Eltoria

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

House of Fraser| Last Minute Gifts For Men

Shopping for last minute presents on Christmas Eve can be extremely stressful, however I am here to help some of you late shoppers! Men are known to be notoriously hard to buy for as they tend to have everything (or in my case, the men in my family are extremely fussy). House of Fraser are doing the '12 days of Christmas' where you can pick up some fabulous last minute gifts. Penhaligon's Fragrance Collection for Men is ever so sophisticated; I love the cute vintage bottles and the cologne smells amazing. This is a perfect gift if you are struggling to buy for a friend, brother, dad, grandfather, or boyfriend. You can pick up this posh collection just £30.00!

So there we go guys, here is my favourite last minute gift for men! You can pick it up in any House of Fraser store. I hope that this short post has given all you last minute shoppers some inspiration! I am really impressed with the variety in this present and I hope that your recipient does so too (I know that I would be!). I would like to thank House of Fraser for letting me choose this present to review, I cannot wait to give it to my recipient!

What last minute presents are you guys buying?

Merry Christmas!

Much Love

Eltoria x

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Click here to WIN £60 Vidal Sassoon hair straighteners. Ends 1st January 2015!

How To Make a Hamper

IT’S ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS UNTIL IT IS CHRISTMAS… but it doesn't feel like it? Are some of you feeling the same as me? I'm blaming the incredibly unusual warm winter that we are having here in the UK. Anyway, as it’s only standard that a few of you may have a couple more presents to get, or are clueless as to what to get certain people. My extremely affordable hamper will sure help you out. I made this hamper for my grandparents; they are extremely hard to buy for as they pretty much have everything. Wilkinson sell a very handy hamper making kit which comes with cellophane, shredded cardboard, a bow, and a gift tag (hamper basket is sold separately). It only costs £2.00!

I bought a bathroom basket so that my Grandma could use it as storage, this cost £3.50. I then popped in the shredded cardboard, and then spiced it up with all the treats and goodies that I knew that my grandparents would like (every day things). In total I spent around £15.00 (the pound shop does come handy around this time of year).

You can learn how to make this hamper by watching my YouTube video below!

Will you be making hampers this year?

Much Love

Eltoria x

New HTML: You can now find me at http://eltoria.com
Click here to WIN £60 Vidal Sassoon hair straighteners

*Salcura| Banish Acne Skin

This time of year my skin tends to suffer (which is no doubt due to the lack of Vitamin D in the UK). Admittedly, Salcura is a brand that I had never heard of before but I was extremely curious at its natural ethics (of course). Most of you will probably know that I am a major fan of natural face products and LUSH Cosmetics, in my opinion, has the best skin care range in the world. Now, I used these products for a good two weeks before writing this review as I wanted to share my whole experience with you as it was kind of a roller coaster (but in a good way I promise). In the first couple of days using these products my skin came up in a few spots, mainly on the chin area, but I can assure you that this is a good thing (believe it or not). Anyone suffering with acne or congested skin needs to understand that in order for it to get better, the bad needs to come out. Kind of a cliché but its so true. Sometimes, strongly medicated creams can be seen as a 'quick fix' which can make your skin red and sensitive. Salcura products contain tea tree, sandalwood oils, and other plant based oils which encourages the release of bacteria and dirt in the pores. After 7 days, my skin looked de-congested and the spots had gone. Always remember, taking a short cut can never guarantee you a full and lasting result. Take the plunge!

Above 1: Daily Face Wash Above 2: Activ Gel Serum

*Please note that Salcura provided me with the products. However, the review is wholly the opinion of my own and not Salcura's. Slightly negative reviews are either published or, not published at all. All sponsored or product given reviews are marked with a '*' in the title.

How is your skin treating you this time of year?

Much Love

Eltoria x

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*Vidal Sassoon Christmas Giveaway

ONLY 8 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! Whose excited? Well I certainly am! In collaboration with Vidal Sassoon, I shall be giving away a pair of Vidal Sassoon hair straighteners worth £60.00! These straighteners have infra radiance which helps to deliver heat more evenly to the hair which maintains moisture and softness. These straighteners also come with a flexible heat mat and sectioning clips to allow precision when styling. I have been using these straighteners since receiving them and I absolutely love them. Ironically, my last straighteners were Vidal Sassoon and I have had these since I was 15! (I am currently 22). So it goes to show how long Vidal Sassoon straighteners last for. My old and ancient 'Sassooners' are now my back up pair (whether I will need them or not, who knows). But here's to another 7 years (I hope).

As you can see in the image below, my hair is dead straight which also shows off a healthy shine. This picture was actually taken on my lunch break at work so it goes to show that the Vidal Sassoon straightener also has a lasting effect. The Tourmaline Ceramic helps to contribute to this result by taming frizzyness and conditioning the cuticle. As this straightener can reach up to 200 degrees (and despite its conditioning and taming properties) I do thoroughly recommend that you still use a heat defence spray before using. But most importantly, if you are like me and have a massive OCD on whether or not you have turned off you straighteners every time you leave the house, these have a 60 minute shut off so you will never have to worry ever again! BONUS.

Would you like to win yourself a pair just in time for Christmas? All you have to do is subscribe to my YouTube channel (click here I WILL BE CHECKING) and Tweet about this competition through the Rafflecopter portal below. It's easy peasy lemon squeezy! Please do read through the terms and conditions before doing so.

Best of luck! Winner shall be named on the 1st of January!

Much Love

Eltoria x

*Please note that Vidal Sassoon provided me with the straighteners and the straighteners in the giveaway. However, the review is wholly the opinion of my own and not Vidal Sassoon's.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Ombre Hair #2

Back in September some of you will know that I ombred my hair for the second time, and it went much better than the first. The first time I ombred my hair turned into a disaster; put it this way ombreing your hair, yourself, on old henna'd hair using a box kit really doesn't bode well. My hair went orange *face palm*. My hairdresser did it for me for the second time and it looked amazing; you can check out those results by clicking here. Because I already had a lot of red tones in my hair, my hairdresser gave me a 'copper' ombre (see below) which was a perfect way to lighten my hair. Therefore, this time it meant that I could go lighter (and I plan to go even lighter next time).

Above: the second time I ombre'd my hair; Copper Ombre

Comparing the top to the bottom image, you can see that my ombre this time (far top image) went much lighter. If you wish to know how to ombre your hair yourself, you can check out my easy six steps by clicking here. Nonetheless, if you want to pre prepare your hair for ombre, you must try to strip the colour out of your hair (as this makes life so much easier for your hairdresser). You can do this naturally by using lemon based hair shampoos as lemon is extremely stripping. I always use Rehab by LUSH; it's lemon properties will strip the colour out and the mint will help to rehabilitate your hair. A perfect shampoo for pre-prepped ombre hair.

Will you be brave enough to ombre your hair any time soon?

Much Love

Eltoria x

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My Christmas Nails

With my work's Christmas due looming around the corner, glitzy nails in December is a season's must have! Once upon a time I used to hate glitter, but there's just something about glitter at Christmas which makes everything seem so much more magical. Agree? Now if you were a glitter hater like me, having glitzy nails will soon convert you! They're just so pretty and addictive. This year's favourite combination would have to be L'Oreal's Spicy Orange and Scarlet Tinsel nail polish. The colours are just so festive. I also used Barry M's clear Base Coat and Top Coat to prep and polish. This style was particularly inspired by Julep nail polishes, their colours are just to die for (especially their glitters). You can check them out by clicking here.

Top: Scarlet Tinsel £4.99 Bottom: Spicy Orange £4.99

Will you be rocking glitzy nails this Christmas?

Much Love

Eltoria x

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MAC Lipstick| Red Balloon

Here we go again, another MAC lipstick joins my already so big collection. Why can't I stop? But seriously, this colour is just to die for and I really could not leave it behind (after all there was only one left!). I'll just put it down to fate and my tenth Christmas present to myself. Oh well. Recently I have been buying lipsticks in 'festive' colours; burgundies, reds, oranges, you name it I've pretty much got it. But this colour reminded me of a New Year lipstick; it's not exactly red nor is it completely pink. It was just different to what I had been buying recently and would look great as my New Year (fresh start) lippy. Goodness I sure do sound like a true beauty blogger. But in a nutshell, it looks like the colour of a stretched or blown up red balloon; so perfect for my New Year celebrations!

I recently bought a Yankee Candle in the scent 'Christmas Memories' and it smells utterly divine. It smells just like Christmas baking, gingerbread men, and sweet oranges. Perfect aromas to relax to this wintry season. I'm going to have to buy a large jar now!

Have you been buying any MAC lipsticks recently? Drop me comment!

Much Love

Eltoria x

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DIY Christmas Tree Decorations

This weekend it was meant to be the most popular time to put up a Christmas tree in the UK, so why not make your own decorations too? One day in the week I got creative and made my own orange and cinnamon 'ballball' equivalents and boy, they smelt in-cred-ible! And it is so easy to make (bonus). So to make things a little easier, I have written some instructions below and filmed a video for you guys to follow (you can check out that video by clicking here). So raid your cupboards and get some fresh oranges in, pimp up your tree with some DIY treats. Brillante! You will need: some oranges, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cinnamon powder, skewer sticks, ribbon, and some string.

Step 1: Slice up your oranges, put them onto skewer sticks, and pop them into an oven so that they can dry out. This should approximately take 15 minutes.

Step 2: Whilst the oranges are drying out, gather up your cinnamon sticks and tie them together with a piece of string. Tie a loop at the top so that you can hang your masterpiece onto your tree. Cut off the ends of the cinnamon sticks if they are a little too large. Wrap some ribbon around your sticks and tie a bow.

Step 3: Once your oranges are done, pop in your cloves and sprinkle some cinnamon powder on top. Make a hole with the skewer and feed through some string so that you can make a loop.

Step 4: Attach your orange to your cinnamon sticks (see the video below as to how you can do this) and wollah, your decoration is ready to be hung from your tree!

Watch YouTube Video by clicking here

Have you been making your own Christmas decorations at all? Tweet me your pictures at @eltoriasecrets

Much Love

Eltoria x

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Beauty Crowd Box

Firstly I apologise for not blogging since Monday, I started a brand new job this week and attended a number of Christmas parties. Exhausted is an understatement. Nevertheless, HAPPY FRIDAY! (or Thursday to you eager beavers out there!). Now with Christmas coming and being that tiniest bit excited (I lie, I am in fact buzzing) I had the pleasure in receiving a Beauty Crowd gift box and goodness, it was literally stunning! If you don't know what Beauty Crowd is, it is a new beauty marketing space where you can buy beauty products and pick up tips on skin care, hair care, body care, and much more. If you like the set up of ASOS and Feel Unique you will love this site! I am personally in love and enjoy reading about beauty, in addition to, buying them too! Blogging and and buying? What a 'bbloggers' dream!

1. Sniffy Wiffy Body Scrub- This product will definitely make you feel good in more ways than one! From a refreshing citrus scent to polished bright skin, this body scrub is an absolute steal for £10.00. What I particularly love about this product is its 'breast check guide' on its packaging as I strongly believe that women ought to check their breasts more regularly than often. Sniffy Wiffy also donate a percentage of their profits to Coppa Feel charity! Charitable, gorgeous, and extremely healthy for you. I am totally in love with this brand!

2. Flint + Flint Primer- This primer has advanced technology which provides SPF 30 protection from UVB combined with UVA protection for broad spectrum defence from harmful UV rays. I apply this product onto my skin after moisturising, but before applying my makeup, and it feels divine. My makeup stays on all day and my skin appears to be much smoother and radiant looking.

3. Lola's Apothecary Golden Elixir of Rose Body Oil- This product is just perfect at this time of year. Rose oil has soothing and repairing properties which helps to treat and nourish irritable and inflamed skin. If you get dryer skin in the winter or suffer from eczema, this product will be you new best friend.

4. SoCal Curls Hair Tie- Watch out ladies there's a new way to curl your hair and it only takes a matter of minutes! I LOVE wearing this band to bed as 8 times out of 10 I wake up with gorgeous curly/wavy hair; perfect for the average working girl. All you have to do is pop this band in the microwave for thirty seconds and then pop it into your hair. As this is a little hard to explain as to how you use this product, check out the 'how to' video by clicking here.

5. Unii Palette- Goodbye cluttered up makeup bags, hello to a bit of organisation. The Unii Palette magnetically stores your favourite makeup, which ironically, also helps you to organise your perfect seasonal palette. An all round gift for your fellow beauty enthusiast.

If you love Christmas as much as I do, stay linked because I have some cracking posts and videos coming up!

Have you checked out the Beauty Crowd?

Much Love

Eltoria x

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Daniel Wellington Watch

24 days until Christmas! So this week things on Eltoria will be spicing up into the festive season. And I cannot complain one bit. Whilst Michael Kors is currently taking the watches market by storm, I was excited to receive this gorgeous watch from Daniel Wellington (and it sure didn't live to disappoint). This watch screams British sophistication with an Italian edge; its gorgeous leather strap is ever so unique and elegant. Michael Kors watches are beautiful (especially in rose gold) but I always prefer an underdog. After all, what fashionista wants to look like everyone else? The straps on a Daniel Wellington watch are interchangeable, so you could technically have a different looking watch for every day of the week. Quite the ideal companion I'd say. The watch I chose was the Classic Bristol Lady design (which is kind of ironic as I live fairly close to Bristol!). This watch can be bought for £159.00, so reinvent yourself with a Daniel Wellington watch! (winky emoji).

I'd personally say that this watch was the perfect 'women's work watch'. I have had so many compliments from both work colleagues and clients so you wouldn't have to worry about bad first impressions with this watch!

Get 15% off any watch by using the eltoriasecrets discount code at https://www.danielwellington.com

Will you be treating yourself to a new watch this Christmas?

Much Love

Eltoria x

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Different Methods of Hair Removal

Ok so I've kept this all a little secret but, a couple of weeks ago I was asked to take part in a docuseries with Curveball Media with the lovely YouTuber Leanne Lim Walker. The whole aim of the documentary was to discover which forms of hair removal were the best, and also what type of methods were being sold on the market. So one Tuesday afternoon, a mini film crew came to my house to film me trying out all different types of methods (and boy, there were some that I had never heard of in my life). This video is great to discover new forms of hair removal which are much more affordable, durable, and painless. Yes ladies, keeping your shavers in the shower for weeks on end will soon be banished out of your life (horaah!). Enjoy the video, and watch me having to wax my legs live on camera. Yes it did hurt and I hated it (sticky out tongue emoji).

Which method did you think was the best?

Much Love

Eltoria x

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LUSH Essentials

You all know that I absolutely love LUSH! After working there for 3 years, that overpowering abundance of fragrances (that hits you every time when you walk into any store) has become my ultimate addiction. And perhaps one of the reasons why I started this blog up. Not only do their products smell and look great, they are in fact incredibly good for you. Having not worked in LUSH for 9 months, I have admittedly ventured onto other products (for convenience and cost sake) but I have always come back to LUSH products. With their products being completely natural and cruelty free, they contain no harsh chemicals, parabens, or silicone which covers up damage rather help it. The products that you can see above are the items that I cannot live without! Check them out:

Northern Lights: http://allthingslushuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/northern-lights-ballistic_5.html

Luxury Lush Pudding Bath Bomb- this bath bomb is a Christmas favourite which only comes out once a year. It has the same scent as Twilight which is infused with French lavender and Ylang Ylang which is perfect for anxiety and stress.

Northern Lights Bath Bomb- Northern lights is the new kid on the block. New to the 2014 collection, this firecracker will offer your bath an explosion of colour and fragrance. This bath bomb smells like Ylang Ylang and jasmine.

A French Kiss Bubble Bar- This is my favourite bubble bath in the world! Whenever I feel sleepy, stressed, or under the weather, this lavender infused bubble bar will make me feel so much better.

Luxury Lush Pudding

Rose Jam Shower Gel: I think that I may have died and gone to heaven. 'Rose Jam' from LUSH Cosmetics is sweet, addictive and utterly luxurious from top to toe. I first fell in love with this scent from using 'Rose Jam Bubbleroon' and 'Ro's Argan Body Conditioner'- which are both other products from LUSH Cosmetics which smell exactly the same or similar. This pot of joy is the antidote for all things dry and sensitive, so indulging yourself with this pink beauty this winter will surely leave you feeling 'sweetly' hydrated.

Rehab Hair Shampoo- all things fresh and minty; you'll sure get this in 'rehab'. Rehab shampoo is perfect for anyone who has dry and damaged hair. The mint will help to stimulate hair growth whilst the lemon will help to tone and repair your sparse ends. This shampoo is silicone and paraben free making your hair fix not a bodged one.

Tee Tree Toner Water- toning your skin daily will remove dirt and grime from your pores. Tea Tree is particularly good as it is antibacterial and very cleansing; so perfect if you are prone to a spot or two. Top tip: to tighten pores, let the toner air dry.

Rose Jam Shower Gel

Do you have a number of favourite LUSH products?

Much Love

Eltoria x

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Lyrical Phone Pranking

Whilst sat in my onesie one gloomy Sunday afternoon, I decided to lyrical phone prank a number of my friends and family (and most of them really did not go to plan). I even had the phone put down on me. So as a mid week treat for you all, watch me fail at quoting lyrics from Busted and Avril Lavigne! Just click on the image below to watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lop4_GkVQUo

Don't forget to link, like, and subscribe!
Much Love
Eltoria x

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MAC Haul

I think that I've just proven point number 2 of my '15 Things We Do Leading Up To Christmas' to be correct: 'you start justifying big spends as a early Christmas present'. Face palm. As you can probably guess my big spend was in MAC, and goodness, I do not regret one thing about it. Shopaholic much? MAC products tend to last me absolutely ages; my last bronzer survived for a whole year (and I wore it everyday!). Whilst most makeup brands tend to sell high quality products, there's just something about MAC which makes them a little more lasting. Whilst Christmas shopping in Bath I decided to go for a mini makeover, and I wasn't shopping for myself either. Whilst getting a few bits and bobs for my friends, I too walked away with a number of 'Christmas' treats for myself. Naughty Eltoria.

1. MAC Cremesheen Lipstick Hang Up: £15.50 2. MAC Pro Longwear SPF 10 Foundation £25.00 3. Bronzing MAC Powder Refined Golden £21.00 4. MAC Eyebrow Pencil £13.50.

I would have to say that MAC Cremesheen Lipstick, Hang Up, was my favourite purchase of the day; the colour is just to die for! As I have an orange filter on the image below (apologies) the colour of the lipstick looks slightly red. The colour is actually a browny/burgundy colour which I would say was my Autumn lip colour for 2014. The bronzer is lightly frosted which helps to give a natural sheer and tint to the skin. It also has shimmer particles in there which also acts as a highlighter (2-1 hey). This foundation is perfect for anyone who has slightly combination skin; it isn't exactly a matte nor is it a sheer foundation. As I don't wear foundation in the day, this foundation provides a perfect coverage for when I want to go a night out. Lastly, MAC Eyebrow Pencil is my regular buy, it is easy to fill in and shape my eyebrows. These products are just so gorgeous!

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Will you be treating yourself to some MAC products this Christmas?

Much Love

Eltoria x

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15 Things We Do Leading Up To Christmas

"Holidays are coming, holidays are coming"! Oh boy I am that excited my little cheek bones hurt. Now most of us human beings who love Christmas will know that the 'symptoms of xmas' tend to come extremely early (for me the buzz comes in November). So as a little guide to some of you Scrooges out there, if you are doing at least one of these, you my friend, are excited for Christmas. Let me know which ones you can cross off your check list!

1. We get excited over the Coca Cola advert