Achievements for 2015

Christmas is now over and now the new year is fast approaching, time to reflect on the things i've achieved this year! A lot has changed for me over this last year and I couldn't be more excited for what the future holds!

University ~ As you may have realised I was lucky enough this year to be accepted into university, applying for uni was legit the most stressful time of my life, the whole application process was completely long... my personal statement was stress! But hey ho I was lucky to receive offers from all of my choices..and I am now there studying my dream subject INTERIOR DESIGN!

Passing my driving test ~ The day after my 18th Birthday I had my driving test, so being legally able to drink on my birthday I barely had a drop of alcohol maybe one mojito or two! I partied on the day after my birthday and had a small gathering at the casino! That day could of went one or two ways either drinking myself silly if I failed my test or success drinking because I passed my test, luckily I passed,  FIRST TIME! My only tip for learning to drive is chewing gum.. having chewing gum when you are learning to drive and when you have your test is the key to success.

Turning 18 ~ So this year was the year I became legal... I swear I went out more when I didn't have my own ID and used fake ID to get into clubs! Now I'm totally a Granny i'd rather opt for my PJ's and a Cuppa than being in a hot box sweaty club.. it's a no from me!

Get aways ~ Olu Deniz, Turkey is always a win win for me it is such a beautiful place and the boutique hotel I stay in 'The Jade' is totally lush and I have the most amazing time every time I go back there! This year I also went camping... me camping? where's my lipstick wheres my glamour? I couldn't believe myself that I went camping for two nights, and actually totally loved it! All my family and friends were so shocked that I actually lasted the two nights! One thing I loved about camping was I turned my phone off for the time I camped or glamped so I was completely away from social media, and had some quality family time! Love it! I will definitely be doing it again the fairy lights, toasted marshmallows and camp fire.. were just what I imagined picture perfect and more!

Starting my blog ~ Last but not least I finally started my blog to start with this was purely for uni, however I think that kind of went out the window and I have a bit of a beauty/everything blog going on, so thankful to my friend Jas for helping me start this! My first post was the 24th October! I'm absolutely loving it reviewing products and giving people advice is so amaze! I'm so thankful to you guys that actually take time out to read it!

2016..... bigger and better things to come!


Hope you guys have an amazing new year please feel free to leave comments on your achievements for this year or your aspirations for 2016 i'd love to know!


                                                        Lots of Love as always
                                                       
                                                                   Ellie xx

MAC Sin Lipstick

First of all i'd like to apologise that i'm still yet to do swatches on my MAC Rebel, i've been super busy with preparation for christmas and i'm still yet to wrap any presents! Eek! With shopping for others over the christmas period I can't help but treat myself one for you one for me and all that... So after seeing MAC Sin on a MUA's Instagram I couldn't help myself but conveniently walk past the MAC Store and accidentally on purpose get this shade. 

MAC Sin, Is a matte finish which is something i've been looking for, for ages now if you follow my blog you would of seen that i've been purchasing quite a lot of vampy shades over the past few months however these have all been satin finishes, and i've desperately been in need of a matte finish, Sin is a deep burgundy shade with a brown undertone. This is a definitely going to be my go to lipstick for a while its totally lush and with it being matte it does last longer too!

What shades are you currently wearing?


                                                               Ellie x
   

Highlighting using Urban Decay Products

As I haven't yet swatched my MAC 'Rebel' lipstick I thought a post was long overdue, I decided this morning to take a few pictures as I began to do my makeup, I'm frequently being asked by people what I use to highlight so I thought what better thing to do a post on... here goes. 

After applying my MAC Studio Sculpt foundation I then immediately begin to contour and highlight my face, It changes on a daily basis what I do start with first whether it be contouring or highlighting. 

The products I use for highlighting are both Urban Decay Products, which I will link in at the bottom of this post. 

Naked Concealer in shade light warm, although
I didn't really get on well with the Naked
 foundation I think the concealer is amazing!   

 1To Start with I begin to draw a triangle starting from the side
of my nose which then reaches in line with the top of my ear. 

2 I then take my real technique brushes and begin to blend
the product using circular motions until it is completely blended. 

3 After blending in the concealer I then take my Naked illuminated powder
 in shade Luminous. As you receive a brush with this product it's so convenient
 rather than hunting in your make up bag to find a brush. I gently dab a little bit
across my cheek bone as the product is so shimmery I do tend to blend
 it with my real technique brush again. 

4 My finished look. 

Products I have used in this post. 

http://www.urbandecay.co.uk/whats-new/blogger-faves/naked-concealer

http://www.urbandecay.co.uk/naked/naked-complexion/naked-illuminated-powder

http://www.superdrug.com/Real-Techniques/Real-Techniques-Core-Collection/p/641056#.VnHhgYR3bow

What products do you use to highlight? 

                    

                                                          Ellie x x 

MAC Taupe Lipstick & Spice Lip Pencil

As promised, regular posts now begin! Yesterday I decided to go into MAC and treat myself! As i've worked hard over this semester at uni, so what better way to treat yourself than a bit of MAC retail therapy. 

If you have read my previous posts you may have seen that i've been after another nude/browny colour other than my favourite Velvet Teddy! So I opted for Taupe, I was instantly drawn to Taupe so I had to buy, the colour is simply lush! I then paired the product with Spice lip pencil. Like most of my Lipsticks, Taupe is a Matte finish. As I normally pair my Velvet Teddy with a darker drugstore Lip Pencil I do feel that 'Taupe' is basically the colour I achieve when I wear my Velvet Teddy, just a tad darker. Spice Liner I do feel is a perfect match to Taupe I do feel like you could match Spice with other products too like Velvet Teddy. Personally I do prefer to have my lip liner a tad darker than my actual lipstick so I do think i'll be purchasing a darker shade to wear with my Taupe lipstick! Other than that I am totally in love with the colour! 

Taupe Lipsitck - £15.50 

Spice Lip Pencil - £12.50 

I almost forgot to mention my auntie has finally managed to track down MAC Rebel! So my next post will be a review of that product when I finally get it off her! 

Whats your favourite MAC Lipstick? 

                                                                  Ellie x x 

My Christmas Wishlist 2015

So I haven't blogged for over a week now, shocking I know.. my deadline day for uni was today and my first semester is officially over eek uni is going so fast already! Now that I have quite a lot of free time on my hands until the beginning of January hopefully I will be blogging a lot more and will finally set up a schedule for regular blog posts to go up throughout the upcoming year that's my new years resolution sorted already ha! 

I can now finally get into the christmas spirit and enjoy family time, exciting! So I thought what better way than to start with my christmas wish list! 

Cosmopolitan Magazine Subscription | Cosmo is legit my fave ever mag to read I find myself often reading half an article and shouting 'I hear you sister' I think every girl can relate to some of their articles, i've had a subscription with cosmo for over 2 years and its due to run out in the new year absolutely can't express how much I love this mag!

http://www.hearstmagazines.co.uk/cosmopolitan-magazine-offers

MAC Strobe Cream | I've heard nothing but good reviews about this product, a few months ago I saw a makeup artist that I follow rave on about this product, and ever since I've wanted to get my hands on it! It helps freshen dull and tired skin which is all I need after this long semester, seriously guys I can't wait to get hold of this!  

http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/178/364/Products/Skincare/Moisturisers/Strobe-Cream/index.tmpl  

MAC Gold Deposit | I've had this product for so long and i'm still so in love with it! A makeup artist recommended it to me around 8 months ago after my MAC 'Golden Bronze' loose powder ran out and unfortunately they discontinued it! This is always a heartache when you've grown to love a product for so long! This product is so amazing to highlight with along the cheekbones I always receive compliments wearing this, however my one is nearly coming to the end of its life as I use it on a daily basis so what better chance to get a top up on your favourite product than christmas! http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/products/spp/shaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT159&PRODUCT_ID=PROD30735&SKU_ID=SKU55527

MAC Heroine Lipstick | MAC Heroine is my signature lipstick so need I say more! http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/products/spp/shaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT168&PRODUCT_ID=PROD310&SKU_ID=SKU51826

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Cream Kit (medium) | Iv'e longed for this product for near enough a year now but I can't justify at the minute spending so much when I can near enough buy three MAC lipsticks for this price, however it is an investment so I might just have to!  My auntie recently purchased the powder contour kit and she has none stop raved about it so I just totally need this product! I'm more of a cream contour girl than a powder I think you personally just have to choose which is best for you! Also one of my flatmates just purchased the exact contour kit that I want in my colour too so I'm totally surrounded by this contour kit at the minute and completely jealous! Please Santa ha! 

http://www.beautybay.com/cosmetics/anastasiabeverlyhills/proseriescontourcreamkitmedium?utm_source=google%2Bshopping&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=shopping%2Bfeed&selectedSku=ANAS0086F&ctyid=gb&gclid=Cj0KEQiA-ZSzBRDp3ITHm5KO_JYBEiQA1JjHHGsnO2eCTVz3wfvNDetCoE_jmYbfOmtii4BXldMXPuMaAsz98P8HAQ

Chloe Eau De Parfum | My signature fragrance I can't actually describe how much i'm in love with this fragrance it's my favourite by far, I ran out not to long ago and its safe to say my life has been dull since I finished it, I often find myself trying to pump one last spray of it! 

http://www.boots.com/en/Chloé-Eau-de-Parfum-30ml_118730/?cm_mmc=bmm-_-google-_-PLAs-_-Boots%20Shopping%20-%20Category%20-%20Fragrance

Naked Palette 2 | I'm all for golden tones when I do push the boat out and do my eye makeup and this palette just look absolutely lush! People are forever going on about the 'Naked Eye Palette's' and I do really want to give them a go they look lush! Even my younger sister has this palette! what's that all about? she's beat me to it! 

http://www.urbandecay.co.uk/holiday-2015/nothing-but-naked/naked-2-palette?gclid=Cj0KEQiA-ZSzBRDp3ITHm5KO_JYBEiQA1JjHHCYg8PVKOKJ6dFZL4sGZuMOpLY_usdirdXgtMFrTfwcaAqAY8P8HAQ

Apple iPad Mini 4  (Gold) | I've wanted an iPad mini for so long now even more so since going to uni I think its a really cool way to be able to present your work, and also as i'm living away carrying an iPad to and from home is so much easier than carrying my Macbook everywhere it's just so much more convenient for me! I also find myself either using my Macbook to do uni work or to watch TV I can't do two at the same time unfortunately so an iPad will be much more easier for me to watch TV on and to do work on my Macbook, and much more homely with a mock TV on in the background! 

http://www.apple.com/uk_edu_109673/shop/buy-ipad/ipad-mini-4

Intuos Draw White Pen Small Tablet | I've wanted one of these tablets for so long now and I think its even more the need for me to have one since I started uni, I recently purchased the Adobe suite package, so this would be handy for programmes like illustrator and photoshop! 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/intuos-draw-white-pen-small-tablet-a72ua

 Whats on your wishlist this christmas? 

                                                                Ellie x x 

   

 

Uni life and Deadline Day ...

I'm currently still in bed at 4:27pm... Today I opted for a day to finally chill out and relax with the occasional thought of maybe cleaning and doing laundry... so far not successful, however the reason for my complete none movement today which I think I deserve the luxury of chilling out and not doing anything is the following...

These last few days have been seriously hectic, not with going out and partying like the stereotypical student I should be! No I actually have been doing uni work non stop for the last 5 days and a lot of it to be precise, as deadline days approach the stress levels rise, and this being my first uni assignment to hand in I think adds added pressure, deadline day is just over a week away so i've still got plenty of time to do things however I don't want to be seriously stressing out, thinking about how much work I have to do so I have decided to plan out my days and write down what I have to do on each day... much more successful than cramping everything in last minute than I usually tend to do. Although I will find myself stressing in the last few days I will hopefully be less stressed!

As these days approach I think we have to tell ourselves to chill out, and that everything will be okay so stop stressing as long as we have tried our best then stop beating ourselves up about it (mentally not physically). I am a strong believer of 'Everything happens for a reason' and so far in life this has been the case for me! But we are all human and we do tend to stress much more than necessary. So here is a a few thing to do and take into consideration as deadline days or exam days approach.

1) Plan your days leading up to your deadline or exam, make a list and note down things you need to do for each day, this way you have set goals and know what you need to achieve on the day 'for example yesterday I decided I had to have my final design completed' which I did manage to achieve.

2) Switch up what you are doing throughout the day for example as I am doing a creative course things can get repetitive and boring if you are constantly doing the same thing so I tend to do something creative and then do an hour of research for example, in other cases maybe change the topic you are revising.

3) Take regular breaks that way you are more committed in doing the work you have set yourself for example grab a tea or coffee or maybe go out for lunch with a friend and then tell yourself what time you have to be back by to continue with your work.

4) Have a playlist that you enjoy listening to or a TV show on in the background that way I personally feel I am more motivated to do work if something I enjoy is on in the background.

5) Finally have something to look forward to when deadline day or exams are over, mine is going home to see my family for christmas and doing some much deserved shopping!


                                                       Ellie x

MAC 'Hang-Up' Lipstick & 'Vino' Lip Pencil Review

After trying to find the shade 'Rebel' for weeks, numerous trips to my nearest MAC store and no success on purchasing it as it was unfortunately sold out on each occasion! I gave up and just got a similar shade, not quite 'Rebel' but it will do, I decided on 'Hang-Up' and lip Pencil 'Vino' as a MAC Makeup Artist who I follow did a swatch on the product a few weeks ago and I instantly fell in love and realised that it's as close to 'Rebel' as i'm going to get at the moment! I was also desperately in need of a deep colour for the weekend and just decided to go for it! 

What a great choice that was! I'm absolutely in love with this colour, the finish is rather glossy than more of a matte finish that i'm used to. In order to achieve the true shade you do need to apply quite a few coats to build up the colour, like all my MAC lipsticks the colour did last all night and did not need reapplying, however i'm quite paranoid when it comes to my lipstick looking perfect so I do tend to reapply when it's not exactly necessary. Moving on the 'Vino' lip pencil I do think it was rather a good match for this lipstick, also as this was my first buy of a MAC lip pencil, safe to say I was impressed and I will be buying more in the future, especially as I now have a gift card for MAC what better excuse!

I can't wait to wear this shade again! However I do feel it's more of an evening or occasion colour than an everyday shade, as the winter days are upon us, you may have seen in my previous post that I was trying to go back to my daring ways of wearing a statement lip on a daily basis but with constant early mornings at university I do find myself reaching for my trusty 'Velvet Teddy' so I think my next MAC purchase will more than likely be another neutral colour for my everyday look.


MAC 'Hang-UP' Lipstick - £15.50
MAC 'Vino' Lip Pencil - £12.50

What shades do you guys recommend?


                                                           Ellie x

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation Review

So after using MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation for roughly a month now, I don't think i'll be changing anytime soon! The coverage is to die for and is nowhere near as heavy as the studio fix fluid I was using for so long. Recently i've enjoyed contouring too add more structure to my face and highlighting across my cheekbones and nose as of my long inherited asian nose! So I needed to ensure I had a foundation that would blend easy with the products I currently use to contour and highlight.  The shade I use in Studio Sculpt is NC30 which compliments my tan nicely! Previously mentioning the price, in a previous post I do think it is affordable retailing at £25.50 and you don't need to apply much to get a full coverage finish which I am constantly looking for, also comparing it back to the Studio Fix Fluid, I do think you get less waste with this product as the packaging you can squeeze it out rather than having to get it out of a bottle! Which is another con of the Studio Fix Fluid you have to buy a pump to use with the foundation as you will find you will waste a lot without one! So overall I have definitely been converted to the Studio Sculpt Foundation!

What are your thoughts on this foundation?


                                                          Ellie x

3 cities, one weekend...

So this weekend has been an extremely busy one... from Bristol to Birmingham to London twice,back 

to Birmingham and then finishing off in Bristol for a busy week of work! Safe to say I don't think I know what sleep is anymore.

Birmingham enabled me to catch up with some of the most amazing friends, and to finally be pampered i.e having my lashes and nails done and actually being able to have a bath! Thats one of the things I miss with living in uni accom, so having a bath is actually a privilege now. Going back to Birmingham is always a blast recently as not living there anymore has made me realise how much of a good city it actually is! I think sometimes you do take your city for granted when you're there 24/7! 

This weekend also allowed me to check out the new look for the Mailbox which I thought was quite disappointing considering how long they've spent redoing it! I was expecting better things from it personally and do feel its quite 'plain' to what I was expecting, however the added bonus is they now actually have a roof on the mailbox, so no more dodging the rain! I do hope that as more retail outlets open within the Mailbox I will grow to like it, although I did go quite late on the evening so I suppose its rather bias...moving on I also checked out Malmaison which also has a new look that I'm loving! The cocktails are always good there, so a few cheeky mojitos did go down quite nicely!

London! Two visits in one weekend, London is always amazing I spent my time in Kensington which is lush, the houses in Central London are to die for! One day.. fingers crossed one will be mine! (keep dreaming) Driving through Central London I couldn't help notice the magnificent Harvey Nichols window display! I do feel London do spend more effort on their window displays to other cities! Probably as its the Capital..but I was memorised by all of the window displays especially by night! London certainly doesn't sleep 1am and it was still so busy which is lovely to see, I do however think the more prestige shops should stay open 24 hours in London, as everything is much nicer on the night! 2016 i'll be visiting London a lot more as studying Interior Design  London does offer some amazing interiors... which I'm excited to explore in the next coming months.

My weekend finished off back in Bristol for a busy week of uni as deadline days get closer! It's nice to see that Harvey Nichols have launched their Window Display for Christmas.. not quite as flamboyant as the London Harvey Nics! But still amazing, also Bristols German Market has opened this week which looks rather nice, so I'm sure i'll be checking that out in the next few weeks! Although i'm going to the Birmingham German Market this weekend... who knows my next post might be a comparison of the two!

                                                                  Ellie x

New MAC Purchases

Two visits to the MAC store in two days….eek! Now living roughly five minutes away from a MAC store is so bad for my bank balance but beauty costs and all that.

MAC ‘Ruby Woo’ Lipstick 

After previously owning Ruby Woo and unfortunately loosing it in a club a few months back after too many Vodka Oranges, I thought I did need to add a Red Lipstick back to my collection, the last few months I've gone quite neutral with my lipstick choices usually now I do opt for ‘MAC, Velvet Teddy’ rather than going for a statement lip like my ‘MAC- Heroine’ so I thought now was the right time to go back to my bold colours, as I'm getting quite bored of a neutral lip.. although my Velvet Teddy will always be a favourite.. Okay quit waffling on time to get back to Ruby Woo, retailing at £15.50 I do think its worth the price like most of the lipsticks I purchase from MAC they do stay all day, especially the matte finish ones so definitely worth the price! Than purchasing a low end lipstick that you have to keep reapplying throughout the day. Definitely worth the purchase guys. 

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation 

When buying my Lipstick I did ask the lady for a little sample of this as I've heard nothing but good reviews about it and after using my sample I totally fell in love with it. Usually a MAC Studio Fix Fluid type of girl I felt that after over two years of continually purchasing it and wearing it near enough on a daily basis I was totally falling out of love with it, it started to feel extra cakey and did begin to give me a lot of spots, although the coverage was amazing it just wasn't for me anymore. Who knows I may give it another chance in a few months! A few weeks ago I did go out and purchase the ‘NAKED SKIN URBAN DECAY Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup’  foundation… what a mouthful! The first few days I did get on okay with it however I felt that it didn't give the full coverage I wished for and was so used to with the MAC Studio Fix! Also that it did tend to go patchy throughout the day. So now I'm going to give MAC Studio Sculpt a chance and hopefully I get on well with it retailing at £25.50 it is a bit more expensive than the Studio Fix but it does seem worth the extra couple of pound so far… but I’ll keep you all posted! 

                                                                                Ellie x 

The winter months are approaching eek, as much as I love the winter months, jumpers,boots, extra layers and of course the autumn shades of lipstick MAC rebel, to be precise which I'm still struggling to get hold of (not the best MAC store in my new city ‘cries’) I've started reminiscing on how much of an amazing Summer I actually did have, I was lucky enough to go back to my favourite place Olu Deniz which is in Turkey, absolutely love this place! The hotel that I stay in is a boutique hotel ‘The Jade’ I have such a great time when I go back which is normally on a yearly basis, from the cocktails,the weather, surroundings and the people who cant do enough for you,its what I like to call paradise! Luckily I have my summer 2016 holiday booked already. Next year my Dad is treating me to a holiday in Greece for his Birthday along with my immediate family which i’m so looking forward to, i’m really excited to see Greece as a country too as its one I'm yet to go to! I think the break will also be needed as I would of just finished my first year at Uni! 

Ellie x 

Introduction to my Blog Finally!

This is completely new to me guys so bare with me…. I’ve wanted to get into blogging for a while now as its a really cool way to document things. Just starting uni I've had an extra kick to actually start blogging, and my darl of a flatmate Jas has just helped me start my blog finally! What a babe. As of yet I don’t really know what i’ll be blogging but I think it will be mainly beauty, design inspo, travel and anything thats really interesting me at the moment… so we will see how it goes, fingers crossed but I cant wait to actually get into this! 

Ellie x