10 Books to Add to Your Christmas List

It's that time of year again. As I snuggle down in my favourite jumper to write this post, I am accompanied by the soothing sound of the November rain on my window. It's cold and it's dark- but it always feels quite festive from the comfort of inside doesn't it? I've recently read some books that have got me into the Christmas spirit (of which you are about to read) and so I wanted to write something to help anybody stuck on the Christmas shopping. If one of your loved ones is a book lover, pay attention. Here is my list of my top 10 books that I've read this year that I think any bookworm would love! They're in no particular order, they're all fab; I couldn't possibly rank out a favourite.

 1. All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr. 
Some of you may remember my post from a few months ago reviewing this captivating novel. I put it on my Christmas list last year with no real idea of what it was about. I knew I wanted to get back into reading, and so I went onto amazon and wrote down random titles and this happened to be one. Still to this day, it is my favourite book. It's articulately written and just phenomenal. Never have I been so heart warmed by a story line or touched by characters. Whenever anyone asks me to recommend a book, this is the title on my tongue. Always. It is a work of pure art. Beautiful. If you know somebody who is interested in History, or drawn to emotional stories, this is the book for them. If you want to know more, click here. It will forever be my favourite and the story stays with you. 

2. The Bloody Chamber - Angela Carter.
 This book is for somebody who is still attached to Fairy-tales. If you love writing that is carefully crafted and shows abundant skill, this is the book for you. I didn't think I was going to like it. I had to read it for my A Level Creative Writing and fell in love with it after the first sentence. It's a series of short stories. It's not time consuming or difficult to read. It's beautiful and honest and real. It's not for the fainthearted, and if you're drawn to disney-like fairy stories with happy endings, this isn't your book. But if you appreciate honesty and genuine talent in what you read, you'll love this. She has quickly become one of my favourite writers and I am drawn to read more of her work. 

3. The Girl on the Train -Paula Hawkins.
 Read it before you watch the movie. If you know someone who enjoyed 'Gone Girl,' they will love this. Hawkins use of Byronic-heros captures your attention from the beginning and it's not a book you can put down easily. I read it over the summer in about 2 days. It's wonderful in it's ambiguity and draws you in to the real lives of several characters, none of whom you really like that much. It's a way of story-telling I had never before experienced and it's perfect for somebody who enjoys thrillers- or someone who likes to know what everyone is raving about! I haven't yet seen the movie but I always recommend book first. 

4. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak.

 This is such a touching story. It's a children's book, so if you have a child who enjoys history or is learning about the war, this would be perfect. It's an easy read but will challenge younger readers into learning new words. I loved it as a Creative Writing student because it encouraged me to consider different narrative styles. However, it can be appreciated from a non-academic view. If you love a story that will pull on your heartstrings, this is for you. It's touching, beautifully written and unlike anything I have read before or since. 

5. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn. 

 Another book that I got for Christmas last year, this time not on so much of a whim. I had been told about it by so many different people and just not had the time to pick it up. At that point, I really wanted to get back into reading because I hadn't had much time for it over the few years preceding. This book managed to draw me back into stories. It's brilliant. It keeps you hooked, it frustrates you but entertains you at the same time. I found it really inspiring when writing my coursework last winter. Anyone who has a passion for good story-telling will really enjoy this book. 

6. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald. 
This choice may seem a little odd considering my vast majority of new releases. However, I include this for people who are beginning to become more curious about classic literature. It's one thing to love reading, but it's another thing to love literature. Often, classic novels can be tough to read if they were written in different time periods. It's harder to understand the messages or to relate with the characters. The Great Gatsby is the book that changed that for me. I fell in love with it from the moment we started studying it in my English Literature group. Since then, I've found myself drawn to classic literature. I am in the process of collecting the work of Fitzgerald. I've also found myself exploring the classic literature sections in book shops and familiarising myself with the works of Steinbeck, Agatha Christie and even Hawthorne and Hemingway. It's good as a literature student to stretch your knowledge of classic novels, but it's also brilliant to be able to enjoy them for the brilliant story telling and skill. Gatsby inspired me to read a wider range of books and to be more ambitious when choosing what to read. I think any book-lover would enjoy reading a classic! 

7.  The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey.
 I finished reading this the other day. I can't seem to shake off that feeling of nostalgia from finishing a good book; when you know you wont be following those characters anymore or know what happens next. This story not only got me feeling Christmasy with the cohesive setting of a harsh winter with snow and ice skating etc, but the story was so heart warming, I want everyone to read this book. It's so beautifully written. It's like nothing I have ever read before. I was led to it through Angela Carter and the theme of retelling fairy-tales, but Ivey really made the story her own. You could feel how much she loved the characters bleeding through each page. It's a stunning read. I would recommend anyone who likes reading to read this. It's truly stunning.

8. Milk & Honey - Rapi Kaur.
 This quirky but emotional collection of poetry is one of my favourites I've read this year. The structure and meaning behind each poem is captivating as a Creative Writing student. I feel that writers themselves will love this, someone who can appreciate the craftsmanship behind it. You have to love poetry, you have to be in touch with emotion. It's not a story of characters but it's a story of feelings and the progression of emotions. It's beautifully written and a perfect gift for someone who loves words. 

9. Norwegian Wood - Murakami.
 This was my first experience of Japanese fiction recommended to me by a work colleague. Despite being a truly sad story, it leaves you feeling touched and almost comforted. It's completely raw in it's honesty and definitely for a mature reader. If someone loves a simple story line and complex characters, this is a great book for them. It's easy to read, gripping and well translated. It's just a lovely story, despite the tragedies behind it. I have been inspired to read more of this writer's work; it's a book that will definitely make you want to read more. 

10. Me Before You - Jojo Moyes. 
 A story that has driven me to tears more than once, this is a book that I feel everyone should read. Despite being a truly sad story, this book made me laugh, cry and everything in between. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a story as much for the pure content. It's a book that every book lover should read. I couldn't imagine anyone not enjoying this story. My mum and I have began collecting Jojo's work since reading it, just wanting to read more stories like this. The sequel, 'After You,' is also wonderful! If you love a good story, this is a book for you. 


 Thank you for reading this post. I hope this has been helpful to anyone looking for new books to read or looking to buy someone a Christmas present. Please follow my blog and keep up with future posts!

"When all you wanna do is just live in your head and write songs about life 'til you're dead" - Orla Gartland

It feels like ages since I've been able to write here. A lot has changed. A lot hasn't really changed at all. 
 I turned Eighteen a couple of weeks ago. Nobody likes change but change likes everyone. So on the 23rd September 2016, I waved goodbye to my childhood and ever since I've been trying to think of something interesting to say about it. 
 Aside from taking a liking to Disaronno and creating a list of vinyl records I want to collect for my new record player, not much has changed.

 My second year of A levels is moving a long quickly and I know it will be over before I know it. At the minute, I have more coursework than I care to document but the prospects of the future are as prominant as ever. I have new books to learn about, new things to write and i'm constantly looking forwards. I need to finish my university application, before Christmas I'll have finished 3 subjects worth of coursework and I'll have read more books than I can anticipate. It's scary how much is riding on this year and how mch will change in the next 12 months.

 I will be moving house, finishing A levels, applying to uni, starting uni, leaving college, leaving my friends, leaving Stratford. I'll hopefully be driving. I'll hopefully have a new job. It's a lot to process and a lot will change that I can't anticipate. 

 But I think the main thing that is changing and will change further is my blog. Mainly because i struggle to find the time to write like I used to be able to and my interests are shifting. I'd still love to be able to share my favourite beauty products with you but I'd also like to write more about what I'm reading and what I'm doing with my music. I've found myself being less angry about things as I've grown and this has leaved me unsure as to what to write. 

 I still advocate feminism, I still dissaprove of media attention and I am still passionate about these things; it's not that I've run out of things to say but sometimes I miss the context in which I should talk about them because at the moment, I'm too busy.

 I want to tell you about so many books I've read that have enlightened me as a reader. Hopefully that'll be coming up soon. If you have any requests on what I could write about, please leave them in the comments section below.

I'm Back!

Long Time... No Speak.
 I didn't intentionally take a break from blogging, nor did I realise exactly how long that break had been. My explanation is probably pretty predictable: exams, coursework, stress, me time etc. are all behind why I've been absent for so long. It's very hard to find the time to write when life gets hectic and so many different aspects of every day life are feeding off of your attention. I'm not going to dwell on that too much. So much has changed in the almost 5 months its been since I last blogged. I've changed my hair, I have a new relationship, I've finished my first year of A Levels. I'm extremely happy right now. I've written posts in the past where I seem to flourish in happiness which usually dissipates pretty quickly. So, I wasn't sure exactly how to write to you today or what to write about without jinxing the future and making future me wince in hindsight. I have come to the conclusion that I want to show you what life for me is like at the moment now that I'm off college and have some time on my hands. So I'm going to write you through what I look like, what I'm loving, what I'm reading etc. It could be a long one, but it's been a long break. 


 First and foremost, I want to show you my new hair. This might surprise you considering that, not even 6 months ago, I was writing about how much I loved my longer hair and how glad I was it had grown back, but I've cut it all off again!
 And so the story of my hair continues. You can read in my previous posts about how my hair got so damaged in the first place and why I had to cut it. Consequently I had decided to grow out my blonde highlights which looked cool for a while, similar to an ombre style; however, the longer my hair got the more out of place the colour looked. I decided to risk colouring my hair again and so I went back to brunette. I don't regret doing this but it did make the ends of my hair look and feel really dull and tired. I started watching Game Of Thrones (which I love, no spoilers please) and fell so in love with Emilia Clarke and her style, especially when she starred in the movie of one of my favourite books, Me Before You. I saw the pictures of her with shorter hair and decided, on a whim, to cut my hair off again. I love it. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss my long hair sometimes, but my hair feels so much healthier. Even more so than it did the first time I cut it. And so there we go, I have short, dark hair again. 

 I want to show you some products I've been using religiously lately- I don't have enough to do a full June Favourites so I'll just throw them into this post so you can see whats been going on whilst I haven't been blogging. We'll start with Morrocan Oil seeing as I've just told you about my hair. I know for a fact I've written about this before, many times. It's my holy grail hair product. I've never heard any bad reviews on it. Ever. After I cut my hair, I noticed an improvement in how this product worked on my hair. I guess because the ends were freshly cut, they felt softer anyway but I found the oil making it look even fresher and more alive. If you've never tried this product before, I would recommend it. When I worked in the hair salon (I left back in March :( ) I would recommend Morrocan Oil to every client who was suffering from dry, damaged or lifeless hair and it worked every time. It's a bit on the expensive side, but it's so worth it. 

 I'm sure this is another product I've written about before; however, I painted my nails with this a few days ago and fell in love all over again. Barry M nail polishes are so underrated. Yes, they are high street products and so they're not massively talked about products but the colours are so beautiful, they're affordable and they last so much longer than many other high street nail polishes that I've used. This one especially is my favourite. The colour is a metallic green/blue. It's the shade, Arabian 522. The thing I love about it is the colour looks different depending on the lighting which is really cool. I also love how the colour looks adjacent to henna when I've done it. Unfortunately, I'm running out so I couldn't do some to show you how it looks alongside the stain but it's a really pretty combination. They do more colours in the metallic range so be sure to check it out because I'm definitely going to be investing in more. 

 This next product I've been loving has surprised me slightly. I asked for a selection of higher end beauty products for Christmas and this was one that I got. I love Too Faced products. I have my heart set on the Sweet Peach pallet and I love the Chocolate Bar pallet; so, I figured I'd try the Better Than Sex mascara considering how much beauty gurus rave about it. 

I hated it. 

I really didn't like it at all. It's very thick and the brush is so bushy that I found it really hard to build up without getting a really clumpy look. I used to make such a mess, especially when doing my bottom lashes because my lashes are very short and the brush is just so big! I don't know what made me persevere with this product. I grew very paranoid about how short my lashes looked, especially in pictures and so I guess I was just desperate for the product to work and I'm so glad I let myself get used to it. Once I got the hang of how to use the applicator despite the sheer volume of the product, I started to get much better results. I was using both this mascara and Benefit's Roller Lash alternatively and initially I much preferred Roller Lash. However, that's beginning to reverse. Roller Lash is a great product if you have time to sit and build it up; when I'm in a rush, Better Than Sex is definitely stealing my heart. It's now my go to mascara and it very rarely lets me down now that I understand it's flaws and how to use the thickness to an advantage.

 This next product also surprised me a lot. I'd been looking at this range in Boots for a while before I purchased these two simply because the idea seemed a little odd. Charcoal didn't seem like a substance I wanted to put on my face; however, desperate times call for drastic measures. This isn't something many people talk about simply because of the prejudice and taboo of it, but I have been suffering really badly with blackheads. Lots of people assume this is down to uncleanliness and lack of washing your face. It's really not. I use various products including cleansers and face scrubs, face masks etc. I wear a lot of makeup because I enjoy it. I use a lot of different beauty products and I have pretty oily skin and that causes me to struggle a lot with blackheads. I've been so paranoid about it. It's very frustrating for me and I've spent the last year or so desperately trying different products to find anything that will help. I haven't found any miracle workers, but these two products have helped a lot. It's a brand called Biore. I've been using an exfoliating facial scrub in conjunction with the nose strips. They don't work miracles, they don't get rid of every blackhead on my skin but they do help. I've used versions of both of these products before and they haven't worked at all. The nose strips work well if you get it right. Many times I've removed the strip too soon and it hasn't worked at all but that's down to my own impatience. When I do get it right, it doesn't work as well as I'd like but I can see that a lot of impurities have been removed which is better than nothing. The facial scrub however, I love! Again, it doesn't work miracles in terms of clearing my skin but my face feels so clean when I use it. I can't describe the feeling from using it. Together, they haven't resolved all my problems but they help me maintain control of it. 

 That's all for my beauty loves right now. As you know if you've been reading my blog for a while, I am a huge bookworm. I love reading so much and have done since I was tiny. At the minute, I've just finished reading Me Before You which broke my heart and I'm still not over it. Because of that, I've struggled to get into another book. I'm reading Spill, Simmer, Falter, Wither by Sara Baume. It's a lovely story about a man and his dog and it's written in a mix of first and second person which is a really interesting way to read it. It really adds to the atmosphere of the book. I haven't properly got into it yet but I like it so far. Also, I'm not one for reading two books at once but this is a bit different. My boyfriend got me to take a book called Amulet home last night to read. I really didn't think I'd like it. I have a soft spot for Sci-Fi stuff but I've never even attempted to read a comic style before. I was so surprised by how much I'm enjoying it. I've struggled to put it down long enough to even write this so if you're like me and looking for something easy to read after an emotional journey like Me Before You, give something like this a try. 

 
 At the minute, I'm loving Gabrielle Aplin a lot. I'm working on a new original song called Walls & Oceans. I'm having the worst breakout on my skin ever. I have to buy so many books for college next year that myself and my bank account might have a breakdown. I've eaten so much italian food lately that I have a permanent food baby. I love drinking lemon water. I keep saying I'm going to start working out properly but I still haven't done it. And, I'm promising now I'm going to write more on my blog because, despite it being long, I really enjoyed writing this.

 Take care...

Liebster Award Nomination | Chloe Hanks

I was so excited and honored to have been nominated by the wonderful Chloe Burston to take part in the Liebster Award blogger chain. The idea is that once nominated, you answer 11 question set by the blogger who nominated you and then you write 11 new questions. You then nominate more bloggers that you admire to answer your questions and then set their own and so on. I absolutely love the idea of this; it's a perfect way to discover new writers and also for your readers to get to know a bit more about you. 

 Here are the questions the fabulous Chloe (awesome name by the way) gave me to answer:

1.Why did you start blogging?
 Since a very early age I have loved words and creating things with them. I have always been an adventurous reader and writer and I had found myself abandoning that initial skill when I fell more in love with songwriting. Due to the fact that I can sometimes find music and performing a little overwhelming, I wanted to get back in touch with writing for my own purpose in a different style and a blog felt like the perfect platform to do that! 
2.If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?
I really want to visit Santorini in Greece and I'd love to tour the states of America. 
3.What is your favourite makeup brand?
In terms of higher end products, Too Faced is my absolute favourite because their makeup is really well pigmented and their eye shadow pallets are stunning. For a drugstore brand I love Maybelline's foundation. 
4.Do you prefer Tea or Coffee?
Always coffee. Caramel Lattes are the love of my life. 
5.What is your favourite animal?
Dog. I'm a sucker for cats too though.
6.Are you currently reading a book if so what is it?
The Casual Vacancy - JK Rowling. 
7.Do you prefer taking pictures for your blog or the writing content?
Writing the content, always. I find choosing the right words a lot more creative that taking a picture, although the photography can be fun too. 
8.What is your favourite meal?
Anything Italian. 
9.What are your goals for 2016?
My main focus is my A Levels, and hopefully take and pass my driving test sometime this year. I'd also like to take some time for myself and hopefully become the best version of myself that I can be. I feel like thats a very vague answer but it seems like a good idea to always have bettering yourself as a goal. 
10.Name one beauty product you can’t live with out
Micellar Cleansing Water. 
11.Who is your favourite youtuber?
The Michalak Family are my favourite youtubers because their videos are stunningly edited and they put so much work into what they do. They're the most under-rated vloggers and just such humble and honest people. It's so inspiring to watch. 

I'd like to nominate the following bloggers to take part, simply because they are genuinely lovely people that inspire me and I have enjoyed their writing thoroughly!

Ellen Larson 

Jamie Bryson

Jessica Keitley 

Alix Evans

Here are the 11 questions I nominate these bloggers to answer:

1. Which writer has had the biggest influence on your written work?
2. What are the main inspirations behind what you write about?
3. What would you like to achieve in the next 5 years?
4. What fact can you name that not many people know about you?
5. What is your biggest pet hate?
6. Who is your favourite musician?
7. What is your go to comfort food?
8. What movie do you watch when you're sad?
9. What was the last song you listened to?
10. What is your favourite dessert?
11. Blogging aside, what is your favourite hobby?

 Make sure to nominate more bloggers and set your own 11 questions for them to answer. 

All The Light We Cannot See | Review

In his compelling and tragic tale of a wartime, star-crossed love, Doerr skillfully swerves to avoid cliches and audience expectations. This novel is perfect if you want to expand your reading collection, vocabulary and writing style. Doerr tells his tale through the tragic misfortunes of Marie-Laure and Werner in their alternate countries of France and Germany throughout the Second World War; however, he juxtaposes common anticipations by exploring with his English speaking audience the story of the assumed villain rather than a spectacular wartime hero. In a story unlike any wartime novel I have read before, Doerr manages to strike empathy as well as curiosity from his gripped readers. 

 Although the issues raised can be somewhat overwhelming, the resolution leaves the reader with enough closure to move on, keeping the stories of these characters with them, without answering all of our questions. As a direct result, Doerr provides a new outlook on the infamous war. Doerr also tackles the issues of prisoners of war, the Hitler Youth and wartime rape, including the future impact on the personas in a tasteful style that will leave the reader thinking rather than feeling uncomfortable. The character development introduces more complex personas that the audience can connect with- Marie-Laure loses her sight early on in the novel which subtly enhances the audience's empathy with her later sense of loss. It is stunningly captivating. Similarly, Werner's innocent ignorance within his involvement in the Hitler Youth emphasises the question of who the villains of this war really were. Thus allowing a deeper insight into the tragedy of that lost generation. Doerr exposes callous prejudices that were a ripple effect of these injustices. 

 Each chapter within this novel is a work of pure art; my favourite being entitled, 'The Sea Of Flames.' Doerr's captivating imagery, symbolism and vocabulary emits a sense of learning throughout the book. Whilst discovering new words and vocabulary, Doerr manages to subtly teach a broader lesson to his readers. 

 The book in its entirety can be hard to digest at times with a lot going on at once and a complex narrative style. As readers, we follow an abundance of interlinking stories across broad time periods; however, if you continue, allowing the links to connect, the confusion is replaced with a new outlook and perspective that leaves the reader resolved yet always wanting to know more about what happened to the lost characters slipping through the pages. By shedding very little light on Marie-Laure and Werner as lovers, though he no doubt falls deeply for her, Doerr creates their sense of emptiness within his readers who subsequently wish there had been more for them. Overall, it is a captivating read and a skillful allegory that opens the eyes of readers in a riveting new way. 

My Hair Care Tips

It's been just over a year now since I had to part with my long hair and go short. I loved having short hair for a while; it was much easier and my hair felt much healthier but eventually I got a bit bored of not being able to do anything with it. Due to damage, I had to maintain a short look until all of the damage had been cut out. The last time I had my hair significantly trimmed was about 6 months ago, after which, I decided to let it grow long again. So really, the growth you can see here is 6 months worth. If you look back to the post I wrote, 'Why I Cut My Hair,' last year, you will see just how much it's grown and how much better it looks! 

As you can see, my hair is much longer and healthier and I am much happier! So I decided to write this post so that I can share some of my tips and products that I follow and use to keep my hair healthy and prevent having to cut it all off again. Some of these products are quite pricey, but please be aware that there are much cheaper alternatives that you can use that I'm sure will be just as good!

 The first is a product that I have sworn by for a very long time and that I have featured in many a monthly favourite since I started this blog in 2014. It is of course, Moroccan or Argon oil. There are so many different versions of this product with different names and price ranges and they all do the same job. The oil is very nourishing and strengthening as well as being moisturising. I use some version of this product after I wash my hair and let it dry naturally. Additionally, I also like to do oil treatments on my hair by putting generous amounts on my dry hair and leaving it in whilst I sleep before washing it out in the morning. I do this about once a month to keep my hair feeling healthy and shiny. 
 The next product I use in conjunction with the oil is dry shampoo. I am endlessly explaining to people why washing your hair everyday is bad for it. If you do have this kind of routine, I would urge you to try dry shampoo as an alternative to get down to washing it every other day because otherwise you'll end up washing all of the natural oils out of your hair and it will be very dry and brittle. I use dry shampoo on my, self labelled, 'Dirty Hair Day[s]' which I have every other day. Dry shampoo adds volume as well as breathing a little bit more life into your hair so that you can comfortably go without washing it every day. Of course, eventually your hair will naturally get into a routine where you wont need to wash it every day; however, if you're a girl my age your hormones may not allow you to get off quite so easy! 

 The final product I want to share with you is something I discovered very recently but it's already making a huge difference to my hair and the level of damage I'm battling with. This is a hair tie made purely from smooth plastic and it's shaped similarly to a telephone wire. What this does is hold your hair the same way elastic hair ties would without leaving a kink in your hair like most hair ties. It also, due to the shape, grips your hair without having to tightly squeeze it in place using elastic. Consequently, your hair sits comfortably in place with less friction and pulling. Often when tying up my hair I could feel the hairs at the bottom of my scalp breaking as the elastic would pull against it. This style of hair tie prevents this from happening and so it's much better for your hair. I would usually advise for you to not sleep with hair ties in your hair if you're trying to grow it because of the damaging issues but these are much better for you and wont break your hair so there's no harm in sleeping in a pony tail! 

 I hope you've found this post useful. Let me know in the comments if you have any products you use to grow your hair that I haven't tried yet or if you use any of these and love them as much as I do! 

December Favourites 2015

It's that time again. I've tried so many new things over the last couple of months and so I thought it was about time I did another favourites post. Due to it being December, the month of Christmas and Christmas shopping, Boots had all of their free gift packages in which meant that, among buying Christmas presents and my regular repurchases, I benefited from a few of these and got to try out a lot of products I wouldn't usually have bought for myself. 

 My first favourite for December is the Simple Micellar Cleansing Water. You can use this as a makeup remover or as a facial clenser post makeup removal and it's just amazing. I use it after I've taken my makeup off. You just pour a few drops onto a cotton pad and wipe it over your face. There's no rinsing or washing it off and it removes all of the yucky gunk from your skin and leaves it feeling fresh and genuinely clean. My skin looks and feels so much better since I've been using this and I would seriously recommend it to anyone who struggles with any kind of spots or acne. It's fab!

 My next favourite is the blusher by Soap & Glory called Love At First Blush. I shared a picture of this on my instagram as part of my daily advent posting and I can honestly say it's beautiful. It blends really well and last really well too. I would definitely recommend buying this. I received it as part of a free gift but I'd had my eye on it anyway. A few of my friends have been using this and they all love it as well so it's definitely worth giving it a try!

 My next favourite is the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzing Powder. I heard amazing things about this powder from various beauty YouTubers and my friends as well. I have a lot of chocolate themed makeup and so I was sure that I would love it. It blends well and smells gorgeous and I love the way it looks on my skin. It is durable and lasts all day. I haven't got any complains at all, I love it. I brought it as a present for a friend of mine and it's the bronzer I tell people to get if they ask me for advice.

 I've also been loving the Soap & Glory lipsticks. I've been wearing them constantly and they were my go to lipsticks when shooting my look book. They sit so nicely on the skin and the colours are just beautiful. They last a long time and show up so nicely on camera. I prefer nude colours when it comes to lipsticks, but they have some gorgeous red shades too so definitely check them out the next time you're looking for a great lip product. 

 2 products I have adored over Christmas are the bourjois nail polish and liquid lip stains. The nail polish is amazing. I put one coat on and didn't need a second and it lasted a week with no bottom or top coat. The red shade is absolutely stunning and was perfect for the festive season. The rouge velvet lipgloss is so amazing. It dries on your lips leaving a red stain that lasts for hours and, unlike most red lipsticks I have tried, it didn't dry my lips out. The only problem I had with it was that, when waiting for it to dry, it stained my teeth a lot and I had to keep getting it off; however, if you can wait for it to dry without moving your lips for 15 minutes or so, I'm sure it will be fine. 

 I've also been loving the soap and glory Archery 2 in 1 eyebrow pencil. This includes a brush to shape your brow and then a pencil to fill them in. I much prefer this to the powder I used to use because it has a much more natural finish. It's so easy to use, I would recommend using this product if you're new to putting makeup on eyebrows and want to get used to it. 

 As you can see in the picture, my next favourite is one I have recently repurchased. It is the Cocoa Butter Formular lipbalm and it's amazing. It's especially good if you wear a lot of lipsticks and your lips get dry. I put it on before doing my makeup so that my lips are soft for putting on lipstick and then again in the middle of the day before I reapply lipstick. Finally, I put it on before I go to bed after taking my makeup off. My lips feel in much better condition since using this product and I would recommend it to anyone who suffers from dry lips. It smells amazing and 1 tube lasts a really long time!

 Finally, one thing I have loved wearing throughout December is a hair bow. I think they're so cute and if you've read my look book you will see how I wear them and with what kind of outfits. The smaller ones in the picture are from Accessorize and the bigger ones are from New Look. They're great for pinning your hair out of your face and also for adding a nice touch to a simple messy bun or pony tail. I love them so much! 

 I hope you all had a great December!

What I Got For Christmas 2015

I should begin this post by saying Happy New Year to all of my readers and I hope you all had wonderful Christmases. Of course, it's not about the gifts and it's not about receiving and I feel like I need to acknowledge that this is undoubtedly going to be a controversial post simply because a lot of people may see this as me showing off. I want to make it very clear that I am in no way trying to show off. For the many of you that follow several bloggers/vloggers, you will know that this is a very common video/blog that people make to say thank you and to appreciate the things we have been given and how lucky we are. If you're not as familiar with the idea of this and depict this as me showing off, feel free to click elsewhere and read a different post. 

I mainly asked for books this Christmas because I've been struggling with keeping up my reading schedule which is a very bad thing for me due to the fact that I need to read as much as I can to perform well in my A Level courses. As a result of this, I needed to select books that I wouldn't usually select for myself. A few of the books I got were recommendations from various people, I then put these titles into Amazon and also wrote down randomly titles of other books that were recommended by Amazon based on my searches. The two shown in the picture are Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Grief Is The Thing With Feathers by Max Porter. I am in the middle of Gone Girl right now and I'm absolutely loving it! 

 Another thing I was really excited about trying was the adult colouring books. I have always loved colouring and I find it really therapeutic and a great way of relieving stress and so the idea of getting adult colouring books and having it be socially acceptable for me to admit I love colouring seemed like a good idea! The one shown in the picture is butterfly and blossoms themed and I also got a Harry Potter themed one from my younger sister and an Enchanted Forest book as well as colouring pencils. 

 Aside from books, I asked for the Breville Blend Active blender with a built in cup (basically a much cheaper version of the nutri-bullet) which I'm so excited to use. I struggle with eating enough fruit and so by buying frozen fruit and yogurt to make smoothies, I can hopefully make sure I get enough fruit in my body which will hopefully make me and my skin feel a lot better. 

 My main present I absolutely love and have worn so much already. The picture doesn't show it very clearly because it is so small but it's the Libra model of Anna Saccone's Zodiac necklace range. It is made from silver and plated in 18 karrat rose gold and it's absolutely stunning. I've received so many compliments about it. It's a perfect, simple yet personal piece especially for people who are really into zodiac signs. 

 If you follow me on instagram, you'll understand the next couple of presents I received. I got Roller Lash mascara by Benefit and Better Than Sex by Too Faced because I have really short eyelashes that struggle to hold curl. They never show up in pictures and it's so annoying and so I've really wanted to try these two mascaras because they get great reviews. I've been quite impressed with both of them and so I'll do reviews on them both very soon! Secondly, my other sister brought me this awesome body suit that reads 'I'm cooler on instagram.' I absolutely love instagram and so I can't wait to wear this. 

 My best friend brought me some really cute presents. The one I've used the most is the Starbucks travel cup. I am a little bit addicted to flavoured lattes and I drink them all the time, it comes in handy to have travel mugs so that I can take coffee with me to college and work etc. The starbucks ones are great because you can take them in store and they'll put your order in your cup and it's a little bit cheaper. 

 Again, I hope you all had lovely Christmases. If you were wondering where my lightbox is from, click here to find one! They're awesome for doing flatlays for instagram or blogging!