The Halloween Tag

Halloween is here which marks the start of my favourite period of the year. The leaves have started turning orange, the air is fresh and crisp, days become shorter and evenings are spent cosying up under a duvet watching movies. I love this time of year because I prefer the cold and the best events are held between October and December. 
I found The Halloween Tag online and thought it would be a bit of fun to answer them on here today. It consists of 30 Halloween-themed questions and I have spent quite a bit of time coming up with my answers.

1) Favourite Halloween themed song?
I would say my favourite has got to be Thriller by Michael Jackson but I do also like Tiptoe (through the tulips) by Tiny Tim because it just sounds so creepy.

2) Name something you wouldn't want to run into in a dark forest or in an abandoned building.
I mean, to be honest, I wouldn't want to run into anything if I was alone in those places but I guess a serial killer would have to be one of the main ones.

3) Have you ever played with a Ouija board?
No I haven't and I am not sure that I ever will, but I am curious about it.

4) Favourite horror monster or villain?
There are loads that I love but my favourite is Freddy Krueger. He caught people in their most vulnerable state; sleeping.

5) What is the creepiest thing that's ever happened to you while you were alone?
When I was a lot younger, my bed used to be opposite my door so I could see the staircase when I was laying in it at night. On a number of occasions I remember lying with my head on my pillow and watching as a man's shadow slowly came up the stairs, but there was never anyone there. To this day there is no explanation for it and I can still picture the shape of the shadow and relive it vividly in my mind. I never let it get to the top of the stairs as I would always turn over or hide under my duvet. Thankfully, we moved house haha.

6) If you were dared to spend the night in a haunted house, would you do it?
I don't think I could do it alone, not only for a dare anyway. Maybe if there was money involved haha. With others I definitely would; in fact, it's on my bucket list.

7) Are you superstitious? 
Not overly, but there are a few that I strongly believe in such as seeing different amounts of magpies together, bad things come in threes, Friday the 13th, shivering meaning someone has walked over your grave and touch wood.

8) Do you ever see figures in your peripheral vision?
ALL. THE. TIME.

9) Which urban legend scares you the most?
The black eyed children. They are said to be paranormal creatures with pale skin and black eyes and are demons that resemble young children. 

10) Do you prefer gore or thrillers?
Definitely thrillers. Gore horrors are just full of violence and deaths and they lack that scare-factor that I love in other movies. I like sitting on the edge of my seat, not knowing what is going to happen next as opposed to watching blood and guts being spilled all the time.

11) Do you believe in multiple dimensions or worlds?
If I was to explain everything that I believe in or have a theory on then I would need a separate blog post otherwise we would be here all night. For the benefit of this tag, I do believe in both and I also believe in multiple time dimensions.

12) Have you ever made a potion of any sort?
No I can't say that I have.

13) Do you get scared easily?
I definitely jump-scare easily but other than that, not really.

14) Have you ever played Bloody Mary?
Yes and nothing happened. I mean, not that I wanted anything to haha.

15) Do you believe in demons/the devil?
It's hard to say. I believe in evil spirits and ghosts, but I wouldn't necessarily say that I believe in demons or the devil.

16) You're home alone but you hear footsteps in your house, what do you do?
My house makes weird noises at night so I would most likely stay in my room, under the duvet with the TV blaring. If someone was genuinely in my house I think I would either try to escape or hide and start calling anyone and everyone haha.

17) If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose?
The ring - how hard can it be to avoid watching a tape?

18) If you could only wear one Halloween costume for the rest of your life, what would you be?
I am going to be very generic and say Vampire. There are so many things that you can do with that costume to suit different types of Halloween events. Plus I love wearing red contacts.

19) Would you ever go to a graveyard at night?
With someone else, sure haha.

20) In a zombie apocalypse what is your weapon of choice?
I would say an axe. 

21) Would you rather go to a Halloween party or go trick or treating?
Halloween party 100%.

22) You're in a horror movie. Are you the final girl, the first to die, the comic relief, the skeptic, the smart one or the killer?
Most of the time I am an 'I need to see it to believe it' kind of person so I would have to say the skeptic. 

23) Can you sleep well after watching a horror movie?
Like a baby.

24) What is your favourite horror movie?
There are so many that I love, but my favourite is The Conjuring.

25) What is your favourite scary book?
The Shining by Stephen King.

26) How old were you when you saw your first horror movie? 
I'm not too sure when, but I think the first one that I watched was Final Destination 3.

27) What was your first Halloween costume?
A witch. I went as that for so many years before I decided it was time to switch it up a little. 

28) What is your favourite Halloween costume so far?
Jigsaw. I went to a Halloween party dressed as him last year.

29) What are you going to be for Halloween this year?
I am not doing anything for Halloween this year unfortunately; maybe next year.

30) If you could have a spooky Halloween pet, what would you pick? (Black cat, Owl, Bat, Rat, Wolf)
I would love a wolf. 

So, that is the end of the questions. I do love sharing my views and opinions and then comparing them to others', especially when the answers can be so varied and interesting. Halloween has been pretty average for me this year so I hope that I can go out or do something for it in 2020. 

Did you get dressed up this year?

xx

Review: The Tattooist Of Auschwitz

I do love a good book. I love how an author can tell such a compelling story that I am sucked into another world for hours on end and when I am finished, I feel an odd sense of longing to be back in it. Sometimes I get so glued to the words that my mind blocks out everything that is going on around me and my imagination takes over; visualising the characters and story as I am reading it. 
Before The Tattooist of Auschwitz, I hadn't read anything based on a true story, but on one of my visits to WH Smith - where I spend ages reading the blurbs of all the best selling novels - this one really caught my eye. There is something about stories that have some truth to them that makes even more of an impact; and I definitely felt that as I was reading this. 
Without spoiling it for the people who haven't yet read it, I just want to give a quick overview of what the book is about to give my review a bit more context. 
It is the story of Lale and Gita Sokolov; set during the war. It follows all of the highs, lows, risks and heartfelt moments of their lives at Auschwitz. Lale is employed as the tattoowierer and spends hours each day tattooing the numbers onto the prisoners at Auschwitz and Birkenau. Due to this position, Lale was given better living arrangements and food rations which he tried his best from the start to distribute evenly amongst his fellow prisoners. Throughout the book we see just what it takes to survive such a place and after it is all over we find out that Lale and Gita marry and build a life and family together; despite the odds. 
This book is based on the true story of Lale and Gita and was written by Heather Morris after years of interviews with the protagonist during the much later years of his life. In the book are real photos of Lale and Gita which really adds truth and heart to the story. 

You will feel every emotion possible whilst reading this. You will smile, cry, laugh; your heart will ache and you will feel anger at what these people went through. You will hang on every word and you may even finish it in one sitting; but you will love it. 
The way that Morris tells Lale's story is compelling and definitely well worth reading. It does read a bit like fiction at parts but that is due to Morris having to fill in some blanks and also add more thoughts from characters which Lale would obviously not have known himself. I do like this style though as I feel it added to the impact it had on me. 
There are not many books that will stay with me forever, but this one definitely will. I think it is the fact that most of this actually did happen to Lale which is honestly heartbreaking to know, but I am glad that I have heard his story and that he came out and made a better life for himself in the end. 

I know some people have reviewed this book and found it to be poorly written, but I disagree. To a certain extent you can feel a bit detached from the characters, but Morris is telling an elderly man's story so to me I wasn't really expecting much in the way of great storytelling. Perhaps I am just easy to please, I don't know. 

What I do know, is that I would highly recommend that you give this book a read for yourself. After this, I know it will not be my last Holocaust novel; neither will it be my last true story, as I know they really pull on my heart strings but they really open my eyes to what many people had to endure and what really went on throughout History. 

If you have read this book, what did you think??

xx

My Thoughts On Driving | 2 Years Post-Test

I passed my test just over two years ago now and since then I have learnt a LOT about driving. As you can probably tell by the photo, I got my car cleaned specifically for this post as I want to share my thoughts and what I have learnt since learning to drive. 

Actually passing my test was a struggle; I passed on the 5th attempt (6th if you include the one that I was late for haha). This wasn't down to being incompetent, but more due to nerves. By the 3rd test I had given up on extra lessons as I knew how to drive, so I just went out with my Dad a few times so that I could grow more confident behind the wheel. I was fine with anyone that I was driving with, however as soon as I was sitting next to an examiner.......it was a whole different kettle of fish. I could sense my anxiety spiking, I was stressing myself out, making silly mistakes and then I would do something stupid which would be the point where I failed. 

I remember my last test; pulling up outside the test centre and sitting in silence as the examiner finished writing up the paper work, assuming I had failed again. When he told me that I had passed, I honestly couldn't believe it. I literally wanted to cry and hug him haha. My Mum had driven me there that day and she was so relieved when I told her the good news that we went to the cafe to celebrate. 

My first car was a black Renault Clio. It was the perfect starter car as it was a nice size and very easy to drive. I must say, my instructor's car was awful to drive which I think was an old Vauxhall corsa. I don't know what it was about that car but I definitely preferred my clio. 

I am now the proud owner of a Nissan Qashqai which is a lot bigger than my first car and I love it. I love the colour, tech, size, design.....everything. It also has a reversing camera which I am not sure how I used to live without haha. 

I was wondering how to go about writing this post and I thought the best way was to write good old lists. Over the years I have seen and experienced a lot on the road and I think it would all equate to an essay of a blog post haha. 

Pros

• No waiting around for public transport
• A lot quicker
• Comfortable
• You can blare your music and sing your heart out
• Reliable
• You can bring more luggage with you
• You can go the scenic route and travel to different areas of the country
• You get your own space
• You can control the temperature
• It is often cheaper to drive
• You don't have to worry about the last train or bus home
• I find it enjoyable
• Don't have to worry about if it will rain
• You don't kill your arms trying to carry loads of shopping home

Cons

• Traffic
• People who drive like absolute nutters
• People who don't indicate
• Bad quality roads
• Very expensive to run
• Not always good parking or you need to pay 
• Tailgaters 
• Not knowing what lane to be in/being in the wrong lane
• Multi-lane roundabouts
• Petrol prices
• Bad for the environment
• People who drive painfully slow
• People who overtake you just to get caught at the lights next to you
• You can't read etc on your journey

Thoughts I Have Whilst Driving

• Oh great, traffic.
• I'm going to be late
• You could fit a bus through there!
• Move!
• Cheeky
• What is your problem
• Wow, you can't drive
• Nope, you can wait
• Umm, excuse me! 
• YOU'RE WELCOME!
• Omg we could have made it
• Can you at least go the speed limit?!
• Oh you want to tailgate me? Cool, you can go 25mph.
• Haha, what an idiot
• I really need to start beeping at people
• Ahh what lane am I supposed to be in?
• No one is going to let me out
• It says GIVE WAY
• I really need to get my car cleaned
• Aww, i'm almost on the red
• That's more money
• Woah.
• Please don't miss the lights
• Don't you dare

I sound so aggressive after that haha but I'm not really. I love driving but I think the worst bit about it is other drivers. That is why I love working on the weekend and school holidays; because there is hardly anyone on the road. 

There are a lot of 'firsts' when driving, so I am just going to write about a few as everyone has different experiences and it would be nice for me to look back at.

My first car

A black '07 Renault Clio

My first insurance policy

I had so many quotes when I first started out and they ranged all the way to about £5000. The first policy that I actually went for was a black box policy which cost me around £1900. 

My first motorway drive

The first time I drove on the motorway was on the way back from Brighton with my boyfriend and it was dark. There were no street lamps so the road was pitch black and that was not a fun experience. But we made it back in one piece and now I actually prefer driving on the motorway.

My first bit of damage

I was coming home from somewhere with my mum when I still had my clio. I was pulling into my driveway and misjudged the space that I had left on the passenger side, so I ended up scraping the left side of my car on a concrete post. That cost almost £500 to fix. 

My first long journey

Me and a few friends took a 3 hour journey to Centre Parcs for a mini break. The drive went quite well actually.

My first long journey alone

I recently travelled to Nottingham to visit my friend. I left quite late at night so that I could enjoy the journey and not waste hours sitting in traffic. It was a smooth ride and I actually enjoyed myself. I didn't stop on the way there but I did grab a Burger King on the way back haha.

I think that I have become a pretty confident driver. I am comfortable with hill starts, parking, reversing, motorways, manoeuvring and getting around multi-storey car parks haha. I have enjoyed my first two years and I am so glad that I did not give up when I couldn't seem to pass. 

How do you feel about driving?

xx

Review: Garnier Moisture Bomb Eye Tissue Masks

I am not a morning person. I'm just going to throw that out there. I hate getting up early and no matter how much sleep I have had, I will always wake up with tired, dry eyes and dark circles. I have tried many products such as under eye serums and rollerballs but nothing really seemed to last. So, when these eye tissue masks came out I had to try them! 

In each packet you get one pair which I did think was a bit stingy at first, but for the results, I think they are worth the money. Inside the packet, the masks are completely submerged in product and are protected by a light film which you remove before application. 

Before applying, I make sure that all of my makeup has been removed and that my face has been cleansed properly. I then remove the masks from the packet and take off the film. I position the pads just beneath my lower lash line; being careful not to get any product in my eyes. The good thing about the masks is that although they are full of product, once applied they cling to your skin and don't move. 
Once they are in place, I watch TV or chill for about 15 minutes before removing them and using a finger to blend in any remaining product. 

They feel very moisturising, soothing and you can feel the area becoming cooler and more refreshed as the product is getting to work. The thing that I like about the design of these masks is the fact that they are so large. They cover a lot more than I thought they would and the shape of them follows the natural curve of the eyes as you can see from the photo. Also, due to the fact that they are tissue masks, they are very easy to apply and position the way that you want them and you can smooth them down against the skin to ensure the whole area is covered properly. 

After taking them off, there is a little product left behind which as I said earlier just needs to be blended in with a finger. What I notice after using these is that my eyes appear brighter, more awake, refreshed and the dark circles appear reduced which is exactly what I was looking for. 

The product claims to cool the skin down by up to 4 degrees which I definitely notice and love. The masks are gentle on the skin and if you want an even better effect, Garnier recommend storing them in the fridge which I have to admit, I haven't tried yet. They are enriched with orange juice and hyaluronic acid which is very popular at the moment in beauty and skincare due to its many benefits including promoting supple skin and alleviating dryness. 

Overall, I don't have anything bad to say about these eye masks. The packaging is appealing and easy to open, the masks themselves are a nice size and do as they claim to, there are no strong or harsh scents and for £1.99, I think they are definitely worth it! 

Have you tried them?

xx

How To Make Your Money Go Further

I have always been quite good with money. I always knew how to save up for things that I wanted and how much I could realistically do with the amount of money that I had. So, that being said, I have never been overdrawn or not been able to pay my bills, so today I thought that I would share my tips and explain what I do with my money as I think that it is a topic that not many people really like to bring up, even though it is an important one. 

Differentiating between wants and needs

This has been something that I have done mostly in the last few years as I have had a lot more to pay for myself so I had to take a step back and look at what I was paying for each month and whether it was actually needed or not. 

Obviously I need things like toothpaste, wipes and deodorant, however the newest perfume or mascara I could probably live without until I had a bit of extra money saved up. This point has helped me to reduce the amount of money that I spent on unnecessary things that I did not actually need at that time. 

Birthdays/Christmas

I create my wish lists for Birthdays and Christmas throughout the year as I am always spotting things that I would like (things that I want), which I do not have enough disposable income for at the time that I see it. When this happens, I will add it to my wish list which my friends and family can then look at for present ideas. This means that I am easy to buy for as there are always plenty of things to choose from, and I get the things that I want and haven't actually needed to buy them myself. 

Wish Lists

As I just explained, I am always adding to my wish lists due to the fact that I know I don't need that perfume or pair of jeans at that specific time, however I know that I want it so will wait until I can afford it or I will give friends and family the idea for my Birthday or Christmas. 

I create these wish lists on my phone, Amazon account and on Pinterest. Amazon and Pinterest are very easy to use as you have direct links to the products. I like to use my notes app on my phone for on-the-go as I am always spotting things that I like the look of when I am out. 

My lists are so varied. They aren't always full of expensive items as at the moment I have products ranging from Lush bath bombs to a new laptop. They are just things that I don't need to have right now, so my wish lists are really a way to keep me organised and help me to set goals for my savings. 

Budgeting

This is the most important and definitely the most helpful thing for me when it comes to managing my money. All it takes is about an hour to go through your last bank statement and list all of the things that you have to pay for each month so that you can see how much you have left over for yourself. This is called your disposable income; money that is solely for you to enjoy and live on until the next time that you get paid. 

I use my Boxclever Press Life Book as it has a dedicated section each month to budgeting. All I do is write my monthly salary at the top, then go through my bank statement to see everything that I have to pay for (phone bill, car, spotify subscription, housekeeping etc) and at the bottom I will have my final figure. I can then decide how much I want to put away in savings depending on what I am doing that month. 

Saving

I opened a savings account with my bank so that I could put the money aside that I wanted to save to make sure I didn't accidentally dip into it. Saving requires a lot of self-discipline as you need to be able to put this money aside and not touch it until you have reached the goal that you set, so if you think that you would be tempted by the extra money sitting in the easily-accessible savings account, then I would suggest looking into an ISA or something that would not be as easy to get into. 
After completing my budgeting pages, I split my final amount (which varies each month depending on what I am doing) and transfer the money that I want to save into my separate account, leaving my actual disposable income for that month. This is the money that I can use to go to the cinema, get takeaways, buy a morning coffee etc. I can enjoy this as I know that all of my expenses are sorted and I have put some money away for other important things. 

Bottom Drawer

As this post is about making your money go further, I thought I would include this tip as I think it is a useful one and it will really pay off for me when I am older. 
The idea of a 'bottom drawer' is basically to buy things in preparation for when you move out. This term has been around a long time and I don't think it always meant exactly this, but the term has stuck regardless. 
About a year ago, I made a huge list of everything that I would need for when I moved out; from cutlery to a toilet brush. Ever since then, me and my Mum have been setting aside a bit of money each month to buy a few things off of that list to put in storage for when the day comes. 
Although not everyone does this, I think it will come in really handy for when I do leave home as I will already have everything that I need and I won't be stressing out trying to work out how I am going to afford everything. 


So, that is how I manage my money on a monthly basis. Some months are always worse than others (especially September for me as that is when my MOT, service and insurance are due haha); but preparing throughout the year and keeping on top of my spending ensures that I am covered for those grey periods. 
This does not mean that I don't enjoy my money. I go on holidays, trips, nights out, shopping sprees and all of those things; I just prepare and make sure that I am covered. 
I am definitely no money expert but this is what works for me and maybe one of my points has caught your eye as well. 

xx

What I've Been Watching

I love a good programme or movie to come home to after a long day. Something that I can stick on before bed or whilst I'm doing things on my days off. I don't really watch normal TV anymore such as reality shows/quiz shows/daytime TV etc, as I use Netflix or Amazon Prime to stream everything that I want to watch. I also became a member of Odeon's Limitless programme which is basically a subscription that I pay each month which allows me to go and see as many movies as I like.
So today I thought that I would share everything that I have been watching recently as I have become obsessed with so many haha. 

Movies

• To All the Boys I've Loved Before - A really funny and lighthearted movie about what happens when a girl's secret love letters are sent out to all of the boys that she has loved. 
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - Grindelwald escapes from imprisonment and sets out to cause havoc and Dumbledore and Newt Scamander try to stop him. It had me hooked throughout; full of action and adventure.
• Aquaman - Possibly my favourite movie in a long time! I do love a good Marvel/DC movie so I knew I was going to enjoy this one. Aquaman was born half-human, half-atlantean and after his home both under the sea and above are put at risk, he goes to help protect and save them. Of course there is a lot of humour in there but a lot of action too.
• Night School - A comedy starring Kevin Hart. Follows what happens when a man accidentally blows up his workplace and has to attend night school to get his GED. 
• Crazy Rich Asians - I loved this movie! A rom-com about a girl who goes to Singapore for her boyfriend's best friend's wedding and what happens when she find out that he comes from a very rich background. 
• Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again - Mamma Mia is my favourite movie of all time so I had to see this one in the cinema. This movie goes back in time to when Donna (Sophie's mum) was younger and shows us what happened 'that summer'. A really good lighthearted movie and another really good storyline. 

TV Shows

• Grey's Anatomy - I am obsessed with this programme! I am so sad that I have now caught up as it means that I need to wait for the next season like everybody else. This show follows the lives of a group of doctors who work at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. 
• One Tree Hill - A drama about two half-brothers and how their lives unfold throughout school and beyond. Really good storyline and it has so many unexpected twists along the way. 
• Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - I never watched the original teenage witch series however this one is amazing! It is very short so I am anxiously waiting for the next season haha. It is based on the Archie comic and is a modernised and dark story of Sabrina's life after she turns 16. 
• Making a Murderer - A documentary that has been filmed over 10 years which follows the real-life story of Steven Avery and the charges that he has faced for murder. This programme has always left me feeling so angry that I have stopped watching it for a bit and to know that it is true and he is actually in prison fighting his case right now is just crazy. A very interesting story though so I would recommend it. 
• Cold Case - A very old series about a detective group which look into old cases that have not been solved or have been solved incorrectly to try and bring someone to justice. I have always loved this programme as I enjoy crime shows etc and this one always had me hooked as I tried to guess who it could have been or how they would be able to solve it. 
• Dynasty - A modern programme following the lives of two of America's wealthiest families. It has a lot of drama and scandal and I do love that kind of thing haha. 
• The Good Place - I have just finished this and I am so sad! Now I have to wait for season 4 and who knows when that is going to be. It is a fantasy and comedy about a group of strangers who enter the afterlife. I can't really say much without giving the game away but I really recommend it! 
• You - This programme is twisted and dark and pretty creepy at times, but I loved it and cannot wait for the next season! There are not many episodes which is a shame but basically it is a crime, drama about a bookstore manager who becomes completely obsessed with a girl he meets at the store and if anyone or anything tried to get between them, he would remove it. 

So that is everything I have been watching recently. I have sadly finished or caught up with most of these already so I'm going to have to find new ones to keep me going haha. 

What have you been watching?

xx

January Favourites

Perhaps a little late to be doing a January favourites as we are well into February now but I still want to share everything that I have been loving recently. I haven't actually done one of these for a long time so a lot has changed but I will only highlight the things that I have been enjoying the most. 

Beauty

B. Sparkling Water Cleanser - This cleanser has been part of my skincare routine for months now. I never really wanted to switch up the products that I used on my skin just in case I messed up the balance and started to get spots or made my skin dry out etc, however I am very glad that I decided to try this. After using a facial wipe and first cleanser, I use this to really clear out my skin and make it feel fresh and clean. You can read my full skincare routine here: How I Remove My Makeup.

B. Pre-Makeup Primer - I decided to declutter my 'extra' makeup that I had stored away in my room at the end of last year and vowed to try out all of the products that I decided to keep. This was among the bits that I wanted to try and I am very glad that I did as it creates a perfect base for my makeup and for half of the price of my trusty No7 Airbrush Away Primer.

No7 Airbrush Away Primer - My usual No7 primer is the Pore Minimising one, however I found this tester of the original primer amongst all of the other products that I had cast aside and decided to give it a go. It is a lot thicker and more creamy than the pore minimising formula, however it does make my skin feel more even and moisturised which creates a nice base for my makeup. I have really enjoyed using it however I think I will be sticking to the other version when this one finishes. 

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara - This has been in my makeup bag for years and I am still yet to find a mascara that matches up to it's standards! It creates a longer, fuller lash look without any clumps and without any heavy feeling. I have loved it for a long time and my views have not changed. I wrote a longer review on it here: Lash Sensational vs. Lash Sensational Luscious Mascara.

Nivea Lip Balm - I have really liked using this lip balm over the winter months as my lips have been terribly dry and chapped and this has been it's saviour haha. It also leaves a nice red tint on your lips so it also looks as though you are wearing a bit of lip gloss and I just love the way that it finishes my makeup looks. 

Revolution Liquid Highlighter - I decided to try a liquid highlighter as I have always played it safe with powder ones. This one has a lot of pigment and sits really well on top of my foundation to give me a nice glowy look. I have really enjoyed using it!

Garnier Eye Tissue Masks - These eye masks are amazing! They are small tissue pads that you apply under your eyes and leave for about 15minutes to help relieve puffiness and bring your tired eyes to life. They are cooling and soothing and they really do wonders for dark circles.

Superdrug Foot Nourishing Socks - These are disposable socks that already have the nourishing cream inside. Once you put these socks on and secure them to your feet, you can relax and let the formula do its thing. They are great as my feet feel soft and moisturised and feel like that for days afterwards! They have been perfect since recovering from my foot operation which left them feeling very dry. 

Perfume 

Michael Kors Midnight Shimmer - This was on my wishlist for ages and then my boyfriend kindly bought it for me for Christmas. I love the scent and I also love how you can smell it all day. It is also one of those perfumes that you do not need a lot of to be able to smell it as soon as you walk into the room haha. 

YSL Mon Paris - Another perfume that I always seem to be reaching for. This one is a lot lighter than the Midnight Shimmer but you can still smell it from miles away. I love sweeter scents and I just had to get this as soon as I smelt it at the perfume counter! I did a full review on it here: YSL Mon Paris Perfume.

Paco Rabanne Olympea - I think I have probably used this perfume the most over the past few months as I also got the little travel bottle as part of the gift set so I have been taking it away with me as well. I love the scent as it is very sophisticated and another one that lasts all day. 

Hair Care

Milk_shake Whipped Cream - I absolutely love this brand and all of their hair care products. They all smell sweet and amazing on the hair and you can smell it for hours! The products also work really well and I have seen a real change in the way my hair looks and feels since using them. The whipped cream really makes my hair feel smooth and silky and it also feels less damaged after using my straighteners. 

Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo - Admittedly I have left my hair for a third day a few times over the past few months because my schedule has left me with no time or I have just been too tired to wake up early enough to wash it. However, this dry shampoo has come to the rescue and has given my hair life and volume for the day until I could get myself into the shower! It also smells really nice too.

Milk_shake Incredible Milk - As I said I have been loving their products recently and still have a couple more on my wish list. This milk is really helping my hair with its tangles, split ends and frizziness and I am really starting to see results! I recently gave it a full review here: Milk_shake Incredible Milk.

Healthcare

Vicks Sinex Spray - I honestly do not know how I put up with having colds before using this! Just a few sprays up my nose and it is clear and I can actually BREATHE. It made my sleep a lot more peaceful and it allowed me to enjoy my food a lot more whilst being ill. Could not recommend this stuff enough!

Ultra Chloraseptic Throat Spray - Gone are the days where I would buy packet after packet of soothers to try and sort out my sore throat. I now use this spray any time I get ill and can feel my throat closing up or it hurts to swallow as it is an anaesthetic throat spray which means it numbs it so that you don't have to put up with the annoying feeling whilst you are trying to get on with your day. 

Other

Card Genie Card Holder - I bought this on Amazon a few months ago and have really started to use it recently as I don't always want to carry my huge purse around. It holds all of my essentials including my debit card and my drivers license. It has RFID protection so that no one can get access to my card details and it is the perfect size for a small handbag or my pocket. So happy that I bought this haha.

PS4 Games - I recently started to use my PlayStation more as I wanted to have something that I could do when I had caught up on all of my TV shows and I just wanted some me-time. I have really been enjoying Call of Duty (although I definitely need to have a bot with me when playing zombies), Spyro and The Sims 4. 

My Car - I bought myself a new car back in 2017 which is a Nissan Qashqai and I love it. It is spacious, a beautiful shade of red and I just love the design of it. Definitely one of the best things that I have invested in. 

Pandora Charm Bracelet - I got this bracelet for my 21st birthday last year and I have been collecting charms since. I love that is it a bangle as I think they are more 'me' and I love the fact that all of the charms represent me in some way and they aren't just random ones. I think these bracelets are so pretty and I have wanted a charm bracelet from Pandora for years! Can't wait to see what it looks like when it is finished. 

So, that is everything that I have been loving over the past couple of months. There are so many different products out there so it was so hard to narrow them all down for this post as I am sure that it could have been three times as long as this if I had included everything that I have used and loved haha, but I will save them for another post. 

xx

Review: Milk_Shake Incredible Milk

I first heard about this brand from my hairdresser as I always wondered what she used on my hair that made it smell so amazing. Since then I have started to collect a variety of their products and have a couple more on my wish list as well. 

I always start reviews off by talking about the packaging. I love the colour of the bottle; it's bright and stands out on the shelf. The style is very simple but that follows the same look as the rest of their products and I think it is effective. As you can see, it is a spray bottle which I assume is for ease of application as you can just spray it straight onto the hair. The bottle is sturdy and a nice quality and the spray nozzle hasn't gotten clogged up yet which is a good sign!

The product itself can only be described to have the consistency of sun cream which is why at first I was quite surprised that they decided to use a spray top instead of a pump. This is not a bad thing as after a couple of sprays the product comes out nicely, straight onto the hair. The product feels a lot like a serum, so it is relatively thick but very easy to manage and absorbs into the hair nicely after running your fingers through it. 

Along with the many other benefits to using this product, the smell is absolutely amazing! It is very sweet and reminds me of vanilla milkshakes or squirty cream and you can smell it on your hair for hours. 

This product is to be applied to clean, damp hair as it is a leave in treatment that will protect your hair from any heat or styling tools that you may be about to use. I still use shampoo and conditioner; this is just an extra treatment that will continue to work on my hair until the next time that I wash it. 

This product claims to have 12 effects on your hair which are:

• Frizz control
• Repairs all hair types
• Prevents split ends
• Head protection
• Long lasting hairstyle
• Detangling
• Shine
• Body & volume
• Protects and maintains colour
• Easier ironing
• Protects against UV rays
• Smooths the cuticle

As I have long, thick hair, a lot of these points really caught my eye; especially the heat protection, frizz control and detangling aspects! I have been using this product after every shower for a little over a month now as I got this as a Christmas present and I have to say that I think it has worked a miracle on my hair! I think that it ticks all of these boxes as my hair is a lot easier to manage, it is not a struggle to get my brush through it and it is a lot easier to straighten and stays that way until I next wash it. Honestly this product has to be one of my favourite that I have tried and after reading a few other reviews I have seen that it works on all types of hair, including extremely curly.

My hair is always soft and shiny and dries the way that I want it to. I definitely recommend this product and I will be buying it again (or putting it on my Christmas list this year haha) as at the moment every day has been a good hair day. 

The big test will be when I go on holiday in the Summer as my hair ends up like Monica's from Friends haha. But for now, it definitely gets a yes from me and if you are looking for something to try on your hair to get the frizz under control or to try and sort out your split ends, then I definitely recommend that you give this a go! 

xx

My Christmas Day | 2018

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. I love the music, the cosiness, the family coming together, the food, the drink, the laughs and of course, giving and receiving presents. As a family, we do basically the same thing every year which I love and this year was no different. I thought I would share my Christmas Day with you as I have heard many different stories of how my friends celebrate it.

The first thing that we do in the morning is gather in the living room and dish out the presents. Once we all have our little piles, we will begin opening them one by one so that we don't miss anything and we can all fully appreciate what we have been given. I prefer this to everyone opening their presents at the same time even though it takes a lot longer to get through them haha. 
I also love watching Sammy open her's. She gets so excited by everything that is happening and it is definitely one of the highlights of the morning for me. 

After presents it is breakfast time. I look forward to this breakfast all year, honestly. We have smoked salmon, blinis, scrambled egg, sausages and bucks fizz. It is my favourite breakfast.

This year I decided to introduce something new for the stockings. We each had to buy everyone a gift or gifts to the value of £5 for our stockings. As you can see, some were way too big to actually fit in so had to sit on the floor but I thought it was a nice little addition as these gifts would be a complete surprise. I was quite proud of mine; some of the things I bought were big bottles of beer, a 2019 pocket diary and a reed diffuser. 

It is then time for dinner. Every year I set the table as I have a system and I am quite OCD about it haha. When I was younger I used to make little name cards to show people where they were sitting but that has stopped now obviously. 

For our starter we had paté, for the main we had a roast dinner with turkey and ham and for dessert we had Christmas pudding and cream. I was so full afterwards but everything was delicious! If you are wondering what the green stuff is on my plate, it is brussel sprouts that have been mashed with cream and garlic. I love the recipe so much that I could literally eat it every day.

My Mum does such a great job with the food; I can only hope to make a Christmas dinner this good when it's my turn. 

Once our stomachs have recovered from the surge of food, we get the board games out along with the after eights, matchmakers, quality street and a cup of tea or coffee. This year we went through quite a few games including the logo game, smart ass, word search and trivial pursuit. Quiz games definitely bring out my competitive side and I love this part of the evening. 

Me and my mum made the Christmas cake this year and for our first time I don't think it went too bad. The only issues were there was too much fruit even though we followed the recipe and I accidentally poured a little more brandy over the cake than I should have so it was still a bit wet in places. But we have learned something this year which should mean our next attempt will be a better one. 

What I Got For Christmas

I thought I would add this in at the end as I love and appreciate everything that I got. I'm in no way trying to brag, but perhaps it will give you an idea or two of what you would like to ask for next year! 

• Cosy microwaveable slippers
• Adidas sliders
• Socks
• Lush bath bomb
• Pop socket for my phone
• Phone case
• Timberland original boots
• Sims 4 PS4 game
• Soap & glory gift set

• Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks
• ABH contour palette
• Pandora charms
• Pandora safety chain
• Zoeva brush set
• Milk_shake incredible milk
• Tubes of sweets
• Mamma Mia dvd box set

• HP sprocket and case
• Baylis and Harding hand creams
• Zoella comfy socks
• Body shop strawberry shower gel and body mist
• Jack wills body mists
• Selection box
• Box clever press 2019 diary
• Ted Baker shopping bag

So, that was how I spent my Christmas Day! I hope you all had an amazing time as I definitely did. I just cannot believe it was all over so quickly! 

Now on to 2019.

xx