I Did It... I Made A YouTube Video

So I finally gathered my courage and did it. I made a YouTube video. I'm guilty to admit t that YouTube was my first love but watching beauty and fashion videos is what introduced me to the beautiful world of blogging. But despite this I've always been scared to take the leap and make videos myself until now. 

This video is my way of testing the water, trying it out to see if I like it before I take a plunge and commit to YouTube as well as blogging (YouTube will never be a substitute for my blog, only an addition to it). It was a bit awkward and nerve wracking sitting in my bedroom on my own and talking to my camera and I'm sure that will probably come across a little in the video. This is only my first video though and I know that it is in no way perfect, not even by a mile, but if I keep at this I can only improve.

Now that little explanation is out of the way you're probably wondering what I decided to do for my first ever video? Well I decided to do a haul showing some clothes and other bits that I've picked up recently. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you will have seen me mention that there was a student night on at my local shopping centre this week and I was lucky enough to pick up a few things. 

As I learned while editing the video it was not possible to edit in cut away's to show me trying on the clothes so I thought I'd do a try on blog post so that you could see what everything I bought looked like on. I won't be talking about any of the things I bought though in this post, so if you want to hear that check out the video, but I will leave links for everything down below.

Boohoo Sarah Lingerie Style Lacey Cami - £14

Topshop Petite Stripe Top - £20

River Island Black Velvet Choker - £5

Vans Leather Old Skool Zip Shoes - £65

WATCH MY VIDEO HERE | https://youtu.be/IR-V4CVSWI0

I'd love to hear your feedback and opinion on whether I should film more videos, let me know down below!

Eleanor xx

NEW IN - Missguided and Public Desire

I haven't done a haul type post in what seems like forever and I think that's partly due to the fact that I am trying my very best to save my money but also because I often spread out my spending rather than going on one big binge. But this week I had two very exciting deliveries of items that I have been eyeing up for a really long time.

I must admit the first thing in this post was not bought with my own money as I was lucky enough to win a competition on Public Desire's Instagram. I never ever win anything, so I was over the moon when Public Desire contacted me on Monday to tell me I'd won their competition and that I could pick whatever I liked from their Spring collection!

I immediately knew which shoes I wanted and asked if I could have a pair of their Julia Heels in Black. After seeing bloggers such as Hannah Crosskey from A Fashion Fix wearing the Julia Heels I knew I had to have them. They're the perfect height so that you can dress them down during the day but also wear them on a night out, the chunky heel and ankle straps also make them a dream to walk in.

So as you may know the internet nearly broke last Monday when Missguided announced that they were doing 50% off and their website went into meltdown. With Missguided being one of my favourite brands and there being a few items I wanted, I knew this was an opportunity I couldn't afford to pass up and I sat refreshing my laptop all day in an attempt to get onto the website. Finally I got onto the website and while a few of the things I wanted were out of stock I managed to grab this pair of trousers for only £12.50!

I've wanted a pair of cigarette trousers for ages, after seeing Victoria Beckham wearing a pair with some Stan Smiths and a polo neck jumper and these are the perfect pair for me. They're high waisted, tailored but still casual with the simple zip detail at the ankle. I was worried they wouldn't fit as I often find that trousers are too big in the waist and tight around the hips, but they're just right around the waist and there is still room to move my hips.

Did you manage to pick up anything in Missguided's crazy sale? I'd love to hear what you picked up or bought recently!

Eleanor xx

Mini Beauty Haul

While I love makeup I would never consider myself a makeup collector or hoarder as something I've always been quite good at is deciding what I really need and what I don't. This being said I do tend to spend a considerable amount of money on makeup but they are always calculated purchases. That is probably the reason why today's mini beauty haul comprises mainly of repurchases but you know what they say 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'!

My all time favourite foundation (well so far) has to be Estee Lauder's Double Wear Foundation and I constantly repurchase it again and again. Like with any product there are lovers and haters but Double Wear is an especially Marmite product within the beauty community, luckily for me it really suits my skin type and gives me that high coverage flawless finish I need to cover my acne scarring. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation £29.50

The are some products that I would never look in the drugstore for such as foundation but when it comes to mascara 99% I will buy it from either Boots or Superdrug. The highstreet has a mascara to suit everyone with the majority of them coming under £10 and one of my favourites is the Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara. When I first tried this mascara I wasn't sure but the more and more I use it the more I have come round to it as it gives me the blackest lashes.

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara £7.99

When I was on holiday in Portugal a couple of years ago I went into a Kiko store and picked up the Eyes 200 brush on a whim as it looked very similar to Mac's 217 brush but for half of the price. Since then it has become my favourite eyeshadow brush and the only one I use to blend out my eyeshadow. So when I went to London for my sister's birthday I made sure to pop into the Oxford Street store and pick up another one as you can never have too many blending brushes.

Kiko Eyes 200 Brush £10.90

My final purchase is surprisingly something I've never tried before but it's been exactly what I've been looking for. For ages I've been looking for light and dark concealers for contouring and coloured concealers for correcting and Inglot had exactly that as part of their Freedom System. I won't say too much just yet as I am planning to do an in-depth review as soon as I've tried it out but let's just say that I am very excited to try this out.

Inglot Freedom System Concealer Palette £27

Have you tried any of these products before or have any recommendations of what I should try next?

Eleanor xx

Autumn/Winter Haul 2014

Online shopping has become a slight addiction for me. While in the past I've never been fond of buying things online because of having to wait days for what I've bought for it then to possibly not fit, recently I've found myself frequently buying things online because I simply don't have the time or energy to go round town searching for what I need. One of the best days of the year for online shoppers is undoubtedly Black Friday with money off in practically every shop you can get all the deals without having to fight your way through the crazy crowds of shoppers.

As a little inspiration for your online shopping I thought I'd share with you what I've bought recently. Also if you stay tuned till the end of the post I've collected all the best Black Friday deals.

Missguided Coat - £59.99

M & S Boots - £69

Primark Polo Neck Top - £5

Primark Polo Neck Top - £5

H & M Jumper - £24.99 

Miss Selfridge Ripped Super Skinny Jeans - £38

Black Friday Deals -

ASOS: 20% EVERYTHING ALL WEEKEND CODE: CYBERWKND20

River Island : 20% EVERYTHING (11am-3pm) CODE: TREAT28

Missguided : 20% off EVERYTHING DATE: 11.27-12.01 CODE: CYBER20

Topshop : up to 50% off + free worldwide shipping 

All Saints: 20% off all styles DATE: 11.28-12.01 CODE: CYBER 

OFFICE Shoes: 20% off EVERYTHING + free shipping CODE: SNOW 

Romwe: Up to $30 off CODE: CYBERMONDAY15

Urban Outfitters: up to 50% off + free shipping DATE: 11.28 CODE: BFDELIVERY

New Look: up to 50% off selected lines  

Motel Rocks :  25% off EVERYTHING CODE: CYBER25

Miss Selfridge : up to 50% off EVERYTHING

Marks & Spencer : up to 30% off selected lines

Will you be buying anything this Black Friday?

Eleanor xx

Spring Fashion Haul

Ah a new season, a whole new wardrobe! Well not a whole new wardrobe, just a few new basics to update my closet. I haven't quite decided what style or trend that I'll be going for this spring/summer so everything that I've bought so far have been basic and versatile so that I can style it in multiple ways and its not a disaster if I change my mind. That being said I hope this haul isn't too boring for you!

I've really wanted some black high top style trainers for quite a long time now but I've never found the right pair for the right price. This was until recently when I suddenly started seeing pictures of Nike Air Force 1's popping up all over instagram and tumblr and fell in love, the problem was that I only ever saw them in white. After a quick Google search I found that Nike did in fact make them in black but practically no where sold them. But luckily for me, while I was browsing the concessions in Topshop on Oxford street I saw them, bought them in my size and took them home like a proud parent to a newborn baby.

Black Nike Air Force 1 - £51.99

For a few years now Primark has been my go to place for sunglasses. They've always got hundreds of styles that are always less than a fiver, and this year wasn't a disappointment. I picked up these gorgeous round sunglasses with gold detailing on the bridge on the nose and on the arms, they're sort of a cross between John Lennon and the Olsen Twins if you get my drift.

Primark Sunglasses - £3

Some simple gold rings are another thing that I've been lusting after for quite a while but I could never justify to myself spending £12 or something ridiculous for a pack from Topshop, I then saw this pack of rings in Primark for £2.50 and all the waiting was made worthwhile. In the pack there are three different types of rings, skinny, medium and large with a cutout, making them perfect for stacking without the cost of buying lots of rings separately. 

Primark Rings - £2.50

I have finally found my perfect pair of ripped jeans! They're the perfect mid wash denim that I was after, the perfect fit: not boyfriend jeans but not skinny jeans either and not so many rips that they may as well be shorts! Another bonus is that they won't break the bank as they were only £19.99 a bargain compared to the Topshop ripped jeans.

Pull and Bear Jeans - £19.99

H and M Basic T-Shirt - £6.99

Everyone needs basic t-shirts in their wardrobe, including me which is why it was strange when I realised that I didn't actually own any basic t-shirts. So while I was in town I picked up these two grey v-neck t-shirts, they're flattering, cheap and good quality, what is not to love?

H and M Basic T-Shirt - £6.99

Since the weather has picked up recently my sister and I have recently started to go running. I used to be quite good at running and I've done the Race for Life in the past, but with Sixth Form taking up a lot of my time, running got pushed to the back. So in my quest for a bikini body I've started running again but I had nothing to wear, so when I was in Primark I picked up this cheap black hoodie.

Primark Hoodie - £8

Sorry I haven't been buying any extravagant items like pink feather boas or Jimmy Choos (?) but you've got to have the staples before you buy any investment pieces. I'd love to know what you've been buying recently so make sure to link your blogs below! 

Also don't forget to enter my £15 ASOS Gift Card giveaway here!

Nominate me for Best Teen Style Blogger in the Company Style Blogger Awards here!

Eleanor xx

New York Beauty Haul!

Apart from seeing all of the sights of New York, one of the main things that I wanted to do while in the city was shopping. When converting the exchange rate it works out quite a bit cheaper to buy lots of makeup brands in America compared to the UK and there are quite a few brands available in America that aren't available in the UK, so I took a substantial amount of spending money with me. 

Sadly while in New York we only really had a few hours shopping and I didn't manage to go to all of the shops that I would have liked to go to. This means that I didn't buy that much as I thought but I am still extremely happy with all of the things that I bought and I am excited to share them with you! 

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette (and Lipgloss) - $52

I already own the Naked 3 and Naked Basics Palettes, and they are practically the only eyeshadows I ever use so why not buy the Naked 2? My sister has this palette so I've used hers in the past, and like all of the Naked Palettes the eyeshadows are highly pigmented and come in a range of gorgeous colours, so I had to buy it for myself. It also comes with a pretty pink lip gloss which is a nice change to the usual primer potion samples the other palettes come with.

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle - $25

Soft and Gentle is a gorgeous golden highlighter but with pink undertones running through it meaning that it suits almost every skin tone. As it suits a lot of people I decided to buy it as a present for my sister because she has been looking for a high end highlighter for quite some time and I know she's going to love it!

Mac Lipsticks in Morange and Rebel - $16 each

I love Mac lipsticks and have quite a few in my makeup collection already, but I couldn't pass on the opportunity to pick up a couple more! I already had Morange from when my sister bought it for me when she went to New York a couple of years ago but I stupidly went and lost it, it's one of my favourite Mac lipsticks so I had to repurchase it. On the other hand I've never had Rebel before but I've been lusting over it all autumn/winter, it's such a beautiful deep berry lipstick and I've been wearing it non-stop since I got back!

Seche Vite Dry Fast Topcoat - $9.95

The Seche Vite Topcoat is probably the most raved about nail varnish in the beauty blogging community and after already using it only a couple of times I can see why! The topcoat makes any nail varnish ultra glossy, doesn't smudge nail art and dries so quickly, I can safely say that it is worth the money despite it's horrible smell.

Kardashian Khroma Honey Stick Lip Gloss - $8.99

I don't even have to tell you guys how much I love the Kardashians and ever since they released the Khroma beauty line I have been dying to try some products from it. The Kardashians are famous for their ultra glossy nude lips and seeing as I don't own many lip glosses I decided to buy one and give it a try! First impressions: it smells very strongly of honey, which is great if you love the smell of honey!

I also bought a pink and white striped pajama shirt/nightie from Victoria's Secret but I didn't see a lot of point in showing it as this is a beauty haul!

I hoped you found this post interesting and like everything that I bought. I promise there will be a New York diary soon but I'm just waiting to get a copy some of the photos one of my teachers took on the trip with his DSLR because if there are some nice ones I might include them! Hope you're having a good week...

Eleanor xx

January Haul

This is an official warning if you hate the colour black and jumpers as you will hate this haul as soon we will establish that I have an obsession with black jumpers, well not even just black jumpers but the colour black all round. Yes whenever I'm shopping I will be frequently heard exclaiming "This would look so much better in black" yes I am really ashamed no, I'm not even ashamed anymore that half of my wardrobe is filled with black clothes and a quarter is filled with white clothes. So if you hate monochrome, please avert your eyes, if not enjoy the haul!

I love Timberlands and have wanted a pair of my own for such a long time. I always see pictures of celebrities such as the Kardashians and Rihanna wearing them because they are not only beautiful but practical in the winter weather. So when I went to Clarks Village with my mother just before Christmas we decided to pop into the Timberland outlet shop to see if I could grab a pair.

Junior Timberland Boots £45 (rrp £80)

Womens Classic Timberlands retail in normal shops for £160 with in my opinion is a lot to pay for a pair of boots, in the outlet shop they were selling them for about £80 with is half price and a huge discount but I still knew I could get them cheaper. So being the bargain hunter that I am I asked the sales assistant what size the children's range up to, to my delight she said a size 6! So I asked if they had a pair in a size 5 (my size) and they did so I bought a pair not only for myself but also for my sister! As I bought them from the Children's range they were significantly cheaper at £45 and practically identical to the current season adult boots, bargain!

While mooching round the sales on boxing day I spotted this black sweatshirt in H and M and was immediately attracted to it, probably due to my obsession with black! While it's not a very thick sweatshirt it has this beautiful cut out detail at the top that reminds me of roman architecture which I've always thought was beautiful. The detail also gives the sweatshirt dimension and texture which makes this black jumper a lot more interesting and the perfect transitional piece from winter to spring.

H and M Jumper £7

I've only ever been in Pull And Bear once before and that was when I was on holiday in Portugal, but I instantly loved it and was disappointed we didn't have one in either of my local cities, until now. A few weeks ago a new Pull And Bear store opened in Cabot Circus Bristol and I was delighted, so I picked up a few things including the cropped black jumper. I love the quilting across the front, it has a really amazing structure and looks amazing when it's on!

Pull And Bear Cropped Jumper £9.99

I also got this polo neck jumper which was in the sale reduced to £9.99. It's incredibly warm and will keep my cosy on the streets of New York during February. Despite how it looks in the picture, it's very tight and fitted which I really like. Also it makes me feel really clever and arty when I wear it because for some reason I imagine all smart and creative people wear polo neck jumpers? Maybe it because Steve Jobs always wore them who knows haha!

Pull And Bear Polo Neck Jumper £9.99

Now normally I avoid Primark in the sales but when I was in town last weekend it was unusually quiet so I popped in to have a look around. I spotted this top on a rail saying all items were reduced to £2 and I decided it was to cheap to not buy it. I had been considering buying it full price anyway as it's really versatile and it isn't see through unlike some of Primarks clothes!

Primark Top £2

This little cropped jumper was also on the £2 rail in the sale and I thought that both items would go well together! I also have another jumper in this same material which I wear all the time so I knew that this would get a lot of wear!

Primark Jumper £2

You see what I mean now? It's a serious obsession! But I guess there are worse things to be addicted to like Leonardo DiCaprio drugs. Have you picked up anything in the sales?

Eleanor xx

Superdrug Haul

When my friend Louise, who works at Superdrug, offered to give me a voucher for 30% off Superdrug own brand and 20% off other brands, that she'd been given at work I jumped at the chance! I mean what better excuse to buy makeup than discount? So I thought I'd share with you the things that I bought with the discount as it's rare that I buy lots of makeup in one go.

I've been looking for some good quality lip liners at a reasonable price for a while, so I picked up these Eau La La Liners from Sleek in the shades Raisin and Moulin Rouge. I love Sleek makeup: they are one of my favourite drugstore brands, and these lip liners definitely meet my expectations. The Eau La La Liners are multipurpose liners and are very soft and creamy, making application smooth. Moulin Rouge is as the name suggests a vibrant, classic red and Raisin is a lovely plum/berry shade that is perfect for winter.  

Sleek Eau La La Liners in Moulin Rouge and Raisin £4.99 (£3.49)

While browsing at the Sleek counter how could I pass on the opportunity to buy one of their raved about blushers? Like all of Sleeks products their blushers are highly pigmented and as good, if not better than a lot of high end blushers that I've tried. Pixie is a bright baby pink in a matte finish, I love this colour and I really feel like it suits my cool skin tone as it has a blue undertone. 

Sleek Blush in Pixie £4.49 (£3.14)

This product, like a few of the products in this haul, is a re-purchase. I love this mascara and it's very reasonable compared to a lot of drugstore mascaras which are verging on the £10 mark if not more. I've actually done a review of the Max Factor 2000 Calorie here.

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Waterproof Mascara £6.99 (£5.59)

I don't actually need more of Barry M Basecoat, Topcoat and Nail Hardener but it's my favourite basecoat and topcoat meaning that it runs out very quickly as I use it every time I paint my nails, which is very often. So I thought that while I have the opportunity to get it discounted I thought I might as well buy some more!

Barry M Basecoat, Topcoat and Nail Hardener £2.99 (£2.39)

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you about how much I love this concealer as practically everyone in the beauty blogging community has tried it and raved about how much they love it. This is maybe my third tube of it as it does run out quite quickly because the rubbish packaging makes it impossible to get all of the product out, but for under a fiver it hardly breaks the bank.

Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer £4.19 (£3.35)

It's times like these when it pays to have friends who work in shops that sell amazing makeup. It's just annoying because I missed out on the 3 for 2 offer by a day but overall I saved £7.19 which I'm very pleased with! Also I hope you don't mind but I've been taking some of the photo's on my I phone, it's just easier to edit and they focus better. But hopefully when I eventually get a job I'll be able to afford a decent camera!

Hope your having a good week

Eleanor xx

Back To School - Fashion Haul

I cannot tell you how long I have wanted to show you what I've been buying for Sixth Form and finally the time has arrived. These are things which I've been saving up for a couple of months to show in a haul and that is why you may notice some of the price tags are missing because I couldn't resist wearing the majority of them, but then there's no point me buying things and not getting my wear out of them!

When my Dad suggested I had a look in TK Maxx for a school bag I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical as TK Maxx is not somewhere I typically shop. Hesitantly I agreed to have a look and after hopelessly looking around the bag section for a good few minutes I saw it: the bag of my dreams. Okay it wasn't the school bag I had been initially looking for but I've been looking for an everyday bag for months and this was the perfect bag that I knew I had to have. 

The bag is a good size, black, has gold hardware and is structured which were all things I had been looking for in a bag and the only other place I had found anything similar was Zara, but there was no way I was going to pay their prices! It cost £24.99 and was worth every penny.

TK Maxx Bag £24.99 (rrp £49.99)

I must have looked at this hair cuff in H and M at least 10 times before I eventually bought it when I was shopping in Cardiff on my birthday. I'd seen it in hauls millions of times and was always so close to buying one for myself but for some bizarre reason I could never part with my cash, but for £2.99 I can wholeheartedly say it was worth it and I wish I'd bought it sooner!

H and M Gold Hair Cuff £2.99

We all know I have a cami obsession so when I saw this beauty in River Island the least I could do was take it home with me. I'm not what material this top is made out of but it has the slinky appearance of silk. I think this top adds elegance to any look and unlike my New Look cami's it has adjustable straps which means no awkward moments where your top falls down and your assets are exposed, which is always a bonus!

River Island Black Cami £10

Now you may recognize these jeans as they are incredibly similar to the American Apparel Easy Jean and the Topshop Joni Jeans but WAY cheaper. I've never bought jeans from primark before but these fit really well and haven't faded yet. I love the super high waisted fit of them and they are such a bargain when compared to the American Apparel and Topshop version!

Primark Jeans £10

Before I went shopping I only had two pairs of jeans, which in my opinion is definitely not enough when I wanted jeans to be the basis of my casual Sixth Form wardrobe, so when I found these jeans in the sale section of Dorothy Perkins I though it'd be worth trying them on because they were a nice colour and a good price. These jeans fit me perfectly and were exactly what I was looking for, so I'd really recommend looking in the sale in any shop for jeans as I often find some gems in sale.

Dorothy Perkins Jeans £15

When in Primark I decided to stock up on a few basic clothes for school and that included t-shirts and in Primark they sell loads of cheap boyfriends tees for £2.50. I wanted to get a black and a white but unfortunately they didn't have any white t-shirts so I could only get black but it's alright as I can just get more another time as it's the kind of thing they sell all year round.

Primark T-Shirt £2.50

The last thing I bought was this cream quilted t-shirt which was only a bit more expensive at £6. I love the quilting detail and the slightly thicker material for the colder months and personally I think that this t-shirt would easily be found in Zara or River Island. The only thing I'm not sure I'm keen on is the chain across the pocket so I might cut it off.

Primark Quilted T-shirt £6

I feel a bit late with everything this month as everyone (including myself) has gone back to school now but then again this could be considered as just a regular haul, but none the less I hope you enjoyed it! If you've just gone back let me know down below how your first day back went!

Eleanor xx