2018

2018 has been a crazy year for me, and I have never had so many highs and lows in one year. I have struggled a lot but I have also been blessed with some incredible memories from this year. To be honest, I don't really know what this post is going to turn into but I guess we'll both see how it turns out in the end. 

One of the biggest things that took up 2018 was in fact my GCSE exams back in May. It feels like a lifetime since I was in year 11 sitting my exams but it was actually only 6 months ago I was saying goodbye to my form and some of the people from my school. GCSEs was a huge turning point for me, it proved to me that hard work comes with time and patience, but also that your grades don't mean everything and that you physical and mental health should be prioritised. I feel very lucky because I felt prepared sitting my exams. I was in a good place mentally, I didn't have people around me put pressure on me, I was looking after myself and I was ready. Two months later, I got my results and I have never felt something so rewarding in all my life. I am proud of my results and I am proud of myself.

My GCSE results changed my perspective, I had gained confidence, I felt as though I had potential and I realised that I could really push myself. As a consequence, I switched from fashion college to my high school's sixth form and although it was a massive risk, I honestly believe that it was the best choice I have made all year.

That bring me to what I'm doing now. I am at my sixth form, studying maths, further maths, history and fine art and I honestly love all of my subject, my teachers and my work. I don't regret choosing alevels over a btec, I feel so happy studying my subjects and now that I have settled in properly, I am excited for the future. 

During 2018, I also got to see parts of the world I had never seen before. Starting with February when I went to Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi was a dream destination of mine and it lived up to everything I hopeed it would be. It was a place filled with so much culture, the architecture was insane and I just had the most incredible holiday there. I did so many great things while I was there, I went on the world's fastest rollercoaster, I stayed on the Grand Prix racing track, but I mainly shared amazing memories with my amazing family.

Skipping to August, I was also lucky enough to go to Orlando and New York in America this year. Orlando will forever be a happy place for me, it holds so many incredible memories of mine and I was lucky enough to have shared this holiday with one of my bestest friends. We also stopped off at New York for a few days, before heading home, and it was such a surreal and magical experience for me. Like most people, I had dreamt of going to New York and I feel so lucky that I have gone now. New York was a huge experience for me, I saw so many iconic buildings and settings, but my mind was also exposed to so much more while I was there.

I feel so lucky to have been able to go to those three places all in one year and at such a young age. I feel blessed that I had an amazing family to share it with and I have made memories in all of those places that will be with me forever. 

Although I didn't blog as much as I would have liked this year, I still documented parts of my life and I created some of my favourites posts this year which I am very proud of. This year has definitely been a lot of experimenting for me, in terms of my blog, I tried discussing new topics and broadening what it was that I was speaking about. I am definitely full of motivation for the new year, in terms of my blog, I have so much more planned.

I am definitely so super excited to start the new year. 2018 has been great, but I am ready for a fresh start and to work on myself for a little bit. 

Grace xx

All the books I received for Christmas this year

I am really trying to grow my book collection at the moment and so I put a few books on my wishlist for Christmas, little did I think though that I would be lucky enough to have recieved all of them this year. I am so thankful to have been given all of these books this year and I will definitely be reading away in 2019, hoping that I get to all of these books. 

To All The Boys I've Loved Before Series - Jenny Han

I have been wanted to read this series for the longest time so I am so happy to finally have these in my collection. I may or may not have already seen the film of the first book but I still want to read all the books, especially because the film was so amazing. We all know I love a predicable, cheesy romance so there is no doubt that I am going to love this whole series. 

 They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera

During 2018, I had read History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera and I really fell in love with his writing style, I have also been seeing a lot of people talking about this book recently and so I put it on my wishlist also. I love Adam Silvera's writing style because of he describes mental health and emotions of grief and loss in a way that is accurate, sensitive but also educating. The plot of this book also intrigues me massively and so I definitely am looking forwards to picking this book up. 

The Hate You Give - Angie Thomas

Can you believed I haven't read this book yet? Neither can I to be completely honest. I know how important this book is to a lot of people and I have also heard nothing but amazing things so I plan on this being one of the first books I read in 2019 because I also really want to see the film that recently came out. This book is all about the Black Lives Matter Movement which I think is such a relevant and important topic that needs to be discussed more and I plan on educating myself on this matter by reading this book and possibly doing my own further research. I also know that Angie Thomas is coming out with another book early 2019 and so I would really like to pick that one up once I have read this one. 

 Snow Like Ashes - Sara Raasch

I really want to expand my genres next year in terms of what I read and fantasy is such an intriguing genre to me, that I want that to be the first topic I tackle first. Hailey in Bookland is one of my favourite Booktubers and she did a video a few months ago all about fantasy books for beginners, which I clear am, and this book was on the list. To be completely honest, I know near to nothing about this book but I really want to go into it blind and discover it for myself. I really hope I love the fantasy genre and I trust that Hailey knows what she's recommending. 

The Cruel Prince - Holly Black

This was another book in Hailey's video and so I also added this to my wishlist, but Holly Black is also releasing the sequel to this in 2019 and so I think that if I want to get to this series, then I better start soon. From what I know about this book, it includes fairies, which is very intriguing to me and I am excited to see how it plays out. I think I will definitely be doing an update about my fantasy genre exploring journey once I have read a few of these books because I think that it could be very beneficial for some other people who are also interested in this gene. 

 The Fashion Rules - Victoria Magrath

Finally, this is a non-fiction book written by the amazing InTheFrow who has got to be one of my favourite fashion influencers. She is so well educated and not to mention, that her style is also amazing, but when I found out that she had published a book all about fashion, I knew I needed it in my life. I have had a little flick through already but I am very much looking forward to sticking my nose in and learning more about the fashion industry. This book looks so informative and well put together and I am so happy to have it in my collection. I will also put it out there that this cover is stunning and will probably be featured a lot in my flatlays in the future. 

Do let me know what your thoughts are on any of these books if you have read them, I would love to know!

Grace xx

Some of the beauty pieces I received for Christmas

I hope all of you had an incredible Christmas, I definitely had an amazing day. I came to the conclusion this year that I didn't want to do a whole 'What I got for Christmas' blog post just because it wouldn't be to the standard I'd want it to be so instead I thought I'd just share with you some of the little bits and bobs I got instead. This post is just going to be talking about all of the beauty bits I received for Christmas and I will also be doing a post all about the books I received for Christmas. You will definitely be seeing some of the presents I got for Christmas in upcoming posts but as for right now, I am not going to do a post dedicated the gifts I received this year. Saying that though I am incredibly grateful and I feel very lucky for everything I've received this year and I hope that comes across in this post because I definitely do not intend to write this blog post with the intention of bragging or showing off.

I am going to start out with the little makeup bits I got and then I will go into the larger gift sets. Starting with this Dose of Colours Blushing Berries Eye Shadow Palette. I put this on my wishlist because I love little all matte palettes like this because I find them so useful to travel with and the colour scheme of this palette is so beautiful. They do have a more warm, orange-toned version of this palette but I thought I would push the boat out a little bit and go with this selection of shades. They are definitely berry tones as the name would suggest but I think I could create so many lovely looks with this palette and I have heard great things about this formula so I cannot wait to try this out for myself. This palette also comes with a brush and a mirror so I definitely think that this will be my go-to travel palette from now on. 

Another Dose of Colour product I really wanted to receive for Christmas was the Dose of Colours X Desi and Katy Lip Gloss in Over The Top. I discovered both Desi and Katy this year and I have been keeping up with their collabs and when I saw this one, I knew I needed this lip gloss. Although their whole collection was to die for, I thought that this lip gloss was right up my street and also so photogenic (priorities, I know). I feel so lucky to have gotten this for Christmas because I thought that it would have sold out but I am so glad I've got it because it is stunning. This shade is clear but has tiny, tiny gold flecks in it that just makes your lips look so glossy. I wore this on Christmas day and I loved how it looked so I can see this being a new favourite from now on. 

I love my Ofra x Nikkie Tutorials highlighter and so I want to try another one from Ofra and so I asked for the Ofra Mini Highlighter in Rodeo Drive. This mini size just seemed so cute on Beauty Bay but sadly I don't think they've got it in stock anymore. Anyway, this highlighter has so much hype around it so I really wanted to try it out for myself and I also wore this on Christmas day and wow was it stunning. It is the perfect pale gold shade and it is really intense but it just makes your skin look wet. I think that this mini size is perfect because it is not very likely that I would use up a full size but I think that I could really get my money's worth out of this one. I also really love Orfra's new packaging on their highlighters, it is so super sleek now and it is super protective. 

You're probably going to think that I am highlighter obsessed but this next product has been on my wishlist for the longest time and I am so excited to finally have it to try out. This is the Artist Couture Diamond Glow Powder in Coco Bling and I have heard and seen so many incredible things about this product that I just really wanted one of my own. I have not had the chance to try this out yet but I definitely think that you will be hearing my thoughts about it soon. As for the shade I picked up, it is a beautiful pale champagne colour that I think will even work when I'm a little paler. I have never worked with a loose highlighter before so it is definitely going to be an experience but I think that I am really going to like this product. 

I have been curious about the Revolution Bake & Finish Power since it came out and now I will finally have the chance to test it for myself. I love a good loose power but I feel like I am still yet to find my perfect one and I have heard good things about this one. The amount you get for the price of this product is also unbelievable so I am very curious to see how it works on my skin, you will definitely be hearing about this soon. 

As for some of the gift sets I received, the first one was the Zoeva Plaisir Eye Shadow Palette Vault. This contains three of Zoeva's ten shade eyeshadow palettes, all of which are very popular. I have never tried anything from Zoeva before but I know that their palettes are well loved so I felt as though that was a good place to start. I love all three of these palettes because all of the shades are so wearable and right up my street. These palettes are going to be great for travelling and I am hopefully going to be creating loads of looks with them very soon. Also, the packaging of this vault is so beautiful, all of the gold foilings just makes me so happy. These palettes are also a great value for money when you buy them in this set so I think that if you are as curious as I am about this brand, then I would recommend picking this set up. 

I love The Body Shop and I love the Christmas scents that they come out with every year. I really wanted to get the chance to have each of their scents before they were gone and so for Christmas I got the The Body Shop Festive Body Butter Trio. The body butter from The Body Shop have got to be one of my favourite products that they have and so when I saw this set, it was immediately on my wishlist. I cannot wait to make my way through these body butters as well as the ones I recieved in my advent calendar. 

If you know me, you will know that I love The Body Shop Camomile range and so when I saw the Camomile 123 Set, I knew I had to have it. This has one of my favourite cleansers inside it which is so lovely and works a dream as well as a mini eye makeup remover that I love just as much. I love this set and it is a great value for money so I am so grateful to have been given this. 

My mum is not really into beauty and so she never tends to buy me it unless I've asked for it, however, she really challenged herself this year and she picked up the Liz Earle Indulgent Botanical Beauty 6 Piece Collection all on her own. I have had the Liz Earle cleanse and polish a few times now and it is a lovely luxurious product that I always enjoy dearly and so to have it back is great. Saying that I have also never tried out any of their other skincare but this gift set containers their toner, moisturizer, body wash and hand wash as well as two bottles of the cleanse and polish which I just think is amazing. I am so excited to try out all of these products and I am so proud of my mum for picking this out for me. 

Finally, for Christmas, I was also gifted this gorgeous Victoria Secret Makeup Bag Set which I am in love with. This is such a clever concept to me because you get four makeup bags and the three smaller ones fit in the one bigger one. I am a firm believer that you can never have too many makeup bags and these ones are just stunning so I am definitely going to be using them the next chance I get. 

Let me know if you have ever tried out any of these products and if so, what your thoughts are!

Grace xx

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to come on here and say Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope all of you have the most incredible day, spending time with your loved ones and eating way too much food, I know I will be. 

I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone reading this post and for clicking on my blog, it honestly means so much to me. This year has been a tough one for me, but that isn't to say that your love and support hasn't gone unnoticed. I have definitely slacked this year on the blog but a new year is approaching and that will mean a fresh start in more ways that one. 

Thank you once again!

Merry Christmas!

Grace xx

The Body Shop Deluxe Advent Calendar - Week 3

Christmas day is tomorrow which can only mean that the advent calendars are coming to an end. I know that I am definitely going to miss my daily chocolate treat but I am also going to deeply miss this The Body Shop advent calendar. This calendar never disappoints me and this year was no different. I am so grateful to have had this calendar again and in today's post, I am going to be sharing with you the final products that came inside this advent calendar.

Day 17 - Brow and Lash Comb

I find these brow and lash combs to be so useful. You would never think that they would be essential in a makeup brush collection but I always find myself reaching for these every once in a while. I have got a few of these in my collection but some of them are getting old now so at least I can replace them with this new one. This brush is so useful just to comb through your brows or to separate your eyelashes when your mascara has gone a bit clumpy. 

Day 18 - Shea Hand Cream

Like I said in my week two round up, I love The Body Shop hand creams and this is a scent that I love from them. Their Shea scent is so perfect for everyone because it is not very strong but it just smells super lovely. I have been reaching for this hand cream a few times this week and it is definitely very nourishing and hydrating so I can see myself really loving this. 

Day 19 - Eyelash Curlers

Another super useful product and if you know me, you will know that I swear by my eyelash curlers. I don't know what they do but I just find that they make my eyelashes look tonnes better once I've used them. I have a few lash curlers in my collection so I think that I am going to save this for when my others get a little old and grubby and then I've got a brand new one I will be able to use. 

Day 20 - Mango Shower Gel

If you have been reading this weekly round ups, then you will know that I received a mango body butter and you will also know that I adore this scent, so to have another product in the mango scent is just a dream to me. I love the shower gel formula from The Body Shop, you only need a small amount, it lathers up really well and the scents are really strong when you use them which I love. 

Day 21 - Black Eye Kohl Liner

You cannot go wrong with a black kohl pencil eyeliner, I definitely prefer them over liquid just because I feel like I have a bit more control with a pencil. I love that you get black in this calendar as that means most people will use this on a regular basis. I have had this product a few times in this calendar before and I really love the formula of this pencil. It is pretty basic, but it is also pigmented, easy to apply and it lasts a generous amount of time also. 

Day 22 - Strawberry Smoothing Face Mist

I am pretty sure that this is a fairly new product to The Body Shop as I bought the mint one of these sprays for my holiday back in August and they were on the new in stand so to have one in this calendar is super cool. Like I said, I have another scent of this spray and I use it all the time. They are super universal because you can use them before or after you moisturize your skin, some you can use to set your make and I sometimes just like to use them to refresh or cool down my skin. This scent is also super lovely, I love anything strawberry smelling and it is pretty potent too which I guess you will either love or hate, but I love it. 

Day 23 - Matte Liquid Lipstick in Tahiti Hibiscus

Can you believe that I have never tried one of The Body Shop liquid lipsticks before? I have heard so many good things about them but I just never really got round to picking one up but I love that I have received one of them in this calendar. It is definitely in a shade that is very out of my comfort zone but I guess that's what's great about this calendar. The colour is a very deep red shade that I hope to try out soon, it is definitely perfect for the Christmas season. This is a matte liquid lipstick so I will be interested to see how well it lasts but also see whether it is drying, especially in this cold weather. 

Day 24 - Coconut Body Butter (full size)

This has to be the most exciting product on the calendar, or at least I think it is. I have only ever had a few full sized body butters before just because they take quite a while to use up and I never know whether I will use it all up but I know that I am definitely going to finish this one. If you know me, you will know that I don't like coconut scented things and so when I saw that this was coconut scented, I was a little gutted because I didn't think that I was going to like it, however, I used it this morning to moisturize my legs and it actually smells amazing. I think what's so good about this scent is that it is sweet smelling which I think is why I love it so much. Nevertheless, this formula is so moisturizing and lovely and I am so glad to have another full size one in my collection. Not to mention that these also retail for £15 on their own, so clearly this advent calendar is a good value for money. 

Day 25 - Owl Flannel

I know that I am probably going to get told off for opening this one a day early but I just really wanted to get this post up, so yes I did already open day 25. Anyway though, to finish off this advent calendar, you so get this super adorable flannel which is in the shape of an owl. I love little things like this and flannels are so useful. I tend to use them to spot clean my makeup brushes or to help take off my makeup and as much as I don't want to ruin the colour of this fresh flannel, I will definitely be using this soon. 

Let me know what you think of this advent calendar as a whole. I have definitely loved opening this every day this month in the build-up to Christmas and I think that I have received an amazing range of products that I can see myself using throughout next year. My opinion still remains that I think that The Body Shop do the best beauty advent calendars just because they are such a great value for money and there are so many cool products you get to try out. Would you consider buying this advent calendar next year?

Grace xx

Christmas Day Outfit Ideas!

Christmas is 48 hours away and if you are anything like me, you already know what you are wearing. However, if you aren't yet prepared for Christmas day then hopefully this post will be of use to you. I love dressing up on Christmas day but I know that it is not for everyone and so in this post, I have put together five different outfit ideas for Christmas day. 

Comfy - Christmas Jumper and Leggings

If you are someone that just wants to be comfy and treats Christmas in a very casual way then I think that this outfit would be perfect for you. It is simply just a Christmas jumper and some leggings, nothing else but this way you are being festive, but you can still feel like you're lounging about. I would have preferred this jumper to be more oversized, to enhance the casual look, but this one, in particular, is from Sainsburys and the leggings in this picture are from GymShark (linked)

Glam - Leather and Lace

This is definitely a much more glamorous option but I do think paired with an oversized puffer coat, tights, and some ankle boots, you could also really dress this down, which I think is what I might go for on Christmas day myself. The burgundy leather skirt was the perfect way to incorporate a festive colour into this outfit but I think that it is mainly the lace top that makes this outfit so glam-looking. Obviously, this lace top is all lace and so I did pair it with a plain black bra underneath but I think that the lace top makes this outfit really feminine. The lace top is from Missguided (linked) and the burgundy leather skirt is from Sainsburys (similar linked here). 

Casual - Pop of red

I love incorporating little bits of red into my outfit for the festive season and I really love this idea. It is simply a red bodysuit paired with a polka dot jumpsuit. Jumpsuits have been a discovery for me this year, so it is probably no shock to you that there is one in this post but they are honestly just the best. This jumpsuit, in particular, is from Miss Selfridge (linked) and it is honestly so comfy and it fits really well. As for the red bodysuit, the one in this photo is from Select (similar linked here)

Cute - Playsuit and Over The Knee Boots

Preferably I would have worn this with a white polo neck rather than a white t-shirt but I had to make do, nevertheless, this outfit is quite out of my comfort zone personally but I do think that it is really cute and feminine. This playsuit is super cute because it incorporates the burgundy yet again, but the style of it is super girly. I decided to pair it with a white t-shirt underneath just to add some extra warmth but also bare in mind that I would probably pair this with a massive coat if I was actually leaving the house in it. Anyway, you can just about see the over the knee boots in this outfit and I honestly love how they look with outfits like these. I know this look probably isn't for everyone but it is definitely very cute. As for the playsuit it is from Papaya (linked), the white t-shirt is from Missguided (linked) and the over the knee boots are from Miss Selfridge (similar linked here)

Casual - Oversized Jumper and Scarf

As for my final outfit, it is definitely another more casual one, yet it, once again, incorporates a pop of red which as you can tell by this post, I am very much a fan of. Anyway, this is simply a denim mini skirt and tights paired with an oversized red knitted jumper and a monochromatic scarf. I love how red and denim looks anyway and the festive season is no different but I think with the tights and scarf, it just makes this outfit super cozy but also super warm. I would definitely wear this if I was doing something outdoors on Christmas day as it would keep me super warm paired with some chunky boots and a big coat. The jumper is from Hollister (linked), the denim skirt is from Missguided (similar linked here) and the scarf is from Primark (similar linked here). 

Let me know which outfit is your favourite and also what you plan on wearing on Christmas day yourself!

Grace xx

The Body Shop Deluxe Advent Calendar - Week 2

I loved writing last weeks round up of all of these products in the first week of my beauty advent calendar and so here is week 2. This advent calendar is still impressing me and I am so excited to play around with some more products.

Day 9 - Almond Milk & Honey Hand Cream

I remember when I first started using The Body Shop, I would buy their hand creams religiously, I would use them endlessly in school and they were just the best. This scent, however, I have never seen before and I am pretty sure it is fairly new, but it smells lovely. I like this scent a lot because it is not super strong and so I don't feel overwhelmed whenever I apply it. This will definitely be with me at all times now and I am sure that it will help get me through the colder months. 

 Day 10 - Red Luffer

For me, luffers are such an essential and so it is great that this calendar came with one. It is also super Christmassy given the red colour and so it was the perfect addition. There isn't really much else to say about this but I am definitely happy that it comes in this calendar. I love The Body Shop luffers because they are super small and dense, they are definitely perfect for traveling, I've found. 

Day 11 - Pink Grapefruit Gel Lotion

In my week one round up, you will know that I said I wasn't a huge fan of the body lotions, however, this new gel-lotion formula seems very promising to me. I have always loved the pink grapefruit scent as it is a super fresh and fruity smell, so I was so happy that I get to have this scent back in my collection. This new formula is also super exciting to me though because it is very fast absorbing but it is still moisturizing. I think I am going to keep hold of this for when I go on holiday next as I can see this being very refreshing and cooling. 

Day 12 - Black Liquid Liner

I am not one for liquid liner myself so I am not sure whether I am going to keep this one of not, but I have heard nothing but good things about The Body Shop makeup and from what I've tried myself, I like it a lot. Maybe this will help me in trying to get more into liquid eyeliner as I would love to be able to pull it off. 

 Day 13 - Lip Liner in Hot Date

This is yet another makeup item but this time, it is a lip liner. I have had one of these in the past before and I have used it all the time since, so I am so glad to have another one in my collection. My last shade was a pinky nude but this one is actually a deep red shade which is perfect for the festive season. I find these lip liners to be so easy to apply and they really help to make my lipstick last longer.  

Day 14 - British Rose Body Scrub

I have actually had this exact product before in an advent calendar and I loved it so I am super happy to have it back. This scent is so fresh and I love the formula of this scrub. The size of this is also perfect for traveling so once again, I might be keeping this for when I go on holiday. 

 Day 15 - Born Lippy in Strawberry

As much as I love The Body Shop, can you believe that I have never tried one of these Born Lippys? Neither can I, to be honest, but I am excited to have one in my collection now. I am such a firm believer that you can never have too many lip balms so I will be interested to see how this one performs in comparison to my others. 

Day 16 - Almond Milk & Honey Body Butter

Like I said in my previous round up, I love the body butters from The Body Shop and since this scent is very new to me, I am excited to have this in my collection. This formula seems very similar to the mango one I unboxed last week, and so I think that this is going for all year round.

Let me know what you think of the second week of this calendar, I am definitely still loving it!

Grace xx