HUGE Summer Clothes Haul

I've got one of my favourite types of posts for you today, it's a big old haul! I'm so incredibly nosey when it comes to seeing what other people buy to the point when I make my Mum and Sister do a show and tell of what they've bought when they come back from shopping trips! I also love watching and reading other people's hauls so I thought it would be fun to share with you what I've bought recently. It's mostly summer bits but it's only now that I look at it all laid out in front of me that I realise I definitely stick to a theme when it comes to my wardrobe; black, white, grey and denim. Not exactly summery!

/ Striped dress / Grey v neck top / California top / Blue jeans / White jeans /

I always think the shops are really rubbish at this time of the year, it's like they're still trying to sell off their old stock before we move into summer. Because of that I've done a lot of online shopping recently, it's definitely a much safer bet than braving the high street on a Saturday! 

New Look is particularly good online at the moment, I got quite a few things from there including this 70s inspired 'California' t shirt which I think will go great with my favourite thing I bought, short dungarees! I also got a grey v neck t shirt which is a great staple wardrobe piece. I've already teamed it with the white skinny jeans I bought from Bershka that I also got in light blue, both of which where only £12.99! Lastly from New Look I got a versatile stripe skater dress which will be great to dress up or down and goes perfectly with the flat, pointed shoes I also found on the New Look website. They're suede at the front and faux snakeskin on the back with a little buckle strap. 

/ Off shoulder top / Dungarees / Okay jumper / Cropped grey top / Pointed flat shoes /

A trip to my local Outfit store turned out pretty good too as I picked up this gorgeous floaty sleeved, off the shoulder top and a little grey, ribbed crop top to wear underneath my new dungarees. Both where from the Topshop section. I feel like I'm going to live in these dungarees over the summer, they'll be perfect for my trip to Cornwall I have planned at the end of August! 

Other than the two pairs of jeans, I did actually pick up two other things from the Bershka store in Westfield Shepherds Bush, this amazing white, slogan 'OKAY' sweatshirt and something else I totally forgot to include in the picture, a crochet knit, fringed waistcoat. I'll include a link though so you can take a look at it on the website (see here). I'm imagining wearing it with a little top and my high waisted short for a festival sort of vibe!

I know I've mentioned before that I earn a bit of money from doing online surveys and in actual fact my entire New Look order was paid for with £50 worth of vouchers from these sites! Along with a £10 voucher code I got sent in the New Look newsletter, I ended up getting £60 worth of clothes/shoes for absolutely free! Honestly, I'm in no way being sponsored by these sites, I just think they're great way to get a little extra cash for very little effort! I'd totally recommend you sign up to a few, it's really paid off for me so far, I've used them to buy a camera tripod, makeup and all sorts of other things!

What do you guys think of what I've been buying lately? Have you been on a summer shopping spree? Tell me what you bought or leave me the links to your hauls in the comments below!

Ellie x

Welcome To BEAUTYDRESSED.COM!

Welcome to BEAUTYDRESSED.COM, formerly known as A Girl Called Eleanor! Yep I've given my blog a whole new name! It's something I've been thinking about for quite a while now, mainly because I felt the previous name didn't really say anything about what my blog is about. It made it sound like a lifestyle blog when really it's a whole mix of things. So after much umming and ahhing, I decided on Beauty Dressed which better reflects both the fashion and beauty side of my blog as well as the lifestyle posts. This is obviously one of the big changes I was talking about in my previous post but another is that after two years of blogging I've finally decided to buy my own domain name! It's so exciting because it really feels like my own site now!

Are you ready for yet another change? Well it is safe to say my posts have been sporadic as of late but I'm fully commited now to posting at least 4 times a week with all new content which will include more outfit posts, product reviews, hauls and lots more new ideas too. I already have a few things up my sleeve!

Now feels like a really great time to start making these changes as I feel like I'm ready to start dedicating more time to my blog and turn it into something that I've thought about for a long while. Plus, I definitely think we're at the beginning of a new phase of blogging where people are finally taking notice and taking it more seriously and I don't want to get left behind. I really want to be a part of what's to come in the future of blogging.

At the end of the day though, I don't really want to change what my blog is about, I can already see the improvements I've made in my two years of blogging and I want to continue to improve and create great content that you guys will want to read.

Ellie x

Blog Makeover & Exciting Changes Ahead!

As I'm sure you've already noticed, A Girl Called Eleanor has had a serious makeover! It was much needed if I'm honest, the last blog design I had I created myself which meant it lacked quite a few professional finishes especially compared to other blogs. But now look at it, all shiny and new and it even has a fancy post slider at the top! Eeeep! It isn't quite finished however, I'm hoping to get a custom header designed in the next few weeks to make it a little more me but so far I'm really happy with how it's turned out!

The blog makeover is just one of many exciting changes I have planned for the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled for lots more great stuff! As well as this, I will be upping my commitment towards the blog with far more regular posts and hopefully an increase in the quality of content too!

I really hope you guys love the new design as much as I do! Like I said, it will be getting tweaked over the coming weeks to make it more personal, it's all very exciting! If you have any ideas as to what sort of content you'd like to see more of then please let me know below! Maybe there are some posts which you've particularly liked and want me to do again? I'm always up for trying new ideas, I've got a few up my sleeve already!

Ellie x

Going 'Bronde' - L'Oreal Preference Glam Highlights Review

I feel like I'm being really daring with my hair recently, you know what with cutting it all off into a short bob and that. But apparently that wasn't enough for me, apparently I needed to dye it for the first time in 10 years too. So I did dye it with much trepidation and low and behold it came out exactly how I wanted it to. What are the odds of that happening! 

Really though I just fancied a bit of a change up for the summer and don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of my natural brunette colour but there's something thrilling about having little streaks of gold through your hair. It just makes me feel all light and summery! And now I kinda want to go blonde. Eeeek.

It was pretty simple to do actually, even for a novice like me! I used the L'Oreal Preference Glam Highlights kit in N.03 for dark blonde to light brunette hair. It's the one from the advert with Jennifer Lopez and her amazing mane telling you to 'Go Bronde!'. Yeah that one. 

It comes with a really easy to use three pronged brush which you squeeze the dye onto and brush through the hair to create the highlights. I started slightly away from the roots for a more natural look and applied light pressure at the top and more pressure at the ends. I also applied more dye to the ends of my hair for an ombre effect. I had to get my Mum to help me do the back of my hair so I didn't leave any big gaps but I think generally if you have longer hair you could quite easily split your hair in half at the back, bring it forward and do it that way without an extra pair of hands. I left the dye on for about thirty minutes as I was worried it would go too blonde although you can leave it on for up to forty minutes. There's actually a really great video on the L'Oreal Paris youtube channel (see here) which shows you the best way to use it which I found really helpful too!

I think this particular shade (N.03) of the L'Oreal Preference Glam Highlights kit has been very popular as it seems to be sold out everywhere I go. I really wanted to get hold of another pack to put a bit more blonde in the front of my hair. Thankfully though I found that the L'Oreal Preference Wild Ombres N.01 kit contains the exact same dye products in the box, the only different being the brush so I've kept the three pronged brush to use with this instead. Boots seems to still have it in stock online however so if you want to try it, I suggest you stock up fast!

Will you guys be changing up your hair for the summer? Maybe you've already given L'Oreal Glam Highlights a try? Let me know your thoughts below!

L'Oreal Preference Glam Highlights N.03 - £7.49 boots.com
L'Oreal Preference Wild Ombres N.01 - £7.49 boots.com

Ellie x

Rituals Make-Up - Sunglow Blush & Duo Baked Eyeshadow Palette Review

I've been a fan of Rituals products for ages (especially the scent diffusers because they smell absolutely incredible!) but I only recently realised that along with their skincare and home products, they also do make-up. I still don't even know how I missed this! So when the wonderful people at achica.com very kindly offered to gift me some products to review and I found they were selling products from the Rituals make-up range I decided I'd really like to try the gorgeous Sunglow Blush in Pink and a cute little Duo Baked Eyeshadow Palette called Creamy Dusk.

The Rituals Sunglow Blush in Pink is described as 'gemstone make-up enriched with Amethyst which I have to say really intrigued me. I've heard of mineral make-up of course but never gemstone make-up which sounds really luxurious! There's a little note on the box which explains that 'according to ancient Chinese tradition, amethyst promotes inner peace, creativity and balance in the body. Well who knew a blusher was capable of doing all of that! In all honestly though, I know it may be a bit of a marketing ploy but I actually really like the idea, it makes me feel happy applying a product to my face which may well make me feel good on the inside as well as the outside.

 

The blush itself consists of a peachy pink shimmer, a pale pink shimmer, a slightly darker rosy pink shimmer, a brown-y purple shimmer and a light, highlighter shade. Rituals say the Sunglow Blush can be used as a 'natural shimmer for cheeks and eyes' which considering the colour range of the blush seems like a really great idea. This is a real four in one product in my opinion, all the shades can be swept together on to the cheek, the pale, creamy shimmer shade can be used as a highlighter, any of the pink shades can be used separately on the cheeks and all the shades can be used on the eyes. I can already tell I'm going to get a lot of use out of this little palette! 

The colour pay off is absolutely brilliant, plenty gets on to the brush so I'd advise a light hand if you're looking to create a natural look. I chose to sweep all the colours together to apply to my cheeks and just look at how much of a gorgeous, natural flush it gives me! My skin looks extra glowy and fresh and it doesn't look at all powdery, it sinks it to the skin almost as if you are using a cream blush rather than a powder.

The packaging is great too, it feels sturdy and satisfyingly heavy so I feel positive there's no way it would break if I carried it around in my bag. It would be a great little palette to take away with you for a weekend and the large mirror in the lid is extra handy for when you're on the go. 

As for the Duo Baked Eyeshadow Palette in Creamy Dusk, well it's safe to say I already own quite a few eyeshadows but the colour combination of the two colours really made me want to try it. It includes a beautiful dusty pink and a purple-y grey shade, both of which are matte. I don't own many matte eye shadows so already this is a great one to add to the collection. Rituals describes the eyeshadow as being 'precious mineral makeup' 'enriched with pulverised natural gemstones'. It doesn't say which gemstones but again it adds a little luxurious feel and it's nice to know that it's been created with all natural ingredients.

Despite being powder eyeshadows, they're actually really creamy much like the blush. I found that my brush picked up a lot of product and yet the colour blended easily on to the skin without any fallout. I've used this little palette numerous times now to create a pretty daytime look by applying the pink shade to the whole lid and the grey blended out in the socket line and outer edge of the lid. Again this comes with a great size mirror and nice sturdy packaging so no worries about it spilling out all over your bag.

If like me you didn't know that a Rituals make-up range even existed then I'd totally recommend you search out some of their products, I know I will be! I'm really keen on the idea of trying more natural and mineral makeup and Rituals certainly seems like a great place to start. Let me know in the comments below if you can recommend any other mineral makeup ranges I should try!

Rituals Sunglow Blush Pink - Achica price £15.25    RRP £25.50
Rituals Duo Baked Eyeshadow Palette Creamy Dusk - Achica price £11.25    RRP £19.50
achica.com
uk.rituals.com

Ellie x

Ren Skincare - Rosa Centifolia Exfoliating Cleanser & Active 7 Radiant Eye Gel Review

Hands up who knew achica.com sold beauty products?! No me either, but after the very lovely guys from achica.com got in touch with me recently to see if I'd like to review some products from their site, I soon found out they do some really great deals on high end and well known beauty products. I chose a great package deal which included the Ren Skincare Rosa Centifolia Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser and Active 7 Radiant Eye Gel for just £20, a great saving considering that sold seperately they are £15 and £20 respectively.

I'm a big fan of Ren Skincare as they use only 100% plant and mineral derived ingredients. I put enough chemicals on my face from makeup etc so it makes me feel happy that I'm using completely natural products to cleanse my skin. 

I've previously used the Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser so the Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser has been on my radar for a while. I have to admit I was slightly dubious about exfoliating cleansers beforehand, I have quite sensitive skin anyway so I didn't particularly want to make things worse by scrubbing it to bits but I was pleasantly surprised! The cleanser itself is basically a watered down version of the hot cloth cleanser with the added benefit of tiny little exfoliating beads in it. There aren't many beads in it which is probably which it doesn't even feel as if you are using a scrub on your skin. Exfoliating wise it's really great, it's gentle enough so there's absolutely so irritation and my skin felt considerably softer after each use. I really felt like it had got rid of any dead and dry skin, especially around my nose which is where I normally have a problem with that kind of thing.

As for it's cleansing properties however I have to say it's not great, you can't use it anywhere near your eyes for obvious reasons and as for the rest of the face, my skin did feel clean but it wasn't anywhere close to removing all my makeup.  This is definitely a cleanser where you have to give your face a wipe with makeup remover or a face wipe beforehand which kind of defeats the object if you ask me! It does leave your skin feeling fresh and soft however and despite my previous misconceptions about exfoliating cleansers, it's definitely gentle enough to use daily.

I already have a few different eye serums and creams but up until I'd tried the Active 7 Radiant Eye Gel, I had yet to try any kind of eye gel. This one promises to 'treat, revive and brighten the delicate eye area' and helps to 'reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles'. So have I noticed a considerable difference in my eye area? Well not really but it's early days yet. It does feel incredibly soothing and cooling to apply, it sinks in to the skin almost instantly and definitely makes my eyes feel less puffy in the morning. It is supposed to have brightening qualities, unfortunately I didn't see much difference at all but hey, that's what concealer is for! I will say though that it leaves your skin feeling so incredibly smooth, almost like a primer and creates a great base for applying foundation/concealer. I've noticed too that my concealer hasn't creased once since I've started using the Active 7 Radiant Eye Gel so I'd definitely recommend it as an eye primer if anything! 

It's a bit of a mixed review I'm afraid for both the Rosa Centifolia Exfoliating Cleanser and the Active 7 Radiant Eye Gel. I didn't dislike either of them, they just didn't really thrill me either but they certainly both had their plus points. If you are looking for a decent eye gel then I would totally recommend this one, I can't imagine any others would be much different from this one. I think if we've got anything from this it's that I will definitely be keeping an eye on the Achica website for beauty bargians from now on and I suggest you do too!

achica.com
Ren Skincare Rosa Centifolia Exfoliating Cleanser - £15 renskincare.com
Ren Skincare Active 7 Eye Gel - £20 renskincare.com  

* This post is not sponsored. I was kindly gifted the products mentioned to review.*

Homemade Easter Treats

I hope everyone's enjoying the bank holiday weekend and for those of you who are celebrating, a very happy Easter to you! May your weekend be filled with plenty of chocolate and hot cross buns! I don't normally do anything different for Easter besides buying the usual mountain of Easter Eggs for everyone but an afternoon spent round at my sister's house totally inspired me to get creative. Basically we wanted to spend less than we normally would on Easter eggs and yet create something even more special and thoughtful.     

 

So with a small budget in mind we headed off to our local Poundland to check out what (if any!) Easter bits they had in store. Turns out they had loads of cute bits and pieces, we really could have spent so much more than we did! There was tons of Easter themed crafty bits, my favourite of which where the little baskets and other things to create your own egg hunt. I seriously can't wait to have kids, I'm really going to go all out with that kind of thing! In the end though we bought this great pack which included cellophane bags decorated with eggs and bunnies, tissue paper in assorted pastel colours and little ribbon ties, so we could make our own Easter treat bags. All for a pound too, bargain!

To fill the bags we chose assorted bags of mini eggs, Cadbury dairy milk mini eggs, mini Malteaster bunnies and Cadbury Creme Eggs to go in each as well as some fluffy little Easter chicks to finish them off. They took less than five minutes to put together and only cost about £3 per head, about half the price of your average Easter egg! Then we had the idea to make some simple but extra yummy chocolate nest cakes which again, took about 5 minutes to make but I already know they'll be a big hit with my family today! Oh and if you're wondering, the cake stand also came from Poundland last year, I  thought the colours of it fitted perfectly with my Easter theme!

So if you find yourself doing a last minute mad dash round the shops looking for the last remaining Easter eggs, why not try my ideas instead! I guarantee your friends and family will appreciate the thought you put in to these way more than a Peppa Pig or Bob the Builder Easter egg cause we all know that's all they'll have left!

What do you guys think of our Easter treats we created? Have you made anything special for Easter? Be sure to let me know below!

Ellie x