#watchoutforthis is how I signal something interesting that I think multitudes will enjoy. And a Major Lazer song (Spotify it right now!). In this article I want to talk about my latest obsession: a wonderful Youtuber I discovered this summer and is now my major fashion and lifestyle inspiration. I’m talking about the English (but with Italian heritage) Lydia Elise Millen.
Born in 1988, Aries, she was a management major with a passion for fashion. While writing her dissertation she decided to lend more of her time to her hobby and started writing a blog. At first it was just about what she liked, the latest trends and her ever growing handbag collection (it’s massive and spectacular), but after a while, thanks to her soon-to-be husband Ali Gordon (blogger and Youtuber), she started writing about fitness, food, and lifestyle. And now, the hard work, the perseverance, and the passion she put in it has paid off. Now she’s a L’Oreal ambassador, she has worked with Balmain and ByTerry, and is one of the most popular Youtubers in the UK.
Why do I love her so? Why have I spent the summer watching every single one of her videos? Why is her channel my happy place? I can’t put my finger on it, to be honest. Do not watch her first videos (the ones with the dark hair), her style was different and her approach was so rigid and forced, by her own admission: she was acting like she thought Youtubers had to act in order to be liked, and producing the content she thought people wanted, not what she actually wanted to do.
But as the videos progress and her luscious mane becomes blonder, you see the true, authentic Lydia, the one who laughs often and widely, the one who says ‘excited’ 50 times in 15 minutes, the one who gushes over her wonderful cat Lumi, and the girl who ‘waffles’ (if you’re a fan, you’ll know) on about makeup and life without any filter. And that’s the Lydia we love.
Although her fashion style is very classy, she is not too eccentric with clothes and she keeps her make up as simple as possible, she is never boring in her choices, and she has started to influence my own fashion sense (even though I cannot afford her wardrobe or her skin regimen): I find myself buying only nude lipglosses and nude matte lipsticks (I’ve always hated matte, and I always thought there was no point in buying a lipstick colored nude), and I’m buying sweaters again, preferably ones with a bit of cashmere in it (I actually never bought wool ones because I’m terribly allergic). She also keeps me up to date with the latest fashion events and collections, so I feel like Wikipedia every time I know from which year is that Fendi bag or how great was this F/W Balmain collection (thanks for your stories Lydia!).
Lydia is so genuine, so straightforward, that if I could I would follow blindly her advices and buy what she likes, because I can feel it does not come from a malicious or venial place, but she advises what she actually uses and likes.
While I’m in love with her vlogs, she does many hauls and shopping related videos too. And she gets so much hate for those. I’ve never been the kind of girl that loves going shopping, or is that much into shoes or clothes. I love beautiful things, I love watching them, but I’ve always thought there were more important things in life and I never obsessed over Richmond jeans or a Gucci belt. And at first, watching just her fashion hauls, I thought, like many other people, that what she did was a bit superficial, and that she was too. But Lydia taught me not to judge a book by its cover and to go beyond appearances. She loves fashion, and she’s smoking hot, but this doesn’t mean she’s superficial or stupid. She’s the whole package (beauty, brains, fun and independent), with a history and feelings, like everyone else. We should always think about that before judging and labeling someone because we might be pleasantly surprised by what we discover.
She is a strong and tough girl, the kind of girl you wish to have to back you up and be by your side when things get rough. She is a loyal friend to her best friend Carrie, whom she works with! Working with your bff? She’s living the life.
In case you didn’t notice, I have the hugest girl crush ever on her. If you’re interested in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and want to pretend you’re going around London with a beautiful blonde with a British accent, then check out her youtube channel (Lydia Elise Millen, or insta @lydiaemillen).
Did I mention her cat has her own Instagram account? Check her @lumibengal
Featured image via Lydia Elise Millen on Instagram
am soo Obsessed with fashion.. i really love this
Knowing that my entire subculture, which is based on a musical genre (goth, darkwave, goth metal, etc.) and the individuals it links through both its music AND attire (which is secondary), has been reduced to a fashion aesthetic pains me terribly.