Blogger Interview With Missy Ellie!

My blogger interview series continues with the lovely Ellie from Ellie's Beauty Blog


* Quick fire question - tell us something you love about blogging and something you're not too crazy about!
I love the fact that my blog acts as a record of what I've been interested in at a particular point in time - and that I can look back and see how I have changed and improved. Some of my early posts make me cringe  alittle bit as they look terrible now, but I won't take them down because they're part of my blog and show how I have (hopefully) got a lot better at makeup application over the year or so that I've been blogging! Reading blogs and writing my own has also made me a lot more open-minded, and willing to try new brands and products that I wouldn't have heard about otherwise. The thing I love most though is that I have been lucky enough to meet some really genuine and lovely people through blogging, who I wouldn't have had an opportunity to meet without it.

The down-side for me is that I don't have enough time as I would like to devote to my blog. I work full time and my job is pretty demanding, and I wish that I'd been doing this when I was a student, with a lot more free time (even if I had a lot less money). I usually have to turn down the few events that I do get invited to, because work gets in the way. In terms of negative aspects of the beauty blogging world, I dislike the 'popularity contest' element that can creep in. I don't get too bothered by this as I think I'm old enough to take it all with a pinch of salt now, but everything would be a lot nicer if people didn't feel they were in competition with each other!

* Why beauty/makeup? What made you decide you wanted to blog about it?

It was the obvious choice for me. I started blogging when I had finished my accountancy exams, and I wanted something completely different to that and to my day job. I've always been a bit of a makeup junkie, starting with nail varnish when I was about 11, a different colour on every nail! It's also something that my friends aren't particularly interested in (and my husband certainly isn't) so I needed some like-minded people to indulge my obsession with. I started out reading a few blogs, and then thought 'I can do that' - and I'm still here, a year later.


* You have 5 minutes before you have to leave the house, what items do you throw on?
Concealer and a bit of foundation definitely, because unfortunately my skin isn't up to being seen bare, and I'd hate to scare the neighbours. I don't look like myself without at least a bit of mascara on, and definitely some blusher so I don't look like a ghost! I'm fairly speedy with my makeup these days since I put a full face on every morning, so I'm sure I'd manage to get a bit of slap on there in 5 minutes.

* Are there any brands that aren't available in your country that you would love to try? What 'local' brands do you think everyone should have a chance to try?
Living in the UK I think we're lucky enough to be able to track down most things online if they aren't sold in shops over here. The one thing I think we really miss out on is Sephora. I've been to the one in Paris a couple of times and I just love the fabulousness of all those great brands under one roof! Even if there was a UK website, that would be a start as they always seem to have great sets and offers that we just can't get (although perhaps not, as I'd end up spending even more money). In terms of local brands, I'm really impressed with Boots 17 at the moment, so it would be good if everyone had access to them. And I'm not sure if Liz Earle are available internationally, but if they're not then they definitely should be.

* What entices you to follow a new blog? What puts you off?
One of the most important things for me is whether you get a sense of the personality of the blogger from their blog and the way they write.  This could be super-girly or down-to-earth and a bit sarcastic, but I like to get an insight into what they are like. Blogs where it feels like the style is being faked, perhaps to imitate another successful blogger, put me off straight away. Blogs which take forever to load because they are plastered with adverts are another big no-no.  Because I'm quite nosy, I also like a more personal post now and again - I'm not suggesting people should reveal everything about themselves, but I like to have at least a vague idea of who the blogger is!
Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions Ellie! I'm totally with you on the old posts. Some of mine make me cringe but I leave them up for the sake of posterity! x