What Elles Did Next...

I'm a big fan of hight street makeup brands. As much as an I love treating myself to the occasional NARS foundation, I believe high street is the way forward. 

L'Oreal has been a brand I've grown up with. I feel like it's always been around. I remember being little and thinking that if you wore L'Oreal lipstick you were a classy, well-put-together woman. I aspired to be "the L'Oreal girl". Fast forward to now, Ellie at 20 (still wants to be "that girl"), uses L'Oreal products and LOVES THEM!

These products are a must-have in my beauty collection.

L'Oreal Paris Collection Exclusive Eva Lipsticks in Shade "Eva" & "Eva Longoria" L'Oreal Infallible Matte Power  L'Oreal Glow Face Mask The Glow Mask has become a necessity for me now. Whenever my skin feels dull and lifeless I pop this on my face and I notice a difference almost instantly. It's cheap and effective and I highly recommend it to anyone on a budget. I will purchase this face mask again and again without fail! The Matte Power has amazing coverage! If you had flaw-free skin I would say just wear this, however, I am not blessed in the flawless department so I use this to set my foundation. I only use it in places that I get shiny as I still want to have that natural look about me. (And I'm not a makeup artist, knowing my luck I'd look like a complete CLOWN!) I love the Nude colour. It's a perfect "Everyday" lipstick that you can wear to work and not look too dressed up. It matches well with my skin tone and nearly matches the colour of my actual lips which is nice as it just enhances my lips and pulls my makeup together. Not everyone is a fan of a bold lip so I would recommend this to anyone who wants to keep it natural. Now, I'm not normally the kind of girl to wear a Red lip, as in all honesty, I get a bit self conscious that it looks rubbish and tacky. However, I took the plunge and tried it. I think this colour is perfect for Autumn/Winter and for a night out with the girls. A Red lip always seems quite festive to me, so maybe I'll recreate this look around Christmas time...which scarily, isn't that far away...Ho Ho Hoooooow many days?! I hope you enjoyed this post, if you've tried out some L'Oreal products, let me know below! Love Elle  x <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/18296137/?claim=erbbz55hauw">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Us bloggers love designer fashion, but something we love even more? Dupes. Of course we would all love a classic Chanel bag or YSL makeup, however we aren't all millionaires...

Gucci released these amazing slip on loafers. The blogging world went crazy. Everyone was wearing them, at first I didn't know they were Gucci so I began to do my research to hunt these down. The loafers retail from £400-£600. Yep, completely out of my price range. So it got me thinking, surely I can find a nice pair that look similar but don't look like a complete tacky rip off. It didn't take me long to find a pair. Thank god for TOPSHOP.

Topshop never disappoint me, I love their jeans, I love their jewellery and I now completely love their shoes. The name of the pair I picked up were called the "Kylie Backless Buckle Loafer". They are a suede material which is different to the classic Gucci's but I like that. What I love most is just how comfortable they are! It's like walking around in the world's classicist slippers. I paid £52 for them which I think it an absolute bargain. The quality of the shoe is also great and I think they will last a long time. 

The only con of the shoes will be that I wouldn't be able to wear them when it's raining as I think, considering the material, it would ruin them completely. I'm trying to get the most wear out of them now before Winter fully approaches here in the UK. They are not a typical summer shoe, but I've been rocking them for months because they're so comfortable and backless. I'm not ready for Winter, Autumn please last forever!!!

These shoes aren't for everyone, I have friends who love them and friends who think they are the ugliest shoes ever. But don't be negatively influenced. They are unique and different, if you want to change up your style like I did then give them and go!

Below are some links to the Topshop site, I can't find my ones as they must have sold out but they do have the same style in different colours so check them out! :)

http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/shoes-430/kylie-backless-buckle-loafer-5786723?bi=80&ps=20

http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/shoes-430/backless-loafer-5746753?bi=80&ps=20

http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/shoes-430/kylie-backless-buckle-loafer-5755567?bi=60&ps=20

Love Elle 

x

I love taking photos. I whip my iphone out at any opportunity. On a night out, at a gig or festival, seeing something pretty walking down the street. I can't help it, I've been told I have an eye for it. And that truly is a big compliment to me. I think my love of photography really blossomed when I made a Tumblr account when I was 15...so 5 years ago. To this day I found an amazing creative platform for freelance photographers to share their work and inspire others. 

I'm also really obsessed with editing. I'm no professional, I edit all of my photos on my iphone 6s. But it's therapeutic. I could sit there for hours testing out different way to edit the contrast and brightness of a photo. That might sound really weird to some people, which I get, but it's something I really enjoy doing.

I would like to start taking more photos of people, that's my own personal photography goal. I follow a lot of people on Instagram and Tumblr who are incredibly talented and it inspires me further. 

Check these people out:

.

@bambaswim - They are a swimwear brand based in Australia, but I love their brand, their Instagram is really cool and full of beautiful women with an 80's feel to the photo's which I LOVE.

@pureheartss - This Instagram account is basically a collection of photo's which have been founded from Tumblr. It's a really fun account that incorporates everything I find interesting about photography.

@35mmmagazine - This account is really cool. They don't alter their models faces or bodies. It's raw and fresh. "Nothing has been retouched no body altered, no scar removed, we photographed what we saw. Don't edit me."

@calcuim.needles - My friend Alicja or Allie has I've always called her has a really cool instagram feed. I think she has talent. Her photos have an edge to them, yet they seem very carefree and not fussed about with. I think that's what I love most about them they're very natural shots.

@erikabowes - A girl I have been following on social media for years! I found her blog and thought she was so cool. She's edgy, has her own unique style and seems to have really taken off and seems to be doing amazing things. She is strikingly beautiful and now is a photographer and stylist travelling the world. It just shows what a blog can do for your career!

However as of right now, I have a small collection of photos that I'm really proud of. A collection from my travels over the past two years. They are all landscape shots, (apart from one). I hope to make another post like this in the near future with more people in them. But please see below for the first part of my photography journey. 

          

Tower Bridge 2016

"Three words, eight letters, say it and I'm yours..." Oh please Chuck just save us all the heartache and tell her you love her!

Gossip Girl has been a part of my life on and off since I was 12. I remember watching it for the first time and being transfixed by the glitz and the glamour of Manhattan's elite, the high fashion and how the show was basically a love letter to New York City. I think that's why I've always wanted to visit NYC, Gossip Girl made the appeal to travel there stronger. 

Here are my top favourite things about Gossip Girl:

The Characters;

I loved how complex the characters were. How everyone had their own story and how we as viewers were able to relate to them. I could see myself in Blair, a girl who everyone believed had her life together but had her own personal insecurities. Jenny, who tried so desperately to fit in but ended up being way cooler just being herself, (even though that was a journey that lasted a life time!) And even Serena, who was so complicated but had her friends around her to keep her grounded.

I have to say it, Chuck Bass is one of the best characters in TV ever. That tone of voice, his fashion sense, his confidence and of course his unconditional love for Blair. No matter how many times I watch the show I'm in awe of his character. Every time he says "I'm Chuck Bass..." I cannot help but swooooooon! I feel like I'm 15 again! Why didn't any boys I go to school with have that Chuck Bass charm? I'm still gutted...

The Fashion;

From cocktail parties, brunches and birthday's Gossip Girl made everyone look glamorous! Everyone just looked so good always! I watched a behind the scenes episode about the fashion on the show a while back, (superfan status!) and it was so interesting to hear about how designers were cuing at the door wanting to dress the characters. I mean even Vera Wang herself made an appearance in the show! That's a huge deal! She even designed Blair's wedding dress in the 100th Episode of the show.

Every outfit that Blake Lively (Serena) wore on the show was amazing. She quickly became a style icon for me and I'm a genuine fan of her outside of the show now. Her KILLER figure makes everything she wears look stunning and effortless. I think any girl who watched the show wanted to be her just a little bit...I know I did, and still kind of do...damn her girl beach waves and long legs!

Being a self-confessed bargain queen, I hit the high street to find reasonable priced products that look and feel amazing.

The makeup brand "Sleek" have the most amazing matte lipstick collection and I stumbled upon these by accident. They are super affordable and look pretty good! Sleek is a brand that isn't that well known, in comparison to high street brands like L'Oreal or Rimmel, however is doesn't mean they're not as good. I swatched a lot of different mattes in Superdrug and Sleek impressed me the most. The product is really pigmented and drys super quick, which I really appreciated!

I thought it would be an idea to swatch each product that I have bought on my hand and then show you what they look like on my lips;