TOP 10 HOLY GRAIL BEAUTY ITEMS OF 2016!

Hello my fellow beauty bees, I hope you are all having a great month so far and not panicking over last minute Xmas shopping…I know I am!

So as I’ve previously mentioned, I'm a self-proclaimed creature of comfort so it will come as no surprise to you that I've already written about some of the products I am going to mention. I have a mixture of makeup, beauty and skincare in the mix...Go grab yourself a drink and kick back as it's going to be a chatty one :)

1) Anyone who knows me well knows I’m obsessed with the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish. I have been using this treasure to remove my makeup since 2014! Although I have dabbled in other makeup removers such as in the infamous ‘Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm’ (which was sadly a disappointing product) I always go back to my beloved Liz Earle. I have written a blog post on why it's my Holy Grail Cleanser (click here to read). 

2)Another cleanser that I would take on a desert island with me and have mentioned in the blog post above, is the ‘Ren Evercalm Cleansing Milk’. In conjunction to my Liz Earle, I use this every morning to give my sensitive and reactive skin a gentle cleanse. It leaves my skin feeling smooth, calm and ready to face the day!

3) If you love a good pamper evening like me then you will agree that a good face mask is essential! I have always been a fan of The Bodyshop skincare range and was super excited when they released their 100% vegetarian face masks.They have a marvellous selection to choose from which are catered to all skin types and concerns. I went ahead and picked up the Chinese Ginseng & Rice Mask as I wanted something to brighten and revitalise my dull skin. Let me just tell you that this little mask makes it appear like I've had a natural chemical peel every time I use it! An added bonus is that it also doesn't interrupt my sensitive skin. 

4) Although I love a good soak in the bath during a pamper evening, it does tend to dry out my skin. Another new release I was thrilled to try out was the Garnier Body Ultimate Blends Restoring Lotion. After twenty minutes of ogling over the various scents, I went for the honey treasures as, A) it smelt divine, and B) It is designed for very dry skin which is perfect as I like to feel extra nourished. Unlike other rich moisturisers, this does not make me feel greasy in the slightest, plus sinks into my skin in seconds!

Essential after a long soak 

5) Sticking to smelling delicious, a perfume I've enjoyed dowsing myself in is the Chanel Chance Eau de Parfum. I picked this up at the airport to be my summer/wedding guest fragrance as I knew it was favoured by many beauty gurus and as the scent is fresh and not too overpowering, I thought I'd give it a go. After receiving compliments and loving the way it settled on me, It became my staple everyday perfume. As well as smelling all kinds of gorgeous, it lasts all day too!

6) Let’s switch this up and throw in some makeup bits which I have to say, I found extremely difficult to shave down! The Morphe M439 brush was something I purchased at the beginning of the year and have pretty much used daily to apply my foundation. The quality of this brush is outstanding in comparison to the price! Amazingly, It has kept it's shape after vigorous washing. If you are a working gal like me who likes to whack on quick makeup that still looks flawless then this is your saviour…seriously I urge you to try this and thank me later:) 

Must have makeup brush!

7) Although I have not had a stand out foundation to complement my Morphe m439 brush, I have, however, discovered an amazing setting powder…any guesses on what this could be? Yes, you’ve guessed right...it is the infamous Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder. I inexplicably look forward to using this powder to set my under eye concealer and t-zone area as I could immediately notice how superbly it sets my makeup. It barely feels like you have anything on your skin as it is remarkably velvety in texture while being finely milled. I can imagine this being suitable for any skin type also!

8) To add some dimension and colour back into my face, I religiously reach for my Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess. I also picked this up at the airport as I had some extra Euros left over, and I must say it was the best thing I spent my Euro’s on! (even over the tasty calamari & cosmopolitans:). To sum it up, it's the perfect colour, not too red or brown, blends like a dream and makes you look 100% healthier. I am also a fan of the Estee Edit Bronzer- If your into a bronzer that has a slight shimmer then this is your guy.

Top Two Bronzers of this year!

9) No makeup look can be complete without lashings of mascara. If you have read my previous blog posts then you'll know that I'm a massive fan of the Benefit They’re Real Mascara however, I may have discovered a mascara that is more price friendly and just as good! The Loreal Feline Mascara is one that doesn't get enough credit in the blogosphere. It lifts, curls, lengthens and volumizes the lashes superbly without any clumps or smudges. Do you know how many times I get asked if I’m wearing false lashes when I have this on? I even had someone try and pull on my lashes when I Insisted they were my own..yes it did hurt but I had to prove them wrong:)! 

10) Last but by certainly no means least how can I write a blog post and not include some form of lipstick? I have to say that this year has certainly been the year for matt liquid lipsticks! So many brands including high street, have released some fantastic formulas, though, the one that stood out to me are the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick's . I adore everything about these lipsticks, from the undetectable formula to the unique shade range and most impressively, their impeccable lasting power! 

These are perfect for an evening out or if you're lazy with reapplying lipstick like me. I also love how precise the applicator is, diminishing your chances of making any mistakes. My favourite shades are ‘Bow n Arrow’ and Lolita’ as they are both beautifully unique with a slightly cool 90's retro feel. 

My Two favourite shades 'Bow N Arrow' & 'Lolita'

There are one million other things I can mention from hair tools to eyeshadow palettes, except I will be writing this post for another year. I hope you've enjoyed my top 10 selection and gained some inspiration of what you'd like to add to your collection, perhaps during the January sales?!

I would love to know what have you've been enjoying this year? Please let me know have any hidden gems:)

MAKE IT MORE THOUGHTFUL WITH JOHN LEWIS GIFT IDEAS

One of my favourite things about the festive period is taking the time to select personal, thoughtful gifts for my loved ones. Seeing a smile on their faces is worth the time spent choosing a present that I think they will cherish. So in partnership with the John Lewis 'Make it more thoughtful' campaign I have created some quick gift duos that will make your loved ones feel truly special this Christmas!

John Lewis is a luxury British brand and as such is the perfect place to browse for gifts or even just gain some inspiration, browse in store or online at 
John Lewis.

Baby's First Chrismas

This trio pack of neutral John Lewis Baby Grows is a helpful addition for any new parent as they can never have too many 'grows' (see what I did there?). Why not liven up your gift with John Lewis's beloved 'Otto the Fox' - if you haven't already seen the awesome advert (starring Otto) then Click here.

Friday Night Lights

Make staying in the new going out with an Amazon Fire TV Stick, boasting a wide selection of entertainment. Also, gift a Personalised Beer Trio for them to enjoy as they kick back after a long day.

Fresh New Year

Give your loved one the gift of clear skin this Christmas. A Clarisonic Facial Skin Cleanser paired with the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish kit will whip unruly skin into shape before the New Year! Perfect for any age.

Suited & Booted 

Like every woman needs an LBD, every man needs a classic, black leather shoe (handy for any occasion!). Why not add a shoe shine kit to keep them looking pristine and ready for action. 

Travel in Style

Gift a beautifully crafted, brown holdall for the dapper gent on the go and add a Thermos Leakproof Beaker so he can enjoy a hot drink en route. This duo is perfect for anyone who is partial to a plane, train or long car journey! 

The Magic Bullet

For the stylishly healthy spouse, friend or family member who enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. Pair a NutriBullet with a chic La Rochere Bee Long Drink glass for them to enjoy their delicious creation in. 


I hope this post has given you some inspiration on how choosing gift duos (that compliment each other!) can demonstrate that you have put extra thought into how your gifts will be used by your loved ones in the new year. Also, who wouldn't want to receive two gifts instead of one!?

Merry Chrismas to you all and I wish you a prosperous 2017!
Love Elle N xx

ZOEVA COCOA BLEND PALETTE REVIEW

I've always seen Zoeva as a brand that specialising in makeup brushes rather than makeup, and can write until the cows come home about how much I love their 224 blending brush! However, I kept seeing this eyeshadow palette pop up on my Instagram feed and knew that I had to see what all the hype was about. Whilst browsing their eyeshadow selection, I have to say that I was immediately drawn to the caramel melange palette as I was captivated my the gorgeous caramel shades but sadly it was out of stock so bought the cocoa blend palette which I was initially intending on but as a true beauty enthusiast my eyes wondered.

I've brought up countless times on my Instagram and in previous blog posts that the urban decay naked palette and too faced chocolate bar palette are my top two eyeshadow palettes of all time and ones that I religiously reach for. However, the hysteria around the 'cocoa blend’ was definitely worth listening to as it has joined the list of my top 3 favourites! 

Firstly let me take a minute to talk about the ravines packaging. I know that urban decay did a similar theme with their chocolate bar palette which smells delightful, but there is something about this chocolate inspired brown and gold foiled packaging, that gives it a sophisticated and luxurious feel. This is not just appealing to the eye but taste buds too as you can mistake it for a big chocolate bar (yum!). I also adore how the names of the shadows where inspired by warm truffle colours, delicate nougat shades and notes of shimmering marzipan’. Each shade is gorgeously unique and wearable.

Gorgeous chocolate inspired gold and brown packaging

Although the packaging is good enough to eat, my favourite thing about this palette is the impeccable formula and pigmentation of the shadows. I recently created a makeup look to post on my Instagram as I wanted to try out the shadows and I must say I was blown away by the pigmentation! There is something about the super soft and buttery formula that gives the most amazing metallic payoff. I would defiantly say that these shadows are far more pigmented and blendable than the ones in the chocolate bar palette...sorry to any chocolate bar palette fans out there.

Another thing I discovered whilst creating this look was how incredibly long lasting these shadows are. I created a look in the morning and I kid you not, it looked exactly the same as I applied it in the evening. Although I do advise that you prime your eyelids beforehand, especially if you have annoying oily eyelid syndrome like me:(

The palette contains ten shadows, four of them are matte and the other six I wouldn't say are shimmery, but give a beautiful metallic, foiled finish.  As this is a recent purchase, I haven't had the opportunity to play around with all the eyeshadows but, I do have some favourite shadows that I’ve used already, or see myself wearing which I will share with you:)

Gorgeous, wearable rich tones

Pure ganache- I used this in the centre of my eyelids for an autumnal makeup look and now I can’t stop wearing it. Every eyeshadow palette has a bronze shade, albeit, this is nothing like any other bronze shadow I've tried. Although it is described as being a metallic gold, I would say it is a perfect mixture of burnt copper and gold. I can see this complementing every eye colour too!

Substitute for love- Is quite similar to bittersweet in the chocolate bar palette but I would say this has more of a deep toffee undertone to it. This is a perfect crease colour and I could see it working with every shade in this palette.

Warm tones-I haven't so far used this shadow, although I'm dying to create a berry toned purple smokey eye with it along with tonnes of black eyeliner..watch this space:) This is described as being a glittery cranberry purple which I can imagine will look great on its own or with a smokey eye.

infusion- Zoevea describes this as being a matte dark brown infused with golden glitter, although,  I can certainly detect purple undertones in it. I  created a halo eye makeup look using this shade where I  placed it across my eye crease and inner lid to create the ‘halo effect’ and then went ahead and placed pure ganache in the centre of my eyelid. I must say that these colours surprisingly complemented each other well:)

Halo effect using 'pure ganache' and 'infusion' 

To sum up this review, I would 1000% recommend this palette if you're an eyeshadow palette lover like me. The pigmentation, impeccable formula and lasting power compete with some of my higher end palettes. You would think this it is priced higher than £18 which is a complete steal for the formula  and also comparing the urban decay too faced palette, which is priced at £38.50 and is just as good if not better! This palette will be a perfect if you are looking to spend more than a drugstore one, but don’t want to go the full hog.

I certainly do intend of growing my collection going with the caramel melange next! What's your favourite eyeshadow palette?