Fave Books of 2016

I’ve read so many books throughout 2016 and if I’m totally honest, I’ve probably forgotten a fair few but there were definitely a few that stuck with me. I found some real good books this year that I bloody loved and since I started by blog in September I’ve managed to do a book review every Friday which will definitely continue in 2017. I’m a big fan of the young adult, romance genre and I read a lot of books from of these genres. However I’m always happy to give other genre’s a go, especially the mystery/thriller genre. So, without further or do these are a few of my favourite books of 2016.

• B.A Paris; Behind Closed Doors.

I’ve previously written a book review about this book and I bloody loved it, in fact I rave about it all the time. It was truly captivating and I loved the plot of the story.

• Nicholas Sparks; See Me

I also wrote a book review about this book and it was such a special and beautiful read. I really fell in love with the characters and the story line was different to the other books by Nicholas Sparks.

• Damian Echols; Life After Death

This book literally changed my life. It’s based on a true story about the Memphis Three and it’s written by one of the three men involved. He describes the traumatic events he went through and the routes he took to show his innocents. I loved it a lot mainly because it’s based on real events. This isn’t the normal type of book I read either.

• M.L Stedman; Light Between Oceans

Ugh, this book makes me so happy. It took me a while to actually get into it and enjoy the story but once I did I loved it. I really loved it and I couldn’t help but feel so included in the story. I literally felt like a character. So good, loved it. Will always love it. I’m even too scared to watch the film in case it ruins the book for me!

• Nicholas Sparks; The Choice

You may be aware that I like Nicholas Sparks books and this year i’ve read two smashing books by him. The second is The Choice which I didn’t think I would care for as much as I did. It was similar to the other novels by Nicholas Sparks but I still enjoyed it and I even enjoyed the film too. They were both very similar.

• Alyssa Sheinmel; Faceless

I read this whilst on holiday in Spain and oh my god, such a heartwarming and truthful plot. Alyssa Sheinmel wrote this with so much honesty and It couldn’t have felt more real. The main character was brave and courageous and I cried so much at this book. Beautiful, truly stunning.

• Giovanna Fletcher; Always With Love

How could I not include a book by Giovanna Fletcher? She’s fantastic and each new book gives me so many chills. I loved this novel and It was such a fantastic sequel to Billy and Me and I loved the ending the most, it was exactly what I wanted in the book.

So there you have it, a few of the books that I’ve loved this year. I wonder what books i’ll fall in love with in 2017.

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With love, B x

What Happened In 2016

How is it new year already? Where has the time gone?! This year has gone so fast and I can’t believe we’re beginning to welcome 2017 in. So much has happened this year and I thought it would be fun to do a timeline of the different things that happened in my life throughout the months of 2016.

January:

• Baby Ethan was born, Jan 20th 2016.

February:

• Nothing interesting happened at all. Nothing.

March:

• Started having panic attacks.

April:

• Celebrated my 20th birthday, April 9th 2016.

May:

• Welcome our new puppy Marley.
• Diagnosed with kidney stones.

June:

• Went on our first holiday.
• Passed my 2nd year in uni.

July:

• Moved home to my parents for the summer.

August:

• Passed my kidney stones! Yipppeeee!

September:

• Launched my blog, Sept 3rd 2016.
• Came back to university.
• Matt and I celebrated our 1st anniversary, Sept 29th 2016.

October:

• My blog reached 2000 visitors.
• I broke my wrist/thumb (had fancy blue plaster cast).

November:

• Plaster cast was removed!
• Gilmore Girls revival did not change my life.

December:

• Gracie turned 6 years old!
• Accepted to work on a summer camp in USA. 
• 2nd Christmas with Matt.

There you have it, a few little things that happened in my life during 2016. If I’m honest, it’s been a rollercoaster of a year but I’m so excited for 2017 to start. I’ve got so many exciting things in the pipeline for 2017 and I just can’t wait to embrace them. I especially can’t wait to see how my blog develops over the next year. I hope you’ve had a fantastic Christmas and have a very happy new year my little humans.

Lots and lots of love, Beth x

Essence Touch Blush // Review

It’s Christmas eve! Since it’s thr end of Blogmas I thought there would be nothing better than to end it with a couple of posts about beauty. Especially these Essence blushes. I mentioned them in my November favourites and I just have to dedicate a whole post just about them. They’re brilliant and I’ve been in love with them for a fair few weeks now. They’re my go to blushes for this autumn and they go well with so many makeup looks.

I got both of these for £1 each in Wilkinson and I didn’t even think they would be worth anything. I had so little hope in these that I had already planned to give them to my 6 year old niece and to my shock they were beautiful. The pigment is outstanding for the price and the colours are so neutral and pretty. I picked up two shades, a satin blush called Satin Love which I mostly wear and literally matches with so many makeup looks. I especially love this with a bronze-glow and red lip. The second shade is a matte shade called Berry Me Up and is a soft, pink blush which creates a lovely, natural blush. I really like to wear this with a low-coverage foundation and lots of highlight to create a minimal makeup look.

I couldn’t be happier with these blushes and if i’m honest, I would have paid a lot more for them than £1. The formula is beautiful and definitely feels like a higher priced product. Over the moon and can see me loving these for so long. What are your favourite blushes? let me know.

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with love, B x

Book Review: 642 Things To Write About

I’ve recently gotten back into using these books since I had my cast removed. This week’s book review is slightly different and it’s on the interactive booked called 642 Things To Write About.

I own two of these, the other is designed to write 642 Things To Write About Me. These books are a brilliant waste of time if i’m totally honest. They’re fun, creative and imaginative. I use them as a stress relief and I bloody love to sit down and write about random things. I’ll leave a few examples of the questions below. I got mine from Waterstones for £12.99 each. They are also available on Amazon. Some people like to write in diaries but I personally would rather just use one of these as a way to remove myself from any stressful situations or boredom. I especially use the 642 Things To Write About Me edition when I’ve had a particularly stressful day or if I feel a panic attack approaching. I instantly find relief through writing random things about myself. I also use these to procrastinate, A LOT. I just find them really amusing and fun.

642 Things To Write About:

• Describe each person in your family with just one word.
• The person in your life who you’re most jealous of.
• Study a stranger. Go home and write a tragedy about his or her mother.

642 Things To Write About Me: 

• Imagine yourself in another century and place. Where would you go? why? Write a scene that places you there, that compares and contrast where you are with where you’ve left.
• You are a toy. In three scenes, write about who makes you, who buys you, who keeps you.
• The author Cheryl Strayed had to walk 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada over the sierra mountains to find herself. What did you have to do?

The people who created these books, The San Francisco Writers’ Grotto seem like the most fun but crazy bunch of people to ever exist. I like them a lot and I have never met them.

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With love, B x

My Favourite Festive lipsticks

Christmas is near and I bloody love it. After all these long months of waiting I can finally show my Christmas spirit. My favourite thing about the festive period is the change in lipsticks, keeping up to date with the seasonal makeup trends is a must for me and a change in lip colour is simply an excuse to add more to my collection. The red lips blossoms throughout this time and I for one will never, ever complain about a red lip. I also love those purple toned reds and taupe shades, I find them so fun to wear and are so good to add some glam to a simple look. For me I have 5 top lip products that I’m loving during the festivities of 2016, in fact two of these have been a statement lipstick for me recently. I don’t know about you guys but I’m always looking for new lip products to add to my on-going collection, in the comments let me know what your favourite lip products are and what’s so special about them.

The Rimmel London, Long Lasting by Kate Lipsticks are my favourite in Superdrug and Boots. They’re so easy to apply and wear, they have the widest selection of colours and are such a creamy formula too. Absolutely brilliant and such a winner in my eyes. They are super inexpensive too which such a pro for all you guys on a budget! The shade 107 is my go to throughout the Autumn and Winter months and so many people rave about this shade and I’ve picked up so many over the years of 107. It’s a signature colour for the colder seasons and this shade especially matches all skin tones and looks so perfect on everybody. It’s so pigmented and creamy, I assumed because its a matte finished that it would be super drying but it definitely isn’t. The colour is so classy and elegant and I’ve never found a wine shade that is as lovely as the 107. It’s also really long lasting and I literally have no complaints with this shade. Throughout the Spring and Summer i’m almost always found wearing Rimmel by Kate Moss lipsticks in the shade 38. They’re available in Superdrug here, check them out for less than £6.

MUA are a growing brand and they’re not known for having the most excellent variety of products but I’ll say that their lip products are wonderful. They have such a wide selection of colours and they’re only £1! I know what you’re thinking, is the quality of the product £1 material? Well no, they aren’t. In fact I would compare them to the Rimmel lipsticks a whole bunch. They’re a creamy formula and are so pigmented, mine is the shade 13 and it’s a bright red. So perfect to match with a smokey eye. It’s not really a blue toned shade at all and I love to wear it for nights out mostly. Take look here. They’re an absolute dream to wear, however if it smudges it can make a bit of a mess. Other than that, I love this shade so much.

Mac Lipsticks are a definite must for any beauty bag, I personally think that everybody should have at least 1 Mac lipstick that is a go to product and they’ll love. For most, Velvet Teddy is their go to Mac Lipstick and I don’t blame them. It’s a natural but beautiful nude and It’s gorgeous to wear. However, for me it has always been Taupe. It was my first ever Mac lip and I will never be without it. It’s a matte finish and is basically a brown-nude shade. I match this with both a natural eye or glam eye. It my favourite lip and it’s also a statement for this time of year. I think it adds so much character to my make up and I personally prefer a Matte lip more than any other formula. It’s available for £15.50 here.

My final favourite lipstick is Lady Danger by Mac, it’s another of my go to lipsticks during the festive season. It’s a orange toned lip and is super bright, especially on my skin tone because I’m so fair. However, it still looks beautiful on darker skin tones too. It’s a matte finish and just like Taupe, it glides on perfectly and stays put for hours. Admittedly, I usually wear this lipstick during evening events because its just a slight bit too bright but I love it regardless. Check it out here.

Thanks for reading! let me know your favourite festive products.

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With love, Beth x

Christmas Countdown // Top Christmas Films

Welcome to my final Christmas Countdown post! It’s 4 days until Christmas, have you finished your shopping or are you the type to rush around on Christmas Eve gathering together all your gifts? Get yourself a hot chocolate, cuddle up with a blanket and be ready for this.

Now my shopping is done and I’m home for Christmas it’s time to stock up on snacks, cuddle with the kids and watch all of my favourite Christmas films. I love this time of the month when I know I’m all prepared for Christmas and I’m excited to spend the holidays with my family and enjoy the festivities. To finish the Christmas countdown, here are my top 10 Christmas films.

*Unfortunately I don’t have many pictures for this post due to all my DVD’s being at home and stored away. Sorry!

Home Alone: Lost in New York

The Santa Claus (All three..)

The Grinch

Elf

The Holiday

Miracle On 34th Street

Christmas with the Kranks

Jingle All The Way

Four Christmases

This Christmas

Let me know what your favourites are! Merry Christmas, friends.

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Review // Milani 2 in 1 Foundation

I’ve been testing out the Milani 2 in 1 Foundation for over a month and decided it was finally time to let you guys know what I’ve been enjoying and disliking about this product. I got mine in the shade creamy vanilla for £10 from Beauty Bay, check here.

There are 14 shades available in the selection that range from fair skin to dark skin. I personally think the range could be slightly improved for the fairest side, mine is the lightest and it’s still slightly too dark although it’s nothing I can’t fix with concealer. For £10 you receive the normal size bottle that you would get from drugstores. This foundation is so high coverage, literally covers all of my redness, acne scars and blemishes so well and it’s long lasting too. However, it’s a very thick formula so a little goes a long way and it can feel slightly caked-faced if you put too much on. It dries quickly and leaves a beautiful dewy finish. The bottle does have a pump which I love because it’s simply easier to get out of the bottle.

I apply mine to the back of my hand and dot a bit on each cheek, chin, forehead and nose. I use my damp Real Techniques beauty sponge to blend and create a flawless complexion. Remembering to bring it down my neck.

I love this foundation, it creates such an amazing complexion and covers up all imperfections. It’s beautiful and dewy, add highlight and you’re basically looking like a diamond. It’s amazing for £10 and I couldn’t get over how lovely it sits on the face. I recommend for everybody to try this fantastic product.

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With love, Beth x

Favourite Things About Christmas

Hey, Guys!

Christmas is near and I’ve just finished university for 3 whole weeks, yippee! As a little treat to you guys, for this full week you’ll be getting a new post everyday until Christmas Eve. Be sure to check back here everyday at 1pm for a new blog post. Merry Christmas! 

As you know by now I love Christmas and for my family it’s a busy time of year but it’s the best. There is nothing better than spending the festive period with your loved ones to celebrate. We make such a huge effort at Christmas time and my parents home looks like Santa’s grotto for around 6 weeks (yep, i’m serious it’s that long), the kids love it and I love having the chance to relax and spend time with my friends and family. I thought I’d let you guys know what my favourite things are about Christmas! 

#1 – From around November 1st the Christmas Spirit is in full speed and everybody is preparing for Christmas. I love the upcoming weeks to Christmas when everybody spends their weekends shopping, taking the kids to visit Santa and his reindeer and visiting Winter Wonderland. It’s such a great time and I really enjoy the build up to Christmas. It’s so lovely to walk down the high street and hear people singing Christmas Carols and dancing around the supermarket to Wham!. Nothing is better than seeing my Niece become a big ball of excitement because Santa will be here soon. My Nephew, Ethan is almost 1 year old and this is his first Christmas, I can’t wait to see his little face on Christmas either. 

#2- Christmas films are a brilliant way to get you in the Christmas spirit. I love turning on the TV with a cup of hot chocolate and curl up with a good Christmas film. It’s so relaxing and peaceful to chill out, especially after busy day, with a film and it’s even better to do with your loved ones. Every Christmas eve, my parents, brother and I always like to sit down and watch a film together before the business of Christmas begins. 

#3- My favourite thing is giving people gifts that I know they’ll love and appreciate. I like to buy gifts for my friends and family that I know they’ll love and be so grateful for. I’m not one of those people that needs to receive a present when I’ve given one to someone, I just love giving people that little something to let them know I’m so grateful to have them in my life and appreciate the things they have done to help me through the year.

There you have it, my favourite things about Christmas. What are yours? let me know in the comments. 

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With love, B x

My favourite Disney films

I’m an avid Disney fan, how can you not be? But I definitely have my favourites just like everybody. In fact, I have 5 favourite Disney films that I repeatedly watch and fall in love with every single time. I’ve been collecting the Disney classics this year and my collection is very slowly expanding. I’m hoping Santa brings me a few of my favourites this year.

Disney has always been a huge part of my life since childhood and having been the younger sister of two older brothers, I often got to choose what we would watch and without fail, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was always my first choice. I loved it, my favourite drawf is Sleepy because he reminds me so much of myself. I love a good nap. Snow White is my favourite Disney princess and I just like how innocent she is also the youngest of all the princesses. This was and always been my overall favourite Disney film.

My second favourite is Big Hero Six. Having recently been released I wasn’t that fussed on watching it but once I did I was so overwhelmed with the story. It wasn’t your traditional Disney film and it actually represented the feelings and emotions of grief and depression through loss of a loved one. It’s brilliant and it also makes me a lot happier that Fall Out Boy sang the ending song.

My next favourite is The Aristocats. I bloody love this film which is surprising since I’m not an animal lover and especially not cats. However this film so freaking cute, Marie is my favourite because she’s full of so much attitude and sass. I actually first saw this when I was 16, definitely not a childhood love but it’s grown on me and now it’s the film I will always watch when I feel unwell.

My fourth favourite is Frozen. Some of you may really dislike this option but I don’t care. This film is bloody great, it’s not about romantic love but sibling love. It’s the total opposite to the normal Disney film and I think that’s what brings so much character this film. Olaf is so cute and bubbly, I want him in my life.

My final favourite is Cool Running’s. It’s not animated and is actually based on the true story of the Olympic Jamaican bobsledders. It’s utterly fantastic and so funny. I first watched this with my brothers when I was a kid and now I can’t even count how many times this film has been watched by me and made me bubble with love and happiness. It made me want a lucky egg for so long.

There we have my top 5 favourite Disney films. What’s yours? Let me know!

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With love, B x