. I think it is acceptable to have one a day until the twenty fifth!

6. Thursday was ice skating day aka my way of ice skating involving me pulling myself along the edge of the ice rink!! Oh how my work colleagues laughed. I love how at Brighton Pavilion the ice rink pops up every November ready for the festive period- it looks so pretty with the lights projected onto it & of course after putting myself through all that, I had to round off the evening with a Mulled Cider (oh how festive!).

7. Catfish on Viva has been my guilty pleasure all of this week. It is such an eye opening program with some really shocking twists, (example a guy meet a women on a dating site who said she was trans gender & when they met it person she actually wasn't trans gender!) but such a good watch!!

8. Saturday was absolute madness at work & like a customer kindly reminded me, it's only three more weekends to go until Christmas- ergo everyone in the Sussex area was in Brighton!! Thankfully I finished work at four & made my way home to flake on the sofa with a big cup of green tea & a muffin, whilst watching a really bad Christmas film called 'Meet the Clauses' & trying to write a Christmas Wish List. As I was too lazy to cook, a Domino's order was placed & I pretty much spent the rest of Saturday night on the sofa- bliss.

Can you believe we are already in December!? Three & a bit weeks to go!!

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo

♥

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

♥