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Showing posts from 2015

Creeps on a Train

This is not a misandristic hate article. Don't mistake it because I know some people on the Internet are idiots and will. Men and women are equal and therefore neither is the 'better' gender.  Today something quite distressing happened. I had my first day of no school work/work work for a while and decided to brave Christmas shopping and finally got to see the new Hunger Games film with the lovely Amy (who you've seen on my YouTube channel in a couple of videos). That wasn't distressing, although my feet are quite sore. No, the incident happened on the way back home on the 20 minute train journey when 4 (hopefully drunk) middle aged men (by which I am assuming that the average lifespan is around 100-120 years) decided it was their duty to begin a delightful conversation, beginning with a loud, slurred "ave you ad a good day girls? Done some shopping? Bought anything sexy?" These men were definitely older than my dad and could quite easily have been my gran

Ciaté Mini Mani Month

Although I promised myself that I wouldn't get excited about Christmas until exams finished on the 4th December, I can't help it - everything's just so damn Christmassy!  Today, something really exciting arrived through my letterbox, the Ciaté Mini Mani Month advent calendar.  I'm sure that if you haven't been living under a rock for the past couple of months then you'll know just how crazy the world has gone for beauty advent calendars - it seems to be the 'in' thing of the year. I'm not complaining though!  Ciaté is definitely one of my favourite nail varnish brands, I think that the quality of the nail polishes and treatments are excellent value for money and I can't wait to try the new make up collections!  Can we take a moment to appreciate the packaging please?  Thank you  SPOILER ALERT DO NOT READ ON IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THE CONTENTS (if you're nosy then go on)  So, inside the calendar are 3x nail treatments, 17x nail polishes, 1

A Week Without Makeup - What It Taught Me

As a self confessed make up addict (you can never have too much...) the idea of not wearing make up for more than one or two days is incredibly daunting, with the last time I did this in school probably being year 7.  However, I always made a point of wearing make up because it's fun and interests me rather than to hide my insecurities or feel as though I HAD to wear make up to leave the house. And so, I decided to ditch the make up for an entire school week to see how it was.  Day One   Oh my word, I had so much time in the morning it was unreal. On a good day, I can do my make up in 5/10 minutes. On this day, I found myself with oodles of wonderful time left before I needed to leave the house at 8:30 to go to school.  Immediately as I left the house I began to regret my decision. I felt really insecure, realising that a lot of my friends  hadn't ever seen me without chemicals on my face - I tend to let my skin breathe at weekends.  However, not to worry, some of my friends no

Jack Wills Weekend Essentials Gift Set

I have to admit, I am overly excited by this product(s). Jack Wills are well known for their amazing quality clothing and accessories but also do very well with their cosmetic ranges at Christmas time in Boots. Last year, I bought a few friends various Jack Wills products and it went down a hit!   When both fashion and beauty come together in this gift set, it's enough to make a girl (young or old) drool -  it's definitely one for the Christmas list! First of all, let's take a moment to appreciate this back pack. Everything comes in this super convenient bag that would be perfect for school, work or shopping! Everything seems very sturdy, it fits folders in nicely and is comfortable to wear. Plus, it looks incredibly cute yet sophisticated with the classic Jack Wills logo and tartan print.  Front left: water bottle, body polisher, Hope Cove Body Butter, Lotion, Wash and Scrub Inside the rucksack are 4 full size products from the Jack Wills body range in the

Anxiety Isn't...

Before I start writing this, I will put it straight out there that I have a form of anxiety. I have spoken to doctors, I have spoken to councillors. My anxiety is less than some, worse than others. I am lucky enough to have a support network around me. I have wanted to write this post for a while, I thought it may be too sensitive for an article (for those who don't know me, I write for a local magazine) but this blog is mine, a part of the internet where I feel that I can write whatever the hell I want to. Not necessarily to entertain or inform but simply because it is fun. My blog and recent YouTube channel has been one of my outlets for taking breaks and distracting myself from anxiety for a while, which is why I try not to take horrible feedback to heart, this is really for me rather than the number of people on my statistics page every month. Not that I don't love you all!  Anyway. That's besides the point. As I was saying, I have wanted to write this post for

Who is most likely to - with Amy

Let's Talk LGBT (with Amy)

What I Got For My 16th Birthday (with pictures)

Hello So this post was going to be in video format and then hey ho, my throat went funny and when I solved this, my camera battery was flat! I apologise for the sporadic posts, I have been very very busy recently! Nonetheless, yesterday I turned 16 (such a big number oh my word!) and thought that I would share with you a few presents that I got (although thanks to online shopping not arriving, some haven't come yet haha). I thought that this amount of presents would make a tolerable post as I got my main present (my iPad, which makes a common appearance in videos) back in August and many people gave me money or vouchers. Quick disclaimer: I am not bragging about the presents I received, I am overwhelmingly grateful for anybody that bought me a present/ money, gave me a card or said 'happy birthday'. I know many people are not as lucky as my family to be in a comfortable financial state but I'm simply posting this as I love reading/ watching these!  Any links wi

September Favourites

5 Tips to Pick GCSEs

Gillette Venus Snap Razor

I've only ever used one razor, the Gillette Venus one with the soap bars. I can't remember what that's called but I'm sure you know what I mean. However, whenever I go on holiday, the heads ALWAYS SNAP! Therefore, for my recent trip abroad, I decided to pick up one of the new travel razors by Venus. I am very glad that I did.  The razor works in the same way as the normal ones with soap bars, you simply wet the razor (or skin) and shave. However, I found that this need far less water than the usual razors and I didn't cut myself once in fortnight I used it (a common occurrence for me) if glided just as well, if not better, than my usual razors and the pink spongy pad at the end made it easy to grip. Despite being shoved around in the luggage, the blue case it came in stayed perfectly intact and I think this would be great for any travelling at all, whether it's just in your handbag or in a suitcase on an aeroplane.   The only issue I did have with it was that th

Summer Favourites/Essential (ish) Things

How to Get Clear Skin Simply

Expanding blog

I've expended my blog on to YouTube as an experiment. At the moment I have a how to keep clear skin video and a summer favourites. Check it out at  https://m.youtube.com/user/ellerosevids Elle xxx

Vaseline Spray Moisturiser Review

Since this product came out a while ago, I have been intrigued to try it as as far as I know, it is the only thing on the market doing this job. I am a big fan of the Soap and Glory 'Easy Glistening' Dry Oil but mainly for the shimmer. However, often body butter can be too time consuming and as it takes so long to absorb it cannot be applied before clothing. Plus at under £2.50, the Vaseline spray seemed a win-win choice for a quick fix.  I am really impressed with this product, my skin feels moisturised but not sticky and I could've put my clothes on within 30 seconds of spraying on. The aloe vera is also lovely as it is very subtle and the soothing effect is lovely-today has been quite hot and this was really refreshing.  Although I wouldn't trade in my body butter as it is only a light moisturiser, I can definitely see this becoming a frequent item on my shopping list; the size will also be great for travelling!  Have a lovely day, Elle xxx

How To Be Confident This Summer (and all year!)

Hello everyone  Summer is well underway and here in the UK, the weather has been reasonably bareable and with many of us also jetting off on holiday, the bikinis and revealing clothing are impending - a thought that for some is incredibly scary.   I am aware that I don't really tell people much about myself on this blog for the sake of this post I thought I would give you a little background (very simply put): ( side note - I hope nobody feels this way but I am not playing the victim at all and am simply giving a miniature confidence biography, which I'm hoping will help people who feel like me)  When I was little, I had so much confidence it was unbelievable - thinking back now I probably had too much, I think the only year I've ever been in trouble with the teacher at school was in reception (for non UK readers, that's the first year of school, aged 4/5) when this confidence was apparent. However, due to various things happening over the years from things people had s

St Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion Review

Hello all, hope everybody is enjoying the summer! As many of you may know, I am exceptionally pale (which I still cannot find the reason for as the rest of my family tan easily) and after spending a fortnight lying n a beach I will still only have the smallest tan ever - forget tanning in the UK, I'll just burn. But Elle, I hear you say, just fake it? My problems is, even the 'no streaks' fake tans that I have tried have gone streaky, clearly due to user error but I simply cannot apply the stuff - even gradual tan body lotions. UNTIL NOW I don't think I can rave enough about this product. The St.Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion (that's a mouthful) is so easy and quick to use; just hop in the shower, apply the lotion (with the shower off) and wait 3 minutes (I clean my teeth or take off my make up) then rinse off! Despite using this about 9 times so far, I have still never experienced streaks and my tan is still very natural looking. It also leaves your

Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Varnish Remover Review

Hello Just a very quick review I thought to post. I have been loving this product for a couple of months now and was pleasantly surprised by its performance.  A one second nail varnish remover seemed highly unlikely and I was extremely skeptical. However, since purchasing this around Easter, I have found it absolutely amazing. It does exactly as it says, it removes even glittery nail varnish quickly, it is portable, there is no need for cotton wool and it smells amazing (I think it is raspberry and vanilla).  Particularly if you are going on holiday this summer, I would highly recommend it.  To use, simply put your nail/finger in the spinge and twist it for probably 3 seconds (to be completely honest, with one coat of nail varnish, 1 second would do it) and voilà!  Apparently, the stuff was used by models at London Fashion Week and with the speed and ease, I'm not surprised. Although it could just me diet related, my nails have also been looking healthier and shor

Rimmel 'Brow This Way' Review and Before and After Swatches

Hello everyone!  Today I thought I would review a product that I bought yesterday because I have heard mixed reviews about it. I was excited to try this product, I generally don't fill in my eyebrows because I naturally have blonde hair and dark eyebrows. However, I have been using the Maybelline transparent brow gel for a couple of months and have been really enjoying it so decided to give a coloured option a go. So, yesterday I picked up the Rimmel Brow This Way in the colour Dark Brown.   The applicator is different to Maybelline's spherical spoolie, looking more like a mascara wand. Although I found it slightly harder to apply, there wasn't a drastic difference and despite being a beginner to eyebrows, I found it easy to make both even and natural   I do have to apologise for the state of my make up, hair etc. I took the photos 13 hours after initially applying my make up (I had only just applied the Brow This Way). Also, this was my first time applying

NEW Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner Review and Swatches

Oh mi oh my! Well this is exciting stuff! I have been a massive fan of the original Benefit Push Up Liner and think it makes the application of gel eyeliner so much faster and easier. So, when I checked my emails the other morning to see the new coloured collection had been released, I was too excited for something as meaningless as eyeliner. I have the shade Beyond Purple as I have green eyes and the two colours are well known to compliment each other. I don't know if my black eyeliner has dried up slightly to give this effect but I  have found that the formula is easier to apply to the eyelid than my original Push Up Liner (which I also love!) The tip of the eyeliner is flexible but doesn't bend too much and makes application easier than using a brush or felt tip eyeliner and achieving the seemingly impossible even eyeliner flick is far easier and so fast - in fact I had to leave the house ASAP when my eyeliner arrived so I definitely had to test the ease and s

Live on the radio!

Hello there! I have certainly had an exciting week. To expand my horizons, I have been on work experience at an advertising agency called The Sharp Agency in Huddersfield and had an amazing time working with the team there, everybody was so welcoming and I learnt a lot. This morning however, another interesting event happened- I was on the radio! As part of BBC Radio Sheffield's scheme to encourage people to 'Love where you Live', I was invited on to Toby Foster's Breakfast Show to be interviewed and asked about my youth column with the Dronfield Eye.  Waking up at 5:30 am after five hours sleep, my feelings were a mix of fear and excitement - I really didn't know what to expect! Although the BBC journalist that had contacted me was lovely, there wasn't much time for them to tell me what I would be asked so I didn't really have a clue what I would have to say - plus, when I arrived, I was just sat down in silence and then called up to be live on radio

Be back soon!

I haven't posted for too long :s  Things have got in the way and at the moment revision is taking up a lot of time but I'll be back in a couple of weeks with lots of posts :)  Elle xoxo

Revlon Lip Butters - Swatches and Review

Over the past few weeks I have become a little obsessed with the Revlon lip butters. I have four shades to show you today: - Tutti Frutti (015) an orange colour - lovely  for spring/summer but not too bright -Pink Truffle (001) - a gorgeous brown -toned nude. -Berry Smoothie (050) - pink - berry colour with a little bit of glitter -Cotton Candy (045) - pale pink. I have been wearing this for school for a subtle bit of colour and to protect my lips. Firstly, I'll give a quick review before I show the swatches. I was extremely surprised at how pigmented these were. I expected them to be more like tinted lip balms (despite the Colourburst advertising - duh!) but instead I found them more like a lip stick in terms of pigmentation. The only shade I haven't worn loads is Tutti -Frutti, however, I did buy this for spring/summer so it's not that I don't like the shade. Secondly, they are wonderfully moisturising, even after the colour has gone they feel so nourishi

Simple Kind to Skin Moisturisers

I haven't posted much for about a month (argh!). I know not many people read this anyway but I've had a lot of homework and revision to do. Something I really wanted to do in 2015 was to take better care of myself in general, including my hair and skin. This meant not using heat as much and going easy on the make up. Usually, I use the Liz Earle products (Cleanse and Polish followed by the toner and moisturiser) and although I love these very much, they can be quite pricey and sometimes I just fancy a change. In Sainsbury's recently, the Simple products have been on offer and so I decided to try their moisturisers. To be honest, I wasn't expecting too much. I sometimes don't particularly like Simple products, I have sensitive skin yet I find some of them irritate my skin more than ordinary products do and others are so gentle that they don't do much. However, my faith has been restored.  Here I have the Simple Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream   and t

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

Although not the cheapest eye shadow palette out there, the Naked 3 palette is beautiful. Something that really grabs my attention about it is that it is so unique - there are very few dupes available in the shades the palette provides.  All I've been wearing (eye shadow wise) recently has been created with this gorgeous set of eye shadows. The palette is rose - hued neutrals and as a massive fan of rose gold, this palette is perfect for me! The palette is very versatile, it can be used for subtle day looks or all out night looks and consists of 12 shades, 3 matte (Strange, Limit and Nooner) and the other are shimmery - although Buzz and Blackheart are very glittery. I love how the colours are so pigmented and easy to apply that regardless of your make up ability, they look flawless and all of them compliment each other so nicely without looking too similar to each other. Also, when applying, they can be easily built up and they aren't powdery s

Avon Magix Face Perfector

This product is one of few that I have used for a very long time. Whenever I try a new product, I just end up returning to it as I can safely say it is the best of its kind I have ever used. The product claims to: -Target Pores: reduce the look of pores and banish shine for up to 10 hours -Smooth Skin: velvety soft formula visibly smooths fine lines -Illuminate Skin: with exclusive Optic Light Diffusing Technology -2 Ways to Wear - alone or under foundation for extra coverage. This product is brilliant for all skin types as far as I can tell (over the time I have used it, my skin has gone from oily to dry to sensitive) and it can be used on any skin tone as it is colourless. For me, this product is brilliant as it reduces shine, blurs and evens skin tone (it works brilliantly on my freckles). It leaves your skin feeling velvety and smooth but still is very lightweight, I really love how when I put this on and then blend in concealer it is so effortless.  Generally, I

Hairspray for Fringes - VO5 Ultimate Hold vs. Bed Head Masterpiece

This post is on yet another somewhat mundane issue - hairspray. There are so many brands to chose from and so many prices too! After going on holiday and forgetting hairspray (I have a fringe so use it daily to stop it looking funny) I picked up some VO5 Ultimate Hold as my usual Bed Head Masterpiece is quite pricey. So I thought I would put them to the test in a battle of skinted vs. minted. Bed Head Masterpiece Massive Shine Hairspray (340ml) and the Mini version  (79ml) VO5 Ultimate Hold Hairspray (400ml) Value for money: The Bed Head Masterpiece is considerably more at RRP £14.95 and has 60 ml less product than the Ultimate Hold (£3.29). However, one can of Masterpiece has now lasted me four months as you hardly have to use any. Also, it is much cheaper online at around £7.00. When I use the VO5 hairspray, I find I have to use a lot more for the same hold which makes the hair look like straw. However, you could buy many more cans of the VO5 for the price.  H

Impulse Reunion!!!

I think every girl had a can (or twenty) of Impulse when they were in primary school. And, if you are like me, it was probably the beginning of your 'I'm growing up and wearing perfume like Mummy' and also the beginning of obsessions over nice smells and morning beauty routines. So when I received an Impulse gift set for Christmas, I was dubious at first. I thought my days of £1.99 body sprays that I had picked because of the pretty packaging and girl bands on the adverts were over. However, it seems that you can never grow out of Impulse. Firstly, I'd just like to point some things out about Impulse that are not appreciated when initially used: 1) It's £1.99. And smells brilliant. Need I say more? You shall no longer feel guilty for spending excessive amount on perfume. AND you can buy many. 2) You can slot it in your handbag/school bag. 3) This sounds strange but it never breaks. Sometimes the aerosol breaks on products similar but Impulse has never failed

The Body Shop - Pink Grapefruit

Who doesn't love The Body Shop? I love going in and smelling all of the products. The staff are friendly and helpful and even their range of make - up is super pigmented and their brushes are sooo soft. Probably one of my favourite scents is pink grapefruit. I find it refreshing and not too sweet as some scents give me a headache. As I have quite a few products, I thought I would write a little review to tell you what I thought.  Clockwise from back left: Body Sorbet (moisturiser), Shower Gel, Body Mist, Eau de Toilette, Body Scrub - Gelee, First of all, all of the products smell great and as with all Body Shop products, the scent is strong but not overpowering. Body Sorbet - I know the picture isn't the most attractive but I thought I would show the consistency. I have never tried the sorbets before - I have plenty of the butters which are amazing but take a while to soak in. The sorbets are a lighter version I suppose. They soak in almost immediately leaving your

Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot - Box o' Blushes Review

Benefit make - up is some of the best there is. Their products tend to do what they claim and I own quite a few of them. However, Benefit costs a little more than average drugstore products, with most of their products £15 +. Yet, one thing Benefit do well is amazing, value for money gift sets. The Box o' Blushes is one. Firstly, the packaging is gorgeous. The tin the blushes come in is so cute and could be left out when you aren't using it. The downside is that it you cannot remove each product from the tin so it may be a little excessive if travelling.  The set features six of Benefit's best selling box o' powders (clockwise: Dandelion, Bella Bamba, Sugarbomb, Hoola, Coralista and Rockateur) as well as a brush and the Watt's Up! highlighter. Unfortunately, my photography doesn't do the products justice but the colours are beautiful! I did try to swatch them but it was difficult to show their true colours.  Dandelion - for people with pa