Borough Market Must Have!!

Hiya Lovlis.

It has been a lovely day in London town, and I wanted to get the most out of it before the umbrella's, coats, hats, scarfs and gloves come out! I love London, I was born here, and have lived here all my life. Yet, at the age of 23, I find myself still discovering little parts of the city everyday!!

I used to think that all London had to offer was its famous landmarks (Big Ben, The London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral etc), but once I moved to university, I realised that there was so much more to explore, and after three years of studying and two years of being back home, I am still finding and seeing new things everyday!!

Today I went on my usual weekend walk into Central London, and as always, I walked through the awesome Borough Market!! 

Now whenever I visit Borough Market I have to get two things... munchies and a smoothie. If you haven't been before, I suggest you go and get the following :)

I manage to find something Owl related everytime I go out, so my first Borough Market must have is these cute little Short Bread Owls!! They are yummy as is everything else at this stall!! The brownies  and cookies are really tasty too, and the best part is you get a little free taster before you buy ;) 

I would also suggest getting a smoothie from 'The Natural Smoothie' stall!! They make really good smoothies, and they are tasty and refreshing :)

I am a Berry lover, so my favourite is 'Berry Bliss', but I've tried all of them apart from 'Tropical Cooler'!! 

If you are a smoothie lover, I would suggest taking a visit to Borough Market, not only for the smoothies, but for the busy atmosphere and the different culture stalls with awesome food and drink available to try before you buy (that's all I do). 

Me & my Berry Bliss (yummy) 

I look like a tomato in this picture but I was standing under a big red tent (my bad).

LoveLove

Elle P

What my hair needs...

I didn't think I would be doing a post on my hair this soon, as my hair, is a joke!!

Some would say I was blessed with big, brown, curly locks, but I feel I was cursed with a frizzy, dry and greasy ball of mess!! I have always tried to find easy solutions for taming my hair, and while some have seemed to work for a while, my hair always ends up going back to the lions mane it was born with!! I have had plenty of times when I literally could not get a brush through my hair - and let's not forget the time I had to cut a comb out of my hair - and when I was around nine, I remember my own Mother having enough of my hair so she took me to the hairdressers and had the stylist cut my hair off (making me resemble a nine year old greek boy), and making me the laughing stock of the class when I had to go to school the following week.

Having a hairdresser for a sister has had both it's advantages and disadvantages. For one, Martha knows all about the products I need for my type of hair, she enjoys styling it, and as her number one sister, I  get it all for free :) However, this also means my hair is used for when she wants to try new things out. I act as her 'model', so my hair has been coloured, tinted, bleached and so on. The latest thing Martha has tried out on me has been the 'Ombre', so I can understand why my hair stays battered a lot of the time!!

I think a woman's hair is one of the most important things. A persons hair is one of the first things you notice when you see them. It can make a statement and a big difference if you look after it and style it well, which is why I hate that its my least favourite thing about myself. I really want to find that one special product that is going to make my hair finally stand out, and be silky, soft, smooth, and easy to style!!

Now although my hair has a lot of bad days, it definitely has had it's good ones, and for that I thank god for the following life savers that I own and use all the time!! I honestly don't think my hair would have made it without them, an I would suggest them for anyone with thick , frizzy and knotty hair like mine !!

Enjoy lovlis :) 

Detangler Brush!! 

This is definitely one of the best investments I have made in the last two years!! I have always struggled trying to brush my hair, whether I've just woken up, stepped out of the shower, or brushed it five minutes ago!! So when Martha introduced hers to me, I stole it to be perfectly honest. It is amazing, it goes straight through my hair -the trick being to start at the bottom of your hair- and in about two minutes my hair has untangled and looks and feels great!!

I see this brushes everywhere now but mine was from 'Chris & Sons'. Invest in one if you don't already have one, they are awesome!! 

Paul Mitchell's Lite Detangler and Round Trip!

Now sometimes the Detangler brush needs a bit of help (my hair really is that bad) so I use Paul Mitchell's Lite Detangler. A few sprays on my hair - wet or dry - and my brush goes through easier. It also acts as a leave in conditioner so my hair is left feeling smooth and looking shiny!!

I use the Round Trip to enhance my curls when I'm styling my hair!! It takes ages to run out because you only need a few small pumps of it and it makes your curls look bouncier, curlier, and I find it gives my hair more volume!! 

VO5 'Refresh me Quick' Dry Shampo

VO5 'High Volume' Hairspray 

I love VO5 products!! I find they (alongside TRESemme) do the most for my hair compared to any other brands, and they aren't too expensive either which is a bonus!!

The dry shampoo is great for when I don't have time to wash my hair, or I'm going camping with the family!!

The hairspray I use all the time for nights out and when I put my hair up!! It has a strong hold and keeps my big hair in place!! I love the smell of hairspray too, so when I use it, I spray at least a quarter of my bottle (too much I know).

TRESemme 24 Hour Body Shampoo and Conditioner!

Last but not least, the TRESemme Shampoo & Conditioner!! I only ever use TRESemme because they make my hair feel amazing in the shower, they smell awesome, and there's so many to choose from for different hair needs!!

I love the 24 Hour body duo, but I also use the 'Strengthening, Smoothing, and Naturals' versions as well, and they do wonders for my hair too :)

I would definitely advise investing in these products (the Detangler brush for sure) unless unlike me your hair is perfect and just falls in to place everyday :O

Feel free to comment and give me any hair tips of your own, I am always happy to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

LoveLove

Elle P

Owls, Owls & then some...

Hey there Lovlis!

So..I don't know if you guys have gathered...but I really love Owls!!

Now I can't quite remember when I first became obsessed with them, but I know it was around the time that they had not really come into fashion yet, and I felt quite brave walking around with big owls printed on my clothes!! Usually for my birthday, people would ask me what I'd like, and my answer would always be stupid, 'I don't mind....I'm happy with whatever....I can't think of anything', so when it came to my 21st birthday two years ago, I suddenly knew what to tell everyone!! Now, apart from my fascination with Owls, I also love the colour purple (you can't really tell..) so when it came to people asking me what I wanted, all I said was, 'Anything Purple or to do with Owls', and to my surprise, that is exactly what I got!! It was the best birthday ever!! I remember sitting in the middle of all my presents  the next morning in front of my parents and friends, and every single one that I was opening was either Purple or had Owls on it!!

Since then, everyone I know pretty much guessed that I'm a fan of Owls, and that's all I get now (go me). Some of you may be thinking 'She can't be that fascinated by them....she probably only has two or three items with them on'. Well my friends, I kid you not, I have way too much Owl related stuff, but I won't stop until it's ok for me to have a pet Owl because I want one (and I won't back down).

I decided to go around my house, and take photographic evidence of everything I have that is Owl related. I probably will be posting loads of Owl related things on here that I get as I go along, but here is what I found as I walked around my house :)

My little Owl ear rings!! 

My Owl Pillow that I don't go to sleep without :)

My little water bottle Owl (also sleeps in my bed)

My Owl teddies, so cute and yes they have names :)

My Owl Address Book :)

My Owl Money Box

My Owl Necklaces (I have about four more but they are still in my unpacked holiday case)

My Owl Bracelets :)

My Owl Bag :)

My Owl Pocket Scarf :)

My Owl Candle  :)

My Owl Statue (why not?)

My Owl Purse (it's so tiny and cute)

My Owl Painting outside my bedroom door :)

I have quite a lot more, but I'm ready to go out for lunch with my bestie Jenz.

So even though I have loads of Owl clothes, I'll end this post with my outfit today :)

Top - Primark (not sure of the price as it was a gift, sorry)

Skirt - River Island - £20

Leggings - Primark - £4

LoveLove

Elle P

Car Blaster - Tinie's Back!

Hiya Lovli's

Just a quick music post before bedtime :)

I have just got back from the cinema after seeing 'You're Next' (which was a load of poo by the way), and one of the things I love to do when I am driving home late at night is to blast out music that I like and that sounds good in my car!!

Now tonight the song that I played three times was Tinie Tempah ft 2 Chainz - Trampoline.

I'm not usually into TT music, but this particular track had me bouncing along in my car - probably looking like a right fool - and turning it up pretty loud until my steering wheel was vibrating!!

Might not be a great song to listen to right now if you are tucked up in bed, but if you like blasting music in your car, I'd give this track a go :)

Sweet dreams lovlis.

LoveLove

Elle P

PLL FINALE - What The Effing Hell - SPOILERS

I know I only posted about the summer finale a few hours ago, but I have just watched the finale episode, and I am too excited to wait to talk about it!!

I apologise if I leave anything out or repeat anything because I am typing as fast as I can to get all of this off my mind before I zone out.

There will be major spoilers people, so if you haven't seen this episode, or you have just started watching the series, DON'T READ ANYMORE :)

THE MAGIC GIFTS AND RED COAT

So as always, the liars received a few gifts from -A, and they were creepy as always!!

You had the four eight balls with yet another threatening message, the freaky looking mona doll in a coffin, and the saw in a magic box with another creepy message.

Over each season, -A delivers some creative gifts and ways of sending the liars a message, and I have always enjoyed waiting for each one to reach the girls (even though I believe -A has way too much time to spare, and he/she needs to calm down).

We then had the creepy mime guy at the magic show that chose Aria out of the crowd to assist him with his disappearing act, and while all eyes were fixed on the stage, Emily was taken and locked up in a box - which was really far fetched as she was in the middle of the crowd with Spencer & Hannah, how did she not scream or anyone see her, unless the whole town was in on it - and almost got sliced into half.

Now there is always a chase at the end of most episodes, and halfway through, we see the girls noticing the famous red coat - who we have all been dying to know who it is - and chase her, only to be hit with the first big reveal, THERE ARE TWO RED COATS!!!

With Aria chasing one, and Spencer the other, we manage to find out the identity of one - which we pretty much all guessed anyway - and that was the pretty blonde CeCe Drake, but like always, she fell and passed out, and then disappeared right under the girls noses, so we didn't get a chance to hear what she had to say!!!

MONA MONA MONA

Even though we didn't see much of Mona this episode, we did find out that she escaped from Radley yet again, and was shacked up knitting at some Bed & Breakfast while the liars were running around thinking -A was going to kick her arse.

It's pretty obvious Mona isn't done with the liars, and we know she's keeping a secret with Wren and now it looks like Shona too, and she's getting all too much to handle!!

I do love Mona's character though. She's fearless, mysterious, and she's a bitch for sure, but she's good at it!!

NAUGHTY EZRA

Now brace yourselves, because I was shaking when the big reveal came on to my screen, and I am in complete and utter shock!!

Ezra, the charming, quiet, handsome, English Teacher - who was Aria's love interest, and just found out his son isn't really his son which made us girls all go awwww - IS FREAKING -A!!!!!!!!!!

Or one of many -A's, but I'm pretty sure from this episode, that he was the main guy, and even though it is definitely the biggest twist yet, I can't help but think about how it makes a lot of sense!!

So it's looking to be, that Ezra is a pervert stalker basically. It looks like he was obsessed with Ali, and probably put her in the ground that night, and has been looking for her ever since she went missing. 

This now questions his interest in Aria. Was it actually a coincidence that he met Aria in that bar in the first ever episode? Was he ever really in love with Aria, or was it all to get closer to finding Ali? Do the other members of the -A team know who he is, or do they just follow his orders?

We also got to see his actual lair which explained how he is everywhere at once. With cameras, trackers, his personal A team that do everything for him - not to mention he works in the liars school, hangs out in the coffee shop where Emily works, apparently loves Aria, and sees all the girls outside of school - it kinda makes sense that he seems to know where they are and what they are doing most of the time!

It's always the quiet ones :)

IS ALI ALIVE OR DEAD?

The third big reveal - which should have been the most shocking but Ezra topped it - is that Ali could actually be alive!!

Since the girls started randomly seeing Ali, it has been getting me curious, but it never made sense!

But in the finale we find out that Ali was scared of someone, got buried alive the night she went missing, but was saved by that weird frat house woman, and then disappeared herself in to the night!

So could she still be alive? Could she have been hiding from Ezra all this time and trying to help the liars at the same time? 

It wasn't confirmed for sure, but I think there is a good chance Ali is alive! 

So that is the summer finale! It pains me to say we have to wait until January for the new season, but at least we get a Halloween episode!

We have so much to take in, but theres still so much we need to know!!

Who is the second red coat? Could it be Ali herself? Spencer's sister? 

Why is Ezra -A or on the -A team?

Could Ezra have been the one that pushed Ian in the Church that night?

And the question that I keep asking, Why is this happening? What has made these -A members mental enough to go to extremes to hurt these Pretty Little Liars?

What are your thoughts and who is your favourite Pretty Little Liar?

LoveLove

Elle P

FashionAffordables - Back To Work

My Fashion posts are going to mainly focus on affordable clothing, footwear & accessories from anywhere & everywhere :)

As a graduate, who's current job is Freelance, and who intends to go back into studying for another year, I am pretty broke! So when I view other people's Fashion blogs, apart from the fact that I love the Fashion they blog about, the majority of it is waaaay out of my price range!!

As much as I would love to, I can't afford to be spending £60 on a bag, or £80 on a coat, or £120 on freaking shoes!!

So my Fashion blogs are going to be about finding and posting clothes, bags, shoes etc that are affordable for the less fortunate souls like myself at the moment. I have always believed that it's not always about the brand or the price tag. Fashion is what you make of it. Putting your own stamp on simple outfits, getting creative with what you have (and what you can afford). Who cares if it's fake, or if it's cheap, if it looks great on you, lasts long, and you can make it your own, what does it matter if it was a £20 top from New Look or a £100 top from Browns (which is ridiculous for people who can't afford it).

So my first post is going to be about going 'Back To Work'.

The summer is almost over, people are coming back from their holiday's, winding down, and getting ready to go back to work. September was the time for me when I was getting my next student loan payment, so I was ready to go mad in the shops, buying a new wardrobe for the Autumn & Winter season. Now that I don't have that luxury anymore - and I can't make my money rain - I have had to lower my budget (which kills me).

So one of my favourite online fashion websites that I stumbled upon while I was at university was 'BooHoo'. I will probably post a lot of stuff from there on here because I love everything they have from the clothes to the hats and bags, the jewellery and shoes, EVERYTHING!!

My dress sense usually changes all the time, I can't really stick to one because I get bored, and BooHoo seems to have a variety of styles that I can choose from when I'm going through one of my changes. Whether I want to be geeky, sexy, professional, cool and quirky, homebound etc, BooHoo has something for me!!

So as this post is titled 'Back To Work', I am going to show you a few outfits I chose from the website (who have a Back To Work section) some of them I have already, but the majority are just my favs!

Keeley Peplum Midi Belted Dress -  £20

I love outfits that make you look taller and slimmer than you actually are (who doesn't)

As I am quite tall, I am a big fan of all the midi skirts and dresses out there, that emphasise your height, and support your figure. When it comes to dresses, I prefer darker colours, which is why I chose the Grape. This dress comes in a variety of colours including Berry, Cobalt & Navy.

For only £20, it looks great, it's simple but sophisticated, and I would suggest wearing your hair in a high bun to show off your top half ;)

Lola Monochrome Tapestry Blazer - £30

Blazers are great because they can brighten up a really simple outfit!

I have a lot of plain midi dresses, and sometimes jewellery isn't enough, so I have invested in quite a few blazers, and they definitely do the trick. £30 is a good price because you know you can wear it with a lot of outfits and for different occasions.

I have a simular one from Primark which I got for £15 (its a stripy grey) and it goes perfectly with my black midi dress.

Check the Blazer section out on BooHoo, they have quite a few good ones.

Una All Over Studded Slipper - £10

I like wearing flats, not only because they are more comfortable than heels, but because I'm tall and I don't enjoy looking like a giant when I'm with my shorter friends or boyfriend.

They do make a statement if you wear them right, and for £10, they are a good investment!

Charlotte Outside Stud Structured Shopper - £30

When I make an effort with what I wear - and I'm not in my oversized T-shirt and jogging bottoms - I like to match my bag with my shoes.

So this studded bag would go great with the studded slipper (above).

It's black and plain so it will go with any outfit. It's stylish and not too big (I hate having to find random things to put in massive bags just to fill up the empty space).

With the studded slipper that's £40 for a nice pair of shoes and a chic bag.

LoveLove

Elle P