April Favourites 2015

Hey! Here's my April favourites. If you'd like to watch them instead, just click on the photo above :)

First up, is the Aloe Moisturizing Lotion. I love this stuff! It's definitely a product that I reach for everyday. It applies well and a little bit certainly goes a long way. It makes a perfect base for my foundation and sinks into the skin straight away! (I can't stand those sticky moisturisers!) Also contains collagen and elastin...every girl's best friends! :P

The next one has been such a lifesaver over the past week! After teaching children for just 2 days, I sadly invited in some germs! Charming! Anyhow, keen to soothe a painful sore throat I reached for the Aloe Vera Gelly. Within minutes of swallowing a bit of the gel, I felt the aloe working it's magic and helping with the soreness. It doesn't really taste of much either in my opinion so it wasn't difficult to use. Winner!

Next up is my FAVOURITE blush palette. I'm a big lover of Benefit anyway but their blushers smell so good they make me want to eat them! This is part of the Sweetie range and I got this for Christmas. I love them all but my favourites are Rockateur and Bella Bamba!

My go to lipgloss in April has been Dior's Dior Addict in shade Princess. Perfect for adding a bit of sparkle to your lips! It applies nicely and it remains on the lips for a fairly long time in terms of gloss. Pretty :)

My next favourite is a book! Yes, I don't usually include reading material but I feel this is worth a mention. It's definitely for the deep thinkers! It's based around mindset and the law of attraction. What you put out into the world, you attract more of the same back. Positivity is key! Since last summer I'd already been thinking along these lines anyway and this book is confirming it for me. LOVE IT!

Last but not least, haircare! The Aloe Jojoba Shampoo and Conditioner are amazing! I've been using these for several months now and the results have been brilliant.

The condition of my hair is the best it's ever been and the length is longer than ever before too! I haven't had a haircut for ages (definitely overdue) yet the ends of my hair are fine! The shampoo lasts a really long time as you only need the tiniest bit to create some serious foaming! And the conditioner smells great and leaves hair silky smooth. Big thumbs up for these two! :)


Link in your favourites bloggers...I'd like to see!

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March Beauty Favourites 2015

Here's my top 5 beauty picks from March. Click on the picture if you'd rather watch my favourites and see some of the products applied :)

Aloe BB Creme

It's really not like me to ditch the full coverage foundation for a BB creme, but this does a great job. With no heavy feeling on your skin this is great for the up and coming warm weather. Flawless natural looking skin with spf20. Did I mention it' a natural product, so no nasty chemicals included! Love love love :)

Sonya's Volumizing Mascara

Hello long volumized lashes!! Again a natural product, I have been reaching for this every day! I cannot believe the difference this has on your lashes. They're so full and long... Big thumbs up from me!

Benefit's Gimme Brow

For many years I was a huge fan of Benefit's Brow Zing (which is a like a wax/powder eyebrow kit), so when I saw this advertise I wasn't sure I'd bother trying it. However Benefit themselves said that the two can work well together so I decided to buy a Gimme Brow a few months ago. I originally went for the light shade and really liked how it set my brows after I'd used the Brow Zing. After I used up the light Gimme Brow I decided to opt for the medium/dark shade and I haven't looked back! Because I have HD brows done at my local salon I've found I only need to add a bit of colour to them and set them in place, so this product is perfect for me! I no longer reach for my Brow Zing! Very pleased I tried it!

w7 Pressed Powder

I love this product because it does the job and is so so cheap!! I apply it over the top of my BB Creme for a little more colour and to set my makeup and job done! I find it lasts a long time too :)

Urban Decay's Naked Basics Palette

I've had this product a while (whenever it was first released) and it's definitely a easy go-to product. It provides everything you need for a nice neutral eye look. Winner.  

Merry Christmas!

Hi everyone! Hope Santa was good to you! :D 

So, every year I hum and ahh about doing a Christmas 'haul' because of the mixed response but I love watching or reading others', so here is mine! I've been quite select on what I've included and you'll be pleased to know I've stuck to main presents and not bothered to include the many stocking fillers I received. As lovely as a bottle of Avacat is or as cosy as my slipper socks are I'm not sure they are all that interesting :)

So I'll begin with perhaps my favourite. This year I asked my parents for yet another Pandora related present. The new Essence Collection. Not only is the bracelet really pretty, it has a special meaning. My personal team in my business is called the Essence Group. When I heard about this Collection I felt it was so fitting! 

As for the charms, they all carry meaning. I LOVE anything with a meaning or motto behind it. The pink charm is called Passion and is the one I picked out with my Mum. It says do the things you're passionate about and that interest you.

The other 2 charms were a lovely surprise. The purple stands for Faith. It reminds me to have just that in myself. The silver detailed charm is Health. Very apt considering my business is in the Health and Wellness industry. Also a nice reminder to maintain my fitness and strive to be healthier.

I see a theme here! I love Pandora and I was also treated to 2 gorgeous charms for my main bracelet. My best friend Gina got me the beautiful Angel charm. It's very pretty and I like to think of it as a guardian angel. 

Mr. gingerbreadman was a gift from my parents. I'd been after this cute little guy for a while and my Mum knew this. She surprised me with it but gave me a big clue as the pandora bag also had the gingerbread teddy decoration inside!

Now my haul wouldn't be complete without some form of makeup now would it! Benefit is possibly my favourite brand. It was hard to get one of these sets and online the price was doubled once they sold-out...sorry Dad :P There wasn't much surprise when it came to this as I did send him a link to buy it haha but...well worth it! The blushes are divine! I have a big Rockateur blush already and use it all the time so I'm excited to try out the others, along with the famous bronzer!

If you know me or have been reading for a while, you'll know I'm a big kid and no Christmas would be complete without some form of gadget/toy! I really didn't know much about the Fitbug when I steered my Dad is its direction but I thought the concept of monitoring sleep was very novel! Indeed it really does work! :) It also has many other functions such as recording steps taken. It's safe to say I have barely moved since Christmas! :P

Keeping with the gadget theme...I also got a hand blender! I made a lovely banana shake this morning for breakfast and was super impressed. I half expected covering the kitchen in liquid and mashed up fruit but it was all very successful! I'm really not a fan of actual food before 10am so the idea is that I'll use my Forever lite Ultra which is a fantastic meal replacement, mixed with different fruit to keep them interesting as breakfast on work days. Sorted!

PJs, slippers and a dressing gown are a given for me every Christmas and my Mum likes to give me and my Sister Jess at least one pair of matching PJs. A photo together in them is fast becoming a tradition! :)

Tunes! Last year I had a iPod for my car. I've been using it all year and love being able to shuffle all my music. However, if you saw my recent posts you'll know I have a new job starting in January. My last school was a 20 minute drive and my car remained on a private car park- so I left my iPod in my car all day. My new job is literally a 5 minute drive and I'll be parking on the street. Rather than messing about plugging my iPod in for sake of a quick drive and them taking it back out when I arrive...I think CDs are the answer. My parents were spot on with their selections...especially Take That's as I'm going to see them on tour again next year! :D Can't wait!

And finally the sea of edibles!...Wow. I didn't bother to gather all the chocolates and sweets I received but trust me I'm swimming in the stuff! Haha. My Mum said I should bite off Santa's head...however if you understood how big that actually is...no, just no! :P

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!

I know I was very lucky in what I received but Christmas really isn't about the things you get, it's who you spend it with that matters...

I had a sleepover with my niece....all I truly wanted for Christmas...

Merry Christmas!

BLACK FRIDAY SALES!!!

Happy BLACK FRIDAY everyone!!! I don't know about you but I love a good excuse to go shopping! :P

Some great deals in my business for TODAY only.

You can contact me at ellie.cooper@flp.com
or visit my business page:

Health, Beauty & Lifestyle- Ellie Cooper

Have a great day!!! And it's Friday! :)

x

Sonya Skincare: Aloe Refreshing Toner

Hey so I thought I'd share with you a really nice toner that I've been trying over the last month. Sonya's Aloe Refreshing Toner is really gentle on the skin (all the usual properties of using a Aloe product) but also very effective at removing that last bit of tough make-up and/or dirt that your cleanser or face wash missed!

As it says on the packaging, it is a alcohol-free product so is kind to skin and doesn't dry out your face like some toners tend to do. I love the benefits of the white tea ingredient giving your face some extra radiance and I love the smell! The scent is really pleasant and it reminds me of another of my favourite toner's: this Michael Todd one. 

I truly feel like this helps my skin to stay clean, fresh and moisturized. At £26.84 it is an high-end toner but a little bit goes a very long way. I haven't even used a 1/4 of the bottle so far and I've been using regularly for around 3-4 weeks now. I would highly recommend it.

You can purchase the product here.

* Please note: As with all the products there is an unconditional 60 day money back satisfaction guarantee. 

Give it a try and tell me what you think :)

#NottsBBMeet Evening at TGI's :)

So, as if the daytime meetup wasn't awesome enough...TGI's took the meetup to another level!

When I heard some of the girls saying how heavy/full the goody bags were I pictured a small over-filled gift-sized bag... what we were greeted with was insane!

We were all allocated seats indicated by these cute little place markers, along with a HUGE stripey goody bag as well as a Liz Earle one!

Apologies for the bad photo...I was just too excited at the time!! :)

I really appreciated how personalized everything was. It just shows how much effort went into it!...

...In particular these fab shortbread biscuits that were hiding in our goody bags! Sophia @ Tattooed Tea Lady really is very talented...and they tasted so good too! YUM! Thanks :P

I liked how the meal was yet a further opportunity to chat to people and perhaps to someone who you hadn't had much chance to speak to during the day. I enjoyed chatting to Megan @ A Scholar Life :)

TGI's were very nice and allowed us 50% off our first drink. This meant one thing...COCKTAIL! I went with an iced Pina Colada which was very yummy :) I later ordered a Strawberry Daiquiri, which again went down a treat!

Being someone whose eyes are often bigger than my belly, I knew 3 courses probably wouldn't happen and usually I'm a mains and dessert kind of gal. However I was so so hungry when I got to TGI's that I simply couldn't wait to eat so I went with the Bacon & Cheese stuffed Potato Skins to start.

For my main I had already half decided on ribs before I had got there so when it came to ordering it was pretty easy and I went with the Friday's BBQ Ribs half rack, served with cajun onion rings and fries. This was absolutely delicious and I devoured the entire plate!

Throughout the meal there were also various giveaways and I was really happy to have my name pulled out. I'm not usually someone to win anything so was pleasantly surprised to win some Sunkissed Gradual Tanning Lotion and mitt :)

When I got home I was absolutely bowled over by how much free stuff I'd been given. I think all of the girls around me at the meal were just as shocked!

The sheer content of the stripey bag was unbelievable!! Literally every beauty blogger's dream, I'm sure! I'll post lots of photos to give you some idea of what kinds of products is among this mass display!

And if that wasn't enough, there was a whole goody bag courtesy of Liz Earle!

I feel very lucky and honoured to have been given so many fantastic products! A huge thank you to all of the companies that contributed and obviously again to Sophia and the others for getting it all together for us!

I'd say anyone considering going to a meetup...DO IT! I had the best time ever and will be looking forward to taking part in more soon :)

Ellie
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#NottsBBMeet Daytime Shopping & Kiehls Visit

Wow. What a day!

This was my first blogger's meetup so I wasn't sure what to expect but I assumed it would be fun to meet people with similar interests. Safe to say it far exceeded any expectations and I had one of the best days in ages! :)

I thought the name badge idea was brill and super cute!

Everyone was so friendly and it was great to meet so many of you!! For once it wasn't weird to obsess over beauty items in shops...very refreshing from the usual blank looks or raised eyebrows!! :P

I enjoyed having a browse through New Look, H&M and grabbing a Greggs with these lovely girls:

(Left to right: Sammy @ Bellini Beauty, Gemma @ Gemma Means Jewel, Me, Sally @ Rainy Day Faces & Joanna @ Minty  Essence)

Thanks for the photo Joanna! Not going to lie, very envious of your fab camera!! :D

I enjoyed speaking to everyone I met! It's impossible to remember everyone, so sorry if I miss you, but it was lovely to meet Katy @ Sirens and Bells, Natalie @ Floral Republic, Megan @ Megan's Beauty Blog, Charlotte @ Lil Miss Chickas and of course the lovely Sophia @ Tattooed Tea Lady. A massive thank you to her and the other organizers for arranging this brill day!!! Some serious kudos to you!

The shopping continued with visits to Mac, L'Occitane and Space NK. I was seriously eye-ing up one of the Archie's girl's eye shadow quads but was able to self-restrain and save the approx £40. It was so pretty though...

Photo from makeupandbeautyblog.com :)

I was looking forward to checking out Space NK and despite not buying anything I was able to closely admire the Nars products! I've decided that I prefer the Orgasm blush to the Super Orgasm...I've corrected my wishlist! :)

Also popped into Ark...I found I really liked a lot of the clothing in here so may have to head back in soon!

Group 4! :)

And then for the Kiehls' Visit. Despite being a Notts girl, I hadn't actually been to the store before and so I was excited to hear more about their products and see what they would personally recommend for me.

Safe to say my oily skin was noted and I was interested in their products geared towards this! I really liked the Powerful Strength Serum. It was like velvet on the skin and the science behind the product made me sure it would help my troubled skin. However with a hefty £49 price tag I've added it to my wishlist!

Another product to catch my eye was Kielhs' BB Cream. I like the idea of swapping my heavy duty liquid foundation for something a little lighter every now and again and although I find bareMinerals works well for this I've always wanted to try a BB cream. Luckily I found the Kiehls' BB Cream tucked away in my huge goody bag when I got home, so stay tuned for my thoughts on the product in a little while! (I will do a separate post about the evening part of the meetup shortly!)

I thought this was such a lovely little piece of motivation!

I found the whole Kiehls' experience really lovely. The staff were friendly and having a glass of Bucks Fizz along with a cupcake made it even more welcoming, not to mention refreshing after a hectic morning of shopping! :) I enjoyed getting to know all of you Group 4 bloggers and it was great to meet Rhiannon @ The Barbelle who like me, shares her interest in fitness in her blog too!

One of the last stops had to be Boots. Gosh I love this shop and I love it even more when it has 3 for 2 deals on! As always it's a shame not to take advantage of their offers...

This is everything I bought during the meetup. I'm very happy to finally have the Origins Super Spot Remover...it seems to be well worth the £13 already!

As for the Lush stuff, I got a bit excited that I now have a bath (now I'm home and not at my Uni house) so I had to grab a few bubble bars! I'm giving The Comforter to my mum though.

As I said, it was great to be able to get excited about something in a shop and this to be totally acceptable because everyone shared your enthusiasm! A fab day...and evening...post soon to follow!

Ellie
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