French Fancies

avene eau thermale, caudalie beauty elixir,caudalie divine oil, embryelisse lait-creme concentre, dermablend professional cover creme, bioderma crealine h2o, caudalie grape water.

I decided to create my first little moodboard for my blog with a few of the French skincare products that I have been lusting after. I know that these are all available in the UK but they are SO much cheaper over in the French pharmacies (because they're all French brands). This was just made off the top of my head and there is plenty more on my growing shopping list for when I visit France, not that I have a trip planned!

What French skincare items would you recommend? Are you lusting after any French products?

Eleanor x

Glossybox July 2012

Hello! I received this month's Glossybox yesterday and I have to say, this has been the best one I've had so far (it's only the third) I haven't been too impressed by what I have received from glossybox so far, but this box was much better than the previous two (in my opinion) so here's what I got:

HD Brows Eye and Brow Palette - when I opened my bag and saw a HD Brows compact I didn't want to get too excited, just in case it wasn't the coveted brow palette that all my favourite youtubers and bloggers love so much. I have been wanting to try this out since seeing last September's glossybox videos and posts but haven't been able to get hold of it at all, but I opened the one in my glossybox straight away and IT WAS!! I could hardly believe it, and I'm still so excited about it!! I haven't tried it out yet, but there are 4 shades of powder that can be used on the eyelids or brows. I am so glad to have got this in my box, but I can't help thinking that all the people that received one back in September might be a little disappointed to get the same thing again. For me this was a great product to receive but it's not great of glossybox to be sending out duplicate products...

Clynol Salon Exclusive Enrich Colour Shampoo - this shampoo is for coloured hair which I don't actually have! So I'm not all that excited about this and will probably end up giving it to my mum to try out. It smells so nice, so I might have a look at the rest of their range to see if there is anything I might be more interested in. I am a little disappointed to have received this just because it isn't really much use to me, but it's a brand I've never heard of before and it's always nice to discover new brands!

Monu Spa Golden Glow - this is a bronzing moisturiser that is supposed to develop a natural looking tan in 3-5 hours!! This sounds great!! I can't wait to try this out, it says that it can be used on the body and face but I'm not sure whether it might be too heavy for the skin on my face? We'll have to see. I've never heard of this brand before so I'm really happy to have been sent this, it's looking like a potentially very good new discovery!

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Frosting - such a cute little product, mine came in the flavour irish cream pavlova and it smells wonderful! It does say that this is a multi functional product, but I'll probably stick to using this on my lips, a lovely looking item that I'm very pleased to have received!

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Lotion SPF15 - I must admit, this isn't something that I'm particularly excited about, simply because I'm quite happy with the moisturiser that I'm using at the moment but it's nice to see a more expensive, well known brand in the box!

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing samples - ooh a bonus sample! this was 3 sachet samples from the visible difference skin balancing range from Elizabeth Arden, including the exfoliating cleanser, optimising skin serum and lotion SPF15. A nice little set of products from the range, I'm especially looking forward to trying the serum because I've never tried a serum before!

Overall I'm more pleased with this glossybox than I have been with the last two, there have been a few products that I'm really excited about in this box, and I think glossybox are clawing their way back. They've still got a way to go before I'm singing their praises (maybe I expect too much from them? But last year's boxes were so good!)

What do you think of this month's glossybox? What is your favourite product?
Eleanor x

T.G.I.... W??

Hello! Just a quick outfit of the evening post, I went out for something to eat at T.G.I.Fridays with Matt, my mum and sister this evening and just thought I'd do a quick post with what I wore, it's been nice to be able to wear something summery for a change!

outfit: playsuit - river island, gilet - new look, rose gold bangle - h&m, shoes - deichmann

face: garnier miracle skin perfector daily all-in-one B.B. cream (02light), collection lasting perfection concealer (01fair), vivo baked blush (peaches and cream), the body shop radiant highighter, physician's formula bronze organics (fair skin), HD brows brow beater, revlon grow luscious plumping mascara (001 blackest black), jemma kidd i-glamour define eyeliner (01black).


A small explanation, the lighting is different in the pictures with the gilet on because I was taking pictures in the garden before we went out of my outfit without it on, and then noticed that my next door neighbours (who only moved in at the weekend) were watching me from their upstairs window, so I felt like a right weirdo and took the rest of the pictures after I had got home, so it was a little darker in those ones! (Still pretty good lighting for 9pm though, maybe England is getting a summer afterall!)

Hope everyone else has had a nice evening!
Eleanor x

The past week

Hello! More of an updatey sort of post today, I've got some more interesting ones lined up for the near future! But I haven't had a great deal of time to blog the past week because I've been working soo much, and Matt and I have been trying to make the most of my days off (they're pretty few and far between at the moment)

So last weekend we drove up to Formby where the weather was supposed to be nicer than everywhere else in the North-West! Admittedly it wasn't exactly scorching, but it was nice to just spend some time at the beach, and Formby's particularly nice (maybe because it's a National Trust beach?) with the weathered, sea beaten wooden fences and soft, pebble and sharp-shell free sand. There's also a nice little walk though a wooded area next to the beach which we had a little wander around before we left in the late afternoon/tea time when the weather was quite "balmy" and it was really lovely!

I had another day off yesterday which was great because it's been so sunny and warm! We went on a little walk in the morning around the area that Matt lives and enjoyed our first ever yogberries! I can't believe I haven't had one before, they're delicious!!! Yogberries is a frozen yoghurt shop where you can buy pots of frozen yoghurt (either natural yoghurt or strawberry or chocolate flavour) and add toppings of your choice. There were quite a few different toppings like chopped strawberries, mango, pineapple, kiwi, pomegranate, raspberries, white chocolate buttons, oreos, milk chocolate buttons, marshmallows, and even gummy bears and reese's peanut butter cups! We went for  medium strawberry flavour yoghurt with reeses peanut butter cups and gummy bears, it was actually quite big and there was plenty for the two of us to share and the amount of toppings put on was very generous, I must say! The lovely man who served us also explained that all three flavours of frozen yoghurt were fat free and sugar free, which made us feel much less guilty about the gummy bears! I didn't actually take a picture of our frozen yoghurt, I guess that's an excuse to go back and get some more....

We then went back to Matt's house and spent the afternoon next to the bbq and picking raspberries off a bush in his garden (which tasted very nice!) and then went to a park in the evening to play tennis for a while. Not the most adventurous of days off, but it's been nice to relax and enjoy some sunshine and warmth, not something we experience too often here in the North of England!

I don't plan on doing many of these, it's probably a little bit boring just seeing what I've been getting up to, but this is more of an explanation as to why I haven't blogged this week, but I'll be back posting regularly from now on!

Eleanor x

VIVO Baked Blush Review

Hello! So it's time for my first review! I know I make lots and lots of promises in all my hauls and beauty box posts, to write reviews about many different products and it's taken me quite a while to get around to writing my first! But I feel like product reviews should be quite carefully considered, and I like to use it lots and really form a proper opinion on it before writing about it, rather than using something for the first time and then running off to write a blog post that could turn out to be wrong! I also feel like when I read peoples reviews on their blogs or watch their reviews in youtube videos, I like to know about what they thought about lots of different aspects of the product, and I think things like that you can only really talk about if you've used the product a fair amount!
Anyway, after that ramble, on with the review!

So I picked up this blush a while ago in Tesco, along with a couple of other VIVO makeup products (reviews to follow..) after hearing a little hype surrounding the brand and being made curious as to how good quality a brand that only seems to be stocked by Tesco - a supermarket - could really be... I picked up the shade "peaches and cream" immediately, as I have been searching for a "one true peach" blush, as all the peaches I've bought until now have always turned out more on the orangey side (although still nice). I swatched this one and LOVED the shade immediately, so thought I'd go out on a whim and buy it along with a few other of their products that I liked the swatches of...

Let me start off by saying that I have been so pleasantly surprised by this blush! I absolutely love it! The pigmentation is great, it's really pigmented which is something I wasn't expecting. I tend to just dab my brush on this once or twice rather than swipe or swirl it because it's so pigmented! And I prefer to look like my cheeks have just a natural hint of colour rather than anything too strong, but if you do like a bolder look on your cheeks you can totally achieve that with this too, just put a bit more on! I did this the first time I tried it and the colour showed up really well, the look just wasn't to my taste, but a heavier colour is achievable with this as well as just a light flush, so the colour is easily buildable too! I find that the colour blends really nicely and seemlessly into the cheeks and looks so natural when applied with a light hand. I have also found that the colour lasts all day! I have actually really put this one through its paces, wearing it to 8 hour shifts at work and it looked just as good at the end of my shift as it did at the start! I can hardly believe it! It wears so well, and I've tried it with a couple of different primer and foundation combinations and it has done equally as well with all of them! You get 8g of product which I think is great, and will last me such a long time, especially considering how little of this you need to apply and that you don't need to touch it up either!
Now the colour; this is most definitely, without a doubt the "true peach" that I have been looking for, it looks almost a terracotta orange in the pan, with little streaks of pink and gold swirled through it (not a great description) but when applied on the skin it is a beautiful, natural peachy shade, absolutely gorgeous! I have also noticed that it has a slight sheen to it, not a shimmer though, there are no chunky glitter particles here, and no disco-ball-cheek-effect, just a dewy, natural, glowy sheen. Yes, I just have a way with words, I'm so good at describing, I know, I know hah! Honestly though, I think this is such a beautiful colour! It also doesn't look the slightest bit chalky or powdery which I love because it doesn't look cakey at all, just like a lovely natural peachy flush!
To be honest, I'm not a huge stickler for packaging, I'm not all that high maintenance with what it looks like, as long as the product it's holding is good! (That's not to say I don't enjoy a good bit of pretty packaging) The packaging on this is fine as far as I'm concerned, it's a thick clear plastic, I like being able to see what's inside and it feels very durable. There's no mirror inside but that's not something that I'm too worried about anyway, as you won't need to touch this up on the go because it stays all day!

I'm really really pleased with this blusher, it's just the product I have been looking for! I love the colour, the finish, the staying power and the price! So overall, a product that I would thoroughly recommend! The only negative thing I could say about this is that I don't seem to remember there being a great shade range to choose from, but I really hope they come out with some other colours because I would be buying them straight away! 
Just a quick apology to finish, the photos aren't great because I have been having to use my little digital camera for a while now until I can get another XD card for my SLR. It's not the best at capturing colours and I tried with all sorts or different lighting but hopefully you can get the idea from my little snaps! Also, I'm sorry if this seemed a bit jumbled or anything like that, I still need to get the hang of writing reviews and getting in everything I want to include, so just bare with me on that one!

VIVO Peaches and Cream Baked Blush is available in Tesco stores for £4.

What do you think, have you tried any of the VIVO products? What is your favourite peachy coloured blush?
Eleanor x

Love of the Day: EBay #1

Hello! So I'm doing another of Louise's LOTD posts, last time I did this it was a Tuesday and I wrote about a blog post that I had enjoyed, but Thursdays are EBay days, where you write about a fun/affordable/crazy/brilliant item you've found on EBay!
So today I'm writing about these strange little things that are a new product for me, they're called 'nail decals'...

I found these on EBay whilst searching for various nail art materials to do something a bit different with my nails, rather than just painting them all one plain colour. I stumbled across a seller that was selling loads of different designs at £1.99 for a sheet of 20 of the chosen design (so basically 20 fingers-worth) which I thought was rather inexpensive! So yes, I went a little crazy and got quite a few designs... I couldn't resist! They all looked really cute and like they'd look so cool on your nails!
Here's a couple of close-ups of the designs I got..

music notes, swallows, mustaches, elephants, paw prints (with random chanel designs too..), peace signs and cats!

the colour I'm wearing on my nails is Sally Hansen Diamond
Strength No Chip Nail Colour in25 Princess Pink.

To apply the decals you simply cut around the single one you want, I tend to just cut a rectangle round my chosen design, and then hold it under water for 30 seconds (I filled my bathroom sink with warm water to do this) and then you should be able to slide the clear plastic sheet away from the paper behind it. I then position it on the nail where I want it to stay, and hold it there with my finger for a few minutes. Now, the decal itself isn't actually adhesive, so it will just about stay to your nail, what you then need to do after you've held it on and allowed it to dry off, is paint over it with a clear polish, a top coat or something (I used Sally Hansen Mega Shine Extended Wear Top Coat). Leave that to dry and then they stay put just fine!
I'm not exactly sure how long these stay on for, I've had mine on for 2 days and it's still as it was when I applied it, and it's survived a shift at work with all the grubby coat hangers I have to carry about, and being stabbed with the clothes security pins, so so far they seem to be pretty durable!




You can apply these to clean, unpolished nails, or on top of nail varnish. Obviously because all the designs are black, they are unlikely to show up against a dark colour polish, and rather than wear them on every single nail at once, I have opted for wearing them on just one accent nail, just because I prefer them that way, and it makes them last for longer!


Here is Louise's EBay LOTD post.
The EBay Seller I bought the decals from is called frazerd123.
Hail the Nail is also worth checking out, I'll definitely be buying plenty more of these!


What is your EBay love of the day? Which is your favourite decal design? (I think mine is the elephants!)




Eleanor x

SheSaid Beauty Box July 2012

Hello! So I received my July SheSaid beauty box about a week ago now I think? But I have been a bit slow to post about it because I've been working so much! I'm actually writing this right before I go out to work AGAIN for the 5th day in a row, I'm sure this is meant to be my summer holiday....
Anyway! Enough of that, here's what I got in my box:

Miners Cosmetics Bronzer and Blusher Blend - a full size product, score! I'm excited to try this one out, it doesn't look too dark like it would overpower and look dirty on my pale skin, and I really like that it's a blusher and a bronzer! I'm very pleased to receive this in my box, especially as it's (meant to be) summer, so I've got another bronzer try out! I also think that this looks really pretty with the swirl pattern on the powder, lovely!

The Vintage Cosmetics Company Vintage Eyelash Curler - another full size product! I love the packaging these come in, just as cute as the Vintage Cosmetics False Eyelashes I received in my May She Said Beauty box! I'm looking forward to trying these out and seeing the sort of effect they have on my lashes, fingers crossed it'll be a good response!

Murad Time Release Blemish Cleanser - yet another full size product! This is an anti-ageing and blemish reducing, cleansing product, I'd probably be a bit more excited about this if it wasn't anti-ageing, just because I'm only 19 and I don't really want to start with all that yet. I'm not sure I'll be trying this one out, just because of the anti-ageing thing, maybe I'm just being silly, but I do love that they've put in another full size product and it's a brand that I wouldn't have thought to try or have heard very much about before!

Stylefile S-file - and another full size product! shesaid have really outdone themselves this time! I don't clip my nails, I only ever file them, so this should come in handy! I wonder whether how it will compare to my old faithful boots essentials naile files...

Freeze 24.7 Ice Crystals Anti-Ageing Prep&Polish - this was a teeny tiny little sample sachet, which I didn't mind at all because of all the other full size products in the box. Again, it's another anti-ageing product, so I'm not really excited about this, it sounds a little scary too, described as "a powerful resurfacing cocktail" I tend to go for very gentle and natural products to use on my face and this sounds like it could be really quite harsh! I am slightly enticed by the promise of "a fresh new glow" because that's something I'm always searching for! But in all honesty I think I'll be giving this one a miss because it sounds a bit harsher than the sort of thing I'd want to be putting on my face, but again, this is another brand I've never heard of, so might have a look if they have anything more to my taste on offer!

I also received a Debenhams Beauty Club Reward Card in my box (Debenhams is a department store in the UK) which I thought was a little bit weird actually, but anyway...

So overall, not my favourite box from SheSaid Beauty, but still a good box nonetheless! Has anyone else subscribed to SheSaid Beauty Box?
Eleanor x

August Magazine Freebies!

Hello! I can't believe it, the first week of July has gone already, and this means 2 things to me: 1. it's halfway through my summer already! and 2. it's magazine week! I look forward to, and dread magazine week at the same time, whilst I love seeing what's featured this month and looking through all the new pretty pictures, magazines are getting bloody expensive! I actually cringe when I get to the checkout with my magazines now when the total comes to over £20, that's a lot of money for some monthly reading! So anyway, I've decided not to buy particular magazines every month just out of habit, but only buy them when they're featuring something I'm interested in, boring, I know, but I need to start saving some more money, I'm a student!
This month's magazines have been particularly exciting, mainly because of the great freebies that have come with all of them, which is exactly what I'm here to write about!

Free in Glamour magazine (£2): one of four different balance Me. sample size products including, daily essentials 
pure skin face wash skin-balancing cleanser, extra care wonder eye cream, daily essentials balancing face moisturiser and treatments rose otto intensive lip salve.

Free in Marie Claire magazine (£3.70): one of three different full size Avon mascaras including, super extend extreme mascara, super curlacious mascara, and super shock max mascara.

Free in ELLE magazine (£3.90): one of two different sample size St. Tropez gradual tan everyday moisturiser in either light medium or medium dark.

 Free in Harper's Bazaar (£4.20): one of two different half size Neom organic hand cream including, inspiration violet chamomile and cedarwood, and complete bliss moroccan blush rose.

Free in Red magazine (£3.90): Ren clean skincare sample set including veitiver v7 hand and body cream, active 7 radiant eye gel, and hydra-calm global protection day cream.

I've been so impressed with this month's magazine freebies, and yes, I did buy some duplicate magazines just so that I could collect some of the different freebies, but why not?! It's a great opportunity to try new products for free, and the cost of a duplicate magazine is up to £4.20, which is cheaper than buying the product so it worked out well! One thing I will say though, is that I don't seem to have been able to find a copy of ELLE that has the light/medium St. Tropez tan, or a Glamour magazine that has the rose otto lip salve, very odd! I've hunted high and low but I won't stop looking, hopefully I'll be able to find some before the end of the month, has anyone else had this problem though??
As usual, I'm keeping this post short and just showing what's available/what I got, and I'll follow up in the near future with reviews etc! I'm thinking about making this sort of post a regular monthly feature, maybe? I'm not sure yet.

Did anyone else pick up any of this month's magazine freebies? Which ones did you go for?
Eleanor x