Ellie Parky

What's In It For Me .. ? If you follow me on Instagram .. (if you don't - why not?! - kidding!) Then you will already have seen that the wonderful people at 'What's In It For Me' very kindly sent me a couple of their LUSH products to try and test to blog about. I am such a huge fan of these, as they not only promote self-care and self-love but they are just really, REALLY good products. The packaging is classic and simple, but also kinda boujée in that the tubs both had the little lids on them that  you need to peel off before you get in to them - and I like that! It felt expensive and luxurious. Right off the bat, I had already given the body scrub a wee go as I received a tester sized sample in my July Birchbox and I already knew I loved it! So I was so grateful to be sent the full-sized product! What's In It For Me can be found online at Harvey Nichols and Fragrance Direct  .. So you know you are getting a luxury product when Harvey Nick...

♡ July Newbies ♡ July has been a scorcher - and we should not complain! Amongst all the heat, here are the new products I have been enjoying this month! W7 Life's a Beach Palette   I love a good eyeshadow palette and this packaging gave me allll the summer vibes! Does you not think it also looks like the start of Love Island?! ... Maybe that is just me! The palette comes in the same style as the others in the smooth packaging and contains 12 shades with some pops of colour. The only issue I have with this palette is that there is only 3 matte shades which can make it hard to transition colours in the crease. But it has an array of browns/ bronzes to create the perfect smokey eye with some shimmery shades on top. I am a big fan! Estée Lauder Day Wear Moisturiser I love the fresh feeling and smell of this moisturiser! Yes, it is a bit pricey - but it lasts allll day and creates a good base for your make up. I have been using this more regularly as I just find it sm...

BB Creams ♡ yay or nay? I am a self confessed foundation LOVER! But this summer has been a haaaawt one so far (not that I am complaining... although working in it has been hard work!) and I have found that my face just slips and slides around and I am always conscious of it melting! I am a lover of primers and setting sprays, too but some days even  they aren't enough to make your foundation last in 30 degree heat! And that is why I switched my make up routine up a bit this year and started to use BB creams... I have never really used BB creams before and was a bit sceptical when my mum referred to it as a 'tinted moisturiser' thinking ...oh gosh! It might be even worse! But actually... I was proved wrong! And here is why. Olay Total Effects SPF 15 BB Cream Olay is an absolute classic when it comes to skin-care meets make up. It is the ultimate Power Woman brand and this is why I was drawn to this particular BB Cream. Plus I am 26 now and I am determined t...

Why you should always be your priority ♡ Hi all... Apologies for being so M.I.A ... I am just over a month in to my new job so have been focusing all my energy in to that! But as I am now a month in ... I have been thinking a lot about how much my life and my perspective on it has changed in this time .. Driving home I rang my mum and even she can hear it in my voice how 'lifted' I am even in the way I talk and the things I am saying. It is crazy how one thing can change EVERY thing.  & it got me thinking about why you should ALWAYS  be your own number one. You should always be your own hero. Because ultimately, we come in to this world alone and we go out alone... Every thing we learn, every one we meet are part of our journey.. But really, we spend the most time of each day with just ourselves... So this is why we should always prioritise our own happiness above all else. I lived by this phrase for the first 6 months of this year.. When I was ultimately...

May Empties ♡ Hi lovelies... HOW are we in JUNE already?! Where have those 6 months gone?! Time is absolutely flying at a crazy speed and I can't quite keep up! Here are my empties from May... I decided to keep this post focused purely around face/ body/ hair products to mix it up a little bit and focus on everyday or more pamper-y type products. These are the lovelies I have been using religiously (as you can see by the emptiness or near emptiness of them - and the states that some of them are now in!) so you know that these products are well loved and really, really work! Aaaaaaand they are all super affordable, too and you can find pretty much all of them at your local Boots or Superdrug! FACE (L-R) Aldi Lacura Q10 Daily Moisturiser This is my second little tub of this stuff - and I still absolutely love it! It is an absolute steal at £1.50 and it is thick, creamy and lasts all day! It contains SPF20 so I have been loving this under my make up in the wa...

How Instagram Has Given Me Confidence 💕 This title may seem a bit contradictory... as there is a whole lotta hate and bad vibes circulating around how Instagram or Facebook portrays negative body and face images and how we are no longer living in the "real" world if all we do is spend our lives on our phones!... And I am by no means saying that these social media platforms don't do those things; because it is obvious that they CAN do this - CAN being the main word here! A lot of the time what we do see is these images of 'perfection' which can make us feel inferior - but that is only if we let it!  I am a big believer in we should not base our lives around how many likes we get, or how many followers we have. I did not start my blog to see how many followers I could get! I started it as a way of relieving my anxiety, to put my thoughts, feelings, wishes - all sorts, out there to the world as a form of therapy for myself but also as a technique to help...

L.A. Girl Cosmetics I honestly think trying new foundations and concealers is my favourite thing... I just can't help it! This bank holiday weekend I gave the LA girl cosmetics 'pro coverage' foundation and the 'pro conceal' a whirl... and I was blown away with the results! I know these aren't new products, but they are new to me when I did a mini BeautyBay haul and I have been desperate to try them for a while! The foundation claims to be 'high definition, long wear and illuminating'. Now that seems almost contradictory .. as often 'illuminating' or dewy foundations, aren't as long wearing as matte ones. But I loveeee glowy, dewy skin - especially in the summer and I was keen to see how long lasting it really was! I read the reviews and decided to try the shade 'natural' - which is one of the lighter shades but I read it does oxidise a little, so it matched my fake tan pretty well with some bronzer! The concealer...

CHANGE; Scary yet important! 💙 Your 20s are your fun, carefree and selfish  years ! These are the years where we learn a lot about who we are, what we want and how we are going to get it! Everybody goes through important changes during these years; these are what mould us in to who we are and what we are becoming - and that is the exciting bit! I have learned a lot about change in the last 8 years or so ... and I have come to the conclusion that as much as I accept change and that everything in life is fluid ... It does take me a little while to process, as it throws me out of my comfort zone and in to a new one! But then, I suppose that is what life is all about ... exploring those areas outside of comforts to push yourself to be the best you can be. I have also learned that I am a bit of a butterfly... forever floating around in my own little world! This is something I used to worry about as I never stuck at any one thing... I would always flit from hobby to hobb...

Products I Always Repurchase ♡ We all have our staples that we repurchase again, and again... ones that we always pick up when we are in town or ones we grab “just in case” we run out... Well these are my current products I am running low on (as you can see by their levels!) but ones I am repurchasing again this week or I have repurchased more than once in the past. They just seem to be everyday staples that I can’t  run out of and always carry in my “everyday” make up bag! Maybelline Dream Satin Finishing Spray As you can see by the bottle - I am up to the last few squirts of this but I just love it! It keeps your make up on all day and leaves a lovely satin, glowy finish. Used over the top of matte foundations particularly, this spray looks particularly lovely! I also have used this on my collar bones to give them a glow or extra over highlight. Need more of this!  Maybelline Age Rewind Eye Eraser in Light As you can see, I am scraping the barrel with this! ...

The best lipstick.... ever?! Oooooh my gosh. I love when you fall in love with a product... and this one has completely captured my heart and there is no going back! I have mentioned Maybelline products a few times before on my blog - but this has got to be up there with the best lipstick EVER! This is the Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink - and it gets a 5* review from me! I have seen a few bloggers rave about this but really I copied Jamie Genevieve as she swears by this and so I wanted to give it a go! So I bought the colour 'Driver' (the nude shade) and it definitely does not disappoint! It is more of a brown-nude shade that I think would flatter most skin tones. I then had to go and purchase a different colour and I went for 'Heroine' which is a gorgeous coral-red with orange undertones. without flash  with flash I can honestly say this has got some serious staying power! They are so pigmented and have a heart shaped (almost) applicator whic...

Things I would say to my younger self ♡ Hindsight is a glorious thing... It is so easy to look back on things and not remember them exactly as they were... maybe sugarcoating the bad things so you don't have to remember them as bad as they were... and often not bigging up the good things as we are all so modest today that we play down our achievements. We often get so lost in what is coming next, or remembering what has already happened, that we don't enjoy the right now. I have just turned 26 - I still look about 16! - but honestly, I am 26 and I would say I have learned more in the last 3 years or so, than ever before.. and that is mostly down to age and maturity. But, also because I am no longer in denial about anything; I am completely open to myself, others and the universe and I am finally at a point in my life where I am (near enough) completely happy with myself.  This by no way, means I don't have my down days, I am human and I struggle as much as anyone...

April Favourites! 💗 How has another month past?! I love April generally, but overall it has been a fab month... I am biased as it is my birthday month and I was lucky enough to have a week of sunshine! But, I am a real spring lover and the sunshine has definitely graced us with his presence this month - yay! In other news.. here are the beauty bits and bobs I have been reaching for the most this month! Personalised make up bag I had to mention this just because I love it so much! It was a gift from my best friend for my birthday and I have used it everyday since. You can buy similar ones on 'Not On The High Street'. Best kind of presents! L'Oreal Infallible Pro Glow Foundation I wrote a whole post on how impressed I was with this back at the start of the month... and I have since bought another shade to match my tan! It is amazing for dry or normal skin, makes you look super glowy and lasts all day. Nyx Matte Lipstick in Mode I love Nyx produc...

W7 - "On The Rocks" Palette W7 is one of my faaavourite brands... I actually own quite a few of their products, and none of them disappoint - especially for what I paid for them! So, I was super excited to try this little beaut! I love pops of colour, especially blues (cue KKW vibes!) and although I have never tried orange or yellow eyeshadows before; I was eager to try something different. Safe to say .. I have been reaching for this each day for about a week... So let's get to it! First things first... Doesn't it just SCREAM Subculture? Yeah... Thought so! It is an exact dupe! Even the pans are laid out the same. With the pops of orange and yellow, teals and greens with the warm purples and browns mixed in. It is the perfect affordable dupe if you are an Anastasia Beverly Hills  lover but want a cheaper version. I have never tried the Subculture palette, so I cannot comment on the quality difference, but I can say it won't disappoint in t...