GOODBYE 2016, HELLO 2017

I've seen a lot of these types of posts and I love reading them myself, so I decided it was about time I did a bit of my own reflecting on 2016.

It’s odd to look back on this year, as whilst it was probably one of the worst years of my life, it was also without a doubt the best. I struggled a lot with my health during the first 6 months of the year and I really was at my lowest point. However, things really started to pick up later in the year and it’s been an amazing year for me for so many reasons. I wanted to write a short (read: probably quite long) post about the things I’m really proud about and also touch on what I hope 2017 will be like for me!

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE: GIFTS UNDER £15

As someone who spends far much time scouring the lengths of the internet to find the best possible Christmas gifts every year, I've come across lots of lovely present ideas, therefore I thought it was only right that I shared them with the rest of you! In this post, I've included some of my favourite gifts under £15 -  I will probably write a separate post for all things beauty related, as there's far too many to put into this post! I've organised them by shop and included all the prices and links... Happy Christmas shopping!

MY TOP TIPS FOR STAYING ON TOP OF THINGS

After having endured two rather gruelling years of Sixth Form, the main thing I have lifted from my experience is that staying organised is so, so important. I'm not claiming to be the perfect role model when it comes to this, as throughout my years of education I was notorious for leaving work until the very last minute or sometimes, not doing it at all (very rebellious, I know). However, now that I have finished my studies, I feel that I can sit back and look at all the good things I did to stay on top of my work as opposed to all the things I didn't do and give you some tips that could perhaps help you too, whether this is in your studies, your work or your daily life.

REVIEW: ZOEVA NUDE SPECTRUM PALETTE

LETS TALK ABOUT NEUTRAL PALETTES, BABY...

As an avid fan of the trusty old neutral eyeshadow palette, I know how difficult it can be to find 'The One'. I don't think that- up until last week- I've ever personally owned a palette where I have liked/used every single colour. The problem with this is that I end up mixing and matching eyeshadows from different palettes on a daily basis, which is all well and good when I'm at home, but not always possible when travelling. For me, this defeats the whole point of a palette, which should be both compact and practical in my eyes (no pun intended).

In addition, it seems that the quality of the eyeshadows within palettes can vary massively from one shadow to the next. My Urban Decay Naked 3 palette immediately springs to mind- the shade 'Dust' is, quite appropriately, very dusty and crumbly in texture, compared to the much more pigmented, buttery smooth shades like 'Burnout' and 'Liar'.

However, enter my new favourite palette: the beautiful Zoeva Nude Spectrum Palette