What Elles Did Next...

I've decided to bring monthly favourites to my blog as these are my favourite posts to read and watch on YouTube. I'm breaking it down into small categories and linking everything below so you'll be able to reference what I'm talking about easily.

Let me know if you enjoyed this post and if you want to read more...enjoy :)

S O C I A L || M E D I A

YouTube: clothesencounters (Jenn). This is my favourite person on YouTube, she has THE BEST style, seems so cool and genuine and I really want to bump into her when I'm in LA. Her videos are fashion based with beauty, Vlogs & Tag Videos mixed in there as well. Her editing style is amazing and she is gorgeous. If you're into fashion then Jenn is your girl.

Twitter: @BloggingGals - Now I might be the basis as I work with these lovely bunch of women, but I'm so happy to be able to assist with the running of this cool business. Zaineb, CEO of BloggingGals has created this amazing platform for bloggers to connect, grow their audiences and share content. If you are new to the blogging world then I recommend following us over on twitter and hashtag your posts with "#BloggingGals" for a retweet. (:

Instagram: @cakeofdreams - For someone who is currently trying to get her LA body, looking up pictures of cake seems like torture. However, these cakes are so gorgeous that I almost wouldn't want to eat them! (Still would, though...) This small business, set up by a women named Francesca deserves all the success. I've never seen cakes look THIS GOOD! She also makes gluten/sugar-free options if you require it. Check her out if you have a birthday or event coming up!

Bondi Sands Everyday Tan - Winter has officially arrived. I'm naturally pale looking so I want to maintain a summer glow all year round. I picked up Bondi Sands in Superdrug as I was so excited to see it finally being sold in the UK. I've followed their official Instagram page for a while now and the before and after results looked impressive. I'm really pleased with the colour it gives me. It's subtle but it's just what I need for everyday use.

Acrylic Nails - I don't normally get my nails done, but lately, I wanted a change. I went to my local nail salon and asked for acrylics. I know acrylics split opinion, but I've never had an issue with them before. I also browse Pinterest before deciding what I want. I decided on the "coffin" shape and I asked for a dark pink colour. I normally go for a classic nude colour but hey, I was feeling adventurous! I think I'm going to start getting my nails done more often as someone who is left handed, painting nails becomes more a chore than most! There is a website that I recently discovered called "Treat Well". If you want any kind of beauty treatment, just type in your postcode and it will come up with the nearest salons near you, if you book an appointment with them you can get loads of discounts!! Deffo going to try this next time!

M U S I C

There are a few tracks that I've been listening to non-stop this month so I thought I'd share with you guys as well. I recently wrote a Blogpost entitled "Elles Mixtape" where I listed some of my favourite songs at the minute so go over there for a more detailed list if you're interested. Here are 5 songs I recommend to you:

Here I Am - Tom Odell (Btw, the video for this is SO good...Kevin Spacey!?)
Blow Your Mind - Dua Lipa (She is a MASSIVE babe)
Body Moves - DNCE
False Alarm - Becky Hill
Shout Out to My Ex - Little Mix (Their best song to date, no argument)

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

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

Why is it so hard to talk about yourself? It's like sometimes we feel embarrassed to admit what we are actually like and what are interests are. Why do we feel like that? It's such a strange feeling. I have no idea why I thought writing this blog post would so easy to write, because as I've just explained, it's bloody difficult to talk about myself! BUT! I'm going to give it a go. A challenge for me, and for you reading, an insight into who I am and what I'm like...

1. I can be really indecisive when it comes to making group decisions. "What do you want to do?" My classic response is "I'm not fussy AT ALL, I'll do whatever you guys decide to do"...I just can't help myself.

2. I have a real passion for all things creative. I truly believe that I was meant to be working in a creative industry. I'm crap with numbers, I hate sitting in an office all day doing administrative tasks and just hope that one day I'll have a career that I can enjoy.

3. I'm obsessed with both documentaries and reality TV. Documentaries about crime & conspiracy theories fascinate me, but on the flip side I love reality TV like Love Island and Made in Chelsea. I enjoy TV that is different from what I consider "the norm" as I love to see how other people live their lives. 

4. I love to visit new places. I would hate to stay in one place my whole life knowing the world is so big, why would you want to not explore it?!

5. I'm very independent. I like doing things for myself. I think it's important for a woman to be able to say "Yeah, I can do this, I don't need someone by my side telling me how to do this." #IndependentWomenSayWhaaaaat

6. I can be really goofy and get carried away with a joke. In my friendship group I would be classed as the "funny one". I'm happy go lucky and love making people laugh, but I'll be the first to admit I sometimes take the joke too far...oops.

7. Autumn/Fall is my favourite season of the year. I love blue skies and cold mornings. I love the colour change of the leaves and how they fall off the trees. Some of my earliest memories are of me in a massive puffer jacket running through crisp leaves, collecting conkers in the park, how cute haha!

8. I care about what people think, but only to a certain extent. I don't care if people don't like the clothes that I wear or don't like my general appearance. But I do care if people have an opinion on me as a person. I care about first impressions so I don't like to disappoint.

9. I love shopping by myself. As much as I do enjoy shopping with my friends, sometimes if I'm not in the mood I just prefer to wake up early, head out, spend all my money in ZARA and call it a day.

10. As much as I've always said I want to move out of London, I think I'll always call it home. I love London and maybe having my own place here will be what I need...even though I probably won't be able to afford it...(cries).

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