Thursday 31 December 2015

Hello everyone, happy new years eve! Before the new year is upon us, I figured I should squeeze in my little Christmas haul from my loved ones, because I think I scored well this year!
First up, I will show what my parents gave me, I spent the few days before Christmas with them, then I came back home and spent Christmas day with my boyfriend.

From my parents I scored a cute set of Peter Alexander pj's with kitten faces all over the boxers and a ribbed grey singlet with lace detail around the neck line and a sweet little rose on the front. These are super comfy and soft, and I have been dreaming about kittens every night since I've worn them! They also gifted me a beautiful purse from Fossil. I was quite picky about what I wanted, I showed them something that was along the lines of what I want but I had really come across something that I fell in love with. The purse is perfect- white with gold foil spots and a gold zipper. And it is very roomy on the inside, I can fit a lipstick and my phone which is perfect! It also came with a clip-on wrist strap so it can be used as a clutch as well. Perfect! Finally I received the sweetest wristband/bracelet in an orange-rust colour with a brushed gold heart in the middle. It is very delicate and easy to wear- I'm not a huge jewellery fan! Thanks mum and dad x

My boyfriend absolutely spoiled me rotten this year! Firstly, a tub of Japanese Cherry Blossom body butter from the Body Shop, one of my most favourite scents. I got a beautiful faux leather diary with gold foil writing that says hello 2016 from Typo. I am an organised person so I was super excited to receive this! I may or may not have already planned the first 2 months of 2016...
I am a candle-holic so my next gift is perfect, a coconut-lime scented candle also from Typo. It is the perfect summer scent, I have already been burning this as well. However I am not so keen on the sticker on the side, it says 'You're weird, I like it', but all the candles in Typo have slogans on the side and maybe it is kind of apt coming from my boyfriend! The next gift is the star of my haul! Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium EDP. Ahhh I have been lusting over this for about 6 months. It is the most delicious and sexy musky scent. I can't really describe it any better (who can describe smells?) but I absolutely love it. Next he got me a new notebook for uni next year, a 4 subject spiral book with little document sleeves inside, also from Typo. I am super excited because it is my last semester at uni and I hope to be graduating in July 2016! He said he chose this one with the world map on the front because he wants me to travel the world, how sweet! Finally is a cute little pencil case to put all my coloured pens and pencils in (I have been swept up in the adult colouring craze), again from Typo. Black and gold faux leather with a strip of black pompoms across the front, super cute!!

I have really been spoiled rotten this year, I feel very fortunate. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and brings in the new year in style! I will see you next year (ha ha lame).

Take care,
elly xx

Wednesday 30 December 2015

The new year is fast approaching (2 days!) so I'd best get my unboxing for my December bellabox uploaded.


December's box
Firstly in this months box is Kevin.Murphy Color.Bug coloured hair shadow in white, which may be a challenge for my hair colour but I'll give it a go! Next is a pretty decent size (150ml) pump of Clearasil Skin perfecting wash. A product of this size is always a bonus! Next is a tube of the St. Tropez gradual tan in shower tanning lotion. I am always nervous around tanning products because I am so pale and I am covered in freckles so if the product is too dark I end up looking quite strange! But I'll give it a whirl as well. Next is 5 little samples of the Avon Cherish perfume. Perfect travel sizes and handbag sizes for on-the-go fragrances. Finally is a set of Jamberry nail wraps with a smaller-than-normal-but-still-decent-size nail file, which I know will go straight into my handbag as well!
I'm off to start testing this months products, but in the next few days I will be posting a mini-Christmas haul of the loot that my nearest and dearest spoiled me with, so I'll see you then!

Take care,
elly xx

Tuesday 29 December 2015

It has been a month since I last posted about my November bellabox so it is about time I review the products that were sent to me.
Firstly is the Bic Soleil Glow razor. I didn't think I would get a chance to use this within the month because I have a razor already, and I particularly wanted to save this for travelling. I did get the opportunity to use it however, as I travelled to the Sunshine Coast to spend a few days with my parents before Christmas. Whilst this is probably a good razor for travelling and tidying up (ie underarm shaving) I wouldn't recommend it as an every day razor. It does come with a handy little cap so it protects the blades when transporting, however there are no soap bars on either side of the blades which is what I am used to when shaving. Having said this, I guess this makes it perfect for travel as it is better quality than your average disposable razor that is ideal for travelling but not your top of the range razor with all whistles, bells, and soap bars. The short of the long is that I would not recommend as your regular razor, but I do recommend as a travel razor.
Secondly is the Lavera Naturkosmetik tin of All-Round Cream. This product is an excellent moisturiser. I used this predominantly on my arms (I use a gradual tanning moisturiser on my legs as I am so pale). I found that it was quickly absorbed, not drying at all, neither was it too oily. My only uncertainty is the scent. It is not a terrible scent but I don't love it. However, at the same time I found it very comforting to me as it reminds me of a lotion my mother used to wear when I was younger.
Next is the Ulta3 nail polish in Blue Heaven. I have not used and Ulta3 nail polish for a long time, they were probably my very first nail polishes that I used to get- they were always in the $2 bins at the chemist. I was really impressed with this nail polish. Very vibrant bright blue (if that is your thing), wore well, dried quickly, and didn't chip.
Now I have to say I may have let you down here. The next product, the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or, I have not yet used. To be honest, I guess I have been a bit scared to. It is very glittery and to be honest, I have not been to any occasion where I need to dress up so glittery, nor do I often go out to parties anyway. So my apologies here, but when I do use it, I will let you know my thoughts.
The next product is the Laqa&Co. Cheeky Lip in Humble brag. In my previous post I described this colour as a pale pink, however when I have worn it on my lips, it is definitely not pale! It gives a wonderful pop of colour (without being too intense) and is a long lasting, moisturising consistency. This is a dual product so it can also be worn on the cheeks. I am not so much a fan of dual products like this. Whilst I love it as a lipstick, I don't so much as a blush/cheek colour. I find the consistency a bit too sticky for me and not as easily blendable as a blush.
Finally is the SebaMed olive face and body wash. I really enjoyed using this product on my face, I didn't use it as a body wash as the sample size is not really large enough. This product kept my face cleansed without drying my skin but also didn't leave it too oily. I have fairly combination skin which can dry out easily but also is very prone to pimples in my t-zone. The scent of this product is fairly neutral. I guess you could say it has a faint olive-scent but not terribly over-powering. Out of all the products I tried throughout the month, this is the one that I am definitely keenest to re-purchase.

I will post my unboxing of December's box tomorrow so come back to see what I received! Let me know if you've tried any of these products before and if your opinions differ from mine at all.

As always, take care,
elly xx

I realise I am very new to the blogging scene and therefore the quality of my posts may not be to that of someone such as Zoella or Samantha Maria, nor will I have the following or the views, but I am very keen to continue this blog. It has been a few weeks since I posted my last update, just this morning my partner asked me how my blog has been going. Truthfully, I haven't forgotten, however I have been totally at a loss at what I should write about! Blogging isn't my job so I am not a 'beauty blogger' where companies send me samples of products to review. I am a full-time student and a full-time assistant nurse in an aged care facility, so at times I feel I may not have as much to write about. My partner made some suggestions this morning also, and so he has encouraged me to keep pushing on with my blog. Because of the nature of my career, privacy is paramount so I was hesitant to discuss this side of my life, however my partner suggested I speak generally. This may be hard for me to do initially, but I will work at it.
I hope I can maintain my blog to a standard I am proud of and to a standard that is enjoyable for others to read. Any comments and advice is welcomed :)

Take care,
elly xx

Friday 27 November 2015

As my first post on my blog (aside from my introduction post), I thought I would start with something that interests me on other blogs and on youtube and that is an unboxing of a subscription box. Here in Australia we have a monthly box called bellabox. I'm not sure about other boxes around the world, and even in Australia but I stumbled across this one in July and I have been loving it ever since.
I have recently unboxed my November box (each box for the month gets delivered at the end of the month) and I thought I would share it. Then, before I share next months' box, I will give a review of the products and whether or not I would recommend them. So let's get started!
This is the box that arrives in my letterbox once a month

The contents of this month's box
The first thing I saw when I unboxed my bellabox (apart from the product information cards) is the Bic Soleil Glow razor. I already have a razor, as I'm sure most females have, but I have the opportunity to try a new product, which I guess is the purpose of these boxes, but this will also be perfect for travel. Next I noticed is the Lavera Naturkosmetik tin of All-Round Cream. I also received a Ulta3 nail polish in Blue Heaven which I am very excited for as I love to paint my nails! The next product I noticed confused me initially. It is the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or. This is the little gold bottle in the picture. I initially thought this was another nail polish however upon further inspection it is a little bottle of multi-purpose dry oil for face, body, and hair. Next is the Laqa&Co. Cheeky Lip which I was lucky enough to select the colour I received in my box. Mine is in the colour Humble Brag, which is a pale pink. Finally I received the SebaMed olive face and body wash which appears to be a very neutral face and body wash in terms of acidity. 

I am very excited to try all these products over the next month, and I find these sample sizes generally do last me a month, sometimes more. I will review these products before I unbox my December bellabox. I think the team at bellabox have really put the thought into this month's box, as we in Australia are approaching the very steamy summer months and all these products I think I will use a lot of.

Until next time, take it easy, take care
Love, 
Elly x









Wednesday 11 November 2015

My name is Elly.
This is a blog about my life and the things that interest me. I hope to become more creative through the expression of my interests on this blog.
I am currently a university student, in my final year of a Nursing/Psychology degree.
Please feel free to email me with any questions, advice, or comments- elly.whittaker@hotmail.com

Take care
Elly