Happy Easter

I love days like today, it means so many different things for different people. Religion, family, food etc. For me personally it's all about family, as you can probably see by all the pictures. This is just a quick post to share my Easter weekend with you as unfortunately, within Retail, you don't get many days off so I am back to work tomorrow :( I had a lovely weekend filled with seeing all of my family, eating chocolate, roast dinners, walks in the cold and just quality time with the people who mean the most to me.

I am very much a family orientated girl so spending as much time with my family as possible always means a lot to me. I never want to miss out on a moment, although my job tends to pull me away from that. I seem to miss out on things such as family get togethers which I absolutely hate. So this weekend was super fun and stress free from work. Juggling my time between the two is always hard, you'll know exactly what I mean if you work within Retail. Late nights, long shifts and working weekends. As much as I do enjoy my job, I think I can speak for most people, spending time with the important people is so much more special.

Ramble over, this quick post is just to share my weekend and to say that I hope you too have had a lovely weekend filled with the things you love most. P.s. I hope you all think of me whilst I'm working my long 9 hour shift tomorrow if you have the day off ;) xo

Review: Enrapture Jumbo Waver

So if you follow me on Instagram (if you don't you can find me at: natalieellis23) then you'll recently know that I purchased, finally, a Enrapture Jumbo Waver! Yay! After seeing so many bloggers use this product and the outcome I just had to get my hands on a pair. I actually picked this pair up on eBay and they were only around £20, yes I know bargain. I just couldn't justify going to spend £75 on a brand new pair, I just couldn't do it. Well anyway it said that they had only been used once before so I didn't think I could really go wrong.

When you first open these the first thing you think, well I thought anyway, was how the heck am I meant to use these? It looked simple enough but for me to do my whole head of hair, and yes there is a lot of it, I thought it was going to be impossible. There are different heat setting on this waver depending on how defined you want the waves. I put it on the highest because my hair is ultra thick and I wanted the waves to be really defined. So I sectioned my hair as I went along, doing it bit by bit and actually found it really easy to use. Although it did make my arms ache slightly towards the end of finishing my hair. Roughly I think I held the waver on my hair for around 10 seconds and then started moving it down and this seemed to work pretty well.

I've read some reviews on this product and people saying that it only took around 10 minutes for them to complete the look, now either my hair is uber thick compared to there's or they know a trick that I don't..? To complete my whole head of hair it took me between 20-25 minutes which is rather a long time, considering I usually literally only spend a couple of minutes. I'm not saying this is a downside to the product, I'm just saying that I don't think I would do this on a daily basis due to the amount of time it takes, personally.

A plus side to this product is that once you've completed your look for the day and then sleep on it that night, the second day waves are still pretty much in tact! Obviously they're not as defined but I still love the look. It just makes them look slightly more messy and beachy which I love as it simply needs no styling, maybe just a little taming!

Overall I really love this product and love the fact that it doesn't just last the one day, considering the amount of time spent. I'm not sure I could justify buying a pair for £75 but definitely am glad I got them for the price I paid. If you haven't yet tried these then I definitely recommend them and if you're like me then have a good hunt on eBay first :)

Hope you all have a lovely Easter weekend xo

PAYDAY WANTS

1. River Island pleated dress

2. Rimmel London Scandaleyes Shadow Stick

3. H&M lace back dress

4. H&M chiffon wrap dress

5. H&M tropical print dress

6. ASOS Swing Dress In Monochrome Flower Print

Is it just me or has March been THE longest month ever!? It still feels like payday is weeks away but fear not it's now only days away :) Now I've also noticed that I do not need 5 dresses in 1 month but they are all just so pretty I couldn't resist putting them in this post and showing you! 

Now along with all the things above I've found the prettiest bag which I also want.. whoops. It's very hard to find a bag to please me, I'm very fussy with them and the tiniest detail can put me off straight away! The reason I haven't included a picture is because it won't let me on the website so I'll just have to share the link with you instead, sorry! But here it is:

http://uk.accessorize.com/view/product/uk_catalog/acc_1,acc_1.7/3891791500

CONFESSION: I finished writing this post then thought of the great invention that is Google and decided to google the bag... where I found the perfect picture of it. Why did I not think of this before? I do not know the answer.. but anyway I shall now leave you with a picture of the gorgeous bag below and leave the link above so you can check it out there also :)

 Now in a few days it'll be treat time, although I have said I'm only allowed to buy myself one of these items.. we'll see how that goes ;) over and out xo

Review: Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara

First fact: It's NOT easy to impress me with a mascara. Every single time I need a new mascara I'm one of those people who buy a different one every time. I've tried countless amounts of mascara and it wasn't until the past few years when I purchased L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara that I actually fell in love with a mascara and ended up re-purchasing.

Now when this mascara was first released and after I had read a good amount of reviews which really raved about this product, I then went out and purchased it. I'm always excited to try a new mascara as I find they're always at their best when you first use it and just simply because I wanted to see if I loved it as much as everyone else. When I purchased this, from my local Boots, I know it was on offer and had something like £2 off.. So I think it was around £5.99 (I may be wrong, if you can't tell I am guessing here!)

The first thing you notice about this mascara, and honestly don't think you could miss it, is the size of the brush! It's mega huge and slightly scary to begin with. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't get on with this mascara due to the size of the brush but even the first time I used this I instantly thought it was super duper easy. The application is smooth and easy, I'm always someone who manages to get mascara on my eye lid but I think that's just me and it happens with every mascara so don't think it's a down side to this mascara. It leaves my lashes looking thick and full after a couple of coats which I love. I curl my lashes before using this mascara and love the finished look. I'm a girl who loves long lashes and will do anything to achieve so, naturally, and I really do think this mascara ticks all my boxes. Another plus is that this doesn't leaves my lashes looking clumpy which is something I hate but I have also found that some mascaras tend to start to clump as they get older so only time will tell. But at the moment I love it.

I would definitely recommend this mascara, this is now in my top 3 favourite mascaras EVER so it's done pretty well already :) Have you tried this mascara? I'd love to know your thoughts! Now lets hope there's no snow tonight and fingers crossed we get spring weather soon! xo

Review: 17 Blush in China Pink

Can you notice anything different? YES I am finally using my brand new spanking camera for my blog pictures! I'm still only learning how to use it properly but thought that my little chest of drawers would be a nice little space to take pictures. I hope you can tell the difference, I certainly can and I really am loving the outcome of the pictures as well as loving my camera :)

Anyway onto the review, I've actually had this blush for quite some time now but you know we always end up buying new ones and then the old ones get shoved to the back of the drawer. Until one day you rummage through that drawer and find the make up items that you used to love. Then you re kindle that love and end up writing a review about it for everyone who follows your blog. Well that's basically it! I had a nice little sort out of my drawer a couple of weeks back and came across this beauty. So I thought I'd give it another whirl and god I'm glad I did. I've literally fallen back in love with this!

Firstly the colour, it's such a gorgeous pink, slightly subtle and matte looking. The final picture is me trying to get the best picture of the colour as possible, it's oh so very close to perfect. It's one of those products that you have to go and see yourself for it to capture your breath. It's so so so pigmented that you barely need any on your brush for it to show on your cheeks. A few sweeps and you're ready to go with this blush.

The application is also very easy, like I said a couple of sweeps on each cheek and the colour is already intense. The colour on the cheeks is just as pretty as it is in the pot and there's no need to re apply throughout the day as it really does last. I put this on before a 9 hour shift at work and when I get home you can still see the gorgeous hint of pink on my cheeks. I've used this rather a lot now and you can also see in the pictures that I've barely scraped the top layer off so I can see this lasting a long time too!

Seeing as I purchased this a while ago I literally cannot rack my brain to remember how much I paid for this but I know for sure it was under £5, which for an amazing blush is definitely not bank breaking money. The one slight downside would be the packaging, it's just plastic nothing special, but I honestly don't think any of us would expect something dazzling for under £5? Also it's the product inside that's worth the hype and not the packaging.

I definitely recommend this blusher if you're after a new one and it's definitely worth a try for the price! I remember there being a variety of other colours too so it may be worth checking those out if this pink isn't for you :) I hope you love the new pictures and the review, have a lovely weekend xo

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer Review

 

Over Christmas I made a little splurge on some 'higher end' make up, this Benefit concealer being one of them. I'm always on the look out for new concealers as my skin is very spot prone I tend to find it hard to find 'the one'. I think with every bit of make up, like mascara, foundation etc, there's always 'the one' and that hunt can be a bloody big one! I'm always buying different drug store concealers when I've run out to try and achieve this.

So just before Christmas when Debenhams had 10% off beauty I thought I'd treat myself. I went over to Benefit and the assistant helped me choose. At the moment I believe Benefit only have 2 concealers, with Fake Up soon to be released, which are Erase Paste and Boi-ing. The assistant basically told me that the Boi-ing concealer was the best out of the 2 for blemishes and darker areas which you want to cover up. So she then matched me up to shade 2 for a slightly warmer look, as she originally said I could have been either shade 1 or 2 and was between the two shades.

When I first started using this I really did like it, it blended it well with my foundation and at the time I just had the odd one spot so it worked fine. The colour matched perfectly, it's a lovely creamy consistency so was again easy to apply. It's quite a heavy concealer which means it's great for blemishes but I wouldn't want to use this under my eyes as I think it would weigh it down rather a lot. I used this for a good couple of weeks and then my skin had a bad turn and wasn't very nice. I had a lot more blemishes than usual. So when I went to use this concealer thinking it would cover them perfectly, it didn't. I'm not really sure why I guess it just couldn't handle the amount on my skin! But it would just cake the blemish and make it look twice as bad. Like where I had a few blemishes in the same area it's as if the concealer would just stick to the area between the blemishes and not the blemishes. Although when there's just a single blemish it's an amazing concealer and covers it so well! I know this is such a random review but I hope you'll understand where I'm coming from! Ha ha, and if you do have blemish prone skin with just the odd couple of spots then I would recommend this concealer. But if your skin is, sometimes like mine, where you have like small rashes of spots then I'd steer clear.

I hope you enjoy the honesty and are able to understand, he he! I'm also really excited about the launch of Benefit's Fake Up concealer after reading many beauty bloggers reviews after going to the Benefit event! Definitely will be snatching it up, will you? Have you tried the Boi-ing concealer? I'd love to know your thoughts! Hope you're having a lovely week and that this cold weather disappears soon :) xo

Benefit POREfect Radiance Review

Having a couple of days off work in a row is such a rarity these days so I'm taking full advantage and writing this post for you now :) I got this set for Christmas from my mum, she said she picked it up mainly because I'd told her I would love to try the POREfessional. So when I opened this I was very pleased mainly because they're all small samples which I love, as never having tried any of the products before, means I can try them all before buying full size and knowing full well whether I like them or not. Also when I opened this my mother had left the price on so I know she only paid £9.50 for this but I believe there was also a percentage of money off but I thought that was a really great price! Anyway onto the products..

First in the pack you get the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion with SPF 15. This claims to " hydrate, protect and comfort the skin with an oil free lightweight formula. Contains exclusive tri-radiance complex to help develop the skin's reserves of water". You apply this after having cleansed and toned your face in the morning and I must say it really is lovely. This is the product out of the three that I have used the least but saying that I still find it really refreshing. I used this before using the POREfessional the other day and it was a great combo. The emulsion just glides onto your face and sets quickly. It's like a moisturiser, then with the POREfessional on top, it made my skin look and feel healthy.

Secondly you get the POREfessional which says "It minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines for smoother than smooth skin". To apply this you do so after moisturizing to help your make up stay put and focus on problem areas using your finger tips. This is my most favourite product!! Before I started using this I had read a couple of reviews which both were completely different. One saying that it didn't hold their make up because they had oily skin. So having an oily t zone I wasn't expecting a lot but I knew everyone's skin is different so with that in mind I tried it and fell in love. I now use it pretty much every day although I'm trying to preserve it so it lasts longer so maybe every other day! It really does hold my make up in place all day from the minute I apply until I get home. Obviously on problem areas I may need a touch up but that's probably my naughty finger tips interfering. It's so easy to apply and leaves my skin feeling UBER soft! It really is incredible and think it would suit all skin types if I'm honest. I definitely will be purchasing a full size of this when this little tube runs out :)

Thirdly you get the It's Potent! Eye Cream which is supposed to "work wonders on the delicate skin around the eye area. It fades dark circles and helps smooth fine lines for brighter, younger looking eyes" and all I do to apply this is using my ring finger I just gently dab the tiniest amount under my eye. This is also amazing, you barely need any product as it spreads so far! I've also been using this an awful lot and have really noticed the difference. Literally no kidding I swear within minutes I can see some of the darkness under my eyes disappear! It's really soft and gentle so there's no pulling when you apply this. It doesn't take long to sink into the skin either so there's barely any waiting time. It really is just genuinely a lovely product and I'm thoroughly enjoying using it at the moment.

Overall I love this set and really do love all three products included. I also think these samples will last a relatively long time *fingers crossed* They all work really well together as well which I think is really great and what makes the set work so well. I'd love to know if you've tried any of these products and your thoughts on them :) xo

Clearasil Rapid Action Pads Review

It's been a mad week back at work after having a week off for my birthday. The week off went way too quickly and to be honest I totally could have done with another week off but hey! I have the privilege of having a Saturday off, which when working in Retail seems very rare. So I thought I would finally write up this post for you.

I picked up this product after having a crisis break out of spots a few weeks back. One reason being I just wanted to try new products to try and control my spots and two because these were on offer so thought I'd give them a whirl. I've tried Clearasil products before and have loved how they worked so I had my hopes up for these. I got these from Tesco and I believe they were around £4 reduced from around £7. They are basically little pads that you wipe over a cleansed face every morning and evening. It then claims that your spots should reduce in size and redness within 4 hours. These are just so easy to use!

So I've been using them for a few weeks now, every morning and before I go to bed and I really do love them! I believe they really have helped reduce my spots and helped stop other occurring spots. My skin is very spot/blemish prone so I'm always on the look out for a new spot treatment in order to find the best option possible. This one comes pretty close but I'm still hunting. When I apply this to my face, after cleansing, over my blemishes you can feel that slight tightness and stinging sensation so as always that triggers to me that somethings working. And to me it seems as if it has been doing the job! I'm not saying that my spots instantly disappear but I do notice after a couple of days of using them on the same spot that it is visibly reduced. Spots always seem to take forever to leave my skin though. I mean I swear I still have some darker, blemish areas which have been there for months and months and months!

One downfall about this product is the smell. Now having spot prone skin I thought I'd be used to the smell of these sorts of products but this one, to me, just seemed ultra ultra strong! It may just be me, the good thing about this one bad point is that the smell doesn't linger. Once I've disposed of the pad the smell is gone so it's not overly bad.

Minus the slight downfall I would definitely recommend these pads if you have the same type of skin as me! I know different products work better or worse with different peoples skin types but if they are still on offer (I'm not sure whether they are or not!) then it's definitely worth the small dent in the purse!

I'd love to know if you've tried these and what you think of them or if you've tried any other Clearasil products within this range and your views on them! Happy Saturday everyone xo