Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer

I Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer £6.99 AVAILABLE HERE I

I picked up the Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer a couple of weeks ago as part of a three for two deal because, well I know it's probably a beauty sin but I've never actually used a primer before! I've been using it for a few weeks now to give it a proper testing and thought I'd share what I've found.

Firstly I have to say that it really lives up to it's name, I've immediately noticed that it's made my foundation and concealer last a good couple of hours longer than it normally would. I was pretty amazed by this because I honestly thought it would make no difference but I've been doing fewer touch ups and I don't end up with that really annoying oily foundation build up around my nose like I used to. 

It feels very smooth when applied to the skin, there's no greasy residue, it just leaves your skin feeling velvet soft. Once I've applied my foundation it still feels incredibly smooth and has a sort of mattifying effect so if you prefer more of a glowing look then this primer is not for you.

I think what I most like about this product is that it acts as a barrier between your makeup and your skin so you have protection from wearing makeup as well as grime and dirt from everyday life. You don't need a lot of product, a little really goes a long way so I'm hoping that means it'll last me a good while too. It's unscented which is great for me as my skin gets really irritated by perfumed products.  

For the price I think the Rimmel primer gives great results and it's definitely something I will be repurchasing. It's become a firm favourite in my everyday makeup routine.

Easy Cupcake Recipe

I baked these cute cupcakes for a belated baby shower my Mum threw for a work colleague last week. Apparently they went down really well and obviously I sneaked a few for myself which were heavenly, I'm the sort of girl that can't resist cake! They're really simple to make as well as being easy to adapt with other flavours so I couldn't resist sharing with you my tried and tested recipe to make the perfect cupcakes.

You will need:
110g Plain Flour
110g Caster Sugar
110g Softened Butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 eggs

For the Butter Cream Frosting:
125g Softened Butter
125g Icing Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Makes 12

• Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F / Gas Mark 4.
• Line a muffin tin with paper cases.
• In a bowl beat the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder.
• In a separate bowl lightly whisk the eggs and vanilla extract and add to the rest of the ingredients.
• Mix for around two minutes until well combined so the mixture is light and airy.
• Evenly distribute the mixture between the paper cases (I like to use an ice cream scoop!) 
• Bake in the oven for 16-18 minutes until lightly golden. Test by lightly pressing the top with your finger, it should spring back.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then place on a wire rack to cool fully

To make the butter cream frosting:

• In a large bowl lightly beat the butter and the vanilla extract.
• Add in the icing sugar a little at a time and mix until light in colour and fluffy in texture.

I used a round nozzle to pipe on the icing then decorated with mini marshmallows and hundreds and thousands.

Christmas Gift Guide - For Your Dad

1. M&S Collezione Pure Cashmere Scarf £35.00 AVAILABLE HERE
2. M&S Dapper Shaving Collection Gift Set £12.50 AVAILABLE HERE
3. Behind Enemy Lines: The Autobiography of Britain's Most Decorated Living War Hero (Book) £8.99 AVAILABLE HERE
4. Jasper Conran brown leather wallet and belt gift set £36.00 AVAILABLE HERE
5. Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control £69.95 AVAILABLE HERE
6. Rocha John Rocha Brown Flat Cap £18.75 AVAILABLE HERE
7. Autoloader Screwdriver £19.99 AVAILABLE HERE

Dad's are probably the most difficult to buy for at Christmas because they never give you any clues! They'll say 'Oh I don't really need anything' when really they're hoping you'll get them a motor bike or something. (Well at least that's what my Dad would say!) The gifts I've include are slightly more expensive than my other gift guides and that's because I couldn't resist the Doctor Who screwdriver TV remote. I mean how cool is that, especially as today marks the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who! (If you haven't watched it then you definitely should!) Everything else is very budget friendly and most importantly Dad friendly!

Christmas Gift Guide - For Your Mum

 

1. Origins Morning To Midnight Christmas Gift Set £40.00 AVAILABLE HERE
2. Leather Twist Lock Purse £22.00 AVAILABLE HERE
3. Leather Glove With Faux Fur Cuff £27.00 AVAILABLE HERE
4. Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat N°1 Christmas Gift Set £25.00 AVAILABLE HERE
5. Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy (book) £11.99 AVAILABLE HERE
6. Aromatherapy Associates Festive Bath and Shower Collection £35.00 AVAILABLE HERE
7. Vanity Case £20.30 AVAILABLE HERE

We're now on the third of my Christmas gift guides, this one aimed at helping you pick the perfect present for your Mum. It's the one time of the year when you can really treat your Mum because, lets face it, they really deserve it, they have to put with us during our teenage years! Everything I've included in the list is £40 or under so there's no need to blow the budget (unless you want to obviously!).

Don't forget to check out my other Christmas Gift Guides:
For Your Brother
For Your Sister

Christmas Gift Guide - For Your Brother

1. Urbanears Black Plattan Headphones £50.00 AVAILABLE HERE
2. Asos Watch With Map Print £22.00 AVAILABLE HERE
3. Green Christmas Candy Cane Jumper £35.00 AVAILABLE HERE
4. Navy Fairisle Pattern Beanie £12.00 AVAILABLE HERE
5. Clinique Great Skin For Him £30.00 AVAILABLE HERE
6. Grey Melton Two-Tone Ipad Case £18.00 AVAILABLE HERE
7. The Moaning Of Life DVD £12.00 AVAILABLE HERE

This is the second part of my Christmas gift guide, this time aimed at helping you decide what to get your brother (or boyfriend) for Christmas. Lets face it, men aren't great at giving us clues as to what they want for Christmas so hopefully this will give you some inspiration. Everything is under £50 and I've included something for all budgets and interests.

Don't forget to check out my other gift guides:
For Your Mum
For Your Sister

Christmas Gift Guide - For Your Sister

1. Bliss  Triple Oxygen Treatment Kit Gift Set £30.00 AVAILABLE HERE

2. Benefit How To Look The Best At Everything Complexion Kit £25.50 AVAILABLE HERE

3. My Future Listography £11.99 AVAILABLE HERE

4. Pink Santa Baby knit jumper £35.00 AVAILABLER HERE

5. Babyliss Big Hair Styler £45.00 AVAILABLE HERE

6. Barry M Christmas glitter nail varnish set £8.00 AVAILABLE HERE

7. Pastels Fairisle Long Boots £22.00 AVAILABLE HERE

8. Tablet Folio £30.00 AVAILABLE HERE

It's that time of year again folks, winter's rolling in and the Christmas lights are going up (too early in some peoples opinion!) so now is as good a time as any to start your Christmas shopping. I'm kicking things off with a gift guide full of ideas and inspiration for what to buy your sister (or friend/girlfriend). It's quite varied and I tried not to go too expensive, everything is under £45.00 so there should be something for everyone's budget. Hopefully you can take some inspiration from this and don't forget to look out for my other upcoming Christmas gift guides which I'll be posting over the next few days. 

Don' forget to check out my other Christmas gift guides:
For Your Mum
For Your Brother



A Few Buys From Matalan

 

I Skirt £14.00 Available HERE I Loafers £10.00 Available HERE I

I picked up a few really great buys from Matalan last week so I thought I'd share them here. Matalan is not normally somewhere I would shop for clothes, their home section is great and really well priced but most of their clothes leave a lot to be desired. However they are really reasonably priced and I managed to find a few things I had been after for ages; something tartan and a pair of black loafers.

I absolutely love this green tartan pleated skirt, I like to team it up with my leather jacket or a cosy thick knit jumper. Seeing as I'm half Scottish, it's always nice to embrace a bit of tartan!

I Star Tights £3.00 Available In Store I Dotty Tights £3.00 Available HERE I

These patent loafers are really versatile, perfect for during the day and smart enough to wear in the evening. They're also wide fit and I wouldn't say I have particularly wide feet but they fit like a dream. The tights I bought in this start pattern as well as a dotty pattern. They're really great for jazzing up an outfit seeing as we can no longer get away with bare legs cause it's too darn cold! For £3.00 I think they're an absolute bargain.   

L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint Foundation

I've been using the L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint foundation for about a month now which I think is sufficient enough time to properly test it out. It's certainly made a good impression on me! It's marketed as being the only foundation which is 'Lighter Than Water' for a 'Zero Make-up Feel' and that's exactly what attracted it to me.

It really is different from any other foundation I've tried, it's consistency is so light that when applied it immediately starts to sink in to the skin so you really have to be quick to blend it in. I find it works best if you do small patches of the face at a time otherwise you are left with darker areas of foundation which are difficult to blend out. 
It  also doesn't come with a pump, instead you have to shake the bottle before each application as the foundation separates. Then with your finger over the top of the bottle you tip it upside down to get a small amount on your finger. 

It's incredibly lightweight and feels as if you are wearing no foundation at all which I love. I don't know about you but I really hate the feeling of layers of make up on my face. It sits well on my oily t zone when powdered and is the only foundation I've tried which doesn't sit as an oily layer, particularly around my nose, by the end of the day.

Unfortunately it doesn't give very much coverage so if you have problem skin then this foundation is not for you. It does however cover redness very well but it can be layered up to provide more of a medium coverage especially when paired up with a good concealer. If you have some dryness on the skin it can sit in these areas but I found if I applied moisturiser before hand I never had this problem. 

I wouldn't say it's especially long lasting either, it lasts around 6 hours before you might want to do some touch ups but it's worth it for the light weight feeling of the foundation on the skin through out the day. It's definitely a foundation for those of you who prefer light coverage and a matte finish to the skin.

Available HERE for £9.99

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Beauty Secrets From Around The World

Women around the world have kept the secrets of the best natural remedies for all our beauty dilemmas for centuries so I made it my mission to find out what makes them glowing and gorgeous. The results were pretty surprising, many of the ingredients you'll find in your kitchen cupboards so they're really cheap and simple alternatives to expensive creams and lotions.  

• Egypt - Milk - Milk has been used for centuries in Egypt as an exfoliator and cleanser for the skin. Lactic Acid found in milk is a natural and gentle exfoliant whilst vitamins A and D enrich the skin to make it soft and moisturised.

• Mexico - Chocolate - The Mayans were the first to transform chocolate from Cacao Beans many centuries ago. In modern day Mexico chocolate is used by many as a moisturiser for the skin. Antioxidants in chocolate nourish and soften the skin.

• India - Turmeric - The spice Turmeric is used in India to tackle acne prone skin. Its anti inflammatory, antiseptic and pain reducing qualities make it perfect for the job. Turmeric, honey and water is combined to make a paste and applied to the skin.

• Indonesia - Tamarind Fruit - Indonesians have a natural alternative to skin peels, Tamarind Fruit. Tamarind Fruit is full of Vitamin C, natural acids and enzymes and when its pulp is applied to the skin, it works to gently exfoliate the top layer of the skin.

• Brazil - Carrot Juice - Brazilians are generally known for being bronzed beauties but they have a little help, Carrot Juice. It's regularly drank on the beach to help develop their tan from the inside out as it's highly pigmented.   

• Chile - Red Grapes - Many women in Chile know the secret to glowing skin is red grapes. The grapes are crushed into a paste along with white flour and applied to the skin as a face mask. The antioxidant powers of red grapes leave the skin luminous and refreshed.  

• Italy - Yoghurt and Olive Oil - Italian women mix yoghurt and olive oil and apply it to their hair as a conditioner to maintain their glossy locks. It gently nourishes hair and the all natural ingredients mean no harsh chemicals on the hair.  

• Spain - Cranberry Juice - Cranberry Juice is used by many brunette women in Spain to create natural highlights in their hair. After rinsing the hair in cranberry juice, the sun does it's work the bring out natural golden highlights.
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A Girl Called Eleanor Has Had A Makeover!

If you're a regular reader of A Girl Called Eleanor you will have noticed by now the new look of my blog. I've got a brand spanking new header, a gorgeous new colour scheme and a new background. I've been playing around with the design for a couple of days but it was a complete spur of the moment decision to have a complete overhaul. It took me all of yesterday evening to complete and I'm so happy with how it's turned out. It's quite a simple design but it's very me so I hope you like it as much as I do! In fact, I'm really proud of myself considering I'm a complete design and html novice but with the help of google I managed to figure it all out. If you'd like to know a bit more about how I did it e.g. how I made the header then let me know and I'll do a couple of posts on it.

Beauty Picks For Autumn 2013

I Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara I L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint Foundation I Bourjois Cream Blush 'Sweet Cherry' I Topshop Lipstick 'Beguiled' I Bourjois Intense Smoky Eyeshadow 'Rose Twist' I L'Oreal Super Liner Blackbuster I



Autumn for me means a change of my every day make up picks and I'm sure for most of you it's the same. The clocks go back, the days get darker and so does my make up, I love going for rich berry colours, purples and golds. You can get a way with being slightly more daring without going too over the top. I put together a few picks from across the web of products I own/want to own.

• Firstly, the Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara. This has to be the best mascara under £5 I've ever tried and it's currently only £4.50 on Asos which is a bargain for such a great mascara.

• The L'Oreal Nude magique Eau De Teint Fondation is just about the lightest foundation you can get. It feels as if you are wearing nothing at all which is a huge plus point for the colder months when you're already wearing enough layers, you don't need another on your face.

• I think I'll be going for more of a darker red/pink blush for Autumn/Winter and the Bourjois Paris Cream Blush in Sweet Cherry looks perfect for the job.

• TopShop's lipstick in 'Beguiled' is a favourite amongst many beauty bloggers and it's not hard to see why. It's a perfect plum red shade, a great colour that works well with any complexion.

• The Bourjois Intense Smokey Eyeshadow Trio in ' Rose Twist' I was drawn to simply because the colours looked so wearable. A mix of purples and a light gold, I can just imagine wearing these colours on New Years Eve.  

• Finally, the L'Oreal Super Liner Blackbuster I definitely plan on buying, an eyeliner that makes applying eyeliner 10 times easier, yes please!

Guy Fawkes Night

I hope you had a great Guy Fawkes/Bonfire/Firework Night last night Or maybe you're not British and have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about! Well basically it's a night where we set off fireworks and light huge bonfires on which we burn effigies of Guy Fawkes. It's all to celebrate the failed attempt of said Guy Fawkes, a man who tried to blow up the House Of Lords in London on the 5th of November in 1605. Most people remember the day with the poem below.

So now we've got that covered I want to tell you about the great evening I had at The Mayor's Firework Fiesta in Basingstoke last night. I have to say I was really impressed with the fireworks show, it lasted a good 20 minutes at least and there was plenty of oohs and aahs which is always a good sign. Well worth the £8 we paid and the 10 minutes we queued to get in! They also had a few fun fair rides and a couple of stalls as well as the tallest inflatable slide I have ever seen, all the children literally flew down it! It was terrifying to watch but they all seemed to love it! Obviously I took way too many photos, none of which are the best quality, but I included quite a few because I think they look quite pretty.

I told you there was a lot of pictures.

I'm On Pinterest

I'd always used Pinterest as a source of inspiration so I'm not sure why it took me so long but I finally decided to sign up for an account. It's safe to say I'm now a complete Pinterest Addict! I have to find the time every day to lose an hour scrolling through hundreds of pictures and pinning the ones I like on to my boards. I'm quite a visual person and It's a real opportunity to see pictures you wouldn't normally see. I get a little thrill each time someone repins my pin, I suppose that's why it's so addictive! In fact I've now pinned over a thousand pins on to my boards which is mad but hey, it's all harmless fun! It's probably the online social network site (if you can call it that!) where there is no bitchiness or catty comments, it positively encourages individuality and creativity and you'll always find a board or pin that you like.

If you're on Pinterest then give me a follow HERE and I'll be sure to check yours out too, I love browsing through other people's boards!