Highlights Of The Year 2017

So its time to say...Goodbye 2017 and Hello 2018!

Ultimate Duvet Day TV Shows To Binge Watch-Part 2

So here we are, heading into 2018 and if you are anything like us, we'd like to bet you STILL have a long line of TV shows on your must see list! To make things even more difficult for you, we'd like to present to you our 2017-2018 list of MUST SEE TV SHOWS for you to binge watch to your hearts content. At this time of year hopefully you have a day or two off work to indulge in a bit of a binge so why not pick a couple of these great shows that we have been addicted to! Curl up with a cuppa and a box of those Christmas chocolates and off we go...

Elf Hydrating Gel Melt Cleanser - Review

I first discovered the magic of the cleansing balm a couple of years ago when Trilogy Makeup Be Gone first came into my life. Trilogy are my all time favourite skincare brand and regular readers will have seen many a post singing their praises. Their cleansing balm has remained a staple in my skincare routine however, in these days of austerity, I have been looking for lower priced alternatives. 

Primark Harry Potter Haul - December 2017

If you are a watcher of our YouTube channel you will know all about our love of all things Harry Potter! Primark have been killing it this year with their Harry Potter merchandise and on a recent visit to their Newcastle store I couldn't resist picking up a few Potter themed items!

Christmas Gift Guide For The Beauty Junkie

We thoroughly enjoyed bringing you our Christmas Gift Guides in 2016 and with Christmas 2017 fast approaching we have been checking out our favourite gifts this year! As avid shoppers we like nothing better than a spot of Christmas gift giving. Today begins our series of Christmas Gift Guides and we hope to give you some ideas of gifts to buy for your friends and family or to ask for yourself! We are kicking off the Gift Guide series with our top picks in the beauty world this December. 

Glossier Review - Priming Moisturizer, Milky Jelly Cleanser, Balm Dotcom

There has been a huge amount of pomp and ceremony surrounding the UK launch of Glossier (they now ship to the UK) and, if you are a beauty junkie, you'd have to have been living under a rock to have missed it! All of the big beauty bloggers and YouTubers have been featuring the brand heavily and being the sheep that I am I had to see what all the fuss was about!

Topgolf Orlando Preview Day

I was lucky enough to be invited to a preview last weekend at the brand new Topgolf venue on Universal Boulevard, Orlando. The new Topgolf venue opens 20th October 2017 and I was very excited to be able to attend the preview!

I am the first to admit, I have never actually played a game of golf! The odd attempt at crazy golf is as close as I have gotten to golfing, therefore, I was very interested to see what Topgolf was all about and if it would appeal to a non-golfer like me.

Exploring Downtown Kissimmee: Alligators & Antiques

We admit we have been guilty in the past of believing that all Orlando and the surrounding areas have to offer are miles and miles of theme parks. We have always wanted to find out more about the area and have made a conscious effort in the past couple of years to do more exploring. One of those days led us to the Downtown Kissimmee area and while we are by no means experts, we wanted to share some of the sights of our recent trip to the area.

I Moved To Orlando!

My Orlando Lookbook

Fashion is my absolute passion, having studied it at University and I am always excited to bring you style and fashion posts on our blog. I love scouring both online stores and shopping malls for clothes and accessories! A vacation is the perfect excuse to buy a whole lot of new clothes! (as if such an excuse were needed!). Here are some of the outfits I wore on my May trip to Florida. We also shot a lookbook video which is now live on our YouTube Channel (linked at the end of this post) if you are interested in seeing the clothes and beautiful locations in action!

 

Outfit One

Location: Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort

T-shirt - Zara

Shorts - American Eagle

Sunglasses - Primark

Wedding Guest Lookbook For All Ages

Wedding season is upon us one again and we don't know about you but we often struggle to find different choices for wedding guest outfits since they seem to bring out the same styles every year! Personally we always love a maxi dress or jumpsuit since you can look smart but still stylish. We went on the hunt and put together some of our favourite options to give you some outfit ideas! A wedding is all about the bride but wedding guests come in all ages and all sizes so we really wanted to give you some options whether you are 20 plus or 40 plus, size 10 or size 18. We hope you like our picks!

Check out our YouTube Lookbook video to see the outfits in action! We've also linked the items below when available!

Lindy Bop Style At Universal Orlando Resort

Would you believe that until 2 months ago I did not even know that Lindy Bop existed! If you are like me, late to the party, let me fill you in. Lindy Bop is a vintage style online clothing store founded in 2011. They are quite unique in that they sell very affordable vintage style fashion in sizes ranging from UK 8-26...and did I mention that their sales are insane!! As well as selling in the UK and USA via their own online store they also sell via Debenhams and a handful of other boutiques.

Vintage Street Style at Universal Studios

If you watch our vlogs you will know how much we love Universal Orlando Resort and when we were preparing for our recent trip we really wanted to take some pictures using the amazing streets there! This area of the park has a very vintage feel with the New York style houses, old store fronts and parked cars so of course the first thing that came to mind was vintage dresses!
 

Afternoon Tea At Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

To celebrate my recent birthday we decided to do something a little bit special when we were in Orlando last month. We racked our brains for a girly activity that we could share and decided on Afternoon Tea in the Garden Room at the Grand Floridian Hotel, Disneyworld. This was something that Mimi had already experienced when she was working in Orlando a couple of years ago but for me it was a brand new experience and I couldn't wait!

Our HUGE USA Beauty Haul!

Brunch at The COOP, Winter Park, Florida

If you have seen any of our Orlando vlogs you will know that we are huge fans of the amazing 4 Rivers Smokehouse. When we heard that the team behind 4 Rivers also owned another restaurant we were very excited to check it out!

We'll Be Back!

We are currently in Florida taking a relaxing break, shopping and drinking cocktails. We will be back soon with lots of new posts. In the meantime check out our Instagram stories where we are posting daily. You can also find us on our YouTube channel! See you soon!

Instagram: @ElleandMimi

YouTube: Elle and Mimi

The Gingham Trend

The Gingham Trend is everywhere just now! The high street and online shops such as ASOS are jam packed with gingham, something that I'd only ever worn as my primary school summer dress! (hands up the blue gingham school dress wearers of the 90's!)

The Yellow Trend - Spring 2017

Yellow is a huge but somewhat unexpected trend this spring and a colour that can be notoriously difficult to wear. The good news is that there a lots of different shades of yellow out there so there should be a shade to suit everyone. Yellow is not a colour that I ordinarily gravitate towards being a blonde, so when I wanted to try the trend out for myself I was drawn to this lovely yellow and blue number from ASOS.  

The Spring Floral Sweater

Although it is starting to heat up in the UK we aren't ready to get out the sundresses just yet! This lightweight floral embroidered sweater from New Look is a perfect transition piece to add to your wardrobe this season. The muted pink colour and floral design means you can get into the Spring spirit without freezing in the process!

The Embroidered Jacket

As soon as I saw this River Island Trouble Maker Badge Jacket on the ASOS website I knew I had to have it! I am a sucker for anything black but I am trying to dive into the world of colour this spring and this jacket seemed like a great place to start! It is really great quality and very lightweight so perfect for the Spring/Summer season! (it's now on sale for £36 instead of £60 so snap it up quickly!!)

Makeup Revolution Ultra Eye Contour Light and Shade - Kat Von D Dupe?

The Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Contour Palette is something I've been lusting after for quite some time! I love Kat Von D Beauty as a brand and everything I have tried from them has been great. However something inside of me just couldn't bring myself to spend £37 on an all matte neutral eyeshadow palette. I was so pleased to see Make Up Revolution bring out their own version named the Ultra Eye Contour Light and Shade Palette for only £8! I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

I Heart Make Up Chocolate Bar Face Palettes

If you are a long time reader of our blog you know we are a big fan of Makeup Revolution and their I Heart Make Up range so when I saw they were launching some very cute chocolate bar face palettes to match their chocolate eyeshadow palettes I couldn't resist!

Birthday Lunch At Turtle Bay Newcastle

There are so many great new restaurants in Newcastle Upon Tyne that when we were choosing a place to eat lunch for Mimi's birthday we were struggling to make a decision! I reached out to our Instagram friend and writer of the fantastic New Girl In Toon blog, Chloe, for ideas and she suggested we try Turtle Bay as she had visited and loved it. Say no more! I hopped online and booked at table for that weekend.

Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics Palette - Review

As a HUGE fan of the original Naked Basics Palette, of which I have hit pan in almost every colour, I was so excited to see pictures on Instagram last September of the new, double the size, Naked Ultimate Basics. I immediately put it on my wish list and looked forward to its release. I snapped it up in Sephora while in the USA last October and couldn't wait to crack it open and start using the beautiful, wearable shades.

Morphe 35O Palette Review

After a long wait I have finally gotten my hands on the Morphe 35O Palette! My friend text me saying it was in stock on Cult Beauty so I jumped straight on their website and ordered it so I wouldn't miss out again! I have been interested in this palette for a few years now, long before Morphe was available in the UK, after seeing various YouTubers using it. Last year I had ordered two other Morphe palettes to fill the hole however when they arrived half of the pans had popped out of the palette and were flying all over the place! Needless to say I sent them back for a refund and decided to hold out for the real thing. I was excited to finally have the 35O in my life!

Makeup Revolution Ultra Pro Glow and Ultra Pro HD Palettes

After trying a lot of Makeup Revolution products over the last few years I knew I had to try their new Contour and Highlight palettes. It is well known now that Makeup Revolution create 'inspired by' products for very affordable prices so I was excited to see these palettes. They immediately caught my eye as they look very similar to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour and Highlight palettes!

The Jumper Dress and Knee High Boots

 

After seeing so many bloggers rocking the jumper dress and knee high boots look I was on the hunt for a really cosy oversized jumper dress to wear with my usual boots.

Jeffree Star Skin Frost Peach Goddess Review & Swatches

If you have seen our recent blog posts you will know by now that I placed a Jeffree Star Cosmetics order from Beauty Bay! The final thing I decided to order was one of their Skin Frosts. I am highlight obsessed so this was a must have on my list of things I wanted to try from the brand! However, the available shade range of Skin Frost seemed very limited if you have pale skin like me. When I placed my order, Peach Goddess was the only shade that I thought would suit my skin tone. Beauty Bay have since restocked all shades and on reflection I do think that Princess Cut would work on paler skin too. If you have a deeper skin tone than me some of these shades will look AMAZING on you!!!

Perfume Dupes: YSL and Chanel

Who knew that there were some incredibly good 'smell-a-likes' for our favourite perfumes? Well, until very recently, not us! Purely by accident we stumbled across Next Gold, a dead ringer for YSL Cinema which is one of my all time favourite scents.

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation

We took full advantage of the drugstores on our recent trip to America and made sure we picked up some products that aren't available yet in the UK. Top of the list was the L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation after hearing so many great things about it.

 

The Floral Dress

 

When I spotted this dress in H&M I knew it had to come home with me because it was giving me some serious Gucci Floral vibes!

Orlando Lookbook

I have finally gotten around to organising all the outfit photos from our most recent Orlando trip and making a Lookbook video which has also just gone live on our YouTube Channel! I have been really struggling with good music for these types of videos! Does anyone have any recommendations?
 

I have listed where everything is from below and linked items still available. I've also linked to some of our related blog posts and videos!

Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick Review & Swatches

If you read last weeks Jeffree Star Cosmetics blog post all about the Beauty Killer Palette you will already know I placed a rather large Beauty Bay order so I could try out some of the brands most hyped products! Number one on my list was the Velour Liquid Lipsticks! As you know if you are a long time reader I LOVE liquid lipsticks, my favourites being the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks, so I was very excited to try out another alternative! I ordered three different colours which are all slightly different finishes and from different collections.

Jeffree Star Beauty Killer Palette Review and Swatches

 

When I discovered that Beauty Bay are now stocking Jeffree Star Cosmetics I couldn't wait to place an order! I have heard a lot of hype around Jeffree's cosmetics line and I wanted to find out if it was indeed, all that! I placed a rather large order so check back for some more Jeffree Star reviews coming soon! Today it's the turn of the Beauty Killer Palette (RRP £40)

GHD Advanced Split End Therapy

We have both been avid fans of GHD straighteners for many years and when my last pair, a very pretty limited edition purple pair, gave up the ghost recently I knew that I wasn't going to settle for anything less. I shopped around and ordered a new pair from Look Fantastic (currently £20  off at £109). They also were offering a free GHD Advanced Split End Therapy treatment with any GHD purchase (RRP £20).

 

I am not new to heat protectant products and usually use the VO5 or Batiste spray versions but I am always interested in anything that promises to solve my split end issues so I was excited to try it. Suggesting that it is 'Suitable for all hair types, you can experience deeply nourished, conditioned and hydrated tresses with a revived radiance and enhanced shine that lasts for up to ten washes' I was sold!

 

GHD Advanced Split End Therapy is a 'lightweight cream activated by the heat of your styling tool to prevent further breakage and repair damaged ends'. Used while your hair is still damp you take a small amount of the product into your hands and massage through the hair down to the ends. Then dry as normal and style with your straighteners.

The cream left my hair feeling really very soft and conditioned. I was a little concerned that it would make my hair feel a bit oily but it just left it feeling hydrated and smooth. As well as leaving my hair seemingly split end free the scent stays with you and you can occasionally catch a whiff as you turn your head! Lovely!

 

Not being someone who spends a lot on haircare I know that I would probably not have gone out and bought this product so its great that I had the opportunity to try it for free. However, now that I have tried it I would most definitely repurchase it!

 

Love Elle x

 

Have you tried the GHD Advanced Split End Therapy or do you have any more suggestions for split end treatments?

Surviving 'No Spend January'!

Yes, you read that correctly! The ladies who love to spend are going to refrain from spending for a whole month in an experiment entitled 'No spend January'. But, we are getting ahead of ourselves here, lets go back the beginning..

Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette Update - Now Available In The UK!

We feel very honoured to have gotten our hands on not one but TWO of the highly sought after Too Faced Sweet Peach Palettes during our visit to Florida in early May 2016 and have been using them religiously ever since. However, getting hold of them was not an easy task! We literally scoured every Sephora and Ulta for miles! We were told by Sephora that they had only taken delivery of a handful of palettes and they had immediately sold out. One Ulta we visited said although they were sold out they had regular deliveries of a variety of products and maybe, just maybe, they would get some in the delivery the following day. We did not hold out much hope. The following morning we called the store and received the delightful news that they had taken delivery of TWO of the coveted palettes! They promised to put them on hold for us and we raced through to get them! We were not disappointed!

The good news is, now that Debenhams have finally started to stock the palette in the UK EVERYONE can get their hands on one! YAY!

Best Of 2016 - The Beauty Edit

2016 was another great year for beauty and we must admit that we have lusted after a lot of beautiful products in the last 12 months. Rather than bombard you with approximately 1000 things we have fallen in love with we put our heads together and came up with a much more manageable list, so in no particular order, here goes: