Tuesday 31 December 2013

Creme Puff Pressed Powder- Max Factor Review

Howdy y'all, hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and got everything that you wanted! This week I shall be kicking #1230Tuesday with a simple make-up item that makes all the difference to my every day look. As some of you will know that I am extremely fussy on what I use on my skin. I only wear foundation on nights out and mineral powder during the day as an excessive use of foundation will only make my skin become much more spottier. For the last year I have been using Creme Puff Pressed Powder by Max Factor and I LOVE IT! Its light reflecting particles adds brilliant coverage to the skin whilst adding perfect texture on top of foundation or a moisturiser. I like to wear this powder on top of mineral powder or on its own as its coverage is just amazing. The colour I like to purchase is number 41 Medium Beige- but they offer a range of other shades too.


Boots £5.99

Tips:
1. Match the colour to your skin as your would do when buying a foundation.
2. Apply powder to a make-up brush (or use pad provided) and tap off the excess.
3. For a shine proof finish, apply in downwards strokes after using concealer, foundation/minerals and blusher.

Do you have a favourite powder?

Much Love
Eltoria x


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Wednesday 25 December 2013

IT'S CHRISTMAS!

WOHOOO! Merry Christmas everyone! I hope Santa has treated you well and has got you everything that you have asked for. Thankyou all for your support so far, I couldn't achieve what I have in the last 4 months without you all! Eat lots, relax and let the good times roll!






Christmas Love
Eltoria x



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Tuesday 24 December 2013

Bath with Christmas Eve!

He's making a list, checking it twice, gotta find whose smelling all nice, and there's no better way than to do it with Lush's own Christmas Eve bubble bar! Enjoy bubble glaciers that peak over the edge of the bathtub whilst soaking in the beautiful scents of jasmine and Ylang Ylang. Every year this bubble bar has become my Christmas Eve ritual where its calming effects is enough to keep me cosy on a winters evening. This product also contains Irish moss powder which will make your skin soft, leaving your mind and body soothed. Why not grab one in a last minute shop this winter?



Crumble into the bath

Look at those bubbles!

Looks so relaxing!

 Merry Christmas to you all!
Much Love
Eltoria x



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Friday 20 December 2013

Contour like Kim Kardashian

Do you sometimes look at some celebrities and think, wow, their make-up looks flawless? Why can't I look like that? Well the technique to is fairly simple. All you need is a lighter foundation, a foundation that matches your skin, concealer and a good bronzer. I learnt this technique from the beautiful Liv from Ollie May Boutique who recently posted a similar picture on her Facebook page- so I have her to thank for this! She is also an amazing make-up artist herself, so it was an absolute pleasure to once have my make-up done by her! I have prepared my own 'step by step' guide  for you all to try so that you can master this gorgeous look in matter of minutes! 


1. Apply concealer to any impurities that you would like to hide i.e: dark circles, blemishes or spots.

2. Apply lighter foundation around the eyes, along the bridge of your nose up towards the forehead, under the arches of your eyebrows, chin, under the nose (just above your cupid's bow) and the mid-way point on your cheeks. This will provide a a strong base coat which will enhance your bone structure whilst adding definition to your existing features. Please refer to the white areas above as guidance.

3. Using a eye-shadow brush, apply bronzer (or a darker brown eye shadow) and contour down the bridge of the nose, along the temples, jaw and along your cheekbones. The rule for the cheekbones is to always start from the top of the ear down to the corner of your mouth as this is what makes your cheek bones pop. Never go above your ear as this may make your face look too 'drawn in' which will look unnatural. I'd recommend using a contouring brush for the cheeks as a eye-shadow brush will be too thin. Click here for some guidance on how to contour your cheeks and for some recommended products. Please refer to the brown areas above as guidance.

4. If you have a longer nose (like me) then you may want to apply a little bronzer under the tip of your nose, this will draw attention away from the length.

5. Always contour the bronzer/colour below your jawbone as the point is only to create a shadow. If you have a large jaw, you may want to bring the contour up on either side of the chin as this will make your jaw appear less wide.

6. Before applying your natural foundation make sure all contouring lines are not too structured, blend the edges well.

Liv at Ollie May


Please tweet any of your attempts to @eltoriasecrets- I'd love to see them all!

So will you being trying this out over Christmas?
Much Love
Eltoria x


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Tuesday 17 December 2013

That LBD!

So with Christmas parties looming and with life generally becoming  a little more 'festive', it was about time I got a brand new dress. Yes I have 'too many' dresses like my boyfriend and brothers LOVE to point out, but 2013 fashion entails something a little more sparkly and glamorous, (so for them to suggest otherwise is almost insulting :p)! This year I wanted something quite fitted yet seasonal (i.e. longer sleeves). I also wanted a style that would not prohibit me to either 'dress up' or to 'dress down' (as some dues were more informal than others). Fortunately I came across this little number in New Look for just £19.99- bargain! Here are some snaps as to how I would go about dressing this dress (as there is more than one way!).

You can accessories and add some killer heels to make this dress the perfect one for a night out...

Necklace- Primark
Shoes- Debenhams
Nail Polish- Barry M
Dress- New Look
Or add a sparkly jacket to make it the perfect outfit for a smart occasion...

Jacket- TK Max
Necklace- New Look
Shoes- New Look
Nail Polish- Barry M
Dress- New Look 

Or you can dress it down to make the perfect day outfit.

Jacket- New Look
Necklace- New Look
Shoes- New Look
Nail Polish- Barry M
Dress- New Look

Jacket- Boutique (in Reading)
Necklace- Primark
Nail Polish- Barry M
Dress- New Look
Will you be 'glamming' up your wardrobe this winter?

Much Love
Eltoria x


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Friday 13 December 2013

Lush, Lush, LUSH!

#1230friday brings you all something totally different to read. Speaking of different, both of this weeks posts have been very 'out of the usual' haven't they? But if you knew me in person, I'd have to raise my hand to being unusual and quirky so I completely blame my personality for this! So this week I was extremely fortunate to interview the extremely talented Mira Manga who is the author to Lush's own 'Cosmetics To Go' book! As it is no secret that I absolutely love Lush products, I found no problem in asking Mira a range of questions that would relate to all things Lush and wonderful. Cosmetics To Go was a mail ordering company that existed before Lush which went into administration one year after not receiving enough orders. The story behind Cosmetics To Go and the the birth of LUSH Cosmetics is jammed packed with excellent entrepreneurial skills and to put it bluntly, balls and guts too! (excuse the pun). So pen to paper, tea to hand and the fabulous waft of Rose Jam shower gel after my exquisite shower- I was ready to learn and find out what exactly this book was all about.

1. Hi Mira, firstly apart from writing this exhilarating book on 'Cosmetics To Go', what other roles have you had within the company since joining in 2000?

I started as a Saturday girl at the Carnaby Street Lust store in 2000. I was working at MTV as an intern at the time- but adored all the exciting smells and products and the girls who worked there were super friendly and fun. I ended up working at Lush on Saturdays for eight years!

I think Mark C was a bit perplexed that I stayed working Saturdays despite me working full time various music/media companies, but after a tough week at work, the shop floor on a Saturday working with my awesome colleagues and customers was an energising balm for the soul and really soothing!

Eventually, a full time Lush rile in the team that looked after UK stores came up. I applied and worked with all the UK stores from then to just before starting on the book in November 2011.

2. Writing a book for such a famous brand must have been daunting, what did you enjoy the most writing about it?

I loved hearing all the little secrets and stories about our Lush history that I hadn't heard before. Straight after an interview, I'd get a little tremor of thrill going through words in my head to figure out how to write it all down to keep the essence of the telling. You're right about daunting, it felt like a great responsibility not to diminish such a wonderful and rich narrative.

3. From writing the book, what have you learnt about Mark and Mo Constantine? Are they as fun and quirky as their products?

The main thing I learned about Mark & Mo is their ability to be extremely tolerant- especially of me wandering into their work space almost daily asking for random pieces of information!

I also learned how the two of them have always been a wonderful partnership and team, helping each other with creativity and supporting each other to help tease out ideas into perfect products. Throughout the book, you can see that they have also both been passionate about innovation and not afraid to go against the grain- they just trust the experiments and take their inventions to natural and wonderful conclusions.

There is definitely a sense of fun that goes into making lots of our products, but tempered with an expertise which comes with so many years of experience. I don't think you could have one without the other.

4. Research tells me that you are quite the 'go to' expert on unicorns, would you consider your creativity to be mystical and quirky? Or is there a complete other explanation to this?

When the creativity comes, I don't question where it comes from I normally just grab it and go with it! I do think if anyone has an interest in the classics and mythical stories and fables then that helps a lot with story telling. Daydreaming about how to make real life a little bit more fantastical is never a bad thing... right? ;)

5. As this book is rather personal to LUSH as a company, how have you managed to add your own personal touch on it? It seems to be historic yet so current and fresh!

I feel like, my job was to tell the stories of the people who actually lived and experiences being part of Cosmetics to Go, so I tried to just relate these to the reader without my voice getting in the way.

I made sure the book was just as beautiful and colourful as the gorgeous Cosmetics to Go catalogues and I also tried to make as many pages as possible have some kind of link to Lush story products so you get to see all the connections and keep it relevant.

6. If you could describe this book in a sentence, what would it be?

The story of a unique cosmetics company that blazed a trial and burned brightly for just six years before spectacularly losing it all...!

7. What is next for you? Will we be seeing more writing from you? or are you considering other plans?

I blog a little on my website. Generally words just come to me and tug at my brain 'til I spill them onto a notepad or into a Word document. I was writing a book about dating disasters when I started the Cosmetics to Go one so I might fool around with that a little and see if it comes to anything!

My next project with Lush is super exciting and is all to do with the music that we create as a company and the music that inspires us as a company. Not enough is known about our forays into the world of melody, song and music so I'm delighted to be doing something about this.

8. Finally, as a 'Lushie' what is your favourite LUSH product and why? (Sorry had to throw that one in there!)

Most recently Rose Jam shower gel is making every day a rose garden, Turkish Delight cream... but I'm a tear round Aqua Marina cleanser girl. It is great for my complexion and smells simply divine.


£19.95 each

So there we go guys! What a perfect book to pick up this Christmas for someone who is a fan of cosmetics, Lush, and entrepreneurship too! If you would like to follow Mira in her next adventures, then please follow her blog by clicking here! She is an inspiration to all young writers and authors out there, so we salute you Mira! Many congratulations on your accomplishments with this amazing book!

Much Love
Eltoria x




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Wednesday 11 December 2013

Lights, Camera, ACTION- Elyar Fox

Lights, camera, ACTION! Or should I say, time to 'twerk' Eltoria? I was very fortunate enough to work with Elyar Fox as a 'dancing girl' in his new debut single 'Do It All Over Again'- and boy, what an experience it was. Elyar first started off as a YouTube favourite, gaining followers and thousands of views in a short amount of time. His music video explores the breadth of YouTube through dancers, beauty bloggers, selfies and even lightsabers! Elyar is such a fun and genuine guy who is an absolute star! I wish him the very best in his long and successful career- you are going to be one major heartthrob to many girls out there!

Behind the scenes!

Some of the cast!





The Music Video!

                  

To follow Elyar Fox please click either the following: YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

What do we all think?
Much Love
Eltoria x

Follow me at: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Bangstyle. 



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Tuesday 10 December 2013

Technical Glitch!

Due to a slight technical glitch, I shall be posting today's post tomorrow at 12.30pm. Sorry for the inconvenience! To catch up on some 'beauty' why not check out:

Facemask Review- Find the best one for you!

See you tomorrow!
Much Love
Eltoria x

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Friday 6 December 2013

Those Cute Tartan Shorts

Yes, I'll be rocking around the Christmas tree with these little beauties on! Tartan at the moment is everywhere, so I thought I'd spice up the old jammy wears with a splash of Primarks' best. Yep only £4.00 too! Primark offer a range starting from the classic red to blues and purples. You can also get this style in long or three quarters, so a perfect yet affordable gift for a loved one this Christmas. A quick post today guys but remember that I will be publishing my posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12.30pm. Have a brilliant yet festive weekend!




Have you bought anything tartan yet? Let me know!

Much Love
Eltoria x




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Tuesday 3 December 2013

Winter Skin Be Gone!

If only I could cast a spell for my dry and dull skin to disappear. 'Winter skin syndrome' used to be that annual time of year that I loathed, but it's seriously amazing what a little 'TLC' can do. Generally I have 'combination skin', where my 't-zone' tends to be oily and my 'outer face' a little dry. Due to the crisp air, central heating and a lack in the good old Vitamin D, my face feels like a broken 'Humpty Dumpty' with all the cracks to go. 'Winter skin' generally will demand a better regime with a slight change in  skin product. So Skin SOS? HIT ME!

Face Mask

Some of you will know that Mask of Magnaminty is one of my favourite face masks to use. However due to the time of year, my face needs something more hydrating. Currently I am using Honey & Oat mask from the Body Shop. This face mask will cleanse, polish and gently moisturise dry and cracked skin. Honey is a natural agent which will help unclog your pores whist adding moisture to the skin. This face mask is perfect for all types of skin so try treating your skin at least twice a week as this will help to improve your complexion.

Looks almost good enough to eat! £10.00

Cleanser

Tangerine, lime and lemon is enough to get my tongue tanging whilst using Neutrogena's Pore & Daily Scrub! Its exfoliating micro beads help to unclog the pores leaving your skin with a gorgeous mattified look. The sailicylic and citric acid helps to tighten the pores leaving your complexion looking much more smoother. The formula is clinically proven to immediately remover 77% of excess sebum without over-drying the skin (which I have to agree!). I am extremely impressed with this cleanser as it is one that leaves your skin looking radiant and fresh. It was my first time using Neutrogena but I will be purchasing this cleanser again (in Boots) as soon as I run out!

Look at those micro-beads!

On offer at the moment in Boots!- 2 for £5!

Toner

Neutrogena 'Spot Stress Control' toner is perfect for those who get the odd spot now and again. For me, toning is the most important step in a skin routine as it removes left over make-up and dirt from the skin. Toning immediately after cleansing will help tighten the pores and add vitamins back into the skin. This product is particularly good for anyone who has larger pores or suffers from acne as the green tea and cucumber will help to soothe and replenish the skin. I bought this toner only a week ago where I have already noticed positive results to my skin (its not so congested!). The only critique I have on this product is its smell (it smells too much cucumber for my liking!). I bought this toner on offer with Neutrogena's Pore & Shine Daily Scrub for just £5.00! So get yours whilst the offer is still on at Boots!

On offer at the moment in Boots!- 2 for £5.00!

Night Moisturiser

To combat my rosy patches I have been using Full of Grace serum bar by LUSH Cosmetics. Rose based products is a perfect way to treat redness to the skin without disturbing your skin's natural microflora. This product also contains murumuru butter, capuacu butter, portobello mushrooms and calamine powder which all help to add vitamins, hydration and suppleness to your skin- so a perfect remedy for tight skin! I love to apply this serum at night as it allows the ingredients to effectively sink into the skin leaving your face incredibly soft in the morning. I wouldn't recommend this product as a day cream as I feel it would be too oily, however, you could also use this product under a face-mask which will help the serum to sink into the skin more efficiently. This product really did help with the redness to my skin, so give it a go!

£8.25

Day Moisturiser

Body Shop's top selling Vitamin E cream is seriously my heaven in a tub! Vitamin E is an antioxidant which helps to neutralize the oxidant effect of free radicals which damage collagen and cause dryness to the skin. This moisturiser is light and adsorbing which will leave your skin looking much healthier. I have been using this moisturiser for a number of days now where I can already see a difference (my skin isn't so red or dry!) I definitely recommend anyone to give this moisturiser a go, it's affordable yet so effective!

£10.00


What will you be changing in your skin routine this Winter?

Much Love
Eltoria x


Why not enter our Twitter RT competition to win lots of beauty prizes! To enter, click here!

I shall be posting twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays being published at 12.30pm! (unless stated otherwise on Twitter) See you all then!



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