Wednesday 29 July 2015

GLITTERBOMB

Top - Missguided
Jeans - Topshop
Bag - LaModa

Hello hello! How are you all?!
I'm now on the second week of my internship and I'm still loving it, although I get home totally exhausted so sorry for the slight hiatus between posts. I realised that I've never shown you guys how shamazing these jeans look in the sunshine, so here you go! Look how prettyyy! Topshop now also have an iridescent version and I had to reign myself in before I bought those as well!

Love Ellen xx


SHARE:

Tuesday 21 July 2015

I HATE PINK

Sheer top - Primark
Vest - Topshop
Skort - Urban Outfitters
Shoes - Missguided
Bag - LaModa
Sunglasses - Forever 21
Necklace - Topshop
Rings - Pacsun
Photography - Katie Grace

I'm back in London! And where better to shoot than the gorrrgeous Notting Hill on a sunny day?! SO MUCH PASTELLY PINK PRETTINESS! 
I got back from America on Saturday, shot these on Sunday and started my internship at Look Magazine yesterday. So far I'm absolutely loving it, it's such a lovely company to work for and I'm excited for the opportunities it could bring. As sad as it sounds, I just love being surrounded by fashion and it's so cool to assist the stylists and see every new piece that comes in...the only downside? All I want to do now is shop!

We shot three looks in Notting Hill on Sunday so there's more where this came from! Let me know what you think of the photos :)

Love Ellen xx

P.S. I'm also in a competition with UniDays at the moment, if you vote for my look by liking and sharing this photo, you could win £100 to spend at ASOS! I'd really appreciate if you took part!
SHARE:

Friday 17 July 2015

BOSTON ROOFTOP

Co-ord - Oh My Love
Shirt - Goodwill
Shoes - Missguided
Bag - La Moda
Necklace - Topshop
Sunglasses - Nordstrom

It's my last day in America today! Back to London by tomorrow morning and then it all kicks off! I'm crazy busy over the next few weeks - interning at Look Magazine, moving into my new London house and loads of collaborations and meetings for my blog! It'll be pretty much non-stop until I go back to uni...and then I'll have that work to think about!

This shirt was a gem of a find on my latest trip to Goodwill, I love the pastel stripes and knew straight away that this is how I wanted to wear it. These Misguided platforms are my absolute favourite things right now, they're so beautifully iridescent and just light up in the sunshine. One part of me doesn't want to wear them to keep them white and pristine and the other part doesn't ever want to take them off!

Love Ellen xx
SHARE:

Wednesday 15 July 2015

FOTD: SPACE ALIEN PRINCESS

Eyeshadow - Maybelline Purple Icon Quad
Black Eyeliner - Seventeen Tattoo Me
Mascara - Maybelline Collosal Volume Express Cat Eyes
Contour - Revlon Lipstick in 665 Choco-Liscious
Highlight - Mac vanilla pigment
Foundation - Loreal Infallible 24hr
Concealor - Collection Lasting Perfection

Sometimes it's fun to switch things up a bit and have some fun with make up. My mum got me this glitter eyeliner in France and I couldn't wait to try it out, these photos don't even do it justice, it's just so pretty and holographic.
I got this gloss whilst here in America because I've been eager to try a super dark lip and thought I'd give this one a go as it was the only thing like it in Sephora. I have to say I'm a bit disappointed, these glosses have rave reviews but I think the colour of this one just doesn't work with the formula. I had to apply so much to get an even coverage and even then it kept moving around and showing patches of the pink of my lips. I even tried colouring my lips in first with a grey eyeliner pencil and even then the colour moved around and ended up patchy. I love the way it looks in these photos, I just think I'll be trying some different formulas in future! (I can't wait for NYX to release their Suede Lip Cream in Stone Fox)

What do you think of this look?

Love Ellen xx

SHARE:

Tuesday 14 July 2015

HOUSE OF BRICKS

Top - Motel Rocks
Bralet - Forever 21
Shoes - Primark
Necklace - Topshop

I went a little cray with the editing of that last one didn't I...ah well I have a lot of free time now so I thought I'd play around a bit!

I got these trousers from new online vintage store House of Bricks the other week and they remind me so much of things I used to wear when I was really little. I always seemed to be in navy and corduroy always remains me of the 90s. So, in true 5-year-old me fashion I decided to pair these trousers with my jelly shoes!

Hope you're having a fab week!

Love Ellen xx
SHARE:

Wednesday 8 July 2015

BLOGGER LOVE: JUNE








So much inspiration here! This has to be my favourite Blogger Love post since I started doing them almost a year and a half ago. Images like these make me want to do better, I get a bit frustrated with myself and my blog from time to time, when it's just not looking how I want it to look. I know I need to up my game, it's just making that a reality that's the hard part!

Who have your favourite bloggers been this month? As usual leave me some comments below!

Love Ellen xx


SHARE:

Monday 6 July 2015

CHICAGO PHOTO DIARY


This post is long overdue but I've now finished editing the photos I took on my visit to Chicago in April. I had such an amazing time, the windy city is indeed mighty pretty and Chicago is now firmly at the top of my list of favourite cities in the world (right next to London of course).

And yes I've been to New York, but there was just something about Chicago that really resonated with me. It just feels warmer and more liveable than NYC. Chicago has the same quintessential atmosphere and look of a typical American city, there's just less pushing, less hype...and people actually hold the door open for you.

In fact, a lot of movie scenes you associate with New York were actually filmed in Chicago, scenes from Superman were shot at the top of the Chicago Tribune tower - my absolute favourite building in the skyline, complete with spires and stones from the Great Wall of China, the pyramids in Egypt and the Parthenon in Greece. 

The skyline is beautiful, Chicago is an old city and the architecture set the trends for other big American cities. The intricately moulded stone buildings juxtaposed against the towering metallic skyscrapers, both set alongside the water, make for a very photogenic cityscape.

The Great Lake is just the cherry on top of this city, nope, that is not the ocean you can see in the photos, just a really, really big fresh water lake that makes Chicago less of a concrete jungle and more like an oasis. I love being by the water, so for me this was a match made in heaven.

We visited for 3 days and barely even scratched the surface. I would definitely recommend the trolley tour to really see the whole city and get some cool facts, but Chicago also has the largest science museum in the western hemisphere; the oldest planetarium in America and the largest collection of Impressionist paintings outside of Paris. There's no shortage of things to do and I would absolutely love to go back!

Have you ever been to Chicago? What're your recommendations?

Love Ellen xx
SHARE:

Sunday 5 July 2015

LAZY SUNDAY MAKE-UP

Lips - Limecrime Cashmere (see review here)
Mascara - Maybelline Collosal Volume Express Cat Eyes
Highlight - Mac vanilla pigment
Foundation - Loreal Infallible 24hr
Concealor - Collection Lasting Perfection

Bit of an impromptu post but I tried something a bit different with my make-up and really liked how it turned out, so I thought I'd share it with you all! In my downtime I usually push my fringe back, wear something super cosy like this Brandy Melville oversized tee and as it's Sunday, I decided to go a bit more relaxed with my make-up today. I went for a simple brown smokey eye, no liner and heavy brows, all teamed with a neutral lip from my trusty cashmere velvetine. I did a little bit of contouring and highlighting on my cheekbones and there we have it! I love how this neutral/brown look turned out, especially for blue eyes. 

How have you spent your Sunday?

Love Ellen xx
SHARE:

HAPPY 4TH JULY!

Co-ord - Missguided (in the sale!)
Bag - LaModa
Shoes - Topshop
Cardigan - Primark

Happy July 4th to all my American readers! As you all know I'm not from the USA but my Dad and stepmum live out there and my baby brother is a little American. Today we went to join the festivities at Strawberry Banke and tried not to make it too obvious that we were English!

Love Ellen xx
SHARE:

Thursday 2 July 2015

MY EXPERIENCE & ADVICE ON GOING TO UNIVERSITY IN LONDON


This post is probably one of my most highly requested things to talk about. I've had so many emails from readers asking about my experience at university in central London and whether or not I would recommend it, so I thought it'd be easier to write a full post about it and hopefully answer all of your questions. 

As many of you know, I have just finished my first year at City University London studying journalism and I've had the best time. I met the most amazing people and loved life in the big city. I can do a separate post on my actual course, but for now here's my general advice/experience on going to university in London.

It's probably the best decision I've ever made

First things first, I know that uni life in London won't be for everyone, but for me it was the best possible decision I could have made. I've wanted to live in London for as long as I can remember and with wanting to work in the fashion or media industries, I think it's the best place for me to be.

University in London is a different university experience

Going to university in London is unlike going to other universities in my opinion, and with a boyfriend at Leeds uni who I visit regularly, I can say I've seen both sides. I think London offers a far less "studenty" atmosphere, but for me that was for the best. It's a completely personal decision, but if you're looking for the classic student lifestyle of going out and getting drunk every night for not a lot of money, London really isn't for you. I love a good night out every now and then, but the constant messy/party lifestyle just isn't for me...it just wears a bit thin after a week. I'd rather spend my money exploring the city and going on adventures during the day (or shopping) than spend £40 a night going out drinking. My flatmates and I regularly explored London: we ate out, went for days in Shoreditch or Camden, we saw West End shows and just made the most of the city. As I said it's an entirely personal thing, it just depends what you want out of your university experience. 

Rent and drinks out are expensive, the rest isn't much different

I think this is the aspect of university life in London that could make or break it for a few people, and I totally understand that for many people, living in London is just not a viable option. Choosing to go to university in London does give you access to a higher amount of student loan than everyone else and more bursaries (see here for Mayor of London Scholarship details), which makes a difference, but for some people it still won't be enough. I don't know anyone in my accommodation who manages to get by with just their student loan, they also rely on financial help from their family or parents. My student loan and grant cover my rent entirely but leave me with little else for food, clothes, travel, etc. I wouldn't be able to attend my university without my families help and I am so grateful for their support. 
As far as everything else goes, buying drinks out is expensive, but the rest isn't much different, it really just depends on what you buy and what you do. I have friends who have kept to a budget of £30 a week, and others who spend £120. I also have friends in Leeds who spend more in a month than I do living in central London, largely because of how much they spend on alcohol...it just entirely depends on your lifestyle.

Days out and travel don't have to cost much

Whilst some places in London can be extortionate, there's also so many things going on that are totally free to access/attend. I'm always checking the Londonist for cheap or free things that are going on near me, it's also a great tool to find all the crazy events that take place in the city (giant inflatable waterslide at Kings Cross anybody??)
It's also super easy to walk around London and it's often no different time-wise to taking the tube. Don't be fooled by the tube map - 3 stops might only be a 10min walk and you'll save yourself money

Get a railcard

I got mine through Santander when I signed up for their student bank account and I'm so glad I did! I was originally just thinking of the benefits for travelling back home or to see Joe (it cuts your train fare by a third), but if you take your railcard and your oyster card to an information desk at a tube station, they can link the two and you can get money off your tube fare as well! It's been so worth it and I would highly recommend anyone living in London to get one.

If you do choose to go, make the most of it!

With the housing market in London getting more and more expensive by the second, this might be the only chance you'll get to live in central. You'll have the support of a student loan (which you should absolutely make the most of and not worry about!) and you'll be in the best position to apply for internships and work experience whilst you have the accommodation.
The opportunities I gained through my blog increased massively when I moved to London, all of a sudden I could attend photoshoots, blogger events and meet up with and collaborate with other creatives who lived in the city too. There's so many opportunities to take, make sure you take them all and really make the most of it.

If you have any more questions about my university life, course or anything else, don't hesitate to email me and I'll try to reply as soon as I can.

Love Ellen xx
SHARE:
© Ellen Atlanta | All rights reserved.
Blogger Template Created by pipdig