Spring nails

Hi everyone! 

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend. This post today is inspired by the fun pastel colours of Easter and Spring. Here are the picks of my favourite nail polishes to wear now the weather is getting better! 

Muchi, Muchi by Essie

Crowded by Urban Outfitters

Lemon Ice Cream by Barry M

Shade 14 by 2 True

Nail Tip Whitener by Natural Collection

Strawberry Ice Cream by Barry M

Shade 15 by 2 True

Mint Mojito by Collection 2000

These colours are all so fun and perfect for Spring. There's some higher end polishes here and some drugstore ones so it's perfect for any budget.

I really hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know in the comments below your favourite colours and nail polishes for Spring.

Have a lovely day wherever you are!

Ella xo

March favourites

Hi everyone,

I hope everyone had a lovely month of March. I'm here today with my March favourites, hope you enjoy.

I have a few beauty products that I've really been enjoying using this month.

My first favourites are the body washes from Body Shop. I have them in Satsuma and Blueberry. They're really lovely fresh washes and smell absolutely incredible. They retail at £4.00 and come in so many delicious flavours.

A next favourite of mine is a hair product I used. I dye my hair quite frequently but really wanted to go super blonde but not quite platinum. So I picked up the Garnier Nutrisse Truly Blonde Super Lightener. It was easy to apply and lightened my hair more than any other colorant. It was inexpensive so will be definitely buying again when I need to lighten my hair again.

I've also really been loving my current fondation. I mentioned this in my beauty haul and it's the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. This is my holy grail foundation. It applies beautifully, smooths out all my imperfections and covers spots and most importantly stays all day. This foundation is amazing and I urge you to go out and buy it! 

MAC is one of my favourite make up brands and I'm in love with my paint pot in Painterly. It conceals veins and gives a lovely smooth canvas on the lid. It provides a great base for eyeshadows but I've really been loving wearing it alone as it's a brown/natural/greyish colour that's so easy to wear.

My last favourite isn't a product but it is a favourite that I love to experiment with. I cannot not go out without doing my eyebrows. I think they frame your face and make you look so alive and awake. I give my eyebrows a big arch and really darken them and I love how it looks. Secondly, I've really been loving wearing false lashes on a night out. They really open your eyes and add glamour.

Now I thought I would include some random favourites!

My TV favourite of the month has to be (don't judge) Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. I've watched all 3 seasons and I love it. It's not everyones cup of tea but it's great, funny TV. My all time favourite show though has to be Criminal Minds. It's honestly the best show I've ever watched. It's full of suspense, drama and the cast are amazing. I can watch like 10 episodes straight and not get bored, that's how much I love this show.

My movie favourite is the Terminator movie series. Me and my boyfriend watched all 4 and I really enjoyed them. I do like action films and these are definitely full of action. I would recommend watching these films.

As for my favourite songs, I really enjoy finding new music that many people don't listen to. I like to use the Shazam app if I hear a song I like the sound of and want to know what it is and I use SoundCloud as well. However, I've really been liking listening to The 1975 throughout the month of March. With this nice weather starting to happening, it's nice listening to summery happy music.

I also listen to the radio a lot more now as I'm in my car a lot with my job now so I nearly always have Radio 1 on.

So there you have my March favourites! I really hope you enjoyed reading this and I'll start to do this monthly so keep an eye out on the blog!

Ella xo

MAC makeup in 60 and Haul

Happy weekend everyone! 

I hope everyone is having a lovely Saturday.

For Christmas last year I was lucky enough to receive a MAC cosmetics 'Make up in 60' voucher from my parents. So only just yesterday I booked myself in and had my makeup done. The voucher costs £30 and you get your makeup professionally done by one of the lovely MAC make up artists. It's great for a special occasion or date night or something like that. Not only do you get all your makeup done, you get £30 worth of MAC products to choose and buy. So basically the makeover is free! This voucher is such a good idea and I would really recommend it. 

So I had my makeup done yesterday and thought I'd share with you what I got!

1- The lady started off with the Prep and Prime moisture infusion primer. This hydrated my dry skin and provided a really good smooth canvas for my foundation etc. 

2- Next, was my eyes. The lady did this so no fall out from my eyeshadow would drop down onto my foundation. She primed my eyes with a paint pot in the shade 'Camel Coat'. This was a lovely matte brown shade that was slightly darker than my skin tone but provided a great base. 

3- After this was applied, eyeshadow was applied. A product was used from the new 'Fantasy of Flowers' collection. It was a quad eyeshadow in the shade 'Golden Hours'. Before the makeover the lady asked what colours and look I was after and I told her I love bronzes and golds on my eye as they look best with my blue eyes. So she used this gorgeous quad. She used the top left shade all over my lid then took a mix of the bottom two colours through my crease to add definition and depth. Then she took a black/brown eye pencil and ran this along my waterline and smudged the same two eyeshadow colours under my eye to add some drama. She then took the lovely bright gold colour on my inner eye to brighten it up and make it glow. I absolutely loved what she did and was so happy with the results. 

4- Next us was my brows. Normally I make them quite arched and dark but the lady did a slightly different look which I really liked. She used a retractable eyebrow pencil in 'Fling' which was an ashy blonde colour. She lightly filled in my brows and they added to the whole eye look. 

5- The lady who was doing my makeup then asked me if I wanted liner and I said yes. She used on me Fluidline gel eyeliner in Blacktrack. She did a medium thickness line on my lid and didn't wing it out but ended it with a tiny flick which opened my eyes and made them look bigger. 

6- After this came lashes! She applied a few coats of MAC's False Lash mascara. This thickened and lengthened my lashes and made them look great. She coated my top and bottom lashes then applied false lashes. She chose the number 12 lashes and they look so good! 

7- Next my face makeup was applied. I had Studio Fix Foundation put on me. This is meant to be a matte finish but it left a lovely natural finish on me meaning it wasn't too matte or too dewy it was really nice. It also covered the majority of my imperfections and redness so I was very happy with that. Next a concealer was applied to my skin. The makeup artist chose the Pro Longwear concealer that provided medium to full coverage. She used it to conceal anything the foundation hadn't but also to slightly brighten my skin, especially under my eyes. 

8- Next was contouring and highlighting. To contour a browny-plum colour blush was used to contour my cheekbones. I'm not exactly sure what colour was used but it suited the rest of the makeup so well. The blush that was used was a subtle pink colour that was placed on the top parts of my cheeks to add some colour and warmth to my face. Finally, an extra dimension skin finish was used on my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and on my cupids bow to catch the light and add glow. This part of the makeover bought the eyes and the face together and really finished the look off. 

9- Last but not least was the lips. Both myself and the make up artist said a natural pinky lip would be best. So she chose a Cremesheen lipstick in the shade 'Cremecup' which was just pink enough but didn't take away from the drama of the eyes. Finally, a lustre glass lipgloss in 'Flusterose' was applied to add shine and complete the look.

I was so happy with my makeup. It was prefect for a dinner out with my boyfriend, and even better, he liked it! I didn't take many pictures (sorry!) but I did manage to get one in the makeover chair showing the eye look which was my favourite part. 

After the makeover I picked up some products. 

The first thing I got was the Prep and Prime Highlighter in the shade Light Boost. I can't wait to try this out to see if its really glowy and lovely. 

The next thing I really wanted to get was a paint pot. I had a paint pot a few years ago when I first started liking makeup but I never really used it. So I picked up one in the shade Painterly. It's a really natural matte coloured brown that will be perfect under any eyeshadow. I can tell I'll be using this a lot. 

The final item I bought was a lipstick. I adore makeup and have quite a big collection but I have never had a MAC lipstick! Now I've bought one I can't wait to start collecting! The shade I got yesterday was  a Cremesheen lipstick in 'Sunny Seoul'. MAC describes it as a frosted light warm pink. It's such a beautiful colour I love it. 

I also got to take home the lashes that were applied during my makeover. 

So that was my experience of a MAC makeover! All the staff were so lovely and it was interesting and fun finding out about their products. I would highly recommend this to any make up fan! 

Have a lovely rest of your weekend 

Ella xo

(All images from maccosmetics.co.uk) 

Make up and beauty haul

Hi everyone,

Hope you're well. Recently I have accumulated a few beauty things and I thought I would share them with you.

2 True Glamour Lashes 

These lashes cost £1.99. For that price they're not going to be amazing but they are good. They aren't very natural looking but they do make your lashes look full and really open your eyes. There is glue included but it isn't great so I just use an Eyelure glue. But as I said for  £1.99 they get the job done and are good lashes

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

I did a lot of research before buying this as it is quite expensive. However, all the reviews were really positive. I have trouble with foundation staying put all day. I moisturise and use a primer but my skin just doesn't hold onto foundation. So when I saw this was long lasting I picked it up. Luckily my lovely boyfriend gave me a Fenwicks voucher so I only ended up paying like £8 for this. 

As for the foundation itself- I love it. I have quite troublesome skin and this is oil free, dermatologist tested and non acnegenic. It goes on really well with a semi-matte finish. I got colour matched and the lady at the Estee Lauder counter was lovely and gave me such a good colour. The best thing about this is it does stay a very long time. I apply this with a sigma buffing brush or a real techniques expert face brush. I would highly recommend this foundation to anyone. I LOVE it.

Collection Lasting Perfection 

I wanted to buy a more everyday foundation as the Estee Lauder one is expensive and I wanted to use that only on special occasions. This was only around £5-£6. It is again long wearing and has SPF 20 which is really nice. It doesn't go on as smoothly as the other foundation and doesn't last as long but for a inexpensive price, its a good daytime foundation. 

L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Julianne's Barely Peach

I've been shopping around for a nudey peachy pink and I have definitely found it. This lipstick is so smooth and moisturising. It doesn't flake on the lips and has a nice smell to it, which some lipsticks don't. The colour is beautiful and natural. I really love it.

Revlon Colour Burst Matte Balm in Complex

I really wanted to try these. I thought a matte lipstick in a nude would look really nice. But this isn't very moisturising so it flakes on the lips and gathers. However, this might just be me as I have very dry lips. It is a nice colour though and doesn't wash you out or look like the dreaded foundation lips. 

Avon Ideal Flawless Conceal Stick

This retails for £7 but I got mine for £3.50 as it was half price. Again, like foundation, concealer doesn't  stay on my skin long but this concealer is pretty good!  It's really creamy and covers imperfections and pimples well 

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Highlighter

I purchased this as I like to do a very dramatic contour and highlighting look. I apply this to my forehead, down the bridge of my nose, my cupids bow and my under eyes. However, it doesn't give enough of a glow to me. It dries quite quickly so you have to work and blend fast. I think I'm going to purchase the MAC prep and prime highlighter and hopefully that will give more of a glow

Avon GlimmerStick Brow Definer

For my brows I use powder to fill them in and make them bigger and darker. I picked this up though and I really love it. My brows are not naturally arched so I use this to draw an arch then I fill it in with powder. It looks really natural and as this pencil is quite waxy it stays put a long time. 

Sleek Creme to Powder Tester Kit

After watching numerous tutorials on Youtube, I wanted to find a creme or liquid product to contour with. I had never bought a product from Sleek before but I came across their website. When I saw this I was so excited. It's a really creamy kit that's meant to be used to test foundations and get your right colour. However I bought shades very much darker than my skintone to use to contour my face. These 5 colours are really warm and matte so are brilliant. I use a little foundation brush then buff this in with a real techniques stippling brush. The result is amazing- it gives you a natural looking tan and glow and really brings out your cheekbones. I couldn't love this product more. But the best bit is the price- this was only £2.99. That is absolutely amazing. I'll never look for a cream contouring product again!

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes

I love Simple wipes. They don't irritate my skin, they take all my make up off and are nice and moisturising and don't dry out my skin. Even more, they're inexpensive. Just great all round wipes, would highly recommend them. 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Every time I wanted to pick this up, it was out of stock! But I finally got my hands on it. I have only used it once or twice but I really liked it. It's so gentle, takes away make up and leaves my skin refreshed and hydrated. I will be posting my skincare routine soon but if I'm lazy of a nightime and am tired I'll just take all my make up off with a wipe, use the micellar water on a cotton pad then use Bio oil as a moisturiser. It leaves my skin clean, soft and smooth.

Bio Oil

I was hesitant to purchase Bio Oil at first as it isn't cheap and I was afraid to use it on my face as it is an oil but I am a fan. I have quite bad scarring on my face from a really bad outbreak of acne. After cleansing at night time I dot this on my cheeks and chin where I have scarring and use this as a moisturiser. I think I'm starting to see results and I'm really glad I bought this.

Una Brennan Super Facialist

I purchased this after seeing the lovely Megs Boutique on Youtube talk about this. When I first applied this it did make my skin tingle and I was afraid I was going to have a bad reaction to it. However it went away within minutes and when I rinsed it of, it was quick and easy and left great results. My skin felt clean and my redness was reduced. This claims to reduce pores and I can say straight after using this my pores look tiny. It also says it removes toxins and dirt and impurities from skin. Some days my skin does feel really clogged up so using this makes me feel all fresh and clean. I try and use this every week and so far I really like it. 

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush body wash 

I had the scrub version of this years ago. So when I saw they had the same scent in a shower gel form I was so excited. This is the freshest more citrus shower gel ever. It's so uplifting and wakes you up. It was about £8 but it is a big bottle so I'm sure it'll go along way. I haven't used this yet as I'm working my way through another shower gel but I can't wait to open this! 

From left to right- 2 True Shade 14, Natural Collection White, Seventeen Long Island, 2 True Shade 15

I love the colour of all these polishes. The 2 true ones were so inexpensive, go on really well and last such a long time! I'v wanted to try white nails for a while so picked up a cheap brand because I wasn't sure wether I was going to like it. But I love the colour. However the polish doesn't last very long and chips quickly. The Seventeen colour however is my least favourite. It goes on really gel like and looks to be really good but it takes so so long to dry and you just end up smudging your nails. It's a great pigmented colour but the formula isn't great. The 2 true ones are my definite favourites. Great price, colour pay off and long wearing. 

So that is my haul! I hope it wasn't too long. Look out soon for a fashion haul. Any comments or questions please leave them below, I love to read and respond to them :)

Have a lovely Friday

Ella xo