Splashes of glitter,

Cocktails and cupcakes,

Pampering to perfection!

Hello Lovelies!
When I was contacted for the chance to attend the newest beauty salon within Nottingham, I was in my complete blogging element. As you may recall my blog post in regards to the Nottingham fashion press event, that was held at The Beauty Temple; well, this is their latest establishment in Mapperley; Just a 15 Minute bus journey from the city center, with their doors opened on the 27th of June this year!

I attended the event with my two blogging buddies, Sarah and Stacey. Luckily, Sarah's husband works not too far from the location, so I felt more at ease when she was able to guide us in the right direction!


Upon arriving at The Beauty Temple, we were greeted by the staff and the PR team; where we were given an insight on the evening and our treatment times. While it was still quite early this gave us the perfect chance to have a wander around and snap some pictures! The decor and the colours used were stunning, and felt completely luxurious, just how they intended with their royalty themed packages.




One of the services which the Beauty temple provides, is their blow dry bar. With this service a treatment you can have is a semi-permanent colour named 'The Royal Indulgence colour cocktail' they use the brand Milk_shake, to create mermaid vibe effects to your hair!
We were given a live demonstration of how this product is applied and used; it was interesting to watch and learn about, due to being a person that likes to colour her hair whenever she gets chance!


Just take a look at the beautiful colour swatch wheel that can be created! For best results and a more vivid shade, it's ideal to be used upon lighter hair. Yet it gives a stunning hue on darker shades as it glistens in the right lighting.


Just from the side of this, one of the treatments we could have chosen to have, was the glitter application; A member of staff provided a selection of glitter which the client could choose from, and it was applied to the face with beautiful effects. Festival vibes were flowing as we indulged our glitter bomb cocktails and the in house DJ was spinning the latest hits.

On the other side of the salon, there were two nail stations neatly set-up, with two members of staff smartly dressed in their salon uniforms; In turn we were called over, firstly Stacey, then Sarah, then myself.  We were given the chance to choose which nail varnish shade we'd like and I had to go for the more coral/orange undertone, it just screamed summer to me!  My nails were neatly filed and shaped, then the base coat and varnish was further applied; I had such a lovely chat with the beautician, but sadly I didn't catch her name, but she couldn't do enough and made me feel at complete ease. She kindly also painted my toe-nails the same shade, so I felt extra relaxed and refreshed and brave to wear sandals! Just like the main salon in the city center, they have a bar set up in the corner and we were treated to delightful miniature cupcakes and canapes. I find this such a fun and girly touch to a pamper session! And it's definitely a unique concept to a beauty salon. The beauty temple is ideal for a well earned pamper for yourself, your family and friends; with plenty of packages to choose from and all at affordable rates too. They also stock and use the following brands -  Elemis, Delilah, CND Shellac, ST.Tropez, LVL Nouveau lashes and HD brows just to name a few! I had a marvelous time and felt like an official VIP for the evening with a big thanks to the team; Blogger's pamper day is definitely on the cards!! As we left the salon, we were generously handed goody-bags which contained in depth information about the new salon including treatments and packages; a beautifully created tiara shaped cookie, a CND nail varnish in the shade Mauve Maverick #206 and a leave in treatment by Milk_Shake! I'm excited to try all of these and I'll be sure to let you all know how I get on with them.  For more information about the Beauty Temple, including price-lists, packages and pop-up parties feel free to click here  Love Ellie xo

When I received an email in regards to attending Chino Latino's Birthday celebrations; I couldn't resist the urge! I've not been to Chino's before, But I had heard many wonderful reviews on the food and atmosphere. 

Chino Latino has their venues within 4 locations, Nottingham is one of them and can be found upon Maid Marian Way, right within Park Plaza. They create and serve pan-Asian cuisine, And have created Latin cocktails that will compliment the dishes.
 The email pointed out, that there will be a dress code of red and black which I found exciting and had to hunt the perfect outfit out for the evening! I decided to go with a shocking red shift dress, with bell sleeves, and used a black clinch belt to provide a hourglass effect.

On arrival at the venue, red lanterns gracefully hung across the ceiling, where a walk way led us to two smiling ladies, to take our names and mark us off of the list. Our welcome, was very warm and inviting, as we were offered an alcoholic beverage and watched as the guest list arrived in style. Outside was an outstanding fire performance that literally made us 'ooh' and 'ahh' in her marvelous display; Including the popular fire eating trick which left us speechless.

It was brilliant to see the way that the guests used the dress theme, stylish dresses along with modern statement accessories; The night quickly became busy, as a long outstretched table with freshly caught sushi cleverly positioned upon it, it was definitely center of attention. 

Staff would come around offering delicious canapes of intense flavours, That can only make me wonder what their full menu would be like, as we mingled and conversed; It was great to see a lot of the East Midlands blogging ladies there too as it gave us time to catch up and enjoy the night together.

Within the reception area we were then surprised by their very own Chinese dancing dragon! The dragon dance had to be my own personal highlight of the evening, the live music was so powerful and strong. The costume itself was fantastic, with batting eyelids and moving mouth; Telling a story through it's movements and emotion, it was spectacular.

I was invited a long with other local bloggers, to a very surprising and thoughtful treat from the wonderful Intu Victoria Center Marketing team. It was the Sunday before Valentines day and love was in the air, shop displays with hearts and flowers galore, I arrived with Sarah to the venue, Caffe Rizzoli.
This is a new Prosecco bar that is within the Victoria center in Nottingham, nestled next to the newly placed Emett Clock. With modern surroundings the sleek exterior worked perfectly. Smartly dressed waiting staff were tending to cleaning and preparing for the day ahead as I headed round past their mouthwatering cake display and gelato cabinets, eager to meet the other ladies and find out more about Rizzoli.


We were automatically greeted by the host. A smartly dressed lady who was warm and welcoming, directed us to our table. The ladies from Intu welcomed us and began to give us an insight of the day.
Sitting in a corner area as the bloggers began to join us, an enthusiastic male came to our table and introduced himself, This was Jeremy.
 Jeremy is the owner of Caffe Rizzoli, which first established in August 2012 at Medowhall shopping center along with his two sons. To then open it's doors in our city center, Nottingham, it's definitely a place to go after a long day of shopping with the girls!

I asked for a Strawberry bellini and it was exquisite! I adore prosecco and although it was 11am.. it was rude not to! We started to look through the menu, dish after dish. with thorough ingredient information and affordable prices I opted for the Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.


The food was fabulous quality and completely fresh. We all talked about our work and studies and had a full heart to heart over brunch, typically one of the best days in a long time, it felt much deserved.
We were gifted the kindest present, and the packaging was very me! The gold on teal effect was picture worthy and the contents simply shocked me. One of my favourite brands is Skinnydip and luckily we have a pop up store within our Intu, well.. Ladies who didn't have an iphone, were surprised with this beauty..

All hail the mermaid vibes!

This wallet/purse is really up my street! I adore the rainbow glitter effect, and it can hold all cards and money in a compact way. It was very kind and will be added to my Skinnydip collection!

Jeremy came over to speak to us and was extremely attentive to everyone's needs and requests. He kindly allowed me to ponder as I found it hard to choose my desert! But I felt that I chose wisely as I went for the chocolate fondue with cream. Lush!


The sponge was light and fluffy, with rich melting chocolate that oozed as I sank my fork into the heart of it. It complimented the meal wonderfully and it was beyond my expectations. I'd highly recommend Caffe Rizzoli to anyone whom is looking for a nice spot of lunch, with fresh Italian ingredients and a choice of beverages, speedy service and helpful staff. I can't wait to go back again!

As we were finishing up at Rizzoli, with a kind goodbye from Jeremy, we began to head to House of Fraser which is in close proximity and were taken to the beauty department, where brands stood from Bare Minerals to Bobbi Brown.


With more prosecco flowing, we browsed the counters and were guided to our chosen brands for a makeover! I requested Bare minerals due to never trying the brand before and would love to see how it works with my skin especially their powders, but unfortunately their makeup artist wasn't there so my other choice was Urban Decay, which I love their palettes and had my eye set on the Naked 3.




I wandered over to the Urban Decay counter, browsing the beautiful shades of lipsticks and the pristine palettes, which graced the shelves.
Greeted by Ashleigh, who conducted the makeover, I discussed that I was more than happy to try anything; as I arrived at the event with barely any makeup on at all! (pretty scary for me!) So she did a full face, going step by step on how the product will benefit with its wear ability, and left me wanting every product she used!
I actually went the following day to purchase the Naked 3 palette, i'm a sucker for rose gold and the shades were stunning she really sold it to me!



At the end of the event, we were handed an adorable hot pink bag with selected samples of the brands, from skincare to fragrance and left us all feeling very glamorous for the rest of the day.
I'd like to thank Claire and Sophie for organizing the day and making it so enjoyable for us all!

Love Ellie xo

The NottsAlzheimersMeetup

Hosting my first blogger event

It was over a year ago when I had started to focus on raising money for a disease that effected half of my life growing up; 

My dear grandad found out he had vascular dementia in his late 50s, he was hardworking, a passionate family man and would always light up any room he was in with his words of wisdom. 4 years ago he sadly lost his battle with dementia and also alzheimers towards his end of life.

 I saw how this effected him in every aspect as well as my family and it was the most difficult time for us all. Sadly there are many families in the same position as you read this, that lack the support or funds to help their loved ones when they need it the most. 

Luckily there are charities out there who advise and spread the awareness of the disease and the one that I've been most close to is the Alzheimers Society.

Not long after my grandad's passing, my mum and I did a 6 mile walk in his memory with many others who have lost those closest to them, we would talk about our times with them, the good and the bad and motivate ourselves to get to our end goal. 

So, why did I decide on hosting a meet-up?

I've had my blog for 4 years this year, through this time I've attended many events and blogger meet-ups which have been wonderful, and I've truly admired those who have taken the time to organize and plan. So I thought I will put together two of the things I am most passionate about, raising awareness of Alzheimers and meeting other like minded bloggers in a cosy atmosphere! I wanted to do this for my grandad most of all, there's not a day that goes by when I miss him terribly, wondering what life would have been like if he wasn't effected by this cruel disease. I felt this was my purpose and the right thing to do.

Lou Lou's Vintage Fair Nottingham

My experience at the award winning fair that covers the UK!

Hey there loves! I'm thrilled to be bringing to you another of my experiences at one of the UK's popular events; Lou Lou's Vintage fair! Now, some of you may or may not know that I'm like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to vintage stores, that's because I have a passion for the 1950s fashion, beauty and morals. It's been a style that I've developed over time and find it my most comfortable look to have. The 50s was known for their poodle skirts and pin curls and I find it such a beautiful and glamorous era that a little find is like treasure to me.

I've heard a lot about Lou Lou's as they usually take place in cities all over the UK and because Nottingham is the city I tend to most visit, seeing that they had one arriving there this month was something I couldn't pass up.

The event took place in the stunning Albert Hall in Nottingham, where like minded fans gathered, stalls were covered in all things vintage and they played music that would make you do a happy little jig through the speakers.