October Beauty Favorites

I'm writing this from my couch, snoring pup on my right, and realizing that it's only Wednesday. I want it to be the weekend because I'm exhausted. But then I want time to slow down, because my favorite month of the year is almost over. October was a good month, but too fast. 

Here are my beauty favorites:

The end for an everyday lipstick/I-wish-my-lips-were-really-this-color is over. This is Sophia Loren No. 1 for Dolce Gabbana. It is gorgeous.

It looks light and perfect for day time.

Sally Hansen Fall Polishes--These have pretty much been on my nails for the past couple of months. Straight from the runway for NYFW, these are the some of the shades they used. These are perfect for fall, just saying. The bottom right three shades are sheer, making them day-time friendly!

And here's the part of the show where I decided to just take one big pic of the rest of my faves. 

• Cailyn O!Wow Brush--This brush does everything from makeup to blush to moisturizer. It is so soft and give the most beautiful finish.
• Olivia Palermo for Ciate Smoky Palette--You want the perfect fall palette with beautiful buttery satin shimmers and matte shadows? This is it. The quality is that of Lorac Pro. You can see how well-loved this palette has been.
• Makeup Geek Brushes--I bought some face and eye brushes and LOVED ALL of them. Soft and great quality.
• Colgate Optic White Platinum--After the whole charcoal debacle that left my teeth YELLOW, I was instantly thrilled with the results. I posted before/after pics below--click on the pic to make it bigger. The after pic is exactly 3 minutes after using the toothpaste just once!! Thanks Kiki for letting me know about it!

I talked about this a little on Monday, but making videos is something I love to do. In this one, I'm giving a recap of my life for the month, sharing my favorites, and hate-its. Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrEZq6gyS58

The main reason to watch? Charlie is in his Halloween costume at the end and it is ADORABLE. Don't believe me? Just watch! ;)

What are your beauty faves for the month?

Extra Elle:

• Still behind on everything, so hang in there y'all! I am slowly getting caught up.
• Although it's been rainy all week, I have been enjoying the brief cool temps and seeing the leaves change.

August Beauty Faves Plus Ipsy

Hey you! How was your weekend? Mine was full of ups and downs! I cannot believe this is the last day of August. Craziness. But I want to talk about something else for a bit before getting into my monthly faves. I started my Coffee & Chit Chat series in January of 2014, to share more of my life, to show there's actually someone behind the words you read, behind the pics you see. While I absolutely adored making those videos, it turned out you didn't, and so this is my last one. Thank you everyone who tuned in and commented.

So now I will turn these videos into a monthly favorites! Check it out below:

https://youtu.be/LKx2oCJ8huM

And here are a few beauty faves I've enjoyed this past month:

August Ipsy Bag: This month's theme was Prep School and I loved everything I got! It's $10 a month and you can use my code here.

• Trust Fund Polish
• Marc Anthony Argan Oil
• Hikari Lip Gloss--This is what I was wearing in this Insta pic.
• Marsk Brush
• Doucce eyeliner

PCA Skin CliniCalm 1%--I get messages and emails weekly about irritated skin and this is the cream I recommend. This is wonderful for psoriasis, eczema, poison oak/ivy/sumac, rashes, etc. http://www.pcaskin.com/clinicalmtm-1-3.html

My next fave is this Glow Tonic Exfoliating Toner I received from Pixi. It has 5% glycolic acid but didn't irritate my skin, it just made it feel amazing. Get it at Target.

It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Romantic Palette--This is the followup I was sent to the original It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty palette (I recently gave one away) and I'm wearing it in the video above. It has 14 brand-new matte shades and a transforming pearl shade. Get it here.

Frank Body--This Australian crurelty-free brand has been featured on the blog before for their famous coffee body scrub. They've recently released a line of skin care, including a moisturizer (very light), a creamy face cleanser, a creamy face scrub (smells like coffee!), and a fabulous body balm.

How was your August?

Extra Elle:

• I was on my way to attend a blogger brunch Saturday when I had a car issue so I ended up not going. Turns out it was actually on SUNDAY. 
• I got lots accomplished over the weekend and managed to squeeze in a Target and Ikea trip!
• Happy 3rd birthday to my niece Maddy yesterday AND congrats that she's going to be a big sister! Yay for future niece #3!
• VMA's...I...have...no...words...

Don't forget:

• Karen Walker + Rebecca Minkoff giveaway
• $100 Giftcard Giveaway

June Chat: It Cosmetics Giveaway, SBS Con, Summer Trips, #JALS Update & More

Hey you! Happy Friday and happy 4th of July weekend! I actually thought yesterday was Friday, so if my blogging comments sounded odd, that's why. But anyway, June flew by and I have been so busy that I thought I'd get everyone caught up on life. Let me know how your June was and check out my video below:

http://youtu.be/SSKoMEo80kI

May Chit Chat (Monthly Life Update, Fave Beauty Products, #JALS)

Comingatcha with glasses today! And red lips, of course. So every month I like to share with you a quick recap of my life, a chit chat. Here's the video:

http://youtu.be/jxd2w9up9sY

Why Should You Watch the Video?

• May in review:
• We celebrated my dad's life on what would have been his 60th birthday. It's been two months since he died, and it's still not easy. But this was a wonderful day. I share pics in the video.
• It was also my beach trip! Have I talked about this enough yet? No, hehe. 
• Fave post of the month
• #JALS challenge
• This month's Just a Little Something Challenge was to choose happiness. And I really worked hard at that. When going through grief it's easy to suffer in silence and be sad. Instead I reminded myself of a
• Fave beauty products:

Fromm Beauty Brushes: The 1907 by Fromm Square Thermal Brushes are available at Ulta stores and Ulta.com, this bronze brush series comes in three different sizes: small, medium and large. The Square Thermal brushes feature an innovative square shape that offers all-in-one blow-dry techniques – simply alter the position of the brush to straighten, create loose waves, or form tight curls. The flexibility of the barrel shape creates an all-inclusive tool, a necessity in the quest for the perfect blow-out. $15-$17.99

Colleen Rothschild Beauty--When a brand starts popping up on blogs, sometimes I throw a side-eye. Is it good or hype? I had saved a list of products to purchase when I was contacted to try this brand for myself. It is SO, so good, y'all. Totally worth the hype! From the high-performance luxury skincare brand I received the Age Renewal Super Serum, Dual Enzyme Polish, and my personal favorite, the Radiant Cleansing Balm. I have dry skin, but there are a host of products to cater to your skin needs.

• May Ipsy Bag 

I loved just about everything I got in this adorable bag!

• It Cosmetics CC Cream--already own this and love it. 
• NYM De Ja Vu Do Style Extender--own this as well and love it.
• KCO Colors--This arrived broken and unusable. I hear the same happened to others. I couldn't find it on the Ipsy website to report.
• St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Lotion--loved it.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Lip Pencil + BONUS Revolution High-Color Lipgloss--loved it but I have other options that are much cheaper. Really enjoyed the lip gloss samples too. They were out of my color comfort zone but were fun to try.
• Skone Cosmetics Pretty Eyeliner--This was in navy, so it won't get as much use.

Click my link here to join Ipsy for $10 a month!

Have a great weekend! Be safe, behave, and be well. Love, Elle

Ipsy Bag + March Chit Chat

Hey you! Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Mine was fine. I tried to relax but ended up organizing some of my beauty supplies. I'm always trying to find a new system that works the best. Saturday was my Grandmother's 76th birthday and I had a nice long chat with her. I was worried about her since she recently lost her first born (my dad). And she was worried about me! It was kind of funny. Anyway, I had a bad migraine (thanks allergies) that kept me out of commission most of Sunday. I did get my monthly video edited for you! Check it out, below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VValdrcTPY 

GIVEAWAYS and Chit Chat

Hey you. Happy March! I hope you had a good weekend. I celebrated two friends' birthdays and then binge-watched House of Cards. I'm finally getting over this cold. All good things. Before I get into today's video, I have something to get off my chest:

I love this blog, my Youtube channel, and work so hard on them, without any outside help. It brings me such joy to share my beauty knowledge, my DIYs, tutorials, my makeup reviews with you, and occasionally my life with you.

But when the comments I receive are only on the life tidbits and don't mention the beauty post itself, it really frustrates me. It makes me feel like the commenter skipped to the bottom and commented on the end of the post only. I have no desire to write a personal life blog, but do enjoy marrying beauty with some of my life. I'm thankful for comments, but wanted to be honest with my frustration. Just something to consider. Thank you.

Today's video has some very personal, devastating news that I have not discussed yet on the blog. I just felt more comfortable discussing it on the video. I might share it here later; I just have so much to deal with emotionally. I appreciate your patience with me in returning comments and emails, as well as your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

I say all of this and then I offer you today's video, Coffee & Chit Chat, where I share my month in review, fave blog posts, fave beauty products, and more. I think you'll enjoy it, and yes, feel free to comment on anything:

http://youtu.be/iEPnH3tiLCg

And to end this post on a really happy note, I have TWO GIVEAWAYS for you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

and
a Rafflecopter giveaway


UPDATE: Thank you everyone for your kind words and prayers. Since I am not posting today, I encourage you to read my Guest Post over at So About What I Said. It talks about my dream for 2015 and this recent personal news. It's the most proud I've ever been of a guest post.
Read my post here.

November Ipsy Plus Coffee & Chit Chat

Well, happy post-Thanksgiving y'all. How was yours? I had a big ole post planned for yesterday, but I have not felt well at all. I'm currently wrapped up on my Mama's couch as I type this. Anyway, before I came down with this nasty cold, I filmed this month's chit chat. I love making these--it's been almost a year since my first one--as it's a way for me to chat with y'all, as well as a document of that month in my life. Please check out the video below:

http://youtu.be/VL6gvSxVGPs

Halloween Coffee & Chit Chat PLUS Ipsy Oct & Giveaway

Hey you! Happy Halloween! No tricks on today's post: just treats for you! First up is always one of my favorite videos to do--my monthly Chit Chat series. And this one is Halloween-themed! Ooh, spooky! Ok, not even close. But if you're curious to know more about me, these videos I make are a great way to do so. When you watch my video, you'll learn--

• Drink and Mug of the Month (email me to send me a mug and be featured!)
• My Month in Review! This month includes
• My bday 
• Blogger shout outs!
• Charlie's rescue anniversary
• PopSugar Event Recap--a pic I've never posted before!
• Meeting Jessica and Ashlee Simpson
• My Fave Posts of the Month
• Love It and Leave It Products of the Month
• Plus, you get to see this cutie:

What's his costume? Find out in the video below!


http://youtu.be/2G0Nj1l_Kp0

August Coffee & Chit Chat

Another month, another Coffee and Chit Chat! If you are new to this series, I vlog about my month. It gives you a chance to get to know me better, plus hearing my Southern accent is free! While these are my least-viewed videos (tbh), they are my favorite to film since it makes me come out of my shell and show you a side that doesn't always come through on the blog. So sit down, pour the coffee and let's chit chat!

This is my most personal video I think I've ever done.

Normally, I'm very positive and upbeat, but this month I ended up sharing something very personal about myself. I wasn't planning on doing that, but I had this feeling that someone out there needed me to talk about it. I encourage you to watch the first 4 1/2 minutes.

Can't see the video? Click here.

Blocked at work? Copy & paste this link into Google Translate. 

Click "translate" and the video will show. Boom. No excuses!

Highlights from the video:

• Coffee choice
• Mug of the month (send me one by starting here)
• Month in review
• Fave tv shows/movies of the month
• Fave posts and videos of the month
• Products I love and didn't like
• And a special cameo appearance from the World's Cutest Dog 
• I also wanted to share some wonderful news with you, since you are my friends :)
• My blog reached over 6 million all-time views! 
• I'm one of the vloggers featured on the FabFitFun FB ad!
• I also had my first radio interview--listen to it here.
• I've been nominated for Atlanta's Best Beauty Blogger for Tastemaker Magazine! I am freaking out with happiness! 

screenshot from video

So I hope you enjoyed the video and enjoy your Labor Day Weekend. I'll be taking it easy (yeah right) and will be back on Tuesday. Tell me your plans!

Have a great day. 

Be safe, behave, and be well, 

Love, Elle

PS: Enter to win $50 to ULTA

and enter my Neutrogena Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

July Chit Chat!

Hey you! I've got my monthly Chit Chat video for you today. For those that want to learn more about me, see my awkward personality, or hear my accent, check out my video!

Here are some of the July Chit Chat highlights:

• Drink of the Month
• Mug of the Month (email me to send me a mug to promote your blog!)
• July in Review:
• Charlie
• My 4th of July plans
• Trips
• First blogger conference! :)

Here's an outfit from my first event at the SBS conference! Again, I want to thank everyone for the support!

• Most Popular Post for July
• My Fave Post for July
• Products I love and didn't like AT ALL!

Speaking of products I love, I'll give you a little teaser from the video:

I am LOVING this bag from I was sent from Gregory Sylvia! It has been my go-to bag this summer.

And here I am with the Luxi Crossbody Bag with one of the blogger conference outfits I wore. It's so durable and is of amazing quality. They have totes, satchels, bags, and more!

So here's the video! Check it out below:

Can't see the video? Click here.

What was your favorite part of the video?

PS: What should I do for my 100th video?

Chai & Chit Chat Vlog Plus Rants and Raves (Video)

Raves:
Hey you! I'm doing things a bit differently today, and sharing my weekly plus monthly updates together! I'm pretty delirious as I type this. First, I finally got my taxes done! It takes twice as long since I have all the blog paperwork. Taxes should be a "rant" but since they're done, I'm adding them to the "rave" pile!

One of my dear friends flew in for the weekend to celebrate her birthday, so we were all out pretty late, and then I got up early and drove 5 hours to my hometown to celebrate my Grandmother's 75th birthday (click to see my Instagram). I got to see my adorable niece and one of my handsome nephews. And then I drove right back the next day. So a whirlwind weekend for me! I'm exhausted.

Rants:
Google+! I've been driving myself crazy for a couple of months wondering why certain pictures of mine would come out really dark once I uploaded them. I tried everything. I finally figured out it was Google+. Apparently Google+ automatically "fixes" your photos and this was turning them dark. Boo. But at least now all is well. :)

Chai & Chit Chat:
I cannot believe March is ovah! Every month I make a video just for YOU sharing the highs and lows of the month. Yes! I have a Youtube channel (subscribe if you'd like) It gives you a chance to get to know me better, see my personality in action, hear my Southern accent (okay, not a highlight but still!), and most importantly, to see the World's Cutest Dog:

I mean, would you look at that cutie?? Find out what happened in March, my Drink of the Month, Blog News, Post of the Month, my favorite and not-so-favorite beauty products, and more--in fewer than 5 minutes. So without further ado, here's March in review (rhyme!):

Can't see the video? Click here.

PS: Got wrinkles? Got stretch marks? Wanna see 'em disappear? Enter to win a tube of Strivectin SD Advanced.

Hot Chocolate & Chit Chat With Elle Sees! (Video)

Hey you! I hope you had an awesome weekend. Mine was uneventful but I am not complaining one bit! We all need some down time, right? One thing I did was film several videos, including one today! This year I'm aiming to put even more than a face and a personality behind this blog than usual, which isn't easy. A way to do that is by doing is a monthly vlog letting you all know what I've been up to. I hope you watch and enjoy my accent hearing more about my life. I'll have my usual Rants+ Raves post back next week. But for now, let's have a little Hot Chocolate and Chit Chat!

Watch here.

Topics Mentioned:

• Christmas
• My fam. My pup. Pics included!
• Good/bad things so far for 2014
• How awesome YOU are. Yes, you.
• 2 beauty products I like/don't like
• A tale of HAIR SABOTAGE!
• Me, being awkward (as usual)!

Something else I want to incorporate is the BLOGGER OF THE WEEK. I plan on doing one a week, and to make up for earlier weeks in January, I am giving 3 shout outs this week:

• VeroSays--she tagged me in the 5 Beauty Things I'm Not Apologizing For, which I shared here. It's a fun tag!
• GlossyGlamBlog--tagged me in Beauty Bloggers Made Me Buy It.
• Beauty By Arielle--She's mentioned in the video. Find out what she "made" me buy in the video!

Again, I want to thank everyone for the sweet comments and amazing emails from my On Why I Take Seflies post-. I admit, I was kinda overwhelmed--something about putting myself out there front and center made me retreat a little after posting it. I was worried you'd think me conceited, which if that's the case, then the point was definitely missed. So my apologies for being away from visiting you, but I'm fixing that right as you're reading this. xo