The Library of Fragrance

I was lucky enough to have been sent some perfumes by The Library of Fragrance to test out and review. I personally love wearing different fragrances whether that be in a body spray form or a perfume, I also enjoy trying out new scents and brands to find one that I really love. So when The Library of Fragrance got in touch - I just couldn't resist!

I got sent 4 fragrances; Cherry Blossom, Daisy, Rain and Grass. I got sent these fragrances as the Director of the company, Clare, thought they would suit me best and that I would like them.

 I have split up my review into key topics as I find it easier to get straight to the point and to make sure I don't miss anything out!

My first topic is packaging! I think packaging can make or break a product, it can either entice you to buy, or make you choose something else. I think this is especially true with perfumes as you are more likely to display the bottles on your dressing table at home. The Library of Fragrance definitely entices you in with their packaging! The bottle itself is rectangular and slim, making it easy to carry around in your handbag! The label on the front of the bottle is clear and easy to read, getting straight to the point with all the information you need to know as a customer. It is very cute and simple, proving that sometimes less is more!

My second topic, probably most important, the scent! All the scents that I got given, all smell exactly as they are supposed too, for example, when I smelt the Daisy perfume, it smelt identical to the Daisies that grow in my garden. Some of the scents last longer on your skin compared to others so you might have to top up throughout the day to make the scent stronger. However, I don't think that this is necessarily a bad thing as most people top up their fragrances during the day anyway. There is such a vast range of fragrances to choose from, varying from the typical perfume scents such as Cherry Blossom and Coconut to the more unusual such as Baby Powder and Apple Pie. You can get some of your favourite everyday smells such as Mountain Air in your own personal bottle of happiness. I am very intrigued as too what Thunderstorm smells like so I might have to go and buy one! All the perfumes are single scents which gives you the opportunity to wear more than one fragrance at a time, I think this idea is very unique and gives you the chance to express yourself in a way you usually couldn't with any other perfume. I have worn all of my perfumes as single scents but I probably would not wear Grass again on its own as I find it a bit too strong. I have also tried layering my fragrances together and one of my favourites is too layer Cherry Blossom, Daisy and Rain together as it is very sweet, fruity and floral - the perfect representation of summer!

I really like the idea behind The Library of Fragrance and how they aim to connect everyday smells to a special memory which in turn makes you a lot happier when wearing the perfume. One of my favourite everyday smells is freshly cut grass, it makes me think of summer. Combine that with rain, and it makes me think about my many camping trips with my family, when English weather was being its normal self and raining, ruining the camping but adding extra fun!

The perfumes are sold in Boots stores across the Uk at £15 each or 2 for £25, or you can view their full range on their website: http://thelibraryoffragrance.com/collections/all

I highly recommend this product, as the fragrances are perfect for any occasion. There are so many fragrances to choose from, you will certainly find one best suited for you!

Ellie xx

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water Review

I've seen so many people rave about the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, and I can honestly say that I love it! 

I'm one of those people that has to buy make up remover wipes every couple of weeks as I am constantly running out, so this is a lifesaver. Although the bottle was expensive, it worked out cheaper in the long run.

What I really love about this product is that it does the job well. I find that sometimes when I remove my makeup with normal make up remover wipes, I still feel like I have product on. My face still feels clogged up and dirty. With this, my face feels clean and fresh. It easily removes makeup without you having to scrub your face.

 The product itself is scent free and very kind to skin. If, like me, you have sensitive skin and are worried about the water irritating your face - don't be! The product is very soothing and does not leave your face red or blotchy. 

Ellie xxx

Chocolate Chip & Cinnamon Cookies

Another firm favourite of mine are these delicious chocolate chip and cinnamon cookies, best served straight from the oven when the melted chocolate perfectly combines with the crunchy cinnamon.

For this recipe you will need:

• 225g/8oz Butter
• 140g/5oz Caster Sugar
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 280g/10oz Plain Flour
• 100g Chocolate Chips  

For the cinnamon coating:

• Caster Sugar
• Ground Cinnamon
  

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190c/375f/Gas Mark 5
2. Line 2 large baking trays with Greaseproof paper
3. Place the butter and sugar together in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy
   
4. Separate the egg and beat in one egg yolk to your butter and sugar mixture
5. Add the flour into the mixture bit by bit, making sure that it's thoroughly combined
6. Then add the chocolate chips and mix in
   
7. Next you want to make the cinnamon coating, to do this, carefully mix together the sugar and cinnamon on a shallow dish or plate. Then roll out small balls of the cookie mixture and roll them in the cinnamon to fully coat the outside.
   
8. Place them on the baking trays and bake in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
   
9. Leave on a wire rack to cool
10. Enjoy your yummy cookies!

If you want to see the recipe in video form, be sure to head over to my youtube channel!

Ellie xxx

Capital Summertime Ball Review

Capital Summertime Ball Review

I absolutely adore music and I love going to concerts or festivals to enjoy it first-hand. The Capital Summertime Ball is a particular concert which I have always been desperate to go too, so my friends and I decided to save up and go. 

On Saturday 6th June, we got a train to London Waterloo which took about an hour and a half, from there we took a 25 minute tube ride to Wembley Stadium. It was at this point the excitement really started to kick in! Suddenly, we were surrounded by so many people all dressed up and ready to have a great time. There was music playing from the speakers dotted all over the stadium and there were multiple stands where you could buy merchandise. My friends and I decided to get a wristband and a lanyard which had the running order of the acts on the back.

At about 1:30pm, after finishing our lunch, we went into the stadium to find our seats, it took us ages to find them! Our seats were quite low down which was perfect to see over the top of everyone standing and we had room to get up and dance. Marvin Humes, member of JLS and Capital DJ, came onto to the stage at 2:45pm to play a 15 minute DJ set of all the latest tunes - it was so good! He was preparing us for who were about to open the Summertime Ball 2015, the biggest boyband in the world right now - One Direction! Safe to say I screamed a little too much! One Direction were on the stage for about half an hour and they played 6 songs which was incredible. By this point I had lost my voice and was very croaky, but it was so worth it!

There was a total of 21 acts but the highlights for me personally were One Direction, Little Mix, Olly Murs, Flo Rida, Rita Ora, Ariana Grande and Avicii. 

Ariana Grande definitely stood out for me, I was so excited to see her perform as I am obsessed with her latest album, My Everything, and she didn't let me down. Her voice is phenomenal! She hit every note perfectly while following the choreographed dance routine with her backing dancers. She sang Problem, One Last Time and Bang Bang, I was slightly disappointed she only sang 3 songs as I was looking forward to her throughout the whole show. However, I know that she is currently on tour so I'm just happy she was there!

Another performer who again stood out for me was Rita Ora. I absolutely adore Rita, I think she has an amazing voice and such a fun personality, I couldn't wait for her to come on stage. Similar to Ariana, Rita also had backing dancers with her on stage who came onto the stage first and were on there for what seemed like ages due to the anticipation to see Rita. When Rita did come on, she did not disappoint! Her ability to perform her songs just like how they are on the CD and to show amazing stage presence and interaction with the audience is incredible, and lets not forget her outfit! Style Queen!

If I am completely honest, all the acts were incredible and I will definitely go again! I loved it!

I also vlogged this day so if you want to see that, head over to my youtube channel on Sunday 14th June and enjoy!

Ellie xxx

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I recently made these cookies and I loved them so much, they are now a recurring favourite. I thought I would share the recipe with you so you can try them out.

You will need:

• 225g/8oz Butter
• 140g/5oz Caster Sugar
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)
• 250g/9oz Plain Flour
• 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder (or until you think it is chocolatey enough)
• 200g Dairy Milk Chocolate
  

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5
2. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper

1. Place the butter and sugar together and mix together until light and fluffy
2. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract

1. Fold in the flour until completely combined
2. Sift in the cocoa powder and mix together
3. Break up your chocolate with a rolling pin, then add to the mixture and stir until combined
4. Scoop the mixture into balls and place on the baking sheets, flatten slightly

1. Bake in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes
2. Leave to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
   

Hope you enjoy!

Ellie xx

Body Image...

For today's blog post, I wanted to talk about something a little different, something that matters. Most of you probably won't read all of this as it is quite long but it would be great if you shared it for other people too see. I want to talk about body image.

We all know the pressure that’s being forced onto teenagers to look a certain way nowadays. We all go through body insecurities at some point in our life; we understand how they feel. But in modern society with technology and media taking over our lives, the ‘perfect’ body criteria has reached breaking point. Take Kendall Jenner for example, the model of the moment, walking runways for the likes of Chanel and Marc Jacobs. Yet recently she has been demoted as ‘too fat’ for runway. Whilst walking for the prestigious Tommy Hilfiger runway earlier this year, she got slated for not being thin enough to model the clothes correctly. But, this was by the people watching the show and not by the designer. What message does that give teenagers about judgement over body types?

Even as little girls growing up, we are encouraged to play with Barbie dolls. At 5 years old, we are already building up an idea of the body we want, based on the dolls we play with. Although only a representation, if Barbie was real, her hips would be too small and not strong enough to carry a baby. Also, her legs would be so long and inadequately proportioned that her feet would lie flat on the floor. Is this really the body we are telling young girls they should aim for?

It is not only Barbie who create dolls like this, but it’s companies you would not expect, such as Disney. These dolls are very popular at the moment, especially from the hit movie, Frozen. These dolls are aimed at a much younger audience of 5-8 years. But at this age, children are easily influenced by people they admire. Many girls dream of being princesses and will go to great lengths to make this happen, but does this mean they need to skip a meal to achieve this?

Dolls in the shops are generic. They all look exactly the same as each other. You don’t see dolls that are a bit chubby round the edges or have stretch marks on their legs, things that every normal person has! Not only are we teaching girls that this is the body they should aim for, but we are teaching them that everyone else should look like that too. 

As young people, teenagers are always on the lookout for what is trendy and cool right now. This could be regarding what they wear, what they do or what they say. Why is it that body trends have now become popular too?

Thigh gaps have become the latest preferred goal. For those who don’t know what that is, it’s as obvious as it sounds. Your thigh fat does not touch when your legs are put together, resulting in a ‘gap’ in-between. This is supported in the modelling industry for photo-shoots and runways. Modelling experts are even starting to worry about Cara Delevingne’s career in the business due to the loss of her thigh gap. Although, she has now become a role model due to being more body confident and for not necessarily following body trends.

This trend has resulted in many girls starving themselves in the hope of achieving this look. What people don’t know is that a thigh gap is not based on how skinny you are, but based on how wide your hips are, making this unachievable for many.

95% of teenagers think they are fat, don't you think there is something wrong with that? It's because we live in a society full of pre-conceived ideas and judgements, constantly pressurising people to look and act a certain way. 

It doesn't matter what shape or size you come in, just be you thats what counts.

We should be teaching teenagers the importance of having a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle to achieve the body they want; the healthy way is always the best way. But equally, shouldn’t we be telling them that it is okay to look how you look and that you should never change based on current trends.

Everyone is different but it is our individuality that makes us who we are. 

Smile and be happy within yourself, it doesn't matter if you are not what society deems as being 'perfect' because 'perfect' doesn't exist.

Ellie xxx

Makeup Starter Kit

If you want to start with makeup, it can be quite tricky deciding what products to use and where to start. Here are a couple of  products to get you started.

1. Concealer

If you are just starting out with makeup, I wouldn't recommend going straight in with foundation until you feel ready. Concealer is good because it will give you a natural look whilst covering spots and blemishes.You can either get a concealer stick or liquid concealer, personally I prefer the liquid concealers as I feel they blend into your skin well and give better coverage. However, you will have to find what works best for you. 
Some concealers I would recommend are; Collection Lasting Perfection (£4.19) and Rimmel Wake Me Up (£5.49).

2. Mascara 

Mascara is a really easy product to use and works well with both natural and more edgy looks. Mascara can be quite expensive, but you can also get some cheaper products that work just as well.
Mascaras I would recommend: Collection No Clumps (£2.99) and Maybelline Volume Express Colossal Cat Eyes (£7.99).

3. Eyeshadow

Eyeshadow is a great makeup product to start with as you can create lots of different styles and you can decide on colours that suit you best. It is so versatile and their are some great eyeshadow palettes to choose from. You can choose from a number of types of palettes such as a nude palette or a brighter one, its up to you to decide which one you prefer.
Eyeshadow palettes I would recommend; Makeup Revolution Flawless (£8.00) and Bourjois Little Round Pot (£6.99)

4. Lipgloss

It is your personal preference to whether you prefer using lipstick or lipgloss, however lipgloss is much easier to apply for a beginner. If you go slightly over your lip line by accident, it won't be as prominent compared to a lipstick, unless of course you are going for the Miranda Sings look ;) 
Lipglosses I would recommend; Tanya Burr Lipgloss (£6.99) and Barry M (£4.49).

Ellie xxx