December Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Favourites

December was quite a nice month for me, with the lead up to Christmas and some lovely outings with my family. I also made some Christmas stocking biscuits and had some chill time at home catching up on reading etc. I have a few things to share with you today that I’ve been loving in the month of December. Any Christmas presents favourites will most likely be featured in my Jan favourites, just so I have time to test them out and enjoy them properly. I treated myself to The Sanctuary beauty advent calendar which I appreciated very much, it was so nice to have a treat door to open each day. I’m still in the process of testing out each product as there are so many. Initial ones I was drawn to include the white lily damask rose body wash and body lotion, I’ve had experience with the brand before but have never tried this scent. But let me tell you it smells incredible and so far these two products have been my favs.

I’ve been trying to wear up things in the back on my wardrobe and bring things out I’ve forgotten about. These diamanté jeans seemed very festive so I wore them quite a number of times in December and I’ve had a few comments on them too. I got them in the New Look sale a good while ago. With the colder nights I dug out my owl hottie, which you heat up in the microwave and use it to keep you warm. I just love the owl design and it’s been very useful this winter. I made a cheeky purchase on Whittard around the end of November, I bought a hot chocolate set heavily reduced in the sale and have slowly been working my way through it. Christmas pudding, and caramel are two flavours I’ve been reaching for.

Finally I have two books that I just adored, both Christmas fiction that I was pleasantly surprised by. The two had a few similarities in the plot, which I only realised afterwards. I gave Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin 4/5 stars for its genuine likeable characters and heated romance around the festive period. Maybe this Christmas by Sarah Morgan blew me away, and although the book started off slow, as the romance developed it became a complete page-turner. I rated it 5/5 stars!! So that’s been my month, how was your December? I’ve had January blues a bit, but as the New Year has progressed I’m looking forward to whats to come.

Do you like Christmas themed novels? What has been your favourite fashion item lately? :-) Xx

November Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Favourites

So I’m a little late with my monthly favourites but still wanted to share what I had been loving in the previous month, and I have some special things to discuss. First off my brother bought me a chocolate advent calendar, the Disney illustrations are so pretty and from eating the chocolates so far they are really good for the price he paid. I’ve been trialling different brands of hot chocolate and was delighted to have a few that I thought were amazing. The Wispa one was so bubbly and the Options mint as well as chocolate orange had an authentic flavour. My Mum and I go to a lovely little hair dressers near where we live, and they have started selling fashion accessories, jewellery and homeware goods. It makes the experience of going in for a trim more fun and I also picked up this light up pink bottle. Its battery operated and looks so beautiful in low light.

In November I watched a few Christmas films early, I have The Holiday on DVD, not only is it my fav Christmas film but one of my fav films of all time. Its very heart warming and festive. I watched Love Actually but The Holiday stood out more. I read a book in November, my first from Colleen Hoover an author who I found through Book YouTube. I rated it five out of five stars, the romance was very charged and the plot twists were incredible. I spoke about it previously in my latest book post here. I have a star beauty product, this hair treatment by Percy & Reed. The Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Overnight Recovery has given my hair a moisture boost after I was running low on general conditioner. I actually received it free in a magazine and found it later in one of my draws.

I have two fashion pieces too, this blue faux fur trimmed coat that I’ve had for years, I promised to myself to make more use out of it and have had a few compliments while wearing it out. And finally my good old Next onesie, who doesn’t love the idea of a onesie? This too I’ve had a while, and it’s been perfect to snuggle up in on winter evenings. So that is my November favs wrapped up. What things have you been loving at the moment? Do you own a onesie too? :-) Xx

October Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Favourites

Hey all and welcome to my October favourites. October for me has been a very busy month, I went away with my parents on a campervan holiday mid Oct for four nights, visiting family for one of those days. I have loads of things I’ve been loving and want to include in this post. While away in the campervan, the leaves were falling and turning brown and the temperature became a little chillier. Luckily I packed this rainbow hat and pink checked scarf, these were my fashion staples and kept me that little bit warmer. The colours are really fun, and I enjoyed wearing them. As it was the month of Halloween, I did some themed baking, I also wore this green and black print dress from TKMaxx I’ve had a while now, I feel it has a Halloween vibe about it and nips me in at the waist.

I also got out some darker toned lipsticks, as I have been trying to be more brave with which colours I choose, two of these include Mac ‘Plumful’, a gorgeous wearable purple colour in a lustre finish and my favourite out of the two ‘Celebrity Red’ by Anne Marie Borlind, a natural beauty brand and one of the best lipsticks I’ve ever owned, review coming soon! A little while ago I had been introduced to a very luxurious tea brand called Higher Living, I’ve been slowly trialling different flavours and this English earl grey has really grown on me, another review post overdue! The floral quality is unusual but addictive. In terms of books, I’ve been into reading ones by author Susan Lewis, and over this month I finished ‘Behind Closed Doors’, a thrilling and captivating detective/mystery which I have spoken about before here on my blog and rated it 4/5 stars.

And following on with Halloween themes, I thought Charlie and The Chocolate Factory starring actor Johnny Depp was a great watch, a very well done film, great for chocolate lovers and Roald Dahl Fans. Last but not least I finally finished this one thousand piece Tatty Teddy baking jigsaw, I’ve been going back to it a bit at time since Easter, but it was very satisfying to fit in the last puzzle piece. 

Do you like jigsaws too? 

Which thing from my favourites did you like the most 

and how was your October? :-) Xxx

September Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Favourites

Hope all my fellow bloggers had a nice September, a lot of my month was taken up with a holiday so blogging has taken a little back seat. It’s nice to be back with my favourites from last month so let’s begin… I had a little autumnal shopping trip to Primark (haul post here!) and stocked up on two jumpers, this one in a classic nautical style is gorgeous and has been keeping my warm as the days are getting colder. In the same haul I bought some slippers which are now very well worn but I’m finding them so comfy and practical for around the house plus they are easy to slip in and out of. I had a bit of a chocolate themed splurge this month, starting with this wonderful Coco Chocolatier earl grey tea & bergamot organic chocolate, perfect to have with a cuppa and has such an authentic taste. The packaging is stunning too! Speaking of cuppas, I’ve been trialling and enjoying a new tea, this one by Yogi Tea is very unusual and is named choco. It’s a substitute for hot chocolate and I believe it’s heathier too. A review will be up with my details into this.

Faith In Nature do some gorgeous products as you’re likely to have heard me say in previous posts. I’ve been into their chocolate shower gel and foam bath, the scent smells like the most wonderful chocolate factory, and I just can’t get enough. I’m in the process of being a little more minimal with my beauty stash, and using things up. This Cacharel Noa perfume is a beaut, and something I’ve been reaching for on a daily basis. The scent is musky vanilla and a great autumn perfume I would say. On a final note I’ve been very prolific with my reading over the month of September, I’ve been reaching for a book quite a bit. Two books both of which I loved and rated 5/5 on goodreads I wanted to include in this post. I’m most excited to share with you ‘A Kiss In The Dark’ by Cat Clarke, my first book by this author. I raced through it, and loved all the plot twists, it’s a great one to delve into if you are in a reading slump. 'Loving Spirit' by Linda Chapman is aimed at a younger audience but I enjoyed the relationship between Ellie and her horse Spirit. I found it informative in regard to life looking after horses too! :-)

How was your September? What things have you been loving? :-) Xx

August Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Favourites

So another month has past and it’s time for another monthly favourites. I’ve been doing these posts since the start of the year and have been really enjoying the process of selecting things that sparked happiness. Speaking of which, I finished reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondō which talks about decluttering and only keeping things that bring joy. I had very high expectations because of the success of the book particularly with other bloggers/vloggers saying such good things. I rated the book five out of five stars. I loved the mix of practical tips along with Marie’s personal experiences. I felt she had excellent insight and loved how she showed you can have fun with tidying.

I found these three postcard designs with aspirational quotes on them at Paperchase, not only do I love the words but the pretty colours. I have them displayed in my room and every time I look at them they make me feel good. Although August has been busy I made time to get back into watching films. I’ve come to the realisation that The Fault In Our Stars and Beastly are some of my all-time favourites. The Fault In Our Stars is just so emotive, and I love a good romance movie and having a bit of a weep. If you haven’t seen Beastly before it’s a modern take on Beauty and The Beast. Another gorgeous romance, with a special message.

I’ve been using this Pacifica reed diffuser in the scent island vanilla over the course of Aug and I’m in love, the scent is just perfect and Pacifica as a brand is one of my favs. I started using The Balm eyeshadow palette, I was delighted to win it from Brigitte Hayley’s YouTube channel giveaway. The eyeshadows are super pigmented and the colours are gorgeous and very wearable. I got these green bow ballet pumps from Primark a good while ago and started wearing them up. I have had a few lovely compliments on them which I was chuffed about. We’ve had a few rainy days and these cosy socks have been worn to keep me toasty. I bought this blue stripe dress from Peacocks earlier in the year and has become a staple in my wardrobe as it’s versatile with a flattering fit. It’s a great everyday dress!

So how has your August been? What things have made you smile? :-) xxx

July Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Favourites

July was a nice month for me with my birthday and other little outings over this period. My actual birthday was quite quiet but I was blessed to receive some lovely gifts from my family, my birthday haul here. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been catching up with blog photography and not had as much time to experiment with new products. Towards the end of the month though, I have found myself gathering a few awesome favourites which I wanted to share with you. I’ve been enjoying the sunshine, and therefore some summer related fashion pieces. I picked up these floral cropped jeans from Peacocks earlier in the year and have been getting my use out of them. I styled them alongside this M&S blue tunic and have been wearing this outfit combo loads!

Unusually I have a lot of new homeware pieces that I haven’t really shared on my blog yet although I thought it was time I did. For example I purchased this beautiful dream catcher for my room in pretty purple and pink colours. Its fair trade and handcrafted, which is brilliant. They are stocked on Amazon and do all sizes and colours, link here. Another little piece for my room, was this collection of purple glitter coasters and I’ve already had compliments on them. These too were found on Amazon, link here. I previously mentioned over the summer I’ve been getting into gardening, so it felt right to show something, I planted these mixed bright flower seeds and now I’m eager for them to flower.

The final ‘lifestyle’ related thing is a book, ‘Don’t Even Think About It’ by Sarah Mlynowski has been a favourite of mine from a stack I’ve completed. I did a mini review series blog post here if you want to find out more. I will say I loved the unique science-fiction twist in the plot, and is suitable for younger readers. I was so lucky to win a competition online, and so far I’ve been enjoying two of the Zoella products which I was sent. Both the body cream and bath salts smell insanely good, look out for a little review. I’ve been trialling some products by a brand called Organic Surge, and I wanted to mention in particular their shampoo, I just love it! The strong apple scent is gorgeous and the brand offer more natural alternatives to everyday products. Lastly I’ve been enjoying two Pacifica products, their Waikiki Pikake roll on perfume (an old fav!) and the Hawaiian Ruby Guava body butter which is the ultimate summer time treat.

What have you been up to in July? Which item interested you the most? xxx

June Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Favourites

I’m excited to share my June favourites, these posts are fun to create, and I love the idea of rounding up all the bits and bobs I have been enjoying. It’s also nice to look back on past months to see what things I have cherished. On a recent trip to Primark I picked up a paisley pattern water cup and this has been really cool to use at home and a reminder to keep hydrated. My family and I went on holiday this month, we bought this Pukka apple and cinnamon herbal tea in a health shop while away. I love the taste, it’s very comforting and one of my new favs from the brand. Another fruit tea I’ve discovered is Charbew’s pineapple and vanilla variety, I thought the taste might be too out there but I absolutely love it and will be doing a review. I completed a book by the author Susan Lewis called ‘Losing You’ and not only is it in my June favs but one of my favs this year. I picked the book up for 25p at a second hand jumble sale, the story is based around two families and one tragedy, one of the most dramatic and emotional books I’ve read to date.

One of my highlights from the month was making a buttercream iced coffee and walnut cake which I shared with family and friends. I used this Sainsbury’s baking book which I highly recommend, there’s a nice variety of recipes included which are easy to follow and delicious. As you may have already noticed there is a bit of a fruity theme this June favourites, I devoured this Faith In Nature shower and foam bath, the pineapple and lime scent is unreal! I’ve been enjoying using this M&S Nature’s Ingredients strawberry hand cream, the scent and packaging is perfect for summer, and a great beauty staple. I was beyond excited to discover a new holy grail skincare product which was the Pure moisture plus day cream by M&S. It’s extremely gentle on my skin, and made from natural ingredients, so stayed tuned for the review.

I have been into Escada perfumes for years, if you haven’t already smelt one of their summer perfumes, do because they are a slice of heaven. I’ve been sprayed this turquoise summer edition generously each day this month. I was recommended a organic brand called Hurraw! for lip balms, they do loads of different scents, I finally bought this lime one and I’ve been loving it so review coming shortly. The Johnsons pampering wipes and Rimmel concealer are repurchases, I have been using these products for ages! I’ve been on the hunt for a perfect highlighter to apply on my cheek bones, this one by Revolution in the shade 'Peach Lights' gives a natural sheen. Last but not least I have been wearing this rose gold watch by next, it has a metal strap and think it looks rather chic. 

Do we share any similar favourites? 

Which of these items do you like the look of? 

Wishing you well for July! :-) xxx

May Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Favourites

Welcome to another month and welcome to my monthly favourites of May. This is a collective much-loved bunch of items from books, to sportswear, a homeware bit and lots of beauty must haves etc. The first item I will begin with is these Sketchers pink and black trainers. My Mum actually passed them down to me as she got a new pair and luckily we have the same shoe size. I’ve been wearing them on a weekly basis to a yoga class for a good while now. They are so comfy and I love the pink detailing. On note of bright colours I’ve been accessorizing my outfits with this neon lime green pom pom trimmed scarf, I picked it up in the sale a few years back for an amazing £2.00, bargain or what?! It fits the current pom pom trend which I’m loving this season.

I’ve been drawn to Weleda products this month, including their sea buckthorn body wash and almond soothing facial cream. Both are really beautiful beauty must haves. The shower body wash is so moisturising and creamy with a lovely fresh scent. The facial cream is perfect for my sensitive skin so I devoured the sample sized product. I rekindled my love for the Nivea original lip balm, it made my lips so soft and I used it up completely. Last of the beauty bits include two Rituals products, the carpe diem shampoo and the rice scrub both in the organic rice milk & cherry blossom scent. It’s been a while since I’ve found beauty products this amazing and will be doing a review on my blog about the gift set including four miniatures.

I went to a homeware accessories craft day and decorated a wooden heart with butterflies and flowers on the front. The lilac colour scheme is perfect for my room, it’s been hanging on my door and I love it! Onto books I really wanted to share with you one of my most favourite baking books called Easy Peasy Sweetie Pie by Mary Contini, although its aimed at children and I’ve had it for years and the recipes are really lovely and the format of the book is easy to read. It’s perfect for beginners, and I always go back to it! There’s been quite a lot of hype around the Paul Arden books, they are little typography based self-help books, I read all three in the series and really recommend you check them out. I’ve been really getting into The Hills as I have the boxset, it’s my guilty pleasure and so far I’m on season four. I love the idea of reality shows, and the way this one is based in Hollywood.  I got round to watching If I Stay, it was really cool I won’t give too much away but it’s definitely worth a watch! Last but not least the CD that I’ve been listening to is The 1975, not the sort of music I would normally get into but love the bands vibe and upbeat hits.

So if you had to pick your favourite ‘thing’ of the month what would it be? Also which of my favourites were you drawn too? :-) xxx

April Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Favourites

Hello to you all, hope you are having a nice bank holiday weekend so far. This year I’ve started introducing a monthly favourites post and these are fast becoming my most enjoyable to create. I actually shot the photos for this post earlier in the month, as even by then I had lots of items to show you. So there’s a mixture of things like entertainment, beauty products and miscellaneous that I am excited to share with you. I bought the Martian DVD earlier in the year, after watching it at the cinema it was something I wanted to rewatch on DVD. I was considering buying the book but from reviews the dialogue has quite a lot science speak in it that can be hard to follow. The film is very inspirational, Matt Damon plays the role of astronaut Mark Watney incredibly well.

Papertowns was a DVD I enjoyed this month too, I loved the mystery element of this film and it was a nice watch. I finally finished watching my Dawson’s Creek box set, it was the first time I had watched all the episodes in order, there was a mixture of okay episodes to some brilliant ones. The end made my cry too! I’ve been really into reading at the moment, I finished a book called ‘The Way We Were’ by Elizabeth Noble which I found on a second hand book stall for 25p. The book is about two childhood sweethearts Susannah and Rob who reconnect after meeting at a wedding. The book was written very well and the characters relationships are very central in the story.

I picked up April's edition of Elle which is currently my favourite type of magazine to read, I love the articles and focus on high end fashion. The glossy pages make it lovely to keep on a coffee table. I’ve been trying to use up items in my wardrobe that for whatever reason I have forgot about. I find I’m always reaching for the same things, so I’ve I decided to use up my brightly coloured scarfs particularly this pink one. I have the same one if so many colours from Primark, they just add a pop of colour to any outfit.

I bought this Garnier hand cream, the subtle mango scent is lovely and works nicely to smooth out my hands. However I was later informed the brand do animal testing so I’m unlikely to be repurchasing after using the tube up. I’ve been mixing this collection matte foundation with another, it’s a bit too dark for me at the moment but the formula is whipped and applies well to the skin. Technically it was the end of March but I painted my nails for Easter day and I choose this beautiful gold glitter colour by the Fearne Cotton brand, the formula is spot on. I rekindled my love for the Pukka Elderberry and Echinacea tea, and have been enjoying a mug of this every other day. On my playlist has been Fleur East's first album, it’s very catchy and poppy, I love ‘Sax’ so much!!

How has your month been? What have you been loving? Do we have a favourite in common? :-) xxx