The Big Book Haul #2

Morning guys! So first and foremost I would like to say I'm sorry for being a little absent the past couple of weeks but I've just been busy to be honest and unfortunately had no posts scheduled to compensate for that. However I'm back today with a huge book haul! The last one I did (you can read here) was pretty successful and I've since had requests for another so here it is...

Sharp Objects
Written by the woman who brought us the incredible 'Gone Girl', Sharp Objects was Flynn's debut novel. Ever since being hooked on Gone Girl I thought I'd give another of Gillian Flynn's novels a go. Sharp Objects has a very dark story line and wasn't at all what I'd expected but in a good way. I wasn't absolutely hooked on this book like I was with Gone Girl where I think I didn't anything except some crackers for like 3 days straight. However I read this book in my spare moments throughout the end of January and start of February. I read it pretty much every day in lunch hour at work and picked it up occasionally in the evening. I would really recommend it. If you enjoyed Gone Girl you will definitely enjoy this. Like I say though, the story line is a dark one, it's very messed up but very interesting. I don't want to give you a whole synopsis because I don't want to ruin the book for you.

Blender Girl
Oh my. After ordering this book I was praying for the day that it would land on my door step and when it did I let out a little squeak of celebration. Since turning Vegetarian and mostly  Vegan where possible I have discovered a new found love for food but not even junk food - healthy wholesome food. This book covers everything from Juicing, Smoothies, Fuss Free Lunches, Meal prep etc and the best thing about it? Everything is Vegan! This is pretty much my new food and lifestyle bible which I know will be continuously dusted off to give me more inspiration.

Pretty Honest
Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes is the no nonsense, straight talking beauty book that covers literally everything you can think of beauty based from what products to use for your skin combination to who you should be watching on Youtube. It's a fairly expensive book but worth the investment in my eye. Not only does it have a super aesthetically pleasing cover but it also has great content.

The World According To Karl
A little comical book of anecdotes from the legendary director of Chanel - Karl Lagerfield. I find this book so humorous and interesting, so much so in fact that I actually pick this book up fairly regularly whether it be to make me laugh or give me some inspiration. Karl Lagerfield is one of the most influential people in the fashion industry so any words of wisdom he can give me - I'm all ears. This is one of them books for the Coffee Table.

Breeds
My boyfriend bought me this lovely little book for Christmas and it is most certainly the perfect gift for me. It's a book all about different types of dog breeds accompanied with dainty illustrations  and funny factual anecdotes. A great book to have a flick through and have a giggle about!

It's Not How Good You Are It's How Good You Want To Be
A bit of a long-winded title but a little gem of a book in my opinion. I was first introduced to this book by my old boss who had an array of inspirational books scattered across a shelf in the office. He suggested I take it with me and have a flick through it on the flight. It's only a very short book. In fact it probably took me about 15 minutes to read the whole thing. However it's a super inspiring and it really gets you fired up to better yourself and become the best version of you. It's something anyone could read and take away something positive from it. I loved it that much that I actually purchased a copy my self on Amazon. So in moments of despair I pick up this little book and it reminds me that I'm not all that bad!

Favourites of 2014

Morning guys! Can you believe that yesterday we waved goodbye to 2014?! How sad. 2014 has been a great year for me in many ways and I kinda just want to cling onto it for a little bit longer.However, that said I'm also very much looking forward to turning over the page and starting a new chapter in my life, ah how exciting!

Today I thought I would share with you some of my favourite things from 2014 whether that be a revolutionary Lipstick discovery or an addictive series. I've had a snoop around my bedroom and had a browse through old blog posts throughout the year and thought I would gather the best of the bunch into one post. Got your notebook ready? Let's go...

First things first lets talk beauty. This year I actually feel like I really discovered myself on the blogging front and what suits me. I really got into blogging and have taken it to a new level. I've been blogging for the past 3 years but never with such dedication. I would usually just post at my leisure and on a whim. I never really thought about the fact that somebody else could possibly read my blog and find it interesting but it turns out you guys actually do. The blog initially started up as a creative outlet for my take on fashion trends and wish lists etc. Turns out it wasn't meant to be on the fashion front and although I still love fashion I definitely think blogging about Beauty & Lifestyle is much more up my street. I just wanted to say a big  thank you to every single person that reads my blog (yes you!) whether you just accidentally clicked on this post or if you read my blog religiously, thank you SO much. I really appreciate your constant support and I will continue to churn out some (hopefully) interesting content for you all in 2015. 

Anyway, moving on let's talk about what you came here for, yep that's right beauty..I've whittled down the list of my 'Holy Grail' material products and the winners are *drum roll*... Benefit Gimme Brow, Estee Lauder Double Wear & The Naked 2 Palette. Benefit Gimme Brow has seriously changed my life and I would never be without it. I think I've bought 4 of these this year since discovering it and just think it's amazing! Double Wear was a game changing product for me, I had always been on the hunt for a Foundation that has high coverage and stays put all day and Double Wear does just that. Again I always have a bottle of this product handy for days when I feel I need a higher coverage or if I have a long day ahead and need a product that won't budge. Now I know for some of you guys the Naked Palettes are probably old news but like I just said it wasn't until this year when I really started discovering beauty products that much. I think the Naked Palettes are awesome, I love any eye shadows that are golden or bronze toned - therefore the Naked 2 is definitely my ideal Palette. The great thing about the Naked Palettes is that you can mix so many combinations and shades to great a different effect every time. Although it's an expensive product I would definitely say it is worth investing in! 

Now then, let's talk food. It's fair to say this year I have discovered some revolutionary food items. As you guys know this year I actually turned vegetarian (read all about it here) so I definitely think this has been a contributing factor to me trying different recipes out and discovering new products. A revolutionary discovery for me was the Avocado - I mean damn where has this fruit been all my life. These days I pretty much incorporate it into as many of my meals as possible. I also found a new found love for Quinoa, Spinach and Peanut Butter. These are some of the foods that have become a daily staple for me. With me having the biggest sweet tooth ever, it wouldn't be a 2014 favourites post without mentioning Pots & Co (preferably the Salted Caramel) and a very recent discovery, well just last night in fact - The Coconut Collaborative Raspberry Snowconut Frozen Yoghurt - this tastes amazing.  Oh and also while we're at it I would urge any chocolate fan looking for a healthier alternative to purchase the Booja Booja Hunky Punky Chocolate Ice Cream - it only has 4 ingredients and tastes delicious!

So let's talk TV, I'll be honest I watch some utter trash on TV but it's good, addictive kinda trash so it's okay ;) Shows that I watched obsessively throughout 2014 included Breaking Bad (the best show you'll ever watch seriously), American Horror Story - utterly terrifying but completely addictive, All varieties of the Kardashians, oldies such as Absolutely Fabulous & Birds of a Feather were a huge source of entertainment for me as well.

Apps that provided me with hours of joys this year included  the usual suspects - Twitter, Facebook (shamefully), Pinterest and of course Instagram which was the app that reigned the throne in my books once again.

2014 was the year I fell back in love with Books and ones I loved the most and picked up in any spare second was definitely Gone Girl, The Fault In Our Stars, Before I Go To Sleep and Bridget Jones Diary. I'm hoping this year will be the same in the respect that I will find so much joy in reading and will continue to grab a book in any dull moment rather than scrolling through social media.

Fitness wise - you guys know I finally joined a gym which was a big step for me and my god, I actually went EVEN when on holiday in Milan, do I deserve a pat on the back or what?! Okay so on the fitness front things went well as a whole however I'll admit towards the end of the year I've lacked in motivation and been pretty lazy and ate way too much chocolate but this year I will be stepping up and taking control of the situation by creating a more structured work out and meal plan which will hopefully show in my appearance as the months go on so watch this space!

As you guys know, this year Kyle & I made a conscious effort to visit some more places in the world and to be honest pretty much every place we visited was amazing but of course Milan & Stockholm fill the winning spots in my opinion. This year we're hoping to cram a whole lot more of air miles in!

I hope you enjoyed this post and it has maybe given you a chance to reflect back on the year if you haven't already. For those of you who made it to the end of this lengthy post and was in it for the long haul - thank you!

What were your 2014 Favourites?