IM BACK

Wow. Last post? 22nd February. WHATTTT?!

I don't think I've actually ever gone this long without posting on my blog, and for those of you who read my blog regularly, I apologise! I have totally neglected my blog, but don't worry, i'm back!

There have been many reasons as to why I haven't been posting. However, the key reason is as many of you know I am in my final year of university, and for any of you who have gone through university and come out the other side, you will know just how hard final year really is. Therefore, I just haven't had the time to put content together! I'm all done and dusted now, so I pinky promise to get back into blogging!

When I actually came to writing my comeback post, it made me realise how long I've actually been away, I didn't know where on earth to start, so much has happened! So I thought, we may as well have a catch up...

1. I FINISHED FINAL YEAR... I may not have graduated yet but final hand-ins and exams are done.and.dusted. I am 100% free and it feels so good.

2. I did an intensive short course in fashion marketing at London College of Fashion. I can't even describe how amazing this opportunity was and how glad I am for attending. Their tutors and resources are unbeatable, and the experience was simply brilliant.
3. I got my heart broken, twice. Yep, stay away from fuckboys ladies. 4. I focussed my efforts on becoming an 'insta-blogger'- see, I didn't completely leave the blogging world! Please follow @eleanordanksx
5. I started applying for 'real' jobs. Any graduates out there, I am currently terrified. I finished university and now I'm thinking "what's next?", there are just so many opportunities, travelling? Jobs? Interning? what to dooooo. I have always wanted to break into fashion marketing, so wish me luck on the job hunt...
6. I started driving lessons. Put it this way, I started lessons at 17, I've had 50 hours of lessons, including 4 instructors, 6 cars, 1 failed test and a theory test expiration looming. This calls for "pass n go" ASAP
7. I started wearing trainers. For those of you who read my blog often, you will know a few months ago I didn't even own a pair of trainers, let alone wearing Gazelles on a daily basis and getting in on the Yeezy raffle hype.
8. I realised I needed to focus my efforts back on blogging as soon as university was over. No joke, I have lost ONE THOUSAND TWITTER FOLLOWERS due to my inactivity... actual tears are falling.
9. I realised the importance of blogging not just for my career, and friendships in the blogging community, but also for myself, as an outlet to share my passions and let my creative side thrive.
.... so, once again, my apologies for being a slacker on the blogging front! I hope you will continue to enjoy my posts, and I would love to know what's been going on with you guys while I've been away, I hope to see you all in the comments, ciao for now!

MARIAH CAREY FOR MAC

  Bit Of Bubbly, MAC, £17   I am waaaaaaay behind on the Mariah Carey hype, of course I heard when the collection was announced, but I never even bothered looking as i'm never really bothered about celebrity collections for MAC as I tend to just stick to my MAC faves.  However, I quickly started to see Instagram posts flooding into my feed about how great the collection was, and most importantly, I noticed that the lipstick packaging was glittery.... that sealed the deal for me.   How beautiful is it?! I just had to have one, so I instantly looked online, of course they were sold out. However my amazing friend managed to pick me one up from the MAC store at St Pancras in London, so although there is limited availability online, definitely check in store!   The lipstick is shade is 'Bit Of Bubbly', which I absolutely love as I tend to wear MAC cremesheen lipsticks, and it is a lovely nudey pink shade. Personally, out of all of the Mariah lipsticks I prefer this one, as apart from 'I Get So OOC' a shimmering brown shade, the lipsticks are gold or peach which I tend to find do not flatter my skin tone at all. The lipstick also has a beautiful flower engraved in it, sooooo girly!   Apart from lipsticks, Mariah has an array of other products in the collection including eyelashes, eye shadow, lipgloss and bronzer. Have you got anything from the collection?     

NYE

Wow. New Years Eve literally feels like forever ago now, and it was only 2 weeks ago! As always I was a total bore and decided to stay in with my close family, as we tend to have our own little NYE party, rather than go out, how did you spend yours?

I've been thinking lately, I don't actually have two separate day time and night time makeup routines or looks... how bad is that?! I feel like I would literally not mind at all if I had to go straight on a night out without re-doing my makeup, because apart from some bold lippy and a sprinkle of glitter, it's no different!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I really want to invest some time into learning some new makeup skills, I don't even attempt a smoky eye look for goodness sake! But until then, here is my NYE look...

Skin

Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 hour foundation

Benefit 'Dallas' Bronzer

Rimmel London Mono Blush powder "Live Pink"

Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder "Pink Blossom"

Eyes

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Mascara

Rimmel London 5 pan eyeshadow palette "Pinkadilly Circus"

Glitter Eyes 'xtra sparkles' Pot "silver" Not On The High Street

Brows

Benefit Brow Zings "Medium"

Lips

MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick

Leave me links to your latest makeup posts!

MAC- PERVETTE

MAC PERVETTE- £15.50

Ever had that feeling when you find a long lost MAC lipstick?... the one you thought that was long gone and you've been mentally punishing yourself over wasting £15.50 ever since? Well I experienced this the other day, I was actually on the hunt for my winter bobble hat at the time when I came across my first ever MAC lipstick- Pervette, which was bought as a gift for me 4 YEARS AGO.  It popped up in the depths of my underwear draw of all places, considering I have moved house since then, I was pretty lucky.

Please no lectures on the grossness of ignoring the use-by date, I have cleaned it with a cotton wool bud everyone don't worry. And i'm sorry, but there is no way I'm letting it go to waste!

Before writing this post I actually had to check that MAC actually still sold Pervette... they do. Pervette is a soft bright pink glossy lipstick with violet shimmer, I remember at the time I got it that it was a bit daring with it having metallic properties, but now I am 100% embracing it. According to the MAC website, this is the iconic lipstick which made MAC famous, and I can definitely see why!

NEW HAIR DAY

I'll be honest, there isn't really much point to this post apart from me wanting to show off my new do- not attention seeking at all. But big thanks to Hair Haus in Bishop Auckland!
I am so bad when it comes to getting my hair cut, I literally went 3 years before getting it cut last year, and then until today its been almost a year. Surely I could be prosecuted for such behaviour. I promise I will start going more often! Although when it comes to my fringe i'm in the salon at least every 6 weeks- why are they just so hard to maintain?! 
My next step is definitely going to be an ombre, but I have no idea when I will actually get round to it! Any other hair suggestions? Should I take the step?
Also on a random note- I am currently planning my trip to NYC in November. I would love to know if you guys have any restaurant/ bar recommendations, or know any really cool places to visit. Let me know in the comments!

TENERIFE 2016

This post is literally embarassingly late considering I actually went on holiday 2 months ago today! For once I actually decided to book last minute which was kinda stressful considering how unorganised I am, and that I had no money for new clothes and only 3 weeks until I flew! 

Last year we visited Lanzarote, so this year I thought, why not? Lets try one of the other Canary Islands. Thankfully we visited during a really amazing week of weather, and I don't know if you have ever visited... but Tenerife is a lot less windy than Lanzarote which was lovely, although at times it was a bit too hot to do anything! 

We stayed at the Riu Arecas hotel in Costa Adeje... although many people I know have visited the party resort of Playa Las Americas, we chose an over 18's hotel in one of the quieter resorts. Yup, i'm a total bore, and in hindsight perhaps a hotel full of the elderly wasn't the best when you're wanting to act like a child in the pool (lots of glares). However, the hotel was totally amazing and I would definitely recommend it to anyone! 

I found that on this holiday most of our time was spent chilling around the pool, playing crazy golf, and walking along the beach. We also decided to visit a zoo- Loro Parque which had some absolutely wonderful animals, including whales and dolphins which was 100% the highlight of my holiday. We also visited Siam Park which was literally one of the best days ever, it is known as one of the best water parks in the world, and it certainly didn't dissapoint. Although we were ridiculously sunburt after a full day there, there was such a huge variety of rides which were amazing, but nope I did not ride the kamikaze. 

As this is a fashion blog, i've included some photos below so not only can you have a nosey, but you can also see some of the outfits I wore on holiday. Most of my clothes were actually from last year, and I took so much stuff I found myself having 3 outfit changes a day! Bring on New York in November.... 

*THE BALM BOUTIQUE

 

*A couple of weeks ago, I received an absolutely wonderful package from the lovely Carmelina, founder of The Balm Boutique.

 

The balm boutique offers products which are made with 100% natural ingredients, lets be honest, nobody knows what actually goes into some of our favourite high street beauty products, which can be quite scary. I was incredibly humbled to speak to Carmelina, and enjoyed learning more about this lovely company, despite her background in Law, Carmelina became a mother, and grew more concerned about the products she was using on her children. She then started to make her own alternatives using wholly natural ingredients before eventually developing more products, and the rest is history!

 

Carmelina was kind enough to send me a selection of her homemade products; a Berry Bliss Body Spa Gift Set worth £20, along with her flagship product called the Green Healing Cream worth £10, and her Strawberry, Chocolate Mint and Citrus lip glosses worth £5 each. I was advised that the balm is one of her most versatile products, due to its healing attributes it can be used for almost anything... bites, stings, dry chapped skin, burns, scars and even cuts and grazes. 

 

Berry Bliss Body Spa Gift Set-

 

Includes a berry butter bar, berry body polish, strawberry lip tint.

One of my absolute favourites from this set was the strawberry lip tint which left my lips wonderfully smooth. I had been suffering with dry lips at the time and this really helped, along with the citrus and chocolate mint glosses.

 

As for the body polish exfoliator, I did find this to be a little abrasive, however used in small amounts works really well... and to make it even better, it smells delicious... honestly good enough to eat! Finally, the berry butter bar, which is  naturally coloured Alkanet infused Sweet Almond Oil and Beetroot extract, produced such soothing effects when used in combination with the exfoliator.

 

Green Healing Cream-

 

This is literally the best thing you will ever smell, with ingredients such as Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Black Cumin seed, Aloe Butter, Sunflower Seed Oil and Avocado Butter, i'm really not lying when I say its good enough to eat, but please don't! Although I was surprised by how green and vibrant the product was at first I decided to use it on my shoulders, damaged by sun burn last summer, which has caused me to now be left with dry skin. I used it every evening for around 2 weeks and found it not only left my skin less dry and full of moisture, but it also has began to repair some of the damage and has soothed any itching.

 

If you would like to try any of The Balm Boutiques products you can visit their website- https://www.thebalmboutique.co.uk/ , definitely worth a look if you want to try a product which you 100% know what's inside!... 

FOTD

 

Okay so Saturday I got a hair cut, and of course like anyone else I took a selfie to mark the occasion. Now, I'm going to put it to good use for my face of the day post. I don't really know why these posts exist "face of the day"... like what, you're going to change your entire makeup look every day? I don't this so. But as I cant think of another name for this post, i'll go with it.

  So firstly, which products am I using?   Rimmel London lasting finish foundation- 201 classic beige   Rimmel London Kate Moss mascara- 004 Eye Rock Jet Black   Rimmel London (are you spotting a trend here) Stay matte pressed powder- 002 Pink Blossom   Rimmel London lasting finish mono blush- Live Pink   Benefit Brow Zings eyebrow shaping kit- Medium   Benefit bronzer- Dallas   MAC lipstick- Velvet Teddy  

As you probably spotted, Rimmel London products make up the majority of my makeup bag. In my opinion, why spend double if not triple the amount of money on a high end product, when you can get the same result for less? My makeup routine has basically stayed the same since I started properly wearing makeup at the age of 15, with the addition of a MAC lipstick or two along the way. This tends to be my day time look, so I like to keep it quick and simple, always adding a dash of lipstick to mix my look up from time to time...

 

I would love for you to tell me all about your favourite products and makeup routines, so leave me a comment below! :)

 

MITCHELL AND PEACH

 English leaf luxury body cream, £17, Mitchell And Peach

 

Have you ever heard of Mitchell And Peach? I hadn't, until I received a glossybox last year and it included several products from brands I had never even heard of, one of which being Mitchell And Peach. Now as I have been having  a massive clear out, I came across this body cream and decided to finally give it a go!

 

I have never been one for luxury lotions and potions, as I seem to run out of such products so quickly and then can't afford to replace them... therefore I think its just best not to get hooked in the first place! For the past couple of weeks I have been using this body cream as a hand cream, again, I  always struggle to find a suitable hand lotion as many products can be quite runny, sticky, and all in all just a bit too greasy. This one however I can honestly say is totally non sticky, the cream is instantly absorbed into your skin and leaves your hands soft, supple and full of moisture.

 

Fragranced with essential oils from the Mitchell's fifth- generation farm in Kent, the body cream contains honey, organic cocoa and shea butter, and so I  must mention the smell, it is absolutely wonderful. With other ingredients such as sweet almond oil, lavender oil, vanilla and sweet violet extract, the scent really does scream luxury.

 

Because this product came in a glossybox, the version I have is the sample 40ml body cream... however I have checked their website and they now seem to sell the body cream in a tub rather than a bottle, but you can get a similar product- the English leaf luxury hand cream, 60 ml for £17.

  If you have tried any other products from their collections, I would love for you to tell me your thoughts!

REVIEW: MODELS OWN COLOUR CHROME COLLECTION

Models own Colour Chrome Pink- £4.99- Models Own

 

The amount of Models Own nail polish reviews I do is literally ridiculous! There are just so many variants of nail polishes to try, and with them being my favourite nail polish brand, I just wanted to share with you some of the amazing products they have on offer!

 

I got this nail polish at Christmas- one of the polishes from the colour chrome collection, which provides a liquid metal chrome effect. I really didn't know which shade to go for, so I also bought this polish in shade 'copper' which carries more rose gold hues, along with the pink polish which is featured in this post. You can discover more about the chrome collection and the shades they have on offer online.

 

At first I was so confused... when I opened the bottle the colour was simply silver with drops of pink in it, so make sure you shake the bottle well before use. When I started applying the polish I again found that the polish wasn't leaving much colour- however the colour actually develops into its pinky tones so bear that in mind!

 

I absolutely love the metallic effect this polish gives,  it also makes your nails feel super smooth and remains chip resistant for over a week. When applying you may wish to add 2-3 coats rather than 1 to intensify  the colour and effect, although this is absolutely down to personal preference- I went for 2.

  ...once again, highly recommended!   What do you think? Leave me a comment below! :)

REVIEW: WONDER'FULL MASCARA

Lets be honest, how difficult is it to find a mascara that is right for you? Very. Personally, I hate plastic brushes and thin brushes with no bristles, I also can't stand gloopy or sticky mascara. So yes, it takes a lot of trial and error to find a mascara that will give you the perfect conmbo of length and volume to your lashes... which is why I wanted to share with you my experiences of the Rimmel London "Wonder 'Full Wake Me Up" mascara.

 

I have been using Rimmel London mascaras for years now, as I find they are definitely the best drugstore supplier of makeup which is not only affordable, but just as effective as any high-end mascara. With promises of conditioned, clump-  free, feather- light lashes, I found the mascara did everything it said, leaving my lashes full, and perfectly smooth.

 

At just £7.99 from Boots, this mascara lasts me around 2 months so is quite a bargain, although I have used Benefit mascaras (best not to get into that sort of addiction), I have found this is an alternative to their Roller Lash mascara, perfect for those of you who want to add volume and a little length.

 

I have been using the cucumber extract version, which really does leave your eyes feeling refreshed, their waterproof version was also excellent. You can find the original here.

 

What do you think? What is your favourite mascara?

REVIEW: BELISSIMO LIPS

Okay so I am definitely one of those girls who just loves glitter, in fact my wardrobe is basically monochrome mixed with a dash of glitter...so when I realised glitter lips were an actual thing I was so excited to try it!

 

Belissimo lips is a brand I was first introduced to through Topshop in Leeds, I had been shopping and came across a concession stand with a 2 for £13 offer... however I decided to give just one a try in shade Holographic fuchsia- a combination of pink and purple tones. I am dying to also try Purple and Tea Rose.

 

This product is not only gentle on your lips, but it is also designed to stay on for up to 12 hours. You are free to eat and drink, as long as you avoid hot drinks & greasy food.... I definitely put this one to the test on New Years Eve, so I would definitely advise against Pizza. Although it is super easy to remove the glitter at the end of the night, it is a bit gross... think PVA glue on your hands at primary school style.

 

Application is super easy, simply apply the water based adhesive & then using a cotton wool bud, apply the sparkle! At £13 each this is a little pricey (including P&P), however the set lasts for so long, and works so well, although I would only have bought it at the promotional price in Topshop for £7. You can view the rest of the range online.

  What do you think? Leave me a comment below!

BLOGOSPHERE MAGAZINE

 

 

Just a quick post! I wanted to share with you a new magazine I came across the other day, blogosphere magazine...

 

I don't know about you, but I haven't ever been able to find magazines exclusively about blogging, with the exception of the odd feature in Cosmo, so I was thrilled to find this on the shelves at WH Smith!

 

Blogosphere magazine prides itself on being written for bloggers, by bloggers, which is super useful if you're a blogger wanting to learn a bit more about the industry, gain an insight into other bloggers and their work, or just to pick up a few handy tips along the way. This months issue featured an interview with Samatha Maria (@TheBeautyCrush), alongside articles on essentials for etiquette at blogging events, how to find your blogging niche, and a little insight into advertising rules. Not to mention features on several other bloggers!

 

Written by influential bloggers, the magazine is split into six main sections- beauty, fashion, food, travel, lifestyle and photography, so there really is something for every blogger. You can expect to find interviews, how-tos and blogger profiles in each issue, for just £4... it's well worth a read!

 

Have you read blogosphere magazine? Leave me a comment below! :)

 

REVIEW: MODELS OWN GLITTER GEL

Glitter gel- Red Carpet, £4.99, Models Own  

If you read my blog often, you would have probably have seen countless Models Own review posts, and never a bad one!

 

I tend to get a lot of my nail polishes from Models Own as they have so many collections, with totally unique products at such affordable prices. For Christmas I decided to buy one of their 'glitter gel' polishes. The hypergel formula works to create high shine and a gel like finish, along with a lot of sparkle!

 

Although at first I was a little sceptical that the gel- like appearance would be gloopy, I found it was just like an ordinary polish, but set as a gel. I also love that this polish stayed chip resistant for at least a week on my nails! At £4.99 I tend to find models own products also last ages, so they are well worth a try. Along with this polish I also bought a pink polish from the colour chrome range, which I am yet to try!

 

Don't forget... Models Own are launching a 50% off online promotion between the 28.01.16 and 03.02.16, so don't miss out!