Elle's Emotions: Step Back, Breath, Reboot...

Yes, I have been slightly MIA recently- did I intend to step away from VE? Not completely. Like most 'bloggers' recently, I have been struggling to balance & juggle everything thats been going on in my life as well as finding myself questioning everything that I have created on here & how the blogging world in evolving. For so long I have enjoyed this little creative space on the internet & have marvelled at the power this community now has. But at the same time I find my voice getting lost within the blogging hubbub in a community which I feel, is now overly saturated with all things beauty, fashion & lifestyle related. It is really difficult to stand out these days in comparison to five years ago. I do not say this in a jealous or malicious way, but I have to think am I still relevant? 

Then there is also the 'real world'- working a full time forty hour plus job five days a week, trying to hold down some sort of a social life, the stress of purchasing mine & Adam's first house, planning a wedding & finding time for me has been such a struggle over the last six months. Looking back at that last sentence I'm actually surprised as to why I haven't physically combusted!

I do not like to make excuses. That is one thing everyone who knows me will tell you, but I felt like I have had to step away to find my voice again & focus on 'the real world'. 

So now I'll tell you a couple of exciting things that have been going on! We are in the process of buying our first house (this has been one of the most stressful & emotionally draining moments in our lives!) with a move in date of the beginning of August! & also we have been trying to plan the wedding. Now whilst all our engery & time has been spent focussing on the house which we are so so excited about, we have been taking teeny tiny baby steps towards sorting out where & when we will be getting married. It has been a crazy, stressful & emotional six months, but I hope you all will understand that this here has not number one on my list of priorities. I am growing up. VE is growing up. I am no longer that nineteen year old girl that buys whatever clothes & cosmetics she wants- I will be paying a mortage soon!

Ultimately I just need to get back into the zone- do what makes me happy & create content frequently that I am proud of. I know I have written similar posts to this one over the course of five years, but sometimes you just need to take a step back, take time to breath & reboot. 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend & enjoy this glorious sun shine the UK has been have.

As always..

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo

♥

My Five Ultimate Go-To Lip Products.....

I have never really been a lipstick kinda of girl. 

My teenage self would always be the Natural Collection lipgloss wearing, Lip Smackers hoarding addict which has carried on into my early twenties (minus the Lip Smackers part!). 

However over the last couple of years I have tried to embrace a splash of colour on the ol' lips- granted it can't be too bold & needs to have a worn it all day/model off duty kind of look  for me to even consider wearing it. So here are my ultimate go to lip products & shades that I reach for on a regular basis, ticking all the right boxes for a lipstick scaredy cat like moi! 

Revlon ColourBurst Matte Lip Balm in 'Elusive': If there is one lipbalm that pushes me out of my comfort zone this is it. 'Elusive' is a cool toned pink that looks just as beautiful in the bullet as it does on the lips. Now I must say I did surprise myself when I brought this down to how bold this one looks in comparison to my other favs, however I feel it brings out shades in my skin tone I didn't even know existed! I love how you can wear it both day & night with a strong cat eye or tea dress. A pattern you will see occurring in this post is how I like lip products to feel on. They have to be moisturising & not drying on the lips- the one thing I hated as a teen was the feeling of heavy, drying lip products. These balms being matte, I was a little sceptical of how they would feel as I had flash forwards of them being ultra drying & heavy. However they feel lovely & smooth on, lasting a few hours before needing to be reapplied & I love how cute they look!  

Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in 'Chintz': I've said it before & I'll say it again, this is one make up product I cannot live with out & is so incredibly beautiful in formulation & colour that leaves me weak at the knees. If you ask me to describe 'Chintz' I would say it is the colour of an English rose- pink with an earthy undertone to it which looks beautiful with porcelain skin. The formulation is very creamy in texture so glides on with easy & keeps your lips feeling hydrated throughout the day. If I am feeling down & need a pick me up this lipstick does not fail in making me feel happy, also I get a lot of compliments when I wear it so that also helps boost the old confidence! 

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in 'Juicy Papaya': Revlon's Lip Butters are my comfort zone for a lipstick noob like me. A cross between a lip balm & a lipstick which is so so moisturising & creamy when you apply it, which leaves my lips look soft & juicy (ooerr!). The colour like any kind of lipbalm is very sheer so is very buildable, which for someone like me who just likes a hint of colour on the lips is perfect. 'Juicy Papaya' is one of those coral-red shades that just makes me think of summer whenever I wear it & looks great with minimal makeup.

Revlon ColourStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in 'Socialite': You've probably all started to sense a pattern forming here- I love Revlon lip products! The Ultimate Suede's collection does what it says on the tin, provides great application with it not feeling heavy on the lips & has great staying power. The one thing I would say you have to do before applying it is you need to add a balm underneath (my fav is Nuxe Reve De Miel), as this lipstick does have a tendency to stick to the lines & grooves of your lips if used on it's own. However the colour is more or less identical to 'Chintz' perhaps a shade darker, which looks lovely & natural for an everyday look but for half the price. 

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in 'Luna': The Apocalips range is known for being highly pigmented, bursting with bright colours with strong colour pay off- so your all probably surprised that one of them is a go-to product of mine! 'Luna' is the most gorgeous, warm peachy shades that I have ever used. As I am typically pale for nine out of the twelve months we have in the year, I feel this shade still looks just as beautiful on me tan or no tan! As we all know I love a neutral eye, & this paired with a simple smokey eye makes me feel uber summery as well as complimenting my dark eyes & hair. The Apocalips formula is one of my favourites out there- it's not sticky or drying, a little of the product goes a long way & it lasts for most of the day. I am still working my confidence up to investing in more of the shades from this range however when I feel I need a little summer pick me up, I reach for this one the most.  

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What are your go-to lip products that never fail to put a smile on your face?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo

♥

Being Elle: The Sunday Catch Up 019.....

1. The week started with two overnights which I felt went really well, but has left me really really tired & craving sleep for the rest of the week.

2. Tuesday saw something very very exciting happen. I don't want to tell you all yet because I don't want to jinx it, but I will share with you next week what I am talking about, but its sooooo exciting!!

3. Malteaser 'Teaser' chocolate bars are the bomb.com! We have them in the vending machine at work & I cannot get enough of them!!!

4. Caught up with Made in Chelsea on Wednesday & let's just say I am not a happy bunny! * Spoiler Alert *.....

Stevie & Stephenie.. WTF!

That Toff girl is extremely un-necessary

Alex's behaviour is appalling 

Who would want to sleep with Spencer Matthew's knowing his reputation?!

Lucy & Jamie just need to be together. End.

5. I rediscovered one of my all time favourite songs this week 'Civil Sins' by Boy Kill Boy, which lets just say is extremely nostalgic & brings back alot of great memories from 2005-2006. It basically was my soundtrack- I actually used it as my 'background track' on my Myspace page & on plenty of slide shows I uploaded onto Bebo. In general it reminds me so much of parties, prom & general craziness that happened around this time of year eight years ago! That sentence makes me feel old! 

6. My Sims 3 addiction is back in full swing (Adam you shouldn't have reminded me about it!) & I am sorry to admit that I spend every day after work playing on it for at lest three hours *slaps hand*

7. Saturday was chilled as ever- spent the day with my mummy & sister. We went to our local garden centre, mooched around our local farmers market, had a chat over Costa & I nearly stole a five week old kitten on a trip to our local pet shop (just look at that face!!!). In the evening I cooked a new Jamie Oliver recipe that turned out amazingly, well, that was until I took it out the oven & the handle of the frying pan broke dropping the whole thing onto the glass of the oven door!! *face palm* After a few frantic minuets of trying to salvage it, we sat down to dinner & lord, this is amazing- unhealthy but amazing! I will do a post on it soon.

8. Today (Sunday) has been spent doing very little. Had lunch outside in the sunshine (cheeky Bacon Sandwich), written a few blog posts for the week & planned some videos & posts. Later on when Adam's back from work & if the weather stays nice, I think we will go for a little walk in the fields & just have a chilled out evening as I have a really busy week at work ahead boo! 

What have you been up to this week?

Much Love,

Elle

xoxo