Lash Extensions...My Experience!

Hi girls! 

Earlier last week I visited Agnes Dos Santos salon in Kensington for a full-set of lash extensions! I decided to share my experience with you as I have previously been so indecisive about whether I wanted them, I'm hoping it will help answer any questions you may have.

The salon itself is extremely popular and renown for expertise within the lash industry. When I was approached to visit the salon, I researched it thoroughly and really thought about my decision. I know it sounds silly, but I have lovely long eyelashes and I have always been wary about having any form of treatment on them as I was panicking at the thought of ruining them. 

I had a patch test 24 hours before my treatment and this included application of a few lashes - just to see whether I had an allergic reaction. The ladies in the salon are very friendly and extremely professional, I felt welcome the moment I walked in! After approximately 20 minutes my patch test was complete and I was free to go - super quick and easy!

After a discussion on the different types of lashes available, I opted for the 'Feather' lashes to create a volumizing, yet natural look. As you can see in the before photos, my natural lashes have a few gaps in them but I had never actually noticed this before and although they are long they never curl.

The procedure itself was very relaxing, I even had a heated blanked under my back which was a lovely touch. I didn't really feel much which actually pleasantly surprised me as I thought it may be painful or irritating - needless to say I panicked for no reason! As you can see in the below photos, patches are placed on top of your lower lashes throughout, again this was completely comfortable and pain-free.

After an hour and a half (and a cheeky nap) my lashes were complete, and I can honestly say I don't think I can ever be without them now! It feels so strange to wake up in the morning with my eyes ready to go! I love how full they are but the best thing is they don't feel heavy and weigh my eyes down. I seriously do not know how I went so long without them!

Before: 

After: 

Aftercare: 

So, you're not supposed to wear makeup for at least 24-48 hours and if you choose too, it should be water-based rather than oil-based. I have still not worn any mascara on my lashes and have only worn water-based eyeliner if I really felt it to be necessary. I have also brushed them daily with the little lash brush just to keep them in tip-top condition. So far, so good - I am a week in and haven't noticed any difference in the lashes! 

Prices:

Prices for a full-set of lash extensions start at £70 and increase depending on the technicians experience and the type of lash you go for. I would highly recommend the Feather lashes as they are extremely lightweight and achieve the perfect voluminous look.

If you are looking for a professional service with amazing results I would highly recommended visiting the salon - I promise you will not regret it! 

Anyway, I think I have covered everything but if you have any questions then please feel free to ask me! I can honestly say having lash extensions was the best idea I had - I don't think I could be without them now. I can't wait to visit Agnes Dos Santos again!

Thanks so much for reading!

Lauren-Faye x

Female Christmas Gift Guide: Under £100

I'm back again! This time featuring gifts under £100. 

1. Dior Poison Girl 50ml 

Poison is my all-time favourite perfume, this new addition to the collection smells absolutely gorgeous! If you like a sweet fragrance that is. 

2. Seychelles Luxury Gift Set

The perfect gift for your mumma! I am such a fan of The White Company, my room is full of their candles and I think they make lovely gifts! 

3. Aspinal of London Passport Cover

Got a holiday coming up in the New Year? Treat your special someone to a beaut' Aspinal passport cover, you have the option to personalise it at the checkout. 

4. Kurt Geiger Petro Boots

A winter essential! You can't go wrong with a classic pair of boots, they don't date and are perfect for everyday wear. 

5. Missguided Premium Bandage Dress

Get your gal ready for New Years Eve with this killer bandage dress! Available from Missguided's premium range.

6. Olivia Burton Silver-Plated Watch

Arm candy? Check! Available in different styles, Olivia Burton watches are guaranteed to put a smile on your loved ones face. 

7. Iconic London Brush Set

The best kind of make-up brushes, perfect for a sleek finish! 

8. Kate Spade Lined Journal

This gift has potential to be a girls best friend! I carry my journal everywhere with me and it is perfect for noting little reminders and key dates.

9. Aldo Quilted Cross Bag

I am obsessed with this bag!! It looks very expensive without the huge price tag - bonus. 

I hope this has given you a little inspiration! 

Thanks for reading,

Lauren-Faye x

Female Christmas Gift Guide: Under £25!

It's that time again... Christmas gift guides! 

1. Make Up Revolution Iconic Nudes Brush Set

This beaut' brush set is currently on offer with a £10 discount, and trust me, I don't know many girls that would be disappointed to open this gift on Christmas day! Guys - you can play it safe with this one!

2. Burgundy Bralet Pyjama Set

Can't beat a cute lil' pj set, especially around the festive season! Missguided have got you covered this year!

3. Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Gift Set

This YSL set includes a highlighter and a primer - two of my beauty must-haves! Available from House of Fraser for £25.

4. Invisibobble Hair Ties!

Available in a variety of colours, the invisibobble is a girls must-have hair accessory.

5. Bah Humpug Phone Case

Can't deal with the cuteness of this phone case -the perfect stocking filler.

6. Fluffy False Eyelashes

As some of you will have seen on my Snapchat (laurenellisx) I am a huge fan of Girls With Attitude lashes and the 3D Luxe are my new faves! Just £5.49 per pair.

7. Cocoa Brown Gradual Tan

Hands down my favourite tanning product! I am obsessed (literally) with Cocoa Brown's gradual tan moisturiser. It isn't patchy in the slightest and gives a gorgeous glow! You can purchase this in a variety of high-street stores and online also!

8. Festive Cheer Scented Candle

I love nothing more than lighting a candle and making my room smell amazing! The perfect small gift for your female loved one. Available from Mandi-Candi boutique for just £8.95 - but you can save using 'LFELLIS20' - thank me later!

9. Suedette Boot Slippers

A winter essential - cosy slippers! I am such a girlie girl but I don't think it matters when it comes to slippers what style you go for - they are an essential for any girl!

I hope this has given you a little inspiration - stay tuned for more! 

Thanks for reading! 

Lauren-Faye x

Taking some time out...

Hi girls!

Today, I am writing a little post on the importance of taking some time out and focussing on 'me' time. We are all guilty of running around and getting carried away with everyday life that we actually forget to look after ourselves!

I wanted to share with you my top tips for taking some time out and getting the relaxation that you need!

1. Social media detox! 

Now, I know it may sound crazy but I feel we are all so wrapped up in a social media bubble we forget the importance of what is going on around us. Recently, I spent a few days away from social media and I felt incredibly refreshed. I'm not sure about you but I sometimes work myself up so much comparing myself to others on social media and often feeling as if I am not good enough. However, having a few days away from social media really does do the world of good in my eyes. I would recommend giving it a go for a few days!

2. Booking a beauty treatment! 

Lets face it, us girls love a relaxing pamper session! Whether that be a hair appointment, nails or a massage! I recently discovered Urban Massage and thought the idea was genius for us girls on the go! As we all know a massage is probably one of the most relaxing treatments but via Urban Massage you can book a therapist to come direct to your house! Perfect if you don't have time to visit your local salon! I personally don't really think there seems anything more appealing after a long day at work than to come home knowing you are in for a relaxing treat! If you like the sound of it, I have a little treat for you; use code 'Journey' when you sign up and save £10 off your first booking!

3. Arrange a day out with your friends. 

I am always planning things with my friends and I think it is really important to do so, especially if you are in need of a good laugh! There is no better therapy than laughter, especially if you are feeling a little stressed and run-down! As it's coming up to Christmas why not organise something festive and fun! You can't go wrong with cocktails and a nice meal!

4. Booking a short break. 

One of my favourite things to do is to book something to look forward too! There are so many amazing offers out there and I'm constantly looking at new places to visit! I find that weekend breaks are perfect if you fancy trying something new or spending some time away from working life!


Tracksuit set: Misspap - save using code 'LAURENELLIS10'.

Thanks for reading,

Lauren-Faye x

JD X PINK SODA SPORT*

Evening girls! 

Today I am sharing with you a lookbook based on a recent collaboration with JD Sports and their exclusive own brand, Pink Soda Sport. 

I am always on the lookout for sportswear, mainly because it is so easy to wear, even when you aren't hitting the gym! I much prefer wearing leggings and trainers on a Sunday instead of a dress and heels! Anyway, when I was approached for this collaboration I was so excited, mainly because I had been eyeing up a few Pink Soda items for a while in-store! 

I love how fashionable the brand is, it makes wearing workout gear fun and stylish! It's safe to say I have a new fave brand, ha! On a serious note though, I will 100% be ordering a few bits from the new collection, it is worth checking out if you haven't already!  

As you may have noticed, I have also been desperate to get my hands on NMDS for a while now and couldn't actually believe how lucky I was to receive a pair! They are incredibly comfy and I have actually paired them with as many outfits as possible - I guess you could say I am a little obsessed! 

You can find my outfit below... 

Hoody

Leggings

Trainers

Thanks for reading! 

Lauren-Faye x

Starbucks Chilled Classics! #AD

Good afternoon!

I have been a little absent on my blog over the past few weeks for various reasons but I have lots of exciting things coming up that I cannot wait to share! 

Now, I don't know about you but I physically cannot focus in the morning without my coffee fix! I am constantly rushing around at home getting ready for work to make sure I have enough time to pop into Starbucks before 9am. Dedicated, I know! Anyway, I was recently introduced to the Starbucks Chilled Classics range and I guess you could say they are a potential lifesaver in my eyes - in terms of saving time of course! I opted for the new, Caffè Americano (with milk) product and was pleasantly surprised with the taste!

 I am given the same coffee hit without having to crawl out of bed 30 minutes earlier everyday - cya tired eyes! Meaning I can now enjoy more time curled up in bed before popping to the fridge to grab a Chilled Classic! I arrive to work fresh faced and ready for the day ahead - the best thing about them is that I can stock up in the office without having to move from my desk! If you lead a busy lifestyle and are on-the-go like myself then I would strongly encourage you to try one!  They are available in leading supermarkets!

Let me know your thoughts!! 

Thanks for reading,

Lauren-Faye x

Little Mistress Stylin'

Hey girls!

I currently have a continuous obsession with bomber jackets, as you all know by now! However, I am forever trying to think of new ways to style them up and create a new look!

I teamed this baby pink bomber J up with a casual black shirt style dress and killer black boots! It is by Little Mistress and is one of my top picks, available here for just £19! 

If you fancy treating yourself over the next few days, you can shop my blogger top picks here and as an added bonus you can save using code 'LMLAUREN20'. 

Happy shopping! 

Lauren - Faye x

Casual Fridays!

Hey guys! 

Today I just wanted to share a casual outfit of the day post considering I am a little obsessed with casual attire at the moment! We all love dress-down Friday's but I feel like you just cannot go wrong with jeans and a tee! 

My tee* is by Truffle Shuffle and is perfect for a casual daytime look, as you can see I tied it with a hairband as I preferred the look but obviously this is down to personal preference. My jeans are by Missguided and my bag is by JOY*. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Lauren - Faye x 

The travel essential...

Hi everyone! 

Although I don't travel half as much as I would like to, I do quite often go on overnight stays and weekends away. So you can imagine how excited I was to receive a suitcase from American Tourister! 

They have a range of fabulous colours and as a result, I chose the Airforce 1 cabin luggage spinner in gradient pink with its eye catching ombre look. With the added bonus that the boyfriend is very unlikely to want to borrow it, ha!

Anyway! I took it for its first outing to my friends for an overnight stay at the seaside. As always, it was impossible for me to travel 'light' with one outfit or one washbag - instead I pack almost everything I can think of. As you can see from the amount of items I packed, there is an amazing amount of space! I really found that the added features of the mesh divider, and zipped compartment to stop everything flying around on route really did make travelling that little bit easier. If you're like me and constantly travelling with lots of little bits and bobs the zip pockets are super handy alongside the elastic cross ribbons to secure your stuff. I'm not sure about you guys but having a case with four wheels is SO much easier to transport especially if you are walking around a lot - it makes it very easy to dash in and out of an airport / train station / bus! Gone are the days of dragging around a suitcase on two wheels! 

The handle easily slides in and out and with two adjustable heights for added comfort you can wave goodbye to sore arms and shoulders! And for those of you who travel abroad frequently I've got you covered with the practical stuff....It comes with a built-in TSA combination lock and meets the IATA recommendations to be taken on board an aircraft. In terms of sizing, it is 50x40x20cm and weighs 2.60kg / 5.73lbs and comes with a 3 year warranty. Very precise I know!

Honestly though, I cannot wait for my next trip away so I can make the most of this little beauty! I would strongly recommend you checking them out, they are worth the small investment! 

Also, I want to mention my gorgeous black Chloe style bag from Joy! It is absolutely perfect for everyday use and super stylish at the same time, I love the tassel detail!

Anyway, enough of me rambling! Thanks so much for reading!

Lauren - Faye x

Coco Loco by Lee Stafford!

                                                                               Hey everyone! 

I wanted to share with you a review feature after an intimate blogger event I recently attended. It was hosted by hair guru Lee Stafford to celebrate the new additions to his CoCo LoCo range. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it is inspired by everything coconut. 

Coconut oil is up there on my key items list, whether that be in the kitchen or in the bathroom! It contains essential proteins that nourish and repair skin, hair and nails. Hence why Lee has produced a range with coconut as a base product that nourishes, repairs and penetrates, which in-turn prevents damage and moisturises hair. I am a little obsessed with the scent of these products and they remind me of my fave suntan oil – Hawaiian Tropic, so of course, the range was already a winner for me. 

1. CoCo LoCo Dry Shampoo

Now, in all honesty, I would never have brought this product as usually I stick with Batiste for light brown hair, but I was pleasantly surprised with this product. I have to say I loved how it made my hair feel, I have particularly oily hair and so dry shampoo is an absolute necessity for me. I used to have to wash my hair daily but this product contains a very light powder that appears to be gentle on the scalp yet very absorbent on the roots. It didn’t look grey or dull as some dry shampoos do and it is a life saver if I’m having a lazy hair day. If you are looking for a product that makes your hair smell and look great, I would advise purchasing this! 

2. CoCo LoCo Mousse

Again, I’m going to be honest, I am not a fan of mousse and rarely use it myself. I am yet to find one that does everything that I want from a mousse but I went ahead and used this product several times. It certainly gave me volume but annoyingly my hair felt sticky after blow-drying and looked a little greasy at the roots. However, this may have been because I have oily hair anyway so it may have just been that it didn’t match my hair type. So for this reason I wouldn’t purchase this product for myself but if you are a fan of hair mousse I would definitely give this a try! I would love to know how you get on! It also smells great so that is a bonus. 

3. CoCo LoCo Hairspray

Well, let’s face it, hairspray is a key product in every girls getting ready essentials from everything to slick hair or everyday styling. This product gave me a long lasting hold and felt soft to the touch – unlike some other hairsprays I have tried in the past. Again, this product smells great which is obviously an encouraging factor. I love the fact it is formulated with UV absorbers so you can guarantee that even in the brightest of sunlight your hair is protected. A must for this time of the year especially! 

4. CoCo LoCo Light Serum Spray 

Although I have oily roots I have very dry ends, mainly due to colouring and heat styling. I am a little bit rubbish at looking after my hair so I always opt for a serum or suchlike to give my hair a little boost. This product is very light and similarly to most serums can be applied to both wet or dry hair. I found that my hair was a little shiny and definitely felt a lot softer, I could tell I had added a nourishing product to the ends. I have to say out of all the products the serum is my favourite, alongside the dry shampoo, and I feel they are a great combination together! So for me girls, this is a must-buy product. 

If any of you are planning to try the new collection I would love to hear your thoughts! 

Thanks for reading, 

Lauren - Faye x

A nostalgic trip to Chessington World of Adventures!

Good afternoon! 

My boyfriend and I recently visited Chessington World of Adventures for a little day out!  We both used to visit the theme park many times as children and every time the advert popped up on television we would reminisce about the good old days! I remember the classic Beano- Land, Bubble Works and of course the Zoo, but Zack and I decided we wanted to visit again and I decided a review-style feature would be perfect.

Attractions: 

In terms of attractions, there are a wide variety suitable for both children and young adults, it really provides a fun day out suitable for the whole family. If you are a thrill seeker like myself then you will be in your element on the following rides; Ramesis Revenge, Dragons Fury, Vampire Ride, The Cobra and Rattlesnake.

I felt like an excited child all day, I couldn't wait to get onto the next ride and that is one thing I love about Chessington, the atmosphere is very fun! We were extremely lucky in that the weather was warm and sunny and so we made full use of the water ride, Dragon Falls. Admittedly, Zack was ten times more keen than I was, I think I was more worried about walking around soaking wet for the day. Aint' no girl got time for walking around with wet hair! Having said that, it was one of my favourite rides! I absolutely loved it.

During the day, we also decided to have a little go on the funfair style stalls! Me being me, I wanted to win a cuddly toy - don't ask me why, I just wanted to take one home! Zack stepped up and won me a yellow duck, it cost £4 to play but we won quite a large toy and so I would say it was worth the money. Luckily, there a quite a few stalls that offer a prize everytime that are perfect for parents wanting to avoid disappointed children!

Queue Times:

As our visit was during term-time we thought it would be super quiet, surprisingly though it was relatively busy! There were a large number of school trips so we were a little apprehensive about the queuing durations. The maximum queue time on our day of visit was 30 minutes, we were more than happy with that and it soon flew by.

Luckily, the Chessington app came in very handy! It offers live-time queue times and ride closure updates which are perfect when navigating around the park. We both downloaded it before we arrived and it was so much easier than running around trying to find the queue times for everything. I would advise downloading it before you arrive so you can keep up to date with any ride queues and closures!

Food and Drink: 

You really are spoilt for choice, especially if you are a foodie like me! We actually took lunch with us but then Zack being Zack decided he wanted to buy a meal from the fried chicken restaurant. I tried some and it was lovely but at almost £7 for a meal it could turn out pricy for a family!

Obviously, we couldn't resist the donut counter and we brought five donuts (yes, I did just admit that) but they were heavenly. I think overall it is best to take a picnic style lunch with you, especially if you have a large family as it will get quite pricy otherwise. 

If you are on the hunt for something to do over the summer then I would advise taking a lil' trip to Chessington!

Thanks for reading,

Lauren-Faye x

My Festival Style!

With festival season upon us, I decided I would you girls a little festival spo'. I have only ever attended a few festivals but I know us girls love to look on point for them! 

I created a go-to festival look that is sure to keep you on-trend without breaking the bank! As you may have noticed from my Snapchat, (laurenellisx) I am absolutely loving Boohoo at the moment! I am constantly browsing the site for inspo or new outfits and so I thought I would check out their Festival Shop. I was not disappointed and the majority of garments created in this look are from Boohoo! 

A playsuit is, in my opinion, a festival staple; team it up with some accessories and flats and you're good to go! 

Playsuit*: Boohoo

Choker*: Boohoo

Hat: Primark

Sandals*: Boohoo

Sunglasses: Quay

I hope this has given you a little inspiration for the festival season! 

Thanks for reading,

Lauren-Faye x