Tuesday 31 January 2012

This Week's Top Buys #1

So to give some kind of purpose to my life-long shopping addiction, I've decided to post my favourite purchases of each week... God knows there are enough of them to chose from!

 This week I lugged two huge bags to the local charity shop, and whilst I was there I obviously couldn't resist this beauty. I'm obsessed with vintage patterns and granny cardigans, and this is the perfect combination. For £4.50 I couldn't resist adding it to my already extensive collection!
Teamed with high waisted trousers, a crop top and a wide-brimmed trilby, this cardigan was the perfect way to jazz up Friday night's outfit.

Earlier this week I also treated myself to a trip down Brick Lane. Having a best friend who lives there is the perfect excuse to browse the vintage boutiques, but it's not often I allow myself (or can justify!) to indulge in their extortionate prices.

But this time I found two bargains too good to miss!
I'm a lover, as I've said a thousand times, of all things floral, and this cute vintage underskirt was only £7!

I already have a cream silk one which is great teamed with a wooly jumper and tights. This pink and blue rose print one has a black lace trim and will look great in summer.

This blazer (right) is the perfect way to add an 80's feel to any outfit. It's removable shoulder-pads are right up my street and the rose printed chiffon sleeves (which caught my eye immediately) give the jacket a totally unique feel. It's really not like anything I've seen before, especially not on the high street, and for £20, I couldn't leave it on the shelf!

And thirdly - Babyliss Root Boost.
My hair is a nightmare. Flat, straight, and impossible to style. I use voluming shampoos, conditioners, foams, mousses, sprays, the lot! Nothing works. I'd seen adverts for these micro crimpers by Babyliss but was sceptical, until a friend at work received them as a present and would not stop talking about how fantastic they were.
Still the sceptic that I am, I decided to look into it, and managed to find this brand new pair on eBay for just £10.50! Just a fraction of their £33 retail price, who cares if they work?!
I'm yet to try them out as they only arrived yesterday, but I am prepared to be amazed and will be sure to share my opinions!
Watch this space for Babyliss Root Boost reviews!



Where to Find Me

As an aspiring writer I'm constantly on the look out for new work prospects.
In December I spent two weeks interning with BBM Live Magazine, and have continued to work for them freelance ever since.


With their print edition published on in Australia, BBM is aimed mostly at tourists, but their website aims to capture an audience at the source, here in London. It's a great starting point and helps young travellers get involved and feel a sense of community before they've even braved the journey Down Under.
On the website you can find everything from travel information and world news to music reviews and fashion columns, so get involved whether you're planning to visit Aus or not.


Monday 30 January 2012

GPOY

Today I'm off back to Uni! Wish me luck :(


Outfit: Riding Pants and 3D Mesh Flower Top in pink - American Apparel, Watch - Casio, Bangles - Topshop, Lipstick - Revlon "Sheer Glistening Rose"

Saturday 28 January 2012

What I Smell Like!

Another post to help you get to know me a little better!
I'm constantly changing my scent. Just as soon as people start to say "That smells like you," I've moved on to the next one! I am hoping to find one that sticks but the good perfumes these days just become too popular.














I wore Flowerbomb  by Victor Rolf for years. It's so girly and timeless, and works day or night, summer or winter... It's floral perfection. However, being so lovely, four of my friends have also developed am obsession with the scent so we all smell the same. Also, as a student on a budget, over £1 per mml is a habit I can't quite afford to fund anymore.

My old day perfume used to be Rose
by Paul Smith. I loved the little rose patterned pouch it came with which can be used for all sorts of things - I now use it as a case for my sunglasses! It's feminine scent manages to avoid that granny smell that rose water is so often associated with, and makes the perfect light daytime scent. Same as with Flowerbomb, one of my housemates decided to buy it and I can now not bear to wear it again!

So I figured, there are so many perfumes out there that aren't being worn by my friends. One of them must be the one for me.


And who would ever have thought my new daytime scent would be from Accessorize?! I found this perfume by chance as I was browsing the January sales in Boots. This perfume alone is £15, which isn't bad for a brand like Accessorize. However as I riffled through piles of left over gift sets, I found this, along with a body wash and moisturiser, for only £7.50.

A sucker for any bargain, I was sold. Little did I know I would turn out to love this sweet floral perfume. It's not entirely unique and wouldn't work so well as an evening perfume as it is sweet rather than sexy, but for £7.50, I can't complain!



As for night times, I searched for months. I contemplated reverting back to Lola by Marc Jacobs since it seems to have become less popular again with time, but then decided, no. It was time for something entirely new. That was how I discovered Gucci Guilty.

Gucci isn't up there amongst my favourite brands. The square gold bottle isn't eye-catching and in all honesty it is not a scent I would have thought about trying. However when I mentioned to my boyfriend that I was looking for a new smell, this was the first name he blurted out, and all of his friends agreed.

When I first tried it I was unsure, but as it dries, it blends with your skin to produce a beautiful, oriental kind of floral scent. It is striking, rather than strong, and is the perfect sexy evening perfume. And as a bonus, I've never had so many compliments from men from one perfume!

Gucci Guilty is a scent I will be sticking with for a while to come. As for Accessorize, it is lovely for now, but within a few months the hunt with be on again for a daytime perfume to withstand the long summer days.


Back to School

As I mentioned before, I'm about to embark on my final semester at University and, as well as my new bedroom layout, I obviously had to stock up on new stationery!
I'm absolutely obsessed with stationery, and the sensation of writing on the first page of a new notebook is up there as one of the best feelings I can think of. Geek, I know.
As well as my work environment, pretty new pens and notebooks definitely inspire me to work well. So here are just some of the new bits and pieces I've purchased in an attempt to get the ball rolling for a motivated and hard working final semester!


I picked up the two top notebooks in the Accessorize sale for £3.60 each. My creative writing modules are quite heavy in, well, writing, surprisingly enough! And these books were thick enough whilst still looking pretty!

Paperchase are famous for their gorgeous and quirky stationery. This gel pen is from their "Babushka" range and cost only £1.50!

For my journalism modules I need smaller pads which I can carry around with me for when I need to and jot down quite notes. A Moleskine is the obvious choice for any writer and, despite costing £10.99, I like to treat myself to a fresh one every now and then.
The final notebook I chose was also from Paperchase. Their "Birdcages" range has now been discontinued, but I picked up this pad, along with a matching book of sticky notes, for a bargain price in their sale!

Hard as Nails

I am at a constant battle with my nails. I bit them right now to the quick when I was young and it took about 6 years for them to finally reach a decent length. But now they are brittle and flakey, and now and then I can't help but pick at them, and the skin around them. A disgusting habit I know.

Because of this I am constantly on the hunt for the latest treatments.
I've gone down the fake route - Acrylics are a quick fix but a long term damage, and stick-ons are good for the odd night out, but when worn constantly I only end up peeling my natural nails off with them.

I've bought so many gorgeous glitter varnishes recently, and they just don't work on short, stubby nails. But throughout my search there have been only two defining treatments for me and my sorry little nails. And of course, they are both by Sally Hansen.














I've been using Sally's Nailgrowth Miracle every other day, as instructed, for a couple of years now. It's an expensive product at around £10, but nothing works like it.

This is an undercoat to nail varnish, which contains and the vitamins your nails need to help them grow under the coats of polish. And for a top coat? Sally Hansen's No More Breaks.

Not only does this give a gorgeous glossy look to your newly polished nails, but also uses it's ultra-hardening formula to seal in moisture which hardens and strengthens your nails.

Sally Hansen's products are never cheap, but are always worth the money. You definitely get what you pay for, and I will forever swear by these two killer products.

What I'm Reading.

Right now I'm reading Tideland by Mitch Cullin. I started it months ago, but due to all the fictional reading I have to do for my Creative Writing course, I find it hard to find the time to read for leisure, as I hate having more than one book on the go at one time - I like to give them my full attention!

So this week I found that I have next to no fiction books to read this semester, and therefore all the time in the world to get lost in books of my choice.

Tideland is a Southern Gothic novel, which comes as the third instalment to Cullin's "Texas Trilogy," and has been described as "a modern hybrid of Psycho and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." Sounds like perfection to me!

The novel follows the adventures of a young girl, Jeliza-Rose, who spends a summer alone in an isolated Texas farmhouse, with only her imagination and a bunch of dismembered Barbie pieces for company.

This book has got me cute. It's one of those 'can't put it down' novels which I never want to end. And as soon as it does, I will be sure to track down the first two book from the Texas Trilogy (Whompyjawed and novel-in-verse, Branches, if you're interested). So, for anybody looking for some recommended reading, or just something to get stuck into during the cold evenings, I send you this. The best book I've read for a long long time.

Room Rearrangement

So yesterdayI set about rearranging my room. Too much furniture blocking the radiator meant that I'd been freezing through the winter months and I decided it was time to let some heat in!
My Feng Shui attack only took about 45 minutes and lead to full blown clear out, with two huge bags of clothes being dragged to the charity shop (and another £10 spend whilst I was in there)!

So here it is!

I start back at University for my final - and most important - semester, and what better way to start than with a revamped, clutter-free work space? I can never work if my surroundings aren't organised, and hopefully the want to be in my pretty new room will encourage me to get things done!

Thursday 26 January 2012

Welcome!

Hi there! I'm Ella.

That there is me.

As a undergraduate in Journalism and Creative Writing, I thought it was about time I started up a blog. But I don't want to make it too limited. Here you will be able to find all the latest in the world of me, which focuses mainly on health and beauty, fashion, and the odd opinion of miscellaneous topics that my mind conjures up.
As this is my first post, here are 10 things you need to know about me.

  • I have a passion for anything vintage, especially if it's floral or lacy.
  • I am a writer of all kinds, from journalism and reviews to literature and poetry.
  • eBay obsessed - selling and buying. As a student, thrift is my thing!
  • Cosmetics addict. I'm always trying out new products and will be leaving my opinions for you here!
  • My look changes every day - I'll be keeping you updated during the better times, whether you like it or not!
  • Obsessive list-maker.
  • Forever trying to grow my nails.
  • Cheese lover.
  • Unintentional collector of coats. Specifically fur (faux, of course).
  • Recent iPhone convert.

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