Cosy girls night in + top autumn/winter movies

Sometimes a cosy girls night in is better than a night out. I love to get all of my friends together every now and again and organise a night in with movies, snacks and pampering.  Here are my tips for a girls night in and my top autumn/winter movie picks!

Set up a pamper station

You can either do this in the same place where you have decided to watch your chosen movies (if it's big enough) or in a separate room.

On a small table, lay out a selection of magazines, nail polishes, hand creams and face masks.It would also be handy to have a couple of chairs or stools around the table. Throughout the evening, people can come up to the table and grab a magazine,face mask or give themselves a manicure. You can even take in in turns to give each other manicures, complete with a relaxing hand massage! 

Food and drink

If you've ever hosted a movie night or girls night in before, you'll know that trying to estimate how much people will eat can be tricky - not to mention expensive! Before you all get together, plan to all bring something different - there'll be something for everyone. It also means that the host doesn't have to worry about buying all of the food herself! 

Have a onesie party

A girls night in isn't the place for uncomfortable skinny jeans or shoes that give you blisters - allow your guests to feel at home and agree to all arrive in your funniest onesies/pyjamas! Grab your selfie stick and snap some photos of you and your friends in your onesies - you could even print them out afterwards and give them to your guests as keepsakes.

Create a playlist

Make a playlist of all time favourite songs - the best ones are those which you haven't heard for a while but all know off by heart. You can belt out the tunes and shamelessly dance around the room : one of the reasons why a night in with your closest friends is better than a night out -no one's going to judge you!

Top Autumn/winter movie picks

Bridget Jones Diary

I come back to this film time and time again. I think that everyone can relate to Bridget in some way or another which makes this film perfect for a girls night in. There's a sequel to this aswell if you enjoy the first one - and three books which are all brilliant!

Bride Wars

If you loved Bridesmaids. then you'll adore this chick-flick/rom-com. It follows two best friends from two separate worlds through their engagements and right up to their wedding days - which, by some horrible mix-up fall on the same day, in the same venue . The ending is heart warming and the ways in which the girls mess with each other are seriously funny. I thoroughly recommend!

Chalet Girl

I saw this movie ages ago and have seen it plenty of times since. Although it's set in a snowy ski chalet. this film is fun to watch all year round. And it stars Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass, Gossip Girl), so what's not to like?!

Love Actually

This film is unusual, because it doesn't have a central story line, but instead follows the relationships of 10 different people in the lead up to Christmas. Definitely one to save for the winter months, but with an all star cast including Hugh Grant (who stars in Bridget Jones), Emma Thompson, Keira Knightly and Rowan Atkinson, it's a great film to cosy up with on a girls night in.

The Holiday

Another one to save for the weeks leading up to Christmas, The Holiday is my ultimate, feel good movie pick. It sees two women, one from a swanky Hollywood mansion (Cameron Diaz) and another from a cosy cottage in the heart of England (Kate Winslet) swap homes for the holidays. This romantic comedy is perfect for a girls night in - but be sure to have tissues to hand!

Thanks for reading, I hope that you have found this post helpful :)  

What do you usually do on a girls night in?

Elle xox

L'oreal Infallible 24hour Foundation Review

 Good foundations that suit my pale skin tone are hard to come by. In the summer, the lightest shades of foundation seem to match my skin perfectly, but in the colder months, nothing seems to be pale enough! I've been on the hunt for a good foundation that matches my skin tone for a while now, and when I saw that L'oreal did foundations in very pale shades, I had to give one a try. In the end I went for the Infallible 24h foundation, over the true match, because of Zoella's recommendation, Here is my honest review of the product.

Packaging

I love everything about the packaging of this product, It's sophisticated yet eye-catching with the ruby-red lid. The top comes off easily and the product is dispensed through a pump, which is an essential for me. The amount that is dispensed after one pump is enough to provide light coverage.

Formula, coverage and application

The foundation itself is quite thick in contrast to my usual Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. I personally found that this made it harder to blend than I was used to and it took longer to make sure that there were no patchy areas or visible brush marks. I'm going to persevere though, as I've only ever tried one other foundation, so I'm not exactly a pro! (I'm used to BB and CC creams).

As I said in above, one pump provides light coverage, but this is definitely a foundation that provides buildable coverage - I use one and a half pumps. 

 I found that once the foundation was actually on my skin, it looked very natural and had a velvet matte finish. At this point, it definitely felt as though it could live up to its "long-wear" claims, so I skipped powder,

Was it long-lasting?

As I'm writing this, it's been about 7 hours since application and my foundation still looks pretty darn good! Although the matte effect has long since worn off (so perhaps not good if you have oily skin?), the actual foundation itself has stayed put.

Did it live up to the other claims?

On the back of the bottle the foundation claims that there will be no tranfer. no visible imperfections, no dry-out and no-mask effect.
In my opinion, it lived up to every claim but one : no dry-out. My skin is what I would describe as normal to combination, so I personally had no trouble with the formula, but I did have to apply a good moisturiser beforehand. I can definitely see how it wouldn't be great for people with dry skin, because of the matte effect and the thick formulation. 

Overall rating

For girls with normal or combination skin, I think that this foundation is perfect, especially if you are on the look out for one that's super pale. It stayed put all day, gave good coverage and was light enough for my skin tone.

However it was a little tricky to blend and I can imagine that it wouldn't be great for girls with really oily or really dry skin, 

I would give this foundation an

8/10 

 

Personally I love this stuff, but I think that girls with dry skin or oily skin may not find it to be quite as good.

Thanks for reading, I hope that this helped!

Eleanor xox

September favourites

 Favourites posts are always the ones which I look forward to writing the most - they're the sort of posts written with a cup of tea in one hand and an oversized bowl of popcorn in the other. I don't have too many beauty favourites this month, but the ones which I have chosen are my absolute must-haves....

Beauty

Real techniques makeup sponge (not pictured) - My makeup brush recently broke and was too expensive to replace straight away so I decided to try a sponge. At the bargain price of only £5.99, I was amazed by the results. My makeup always looks perfect now and blends in easily. The pointed tip is great for blending in concealer, and I use the rounded sides for the application of foundation. I definitely recommend! 

L'Oreal collection exclusive Lipstick in "Eva's Delicate Rose" - I have to be honest, I actually bought this just because of the packaging! But it turns out that the actual lipstick is pretty great too. This colour is a beautiful deep pink that delivers a velvet matte finish. It doesn't dry my lips out and stays put for a long time. An all round amazing product!

L'occitane "Lavande" hand cream - I was very pleased to get this tube of hand cream for free with the latest issue of Marie Claire, because L'occitane do such luxurious products. This cream is great to apply just before bed, as the lavender scent is soothing and the cream soaks in instantly. I love it so much and will be sad when it runs out - I'm definitely considering repurchasing :)

Bath and shower

Radox bath soak with Lavender and Waterlily - This bath soak creates mountains of comforting bubbles and fills the bathroom with the relaxing aroma of Lavender and Waterlily - it's such a great product, especially if you're planning a pamper evening. 

Head and Shoulders Classic Shampoo - If you're looking for a shampoo that does "what is says on the tin" then I'd definitely recommend this. It gets rid of any flakiness that you may have, but  I use ii to remove any product build up and to give my hair and scalp a proper clean. The shampoo also leaves my hair really soft, which was a pleasant surprise!

Music

Melanie Martinez - My friend introduced me to this and I have to admit that I'm hooked. My favourites include "carousel" and "dollhouse". If you've never listened to Melanie's music then I highly suggest that you search for her on youtube. The lyrics can take some getting used to, but in time I'm sure that you'll grow to love the songs as much as I do!

That's all for my favourites this month, I'll speak to you in my next post

Elle xox

Favourite Fall Things

Hey :) I think I mentioned in another post that I love autumn more than any other season - as soon as September arrives I get excited for Pumpkin Spice Lattes and cosy nights in! Today's post is "My favourite fall things" - I hope you enjoy :)

Autumn makeup

In summer I'm all for minimal makeup - especially when I'm on holiday. However, when Autumn hits, I love to experiment with my makeup - mainly with my eyes and lips. I like to use my Naked Palette from Urban Decay to create a gold/brown shimmery eye look and my new "Collection Exclusive" lipstick from L'oreal in the shade "Eva's delicate rose". 

Fall Fashion

Crisp autumnal mornings call for cosy jumpers and boots! I've already dug out last years jumpers and have been on the hunt for some new ones. I like to have a mix of thick, classic knitted jumpers and thinner ones for layering.

Another fall fashion favourite of mine are brown boots with a small heel. I have two pairs which I love and I alternate between them throughout the colder months.

 Pamper evenings and Lush baths

Cold, dark evenings make for the perfect pamper session - you can hop into a hot, bubbly bath and let a lush bath bomb fizz away whilst you sit back and relax.  My visits to the local lush store become more frequent when it gets to autumn and I love to try new products and treat my skin :)

Reading

I have a passion for reading and throughout last year I didn't read as much as I would have wanted to - but I'm using this autumn/winter to get back into reading. I've recently been loving Agatha Christie's books - so far I've read "And then there were none" and am in the process of reading "Death in the skies". Christie's books are genius and really do keep you guessing until the very end!

That's it! Let me know what your Autumn/fall essentials are in the comments :)

Love, 

Elle xox

How to stay fit during the colder months.....

We've all done it - planned to go for an energising run, but then taken a look out of the window and decided against the idea. It can be really hard to get the motivation to go to the gym or go out for a run when it's freezing cold and pouring with rain. Over the years. I've managed to perfect a routine that works in all weather conditions. Here are my tips for staying fit during the colder months.....

Invest in workout DVD's / find a good exercise channel on youtube

When it's raining outside, going for a jog is never pleasant and getting in the car to go to the gym isn't great either. When it's horrible outside, I'll turn to my favourite exercise channel ever - Blogilates! I started watching Cassey around a year ago and I'm so much more toned and far more physically fit than I was back then.

You can choose from a variety of different workouts - from 5 minute toning sessions to longer full body workouts. I'd highly recommend heading to youtube and checking it out - you can click HERE and be taken straight to her channel.

Find a beautiful location

Going out for a jog on a crisp winter morning can actually be really invigorating - but pounding pavements can be boring. Running in a beautiful park and being close to nature will inspire you to get outdoors and run more often. Research some areas near to where you live and switch up your location and you'll most likely find yourself with more motivation to get moving!

Take up yoga

Sometimes you just want to relax after that wet and cold walk home from school/work. Yoga might be just what you need. Once again, there are many youtube channels which offer free yoga sessions so that you don't even need to leave the house to find your inner peace :) One of my favourites is Yoga with Adrienne. She takes you through all of the steps and encourages you to find what feels most comfortable. There are videos aimed at helping you to get more flexible and ones that will simply relax your body and mind.

In addition to this, there are many books and apps out there for yoga.

Exercise outfits

I've found that the best place to get my workout clothes from is definitely H&M. The clothes are gorgeous yet practical and super affordable. The spots bra/crop top in the above picture was from H&M and is the prettiest and most comfortable one that I've ever owned. I LOVE the straps on the back! You can pretty much get a whole new workout wardrobe in there and it's always my first  port of call for anything workout related. I find that if you have a beautiful workout outfit to hand, you'll be more motivated to exercise.

Thanks for reading!

Elle xox

Superdrug's hot cloth cleanser vs Liz Earle cleanse and polish

 Liz Earle's hot cloth cleanser is so iconic in the beauty world that it's hard to imagine that anything could ever come close to it. When I spotted that Superdrug had a similar version in store which was a fraction of the price, I just had to give it a go! Today I will be comparing the two...

 Packaging

Li Earle - You can tell by the look of Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish tube that the product is more expensive than your average cleanser. I always buy the kind with a pump because it's easier to dispense. This product wouldn't look out of place in an expensive spa and I love everything about it.

Vitamin E Superdrug cleanser - Although the packaging isn't terrible, it's clear that this product costs far less than the Liz Earle version. I don't  mind the fact that it doesn't come with a pump, because the actual cream isn't as thick as cleanse and polish.

Smell

Liz Earle - My favourite part of using Liz Earle is breathing in the luxurious smell. It's incredibly calming and I always look forward to it.

Vitamin E Superdrug cleanser - This product also has a really nice smell - it's almost a nutty sort of scent. It doesn't smell as natural as Liz Earle however.

Makeup removal

Liz Earle - This is a really great cream for makeup removal - better than all of the makeup wipes, face washes and ordinary cream cleansers I've ever tried. It even removes Benfit's They're Real mascara and the thickest foundation formulas.

Vitamin E Superdrug cleanser - I was pleasantly surprised by this product and it's ability to remove all of my makeup. It was just as good as Liz Earle which I thought would never be possible for something that only cost £4.99!

How my skin felt afterwards

Liz Earle - My skin always feels amazing after Liz Earle - my skin is smooth and is never greasy. Since I started using it, I've had far fewer breakouts.

Vitamin E Superdrug cleanser - I also liked the way that my skin felt after cleansing with this. My skin was incredibly soft and felt hydrated. I can't say anything for spot fighting, because I haven't used it for long enough.

I was very impressed by Superdrug's hot cloth cleanser. My makeup was removed and my skin felt great. For such a low price, I will definitely be repurchasing again to use when my Liz Earle runs out and I'm too poor to buy some more haha :) But i can also say that I will never stop buying Liz Earle's cleanse and polish because it's such a luxurious product and it leaves my skin clear and smooth.

I hope that this has helped you - I know that lots of people use Liz Earle!

Elle xox

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August Favourites!

Another month over...another favourites! On the one hand, I'm a little sad that summer is over, but on the other, I'm so excited for Autumn - my favourite season :)  Here are all the things that I've been loving over the past month.....

      Beauty 

Simple Kind to Skin Protecting Light Moisturiser : I've been on the hunt for the perfect budget moisturiser for so long - and I think I've found "the one" ! I mentioned in my pamper evening routine post that I was liking one of Garnier's moisturisers...but then I realised that it was making my skin greasy after all when used on an everyday basis. So I continued to search until I found this one from Simple - it has UVA/UVB protection, is gentle on my skin and doesn't make it greasy at all! Love, Love, Love  :)

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara - I actually did a whole post on this incredible mascara and compared it to Benefit's They're Real one. After a while, I found that I preferred this one and now use it every single day! It  lengthens, separates like crazy and makes my lashes look amazing :)

Rimmel 60 seconds Super shine in Caramel Cupcake  - This is the perfect nude nail polish for my skin tone. It is only noticeable from up close and gives my nails that "polished" look that goes with every outfit. The nail polish itself is very glossy looking and is such good value for money at only £2.99!

Books and entertainment

"Love Tanya" by Tanya Burr -  I had been wanting a youtuber's book for so long and when I saw that Tanya's book was on offer, I finally decided to go for it. This book is truly beautiful - the pages are  covered with colourful photographs and the tips that Tanya gives are really helpful  :)

American Horror Story Asylum  -  This show is weirdly addictive! It's full of twisted story lines and characters who are pure evil - but I love it! I've never really been into horror films but this is my one exception. Most people prefer coven or murder house, but found Asylum intriguing. There were so many different characters and a few different story lines that interlinked - all that I would say is that this show is an 18 and so is not appropriate for children at all and I would watch with caution if you are a younger teenager. 

Those were all the things that I enjoyed this month - I'll speak to you in my next post :)

Elle xox