Little Bit Of A Rant

Lately I haven't been doing so well. I've sort of lost hope. All my life I've said things like; Oh yes! When I'm famous I'll have a Mini convertible or When I'm famous I'll meet Dan and Phil! Or something else along those lines.

But, those whens have turned to ifs. And those ifs aren't as common as they used to be- and it sucks.

So. I sit here on the windowsill in the bathroom ready for a good ten minutes of crying in the shower. What the hell is wrong with me?

I want to put more effort into my YouTube channel, but I have no motivation whatsoever.

Since I've always wanted to be famous, I can't get used to my new way of thinking. I don't understand how people my age can just decide their going to be teachers or nurses- even though it makes perfect sense.

So, I guess in ten years I'll be stuck in a dead-end office job. 24 and single with a bunch of cats.

And yes, I'm fine.

The Problem With Birthdays

Ok. It's my birthday tomorrow (the 23rd of April) and I know it's stupid, but I'm not a big fan of birthdays. It's not that I won't go to a party or anything- I don't mind other people's- it's just mine I don't really care for.

Some adults don't really like birthdays because they're older or whatever, and people think that's the case with me, but really it's not. 

I have a severe in confidence, and I hate anything that's all about me- hence why a day that my family and friends dedicate to me is a terrible situation.

When I was younger I loved it! All the presents, and friends and family gathered around (and the sweets of course), but over the last few years I've just fallen out of love with all the celebrations- and it kinda sucks.

I mean there's nothing I can really do about it- apart from force a smile and hide an embarrassed blush of course- but I just feel bad for putting people through such effort for me. I appreciate every effort, but I just feel too awkward to enjoy it y'know? 

I'm a bit of a social casualty :P

Anyway, kind of dreading my birthday tomorrow (technically in an hour, haha). Sorry for posting such an awfully personal post but I'm planning a birthday haul in a few days :D

Love you lots,

Elle :)

Songs I'm Loving ☻

Hey guys! I feel like I don't do enough music posts, so I thought I'd put together a list of music I really like for fun :)

-♥-♥-♥-

1. The Power of Love - Gabrielle Aplin

{originally by Frankie Goes to Hollywood}

I love this song to bits. Gabrielle's vocals are beautifully haunting and her voice sounds so sweet! This version of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's amazing song was created for the John Lewis Christmas TV advert in 2012. I'd really recommend you start listening to Gabrielle Aplin- she'll make it big.

-♥-♥-♥-

2. Jet Pack Blues - Fall Out Boy 
{ Ruth ;) }

Fall Out Boy released their new album 'American Beauty/American Psycho' on the 16th of January, and I've been listening to it since it came out ♥. Jet Pack Blues is probably my favourite song on the album at the moment. The lyrics are perfect and sad and they tell an amazing story.

-♥-♥-♥-

3. I'm A Ruin - Marina and the Diamonds

Marina's third album 'Froot' is due for release on the 3rd of April, but she is releasing one song a month until then. I love 'I'm A Ruin', as- like the other songs I've chosen- the lyrics are amazing ♥. There is also a lot of character development across Marina's three albums so far.

I hope you get a chance to check out these songs- they deserve every listen ☺

What are your favourite songs at the moment?

Lots of love,

| Bloglovin' | Email | Google+ | Tumblr |

♥ Girl Online - Zoë Sugg - Review ♥

Girl Online has received a lot of criticism due to the fact that at least some- it not all- of the book was ghost-written. I have been a fan of Zoe for over two years, so I quickly got over it. Even if it was ghost-written, wouldn't you rather have young people reading some form of literature than not reading at all?

Girl Online is the first of two books by Zoe, and I feel that it depicts life as a teenager these days really well. The protagonist is named Penny, a year eleven girl from Brighton. Penny is fighting the age-old problems that nearly every teenager goes through- mean girls, boy touble, spots -and also some modern ones, such as trying to take the perfect selfie and choosing which emojis to add to a text message.
 Penny suffers from panic attacks and anxiety, so, like Zoe herself, starts a blog to speak about her problems, which soon has a big and supportive following.

I have one piece of somewhat constructive criticism about this book- whoever was describing the characters needs to describe them more, as I didn't know what age some people are until near the end of the book!

I think this book is really good, and I recommend it to everyone- whether you're 13 or 33 :)

Have you read Girl Online?

What do you think of it?

Lots of love,

| Bloglovin' | Email | Google+ | Tumblr |

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer Review :*

As I have mentioned in a previous blog post, I really love the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. It's probably the best concealer I have ever owned. I have also reviewed the Collection Lasting Perfection Foundation, and have found that to be really good too :)

For €5.49 this concealer is really good value- especially considering how good it is! I purchased this concealer after seeing many beauty bloggers and YouTubers raving about how amazing it is, so I picked it up in the shade 'Fair' to see if it was worth the hype. Trust me, it is.

The concealer blends really, really easily and doesn't crease too much- which is the usually the downside of an otherwise perfect concealer. It covers blemishes and under-eye circles really well and looks flawless and natural. In the picture above ↑, you can see the concealer when it is put on with the wand, and then when it is blended with a beauty blender :)

The only problem I have with this concealer is the fact that the writing on the tube rubs off really easily, as it has with my old bottle of this concealer. If Collection brought out a newer version of this product all they'd need to work on in my opinion is the packaging and the shades- four shades is never enough :(

Have you tried this concealer?
What's your opinion on it?

Lots of love,

| Bloglovin' | Email | Google+ | Tumblr |

The Root Of My Anxiety

Hey guys! Remember back in 2013 (wow, I know!) I did a post on one of my first ever panic attacks? Well, I've had quite a lot more since then, and I think I have become more... educated in the subject.  But anyway, I have found an amazing way to deal with my not-so-good moments of anxiety.

Have you read Zoella's book Girl Online? You should ♥. In the book, Penny- the main character, is told to picture her anxiety. Give it a colour, imagine it. This technique has helped me a lot. Penny's anexity is in her throat, gripping and strangling her, whereas mine is in my chest, restricting me and making me hyperventilate even worse. Enough about Girl Online- I'll do a full review of that some other time :)

I had another panic attack last week- climing a mountain of all places! I tried to imagine my anxiety in my chest, but under the circumstances I just couldn't. It got so bad my mum had to stop and turn around with me, as I wasn't getting any air into my lungs properly. It was terrifying! It hit me a few hours later. Nearly every time I have a panic attack, there is something happening to do with heights. Whether it climbing mountains, sand-dunes, aeroplanes or even other petty things.

Now that I've found the root of my anxiety, I feel that it's going to be a lot easier to handle them, as I can be a little more prepared than I would have been before.

Lots of love,

| Bloglovin' | Email | Google+ | Tumblr |

My Top Three Concealers :D

As I'm sure I've mentioned a billion times before, I have very spot-prone skin and extremely dark circles around my eyes, so concealer is my best friend. I've put together a list of my favourite concealers just in case you want to try out a new concealer :)

1. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer {€5.49}

I love, love, love, this concealer. It covers my under-eye dark circles really well and also is really good at hiding redness and blemishes. I blend this concealer with a little concealer brush or a beauty blender.

2. Benefit Boi-ing Concealer {€24.00}

The Boi-ing concealer is quite pricey considering how small the pot is, but as you can see from the amount I've used, I love it a lot. I find that this concealer is better at covering under-eye circles and redness than spots as it is very heavy-duty and not easy to blend. I still love this concealer because it makes my eye bags disappear! I blend the Boi-ing concealer with my fingers or a beauty blender as you can see the brush marks if you use a concealer brush :P

3. Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer {€7.65}

This was probably the first concealer I really started using, so it will always have a special place in my heart :* I find this concealer amazing for brightening up under-eye circles and dark spots, as it is a 2-in-1 concealer and highlighter. It's really illuminating and makes me looks so much more awake.

What are your top concealers?

Lots of love,

| Bloglovin' | Email | Google+ | Tumblr |

P.S. Sorry the pictures are so crappy! I was out all day today and it's dark outside :)

My 2015-2016 Project :)

I've made a decision. I love animals, and have two dogs and a couple of fish myself. I've always been 100% against animal testing, but I've never really done anything about it other than say 'Oh doesn't animal testing suck?'. I want to do more. Much more.

I was watching one of Emma Blackery's videos (on her second channel), and she said that she was going to try to only use products made by companies that don't test on animals. I thought it was a great idea!

I received a lot of makeup for Christmas this year, so I'm going to use it all up, but when a product is nearly finished, I am going to start looking for a cruelty-free alternative. I'm aiming to only be using products that are not tested on animals by the end of 2016.

Anyone want to do my project with me?

What's your opinion on animal testing?

Lots of love,

| Bloglovin' | Email | Google+ | Tumblr |

♥ Outfits Starring Disco Pants ♥

As you may remember from one of my previous posts, I received black American Apparel disco pants for Christmas, and I'm in love with them ♥
Just in case any of you were think about buying them but you want inspiration et cetera, I've put together four outfits, two formal and two casual.

Casual

-♥-♥-♥-

Formal

-♥-♥-♥-

I hope you like my outfits :)

Which outfit is your favourite?

Lots of love,

| Bloglovin' | Email | Google+ | Tumblr |

MakeUp Starter Kit :)

Hey guys! I've always loved make up. When I was younger my granny used to buy me little pink make up sets. When I started really getting into make up I had no idea what to buy as my mum used high end expensive brands that didn't have anything to match my super light skin tone. So anyway, I decided I'd do a post featuring starter products that are cheap, but work well.

Foundation Layer

Personally, I don't usually use foundation, and if you're just starting off with make up I wouldn't really recommend using a heavy-coverage foundation.

Instead of using foundation, I use NYC (New York Colour) BB Cream (€4.49). It's quite light coverage, but it still helps me feel more confident. It doesn't wear of too quickly either.

Concealer

The concealer I'm really loving at the moment is Collection (2000) Lasting Perfection Concealer (€6.49). It is fairly heavy-duty, and conceals my blemishes and dark circles really well. I use knock-off beauty blender from TK Maxx to blend both my concealer and foundation.

Setting Powder

I used to use pressed powders, but in the last few months I've been using 17 Miracle Matte Loose Powder (€6.99). I've tried the 17 Miracle Matte Pressed Powder (€5.09), and it's probably my favourite pressed/compact powder. I prefer using loose powders at the moment because i just find them easier to use and I feel that they make me less shiny and they provide better coverage.

Blush

My all-time favourite blush is Benefit Coralista. It's very pricey at €34.00, so I'm not including it in my list. Another one of my favourite blushes is the 17 Cheek Stamp Blush in The Cheek Of It (€6.29). It's not a conventional pressed blush. It's a small cylinder with a mirror on the cap. When you open it there's a spongy circle on the top that you press onto your cheek that leaves the blush colour, which you then blend with a blush brush.

Eye Shadow
When you are starting off with eye shadow, it's best to go for a neutral quad or kit with instructions on it. The first eye shadow kit I really started using was Rimmel Glam'Eyes Quad Eye Shadow in Sun Safari (€8.85). It's quite a dear piece of make up but it stays for hours and is really pigmented. It also has instructions on the back to a classic slightly smokey eye. I use this palette with a 17 eye shadow brush I got in Boots for €3

Eye Liner
For eyeliner, I use the Collection Work The Colour Eye shadow Pencil in Midnight Glam (€3.99). I know its an eye shadow pencil, but with a small, angled eye liner brush I find it easier to use than eye liner. You also use an eye liner sharpener to sharpen it just like a kohl liner. You can also use this pencil for smoky eyes as it is, after all, an eye shadow pencil. It's really good for blending and smoking too.



Mascara
Because I have strawberry-blonde hair, I have terribly light and short eye lashes. I love to wear a light coat of mascara to make me look more awake. I love the Collection Colour Lash Mascara in black (€2.69), as it isn't too heavy coverage so it looks natural, but it's still very buildable. Clear mascaras are also a good choice for younger people that just want to lengthen their lashes.



Lipstick
On my lips, I love Benetint by Benefit but it's really expensive (€34.50), so for this list I'm going to include one of my other favourite lip products, Rimmel Colour Rush Balm in Keep Mauving (€7.99). It's a lovely shade of mauve and it's probably one of the most hydrating lip colours I've ever tried, as it's a lip balm. It goes perfectly with any skin tone and it's cheap as chips! Especially because it last for ages.

That's my make up starter kit!
What would be in yous?

Lots of love,

| Bloglovin' | Email | Google+ | Tumblr |

Disco Pants

As you may know, I got my first pair of disco pants in March from New Look. I got a plain black pair and I loved them to bits. Even though I'm a uk size 8 (us 4, eu 36), I bought them in a uk size 10, as it was the last size in the shop and I really, reallywanted them. Buying my beloved disco pants a size too big was a stupid idea, looking back on it! €30 down the drain, really. I wore them for about two months before I came to the conclusion that it was plain stupid to wear them as they were so big and also they were extremely annoying to wear as I was constantly pulling them up.

This Christmas I got proper black American Apparel disco pants. It was a bit risky buying them blind without trying them on (the nearest AA shop is nearly 4 hours away!), but I talked to the 'Pants Expert' on the American Apparel website and she assured me I was a size small, size uk 8-10.

When I got them I was amazed at how comfy and warm they were compared to the poorer quality and cheaper New Look pair I had previously. The disco pants are also super high waisted, which I find really flattering.

For semi-formal occasions I like to wear my disco pants with a Peter-Pan collar blouse tucked into them and some sparkly jewellery. I also wear them with tshirts, jumpers and trainers for everyday wear :). Overall I really love my disco pants and I'd seriously recommend them!

What do you think about disco pants?

Lots of love,

| Bloglovin' | Email | Google+ | Tumblr |

New Year, New Me

I know the title of this post is a huge cliché, but it's true. It is a new year, and I really need a new me. As you all know, the second half of 2014 wasn't very good for me. 2015 will be better, I promise. 

This year my resolutions are:

1. Don't eat so much junk food

2. Get fitter

3. Blog more

4. Do well in school

5. Be happy

I used to have pages and pages of New Years resolutions, but I'd only ever work on one or two. I thought that if I have fewer resolutions, I'll have more chance of seeing them through :)

What are your New Years resolutions? 

Lots of love,

| Bloglovin' | Email | Google+ | Tumblr |