Monday 30 March 2015

Easter Makeup Give Away| Yves Rocher

The Easter bunny has come a little early here at eltoria.com, but who couldn't resist a little golden Lindt bunny or a good make up prize give away? Guilty... because I can't. I have been using Yves Rocher products for a little while now and I have fallen head over heels for the brand. Now, I know a girl can have a lustrous relationship with a chocolate bar, but is it possible to have the same with a brand? Well it must be, because the way Yves Rocher products make me feel after a swoosh of mascara and a touch of eye shadow is exactly the same after eating a bar of chocolate (nice bit of 'Easter themed' explaining there Eltoria). So when my good friends at Yves Rocher sent me a few make up products to try I was beyond excited, I mean, I had been using their skin care range for a very long time but these products sealed the deal when it came to stealing my heart. I have been doing this blog for a couple of years now and I am extremely picky when it comes to reviewing products (especially on the beauty and makeup front). I have been known to do a few MAC and other high end make up reviews, but comparing Yves Rocher's products to them is no contest in quality because they are almost identical (especially with the eye shadow). And the great thing is you can now enter my prize give away and win you very own Yves Rocher make up products and much more: Real Techniques Core Collection Set & Blusher Brush, Skin Chemist Bee Venom Repair & Protect, Batiste Dry Shampoo, and Hot Chocolate by Montagne Jeunesse.

Now you all know how I am with eye shadows- the motto is 'buying cheap eyeshadows are a waste of money'. I don't know what it is, I think that I have had quite a bad experience with them in the past as all they seemed to do is fade or clump up on my eyes. However the pigment of the quad eye shadow palette in Sumptuous Colour is simply stunning- it almost reminded me of the texture of Urban Decay's Naked Palette 2. This palette is just perfect for creating a smokey eye and I also love that this palette also offers you guidance on how to do so via a step by step guide. For a long lasting effect, I also like to pop on the Fixing Eyelid Primer before applying the eye shadow powder (perfect for a night out). With a luxury product encased in rose gold, this little beauty is a steal at £12.50 (Fixing Eyelip Primer for £7.50).

The Volme Veritage Mascara has now become my favourite mascara to use on a daily basis. The unique combination of the Reservoir brush releases a perfect amount of liquid which helps to open up your eyes and maximise the length of your lashes. The formula is also enriched with fixing botanical extract which leaves your lashes looking healthy and more defined. The Intense Kajal is also an 'eye opener' (get it?). Also available in 5 other colours, you can use this multi purpose product under the eyes like an eye liner or as an eye shadow (click here to see my overall Yves Rocher look).You can pick up the Volume Veritage Mascara for £11.50 and the Intense Kajal for £9.95.

Left: Intense Kajal Right: Volume Veritage Mascara
WIN ALL OF THE ABOVE & MORE VIA THE PORTAL BELOW (Terms and Conditions)
There are three mandatory requirements that you must comply with in order to be able to win this prize. If you have not fulfilled at least one of these requirements, you will not be entered into the competition. You must either 1: Subscribe to Eltoria on YouTube (click here), 2: Join the Eltoria network on Google Friend Connect, (click here but can be found on the right hand side bar, under the tab 'followers', click on 'join this site'), 3: Tweet about the competition on Twitter. But please note, subscribing to my YouTube channel will earn you extra points. However if you do fulfil all three requirements then this will give to extra accreditation. If you have already subscribed to my YouTube channel and joined the Eltoria network on Google Friend Connect, please drop a comment below so that know. If you do not have Twitter, simply write a Facebook status and tag Eltoria Secrets so that I know that you have done it. Please enter through the Rafflecopter below so I know who you are.

Please do also read the Terms and Conditions which can be found on the Rafflecopter.


Best of luck!
Much Love
Eltoria x

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Sunday 29 March 2015

Workout Clothing Haul

Usually I would always be looking at the 'What's New' section on the Top Shop, River Island, Boohoo and all of the other high street brand's websites, but now I have a huge addiction to something other than tops, skirts, and dresses. Therefore (drum roll please) I would now like to introduce you to another love of mine... FITNESS FASHION! And like any other fashionista, I have laid down some rather strict ground rules when it comes to buying work out clothes, there are: number 1, the bolder and brighter the colour the better number 2, the crazier patterned piece of clothing must always override the plain one and number 3, always have a pair of sunglasses that match (I know call me crazy). You may have already guessed from my recent blog posts and YouTube videos that I am quite into my fitness at the moment, but this is an area that I would really like to develop here over at eltoria.com so please let me know in the comments what you think of that. So with Summer around the corner and those bikini bodies desperately needed, I have created my own Workout Clothing Haul to give you all some motivation (surely if you buy a new pair of gym leggings you'd want to show them off a the gym right?). So check out my video by clicking the thumbnail below, I bet you'll be browsing for some fitness gear by the end of it!

CLICK HERE: To watch my Workout Clothing Haul
Outfit 1: leggings are from Next and top is from LA Gear.
Outfit 2: leggings are from Tesco and Top is from Primark.
Outfit 3: leggings are from Lipsy and top is from Tesco.
Outfit 4: leggings from Nike and pink top is from Nike, blue top from Tesco and orange top from Puma.
Outfit 5: leggings are from Karrimor and so is the long sleeved running top.
Outfit 6: leggings are from Karrimor and top is from Primark

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I hope you enjoyed the video, please link, like, and subscribe!
Much Love
Eltoria x

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Thursday 26 March 2015

Pay Day Wants| Esprit

WOOHOO it's pay day so that means one thing... shopping! This week I have been obsessed with Esprit's site so I thought that I would share some of my favourites with you all. Personally I think that Esprit has quite a quirky fashion vibe which stirs away from traditional high street brands, yet they are able to keep up with the current trends (if that makes sense). So you are able to buy a dress or a top for a party without worrying that someone else will be wearing the same as you (oh yes this has happened to me before). What I also love about Esprit is their incredibly sophisticated standards- you are able to buy work clothes, dresses, and even bikinis which are of high quality but are affordable. Not only am I allowed to indulge myself in gorgeous dresses at great prices, I am also able to pick up new gym wear, accessories, and even homeware goodies (someone go and make me a cup of tea because I will be online shopping for a while!). So with a number of items currently sat in my shopping basket, here are a number of my pay day wants for you all to see: Above Left: Loose Choker Detail Chiffon £69.00, Left Centre: Flowing Dress in a Layered Look £55.00, Centre Right: Lyocell Shirt Dress £59.00, Right: Two Tone Crepe Dress £59.00. 

Left: Stretch Cotton Leggings £12.99, Centre Left: Soft Tank with Mesh £12.99, Centre Right: Jersey T-shirt with a Vest £25.00, Right: Functional Jersey Vest £25.00
I must say this, Esprit's cushions are simply stunning! Usually I struggle to find affordable cushions with bright patterns but I have completely fallen in love with a number of them on their site. These (see below) are particularly suitable for the upcoming Spring and Summer months and they will suit any room for any person. Do have a browse, I bet you at least think about buying one! Do also take a look at their cute ornaments too- I particularly love their little candle holders!

Left: Large Lantern £8.00 Centre Top: Cushion Cover with Digital Print £18.00 Centre Bottom:Cushion Cover with Digital Print £19.00, Right Top: Cushion Cover with Digital Print £19.00, Right Bottom: Polly Tealight Holder £6.00

Finally, it wouldn't be right to miss out some of my everyday faves (and plus a cute bikini of course!). I particularly love the grey jumper on the left- I think that it would look great paired with some ripped jeans and white Vans. Also as I have loved wearing polar necks this Winter, I am pleased to see a short sleeved white polar neck in Esprit's Spring collection! One happy Eltoria.
Left: Art Print Jumper: £39.99 Centre Left: White Polar Neck £24.00 Centre Right: Soft Boucle Coat £59.99 Right: All the bikinis are a MUST SEE! Click here to have a look. 
Have you picked out any of your pay day treats yet?
Much Love
Eltoria x

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Tuesday 24 March 2015

How To Get PR Companies To Send You Free Stuff

Well isn't this the million dollar question to any blogger (or potential blogger) out there. Whatever your motives are when setting up a blog, you'd be lying if you didn't say that you wanted a piece of the action when it comes to free goodies. We are all naturally like metaphorical magpies that are attracted to shiny objects (or should I say free stuff) I mean, a free top here, some beauty products there, a piece of jewellery on the wrist... need I go on? But I can tell you this now, those who are purely in it for the free stuff tend to not last very long- anyone who runs a well kept and growing blog will tell you that it is bloody hard work. I spend around an extra 20-25 hours on my blog a week and that's on top of a full time job, socialising, seeing family, and going to the gym (and I'm not even exaggerating!). I tend to find myself working on my blog every single day and if I didn't love it so much, I would be in the gutter like many of the 'freebie hungry' bloggers out there (ooh I just felt like I had a bit of a Mean Girl moment there). Before I go into my own PR story the most important thing is to have good content and a well presented blog. If you are not prepared to build your own content and are not willing to use your own money/products as investment, you might as well quit whilst you are ahead. PR companies want to know that you are able to create attractable content and that you are reliable- no one is going to give you a product if you are going to only create a 'half assed' review. The process takes time and if you are willing to wait then you will soon be on that yellow brick road to PR success ('where do I sign up' do I hear you scream!?).

Now I bet you are wondering, what is my PR story? I started my blog back in August 2013 and I got my first PR post in the November that year (a cheeky little Casio review, click here if you want to see it). So it inevitably took a good three months until I got my first contact and as you can probably imagine, I was chuffed (beyond belief). Personally I would say that getting my first PR contact in three months was a pretty quick turn around seeing as though I was new to the whole blogging world, but I can tell you this, what went on behind the scenes in those three months was a lot of hard work (like constantly contacting PR companies and getting rejected for instance). But after time my content started to grow and my images started to enhance in quality, and now 2 years on, I am able to write this post to share all of my valuable tips with you all (how exciting!). So with time flying by, today I would consider myself to be very fortunate as I am now lucky enough to receive a constant amount of PR offers whilst having the ability to work (and currently with) some amazing people and brands. I must add that I am particularly fussy when it comes writing reviews as I do not accept every single PR offer. This is because some offers are not suitable for this blog or I do not wish to come across as a 'blagger blogger' purely due to a lack of time and knowledge (so don't feel obliged to accept everything!). Whilst the 'freebie' and 'blagger' bloggers may have stopped reading by now, here are some valuable tips for you to consider:

1. Be Visible & Contactable: It is very important to have your contact details clearly visible on your blog and you can do this in many ways, for instance, you can have a little bio of yourself in the right/left hand column of your blog or a tab purely for PR and Advertisements. The key is to be approachable and friendly so never be afraid to send an invitation or two! It may also be worth putting some examples of your work on your PR and Advertisement page because that way companies can have a little snoop at your fabulous work (a little bit like window shopping!).

2. Join a Free Blogging Network: it is always nice to be apart of the blogging community and doing so can be extremely valuable to you because like they say, there is always someone much more knowledgeable than you (so get involved in those blogger discussions). Bloglovin', Bloggabase, and Best British Blogger may be worth having a look at. 

3. Have Good Pictures: now this is where the whole using your own money for investment comes in action. Having good quality photos will make your blog look ever so appealing to PR companies because after all, they want their products looking their best (of course). I wrote a post on 'The Best Blogger and Small YouTube Camera' so swing on by to check that out (click here). IT'S SERIOUSLY AMAZING!

4. Contact PR Companies Yourself: like I mentioned above, I spent the first three months contacting PR companies and getting rejected by them (it felt like applying for graduate jobs all over again) but the key is to keep on trying. It may be worth creating a 'Digital Catalogue' which shows off your work, images, and the previous brands that you have worked with (do not forget to put your contact details on there too!). It may also be worth checking out etailPR (they were one of my first PR contacts!).

5. Be Professional & Earn Their Trust: no one wants to send a product to a blogger who then doesn't review it (kind of defeats the object really). Also taking the time to send courtesy emails to PR companies will also score you brownie points too, for example, a line saying that you received the product safely and dropping them a link when the post is up. Also try and not leave a huge gap between receiving the product and publishing your post- PR companies also work to deadlines! Work together, be polite, and stay in contact- all the little things help!

6. Network, Network, Network: throw a competition or two, comment on other blogs, attend some blogger events, or even create your own event! Getting friendly with other bloggers and PR companies will seriously help you grow in popularity. For instance, I am known to throw the odd cheeky prize give away and such endeavour attracts traffic. It has come to the point where I have thrown that many prize giveaways on my own, PR companies are now sponsoring them themselves (for example donating 10 products for a give away!). Check out my elf Cosmetics (click here) if you don't believe me!

Other sponsored prize give aways include: Michael Kors, Carrera, and London Retro
7. Your Blog Itself: how often you blog is extremely important as it shows many things, for example, the effort that you like to put into your blog. Blogging not very often shows that you don't necessarily have a steady flow of repeat readers and such point is imperative for PR companies. Also the engagement with your readers doesn't go unnoticed too so try replying to comments and communicating with your readers via Tweets for example.

8. Show Off Your Blog Investment: spend some money on a good and attractable template, it will cost you a minimum of £30.00 for a good one (or even less in fact!). Such investment was so valuable to my blog because it not only increased attraction from PR companies, but also in blog views too. On the left (below) was my first ever blog design and as you can see it is rather dark and not very personal. On the right (below) is my new blog design (that I updated over a year ago) and it it is fresh, clean, and shows off my love for face masks very well! You can find some really good blog designs on etsy so go and check a few out.

Left: old blog design Right: New blog design
9. Know Your Stats: some PR companies have stats requirements so knowing them is very important. You can use tools such as Google Analytics or other simpler versions like the one installed on your blogger homepage (but there are some very useful YouTube videos on how to use Google Analytics if you are unsure). My biggest advice is to never buy followers because it only makes you look worse rather than better to PR companies. PR companies want their products to be endorsed on honest populated pages so 'honesty is the best policy'- how cliché.

10: Be Unique & You: most importantly always be yourself and don't go copying other bloggers (that is both content and images). PR companies love coming across a quirky blogs so never feel as though you are not doing as well as others (don't worry we all get like it).

Whilst I do not claim to be a blogging expert, these are just some of my own lessons that I have learnt throughout my blogging experience. I endeavour to help anyone so please feel free to drop me a question at eltoriasecrets@gmail.com (I will try and respond to you as quickly as possible).

I hope you find this post useful! What are your top tips?
Much Love
Eltoria x

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Sunday 22 March 2015

My Fake Tanning Routine

With the sun now starting to play 'peek a boo' from the clouds, flowers blooming, and it now being ever so slightly warmer, Spring must be here! Spring has to one of my favourite times of year, because here in the UK, we tend to get our hot weather throughout April and May (which tends to be my pre-tanning season for my Summer holiday). So leading up to those summery months I like to use fake tan lotions so that my body looks a little more sun kissed than usual. Now this fake tan (body lotion) is no stranger to this blog as I wrote a review on it a few months a go (click here) and what do you know, it is still my favourite fake tan ever. What I particularly like about this product is its 'body lotion' feel because I feel that mousses tend to streak and look a lot more orange than lotions in their lasting effect (which is particularly common if you have pale skin like me). I also like that you don't necessarily have to use a moisturiser before applying the tan because it is already has highly moisturising properties as it is jammed packed with Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, and Seed Butter. I would most definitely say that this tan was the first tan that I ever used without it getting patchy or streaky, which for me and my skin tone, was a first. The 'B' in Baby B Browne sure does stand for 'brilliantly' brown. Look at the difference below (I just love how natural looking it is!):

Left: my skin before application Centre: 4 hours into development Right: 8 hours into development and after a shower.
When you first see/use this product you instantly think that it is going to be too dark for your skin but have no fear ladies, this is one clever product. The tan only comes in one colour (medium) but the lotion is designed to react with each individual's skin pigment to create a realistic looking tan that is specific to you. Unique and clever? I like. When you apply this product onto your skin I would highly recommend using a tanning mit because the tanning process starts instantly, After all, you don't want a 'Dorito hand' do you? The smell of this tanning lotion smells like no other. Expecting a hint if Indian food I was pleasantly surprised to get a waft of vanilla (I know I felt like a chocolate Easter egg!). So to show you how to prepare and apply this product correctly, I have filmed myself and have done a little step by step guide in a YouTube video. Don't forget to give it a thumbs up and subscribe!

You can pick up this product for £9.95 (for limited time only) usual price is £14.95 at http://www.babybbrowne.co.uk/


Will you be giving this seriously amazing tan a go?
Much Love
Eltoria x

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Monday 16 March 2015

Montagne Jeunesse Moisture Miracle Hair Mask

Thirsty hair? Well you can now quench that thirst with Montagne Jeunesse Miracle Hair Mask. This mask is extremely thick and rich which is infused with Vitamin E and a hell of a lot of Shea Butter (so as you can probably imagine it smells so divine... just like milky buttons in fact). Vitamin E helps to prevent hair loss and by massaging this mask into the scalp will also promote hair growth because it enables the capillaries to grow (so there's a nifty little tip for you all). What I particularly loved about this hair mask was its finishing touch as its shimmering properties made my hair look ever so glossy and healthy (which I must add looked amazing when it was down and straight). The only critique that I have about this hair mask (and thinking about it for most of Montagne Jeunesse products) is its really misleading product colour. On the packaging (above) the product looks yellow whereas as you can see below the product is in fact white. This for me can be quite annoying as sometimes all you want is a funky looking coloured facemask/hair mask. But nevertheless, this product really is worth the buy and it is also really easy to apply (see below for the instructions that I followed on the Montagne Jeunesse website).

Stage 1: Shampoo and rinse your hair. Apply Moisture Miracle to wet hair and massage it through from roots to tips to ensure an even application. For best results, leave in hair for 5-10 minutes to enable full penetration of the moisture-rich ingredients. Rinse out. You don't have to then proceed onto stage 2 but if you do, carry on reading.
Stage 2: Towel dry hair. Apply Protect & Seal in small amounts on a new area each time. Comb through to ensure that the serum is spread evenly through your hair. Then either leave your hair to dry naturally, or style using a hair-dryer. The amount of serum you need depends on the length and thickness of your hair (which for me wasn't too much at all).

Above: Hair after using the Moisture Miracle hair mask (I am the one with ombre'd hair if you didn't know)
Will you be trying out this hair mask for only £1?
Much Love
Eltoria x

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Sunday 15 March 2015

Yves Rocher

If I am completely honest with you all I had never heard of the brand Yves Rocher up until now. So you could say that writing this review was a little risky but you all know me, I love trying anything new when it comes to skin care. My skin has been on a little bit of a roller-coaster journey throughout the years as I have pretty much have had it all; spots, acne, dry skin, you name it, I've probably have had it at some point in my life. So keeping up with a good skin care routine is extremely important to me and judging by the amount of skin care products that I have stashed away in my beauty box would quite nicely support this (it's like owning my own little drug store). Any who, many of you will be wondering as to why I am reviewing a product which has been labelled 'Wrinkles & Radiance' because let's face it, I'm only 22 and I don't have any wrinkles yet. But trust me there is a very simple explanation behind (what would appear) to be a little crazy and arguably a very irrelevant blog post. Yves Rocher has selected Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum for its exceptional ability to extreme weather conditions and we all know that the weather can do some very damaging things to our skin, for example, acne and dryness. Also called Life Plant, it also goes through an extraction process that ensure beauty efficacy. So how efficient do you reckon these products have been on my skin? 

You can pick up both creams for £10.90 each
Now that I have graduated from university, getting a break out is now (fortunately) a rare occurrence but getting the odd spot or a patch of dryness will always happen now and again. And not to mention that my skin can sometimes look quite dull and patchy from the latter (typical isn't it). So the reason why I use Yves Rocher's 'Wrinkles and Radiance' is purely for its extremely amazing results, that is, radiant and hydrated skin. Well hydrated skin will help to keep the skin supple which will help to reduce wrinkles from forming as you get older. So this product is not just wholly for people who currently have wrinkles because it will also delay the 'wrinkle process' let's say. Even just using the day and night cream for 10 days I can see a massive difference in texture as it is much less patchy and red. As you can see below, the cream itself looks quite thick but it is not too oily as it goes onto the skin more like a serum (which is perfect under makeup). So with cute packaging with amazing results, you wouldn't even think that a cream like this would be suitable for someone my age!

Top: Night Cream Bottom: Day Cream
Would you give your skin a little pick me up with these products?
Much Love 
Eltoria x

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Wednesday 11 March 2015

Batiste Dry Shampoo

When you've overslept, lived it rough at a festival, or simply just cannot be bothered to wash your hair, let's face it, a can of dry shampoo can simply spray away all of your hair troubles. Not only do I use dry shampoo in a time of hair desperado, they are also a great product to use when trying to style your hair (especially when you've just washed it). Dry shampoos have also helped me to reduce the amount of times that I wash my hair in a week as I have now gone from every two days to every three days. It is no secret that reducing the amount of times that you wash your hair in a week is much more healthier as the natural oils help to keep the hair cuticle much more stronger and glossy (and not to mention it is so much more better for the environment). Whilst dry shampoos are for all, they are particularly good if you suffer from very oily hair as they help to prohibit one major beauty 'no no' that is, washing your hair every single day. Not only is washing your hair every single day extremely damaging (a common cause for split ends and frizziness) it will also cause your hair to get greasier a lot quicker. So as you can imagine, I was extremely excited to welcome some Bastiste products into my beauty box! I received Batiste's Care & Vitality and Heavenly Volume dry shampoos and a pot of XXL Plumping Powder.

Care & Vitality: This product is enriched with amino acids and mandarin oil which will make your hair feel mighty hydrated and strong. I particularly like to use this dry shampoo when my hair is styled down because it smells like lilies and it doesn't have a heavy finish. I would definitely recommend this dry shampoo if you have fine hair or a sensitive scalp because it is sulphate free. Overall this product is the perfect day or festival shampoo and you can pick it up for £3.99 from any drug store or supermarket.

Heavenly Volume: Va va va voom! A little bit of a lift here, a little bit of a lift there, yep this dry shampoo offers Hollywood volume. The finish on this shampoo is simply stunning, it is divine to touch and it offers a gorgeous natural bounce. I love to to use this shampoo when I want to add volume to a hair style: top buns, ponytails, loose curls, anything. You can pick up thus shampoo for £3.99 at any drug store or supermarket.

XXL Plumping Powder: Want to make a bold statement with your hair? All you have to do is sprinkle some of this magic dust and you're good to go. We all know that keeping hair big isn't always that easy, but this ultra light powder is perfect for straight, fine, or slippery hair that doesn't hold its style. I love to use this product when I wear my hair down in loose curls because it just adds extra shape to the style. You can pick up this Hollywood product for the bargain price of £3.99 at any drug store or supermarket.
Above: Just spray onto dry hair
Which one will you be picking up next time you're at the shops?
Much Love 
Eltoria x

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Monday 9 March 2015

Montagne Jeunesse Fudge Sauna

Oh holy fudge... this literally has to be one of my favourite facemask of all time (I'd say that it most definitely ranks in my top 3). Some of you will remember that almost a year a go I fell in love with Montagne Jeunesse's Chocoholic Heaven purely because it was the be-all and end-all of all self warming face masks. I remember wanting to change One Direction's song 'Best Song Ever' to 'Best Face Mask Ever' (I know, you can't blame any beauty blogger for wanting to do that). Self warming face masks are a great way to de-congest pores which will remove any dirt and grime. Most self warming face masks do come at a price, but this little gem only costs £1 making it my current most well valued beauty product on the market. Fudge Sauna really does smell like a packet of vanilla fudge so resisting opening your mouth (out of temptation) is a hard one to get over. This face mask contains rich Mediterranean Clay, Kaolin, and Vanilla extract- so having a dirt free and soft face is a 100% guarantee (emphasis added).

I have used Montage Jeunesse for years and they have featured on this blog may of times as they are just the perfect way to treat your skin at an affordable price. Ideally before applying a Montagne Jeunesse facemask, you ought to dampen your face with clean water, apply the face mask, leave for 10-15 minutes, and then rinse off. Finding Fudge Sauna in normal drug stores (like Boots and Superdrug) was really hard to come by. Instead, I bought this one on the Montagne Jeunesse website (click here) but I have seen these being stocked in Primark before. I would recommend this face mask to anyone who suffers from acne, congested pores, or oily skin; I used this packet 4 times in just over a week and my skin looked so much more radiant and clear.

Will you be trying this one out soon?
Much Love
Eltoria x

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Sunday 8 March 2015

Music Video MeMeMe| Behind The Scenes

Happy Sunday dolls! Well this was all kept a little hush hush but a couple of weeks ago I filmed music video number 3! Some of you will remember that last year I was in the Elyar Fox's music video 'Do It All Over Again' (where you will see my very impressive dancing skills on a bed) and the year before I was in Kyoto Drive's music video 'Breathe'. I've never mentioned this on here before but I have always really enjoyed to act- GCSE, A level, clubs, you name it, I was there playing whatever was going. Acting and being in front of a camera has always come quite natural to me but for some, it can be utterly terrifying. I think that the more and more that you practice in front of an audience or camera, the more it becomes comfortable and natural. Therefore it would be the right time to say the cliché saying 'that practice makes perfect'. This time I was being filmed in new artist Calum Foad's debut single 'MeMeMe' which was co-written and produced with Dan Weller. Dan Weller is popular for producing and song writing for Enter Shikari, Kids in Glass Houses, Young Guns, and many more other amazing bands. Therefore it was amazing to be asked by Calum and my good friend Josh to take part.

The song cleverly highlights the habits of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. Social media can be quite narcissistic, and it can be agreed that we use them as a tool to brag about what we've done with our day (everyone is guilty of that). And of course not to mention to post that great selfie that you've just taken of yourself (winky emoji). So overall it was great to play such a coloured character. Other than playing on a drum kit and pulling selfies, there were many other things that I had to do. So as a little teaser I vlogged a behind a scenes video which you can find below (I haven't included everything so you'll just have to wait until the finished piece). 

Above: Myself and Calum Foad
You can check out Calum's website at calumfoad.com.

Enjoy the video guys!
Much Love
Eltoria x

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Wednesday 4 March 2015

BB Creams

As a complete skin care enthusiast it is strange that I have never spoken about BB Creams... until now. In the day I tend to use mineral powder on my skin and foundation on nights out, but I've never considered wearing a, I don't know, a happy medium between the two? BB Creams were a complete hit in Asia before making their beauty debut in the European market in 2011, and let's all be honest, unlocking the secret to airbrushed skin sure does deserve a mighty Eltoria high five. These creams have similarities to tinted moisturisers but are created to go that one step further- with additions such as antioxidants and hyaluronic acid they help to regenerate the skin back to glorious health (and who doesn't want to banish blemishes for good). Direct from Singapore, Ginvera's Green Tea BB Cream sure does offer all of the privileges that BB Creams have to offer and much more. I absolutely love that this cream is enriched with Green Tea and Ginseng which are just amazing properties for problematic skin- acne, rosacea, eczema, you name it, it will help to soothe and reduce inflammation. Ginseng is also known for its anticancer properties which makes it a beauty secret to natural health and beauty definitely worth sharing.

(Excuse the freshly applied tan to my skin) As you can see above, the BB Cream looks identical to a foundation (but maybe not as thick). My skin truly looked flawless but the coverage was ever so light, airy, and non greasy- it was almost invisible. The finish on it wasn't exactly matte or dewy, but rather velvety which in my opinion is perfect for the day. If you do prefer more of a heavier coverage to your skin, I would recommend using this BB Cream as a primer. That way, you will allow your skin to benefit from the privileges of BB Creams and, thinking ahead, would make a great foundation replacement for when you are on holiday this year. Here are some other benefits to Ginvera's Green Tea BB Cream:

  • Revitalizes skin with Green Tea Extract to nourish skin and protect complexion against free radical damage and helps prevent the formation of dark spots.
  • Allantoin, Ginseng and Angelica to encourage cell renewal and revitalize skin, resulting in visibly fairer and more radiant skin
  • Formulated with SPF 30/PA++ to protect the skin from damage caused by UV rays, preventing premature ageing, wrinkles and fine lines
  • Light velvety non greasy texture, creates a flawless radiant finish that conceals imperfections, enlarged pores and evens out the skin tone.
  • Moisturising which will help the reduction of fine lines.
  • Specially formulated with a nano fine texture to allow easy spreading and application, resulting a more natural look
  • Infused with Hyaluronic Acid to provide all day hydration for soft, supple skin 
Have you tried BB Creams before?
Much Love
Eltoria x

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Monday 2 March 2015

The Best Blogger & Small YouTuber Camera

I think that one of the most common worries amongst all bloggers and vloggers is the quality of their photos and videos. We constantly compare our work to others which then causes us question whether our own blogs and vlogs are worthy of our time and efforts. This is especially a very common feeling amongst new bloggers and YouTubers and it is something that makes a lot of people quit so early on in the game. My top tip is to stick at it as after all, we all can't run before we can walk. My blogging journey started around 19 months ago where I was very fortunate enough to have a lot of help from my boyfriend who is a professional photographer. I was mainly taking photos/filming videos on his Canon 7D and Canon Mark III which are extremely expensive cameras but can be quite difficult to use (for example they are not easily portable). Whilst the quality of those cameras are absolutely stunning, they are somewhat not necessarily the ideal camera for bloggers and small YouTubers (and this was duly noted by my boyfriend). So this Christmas my boyfriend bought me the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 and I am totally in love. It is the ultimate 'shoot now share now' camera and has amazing qualities like a 21x optical zoom and a high performance 1.6 GHz QuadCore Processor. And you can pick one up for around £215.00... bargain!

The images above and below were shot on my Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 and as you can tell the quality is just stunning. The camera itself is incredibly easy to use as it has its own set modes, for example, Macro, Beauty Face, Landscape (and ahhh there's just too many to list!). It also has the settings that you would find on a very expensive camera (like the Canon 7D) and it talks you through what (for example) adjusting the shutter speed and aperture would do (it's just the perfect novice camera). What also makes it the best blogger and vlogger camera is its sharing capabilities. The camera is also built like a Samsung phone so you have a main menu with many apps on there, for example, Blogger, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, so you can instantly upload your photos and videos onto your social media sites! And trust me the content quality and look of your sites will significantly improve.

So don't put yourself down if you feel as though your pictures and videos aren't up to scratch. I thoroughly believe that the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 is an affordable camera to save up for and is a worthy investment to improve the quality of you current pictures and videos. If you would like to check out the quality of my videos, please visit my YouTube channel by clicking here, I do also like to edit my photos so let me know in the comments below if you would like me to do a little tutorial on editing (it's a lot easier than you think!).

What camera do you like to use?
Much Love
Eltoria x

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