Christmas Decorating Ideas

With only 8 days to go until the big day it's probably safe to say that you've already put up your decorations but if you still need some ideas then you're in luck!  In case you haven't decorated yet, I've put together a few ideas for what to try this year. I feel like you can always work with what you've already got to achieve different looks and maybe just buying a few little extra things each year. My top tip however would be to take a look in all the shops and take inspiration from their Christmas decorations

- Folksy -

It's all about colour, colour, colour with this look. Be bold with what you choose and don't be afraid to mix in quirky little pieces, you don't want anything to match. Mixing textures and fabrics really brings the folksy look alive.

/ 1. £15 Sainsburys (in store) / 2. £2 Sainsburys (in store) / 3. £15 Marks and Spencer / 4. £12 Sainsburys (in store) / 5. £5 Wilko / 6. £1 Sainsbury (in store) / 7. £7 Debenhams /

- Tartan Traditional -

If you want your house to look extra cosy at Christmas then this is the look to go for. Imagine a hunting lodge in the highlands of Scotland filled with fresh greenery and subtle hints of tartan, that's what you're aiming for.

/ 1. £45 Next / 2. Marks and Spencer £3 (in store) / 3. Sainsburys £1 (in store) / 4. Sainsburys £8 (in store) / 5. Sainsburys £5 (in store) / 6. Marks and Spencer £35 (in store) / 7. Next £12 (in store) /

- Blue and White -

For the modernist who likes a touch of colour, navy blue and white is the way to go. Paired with silver accessories, this look is pure luxury yet still feels warm and inviting.

/ 1. £15 House Of Fraser / 2. £1 Sainsburys (in store) / 3. £5 Next (in store) / 4. £1 Sainsburys (in store) / 5. £10 Debenhams (in store) / 6. £30 Sainsburys (in store) / 7. £1 Sainsburys (in store) /

- Winter Wonderland -

Mixing white with bare, natural wood creates a welcoming feel to come out of the cold and in to your home, almost as if you're bringing the outside in. There's something magical about this look, like everything is lightly coated with glittering frost. 

/ 1. £12.50 Tesco / 2. £7 Tesco (in store) / 3. £35 House Of Fraser (in store) / 4. £52 House Of Fraser (in store) / 5. £4 Sainsburys (in store) / 6. £8 Sainsburys (in store) / 7. £20 House Of Fraser (in store) /

I LOVE decorating for Christmas but I don't have my own house yet so it's my Mum who gets the last lay in how we decorate. Does anyone else's Mum not let them decorate the Christmas tree!? She always does such an amazing job however so I really can't fault her! What theme(if any!) have you gone for with your Christmas decorations this year? Let me know below!

pictures property of Wilko, pictures property of House Of Fraser, pictures property of Tesco, pictres property of Sainsburys, pictures property of Next, pictures, property of Debenhams, pictres property of Marks and Spencer

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 8

How are we on number 8 already? I can't complain though, I get so excited to see what's behind the door each day and today's treat was the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer. I've heard of this before but I admit I had no idea what it was for. It turns out it's a pre shampoo conditioning treatment which is perfect as my poor hair has started drying out from having the central heating all the time!

Apparently this was originally created by Philip Kingsley for Audrey Hepburn so already I have high hopes for it, if it's good enough for Audrey then it's good enough for me! It claims to add elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine and seeing as it's a really decent sized bottle, I think I'll get a lot of use out of this. Here's hoping my hair will be all those things by the time I've finished it!

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 7

We're on day 7 already, phew this week's gone quick! It was a nice little surprise today to find an Aromatherapy Associates candle in my calendar. This is a brand I'm a big fan off but I have to admit something, I'm really not a candle person! I'm quite sensitive to strong fragrances, they make me feel queasy and sneezy to the point where I can't go anywhere near Lush shops and have to completely avoid Yankee Candle stands!

So I'm not sure about this one, the smell reminds me of the incense they burn in churches, it's definitely not unpleasant, in fact there's something quite soothing about it. Most likely though I think I'll be giving it to my Mum because she most definitely is a candle person!

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 6

A Sisley Radiant Glow Express Mask was what was behind number 6's door. It is a teeny tiny little bottle so probably only enough for maximum three uses but that's ok because I was expecting quite a few small sample products in the calendar and so far this is the only tiny one. Plus it's probably just as well because otherwise I would have fallen in love with it and then wanted to purchase a full sized bottle. Imagine my surprise to find out it's £73! Yes you did read that right, SEVENTY THREE POUNDS!

A little bit about the mask from what information I've gathered from the bottle, well it's red clay based and supposedly absorbs impurities and deep cleanses as well as giving an instant radiance boost. It all sounds promising, especially as the cold weather is already starting to take effect on my skin, but if it really is £73 worth of good then maybe I'll just save it to use on special occasions.

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 5

On day 5 of the YOU Beauty Advent Calendar I actually got something really quite useful, a Caudalie Nourishing Body Lotion. Obviously body lotion is always useful but, I only ever moisturise my face and never my body. I know, shock horror! Honestly I just never feel like I need to, I don't ever get dry skin so I get on just fine without moisturising. However, I'm willing to start giving it a go because the Caudalie lotion smells so amazing! I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly, it just smells fresh and light.  

So yes I will start moisturising, probably until this runs out, but then I will stop because a full sized bottle of this costs £20 and there is no way on earth that I can afford to spend that on moisturiser!

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 4

Today's treat behind the door was a full sized Essie nail polish in the shade 'lots of lux' from the Encrusted Treasures collection. It's a gorgeous shimmering blue with a matte finish. The matte texture actually surprised me a little, it isn't something I've ever really come across before. The glitter is small but chunky and I can only really compare it to the same finish as sandpaper but without the scratchiness! It is a beautiful colour though and perfect for the Christmas season! 

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 3

Day 4 of the YOU Beauty Advent Calendar brought me one of my all time favourite fragrances, the Molton Brown Orange & Bergamont body wash. My Mum is a huge fan of Molton Brown and regularly buys the Orange & Bergamont hand wash so I already know this fragrance and I absolutely love it. In fact as I write this I've already used up the whole bottle! 

I can't stress how excited I am to open this up every morning and the quality of products has really impressed me. I forgot to mention too that each little door has a quote from the brand/brand creator which is a really cute idea!

Christmas Gift Guide - For Dads

Dad's have to be far and away the most difficult to buy for at Christmas, well in my experience anyway. Ever year my Dad asks for a motorbike, sorry Dad but that's not gonna happen on my budget!

If I'm honest I think it's best just to ask directly if there's anything they'd particularly like but if you're looking for a surprise gift then there's all kinds of things included in my gift guide. I've tried to pick gifts to suit every Dad, all for £50 or less too. 

// Harris Tweed Laptop Case £20 // Canvas Satchel £49.95 // Navy Flannel Dressing Gown £34 // Modern Gent's Shaving Kit £25 // J by Jasper Conran Black Leather Belt £29 // Ted Baker Bike Print Hip Flask £22.40 (sale price) // Brown Check Moccassin Slippers £15 // Pure Cotton V-Neck Jumper £19.50 //  

What will you be getting your Dad for Christmas? Let me know below if you have any better ideas than mine!

pictures property of bhs, pictures property of the white stuff, pictures property of topman, pictures property of the body shop, pictures property of debenhams, pictures property of house of fraser, pictures property of marks and spencer

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 1

It's finally advent calendar time, I'v been looking forward to this moment for weeks and weeks! Can you tell I'm REALLY big on Christmas?! Especially so this year as my Mum very kindly treated me to the YOU Beauty Advent Calendar as a surprise! 

There are over £250 worth of products in the calendar including some really great high end brands which is just incredible!  I thought it might be fun to share what I find behind the door each day just like I did with my Ciate Advent Calendar last year so scroll down to see what was behind door number one!

For the first day of December I was treated to a mini Liz Earl Cleanse and Polish with muslin cloth and a handy little cleansing guide. This is just the perfect first gift for me as I am a huge fan of Liz Earle and the Cleanse and Polish especially and it's one of the main cleansers I use. I reckon I'll save it to use for when I go away but having an extra muslin cloth is always handy seeing as mine always seem to get lost in the wash!

Overall I'm really chuffed with the first day's treat, it's a brand I know and love and I will most definitely get a lot of use out of it. So far so good! I can't begin to describe how excited I am about seeing what's behind tomorrow's door! Eeep!

Have you got a beauty advent calendar this  year? Or maybe you think they are just a waste of money!? Let me know below!

Christmas Gift Guide - For Mums

So by now most of us have already started our Christmas shopping but it is nearly December so it's aloud! The Christmas gift guides I did on my blog last year were by far some of my most popular posts so I couldn't really not do them again this year. I absolutely love putting them together, it's so much fun and it gives me some really great ideas for gifts I can buy my own family too! 

So lets start with Mum's, or any other lovely ladies you may have in your life! They generally know what they want and will tell you but it's always nice to get them a surprise gift too! All the ideas I've included are £35.00 or less so there's something to suit all budgets. The next gift guide will follow soon!

// Knitted Faux Fur Trim Poncho £35.00 // Laura Mercier Mini Lip Glace Collection 'Natural Nudes' £29.70 (sale price) // Rocha John Rocha Candle £15.40 (sale price) // Leather and Suede Bow Cuff Glove £22.00 // Letter Writing Set £10 // Crown 2015 Magnetic Diary £10 // Wild Argan Oil Beauty Bag £12 // DKNY Be Delicious Gift Set £44.10 (sale price) //

Have you started you're christmas shopping yet? Let me know below!

(Pictures propery of Accessorize,Pictures property of  House Of Fraser Pictures property of Paperchase, Pictures property of The BodyShop, Pictures property of Next)

Top 5 - Best of 'A Girl Called Eleanor' 2013

2013 was a big year for me blogging wise because it was the year I started this blog way back in April. For 8 months now I have been regularly updating my blog each week and recently I wrote my 100th post, yay me!
I thought it would a pretty good idea to do a round up of the 5 most popular posts on 'A Girl Called Eleanor' in 2013 as a nice way to round off the year that was so lets take a look shall we? To see the corresponding post either click the link or the picture above.

5. Number 5 is most recent of all of the top 5 and my favourite type of post to read at this time of year, it's what I got for Christmas. It could be that I am perpetually nosey, ok yes it is, but I love seeing what everyone gets for Christmas and that's the only reason I made my own post. I got some amazing gifts this year and was thoroughly spoilt by my lovely family. If you're as nosey as me then take a look at what I got here.

4. At number 4 is a surprise entry, (ooh I feel like I'm on top of the pops) this post was all about home decor using the colour scheme aqua blue and coral. I guess I got inspired to do some home decor posts because I was redecorating my bedroom at the time. I haven't done any of these sorts of posts for a while but I think I will do more in the future, I really enjoy writing about home decor and they seem to be pretty popular. Check out the original post here.

3. Make up reviews have been very popular on my blog this year so it's no surprise this beauty features in the top 5. It's of course my review of the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Lipstick in the shade 'Peach Passion. I didn't stop wearing this lipstick throughout the summer and the packaging is just so stunning which makes it a real winner in my eyes! I suggest you take a look at my review here, but be warned, it may make you part with your cash immediately afterwards.

2. The popularity of this post is slightly surprising to me as I haven't heard many people talking about the Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam mascara but my review of it has been my most popular beauty review of 2013 especially from google searches. I rave about this mascara constantly and I haven't used any other since I've tried it which only means one thing, you should definitely try it! I'm sure my review here will persuade you!

1. At number 1 is my most exciting post of 2013, my 100th post and also my very first giveaway of a gorgeous Bobbi Brown eye palette. Unfortunately my giveaway has now closed but it was extremely successful and I was completely overwhelmed by the response so thank you to all you lovely lot who entered! I am planning more giveaways for 2014 so keep checking back on A Girl Called Eleanor for more chances to win. Have a gander at the lovely prize here.

So it's a real mixed bag of post for 2013, I'm still tweaking my writing style as well as what subjects to write about so it's interesting for me to do this kind of post, in fact I'd love some feedback on what you think works/doesn't work and what you'd like to see more of on A Girl Called Eleanor in 2014.

What I Got For Christmas 2013

I was in two minds to do a post about what I got for Christmas this year mainly because I didn't want it to seem like I was showing off but that isn't what this is supposed to be at all. I love reading all about what other people got for Christmas on their blogs so I thought you might enjoy hearing about a few things I got too. I admit I've been thoroughly spoilt by my family but they work hard all year to treat us at Christmas so I'm eternally grateful for everything I've been given and I really love them to bits!

So anyway I just thought I'd share with you a few of my Christmas gifts starting with the beautiful new black handbag my sister got me from Accessorize. I chose it myself whilst out shopping with her so it wasn't a surprise but I was very determined about the style of bag I wanted and this one was perfect!

I also got these beautiful black leather ankle boots from Kurt Geiger because you can never go wrong with a pair of ankle boots for winter. I managed to get my Mum a really good discount for these with a 25% off Kurt Geiger voucher included in November's Elle magazine!

The 1920's style print pencil case is from Ted Baker and I thought I could use it as a make up bag to keep in my handbag. It's a bit different to Ted Baker's usual prints but I've really fallen for the 1920's style this year mainly due to the release of The Great Gatsby so I loved it as soon as I saw it!

I've been after a fur lapel for ages so when I spotted this cream faux fur number on Asos I immediately sent a link to my Mum and it just happened to turn up under the tree! It's so luxurious and looks great with my black leather jacket and green parka.

I'm going to have seriously great hair this year as I was also treated to the ghd V Sapphire Styler and the Babyliss Curl Secret! I was so excited when I opened them and I really didn't expect to get both for Christmas so it was such an amazing surprise! I've used both already and I am very impressed! I even used the Babyliss Curl Secret on Christmas morning, it only took 15 minutes to curl all of my hair when it usually takes 45 minutes and I really loved the result! 

I'd love to hear what you got this Christmas so let me know in the comments below!

Christmas N.O.T.D - Ciate 'Ivory Queen' and 'Party Shoes'

Happy Boxing Day everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and indulged in way too much food just like I did to make me feel less guilty about stuffing myself with turkey and chocolate!

I really wanted to share my Christmas Day nails because they're too pretty not too. I've picked up some amazing nail polishes in my Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar and these two polishes have to be my favourite. Ivory Queen, a perfect nude shade, I used as a base then added a light coat of Party shoes which is a gorgeous gold glitter with specks of turquoise. You don't really get the full effect in these pictures but believe me they look amazing, it's such a gorgeous combination.

You can take a look at what nail polishes I got in days 1-9 of the Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar here, the rest of the days will be posted shortly so keep an eye out!

My Home At Christmas

It's the 24th of December (can you believe it!) which means most of us are either braving the shops for last minute gifts or relaxing at home thinking about what Christmas will bring. To all those of you who are working on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, I hope you have an extra special Christmas whenever it may be!
Now I have a confession to make, we put our Christmas tree up on the 30th of November which means our tree has been up for nearly a whole month already! I really hope that isn't some kind of bad luck but it seems like a lot of people I know put theirs up towards the end of November as well so I think we're safe! It's starting to look a little worse for wear so I'm really hoping it holds out until the new year. As always we bought a real tree this year although we decided to go for something a little smaller than doesn't block out all the light coming in through the bay window. Gold, white and silver was chosen as the colour scheme which I think looks really elegant and very christmas-sy
 

I decided to give my room a little Christmas makeover too so out came the lights, the tinsel and the mini tree with matching mini ornaments. The pictures aren't great quality but you get the idea!

This Christmas as with every year I will be spending it at home with my family. It's quite a quiet affair in our house, my family lives all over the world so it's not really plausible to get them all together at Christmas but what we do is just as special and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

I always wake up way too early on Christmas morning although these days I can just about manage to stay in bed until everyone else is ready to get up. Chocolate is a traditional breakfast for me followed by opening of presents! I really don't know how people manage to wait to open their presents, I'm just too impatient! The rest of the day will be filled with food, fun, winter walks and Christmas TV not necessarily in that order. Any one else extra excited for Doctor Who!?

What are your plans for Christmas day? I'd love to hear how everyone else celebrates!

HAVE A LOVELY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Christmas Party Look - Hair and Makeup

For my Christmas party look this year I've gone for quite a classic look, red lips and a swipe of eyeliner and that's it! For some reason my lipstick looks pink in the above picture (I blame dodgy lighting!) but I'm actually wearing Ruby Woo by Mac. I also decided not to bother with an eyeliner flick like I usually do and instead I think it looks more like I'm wearing false eyelashes which I'm not.
You can see my makeup in a more natural light in the pictures below. You can also see how pale I am, PALE AND PROUD I AM!

What I used:

Makeup:

• Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer
• Rimmel  Wake Me Up Foundation
• Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer
• Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder
• Mac Pro Longwear Blush in 'Rosy Outlook'
• Benefit Magic Ink Eyeliner
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara Extreme Black
• Mac Lipstick in 'Ruby Woo' Matte

Hair:

• Babyliss Curling Wand
• Umberto Giannini Hot Styler Spray
• Batiste Dry Shampoo

For my hair I used the Babyliss Curling Wand to create quite tight curls. Once my hair was cool I brushed it through with fingers for more of a tousled look. For more volume I sprayed Batiste dry shampoo at the roots then gave it a good backcomb with my fingers, easy peasy! I use the Umberto Giannini Hot Styler Spray which it acts as a heat defence spray, smooths as a serumm as well as a hairspray so you can use it before and after you curl your hair.

I really love this look, it's quite Marilyn Monroe inspired and it's a real classic that anyone can wear. More than likely this will be my Christmas day makeup too!

N.O.T.D Ciate 'Kiss Chase' and 'Jingle Belle' Glitter

A quick nail of the day post today using more of the mini nail polishes I've received in my Ciate Mini Mani Month Calendar. This time I've used 'Kiss Chase', a creamy hot pink colour as a base and then sprinkled 'Jingle Belle' glitter, a mix of hot pink and holographic glitter, all over every nail. I'll probably regret all the glitter when it come to taking it off because it's so difficult to remove but hey, it's Christmas and we all need some glitter at Christmas!

You can check out what mini polishes I got in days 1-9 of the Ciate Mini Mani Month Calendar here.

Christmas Party Essentials

You're gonna have to bear with me whilst I go a little Christmas crazy on my blog but before you know it it'll be all over so I'm damn well making the most of it! I love this time of year because there's just so many opportunities to get glammed up and have fun with your make up. You can get away with being a bit more daring with glitter and colour because if you can't at Christmas when can you!
I thought I'd do a post about my beauty essentials for the perfect Christmas party look, I haven't included every single product I would use, just the products I would really recommend.
(As an added note I'm really sorry the quality of the picture below is not great, I'm finding it really hard to take decent pictures now that the days are so dark! Stupid winter!)

Face

- Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation £8.99

This foundation is pure magic I'm telling you! My use of concealer has considerably cut down since I've started using it and in my books that makes it a winner. Apply this with a foundation brush and you'll be good to go for the whole night.

- Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer £6.99

Fancy dancing the night away without worrying about your make up slipping half way down your face? Then you definitely need to be using this primer throughout the party season. It's the only way to keep you looking perfect all night long which makes it a must have in my books. You can take a look at my review here.

Eyes

- Benefit Magic Ink Liquid Eyeliner £15.50

Liquid eyeliner will pick up any eye look, you can even get away with no shadow, as long as you've got a flick of eye liner you're good to go! This eyeliner is my favourite to use as it applies easily and lasts the longest out of any I've tried. You can read my review of it here or check out my guide to the perfect eyeliner.

- Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara £6.99

I've already raved about this mascara on my blog so I had to give it a mention as an essential for any Christmas party look. It's a real bargain which gives you huge fluttery false lash look lashes, just what you need to add glamour to any eye look. You can take a look at my review here.

- Eylure Naturalites False Eyelashes £5.35

For a little extra help in the lash department I really recommend to try any of Eylure's false Eyelashes. They have a huge range of styles to choose from and the quality of them really isn't bad! I tend to go for more natural looking ones and amp it up with a bit of mascara. 

- Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo 'On and On Bronze' £4.99

For a simple look try swiping this across the eyelid for a glittery wash of colour. The colour can be built up or blended it out making it easy to work with if  you haven't got much time to get ready for a party. You can check out my review here.

Lips

- Mac Ruby Woo Matte Lipstick £15.00

This ruby red lipstick is a favourite amongst beauty bloggers and it's not hard to see why. For a classic retro look swipe this on your lips and you'll be good to go. If you go for any look this Christmas season, red lipstick is timeless and effortless whilst looking like you've made an effort!

  

Nails

- Ciate Paint Pot 'Boudoir' £9.00

This nail polish came in my Ciate Advent Calendar this year and I had to include it purely because it's one of those classic reds that instantly gives you a Christmassy look. It looks super elegant and I'll definitely be wearing it come Christmas day! Why not have a look at my Christmassy nail look here.

What are your beauty essentials this Christmas season?