BLOGMAS DAY 22- IT WOULDN'T BE COMPLETE WITHOUT

Monday 22nd December 2014

3 sleeps till Christmas

I will always have a slight weakness for 'tag' posts so I couldn't not include one. The 'Sweater Weather Tag' (as this is) is technically an autumn tag, but I have edited it for winter.

1. Favourite candle scent?
As much as try and branch out, I think I will always like vanilla the best for candles or bath bombs. I do have the Yankee Candle 'Christmas Eve' candle though which smells really good but I have no clue what it smells of (sort of sugary but sort of spicy?).

2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
As much as I love the others, tea will always be the one.

3. What's the best winter memory you have?
To be honest, this December is the best month I've had for the whole of the past two years and these memories of the past month are some of the most important ones.

4. Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner?
Dark lips, dark lips, dark lips. Dark lips all year round please. Lets ignore the fact that I can't do winged eyeliner...

L-R: Rimmel Kate Moss Matte '107', Topshop 'Beguiled', Accessorize 'Infatuated'

5. Best fragrance for winter?
Not a big fragrance wearer, so we'll go for a classic vanilla again.

6. Favourite Christmas food?
Sausage stuffing and bread sauce mixed in a bowl together for dinner on Christmas day after a massive lunch.

7. What is winter weather like where you live?
Cold and wet. No snow. Misleading sunlight. Weirdly warm on some days. That's London.

8. Most worn jumper?
I wear all my jumpers a lot- I like jumpers.

9. Must-have nail polish this winter?
Anything dark or berry coloured. And obviously glitter.

L-R: Essie 'Chinchilly', Essie 'Bahama Mama', Essie 'After School Boy Blazer', Barry M Gelly 'Plum', Barry M 'Berry Cosmo'

10. (American) Football games or jumping in leaf/ snow pile?
Leaf and snow piles in wellies.

11. Skinny jeans or leggings?
Black skinny jeans all the way.

12. Combat boots or Uggs?
Dr Martens, the only shoes you'll ever need.

13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?
It's pretty damn good. (Autumn question I know).

14. Favourite winter TV show?
Liberty of London- I love it when it gets all festive on the programme. And I know it's not a TV show, but I really love Harry Potter in the winter.

15. What song really gets you into the winter spirit?
This year I'm loving Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas'. But nothing beats Elton John's 'Step Into Christmas' or the Pogues' 'Fairytale of New York'.

HARRY POTTER IS MY LIFE

So I couldn't find my broomstick photo but here is one of my and my brother, check out the 2012 haircuts (for a more recent photo of us check out the Christmas Day Blogmas post, we don't look as bad)... There is not one inch of this place that I haven't photographed multiple times.

I am an absolutely huge Harry Potter fan, there is literally nothing you can tell me about Harry Potter or hidden details in the books/movies or little secret things about it that I don't know already.

Favourite book
I can never decide between the second (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) or the fourth (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) I love them all too much to choose.

Favourite movie
Again, either the second or the fourth, I think they have the best storylines.

Least favourite book
I feel mean to say this but probably the fifth (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) because it's just a bit overly long and fairly boring.

Parts of the books/movies that made you cry
When Harry goes into Luna's room in the seventh and there's the big pictures of all of them with 'Friend' written around it; when Dobby and Sirius die (obviously); in the seventh when Harry resurrects all his family and friends who have died with the resurrection stone because he doesn't want to face death alone (almost cried typing that); at the end of the seventh when the series ended. But ultimately the bit that makes me cry the most is in the fifth film with Dumbledore's Army when Neville masters 'expelliarmus' for the first time- I sob at that bit.

If you could hook up with any HP character who would it be?
Fred Weasley.

Favourite character
Ginny or Luna or Neville or Mrs Weasley or McGonagall or, when I was a lot younger, Fleur.

What would your Patronus be?
Probably a cat.

If you could have the Resurrection Stone, Invisibility Cloak or the Elder Wand which one would you choose?
Invisibility cloak duh.

What House would you be in?
On Pottermore I was sorted into Hufflepuff- twice- (which I really did not want) but in reality I would probably have actually been a Hufflepuff because I don't really fit into any of the other houses.

If you could meet any member of the cast who would it be?
ALL OF THE CAST (Snape or McGonagall or Mrs Weasley).

Have you played any of the video games?
Who hasn't!? I have Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (the first one- which is impossible by the way) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (the third one) on PlayStation2 and I have both Harry Potter Lego games (years 1-4 and years 5-7) on PlayStation3 which are the two most amazing games ever.

If you were on the Quiddich team which position would you play?
I'd probably have to be a seeker because I can't catch (Chaser) and I have awful hand-eye coordination (Beater) but I can find small things as long as I have my glasses on.

Were you happy with the ending?
I loved it, I think it was perfect, apart from the deaths of some of the best characters.

How much does Harry Potter mean to you?
Literally the world and then some.

25 DAYS OF BLOGGING CHRISTMAS- DAY 23 | DECEMBER 23RD- THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS TAG

I am a sucker for a good 'tag' post, I find them really fun and I can't help myself when I come across one. I found this one on Sprinkleofglitter's Youtube and it was actually quite a hard one but here I goooooo... (Cheese alert)

1) GREED- What is your most expensive and inexpensive beauty products?
Expensive is anything from the Body Shop or No7 mascara and cheapest is anything MUA or Natural Collection.

2) WRATH- What beauty product/s do you have a love/ hate relationship with and what has been the hardest to find?
I have a definite love/ hate relationship with the Body Shop Born Lippy's, I love them and they smell amazing but they are unbelievably drying to your lips and I can only wear them with a lip balm underneath; I appear to be one of the only people who has no problem with sticking your finger in a lip product tub because it's 'unhygenic' (where are you lot putting your fingers that would give you cause for this view may I ask?) but the Born Lippy's are so sticky and I hate that.
The hardest to find is probably any American product like the EOS lip balms and tings like dat.

3) GLUTTONY- What are your most delicious beauty product/s?
Born Lippy's by Body Shop all taste and smell amazing and Montagne Jeunesse's face pack in chocolate (which I have a stash of) smells like the nicest chocolate in the world and I genuinely checked to see if it was edible.

4) SLOTH- What beauty product/s do you neglect due to laziness?
This was an easy one- foundation. I literally only ever wear foundation on special occasions because, simply, I can't be bothered to put it on. I am a bad person. Also liquid eyeliner as I am hopeless at it and cannot be bothered to try harder.

5) PRIDE- What beauty product/s gives you the most confidence?
Concealer, does what it says on the packet.

6) LUST- What product/s do you love the most?
Now I actually changed this question a bit because the original one didn't fit with the rest of them and it upset me.
My post favourite beauty product in the world is not, in fact, lip balm (shock horror) but eyeliner, I love love love eyeliner pencil more than anything ever. My current one is the Body Shop Carbon Eye Definer and it's the best.

7) ENVY-  What item would you most like to receive as a gift?
Any lipbalm or lipgloss or nail varnish is the best gift but I am assuming that this is asking a bit more fancy than that so any beauty product that comes in a gift box really because they're exciting (what an awful answer).

25 DAYS OF BLOGGING CHRISTMAS- DAY 2 | DECEMBER 2ND- WINTERLISCIOUS TAG

I thought we'd start off the 25 Days of Blogging Christmas with a post to get us feeling all nice and Christmasy. I got the Winterliscious Tag from Sprinkle Of Glitter's Youtube from Christmas 2012 but I thought it was such a nice idea and the questions are fabby, so here we go:

1. Favourite winter nail polish?
Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Plum- an absolutely gorgeous purple colour and, as I have stressed before, it doesn't chip! It comes out as a beautiful really dark purple with two coats and I can see myself wearing it through the majority of December. Highly recommend their whole gelly range but Mr Barry M please please please please bring out a black in this range please.

2. Favourite winter lip product?
This was featured in my autumn tag and will probably be in many more favourites but I am absolutely in love with the Accessorize lipstick in Infatuated and it is the best lipstick ever ever ever and I just love it so much. Sorry about that.

3. Most worn winter clothing piece?
It has to be my tartan coat from H&M last winter, it is beautiful and I probably would have frozen to death without it (this November has been ridiculously cold and I am living in fear over what the cold might become in December).

4. Most worn winter accessory?
Last year I got a chunky knit, blue bobble hat from Accessorize and I just love it so much that I want another one this year (possibly in moss green?) the only downside to this hat is I can't wear it to school as it gives you the worlds worst hat hair.

5. Favourite winter scent/ candle?
The Yankee candle Christmas collection all smells amazing and I will expand on this later in the month but you can also never go wrong with a vanilla candle in the winter.

6. Favourite winter beverage?
Anything from the Costa Christmas range (yes, I know I have a problem) or Wispa hot chocolate.

7. All time favourite Christmas/ holiday movie?
My favourite Christmas movie is probably Muppet's Christmas Carol because it has no faults and I recommend it highly to everyone as it is just so brilliant (I am getting all fuzzy just writing about it).

8. Favourite Christmas/ holiday song?
This was a near impossible question and I spent a long time consulting the Christmas CD before answering this but I'm going to have to go for Step Into Christmas by Elton John because it's such a feel good song and the Fairy Tale of New York by the Pouges because it is a classic and so unbelievably fun to sing/ yell along to at the top of your voice with friends and family (also it has some absolutely brilliant lyrics). You can also never go wrong with yelling along to Band Aid Do They Know It's Christmas or The Twelve Days of Christmas, I DON'T KNOW I LOVE THEM ALL. (I feel super bad for not choosing Slade or Wizzard or John and Yoko or Paul McCartney but I can't decide between them).

9. Favourite holiday food/ treat?
Soup. Ohmigod soup. Soup has got to be the greatest creation ever I could live off soup.

10. What is your favourite Christmas decoration this year?
Every year we get a new random Christmas tree decoration from somewhere we've been that year and this year's one is this lovely one from Disney Land in Florida (they have their own Christmas shop there and it is amazing). My all time favourite, though, has got to be William Shakespeare because it is just so weird.
My apologises I currently cannot find the new decoration to take a picture of.

11. What's at the top of your Christmas list?
Probably Finnick Odair (or the actor Sam Claflin, whichever one of them really) from the Hunger Games Catching Fire (which is absolutely amazing if you haven't seen it already and the books are even better). I would like him wrapped up in a box under my tree in a suit come the 25th please thank you Father Christmas that would be wonderful.

12. What are your plans for the holidays this year?
Thankfully this Christmas promises to be much calmer than last year when we tried to get the entire family together and everyone ended up bitching about each other in between watching Pokémon movies. This year will be back to normal with my Grandma coming over on Christmas eve, then seeing the family on the 27th for George's birthday (what an awkward date to have it) and then going up to see the rest of the family in the North. Simples. (Judged if you didn't read that in a meerkat voice).

*NOTE: Some of the things I've mention only briefly here because I will be talking about them more in later posts*

AUTUMN TAG

I love autumn, not as much as winter, but autumn is still great and everything is pretty. I saw this Autumn Tag on someone's blog and thought it was such a great idea that I would copy it, basically... (I have edited some of the questions to make it easier for my English ways).

1. Favourite autumn lip product?
As everyone knows I am a self confessed lip balm addict and I get super dry lips all your round but especially in autumn/ winter time I obviously have a million lip balms on the go at one time but my favourite at the moment is obviously Burt's Bees because that is the best and it can be worn under lip gloss or lip stick to stop your lips drying out; dark coloured lip sticks are also perfect for this time of year, the one  I am currently using is the Intense Colour Lipstick in Infatuated (Shade 7) by Accessorize which I bought on a super-quick Superdrugs dash for Halloween but I have completely fallen in love with it as it is the nicest colour EVER and I want to wear it 24/7 (I will write a full review later at some point in the near distant future).

It looks more burgundy in the tube but actually comes out as quite a brightish purple colour

2. Favourite autumn nail polish?
Any dark red is a perfect autumn colour and this year I have gone for the Barry M Matte Nail Paint in Burgundy Crush; dark purples, dark reds and greys work well in autumn. I really like matte top coats all year round as well and they work with any colour.

3. Favourite autumn drink?
It has got to be either the cinnamon or gingerbread latte from Costa- very autumn/ wintery flavours (I like Costa A LOT I go there far to much and my Costa points card is not a valid excuse to go there so much).

4. Favourite autumn candle?
Yankee Candle Spiced Orange- I absolutely love this, the orange and clove scents are perfect together; I don't actually own this candle as the scent can get really strong after a while but it smells amazing in the jar.

5. Favourite autumn accessory?
My current favourite necklace is my Orange Calcite necklace which 'aids learning, study, memory and increases energy' as it goes with everything and I do believe that stones have powers; my father calls it the 'Stone of Education' because he thinks he is funny.

6. Favourite autumn clothing item?
This isn't really an autumn-specific clothing item but I am really loving my lace top from Topshop as it has the cutest little collar and looks amazing under any and every jumper.

7. Favourite seasonal movie?
I can't think of any autumn movies apart from Halloween ones but every year my friends and I have the Halloween sleepover where we basically just eat a lot and scare ourselves shite-less; it has become a tradition that we watch Trick 'r Treat every year even though it is awful but I will choose it anyway for my favourite movie purely due to tradition.

8. Favourite Halloween food?
At the moment I am completely in love with cinnamon whirls from Sainsburys they are the greatest food in the world and I would live off them if I could.

9. What is the strangest thing you have ever dressed up as for Halloween?
For Halloween I was a Sith Lord from Star Wars purely so I could walk about with my Lightsaber (yes I have a Lightsaber). This year I went as the three peas in a pod from Toy Story 3 with two of my friends, took a lot of effort explaining to everyone why we were dressed entirely in green. This year I also dressed up as a bearded lady as I had a dress I wanted to wear and I had a beard from when I was Joseph in the church Nativity.

10. What is your favourite thing about autumn?
Basically the fact that it is nearly Christmas and I enjoy being able to wear coats, hats, scarves, gloves and thick jumpers all the time.