Embracing Hygge For The Winter

Hi-gge, Hoo-gar or however you're meant to pronounce it, has been somewhat of a buzz word in 2016, sweeping social media with a promise of that infamous Danish happiness. 

         But what really is hygge and how are we meant to achieve such an instagrammable 'high' in dreary ole' blighty?! 

Well, with the help of Meik Wiking's book "The little book of Hygge", I aim to give you a handy little list of ways to incorporate some Hyggestund (A moment of Hygge) into our daily lives this winter. 

          So the big question: 

What the hell is Hygge and why should I care? 

Meik writes that "Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home." 

Which all sounds pretty Disney in its idealistic notion that "home is where the heart is" and such other cliches. But it really seems like the Danish are perhaps on to something...

Denmark was awarded No 1: World Happiness in 2016 and was No 1: OECD Better Life Index. Life Satisfaction in 2015. YET, Denmark sees some of the highest levels of tax and weather wise it is rather grotty, to say the least. 

So why are they so happy? 

Meik suggests this is in part down to the importance of Hygge in Danish society. 

So how can we Brits, renowned for our general cynicism about pretty much everything (except tea and marmite), introduce some of this cuddly and borderline obnoxious happiness into our day-to-day lives? 

Well, I've got 10 tips on how to do just that: 

1. Candles, all the Candles. - Lighting is apparently quite a big deal to the Danes, probably because in the winter they have very few hours of sunlight. Candles are a pretty common way of injecting cosiness into our lives and I feel like this is already a pretty popular trend in the western world as it is. However, apparently, there is no need to splash out on some scented delight from Yankee to create your Hyggelig environment. Plain unscented candles are favoured by the danish as its all to do with the soft lighting and not so much about having your room smell like a victorian pantry.

2. Fluffy Socks. - Cosiness is paramount to hygge and nothing screams comfort quite like a super fluffy, soft pair of socks. 

3.Put down the phone & pick up a book. - You've got a candle burning and your feet are resembling a Yeti. Put down your phone and live in the moment, Social media can often be overwhelming and is definitely not conducive to a hyggelig evening. I like to switch off from the internet & media and spend a couple of hours reading with Dan at night. It's so relaxing and it's much easier to put down a book to chat than it is a laptop/phone. 

4. Wrap up warm & go for a winter walk. - I did this the other weekend with Dan and my family, it was so lovely to walk down to the seaside and see the sunset over the sea (you could make a tongue twister out of that!). It felt truly hygge as it was a moment of family & togetherness totally forgetting about the outside world and focusing on the beauty of the moment. Best of all... it was totally free! 

5. Comfort Food. - This isn't so much about ordering in a takeaway but more about taking the care and time to create something comforting. For me, that is definitely my Butternut Squash & Halloumi Fajitas with Homemade Guacamole. This is my go-to comfort meal and my whole family love it as well. The ingredients are fairly inexpensive and it's super easy to cook, but it's such a warming meal and really makes me feel soothed and comforted inside. 

6. Movie/ TV night in. - If you're not bookish and don't fancy leaving the house anytime soon, you can always snuggle down for a few hours in front of the box. Put on a favourite film or watch a TV series you love. Just make sure there is plenty of cushions, a snuggly throw to hand and of course warm popcorn waiting to be devoured. 

7. Hot Drinks. - Be it Tea or Coffee, this is something us Brits will have no problem in achieving. We as a nation are infamous for our love of Tea and it just so happens to be one of the most important aspects of Hygge. If I'm out and about, I will always opt for an Eggnog Latte from Starbucks (if the season permits!) However, for a Hygge evening at home nothing beats M&S Rooibos, Cocoa Nib & Vanilla tea. It's a Hygge hug in a cup. 

8. Create a Hygge work environment. - This may not always be possible depending on where you work, but trying to add some hygge into your work day can really help to make you feel calm and happy(er). Be it a plant on your desk and your favourite tea to drink. Or even just a hyggelig playlist to listen to on your way to and from work, there are always ways to inject that sense of comfort into your day to day life. 

I've recently hygge'd my workspace at home by adding fairy lights, plants, candles and generally decluttering the area. I've noticed my productivity go up and I'm feeling more motivated than ever to get writing!

9. Hyggelig Fashion. - According to Meik, there are some unspoken rules when it comes to Hygge fashion. The basis seems to be: Scarfs, Comfy Jumpers & Cardigans + all the black and white clothing that you can possibly get your hands on. 

Hygge fashion seems to be minimalist comfort through and through and I am totally down with that!

10. Allow time for Hygge. - Finally, the most important aspect of Hygge is to slow down. Make time to experience hygge. Even if you're only able to indulge yourself at the weekend, or maybe just an hour on Sunday, make sure you do so. To me, Hygge is more than beautiful aesthetics and Disney-esqe levels of happiness, it's instead like another form of self-care. It's giving yourself time to assess your needs and comfort yourself. So when you strip back the pinterest worthy look and social media frenzy, what you really get is the age-old notion of simply and unapologetically allowing yourself time just to be. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it.  

I hope you have a hyggelig evening! 

A/W 2016 London Haul!

Last Saturday I went to London to see P!ATD perform at the Alexandra Palace... OMG it was so goddamn good! Bredon Urie has the voice of an angel and absolutely killed it + Sophie, Dan and I had a massive laugh over the fact we were some of the oldest there that weren't chaperoning children (apparently P!ATD appeal to a young audience nowadays...) but on the plus side the Bar was basically empty the entire evening! 

So OBVIOUSLY because we had to travel to London anyway we decided to make a day of it do some shopping, have some lunch and meet up with Sophie who lives just outside of Central (and is totally smashing life right now) for a browse around Oxford Street. 

So obviously I had to share what I brought as hauls don't come very often over here on Bambi's Blogs.  

LUSH OXFORD STREET

Lord of Misrule - £3.95

This is a Lush classic, and shockingly, I've never used it before. I don't know why but previously when I've sniffed it in store, it's never really appealed to me. It smelt a little too much like wet leaves to me and I just didn't get it. But this year. Oh boy, did it kick me in the face this year when I picked it up! It's spicy, rich and so deliciously autumnal it is the perfect autumn bath bomb and I am in love. You can tell I loved it because I bought two of them and I never do that. 

I usually cut up my bath bombs to get multiple uses out of them (unemployed graduate life) but this one demanded to be used whole and I am soo glad I did. As soon as you put the ballistic in the water it starts to fizz and emits plumes of green and pink foam which are really beautiful to watch. After a couple of minutes in the hot water, you will start to hear cracking and popping, that's because this little beauty is loaded with popping candy which is quite an unusual experience, especially when you're not expecting it and worry that you bath is breaking 🙈

Once the bath bomb has finished fizzing and fully dissolved you're left with a beautiful wine coloured bath, as photographed below (I was going to upload this to my Insta but I didn't like it enough. Yes that is the side of my thigh 💁) 

Satsuma Bath Bomb (Christmas Oxford Street Exclusive) - £3.95

This is rather self-explanatory and indeed smells just like a satsuma, it's fruity, fresh, citrusy and somehow it smells very Christmassy despite the fruitiness and lacking the spicy element that I associate with the season. I've not used this yet, but I think it's safe to assume that this is going to create a bright orange bath - I think it would be amazing paired with You've Been Mangoed.

Monsieur Gustave Bath Melt (Oxford Street Exclusives) £2

It's becoming a habit of mine now to pick up a couple of the exclusive bath melts every time I go to Oxford Street. I love bath melts and I think they are so brilliantly versatile and I always get a couple of uses out of them as I tend to mix them with a bath bomb or bubble bar. This one has what I can only describe as a blackcurrant/musky smell. I can't really describe it so it's definitely one to go and smell in person. What sold it for me was the prospect of having a glittery purple bath.

Lime Pastille Bath Melt (Oxford Street Exclusive) £2

The second of the aforementioned bath melts. This, as the name would suggest, smells like lime sherbert. It's a beautiful fresh crisp smell that is definitely more appropriate for the summer months but it was too good to pass it up! Although, I could imagine this working very nicely with So White Bath Bomb. 

Can we appreciate the beauty of that YA section in Foyles THO. ^  

I also indulged my other love whilst in London, books. Dan and I have got book shopping in London down to a precise art now and we know exactly what big bookstores and second-hand bookstores we love. We didn't have heaps of time to spend today so my favourite second-hand bookshops were missed and instead we focused on my favourite three... Foyles, Forbidden Planet & the Piccadilly Waterstones (or as I call it, Heaven).  

The Wicked & The Divine - Fandemonium Pt. 2 - £0.00 -  Forbidden Planet

All of the inner fangirl comes out when I walk into Forbidden Planet. It's one of my favourite bookstores ever (the one in Cambridge is great as well), they are well known for their vast array of Graphic Novels, Comic Books & Manga but they also sell a huge amount of YA, Fantasy and Sci-Fi. I adore this shop and could happily spend hours in here and spend a small fortune. However, on this particular day, I didn't have either the time nor the money! 

I've already read the first instalment of The Wicked & The Divine and I adored the artwork, it's absolutely beautiful in the way in which it is illustrated and the story is strange, enticing and mysterious. I really enjoyed the first part and I felt like it finished in such a way that I just had to buy the next in the series. 

If you like stories that are shrouded in mystery and unanswered questions and beautiful artwork, then you will love this graphic novel. 

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch - £0.00 - Foyles
Once we had finished in Forbidden planet we then went on to Foyles. I always insist on browsing the entire store even though I know deep down that I'm only going to end up buying YA. On the day we were there Grayson Perry was doing a book signing a few hours later so we were lucky to miss the rush of fans -  but it's also alerted me to the fact that Grayson has a book out and I really need it in my life.

I picked up this book at the recommendation (read: fangirling) of my lovely pal Ash over at aislingsbeautybytes.blogspot.co.uk. She loved this book and highly recommended it, so as I wholeheartedly trust her opinion I decided it was worth picking up and adding to the overwhelming pile of books to read.

From what I can grasp this is a book with a strong female lead who basically has to restore magic to her kingdom so it can rise to power again. It sounds pretty epic and has a rather impressive 4.01 rating on Goodreads (out of 30,323 ratings) so I have high hopes for this.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - £0.00 - Foyles

This was another recommendation from Ash and is one that I have heard SO much about in the book world due to the sequel "Crooked Kingdom" coming out at the end of September. I know this is set in the Grisha world and many people suggest that reading the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo first is perhaps a more sensible idea rather than jumping into the world unprepared. 

I do own the first in the Grisha Trilogy so that's probably what I'm going to do, but I'm really excited to get my teeth stuck into such a dense and rich world. 

This is about a group of six different criminals/outcasts who have been tasked to perform a deadly heist that may well make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. This sounds so fun, so unusual and I think it will be a real page turner! I'm going to start the Grisha Trilogy in December as I just can't wait any longer! 

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige - £0.00 - Waterstones

I'm a huge fan of Danielle Paige's work, I love the Dorothy Must Die series (although I haven't finished it as I'm waiting for "Yellow Brick War" to become available in paperback!) so when I heard that she was releasing another fairy tale retelling but this time it was one of my favourite stories - The Snow Queen - I was absolutely over the moon. 

Can we take a minute to appreciate the beauty of that cover? Have you ever seen a book more appropriate for the Christmas season? I really do think the U.K cover has got the edge on the U.S cover this time!  

This is probably one of the most interesting plots for a novel that I've come across in a long time. The main character Snow has spent her life locked in a Psychiatric Hospital but she isn't crazy. Instead, she finds a way to escape the hospital only to find that she has a kingdom to inherit and a prophecy to complete. 

This is another book that I'm almost certainly going to indulge myself with in December. 

So that's it! It wasn't a huge haul and the day went far too quickly for my liking but it was brilliant and I can't wait to go back to London soon (hopefully for a job!) although I'm sure my bank balance will once again suffer!

A/W Reading Recommendations

Autumn/Winter is the perfect time of year for snuggling down with a blanket and a spicy candle and getting absorbed into a good read. The rain taps at your windows, a candle flickers and your radiators are on full heat, now let me suggest what to pick up on those days when the furthest you're prepared to walk is the kitchen. 

Hygge by Meik Wiking 

- When planning this post, Hygge felt like an obvious choice. Hygge explores how the Danish have upheld their reputation as being one of the happiest countries in the world. Hygge is all things cosy, blankets, hot chocolate and candles. It's such a calming and informative read that it will have you wanting to snuggle under a blanket with a warm drink in an instant. Ideal for those rainy dreary days when you need a pick-me-up. 

A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings by Charles Dickens 

- Sometimes you can't beat a classic. Everyone knows the story of Scrooge and the ghosts but there is something magical about reading it around Christmas and experiencing the story be it for the first time or the 100th. Also, let's just take a moment to appreciate how beautiful the Penguin Clothbound edition is 😍

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige 

-A new purchase and the only book on this list that I haven't read. But can you find a more Wintery book? I love the story of The Snow Queen and I've heard that this is a Snow Queen retelling with a twist. I'm realllly looking forward to indulging myself with this book and getting transported away. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 
- Probably not an immediate choice when you think autumn/winter but I first read this book in the Autumn and was totally obsessed. For me this novel is a year round read but I'm going to be re-reading it (and ACOMAF) over Christmas as a little gift to myself because OMG these books. 😱 This is a perfect night time read to get cuddled under a duvet and read about dangerous Fae and a heroine that kicks ass.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin 

- I feel like autumn/winter is the ideal time to get your head stuck into a tome. So many people avoid reading the GOT series because of the sheer size of the books (I feel you, it takes me MONTHS to finish these!) but in A/W you have so much more time to laze around and just read. Ideal for tackling a book that intimidates you. 

30 "Reasons Why I'm a Dick" Facts About Me

1.  I love to make self-indulgent listicles talking about myself. 
2.  I just used the word Listicle. 
3. As with pretty much every list I write, there's always a little fan girl in the back of my head wanting it to go viral... cause you know... I'm alllllll about that dollar. #helpmeimpoor. 
4. I genuinely find myself funny. I will always laugh at my own jokes. 
5. I'm writing this purely for my own amusement apologies if you're bored rigid already. 
6.  I don't comment enough on other people's blogs. Like I read them... but I don't comment. I'm a bad person. 
7. I'm one of those people that will tip spare change in restaurants - "here's 25p made up from the coppers, I don't even think you deserve a tip but you're welcome! please don't spit in my food"  
8. I refuse to pay for bottled water unless that's the only drink I'm having, in which case I make a huge deal about the fact I'm drinking bottled water ... I've been known to take the glass bottle home with me. 
9. I get mind-numbingly envious over bloggers that started last week and already have 10,000 followers... *internal sobs into almond dream ice-cream*
10. I'm a dietary requirement nightmare. Pescetarian with dairy intolerance... restaurants are hell. 
11. I genuinely love my cats more than 90% of people. 
12. I speak for my cats. Tigger has a Russian accent. I don't know why.
13. Tigger is also actually a mooncub and is from the moon. He seeks to destroy human kind. 
14. You have no idea how funny I find the above two facts. 
15. I'm at that point where I'm starting to feel smug about being in the same relationship for almost 9 years. 13-year old me knew what she wanted in life. Screw you countless people that told me I was too young to settle down!
16. Even though I haven't found employment yet, I'm still not going to apply to work in my local co-op... I can't do it to myself. I left when I was 17 and I'm not going back! 
17. I own around 200 books and I have 60 or so to read, yet,  I'm still going on a book haul in a few days... YOLO.
18. I still use YOLO.
19. I hate being stereotyped as an Essex girl to the point where I've told people I was from Suffolk.
20. I can't share food. At all. 
21. I will eat cheese knowing that it will make me ill and I will still moan that other people allowed me to eat it. 
22. I own over 100 nail polishes but will consistently use the same 5-6. Ooops. 
23. I hate speaking on the phone. If it's for business or important reasons I'm fine, but if you pass me the phone for a friendly chat to a family member expect that phone to be thrown back at you. 
24. I frequently wonder if my life is actually a dream and I'm going to wake up as a toddler. 
25. I can become obsessed with something really quickly and then just as quickly forget about it. 
26. I will full on ugly cry if I'm hungry and there isn't anything around that I fancy eating. 
27. I have a love/hate relationship with Avocado. Why do you taste so shit on your own but you're so heavenly with chipotle & garlic granules?
28. I spent 3 years moaning about University and now I've left I have spent more time crying over missing it than I ever did when I was actually there. 
29. This is the second year in a row when I've committed myself to NaNoWriMo but haven't actually managed to write anything... sigh.
30. I never actually intended to write 30 facts.
31. This is my last fact and it's not even no.30... how anti-climactic. 

I hope you enjoyed this little random post. I just felt like writing something to make myself laugh. You gotta do, what you gotta do. 

How I Edit My Instagram Photos

I'm not going to pretend that I'm some big shot know-it-all about Instagram because I have 470ish followers and get on average about 50-60 likes per photo. I am not a profesh. However, I like the way I edit my photos and I think that sharing that process is going to be not only helpful to you dear reader, but also to me - when you invariably tell me what I'm doing wrong (all criticisms are more than welcomed in the comments below!). 

I am definitely one of those people that has a theme and tries to stick to it as much as possible. However, I do still post pretty much whatever I like, I just try to keep at least one aspect of the photo similar to the one previous. Does that make sense? One of my main things you will see in almost all my photos is either plants or coffee, or if I'm feeling particularly frisky you will get both.  If you look at the sample photo you will see that even though it's clearly a picture of my nails, there are flowers in the background and a cheeky Starbucks cup. 

The ORIGINAL

This is the original unedited version. I usually take my photos with my iPhone camera (it's a 5S so not great quality) or if I'm feeling fancy and ahead of my game I will use my Canon EOS 1200D and then transfer to my phone using drop box. I always keep my feed as square photos. I just prefer the way this looks on my feed. If I have taken the photos on my DSLR then I will use Facetune to crop my image into a square. 

STEP 1: FACETUNE

I know a lot of people have a love/hate relationship with Facetune but I actually love it. I don't use it to touch up selfies as I'm pretty comfortable sharing my gross skin and chubby features (I don't often take selfies mind you). But what I do love it for is the colour correction features.

Facetune has some awesome features that allow you to manipulate the colour of certain things really easily. 

In the photo above I have used the "Whiten" feature - you will be able to see this the most on the rose, but it's also used on the wall, coffee cup and jumper. 

Often in photos of my desk or on wooden surfaces I will have used the BW Silver Filter and applied it specifically to the wooden surface to make it look greyer and more aesthetically pleasing. This is a time consuming painful task that sees me painting the filter carefully onto any unsightly wood. My nice orange pine desk is not great for aesthetics and this way, I can create photos on my desk that still fit into my theme without having to spend a fortune on a new desk or the time of staining it. 

STEP 2: AFTERLIGHT

This is the main editing process. I have a lot of edits that I make on Afterlight and they are the exact same every single time so I'm going to list them below.

Brightness - adjust to +100

Contrast - adjust to +10-20 depending on image

Saturation - adjust to +10-20 depending on image

Temperature - adjust to around -50 but this is highly dependant on the lighting. I like the photo to have a cool tone most of the time. 

Filters

Guest - Russ - adjust to about 10-20 

Seasons - Row - adjust to about 10-20

I then add a plain white frame of 25 to the image - this is obviously a personal preference of mine and is definitely not everyone's cup of tea. I just think it makes my feed look cleaner and less cluttered somehow. 

STEP 3: VSCO

I don't actually use VSCO that much but I do really like one of the filters and so I apply it to every image at the very end as I just feel like it adds a certain quality to the image that I really like. 

So the filter I use is T1/Moody and is adjusted to about a 5-6 depending on the image. 

That's it! I don't know if this seems a lot or not much but this is what I do every day to every photo that I take for Instagram! 

I'd really love to know what you do for your Instagram photos and if you have and critiques of my process, or ways I could improve! 

Christmas Lush Wishlist

MY FIRST OFFICIAL CHRISTMAS THEMED POST!

I don't care that it's only November, I bloody love Christmas! But to make it less festive I've not gone full on festive with the photography. You're welcome. 

I personally adore the Christmas range at Lush and it is 100% my favourite collection as everything smells so good. So I thought this year I would share what Lush goodies I'm planning/hoping to get over the Christmas season and what I'm thinking of picking up in Oxford Street. I'm going to cut this to 3 products per category as honestly I could just list the entire collection. Instead, I wanted to highlight my absolute favourites from this year's collection. 

BATH BOMBS

So White | £3.75 | I will undoubtedly buy at least one of these every year without fail. I absolutely adore the crisp clean apple scent that this gives off. It's not the most exciting bath bomb but the smell is enough to win it over for me. They've been slightly redesigned this year to have a green leaf on the side of the 'apple' and the inside gives off a green hue this year instead of the usual pinkish red. 

Shoot for the Stars | £4.25 | This is a bath bomb that has been revamped this year and looks absolutely stunning! It has the same scent as Golden Egg (one of my easter favourites!) which is a sweet toffee/orangey smell. It's a bright blue bath bomb with three golden star melts that leaves your bath looking like a starry night sky. Really looking forward to grabbing this one. 

Golden Wonder | £4.25 | Because Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without a Golden Wonder Bath Bomb. This is a firm favourite every year and is one that optimises Christmas at Lush for me. On the outside is a golden present and on the inside is a turquoise, blue and gold centre that fills your bathroom with the fresh zesty scent of citrus. Winner. 

BUBBLE BARS

Peeping Santa Bubbleroon | £3.95 | I bought this for the first time last year and was initially dubious as the thought of a bright red bath wasn't massively appealing. However, the smell of this. OMG. I absolutely adored it by the time I had used it up. The best way I can describe the scent is festive strawberry and if that isn't enough to make you want to buy it then I don't know what will be. 

The Magic of Christmas | £5.95 | One of the most expensive offerings from Lush this year but certainly worth the money. This is Christmas in one reusable stick. Cinnamon, Clove, Almond and Orange - can it be more festive? Not a particularly spectacular product but the smell packs a punch and can be used in Lush cocktails easily (my favourite thing to do with reusable bubble bars).

Santasaurus | £5.95 | Literally the cutest offering from lush this year. This little dino on a stick is adorable and smells amazing! I can't wait to try this out and I love the fact it's reusable as they last ages and as I said above, they work great in cocktails. This is another fresh citrus offering (can you see a theme emerging here) but the Orange is dominant so it still has that festive scent we're all longing for. 

OXFORD STREET EXCLUSIVES

Satsuma Bath Bomb | £3.75 | This is the only Christmas Oxford Exclusive I can find and I will definitely be picking it up later in the month. I love orange citrus scents and I'm certain this one will be no different. It's designed to look like a satsuma so as you would expect it produces a bright orange bath with a strong scent. 

Lime Pastille Bath Melt | £2 | Last time I went to Oxford street I picked up a couple of melts and I intend to do the same again this time round. Lime Pastille seems like a great option, crisp citrus scents are obviously my favourite and the colour is unusual but I imagine mixed in with some other options (maybe So White?) it could make a really stunning bath. 

Monsieur Gustave Bath Melt | £2 | The second melt I'm interested in has got to be Monsieur Gustave. This is for two reasons. 1. It reminds me of the film Ratatouille - Gustave...see the connection? Just me? 2. It's purple. Bright purple. I LOVE purple and blue baths. Anything that can make me feel like I'm bathing in the night sky will make me a happy bunny. This smells like lavender and warmth. It's the ideal night time product, and I'm really excited to use this in a cocktail of some sort. 

I'm actually really sad with some of the discontinued products this year for Christmas. For instance, WHERES CINDERS AT? Cinders was one of my all-time favourite Christmas bath bombs and it's been cruelly ripped away just when I needed it the most. Maybe a tad dramatic but you get the gist. 

What irritates me further is that they haven't replaced it. Meaning that now there is only 1 bath bomb under £3 which is the rather underwhelming Butterbear. Not cool Lush. 

This is as bad as when they took away Ponche (THE ONLY SHOWER GEL I'VE EVER LIKED FROM LUSH!). Apparently, they have made a batch of alcohol-free Ponche for the Oxford Street Store, but I have heard rumour that it lacks the kick of the old version and is by all accounts just a little bit weak. I wish they would bring back the Tequila soaked original Ponche for stores nationwide as honestly, it was the best shower gel Lush have ever made in my opinion and I would buy gallons of the stuff if they brought it back. 

Have you got any favourites from the seasonal range this year? Anything you think I need to pick up from Oxford Street? Let me know in the comments! 

October Reading Round-Up

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

October has been a pretty good month for reading! I'm finally feeling like I'm getting my reading mojo back and I managed to read a not too shabby total of 6* books this month. 

I think what definitely helped was setting myself a goal at the beginning of the month and keeping the books out of my bookcase in a little pile so that I saw them every day and they helped to motivate me to keep on reading. 

Without further ado I will jump straight into my mini reviews:

V.E Schwab - This Savage Song  03/10

A slow starter and took me quite awhile to get into. However, once the action does eventually take place it is awesome! The plot twist at the very end had me reeling and I am looking forward to the sequel despite my previous concerns that this would be the one Schwab novel I didn't enjoy! Also, August is adorable. 

C.M Lucas - Mist & Whispers 10/10

I really didn't enjoy this book. I found the writing dire, the storyline was riddled with plot holes and the dialogue was cringe worthy. I felt like it really needed the touch of a good editor. 

Samantha Shannon - The Bone Season #1 20/10

I adored this book, the story was so unique the plot was expertly constructed and the characters were rich and interesting. Really looking forward to the sequel. 

Jessie Burton - The Miniaturist 27/10 

This was a slow starter and I found parts frustrating at times. However, I cannot fault the writing. Jessie writes beautifully and this whimsical story had stolen my heart by the final few pages. Loved it. It's so well written and Jessie manages to evoke the characteristics of the 1600s whilst still making the book relatable and easy to read for the modern audience. There is actually very little that I can pose issue with, except the point discussed below. *SPOILERS * Whilst I really appreciate the addition of a gay man living in secrecy in the 1600s, I find his actions borderline ridiculous. For instance, why would his affair be happening at his place of work where anyone could walk in (like Nella!) and then again at the side of the warehouse in public!!! It just seems a little too convenient for the plot points and not that organic. Like why would Johannes go back with Jack, when jack has only just killed his beloved dog? It makes Johannes seem weak and infantile which totally contradicts the way his character is presented to us. Other than that, I have no issues with the book. I loved the character of Marin and I feel the way she was portrayed was perfect, it was the epitome of a woman's struggles in the 1600s and the whole plot surrounding her felt organic and well thought out. The magical elements with the Miniaturist raised enough mystery and excitement to keep me wanting to know more about her and I think I'm right in saying that there is a sequel to this novel - which if there is I really hope it delves into that magical element more. I didn't know what to expect from this novel and it kept me guessing throughout. Even though it started off feeling very slow, it has since turned into one of my top books this year

Kiera Cass - The One #3 29/10

A predictable ending to a fairly tropey series. *SPOILERS*, Of course, Mer & Max get married and it all ends happily but I felt the ending was rushed and lacked depth. Not a bad series but not phenomenal. As I'd expected this book neatly rounds itself up with a happily ever after, which was nice. The ending was nice. I wasn't blown away though. All of the action actually happened in the last 50 pages and it felt so so rushed! I was reading it thinking how on earth is this going to conclude in less than 30 pages! The answer was quickly. It all sort of came to an abrupt end and it didn't feel fitting for the characters that died to be brushed over so quickly. 

*So I know I said I had read 6 books but I've only got the reviews for 5. Well, I'm planning on reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley on Halloween - starting on the 30th October (when I'm writing this) and finishing it on Monday evening. If you're interested in my opinion and want to read a review on it, then come follow me over on Goodreads. I update daily and review the majority of the books I read!

What did you read in October? 

My A/W Wishlist

A/W always gets me feeling spendy, whether it's because of the change of season or just my mind preparing for Christmas (Yes, I know it's October, sorry not sorry) I always manage to accumulate a list of things that I didn't know I needed until the autumn season set in. 

So today I thought I would share that list for no other reason that I thought it would be a good blog post and I enjoy lists. Yeah, top quality content right here yo. 

1. A Calligraphy Pen - Story time: When I was a wee lass, i.e: 10 or so, I was brought a calligraphy set for my birthday, the booklet inside described how to write in old-fashioned medieval script and I absolutely loved it. However, I was useless. Utterly rubbish, and at that time if I wasn't great at something I tended to give it up pretty darn quick. Flash forward 5-6 years and I started using calligraphy/fountain pens in my art lessons for line-art and fell in love with the scratchy nibs and deep Black India ink. But once school finished I never continued with that technique, always preferring my trusty Faber-Castell PITT artist pens, that offered a more reliable line.  Flash forward a further 6 years (god I'm old) and now "Modern Calligraphy" and hand lettering is all the rage. I realllly want to get back into it so I'm hoping that I will be able to purchase a new pen & ink in the coming months. 

2. Desk Lamp - I'm working at the desk in my room more and more now, but as the evenings are drawing in it's getting harder to do. I've found the perfect lamp at Dunelm Mill though, it's copper and oh so aesthetically appealing. 

3. Autumnal Candles - I mean OBVIOUSLY. I've actually already gone out and brought more candles but I'm still including it on the list because you can NEVER have enough scented goodness in your life. 

4. Succulents/Cacti - I already have a Bamboo Plant that is heavily featured in 90% of my blog photos and I recently acquired another little succulent style plant with little pink flowers (Don't ask me the name because I've totally forgotten it), but I would really love some little Cacti to join them on my desk. Plants really help to keep me feeling fresh and happy when I'm  working and positively impact my mental health so enough is never enough. 

5. Topshop Joni Jeans - Do I even need to explain this? These are for real my favourite jeans ever. Super stretchy, super comfy, but so pricey. I will be saving up for a new pair of these as I just haven't found a pair of jeans that fits so comfortably and stops me looking like a potato. 

6. The Little Book of Hygge - Now no longer on my list as my lovely other half decided to surprise me with this as a little random gift to cheer me up after a particularly stressful week. If you love being cosy and want to know how the danish have earnt their reputation as one of the happiest nations then look no further.

7. Thyme & Mint Candle - This seems exceptionally random but hear me out, my local Fenwicks has some amazing candles. One of which is a "Thyme and Mint" Candle that no lie smells identical to a restaurant in Crete that I've been going to since I was 6. It's a really beautiful Mediterranean smell that holds so many memories for me and I would absolutely love to get my hands on this to save for when Dan & I move out in 2017. 

8. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - I've got a major love for these and I would really like to grab some darker, seasonal shades. I've currently got my eyes on Rome, Berlin and Vancouver. 

9. Wall Art - I've been working on getting my room looking more like an adult uses it rather than the 16-year-old that it represented when I moved back into my family home after leaving Uni. One major part of this is taking down the posters full of teenage angst and replacing them with some wall art. I've recently brought some Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy digital prints for my wall that I cannot wait to get printed and framed.  

10. Lush Halloween & Christmas - You guys know I'm a huge Lushie, and I have been stopping myself from buying any of the range for the past month because I will be visiting the Oxford Street store in November. I'm super excited to grab as much of the ranges as I can although I have a feeling that I will be too late for the Halloween collection!

11. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua - My all-time, hands down favourite foundation. I have also tried the Les Beiges foundation but I just haven't gotten on with it as well. This is obviously a real luxury product at £33 for a bottle but it is so worth the money and leaves my skin looking flawless. 

12. Books - Nice a vague and for a good reason. When I visit London in November I will be visiting Picadilly Waterstones, Foyles and Forbidden Planet. I don't have a set amount of books I want to buy and I don't have a specific list as honestly I don't have the money nor space to store many more books... my shelves are quite literally overflowing. However, I am a realist and I know that I will end up buying books. So that's why this is on my wishlist. Also, you can never have enough books, right? 

13. Washi Tape - I'm getting really into Washi Tape for my bullet journal at the moment and I'm really enjoying using it to brighten up the pages and create some interest. I would love to get some more interesting colours and designs to keep mixing things up and making my journal aesthetically pleasing. 

14. Blog Props - Sometimes I feel like my photos can get a little bit stale over here and recently I've really been working on mixing things up. I'd love to be able to grab a few more blog props and things to create interest in my photos. But that is definitely easier said then done so if you have any recommendations then please leave them in the comments! 

15. Leuchtturm1917 Dotted Notebook - Yes, a new bullet journal! I'm getting through mine pretty quickly as I'm almost half way through it and I know I'm going to need a new one in 2017. I've spotted a metallic special edition one in my local Fenwicks which is REALLLLY tempting, so I may just have to make a cheeky purchase. 

16. Art Supplies - Truthfully, I don't really need any more art supplies. I've always been someone who draws and has collected a ridiculous pile of supplies over the years. However, I've only recently got back into drawing after ignoring it for a good 3-4 years and I feel like all my old art stuff no longer really belongs to me. It belongs to 16-year-old Emily who used to badly draw manga and thought she could earn money from it one day. Not 22-year-old Emily who is interested in realism and watercolours. I'm a totally different person since I last took art seriously and so I feel like I need new supplies that compliment this new mindset and the new me. I don't know if that really makes sense, but I'm sure there will be some of you out there that can understand where I'm coming from. 

What are you lusting over this autumn? 

Guide To Glitter Nails

It's getting to that time of the year when you're dying to crack out the glitter nail polish. I mean who doesn't want glittering nails at Christmas time?! But if you've ever worn glitter nail polish before you know that it can be the devil. I mean it can seriously be a massive pain in the arse to get your glitter polish looking flawless and then once you've eventually managed to get it looking acceptable, trying to get the stuff off again is a bloody nightmare. 

I've managed to hone my glitter polish skills over the past few months and I decided to share what I've learnt and right in time for the festive glitter filled season! 

The Application

Firstly, let's start with the glitter types. You will usually find glitter polishes in 2 main formulas, densely packed or loosely packed. The difference is pretty self-explanatory and the way that you should treat them is basically the same.  

If we start with the densely packed glitter (Nicole by OPI in ), you can see that one coat of polish gives a nice relatively even covering of glitter over the nail, it could definitely be worn like that if you wanted to and it would still look nice. However, what happens if you want a really densely packed glitter effect? Do you keep applying it with the brush in the hopes that it will eventually dry? 

Nah, grab yourself some cheap make-up sponges, paint the polish onto the sponge and dab it onto the nail. The sponge absorbs all the clear polish and leaves the glitter behind meaning you can easily dab on the glitter and get the effect you want without all the ridiculous hassle of doing it with the brush. 

Loosely packed polish is much the same, apart from it's even harder to get a good finish out of it. There is nothing worse than applying a glitter that takes about 50 layers to look even and well covered. This is where that magic little trick with the sponge comes into play once again. Just brush it onto the sponge, dab away and look at that final result! Super messy but the coverage is amazing and takes much less time, polish and effort to get it looking good. 

The Clean-up

Once you've perfected your nails the worse thing is trying to get rid of it. Glitter is notoriously difficult to get rid of and leaves you feeling like your only options are to pick it off or soak your fingertips in nail varnish remover - which is not fun kids. However, there are alternatives. 

Peel off base coats - These are big in America but not so easy to get hold of in the UK. However, Maybelline makes a peel-off base coat that works fairly well. You are meant to use these as you would a normal base coat, however, I've had a varying success that way. Instead, I've found that using it right before you apply the glitter works best. In the above photos I have applied the colour as normal, applying a normal base coat, two coats of nail polish and a top coat. I then applied the peel-off base coat allowed it to set and then applied the glitter in the process explained above. As you can see it neatly takes off all the glitter and leaves you with the normal polish underneath that is a doddle to take off. 

Acetone and a small brush - I've found that when removing glitter polish normal nail polish remover just doesn't cut it. Instead, I use a pure acetone (actually meant for removing artificial nails!), and a cheap eyeliner brush that works perfectly for getting around the edges of your nails and doesn't matter if it gets ruined by the acetone. You can bypass the peel-off base coat and just use pure acetone to take off glitter polish, and that does work but I wouldn't recommend it, as acetone strips all the natural oils out of your nails and leaves them brittle. 

Instead, I like to use this purely for clean-up. The sponging technique tends to leave a bit of a mess as you can see above, so by just dipping a brush into acetone and cleaning the edges you can get a really neat effect in no time at all! 

If you have any tips for glitter polish then please leave them in the comments!