It’s the first day of 2020 and I am spending it in the laziest way possible… Sat on my cuddle chair, in my pyjamas and wrapped in a blanket. I don’t think I can get any cosier to be perfectly honest with you. 😛
I decided to do an overall top favourites post for 2019, as December doesn’t have anything special on it that my January 2020 favourites won’t miss out on in a months time. I didn’t so a December 2018 favourites last year and no one missed it to be fair.
I really love writing my favourites post, I can reflect over the month on things I loved and I enjoy writing about them too and sharing with you all. However, 2019 wasn’t a good year for reading for me. I seem to have been too busy seeing friends or chilling on games, my phone or watching something on the TV… Which is a shame. 2020 is the year I will be trying to read a hell of a lot more! I do miss reading my favourite manga series as soon as the books come out in the UK, but at least 2020 means I will have more to read now… See, past Nat was doing future Nat a massive favour! 😛
Anyhoo, no more nattering, it’s time to show off my op 3 from 2019, as well as runner ups. 🙂 I really hope you enjoy the first post of 2020!
Beauty Top 3
1. The Body Shop Drops of Youthâ„¢ Youth Liquid Peel.
2. Laneige Two Tone Matte Lip Bar in Red Velvet (review here).
3. Childs Farm Baby Moisturiser with Shea & Cocoa Butter.
Runner Up – Lime Crime Wet Cherry Gloss in Cherry Bomb.
TV Shows Top 3
1. Inside No. 9.
2. Mr. Pickles.
3. Fruits Basket.
Runner Up –Â Stranger Things Season 3.
Movies Top 3
1. Detective Pikachu.
2. Spider-Man: Far From Home.
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Runner Up – Avengers: End Game.
Books Top 3
1. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid.
2. In Real Life by Cory Doctorow.
3. Persona 4.
Music Top 3
1. PVRIS – “Fire” (this is the single that got me into the band this year – who I now LOVE TO BITS!).
2. Litany – “Bedroom”.
3. Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy”.
Runner Up – Grimes – “We Appreciate Power”.
Games Top 3
1. Yoshi’s Crafted World.
2. Untitled Goose Game.
3. Borderlands 3.
Runner up – Pokemon Sword & Shield.
So that’s all of the my favourite items of 2019! I honestly can’t believe it’s 2020 now! I’ve spent most of the day relaxing, writing and talking to my mom on FaceTime. Can it really get any better than that? 😛
What were your favourite items from 2019? I’d love to hear!
It’s August and only one more month now until my favourite of the year, September. I’m shocked at how quickly 2019 is going by, as well as the fact I have now been in my new (well not so much new anymore!) job for 4 months now. It’s flown, I still feel like I’ve only been here for five minutes.
Either way, summer is officially here and we had some glorious sunny days in July. It was amazing and me and Dane even got the BBQ out after work one of the days! I’m rather excited for this month and what it holds as I feel there will be plenty more BBQ days and pub garden evenings to be spent. 😛
July also brought along some blogger events in Birmingham, which I haven’t done/attended for YEARS! So I was really happy for that. I hope I am able to attend more Birmingham blog events in the future. This month I hope to be attending a couple of Coventry Blogger events too, so keep eyes peeled for that.
For now though, I’m back (even if it’s 2 days late!) to talk about my monthly favourites! 😀
SBC Honey & Almond Bath & Shower Creme.
This is something my mom recently gifted to me, as she’d bought it in a set and due to the size worried she may not get around to using it alongside her other SBC shower creme. This is amazing and I honestly love it so much right now! I use it daily and I’ve noticed a dramatic difference to my skin. It doesn’t feel or look dry and tight, but looks and feels softer. Not baby soft, but definitely softer. It smells amazing too! I honestly cannot get enough of it right now! It reminds me of times away in Fuerteventura as I often use honey scented shower gels and cremes whilst I’m there. This bottle will last me ages! I plan to try it as a bath creme next month when the cooler weather is upon us.
Cath Kidston Hand Cream.
I didn’t realise I had SO MANY of these little hand creams from my advent calendar from Christmas time. I found about three in one of my drawers recently and decided to take them all to work to use up. I actually forgot how amazing this hand cream is and when all of my hand creams are used up and gone, I plan to stick with Cath Kidston in the future. The hand creams are rich and a little bit of it goes a long way. The scent isn’t really my thing as it’s very “old lady” scented. I love my fruity and unique smells when it comes to perfume. However, I can live with it if it helps my eczema along the way, which I have recently noticed is rearing it’s dry, ugly head.
MUA Pro Base Soothe & Cool Primer Stick.
This has been so perfect during July due to the warm weather. I usually only apply this under my eyes as I tend to find if I apply it all over my face it has a tendency of making me feel oilier and that’s not something I wish to be! However, I did use it all over my face on lazy days off work to try and cool down my face a little. Alongside powder it works okay, but on its own it’s so much better for me. I do love this primer stick, but whether or not I’ll repurchase it, is another story.
I wrote a review about these primer drops towards the end of 2018 and you know what? I wasn’t very kind to these primer drops at all! If anything, I feel like I need to review these because I’ve changed my mind dramatically since then in so many different ways. I love these, they’re my go to these days whenever I wear a primer and whenever I go to buy a new one too. They just always do me good and never let me down. They leave my face feeling cooled, soft and plump looking, with a bit of shimmer to brighten the skin. I also use these on my lips to soften them too, as it works really well before product, even if it’s just a bit of lip balm. Would you guys like me to re review these in the future? Let me know in the comments!
Taya Copaiba Resin Volumising Shampoo.
This is something else my mom kindly gifted me recently and it’s such a gorgeous shampoo. My mom is honestly the best when it comes down to beauty and I always go to her for suggestions on new brands and products to try and use. She gave me this as she’d given it a go and wasn’t sure if it was for her. Well, it’s definitely for me! This really does leave my hair feeling and looking healthy, shiny and thicker! Not that my hair needs to be any thicker… 😛 It smells gorgeous too and has a lovely honey smell to it, which works perfectly alongside the SBC shower creme mentioned here too. A little of this goes a long way, which is great because my hair always craves ALL the shampoo when it comes to cleaning it!
So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!
Favourite TV Show – Strangers Things 3 and Orange Is the New Black.
Fuck me, Netflix brought out the big guns in July and they did bloody good too! Not one, but TWO new seasons of shows that made Netflix what it is today, sadly with one leaving us for good. Me and Dane both made sure to binge Stranger Things 3 before any spoilers leaked out and ruined it for us. I honestly LOVED season 3 as I found it brought back the action of the whole gang that we missed out on in season 2. Season 2 was okay but it was meh at the same time. It focused too much on Eleven for my liking and this whole rebellion she seemed to go on. Season 3 definitely covered more of what was happening with the town and the shit that was about to hit (I totally rhymed on purpose)! I’m not saying too much due to spoilers, but it was amazing and I nearly cried at the end.
Orange Is the New Black is over. Like so over, that we need a new word for it (Sex & The City quote right there :P). I LOVED Orange Is the New Black so much and I’m glad it’s a season I invested time into because it’s been worth it. This season went too quickly and the end was shocking, so much so I don’t feel like the show has come to an end due to it. There’s no happy endings all around and there’s moments where you can’t believe it’s happened or happening for that matter. I can’t say much without spoiling. The one thing I will say is, Piper is her usual annoying as fuck self! I honestly hope the real Piper isn’t that annoying in real life… That’s the only good thing about the show coming to an end, no more annoying Piper. 😛 OH and who the hell calls their kid Piper?! Just me who thinks that, or?..
This film was amazing. Absolutely amazing. I was on the edge of my seat throughout and stayed well until the end to see what was happening next! If you didn’t stay until the end then shame on you! 😛 Without saying too much (because apparently this IS spoilers) I LOVED Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterion. He was one of my favourite baddies back in the day as a kid of spending my every waking moment playing the original Spider-Man PlayStation game. The movie overall with Mysterion’s scenes were done so well and I also loved the story of Peter Parker wanting to be a normal teenager, but needing to be Spider-Man at the same time. It was great and I definitely enjoyed it more than the first film.
Although I picked up the Elfen Lied omnibus in June – I didn’t actually get around to reading it in July… Which I am really pissed off about. It’s my favourite manga of all time (to date) and I don’t seem to want to read it again… Yet. To be honest, I will probably just prioritise series I need to catch up on and then start on Elfen Lied. So, as I had an Amazon discount code recently, I decided to pick up some more volumes for Persona 4, two in total (volumes 2 and 3). I haven’t finished the game, but I am loving and enjoying reading the manga. I feel like the story of P5 and P4 are both completely different and due to that I enjoy them both so damn much. I really do need to finish playing the game though…
Favourite Music – Litany 4 Track EP.
This is an EP I adore and I wish it had more tracks due to that. This is the song that introduced me to the band, which you may recognise from the Extra gum advert from TV… Where the zombie girl and the guy kiss. Yes, that advert. This song is just so chill and perfect for those summer vibes, as is the rest of the album. I recommend you go and check out Litany if you fancy something new to listen to! I recommend “Bedroom” which I have linked about and “Work It Out”, which isn’t on the 4 track EP.
Completely random game for me to mention here this month but me and Dane recently had a little game date night in and we played this. It was actually really fun to play and we had a laugh during it, for a change! Monopoly can take forever (which this did) and be boring towards the end due to that reason. This was just fun. I find if you play Monopoly with the right people you can have an amazing time. Especially when it’s Pokemon themed too. 😛
So those are my favourites from July! I cannot believe how quickly the month flew by, it’s pretty crazy to be honest.
How was July for you guys? What were your favourites of the month, both beauty and in general. Make sure to let me know in the comments below.
Until next time all, take care and I hope you have a lovely weekend upon you all!
It’s definitely and rapidly becoming my favourite time of year! It’s getting darker earlier now, we get an “extra hour” in bed, Halloween was yesterday, Bonfire Night is over the weekend AND Christmas is going to be here before we know it.
It’s a new month, November at that which can only mean one thing, it’s time for a new favourites post. It also means Christmas is looming, AHH! 😀
Let’s just jump straight into this months favourites.
Hask Monoi Coconut Oil Nourishing Shampoo.
I picked this shampoo up not long after I got back from holiday. I knew I was short of the Liz Earle shampoo I use so went to order some more, only to find out that Boots doesn’t appear to be stocking it anymore! I know I can get it elsewhere… But at £10 a bottle I wanted to try and pick something up a little lighter on my monies. This was definitely cheaper and it’s amazing for the price too! I’ve found it’s really helped my hair stay cleaner for longer, as well as look and feel soft and healthy. The Liz Earle one did too, but I just felt like it didn’t leave my hair feeling as clean as this one does! It also carries a gorgeous coconut scent which reminds me of Fuerteventura.
Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet EDT.
I’ve owned this perfume quite a while now and when I first bought it I loved it, but after a while I fell out of love with it… I found that whilst it smelt amazing, due to it being a toilette that the scent wouldn’t last as long as I wanted it to. This being said it’s also really nice to use a light perfume and it’s one I wore to work one day and it’s just stuck in my handbag since. I’ll probably end up switching it up soon, as I always tend to do, but I am trying to use up some of my older perfumes so I can make way for any new ones I wish to try.
Nails Inc Rainbow Wishes Nail Polish.
This is one part of the Unicorn Nail Polish Duo Kit and although I love both shades just as much, I prefer this one out of the two. I love wearing it on my weekends off of work as it looks so pretty without being over the top. I think I’ll wear this Bonfire Night alongside the other shade from the duo.
Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Paint in shade Pop Up (review here).
I haven’t worn my Barry M lip paints much since buying them, which is a shame as they’re actually amazing! My mental health hasn’t been too great towards the end of October so to try and cheer myself up I wore this shade quite a lot and I forgot what a gorgeous cherry red it is! I know I’m going to wear the hell out of it throughout the festive period!
Palmolive Gourmet Chocolate Shower Cream.
Ages ago when these shower creams first came out I made sure to stock up on them whilst the were a £1 each and after stocking up on those I bought LOADS of other shower cream/gel. Finally those are all gone and used and I can start using this amazing chocolate shower cream again. These are some of my favourite shower creams to use as they smell and even look like melted milk chocolate. Not only does it smell amazing but it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth all day long. I really recommend these shower creams in all of the scents!
So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!
Favourite TV Show – Stranger Things.
As many people will know season 2 of Stranger Things came out under a week ago and everyone has gone crazy for it, including me and Dane! As soon as it went live on Netflix me and Dane started to watch it. We got the new season completed in just 2 days and it is AMAZING! I didn’t know what to expect from watching the trailers and I didn’t really think much about it. Only when we watched it was I trying to constantly guess what was going on. At one point towards the end of the season I was shouting at the character(s), you know, as you do. 😛 I just enjoyed it so much and I already can’t wait for season 3… Which sounds like it’s already been announced.
Favourite Film – The Anthem of the Heart (Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda).
This was a film Dane had told me about and we watched it one of the days in October. I can safely said I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and would gladly watch again! It’s about a girl who loves to talk and talks loads, which ends up getting her into some “trouble”. She is cursed after this and whenever she talks after she feels like she needs to be sick. From there she becomes part of a school project which involves music, which also seems to help her find her voice and start to talk again. I won’t say anymore as I don’t want to give anything away! It’s an amazing anime film and one you should watch if you love films such as A Silent Voice or Your Name.
Favourite Book – Erm…
I actually don’t know why I have this option on here anymore as I don’t seem to read these days! I feel bad for not reading, but I feel like all I do lately is write my blog, watch random films and shows and play games. Reading hasn’t really factored into it lately. I really want to start reading manga again however! I have loads of K-ON! that I need to read! November will definitely be the month of starting to read again. 😛
Favourite Song/Album – Saliva – Back Into Your System
This is an album I actually listened to earlier on in the week when driving my car and I always forget how much I love it. It’s by far one of my favourite albums and whenever I listen to it it cheers me up so much. I’ve had a crappy couple of months recently so to listen to this album before and even after some good news it’s made me very happy. This is the song that introduced me to Saliva and due to that it’s my favourite of theirs, as well as from this album.
Favourite Game – South Park: The Fractured But Whole.
I can’t believe how long I had to wait for this game to come out, but it has definitely been worth it! I’m surprised I haven’t finished it yet to be honest but this is due to various reasons, Netflix being the main one. 😛 It’s nothing like the first game in my opinion and if anything it’s way better! There just feels like there’s more to do and it already feels like there’s more game play as well which is amazing. I just can’t wait to finish it! I intend to play loads Friday when I finish work as well as over the weekend.
So those were my favourites from October! I still can’t believe we’re into November now, the year is still going by way too quickly and it creeps me out.
Not only is Christmas and New Year next month, but my birthday will be the month after and I can’t believe I’ll be 28!
I’m excited for all those things to come however! So what were your favourites from October? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!
Until next time, take care all and I hope you had an awesome Halloween.