I hope you all had a lovely Christmas Day even if you weren’t able to do what you had originally planned. Mine was very low-key, I was at home with my mum and one of my aunts and we had a big lunch. We didn’t really do presents which helps keeps things less stressful and the food was really yummy! I scored the crackling on the roast pork, was on cream whipping and strawberry cutting duties for dessert and also helped with general prep and cooking.
I’m ending the year strongly and going out with a bang with these favourites! These all make me happy and have brought me lots of enjoyment over the past few weeks.
1. Kylie – DISCO – I was meant to include this in November’s favourites but somehow it slipped my mind. I am a huge Kylie fan and every time I listen to DISCO I love the songs more. The overall sound of the album is very cohesive and Kylie co-wrote on each track as well as engineering vocals and synths at her home studio during the pandemic. The sound is very much in Kylie’s dance-pop lane and it is exactly what 2020 needs, 50 minutes of energetic fun that makes you happy and forget about any worries for a while. This is my favourite Kylie album since Aphrodite. Standout Tracks: Magic, Miss a Thing, Real Groove, Say Something, I Love It, Dance Floor Darling and Celebrate You.
2. Steps – What the Future Holds – Another album that I have not stopped listening to since release! This album is incredibly special as the booklet is signed by all members of Steps and 11 year old Chanelle never dreamed she would own something like this. It’s even more special as I was meant to be seeing Steps in May but because of Covid the show was cancelled. I was heartbroken but I’m determined to see them live one day. Steps represent so much happiness in my life and I’m thankful the album was released this year. Vocally I feel Lisa and Lee shine on this album (they all sound good but it’s clear to see the vocals are shared more evenly and these two have such beautiful voices as well). Standout Tracks: What the Future Holds, Something In Your Eyes, To the Beat of My Heart, One Touch, Under My Skin, Heartbreak In This City and Come and Dance With Me.
3. Fenty Gloss Bomb in Fu$$y – This gloss arrived in September as part of a mini set and I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned it in a favourites post yet. I’ve really enjoyed wearing gloss this year and found some great formulas that aren’t sticky and feel comfortable. Fu$$y is described as a soft romantic pink, it has a little bit of shimmer and can look quite sheer when worn on it’s own but it’s lovely on no makeup makeup days or applied over top of a lipstick for a bit of shine. The scent of this is amazing, it needs to be made into a fragrance (you can thank me later Rihanna).
4. In the Frow x Edge of Ember Birthstone Necklace and Nova Ring – In October Victoria (known as In the Frow on YouTube) launched a jewellery collaboration with Edge of Ember. I picked up two pieces and whilst I spent more than I tend to on jewellery I don’t regret it! The pieces are dainty and beautiful and the quality is up there too. I’m not a fan of chunky, heavy pieces and prefer things that are subtle and elegant.
The silver Nova ring is lightweight and simple but it goes with everything, the stone in the middle is a white topaz. Usually I prefer silver to gold but what drew me to the birthstone necklace was the simplicity of one stone on the chain. My birthday is in January so my birthstone is garnet and the red and gold work well together. The length of the chain is adjustable which is nice depending on how you like necklaces to sit and what you’re wearing with it.
December Highlights
- I took some time to reflect on the year that has been and unwind and get ready for 2021. I know lots of people hate January but I really appreciate the slow period and setting things up to begin again.
- Finishing work on Christmas Eve and knowing I have almost two weeks off. This is my first proper annual leave since February that won’t involve hospitals and where I can do things for me.
- My boyfriend finishing work early on Christmas Eve and coming to see me after not being able to see each other for a week. He also came to visit on Christmas Day so we could exchange presents.
- The first bite of pavlova on Christmas Day was amazing!
December’s Spotify Playlist:
How was your month? Share one of your highlights in the comments!
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Chanelle Hayley 