The great return...

This is going to be a very relaxed blog post.  Here is a photo of me as I'm writing it.  It's a crappy webcam photo, but it just felt right OKAY.  Also I changed my blog URL, and will be changing the top banner thing -  bare with, bare with.

Wow, okay.  It's been a while.  University is pretty hectic, but I do love it.  Obviously blogging has had to take a backseat, and it's taken me a little while to get my head around time management and all that jazz, but now I'm attempting to make a comeback to my blog, and hope you will welcome me back with the kindness you welcomed me with in the beginning. 

So what have I actually been doing?  Well I'm studying religion, which I may have previously mentioned.  I won't go into huge detail about what I'm studying on the course, since I doubt anyone is massively interested - but so far I can confirm Hinduism is really cool and the Goddess is kind of my hero.  She rides a lion.  Goals.

I'm also working a Christmas temp at Lush, which I very much enjoy, and prefer to my old job at a D.I.Y and homeware store.  It's a lot more 'me', although I do need to get my product knowledge up to scratch!  Remembering the ingredients to the different products is a bit of a challenge!  

And now, what does the future hold for ella-mink?  I'm annoyed at myself for stopping when I did, because my blog was growing and more and more people were having a read, and I could have made the most of that.  I'm going to hopefully be blogging twice a week, and I'd like to do more lifestyle-y posts.  Since I'm not living with my parents anymore I'm getting to grips with budgeting and being an adult.  Like today I rang an estate agent.  What the hell.  How did I get so old?!

Also I kind of actually have a social life now, which is a bit weird, like I do actually leave the house on Saturday nights.  And sometimes other nights too!  (hahaha I'm introducing my terrible jokes to m blog - please don't leave)  And another exciting thing that happened in my life - my boyfriend let me have some of his Sharpie pens, so I took all the pink and purples ones.  Obviously. 

I know this post is kind of different to what I started out doing on this blog, but I will still be doing beauty things!  Seriously, I am still as obsessed with make up as ever, if not more.  But I'd just like to throw in a few more "this me and this is what's happening in my life" posts.  Like what I thought a blog should be when I was 13.  Considering I still act 13 most of the time, that seems like an appropriate format.  

Here is a photo of me with a real camera to make me seem like a real blogger.

I'll chat to you again soon, and I really do hope you'll stick with me as I attempt to switch things up a bit on my blog.  I just want to be a bit more fun for the both of us.

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FOTD: First Day of Lectures ♡

Back to beauty posts it is!  Thought it'd kick it off with a simple face of the day.  Since it's my first day of attending lectures, I wanted to wear a look that feel light on the skin - nothing too heavy!  Here's how it looks and what I used to create it!

Excuse the mega close up... welcome to my personal bubble?

• Bourjois Happy Light Primer (buy here)
• Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in 1 Warm Ivory (buy here)
• Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick SAMPLE (buy full size here)
• Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer in Light (buy here)
• Revlon ColorStay Concealer in 01 Fair (buy here)
• Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder in 01 Fair (buy here)
• Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 01 Light Matte (buy here)
• Benefit Benetint (buy here)
• Benefit High Beam (buy here)
• Benefit Gimme Brow in Light/Medium (buy here)
• Soap & Glory Supercat Liner (buy here)
• L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara (buy here)
• Mac Lipstick in Plumful (buy here)

A lot of these products are new to me, so I'm still testing them out.  I've been having to use a million concealers because my skin is a mess at the moment! Thanks to the stress of moving.  If you'd like to see any reviews of products here do let me know and I will post them asap!

What's your favourite base products for everyday?

See you soon!

I Moved! ♡

Long time no post... twenty days.  Talk about a terrible blogger!  But I have a valid excuse, and I have mentioned it before - but I was getting ready for university!  There's a lot more to do than you'd think!  But anyway, I made it, and I do hope to make more time for blogging, but I haven't actually got my full timetable yet so I don't know how many classes I have what the work load will be like.  I'm studying religion at the University of Kent if you were wondering.  I do also plan to juggle a part time job with my degree, but I love blogging, and it's not something I want to give up!

I'm super nosey, so I thought it'd be nice for you all to have a look round my room, since I know that's what I'd want to see!  I'm in a new block, sharing a house with eight others.  I've just finished organising all my stuff and getting my room looking like a place I can actually live in for the next year!  

I know I'm very spoiled getting such lovely accommodation for university, and our kitchen/living area is also very modern and spacious!  Also I have a window seat!!  Life is full of thrills right now.  

I'll be back to beauty posting very soon - plenty of parties and events to go to means plenty of new make up looks to try out and share with you all!  It's safe to say I won't be purchasing any new high end make up any time soon though - I'm a student!

Have you been to university? How did you find it?

Less Glam Girl: The Party Dress Edit ♡

I am not a very glamorous person - there isn't a sparkle or sequin to be seen in my wardrobe, and although my wardrobe is full of dresses, not one of them is really party attire.  Then I find out there is a Freshers Ball at the university I'm going to.  I look at my wardrobe in a huge panic as there is nothing in my wardrobe that says "ball".  There was a lot of talk on how formal people were dressing for this, and my understanding is that it's general party outfits - nothing too dressy.  But still, my clothing collection has nothing to offer.

After scrolling through all the dress retailers I could think of, I came across a few that seemed occasion appropriate and that wouldn't have me feeling super self-conscious the whole night.  I still want to feel like me!  I thought I'd put together a little list of dresses that might be ideal for people like me - wanting to dress up, but not wanting to look super dressy!

1 - £15.00 - Boohoo.com (buy here)

Chiffon always says formal.  I love this super cute floaty number, and it would look great with a pair of white or cream heels, or flats if you're not up for heels!  At only fifteen pounds it's an absolute steal for a party dress!  It says party without being to 'in your face'.  Sometimes simple is best!

2 - £62.00 - Oasis at ASOS (buy here)

If you're not feeling something typically 'partyish', go for a classy, more sophisticated cut.  This is a bit of a sixties chic look, and paired with a pair of bright heels and a matching clutch would be a killer look!

3 - £14.99 - New Look (buy here)

Another bargain at under fifteen pounds!  This is ideal for a pop of colour.  Pair with stacks of gold bangles for a stand out look!

4 - £50.00 - Topshop (buy here)

A slightly edgier take on the LBD - from afar this looks like your average black dress, but close up, the pleather pleated skirt gives it a whole new look.  The cut outs on the side are also a great way of showing some skin without going too OTT!

5 - £39.00 - Miss Selfridge (buy here)

Personally I don't really go for bodycon dresses, but this print is so cool!  If you want to make a statement, then a printed dress is the way to go.  You needn't even accessorise with this - this dress does all the work for you!

Hope this helped any of you reluctant part go-ers!

Sorry for the lack in posts lately - everything is very chaotic at the moment!

First Timers: Buying High End ♡

I can't put my finger on what it is, but there's something so daunting about the first time you go to a high end beauty counter intending to buy something.  Buying high end make up seems to be a bit scary at first.  Obviously high end make up is a little pricey, so before making your first purchase, there are a few things you can do to make sure you won't regret splurging on cosmetics!

I feel like so many of us start blogging with a 'drugstore only' mindset, then it turns out every single beauty blogger is a huge enabler, and before we know it, we're all toying with the idea of maybe just spending that little bit more.  There's nothing wrong with treating yourself, after all!

Do some research!

For example, if you want to invest in a high end foundation, look at your options.  We're lucky that beauty blogging exists, as it's so easy to find people with similar skin types and tones, and what works for them.  Look at different brands, what kind of coverage you want, and how much you really want to spend.  There are plenty of YoutTube videos that review and show you exactly how a product works, for millions of products.  Thank god for beauty gurus!

Don't trust eBay!

I know eBay might offer some mega beauty bargains, but the chances are these aren't genuine products.  Most of the time it's just not worth the risk, as the rip-off versions are likely to be bad quality, and may even cause bad reactions with your skin!  High quality products unfortunately come with high prices, but if a product works really well, it's worth the extra pennies!

It's best to buy in person!

This kind of links to my last point, but even if you trust a website, I still think it's best to go to a counter and see the product before the splash out on it.  Sometimes colours might not be what you're expecting, or the size may be totally different.  Especially if you're going for a base product, go to a counter and get colour matched!  It doesn't cost any extra, and in all my experiences, staff have been happy to answer questions and see if the product is right for me.

Test products out!

If you're going out for a day of shopping, and are after a high end foundation, for example, go to the counter at the beginning of the day!  This way you can get colour matched and then test out the foundation for a couple of hours.  The staff on the counter will be happy for you to do this!  If it gets to the end of your day out and you're happy with how your face looks, go back and treat yourself to the product!  I've also found a lot of counters are happy to give samples if you ask, and if you buy something they may throw in a few samples.  

Hope this leaves you feeling a little more confident on your next trip to beauty counters!  Happy shopping!

    

New In: Beauty ♡

You're going to have to bare with me for the next few weeks - everything is a bit chaotic!  I'm moving in about a month, so I'm busy getting ready for that!  I did have my birthday last Sunday, which meant a few new beauty treats, and I thought I'd share with you what I got.

I've really been bitten by the MAC Lipstick bug, so I added two more to my collection.  This time I got Vegas Volt and Plumful. Here are some swatches!

Vegas Volt is an orange coral kind of colour - not something I'd usually go for as I'm all about a pink lip, but I actually love it, and I think it suits me really well.  It's definitely one for the summer!

I'd wanted Plumful for a very long time, but had struggled to seem to find it.  My mum actually managed to find it on a duty-free counter for me, and I'm so thrilled to finally have it!  It's a perfect everyday berry lip - nothing too dramatic, but still noticeable.  

Finally comes an adorable lip and cheek set from Benefit!  I'm a huge fan of Benefit cosmetics, they're probably my favourite high-end brand, so when I received this gift set for my birthday I was super happy!  It's a collection called Sugarlicious, and has the perfect combination of products to create a natural glowy look.

At the moment I'm loving using the Sugarbomb blush and the High Bleam highlighter to give my face a natural glow.  I could not recommend Benefit products enough, especially their powder boxes!

I'll be back soon with some different posts!  See you then,

Instagram Diary ♡

My blog has been a little slow over the past week, but it's truly been a hectic time for me.  I thought I'd get you up to speed by sharing my instagram photos.  You can follow me on instagram here!

From left to right: An outfit post from London  

A touristy snap from London 

Me and my mum on the train

My favourite bargain brush set!

Treated myself to some MAC lipsticks

Me and my youngest sister Connie

Photo from my post about blonde hair

Sunbathing with Sam on Felixstowe beach

A weird painting in the window of a charity shop in Kesgrave

A super friendly cat that I fell in love with

There are a lot of amazing childhood photos at my boyfriends house

I tried to do something cute with my hair!  (A little more practise and a tutorial may be coming up!)

Me and Man Yee enjoy the iPad photobooth

Man Yee got super buff

A nice view from the top of the hill in Felixstowe

My family are a lot more tanned than me!

My parents literally got me a bucket of Nutella for getting into uni!!

An outfit photo taken at Southsea Coffee

I hope you've enjoyed catching up with my life!  If you don't already follow me on instagram, you can search for me at 'ellajean'.

My blog may be a little slow for the next few weeks - choas is ahead!  I actually got into the University of Kent to study religion and I honestly couldn't be more excited.  Bare with me, I'll be back to normal soon enough!  I'll probably do a room tour post once I've moved, I love organising new spaces.  Sad - I know.

It's also my birthday on Sunday, so I'll probably be back with a brithday outfit and make up look!

Did you get any A Level results? How did you do?

Lots of love

OOTD - 12/08/14 ♡

Jacket - Matalan // T-shirt - H&M // Shorts - Boohoo // Shoes - Dr Marten // Bag - H&M // Necklace - Accessorise // Sunglasses - Vintage Market

Thought I'd share my outfit with you today!  It's pretty simple, but I'm absolutely obsessed with my pink leather jacket.  I'm a bit of a fan of adding a pop of colour to an outfit, especially when that colour is pink.  My shoes are from Dr Marten, and after a bit of wearing in, they have fast become my favourite shoes for everyday.  

Will be back with some beauty posts soon!

Maintaining Blonde Hair ♡

I've been colouring my hair blonde for a while now, and I know how much of a nightmare it can be it keep it looking good!  I thought I'd share with you the products I use to keep it looking good!  My hair is naturally a very dark brown colour, so I get my hairdresser to dye it for me.  Because of this I don't know exactly what colour I use - sorry I can't be more helpful!  Although I do know that it's all coloured by toner - no bleach involved!  I know I could probably get better results with bleach, but I'm happy with the colour my hair is now and I'm not keen on damaging it too much!  Here's an old photo of me with my natural hair - so you can see what I'm working with.

I naturally have a lot of red tones in my hair, so when I have it lighter these tend to get a lot stronger and my hair can go quite ginger.  In order to combat this, there are a few products I find helpful.

A brightening shampoo is a must-have if you have blonde hair!  I find the Provoke Touch of Silver range are perfect for my hair, and also super affordable!  I use the Twice a Week Brightening Shampoo (buy here) every other wash with whatever frizz control conditioner is in my shower, and then I use the Touch of Silver Daily Shampoo (buy here) and the Touch of Silver Conditioner (buy here) together on the other washes.  I find these products are fantastic for stopping any brassy or ginger tones in my hair!

Since my hair is coloured, I think it's even more important to protect it from any further damage!  Heat protectants are essential for me.  I'm not hugely fussy on what on I have, I usually just go for whatever's cheapest where I'm shopping when I need it.  At the moment I'm using the Got2b Guardian Angel (buy here) which is getting the job done- no complaints.  I also like to use a hair oil, just to keep it in good condition.  I'm using the Pantene Pro-V Smooth&Sleek Dry Oil (buy here) which I'm really loving.  It leaves my hair super soft and easy to style!

Hope you've found these tips helpful!

How do you keep blonde hair look bright?

Bargain Buy: eBay Brushes ♡

Brushes can be pretty pricey - even in the drugstore.  I'd been lusting after the rose gold Zoeva set for a while, but it would set me back about fifty pounds - which may not be a lot to some, but for me, that's a lot of money just on brushes!  I'd seen a few other bloggers talking about brushes from eBay, and at first I was unsure.  It seemed like they'd be the kind of brushes to start malting all over your face after one use.  This actually happened with one of my Real Techniques brushes!    I started to look at a few different sets on eBay, and after some thought, I decided there wasn't much to lose - it was a fifth of the price of the Zoeva set.  I'm so happy I decided to go for it!

I ordered mine from this seller, and they were at my door within three days!  I'm so impressed with this buying experience overall, and the quality of the brushes is amazing!  You get a ten piece brush set for just under ten pounds - all the brushes are so soft and apply make up really well!  There are five face brushes, and five smaller brushes for eyes or concealer.  I've been using them for a few days now and I'm really in love!  They also arrive in a little cotton bag, which I think is a nice touch.  When you pay bargain prices you don't expect to have nice little touches like that, but I've actually found the bag handy to keep my brushes in for travelling!  The brushes don't look cheap at all, and I must admit I wasn't expecting them to look as good as they do.

Overall I'm so pleased with the set, and I'd definitely recommend having a look on eBay before you splash out on some pricey brushes!

You can find the set I have here!

Have you tried any brushes from eBay?

Getting into Running ♡

I'll hold my hands up and admit I'm very lazy.  Over the past year or so, the stress of juggling A Levels with a part time job has meant I haven't been massively conscious of my health and fitness.  From the ages of eleven to fifteen I was training and competing in synchronised swimming.  During that time I was training, both in and out of the pool, six days a week, a few hours each day.  I used to be extremely fit, so when I had to stop training due to joint problems, my fitness levels dropped very quickly.  Since then, I haven't bothered with attempting to get my fitness back up, since it just wasn't something I felt I needed to do.

In the past few weeks I've decided to change this and get back into running.  Doing the Race for Life is what has kicked this off I think, as I signed up for it, not really thinking about having to actually run 5k, then panicking a few weeks before.  I didn't run the entire thing, I jogged about half and brisk walked the rest.

I know a lot of people are trying to do the same as me, and since I used to train competitively in a sport, I thought I could offer some advice for getting fit.  I'm using the NHS Couch to 5k Podcast, which I'm loving!  I'm currently on week 3, and finding it a great way to build my stamina up.  I would really recommend it if you want to get running.  It takes nine weeks to complete the entire program, and you do three runs a week, leaving a rest day in between each.  Anyway, here are some tips for getting into running!

Don't expect too much from yourself.
The first time I went out I was so annoyed at myself for barely being able to jog for sixty seconds without getting out of breath. If you haven't done a lot of physical exercise before, your body isn't going to suddenly run for twenty minutes with no problems.  Take it slowly and don't push yourself too much - you'll get to where you want to be eventually.

Be prepared to put time in.
If you haven't exercised much prior to now, getting your fitness up may take some time - it's not going to happen overnight.  It might take a while, but you will see changes - even if it's just not being so out of breath after running for the bus!  It's a long road, but worth it!

Getting fit doesn't have to cost a lot.
The gym seems like a good idea when you're attempting to get fit - until you look at the membership fees!  I do exercises like sit ups and crunches in my tiny box room, and go out running around my neighborhood.  Be creative with the spaces you have - there's probably a space in your area that'd be great for exercise.

Get a running partner.
I go running with my mum.  I find it motivates me to go out and not to stop once I'm running.  I'm not sure why it works, but having a running partner can be super helpful.  It's nice to feel like you're sharing a task with someone else!

Run to music.
I use the couch to 5k podcast, but you could use any music of your choice.  It helps to set a pace and take your mind off what you're actually doing!

Those are my tips!  Hope you find them helpful, and good luck if you too are trying to get fit!

 What's your favourite way to get fit?

  

OOTD - Londay Day Trip ♡

On Monday I set off to London for a day out with my family.  My uncle was visiting from Australia, so we were keen to do something exciting since we barely ever see him.  Me, my mum, both my sisters, my grandparents and my uncle caught the train to London, for a day that included walking round the beautiful parks, a bit of shopping in Covent Garden, a wander round the Science Museum, dinner at Pizza Express and we also saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in the West End!  I'm not massively into musicals, but the show really was brilliant, and I spend a lot of time looking at the sets and special effects in amazement!  It's so clever!  Anyway -  here's what I wore.  The photos aren't great since I only had my iPhone with me, as I forgot to charge my camera (oops!).

Dress: American Apparel (buy here) Shoes: Dr Martens (buy here) Bag: H&M (buy similar)

A pretty simple outfit, but it was ideal for a hot day in the city.  My Dr Marten boots are perfect for days when I know I'm going to be walking a lot.  They're so comfy - I've had them for a few years now, so they're looking very well loved!

Because my outfit was lacking in colour, I went for a super bright lip.  The Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks (buy here) are so good for all day wear!  I wore the shade Ole Flamingo, and it's probably my favourite shade out of the collection.  I'm really loving a pink lip at the moment!  Here's a photo of me and my mum so you can see the lip a bit better!  Sorry about the terrible iPhone front camera quality!

Shout out to my mum who corrects my grammar and spelling on my posts!

I do plan to post outfit photos more often, but I always forget to take photos!  Hope you've enjoyed this post!  

What is your go-to outfit for a day out?

Jumping on the Bandwagon - MAC Lipsticks ♡

I'm fairly new to the beauty blogging world, and so far I can see there is always a lot of disagreement over how good products truly are - but if there seems to be something every blogger recommends you own, it's a MAC lipstick.  I never used to be a lipstick person, but in the last six months I've really been hitting up the selection in Boots, but hadn't yet strayed into high-end lip territory.  A MAC lipstick is pretty pricey, and at about fifteen pounds for one, it's not a product I was rushing out to buy, but when Debenhams took five pounds off all their lipsticks for National Lipstick Day, I couldn't say no.  I caved and purchased my first three MAC lipsticks!  Here are the three I chose:

Let's start off with Crosswire.  It's a super pretty coraly pink, and since I don't have any coral lip products, it seemed about time I picked one up.  It's one of the cremesheen formulas, and is very creamy and glides onto the lips.  

I love a red lip, and MAC has a huge selection of shades.   After a lot of googling the different options to see swatches, I opted for Ruby Woo.  It's a classic red, and I love how it looks with my pale skin tone.  It is a retro matte finish, meaning it can be quite drying and not the smoothest to apply, but regardless of this, the finish is so lovely and will be great for the colder months!

Last but not least, we come to Syrup.  This is such a perfect 'my lips but better' shade, and I can see it quickly becoming one of my top everyday options!  It's a lustre formal, and the application is really smooth.  It doesn't feel too heavy on the lips, and would look great with a dramatic eye!

  

Can't wait to add more to my collection!  I'm really lusting after the shades Plumful and Vegas Volt now!

What are your favourite MAC lipsticks?

Two Weeks of Instagram ♡

I've been a little bit absent from blogging in the past week or two - I've had a lot going on!  I thought a nice way to show you all what I've been doing is to show and explain my recent instagram posts!  If you don't follow me on instagram, you can click here to do so - I try to post as much as I can!

From left to right:  My boyfriend and I took a walk in Woodbridge - here is him looking at stuff.  

A few days later we went crabbing.  This is a panorama of the bay area that we went, I'm not sure what the place is called, but it's on the river opposite Old Felixstowe.

Here is a photo of me and my boyfriend.  It's rare to have a photo of us not distorted by an effect on iPad photobooth!

We went out skateboarding - well Sam did, and I walked behind!  He did try to teach me, but I'm too scared and also have zero coordination!

Another panorama I took - this time of Woodbridge.

This is the entrance to Canterbury Cathedral.  I'm hopefully moving to Canterbury in September (waiting on A Level results) but my family and I went for a visit.  We ate in a gluten free cafe!

I did the race for life with my mum and sisters!  It was so so hot, and not pleasant running weather, but was a great day for a great cause!

We had a family gathering because my cousin and his girlfriend had a baby!  We enjoyed the heatwave by the pool in my auntie and uncle's garden.  This photo reminds me of paintings by David Hockney and the album 'The English Riviera' by Metronomy.

This is a playhouse in my aunt and uncles garden that me and my cousins used to play in when we were younger.  It's surrounded by overgrown plants now, since we're all too old to use it, but I love how it looks!  It also seemed a lot bigger when we were little, like it was on stilts or something!

Looked through cool stuff at my grandparents house!  This is a ticket to the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.  It cost £3 for the entire weekend and Hendrix played!

A poster for the same IOW festival!  The design is so cool!

My sister taught me to make loom bands... apparently it's the new 'thing', like scoobies?  Did anyone else make scoobies when they were younger?  I was obsessed!  A lot of kids who come in to work have loom bands all up their arms.  

I hope you've enjoyed this post!  I'll be back with more beauty posts soon - I may have gone a bit lip product crazy in the past few weeks, and I'll also be doing a space-themed make up look in the near future!  

Do you use instagram?  Leave your usernames in the comments and I'll give you a follow!