What I've Done this Month: November

Hello!

November has been a pretty huge month for me actually. As well as having some fun days out, I've also had a couple of life changing things happen to me. It's a been an exciting one!

First Full Time Job
After working weekends/part-time at the garden center for 9 months, I finally have full time there! I absolutely love working there, I work with amazing people and we laugh everyday. It's lovely. I don't know much about horticulture but I am learning, and I really like it. I've learnt a lot just this month too, from picking over plants to using a staple gun to folding clothes for display. I love it, and I can't wait to settle in and learn even more!

Deciding to Move Out & Finding a Housemate
I've been wanting to move out for a while, I'm not sure what's made me want to be independent, but here I am planning out hopeful future interiors, budgeting my money and looking at flats to rent. I guess in this day and age, 18 is young to move out, but I've always felt like I'm older. I'm excited for full freedom, but also nervous. It's going to be a huge learning curve.

I seriously couldn't afford to move out on my own, and I was beginning to just give in and wait because I wasn't house sharing with strangers - I wouldn't have coped! But luckily a boy who works in the cafe wants to move too so we have decided to flat/houseshare! It couldn't be more perfect timing.

Birmingham Day Out
I went on a really nice day out with my mum which was absolutely lovely, and of course spent way too much money but that was the plan! We spent the entire day wandering around the shops, treating ourselves and of course going to Pizza Hut for their pizza buffet for lunch. It was just such a fab day!

It's been a pretty huge month but a positive one, roll on December - there's plenty more excitement to come! The little (actually rather large) image at the top of this post is my cat Humbug! I thought it was about time he made an appearance on my blog haha.

What have you done this month?

Ellie x

November Favourites

Hello!

I thought it was about time I did another monthly favourites, as I haven't done one since May... Oops! There's always something I'm obsessing with during the course of a month so I'm bringing back the monthly favourite posts.

H&M Zip-Front Boots
I can't wait to get more wear out of these, they're literally my dream pair of boots... and they were only £30. Thank you H&M! I have a snippet style post up here (link) if you want to check them out some more. They're so comfy too, which is a huge plus for me as most of my shoes have scarred me!

MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter
I've had this for a while now but this month I've used it more than ever. I like to use it for work on my dull skin days just to bring a bit of light to my face, and of course I love it for my usual contour. It's so beautiful and pigmented, I'm definitely going to repurchase - however I can see this little gem sticking around for a while! See the review I wrote here.

H&M Black Bowler Hat
I love this so much I bought a burgundy version too. I've been loving the hat trend, I never thought I'd ever have a go at it but ever since this landed on my head I've barely wanted to take it off. I just feel like I've completed my outfit with it, almost lost if I don't wear it! Haha. I'm now on the hunt for a fedora to add my little collection!

Primark Checked Trousers
I usually find that Primark trousers don't fit me, but when I saw these I fell in love and took them home with me anyway! Luckily enough, they fit me perfectly and I just feel bang on trend wearing them, always a good feeling!

Superdrug Teatree Cleanser & Toner
I bought this in a last minute rush as I needed a quick cleanser! I decided on this because it was on offer, and as it is a toner as well I thought it was the perfect quick on-the-go product. I didn't know what to expect, but all I can say is that it does the job, and my skin has never been better. I'm definitely repurchasing!

What are your favourites from this month?

Ellie x

Rimmel Pop Art Topcoat - Swatches!

Hello!

I posted the other day about the new Rimmel Pop Art topcoat, yet I didn't post swatches. I've now finally taken some snaps and broken my posting schedule to bring you them!

The last image is a bit blurry... Oops! As you can see, there aren't many dots that come out, and this is with blobbing! I quite like this minimal amount though, I personally wouldn't want any more but if you did want more a few extra layers would be fine. I love the effect it gives, it reminds me of Pop Tarts sprinkles!

Ellie x

My Perfect A/W Boot

Hello!

A little showcase of some new boots I picked up from H&M recently. They're my perfect A/W shoe, gorgeously chunky, super comfortable and with a rose gold zip. What's not to love?! Plus, they're only £29.99! They're incredibly similar, dare I say it... dupe, of the Vagabond Dioon zip-front boots, except £30 is a lot more in my budget than the hefty Vagabond £100 price tag! Overall, they're comfy, look fab and I'm going to get a hell of a lot of wear from them.

These boots aren't online, however they are still in store!

Ellie x

Superdrug Face Masks

Hello!

I think it's about time I review these bad boys as I now have 3 and I love them all! Superdrug have their own range of face masks which come in a tube meaning you can use them again and again. They seriously last a long while, so you really get your moneys worth out of £2.59!

Hydrating: Vitamin E
This was the first mask I bought as I needed/wanted something that would help my poor dried out skin! Now a few months later I'm back on track and it's feeling healthier, but I still love this mask to give me baby smooth skin. This mask is quite different from any I've ever tried as it doesn't dry to your face like other masks, it stays on like a moisturiser and looks/feels like a moisturiser too! This mask is recommended for normal to dry skin.

De-stressing: Aloe Vera
This I picked up for the sake of it as Superdrug had a little promo on at the time, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. However, I have been pleasantly surprised! This mask really helps my skin calm down as I get some pretty hefty redness from time to time. As well as making my skin super soft and lovely, I definitely saw a difference in my angry skin. Like a "normal" mask, this does dry on your skin. This mask is recommended for normal to combination skin.

Exfoliating: Superberry
Now this is one I'd wanted to get my hands on for a while. I love the occasional exfoliation so the promise of that combined with the lovely berry scent was a winner with me. I felt this really did exfoliate my skin but in a gentle way, so my skin wasn't left feeling aggravated after. It also left me with soft skin (like all these masks do, I love it!), and I also feel like my skin looked brighter and healthier after. Like the de-stressing mask, this too dries out as it is a mud mask. This mask is recommend for all skin types.

Available to buy from Superdrug

Have you tried these masks?

Ellie x

Bedroom Decor Wishlist

Hello!

As I'm moving into my first home in the New Year (yep that's right! More on this in the upcoming months!) I'm definitely into my homeware right now. I'd like my theme to be white and gold with hints of purple through it. That's the plan anyway! I'm really into those cute frameable prints from Etsy too!

Unicorn jewellery dish - Gifts & Pieces
Bronze clock - George at Asda
Artificial rose bouquet - Dunelm
Glass vase - H&M
Gold metal basket - H&M
Cream/white blanket - H&M
Purple velvet cushion - H&M
Set of 3 bottles - Ikea
Get naked print - Etsy

Looking at this makes me insanely excited for my new bedroom. My current room is absolutely tiny, and I've already been promised the bigger room by my soon-to-be housemate, hooray!

If you have a homeware post up, leave a link! I'm loving looking through all things home right now.

Ellie x

Rimmel London Pop Art Topcoat

Hello!

I've been wanting this super cute topcoat for a few weeks now so I thought I'd bite the bullet and pop it in my basket during my recent mini Superdrug haul. 

I absolutely adore this polish, I feel like I'm going to get a lot of wear from it. As with glitter topcoats, you kind of have to blob it on a little to get enough dots on your nails but this doesn't bother me. I adore this effect.

Available to buy here

Ellie x

A Note: New Blog Schedule!

Hello!

From here on out I'm going to be trying out a new way of blogging... An organised way! At the moment I'm very much here, there and everywhere with my posts as I have no direction, so this schedule will hopefully find me being a better blogger! 

NEW POSTS

Monday
Wednesday
Friday

I'm really hoping having some kind of plan will benefit this blog as I've never really had any direction which definitely takes it toll! :(

I'm also going to try and do some OOTD posts as I now have a tripod, very exciting! Anyway, I hope to see you guys around as I start my new - and more focused - blogging life.

Thank you!

Ellie x

Makeup Revolution Lipsticks in Treat & Dusky

Hello!

Two lipsticks from Makeup Revolution today. One being my absolute perfect everyday lipstick and the other unwearable... The pain of online shopping and buying blind.

I'm going to quickly talk about Dusky as this is the shade I don't get on with. It's not the products fault, it's my lips agreement and the fact the shade doesn't suit me. Dusky is a matte pink shade, which desperately unflatters my olive skintone and the matte completely dries out my lips as I have very dry lips. I can see this suiting paler girls, and those who don't have dry lips!

Treat on the other hand is an absolute diamond, and I've been wearing it non-stop since it dropped through my door. It's a pinky-nude with a slightly browner hint to it, making it perfect for my skintone. It has a creamy finish and sits perfectly on my lips, not filling in the lines and actually makes them look pretty perfect. It also feels very comfortable, like velvet on the lips. It lasts for quite a while without eating or drinking, and reapplies with no fuss.

The packaging is the pretty standard plastic black tube with gold lettering, and the little clear end to show you the shade. I do find this handy for identifying my lipsticks as I have a couple of these now so it saves time.

Overall, I'm mega happy. I'm not too fussed about Dusky not suiting me as it was basically free in a 3 for 2 promotion. I am so happy with Treat, I am definitely going to be picking up more creamy shades from the range.

Have you tried Makeup Revolution lipsticks, what are your opinions?

Ellie x 

Makeup Revolution Go to the City Nail Polish

Hello!

I've been searching high and low for a gold nail polish that isn't glitter, and yet I can't seem to find one (or at least one that is in stock). So when I came across the Makeup Revolution Go to the City polish, I put it straight into my basket. 

Packaging wise, it's nothing special but it's not bad. The bottles also seem quite large, so I think you definitely get your £1's worth out of these! The applicator is also a good size, it allowed me to quickly and accurately paint my nails with minimal mistakes. (I'm pretty rubbish at neatly doing nails anyway!)

The formula is actually quite good too, it applies nice and evenly and dries quickly if you don't blob too much on your nails. I found it to be perfectly opaque in two coats.
The colour itself is lovely, it's sort of semi-matte with very fine shimmer particles which show up in the light, which gives it an almost satin type effect.

However, there is a pretty big downside to this polish... It chips/flakes/peels off pretty much instantly. And not just little chips either, half a nail at once. This was gutting for me as I love the colour and the finish. But hey, it is £1 and I guess you can't hit every nail on the head at such a budget price.

Saying this though, I'm not giving up on it totally as I feel it will be perfect for doing gold designs with nail art or even a thin layer for underneath all the different gold glitters I have.

If you've tried any Makeup Revolution nail polishes, let me know! Even link me your reviews :)

Ellie x

Anatomicals No Old Bags Allowed Eye Gel

Hello!

I remember when this came out or at least became a huge blogger hype as I can just remember seeing pictures of this little bad boy all over my reading list. Now, fast forward however long it's been I'm only just trying it out!

I absolutely adore the packaging of this, like all Anatomicals products it's a bit quirky and I love the writing on it. I find it so amusing and pretty clever, I actually really love when brands package like this.
I also love the tube itself, it's super easy to use and again has Anatomicals quirky packaging. I love tubes like this, they have a professional feel to them and it also makes it easy to get a precise amount of product and is also hygienic. The only thing I'm concerned about is when I reach the end of the tube I may struggle to get product out, kind of like a toothpaste tube!

The product itself is lovely, I'm definitely sold into eye gels after trying this. I've been suffering a lot lately with puffy bags under my eyes as I'm tired literally all the time haha. I've found this definitely does cool them down and help reduce the puffiness, helping even out my cheeks as the bags are so bad!

I'm definitely a lot happier with my under-eye area after using this. It's a fab little eye gel and for only £3.49 you really can't go wrong. I would recommend this if you're feeling insecure about your under-eye bags!

Buy here

Ellie x

Bubblicious Soaps

Hello!

Something a bit different today. I haven't really reviewed any bath products before as I don't tend to buy things like that for myself, although I really want to treat myself more as I love a bit of a pamper!

A few months ago at my work we started selling Bubblicious soaps, gorgeously scented soaps in the shapes of cakes and other yummy treats! I was literally obsessed with them, yet never got round to picking some up, until the other night! I proudly took 5 of them home, including 2 cake slices, a cookie, an ice lolly and a Battenburg slice!
Bubblicious Soaps is a very local business to me, and I love that. I love getting products from the UK, but it's even more exciting knowing that an awesome business is in the same city as you!

Oh my gosh, I honestly cannot describe to you how good these smell. I'm currently using the cookie soap and it smells of pure chocolate - it's so hard to not take a bite! I didn't take a photo though, as it's very well loved now!
The ice lolly smells of strawberry, the Battenburg of marzipan, the lemon cake is just like buttery biscuits and lemon curd, and the strawberry cake like strawberry/vanilla and biscuit! 

I love how well detailed they are, you can tell a lot of effort has gone into each and every one as they are all handmade.

I was going to give the rest away as gifts but to be honest, I'm probably just going to keep them to myself as they just feel so luxurious and look and smell gorgeous. Once I've used them all up, I'd definitely repurchase!

See the range here!

Ellie x

Rimmel Apocalips: Across the Universe

Hello!

A couple of weeks ago I was browsing around Tesco when I saw the makeup discount basket. I love this basket, I always find some awesome products! This time, it was Apocalips. I'm so glad I found this! I've been wanting to try these for so long, but always put it off. I'm not sure why I did, but now I want more, they're awesome.

I decided to go for Across the Universe, a gorgeous red. It's so pigmented, I literally couldn't believe it when I first applied it! I would say it was a true red, and I love the fact it's a slightly deep red. It could take you through these dark-lipped months and then back into the Christmassy reds with no problem.

I love the packaging of Apocalips, it's pretty different compared to a lot of other lip products. I love the shape of the lid and the fact you can see the colour at the bottom of the tube, it just makes it easier for me to find it through my sea of lipsticks!

The wear-time is awesome, one of the best wearing lip products I own. I've eaten and drank with this and it was still there, of course some came off but it was nothing major, plus re-application with these is super easy.

Overall, I love this product! I'm really disappointed in myself for not trying them when they first came out, I have missed out on so much! The only thing I would note with these is that it's probably best to wear a lip liner as I find that it bleeds after a while, but this doesn't bother me what-so-ever and definitely wouldn't put me off picking up others!

Ellie x