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?