Blogmas : Day one | The Christmas Tag

Hello everybody! It is officially Blogmas and what’s a better way to start it off than with the Christmas Tag? I spotted these questions online and thought they were the ideal way to introduce you to some of my thoughts on Christmas. I hope you enjoy! Happy December y’all x

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?

My favourite Christmas movie has to be Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. When I was two years old, I had just got out of hospital from having my heart operation around this time of the year.  Rudolph was one of the first movies I watched when I got back. It’s a happy sad kind of film with a lot of memories attached to it for me and my family. That and Annabelle’s Wish. I adore that film. It’s about a cow who wishes she was a reindeer. It sounds silly now, but watch it and I bet you cry!

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Christmas morning obviously! Santa delivers them when I’m asleep on Christmas eve, duuurrr!!! I do love Christmas morning though. Me and my family gather around the tree in our PJs and open all of the goodies underneath it. It’s a special cosy moment.

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

Yes! But only now that I can look back on it… When me and my sister were younger we would leave nine Maltesers out for Santa’s reindeer and of course, some whiskey for him. The Maltesers would sit in the top of an empty Pringles lid. On Christmas morning we went downstairs to see if the reindeer had eaten the Maltesers and the Pringles lid was empty, except for a lot of reindeer saliva (of course this was my dad trying to make things look as real as possible). Such a genious drunken idea… which I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Santa and his reindeer were real to me that day.

4. Favourite festive food?

My Nana’s mince pies. Oh mt gawd, I have not tasted mince pies as good as the ones she makes. Honestly they are the best things ever, and super special because she only makes them at Christmas (even though it is illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas day!). I’m going home this weekend, and I hear she has been baking. The excitement is unreaaaal!!

5. Favourite Christmas gift?

The gift of life, love, family and health. Honestly, as corny as it sounds, they are the most important things to me and they are all that I want on Christmas day. For this Christmas most importantly is that my Auntie can celebrate the day and has an amazing time. That would mean the world.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

There are too many! A box of freshly opened Roses Chocolates. That is the ultimate Christmas smell for me. Or a warm house that smells of cooking and food. Then there is the synthetic Christmas smell, and I don’t know how to explain it… it is just the smell of Christmas. My mum had a pencil that was scented with the smell.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

We have a party with my family at my house, where there are goodies on the table and my dad comes up with party games and it’s just a fun, nice gathering before Christmas.

8. What tops your tree?

We now have a Star, however on previous years it was this really creepy pot angel. But she just sits elsewhere on the tree now and has been replaced with a sparkly gold star.

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?

I don’t think I ever asked for anything crazy or wild. I might have to get back to you on this one! I mean, even though he is magical, Santa is just human at the end of the day! Though one thing I did get was a toy of a black dog that I had seen in Santa’s workshop online. That was pretty crazy.

10. What’s the best part about Christmas for you?

It has changed over the years, but now that I have moved out and gone to university, the best part about Christmas is coming home and being surrounded by the people I love. Nothing beats being with your family.

I now tag whoever is reading this to answer the questions! Please comment below your blog posts if you do complete these, I’d love to see your answers x

BLOGMAS

I am so excited to announce that I will be taking part in Blogmas this year. It is the first year I have decided to do this so please bear with me with uploading the posts and trying to organise/ arrange everything. But I am super excited about this and think it is the perfect way to get feeling Christmasyy!

I’m sure you do, but if you don’t know what Blogmas is, it is where you post a blog for every day in December about Christmas or winter. It looks so fun and I’m really happy to be doing it this year.

If you are also doing Blogmas please let me know – I love reading other people’s posts about Christmas! It gets me in the festive mood.

I am so looking forward to Christmas this year and I hope my blogs throughout December will help you feel christmasy too!

I will leave you with a picture me and my friend took at the rainy Manchester Christmas Markets this weekend… Do excuse the hoods!

Until December 1^st

xx

The Power of Makeup | Challenge

I’ve seen this challenge on YouTube by NikkiTutorials and since then it has been posted around a numerous amount of times… So today I thought I would give it a go! I think this is the first time I have gone (half) face naked online! Which is very scary… But I loved the idea of the challenge and couldn’t not do it!

I feel as though this is super empowering. I decided not to go way out and only do my every day make-up on one half of my face. I didn’t think it would make that much of a difference but it so does! The darker circles under my eyes disappear, my cheekbones are A LOT more emphasised the blemishes seem to have gone (though if you look close they’re still there!). I don’t know, it’s kind of inspiring and maybe I will be brave enough to venture out of the house without makeup on in the future…

I hope this has helped you realise that you need to embrace your natural beauty but also to have some fun and play around with makeup once in a while. It is not a crime to wear makeup just like it is not a crime to go out as your natural self. All you need to do is be able to love yourself!

Let me know what you think of the challenge and if you guys have done it yourself, please post them in the comments, I’d love to see your results.

Plans | Writing a novel

I don’t know how long you have been reading my blog for, but a very long time ago – way before I started getting into beauty and fashion reviews, I mentioned that I might start writing a graphic novel.

You see I have had this story in my head since I was in year eight – so around seven years now. Nothing has ever come of it, I guess the story has only really existed in my mind, and whoever I have told. But I have had seven years to mull over characters and watch this idea grow into something that I can no longer keep to myself.

I took a trip the other weekend to Leeds to see my sister, and I told her that I was thinking about turning this idea into an actual book. I did consider a graphic novel, but I can’t draw as well as I’d want the pictures to look, so my only other option is to turn it into an actual novel.

My sister said it was a good idea and introduced me to the site Nanowrimo, which basically helps you write a novel in a month. The month they’ve chosen is November and to be honest, I don’t think I could wait that long to get started.

When reading up on this site it makes writing a novel in a short time look achievable. To get your story officially classed as a short novel it needs to be between 50,000 – 60,000 words.

At first glance this looks impossible. But I’ve broken it down to writing 1,000 words a day and then in two months time hopefully I will have a first draft!

The thought of this is so exciting and so even with all of my exams going on and deadlines creeping up, I have decided to start writing and see what happens.

I’m currently on 4000 words which for me is an achievement just to start putting pen to paper (or in this case fingers to keys.)

I’m looking forward to seeing where this thing ends up and hopefully by the end of the summer I might actually be able to say I’ve written a novel!

Until then I will keep you updated throughout this journey.

Wish me luck.

❤

Holy Grail | Challenge

1) Holy Grail foundation? –

Maybelline dream matte mousse SPF 15, I absolutely swear by this stuff at the moment. The colour I have is: Sand. It seems to go on quite thinly but for day to day use it’s perfect.

2) Which eyeshadow or palette do you always go back to? –

Gold Look, Next eye palette .  It has pretty much every natural colour you could ever want in there, with a few glittery ones for going out. It’s ace.

3) Which of these is your staple; Blusher or Bronzer? Which one? – 

Blusher – Natural Collection, Rosey Cheeks. To be honest I haven’t really tried that many blushers. It was my sister who recommended this to me and I haven’t looked back since.

Bronzer – Collection, Bronze Glow Matt in the colour terracotta. It’s cheap and very high Street, I know, but it does the trick and looks great, so I really can’t complain.

4) Gloss or Lipstick? Which one do you always turn to? –

Gloss – Clinique long last glosswear SPF15. I wear this every day. I suffer a lot with chapped lips, but using this lip gloss seems to prevent them from getting chapped and so I never leave the house without it on.

5) You’re having a bad skin day, which product do you instantly reach for? –

Natural Collection – colour foundation again in the colour Sand. This is a little bit thicker than the Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse and the coverage is a lot better. I very rarely wear this on a day to day basis, but when it’s that time of the month and my skin starts breaking out, I do have to delve deep inside my make-up back and whack on some of this.

6) You want sexy lashes today; which mascara can you always rely on? –

Clinique high impact mascara. It never lets you down and always makes your lashes look fuller.

7) Which brand of brushes are your favourite? –

EcoTools – these brushes are great. Not only are they environmentally friendly, they are also really soft! I didn’t realise the importance of getting the right brush until I purchased these, and they make such a difference to your make-up. Giving you a flawless finish.

8) Which is your everyday perfume/body spray? –

I’ve never really been into body spray. My family have allergies and so I’ve always used scentless deodorants.

9) Which is your signature makeup look? –

I normally go for a thin line of black eyeliner with a brown smokey eye and rosey cheeks.

10) Finally, which cosmetics brand overall is your most collected? –

You can probably tell after these answers that I love natural collection, but have also hoarded some Clinique products along the way.

If I could afford it, I’d love to try out more Clinique products as they’re just so lovely.

Being Tall | Pros and Cons

I have a love hate relationship with my height. I currently stand at 5ft 10″ which is above the average height of women in the UK by four inches. It may not seem a lot, but these four inches make a huge difference in day to day life. However sometimes I think the cons outweigh the pros.

There are a lot of positives that come with being tall. When you’re at a gig you can stand almost anywhere and end up getting an alright view of the stage. In a club you’re a good head above everyone else and so can see your friends if you get lost or even maybe make eye contact with that tall, dark and handsome man who also stands a head above the crowd (though this rarely happens).

You get first pick of the tall guys.

You’re constantly told that because of your height you could be a model which boosts your self esteem quite a lot – though I have been told that models need a peculiar face so I’d fit in fine which I haven’t quite decided if that’s a compliment or not.

I also think being tall makes you feel more badass. Animal instinct kicks in so people tend to see you as more authoritative. Being tall gives you power. I’ve also read that you’re more likely to get a better wage than someone smaller than you – whether or not that’s true, it’s definitely a pro to being tall.

Then there’s your long legs! Everyone is envious and it helps you pull off the latest fashion trends. But long legs are not all what they’re cracked up to be…

At the cinema or theater it’s an absolute pain if you don’t get the end seat as your knees end up in the back of the chair in front of you.

At university, the beds are tiny and so you find that your toes stick out giving you cold feet!

In photos you’re always in danger of only getting half of your head in so to stop this from happening you have to slightly bend your knees to make yourself a normal height.

You have trouble keeping a good posture as you’re constantly trying to be at everyone else’s level.

When your friends pull out their umbrellas you always stand above them getting wet and missing out on the conversation.

And then the worst thing of all is that you can never find jeans or trousers that fit.

Countless times have I walked into a store looking for the tall section and being told that you have to go online. It’s practically impossible to go somewhere and pick up a pair of jeans that are long enough. Pretty much every clothes shop has an in store petite section, so why are tall people left out and discriminated against?

I was in New Look the other day, and I found some gorgeous maxi trousers that would be perfect for summer, however, when trying them on they were about an inch too short! It was heart breaking. I’ve looked online for something similar and nowhere does anything long enough. It’s a nightmare.

Not only do shops not have tall sections, on the rare occasion that they do, you only get an small choice of clothes. I get so excited when I find a tall section that I can browse in real life and not virtually, however when you start looking, everything is work clothes, or plus sized. It’s impossible to get a casual outfit that fits.

I really think clothe shops should start catering more for tall people. I love shopping but I do sometimes just want to give up as it becomes a lot of effort to find things that fit properly, and when you can’t find anything, it’s so upsetting. I’m sure I’m not the only one who believes that there should be a wider range in the Tall section. As they say, the world is only getting taller.

Post a Day | Challenge

Hello everybody!

I know I said I was back but I really didn’t see what was coming. I have come down with the most terrible cold, that I have literally not been up to facing a computer screen.

It started around five weeks ago, I woke up with quite a sore throat but I didn’t really think anything of it. I kept on going as there were deadlines to meet and things to do. With a bit of a hectic lifestyle you can’t allow things like that to get in the way.

The sore throat would come and go. Sometimes I’d wake up without a voice, growl at my housemates before heading off to uni. Other days I’d wake up and I’d feel absolutely fine.

It was a strange few weeks of an on and of cold that I just didn’t seem to be able to shake.

Then on my return home, I began to relax. My adrenaline levels will have fallen and because of this my cold decided to show itself in full steam.

Not only do I have a sore throat, but I have such a heavy head and keep going hot and cold. It’s really not nice. this lasted for the whole of last week, so I decided to take myself to the doctors and see what was really up with me.

They informed me that I have a sinus infection which explains why I have such sore cheekbones and eyebrows. I know it sounds crazy, but my eyebrows feel all bruised! I’ve never has tender eyebrows before – it’s most bizzare.

To get rid of this I have been put on a seven day course of antibiotics so hopefully I’ll be feeling a lot better soon!

On top of this I have managed to get a job, enter my last year of being a teenager and complete my first few shifts at work. It has been a little bit hectic.

I really hope this explains why I have been away. But don’t worry I have not abandoned you! And I really think that I’m on the mend now and will be able to get my blog back up and running again.

 

Because of my absence I thought it was only fair that you got some blog posts to read. Therefore I have set myself a five day challenge to post a blog a day starting tomorrow! This will take us up to Sunday and then I will return to my routine of posting Mondays and Fridays.

Thank you for bearing with me. I can’t wait to start blogging again.

x

Challenge | Next Ten Questions

6. Are you afraid of Aeroplanes? How come?

Yes, even though I’ve never been on one, right now they keep disappearing… it’s scary!

7. Would you like to write a book?

Yes, well kind of… I’ve had this story in my head for a very long time which would be great for a comic, however I guess I could write it as a novel. Either way I really want to get it on paper.

8.  If you could choose your own life obstacles would you keep the ones you have had?

I would. I feel as though if I could change my life obstacles then I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Everything I have faced and overcome in life has made me who I am and for that I would keep every obstacle that has come my way as they are as much as a part of me as all the blessings I’ve had in life.

9. What are you most grateful for in life?

My family. They are the best thing that has happened to me and probably that will ever happen to me. I can’t imagine life without them. They have supported me throughout my whole life and are constantly there for me. I can’t imagine being surrounded by better people. I know that whatever happens they’ll always have my back and I’ll always have theirs. They are the most precious thing in my life.

10. What are the biggest things you’ve learned in life to date?

Be strong for yourself and others. Appreciate the small things. Create as many memories as possible. Don’t retaliate. Believe. Be confident. But most importantly, be happy and enjoy everything – Life is too short! As The Charlatans say, Live it like you love it, I couldn’t put it better myself.

11. What do you need to do to achieve your ideal physical look?

Weights!! I want Wonder Woman arms.

12. Have you ever met someone who is genuinely evil?

At the time, yes, but I can’t name and shame now, can I?

However, I do try and see the good in people and I do think that everyone has at least an ounce of goodness in them, just to balance out that evil side!

13. Have you ever kept a new year’s resolution?

Nope, Nope and nope! Every one I’ve set I’ve broken… though none have been particularly  interesting ones, in fact I can’t even remember the one I set for this year. Oops!

14. Do you have any physical features you try to hide?

I used to try and hide my scar; I felt self-conscious about it for a period of my life. But I don’t really bother over that anymore. I am who I am. You have to work with what you’ve been given!

15. What’s in your pocket right now?

Nothing! I’m wearing a dress so I have no pockets. However if it were my jeans I was wearing then probably a late toffee wrapper from a few Christmases ago. 

Challenge | Questions 3 / / 4 / / 5

3. Have you ever fantasised about changing your first name? To what?

Yes! Probably to Tabitha. Then it could be shortened to Tabby which sounds like Abi. At the moment though my friend calls me Bee which which I kind of like. Just different versions of my name I suppose!

4. When do you get your best ideas?

At night when I’m in that twilight zone and I’m not really thinking of anything but at the same time it’s as though all my thoughts in the day come together, mixing up ideas and producing things I don’t think I’d ever think of if it wasn’t for being in that state.

It’s either then when ideas come to me or when I’m least expecting it. Whenever I try and think of something to write or draw I can never think of anything good but when I’m not focused on anything a load of thoughts come into my head at once, it can be quite annoying!

5. Have you ever had chance to meet your heroes? 

It depends what you class as a hero. I’ve been lucky enough to meet people I admire, The Charlatans, The Heartbreaks, The Gramotones. Then there are the people I look up to like John Robb and Sarah Lay who are amazing journalists. With John Robb coming from a background pretty much like my own it lets me set my aspirations high!

But the one hero that I’d really like to meet is the Doctor who saved my life when I was two years old! I know I have kind of met him when I was a baby, but I’ve never had the chance to shake his hand and thank him. If it wasn’t for him my life would be soo different to how it is now… I might not have even made it to ten years old, let alone eighteen. I have a lot to owe this guy and I hope that someday I’ll be able to meet him and let him know how grateful I am.

Challenge | Question 2

What are you most afraid of?

I don’t know why, I think it’s the unknown but I can never talk about death or think about death without feeling sick. I mean, I can’t imagine not being here. Leaving all of your friends and family behind.  Not living, seeing or feeling. Everything just numb, gone and forgotten about in a rotting grave.

I’m a religious person, I do believe in a God or a greater being but somehow that still doesn’t fully comfort me. I think now with the world becoming more secular you’re open to more views on life after death allowing you to think more and make your own opinion.

It’s great how in medieval times God and Religion was so powerful that when someone died people celebrated rather than being sad. They thought you were going to a better place and they had no fear as it was an honour to die. That to me is such a good way of living. To believe that there is something, spiritual or not just that sense of there being something after death may take away the fear.

I try and tell myself this and I do believe that the spirit carries on, but for some strange reason, I still fear death.

I see our bodies as an empty vessel, almost like a shell that the soul takes on and once the body dies, the spirit then leaves. The whole body thing is just like a machine.

Take a car for example. We have to set the ignition for the car to work and then we can take it on a journey. The engine runs by its self until it has no fuel. I think our bodies are like this. The soul ignites us and brings us to life, then it controls our journey and what we are like and then one day we die (or should I say, run out of fuel) and the spirit leaves the body.

After that, the possibilities are endless…

• Reincarnation – Do we get to live again as our soul takes on another body? Is it just like stepping out of one car and into another?
• Ghosts – Do we still get to roam the Earth? Maybe space? Or other planets?
• Heaven and Hell – are we met by our maker?
• Nothing – Does the spirit also die?

The list goes on and on.

I do think we are a ball of energy which is released once we die. If we’re ghosts can this energy have the force to push and pull things? Are there a hundred more senses that the spirit has that our human body is only subjected to five? There is so much we don’t understand because I think our human brain is limited to the spirits knowledge.

One thing is for sure is that death happens to us all, everyone goes through the process and yet no one knows what this process consists of.

Like I said before, I’m afraid of death but I think I’m more afraid of the unknown.