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