Ellie Kate | Leeds Lifestyle, Food, Beauty and Fashion Blog

Back in the day, when this blog was all about beauty, I used to rave about Soap & Glory on a regular basis. A quick search of my blog should give you some indication, as I wrote about the brand quite a lot (although please don't, the formatting and general quality of the posts is abysmal)! I think that my first ever blog post on here was about their 'Breakfast Scrub' - so yeah, it's been a while. The brand doesn't get much of a mention these days because I rarely write about beauty products any more, but several of their make up items are still daily staples for me. So, you can imagine the nostalgia I felt when I received an email, asking me if I'd like to come down that weekend to take part in a special Christmas event with the brand. There was mention of my face being on one of their most popular products; how could I say no to that?! I was intrigued, so that Saturday I went down to go find out more.



When I had received the email, it said to look out for a "20 foot Christmas present" set up on Albion Street, just outside the Boots store in Leeds city centre. I had originally planned to go down for lunchtime, before heading to another blogger event, but when I came up to it, it was super busy and because I was running late, I had to come back later in the day. When I did come back, it was still busy, but I managed to squeeze in and have a chat with the girls running the show. Run in collabration with Boots, the Soap & Glory Soaper Christmas Celebration was offering members of the public an opportunity to practice their make up skills in their glamorous and fabulously pink dressing room, and take a look at their products which were on display. After having some fun with the make up, you could upload a selfie with the hashtag #DiscoverMore, and take home a 'Kissmas Cracker'. It looked like so much fun, but sadly I was running short on time and couldn't stay to have a play around with the products; but I am very familiar with the products anyway so I wasn't too disappointed. This was taking place on one side of this giant Christmas present, but on the other side was something even more fun - and I got the chance to take part!



It was here where I found out what the email was referring to, when it said that I could have my face on one of their products. The product in question was 'Clean On Me', which is actually one of my favourite shower products of all time - the scent takes me on a trip down memory lane, let me tell you! There was a photobooth studio set up, and inside it was a bubble bath where you could sit and have your picture taken! Complete with glittery "bath foam", balloons floating above your head and even a shower with running water, it was really quite surreal. To have my picture taken, I had to sit in the bath (there was a seat for me to plonk myself awkwardly on), and pull my most glamorous Soap & Glory pose. As you can see from the pictures, I look very silly - but it was such a giggle to do! Next, I inputted my details on the interactive screen, and decided what I wanted my bottle to say - I chose "Bubbly Ellie", but there were several options. Before I knew it, my personalised label had been printed out and I was handed my very own, unique bottle of one of my favourite products! I have to admit, it was the highlight of my day.



I've uploaded the actual label that was created for my bottle above, so you can have a good laugh at me and my rather giddy face. If you had told me in the past that one day I would have my face on a Soap & Glory product, I never would have believed you! It's safe to say that I will be keeping this bottle long after I have finished using the product up - I mean, how can I ever throw it away? It's quite possibly the coolest thing I'll ever own, and a great reminder of the event. It was a shame that I couldn't stay around for longer, but from talking to the girls who were running it, it was extremely popular and everyone I saw left with a smile on their face - all in the spirit of Christmas. As well as my bottle of 'Clean On Me', I was given a 20% off voucher to use on Soap & Glory products in Boots, which was a lovely extra surprise. Immediately after leaving the event, I went into Boots and bought myself two bottles of my favourite cleanser, 'Peaches & Clean' - it was on a "Buy one get one half price" offer too, so they turned out to be an absolute steal! I really hope that they run this event again next year, but make it even bigger and better - perhaps over more days, so that more people could come down and see what Soap & Glory have to offer.

Leeds is fast becoming the place to be, with new shops and businesses popping up left, right and centre. The newest beauty addition to hit the city centre is the SHOW Beauty Blow Dry Bar, tucked away at the back of the store in Harvey Nichols, Leeds. I was invited to a luxurious hair consultation and blow dry on their day of launch, Friday 3rd July. My appointment was in the morning before I started work, which meant that it was a bit of a long journey as I do not work in the city centre, but the journey was well and truly worth the trip. Read on to find out more about SHOW Beauty and how my appointment went!

Have you ever been travelling, and deliberated over whether or not to take your favourite perfume with you? In years gone by I was one of those people; thankfully these days, there's a much easier solution, and it comes in the form of the Flo Perfume Atomiser*. If you're sat there thinking "Well, I've seen these before, you can buy them for £1 off eBay, why would I bother with this one?" - well, this one is a bit different. It's much better than the Travalo, which I have reviewed in the past on this blog, and therefore also better than those cheap knockoff ones you can find online. Read on to find out why!

Blogging is meant to be an honest and fair game, right? It's not often that you'll see a bad review on my blog, because often if I don't like the product then I don't tend to mention it. However, I have come across a few products recently that have been such a disappointment, that I felt the urge to write a post and warn you against buying them for yourself! It should be said that these are my opinions only, and I know that for one product in particular the complete opposite can be the case (People love it, not hate it), but hopefully you'll enjoy this little series. There are only five products, so let's get started!

Face masks are, for me, a real treat. I don't often have the time nor patience to actually put one on, so when I do I like to make a real relaxing experience out of it! An opportunity came up recently for me to review some Montagne Jeunesse face masks, and with an upcoming long weekend away in mind, I thought what better chance to give these masks a try? The lady I was in contact with asked me for my skintype, which is combination (Very oily in the t-zone and dry everywhere else - I know, I got it lucky), and a few days later these three face masks arrived. Being a fan of the Montagne Jeunesse face masks, I had actually tried the Red Earth Clay Spa* one before, but the other two, Aloe Vera Face Spa* and Hot Spring Sauna*, were new to me. So, over the last few weeks, I have given these masks a go - the most recent of which was when me and Martin went away to Scarborough and Whitby last weekend.




The first mask that I tried out of the three was the Aloe Vera Face Spa, which is aimed for those with sensitive skin; yet another skin concern for me that I struggle with on a daily basis. I have actually used pure Aloe Vera gel in the past to help treat my irritated skin, and for me it works wonders to calm my redness down. Boasting a blend of Aloe Vera juice and freshly picked Green Tea, this mask aims to soothe, cleanse and leave it feeling invigorated and refreshed. This one is a sheet mask, which I really like as it is easy to apply, remove and discard - and they tend to be a lot less messier too. However, a problem that I find with Montagne Jeunesse masks in particular is that they really do not fit my face! They're far too big, and the nose piece is incredibly small, which means that the skin in that area never sees the full benefit of the product. I understand that it needs to fit a variety of face shapes, but the nose piece in particular I think is a real issue that could so easily be fixed. The first thing that I noticed about this face mask was how cold it was; the fabric is infused with a liquid-gel that is immediately very cooling as soon as it touches your skin. I have to admit that this effect was too strong for me - after a few minutes, it felt like my skin was burning and I had to remove it. That being said, my skin didn't look red and felt very soft after I had washed the residue off - so perhaps I was being a bit overcautious with this one!




A couple of weeks later, I tried the Red Earth Clay Spa mask when my t-zone was behaving particularly badly. As you can probably guess by the name, this sheet face mask uses the oil-controlling properties of Mediterranean Clay, with added Cinnamon and Pomegranates to provide the ultimate deep cleanse. Now, having used this mask before, I remembered it to be a bit terrifying to look at once it was on - and as you can see from the picture, I do look like a star in a horror film! This mask had the same problem as the Aloe Vera one, in terms of size - but this one was particularly a problem for me, as the area where I wanted to concentrate the product, my nose, ended up having barely anything on it! I did manage to remove a bit of the product from the fabric and apply to the skin where needed, but it was a bit of a faff if I'm honest. I noticed that as I was manipulating the fabric to fit my face, that the product was sticking to my fingers and had dried pretty much instantly. This happened on my face too, and after the ten minutes was up, I could see very clearly where the mask had been in contact with my skin. Because it was setting so quickly, the fabric kept coming away from my chin and I kept having to smooth it back on - a bit annoying! With it being a full face clay mask, I expected the dry parts of my skin to feel even drier, but I was happy to see that this wasn't the case. The best way too describe my skin afterwards is thoroughly cleansed, but not stripped - my skin didn't feel tight or uncomfortable, just very clean indeed.




I saved the most exciting mask for last - and I deliberately waited until me and Martin were going away to use it! The Hot Spring Sauna face mask is the odd one out of this trio, as it is a "traditional" mask; meaning that you have to apply it with your fingers. After struggling with the previous two, I can't tell you how much I appreciated being able to cover all of my skin in product! This mask calls on a variety of ingredients for a true sauna experience; Volcanic Spring Powder, chopped Ginger and Bamboo, which work together to remove dead cells and polish the skin. Not only that, but this mask heats itself up too, which helps to open pores so you're getting as much benefits out of the ingredients as possible. When I applied this I was surprised at how warm this mask actually gets - I was expecting a slight warming sensation, but however they've done it, this packs some serious punch! It was a thick, gloopy gel formula with a gritty texture, that was easier to spread around the skin than you might think. The scent was pretty intense, too; you could really smell the ginger! I left this on for about fifteen minutes whilst having a hot bath (I thought that the steam might help keep the warming property of the mask going for longer), and it really made for an incredibly relaxing experience. I managed to wash it off easily with a wet facecloth and was left with noticably smoother skin - even Martin commented on it, which counts for a lot! Despite the warming element, my skin wasn't left red at all and in fact felt very comfortable. This mask was the clear winner for me, and one that I will be looking out for next time that I need to buy a face mask!

Make up from your local supermarket, you say? Actually, these days that isn't as strange as it sounds. Not only are supermarkets selling well known brands on their shelves, they are bringing out their own ranges too. I was recently asked whether I would like to try the relaunched make up range from Tesco, and I said yes for two reasons. One, was because I'd never tried make up from a supermarket before, and two, because I had read good things about this range. I couldn't turn down an opportunity to try some products for myself! Tesco's make up range was formerly known as 'Barbara Daly for Tesco', and has recently relaunched under the new name of 'BD Trade Secrets'. Along with a new name, this relaunch featured new packaging and formulations, and as a whole it appears to have been well received. So, after a few days of using the products that were sent to me, what do I think of them? Read on to find out!



First up is the BD Trade Secrets Vital Skin Long Wear Foundation, in which I chose the second lightest shade. Seeing as I was unable to make it to a store to swatch the foundation shades for myself, I had to make an educated guess on what would be right for me. I have to admit that I actually did extremely well - this shade is an identical match to my skin tone! It is in fact the best colour match that I've found for myself, which is an impressive feat seeing as I own so many foundations. This shade has a neutral undertone, meaning that it doesn't lean cool or warm. I have applied this using both a foundation sponge and my fingers, and I personally prefer the finish that the latters gives, but both applied just as well. As for coverage, I would say that this was a light, buildable to medium; which surprised me, as I thought that it would be a high coverage. It blends very well, and I haven't found it to cake or settle into any uneven texture or lines. The finish is dewy, and I have to say that I didn't find this foundation to ever set - it transferred very easily and still felt almost wet, until I set it with a light dusting of powder. Once I had done that, however, it had impressive lasting power. After a full day at work, I couldn't see any evidence of it wearing away around my nose or mouth. This also fared pretty well on my pores too, without settling into or drawing attention to them - but on my oily t-zone, it did start to let shine through after about an hour of wear. It didn't break down though, unlike some other foundations - so for that, it gets top marks.



Next, I tried the BD Trade Secrets Light Effect Concealer Pen, which again I selected in the second lightest shade. Whereas the foundation was an excellent match for me, this concealer was actually about a shade too dark for me, which was a disappointment. However, with a lot of blending I managed to make it work. You will not be surprised to learn that this is a deliberate copy of the YSL Touche Eclat, but after comparing the two products I found them to be quite different. The Touche Eclat is intended to be used as a highlighter, not a concealer, and as such I don't find the coverage to be all that high. However, with the BD Trade Secrets version, the consistency of the product is thicker and creamier, and therefore offers a slightly higher level of coverage. Due to the shade, this product was unable to offer any highlighting or brightening properties for me, when used underneath my eyes. Whilst it did a reasonable job of concealing my dark circles, the area looked a bit flat and dull - I could really tell the difference between this and the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer. In order to get the coverage that I wanted, I found myself going in with the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer to give me that bit more coverage. As the day wore on, I did find that it had creased slightly - nothing major, but I'm used to no creasing at all, so to me it was noticeable. This product sadly wasn't a winner for me!



I love a good blusher, and if it's in a coral shade, then there is a good chance that I will like it. Enter the BD Trade Secrets Velvet Powder Cheek Colour in Fruity, which is a gorgeous, soft peach-coral shade with a touch of shimmer running throughout. After trying to look through Tesco's online images, I took a stab in the dark and hoped that this what I was looking for. Tesco, please sort out your images - they're pretty terrible! As you can see, my image looks nothing like the one that they've used online. The plastic packaging for this let it down as it feels a bit cheap (Especially when compared to the other three products I received, encased in glass and metal), but the product itself far surpassed my expectations. The powder is buttery soft and smooth, and applies like a dream. It is, however, extremely pigmented; far more than it lets on and there is a bit of fallout. I picked some product up with my brush, and it didn't look like anything at all, really - but when I applied it onto my cheek, bam! Don't be put off by this, though, as it is a blendable formula. This meant that I could tone it down quite a lot, and be left with a pretty flush on the cheeks, rather than comical clown make up. Pair this with a pretty highlighter, such as the one I used from Make Up Revolution, and you have a look that is perfect for summer.



Last, but by no means least is a bright and colourful lipstick; the BD Trade Secrets Velvet Cream Lipstick in "Designer". Isn't the packaging lovely? Again, the online images are pretty much useless (Sorry Tesco), but luckily I was able to find another review of this lipstick online so I was able to make my selection. I wanted a lipstick that matched my blusher, and I think from the shades that are available I did pretty well. However, what I wasn't expecting was for the shade to be so bright - I love it! This is what I would call a true coral lipstick, with only the very slightest hint of a pink undertone. Normally, with lighter, brighter shades such as these I really struggle, as they can have a habit of showing up dry patches and applying streaky. My heart did sink a little when I applied the first layer, as it appeared to do just that. However, by adding another layer it smoothed out and my a final third, the colour was truely opaque and smooth in finish! I found this extremely easy to apply, despite the number of layers needed, as it has such a creamy formula; it didn't tug on the skin of my lips at all and almost seemed to melt into them. It settles to a velvet finish, so not quite matte and not quite satin - somewhere inbetween. I was expecting this to wear away unevenly (I really didn't have high hopes for this lipstick, did I?), but it was only when I had forgotten that I was wearing it, and came back to top up a couple of hours later, that I realised that this wasn't the case at all. The shade was still there and noticeable, but a lot more muted and most impressively of all - even. By this point the finish turns into a true matte, but it doesn't feel dry or particularly uncomfortable. All in all, I ended up being extremely impressed by this lipstick!

Exactly a month ago, a very exciting tweet popped up on my timeline. The lovely Faith from Music and Eyeliner had nominated me to receive a Burberry Kisses lipstick sample! I may or may not have done a little giddy dance right where I was sitting. Having received another Burberry lipstick in a beauty box in the past and really enjoying it, I was really looking forward to the day when my sample arrived. There was a selection of shades to choose from, and as you can see I chose No.085 Sepia, which from the colour blot online looked like a dark, nude shade. In all honesty, I was expecting it to lean on the brown side - like the name "sepia" suggests. So, admittedly I was quite surprised to discover that I had in fact ended up with a rose-toned shade - not what I had in mind at all and certainly not what I would call "sepia"!

Do you ever have those moments, where you go out shopping and when you get home, you stop and think "...How much did I spend?!" Yeah, well, that happened to me on Saturday! I had no other plans, so I asked my dad if he would drop me off at the nearest retail park so I could have a look around. Three extremely large, unwieldy carrier bags later, I think my dad was a little perplexed to see me throw them into the back of the car! I actually bought a few other things apart from this, but it was all boring essentials (Food for lunches, etc.) so I haven't included them. You're only here for the fun stuff, right?

As you may remember from my "Face of the Day" post a couple of weeks ago, my go-to foundation these days is the bareMinerals Original Foundation in Fairly Light. I started using it several months ago on the recommendations of the girls I work with, and since I took the plunge and bought the full size foundation, it's all I've been wearing! However, I struggle with wearing it on my t-zone, as it breaks down and looks cakey very quickly. Trust me when I say that it's not a good look! I'd heard that the Matte version of the foundation is a good alternative for those with oily skin, but didn't want to splash out on a full size in case I didn't like it. So, when this new Complexion Kit started hitting stores, I knew I had to get my hands on it!




bareMinerals have released several "Get Started" kits in their time, but I think that this one is their best offering yet. The previous incarnations have included two shades of the Original Foundation (e.g. Light and Fairly Light), which always seemed a little odd to me. Once you'd been matched to your perfect shade, why would you want another one? I suppose you could argue that one could be for summer and the other for winter, but often the shades offered differed only in colour undertones, rather than darker or lighter shades. However, with this kit you not only get the Original Foundation (2g) in your shade, but a matching Matte foundation (1.5g) too. This I feel works much better, as you can choose your finish depending on the day, or even use the two formulas on different areas of skin. Also included is a Prime Time Original Primer (15ml), Warmth All-Over Face Colour (0.57g), Mineral Veil Finishing Powder (0.75g) and a Flawless Application Face Brush, all in a keep-sake makeup clutch.




Even though the foundation sizes are one quarter of the size, this is quite enough to give you a good go at using the products and see whether you like them enough to purchase again in the future. Think of it as a deluxe sample size, if you will. Seeing as I know that I already like the Original formulation, the one in this kit goes away with me when I stay over at Martin's, or if I go on holiday in the future. I wasn't sure whether the smaller sizes would feature the "click-lock" system in the packaging, meaning that I can transport it with no spills. It turns out that these ones do, which I was very pleased about, but I was disappointed to find that the Mineral Veil and Warmth do not. I was hoping to keep the Mineral Veil with me for on-the-go touch ups, but seeing as it has no way of sealing itself other than the lid, it's not really possible. The Prime Time Original Primer is actually a very good size, as you only need less than a pea-sized amount for your entire face. This means that this tube will last me for a very long time! I love this primer for smoothing the texture under my eyes when nothing else has worked; annoyingly, I forgot to apply it for the picture below, but it really helps with that uneven texture.



I've included a close-up, non-retouched image above, so you can see how the Original Foundation and Mineral Veil looks on my skin. Considering that most people would never be this close to me, hopefully you will agree that it looks pretty good! The shade match is pretty much perfect for my skin, and is the only foundation I've found that covers my redness and other imperfections, whilst still looking natural. I have to admit that I do not use the Flawless Application Face Brush, instead preferring my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. The Flawless brush is not dense enough for me, meaning that I can never really get the amount of coverage and airbrushed finish that I'm looking for. However, I've found it to be an excellent brush to apply the Mineral Veil with; because the bristles are so soft and light, it applies the perfect amount of product to wear over the foundation. All in all, this kit is the perfect one to buy if you are looking to get started into bareMinerals, as it has everything you need - although I would recommend a different brush. The fact that it comes in a cute, reusable case that you can keep these products (and others in) is an added bonus, and also means that it would be great for travellers!

Do you remember my Wednesday Wishlist post from the week before last? Well, about a week after I published that post, a discount code for Makeup Revolution popped into my inbox - it was perfect timing! The code (sadly no longer available) was £5 off £25, which combined with the free delivery when you spend £25 was enough of an incentive to finally place my first order. I own a small handful of products from Makeup Revolution, mostly from blogger events, but this was the first time I had bought anything from the brand myself. I'm so excited to finally be giving their products a go after hearing so much about them - this haul has been long, long overdue. Anyway, enough wittering - let's get onto what I bought!