Ellie Parky

20 Self-Care Tips for 2020 The term "self-care" has been thrown around a lot in the last year or so and I, for one, am HERE for it. However, it can be a little confusing as to what it actually means as it can so easily be confused with just being 'selfish' - which it really is not. The google definition claims it to be:  "the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress" Which sums up the most important factor being looking after ones own health, emotional and physical well-being and just overall general happiness. It is looking after yourself in any ways that suit you - regardless of how this may look to others - and I think this is where the lines become blurred and people can confuse it for selfishness.  Self-Care is whatever you want it to be! It is different for everyone, and therefore looks different to everyone. Which is the magic of it, r...

♡ "You are so sensitive" ♡ Do you find the word "sensitive" is thrown around alot, and mostly holding a negative meaning?  The Oxford Dictionary definition is: "having or displaying a quick and delicate appreciation of others' feelings" Meaning that somebody who is sensitive is thoughtful towards others and their feelings.  Which, I don't feel is a particularly negative trait to have. So how has it come to be used in a negative way to describe a person? 'Oh you're just being sensitive' 'It's a joke... don't be so sensitive' We have come to be so conditioned to be super tough, super hard and to have no emotions in particular situations. This then means that some of us are made to feel silly when we do take slight offence or are sensitive to comments or react differently to how other's believe we should. I have ALWAYS been SUPER sensitive. I can't help it. I like to think I am a kind and car...

Hey there 2020 Friends... It has been a while! And by a while.... I realise it has been a LONG time. Life got hectic, crazy and slightly rude at times but I want to channel some energy back into this as I really miss writing & I feel like I have a lot to say right now. I am going to put a new spin on this blog and talk about topics that I feel are of importance and hopefully touch on some topics that will help some people, too. If there is anything you would like to see from my blog - please let me know Love always, EP xo

♡ Revolution Pro - New Neutrals Palette ♡ Seriously though ... how could I walk past this beaut in Superdrug and NOT pick it up to have a good old feel?! This packaging caught my eye originally ... I am a magpie for anything gold / sparkly / leopard print so this had me completely sold !!  It has Huda-esque vibes... following the same colour scheme and with the same idea of pressed foils & glitters but for £12 instead of £50ish. I am all for a dupe and with it being Revolution you know you are going to get decent quality. There is a mix of gorgeous, blendable mattes, foils and 3 pressed glitters which perform really well on top of the cream ‘base’ shade or over other shadows. For my first look with this, I worked my way through the pinks - delight, whisper, karma - and mauves - rumour and zoned in the crease to build up a soft blend using the darkest purple - magestic - on the outer edge. I then applied the base cream and the beautiful pressed gli...

♡ Make Up Revolution x Rachel Leary ♡ "Goddess on the Go" Okay, so when I first saw on Rachel's Instagram that she was releasing palettes with Revolution I was like 'aaaaaggghhh'!! *insert Home alone shocked face here*... She is one of my favourite YouTubers in being so funny, normal and down to earth and I love how her make up always looks so effortless but STUNNING & she always looks so  glowwwy! So you just knew she was going to release an incredible palette...  Plus Revolution is one of my favourite make up brands - they are such an all-rounder when it comes to price, pigment and longeivity! You knew it was going to be a good one ♡ Cue this badboy!! Rachel did release 2 palettes infact, "Goddess on the go" (above) and "Ultimate Goddess" which is HUGE & equally as gorgeous. I opted for the smaller of the 2 as I just wanted to give this one a go & I thought i'll get the bigger one (next payday!) If I liked thi...

♡ Glowy, Summery Skin ♡ Summer skin is my absolute favourite! Give me golden, tanned, bronzed, shimmery.... you name it & I am SOLD! 😍 I went to We Are Festival on Saturday and posted this photo to my Instagram (@e.parkyy) and had some really kind comments on my skin & make up 💄 Product Breakdown: Face Maybelline Babyskin Primer Maybelline SuperStay foundation Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define concealer Makeup Revolution Bake & Finish powder Makeup Revolution Contour palette NYX Matte bronzer  Kiko Milano Blusher Mac Cosmetics Highlight in Oh Darling Eyes Crown Brushes OMG Palette Doll Beauty Lashes in Chloe Elizabeth Lips Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Bitch Please Mario Badescu Spray to set I found this make up wore perfectly throughout the day! Even in 25 degree heat - it did not budge! It stayed looking flawless with the odd powder touch up on my nose after dancing to Jamie Jones for an hour! I alw...

2019...  Hey, what’s up, hello 👋🏼  Firstly.... Hi! Apologies for the lack of posts ... it has been a whirlwind of a year! Life has been so crazy but I am making a real conscious effort to get back on this game now & channel some positive energy back into my blog ✏️ 2019 has been shaping up quite nicely for me & I can’t wait to share more of it on here 😍 Please let me know of any posts you would like to see from me ... I am always open to suggestions 😊💛 but for now it is a hi & see you very soon with some (finally) exciting content! Lots of love EP 💕

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...