What I Got For Christmas | 2015

First of all, happy new year! I cannot wait for what 2016 is going to bring, but I sure know that I am going to try my hardest to fill it with joy and happiness.

Christmas, last year, I was truly spoilt by my family and friends, and I am extremely appreciative of everything I received. I personally find these types of posts interesting, (me being the nosey person I am), but please just bear in mind that I am very thankful for everything I was given, as well as the fact that I am aware that Christmas is not just all about the presents. Also, I hope you all had a splendid Christmas (if you celebrate it) or if not, then just a splendid day. 

Before I address the lovely gifts in the photo, I would like to mention that my parents gifted me with a brand spanking new tennis racket. As you can probably imagine, I struggled with fitting a racket in the photos, so you're just going to have to pretend there's one hidden in the background. 

As well as the racket, I was lucky to receive a couple of smaller bits and bobs from my parents. The big black bag, purchase here from Urban Outfitters, the River Island purse, the Snow Fairy shower gel and the Old Skool Vans were also from them. 

The rest of my family and friends were very generous as well this Christmas. I would like to thank everyone for all of the smellies that I received (no double meaning interpreted..!), and I must say that nothing beats a good old Soap and Glory body spray. 

If you happened to spot the PINK underwear hung across the bag then good on you. I don't think I've ever been more excited about a pair of knickers! 

Aside from all of the chocolate and objects, I was given a couple of giftcards. This is where the blue, ripped jeans come in, and you can buy them from Topshop. 

I know I am 15 days late, but I do hope that you all had a lovely Christmas. 
Comment below what your favourite gifts were, I would love an insight. 

My New Year's Resolutions | 2016

2015 can only be described as one of the best and worst years of my life. January through to December, so many new experiences were thrown at me, but at the same time, I struggled with finding happiness in many aspects of my life. 

A New Year resolution has never been one to stick with me; multiple times I have attempted to give up chocolate but, expectedly, I have never been successful. So, this year I thought that if I actually wrote my resolutions down somewhere I could always see, it may give me the motivation to actually keep with them.

2016 is going to be the year which I complete my GSCE's. Hence why my first resolution is to buckle down on my school work. I am going to refrain from being my modest self and say that I was pleased with my mock results, however I know that I am capable of pushing all those A's to A*'s with a bit of extra work. 

With regards to my blog, I am not sure how things will play out this year. Blogging is something I love, however studies must remain a priority this year, so no 'I will post weekly' promises will be made. I will say that I do want to invest in a new layout, you may or may not know that I designed this current one completely myself, but I feel that a change up is needed. If you know of any blog layout websites then please let me know.

My next resolution is to get a damn job. I just need to figure out how, when, what and where. Bear with me on this one. 

Last but not least, I am going to do some form of exercise every single day. And no, I don't mean heading down to the gym every morning, because let's face it, how unrealistic is that? Just taking ten minutes out of my day to do some yoga, sit ups or a jog is what I mean. 

What are your New Year's resolutions? 

p.s my 'what I got for christmas post' is coming, it is just impossible to take any decent photos with this horrendous British weather!

Winter sky's and a 2015 reflection

The process of the sun setting or rising always triggers a photography spark within me. There's just something fascinating that I find about how the sun can manipulate the sky to produce a million and one colours. 


On another note, I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas, and I hope to have a 'What I got for Christmas 2015' post published soon. Considering this is my last post of 2015, I thought to take this opportunity to reflect on the year. 

What I am happy about:
After receiving my new DSLR camera last Christmas, I feel that it has definitely altered my photography, and the quality has increased. As well as this, I am happy with the uniqueness of my posts, before this year I would tend to just follow the usual trends of the blogging community but this year I feel that I have stepped out of my comfort zone a little more. 

What I am not so happy about:
There's only one main thing which I wish I could go back and improve, and that is the quantity that I publish. Especially towards the end of the year, I had many exams which took priority, which is something I fear for 2016 because the whole exam period will be much longer and much more stressful.

My favourite post of 2015:
Summer, Kind of Wonderful. Not only did I name this post after a Gossip Girl episode (favourite. show. ever.) but every time I look back at the post everything about it makes me smile. It incorporates all of my favourite things: the beach, the sun, Pull and Bear clothing, and I was rather happy with the quality of my photos!

I hope you've all had an amazing 2015, and continue to read my blog next year. :)

The Night Before Christmas

Christmas is tomorrow. 

CHRISTMAS IS TOMORROW! 

So, that makes this evening, the night before Christmas. Exciting, huh? 

I suppose my family don't have any Christmas Eve traditions, I know we like to spend time together as a family, but nothing major happens. The bigger picture concludes that this makes perfect sense, after all you must rest before the most exciting day of the year! My evening is going to run as follows: snuggling down in my Shein new sweater (buy here), drinking delicious rocky road hot chocolate and watching classic seasonal films with my family. Not to forget, spoiling my cats with cuddles and love.

I wish you all a lovely Christmas, don't eat too much!
What do you do the night before Christmas? 

The Best of December Magazine Freebies

It would not be a lie to say that around a quarter of my make up collection is magazine freebies. Furthermore, at least 80% of these are either Clinique or Benefit. Now those figures are out of the way, you can probably imagine how excited I was to see what Glamour and Elle magazine were offering in their December issues. 

Let's start with Elle, because the Benefit release was something quite spectacular: a brand new product available for purchase 9 weeks before it actually launches. Hands down to Benefit, they do produce a few of the best mascaras in my opinion, I have previously loved the Roller Lash and the They're Real, so I was eager to try the latest edition to their They're Real range. As expected, this mascara primer works a treat, I tend to wear it on it's own to create a more natural, brown lash look. I hope to purchase the full size, so keep your eyes peeled for a more in depth review. 

Glamour magazine's December issue was one to engrave a smile into my face. Not only did the fabulous Tanya Burr rock the front cover, but the company offered a range of four different Clinique freebies. Typical me grabbed one of each, justifying my decision with the thought that I was supporting Tanya. Anyway, I have been extremely impressed with all four products: the moisturiser is my go-to one on a daily basis (which saved me a few pounds of having to buy a full size), the mascara can be layered to create a very full-eye effect and both lipsticks have a great colour pay off, especially the red one. 

Have any of you picked up these issues? 

A Jumper To Help You Survive Exam Period

Exams, at some point, will lead you barricaded in your bedroom, the floor flooded with text books and revision guides. Well, this describes my current state, With my 11 exams the week after next, I've found myself spending less time on the internet and more time studying, (writing this post is an exception).

My experiences have led me to strongly believe that comfortable clothing is an important aspect when revising. Now the weather has turned (did it seriously snow in England yesterday?!), I have waved goodbye to my running shorts and strappy tops, and welcomed my winter jumpers and joggers. One jumper in particular has stood out as being the comfiest, hence why it is the one I will opt for on a daily basis. It is from a brand called Romwe, who sell a wide range of clothes, shoes and accessories for a fabulous price.  

At first glance, I had thought I'd unexpectedly bought a jumper from American Apparel, considering it has that authentic feel. The boxy sweater is cropped, making it the perfect top half to an outfit of high waisted jeans. But, in this case, I was half way through enduring a day of revision, so I had just slipped on a pair of Gilly Hicks joggers to keep me extra comfy! You can view the jumper here, and at the moment it's half price ($10 from $20).

If any of you are about to face exams then I wish you the best of luck, go and smash them! :) 

20 Hours In Paris | #prayforparis

Last Saturday my family and I ventured to Paris, as a 16th birthday treat to me. I can't really comprehend how lucky I feel to have gone last week, six days later and I would have been affected by the terrorist attacks on Friday the 13th, which were utterly horrendous. I have thought long and hard about what this post's purpose will be, I had previously planned to make a photo diary of my trip until the attacks struck. After sleeping on the thought, I've realised that Paris is still the beautiful city I saw last week, and its beauty should be encouraged. I refuse to alter my memories because of some sickening individuals, Paris is a fabulous city which didn't deserve any of the terrors that it received  on Friday. 

THE JOURNEY

As of last week, I had never taken the Eurostar, so this was a whole new experience in itself. I am still unable to get my head around how you can travel from London to Paris in under two hours, which in fact flew by as I found looking out at the French countryside fascinating. 

THE HOTEL

We stayed in an exceptionally beautiful hotel, called La Demeure. My parents surprised me by booking a cinema suite, however as we were only  in Paris for 20 hours, the film consumption was minimal. All the same, I would recommend this hotel; everything was immaculate and felt a lot more expensive than it actually was. 

THE VIEWS

Paris is a city full of memorable views, every building screams uniqueness. Walking along the Seine gave me an insight of Paris' beauty and the little things I'd never notice without visiting. For example, how fascinating it is that Notre Dame itself is built on an island on the Seine. The weather was a factor which impacted how much I enjoyed the city, the first photo on the second row shows a pharmacy sign alerting people of the 22 degrees heat which surrounded us- crazy for November!

SHOPPING

What would a trip to Paris be without shopping? It simply wouldn't be a trip to Paris! We trekked for well over an hour to Galeries Lafayette (I would recommend the Metro, especially if you are stupid enough to wear heels like me). I must say that the long walk was incredibly worth it, I have never set foot in such a exquisite shopping centre. Sorry Selfridge's, but your window displays simply do not compare to the French! The only thing I failed to realise was that everything within the walls of the paradise were exceptionally expensive, so it was no surprise when I ended up purchasing only one make up item (expect a review very soon).

The Eiffel Tower

To end the perfect day, we explored the city from another angle: up the Eiffel Tower. This attraction itself is astounding, nothing can quite compare. What's more is that when we reached level two, we were presented with the sincere enjoyment of watching a man propose to his girlfriend, which was rewarded with surrounding smiles and applauses.  

I would like to reiterate my sorrows for any unlucky individuals who were involved with the terrorist attacks on Friday. My heart goes out to the city, and I pray that such asinine acts refrain from happening again. Paris is not a city which deserves barbaric violence, it's rightful traits should remain at beauty and romance. 

Mankind must put and end to war before war puts and end to mankind. #prayforparis