MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter - Pink Shimmer

Hello!

After using eyeshadow in place of an actual highlighter, I decided to actually buy an actual highlighter. I've had my eyes on the Undress Your Skin highlighter for so long, and I'm so glad I've finally bought this.

As MUA have recently released a gold highlighter, I had a tough time choosing between the pink one and the gold one. I'm happy with the pink one as it just gives me the perfect natural glow.

The packaging is a pretty basic white plastic case with a clear plastic lid. It's smart enough though, and considering it's £3, I can't complain. The design on the actual product is really lovely though, makes a change from the standard flat pressed powder, it had my boyfriend pretty fascinated when he first saw it haha!

The powder itself is actually really lovely. It feels a bit grainy to the touch - which could be the pattern or the shimmery particles - but this definitely doesn't transfer onto the face, it feels really soft on application and blends extremely well. I was really nicely surprised by how well it blended!

I think this is a brilliant product, and I will definitely be repurchasing once I run out, which may take me a while seeing as this has 7.5g of highlight inside!

If you're looking for a good budget highlighter, I would definitely recommend this!

Buy here

Ellie x

Recent Instagrams

Hello!

I'm not sure if I've updated the fact I have an Instagram now, but if not, I do! I joined around the start of August and I really love it. I haven't used it much to be honest, but I'm planning on updating it at least once a day - so I thought I'd take a look back over the past month on Instagram!

(top to bottom, left to right)

1 - my current face, featuring MUA, Revlon, Max Factor, Collection, Body Shop, Bourjois & ELF
2 - No7 BB Lips in Delicate Pink

3 - NYX Concealer Jars in yellow, purple & green
4 - A quick OOTD in Primark & Topshop

5 - Arm candy... Rose gold Guess watch & Primark bangle
6 - Max Factor Lipstick in Pink Brandy 

7 - Sleek Lip4 Palette in Tease
 8 - A wardrobe snippet, sheer shirts, florals & dogtooth

9 - Finally bought Maybelline Baby Skin Primer!
10 - And have finally got my hands on the Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 palette

Find me on Instagram!

Ellie x

Thinking About Horse Riding? Tips, Truths & General Info

Hello!

*image from Google

Something slightly different today. I've been speaking to quite a few people lately about horse riding, and I've discovered that so many people are interested in horse riding but either don't know where to start or are "scared" to start. I'm no equine expert, but I have spent around 13 years of my life around them, so I feel like I could at least advise in where to start!

General Information
- Horse riding isn't cheap. Prices of lessons do depend on what area you live in though. In Worcestershire, the general price at a standard riding school is around £30 per hour.
- Riding schools provide riding hats, so there's no need to invest in a hat if you aren't sure whether you'll stick at it.
- For your first few lessons, wear some thick leggings and shoes with a small heel. A lot of new riders wear wellies! 

Truths
- When you first start riding, you will feel off-balance. It takes a while to be able to adjust your balance and be able to comfortably move with the horse.
- As well as feeling off-balance, you've also got to learn to hold the reins and keep your feet in the proper position in the stirrups. You will most likely look very awkward.
- You will fall off. Falling off doesn't mean you're a bad rider though, you may have made a mistake or your horse could have spooked and caught you off guard, but falling off makes for a better rider - trust me on this one! Those Olympians didn't make it to where they are today without a few broken bones,
- Yes, you could actually break a bone. Or multiple bones.
- Horse riding is one of the most, or the most, dangerous sport in the world.

Tips
- Practice makes perfect! Mix up your learning with group lessons and private lessons. Group lessons are fun and generalised, whereas you can choose what to focus on in a private lesson.
- If you fall off, get back on! It's probably all you'll hear from equestrians, but honestly, if you come off and don't get back on, you'll find it so hard to get back on again. I learnt this the hard way! 

- Don't rush out and buy all the gear straight away. Make sure you're going to keep up with riding before splashing the cash. Decent protective equipment and clothing can cost a fair bit!

Don't let my truths put you off! Horse riding is such a rewarding sport, you learn so much about something so great, learn a lot about your own personality and of course get a good workout and some fresh air!
I will warn you though... Horses are addictive! 

That's it for my little guide! I didn't want to go mad on information, but if you want to know anything else, please feel free to email me. 

Ellie x

My Highstreet & Online Picks for the New Season

Hello!

It's times (and seasons) like this that I wish I had enough money to completely replace my entire wardrobe. Although I don't think any one store alone has the best A/W collection, there are plenty of pieces found along the highstreet and from the online retailers that are just gorgeous. Here I've collected up my favourites that I think are perfect for the upcoming seasons.

COATS

1 | 2 | 3
4 | 5 | 6

KNITWEAR

1 | 2 | 3
4 | 5 | 6

TOPS

1 | 2 | 3
4 | 5 | 6

BOTTOMS

1 | 2 | 3

4 | 5 | 6

SHOES

1 | 2 | 3

4 | 5 | 6

BAGS

1 | 2 | 3

4 | 5 | 6

ACCESSORIES

1 | 2 | 3

4 | 5 | 6

So that's it for my highstreet and online picks for the new season! I tried pretty hard to not have every single item black/white/monochrome and I think I did a pretty good job! My monochrome obsession grows worse everyday.

Ellie x

ELEANORMAE ft. Alexandra RM Photography

Hello!

This is a pretty exciting post for me! I've been working on this post for a couple of days and I'm finally typing it. Ahh! A few firsts for me is in this post today. My very first outfit posts, working with my best friend and collaborating for a post!

My best friend Ally is studying A Level Photography and although I've helped her out with past projects, this is my most favourite as she's doing fashion! I really hope that she gets me involved with her other fashion photography projects as they all sound super exciting. This shoot wasn't really themed so I just wore some of my current favourite pieces.

Shirt - River Island
Bag, Shorts & Shoes - Primark
Watch - Guess

Top, shorts & shoes - New Look

Necklace - River Island
Watch - Guess

Shirt, coat & bag - Primark
Shoes & jeans - New Look

From this post it's probably pretty obvious that I'm a huge fan of both Primark and New Look. I don't see any shame in buying from stores like Primark, there are some amazing items in there. You really don't need to spending huge amounts to feel like you look good! These are some of my favourite items right now, especially my Primark coat. I'm in love!
*Apologies to Ally for being worlds worst model - I have no idea what you're meant to do in front of a camera*

Ally is just setting up her own photography business, Alexandra RM Photography. She's super talented and really has a natural eye for good photos, and is also a dab-hand at Photoshop. I really recommend checking out her previous projects, and I hope to keep you guys informed of the projects to come! If you'd like to get in touch with Ally for any photography, her deets are below!
Email - alexandrarmphotography@hotmail.com
Facebook
Instagram - alexandra_rm_photography

An E.L.F. Wishlist

Hello!

It's been a while since I ordered from E.L.F. and to be totally honest, I wasn't won over by the products when I first tried them. However, everything now has a firm place in my make-up routine and I can't really live without my brow kit, mineral lipstick and lip exfoliator. I really want to try a few more of their products. 

Tone Correcting Powder in Cool - £3.95
Lash Collection in Everyday - £4.95

Mineral Lipstick in Runway Pink - £5
All Over Colour Stick in Spotlight - £1.95

Tone Correcting Powder - to be honest I have no idea what skin tone my skin actually is. I'm olive skinned, but I'm also pale (unless I've been in the sun a lot) and I've just never really made any real effort in finding out. I feel like this powder would probably be the powder for me, as the yellow and green will help cover my redness. I seem to constantly be on the hunt for products that cover redness nowadays. 

Everyday Lashes - I love the look of these lashes. I love how the ends are more defined, I think that would look super stunning! I've never really dabbled in the world of falsies before (and I'll most likely play with some cheaper ones before I use these) but I'm really edging towards trying them out. They would just create lovely gorgeous even lashes. My lashes are pretty uneven, so if I was making an effort for somewhere these would be perfect!

Mineral Lipstick - I have a mineral lipstick in the shade "Rosy Raisin" and I'm completely smitten with it. It's my perfect lips-but-better shade and I don't think I've left the house without it on in the last week or so! I've fallen in love with the formula and texture, I really want to get my hands on another nude. I feel like this light pink nude would be super pretty and help create a very soft look.

Colour Stick - I think this product would be perfect for doing a quick highlight over your cheekbones, forehead and chin. I would of course blend it in (I'm not sure of the formula) and I would take a brush to highlight my brow bone, down my nose and on my cupids bow. I would imagine it's a cream highlight, seeing as it comes in a stick, and I've been wanting to try a cream highlight for the longest time. 

Ellie x

Sleek Lip4 Palette in Tease

Hello!

A review today of one of my favourite brands, Sleek. To be honest, I bought this ages ago (around the time I purchased the Pout Polish actually!) yet it ended up in the bottom of my make-up drawer and I forgot about it. After rummaging through it for things to go in my blog sale, I found it and  I'm so glad I did!

I feel like this has been found at the perfect time, I really like red-toned lips during the colder months and this lovely palette has 4.

Like always, the packaging from sleek is well, sleek. It comes in the usual lovely matte black plastic casing, with a decent sized a mirror and a fairly high quality mini lip brush. It's pretty compact, so would easily fit in your handbag for on-the-go applications.

These 4 shades are beautiful. Sleek are known for their highly pigmented products and this certainly is no different. They definitely pack a punch. These colours do stain the lips, so be warned! I find that Spotlight didn't stain as much as the other shades.

Show Off - glossy deep red

Spotlight - satin bright pink, almost coral in some lights

Paris - matte rose red, slightly blue-toned

Dita - glossy true red

(L-R: Show Off, Spotlight, Paris, Dita)

The glossy textured colours are very easy to apply and wear as they are not drying. They both stain quite heavily, I believe this is because of the amount of pigmentation packed into red shades. They are both true red.

Spotlight has a gorgeous satin finish which I love, I think this is my favourite shade. It can be drying, but nothing some balm won't fix. I've found so far that this shade doesn't stain as bad as the others.

Paris is a matte shade, which to be honest I haven't fully tried yet. I tend to steer clear of matte lip products as they are usually very drying, not a good look on my already dry lips! It's a gorgeous rose red shade, which I swear is slightly blue-toned. Not enough to not be wearable on most skin tones, which I think it could be, but it's definitely not as red/pink based as the others. 

Overall, I really like this palette and I'm hoping to start getting some use out of it! They are very bright and in-your-face type shades, but I personally prefer a bold lip! I'd love to try another palette, I've got my eye on Ballet. 

This palette retails at £8.99, buy here

Ellie x