Before Elle

Privacy & Cookies

Last updated: 1 November 2026

Who looks after your information

Before Elle is an independent online publication operated by Elizabeth Sheehan, an individual based in Norway, who writes publicly as Elle. Elizabeth is the data controller for the personal information handled by Before Elle. Before Elle is a publication and brand name, not a separate registered legal entity.

For privacy questions or requests, email hello@beforeelle.com.

Visiting Before Elle

Squarespace provides the website’s technical infrastructure, including hosting and tools used to deliver and secure the site. Your browser shares technical information needed to deliver and secure the site, such as your IP address, browser information and the pages requested. Squarespace handles some information on the operator's behalf and some independently for its own service-security purposes. Its notice is available at Squarespace privacy notice .

Photographs are delivered through Squarespace and Substack image-hosting services. Those services receive the technical information needed to send the images to your browser.

Cookies, analytics and your choices

Before Elle uses Squarespace's cookie controls. You can Accept all, Decline all or Manage cookies. You can revisit your choice using Cookie Preferences. Optional choices start off. You can choose entrance remembering separately from analytics. Necessary website functions remain available when optional cookies are declined.

Squarespace Activity Log is disabled. Squarespace is configured to restrict optional performance and analytics cookies until consent; no additional advertising or analytics service has been added for this launch.

Remembering your entrance choice is optional. If you enable it in Cookie Preferences, Before Elle can remember that you entered or skipped the cottage for up to 30 days, without enabling analytics or advertising. A minimal decision record remembers your consent or refusal for up to 30 days; an entrance timestamp is stored only when this option is enabled. Expired records are cleared when next checked on the site, and turning the option off removes the remembered entrance. These are local browser preferences, not advertising profiles. Without remembering, Open the Door and Skip Intro still work, but the introduction may appear again on a later visit.

Squarespace describes its standard cookies and their durations at Squarespace cookie information . This provider list includes functions that may not be used on Before Elle.

Amazon affiliate links

Some Pantry links are Amazon Associates links containing a tracking identifier. Following one takes you to Amazon, where Amazon may collect technical information and use cookies or similar technologies to recognise referrals and attribute qualifying purchases, under its own privacy and cookie policies. Before Elle’s cookie preferences do not control cookies on Amazon; manage those through Amazon’s settings and your browser. Before Elle may receive commission reports, but does not receive your Amazon payment details. See Amazon’s Privacy Notice.

Email enquiries

When you email Before Elle, your address, name if supplied, message and any attachments are used to read, answer and manage your enquiry. Email is handled through Zoho Mail. Please include only what is needed for your message; you do not need to provide medical details to ask about the publication.

Email enquiries are handled manually and retained only as long as reasonably necessary for their purpose, subject to any applicable legal retention requirements. Deletion is handled manually; no automatic email-deletion rules are configured in Zoho Mail.

External writing, podcasts and community

Writing and community links lead to Substack. Listening links lead to Substack, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. These normally open separately so you can return to Before Elle. Those platforms have their own privacy information governing their services, accounts, subscriptions and interactions. Please review it before providing information there. This notice concerns the Before Elle website and direct enquiries; it does not replace the information provided when you use those platforms.

Why information is used and who receives it

For necessary website delivery, security and responding to ordinary enquiries, we rely on the legitimate interests of operating a secure publication and answering messages. Optional analytics and entrance remembering rely on consent, which can be withdrawn through Cookie Preferences. Where information must be retained to meet a specific legal obligation, that obligation provides the relevant basis.

Access is limited to the operator and service providers needed for those purposes. Squarespace’s published processing terms cover international processing, including in the US, and describe transfer safeguards: Squarespace data-processing terms . Before Elle uses Zoho Mail’s EU service. Zoho explains that EU-hosted data may nevertheless be accessed for support from India under contractual safeguards. EU hosting is not a promise that all processing stays within Norway or the EEA.

Your rights

Depending on the processing and applicable exceptions, you may request access, correction, erasure, restriction or portability, and object to processing based on legitimate interests. You can withdraw consent without affecting earlier lawful processing. Email hello@beforeelle.com to make a request. You may complain to Datatilsynet in Norway, or another competent supervisory authority. See Datatilsynet .

Changes

Changes will be reflected in the date at the top of the published notice. Material changes affecting how information is used will be highlighted on the website before taking effect where required.