The Weekly Roundup - 02/05/24

Filming chaos, with beauty empties all over the bedroom post-filming,

Well hello, hello you lovely lot! I'm back again! (I’d just like to say, I have been writing this post for a number of weeks now so at the time it did seem like a quick return but alas other workloads have been putting the brakes on it!). I really am loving the casual style of this new 'the weekly' segment as it makes it such a breeze to pop in and write and keep in the loop of posting, despite life's busyness (she says)! I hope you've had a glorious past week (or two-ish 👀).

It's been the week of sunshine and all things heatwaves!

I was feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed for the start of May. We truly are speeding into flip flop and lolly ice weather aren't we? On a not so weather-related note, I found myself on a bit of a lack lustre hair day come the start of the month. I've been enjoying a fair bit of heatless styling at the min, as I recently chopped off my blonde and said bye-bye to some very worse for wear ends. So ultimate heat protection and avoidance it is and it's been a nice little change up for my hair of recent. I'd been particularly enjoying the old heatless waves at the beginning of the month but a few days in it was more frizz and go so an impromptu up do it was. I ended up really liking this little braided number I cracked out for work.

Braided up-do, pictured in bathroom.

My hair is just starting to reach that length where I can do a bit with it again, which is going to be perfect for the summer months to come if these weekend heatwaves are anything to judge it by.

Adamant to enjoy every spec of free time I could savour in the sunshine, I was very much longing to have a little alfresco dinner after the excitement of bringing home my impromptu Aldi bargain garden chairs and table set. I give you, Sammi Maria's Quinoa Salmon (Asda's answer to plant-based salmon) Poke Bowl ...

Colourful salmon poke bowl, with avocado, tomatoes and cucumber, on a blue table.

This has to be one of my most favourite recipes and it was perfect sat in the garden... albeit a little overcast at this point but she was determined!

We follow on to the end of the first week of May and, I don't know if you'll quite believe it but, I was off to an event at The Body Shop! Yes, you read that right. Our Liverpool store has been given the green light to stay open and I couldn't be more made up! It was a fantastic night with all the girls there (minus Danielle - missing you lovely!) and just like old times. The team at our Liverpool store are so fantastic, they absolutely more than deserve to stay open! I won't delve into too much here as there is a whole blog post and vlog pending (up now!) but it was all about the new Spring release of the Bluebell range, with a few exciting new extras too!

Selfie of me, wearing a very minimal makeup look, with brown winged liner and a natural nude lip. Also wearing, crystal hoop earrings and a beige coat. Me receiving a hand and arm massage by Bethany at The Body Shop Bluebell Launch.

It was very much a throw-myself-together post-work get ready for the event so I was sporting my comfiest caszh with my Goerge knitted trousers, basic striped tee, beige coat and a splash of gold jewellery to add a little more put-together-ness.

I must admit, I've blinked and 28 days have passed. It has been a time I tell you! After a slight mishap with some building problems at home ('in the thick of it' and paddling up a certain creek gives a nod to some of the issues) we managed to catch a bit of the bank holiday for ourselves and it was glorious! Although the picture very much does not do the sunny weather justice, we went for a gorgeous bank holiday walk and got a cheeky smoothie too. It was hands down one of the loveliest walks I've done in a long time. The views were just unreal! 

Green grassy field, with trees in the background, pictures from a broken wooden fence.  Yellow coloured tropical milkshake in a takeout cup, with red and white stripy straw, held against an orange gingham dress.

On the topic of bluebells, there were plenty of bluebells and other lovely wild flowers blooming and it just made my heart so bloomin' happy to see! Ft. a cheeky little bank holiday OOTD though I'm every sense of the word 'rusty' at these. 

Clusters of little blue flowers in a grassy meadow.  Outfit of the day, with a meadow to the foreground, wearing an orange gingham dress, beige coat, vintage tortoise shell sunglasses and cream ballet flats.

In the spirit of merry things (if you will... I have been caught humming the odd Christmas tune this last week but I insist it's because I'm just really very happy and that is very much in tune with my love of Christmas) I decided to make one of my old favourite recipes. Fluffy pancakes with strawberries, blueberries, bacon, hash browns and a drizzle of golden syrup. Trust me, it's delish. I appreciate, you may either love it or hate it...

Decadently decorated pancakes, with bacon, strawberries, blueberries and hash browns, with a drizzle of syrup.

Rolling into the new week, the bathroom mirror was graced with another round of selfies as in the heatless style diaries, I been having a right old mix up of trying all the different heatless curl methods. There's one I saved from an Instagram post a while back that I absolutely adore, which I actually wore for the very first time in Paris, but with my hair being a little on the shorter side these days I've had to resort to alternative options. I decided to give the old dressing gown curls a go and I've been very much loving them again too. I must say, the little crown-like style of the dressing gown curls is a little kinder on the eye than the sock curls - although excellent I do feel for my poor boyfriend when I'm coming to bed looking like a little old lady called Dot with curls in socks rolled up to my ears - or that Animal Crossing character with a very short bob!

Bathroom mirror picture of me, in my pink croissant pyjamas, sporting dressing gown curls.

As the weeks have been flying by with work and studies, I had been itching to finally crack out my filming set up in the new place and film part one of a gigantic empties review I'm been stock hoarding for months! With sheer determination, one Wednesday night, I managed to grab a chance to film. 

Filming set up in bedroom, with a ridiculous amount of beauty empties at the end of the bed post-filming.

I can assure you, things did not look so neat pre this picture!

It was fantastic to finally get filming again. Now I've got the gist or where everything lights and tripod-wise will go, there'll be more videos to come very soon and much more regularly! When edited and uploaded I'll be sharing part one of the empties on my Instagram stories or, if you're not already, feel free to subscribe to my main channel so you don't miss a video, if that's your kind of cup of tea! 

We follow on to the weekend after the first May bank holiday and by George did someone turn the sunshine dial up! I think this is one of the best mini heatwaves we've had over the last few weeks. Either that or it was the best chance I got to enjoy one of them! Taking full opportunity to get some time in this glorious sun everyone has been enjoying every other day, I decided to say sod it to everything on my to-do list for an hour, cracked out a blanket and soaked in some sun. Yes, in swimwear too! It really was that hot! I actually text Luci a little "Malaga vibes" note as eyes closed it really did feel like I could have been back in Malaga again! Minus Miss Luci and those atrociously well-sized Bacardi's though! 

I felt ever so fifties kitsch in my square-toed ballet flats and gingham.

Cream, square-top ballet flats, with gold buckles, on the grass.  A sunbathing selfie, wearing my vintage tortoise shell sunglasses and gingham swimsuit, lying on a cream blanket.

We then roll to Sunday and Sunday was a long awaited catch up with one of my gorgeous uni friends. After much unfortunate postponing, we finally caught each other and headed for a lovely little brunch in Chester. At no surprise for me, it was a mad dash so it was an überly minimal makeup look... and the hair got little attention either. Hence a very cheeky selfie to see if I'd made it out into public looking half put together or not.

No makeup selfie, wearing a floral ditsy print, pink and black, long sleeved dress.

I suggested we go to the Flower Cup as I'd been a few years ago and just could not get the thought of their blueberry pancakes out of my mind. To our excitement it still existed and yes, I did get the blueberry pancakes again! My goodness was it was divine, from every crumb to every sip. The special raspberry matcha latte caught my eye and my goodness it tasted as gorgeous as it looked! Just look at this beauty...

The mini at the Flower Cup, on a white marble table.  Green strawberry matcha iced latte, in a glass, with a red and white stripped straw, raspberry drizzle and a raspberry on the cup rim.
Blueberry pancakes, covered in berry drizzle, and biscoff chocolate French toast.  The Flower Cup coffee shop, with white wooden benches, white walls and plants. Two big rattan chairs, amongst leafy green plants, at The Flower Cup.  Cost corner of wooden fairy lights and white wooden benches at The Flower Cup.

It was the cosiest little spot. The food and drink is just absolutely divine there. I'd highly recommend paying a visit. A little bathroom appreciation too...

Emerald green bathroom, with plants, rattan baskets and dried flower prints, in gold glass frames, on the wall.

Heading back I couldn't help but catch my eye on this ginormous pink bus in the middle of town, which happened to be Harrods beauty on tour. I was very tempted to see if I could poke my head in but by the sounds of it, it was a ticketed event but it looked ever so enchanting for beauty lovers alike. 

Big pink double decker bus for the Harrords beauty on tour.

Meandering back, I hopped into M&S to see if I could grab a certain someone a nice dessert. With the power of every fibre of my being I could not resist getting drawn in by some absolutely gorgeous pieces in the clothing department at the min. I first fell head over heels for this black detailed summer dress. High on my wish list was also a gorgeous plain orange swimsuit and this bag of absolute dreams 😍 . I was however very well behaved and did not cave! No pennies were spent!

Black detailed cream thick cotton summer dress.  Beige handbag with gold buckle and handle attachments.

And that was my first couple of weeks of May and all its lovely happenings.

I do hope you enjoyed. Once again, I just cannot fathom how fast time has flown this month? Has anyone else been feeling this way? It's currently a very cosy bank holiday and I'm sat wrapped up in a blanket, albeit the sun shining, and I'm about to hop to writing some beauty posts once again! 

Until my next post,

Ellie x

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