What's On My iPhone

I'm ashamed to say that my phone is a major part of my life and that I'd struggle to live without it. If I happen to forget my phone when I go out, I panic a little because I like the security of knowing that I can contact or be contacted by anyone if need be. Not to mention how my whole life is made 100 times easier thanks to this little device and it's magical apps, so I thought why not share some of those apps with you today.

Apps I've Downloaded On My iPhone - Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, Pinterest, Messenger, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Google Maps, Youtube, BBC iPlayer Radio, Collaborate, O2 Priority, My O2, National Rail, PS Express, Afterlight, UNiDAYS, Bloglovin, Whitagram, Uber, VSCO, Blogger, Canon Print, Google Analytics, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Boomerang, Snapseed, Yik Yak, m.P, Xe Currency Converter and Find My iPhone.

My Favourite Apps -

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat - Arguably my most used apps on my iPhone (probably the majority of people's tbh) and I find myself checking them regularly throughout the day. Simple, addictive and popular. 

Google Maps - Without Google Maps I'd never find my way anywhere so it's got to be included in my favourites purely because of how essential it is to my modern day life. It not only gives directions but provides up to date information on train and bus times, beating Apple's Maps by miles.

PS Express - When it comes to editing my photos for Instagram, before I use any other app I always start off with PS Express. It's a free and probably the best app I've found for editing basic elements of the photo like exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows etc. 

Snapseed - Another app that I use for editing photos for Instagram this time made by Google. My main use for Snapseed is to darken or brighten selective areas of the photo or to occasionally airbrush the odd blemish, I'll then go on to use either VSCO or Afterlight to add a filter.

Bloglovin - I'm sure the majority of you have heard of Bloglovin, but I had to just give it a special mention as it's one of my most used apps. It's just so easy and convenient for keeping up with your favourite blogs on the go.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen - GBK has quickly turned into one of mine and my boyfriends favourite burger restaurants and therefore we find ourselves going there quite often. By having the app it's means that not only can I get student discount, but you also collect a stamp each time you go leading to rewards of a free side, milkshake or burger.

Boomerang - If you've ever seen celebrities such as Kylie and Kendall Jenner post those short repetitive videos on Instagram they were probably created via Boomerang. You record yourself moving using the camera in the app and it turns it into a short video showing the video forwards and backwards. While it may not sound very exciting the videos can turn out to be very cool or funny.

m.P - If you are on the contraceptive pill then you will know that it is advised to take it at the same time every day. M.P is a handy app that reminds you when it is time to take your pill, it then records the times you've been taking it and can tell you information such as how protected you are. Perfect if you often forget to take your pill.

Why are your favourite apps?

Eleanor xx

Céline New Audrey Sunglasses Review & Unboxing

While being a great admirer of fine things I have never bought anything from a designer brand in my life. When I was younger I'd buy t-shirts and polo shirts from Ralph Lauren or underwear from Calvin Klein but I've never spent a huge amount of money on one item. Designer goods are not for everyone, I know many people may be disgusted by the amount that I spent on these sunglasses but I worked hard for the money to buy them and saved up for a long time so that I could treat myself to something I've always wanted; a pair of designer sunglasses.

After much careful deliberation and research I finally decided upon the Céline New Audrey Sunglasses with the black frame and brown lenses. I was torn between the original Céline Audrey Sunglasses are the new version but after seeing Sammi from Samantha Maria (formally The Beauty Crush) wearing the new version I was sold on the slighty squarer frame. 

Aptly named after Audrey Hepburn, the Audrey range of sunglasses from Céline are inspired by the sunglasses Audrey's character (Holly Golightly) wore in the 1961 film of Breakfast at Tiffany's. These sunglasses are iconic, classic and suit the majority of face shapes. 

The Céline New Audrey Sunglasses are delicately embossed with the gold Céline logo on one arm and the iconic silver three pin design on both the arms and the front of the sunglasses. They also come with the classic suede Céline case and cloth both embossed with Céline Paris in silver. The attention to detail is exquisite although I do wish that they came with a hard case as they provide better protection.

I bought my sunglasses online from a website called Designer Glasses Boutique as neither Selfridges nor Sunglasses Hut stocked them with the black frame. While I was a bit skeptical at buying them online at first, after a bit of research and looking at a lot of reviews I decided to go ahead and purchase them. I ordered my sunglasses on Monday the 1st, they were dispatched on Wednesday the 10th and then delivered the next day. While the delivery was very quick, waiting for 7-10 days for them to be dispatched was unbearable. But apart from having to wait so long to get my sunglasses, I am very pleased with my sunglasses and they seem to be legit.

Céline New Audrey Sunglasses Black/Brown - £189 (rrp £229) 

What is your opinion on designer purchases? Have you ever bought any designer sunglasses?

Eleanor xx

Suit Up

Studying a business related degree means that I am occasionally required to wear formal attire, but how do you dress smart while still looking chic? Often dressing smart can go one of two ways: either frumpy or overly sexy. So when I had to dress smart for a presentation at uni a few weeks ago I thought long and hard about my outfit to try and avoid both of these eventualities. 

What I'm Wearing - Zara Skinny Scarf, New Look Blazer, H&M Jumpsuit, Missguided Heels

As you can see I went for this slim cut blazer from New Look on top of my effortless H&M jumpsuit. I accessorized with the blogger must have that is this skinny scarf from Zara and some simple strappy heels from Missguided. The slim cut of the blazer and jumpsuit still show my shape without wearing anything to clingy and the heels keep that feminine touch. 

What are your tips for dressing smart? 

Eleanor xx

Cute Ways To Use Polaroids + CHEERZ Review

With there being more mobile phones in the world than actual people and the majority of phones having a camera these days, it comes to no surprise that most people take photos on their phones. While I love being able to snap hundreds of photos on my phone whenever and where ever, I often end up with only digital copies of my photos that I forget about. But my photographs deserve more than that, they are my memories. That's why in recent years I've been trying to print off my favourite photos every once in a while. So when Cheerz contacted me and asked if I wanted to try some of their products I was thrilled with the opportunity to add to my collection.

Cheerz is an online photo printing service where you can upload your photos straight from your phone/computer, Instagram, Facebook, Dropbox and more and they will deliver them straight to your door. They offer a wide variety of products as well as just prints, such as the Cheerz Box* and the DIY Photo Book* that I will be reviewing today (as well as giving you a few ideas of how you could use your photos). They also have an app so you can order photos straight from your phone, handy eh?

Their signature Cheerz Box* is a great quality little box that comes with 30-45 Polaroid style photos of your choice, that you can edit by adding captions and changing the background colour to suit your personal style. The photos come on premium photo quality paper and are printed to a very high standard, at £13 I think this would make a lovely present for someone.

Not everyone likes their photos in black and white like I do, so I ordered some coloured photos to show how well they print. The colours were exactly the same in the printed copy as they were in the digital copy of the photo, and of course the coloured photos were to the same high standard of the black and white photos.

As for ways in which you could use these Polaroids, my first idea is to display them in a photo album. While this may be an obvious idea I think that photo albums are a great way to preserve your memories forever. You can keep adding to them as time goes on  or perhaps have a different album for different occasions.

This is where the DIY Photo Book* comes in as it allows you to create your own photo album. The product includes a black classic photo book and 20 Polaroids of your choice to put in the book. Each page in the photo book has a white adhesive square in the middle making it easy to securely attach your photos into the book.

While I do love the DIY Photo Book and how it provides everything you need to create your own photo album, I do wish there were more options to customize it as when you remove the duck egg blue sleeve you are left with a plain black book. While I like the simpleness of this, others may want something a little bit more exiting. 

That being said it is a great quality set for £17, with high attention to detail from Cheerz such as the cute message in the back and the little yellow envelope that your photos come in.

Another way to use your Polaroids is to create a cute wall display using them. This is a photo of my uni room where I've arranged my photos around my Coco Chanel mirror from Debenhams. The mirror acts as a focal point, and I like to think that the quote ("In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different") really compliments the photos.

My last idea on how to use your Polaroids is to hand them on either string or fairy lights, using paper clips or small little wooden pegs. If you want to know how to make this in more detail, I've written a post on it here.

I hope you've enjoyed this post and maybe got a few ideas of how you could use your photos. If you want to print some of your own photos, then you can use my code 'ELLIGT' to get £4 off your first order from Cheerz.

Do you ever print out your photos? I'd love to know some of your ideas on how you use them!

Eleanor xx

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette Review

With the recent release of more products to the Gwen Stefani Urban Decay Collection I thought I'd revisit and review the palette that started the initial hype: the limited edition Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette. When I first heard of this release back in November, the thought of acid brights, vibrant reds and popping pinks immediately sprung to mind, but I was pleasantly surprised by the tasteful packaging and wearable colours that this palette provides. 

The palette itself is perfect packaging wise. Urban Decay have moved away from flimsy cardboard to this plastic and metal palette that is not only easy upon the eye but sturdy and solid. The palette opens with a strong magnet to reveal a beautiful array of matte and shimmer eyeshadows in a range of wearable colours, without consisting of only nudes and warm browns. 

Gwen Stefani worked with Urban Decay to create a palette full of shades that she wished she had in her own makeup collection and luckily for us we can now all enjoy them. Some of my favourite shades have to be Punk, Pop and Baby but I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Harajuku and Danger the two brightest shades in the palette.

As you'd expect with Urban Decay eyeshadows they are creamy, blendable and highly pigmented. At £40 for this palette it is great value for money with each eyeshadow working out at about £2.60 each, making it a great addition to any makeup collection.

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette £40

What do you think of this collaboration? Will you be trying anything from the collection?

Eleanor xx