July Rate Or Hate

*Note - This is an automated post as I am on holiday (WHOOP!) but don't worry I'll be back on Monday 5th August to answer all of your questions and comments.

July has very much been a month of birthday's for me not only has it been my mum's birthday but it has also been four of my friend's birthday's and next month is going to be the same as next month, it's my birthday! Yes, in 28 days I will finally be turning 16 meaning I can finally get a job, buy a lottery ticket, learn to drive a moped and get married with parental consent along with a few other things *wink*wink*, and so the countdown begins.

This months rate and hate -

Sanex Extra Control 48H Deodorant and Cosmopolitan Blend Perfection Sponge

Rate -
This sponge is the coolest sponge I have ever used, seriously. I thought that this beauty blender dupe would be like the other cheap sponges I've used in the past that made my makeup look cakey and the sponge started to fall apart within a week, but this is a dream to use. 

Like the original beauty blender when you run the sponge under water it doubles in size and becomes bouncy and squishy. This means that it blends foundation with ease and the pointed tip allows you to be more precise around your eyes are nose. It does sheer out the foundation a bit though so I like to use a slightly heavier coverage foundation with it. 

I find the sponge leaves my skin looking flawless as it fills in my large pores and acne scars but also natural and glowing, and for under £5 it's cheaper than a lot of good makeup brushes.

Hate -

This is by far the worst deodorant I have ever used. I know not many bloggers talk about the everyday essential that is deodorant but I couldn't not mention how disappointed I was with this product.

The Sanex demo extra control micro talc antiperspirant is so powdery because of the 'micro' talc that you have to use the smallest amount (and risk not wearing enough and getting sweaty) just so that you are not left with what looks like a snow blizzard under your arm pit, which is not a good look. Then because of this when you go and put on your top you are left with powdery white marks all over year clean t-shirt. The first time I used this I put on a black top and what a mistake that turned out to be.

It claims that it provides:

• Effective Protection for 48H
• Works against odour causing bacteria
• Respects the skin's bacterial flora

It may very well do these things (I haven't worn it long enough to know) but to me, it doesn't matter if it makes me smell like heaven on earth, I'm not going to wear a deodorant if it leaves me with white marks, so I'll be sticking to my usual antiperspirant in the future.

I hope you've all had a great July and my hate wasn't to negative, but on a lighter note let me know if you have any plans for August, maybe a couple of birthdays?

Eleanor xx

Sunday Nails - A Royal Baby Is Born

On Tuesday I found myself, like many others all over the world, glued to my TV screen waiting for a first glimpse of a baby that will one day be our king. I wouldn't call myself a royalist but I love what the royal family brings to our country and the fairy tale that is Kate and Will's life, so when I heard on Monday that she'd given birth to a baby boy I was very excited.  

When the doors of the Lindo Wing swung open after hours of waiting and emerged William, Kate and their new born baby Prince George, I couldn't help but find myself smile. They looked so happy and proud as this tiny baby's hand reached out of the blanket to say hello to the world's media; it was seriously the cutest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. 

Everything from when they answered the media's questions to when the proud father drove home his family, was perfect, so the least I could do was celebrate the occasion with some royal baby themed nail art, right?

Apart from the royal baby I am also happy because tomorrow I'm going on holiday to Portugal! I've still got to pack which I always find stressful (damn you 20kg weight limit!) but I've scheduled a few posts for you while I'm gone so I don't need to be worrying about blogging when I'm chilling round the pool. 

I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll speak to you all when I get back in a weeks time!

Eleanor xx

Empties #1

Whenever I see beauty bloggers doing empties posts I always wonder how they can use up so many products as it can take me from a couple of months to over a year to use up one product, but I've known that I wanted to do this post for a while now so I made a special effort to save up all of my empties.

Simple Kind To Skin Facial Wipes, Bare Minerals Original Foundation, Simple Kind To Eyes Makeup Remover,Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, Barry M Clear Base and Topcoat and Batiste Dry Shampoo

Simple Kind To Skin Facial Wipes - £3.25

I've been using these makeup wipes for a good few years now and I have never found any other makeup wipes that work as well as these. I love simple as a brand and use quite a few of their products as I find that they don't irritate my skin but still do the job, and that is the same for these makeup wipes. They take off my makeup with ease, including waterproof mascara which can often be a pain to get off, and they are great for traveling. My only problem is that they are a bit expensive for makeup wipes but they are always on either buy 1 get 1 free or 3 for 2 so price isn't that much of an issue.

Rating - 9.5/10

Would I repurchase? - Yes

Bare Minerals Original SPF 15 Foundation -£25 

I asked for this foundation for Christmas a couple of years ago because I was fed up of spotty, red, pimply skin and I'd heard that people had received great results in the improvement of their skin by using it. So I got it and initially hated the light coverage because you could see so many of my skin imperfections but I persevered with it and my skin actually started to improve. A year and a half down the line I can say that my skin is significantly better with the help of this foundation and medication from my doctor, it's still not perfect but I no longer feel I need such a heavy coverage. It's expensive but lasts me over a year and also contains SPF 15 making it a worthy investment in my eyes.

Rating - 9/10

Would I repurchase? - Yes

Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Makeup Remover - £3.39

There isn't really much to say about this product apart from saying that it does what it says; the Simple Kind To Eyes Makeup Remover removes eye makeup with ease, including waterproof makeup, and doesn't sting or irritate my eyes at all. But then again I do feel that I have no need for this because I find that the makeup wipes do the same job and you can use them all over your face, unlike this, and you don't need to buy cotton pads to use the makeup wipes.

Rating - 7/10

Would I repurchase? - It's good but I don't really need it so probably not

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19

You are probably fed up about hearing about this concealer by now and all I can do is confirm what many other beauty bloggers have already said in saying that this concealer is amazing. Cheap but better than a lot of expensive concealers I've used, it's very high coverage and dries to a very matte finish. I wouldn't recommend this to people with dry skin purely because of the matte finish but if you are looking for a concealer that will guaranteed cover all your imperfections this is for you. But beware the shade range is awful, there are only four shades and shade 2 comes up very orangey so it may have to be used under foundations. 

Rating - 7/10

Would I repurchase? - Yes

Barry M Base and Top Coat - £2.99

This is my favourite base and top coat by far and I must have repurchased it at least 3 or 4 times. It's cheap but prevents my nails from staining as a base coat and looks glossy as a top coat as well as prolonging the wear of any nail polish which is always great because no one likes it when your nails chipping an hour after spending a good few hours painting them! But because I use it for a base and top coat it seems like I am forever repurchasing it because it runs out so quickly.

Rating - 8/10 

Would I repurchase? - I always do

Batiste Dry Shampoo Clean and Classic - £2.99

In my opinion Batiste is one of the best brands out there for dry shampoo, they have a huge line of dry shampoos in every scent and colour and they banish oily roots in seconds but don't leave your hair looking grey or flaky (no one wants to look like a pensioner with dandruff). I like to use dry shampoo in between washes as my roots tend to get very greasy, it also gives my hair a tiny bit of extra volume. I've also tried the tropical version which smells amazing!

Rating - 10/10

Would I repurchase? - Yes

I hope you enjoyed this post and that my dead grass hasn't been annoying you too much but it shows how hot it is in the UK at the moment! Also congratulations if you have reached this point because this has become a very lengthy post, I am sending you a virtual hug as a prize for your perseverance! Let me know in the comments if you have reached the end I'd like to know if anyone actually did haha! 

Eleanor xx

Sunday Nails - PAC-MAN

Sometimes I feel like Pac-Man, eating everything possible in sight. But unlike Pac-Man I do not eat lots because it is my purpose in life or I'll win if I eat everything in my house, but merely because I am bored out of my mind. 

When I'm at home on my own I will eat so much junk but when I'm out with my friends, I'm enjoying myself so much I forget to eat to when I do eat I'm not hungry. But then again when I'm at home I have two friends: Ben and Jerry, and oh boy! Do we have a great time together!

My other weakness is BN biscuits, you know those french biscuits that have cute little smiley faces on and are sandwiched together with chocolate? I'd always get them in France when I was a kid but my friend told me that they'd started to sell mini packs in Tesco. So what did I do? Go and buy 3 box's of them! Their teasing chocolate grins should be replaced with that of the devil the amount of calories in those biscuits but I still continue to binge anyway. I'll never learn...

Eleanor xx

July Wishlist

We're almost halfway through July and I'm only just getting round to posting my July Wishlist, whoops! But these things take time and I wanted to make sure I was sharing with you the best things, that I really want to buy myself instead of the first thing I could find. So without further adieu here is this months wishlist...

Oh My Love Jumper £39.99
I told myself that I would stop going on about my obsession with Baz Luhrmann/ Romeo and Juliet/ Leonardo DiCaprio, but then I fell in love with this jumper and all sense of reason flew out the window. This jumper just sums up my non-existent love life whilst also expressing my love for Romeo and Juliet, it's also casual, comfy and I know I will be living in this jumper next year.

Zara Skort £25.99
I know that already own a white cross over skirt from Zara but this is a skort and it is completely different okay? Well that's what I keep telling myself... anyway this is more versatile and can be worn on an everyday basis as it's black and has built in shorts unlike the skirt. 

Motel Patent Backpack £55
I always used to hate backpacks. I had a brown and pink animal backpack when I first started secondary school and all I remember is this one time on a cold day, I leaned against a hot radiator to warm up but instead I got melted chewing gum all over my bag. Ew. Ever since I have been put off backpacks, even those cute floral ones, but I think this backpack from Motel Rocks might have changed my mind. It'll great next year in Sixth Form, I've just got to make sure I don't lean on any radiators. 

Rock N Rose Lilith Floral Crown £36
Floral crowns are not only a festival essential but a summer essential and I can't believe I don't have one yet! Rock N Rose do a large variety of floral crowns in loads of different colours, but I love how big the yellow flowers are on this one. Though £36 is a lot of money so if your looking for something a bit cheaper check out Dolly Bow Bow who are doing similar crowns for around £15.  

Asos Round Sunglasses £12
I saw these sunglasses on Lily from LLYMLRS and fell in love. This summer I've been obsessed with round 60's style sunglasses and I already have a plain black pair from Primark which were a pound, but I love the metal detailing and they are very different to others I've seen

Maybelline Baby Lips £2.99
Finally Maybelline have decided to launch their famous Baby Lips balms in the UK, after months of american beauty bloggers raving about them. I heard that they are being launched next month but to make sure you get your hands on them first you can sign up to receive an email from Boots telling you when they are in stock, which is a great idea as I have a feeling these babies are gonna sell out quick!

I hoped you liked this months wishlist and while scrolling down the page you may have also noticed my new social media buttons on the side of the page (link on my F.A.Q page to a blog post that explains how to do it) so if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Bloglovin, Instagram or Tumblr feel free. But I only got Tumblr yesterday and I'm still trying to get to grips with it so please bare with me, but if any of you are Tumblr Queens I'd love it if you'd leave me some tips down below...

Eleanor xx

Sunday Nails - Super Mario

Woah has it been hot or what this week? I think yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far in UK and us Brits definitely aren't used to this heat. If someone who lived in Africa came over to England right now they'd probably need a winter coat but I am whacking out my summer dresses, camisole tops, denim shorts and jelly sandals and enjoying the weather while it lasts. 

That being said, one thing I hate about the heat is what it does to my nail varnishes. Every time I try to paint my nails outside in the summer my polishes turn thick and gloopy like that slimy neon putty that I'd play with when I was a kid. Ew. Nasty. So for the majority of my nail art this week I used acrylic paint.

I love using acrylic paint for nail art as I own nearly every colour of acrylic paint you could imagine, from doing GCSE Art. You can be more precise by using a small paint brush, which n be easily washed with water, but when the paint is on your nails it doesn't wash off, magic!

What isn't magic though is me playing Super Mario Brothers as I am well and truly awful. But I still like to have a go because I like being the mushroom and that level where you ride on the dinosaurs. Now that I have some spare time I might rekindle my love for Mario and try to complete the game. That's not sad at all, is it?

Eleanor xx

Outfit Post - Prom!

I'm so sorry I've been a bit M.I.A during the past week but on Friday I went away with my friends to Cornwall and I only came back yesterday. That means I've missed quite a few opportunities to do some important posts including Sunday Nails but I promise I'll make it up to you guys! Anyway now that I'm back I can finally show you what I wore to my prom which was nearly two weeks ago now.

Me and My Sister

Everyone's prom is different and I know that lots of people's are not as formal as mine was but in my school we have a prom at the end of Year 11 at the school, where lots of people wear long dresses and then at the end of sixth form there is a leavers diner at a hotel where the girls still wear nice dresses, they are just not as formal.

Me and My Friend Maddie

The whole community turns up at the school to watch, to see the dresses and unusual transport such as old cars, tractors, space hoppers and even daleks, so there is a fair bit of pressure but me and my friends decided to go in a Chrysler limo.

Originally I had wanted a long sleeved china blue dress with a low back and lots of beading and detailing, but as you can see the dress I ended up getting was completely different! The truth is I realized I wasn't going to find my perfect dress so I settled for one that I thought I looked nice in and I then decided to go with black and gold accessories. 

As you know I did my own makeup, a lot of people had their makeup done professionally but I knew that if I'd got it done by someone else I'd probably end up taking it off when I get home and redoing it anyway. I also know what products and colours suit me so it made sense to do it myself anyway.

On the other hand I got my hair done at the hairdressers because I am rubbish at doing my hair. I did fear that my hairdresser would give me a Amy Winehouse style beehive or a hairdo that resembled a poodle, but luckily it looked how I wanted, even if my fringe did uncurl by the end of the night.

(From Left to Right) Izzy from Her Wardrobe Wanderings, Harriet from Kosmetic Kaleidoscope and Me 

Overall it was a great night that finished with a beautiful firework display and a great after party that went on into the early hours of the morning. I'd love to know what your prom was like or if you had your's recently and have done a post on it I'd love to see!

Eleanor xx

June Rate Or Hate

How is it July already? I don't understand where the time has gone, at least I can remember the important moments from the last 6 months as I've been writing them down in my 'Jar Of Happiness' which I'll open on New Years Eve. But in the meantime I need to stop being so reminiscent and focus on what I've been rating and hating this month.

Yet again I have struggled to think of something I hate (I did find this product lurking in the back of my mind and cupboard, which is where I put it after being so disappointed when I first used it), but whether there will be a July 'Rate or Hate' or just 'July Rates' is yet to be decided.

This months rate and hate- 

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette and Sally Hansen Nail Varnish in Shell We Dance

Rate - 

I actually got the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette for Prom but I couldn't resist using it as soon as I got it. The Urban Decay Naked Basics palette is filled with 5 matte eyeshaddows and 1 shimmer highlight shade, making it significantly different to the other Naked eyeshaddow palettes which are double the size and filled with few matte shades. 

I love this palette because it has the perfect combination of everyday natural eyeshaddows and the perfect size if you travel a lot. Venus is a great inner corner or brow bone highlight, Foxy and W.O.S are perfect all over lid colours, suiting people with both pink or yellow undertones, Naked 2 is a great crease colour and faint looks lovely in the outer corner but I also like to use them to fill in my eyebrows, and Crave is one of the most pigmented blacks I have ever seen so I love to use it to line my eyes when I don't want to use eyeliner.

I also found that there isn't as much fall out with these eyeshaddows are there is with those in the other Naked palettes but that may just be because of their matte finish so I'm definitely going to be taking this baby on holiday with me!

Hate -

I'm always on the lookout for a new pink/nude nail varnish so when I saw this Sally Hansen in Superdrug I thought I'd give it a go. I'd never tried Sally Hansen nail varnishes before but it's just one of those brands that is so exposed that you presume they're products will work wonders, sadly not. 

This nail varnish is so sheer that you would need at least 10 coats to even get it to become slightly opaque which ruled it out as a normal nail varnish straight away. I then tried using it when doing a french manicure as a base colour but it didn't suit me, resulting in my hands resembling those of a skeletons. Attractive. 

The only good thing I could say about this nail varnish is that the brush is a good size, allowing you to paint your whole nail with one stroke of the brush, and the bottle looks pretty. I don't know if all Sally Hansen polishes are like this so I'd love to know if you've tried any of their other nail polishes and if they are all as sheer!

Eleanor xx