Lashes and Lunges - Elly

Check out my new #blog on page one of my AW16 | Autumn Winter 16 Look Book #fbloggers #ootd

The leaves are starting to droop, tinges of orange will shortly adorn our street and the weather’s on the turn. It can only mean one thing; it’s the start of my favourite season! No more body shaming myself because I didn’t fit into the size 8 bikini I stupidly bought in January when I promised myself I’d go to the gym every day! No internal argument about whether I should go on the sunbeds or…

Bored? Check out my new #blog about my fitness journey! #fitfam #fitness

It will come to no surprise that I don’t like my body. Who does? Trim a bit here, flatten a bit and lots of wishing you were someone else or had a part of someone else anyway. I have struggled with me weight for many, many years and have probably let it affect me more than I should have. We all know the panic of running around trying to find something that doesn’t make your bum or thighs look…

It’s not too much to ask, is it? Well seeing as there are more companies who do test on animals than those who don’t, apparently it is. I’ve been reigning myself in from a beauty haul not really knowing which company to turn to. Whilst I don’t want to add to the pain of animals, I don’t want to pay four times the price for it so I haven’t bought anything in months! For a beauty blogger, this is painful.

Until I found that MUA Cosmetics do not test on animals and they are a high street brand, so no £25 per brush or £60 for a foundation bottle.

With conscious free make up at my finger tips I did not hold back on my order.

I was in dire need of make up brushes as I have recently been using a sponge (after upgrading from fingers) and I was finding that coverage did not last the entire day. I then used an old blusher brush to apply my foundation and whilst not perfect, the coverage was much better than the sponge and lasted a lot longer.

Therefore I bought:

F3 Concealer Brush – £1.95

F5 Kabuki Face & Body Brush – £4

F1 Foundation Brush – £3

MUA Luxe Inked Lip Stain – Watermelon – £4

Lipstick – Coral Flush – £1

F10 Blush Buki Brush – £5

So, in total my order cost me £21.95 and I am now the proud owner of every single brush I will need to put my face on. MUA even offered me a selection of lipsticks for £1, hence my coral flush bargain!

How have I found the first week of using brushes?

In my week of making the switch from a makeup sponge to makeup brushes I have found that my foundation goes a hell of a lot longer. I’m finding myself having to put product back into the bottle rather than adding more to use. I guess if I think about it logically, that makes perfect sense. Sponges are used to soak up moisture and my liquid foundation is just that. In essence, I’m literally throwing away product using a sponge rather than another method of applying foundation.

I have also found that ‘my face’ stays a lot longer. When using the sponges my makeup would start to fade by lunchtime, if I was lucky! Now, I’m finding that my makeup lasts the day, which is just a fantastic upgrade for not that much more money spent on applicators.

One of my worries was that buying product that is ‘cheap’ would make me looked cheap but in actual fact the products I have bought feel luxurious and not cheap at all. The brushes have been one of the best investments I have ever made in terms of my beauty regime.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the lip stain. I am a matte lip colour kind of person and I was so excited to try this product and I am happy to report that not only was the lip stain true to its word of being matte but it lasted for hours! I even tried to scrub it off before the gym and when I came back from my body pump class, it was still clinging onto my lips!

I can 100% recommend MUA Cosmetics and I will be going back for top up makeup as and when my supplies run low.

* Prices correct as at 4th July 2016

Are you all Fur Coat and No Knickers? Read my blog on the surprising new trend #fbloggers

It has been reported today that women are apparently ditching their undies as the key to good health. According to The Daily Mail: “the synthetic materials, modern dyes and industrial-strength control fabrics now used in undies could be causing everything from infections to stomach aches and even prolapses – where an organ in a woman’s pelvis slips out of place.” I have to say, I’ve tried control…

Why not read my news #blog on Summer Trends | SS16 #fbloggers #TheGirlGang @BBlogRT

Shhhh – don’t make any sudden movements, I think I see summer approaching! It appears as though we are creeping out of the depths of winter and are almost ready to emerge from our chrysalises! So quick, shave those legs, do those extra crunches and let’s put our best fashion foot forward. What’s the latest trend for the season? COLOUR! I can happily shout back. Now, I go against every mortal…

Check out my blog on how to get Emma Stone's style at highstreet prices! #fbloggers #EmmaStone

Can we just take a second to admire Emma Stone? While being home-schooled she appeared in 15 plays in Arizona over a 2 year period, at 15 Emma and her mother relocated to LA so she could pursue her film career. in 2007 she got her film debut in Superbad, going on to have supporting roles in The House Bunny, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past but really became noticed in Zombieland. She’s then gone on to…

Got 5 minutes? Why not check out my sunnies #lookbook for this #summer? #fbloggers #bbloggers

If you live in the UK, like me, you’ll have got terribly excited by the intermittent bursts of sun we’ve had recently. Bank Holiday weekends are notorious for being sunny and giving us that much needed respite from the daily grind but the Easter weekend proved to be another typical English let down with Storm Katie causing havoc. This weekend just gone was slightly better with pockets of actually…

Why not read my blog on : Why I'll Never Use @eBay Again! #bloggers #fbloggers #bbloggers

I am sure I am not the only person out there who has heaps of clothes in their wardrobes (some still with tags on – shh!) that are not used, nor will they ever be used. In the past, I have given bags and bags of clothes to goodwill, so that they can be sold on or sent out to areas of poverty who desperately need clothing to survive. It does always make me smile when I see on the TV a little boy…

Check out my new #blog about how high heels affect your feet! #fbloggers #TheGirlGang #shoes

I think we can all agree that heels are fantastic. Whether you’re short or tall there is a heel out there for you, they give you pins for days and I defy any woman to tell me she doesn’t feel more confident and prettier in a good set of heels. Even if it is only for ten minutes before your feet ache so much that you have to take them off. On that note, have you ever wondered why you crave the end…

Maybe She's @Maybelline | Check out my #review of the Big Eyes Liner #bbloggers #TheGirlGang

I am a creature of habit, I swear I have been using the same Rimmel bronzer for the past ten years. It still completely suits me and I would look to change if I ever fell out of love with a healthy bronzed glow. However, every now and again I buy something out of impulse that then sits in a drawer and never really makes it into my morning beauty regime. This impulse buy was the Big Eyes Liner by…

Amphora Aromatics | Star Glows Skin Polisher Review #bbloggers #facial @AmphoraA @LovingBlogs

Hands up if you like clear skin… Did you put your hand up? Of course you did, who wouldn’t want clear skin?! I bet right now you have an arsenal of cleansers, exfoliators, creams, zappers, sponges, pads, face wipes and face masks – which coincidentally, is what I’m going to be reviewing today. The Star Glows Skin Polisher is where you need to be headed. It contains a host of natural ingredients…

Why you need the Real Techniques by Sam & Nic complexion sponge! #bbloggers @realtechniques

I’ve been looking for a better way of applying my foundation rather than using my fingers/hand. I don’t really like using that application method as I feel it promotes greasy skin and claggy make up. So when I saw the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, I thought I’d give it a go. This is currently available in Boots for £5.99 and I would highly recommend you buying it. The reason I’d…

How to wear the Ina Houndstooth Check Trousers @boutiqueofmolly #BOMselfie #ootd #fbloggers

I am forever on the look out for a comfortable and fashionable pair of day to night time trousers. Not only do they need to pass the first two criteria, they need to be affordable. I hate when people recommend £75 trousers, because the likelihood of me being able to buy them is very slim. I ordered the  Ina Houndstooth Check Trousers from Boutique of Molly for £19.95. A price, I believe, fits…

Why not take 5 and read my new #blog 'no poo, smoo!' #GirlGang #BBloggers #hair @LovingBlogs

Every beauty blogger in the land will remember the no ‘poo movement of 2015. If not, let me remind you. Bloggers suggested natural alternatives to the traditional shampoos and conditioners that you see in every aisle of chemists and supermarkets and named it the ‘no ‘poo’ movement – no shampoo basically. I actually did a lot of research into this at the time. If you can eliminate chemicals not…

Check out my review on the #AuroraBandNightRoller @LovingBlogs #bbloggers #fbloggers #GirlGang

I have incredibly long hair, it’s the length that women over the world envy and I ombre it every six months and wait for it to grow out. I only ever have half an inch taken off the bottom and will pay through the nose for the perfect hairdresser – informing them of how previous hairdressers have attempted to mess with my locks, almost daring them, “your move sister.” You can’t touch it, don’t…

Well in the 90’s celebrities didn’t cover the tattoo, they just adapted it and created a new tattoo but keeping the sentiment of the original creation inked on their skin. And the creme de la creme of this 90-ology is Johnny Depp. Did you know he had a relationship with Winona Ryder that he felt needing inking on his arm? Did you know that their relationship did not last and he altered the tattoo to read ‘wino forever’….!!!!????

In my humble opinion, brilliant. Now you might be wondering why I’m blogging about Johnny Depp’s decades old tattoo, are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll explain.

Things are stressful at the moment and I will not bore you with my woes, but I will say that I made a deal with myself not to drink in the week. There are many benefits of not drinking in the week:

I sleep better

My skin is clearer

I’m not sure groggy in the mornings

My brain seems clearer throughout the day

I save money

Five reasons why you should consider not drinking in the week, I think you’d agree. But today has been exhausting and I threw caution to the wind and poured myself a big, fat glass of wine with the intention of having another and maybe even…another!!!

It actually took me a good half hour to decide whether or not this is something I wanted to do, to go against the promise I made to myself and I actually thought, screw it. Life is made for living and whilst my weight loss this week might be less than 1kg, I’m happy with that. So I guess this blog is to remind myself, and anyone who reads this, that promises to yourself matter, resolutions matter, health matters, but sometimes you have to do what makes you happy even if it goes against everything. Have that piece of garlic bread! Eat that pick you up chocolate bar! But make up for it tomorrow with a run and balance your life out. I for one will be asking my personal trainer to work me harder at my session tomorrow.

Do the things that make you happy, make up for them after.

Is it too early to talk about bikinis? Cos I'm on the bikini hunt already! #fbloggers @BBlogRT

In 2013 I travelled the world with my boyfriend, I wore whatever bikini I could find in the South American markets with a singlet I’d picked up in Thailand, with some sort of beer emblazoned on the front and probably some boardies from Oz which had stars on my arse. In 2014 I did not wear a bikini. In 2015 I did not wear a bikini. In 2016 I promise to be a thin, tanned goddess. The reason for…