happy new year & thankyou

Monday, December 31, 2012
Image credit
Hello chickens!!! Just a quick post to say how grateful I am for the support myself and my blog have been getting over the very little time I have been blogging. To most people, almost 50 GFC followers doesnt seem like a lot, but im so surprised and happy of what ive managed to achieve in just over the month that ive been here.

Id like to say a massive thank you to everyone whos send me supportive and lovely messages, and I really do appreciate them. I read everyone of my comments, including the ones from the very friendly blogging community on twitter and the supportive comments on my blog. Simple comments like "hey I just dropped by your blog and I love your..." make me happy, and im happy that people find my blog interesting and helpful.

Well, this was only supposed to be a quick one but it seems I boarded the babble train!!! Again a huge huge thank you again for the supports, followings and lovely comments and I really do wish you all the very best for 2013. Look forward to lots more posts coming in the new year - im not going anywhere!!!!

Huge hugs and kisses , Elise xxx

december favourites


It's the end of December, which means it's time for another monthly favourites! Here I am, in my pyjamas with my hair in a little top knot, typing my little fingers off trying to get this post finally finished so I have time to get ready for tonight. I always seem to try less products during December, because I spend the majority of my money on other people's presents rather than on myself like almost every other month! So, without further ado, here are my December favourites! :)


Topshop Lips in Innocent. I bought this during the middle of this month as a little 'pick me up' and I've been wanting to try Topshop makeup for a while. I'm slowly become quite a huge fan, building up my own little collection. They are similar quality to MAC and they are a really good dupe, costing about £5 cheaper. The pigmentation of these lipsticks is very good, and it is a lovely colour. It's like a pinky coral colour, and if you don't suit darker lip colours (like me!) I would really recommend trying this. 


Models Own Nail Polish in Hedonist. I am a huge nail polish junkie. My mum even bought me 2 nail polish racks for Christmas because my wardrobes were overfilling with bottles! This is from the Hedkandi range and it's a bright, neon red with an orange undertone which makes your fingers really stand out. I only ever use 1 coat of this because it's very thick and it gives a really full colour in just 1 coat. It drys matte, so if you don't like matte colours on your nails you could cover it with a topcoat.


Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub. I absolutely adore this. I am completely and utterly obsessed. It's a little cute pot of bright pink sugar-like grains which you rub onto your lips and lick off. It gets off all of the dead skin on your lips ready to apply lip balm. I know, it sounds gross because in actual fact you practically licking off dead skin... Yuck. I must admit, the first time I bought this was for two very shallow reasons; the colour (who doesn't love a little pot of bright pink goodness?) and the smell. It smells like heaven! You should probably know by now that I'm absolutely terrible at describing scents, but this smells like bubblegum which you get at a fairground as soon as you open the lid. It works wonders on my lips and leaves them very smooth and smelling (and tasting) lovely.


Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser. This is a complete God send in the winter months, where my skin gets very very dry and horrible. I use this every morning and night after I cleanse and tone my face, and it leaves my skin feeling very fresh, light, and nicer in general. It's so cheap and I prefer this to some of the dearer brands because it's such good quality for the price.


Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel. I honestly don't think that I can rave about this product enough. It smells SO nice, like cupcakes, pear drops, candyfloss and marshmellows all thrown in one. I bought two 500g bottles of these last year because LUSH only sell them over the Christmas period. These will last me for ages, and I use this for my shower gel and occasionally as shampoo. It lathers really well, smells amazing and you can smell if for days afterwards. I can't tell you how nice this smells, but next Christmas I think I'm going to get maybe 3 or 4 big bottles because this is my holy grail for shower gels!

               

Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean Cleanser. Again, I use this product everyday during my morning/night skincare routine. I don't really know what it smells of, although it says it is supposed to smell like peaches but I can't really seem to find that! It takes my makeup off very easily, and it has a little pump which I love because I can control very easily how much I am using. It's a good alternative to the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish which I'm sure you've heard bloggers rave about for months and months, and it's a lot cheaper.

What are your December favourites?


caribbean paradise

Sunday, December 30, 2012
It cant be just mean who's been longing for the Caribbean sun, white sands and beautiful scenery ever since I was little. My uncle lived in Jamaica when he was younger, and I find it so fascinating when he tells me about the life he had there compared to the one he has in the UK. I'd love to spend a year or so travelling around the Caribbean without a care in the world. Peace and quiet...

Image credit
Image Credit
Image credit
Seen as though this is my last post of 2012, if we don't speak before, all the best for the New Year. Hugs and kisses from Elise ♥ xxx

I'm an official fish feeder!

Thats right, you read correct - I'm an official fish feeder. Not the fish farm or goldfish type at a fairground, but when them tiny little fish nibble on your feet. It sounds disgusting, but felt so nice! Look away now if you're squeamish or have a phobia of other people's feet (like me!)



Originally it was supposed to be me and my mum having this done, but she ditched me as she said, and I quote, "the thought of living things having a three course meal on my feet makes me sick". That was after it took me about 2 minutes to be brave enough to put my feet in! At first it feels like really weird and I can't explain the feeling but it is so different. It feels like bubbles vibrating on your feet and when you look down you can see these little fish nibbling on your feet. Gross.

I was so surprised that I managed to actually do it, because I have a huge major phobia of feet. I can't even look at them on the TV or on a photo without it making me queasy. Afterwards my feet felt so soft it's unreal, and I'm so surprised with myself that I was the only one of out my family that was brave enough to do it, despite my phobia!

Have you had this done? Did you like it?


Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Image from We Heart It
Merry Christmas!!!! Arhhhh! This is just a little quick one that I've schedueled for Christmas day to say I hope you have a lovely and very happy Christmas. Remember - the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

Have fun lovelies! X



Liebster Award

Monday, December 24, 2012
I'd never heard of this award until the lovely Lora from Tans & Tiaras nominated me last night and after a bit of reading I found out what it actually is!


"The Liebster Award is for bloggers with under 300 followers and the rules of the award is that the nominee must link back to whoever awarded them, write 11 random facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions from the award giver, and then nominate another 11 bloggers and make up 11 questions for them to answer. It's a great way for new and undiscovered bloggers to meet new people, get more followers and find some blogs that they want to follow."




My 11 random facts:

1. I've never had any pets. Apart from a goldfish that I won at a fair and had to take it home on the bus. My mum almost killed me.
2. Ever since I was little I've wanted to drive, and I drive my dad's Landrover on fields for practice - even though I have 3 years until I can take my test! :(
3. Dippy eggs and soldiers is my favourite food.
4. I've had my ears pierced in the same place 4 times.
5. I am a very family-orientated person. I love my family more than anything in the world. *Soppy moment*
6. I have no idea whatsoever what I'll do at college and I don't have the faintest idea what I want to be when I'm older. I used to want to be a farmer, but when I realized you have to get up at about 5am I changed my mind.
7. I LOVE sleep. It's the best thing in the world.
8. I used to want a bearded dragon and I cried on my birthday when I didn't get one. Hahahaha.
9. My favourite number is 1.
10. My ultimate dream is to travel the world. Cliché, I know.
11. I love off-roading / greenlaning and I'm a country girl. I love camping and everything to 
do with being away from the city. 


Offroading in the Peak District in Autumn.
My questions from Lora:

1. Jeans or jeggings?
- Jeggings all the time - I don't own a pair of jeans! Naughty me. :P

2. What is your dream job?
- I haven't the faintest idea of what I want to do when I'm older. Something to do with fashion/beauty I think.

3. Favourite piece of clothing and why?
- I'm going to be very boring here and say leggings. I wear them almost everyday and they're perfect for a cosy winter.

4. If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things would you take?
- I'm in a soppy mood today and say my family. :)


5. Favorite take away food?
- The lovely Indian takeaway about 10 minutes away from my house. I love it! Indian food is my favourite food, apart from dippy eggs and soldiers of course!

6. Investment pieces or Primark fashion?
- I think I'm going to say Primark, although I hate the massively long queues they always have so I rarely go in there.

7. How long does it take you to get ready in mornings?
- Usually about 20-30 minutes, which I think is quite good!

8. Vlogs or Blogs?
- Both. I love to write on my blog and I don't do videos on YouTube because I think it's a breeding ground for nasty malicious people, although the majority of people in the YouTube community are lovely. I love to watch them, but I could never see myself being confident enough to sit down and talk to a camera!

9. Worst hair mistake?
- Shaving the side! I shaved it when I had short hair and now I've got medium length hair and a short bit on the side. Also maybe dying it red. I can still see it in the light after 2 years. :(

10. Favorite Perfume?
- Lady Million by Paco Rabanne. I'm in love with it.

11. Night out or the town or night in on the sofa?
- A bit of both.

I nominate:

  1. Victoria from In The Frow
  2. Rebecca from Ooh La London
  3. Lucy from Lucy Rose
  4. Jo from Adventures and Tea Parties
  5. Nora from Hand Drawn Heart
  6. Hannah from Butterflies and Punks
  7. Ally from Strawberries Taste How Lips Do
  8. Laurie from Laurie Elle
  9. Amanda from Candy Camerah
  10. Ellie from Digging Up The Daisies
  11. Ria from Ria Evans
And my questions for you are:

1. Summer or winter?
2. What is your most favourite thing about blogging?
3. Favourite nail polish?
4. Writing reviews or haul-type posts?
5. How long does it take you to write a post usually?
6. All-time best mascara?
7. Who is your main blog inspiration?
8. Favourite candle scent?
9. Best dupes?
10. Reading or watching blogs/vlogs?
11. What was your favourite blog post to write?

Also a huge thank you to Lora for nominating me! I'd love for you to comment with links so I can have a look. :)

Rimmel London wake me up foundation

Sunday, December 23, 2012

I am a foundation junkie. Like, huge. When I heard everyone raving about it, I definitely had to try it. I'm so glad I bought! I bought this in the lightest shade which is 100 Ivory and it retails at about £8.99 from drug stores like Boots and Superdrug. I've been using this for about 3 months now and still have a lot left.

It says that this foundation has tiny 'radiance pearls' and when I swatched it on my hand I couldn't see them but when you use it on your face it does have a slight shimmer to it. I am quite wary of shiny and glittery foundations because I think they can sometimes look quite tacky and not very nice. You can only see the slight shine if you particularly look for it but it doesn't make your face look like a giant disco ball, which is always a plus side!

I use my fingers to blend this into my face and it works very well, giving good coverage. Rimmel say that it lasts up to 10 hours, and I wear this everywhere from morning to night and doesn't move an inch. I find the packaging so pretty and different - it's a lovely orange colour which is unusual and I like that. I have combination skin and the only downfall of this is that it doesn't sit well on dry skin. It only has 6 shades altogether, so I don't think that everyone can benefit from this foundation.

All of this for a lovely little price tag of £8-£9 is amazing. It covers blemishes, red areas and under eye bags reasonably well. If you're debating whether to buy this, I would definitely recommend you do! It doesn't break the bank if you don't like it, but I'm sure you will!



Christmas presents for brothers

Saturday, December 22, 2012
It's nearly Christmas!!! I'm so excited, only it doesn't feel like Christmas because up North we've had no snow :(. This is my second piece in the 'Christmas presents for....' series, with my other being for teenage girls and you can read that here. :)

1. Forza Horizon for Xbox 360 - £39.99
2. Burgandy beanie - £12.00
3. Inbetweeners box set - £12.00
4. Grey onesie - £17.99
5. iTunes £15 gift card
6. Paco Rabanne 1 million eu de toilette - £53.00
7. Samsung Galaxy tab - £399.99



Lush party popper bath bomb

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Oh my God! How cold has it been this week?! I think Christmas is definitely on it's way! Brrrrrr. Anyway, this gave me huge kick up the bum to get out and do some Christmas shopping. Now, I can never go shopping without having a sneaky peek in Lush. It's heaven in there. I wish I could buy the whole shop!

I limited myself to only buying 1 thing, because I always spend endless amounts of money on things I need. I only had £5 change and so bought this Party Popper bath bomb. It smells lovely and really cleans your skin in the bath. It's so fun to watch them sizzle away in the water, it fascinates me!

It leaves little confetti-like pieces in the water and looks so pretty. I heard a crackling noise and was scouring the bathroom to see where it was coming from and I only just found out it contains popping candy! Haha. It turns the water a gorgeous purple/pink colour, and it just makes bath time so much better!

Have you tried these? I love them! Definitely on my repurchase list.



Having a bad day?

Monday, December 17, 2012
I've honestly had the worst day EVER. Who makes it acceptable to have 4 exams in a matter of hours a week before Christmas? So stressed out, and then I saw these photo on Pinterest and giggled my little head off, so I thought I'd share them. :)


Image from Pinterest

Image from Pinterest


Image from Pinterest

Nails Inc - Elizabeth Street

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Ola! This is my new favourite nail polish. I say new because this usually changes within a few weeks. This is by Nails Inc and is called Elizabeth Street and I actually got this as a freebie in Glamour Magazine a few months ago. It is a lovely pale pink colour and quite opaque. I had to apply 3 coats of the polish to make this colour prominent and visible  This is the first ever Nails Inc product I have and to be honest this wasn't the colour I wanted. I was searching the whole store trying to find the magazine with the lovely rich red polish called St James and I couldn't find it so I settled for this one. Considering it costs £11 in the shop and £2 in the magazine is amazing. My motto is, you don't try you don't know! It's very easy to apply and has a really nice brush. I think that this would look more wintery with a glitter/sparkly colour over the top. I would definitely recommend. If you missed this bargain, although it is very dear it is of a very very good quality and it is such a lovely colour!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!




My Bucket List

Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Image from We Heart It

This is the Bucket List that I've had in my secret diary ever since I was about 9 years old! I have added to it and ticked things off over the years. I've decided I'll share it with you, my lovely readers today! By the way, they are not in order - they are just my doodles and scribbles from over the past 4 years. :)


  1. Visit the Eiffel Tower
  2. Swim with dolphins
  3. Go on the London Eye
  4. Visit America
  5. Be a succesful beauty/fashion blogger
  6. Spend Christmas in NYC and go Christmas shopping in Times Square
  7. Go on a massive holiday with my friends
  8. Visit the Dominican Republic
  9. Fly in a hot air balloon
  10. Take a mud bath
  11. Drive down Rodeo Drive
  12. See the Hollywood sign
  13. Camp out on a beach
  14. Stroke a lion cub
  15. See Niagara Falls
  16. Visit family in Canada
  17. Meet the Kardashians/Jenners
  18. Get a tattoo
  19. Go scuba diving
  20. Go to Disneyland in America
  21. Shave my head
  22. Go surfing
  23. Go on a safari in South Africa
  24. Visit my uncle's family in Jamaica
  25. Save somebody's life
  26. Go to Vegas
  27. Be a mum and have a family
  28. Dive in an aquarium
  29. Go quad biking in the Grand Canyon with my dad (this has been planned since I was 6!)
  30. Adopt a pet
  31. Go to the Sahara Desert
  32. Own a baby bearded dragon
  33. Get a henna tattoo
  34. Visit Barbados
  35. Own a beach house
  36. Fly first class
  37. Give blood
  38. See a psychic/claire voyant
  39. Hold a turtle
  40. Go to Thailand
  41. Ride a segway
  42. Visit Edmonton Mall in Canada
  43. Go to a fashion show
  44. Buy a homeless person something ♥
  45. Climb the Statue of Liberty (?)
  46. Get married
  47. Ride a camel
  48. Visit California
  49. Have hair as long as my bum!
  50. Try iced tea
  51. Go to a drive-through-movie (like in Grease!)
  52. Ride an elephant
  53. Dye my hair a stupid colour
  54. Get another piercing
  55. Go on a zipwire
  56. Have a nice figure
  57. Own an iPhone
  58. Get matching small tattoos with my mum
  59. Party on a boat (?)
  60. Have a walk-in wardrobe!
  61. Design my own tattoo
  62. Campfire with marshmellows
  63. Make a summer scrapbook
  64. Go to NYC Fashion Week
  65. Own every OPI nail polish
  66. Be able to drive
  67. Go to a concert

The Christmas Tag!

Image from We Heart It
Christmas is my favourite time of the year. Everyone is always smiling and happy, and I just find it so fun and enjoyable for the whole family. I absolutely adore shopping for other people's presents, and this year I've done it extra early so I can avoid the mad rush!

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?
Everything. I love everything about Christmas, from wrapping the presents up and putting them under the tree, to giving presents out to my friends and family. I love to see the look on their faces when they see what I've bought for them.

What is your favourite makeup look for the festive season?
I love to wear just a black smokey eye with a winged black eyeliner. Over Christmas, I don't like to wear too much foundation and I find this a time to let my skin clear up a bit. I like to be pale over the festive season as I think it looks a bit more natural.

Real or fake tree?

REAL all the way! The real trees might cost a lot more, but the scent it leaves is unreal. The only negative things about real Christmas trees is that they can leave pines from the stems all over the floor if you buy them too early. You have to buy them at just the right time - not too early so the pines fall off, but still not too late because it'd be a struggle to find one at a reasonable price!

Giving presents or receiving?
I think most people fib a little when they answer this question, because who doesn't love receiving presents? I also do love giving them as much. I love seeing the look on people's faces when they open their presents. I can't wait for my mum to open hers!

Open Christmas presents morning or afternoon?

I never even knew people opened them in the afternoon! In my family it is sort of the tradition to open them as soon as everybody is awake. We sit around in the living room with the TV playing Christmas songs watching everybody opening their presents.

Handmade Christmas cards or bought?

Every year my aunty makes handmade Christmas cards and they are so pretty. I think I appreciate them more if they are handmade rather than bought in a shop because people will have put time and effort into making them.

Favourite Christmas film?
Definitely The Polar Express! I love it.

Favourite Christmas food?
The little sausages you get on the Christmas dinners that are covered in bacon rashers. We only have them at Christmas! To me, it seems illegal to have them any other time!



Finally, I tag any of you lovely readers who want to do this tag if you already haven't. Have a lovely day!



Rimmel London BB Cream

Monday, December 10, 2012


The BB cream market seems to have exploded over the past couple of months, with now almost every beauty brand from MUA to Dior having their own take on this lovely product. The BB Cream made it's European debut in 2011 following the popularity it achieved across Asia. Rimmel London's take on the famous BB cream features a 9-in-1 skin perfecter. It says that this makeup primes, moisturises, minimises pores, conceals, covers, smooths, matifies, brightens and helps to protect your skin. However, it is only available in 2 shades; light and medium. So, is this product actually all that it's cracked up to be?

This is perfect for people who don't want to use foundation, but would still like to achieve flawless skin. I have combination skin, and I found this to make my skin not patchy, not dry and it is not too slimy either. It covers up blemishes with just a small amount and it also covers up red parts of the face very well. I tend to not use a foundation brush with this, I just use clean fingers and rub tiny splodges into all over my face and neck. The light shade fits my natural skin colour perfectly and it makes my skin look natural, glowing and healthy... Without getting the horrible orange face! It is very cheap for a good BB cream which does all of the things it says above, and at only £6.99 right on the high street, it is right up there with the best BB creams. 

The only thing that I am not too keen on is the packaging. It just doesn't excite me, and this is the reason I hadn't bought it before. It just looked too cheap and like it wasn't a very good product. Well , the moral of this story is to not judge a book by it's cover. Well, in this case, it's don't judge a product by it's packaging!

Have you tried this product? What is your favourite BB cream out there at the moment?



Bath Time

Saturday, December 08, 2012

Sorry for the extremely bad quality, I had to zoom in on my camera to get the photo as I was too scared to put my phone over the bath - knowing myself I'd probably drop it in and I would be completely lost without it! I love bubble baths. If you take a bath without bubbles, Soap and Glory, multiple candles and Taylor Swift playing, that it a waste of a bath. I'm pretty sure that is what heaven feels like! 
The first product I use for my baths is the Soap and Glory Bubble Bath being sold in Boots for £5.50, which is an extremely good bargain. With ordinary bubble baths I usually tend to put the whole bottle in and no bubbles still come out. However, with this magical beauty I only have to use 2-3 capfuls and you get a bubble explosion. With this, less really is more. Whenever somebody uses the quote 'less is more' I never understand it - how can less possibly be more? Less is less, and more is more, but with this, a little goes a very long way. It smells delicious and I am so bad at describing scents so if you think you'd like it, I'd recommend going to Boots and trying it out.
Next is the Sugar Crush body scrub which is probably one of my favourite scents. It contains smashed brown sugar, sweet lime, almond oil and macademia grains. It doesnt seem nice, I know, and when I saw this on Zoella's blog I ran (not literally) straight to Boots and smelt it, and as I previously said, it is my favourite smell EVER. Buy it. Buy it now.
Finally is the Glad Hair Day, again from Soap and Glory and this cost £5.50. I'm not too sure that I would buy this again. It is a good shampoo don't get me wrong, but the smell didn't last and straight after I got out of the bath, the smell was gone. My hair smelt like nothing, and this was such a disappointment because the smell when it was cleaning my hair was lush. Also, the bit which you squeeze the shampoo out of is SO small. It takes like 3 minutes to get a considerable amount onto your hands ready to rub it through your hair. However it does leave my hair feeling and looking fresh!
What are your favourite bath products? :)




NOTD #2


Aloha!
I love Christmas, you've probably read my rambling on about how much I love it in other blog posts but I just can't contain myself. It's the best time of the year, and I adore the colours that are associated with winter. Reds, deep purples, whites and royal blues - it is my favourite colour season!
Today I painted my nails a deep red and a glitter red on my ring finger, just to make it different. To me,  the Ultimate Christmas colour is red - red holly, red trees, I just think red is a perfect colour for this time of year. The glitter really reflects Christmas to me, too. The crystal snow and snowflakes glistening makes glitter nail polish an absolute must-have over the December period.
I ♥ Christmas! :)



Christmas presents for sisters


1. Disney Couture Bangle - £35.00
2. Marc Jacobs Daisy - £40.80 - £52.70
3. Nails by Topshop in Rising Star - £6.00
4. Nails by Topshop in Adrenaline - £6.00
5. Yankee Candle in Pink Sands - £15.49
6. Pink Front Bow Purse - £8.99
7. Girligo Body Moisturising Mist - £6.50
8. White Snood - £16.00
9. Pink Skater Skirt - £12.99
10. Cath Kidston Floral iPhone 4/4s Case - £24.95


Almost all of these are on my Christmas List! Do you like the look of any of these? What are your favourites? :)



White Rabbits!

Saturday, December 01, 2012

Happy December!


If you've forgotten, it is time to open your advent calendar! Here is mine. You could say I am obsessed with the Disney princesses - especially Ariel she's my favourite. When I saw this I mithered my mum all around the shops like a little 2 year old until she bought me this and eventually, she gave up. Job well done!

Have a lovely day. :)

Who is on your advent calendar? 







Liz Earle Eyebright

Wednesday, November 28, 2012



I am really not good with eye products at all. I often find them irritating my eyes and then when I put my make up on they go itchy and I end up with panda eyes... Not a good look. So, anyway, when my mum bought this for me in a Liz Earle set after constantly complaining about my eyes 'aching' in the morning, but I was a bit apprehensive to try it.

After trying it and falling in absolute LOVE with it, it is part of my morning and night routine. In the morning I soak cotton wool pads in a cup for a few minutes whilst I go and lie in bed for a bit, and then I put them on my eyes for a couple of minutes. It is so soothing and refreshing. I definitely does what it says on the tin! I know it is not in a tin but you get the gist...

I then apply my eye makeup and I feel so awake - such a good thing for getting up for school in the dark winter mornings! At night before I go to bed I do the same but do not soak them directly onto my eyelids, I wipe the soaked cotton pad onto my eyes and usually within 2-3 wipes all of my make up is removed. It's like magic, I swear. If it is a weekend and I am wearing more makeup than school days them it may take just a little more time to take it off, but not much.

I am so glad that my mum got this as a little treat for my sleepy morning eyes and I am definitely going buy the bigger bottle! I can not recommend this high enough.

Have you tried this? Does it work as good for you?