What Elles Did Next...

"CONFIDENCE LEVEL: 

SELFIE WITH NO FILTER" - UNKNOWN

That's the goal isn't it, to feel confident enough to leave the house and not feel self-conscious about your skin? I'm not there yet, but I can leave the house without foundation to pop to the shops, yes I know, it's a revelation! My skin is very sensitive, I get burnt easily in the sun, go red in cold weather and break out heavily when it's my time of the month. (You know what I mean girls!)

My skin has quite a bit of scarring though and this is due to going on the pill when I was 17. Completely ruined my life. I never got spots before then, I hardly wore makeup either so it was a win-win back in the day. However, the pill made my skin develop terrible acne and it's never been the same since. Scarring is so annoying because it looks like my skin is really spotty but it's not and all I want it healthy looking skin, a bit depressing really...

These days, I have just learned to accept that my skin will never be perfect. I have a simple skincare routine that I've recently grown to love and it works well with my sensitive skin and thought I would share the products I use with you today. I'm clearly not a skincare expert, but this is what I find works for me. So if you have sensitive skin, you could well benefit from this post. (:

This post is a classic. I've watched so many people online do it, from YouTubers like Tanya Burr to Posh Spice herself. (Love you Vicky B).

I thought I would have a go at doing it too, how original. I love these kinds of posts as I think they are really personal to the individual, and let's be honest, I'm extremely nosey so this is a perfect, yet no intrusive way to see the kinds of things people love and carry with them...

So here we go, this is a quick: "What's In My Bag" post...Enjoy! :)

Soho Disco Bag - Gucci I've never had a red bag before, all my bags are black or brown. I wanted something different. This bag can be used for everyday use as well as an evening bag. You can wear it off your shoulder or over. I'm obsessed with it. I wanted a change and getting a bright red bag a big fashion risk for me...I took the plunge and I'm loving it.

I've always said it's important to make time for friends, to make time to travel and to make time to create memories. I've always been pretty sentimental when it comes to things like that. I never want to be "that friend" who lets people down. Over the years I've learnt a lot about myself and the company I keep around me. I can be the first to admit that years ago I wasn't the greatest friend - that's me just being honest. I was caught up in myself and my own insecurities that I missed out on a lot. However, instead of dwelling on the past, at 20 nearing 21, I can confidently say that I'm a good friend. I've finally found a good balance between having weekends to myself and making time for going out with my friends and drinking a little too much. 

Balance is important. We try to balance a lot of things in our everyday life, from work to boyfriends to family, everything requires some form of balance. And yeah, we sometimes don't always get it right. We upset people, we get angry at them and I guess that a part of forming a friendship with someone. They don't always get it right and neither do you. 

From the age of 14, I discovered Tumblr. A creative space for young people to share photos, videos and quotes that best felt described them. Now, 6 years on I still love going onto the site every now and again for inspiration and general enjoyment. Another site that carries amazing quotes is Pinterest, I consider Pinterest an adult version of Tumblr...I think that's a cool way to describe it?

I love quotes and gravitate to them when I'm feeling happy or sad. Sometimes I just need reassurance that what I'm feeling is ok and that other people have experienced it too, you know the typical "I hope I'm not alone in this" feeling.  

I thought a good idea for this post would be to share some of my favourite quotes that I love and have saved over the years in hope that they will inspire you, or if you're like me and just love to read cool quotes then this may be the post for you! I will leave my Tumblr & Pinterest account below where you can follow me and see what kind of stuff I'm into. My Tumblr account goes WAY BACK so I'm almost scared to share it as I kept it a secret for so long! Damn secretive 16 year old me! Leave yours in the comments as I'm genuinely interested to see your accounts too :)

"In general, people are not drawn to perfection in others. People are drawn to shared interests, shared problems, and an individual’s life energy. Humans connect with humans. Hiding one’s humanity and trying to project an image of perfection makes a person vague, slippery, lifeless, and uninteresting"

I have always loved taken photos. Whether it's taking photos of my friends or the scenery around me I just can't help but try to capture every moment.

In the new digital age, social media has played a bit part in helping my passion grow and develop, sites like Instagram and Tumblr being my main source of inspiration. One day I thought to myself, why not try and make my hobby a "thing". Why not offer to take photographs for people who need them for their personal use? ie, for their blogs or small business'? I've decided to try this venture and really put my heart and soul into it.

If you're someone maybe starting out blogging or running a business and want some professional type photographs then please feel free to get in touch with me! I can tell you, hand on my heart that my rates will not be hundreds of pounds because 1) Who do I think I am? 2) I'm looking for start-up clients and understand that their budgets aren't massive!

I am willing to do the following with my Canon Powershot Camera:

- Outside shoots (Eg, outfit shoots for blogs location fully negotiable in the London area, or scenic shots)

- Portrait shoots (Eg, maybe for someone specialising in makeup, or modeling)

- Small events (A social event that you would like documented, a party, small get together)

- I am also more than happy to do some "behind the scenes" shots if that's something you might require.

We can discuss what you would require and if you would like any of the images edited slightly, or I can just send the originals over to you for you to get creative with. It's all on your terms, I'm trying to be as flexible as possible so you are happy with the end results!

If you have any other preferences, I am open to talk so please feel free to send me an email. 

whatellesdidnext@gmail.com 

I suppose all that's left is to show you some samples of my work...enjoy!

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>

At the beginning of the year, I began to feel more anxious than ever. I had no idea where it came from and why I was feeling like that but I knew I had to do something about it. I love to read, so I thought the best option was to find a book about Anxiety to see if I could understand it a bit more.

I came across "Reasons to stay alive" by Matt Haig after reading a lot of reviews. It's essentially his account of his experience with anxiety and depression after suffering a breakdown in his early 20's. When I would pull this book out in public or around people I knew, I got the exact same reaction each time. "Wow, that sounds depressing, read something more uplifting!" While I get that the title is a little daunting, the text inside is anything but.

Yes, it's not an easy read, but it's informative, heartfelt and quite frankly I did feel like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders once I finished reading it. Matt lets you into his life. He doesn't sugar coat anything, he tells you of a time when he nearly committed suicide, when he felt so anxious he couldn't go to his local shop, when he felt like he let his family down. You really feel his pain. 

What I really love about this book is that it gives you hope. I honestly nearly cried when I read that he married and had children. He overcame whatever he thought was going to kill him. A lot of chapters are lists of triggers, helpful advice and all around good information to know if you are someone who suffers from a mental illness. Matt incorporates a lot of inspiring quotes throughout the book as well which I enjoyed reading as I am a SUCKER for a good quote.

What I found also really interesting and important about this book was the small chapter on "famous people". Depression is a taboo subject as we are all aware of, but Matt listed all the celebrities he researched that have said they have suffered from depression. I think it's important to remember that "celebrities" are real people and go through "real shit" too.  Here is an extract from the chapter, pg,160 

"Sometimes just looking at names of people who have suffered depression - or are still suffering depression - but who clearly have (or had) other things that are great going on in their lives, gives a kind of comfort..."

This book isn't just aimed at people who suffer from mental health issues. I think this book is the perfect place to start if you are interested in mental health or know of someone who is suffering. It certainly changed my outlook on certain situations. Although my anxiety is nowhere near as bad as Matt's, I understood him, I empathised with him and I'm glad this book came into my life at the right time.

Today I thought I'd do my makeup properly and show you that you don't have to be a makeup artist to look "well put together". All you need is a good coverage foundation and good lighting!

Makeup is fun for me, I try not to take it too seriously. I love lipsticks, (liquid ones at the minute), and love the minimal vibe. This look that I've created today is a bit different for me as I wouldn't normally wear a bold lip like this unless it was a special occasion or unless I was going on a night out. My everyday lip is either a classic nude colour or I use tinted vaseline. It's fun to experiment and think I should step out of my comfort zone a bit more sometimes. 

I wore this beautiful silk shirt from ASOS and I think it made my makeup look a bit more romantic and gave off a "date night vibe". The matte, bold lip really brings the outfit and face together as I made sure the rest of the products I used weren't heavy, instead I wanted a dewy base and strong lip.

Let me know if you guys like this kind of post as it's something different. I'm not a beauty guru but I do enjoy buying makeup and this post was really fun to shoot and style.

I will list the products I have used below and you can check them out if you want to buy them too :)

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