THE BODY SHOP ADVENT CALENDAR 2019 - TOP TEN PRODUCTS & DAY 25

Hello everyone, and Merry (late) Christmas, I hope you all had an amazing day spent with friends and family. As many of you may know, I was lucky enough to have been treated to The Body Shop advent calendar this year by my parents and over on my Instagram you will have seen some of my daily updates of the products I have been receiving. I thought today, as everything has been opened and revealed, that I would share with you my favourite bits out of the advent calendar and also what I received in day 25 which I haven't revealed yet. Some of these products I only received a few days ago and so I haven't been able to test the majority of these products, however, if there is anything you'd like a specific review on then please leave it in the comment below.

I'll start off with what was in day 25, the final product of the calendar and it didn't disappoint. Inside the 25th box was a full-sized Shea Norishing Body Butter, which is one of The Body Shop's most famous products. These body butters are some of the best on the market and with it retailing at £15 normally, it is such a treat to have received this in the advent calendar. I love using these body butters straight after a shower to help keep my skin hydrated. They are so nourishing, as the name would suggest and they last ages too, so I am extremely excited to have another one of these in my collection.

I had already picked my top ten products before opening day 25, but they are in no particular order. It also isn't to say that the rest of the products I received in this advent calendar weren't good because the entire selection was so well organised and developed, I have just selected some of the products that I am most excited to try and products that I think a lot of people will be surprised to have received in a beauty advent calendar. I have also linked all of the products directly to The Body Shop website so you can shop them yourself if you are intrigued by anything I have mentioned.

I was so surprised to have received so many cool skincare bits from this year's advent calendar, one of which was the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Facial Soap which I had never even seen in-store or advertised before. This is a really intriguing product to me because it is basically a cleanser but in soap form, which I have never tried before. I think that this would be so good for just cleaning your face first thing in the morning. The Himalayan Charcoal products that I have tried previously have been so luxurious and effective, so I expect a similar outcome from this product. It is also a very generous size, it is definitely the sort of product I can see lasting forever.

I love The Body Shop shower gels, it was actually the first product I ever tried from them and I got a few in this advent calendar however I was so excited about the Juicy Pear Shower Gel particularly because it is a limited edition scent for Christmas. The smell of this is just incredible, it is fruity and sweet but so refreshing. This is going straight in my shower to get used because it is just such an incredible scent and if you have never tried The Body Shop shower gels, then you are missing out. They are so long-lasting, the smells are always so potent and they lather up great. 

Like I said, the skincare bits in this advent calendar were such a dream and something which I was so excited to see was the Aloe Calm Hydration Sheet Mask which I believe is fairly new to The Body Shop. Sheet masks are those product for me which I wouldn't tend to buy myself but love using every now and again. I am quite bad at giving my skin regular face masks because I can be quite lazy with them, which is what makes sheet masks so perfect, they aren't that messy and they are so luxurious to use. This one looks like it is going to be so perfect for the colder months because of the hydrating properties described in the product and so I am very excited to get around to using it. 

Another sheet mask in this advent calendar was the Vitamin C Glow Sheet Mask which I am also so excited to try. Like I said earlier, sheet masks are never the sort of thing I buy myself because they are a proper pamper product but it is always nice to have a few stocked up in case I'm ever in need of a relaxing evening. With these also being new products, it is so exciting to get to try them and they are definitely products I am thinking of reviewing for you lot when I finally get around to using them. 

I feel like what you're all gathering from this post is that I am kind of obsessed with skincare because I am just so excited about the products I received which I now get to test and try. One thing in my skincare routine which I am always mixing up is moisturiser and I have tried quite a few from The Body Shop but none of them really stuck, however, one which I haven't yet tried is the Aloe Soothing Day Cream which I actually received in this advent calendar. This is actually a best seller on The Body Shop website and so I have high expectations for this product. It is also full-sized which I was so pleased with because it now really gives me an opportunity to try it to its fullest.

The final skincare product I have to mention in this post is the Rose Dewy Glow Face Mist. I have actually tried two of these face mists previously and have loved using them so I'm very glad to add another one to the collection. These mists are great because you can use them before or after makeup, use them to add a little glow or hydration to even use on a flat shader brush to add an extra shine to an eye shadow. They are just so versatile but my favourite way to use these sprays are after I've cleansed and I'm just about to moisuirse, I apply a bit of the spray across my face and it just adds that little bit extra hydration to the skin.

A very random product I love from The Body Shop are their nail files and so I was so excited to have received the Layers of Fun Nail File this year. I don't know what it is about their nail files but they are just such incredible quality, they work like a dream and last ages. When it comes to nailcare, I can be so lazy but if I'm ever painting my nails or just trying to strengthen them, I always have one of these on the go. It definitely isn't something you'd think to try from The Body Shop but I highly recommend them. 

The Body Shop have very slowly emerged as a company which produces great cosmetics and I have received a few of their makeup tools over the last few advent calendars such as their brushes or eyelash curlers, however, this year I got to try the Complexion Blender. I was so excited to have received this because you can never have too many makeup sponges and I had never tried it before. Since receiving this, I have tried it a few times and I am definitely very pleased with how it's working. It is such a good size also because of the fine tip, it just really helps, especially to blend concealer under the eyes and so it is definitely going to be a very well-loved product.

I have always been intrigued by The Body Shop haircare, but I had just never gone to buy any of it but I don't need to anymore because in this year's advent calendar I received the Strawberry Clearly Glossing Shampoo and Strawberry Clearly Glossing Conditioner which I am so excited about. You may or may not know but since only buying cruelty free beauty products, I have found it difficult to buy haircare which is cruelty free, however, that is exactly what The Body Shop stands for and I love that. This now gives me the perfect opportunity to try some new cruelty free hair bits and hopefully review them for you all once I get around to using them. They definitely sound like a very promising duo and they are such a generous size also, so hopefully very soon, I will get around to trying them out.

I hope you enjoyed this post, especially because it is going to be my final one of 2019. While I'm off from school, I am going to be working on a lot of exciting posts but just so I can get them to the standard I'd like whilst also having a bit of a break, this is the final post of the year. I will talk about it in a later post, but 2019 has been a huge year for me and it has definitely been a difficult one for many different reasons, however, I am so grateful for all of you reading this post now and I hope 2020 is filled with so much more happiness from all sides. Thank you all so much for an incredible year, and I will see you in 2020!

Grace xx

FIVE THINGS I'M CURRENTLY LOVING

I have actually been meaning to do this post for a while because I am constantly finding weird little things that I just have an excessive amount of love for and so I wanted to share them in one post. This definitely isn't your typical favourites post filled with lots of glamours beauty and clothing bits but nevertheless, I hope you like it. 

PLANNER - SAINSBURYS

For the people who know me personally, you'll know that I love nothing more than being organised and this planner has been incredible for just that. When it comes to planners, I like them really simple, a page per date is all I ask. I picked this one up in July and with the planner starting in August, I've had plenty of time using it and loving it. One thing I will say though because it is white, it is already so dirty, however, in terms of it fuctioning, it is perfect for everything I need it for. It is a perfect size, roughly A5, with a page a day being just the right amount for me to fill out my deadlines, daily to-do lists and events coming up. This is definitely just a staple in my daily routine and I love that it helps me to keep on track of the things going on in my life. 

REX ORANGE COUNTY'S PONY ALBUM

I was actually lucky enough to see Rex Orange County in concert in the middle of November on his Pony tour and he was just incredible. In the lead up to his concert, I had his album on repeat in my car, and to say I love it is an understatement. I find it rare to like every song from an album, but I have I do with this album. There is something for everyone, for every mood and emotion I'm feeling. He just has such an incredible voice and album, I just love him. I think everyone needs to listen to this album. 

RESTORE ME - TAHERH MAFI

Not that I have had much time to finish this book lately, but this is what I am currently reading. I started reading the Shatter Me series earlier on this year and read the first three books in the space of a week, so I guess that shows just how in love I am with this book, but I have finally gotten around to reading the fourth book. It is just as good as the first three books and I am so excited to finally finish it. For those who don't know anything about this series, it is a dystopian romance book but it is just so much more than that. What I love most about this book is the character development, it is unlike anything I have ever read before. I also feel like it is a series of books that I have taken a lot from. 

SOFT & GENTLE ANTI-PERSPIRANT IN LOTUS AND WATERMELON

This is such a random favourite to have, but when I went cruelty-free a few years back, I found it really hard to find a deodorant that wasn't tested on animals, until I tried Soft & Gentle. I have tried a few of their anti-perspirants now but this scent beats all of the other ones I have tried. It is just so fresh and like I said, it is cruelty free so I don't think I'd purchase any other deodorant and I encourage all of you to try Soft & Gentle as a brand as I really think they are underrated in the beauty department. 

PUMA TRAINERS FROM DEFY COLLECTION

Finally, a little fashion favourite. I got these trainers while I was on holiday but luckily I found a link to them online, however, they are in a different colour. Anyway, these shoes are just beautiful. When it comes to my style, comfort comes over anything and so trainers are always my staple shoe in my collection and in my opinion, you can never have too many of them. What I love about this pair, is the pop of yellow on the sole. I just think that they are so fun and really add something to an outfit. I have never seen a shoe like this before and I am so grateful to have them in my collection. 

I'd love to know if you are loving any random things in the comments below.

Grace xx

SECOND-HAND SHOPPING: MY TOP TIPS

A current obsession of mine is charity shopping which is not only great for the environment but also amazing for my bank account. I wanted to spend this post sharing some of my top tips for shopping second hand.

IGNORE SIZING

One of the reasons I love charity shopping is because I have the ability to just ignore any numerical sizes. My thought process is I can buy whatever I think will fit me. I am very simply a size 10, nothing else, but from charity shops, I have things in a size 14, an extra large and a size 6, so just because something isn't your numerical size, it doesn't mean it won't fit you. Sizing is always a weird thing, but if you pick up a dress that says it's supposed to be way too big or too small for you but it looks like it'd fit, just try it anyway because you never know. One of my favourite charity shop buys was this knit jumper, originally from M&S but it's actually a size 14 but fits me perfectly, so you just can't judge it. I kind of love that about charity shops though because it's all about the way the product looks and fits, not about its actual size.

CHECK FOR DAMAGE

I am definitely guilty of not doing this because I have come home after buying some great pieces, only to realise that they have holes in it or a broken zip so don't make that mistake too. I'm sort of skipping ahead to one of my next tips now, but try it on or just look all over to make sure no imperfections stand out to you. Check the zips and buttons also before you buy because it'll save you being disappointed when you try it on and realise that it isn't wearable. Charity shops are great though because you can return items back to the shop if you need to, but it does cause some hassle. Do keep it in mind though, there is a difference between something unwearable and something that is faulty.

THINK ABOUT HOW YOU COULD UPCYCLE IT

If you love sewing or turning something you wouldn't wear into something you would, then this is definitely worth keeping in mind when you next go to a charity shop. The great thing is, you can pay so little for something that will become such a staple piece in your wardrobe. Even if it is just changing out the buttons or doing some embroidery on the pockets or collars, it could transform a piece. One of my favourite things to do is buy maxi dress or skirts and turn them into mini ones either because there are holes at the bottom or just because I'd find it more flattering. It is such an effective way to turn something that is not your style into something that is right up your street. The next time you're in a charity shop and you are drawn to an item of clothing but you don't think you'd wear it, think about how you could change it into something you could wear. I am always drawn to unique prints and through realising that I can upcycle it has allowed me to be creative with my charity shop purchases, turning them into one-of-a-kind pieces.

USE THE CHANGING ROOMS

Changing rooms are a love or hate thing for shoppers but for charity shops, I think that they are essential. Like I said earlier, you can get away with things that aren't your actual size but how are you to know that without trying it on. Some pieces have a bit of flexibility like if it has stretch or an oversized fit but certain things will need to be tried on to see if they actually fit. Also, you are going to notice flaws the most if you try the item on. It will allow you to see what is wearable and fixable but also something that is not wearable whatsoever so I think it is definitely worth spending a few minutes just trying your chosen pieces on in the changing room.

AVOID IMPULSE PURCHASING

It is so easy to go into a charity shop or a second-hand store and just pick up everything because of its affordability, but if you can help it, don't do it. The point in purchasing second hand is to get more use out of products that still have wear in them, but if you are just buying things for the sake of it, then you are defeating its purpose. Buy the pieces that you are really proud you found or the products you are really excited to upcycle because no one else will have anything like it, they are the pieces you need and want. Don't just walk into a shop and buy something because it's cheap but because you think it will add to your wardrobe. Although I am putting this in advice for second-hand shopping, it goes for all kinds of shopping. Living in such a transferable and consumer-based society, it can be really easy to feel the need to constantly buy new items and keep it up to date, but the reality is, you can get wear out of pieces you already own and help do your part by buying second-hand items that just need a little more loving. 

I really hope you liked this post. If you would like to see any more second-hand clothing related posts then I would love to hear your suggestions in the comments!

Grace xx

WHAT MY FIRST JOB HAS TAUGHT ME

I started my first job back in July and it was in hospitality but recently I have left that job to go into something completely different. Although I was only working in hospitality for four months, as a first job, it taught me a lot and I really wanted to share that in one post. The sort of hospitality work I ended up doing at my job was a lot of serving people food and drinks, setting up and clearing away mainly all for events such as weddings and birthday meals. I also just want to point out that all of this has come from my own experience in hospitality so please don't let this put you off the role, as it is a different experience for everyone. 

DON'T ASK, DON'T GET

When it comes to hospitality, especially if it is in a place with a lot of staff, you have got to compete for your hours. If you don't chase up when your next shift is, or if you don't ask for the hours, they are just going to find someone else who will. It is a very transferable industry, with staff constantly changing and it's because of that, that you need to chase up your next shift. Some places are more organised than others. The hotel and restaurant I worked at, tended to give us a list of events for the next month and then you would message back with the events you want to work and more it up and ask what shift is avaliable.

This also applies in lots of different situations. If you need to leave early in a shift, you have to ask in advanced, don't just show up and then say you've got to leave at this certain time because you're not making a good impression and they probably won't ask you to come in again if you are letting them down. 

Also when it comes to getting paid and wages. I don't know about any other jobs in hospitality but both places where I worked were so bad at paying you on time. Whether it was because they got your hours wrong or because you didn't tell them your hours, you won't get paid properly and so it is always up to you to chase it up. You also have to ask about tips, chase up how much it is and when you will get them. It is such a hectic industry and it can be easy for the managers to get confused and make a few slip-ups but you have to constantly chase it otherwise you just won't get paid what you deserve or you won't get shifts. 

It is definitely a very independent role. You have to learn to become very well organised but also very blunt sometimes if you haven't been paid properly, you have just got to tell them. Working in hospitality definitely taught me to just do everything off my own accord and not to wait for anyone else. If I need something sorted out or I needed another shift, I'd just ask for it and you just would if you wanted to keep the job consistent. 

TRACK YOUR HOURS

I feel like this sort of links with my last point, but always keep track of your hours. The date and the exact hours you worked because at the end of the day unless you have a clocking in and out system, you will need to track them yourself. Even if you have a tracking system for your hours, I'd write them down anyway just so that if it ever came to payday and I wasn't paid for the right amount of hours, I could forward my boss so that they could sort it out for me. It is just something that I'd recommend doing because you might try and remember the hours you did a month ago and because you didn't write them down there and then, you won't remember and you would just not get paid for that shift. 

YOU'VE GOT TO LEARN IT ON YOUR OWN

Hospitality is definitely the sort of industry that doesn't provide you with a lot of effective training. You'd be lucky if you get a little bit, but when I first joined both of my hospitality jobs, they just threw you in the deep end, allowing you to learn it on your own. It doesn't take long to get to grips with it, but it does mean that you make a few mistakes along the way. It is always so important to ask though if you are ever unsure on anything because by doing that you are not only learning the right way to do things but you are showing that you want to learn and want to get things right. 

YOU NEED TO BE SELFLESS

I definitely found that by working in hospitality, you just can't be selfish. You could be exhausted and starving but you need to get the job done before anything else. A lot of the times I would go into work from 12-4 and end up staying until 8 just because that's what happened and you need to follow through with that. It came to the point in one of my jobs that my boss wouldn't tell us when we'd finished, we'd be expected to come in for a certain time but we would go to work not knowing when we'd finish. Sometimes it'd end up being a 4 hours shift and sometimes it would be an 8 hours shift, you just can't predict it. I once worked a wedding, I came in at 6pm, expecting to work until about 10pm and instead I was there until 1:30 in the morning, but it isn't the sort of job where it turns 10 and you just decide you want to go home, you've got to be part of the team and do your part. Obviously, unless it's urgent, you are expected to finish when everyone else does or until you are dismissed, that's just the way it was for me and so I did make a lot of sacrifices. 

LEARN YOUR RIGHTS

This is something I massively regret not knowing during my job. Being under 18, you are entitled to a 30 minute break after 5 hours of work, you should not work more than 16 hours a week and you shouldn't work later than 10pm. I did all of those things on multiple occasions, but I didn't know that I had those rights. I did 8 hour shifts with no break, I worked until 1:30 in the morning and I worked weekends that totalled to about 25 hours. My advice is to just be aware of your rights as an employee and educate you colleges and boss on those and hopefully, something could be done about it whether it is just a 30 minute break. The industry is unpredictable and like I said before, you've just got to be selfless but if you need a break and you are entitled to one, make your boss aware. Looking back, I was definitely pushed around in my last job but it taught me when enough was enough. 

THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH IS CRUCIAL

What makes your job, is the people you work with. I feel like I have been quite negative in this post about hospitality, but in reality, I loved my job to bits but that was all down to the people I worked with. Having worked in two different hospitality jobs simultaneously, I have definitely noticed that you always love working when the staff you are with are great, friendly and supportive. It makes such a significant difference if you like your staff, because it makes you more productive while you're there but it also makes you want to come back. When I worked at events in a local hotel and restaurant, I loved it because the staff were all so close, everyone looked after each other and at the end of the day, it was a team. It always means the most when you can walk into your work and feel welcomed. I will say, it definitely makes leaving the job more upsetting, but having a close group of staff is so important. 

This post has definitely been the perfect chance for me to reflect on my last job. Although it definitely had its ups and downs, I wouldn't trade the experience for everything. It definitely taught me a lot, as you can see, but I loved working in both places and have very positive memories from my time there. Let me know what your first job was in the comments, I'd love to know!

Grace xx

SO I APPLIED TO UNIVERSITY

In case you didn’t know, I am currently in my second and final year of A-Levels, which means the university is pretty much on everyone’s mind. Being indecisive like myself makes it pretty difficult to know what I want my future to be, or how to get there, however, since finishing GCSEs, university has been pushed upon me by my school especially. Fast forward a few months, I’ve finally sent off my application to university and have actually received the majority of my offers, so I wanted to spend today’s post talking about the entire process. 

QUESTIONS

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO STUDY? AND WHY?

About June/ July time, I was undecided about what course I wanted to study. I always thought that a maths degree made the most sense to me, but at the time, I was also really interested in law so they became the two degrees I was tossing between. However, after multiple conversations with many different people, I decided to pick mathematics as the degree I would apply for. I mainly chose maths because I do love it, as weird as it might seem to some, it has always been the subject that I have found the most interesting. It is also a subject that I have great confidence in and so it became something that I found satisfying yet challenging. I feel like it was inevitable that I would apply to study mathematics, but I am honestly really excited about the prospect of it. It is definitely the sort of thing that I can never get tired of and I always feel like there is something to learn within the subject, so I guess that is mainly why I chose it. Realistically, it also offers a lot of job prospects, it is a very useful and transferable degree which I guess is just a bonus. 

HAVE YOU EVER DOUBTED YOUR DEGREE CHOICE?

Yes, like I said earlier, even in the earlier stages of high school, I always thought I wanted to do something in mathematics if I ever got to degree level stage, but it wasn't until mid-year 12 that I started looking at all of my options. I definitely have my doubts about my degree course choice but I think that is expected since there are so many unique degree courses out there. I'm not really doubting the fact that I won't love a mathematics degree, but I have got other interests outside of maths and I guess what I doubt is whether I would have enjoyed studying any of them at degree level. 

WAS THERE ANY OTHER COURSES YOU WERE INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR?

The two most prominent courses that I was torn between, like I said in the first question, was maths and law but there have been other courses. I study history A Level and I won't lie when I say that I love what I learn in those lessons, and degree level really offers you an ability to delve deep into unique areas of history which I think I would have found interesting. I've also always loved art and fashion. Only two years ago, I was going to do a BTEC in fashion instead of A Levels and so that has always been at the back of my head to study at university but I guess I was just drawn to the practicality of Mathematics and not only my interests in it, but the opportunities I would gain at the end of it. 

WHERE HAVE YOU APPLIED?

John Moores, University of Liverpool, University of Manchester, University of Leeds and University of York. All of them aren't too far away from where I live, some more than others and I felt as though they were a good range, so depending on the outcome of results day, I would have somewhere to go. I haven't visited some of the universities I have applied to and to be completely honest, there are two that I know I don't want to go to, but I wanted to use all of my five options, and I felt as those these five were the best combination of keeping my options open and realistic as well as their reputation, based on what I had heard. 

WHICH UNIVERSITY DO YOU WANT TO GO TO?

The university which I have visited and fell in love with instantly was the University of Manchester and so if I could study anywhere, it would be there. However, it is also the most competitive university I have applied to so fingers crossed the interview goes well and I get an offer. I guess that would be my firm university right now, but I also need to be realistic. Right now my insurance option would be University of Liverpool as it is more local to me and the people who I know that have studied there, couldn't say enough good things about the course. It is definitely a toss up between those two.

WHO HELPED YOU WRITE YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT?

I knew that during the process of writing my personal statement that I didn't just want to work on it with one person so throughout the process, a range of people helped me. It started off with me and my form tutor, helping me gain the basis of what needed to be said and making sure that it was said the right way. My maths teacher also read my personal statement just to make sure that I had made a convincing argument as to why that was the degree for me. I was also lucky enough to have my brother's girlfriend, Gaby, helping me as she has experience in writing personal statements, which was definitely useful because as a result, my personal statement was the perfect combination of personal yet academic and convincing. I definitely couldn't have written it without those mentioned and I am still really happy with my statement now, as I really believe it is the best I could have produced. 

WHAT WAS THE OVERALL APPLICATION PROCESS LIKE?

In theory, the process is actually quite simple, however, what made it extremely stressful, for me, was the pressure applied on it by my school. They were setting a lot of deadlines and really enforcing this idea that they needed to be sent off ASAP. As a result, the whole process was very overwhelming and such a relief once it was sent off. I definitely think that it is a very chaotic process when it is done through a school as from filling out the form, to the personal statement, even to the reference, it is just constant deadlines and corrections. It does all come together eventually though, and luckily for me, I got it sent off with plenty of time. 

If you have anymore questions, please feel free to let me know in the comments and I might do a part two to this once I hear back from all of my options. 

Grace xx