London Fashion Week 2014 - The Catwalks

Hello!

So as you're aware it's London Fashion Week and I'm sure you've been completely bombarded with posts but hey, it's hard to not get sucked into the hype! I'm going to do a mini-series of my favourite catwalk looks, street style looks and beauty looks! 

First up, the catwalks. 

J. JS Lee - photo credit

Bora Aksu - photo credit

Jean-Pierre Braganza - photo credit 

Orla Kiely - photo credit

Julien Macdonald - photo credit

Marchesa - photo credit

Preen by Thornton Bregazzi - photo credit

Antonio Berardi

Mother of Pearl - photo credit

Ellie x

Maybelline Baby Skin

Hello!

I'm incredibly late to the party with this one. I'm never one to give in to blogger hype, and this was one of those products I didn't really give any attention to. However, after trying, and hating, the Rimmel Stay Matte primer (I didn't even review it!) I decided I needed a new primer. I had a tester of the Benefit Porefessional but there is just no way I was paying £25 for a primer, no matter how good of a job it did! So, after reading that the Maybelline Baby Skin was a dupe for the Porefessional, I eventually gave in and bought it.

First off, let's talk packaging. To be totally honest I'm pretty indifferent about it. One half of me feels like it looks very childish with the large pink writing, (but hey, I guess it is called Baby Skin), and the other half loves the cuteness... I'm probably just being boring though! What I do like, however, is the pointed nozzle tip. I just think it's so much nicer than a pump. I feel like it's more hygienic and that I get the perfect amount of product - no waste!

The product itself is a little hit-and-miss in my opinion. In no way is this a dupe for the Porefessional as it has absolutely no pore-erasing properties what-so-ever, despite Maybelline claming that it's a "pore-eraser" and that you'll have "poreless looking skin". If you're looking for some pore-control, you won't find it here I'm afraid!
What I do like, is that it creates a gorgeously smooth and silky base to apply your makeup. It allows me to blend in my extremely creamy coloured concealers without them awkwardly sticking to my face, and my makeup does of course stay in place all day. 

0/10 for pore-erasing, 10/10 for creating a lovely base.

All in all, it's an okay product. Like I said, if you're looking for a Porefessional dupe or a pore-erasing primer, you're going to have to keep looking. If pores don't bother you, then this is a good drugstore primer and I would recommend. Personally, I would like a primer that reduces the appearance of my pores, but to be honest, I can look past that as this does create my perfect base.

Can be bought here, £7.99

I'd love to hear your opinions on this product!

Ellie x

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