Monday 28 December 2015

What I Got For Christmas 2015

I have a love-hate relationship with these blog posts. On one hand I love seeing what my friends got for Christmas, the cute little Knicks knacks that are going to make them really happy. They are not boasting or showing off in any way and they are truly lovely to read but then there are the ones who got an iPad, and iPhone, Victoria secret underwear, Ugg boots and just about every other famous brand you can think of, they are not so enjoyable to read! I also hate these posts because it makes me question ' did I get enough?!' Well, of course, I got a bloody enough! You only have to look at the pictures from those boxing day floods in the north to realise how lucky I am! I hope you enjoy this post! If you don't enjoy these posts, no one is making you read them!

What I Got For Christmas 2015 Blog Posts UK Youtube


My main present from my parents this year was a gold, 16GB iPod touch! Omg, I am obsessed with the colour of this thing, its STUNNING! I can now use emoji which I am rather excited for!

ipod touch 6th generation apple review

The second main present this year from my grandparents was this beautiful Monochrome coat from Matalan, I think I am in love!

Monochrome coat Matlan Sale

Matalan coat monochrome dogtooth


They also got me a cheeky £50 Debenhams gift card and one of my aunties got me a £15 gift card for boots.

gift cards boots makeup blogger


Also related to beauty, my auntie got me MAC'S velvet teddy lipstick. I have not yet used it because I needed 200 photos of it from every angle #bloggerproblems

MAC Velvet teddy lipstick review

MAC Lipstick velvet teddy review

MAC Lipstick velvet teddy review


My mum then did a grand job getting three lip products that I love, Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in 08, Rimmel of my gloss lipgloss in the shade 160- stay my rose and Revlon colour stay in the shade 025 socialite.

lipgloss review drugstore Rimmel Kate Moss Relvon

08 lipsticks lipgloss pink superdrug


I was super excited to also see she got me the core collection of real technical brushes! Yay for my first proper set of brushes!

core collection brushes real techniques


I auntie also got me this super cute makeup bag and three nail polishes, two from nails Inc in the shades Sloane Street and Sheraton street as well as one from OPI in the shade centre of the You-niverse.

nail polish OPI Nails inc


And then I got a nail polish stand?! Haven't got a clue what this is!?

nail polish pod


Next, I got this super pretty Ted Baker beauty set with hand cream and body lotion etc. Ted Baker is definitely one of my favourite brands!

Ted baker body hand cream boots

Within the fashion department mother got me this super pretty hat and scarf both of which are super pretty and I love the colours! These are both from Primark I think!

Primark scarf hat autumn winter

For jewellery, my parents got me these super pretty earrings which were lost and then found on boxing day haha! She also got me this pretty brooch from Betty Jackson which I can't wait to wear on my new coat!

Betty Jackson brooch pretty posh

For DVDs, you may or may not know I am trying to build up my Disney collection so to add to it this year my parents got me lady and the tramp and the lion king!! I also got 500 days of summer and we brought a zoo, oldies but goodies!

lion king lady and the tramp Disney 500 days of summer we brought a zoo DVDS


My mother did so well this year, in the music department. She got me the Smiths, hatful of hallows, AM by Arctic monkeys and Coldplay's new album Head full of dreams- all on vinyl! Ahhhh!!

The Smiths AM Arctic monkeys coldplay head full of dreams vinyl HMV

I, of course, got the obligatory VW campervan calendar!

Camper van calendar 2016

Oh, I also got some really cool filters for my camera! This kit came with more cleaning stuff but also a UV lens, a neutral density filter, a grey grad filter and a polarising filter!

camera photography filters cheap great

My best friend got me this super Cosy and snuggly blanket which when it is not being used for its proper purpose will make a great blog photo background!

Dobbies blanket throw grey beige

Of course, no Christmas is complete without some chocolate! I got the standard Lindt Santa, little bears and stars but I also got this massive hand-made selection of Lindt balls which I am not going to lie was hard to save for the photo because I just wanted to eat them all! (I also got the selection box from Cadbury's which I am not happy about because they took the flake out) oh and I got a Terry's chocolate orange!

Christmas selection box chocolate Lindt Terry's chocolate orange

Lindt selection box hand picked balls


And that's it! I always feel so awkward doing these posts but I know you guys wanted to see it!

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and I wish you all the best for a happy and healthy 2016 xx

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Wednesday 23 December 2015

Underrated Bloggers

I did a post in the summer about YouTubers who I feel deserve more recognition for their hard work. Being a blogger myself I very much enjoy checking out, reading and following a lot of blogs. I have made some lovely friends through blogging, who really do make the whole experience more enjoyable and less isolating than what it actually can be. I hope you check all of these bloggers out, because just like the YouTubers I mentioned, they are all incredibly hard working and don't have the followers they deserve. P.S: this list is in no particular order ( because I am no Cruella devil and can't pick favourites)


Okay, where do I start! When I first discovered Sophie, it was her impeccable fashion posts and flawless blog layout and made me an instant lover of her blog! Ever since her content has never failed to disappoint me! Everything she wears is on fleek haha cringe! No, but seriously, she has such a unique and quirky style. Her lifestyle content is also super refreshing and such a delight to read. But not only does she have a lovely blog she also has such a wonderful personality and always seems really chirpy, like a cute little bird haha! 



This girl, this girl, though! Her content is honesty always so lovely to read. She has such stunning photos and original ideas. In particular, I loved her mental health day post-Kat did, it was such an interesting read. When I first started talking to Kat on twitter chats, she was so lovely and as continued to be as kind ever since! She produces such a vast range of content from cooking to beauty and everything in between. If there is one person who you will always see in Twitter chats, its Kat- ready to bring a smile to your day!



Lauren always produces such original content. She doesn't do the generic beauty posts that most bloggers do she focuses on topics that are fresh and Something she is passionate about! This is definitely admirable in a blogger as it is so easy to get swept away with what everyone else is doing! She's a pretty new blogger on the block but I love seeing her content and photographs improve. She is also insanely beautiful and I don't know why she doesn't do fashions posts.


I don't know this lovelies name, which is a shame but I absolutely love her blog! I have been following her blog for a while now and it is AMAZING to see the improvement she has made. She mainly focuses on lifestyle and beauty content sometimes doing fashion as well! My favourite posts of hers are definitely her lifestyle ones especially ' can you blame bad grades on bad teaching?' It's so nice to see a blogger covering a wide array of topics - I definitely want to see more in the future and I can't wait to watch her blog grow and grow!


I feel like I've known and followed Geraldine's blog for ages now but maybe that's just sign of a good friendship ( I did wish happy birthday to her nine months early, it was an accident I would like to reiterate haha) Anyway, Geraldine mainly focuses on lifestyle, fashion and beauty so a right collective mix! There is definitely something for everyone! Like a lot of the other bloggers I have mentioned here, she also produces really high-quality posts on a wide range of different topics that are always a delight to read!


Tash is a lovely blogger that I discovered back in the summer! She always produces such high-quality content on such a range of different subjects, mainly beauty and fashion! I have loved seeing her blog grow and what she has in store for the future! She always leaves the nicest comments on my blog and I bet she is equally a lovely person in real life!


I don't Nicole that well on a personal level like I do some of the other bloggers within this post however when I first discovered her blog I was hooked! I only found it a couple of months ago but ever since she has been my fashion guru! She has such a great sense of style and takes the most amazing photos to go alongside it! I definitely think her blog deserves so much more recognition as it is clear to see she puts so much effort into each and every post!


I am going to have to stop myself there otherwise, I will end up going on forever! I know I have missed so many of my favourites off but to stop this post being ridiculously long I will have to do a part 2 and maybe  part 3,4 & 5 later on, next year!

 I hope you have found some new reading material through this post! I genuinely recommend you check out all these bloggers, you won't regret it!

Who are your favourite bloggers?! Are they any I mentioned on the list?!
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Sunday 20 December 2015

Things To Remember When You Are Stressed

Oh, Stress! I bet that at least 70% of you reading this post felt stressed today! Maybe you felt stressed because of an exam, a group presentation, an interview or simply just going about your daily activities! Stress forms and takes shape in many different ways and everyone will be affected in different ways but it is more than likely that everyone will be affected by stress at some point in their life. Being stressed is okay! Small, manageable amounts are part of normal healthy living, however, stress that is debilitating or life inflicting should be taken seriously. If you have any worries or concerns about your own personal stress levels then you should definitely seek help from a professional. Today, I thought I would share with you some things to remember next time you are stressed which hopefully might make coping with your stress levels easier and less challenging. I am no mystic mag and I definitely am not a qualified professional, so don't expect any groundbreaking advice!

Stress stressed how to deal with stress quick free advice


#1 WHATS THE WORST THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?!

I hate it when people say this to me, so I am sorry for giving this advice because I know it can be annoying, but it is a highly important thing to remember. The thing with stress is that it escalates. You get stressed about one thing which then starts you off like a chain of dominos and before you know it you are stressed about things that aren't going to happen. When people are stressed they focus on the worst that is going to happen either because they have seen it on TV etc. Or their imagination makes up these situations which have a very slim chance of happening! Stress affects people's ability to be able to think straight so if you do feel stressed its important to try and tell yourself what you think is going to happen is probably not!

#2 HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO GO ON FOR?!

I think this is such an important point to take into account when you feel stressed. Sometimes when you are caught up in a stressful situation it can feel like it is going to go on forever. For instance, people in the north of England who have recently had their houses flooded are probably very stressed and concerned right now. However, although it may be very hard to be able to put yourself in the right mindset. Their house is not going to be flooded forever and yes the drying process may take a few months or years, which can seem like a lifetime it is going to come to an end eventually.

#3 IS IT AS BAD AS YOU THINK?

This is very similar to the first point I made, in terms of the brain not being able to function as well when it is stressed. I usually describe this as a missing filter. You get given a problem and a unstressed person will be able to see the issues and give an accurate account of some of the possible complications that can occur but also a realistic expectation of the situation i.e. trying not to think the situation is going to be as bad as you think! Without this filter, you automatically assume the worst which then escalates into more stress which is never beneficial for anyone. Trying to look realistically at a situation should help try and reduce your stress levels!

#4 WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE IT BETTER?

A lot of people, including myself will have their own ways of coping with stress that are personal to them. It is important although you may not be able to take yourself completely away from a situation that is causing you stress you work around it to help ease the stress levels and consequently make it more manageable and bearable! Identifying what is causing you stress is also paramount in being able to work around it to ensure that it affects you and your day to day life as little as possible! Identifying what eases stress for you whether that be colouring books, peaceful music or a hobby is essential!

#5 IT'S OKAY! YOUR NOT MAD! YOU ARE NOT INSANE! YOU ARE COMPLETLY NORMAL!

When people are stressed, often for prolonged periods of time it can make then feel like they are mad or gone crazy. This is Definitely not the case. Although the way your brain and body deals with the stress may not be a sufficient way it doesn't mean that you are insane! Some degree of stress is normal however if you feel that your personal stress levels are taking over, you can talk to a professional who should give you confidential and supportive advice. No one will judge you or think you are silly going to the doctors for such a matter. You are stuck with yourself for the rest of your life so it is important that you take care of yourself!

And that's it! I hope you enjoyed these quick tips! As I said I am no expert but I hope that at least one of you found these tips useful and will maybe apply them next time you find your stress levels rising!

Do you have any more tips for dealing with stress?! What do you tell yourself when you are stressed?! Let me know it the comments below x
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Sunday 13 December 2015

How To: Christmas Light Bokeh Photography Tutorial

Christmas light bokeh photography tutorial easy glass jar pintrest

I love photography and I love doing photos diaries on my blog, however, to mix it up today a bit, I thought I would do a tutorial that you can have a go at home! This effect is called  ' bokeh' a strange word I know, but it creates such a cool effect and is easy to do if you have the right kit at home. I hope you enjoy it and if you do try it, do send me your photos on twitter, I would love to see them!

You Will Need:

A glass jar
Fairy or Christmas lights
A 50mm prime lens 
Or a 250mm zoom lens 
camera
tripod 
a long distance ( if using 250mm)

There are two ways you can do this effect. One, using a 50mm prime lens, that can go down to a really low aperture of F1.6 or a 250mm zoom lens that can have a slightly bigger f-number, of between 3 and 5. The way I created the above picture was on a 250mm lens, so I will go through that in more depth in a second. However, if you do have a prime lens, to create this effect you need to be close to your glass. You will set up your glass, in the foreground which you focus on and then the lights in the background, but the distance does not have to be that far away because you are using a small f-number.

However, if you are using a 250mm zoom lens, you will need to position your camera ( on a tripod), the jar and the fairy lights in perfect line with each other. You should be far away from the lights with the glass in the middle. To create the best effect, you should put your camera on manual. The exact settings I used to create the photo above were; a shutter speed of 1/20s, an f-number of f/5.0 and ISO200. You can play around with the settings to see what works best for you. I also highly recommend you using a tripod, to avoid camera shake and also because you are using manual settings as well as a two-second timer.

There are lots of different ways to create this effect. I bet it looks really good with different coloured lights as well. You can try so many set-ups with lots of different objects in the foreground, as the main focus such as baubles or parts of the Christmas tree etc. If you are using a glass, trying rearranging the lights so it looks like they are coming out of the top of the jar. But always remember to ensure the glass is in perfect focus otherwise it ruins the shot! 

I hope you guys enjoyed this quick photography tutorial. I am sorry there aren't many Christmas themed posts on my blog this year but I really don't have the time to do any, so this is the closest you are going to get this year, apologies!  

Thank you for reading x 

Do you like trying different effects with your camera? Will you be trying this one? 





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Sunday 6 December 2015

What I Got For My 17th Birthday

Other than the fact now being 17 is extremely daunting and I still look 12, which is just great, I had a really fab birthday! I spent the day at my nursery for my work placement, which was fun, but I obviously don't have access to my phone all day. When I came home, I was bombarded with so many sweet birthday messages from all of, which made me just appreciate my blogging friends and the blogging community that I am a part of. It's funny to think that people I have actually never met in real life are kinder than some of the people that I call my friends. You are all too amazing and honestly all your lovely comments and messages meant so much more to me than any present I could have ever received. Today, I thought I would share with you some of the presents that I got for my birthday. If you don't like this kind of post or assume I am being braggy then you are under no obligation to read it! But if you are sticking around, then I hope you enjoy!

Happy birthday haul bloggers


My main present for my birthday this year was a trip to the Warner Brothers Studio: The Making of Harry Potter. Which if you haven't seen, I did a post all about it HERE. Of course, it wouldn't be natural not to go and spend your entry fee and more in the quite overwhelming giftshop. So I did and I firstly got a wand. An essential for 17-year-old's out there! I got Voldemort's! I know, boo hiss! But his wand was a lot more exciting than Snape's or Draco's so I could kind of justify spending that much! I also picked up the official guide book and had a very flattering picture of me taken on a broom, which you can probably guess wasn't cheap! Finally from Harry Potter world, I got a cute little Dobby Necklace, which is actually adorable! oh and a Slytherin postcard which I put in a photo frame.

Harry potter wand Voldemort

Harry potter world wand Voldemort

Dobby necklace Harry potter world

Harry potter world slytherin postcard

Harry potter world broom wand experience

The official guide of Harry potter book

My mum then surprised me with a set of Harry Potter PJ's and Harry Potter socks because you know I don't think I had enough Harry Potter mechanise.

Harry potter socks Primark

Harry potter gryffindor pj's primark

Asides of Harry Potter one of my biggest loves in this world, is Disney. It is my aim before I die to collect as many of the Disney films as I can possibly collect. To add to my collection, my parents got me Bedtime stories, The jungle book and Little Mermaid- which I can't wait to sit down and watch!

Disney DVD the little mermaid jungle book bedtime stories

Disney DVD offer christmas

One of my all-time favourite TV shows is Keeping up appearances. This show is seriously old, but it is British comedy gold and I love it! I am actually so happy to own the box set now!

Keeping up appearances box set

If you know me then you will know I am extremely fussy with Chocolate, I can't just have any old thing so when I found out I got some Marks & Spencers Chocolate truffles I was actually delighted. You don't know the pain I had to go through, trying not to eat them all this week so I could take a photo, oh....blogger problems!

luxury Christmas marks and Spencer chocolate truffles

Monochrome and dogtooth are my jam, so when I saw that my parents got me this super cosy dogtooth cape, I was really happy! I can't wait to wear this. To be honest, I will probably wear it all year around because I love it so much.

dogtooth monochrome cape matalan

Finally from my parents I got a camera cleaning kit. when I told my friends I got a camera cleaning kit for my birthday, they didn't get it but because most of my readers are bloggers, you get that a camera cleaning kit is not only essential but really exciting. well, maybe it's just me then!

camera cleaning kit cheap amazon

Lastly from my best friend, she kindly got me a sanctuary spa shower gel set, which I am not gonna lie I am in love with the tin more than the products and a Soap and Glory, Handmaid because I bloody love this stuff but who has got £2.50 to spend on hand sanitizer, I definitely haven't, not at the rate I go through it!

handmaid soap and glory

sanctuary spa shower gel set gift xmas

Thank you for reading!

I hope you have all had a lovely week, I will catch up with you next Sunday!
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Sunday 29 November 2015

Photo Diary: HOGWARTS IN THE SNOW


I don't think I have ever been as excited for a blog post as I am for this one! Yesterday, I travelled to the outskirts of London and visited the Warner Bros Studio Tour: The Making Of Harry Potter and oh my goodness me it was the most magical and beautiful place I have ever been! It was all dressed up for Christmas, covered in snow. When I walked in the first thing you could see was the absolutely stunning Christmas tree which I took a unnormal amount of photos of it! Everything was amazing but my favourite parts were opening the Grand Hall doors because I was celebrating my birthday ( my actual birthday is this Tuesday), flying in Ron's car and on a broom, Platform 9 3/4 and the end model of Hogwarts, which is utterly gobsmacking! I brought lots of things in the shop as well, which I can show you in a birthday haul, next week if you like! If you like Harry potter I totally recommend you go, it's totally worth it! Sorry if you think this is an overload of photos! I took so many it was hard to narrow it down! ENJOY!  

Harry potter Studios snow making of tour London

Ron's car Ford Harry potter

Harry Potter Christmas Tree snow

Harry Potter Snow Winter

Harry Potter Grand Hall Christmas

Hogwarts Harry Potter Grand Hall

Christmas Harry Potter Grand Hall food

Harry Potter studio tour London

Harry Potter studio tour London

Christmas Hogwarts Harry Potter

Christmas Tree Harry Potter studio tour

Hogwarts Harry potter studio tour

Harry potter platform 9 3/4 photo

Harry Potter train inside

Hogwarts express train Platform 9 3/4

Harry potter Platform 9 3/4

Harry Potter Train studio tour

Harry potter Umbridge clothes pink

Harry Potter Malfoy Tom Felton

Fang Hagrids Hut Harry potter

Hagrids bike Harry potter studio tour

Knight Bus Harry potter studio tour

Ron girlfriend Train Harry potter

Privet Drive Harry potter studio tour

Ford Harry potter car chambers second film

Harry Potter Big spider

Olivianders wands shop Harry potter

Harry Potter studio tour London

Joke shop George Welasy

Harry potter quidditch

Harry Potter in the show castle stunning

Hogwarts in the snow studio tour

Wands famous Hogwarts Harry potter

Potions Snape Harry Potter class

Professor Dumedore Harry potter office

I hope you enjoyed this very Harry Potter Photo filled post! I am so happy that I went and really want to go back now! It was definitely the best day I had in ages x

Have you ever been to Harry Potter world? What did you think of it? 
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