Happy Wednesday, I hope wherever you are that you are happy, healthy and precautious during this tough time. With everything going on in the world due to the virus, I am taking this time to reset and rethink lots of projects, work on myself as well as my blog and team up with some amazing, positive brands.

Rox Jewelry is a company that offers tons of gifts that give back. With a portion of every purchase going to the charity of your choice! Rox has everything, from homeware, to t-shirts, mugs and even some gorgeous bikinis that are 100% giving me the summer vibes...

You can use my discount code ELLIEMARIE15 at checkout for 15% OFF, plus the amazing discounts that are already taking place on the website!

Here are a few of my favourite picks: (TAP TO SHOP)

I've been watching the answering boys/girls questions videos all over YouTube recently but I thought it would be quite fun to do a "blog style" version of my own. So, I took to Google and there is an actual post which I find funny because it is under the topic life hacks and it is basically a list of the 21 questions you should ask a girl in order for the conversation to not die down during your dinner date.
Lets see a few,

1. What are your secret skills? 
Well, if I were to be asked this question I would probably pull a long face because I have absolutely no clue whatsoever. What are my secret skills? Well hasn't this started off well... I'll see if I can get back to this one later.

2. What was your favourite childhood toy?
This brings back the memories… earlier on in my childhood I loved dolls, I remember I had baby chou-chou and I even used to take her on holiday with us, I still have her packed away with all my other toys. Later on in my childhood, me and my best friend Helena were obsessed with Barbies, we had a holiday house FULL we had a Barbie city full of everything and we collected the Hannah Montana, HSM, etc. I even had Aston from JLS and Zayn Malik.

3. What was the best gift you have ever given to someone?
I am not a materialistic person so I honestly cannot think of anything. Soz.

4. What is the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in your primary school?
These questions are so difficult to answer. 
I don't have that many memories from primary school, but the one I do remember perfectly was my first day at school here in Spain when I was probably just about 6 years old. I remember Don Jesús walking me into a classroom where they had sat all the children down staring at the door and he presented me to them and I knew absolutely no Spanish and they were like little owls staring at me.

5. What would you grab if your house was on fire?
What an awful thought. If my loved ones and animals are all safe then I would probably get my laptop or just anything that is at easy reach.

6. What is your destination for the trip of your dreams?
Long distance travelling or more precisely, aeroplanes are something that cause me anxiety so the thought of travelling abroad is not something that highly intrigues me but I would love to go on a driving trip round Spain.

7. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? And do you still want it?
I don't think I've ever been certain in what I've wanted to be. I constantly new people at school and highschool that were so determined in what they were going to study, who they were going to be and what career they were going to persue and they made me so confused and unsure of myself and made me doubt myself even more.
I remember I used to constantly play teachers and nurserys, but didn't want to work with children everyday. I used to play car ownerships but that just doesn't interest me I just loved playing with paperwork and old keys. I also loved playing vets but hate the thought of poorly animals and I faint at the sight of blood and needles.
I've never known what I want to do and still, at almost twenty three I am in the same position.

8. If you got stuck in the lift and was forced to listen to only one song, which would it be?
Please may I never get stuck in a lift. Fun fact: I avoid lifts at all costs, especially if I am out an about by myself.
I think any song would get tedious in that situation so you could play me any song, but one that does pop to mind right now is Frank Sinatra - The way you look tonight because it reminds me of Wayne Woodwards audition on BGT and just makes me smile.

9. What was your worst job?
I've only had two "propper" jobs and I couldn't complain about either of them.

10. Which social game was your favourite while growing up?
Hide and seek. Day in, day out. Hour after hour.


11. How do you treat people who annoy you for no reason?
I have an amazing ability of just ignoring, blanking and avoiding people, so that would probably be how I would treat them if I don't find their presence of my liking. Lets put it that way.

12. What is the most important thing that guys should understand about the girl, and it seems to you that they do not understand?
You can't just assume we are on our period / blame our "hormones" on everything.

13. What does your name mean?
This question is quite interesting as I have never looked into the meaning of my name so lets see:
It originates from Hebrew. It is the pet form of Ellen or more commonly Eleanor, which itself is of Hebrew origin and comes from the Hebrew element, 'el' meaning 'god' and 'or' meaning light. So the name means God is my light, or God is my candle.

14. If you could jump into a pool full of something, what would it be?

For as long as I can remember I have always had a very fussy and basic sense of style and there were always constant arguments when it came to mum dressing me in the morning as I hated anything slightly passed the fine line of my confort zone.
A couple of years ago I remember pestering my mum to buy me a pair of mom jeans as I loved how they looked on Cher Lloyd and I desperately needed some of my own until I got them them and I hated them seen as I didn't quite know how to style them and they just hung off me and looked completely unflattering.
To this day, I still have said pair of mom jeans in my wardrobe and I actually am quite fond of them, they are slightly more oversized than my current favourite pair but I love them never the less and I keep promising myself I am going to find a way of wearing them to my advantage.
I can't quite think how or why but suddenly at the beginning of 2019 I decided that mom jeans were the bee's knees and I have gained a slight obsession and quite the collection of them. I currently own five different pairs which I have already worn to death and a pair of mom-style dungarees which only cost me 5,99€ in Stradivarious, I know, I couldn't quite believe it myself!!
I don't want to make myself sound too smug, but I feel as though I have hit mom jeans (how many times have i said mom jeans) right on the nail, I have conquered dressing them up for work or making them just super casual and they are the comfiest style of jeans to wear so its quite easily a triple bonus wherever you may look at it.
When I first tried them I thought they made me look like a shapeless weirdo but now, adding a belt, a tucked in tee or sweater and a long cardigan or even a short bomber jacket I think they really suit my figure (check me out with all the self-love all of a sudden) but I also love how they look on almost all body size and type, I am in serious awe of these jeans!
Do you like mom jeans and what style of jeans is your favourite at the moment?

It has been seven days. Just one week since the whole of Spain has been put into lockdown and I cannot bare the thought of one more day stuck in my house.
Today, I had the biggest panic attack I've had in months because of this whole panorama. How has just one week passed? 😩 How can we possibly face three more like this? Yes, if you didn't know, the lockdown has been prolonged another two unbearable weeks... I, among with thousands of other employers, have lost my job. I have a rent to pay and no income and it is one of my biggest issues at the moment.

This morning I read a post by @frassyaudrey:

This is the most real thing I have read in a long time. Audrey has read my thoughts and printed them out in a way I could not.

Another more positive post I read this morning and can't not share is from @leilastead and I love this! Just wish my anxiety would let me rest and think more positively about eveything as it is expressed in this text.
Isn't it beautiful? Let's just try our best and stick by this text, forget the previous and battle through like the troops we are! 💪🏼
This is just a passing crisis and we have to pick up the pieces as they are thrown at us I guess. 🤷🏼‍♀️
Sorry for the slightly negative comeback (at least I did the postive bit at the end, hey!). I'm just having one of those days today, soz.
Love you, L x

If you have been a reader of my blog for any amount of time, you will quite probably know that I have had a painful journey with my skincare. I´ve had non-successful doctors appointments and I´ve gone through my fair share expensive creams and face washes and still, the problem is here.
All my doctor says is "oh, its okay its just your hormones, or your age, try this..." and that's just another fob me off when to me its a lot more than that. (TMI but during my period is probably when my skin is at its clearest, so does that mean it isn't hormones?)
Not only am I aware of my skin and very self-concious of it but I've got scaring  and redness and it just isn't a nice thing to have to deal with on a day to day basis.
Due to a lack of my doctors help I´ve done my own detective work and come across three products that don't exactly get rid of the problem, but they definitely do reduce it and I thought I could only try and help a few of you out by sharing them.
If you are from the UK you most probably have heard of Simple, the skincare brand. Here in Spain it is almost impossible to get hold of so when mum went back to England for a few days I made her pick me up these and I´ve used them ever since.
Every night before going to bed I wash my face to remove my makeup from the day using the moisturising facial wash which leaves a lovely clean and soft feeling to my face and then although my skin is mixed (neither dry or greasy) I apply a thin layer of moisturiser.
I feel these have helped me cause they aren't as harsh on the skin as micelar water is and they are actually made for more sensitive skin.
Now this, is the game changer. After I´ve washed my face I apply a thin layer of Sudocrem to my scars/redness or wherever I feel I need it and by the morning it has usually all absorbed into my skin.  I wake up with super fresh and calm looking skin so I just apply a small layer of moisturiser which has SPF in which is amazing seen as I live in the sun, and voila, I am as fresh as a daisy and ready to conquer the day.

I ended 2018 as I mean to go on...
During 2018 instead of waiting until the 1st of January to start my so called "resolutions", mid December I decided Why not now? Instead of waiting twelve more days, twenty or even two to start living my best life (so cliché, I know, sorry, yep...) Why not now?
I want to be the best version of myself for myself, I want to love what I do and do what I love, I want to spend time with the people I love and I want to squeeze every last drop out of life. I´ve spent this past year or even two dwelling on decisions I have made, places I´ve missed out on going to, what if this and what if that, when the real problem is NOW. Live now cause you have no clue what will happen tomorrow.

Bikini and underwear shopping is something I always dread because I don't feel the most confident when it comes to changing rooms, I mean... they aren't the best of places to see yourself half naked, are they?
After searching high and low for the perfect "flat chested bikini", a bikini where I could embrace my lack of boobies, I then decided against the idea since they 1. didn't look attractive at all and 2. they didn't help me feel my most confident.
I eventually had a look online and whilst scrolling the h&m website I came across this lovely floral print bikini that I was obsessed with so I decided to go to the shop and try it on and it was the one!





Despite the fact I loved (and still love) the red floral print one, I instead bought a more simple, plain black one with a tiny bit of tan and white detailing, and this more tropical printed one.
I am honestly really, really happy with my purchase, not only do the range of bikinis look amazing but they are rather affordable, really supportive and super comfy!
I don't know about you but I will definitely be saving up to buy more from the range!

As a so-called "online influencer" type person, as you probably know I receive collaboration emails from companies all around the world. I never really like to talk about this, or discuss this topic of conversation but this week I received one which I feel the need to talk about online. I am not going to expose said company or name them although that is well what they deserve but instead I'm just going to leave them unnamed.
Collaborations work by a brand contacting you or viceversa, in this case said brand contacted me and me an offer of x amount of money in order to promote them which I thought was ideal but as I asked deeper into the collaboration and what was expected I realised how much of a sick person must run this company. They wanted me to comment on five of their bridal dresses and say how happy I am with the company, the delivery, the customer service, etc... How? How could someone pay somebody else to make up these sick lies to a bride to be?
Maybe I am overreacting, it could be the case,but I just feel such disgust in the bottom of my stomach at how someone could take advantage in such way to someone who is going to spend so much money on one of the happiest days of their life and then maybe receive absolutely nothing.
I would love to have money to waste and order one of their dresses and see what is actually the reality behind them and how good they genuinely are, because, could you imagine?
It isn't much but its pretty much all I had to say, to be careful, the internet is a really scary place, be careful where you put your bank details, be careful who you talk to and so on, seen as you never really know who's behind a keyboard.

And for the umpteenth time, I can again say I am back. I have taken another long time away from my social medias. I´ve been working, exploring and loving and I have yet again, pushed my social life to the back of my priorities which, in the real world, is actually not a bad thing (lets be honest).
My blog, my YouTube and my photography took over most of my time and life back in 2015 - 2016 and don´t get me wrong, I loved doing it but it just wasn´t good for my mental health so I decided to make that my priority instead.
In the past year, I have tried many times to come back but I never actually do it, I maybe upload one post or film one video but that's it. This time though, I'm hoping to not do that, I'm hoping I can actually stick to it and enjoy it as much as I used to.
Today I´ve started by uploading a video to my YouTube channel, which you can watch here. It is a questions and answers video where I talk about where I´ve been, what I've been up to, confidence, love and lots more! So please give it a watch and show it some love as it would mean a lot to me and if there are any videos you'd like to see, or any posts you'd like me to write about please let me know via Instagram or any other of my social medias.