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?

Brunch in The Garden, Just Desserts & A Walk With The Pooch

Morning guys! First of all I would like to apologize - it's been a whole week since I posted! I suppose my driving lessons and freelance work have just been taking priority the past week or so.

Today I wanted to share with you all another sort of 'week in photos' blog post. (I promise I've got some super good beauty and fashion posts on the way for you, so don't worry just yet).

With all the hustle and bustle this past month, this week was somewhat a tad quieter. I mean it's been busy don't get me wrong but its not been manic if you know what I mean, which I kinda like. Sometimes it's nice just to chill.

On Sunday morning it was such a beautiful day so I decided to make Kyle and I some brunch. Days like this are my favorite. Them ones where you get to sit in the garden and eat. I opted for my super lovely Banana Pancakes with some chopped up fruit. Naughtily I added a drizzle of Chocolate Sauce but hey ho it's Sunday so I don't care! I made Kyle a mini English Breakfast - Bacon, Beans, Toast and Egg and we both had an Iced Coffee to Drink. As you can see in the picture I pride my self on my ability to create a super cute set up by using unnecessary crockery...but then again who wouldn't want a heart shaped toaster holder? You see my point?!

We proceeded to spend the rest of our Sunday binge watching Netflix. Shamefully we watched the entire first season of American Horror Stories in a one'er. It was totally addictive but I wouldn't recommend watching it if you're a wuss like me. I spent the entire afternoon following Kyle around like a lost sheep, asking him to come to the toilet with me and having the lights on everywhere I went.


During the week my dad and I also went for our weekly walk. We pranced off to a hidden gem just outside of Clumber Park, which might I add has fast become my favorite place to go for a walk!

This was the first time in a long while that my feet actually ached after a walk but it was such a fun adventure!

Biscuit had a lot of fun playing and is such a clever little dog, he took this stick with him all the way round the walk bless him.

What did you get up to this week? 

I'm an ASOS Fashion Insider

Hey everyone! So...I've got some really exciting news for you all that I am really pleased to share with you! I am now an ASOS Fashion Insider. Woohoo! I applied for this a while back and never expected to be accepted. I didn't think I stood a chance and to be honest completely forgot about it until they emailed me with the great news. 

I am really excited  about all this. You're probably all wondering what this actually entails - well let me explain...As an ASOS Insider I will occasionally get invited to events, get all the ASOS inside goss i.e. collection previews and behind the scene shazazz. I will also get opportunities to apply for exclusive interviews and competitions along with other insiders. As well as the occasional freebies. Exciting eh? I can't really go into too much detail right now as it's kinda top secret but do know that I will be shortly be your main source of info for all things ASOS and will be getting involved in some really exciting fun things very soon :) 

Check out the video below:

Aside from receiving an email informing me of my acceptance as an ASOS Insider I also rceived the cutest parcel from them. I waited a little longer than the other insiders to receive my gift in the post as I stupidly kept missing my delivery, so in the end I just got it redelivered! It was really lovely to receive a little something in the post from such a well known company. In the box I received the following: 

• Barry M Nail Polish in 'Berry Cosmo' 
• 2 teeny finger rings, one plated and one chained
• A note from ASOS
• A Fortune Cookie

Everyone who was accepted as an insider received a gift that was especially hand picked for them. The note I received says ' Hi Lara, welcome to #AccessAllASOS! We know you like to embrace your inner goth in the colder months so here's a couple of gifts that should hit the mark'. How lovely that they went to the trouble of choosing a present so individually tailored. 

I am pleased to say that I am currently wearing my Berry Cosmo polish as I type and the rings have been clued to my fingers for the last few days. Of course the Fortune Cookie was gone within about 20 seconds of me opening my parcel (oops) and the words of wisdom inside the Cookie said 'New friends are in your new future' - I'm hoping by this they mean I'm going to make lots of new blogger friends in the coming months!  

What do you think to my gifts? :)