Skincare Routine ♡

So today I have my long awaited skincare routine. I normally do an intro but I don't really know what to say, other than enjo this post. Let's get started...

I normally do skincare in the evening as I don't have time in the morning when I have school. If it is the holidays or weekend then I will do some skincare in the morning too.

Lazy Day
On a lazy day, it's bad, but I can never really be bothered to do skincare properly, so I will probably just take a makeup wipe and remove any leftover makeup and just freshen up my face.

Washing my Face
I like the Simple Face wash as it isn't too harsh on your skin and makes your skin feel clean and amazing.

Everyday

So to start off I will take my Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water with a cotton pad, as this takes off all my makeup and cleanses my face well.

The next step is toning my skin, so I like to use the Simple Soothing facial toner, as this just soothes and freshens my skin so much.

Lastly, moisturising is a step I would not miss. I like the Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser as it makes your skin just so soft and feel healthy and moisturised and yeah, just soft!

So, I know I mainly use Simple, but I have tried a lot of other brands and I feel like it just suits my skin more than any other brand.

Ellie xoxo

What's in My Handbag ♡

If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that I recently treated myself to a new bag. And I'm in love with it. Its from new look and the name is Mini Wendy Pocket Up.

This is a collab with Laura and she is actually going to be doing a video of what's in her bag, so check out her instagram and channel here.

Above is what it looks like, the "pocket" on the front is just for decoration, but inside is zipped up, which is good, because I hate it when there is nothing and everything can get in your bag, and if you open it there is one big pocket, a little zip pocket that i keep keys and headphones in and anofher tiny pocket which is perfect for my phone.

This is in no particular order...

The first thing I can see is this makeup bag that I got free in Superdrug but I basically switch this from my schoolbag to this bag and to find out in more detail what's in here read my school beauty kit here.
I have hand sanitizer, hand cream, concealer, mascara, eyeliner and way too many lip products. Ooh, and a tangle teezer for that knotty hair of mine.

As its spring and the sun is starting to be brighter, I have sunglasses as with english weather you never know when it will suddenly turn to a heatwave. I have no idea where these were from and I need to get some better ones but I just have these white Ray-ban style sunnies.

I have a mini notepad and a pen because you never know when you will want to write down something you need to do, or a blog post idea or something you just want to write down and remember.

This really squished biscuit that I got in a cafe at some point with a drink. I would normally have gum but stupid me forgot to buy some more when I ran out.

I have this purse which is from Peacocks, which is basically Primark but not as good, which I thought would coordinate perfectly with my bag but it is a lot more mint green than the bag but they still go and it just has gold detailing. I keep a little bit of money in case I want to buy something or get on a bus or something, a few gift cards and shop cards and receipts that I am too lazy to throw out *am I sensing a theme of me being lazy oops*. The only annoying thing which is really annoying to be honest, is that the day after i bought it, the zip broke and there is still money in there, it's only a little bit and it could be helpful in an emergency but it's just annoying and obviously the quality isn't too great.

The last things I have are some smelly things, I have a little 'Play It' spray and some perfume samples.

I hope you all enjoyed this post and make sure you check out Laura's video version of this as her channel is so good and she deserves a lot more subscribers.

Ellie xoxo

MUA Blush Review ♡

So not too many people talk about the brand MUA, but in my opinion, they do have some great products and would be great if you were starting out with makeup or just wanted some cheaper makeup.
Most makeup from MUA is £1, they also have more 'pro' products like palettes for a bit more expensive, but over all this brand is pretty good. I know that when something is that cheap you will worry that its rubbish, but this product really isn't.

Today I have a review of this blush. Its in the shade Bubblegum and I love it a lot.

So the first ever MUA product I picked up was a blusher, as I had heard such great things about their blushers. And I have to say, this was so much better than I expected it to be. For £1 I expected it to apply fine but become a bit chalky and just fade throughout the day.

But this blush, with INCREDIBLE Pigmentation, stays on your cheeks all day until you remove it. There is a huge shade range and they are a nice and sleek size to fit I'm your handbag. The only downside is that the packaging isn't very special and there isn't a mirror, but apart from that, this blush is phenomenal.

It is a gorgeous bright bubblegum pink and just gives your cheeks a perfect rosy glow. This is such a bargain and if I didn't know it was from MUA I would think it was from Mac, it's that good!

Do you own anything from MUA?

Ellie xoxo

Divorce and Separation ♡

So today I have a bit of a more serious post for you all (also this has been saved in my drafts for weeks and I completely forgot I had written it but here it is) but one that is very close to my heart. So, as I said in a previous post, I am going to start doing some advice posts every once in a while, but I thought I would start off by talking about divorce (and separation.) I'm going to talk about how it has affected me and answer some of your questions and advice about it.

Before I start, I just want to say: no I am not an expert on this subject, yes I have gone through this but this is about my experience and the advice I give is based on what I've been through. I am in no way an expert and I know that every family has different problems. Also, I apologize if I am a bit rambly in this post.

My Experience

So for me, it wasn't too bad and I know, like many things, there are different levels of it and no family is the same. My parents decided to divorce 7 years ago I believe, and I was 6. As I was quite young, I didn't really understand it very much so I didn't get too upset apparently, but my brother was devastated. But the thing my mum didn't know was what was going through my mind...

Before they decided to divorce, they would argue so much and no matter if I was with them, or I could hear from my bedroom, I was almost always trying to hold back the tears. One thing that did help me is having somebody there that is going through it too. If I was an only child I don't think I would've got through it. I don't really remember but I guess I was just pretending to everyone else that things were fine.

I tried to act like I was ok about it, but deep down I was broken. I didn't want to pick sides and I missed the happy family we used to be. I keep my parents wedding photo in my room because although it makes me sad, it puts a smile on my face to remember when they were a happy couple. Only about a year ago, I came to my senses and stopped having daydreams of my dad coming crying back to my mum with flowers, because I know that's not going to happen, but it's one of the toughest experiences you can go through. 

I know though, that for quite a few years before it actually happened, my parents stopped being happy together and were just trying to pretend for me and my brother, but I think at least now they are both happy.

It is difficult, whether you are at the beginning, just adjusting, or it's been like it for years, I do still have the occasional cry and it's not something that is quick to get over. You want to be the angel and make them happy again and you wish you had made the most of the happiness. People going through it are fragile, so if you have a friend or someone you know going through it, remember to be sensitive but don't treat them differently, because they want to act like everything's fine.

Now onto some questions...

How do you make the decision about which parent to live with?
Well, I don't really know, as my parents kind of decided for me, but if you are a bit older (as I was only around 6), then I would try and split the time. But the one thing you don't want to do is be living out of a suitcase, from house to house. I would recommend talking to your parents about it, and then maybe every other weekend staying at each parents house, so mum, dad, mum, dad, etc, but you would probably want to stay a few nights on weekdays too.

It really depends on the situation and family so you should definitely discuss it with your parents before making any big decisions about where to live.


If your parents are split up, but they still argue, how can you deal with it?

I have this problem too, but it's more parents bitching about each other to other people whilst I'm there. You need to talk to your parents about it and let them know that it's upsetting you, as they may just be hurt themselves so being a bit careless. If you sense an argument coming, I would recommend either going out of the room, or calming them down a bit and just change the subject.


So I hope this has helped some of you, if you want to see more advice posts, ask me questions in the comments or dm them to me, and I will save them all up and answer them in a post. But don't worry, your questions will be anonymous. If you ever need any urgent help, I am here for you all.
As I always used to say, keep smiling.
Ellie xoxo

Seven Sins of Beauty Tag ♡

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you are enjoying your weekend so far, I am so happy to get away from school. So today I have a tag as I asked on Instagram what posts you would like to see and someone said this tag and I thought it would be fun to do.

1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?
Surprisingly, I don't actually own any makeup from Benefit or Mac, but the few high end expensive products I own are from Clarins I've got as gifts, so some mini lipsticks that are probably around £20.

The cheapest would be my MUA products, the blush or lipsticks, all priced at £1, but still incredible quality!


2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?

Tanya Burr lip glosses. I still don't own one, but I've been searching for them since they came out, and I still can't find them in any shops near or far away from me.


3. GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products?

Fanta Strawberry lip smacker. I don't tend to use it much any more as its almost run out, but it smells so good and tastes incredible too.

4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?

Bronzer. I just can NEVER be bothered to do it. I've tried it multiple times and it does look good, but it is a lot of effort to do and I normally overdo it and have to keep reapplying it.

5. PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?

Eyeliner. Its my obsession. I don't even know why, it just makes me feel a lot more confident. I am addicted. I can't even explain why, but eyeliner for sure.

6. LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

A nice smile. Everyone looks better when they're smiling.

7. ENVY: What items would you most like to receive as a gift?

High end products. Especially some Benefit or Mac products, a Mac lipstick and Benefit Roller Lash, but the thing I probably want most is an Urban Decay Naked palette, I have heard so much about these and desperately want to try one.

So I hope you all enjoyed this tag, let me know if you did and I can do more tags like this. Or if you didn't, let me know and I'll do less.

Ellie xoxo

Music Favourites ♡

Did you know that the average teenager listens to around 2 hours of music each day? I didn't, but I think I definitely do listen to that much. I'm always talking about my beauty favourites but never really talk about my music favourites, so today I thought I would tell you about them and tell you why I like them.

Blame it on me - George Ezra
I loved Budapest so I had a feeling I would like the rest of his music. This came up on my station on blinkbox (which is what I get most of my music from by the way) so I thought I would give it a go, and ever since I have been listening to it on repeat, oh my goodness its amazing, its kind of a more upbeat song but there's something about his voice and the song, its just perfect.

Maps - maroon 5
Its pretty different to what I usually listen to, but I love this song, my favourite bit is where the beat really kicks in 'but I wonder where were yaa'.

Hold back the river - James bay
I wasn't too keen on this when everyone was obsessed with it, but now I am just loving I think its a beautiful song.

Take me to xchurch- hosier
Same as ^ basically, but I love the vibes of it and how its so different to any other popular piece of music put there.

I'm not the only one - Sam smith
I love Sam smith! I mean, not as much as ed sheeran, but his voice is so gorgeous, and this song is just so good, I don't really know how to explain how I feel about it.

*sorry for the really not too great pictures aha*

Ellie xoxo

Whoops I Went on a Rant! ♡

Wow. Im on the seventh day of holidays and I've basically done nothing productive. I've written a few blog posts but other than that I've basically just lazed around, watching TV and YouTube. Whoops!

But today, I went to a family meal and tthen back to their house for a party. that part was for my grandparents diamond wedding anniversary! It was so fun and nice to see my family I hadn't seen since Christmas! But omg, 60 years is an amazing amount of time to be married. So congratulations grandma and grandad. Love you loads xxx

Next week I'm doing a load of fun things though, I'm going primark shopping with my friend, and probably meeting up with some others. I'm also probably having a load of sleepovers and maybe going to Brighton eeeeek:))

*RANT AHEAD - THIS ISNT MEANT TO OFFEND ANYONE I JUST WANTED TO ADRESS MY OPINIONS ON SOMETHING*

Seriously though, on the topic of Brighton, people need to stop waiting outside Zalfies house omg seriously! Can I just say, how would you feel if people were waiting outside your house so you couldn't even take your dog out in your pyjamas?! Like Alfie said, its one thing if its a hotel, but its their house!

SSeriously though, one of the best things about youtubers was that they were so real and they weren't "celebrities". But then the media decide to tell everyone where they live, which i think is completely ridiculous and disgusting. They should tell us where they live so we can go throw eggs at their house! Now, people are just waiting outside their house, sometimes even coming to their door, and then they expect a photo!

Have some respect. They are just ordinary people, but a bit better haha, that make YouTube videos! They can't help that the media leaked where they live, but don't go stand outside their house. And don't bring your mum eithrr. Its their house. House. The one place where no one should be able to watch you or judge you and you should be able to walk round in your underwear if you want.

House. That still hasn't clicked to some people. That's their home. Where they live. Live. Alfie was right to speak out about it because its just not right!

So no, if you were wondering, I'm not going to be waiting outside their house. Just don't please. Everyone, its horrible and its not the way to try and meet your idols.

Anyway, rant over.

So yeah, that was a life update and rant, I hope you enjoyed this, I like doing updates, but not too often because they're a bit boring if you do them too often.

Ellie xoxo

Beauty Wishlist #1 ♡

I see a lot of bloggers doing Wishlist posts, so I thought I might as well give it a go.

Naked Basics Palette - HERE

Sleek Face Form Kit - HERE

Mac Lipstick in Lovelorn - HERE

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - HERE

The Body Shop BB Cream - HERE

Maybelline Baby Skin Primer - HERE

NYC Smooth Skin Sunny Bronzer - HERE

Revolution Iconic 3 Palette - HERE

Benefit Roller Lash - HERE

Benefit Balms & Tints - HERE
Tanya Burr Lip Gloss - HERE

I hope you all enjoyed this little beauty wishlist, I can do another one in a few months, or if you want me to do one for a certain shop (Topshop, Victoria Secret, Kiko, etc) then tell me in the comments.

Ellie xoxo

Clarins Natural Lip Perfectors ♡

As I've probably mentioned in a few blog posts before, my mum likes the brand Clarins alot, so she often gives me the little makeup samples or free gifts she gets, and earier today I pulled these beauties out of the back of my wardrobe.

Pretty sure I've talked about these in a favourites a while ago, but they are the 'Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors'. Wow, that just sips off the tongue so easily hehe.

So I have two colours, one of which I think is a mini and is a nice nude, the shade 03 and the other is full size in the shade 01, which looks like a natural your lips but better pink in the tube, but comes out clear. They give a tiny bit of shimmer but not much, just a really subtle amount, as they are focusing on the 'light'.

These are quite sheer, the nude one just gives a little hint of colour, they are definitely not full pigmentation like lipsticks or some lipglosses can be, but you wouldn't expect that considering 'natural' is in the name. They make your lips so shiny and luminous? Thats not the right word is it. You know those lip products that just feel so creamy and luscious on your lips, these are them. Your lips feel so soft and nice that you want to keep rubbing them together (that sounds weird haha). But they do bring light to your lips and they will appear fuller and more healthy, plumped and glowing. It says that they have Shea Butter and lots of vitamins in, so your not putting gross products on your lips, as they will help keep your lips moisturised.

Now after reading that, you are probably thinking they are sticky and tacky on your lips, but I can tell you, they are not sticky in the slightest, and unlike most lip products, they don't show chaps on your lips either.

It says on the website they are 'Sheer, but has enough colour to wear alone or to complement your favourite lip shade.' and I agree with that. 

But these gorgeous lip products do come with a hefty price tag, at £18 a piece. So I would say if you are starting out with makeup, they may not be an essential, and you could just stick with normal lip balms like Baby Lips that are a bit cheaper, or maybe save up or ask for one for your birthday? But for more experienced makeup users that really know what they're doing, maybe this would be something nice to treat yourself to, as it is very different to any other lip products out there.

Being pricey though, does come with some advantages like good packaging that doesn't fall apart easily. Also, the applicator is spongey, which means its easy to apply, some people may not like it but I think it's very handy to throw in your handbag.

You're probably thinking I'm being paid to say all good things about it, which I'm not by the way, but there are a few things I think could be better.
I think £18 is a bit over the top, considering Mac lipsticks are only £15 and they are quite sheer, £18 is quite a lot to pay for a sheer lip balm type product.
Also, I think the shade range could be better, considering most of the colours are either lightish pinks (there is one quite bright pink too) or a few nudes which are quite browny, I think there should be some darker colours, reds or berries or corals maybe?

I hope this has helped you all in some way, maybe inspired you to buy it or ask for it, or just try out some different lip products. If not, I hope you enjoyed it anyway. You can purchase these gorgeous products here.

Ellie xoxo

Summer Side Plait with a Twist ♡

So I posted my spring essentials and summer lip products and everything, but I realised that one thing missing was summer hairstyles, so I thought I would show you a cute hairstyle that you might like if you just want to get your hair out of the way, but still look good and like you've put effort into it.

Before I do this, I will just brush out my hair with my Tangle Teezer to make sure there are no tangles & its easy to style, and probably just spray in some Batiste to add some volume.

Side plait with a twist
I will first off just brush my hair to one side and divide it in three. Once I've done that I will just plait all the sections in a simple three strand plait, and tie all three off with a clear elastic. Then, you just need to plait all the sections together and it creates a really simple and cute layered braid which looks like it took so much more effort than it really did.

*yes I was wearing a Christmas jumper, I wanted a cosy jumper don't judge*

So that was all for my little spring hairstyle, you should know I am obsessed with the half up half down hairstyle at the moment for spring.

Ellie xoxo