2013 IN A BLOGPOST

I still find it hard to believe 2013 has come to an end, and now we face a new year, 2014. Why is it the best times in our life whizz by?

I don't really know what to say other than what an amazing year 2013 has been. I could've had ten times as many pictures above, but I thought picking my favourite moments and photos would seem a bit more sensible. I had a good look through my photo folders from this year and attempted to piece together a small collage worth summing up this year.

2013 has been amazing because not only did I start blogging (which brings all of you lovely people here) but I went abroad for the second time in my life, to St.Lucia. It was one of the most spectacular holidays ever, and I'm so grateful for being taken there by my wonderful Mum. Yes, it was scary flying over the Atlantic ocean to the Caribbean and tackling the airports without Dad, but after the experience I feel a lot more confident than I have ever been. Experiencing a third-world country was such a contrast to what I'm used to, but meeting the people there was a real privilege. The hotel was so brochure-like it didn't seem real; a pool with swim up bar, open air restaurant and lounge, tropical gardens and the beach. I can now proudly say I have also been above and beneath the famous mountains called Pitons, trekked through a tropical rainforest and sped alongside dolphins. It is something I'll never forget.

This year I've been to some great parties with friends as well as making new friends, travelling with my closest friend to the beach and shopping, I've been to several shows, went horse riding for the first time and spent time with my Australian family who I only see every few years. It was also my sixteenth birthday, which was good fun. Christmas too was brilliant, and I love and am very grateful for everything I received.

Something else I feel should be mentioned is that I have over 14,000 amazing followers on Instagram in just over a year. To me this is still unbelievable and I can't thank any of them enough for supporting me and even viewing/following this blog. Lots of love to you all!

I have some good ideas for 2014 blogposts, hopefully making them quite creative, and I am already in the process of writing one called 'Your Time' which will hopefully be published on Friday. I would love to write weekly posts in 2014, but unfortunately I have upcoming GCSEs which sadly take priority. I will do my best to write as often as I can, but once they're all over I'll be back to regular posting.

I would like to end this post with some New Year's resolutions, but let's be honest, when have we ever carried them out successfully? All I can say is that I plan to work hard and achieve the best grades possible and perhaps meat a milestone on my blog...you never know! I hope that 2014 will too be a good year for you and there will be many adventures to come.

CHRISTMAS HAUL 2013

So sadly now, Christmas is over for yet another year and decorations are being boxed up and sale advertisements have already taken over our TV screens. Almost every year I hate after Christmas because all the warm festivity and spirit has disappeared and I remember I have to go back to school in just over a week and settle back down into the tiring routine. However this year I have reached the stage where although I feel sad it's all over, I can experiment with all my lovely new things and plan blog and Instagram posts. The only thing this year is that the majority of my Christmas budget was spent on makeup, therefore there aren't many clothes to show and a couple of items had to be unfortunately returned, but here is all of what I currently have from this Christmas.

NOTE: Please do not think I am showing-off in any way, I have been requested to write about what I received and I thought it might be useful for anyone who wants to spend Christmas money or hit the sales.

The makeup I received this year was perfect, the exact selection I was hoping for (I will try and get round to doing reviews or viewings of these items in future blogposts);

• MAC pro palette with x15 insert and four eyeshadows: Cranberry, Paradisco, Satin Taupe and Naked Lunch.
• MAC brushes: 266 angled brush and 217 fluffy blending brush.
• MAC lipstick in Pink Nouveau.
• MAC blush in Dame.
• NARS Triple X lipgloss.
• NARS Pro-Prime smudge-proof eyeshadow base.
• Benefit's 'They're Real!' mascara.

Due to this large expense in makeup, I only received a few clothes this year, as shown in the pictures above. The mint embellished neckline jumper from Topshop, the collared navy dress from ASOS and the zigzag top from Ted Baker, all of which I love. There were a couple of other items which unfortunately had to be sent back, so there will hopefully be an additional item on its way soon. I also got two scarves, a gorgeous faux fur snood from Accessorize and a tartan scarf from ASOS.

Onto the more individual items, I received Lauren Conrad's Style book, which I'm sure many of you have guessed I was very pleased about, being a fan of Lauren Conrad's Beauty book. I got given two iPhone cases, one from Ted Baker and the other a smart black leather. Other presents I received are as follows: two Essie nail polishes, Filthy Gorgeous red nail polish, three Topshop nail polishes, Remington curlers, white flower fairy lights, Topshop frilly socks, chocolate buttons (always a bonus), an iTunes £15 voucher and £70.

Overall, I had a really lovely Christmas. We ate out for the first time in years and the food and atmosphere were amazing. I hope everyone too had a great Christmas and that this post was helpful to you for any personal purchases or gift ideas.

I've started a plan on future blog posts, from reviews to outfit photography. This will take time, due to upcoming GCSEs and required equipment for the ideas I have in mind, so hopefully I can keep pleasing every single one of you in the meantime.

CHRISTMAS THEMED PAMPER EVENING

What better way to spend an evening near Christmas revolving every second of time around yourself? I had a lovely pamper evening just the other night, where I was able to simply soak up the relaxing atmosphere (as well as the bath-bombed water), listen to relaxing tunes and read for mental relaxation.

I lit my two favourite Christmas mini Yankee Candles, Snow in Love - a gorgeous soft powdery scent and Christmas Eve - a more spicy scent and my larger candle White Linen and Lace. I decided a bath isn't quite complete without a face mask, my current favourite Tea Tree pot from The Body Shop to cleanse and hydrate my skin.

My favourite part of the pamper evening was dropping my Lush 'Luxury Pud' bath bomb into the water and watching it explode into a rainbow of colours (once stepped into the bath water became a startling pink - don't worry, it doesn't stain!). What I also love is that the bright bomb, which I expected to smell quite citric, smelt of a lovely strong cinnamon (which, now thinking about it, makes sense) which really added to the warm Christmassy feel. Looking at the photos above, many of you might think that the bath bomb looks likely to irritate your skin due to the unnatural colouring, however I found it was very gentle and moisturising.

What better way to complete a relaxing beauty session than with Lauren Conrad's Beauty book. I know I have already talked about this in a previous post but I find it really useful for beauty tips and advice. It isn't particularly expensive either, I purchased mine from Amazon for only around £7. I also dipped into the Christmas edition of Vogue, which is one of my favourites because it is bigger than a normal monthly release.

I am looking forward to doing a Christmas blogpost soon.

Merry Christmas!

WINTER BEAUTY FAVOURITES

NOTE: I want to apologise for not doing a post in what seems like ages, I have been very busy with mock exams and revision, so unfortunately they had to take priority!

So I have numerous beauty products which I have been loving this winter, but I had to narrow it down to the ones that have been my all time saviours. Beauty items are essential at winter when your skin isn't looking its best because the sun is non-existent, the air is cold and drying and pale summery colours don't feel appropriate.

First of all starting with the beauty products. Skin care cannot be argued with in winter! My favourite moisturiser is currently the Clean&Clear dual action moisturiser. Finding a moisturiser that suited my skin really seemed impossible, until I started using this fabulous product. The reason I have a particular love for it is because, having combination skin (dry/oily), the previous moisturisers I had been using contained oil which did improve the dry areas but made the oily areas much worse. I don't really recommend using oil on your skin unless it is particularly dry, especially if you are susceptible to breakouts, because oil can sometimes cause pore blockages which results in spots (I know from experience unfortunately). But this moisturiser which isn't particularly pricey has worked wonders on my skin, leaving it feeling fresh and healthy without any greasy after-feeling and a reduction in breakouts. My winter must-have! Another moisturising treatment is the Body Shop body butter which I have been using on my hands and legs. If you're wondering why I use it on my legs, it's because they get quite dry after shaving so this body butter leaves them glowing and soft (always a bonus). The only downside is it does leave your skin feeling greasy for a while after, but the smell and overall effect is great. My favourite cleaning skincare has been the Tea Tree (and Witch Hazel) face mask from the Body Shop, and just Tea Tree and Witch Hazel in general. This is because they are antibacterial and I have found they leave my face feeling a lot cleaner and fresher than before.

For makeup beauty essentials, my favourite concealer (ever) has been the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer. I don't use foundation, I do have a couple of bottles but I find it really doesn't suit me and I hate feeling a bit cakey, so instead I use this concealer on any blemishes (not my entire face) and it gives the effect of having naturally clear skin. My favourite under eye concealer which isn't shown in the photos is the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, very cheap but very good at hiding dark circles. I have loved bronzing up my face using the Bourjois Paris Délice de Soleil bronzing powder. For me this is highly important in winter when the sun is sparse and fake tan might look a little bit out of place. I have also been loving eyeshadow this month, my favourites being the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette and dupes Maybelline colour tattoos. I love the bronze and gold colours particularly at the moment, and I find adding a dimension of colour to your eyelids looks really good. Onto my last skin beauty favourite, the MAC vanilla pigment. This is quite expensive but has been lasting me ages. I  bought it sometime at the beginning of this year and it still has the same amount inside because the pigment is so fine. I love using this in the corners of my eyes to brighten them and along my brow bone to give the effect of a defined bone structure. I only use the tiniest amount each time but when blended on my skin the pigment comes out very strong.

Onto nail care, my favourite nail treatment has been the Cutique ORLY cuticle and stain remover (hidden in the pictures, whoops). This has been brilliant at pushing down creeping cuticles and removing yellow stains from red/pink nail varnishes. I use this every time after I remove nail varnish for a minute or two and then wash it off using a nail brush and my nails have been a lot better condition since. My favourite nail varnish colours do tend to vary a lot during winter, but the ones I have been using the most are Barry M Black and Lychee. Both these colours are quite subtle but go with every outfit and look very classy. If I were to choose my favourite autumnal colours it would have to be Barry M Berry and shades of red from different brands.

The final beauty favourites aren't exactly things I can use on my body, but things that really relax my mind. I have been loving Yankee Candles, especially the Christmas ones, in my room or when I'm having a bath. Also Lauren Conrad's Beauty book, which I have found very helpful, and the Christmas Vogue. What about you?

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

So it's approaching one of our favourite times of the year…Christmas! Although it may not be everyone's cup of tea, I love the atmosphere, lights, decorations, the cold frosty mornings which can be treated with a hot chocolate and a crackling fire (that's unless you're like me and you have to drag yourself to school every morning).

I particularly love Christmas shopping and admiring shop window layouts. I had a good browse in the local mall (after seeing The Hunger Games - Catching Fire, which was AMAZING) and the decorations were breathtaking. It made shopping even more enjoyable than usual.

Walking outside was also just as lovely as being inside with all the lights, except this light was from an orange sun setting early on the horizon, the air brisk and beneath my feet were brown and yellow leaves (I apologise if I get vividly descriptive). It was even more seasonal because in my hands I held a Starbucks hot chocolate, in one of their festive cups which of course added to the overall feel.

My outfits haven't been varying hugely lately, because the majority of clothes I really want I've asked for Christmas, so I've had to resist purchasing anything new. In the above picture was a comfy and cosy outfit I wore for a lazy afternoon in Costa with a friend, consisting of…you guessed it…Topshop clothing. I have however other favourites which I will be featuring in a Winter Favourites blogpost which I hope to get round to doing sometime, GCSEs unfortunately take priority!

My favourite Christmas songs have definitely been the classic Michael Bublé 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland' and Lily Allen 'Somewhere Only We Know' from the adorable John Lewis Christmas advert, something I look forward to every year.

The only thing I'm waiting for now is snow!

SUNDAY SENSATIONS

Sundays are usually quite dull socially, but perfect for a bit of 'me' time. Especially now it's November, snuggling indoors with candles alight and fairy lights providing a warm glow in your room is heavenly.

I've been loving Yankee candles lately (the one shown in the pictures is White Linen and Lace), reading blogs and instragramming. I've also been loving Lauren Conrad's book Beauty. I've spoken about this in one of my previous posts, and I still highly recommend it to any beauty lovers and people in need of beauty guidance. It offers a range of tips like skin and hair treatment, matching your face shape to a hair style and makeup options. It is one of the few beauty books I've found where the author isn't too formal, instead Lauren is really down to earth and quite chatty in her explanations.

As well as having a lazy Sunday (I promise you, work is done!), I listen to a few of my current favourite tunes; 1975 - Chocolate, One Republic - Counting Stars, Avicii - Someone Like You and a Christmas classic Michael Bublé - Walking in a Winter Wonderland. What better way to spend your afternoon?

I guess the only thing that's not so great about a Sunday is that there's no sleeping in the next morning! What's your ideal Sunday afternoon?

AUTUMN TARTAN | OOTD

So because it's nearing the end of Autumn (Fall) and the beginning of Winter, I thought I'd post about what my favourite outfit has been this season. What I love about Autumn is being able to start snuggling into jumpers and wearing darker colours on your nails, as well as walking in chilled, seasoned air with the sound of colourful leaves crunching beneath your feet. 

So I went out and purchased a black and a berry nail varnish from Barry M, and treated myself to a tartan skirt from Missguided. When tartan suddenly came into fashion, at first I was quite weary of it. I'd seen numerous people wearing tartan scarves but I was worried it would look odd as actual clothing. But I was wrong! I couldn't be more pleased with the tartan skater skirt I bought from Missguided for a reasonable £14.99. I styled it with a flecked black crop jumper from Topshop (last year), Topshop studded boots and a bright red lipstick (this varied between Barry M 121 and MAC So Chaud). When I wore it out, I also added a black leather jacket for some extra warmth for the Autumnal inspired look. I love the simplicity of this look but the vibrant red of the skirt makes it complete. I'd love to wear and also recommend black buckle boots, high or low. 

I'm looking forward to Winter and hopefully the odd sprinkling of snow, so I can wear some new snuggly purchases (a Winter blogpost is coming soon…) and not to mention Christmas!

THE BODY SHOP HAUL

So when I recently went shopping, I came across my old friend The Body Shop. I hadn't been shopping in there for well over a year, so I nipped in to have a good look. So much choice and natural scents greeted me, it was hard to walk out empty handed. Of course, because their products are so unique and natural, the items are quite pricey so I only purchased four things, as shown above; Passion Fruit and Peach shower gel, Moringa body butter and Tea Tree face mask.

I have always used Body Shop shower gels because I love the smell of them, and my skin has never been irritated from using it. They had a huge range of different scents which I recommend having a look at.

I was glad to purchase the body butter because I've wanted something to moisturise my skin for so long. This is because after shaving my legs, even though I use shaving cream, they get quite itchy and dry therefore this was to be my solution. The only disadvantage is that it leaves yours skin feeling slimy for a while, however this might be the desired effect. The smell is a gorgeous blossom/honeysuckle scent, and they also have many fruit scents too.

The final purchase was a Tea Tree face mask. I've been suffering from breakouts lately which I have been treating as much as possible, and recent raves seem to be Tea Tree/Witch Hazel face masks, because they are antibacterial and provide deep cleansing. I have already spent an evening in a hot bath using a Lush pink star wand, yankee candles, Lauren Conrad Beauty to read and a Tea Tree and Witch Hazel face mask (this one was from Boots) which was truly relaxing for not only my mind but my skin as well.

I have been really into skincare lately, particularly because of the issues that come with my age (16) and also influence from Lauren Conrad Beauty, a book which I highly recommend to those interested in beauty tips.

FASHION STATEMENT

Fashion is something that describes our personalities and gives a statement to the world without the use of words. It tells people how we're feeling, what we're representing and what we're doing. Lately my love for fashion has grown tremendously, and putting together outfits and styling them has become almost a personal hobby. I can't say I'm an expert in fashion, but creating statements and playing with pieces is something I really enjoy and feel familiar with.

I often get asked many questions about where I get my clothes from, and the majority of them are from, you guessed it, Topshop. It is quite pricey, but their pieces are always lovely quality, imaginative or simple but satisfying. But other places which I often find gems are Missguided, ASOS and I'm beginning to fall for Ted Baker. Also finding smaller companies with unique pieces is always a bonus.

I also love the way fashion changes with the season. In the summer bright colours and flower headbands were the fashion favourites, and now into autumn/fall 'burgundy's and 'berry's are the trend. But what about the winter and Christmas? What comes next? I look forward to what the season brings with it. I will be doing a winter blogpost soon!

PASTEL COLLECTION

As so many of you seem to like my fashion posts on Instagram, particularly the pastel ones, I thought why not make it into a blogpost so I can talk about them rather than just a basic picture and caption. Even though it's currently Autumn/Fall and nearing the chilly winter months, I am still a big fan of pale shades. All of the clothes shown in the pictures are from Topshop. I am a huge Topshop lover because I love their range of styles and the quality is really satisfying. I love pastels because in my opinion they compliment every skin and hair tone, as well as being really pretty to look at. I apologise for the watermarking, I've had to do this because when I uploaded my first pastel collection photo on Instagram someone had print screened it and soon it was all over We Heart It and Tumblr with no credit whatsoever. In a way I am grateful for people taking such an interest in my photos, but having a photo being posted all over the internet with no credit didn't make me particularly happy. The additional 'pastel' accessories shown are from: phone cases - Amazon, Vans - Schuh, large bow wash bag - Ted Baker, quilted mint shoulder bag - Forever 21 and rose gold watch - Michael Kors. Hopefully I'll be able to do an Autumn/Winter fashion post soon.

BEHIND THE SCENES | HAIR MODELLING

So I was lucky enough to be asked to hair model for a local hairdressers'. Firstly I had my hair washed and dried, then my makeup done. This followed by having my hair made into a few bridal styles along with several other brides/bridesmaids. I was dressed in a wedding dress which unfortunately was too big, so instead I wore a prom dress as shown above. It was good fun posing in front of the white screen having photos taken whilst people bustled past, organising dresses and adding finishing touches to their hair. I have kindly been ask to do more hair modelling next time, which I'm really looking forward to! When I have been sent the photographers' shots I will do another blog post also.

MY SWEET SIXTEENTH

Michael Kors Rose Gold Watch
This was my main birthday present (which I lovely verrryyy much)
- I apologise for the watermark, this photo is one I uploaded on Instagram.

MAC So Chaud lipstick and Lustre drops.
- Once again, I apologise for the watermark.

With the birthday money I received, I purchased a neon cami and treggings from Topshop.
Cami - £6
Treggings - £28


I also purchased some deep purple/pink patterned shorts from Urban Outfitters.
Shorts - £35

These two tops are from Topshop also. The first one was from my friend, and the second one I purchased to wear for my party.
Blue top - £22
Yellow top - £34


(Another instagram photo!)
I received MAC's Candy Yum Yum lipstick from a friend, and the neon nail polish is my second purchase from Urban Outfitters.
Nail polish - £6

Also for my birthday I received some other lovely presents from my friends such as a vintage photo album/box drawers, a vintage photo frame with photos of me and my friend, a sketchbook and pencils, a silver cross necklace, a bee bracelet from Topshop and some fab My Little Pony underwear from Topshop.

For my party I had friends round for some early shopping in Exeter, followed by more friends coming over for a gorgeous meal my Mum traditionally prepares for every birthday of mine. We then had a 'night out' (which just consisted of having a nightly walk into town, haha) and back to mine for a sleepover.

Here are a few pictures of my Mum's gorgeous pink-themed meal she made for us.

So as some of you may already know, I previously turned 16 on September 4th. It's not exactly old, I know, but personally I feel like it is quite a big step out of my childhood. I am now in Year Eleven, my last uniformed school year. Gone were the days of getting child bus fares (sigh) and buying beanie babies from the local shop (we all used to collect them, right?).

Anyway before I go off on a tangent, I thought I'd share with you what I received for my birthday.