My Christmas Presents 2013

Hi Ladies, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and Santa brought you everything you were hoping for. I certainly am a very happy girl. I spent Christmas at home with my close family. We had an amazing dinner cooked by my Dad and spent the evening playing games and Singstar. Today I'm chilling and waiting for my god parents to come round later. Last year I did a 'What Did I Get For Christmas' post and personally, I love having a snoop at other peoples presents; so here is mine!

 

I absolutely adore the first Hummingbird Bakery Book so I was thrilled to have the latest one. There are some really incredible recipes in this book and I spent a good while on Christmas Day drooling over them! This was from my parents.

This was really my main present from my parents. It came in a huge box and I really had no idea what it was. I have been wanting a proper food mixer for so long and this is exactly the sort of thing I wanted. It looks amazing and does everything I could possibly want it to. I can't wait to start using it!

 

This is a present I knew I was having. Mum bought this a while ago and let me try it on, so I could decide whether or not to keep it. I couldn't believe that it was from Primark. The quality is lovely and it is so flattering. It is definitely a contender for my New Years Eve dress.

 

Pants for Christmas is standard procedure in my house and I love getting new ones! This year Mum got me pants from Boux Avenue which is one of my favourite places to shop for lingerie. I have a few bras from there and it is great for the larger chested ladies among us.

 

This is a present from my best friend Lauren. Yes, it is a pillow case, with a head on. For those of you that don't know, this is Scotty T from Geordie Shore. My friend and I are huge fans of the show and Scotty T is my favourite person on it. It's slightly creepy how real he looks in person but it's hilarious never the less.

This present was a total surprise. Mum and I love Jo Malone products and Mum received a bottle of cologne for her birthday in November. When I saw this under the tree earlier on in December; I assumed it was for Mum as my presents don't get put under the tree until Christmas Eve when I am in bed. On Christmas Day, I put everyone's presents into piles and when I gave this to Mum to open, Dad said: 'Actually, it's for you!' I adore the scent. I was sent a sample of it a while back and fell in love. It is the perfect mix of fruity and floral and I absolutely adore it!

 

 

This is a really sweet little gift set from Lush, bought for me by my friend Louisa. I adore Lush and this box contains two of my favourite Christmas Ballistics: Cinders and the Snowman.

 

This was a present from my best friend Alex. It is such a lovely, luxurious present. Inside this gorgeous little cracker is a 'dream' hand/ body cream that is to be applied before sleep to help you rewind and relax. It has an almost 'serum' texture and makes your hands feel lovely.

 

This was a really sweet present from my Mum. It was bought at one of our local Christmas markets and Dad filled it with mini marshmallows. It looks so cute in my room! 

 

For the past three years I have used Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish religiously. Mum said that Dad chose this out when they were shopping in John Lewis and it is a really lovely set. It contains a full sized Cleanse & Polish, 1 Muslin Cloth, a mini Skin Tonic and Eye Cream. I am intrigued to try some of Liz Earle's other products so this is a great way to test them.

 

I asked my Mum for this and I adore it already. It is a gorgeous moisturiser and smells so delicious. I won't talk to much about this as I have a review planned, but it really is an amazing product.

My CD choices haven't really been lets say, 'on trend' this year. But then again, I've never been one to care about charts etc. Most of the time I listen to Musical Theatre! These are two bands that are completely different but I really like their music. I recently got back into Westlife after Kian won I'm A Celebrity and I love Landslide and Travelin' Soldier by the Dixie Chicks, so I figured I would like their other stuff. Both CD's are Greatest Hits.

 



These were in my stocking and they are amazing! Since using them my hair feels incredible. I suffer from quite oily hair and I have to wash my hair every day but this is not oily at all (not like the name would suggest) and makes my hair light weight, shiny and oil free.

 



Earlier on in the year, our parents bought my sister and I tickets to see One Direction at Wembley Arena. Mum gave us these to remind us. I've seen the boys once before and I am so excited to see them on their stadium tour.

 



I chose this a few weeks ago and my sister and Mum got one too. I thought this was a lovely quote and looks very sleek in the white frame.

 



My Mum has a 'Stackers' jewellery box and I have always loved it. Mum bought my sister and I one for our jewellery. Mine doesn't look very full, I only really wear a few key, classic pieces of jewellery. Mum chose this colour as it is very similar to the iconic colour of Tiffany's.

 



I have been wanting a tartan scarf for ages and this one from Asos is perfect It is so thick and warm and perfect for the winter days. It is the perfect length too.

 



I have had a Mulberry Style Bayswater Bag from a discount website before and I adore it. Just before Christmas, these were on the website. (They are only on for a very limited period of time, so unfortunately they are no longer available). I chose a Mulberry Style Alexa Bag and also adore this bag. The leather is lovely quality and you wouldn't believe how cheap it was becuase the quality is amazing!

I have read lots of hype on the internet about Casestagram Personalised Phone Cases. I chose photos from key and some of my favourite events that have happened to me. Some are the photos are from skiing, meeting Union J, meeting the Script, Paris, Florida, my gorgeous doggy, my funny cat and various concerts and trips to London with my best friend Lauren. I love how no one in the world has this case and it is completely unique.

 



For Christmas this year my sister and I bought each other Pandora charms. She bought me the little Fairy Tale book and it is a lovely edition to my bracelet.

This was my main present from my grandparents. They bought my sister and I a laptop each. We are both coming to stages in our school life where it is more of a necessity. I am about to start my first year of college and soon Annabelle will be doing her GCSE's. It is such an amazing laptop and it does everything I could possibly need!

 



 

 I would class myself as quite a musical person. I sing, I am grade 5 piano and grade 3 flute and recorder. I have always wanted to play a stringed instrument so Mum and Dad figured that a Ukulele is a good place to start. Within an hour I had it tuned and had learnt 4 chords and I can't wait to keep learning.

 

As I mentioned at the very beginning of this post I was waiting for my Godparents to arrive. Well I am now writing this a good 12 hours later! My very generous Godparents bought me a Pandora Bus Charm and a MAC Pigment in Tan. A review of the pigment will follow soon.

 

If you have made it to the end- well done! This is such a long post! I hope you enjoyed reading about what I received for Christmas and had a lovely day yourself.

 

Eleanor

xox 



My Christmas Wishlist

1. Rose Gold Star Necklace, 2. Mac Pigment in Tan, 3. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Perfume, 4. Origins Gin Zing Moisturiser, 5. Pandora Camera Charm, 6. Alpha H Liquid Gold, 7. Nars Guy Bourdin One Night Stand Palette, 8. American Apparel Easy Jean

 

Hi Ladies!

 

Recently I have had so little time for blogging, but I thought I would put together a Christmas Wishlist as I did one last year. The bits above are things I have had my eyes on for a while and Christmas is the perfect excuse to ask for them!

 

1. This was mentioned by FleurDeForce in her Christmas Gift Guide. She is selling these beautiful rose gold star necklaces on her online store. Unfortunately, I have just found out that they are out of stock, I doubt she will be stocking any more before Christmas, but as soon as she does, I will get my mitts on  one!

 

2. I have never tried any MAC Pigments before but I have heard wonderful things about them. Tan is a lovely rose gold shade (can you see a theme here) that I think will be very festive and work well with my complexion.

 

3. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle is a perfume that I have lusted after for God knows how long. I have my prom coming up next year, and I really want to wear this perfume for the occasion.

 

4.  I have tried quite a few Origins products and have loved most of them. There is so much hype surrounding the Gin Zing Moisturiser at the moment, and I am almost certain that it will work well with my skin type. It is an oil free gel moisturiser which is great if you have oily skin like me!

 

5. For my birthday my friends bought me a Pandora Bracelet. I have a few charms and I would really like to continue adding them. I think this charm is adorable, but I really am not fussy: I love them all!

 

6.  Alpha H Liquid Gold is another product that I have wanted for ages. Everyone raves about it and  I am really hoping this product will transform my skin for next year.

 

7. Oh my. If you haven't seen this palette where have you been?! I really regret not buying one when they first came out because this palette is now out of stock (is exclusive to Space NK). I am praying that they come back in stock before Christmas!

 

8. I could really do with a new pair of jeans. American Apparel are well known for their Easy Jeans. I suppose I will need to try them on, so maybe this will need to be a present I buy for myself...

 

Have a lovely December.

 

Eleanor

xxx



Review | Maybelline Baby Lips

 

The Maybelline Baby Lips are no secret in the blogger world. They have taken the world by storm and every one and their mother (including mine) are talking about them! The funny thing is, this review is a year late. I bought my four when I was in Florida exactly this time last year. I was planning on doing a post then, but I figured the majority of my followers are British and they wouldn't want to read about how great a product is when the can't their hands on them!

I love these little tubes of goodness. The colour range is average, but in fairness, Maybelline have covered all bases. They are sheer balms and aren't in the slightest bit sticky. The colour pay off is great and they are brilliant for every day wear. My most worn colour is the red shade- Cherry Me.
They are all incredibly moisturising and keep chapped lips at bay- which are rather common around this time of year.

Overall I would recommend them to anyone looking for the perfect every day lip colour. They are available from Boots and Superdrug for £2.99.

Eleanor

xox

Paris Haul | City Pharma, Sephora, MAC, Rituals & Thomas Sabo

Hi Ladies, or should I say Bonjour? I have recently returned from my long weekend in Paris and thought I would share with you my purchases. I made a wishlist of things I had my eye on, which you can find here and I can safely say I bought everything I wanted and more! I'm not going to go into much detail about each products as reviews will be following shortly. I have been suffering with a bit of 'bloggers block' as of late; but I have got the bug again!!

The first thing products are from Rituals, which is a brand I had only really heard of because Fleur was raving about the Honey Touch Body Cream. Curiosity reached the better of me, so I dragged my Mum into the store at the airport to have a whiff. The lady who worked there was absolutely delightful and I think definitely sold the products! We immediately fell in love with the scent of the Honey Touch and also bought the Touch of Happiness Body Cream as there was a deal which was if you bought two Body Creams you got a free shower foam- we chose the Happy Buddha Shower Foam. Purchase 1 made and we weren't even out of the country!

Body Creams: £12.50 each

Shower Cream: usually £5.40

 

The second purchase was made in the Champs-Élysées MAC store. I hadn't intended on buying anything from MAC, but in the end I couldn't resist! I bought two new eyeshadow pans for my palette in the shades: Satellite Dreams and Satin Taupe.



Palette Refills: €13 each (£11)



Next is Makeup Forever Smokey Lash Mascara. The Sephora on the Champs-Élysées is not only next door to MAC, but is absolutely huge! I didn't know where to start! I knew there was a chance of me spending a hell of a lot of money in there if I browsed too much, so I headed straight to what I went in there to get. I'll let you know how I get on with it!
Makeup Forever Smokey Lash Mascara: €20.90 (£18)

I'll next move onto my bits from City Pharma. These are the things I was most excited to purchase. I knew I wanted to go to City Pharma, as I am well aware it is the best value pharmacy. It took us a while to find it (including a night of hoofing around Saint Germain, only to find we'd had literally only just missed the turning)! But we finally found it- and I fell in love...
I'll quickly whizz through what I got by brand:
I firstly purchased the two pack 500ml normal Bioderma Micellar Water  as no beauty blogger would go to Paris and return home without it. I also picked up a 250ml Bioderma Sebium Micellar Water which is formulated for oily skin. I then bought Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner on recommendation of Lisa Eldrige. I then repurchased a 30ml bottle of Caudalie Beauty Elixir and also from Caudalie, Zoe spoke about the Caudalie Vinoperfect Enzymatic Peel Mask. I picked up another mask which is the Ducray Triple Action Mask. Another must for me was the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm: a beauty blogger cult favourite, and I can now see why! I then bought the La Roche Possay Effaclar Duo Moisturiser which I have very high hopes for. And finally I got a La Roche Possay Thermal Spring Water Spray.
Bioderma Micellar Water 2x500ml pack: €15.50 (£9.50)
Bioderma Sebium Micellar Water 250ml: €5.95 (£5)
Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner: €11.30 (£9.70)
Caudalie Beauty Elixir: €7.99 (£6.88)
Caudalie Vinoperfect Enzymatic Peel Mask: €19.90 (£17)
Ducray Triple Action Mask: €8.90 (£7.60)
Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm: €6.90 (£5.90)
La Roche Possay Effaclar Duo Moisturiser €9.40 (£8.10)
La Roche Possay Thermal Spring Water Spray €5.99 (£5)

I then bought a Thomas Sabo Eiffel Tower charm for my bracelet, so that I will always have a lovely memento from my amazing trip to Paris!
Thomas Sabo Eiffel Tower Charm: €24 (£20)

I hope you enjoyed this haul!
Eleanor
xox

Paris Wishlist

Next Wednesday, my family and I are travelling to Paris for a 4 day break. I am so excited, as I have never been to Paris, and what with it being the city of love and a renowned shopping paradise: what girl wouldn't be excited?! I've put together a little wishlist of products that have a lot of hype surrounding them, that I am hoping to pick up whilst in Paris.

1. Bioderma Sensibio H2O- This product needs no introduction, so I'm not going to give it one. Every beauty blogger, makeup artist, model etc have tried and loved or at least heard of Bioderma. Whilst it is becoming more readily available throughout the UK, I have refrained from buying it, as there nothing quite buying it in a little French Pharmacy! Also, it is so much cheaper in Europe!

2. Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner- I don't know much about other Bioderma products, but on Lisa Eldridge's French Skincare video, she mentioned this product and how it is excellent for oily skin. It is supposed to be a 'moisturiser' which perfects your skin. Airbrushing your pores and keeping skin oil free for longer. Sounds right up my street!

3. Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel- I'm unsure whether I am going to buy this out in Paris. It's a product that I have always lusted after but I can get it very easily in the UK, and you don't save that much money by buying it abroad. I'm unsure. Maybe I'll see how many pennies I have left at the end of our trip...

4. Ducray Keracnyl Triple Action Mask- For a relatively cheap product, I have heard amazing things about this mask. I am willing to try anything that promises perfect skin, so I will be sure to pick this up.

5. La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo- I really can't wait to try this. Everyone seems to be raving about it lately and to me, it looks very promising! This is a spot treatment/ all over moisturiser that is formulated especially for blemished skin that is going to help achieve an all over better complexion.

6. Makeup Forever Smokey Lash Mascara- This is something you cannot easily get your hands on in the UK and I have heard amazing things about it, so I will be sure to pick one up when I nip into a Sephora.

7. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Lipsticks in Pink in Paris & Corale Intuitive- I know you can get these easily in the UK too, but I love the name of the first lipstick, it's very fitting! I also really like the colour of the second one.

8. Embryolisse- Like Bioderma, this is another cult French Skincare product. I did think this would be to thick and heavy for my oily skin, but I found out it is for all skin types. It makes a brilliant makeup base and will banish any dry patches which I am prone to when the winter months hit.

9. Caudalie Enzymatic Peel Face Mask- I am imagining this will be similar to the REN Glycolactic Radience Renewal Mask. Whilst I loved the idea of the REN mask, when I was sent a sample of it, as much as I liked using it, I didn't notice a difference in my skin. I am hoping that this Caudalie mask is going to be my holy grail mask.

10. Caudalie Beauty Elixer- I have used and loved this before. I have a review of it which you can read here. I have recently finished my bottle so I am definitely picking up the large one!

11. Thomas Sabo Eiffel Tower Charm- I have had a Thomas Sabo bracelet for about 4 years and haven't worn it for the past year really. This past week I have rediscovered it and fallen back in love with my charm bracelet. I located a store in the heart of Paris and will be sure to purchase this gorgeous little charm as a memory!

When creating my wishlist, I managed to leave off the Vicky Idealia BB Cream and Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm. Again, two very hyped about products that I cannot wait to try!

 

Have you ever been to Paris? Do you have any recommendations?

 

Eleanor

xxx

Review | MAC Lipstick in Rebel

 

MAC Rebel Lipstick is probably one of my favourite lipsticks of all time. Whilst it is quite a daring colour if you only really dabble with brighter lipsticks, it is still a beautiful shade that I adore wearing throughout the year.

I received it as a Christmas present from my little sister, and I really didn't expect to wear it as much in the hotter months as I do. I kind of thought that a dark plum colour would be quite festive, but I really have found it wearable during the summer time.

 

Rebel is described as a Midtonal Cream Plum on the MAC website, but personally I think when its on the lips, it is just a very bright pink. It looks incredibly dark in the tube, but that's not how it transfers onto the lips.

It is a Satin Finish, which means it has a very smooth, slightly glossy look when on the lips.

Staying power is great with this lipstick. I have worn it out many times, and even though it does wear off after time, you are left with lovely 'berry' stained lips.

 

Overall I really do love this lipstick, and really do recommend it if you are looking for a very versatile lip colour.

 

Just an additional note: I haven't bought a MAC Lipstick for a while, and has anyone else noticed that the prices have creeped up to £15!!! I use to pay £13.50 when I first started buying MAC Lipsticks!

 

Eleanor

xxx

 

 

Work Experiece Outfits

Hi Ladies. A few weeks ago I went on a work experience placement to a local newspaper. I had a really wonderful time and loved every minute of it. I took a picture each day of my outfits, as I wanted to share it with you- and I haven't done a fashion post for so long! Excuse the bad quality of the photos, they were taken on my iPhone! I hope you enjoy the post!

Day 1

 

 

Top: Topshop

Skirt: Topshop

Cardigan: Topshop

Sandals: New Look

Necklace: Tiffany & Co

Watch: Michael Kors

 

Day 2

 

 

Top: Topshop

Trousers: Primark

Cardigan: Topshop

Shoes: New Look

Necklace: Tiffany & Co

Watch: Michael Kors

 

Day 3

 

 

Shirt: Topshop

Skirt: M&S

Cardigan: Topshop

Shoes: New Look

Necklace: Accessorize

Watch: Michael Kors

 

Day 4

 

 

Shirt: Miss Selfridge

Skirt: H&M

Cardigan: Topshop

Shoes: Newlook

Necklace: Tiffany & Co

Watch: Michael Kors

 

Day 5

 

 

Top: New Look

Trousers: Primark

Cardigan: Topshop

Shoes: New Look

Necklace: Tiffany & Co

Watch: Michael Kors

 

I wore roughly the same makeup everyday, only really switching up my lip colour:

 

 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Primer

Chanel Vitalumier Aqua Foundation

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Bourjois Cream Blush in Healthy Glow

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer

Sleek Brow Kit in Dark

MUA Eye Primer

MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters

MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

Clarins Lip Perfector in 05 / Revlon Lip Gloss in Kiss Me Coral

 

 

Eleanor

xxx



My Favourite Pink Nail Polishes & Summer Picks

 

Hi Ladies. With Summer basically upon us, (not that you would know it with the rubbish weather in the UK) I thought I would show you my favourite pink nail varnishes that are also great picks for those warmer days when you are looking for a pop of colour on your nails.

 

Sinful Colours- Orange Cream

When in my local Boots, I was originally looking for Barry M Peach Melba; for some reason all Barry M nail polishes were out of stock, something to do with a faulty batch. So the next brand I immediately looked at was Sinful Colours. I found a colour almost identical to Peach Melba and bought it without hesitation. The formula is lovely, and I wore it for three days without a top coat and it didn't chip at all!

 

OPI- It's All Greek To Me

I bought this in Target in Florida, (sighs longingly) and wore it nearly everyday whilst I was there. It is the most gorgeous pink. One coat is enough for an opaque covering. The photo above doesn't really do it justice as it is so much prettier in person. I highly recommend this polish, not just for the colour, but the formula and finish is bar none.

 

Essie- Fiji

I managed to grab this on my Boots advantage card. It is a classic, effortless colour and is so easy to pull off. It compliments almost all skin tones and is the perfect nude without being to white. It looks very elegant too.

 

Barry M- Flamingo

Flamingo is a bright coral- pink. Again, it is very flattering, and for £2.99 you can't really go wrong. It is one of my go-to summer colours that I rely on again and again for a bright pop of colour on my nails. The formula is alright, once you try higher end nail varnishes, Barry M doesn't seem like the be all and end all, like it use to in my very early teens. But as I said, for the money, it's great!

 

Models Own- Soda Pop Pink

I bought this at The Clothes Show back in December for around £2 on a whim, and had never used it until about 3 months ago. I would describe it as a dusty rose pink colour. Different to your usual pastel pink- just slightly darker. I think its a little more subtle as its not as bright as in your face as some baby pinks. The formula is again alright with this, and it smells pretty awful, but I paid a minimal price for it, so I really can't complain!

 

What are your favourite nail polishes for Summer?

 

Eleanor

xxx