What I got for Christmas 2012

 ☃ Benefit They're Real mascara ☃ MAC Mineralize skin finish ☃ Soap & Glory At First Blush ☃ Soap & Glory Thick and Fast mascara ☃ Topshop nails in Rising Star ☃ Essie nail varnish ☃ Benefit boi-ing concealer ☃ Cath Kidston Bath & Soap set ☃ No7 goodies ☃ Lee Stafford hair growth treatment ☃ Boudoir Beauty set ☃ Benefit PORE set ☃

 ☃ Four Christmases ☃ Friends with Benefits ☃ Christina Aguilera - Lotus ☃ Would I Lie to you? ☃ Lauren Conrad - Starstruck ☃ Tangle Teezer ☃ Sanctuary set ☃ New satchel ☃ Chocolates ☃ Jewellery goodies ☃

 ☃ H&M shirt ☃ Primark blouse ☃ Forever 21 jumper ☃ Primark top ☃ Asos mickey mouse top ☃ River Island dress ☃ Hunger Games trilogy ☃ Piggy bank ☃

 ☃ Christmas nails ☃

 ☃ Christmas day outfit - Primark cardigan £14, dress £13 ☃

 ☃ My gorgeous present from the boy ☃

 ☃ Having fun with my nieces :-) ☃

 ☃ Tree and so many presents! ☃

 ☃ Decorations ☃

This may seem like a slightly late Christmas post but I guess it's better late than never hey! Also I only had Christmas day and Boxing day off work and I haven't had a day off since so have been oh so very busy but thankfully I'm sat here now with a day off tomorrow so can finally relax for a while and write up this post for you guys as recently due to work being so busy I've just felt completely out of the loop. And I have so many posts that I keep meaning to write up but just haven't had the time to.

First things first, basically I've taken some pictures which I wanted to share with you lovely lot just showing some of the bits I got for Christmas, I know some people love these posts and I know others hate but I don't see it as 'bragging' or 'showing off' just simply letting you guys have a nose at what I was so grateful for over Christmas. It's not just the receiving of the presents, I absolutely love giving presents, especially the ones when you know you've got something they will really like! It really is such a good feeling.

Anyway I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, I had one of the best Christmases EVER! Not only did I enjoy spending the whole day with my family, eating chocolates, watching Disney films, giving and receiving presents but me and my family also got one very, very special Christmas present... Christmas Day night my sister went into labour and at 3:50am on Boxing Day my little baby nephew was born, weighing 8oz 9lbs he is absolutely gorgeous, mum and baby being absolutely fine! I'm just completely goo goo about him at the moment, cuddles all the time!

I'm not going to go into detail about the presents I received, you can just have a good ol' nosey at all the pictures! I'm so thankful to my family and friends for everything that I received and I hope you all got some wonderful presents as well. If you've written a Christmas post then please leave the link below as I'd love to have a read! :-)

I really hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I hope you enjoy this post! :-)

xoxo

You're a troublemaker

 

Dress: Primark

Cardigan: eBay

Necklace: Cath Kidston

Tights: Primark

Watch: Michael Kors

Hello! And sorry for the slight delay in posts over the past couple of weeks, working in Retail over Christmas is HELL as those of you who do will understand. It's been crazy busy and have been working 9 hour shifts 5/6 days a week is slowly making me crazy and absolutely knackered! I've had posts lined up for a while as well but just haven't even had the chance to turn on my laptop, let alone write the actual post, ha ha.

Anyway I'll get on with it. On my one day off last week I thought I would steer away from the mass of reviews I've been doing lately and do another OOTD post (although this is only my second one ever!) When I went to London at the end of October (you can read the post here: London Antics) I was allowed to do a small amount of shopping. The reason I couldn't do much unfortunately was because my brother had tagged along and I'll tell you this, he is not a fan of shopping. So I wasn't allowed in many shops but you can't go to Oxford street without stopping in Primark. So we went in, ending up spending aaages in there, as it was also a Saturday, and obviously I picked up so many things and this dress was one of them. I loved everything about this dress, the colour, shape, pattern, length, you name it I loved it. And I believe it was only like £13 or around that price which again is amazing. They also had this same dress is a royal blue colour, which looking back I also wish I had picked up but my basket was particularly full. My tights are also from Primark and they're the super cosy ones which all bloggers seem to be talking about lately as they are SO soft!! I just got them in black but they're also available in different colours which I may have to go back and purchase.

The cardigan I paired with this dress is one I could literally live in, I'm that in love with it. I got this off eBay yonks ago, it's a size large but I like the oversized look and I only paid around £4 for it which is an absolute bargain!! I've worn it that much that it did develop a hole but I pulled out my trusty needle and thread and I was away! Since finding this bargain and trying to go back and find more I can never find one similar for that cheap anymore they always seems to go for quite a bit of money but I think it's all about the timing. I love eBay as you can find so many good bargains on there for pretty much anything you're looking for! 

Finally my necklace from Cath Kidston. My boyfriend got this for me for my birthday a couple of years ago and I think it was around the mid £30's-£40 which is rather expensive but it's also a clock and has a lovely floral print behind which is so pretty. It's literally one of those chuck on necklaces that's so easy to wear. Although I do find it weird wearing that and my watch.. time freak? (I'm more in love with my Michael Kors watch than anything, sshh)

And that's it! I was just heading to the hairdressers in this outfit to finally get rid of my dark roots just in time for Christmas which was a nice treat for myself! This outfit just a daytime casual look but I would think that the dress can also be worn with some beautiful heels for a night out too which is amazing for the price I paid! :-) I hope you enjoyed my outfit post, let me know if you do and whether I should do more! Hope you all have a good week xoxo

P.s. Sorry about the picture quality, camera died this is laptop high quality! Haha

Lush 'Grease Lightning' Review

I bet you're thinking... another spot lotion potion review! Hehe, well I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to spit remedy's as II find myself always picking them up when I have a break out. And my skin, unfortunately, is always prone to a break out, especially before that time of the month ladies. Also yesterday I actually picked up another spot treatment, Debenhams has 15% off so I thought it acceptable ;-) I'll leave it a mystery and do a post on it when I receive it. I've seen a few reviews on this product and basically liked what I was reading so when I was shopping one day I popped into Lush and snapped it up pronto.

I've been using this product, alongside with my Elf Zit Zapper, for a couple of weeks now and I'm pretty impressed. The first couple of times I used this I noticed amazing results, I had like 2 bruiser spots and this product reduced the redness and size over night, I was so impressed! I apply this just before I go to bed on my problem areas, it has a pump so it's super easy to get the amount you need. I just use one pump and sometimes even find that too much! It's quite a small bottle, and I paid £5.95, but considering you only need one pump I can already tell this product is going to last a long time, but with it being a Lush product it obviously has a use by date on. This product is like a gel formula and once applied to my spots within about 60 seconds that area tightens, literally it's hard to fully yawn! Haha. It then dries out that area quite a bit, but I always find the tightness and dryness feels and looks as if it's working? Don't know if that's just me but I kinda like it. 

More recently I haven't had any larger spots, I've had a couple of pimples and have a couple of scars from spots probably about a gazillion years ago so have tried this product on those as well but haven't found the results as good. I just find that it takes slightly more applications on smaller problematic areas to take action. So although I still love the product I just find the results better on larger spots and stick to my Elf Zit Zapper for my smaller spots that develop.

Overall I love this product and if you're looking for something to help with those larger break outs then this is definitely your product! It's not to inexpensive considering how long I think it will last for so it's definitely worth a try, everyone's skin is different though :-) Hope you enjoyed this review and let me know if you've tried this product and what you think, have a good week xo

Divaderme Lash Extender Review

Recently a friend of mine posted about this product and as soon as I read all about it I had to go and purchase one for myself! Any products to do with eyelashes I LOVE! There's barely a day that I won't go without mascara and/or using my eyelash curlers. Basically I wouldn't be able to live without these two things!

Anyway after reading her post (you can read it here: http://heeledshoesandmacaroons.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/lash-extender-fibers-review.html) I instantly wanted to try it out, anything to make my lashes look that little bit longer and thicker I'm willing to try. I actually picked this product up off eBay, they had buy it now prices of around £8 but I was lucky enough to win an auction and got it for just over £4 including postage so I was very happy. I believe the RRP price to be around £20, so definitely a bargain. It's really easy to use and it is a rather quick process, so you have to be fast! Ha ha.

All you have to do is 1. Apply a first coat of mascara to wet your eyelashes 2. Then apply the lash extender fibers using a rolling motion 3. Apply another coat of mascara to set the fibers in place and voila! It's complete. It's really easy and I love the results. As you can see I've tried to take a photo of my eyelashes after I've finished the process. I wanted to take a picture step by step but as you have to set the fibers quickly it wasn't possible. The picture doesn't do this product justice, it really does lengthen and thicken your lashes and it definitely is buildable if you wanted to repeat the process. I only do it once as I am happy with the results.My eyelashes are pretty long anyway and I still love it but if you have shorter eyelashes then this product is definitely for you. The product comes with a small little brush which is extra helpful as once you have applied the product you can sometimes get some small fibers under your eye so you can simply just brush them away once you have finished the process.

Personally I believe this works slightly better on wetter eyelashes so preferably the newer the mascara you're using, the better. I used my elf mascara as it was brand new and I had literally just pulled this out of the packaging and it worked amazingly. But I have also used it on a slightly older mascara, it did work just as well just the fibers didn't tend to stick as well as it wasn't as wet. I find this product to make your lashes look long and full but very naturally which makes me love it even more.

Overall it's definitely worth the price tag, even better if you can get it as cheap as I did! So if you're an eBay whiz then head on over and search for it! If you know of any other lengthening eyelash products then I'd love to know about them and I'd love to know if you've tried this product and what you think of it! Hope you have a good week xoxo

Small Superdrug haul: 3 for 2

So recently I was forced to go into Superdrug, well not quite forced in fact not at all forced I was alone and this was a cheer myself up present and I think it worked well! Superdrug currently have 3 for 2 on all cosmetics so when there's 3 beauty products I wanted to try I headed there straight away. Usually I would always just go to Boots for my drugstore beauty products but considering the 3 for 2 offer I thought I'd switch.. just this once, I don't know why I just do. So I thought I'd treat myself after work has been a total downfall lately and to be honest there's not a lot I can do about it and the hunt for a new job goes on.

Anyway onto the first product I picked up, I got Rimmel's BB Cream in Light. I had recently got a sample of this and after using all of that up I instantly wanted to grab the full size bottle and I absolutely love it! The product claims to "Primes, Moisturises, Minimises Pores, Conceals, Covers, Smoothes, Mattifies, Brightens and helps Protect". I'm not 100% convinced that this product does all 9 of these things but I am sure that it does most of them, it really is amazing. It makes my skin feel ultra soft and it is really easy to apply. I do moisturise before I apply this product and love the application and coverage I get from it. I barely wear foundation on a day to day basis so this product is perfect for me. It's quite a light coverage but it's definitely buildable if you wanted. This is also the first BB cream that I have ever tried so I don't really know what I was expecting but it's definitely worth it. I think this was around £6 so very affordable too and I would absolutely recommend this product if you're after a BB cream or like me and don't normally wear foundation!

Next I purchased the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer which is the one I believe I hear everyone talk about so I'm jumping on the band wagon and trying it out myself. My last concealer had just run out so it was perfect timing, I was using e.l.f's concealer which was ok, nothing special but it was only £1.50. So after hearing rave reviews I tried this, I've used it a couple of times and I must say it definitely does last for a very long time which I love! Usually my concealer's would only last a few hours before I'm applying again so not having to reapply this whilst I'm at work is an absolute bonus. I believe this was just over £4 which is clearly a steal and I am definitely agreeing with everyone else who loves this concealer! :-)

Finally I picked up a Rimmel Soft Kohl Eyeliner in Sable Brown. I don't think I've ever owned a brown eyeliner I would usually just always use black but I watched Sammi from BeautyCrush video on her natural make up look and saw she used a brown eyeliner, hers wasn't this one but I loved her final look so thought I'd try a brown one for myself. I have been using this daily on the top and bottom of my eyelashes but only going halfway across my eye and then smudging it in slightly. I love the look it gives and this eyeliner is so easy to apply which I also love. It's perfect for the more natural look which I'm pretty much sporting every day at work so I love to just add this to my daily routine to make my eyes look that little bit more bigger/wider and slightly more awake. It's such a simple and easy way to do so.

So that's it for my very small 3 for 2 haul, I hope you enjoyed it and will maybe go and treat yourself to some goodies from Superdrug ;-) I'd love to know if you've tried any of these products and what you think of them so don't forget to leave a comment! xoxo

Lee Stafford Sea Salt Spray Review

The other day I went Christmas shopping with my mother in attempt to try and tick a load of pressies off my list and make it a little more bearable. Whilst doing that I never seem to be able to stay away from ANYTHING in Boots, there's always at least one product I want to pick up and try. This time it was the Lee Stafford hair range. I've heard many reviews about various different products from his range and also in Boots it was 3 for £12. I picked up this sea salt spray, the growth treatment and then my mum got the wax messy hair spray. My mum has kept the growth treatment for me for Christmas, probably thinking that I'll forget ;-)

But anyway onto the review, I had also recently picked up a different sea salt spray from the Umberto Giannini collection which I do love but have found that it's not so great on dry hair, which I didn't check when I bought it, although it works great on towel dryed hair. So when I saw this Lee Stafford one worked great on wet and dry hair I really wanted to give it a whirl.

I've used this product a few times now and I absolutely love it! The bottle says to squirt it about 10 times, obviously you can use more or less depending on your hair length. Then with dry hair I just used my hands to scrunch it up from the ends upwards and I'm ready to go! It really is so amazingly easy to use and sorts my bed hair out in a jiffy. The last picture is my hair after using the product so you can easily see that it does the trick by adding volume and waves to the hair which personally I love the look of. On a day to day basis at work I never really do anything with my hair other than put a few kirby grips in or shove it up in a top knot so this product means that I can keep it down but still making it look presentable.

Another plus is the packaging of the product, and all the other Lee Stafford products... They're pink! Walking down the aisle in Boots you're always immediately attracted to them so that's always a bonus too, my favourite colour ;-) Anyway hope you enjoyed the review and I'd love to know your thoughts on this product and any others in the Lee Stafford range! xo

November wish list

1. Taka pin studded chelsea boots - Missguided

2. Oversize chain necklace - Forever 21

3. Crescent moon highlighter - Topshop

4. Tapestry print boyfriend blazer - River Island

5. Lauren Conrad - Starstruck - Amazon

6. Military boyfriend coat - River Island

7. Black jersey maxi skirt - New Look

8. Skeleton hand print tank - New Look

These are literally just a select few of the things I am wanting this month, yes there are more which I haven't included! What being a beauty and fashion blogger does to you hey ;-) And guess what... I'm off shopping tomorrow so I really am hoping that I can tick some of these items off my wish list. Although I know Christmas is coming and I will have to add some of these bits onto my list for Father Christmas, hehe. In the past couple of months there hasn't been that many items on my must have list.. but I guess it was all building up to this big November one hey. I hope you also want to add some of my list onto yours and I'd love for you to leave me your wish lists to have a gander through :-) xo

e.l.f Zit Zapper Review

So I'm back at work after having two and a half weeks off work. You think when you have that amount of time off work that you'd start to get bored but surprisingly I didn't so when it got to going back to work it was a bit of a shock! Shops getting busier and busier due to Christmas lingering so it's long days and lots of annoying customers until then.

A while back I purchased many many e.l.f products. I hadn't heard much about them but since purchasing I've heard good reviews and am actually loving the products myself. Because I spent so much money on their website I also got a free goodie bag which included about 4 other products which was a great bonus. Since purchasing I think e.l.f do a lot of offers when you spend so much money and so on.

Anyway onto the review.. I purchased this product called the 'Zit Zapper' my skin is always prone to spots and I'm always looking out for new products to try and help my skin/spots in some way. This has been one hell of a long ongoing mission but I'm a sucker when it comes to trying new products so I'm not all bothered. Also this product was only £1.50 so I didn't think I could go too wrong with it. I also thought for £1.50 it probably wouldn't be that greater product but anything is worth a try.

When I received this product I think I tried it that same night as I really wanted to know the results. After taking my make up off then moisturising, I then apply this product to my spots and blemishes and then off to bed I go. The product smells pretty much like all other spot treatments I've tried, like tea tree oil. I woke up in the morning and was absolutely AMAZED by the results!! My spot I had the night before had pretty much gone and completely reduced the redness. I have never been so pleased with the results of a spot treatment other than this one. I have been using it every night ever since I received it and although it doesn't prevent spots from appearing, when I have spots it dramatically helps the removal process of them. It really is such an amazing product. I know that not all spot treatments work on EVERYONE'S skin, I mean I've tried treatments that some people rave madly about, then when I try them.. nothing! But for £1.50, even if it doesn't work for you I don't think you can say you've lost a lot. I couldn't rave enough about this product enough to you and I will definitely be repurchasing. Although I think I have quite a bit of use left in this little tube.

I can't say I have much else to say about a spot removal treatment but you should definitely get onto their website and purchase! And don't forget to have a look on their facebook or twitter pages to see if they have any offers on! Hope you have a lovely week and let me know if you've tried this product and what you think of it :-)

http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~193.htm  - e.l.f zit zapper

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London antics

 Big Ben on a cloudy day

 M&M World

 Free Look magazine at the hotel

 Finding Nemo! London Aqaurium

 View from our hotel lobby

 Michael Kors shop!

 Train playsuit

Pink & Purple M&M's :-)

 Our hotel

Sharks! London Aquarium

Finally got to wear my new Topshop dress!

 Penguins! So cute, London Aquarium

As you may know if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram that over the weekend I went to London! Yay! I absolutely love going to London, the atmosphere and busyness I love. We stayed in an AMAZING hotel over night and I would totally recommend it 100% if you're ever going to stay in London. It's called the Park Plaza hotel and it's situated in the middle of a huge roundabout, how cool? First day we went to the London Aquarium which was so good! As soon as you enter you have to walk over this glass path and underneath you you can see the shark pool. It's pretty scary to walk over but so awesome and fun. The penguins were by far the best attraction in the aquarium although the sharks were pretty scary cool. We then did some sight seeing of the London Eye, Big Ben and Parliament Square and so on. After that we hopped on a bus and headed to Leicester Square where M&M world is located (I LOVE M&M'S!!!) and then we just popped into a few other shops. The second day we headed down to Oxford Street, my favourite place, and this is where I went to my first Forever 21 shop and it was A-MAZING! I didn't go too crazy but loved it! I don't have a shop anywhere near me so have always been restricted to the internet shop so I was so glad when I got to go in. Then of course whenever you go to Oxford street you HAVE to go into Primark.. so we did. And boy were we in there for a long time... but I love it every single time, hehe. Again didn't go too crazy as I'm saving for a new car but got some essential bits :-) I have a good time every time I go to London and would go way more than I do already if I could! So I just thought I would share some of my pictures with you and give you an update! 

Hope you've all had a lovely week! xo

Twitter: @natalieellis23

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