Sorry for my little blogging break - I took a well deserved week off from blogging over Christmas. I was at work and busy spending time with my family and boyfriend. I'll tell you all the things I got up to in a later post but for now I wanted to share a couple of things I got for Christmas.

10 THINGS THAT'VE MADE ME HAPPY THIS YEAR

Source

2014 is coming to an end. As much as I'm happy to see it go, I've been appreciating how special this year has been for me. Like everyone, I've had my ups and my downs but I definitely think this year has been one of the best. I wanted to take the time to reflect on the things that have made me happy.

NOVEMBER FAVOURITES

Another month has gone and that means one thing - another monthly favourites post. I've got a revamped old favourite, a few make-up favourites and a blog favourite. I'm still considering whether I want to continue writing these posts every month so do let me know in the comments if you enjoy them or not. Thanks!

D IS FOR DATE NIGHTS

The next one in my alphabet series is D, and it took me a while to actually think of what to write about. It went from doughnuts to dreams to other such things before I finally decided on date nights. I love going out for dinner/drinks/days out with my boyfriend - our first date was at London Zoo and since then we've got up to lots of things, which I've usually documented on here. As part of this post, I'm going to share a few photos of what we've got up to lately.

PINTEREST | WINTER WONDERLAND

It's December already, and it feels like only yesterday I was posting my favourite autumnal Pins. I've been collating some for my Winter Wonderland board and I wanted to share them with you. It's oh so Christmassy on here lately!

CHRISTMAS NOTD | ESSIE & BARRY M

If you couldn't already tell it's getting pretty festive up in here of late. The advent calendars are out, The Christmas Tag has been answered and the wishlist has been compiled. One of the main reasons I love this season is that it gives you an excuse to get the glitter and sparkles out. I've already invested in a glittery jumpsuit, and now my nails are getting a little bit fancy.

C IS FOR CHRISTMAS (THE CHRISTMAS TAG)

C was obviously always going to be Christmas! I completed The Christmas Tag last year but I found a good one on milk bubble tea and I wanted to give that one a go this year. Feel free to complete this on your blog too and send me your answers. Here goes... 

MY CHRISTMAS WISHLIST

It's that time of year where your Bloglovin' feed is full of gift guides and wishlists in time for Christmas. I'm not a huge fan of wishlists but I thought I'd do a little one for Christmas. My birthday is in January so this can be a wishlist for that too! Giving the boyfriend ideas *wink wink*.

YANKEE CANDLE ADVENT CALENDAR

It's December 1st! The year has flown by, it seems like only yesterday I was talking about Spring/Summer. December is probably my favourite month of all. Everyone seems a lot happier and full of festive cheer. One thing I love about December is the countdown to Christmas, especially with help of an advent calendar. This year I received an extra special one!

B IS FOR BURGER (FIVE GUYS)

I've been a little uncertain about what my B would be this week. It went from breakfast to beauty to bedtime routine. I finally settled on burger after my trip to Five Guys this week. I'd heard lots about it, mainly from this blog post from The Londoner, so I was excited to try it. 

7 DAYS LATELY | PERFECT WEEKEND

Last weekend I spent most of my time with my boyfriend. I hadn't seen him for two weeks, which is a long time for us, so we got up to lots of things - starting with a trip to Harrods. It was a wonderful weekend so I thought I'd share some photos with you. 

REVIEW | L'OREAL LA PALETTE NUDE ROSE (NAKED DUPE?)

Nude palettes have taken the beauty world by storm after the release of Urban Decay's Naked 1/2/3 palettes. Not everyone can afford these more expensive offerings, and have been waiting years for the drugstore to finally catch up. Finally L'Oreal released their own eye shadow palette, featuring 10 shades: 6 shimmers and 4 mattes. 

THE CHRISTMAS JUMPER EDIT 2014

It's November! You know what that means? It's almost Christmas, and time to don your most garish jumper in anticipation for the big day. I'm not looking for a Christmas jumper this year; I'm staying faithful to my "Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal" number from last year. I've searched the web for the best offerings and here's some of my favourites!

A IS FOR AUTUMN (IN LONDON)

This is the first in a new series on my blog, inspired by the lovely Adele from Adele's Journey to a Better Life. Her posts are worth checking out, especially her recipes (her food looks amazing!)

Kicking off A is, obviously, Autumn! I looked at Autumn pins last week but this week I want to focus on the season in London. I live in West London and I'm only a short tube journey away from Central. I love living in London: there's so much to do and see and I never get bored. With Autumn comes Halloween, Bonfire Night and most importantly Remembrance Day. London is remembering the latter with its Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation at the Tower of London.

OCTOBER FAVOURITES

Apologies for my lack of favourites posts recently. It's November already, which means Halloween has been and gone and Christmas is almost here. I've gathered together a few things that I've been loving this month. I tried to make it a bit different, instead of your standard beauty bits.

AUTUMN FASHION HAUL | ZARA, TOPSHOP & PRIMARK

Shopping is one of my favourite things to do on a day off. Believe it or not, I used to hate shopping for clothes, and I would always pick the drab tshirts with kittens on. I've noticed how much my style has changed recently. Instead of veering towards patterns I'm looking at plains. That might just be because Winter is fast approaching but this haul is full of plains and basics, and pieces missing from my wardrobe. Be warned, there is a lot of grey but that's just what I'm after this season!

PINTEREST | AUTUMN JOYS

I can't describe how much I love Autumn. Perhaps, it's the cosy nights in with a cup of tea or cocoa, the warmth of wolly jumpers and fluffy slippers, or the scary pumpkins and festive cheer. For whatever reason, I truly love Autumn with its falling leaves and misty mornings. I never appreciated the darker evenings and cold mornings but now I've grown to love them. The cold is a reminder that the year is coming to an end, and a new one beginning, marking a new chapter in our lives.

BEAUTY HAUL & REVIEW | THE BODY SHOP AND ZOELLA BEAUTY

I haven't really bought any new beauty bits in a while but I had some euros left over from my holiday. As soon as I had them transferred back into pounds I hit the shops, namely The Body Shop and Superdrug.

HOLIDAY OOTDS

Choosing outfits for a holiday is always tricky. Do I pack too much, and have spares, or do I pack the essentials, repeating the basics? Personally, I love packing for holidays and I get a thrill out of choosing outfits to wear in the evening. Perhaps I'm a little sad, but that's fine by me! I managed to take 'mirror selfies' on my phone, whilst I was out in Gran Canaria, of all the outfits I wore in the evening for my own sad enjoyment and to share here. I hope this will inspire you if you're going on holiday soon or satisfy the nosy part of your brain. Enjoy!

7 DAYS LATELY | GRAN CANARIA

I'm 22 and I've only recently been on an airplane. Crazy right? My family never had much money for trips abroad so we settled for 'staycations' to places like Wales or the Isle of Wight. All this changed last week when I went on my first holiday abroad to Gran Canaria.

AUTUMN 2014 WISHLIST | JO MALONE, CHARLOTTE TILBURY AND MORE

Autumn is upon us: the mornings are getting colder, the evenings are getting darker and Christmas decorations are already in the shops. This year is completely flying by - soon it will be New Years and we'll be welcoming in 2015. But enough of that.

THINGS I'D TELL MY YOUNGER SELF

Me aged 5, 16 and 22

Be open to new adventures 

You're scared of being away from home, of going to university and starting a new life away from the comfort of your parents. You're going to cry when you move to Southampton. You're going to sit in KFC on move in day and cry to your parents, begging them to bring you back to London so you can go to Queen Mary's instead. But they won't let you leave and it will be the best thing they ever did for you. 

THE HUNT FOR BIKINIS IN AUTUMN | HAUL AND WISHLIST FT. RIVER ISLAND, NEXT AND TRIANGL

As I'm going on holiday in October, I've been feverishly looking around for a few bikinis to get me through the week. I work in retail so I know how hard it is to actually find swimwear during the colder months.

Top tip for you all: if you want a bikini it's best to look in Spring, or any other time before Summer, because when the weather gets hotter they are snapped up so quickly. The amount of times I've embarrassingly told a customer that we don't have any bikinis, and yes I do realise it's Summer, is pretty frequent.

When I went to Dorset I really struggled to find anything in shops, with the exception of the sale bikinis in bigger sizes and no matching sets. Now, you might know about my love of River Island from my recent post about their Summer prints. I looked on their website and quickly found two gorgeous bikinis that I just had to buy.

LIFE LATELY

To condense all that's been going on in my life lately is a bit ambitious, especially considering I didn't write a single post throughout August. I guess I was taking a much needed break. I needed some time to reflect on my blog and how I want it to be. I love writing about fashion and beauty but I feel like I want to spend a lot more time on lifestyle posts, as those are the ones I enjoy writing, and reading about, the most.

However, I'm not promising my content will be consistent. Sadly, I can't churn out posts every day or even every week but that's ok because it's about quality over quantity - at least I hope so.

So, I'm finally writing again after my August hiatus and here's just a little insight into what I've been getting up to:

REVIEW | BARRY M GELLY HI-SHINE LIPS

I'm a huge fan of Barry M's Gelly range for nails so when I saw they were releasing Gelly lip products I instantly headed into Boots to buy a couple. I've been using these for a few weeks now and I think I've finally come to a conclusion: they're ok. Just ok? Here's why...

PRIMARK AND NEW LOOK SUMMER SANDALS 2014

Summer is officially here...well, kinda. My umbrella has been a firm fixture to my arm today and I've even contemplated putting the heating on (seriously, it's that cold in my house right now), but I am getting excited for when I can wear my shorts again and bust out these bad boys.

RED LIP FT. RIMMEL 107 LASTING FINISH MATT BY KATE

I haven't showcased a make up look in a while. To be honest, I think I'm pretty terrible at applying my make up, and my brother keeps telling me I put on too much (thanks bro). I've always avoided a vampy red lip but I had the urge to pick up a shade from Boots. I was a bit worried it wouldn't suit me but I luuuurve this look.

RIVER ISLAND SUMMER PRINTS

Hello there! It's been a month since I last posted on here. I'm a bit of a failure at blogging, aren't I? Currently experiencing a lack of inspiration...so I want to strip my blog back to basics and focus on the things I enjoy talking about. 

I've never been a huge fan of River Island, until fairly recently. Their summer clothes are beauuuutiful and so on trend, especially the prints. I've picked up a few tops recently and I know I'll get lots of wear out of them for summer. 

MAY FAVOURITES

It's June already, and that means half the year has almost gone. It's completely flown by! Soon it will be Christmas and I'll be 23...ok, so not quite yet but time is definitely going by so quickly. Today I stopped to think of the things I've been loving during the month of May. And here they are:

SPRING/SUMMER FASHION HAUL | NEW LOOK, ZARA, TOPSHOP AND OFFICE

You all probably know how much I love buying clothes. Some may call it an obsession but I like to think of it as a hobby (shopping in Primark on a Saturday takes some serious dedication). I've been buying a few bits and bobs over the past couple of months, ready for the warmer weather, and I've accumulated quite a few things. I've got a lot of New Look in this haul - I've been loving their clothes lately, as well as Topshop, Zara, Office and Just for £5. Enjoy!

LATEST BEAUTY BUYS

Well hello there! Apologies for not posting in quite a while. But whilst I've been gone I've been buying a few things (clothes and make-up). You may see a clothes haul next week but for now here's some products I've bought recently.

BLACK, GREY AND NEON YELLOW

I'm getting into the swing of things with these outfit posts. I might look a little awkward still (especially in the one above) but I'm slowly getting there. I love this skirt! It's got crochet detailing at the bottom, and I featured it in my latest fashion haul, which you can find here. I wore this outfit to the National Portrait Gallery, then I went to Regent Street and Oxford Street for some shopping.

REVIEW & SWATCHES | THEBALM NUDE 'TUDE EYESHADOW PALETTE

I've been looking for another eyeshadow palette for quite some time. I've worn my Naked 3 palette so much recently and I fancied something a bit different. This is where theBalm Nude 'tude Eyeshadow Palette came in. It contains nude shades - colours that work best on me. I usually veer away from colourful eyes because they can go really wrong. I thought I'd show you this palette and give you my thoughts on it, as well as show you some swatches.

BAILEY'S STARDUST

On Saturday I went to the National Portrait Gallery to check out the work of David Bailey, a photo exhibit called Bailey's Stardust. I've admired some of Bailey's work for Vogue so I wanted to see more of his photos. The exhibit consisted of a number of rooms with his various photos, ranging from those of his wife, supermodels, The Rolling Stones and some he took in Papa New Guinea. I couldn't take any photos inside the gallery but I've found some of my favourites for you.

JUST FOR £5

You may have heard of Just for £5, if you're on a budget their website is perfect. Absolutely everything is £5 - great, eh? I've admired some of their dresses before but I've never actually bought anything from them. I was lucky enough to be sent this gorgeous dress.

APRIL FAVOURITES

It's favourites time again! This month features a mascara, lip glosses, nail polish and texturising spray. I might tell you about some other non beauty related favourites at the end too! I hope you enjoy an insight into what I've been loving this month.

TASTY CREPES AND LONDON OOTD

I've got 4 days off this week (because I'm working lots of hours next week) so I want to make the most of it. Yesterday I went to see the Paul O'Grady show being filmed - my mum didn't have anyone to go with so I volunteered. It was actually pretty cool seeing it filmed. The cameras they use are stunning! It's airing on Friday so watch it if you fancy seeing whether my face appears at any point in the studio audience. I enjoyed another day out around the South Bank after the filming was done and I even managed some 'outfit of the day' shots. Stay tuned (or reading)...

MAC HAUL

Queue the excitement - this is my first ever MAC haul! I've never bought anything by MAC before because I could never justify spending that much money on make-up. Recently my outlook has changed, and after lusting after their lipsticks on countless blogs, I knew it was time for me to invest. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

MARTIN CREED'S EXHIBITION, SOUTH BANK & COVENT GARDEN

I've lived in London all my life so I'm definitely not a tourist, but I'm still amazed at how beautiful the city can be in the sunshine. I was in the South Bank yesterday because I wanted to catch Martin Creed's exhibition in the Hayward Gallery before it was too late. What's The Point Of It? comprises of some of Creed's best work, charting his development from his earliest self portrait to his Turner Prize winning work.

WHICH PINK BLUSH IS FOR YOU?

We all love pink blusher, it can give you a natural, healthy glow without looking too fake or caked on. I've got a few different pink blushers: SEVENTEEN Cheek Stamp, No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder, Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush, Maybelline Dream Touch Blush and Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks. I didn't want to go into their qualities, instead I wanted to have a bit of fun to help you find out which blush is for you. Please note: do not take this quiz seriously! It's just a bit of fun :)

FINDING INSPIRATION

Recently I've been suffering from writer's block when trying to create content for my blog. I'm definitely not one of those people that can churn posts out on a daily basis. I went through a phase, last November, where I was writing posts every day. It's hard to maintain that routine, especially when you begin to put extra pressure on yourself to be like the more professional bloggers. I've compiled a list of things that I've been doing to help me feel inspired and I wanted to share it with you. I hope it helps you too!

SPRING FASHION HAUL | GREY, CROCHET AND GOLD JEWELLERY

Yes, another haul! After the heaviness of my last post, I think we need something quite lighthearted. On Sunday I went to Southampton to spend the day with my best friend. We watched films, had a Chinese and drank some wine then went shopping the following day. I definitely needed the retail therapy! I love a good haul, and it's something I'm always doing on this blog, so I hope you enjoy seeing what I bought.

URBAN OUTFITTERS HAUL

I've haven't had a haul post on here for ages. I'm partial to a good haul - I love reading about what other people have been buying, and I hope you enjoy seeing what I've bought. As I mentioned on my last 7 Days Lately post, on Thursday I went shopping in Westfield. I picked up a couple of things from the sale in Urban Outfitters. I can never usual afford their clothes but I was lucky with my picks as they were within my price range. 

7 DAYS LATELY | TACOS, CAKE & GRENADINE

It seems I've been enjoying a lot of food this week! From tacos to Nandos to a slice of cake at Caffe Concerto to Jamie's Italian, I've definitely been pigging out quite a bit. What can I say, I loooove food! Here's what I've been getting up to over the past 7 days...

MARCH FAVOURITES

Are we really in April now? Where is 2014 going?! A quarter of the year has already gone! The passing of a month means one thing - a favourites post. Here's what I've been loving this month.

SATURDAY NIGHT AT BILL'S, CHISWICK

Bill's is one of those places that has cropped up in many high streets over the past few months. I work in Chiswick - it's got some lovely restaurants and lots of coffee shops - and I've been excited to go into Bill's for weeks. I loved the look of it from the outside; the wooden chairs and shelves, the endless amount of jars and all the different colours decorating the restaurant. On a sunny Saturday evening, my friend and I decided we fancied some dinner after hearing great things about the menu. In we went, with rumbling tummies and high expectations. 

7 DAYS LATELY (AND GIVEAWAY WINNER) | HALF BAD, CATCH UPS AND TOO MUCH WINE

I'm suffering from the worst hangover ever today. I'm probably the worst daughter to have on mother's day. I've been huddled on the sofa looking like death. I've had a nice week though, so I wanted to share it with you, and I'll also tell you the winner of the giveaway. 

REVIEW & SWATCHES | REVLON COLORBURST MATTE BALMS

I've raved about the greatness of Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balms in passing on my blog, but I haven't properly told you how amazing they are. I only own 4 but boy, they are gooood! I want to let you know a bit more about them, and show you some swatches. You'll never need another lip product again once you hear about these!

7 DAYS LATELY | THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDSHIP

Apologies for my lack of blog posts on here lately. I've had quite a bit going on over the past week so blogging has taken a back seat. I've been working a lot, and covering other people's shifts, so I haven't had time to sit down and write any posts. Hopefully this will change!

RESTAURANT REVIEW | 7BONE BURGER CO.

Last week, whilst I was in Southampton, Sam and I were in the mood for a hearty lunch, and we couldn't decide where to go. We'd both heard fantastic things about 7Bone, and I'd seen it featured on The Restaurant Man, so down we walked into the depths of Portswood to try one of their burgers.