#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
x

#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
x

London Marathon Gym Challenge

Hello!

I feel like today has shaped up to be quite a productive day so I thought I'd mark it with a post :)

Admittedly my day didn't really begin until 12 noon. Since being back home and up-ing my exercise I've fallen back into the insomnia trap. Working out in the evening means that I find sleeping ever so difficult until around 1am/2am. Then I occasionally wake up early morning as well. Today I jumped awake at 7:30am before forcing myself back to sleep. Headache.

Why not exercise earlier? Well...it's difficult when most of the exercising I do is in the form of group classes, so I go whenever they are on...mostly around 6/7pm. Nevermind. I love it so I don't mind a few ill effects...

like the blisters...

OUCH!

Wednesday's are typically one of my gym days so I get to workout earlier than usual.

At my local gym they have started a challenge during the month of April where you can record the number of miles you run/walk on the treadmills, with the aim of essentially completing the London Marathon (just in however number of attempts it takes you).

I think it's quite a neat idea. The wall shows you where you would be in London in turns of the mile markers and you have a little tracker with your name on it to plot where you are.

I signed up to it today and managed to run 3 miles in just over 28 minutes, before my lovely blisters surfaced and meant I could barely walk afterwards, let alone run haha! NICE!

My name is somewhere on the wall along with many others...3 miles is a popular point at the minute though!

My sister ran 4 miles today which has given her 7 miles in total so far, so she's doing really well but it doesn't matter who finishes first...

At the end of the challenge everyone who's completed the 26 miles will get the chance to win a free month's membership (name in a hat type draw). I think this is good because it gives everyone a chance to do it in their own time but still having had achieved a fair amount of mileage :)

Apparently one guy completed the challenge on Day 1 in about 4 hours...Hats off to him I say!! :)

Anyway, aside from the good old fitness...Today has also been worthwhile for me in terms of revision. I'm currently in the process of revising for my Maths QTS skills test and boyyy is it grating on me! 

I've never been a fan of Maths and although I managed to somehow get a B in GCSE I've never found it to come easy to me. However I feel as though I am starting to make progress...slowly, step by step!

Actually finding the motivation to force myself into revising in the first place is half of my battle but once I'm doing it it's not too bad :P

So yes, revision CHECK, 3 miles CHECK...and the night is still young. Good times :D!!

How was everyone's day?

Ellie 

March Favourites 2013

Hello...wow almost April!

I kept my favourites short and sweet this month so decided to feature them all, rather than top 5.

As always you can watch my faves instead if you prefer...(When it's uploaded I'll link you up!)

1. Soap & Glory's Heel Genius. A god-send to my over-exercised, dry, itchy feet! I apply a small blob to my heel area and work across the entire surface of my 'under' foot. It gives a nice cooling sensation and really feels like it's doing something! Leaves my feet soft as a babies bum :)

2. Rimmel's Metal Rush nail polishes. Featured here and here, I've really been enjoying using these beauties. The metallic effect is truly lovely and in different light you have a different nail colour...especially the Blue shade: that can appear blue, purple and green. They apply really easily too and are fast-drying.

3. Baremineral's Matte mineral foundation. I have really come to love this recently, with the shade Fairly Light matching my now slightly tanned skin perfectly. The product provides a light to medium buildable coverage and it buffs really easily into the skin. I like this foundation for days when I can't be bothered to apply a heavy liquid foundation...This looks and feels like normal skin so you can't even feel that you are wearing it.

4. Urban Decay's Naked Basics Palette. Amazing. I did a quick review along with a eye look I like to create using this palette here, but if I had to choose just one fave this month it would be this! I love how the shades all compliment each other so well and as always with UD's eye shadows, they apply and blend really well. There are 5 matte shades and 1 shimmer which is a nice change from the the other Naked Palettes that heavily feature shimmers. I love it and it's super cute size means it can go along with you anywhere :)

5. Urban Decay's Naked Flushed Palette. Again a great buy. I love how all three products: blusher, highlighter and bronzer all feature in one compact and convenient palette. The blusher is truly amazing. It's very heavily pigmented so a little bit will go a long way. It will last years I tell you! The highlight is really pretty, nothing out of the ordinary but nice all the same. The bronzer is a great builder so if you have pale skin you'll be fine with a dab of this. As for the darker skin tones you will also be good to go with this as you can build it up really well. I like that it is more subtle and not over-kill though. I've been using the palette almost everyday since I opened it. Brill!

6. Rimmel's Apocolips Lip Lacquer in Celestial. I'm sure you're sick of hearing about these but I'm  indeed a fan. I would say they are a cross between a nourishing lipstick and a lipgloss. Not sticky like some glosses but they keep that moisture without drying out like a lot of lipsticks tend to do. I want more shades!...I forgot to mention this in my video but the downside for me is the scent/smell. They remind me of something I'm not keen on...plastic-y, waxy? Not sure but I wish they smelt/tasted like Mac lipsticks <3

7. Lastly, Body Shop's Born To Be Lippy Lip Balm in Pomegranate. Delicious smell and makes your lips soft and moisturized. What more could you want!? My lips have been incredibly dry lately so this has been taking some hammer but it seems to be lasting a long time :) For £3, bargain!

Thanks for reading. Please link me your monthly favourites, I love hearing about them all :)

UD Basics Palette Review/Look

Hello.

Urban Decay knew what they were doing when they created this Naked Basics palette, let me tell you!

If you saw my Urban Decay Haul, you'll know that I actually picked the palette up as part of a package. It was coupled with the UD Flushed Palette, which to be honest was the one I was most interested in. I thought the Basics Palette would just be a nice bonus...

Wrong. The first time I used it I knew it was going to become a firm favourite of mine. I love how all but one (Venus) are matte shadows and the colours all compliment each other so well.

The ultra cute sizing of this palette makes it even easier to reach for when it comes to travelling. It's ideal for me, being between homes as a Uni student! The next time I go back to my student house I doubt I'll even bother lugging back my Naked1/2 palettes back with me...instead I'll grab this little guy!

I've literally been using the Basics Palette almost everyday since I first cracked into it and I've developed a bit of a system in terms of how I use it.

My favourite eye look at the moment, pictured above, is achieved by using all 6 of the eye shadows. And yes, I know my skin isn't great on the photo but what can I say? I have troubled skin :( So please ignore the spots and what not and look at what I think is a pretty natural eye look :P

I work along the palette in the order they appear from left to right.

1) I apply Venus to the inner corners, blending it across to about mid-way of my eye.
2/3/4) I blend Foxy, W.O.S and Naked 2 across my eyelids, building the colour and adding a bit of depth
5) I work Faint into the crease of my eye to create a subtle definition. I find using a good blending brush (like the Mac 217) ideal for this part.
6) When I'm happy with my eyelids I use a angled-eye brush to line my upper lashes with a bit of Crave to create a slightly thicker lash line without the intensity of a liquid/gel liner.

Done.

It's a very quick simple everyday look...sometimes I skip step 6 depending on the occasion.

I love how blend-able the eye shadows are, as always with Urban Decay, and I would recommend this palette to anyone. If you haven't tried Urban Decay eye shadows before I'd say this is a good one to start with and it's not a bad price at £20 :)

Schwarzkopf: Liquid Silk Conditioner

Hello.

I haven't done a product review in a little while so I thought I'd share with you my new favourite conditioner.

Last weekend I got snowed in but I was desperate for a good conditioner. Since going abroad in September 2012 my hair has been quite sun-damaged and brittle at the ends. Admittedly I do need a hair cut but I haven't had chance to book an appointment, what with being at Uni and what not!

Anyway, I've been combating my  hair issues with deep intensive leave-in conditioners, nourishing conditioners and hair oil...you can see my damaged hair post here. All in all it's been working but I do have to repeat these treatments a few time a week, if not daily.

My local shop is one of those heavily discounted cheap convenience stores, with not a lot of product range. The packaging of the Schwarzkopf GLISS Hair Repair Liquid Silk Conditioner caught my eye. The photo doesn't do it justice, but it really is very pretty with the label a iridescent shell-like effect. And it's pink! Always a winner with me :)

When I saw 'for brittle dull hair' I felt that was a fairly accurate match to my long locks and added it to my basket. I'm not quite sure how much this bottle would be in normal shops? but for me it was £1.49...pretty good I thought.

I was immediately impressed when I first tried it, with the scent reminding me of Johnson's baby lotion! It made my hair incredibly soft and smooth upon rinsing it. I had no 'luggs' when it came to brushing my hair through either (but this is pretty usual for my fine hair).

I found that a little bit of the product goes a long way...If you use too much you can get that slightly greasy feel to the ends of your hair, once blow-dried.

All in all I'm really happy with my 'make-do' conditioner and I would definitely repurchase. Guess I have the snow to thank for my discovery! :P

Sunday Chat #2: Interview Jitters

Hello. Hope you are all having a nice chilled Sunday! I thought I've have a little type to get out some of my nervous energy, cause quite frankly this is me...

Just to clarify this isn't me but ya know what I mean! 

So tomorrow I have a job interview and not just any job interview, but in fact my first! Yep, in all my 23 years I've never really had a proper interview. I was a waitress for a pub across the street but it was more of an informal  chat with it being my local. Then I worked in a Co-op store, during my year out, but my Dad was the area manager so again...no pressure, only for the store's manager I guess haha! I think he was nervous bless him!

As you may know or have heard...this weekend's been absolutely full of snow for the Nottingham area (and many other places I'm sure). I reckon someone forgot to pass on the message to Mother Nature that it is indeed Spring?!

Anyway...getting snowed in wasn't part of my plan. No, instead I was going to buy a nice smart interview jacket.

This didn't happen. So instead I'm left feeling rather ill prepared in terms of clothing and I'm quite possibly going to be the worst dressed there...in a long-sleeved cream blouse, black trousers and dolly shoes. Oh well. 

As far as everything else goes I guess I'm as sorted as I can be...I have my brief lesson plan, an idea of the types of interview questions I might be asked and oh yeah...calming tablets!

I am my own worst enemy when it comes to nerves. I already have butterflies circling around my belly. Of course they are quite normal and I know they are needed to some extent to perform with adrenalin blah blah...but I get the bad kind.

They've always been a big issue for me. I used to be in a lot of shows, whilst at stage school etc, but nerves got in the way of many performances. I could sing a song perfectly in my bedroom but put me in front of an audience and I'd struggle with my breathing and the notes just wouldn't come out quite right. I'd shake with nervous energy. I could barely control them.

One time I entered a singing competition. I was so nervous all day that I only managed to eat half of a tomato. When it came to performing I was riddled with nerves and they took over my voice in parts...I sounded like a sheep! Sadly the performance was recorded so I had to endure it all over again! Needless to say, I didn't win. The judges said I would have if I hadn't of been so nervous. I was gutted and disappointed in myself.

I did get better with the nerves for some time though and the more practice I got in front of others the better I learned to control them.

I'm hoping that tomorrow, if nothing else, will be good practice! :) Just wish I didn't feel this sick...already haha!